This chapter was supposed to be all mushy and basically a filler. Then I added a whole lot more. Hope you guys enjoy!
Reviewers:
Neyite: Ding, ding, ding! Correct!
TooLazyToLogin: Yup, this is really where the story begins! Sorry, but you're right about the woman. And hold on, because this fanfic will just get even more intense! I have big plans!
Danny's pov
I woke up with a cramp in my neck and back. At first, I didn't know where I was. Then my vision cleared and I saw I was sitting on a couch, with Mira nestled in my arms. I smiled, caressing her dark hair. Her eyelids fluttered and she yawned.
"Danny?" She said.
"Good morning Mira," I chuckled. She realized how she was positioned and awkwardly disentangled herself from my arms, blushing in embarrassment.
"Sorry, I didn't mean..." She trailed off. I grinned.
"It is alright." I said. She smiled, but I noticed that her eyes seemed far away.
"Mira," I started.
"Yes?"
"What happened last night with you and Ava?" I asked. She bowed her head, all traces of a smile gone.
"We met this woman. And she...she had it. I don't know how but she had it," She whispered. I frowned. I had a bad feeling about what she was going to say.
"Mira. What did she have?" I said seriously.
"The thing that Father had." I blanched. It was here. The disease was here. But no one could have gotten out of Kun'Lun. The portal wouldn't have been open yet.
"What did she look like?" I needed to know if I could recognize this woman.
"She...Well half of her face was already...changed. But she had dark eyes, and wild blond hair. And I'm pretty sure she was wearing black, or some dark color," Mira listed. I cross referenced the description with everyone I had met in Kun'Lun.
"Is that it?" My voice sounded weak in my ears.
"Well..."
"Well what?"
"Danny, she knew our names. I mean, everyone in Kun'Lun knows your name, but she also knew mine! She kept asking me to help her. She was crying for me to help her! But I did nothing! I was so scared, I could only watch! I should've done something, she asked for my help and, and, and-" She sobbed.
"You did good Mira. If you had touched her, you might've gotten it too," I stated solemnly.
"Danny, do you remember that mother with the sick child?" She asked suddenly. I could've slapped myself.
"Katana!" I had to keep myself from shouting.
"Yes."
"But how could she have gotten out of Kun'Lun? The monks can sometimes override the portal's natural timer, but she didn't have any sort of transportation," I pointed out.
"Maybe she walked?" Mira guessed.
"Even if she started walking the day we left, she wouldn't have made it here this early," I said. Mira nodded.
"That's true, but maybe she did find a vehicle?"
"Yo Danny!" Luke shouted from his room. Mira and I jumped. "We're going to show Mira and Far around! Come on!"
"Sure my friend, we'll be only a minute," I told him.
"I suppose we can discuss this later?" Mira said. I nodded and we both went our separate ways to wash up.
Mira's pov
New York is a different place in the daylight. It is sort of like a beehive, people bustling and rushing around to get to their destinations, the earsplitting honking of cars stuck in traffic, the dizzying stench of unwashed bodies on the streets mixed with pungent, greasy hotdog stands.
I felt sick and excited all at once.
"Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore," Far said in wonder. I cocked my head.
"We've never been to Kansas, and who's Toto?" I asked. He chuckled and shook his head at me. Danny leaned in by my side.
"Are you alright Mira?" He questioned. I smiled nervously as a parade of people bumped my shoulder on the way past. One larger man almost knocked me down, and he didn't even respond when I said sorry. Danny grinned.
"It is a lot to take in, isn't it?" He told me. I laughed.
"Very." I was starting to feel better about Katana. I was still worried, but just not at the moment. The issue had been pushed to back of my mind so that I could enjoy the city.
"Far seems right at home doesn't he?" Peter smirked. I looked up to see Far swaggering at the front of the group as if he was leading the tour. He clicked his tongue at a pair of girls who looked like they were in college and made a gesture that he told me meant, call me. They shook their heads and giggled. Far grinned.
I looked and saw Sam doing a similar thing, to a different girl. I chuckled.
"Huh, maybe I should start doing that. You never know when it might work," Luke mused next to Danny.
"Embarrassment is not the key to love, my friend. Only part of it," Danny sniggered. It took about four seconds for realization to enter Luke's eyes.
"Ha, ha. Funny. Who said that one?" He said haughtily.
"No one, I made it up," Danny laughed. I joined in. Soon Danny and Luke and I were trading playful insults and trying to outdo each other. Ava slowed down and sidled up beside me. Right between Danny and I.
"Hey Mira, can we talk?" She asked. NO! No we can't talk! I'm having fun here and you're going to spoil it by mentioning last night! I know you will!
"What is it Ava?" I all but sighed. She raised an eyebrow. I ignored it.
"Why did that lady know you? She wasn't your mom or anything, was she?" She interrogated. I felt my face get hot. I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth.
"I. Don't. Have. A mom. Anymore," I had said it so many times in my life it felt like I was an actress on a stage, reciting lines that had no actual meaning. Her face drooped.
"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't know," She apologized. I hate that. When people apologize for something they don't understand, that they didn't cause, that they could have easily lived their entire lives without knowing. Sorry doesn't raise the dead. Never has, never will.
"Don't be sorry. It's fine," I muttered. She looked at me with pity mixed with understanding. Disgusting.
"I um, I don't have a mom either. Or a dad for that matter," She smiled grimly. I looked at her in surprise. Little Miss Purr-fect didn't have a mother of father?
"Yeah, me neither. He died just before I came here," I sighed. I didn't know why I was opening up to this girl, but I did anyway.
"Oh. How?" She asked. Immediately, her face went red for being so direct. I was taken back by the question too.
"Sickness. In his sleep," I murmured. I steered clear of the word disease, because otherwise she might've figured something out. I knew it didn't make any sense, but I wanted this disease problem, to be my and Danny's thing. Just between us.
"Oh, that's good," She said. I looked at her, ready to slap her. My face must have betrayed my anger because she held up her hands.
"Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean it like that! I just meant...at least he probably didn't feel much pain. You know? My father was hunted down by a psychopath," She clarified. I froze. Oh. That's...oh.
"Wow..."
"Yeah," She sighed.
"Sorry," I apologized. She looked at me quizzically.
"For what?" She asked. I sighed. Maybe I could've made more of an effort.
"For everything," I said finally. She nodded, then smiled at me. And I smiled back.
Danny's pov
We walked around New York for the good part of three hours before picking a restaurant. We had just sat down when an alarm sounded from a few buildings down. We all piled up against the windows and saw that one of the near buildings was crackling and splintering and emitting light. It was on fire.
"You two stay here, we're going to go play hero!" Peter commanded Mira and Far. We were already leaving for the bathrooms. Mira looked at me with fearful eyes and I stared back.
"Don't worry. We will be fine, I promise," I whispered. Then we ran to get changed.
Peter and Sam were the first ones done, then me, then Luke and Ava. We rushed outside towards the burning building. It had just started and the fire wasn't bad, but it wasn't getting better either.
"Ok, Nova and I'll get the top floors. White Tiger and Iron Fist get the middle ones, and Powerman, hold up the bottom. It's your job to warn us if he building starts going down," Spiderman yelled. We nodded and got to work.
Nova flew up with Spiderman web-slinging after him. Powerman broke down the doors and Tiger and I leaped in. Already I could hear a voice. Two voices actually.
"Help! AAAAAAAAHHH!" It was a high-pitched shriek. I figured it belonged to a child.
"Come on, it sounds like it's over here!" Tiger yelled. I followed her through the rubble. There was a door, she went to open it.
"Tiger move!" I hauled her back by her shoulders just as a ceiling beam came down in front of the door. The voices grew louder, more insistent.
"Thanks," She said breathlessly. I nodded, secretly envying her face mask. She clawed at the smoldering wood. They creaked. I lit my fist and smashed it into the ceiling beam. It exploded into powder, making the fire around us grow hotter. She flung open the door.
"Help!" A little boy came running out and jumped into White Tiger's arms.
"Get him out, I'll meet you there!" I told her. She nodded and ran out with the boy. I cautiously stepped forward. I felt lightheaded. Just need to find...
"You there! Can you help me? I need help! Save me!" A man was hunched over in the corner. His face was in his hands, protecting him from the smoke. I went to help him up and stopped. Scattered around the man's feet were several burnt matches and an empty matchbox.
"Did you start this?" I asked slowly. The man laughed. I felt cold in the burning room.
"Yes I did," He wheezed.
"Why?" I coughed. My legs gave out, and I sat across from the man.
"To myself outa my misery! I know I've got more matches somewhere. You wanna help me?" He raised his head and I gasped, which was a mistake. Half of his face was disfigured and completely metallic. One red eye peered out at me. I choked on smoke and emotion.
"You said you wanted help. Why would you..." I spoke.
"Help me friend. Put my outa my misery," He held out a knife. I gagged. Suddenly my legs spurred into motion and I was running away from the disease-ridden man. There! A window! Something hot and heavy and solid fell on my back. I dropped to the ground. With splashes of color exploding in my eyes I lifted the wooden plank off of me and dived out the window onto another roof.
The team was waiting for me. The building collapsed in on itself, no doubt taking the man with it. I sucked in gasps of air, as Powerman patted me on the back. Once I regained my composure, Tiger spoke.
"Did you find the other person?" She asked. Everyone looked at me.
"Indeed. But it was too late. I couldn't do anything," I said. And it was true. They all nodded in understanding.
It was later that night that Mira and I finally got to talk in private. We met on the same couch as all of our meetings. She listened as I narrated the events. When I finished, she pointed out the one thing I had failed to acknowledge.
"What if that man touched the boy that Ava held?" She asked. My eyes widened, and we both froze.
So, like I said, the chapter was supposed to end on Mira's pov. Then I decided that that would be boring. Your welcome! Please review and anyway...
Wolf out...