Subject: [OTL]: (New Mutants 2/Wisdoms) Breeze Book 2 Chapter 4/? (PG-15) Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 20:59:57 -0800 (PST) From: Phil Hartman will1@earthling.net Breeze Book 2 Chapter 4 by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: They belong to their creators. Etc. -------------------------------------------------------- 1/16/2003: 09:00 hrs EST: X-Mansion War Room: -------------------------------------------------------- Nothing. #Not a ripple, a squeak, or even a flicker,# Rachel thought, trying to restrain herself as she removed the Cerebra helmet. The tears kept coming. "How ... could I just ... let him ... ?" Buffy was mumbling, sitting curled up in a chair across the room. Jean was trying to comfort her middle child, but was barely composed herself. And Scott - #They had to dig Logan out of the wall,# Rachel remembered, daring a grim glance at her still-enraged father. "Buffy, it wasn't your fault," Jean murmurred, between warning glances at Scott. The patriarch of the Summers clan was pacing, and glared dangerously at Xavier from time to time. "Damn right it wasn't," Scott growled, finally staring directly into Xavier's eyes - through his own ruby quartz glasses. "Sinister. Has. My. SON. How do you explain THAT, Professor ?" Xavier began to open his mouth, until the com-panel whistled. Scott lunged for the activation switch, and bit his lip as the screen came to life. "Scott. We heard," Alex Summers said, shaken, with his arm around his girlfriend. "Is there - ?" "Former bases. Intelligence. ANYTHING - if X-Factor or the government have any idea where Sinister is now, please, Alex, give it to us !" Scott all but pleaded. "We're uploading now, Scott. If we hear anything, we'll call. We're going to have a meeting with Val and Nick Fury to double-check our data," Lorna Dane said in a quiet tone. "Thanks," Scott acknowledged, as the screen went dead. He sank into the main chair, tensing at a flicker of movement to his left before exhaling. Pete and Kitty - with a bandaged and somewhat subdued Logan - entered the room, grim-faced. "Scott - is there -" Kitty began, before she walked over to hug Rachel. "No word. Cerebra scans aren't turning up anything. Nate just - vanished - with Sinister from the museum, and Apocalypse is ALIVE, and God only knows what's next," Scott said between gritted teeth. "We know what's next, Cyke. We find the pasty-faced freak, get ugly, and get Nate back," Logan rumbled. Scott's hand twitched involuntarily towards his glasses, until Jean's eyes narrowed. "Beating up Logan - again - won't help, Scott. We need as many people CONSCIOUS and HEALTHY as possible," Jean insisted. Scott managed a weak smile, then looked at Pete. "I don't suppose you have any ideas," Scott asked the Englishman. Pete removed a CD from his coat, placed it in one of the drives of the main com unit, and punched a few keys. The screen came to life, displaying a 2-D display of Earth with a variety of red dots across the planet. "Black Air's list of Sinister bases. As y'might imagine, what with his English origins an' selective lack of morals in regards t'experimentation, Essex is welcome among my former employers," Pete drawled without his usual wit. Kitty adjusted the data stream, activating the main holotank to display a 3-D global image of the map of Sinister's bases. "I'm correlating against the data we have on where Sinister no longer is - good. That cuts down about 75 percent of Sinister's bases," she said, giving the Summerses a hopeful glance. "Unfortunately, the 25 percent that remain are 250 in actual numbers." "Meaning there's a lot of haystacks to go digging through," Scott muttered. "But that's a step in the right direction. Thank you, both - I really appreciate this." He stood, kissed the top of Jean's head, and printed out a list of the bases. "Logan - heal. Rach, Jean, keep trying Cerebra. Buffy, try to relax. Pete, Kitty ... if you could talk to the rest of the kids ..." Scott said. He glanced at Xavier, then began to speak. "None taken, Scott. Go and save Nathan," Xavier replied, half-smiling. Even the half-smile faded as he watched Scott leave. #And what of the reason why Sinister took Nathan ?# Xavier pondered grimly. #Where IS Apocalypse ... ?# -------------------------------------------------------- 1/19/03: 11:34 hrs EST: X-Mansion Danger Room: -------------------------------------------------------- The ceramic wasn't melting quite yet - "AIGKH !" #Bloody - miserable - why's my control so BAD today ?# Brigit Shane thought as she shut down her pyrotic ability. #It's the mood. Ever since poor Nathan disappeared, everyone's been feeling awful ...# That malaise had settled in among the New Mutants, also. Despite their age difference, and Nate's departure from the trainee group in 2002, many among the Mutants were either related to Nate or were friends with the sixth-grader, or both. #And I'm picking up on that, especially from Joe,# Brigit reflected as she melted wayward shards of ceramic pot. The tie between Joe Bailey - Nate's older cousin, and a telekinetic and telepath - and Brigit had been forged through shared adversity in the previous semester. While Brigit had flourished among the academic atmosphere of the Muir Island Genetic Research Center in her native Scotland, she'd become something of an introvert because of her self-imposed exile from public school. #T'wasnae that the others were rude - I've made many friends since comin' here,# Brigit thought, smiling at her mental slip into her Scots accent. #But it was so far, and Joe and I both felt ... out of place ...# The sophomore psi and ex-jock had been awkward around the fairly liberal atmosphere of the New Mutants, until Brigit had taken it upon herself to befriend him (and help temper Joe's occasional over-machismo). Their common bond of perceived outsiderhood had grown into something deeper by the end of the first semester. #Much deeper,# Brigit thought, blushing. #And when Joe's hurt, I hurt ... is this what it means t'be in -# "Brigit ?" "Mr. Shaara ! Excuse me," Brigit blurted, jumping. Neal Shaara, the Hindu X-Man known as Garuda, smiled, and the girl relaxed a bit. "Nothing to excuse. I find myself lost in thought from time to time," Neal said. "Problems with your powers ?" "My concentration's off. I've been worrying so much about Joe - y'know Nathan's his cousin," Brigit explained, helping Neal vaporize the remaining ceramic shards. "Yes. But there's a thing about fire, Brigit. Make sure that if you share a flame with someone, that it doesn't come back to burn you both," Neal said. "You mean ... know my limits ?" Brigit said softly. Neal nodded, and smiled sadly. "You're both responsible, caring young people - I'm not that much older than you, really. But as much as you want to share Joe's burden, don't try to take it all on yourself. Let him open up. Guys tend to internalize, especially at your age," Neal suggested. "I ... understand. Joe's verra internal 'bout most of his feelings," Brigit said. She looked at Neal, then asked, "Is it time f'r my tutoring ?" "You bet - Kitty ! Can we get another pair of vases in here ?" Neal called, waving at the Danger Room control booth. -------------------------------------------------------- INTERLUDE THE FIRST: 1/21/03: -------------------------------------------------------- He sat, rested and fully refreshed, upon his throne. #A throne of nothingness in the bottom of an ancient fortress,# En Sabah Nur thought with a curled lip. Although his reincorporation had gone surprisingly well - mysticism was never something the External had placed much stock in, believing it to be a crutch of the weak - and the Dark Riders' numbers had swelled in the intervening years since the first Battle of Akkaba, there were a myriad of changes that had occured during Nur's time in an energy state. #Connections must be reforged. New Horsemen must be converted. The humans plod along, spreading weakness. And Sinister dares to try and shape the Summers whelp to end me forever,# Apocalypse thought, frowning. #It is time to - eh ?# "Dark Lord. A message," Ozymandias said, quietly, from one of the corners. "Display it," Apocalypse rumbled. The holo-tank came to life, showing one of the External's various scientist-slaves trembling in a distant corner of the lab. "M'Lord ... there is a possibility that the Summers boy could be ... more powerful than we first thought," the scientist gulped. Nur's eyes narrowed. "He is Strong. That is known. But how strong is the boy ? Enough to challenge me ?" Apocalypse demanded. "Dark Lord - we fear that, given Sinister's intimate knowledge of the Summers-Grey cross-breeds - he could augment the boy's powers to threaten even you," the scientist whimpered. "I KNOW THAT !" Apocalypse raged. Ozymandias slipped into the shadows, while Nur fought to regain control. "You exist at my sufferance, scientist. Confer with the intelligence division of the Dark Riders and find Essex quickly. I want this matter ended - and if I have to become involved directly, I will know who to make an example of. Am I clear ?" Nur ordered. "Y-yes, Dark Lord," the scientist begged as the hologram faded. "It sounds as if you need a specialist." Nur's head whipped around, only to see a pair of Dark Riders fall unconscious at his feet. Their assailant pulled a cowl from her face, then smiled darkly. "You ..." Apocalypse said, his eyes narrowing. "Yes. I. Allow me to end this matter, Dread Lord," the woman said. "I can end the Summers boy's threat, and Sinister if I'm fortunate. You gain a more restful reign, and I gain revenge - a profitable exchange." Apocalypse nodded, pondering; the visitor was proven, if contemptably linked by blood to a certain human family ... "Then go. But bring me the boy - alive," Nur ordered. "I have a use for him. As for Essex ... be painful." -------------------------------------------------------- 1/23/2003: 06:00 hrs: Location unknown: -------------------------------------------------------- He stirred, still momentarily unsure of where he was. It passed. Much like the last week had passed. #My ... Master's ... base,# the boy once known as Nathan Summers thought, half with regret and half with anticipation. He stepped from his bed, then walked into the bathroom. The only noticeable physical change from Sinister's efforts was the severely-buzzed brown hair the boy now had - that, and the white widow's peak at the center front of his forehead. The hair hadn't grown since the boy had left the gene-mod tank a week earlier. #Part of the 'enhancement,'# the boy - now thinking of himself by his codename more than his birthname - thought with a sigh. He stepped into the shower, turning it on telekinetically, and tried not to remember - * - the pain, mental and physical - * #I CHOSE this. And the Master is kind. He's teaching me to truly control my powers, so I can stop En Sabah Nur,# "Soulburn" told himself. The telepathic programming had stirred up parts of Nathan's psyche he had rarely explored; he wore only a skinsuit now, when awake, and thought nothing of the increasing severity of the holographic combat sequences he trained in. #Still ... I miss my family,# Soulburn thought, stepping from the shower and telekinetically drying himself. He sighed, then donned a grey skinsuit and headed for the cafeteria. His sisters' faces flickered before him, then his parents' - #STOP it. You have to put that behind you,# the shadowed voice which had become much of his mental "chatter" demanded. #All that matters is -# #Obedience and focus.# "Then why does it HURT so much ?" Soulburn whispered, leaning against a wall with tearful eyes. Then the base rocked with an explosion - * - and four tomorrows faded -* #Chronovariant - someone's ALTERED the timestream - what's going on ?# Soulburn thought, sorrow replaced by panic. ~Master ?~ ~Soulburn, stay BACK !~ Sinister ordered telepathically. The boy found the entrance to the lab smoldering. "You actually thought you'd CLONE the filthy little Summers brat !?" a shrieking brown-haired woman in a red skinsuit screamed, looming over Sinister in a psionic haze. "Well, that'll never happen NOW ! And once he arrives -" She never even felt the mental blast. "DOWN," Soulburn ordered, ignoring the intruder as she fell stricken to the lab's floor. He knelt by Sinister's side, helping the geneticist to his feet, and asked, "Are you - ?" "I will recover. Very impressive, my servant," Sinister said. He smiled faintly, then patted Soulburn's head and added, "And very loyal. You continue to please me, lad." "Thank you, Master. How may I serve ?" Soulburn asked, beaming at the praise and his own eagerness. Even if he felt ill, deep inside. -------------------------------------------------------- She sat up, ill, as the greenish haze of the dream faded. #That woman - what did she DO to the timestream ?# Rachel thought, getting out of bed. She shook her head, then looked at the clock and sat down, fighting nausea. #And Nate ... where ARE you ?# ~let me loose ! I will find him !~ the Phoenix begged. ~NO ! You're too dangerous,~ Rachel telepathically reprimanded her "passenger." ~Besides, this is a clue -~ She looked up, surprised and suddenly fearful, as a younger girl with a familiar face flickered before her amidst chronal energy - - and then vanished. #The future's - changing,# Rachel thought, growing afraid. #I can feel something shifting ...# #But what's it changing INTO ?# -------------------------------------------------------- NEXT: Joe Bailey's views on Imbolc, Erik and Remy take a walk, "Soulburn" trains, and another Horseman gets "recruited" ... while the Wisdoms get a visitor: Auntie Harmony is in town ... ! --------------------------------------------------------