two can be as bad as one
As far as superpowers go, having the power to duplicate yourself is sort of a dud. I mean, it's cool and all, but it's sort of like that Japanese kid who can eat 65 hot dogs in twelve minutes; it's impressive, but so what? In the end, I'm just an ordinary guy who can create a whole bunch of ordinary guys, and that kid just ate a whole bunch of processed food and has heartburn.
But dammit, I was that guy. I might not have been a beautiful and unique snowflake, but that power was mine. And now, now I find myself in the position of that unique snowflake, no other Jamie Madroxes on the Island and - what was that?
Jamie had just surfaced from his underwater inner monologue when he saw it. It's a trick of the light. Has to be. However, despite his doubts, he found himself swimming towards the shore. Curiosity. It killed the cat. But instead of disappearing like he thought it would, the sudden apparition became more and more distinct. By the time he reached the shore, he could clearly see the x-shaped belt buckle glint in the moonlight.
Jamie Madrox was overlooking the beach, cutting a very familiar silhouette against the night sky, his trench coat billowing slightly in the breeze.
But Jamie Madrox was also standing ankle-deep in the ocean, his canary yellow swimming trunks riding dangerously low on his hips, and brushing the hair out of his eyes. There was, of course, only one explanation.
A dupe.
The dupe didn't seem to have noticed Jamie - Probably monologuing too - but Jamie didn't really seem to care because a dupe was on the island! He broke into a run, stumbling slightly in the sand, and as he approached the other Jamie Madrox, the dupe slowly turned his head in his direction, a slow grin creeping across his face. By the time Jamie was within twenty feet, the grin on the dupe's face was wide. But then, he did something rather unexpected. He cocked his head to the side and dropped one eyelid in a very deliberate wink. Jamie paused. What the hell? What's he do-
"No wait!"
The dupe began to run and, though he didn't particularly care to admit it, he was running much faster and gracefully than Jamie could've hoped to manage, barefooted and dazed as he was. That didn't stop him from trying. While the dupe navigated the jungle with ease, Jamie was doing a rather good impersonation of a bull in a china shop. He was zigging where he should have zagged and zagging where he should have zigged. Branches shoved out of his way cut into his arms and he imagined that by the time he was done playing cops and robbers he'd look like he had had a run-in with a cactus.
Still, he was gaining ground. Of course, that could have nothing to do with his speed as much as it had everything to do with the fact that the dupe was apparently taking a breather. He was kneeling the middle of the path, looking, for all intents and purposes, like he was tying his shoe.
"Wait!" Jamie shouted again, although he already had the sinking feeling that it wouldn't do much good.
The dupe was already standing up and gave Jamie another grin, his teeth gleaming an almost unnatural white, before he turned around and began running again. Jamie reached out a hand in futility - the dupe was already thirty feet away - and the small distraction from running caused him to trip over a fallen tree. He cursed silently and pulled himself quickly to his feet. The dupe was still in sight. That wouldn't last for long, though, if he didn't get a move on. However, he'd only taken a few steps when -
Pain. He gasped, his eyes wide in surprise: a rather long and jagged - and pointy - rock had decided it was a good idea to skewer his foot.
"Motherfucker!"
He fell to his knees, his face ramming into the ground, and over his laboured breathing he could hear the dupe's distant laughter. By the time he managed to steal a look upwards, the dupe was nowhere to be found.
I'm going to take a wild guess and say that wasn't the monk dupe.
He carefully rearranged himself so that he was in a sitting position. This took a couple of minutes seeing as his foot was skewered like Hannibal Lecter's favourite kabob. He reached for his foot, feeling the blood first, then the rock. There were a good two inches protruding from either side and even the lightest of touches caused him to hiss in pain.
Just create a dupe, Madrox. It'll be alright, just make a dupe.
It didn't matter that he knew he couldn't create a dupe, Craphole Island had saw to that, but he wasn't thinking clearly and as such, he snapped his fingers. Once, twice, three times...nothing. He let out a strangled sort of frustrated yell. He'd never been in this situation before, unable to distribute the pain, dilute it until he couldn't feel it anymore...
I need to take it out.
Wincing slightly - okay, a lot - he reached again for the rock. Gently, he wrapped his fingers around the wider portion that was sticking out from the sole of his foot. Oh, God, this is going to hurt, isn't it? On the count of three. One...two-
His scream echoed in the night air and a flock of whatever flew as one from a nearby tree.
Still holding the rock in his hand, he collapsed backwards. The stars were obscured by the trees, not that stargazing was on his list of things to do at that moment. Generally, having a gaping hole in your foot takes priority.
His breathing was still laboured and he focused on the rise and fall of his chest. He needed to get to the clinic, he needed a doctor, he needed to stand up. But he couldn't, not right now at least. He waited a minute. Two minutes. Five minutes. Then he started to pull himself up. This took a while seeing as every time he put weight on his foot he'd have to start the process again. Eventually, he did it, albeit with the help of a tree.
He'd have to walk now.
Or hop. Hopping might be better...
I'm screwed.
His foot was bleeding profusely and the compound was a while off. His only hope was that somebody, anybody, had heard his yelling. Slumping slightly against his tree, careful to keep the weight off his foot, Jamie sighed.
This is bad. Very, very bad.
But dammit, I was that guy. I might not have been a beautiful and unique snowflake, but that power was mine. And now, now I find myself in the position of that unique snowflake, no other Jamie Madroxes on the Island and - what was that?
Jamie had just surfaced from his underwater inner monologue when he saw it. It's a trick of the light. Has to be. However, despite his doubts, he found himself swimming towards the shore. Curiosity. It killed the cat. But instead of disappearing like he thought it would, the sudden apparition became more and more distinct. By the time he reached the shore, he could clearly see the x-shaped belt buckle glint in the moonlight.
Jamie Madrox was overlooking the beach, cutting a very familiar silhouette against the night sky, his trench coat billowing slightly in the breeze.
But Jamie Madrox was also standing ankle-deep in the ocean, his canary yellow swimming trunks riding dangerously low on his hips, and brushing the hair out of his eyes. There was, of course, only one explanation.
A dupe.
The dupe didn't seem to have noticed Jamie - Probably monologuing too - but Jamie didn't really seem to care because a dupe was on the island! He broke into a run, stumbling slightly in the sand, and as he approached the other Jamie Madrox, the dupe slowly turned his head in his direction, a slow grin creeping across his face. By the time Jamie was within twenty feet, the grin on the dupe's face was wide. But then, he did something rather unexpected. He cocked his head to the side and dropped one eyelid in a very deliberate wink. Jamie paused. What the hell? What's he do-
"No wait!"
The dupe began to run and, though he didn't particularly care to admit it, he was running much faster and gracefully than Jamie could've hoped to manage, barefooted and dazed as he was. That didn't stop him from trying. While the dupe navigated the jungle with ease, Jamie was doing a rather good impersonation of a bull in a china shop. He was zigging where he should have zagged and zagging where he should have zigged. Branches shoved out of his way cut into his arms and he imagined that by the time he was done playing cops and robbers he'd look like he had had a run-in with a cactus.
Still, he was gaining ground. Of course, that could have nothing to do with his speed as much as it had everything to do with the fact that the dupe was apparently taking a breather. He was kneeling the middle of the path, looking, for all intents and purposes, like he was tying his shoe.
"Wait!" Jamie shouted again, although he already had the sinking feeling that it wouldn't do much good.
The dupe was already standing up and gave Jamie another grin, his teeth gleaming an almost unnatural white, before he turned around and began running again. Jamie reached out a hand in futility - the dupe was already thirty feet away - and the small distraction from running caused him to trip over a fallen tree. He cursed silently and pulled himself quickly to his feet. The dupe was still in sight. That wouldn't last for long, though, if he didn't get a move on. However, he'd only taken a few steps when -
Pain. He gasped, his eyes wide in surprise: a rather long and jagged - and pointy - rock had decided it was a good idea to skewer his foot.
"Motherfucker!"
He fell to his knees, his face ramming into the ground, and over his laboured breathing he could hear the dupe's distant laughter. By the time he managed to steal a look upwards, the dupe was nowhere to be found.
I'm going to take a wild guess and say that wasn't the monk dupe.
He carefully rearranged himself so that he was in a sitting position. This took a couple of minutes seeing as his foot was skewered like Hannibal Lecter's favourite kabob. He reached for his foot, feeling the blood first, then the rock. There were a good two inches protruding from either side and even the lightest of touches caused him to hiss in pain.
Just create a dupe, Madrox. It'll be alright, just make a dupe.
It didn't matter that he knew he couldn't create a dupe, Craphole Island had saw to that, but he wasn't thinking clearly and as such, he snapped his fingers. Once, twice, three times...nothing. He let out a strangled sort of frustrated yell. He'd never been in this situation before, unable to distribute the pain, dilute it until he couldn't feel it anymore...
I need to take it out.
Wincing slightly - okay, a lot - he reached again for the rock. Gently, he wrapped his fingers around the wider portion that was sticking out from the sole of his foot. Oh, God, this is going to hurt, isn't it? On the count of three. One...two-
His scream echoed in the night air and a flock of whatever flew as one from a nearby tree.
Still holding the rock in his hand, he collapsed backwards. The stars were obscured by the trees, not that stargazing was on his list of things to do at that moment. Generally, having a gaping hole in your foot takes priority.
His breathing was still laboured and he focused on the rise and fall of his chest. He needed to get to the clinic, he needed a doctor, he needed to stand up. But he couldn't, not right now at least. He waited a minute. Two minutes. Five minutes. Then he started to pull himself up. This took a while seeing as every time he put weight on his foot he'd have to start the process again. Eventually, he did it, albeit with the help of a tree.
He'd have to walk now.
Or hop. Hopping might be better...
I'm screwed.
His foot was bleeding profusely and the compound was a while off. His only hope was that somebody, anybody, had heard his yelling. Slumping slightly against his tree, careful to keep the weight off his foot, Jamie sighed.
This is bad. Very, very bad.