A NEW BEGINNING - CHAPTER 38: Challenge
Pyro slumped to the ground, drained far beyond the point of exhaustion.
Bobby didn’t offer the other teen any support. He wasn’t in much better shape himself. Granted, he hadn’t pushed himself and his powers for as long as Pyro had, but he had been heavily sedated until a few hours ago. Also, despite their recent cooperation, Bobby was far from charitably inclined towards the side-switching Pyro.
But when the fire mutant began struggling upward to follow after Fiona, Bobby felt obligated to intercede.
“C’mon man,” he said gruffly, putting his hand on Pyro’s shoulder. “Let’s get you something to eat and a place to crash.”
Doggedly, Pyro shook his head.
“No. I said I’d protect her. I need to go.” Unbelievably, he started walking on wobbly legs, following the path Beast had taken.
Bobby couldn’t believe how he was going to respond to the boy he considered a traitor.
“It’s OK,” he said reassuringly. “Beast will take good care of her.”
“I’m sure he will,” Pyro answered through gritted teeth as he staggered away.
Bobby wasn’t quite sure what that was all about, but it was obvious that Pyro wasn’t leaving Fiona anytime soon. In spite of Pyro’s past and their non-inconsequential history, Bobby was grudgingly impressed.
A couple of long strides caught Iceman up to the unsteady Pyro.
“OK,” Bobby allowed. “You wanna stay with her, fine. I’ll stay with you.”
Pyro nodded wordlessly, too focused on putting one foot in front of the other for further conversation.
They didn’t need to go very far. As they turned a corner they saw a crowd gathering in a large clearing.
“She’s a spy!” they heard angry voices say. “And THEY are protecting her!”
Magneto and Cyclops were both pushing their way towards the center of the crowd, where Beast stood with the unconscious Fiona. Two of Xavier’s teachers had joined the giant blue mutant, and the formidably combination of Wolverine, Jean Grey, and Beast would have easily calmed a less-frantic crowd.
Bobby turned around, surprised to find that Pyro had disappeared. He was even more surprised to realize that the fire mutant had somehow shoved his way to the center, where he had added his own body to those others protecting Fiona.
“We got this, Sparky,” Wolverine snarled to Pyro. But Pyro stubbornly refused to move.
As Bobby pushed towards the circle himself, he saw Kitty pop up from the ground to stand with the other X-Men. Similarly, Piotr and Rogue were making their way through the crowd.
“You kids should stand back,” Wolverine tried again with a growl. In answer, Rogue stripped off both gloves and stuffed them into her pockets, her bare hands threatening merely by their presence; Piotr assumed his metal form; and Bobby iced up. By this time, the X-Men - and Pyro - had formed a protective circle entirely surrounding the unconscious Fiona.
“How did this particular girl find herself in the crossfire so many times?” Mystique eyed Fiona as she would a puzzle which must be disassembled in order to be solved.
Wolverine and Cyclops’ eyes met ominously, Wolverine from within the circle protecting Fiona and Cyclops right outside of it. They both knew that Flash had encountered some sort of trouble during her reconnaissance mission. Wolverine silently cursed Cyclops for sending the kid on that mission, and himself for not finding out what had happened. Unexpectedly, Jean’s voice was in both of their heads.
“Watch your thoughts, you two,” she warned. “I’m not the only psychic here, you know.”
Unseen by Jean or either of the two men, Emma Frost smiled icily. Interesting that the girl had been attacked at least one other time besides just now and shortly after they'd left the mansion. Even more interesting that she'd picked up that information from Pyro as well as Wolverine and Cyclops.
Men, the blond psychic thought to herself. They might think their thoughts are their own, but they're really just an open book. She sniffed slightly. At least they're good for something.
“Spy! Traitor! Get rid of her!” popped up throughout the crowd.
“Morons,” Kitty muttered under her breath. “Why would the bad guys attack her if she was one of them?”
“Mob mentality isn’t known for its adherence to either nuance or logic,” Hank murmured back, causing Kitty to smile grimly.
“She’s wearing a wire!” someone shouted from within the mob.
At that, Magneto sent a frosty look into the crowd.
“I know for a fact that there is no metal of any sort on this girl.” He frowned, his look paralleling Mystique’s as he looked towards Flash, now hidden behind the others.
“That doesn’t mean she isn’t transmitting electrical signals.” A slight, weasely man with an unshaved face and shifty eyes stepped forwards.
“Close enough, Bub,” Wolverine warned with raised claws.
The mutant known as Bolt stopped abruptly.
“There’s an electrical signal coming from her. That’s all I can say from this distance. But if I could get closer…”
Pyro growled, deep in his throat. It was an ominous sound, and even Wolverine looked surprised.
“My thought exactly, young man,” Beast’s rumbling voice was unheard outside of the protective circle.
Bolt turned his slippery frame towards Jean.
“I think it’s hidden somewhere on her body. She may not even be aware of it. But I know that SOMETHING is transmitting electrical signals. It’s obviously not metal,” he glanced at Magneto, “but it IS there.”
Jean looked from the decidedly seedy-appearing Bolt to Fiona, surrounded by a circle of teenage and adult protectors.
“Scan her here, in front of everyone,” she directed. “And I do mean everyone.” She deliberately cut a glance at her fellow X-Men, truly an intimidating lot.
“Don’t even think about touching her,” Pyro advised him unnecessarily, flames again dancing in his eyes and in the palm of his hand.
Bolt looked from Pyro to Wolverine, Beast, and the teens, and then back to Jean. He swallowed hard, all too aware of the fiery, pokey, and altogether unpleasant things they could do to him.
“I need to stand next to her,” he managed.
Grudgingly, the group made room, all except Beast - who still tenderly held Fiona - and Pyro, who just refused to move from her side.
With a small shrug, Bolt wormed his way closer. Closing his eyes, he passed his open hands over the length of Fiona’s tattooed body. He frowned and returned to her abdomen.
“Something IS there,” he murmured, “It might be a plastic transmitter, but…” his face cleared momentarily. “Ah. It must be in her back.”
He looked expectantly at Beast, who gently laid Fiona on the ground, carefully turning her head so she lay on her cheek. Wordlessly, both Beast and Pyro knelt beside her as Bolt’s hands lingered over Fiona’s lower back. With her singed clothing peeling away from her skin, the lightning tattoos cascading down the unconscious girl’s arms and back were very much visible.
“What are you doing, Scumbag?” Kitty asked ominously.
Bolt ignored her.
“Yes, it’s right…” he glanced at Beast and Pyro and then pointed to a spot right above Fiona’s buttocks, just above where the intricate tattoos ended. “Here.”
Jean shifted so that she was beside them.
“Can you deactivate it?”
“Not while guaranteeing her safety,” he shook his head.
“What if I could get it out?” Jean asked, her eyes glinting with an unreadable emotion.
Bolt shrugged again.
“I’d guess it’ll self-destruct if removed from her body. That’s how I would have made it, at least. But if I’m there when it’s removed, I can slow down the self-destruct mechanism long enough to study it and hopefully tell us more.”
“Kitty, how much do you know about Fiona’s past?” Bobby muttered discreetly.
“Much more than you do,” Kitty whispered back fiercely. “There’s no way Fiona knew that thing was on her.”
“Are you sure?” the ice mutant retorted. “She’s always had her secrets.” He hated to be the one to say it, but he knew Rogue was thinking the same thing.
“One hundred and fifty percent sure, Drake,” Kitty answered with a glare. “Just as much as if it was any of us.”
Bobby and Rogue wanted to believe Kitty and trust Fiona, but without altering their protective stances both faces showed their uncertainty.
“We’re her family,” Kitty hissed. “You know that.” She thought of the scars she’d seen on Fiona’s back her first night at the school. Now the tattoos almost entirely hid the criss-crossed lines, but Kitty had to suppress a shudder at the memory. Whoever had done that to Fiona definitely hadn’t had the redhead’s best interests in mind.
As if he’d read her mind, Piotr echoed his girlfriend’s thoughts.
“She was abused terribly before she arrived at the school,” the metal giant murmured.
“Yeah,” Rogue agreed, hesitantly at first. She understood the strong bonds of adopted family. “Yeah, we are her family. And Kitty’s right.”
Bobby nodded slowly. In for a penny in for a pound, he thought grimly.
Jean, in the meantime, had reached a decision. Scott caught her eye, and they shared a long look. Jean broke the eye contact first, a determined look on her face. Cyclops appeared concerned, but resigned to Jean’s way of resolving this latest situation.
“Beast, can you bring her to the med tent?”
The blue giant nodded, once again cradling Fiona in his arms.
“Logan, I need you with me,” Jean looked from Wolverine to Bolt. “And you, too.”
Without being asked, Kitty fell in step with the telepath. Not even trusting low tones, Kitty addressed Jean mentally.
You know there isn’t anything even resembling an anesthetic in there, right?
Jean sent Kitty an approving look and answered telepathically.
I’m counting on the five trank darts to keep her sedated. If necessary I can provide some psychic assistance. Kitty saw the worry flicker across her teacher’s face, and she knew Jean was less certain than she appeared.
What can I do? Kitty asked silently.
This time Jean answered aloud, addressing Kitty as well as Piotr, Rogue, and Bobby.
“You four. Make sure no one gets in, physically or mentally.”
Kitty wasn’t sure how to address the second part of that charge. None of them had any psychic powers! Regardless, she steeled herself, and saw that the others looked similarly determined. At the very least they could, and would, stop any physical intrusion.
Want to see what led up to this point in the story?!?! The last chapter is here, and ALL prior chapters can be found here. Let me know what you think!
Bobby didn’t offer the other teen any support. He wasn’t in much better shape himself. Granted, he hadn’t pushed himself and his powers for as long as Pyro had, but he had been heavily sedated until a few hours ago. Also, despite their recent cooperation, Bobby was far from charitably inclined towards the side-switching Pyro.
But when the fire mutant began struggling upward to follow after Fiona, Bobby felt obligated to intercede.
“C’mon man,” he said gruffly, putting his hand on Pyro’s shoulder. “Let’s get you something to eat and a place to crash.”
Doggedly, Pyro shook his head.
“No. I said I’d protect her. I need to go.” Unbelievably, he started walking on wobbly legs, following the path Beast had taken.
Bobby couldn’t believe how he was going to respond to the boy he considered a traitor.
“It’s OK,” he said reassuringly. “Beast will take good care of her.”
“I’m sure he will,” Pyro answered through gritted teeth as he staggered away.
Bobby wasn’t quite sure what that was all about, but it was obvious that Pyro wasn’t leaving Fiona anytime soon. In spite of Pyro’s past and their non-inconsequential history, Bobby was grudgingly impressed.
A couple of long strides caught Iceman up to the unsteady Pyro.
“OK,” Bobby allowed. “You wanna stay with her, fine. I’ll stay with you.”
Pyro nodded wordlessly, too focused on putting one foot in front of the other for further conversation.
They didn’t need to go very far. As they turned a corner they saw a crowd gathering in a large clearing.
“She’s a spy!” they heard angry voices say. “And THEY are protecting her!”
Magneto and Cyclops were both pushing their way towards the center of the crowd, where Beast stood with the unconscious Fiona. Two of Xavier’s teachers had joined the giant blue mutant, and the formidably combination of Wolverine, Jean Grey, and Beast would have easily calmed a less-frantic crowd.
Bobby turned around, surprised to find that Pyro had disappeared. He was even more surprised to realize that the fire mutant had somehow shoved his way to the center, where he had added his own body to those others protecting Fiona.
“We got this, Sparky,” Wolverine snarled to Pyro. But Pyro stubbornly refused to move.
As Bobby pushed towards the circle himself, he saw Kitty pop up from the ground to stand with the other X-Men. Similarly, Piotr and Rogue were making their way through the crowd.
“You kids should stand back,” Wolverine tried again with a growl. In answer, Rogue stripped off both gloves and stuffed them into her pockets, her bare hands threatening merely by their presence; Piotr assumed his metal form; and Bobby iced up. By this time, the X-Men - and Pyro - had formed a protective circle entirely surrounding the unconscious Fiona.
“How did this particular girl find herself in the crossfire so many times?” Mystique eyed Fiona as she would a puzzle which must be disassembled in order to be solved.
Wolverine and Cyclops’ eyes met ominously, Wolverine from within the circle protecting Fiona and Cyclops right outside of it. They both knew that Flash had encountered some sort of trouble during her reconnaissance mission. Wolverine silently cursed Cyclops for sending the kid on that mission, and himself for not finding out what had happened. Unexpectedly, Jean’s voice was in both of their heads.
“Watch your thoughts, you two,” she warned. “I’m not the only psychic here, you know.”
Unseen by Jean or either of the two men, Emma Frost smiled icily. Interesting that the girl had been attacked at least one other time besides just now and shortly after they'd left the mansion. Even more interesting that she'd picked up that information from Pyro as well as Wolverine and Cyclops.
Men, the blond psychic thought to herself. They might think their thoughts are their own, but they're really just an open book. She sniffed slightly. At least they're good for something.
“Spy! Traitor! Get rid of her!” popped up throughout the crowd.
“Morons,” Kitty muttered under her breath. “Why would the bad guys attack her if she was one of them?”
“Mob mentality isn’t known for its adherence to either nuance or logic,” Hank murmured back, causing Kitty to smile grimly.
“She’s wearing a wire!” someone shouted from within the mob.
At that, Magneto sent a frosty look into the crowd.
“I know for a fact that there is no metal of any sort on this girl.” He frowned, his look paralleling Mystique’s as he looked towards Flash, now hidden behind the others.
“That doesn’t mean she isn’t transmitting electrical signals.” A slight, weasely man with an unshaved face and shifty eyes stepped forwards.
“Close enough, Bub,” Wolverine warned with raised claws.
The mutant known as Bolt stopped abruptly.
“There’s an electrical signal coming from her. That’s all I can say from this distance. But if I could get closer…”
Pyro growled, deep in his throat. It was an ominous sound, and even Wolverine looked surprised.
“My thought exactly, young man,” Beast’s rumbling voice was unheard outside of the protective circle.
Bolt turned his slippery frame towards Jean.
“I think it’s hidden somewhere on her body. She may not even be aware of it. But I know that SOMETHING is transmitting electrical signals. It’s obviously not metal,” he glanced at Magneto, “but it IS there.”
Jean looked from the decidedly seedy-appearing Bolt to Fiona, surrounded by a circle of teenage and adult protectors.
“Scan her here, in front of everyone,” she directed. “And I do mean everyone.” She deliberately cut a glance at her fellow X-Men, truly an intimidating lot.
“Don’t even think about touching her,” Pyro advised him unnecessarily, flames again dancing in his eyes and in the palm of his hand.
Bolt looked from Pyro to Wolverine, Beast, and the teens, and then back to Jean. He swallowed hard, all too aware of the fiery, pokey, and altogether unpleasant things they could do to him.
“I need to stand next to her,” he managed.
Grudgingly, the group made room, all except Beast - who still tenderly held Fiona - and Pyro, who just refused to move from her side.
With a small shrug, Bolt wormed his way closer. Closing his eyes, he passed his open hands over the length of Fiona’s tattooed body. He frowned and returned to her abdomen.
“Something IS there,” he murmured, “It might be a plastic transmitter, but…” his face cleared momentarily. “Ah. It must be in her back.”
He looked expectantly at Beast, who gently laid Fiona on the ground, carefully turning her head so she lay on her cheek. Wordlessly, both Beast and Pyro knelt beside her as Bolt’s hands lingered over Fiona’s lower back. With her singed clothing peeling away from her skin, the lightning tattoos cascading down the unconscious girl’s arms and back were very much visible.
“What are you doing, Scumbag?” Kitty asked ominously.
Bolt ignored her.
“Yes, it’s right…” he glanced at Beast and Pyro and then pointed to a spot right above Fiona’s buttocks, just above where the intricate tattoos ended. “Here.”
Jean shifted so that she was beside them.
“Can you deactivate it?”
“Not while guaranteeing her safety,” he shook his head.
“What if I could get it out?” Jean asked, her eyes glinting with an unreadable emotion.
Bolt shrugged again.
“I’d guess it’ll self-destruct if removed from her body. That’s how I would have made it, at least. But if I’m there when it’s removed, I can slow down the self-destruct mechanism long enough to study it and hopefully tell us more.”
“Kitty, how much do you know about Fiona’s past?” Bobby muttered discreetly.
“Much more than you do,” Kitty whispered back fiercely. “There’s no way Fiona knew that thing was on her.”
“Are you sure?” the ice mutant retorted. “She’s always had her secrets.” He hated to be the one to say it, but he knew Rogue was thinking the same thing.
“One hundred and fifty percent sure, Drake,” Kitty answered with a glare. “Just as much as if it was any of us.”
Bobby and Rogue wanted to believe Kitty and trust Fiona, but without altering their protective stances both faces showed their uncertainty.
“We’re her family,” Kitty hissed. “You know that.” She thought of the scars she’d seen on Fiona’s back her first night at the school. Now the tattoos almost entirely hid the criss-crossed lines, but Kitty had to suppress a shudder at the memory. Whoever had done that to Fiona definitely hadn’t had the redhead’s best interests in mind.
As if he’d read her mind, Piotr echoed his girlfriend’s thoughts.
“She was abused terribly before she arrived at the school,” the metal giant murmured.
“Yeah,” Rogue agreed, hesitantly at first. She understood the strong bonds of adopted family. “Yeah, we are her family. And Kitty’s right.”
Bobby nodded slowly. In for a penny in for a pound, he thought grimly.
Jean, in the meantime, had reached a decision. Scott caught her eye, and they shared a long look. Jean broke the eye contact first, a determined look on her face. Cyclops appeared concerned, but resigned to Jean’s way of resolving this latest situation.
“Beast, can you bring her to the med tent?”
The blue giant nodded, once again cradling Fiona in his arms.
“Logan, I need you with me,” Jean looked from Wolverine to Bolt. “And you, too.”
Without being asked, Kitty fell in step with the telepath. Not even trusting low tones, Kitty addressed Jean mentally.
You know there isn’t anything even resembling an anesthetic in there, right?
Jean sent Kitty an approving look and answered telepathically.
I’m counting on the five trank darts to keep her sedated. If necessary I can provide some psychic assistance. Kitty saw the worry flicker across her teacher’s face, and she knew Jean was less certain than she appeared.
What can I do? Kitty asked silently.
This time Jean answered aloud, addressing Kitty as well as Piotr, Rogue, and Bobby.
“You four. Make sure no one gets in, physically or mentally.”
Kitty wasn’t sure how to address the second part of that charge. None of them had any psychic powers! Regardless, she steeled herself, and saw that the others looked similarly determined. At the very least they could, and would, stop any physical intrusion.
Want to see what led up to this point in the story?!?! The last chapter is here, and ALL prior chapters can be found here. Let me know what you think!