Post by chevalier on Oct 29, 2006 7:16:23 GMT -5
fugitive 1 - The Ties that Bind
Flame rose in arcs as Pyro rose from the rubble of the house, nostrils flaring, as kerosene and fire raged from his raised fists. Nico Minoru leaped from her vantage point on the ledge of the chimney breast above, extending her arms to bring the chunk of rubble she held down on the flame-wielder’s exposed head. “Now Chase!” she screamed as her target slumped. Chase Stein jumped up from behind the twisted metal that had once been a fence, firing off three rounds from the pistol he held. Three darts flew forward, but were stopped mid air and thrown back by a burst of flame as Pyro staggered back to his feet.
“Again Chase” yelled Nico, as the mutant flame master turned to lift her off the ground.
Chase attempted to fire again, but his attempts to fire were met only with dull clicks from the chamber. “I can’t Nico, I’m out of ammo!”
Pyro extended his fingers, palm open wide, close to Nico’s face, preparing to administer a killing blow of flame. Nico pleaded with him to stop, to let her down, and screamed as she heard the light tap of a lighter flint, a peal of flame lit the air around her, engulfing her in its heat. But the expected searing pain did not come, and Nico opened her eyes to find herself falling, a beam of protective energy between her and the mutant’s advances. She followed the pulsing energy back to its source, and found Alex Wilder, his face bruised and battered and shining with sweat as he fought to control the gauntlets which released the bank of bright flame. Beside him crouched Gertrude York, her purple hair plastered to her head with blood. Her glasses broken, she squinted as she struggled to aim the gun she held.
“I can’t get a clear shot,” Gert panted, “could you lay off a bit with the gauntlets Alex, I think Nico can fend for herself!”
Alex lowered the flame to leave a small bank of energy encircling the mutant, trapping him against the crumbling wall. Gert sent three darts flying forward just as she and Alex had to roll to avoid an arc of flame which was cut short as the darts hit their target. Sparks flew from his chest as a cold metallic voice rung out from Pyro’s mouth <Cure administered, powering down>
The whir and click of strip lights sounded as the battlefield was bathed in flickering blue light. A door opened a few feet from where Gert lay gasping on the ground, revealing Dr Wilder, a slim smile on his usually passive face.
“Good job kids, a little bit more property damage than I’d have hoped for, but minimal injuries at least.”
“Minimal… ack.. injuries?!” choked Gert as Alex helped her to her feet, “I’ve got a cut on my head .. Ahn.. the size of a small African country, Nico nearly got her %$#*ing face burnt off and I wouldn’t be surprised if Alex has serious brain damage after the beating that… thing gave him!”
Alex nursed the rapidly swelling bruises on his head. “Gee thanks Gert, you really know how to make a guy feel good about himself. Anyway it wouldn’t have happened if Stein here knew how to work a Purifier! I was trying to create a distraction, not go on a suicide mission.”
Chase‘s eyes flickered with anger as he walked up to join the group. “The thing jammed okay Wilder! No one was to blame, I didn’t ask you to call the ‘bot over.”
Nico grimaced, her eyes still adjusting to the harsh light, “Guys keep it down, you’re not exactly helping this headache.”
Dr Wilder coughed, a subtle sign of irritation that was instantly recognised by the kids despite the short time most of them had known him. Dr Wilder was not a man to be crossed, he didn’t appreciate to be kept waiting, and it was clear that their bickering was not appreciated. “Thank you. Now go get yourselves cleaned up for debriefing in two hours. You did a good job, but you‘re still not functioning as a team.”
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
“Well I thought it went OK,” mumbled Chase through a mouthful of half chewed hotdog.
Alex and Nico smiled to one another, both glancing in Gert‘s direction.
Gert glared up at them from where she sat attempting to tape her glasses together, “What? Look, I’m not even going to bother arguing.”
They sat on the front steps of the Pride Corporation’s LA headquarters, an imposing marble and glass monstrosity which looked out of place amongst the Coffee chain cafes and clothes shops on the streets around them. Building had begun just over a year ago, just before the Pride Corporation’s Mutant cure had become available to the public. Unlike its sister building in New York, which acted as a clinic for the administration of the cure, and treatment and counselling of those mutants who wished to take it, the LA headquarters played a quieter role in the Corporation. The ’official line’ for the general public was that the block was offices focusing on “Research and Relations”, yet there it sat, all polished mirrored glass, glimmering steel and CCTV, all activities inside concealed from public view.
The kids sat eating their lunches, looking like any ordinary group of teenagers now they were out of uniform and relishing these few moments of rest before the dreaded debriefing with the Wilders.
Nico took a tentative mouthful of pasta, wincing at the pain in her neck from Pyro‘s grip, “At least it was an improvement on the last session, that ’Jubilee’ bot nearly blinded all of us.”
“Oh no, I have to say that last session was better for me Nico,” grinned Chase. “Watching you
Asian sensations grappling with one another…”
Gert sighed. “There are so many reasons why that is just… wrong, Chase”.
Chase grin broadened “You’re just jealous. Anyway, I don’t care about these training sessions anymore, just for once I’d like to see a bit of real bad-guy-ass-kicking action.”
Alex nodded, “For once, I agree with Chase. I agreed to join out parents little mutant hunting team to earn my stripes as a hero, not to play with the Stein’s little robotic pets.”
Nico glanced up from the uneaten pasta on her lap, still shaken from her encounter with the Pyro-bot. “I don’t know Alex, I still don’t feel ready yet. I don’t even know why my parents sent me here.”
Gert sighed, “We’re all here for a reason Nico. Alex is our tactician, Chase our muscle, you’re our stealth and I’m, well, resident unwanted child.”
“Gert, don’t talk like that. I’m sure your parents wanted you,. Maybe they just couldn’t cope with a child. And besides, where would we be without our resident sharp shooter?”
Chase turned to Gert, his face coated in ketchup and mustard “Yeah babe, we’re your new family now”
Gert fixed him with yet another icy stare “Oh Chase, my joy knows no bounds.”
Alex’s wristwatch flashed , *DEET-De-DEET*
“Uh-oh, time to face the music kids. Teen-heroes assemble.”
*****
The Wilders and Deans were already seated when the kids arrived in the boardroom, a chrome and glass masterpiece, designed to provide the absolute minimum of comfort. Nico winced as she looked at the video display that sat on the far wall where a close up of her dangling from the Pyrobot’s grasp filled the screen.
It didn’t help that the first gaze she caught was Mrs Dean’s. The thin sardonic smile that rested on her perfectly made-up face was all too familiar. Mrs Dean was an actress before she joined the Pride Corporation as head of Public Relations, but she made no attempt to use her acting talent to disguise her feelings of disdain for Nico or Gert, whom she considered the weakest members of the Pride’s Team, or in her own words ‘the most likely to cause… negative PR‘. Or it might owe more, as far as Nico was concerned, to her much publicised attraction to handsome younger men, such as the two that were both quietly trying to get into the same seat at the head of the table.
“Oh, Sorry Nico,” simpered Mrs Dean, “we were just looking through some of the footage from the training session, didn’t mean to embarrass you”.
What a bitch! Thought Nico, but her anger was reigned in by a sympathetic Gert, who squeezed her hand reassuringly under the table.
Mr Wilder raised a hand to bring quiet to the room. He looked around the table as he talked, looking each of the kids in the eye, searching for reactions. “Well, as I said before you made a good attempt, but you just don’t seem to be ready for combat yet. As you know we’ve invested a significant amount of the Pride Corporation’s time and money in your team, and so far we’ve seen few results. You were brought together to bring those mutants who use their power to steal from, intimidate and kill the weak, to ultimate justice. Now if this disorganisation and in-fighting is to contin-”
Mr Wilder was interrupted as the door to the boardroom was thrown open. Alyssa Valerio - Frank Dean’s PA - stood at the door panting, a light sweat on her brow. She nervously avoided Mr Wilders gaze as she spoke, “I’m, uh, so sorry to interrupt Mr, um, Wilder. But there’s a call for you.”
“Can’t it wait Valerio?”
Alyssa stared at the floor as she answered “Um no Sir, sorry, it’s New York.”
******
Half an hour later, the kids were getting ready for their first assignment.
“What happened to ‘You’re not ready?’” Gert whispered to Nico as she pulled her uniform on, the green and purple leather felt strangely warm and safe, especially when the armoured section settled into place. She looked down at the Pride Logo on her cuff, the lioness head and the P which she felt so disconnected from. You should feel proud of the symbol you represent, she thought, as she loaded her gun.
Victor Stein ran a hand through his greying hair as he watched his son and Alex prepare for their mission. Looking at the team gathered around him he couldn’t help but worry, they may have been approaching adulthood but he couldn’t avoid that they were still children. He would have felt guilty if he didn’t have so much conviction to the cause. He handed Chase a gun with a smile, “It’s a new updated version of the Purity gun, nothing too different, just makes it a little easier to aim.”
Alex placed the gauntlets around his wrists, attaching them to wires which led down his arms into the aiming system now fixed to his face, a mess of metal and wire which covered his right eye. “Could always use some help in that area, hey Chase?”
“Shut up Alex, I thought you of all people would want this to be as professional an operation as possible. Which means none of your girly bitching, Borg reject.”
Alex scowled, quickly placing a contact lens into his left eye just as his father entered the room.
“Right kids, mission brief, gather ‘round. I understand that this has come sooner than expected, but according to reports your targets are planning to launch attacks upon the general populace. You have two targets, a couple, names Gene and Alice Hayes. Both have highly developed telepathic abilities.”
“Sounds easy” whispered Gert to Nico.
“Quick and fast is the aim of the game kids, Nico and Alex, take these helmets. They‘ve been fitted with material which will prevent the Hayes from accessing your minds. Good luck. This is your chance to prove yourselves”.
Victor gave the team a grin “Your Mom’s piloting the chopper Chase, she’ll drop you off two blocks down from the Hayes home. Take care.”
*******
“Daddy I can’t sleep,” Molly Hayes pouted, her light brown hair tousled and slightly damp from her pre bed bath.
Gene Hayes groaned, wearily lifting himself out of bed. “What’s wrong honey?”
“Promise you wont laugh?” Gene smiled down at his daughter, shaking his head. “ Something weird is happening to my body .”
Damn, now this was a talk Gene wasn’t ready for. “Em, Molly darling, you might what to talk to your mom about th-”
Alice Hayes sat up suddenly beside him, her eyes shone with violet energy as she spoke in a hurried whisper “Gene, can you sense that?”
As she spoke the lamp in their bedroom flickered into darkness. They heard a soft click before the windows shattered around them, spilling shards of glass around the room. “Molly, get under the bed!” screamed Gene as the room was once again bathed in harsh light from outside. Silhouetted in this light were four figures, each aiming a pistol which ended not with a barrel, but needles which shone dangerously in the light.
The tallest of the group, a young African-American man dressed in blue and red, metal covering his right eye stood forward. “Gene and Alice Hayes, you have been identified as dangerous mutants. Due to the threat you pose to the general populace you have been selected for de-empowerment, your co-operation in this would be much appreciated. However, if you do not co-operate peacefully, we must depower you by force.”
Alice walked to her husbands side, “Dangerous are we Gene?! Time to live up to our reputation!” and their eyes burned with anger as they attacked.
to be continued
Flame rose in arcs as Pyro rose from the rubble of the house, nostrils flaring, as kerosene and fire raged from his raised fists. Nico Minoru leaped from her vantage point on the ledge of the chimney breast above, extending her arms to bring the chunk of rubble she held down on the flame-wielder’s exposed head. “Now Chase!” she screamed as her target slumped. Chase Stein jumped up from behind the twisted metal that had once been a fence, firing off three rounds from the pistol he held. Three darts flew forward, but were stopped mid air and thrown back by a burst of flame as Pyro staggered back to his feet.
“Again Chase” yelled Nico, as the mutant flame master turned to lift her off the ground.
Chase attempted to fire again, but his attempts to fire were met only with dull clicks from the chamber. “I can’t Nico, I’m out of ammo!”
Pyro extended his fingers, palm open wide, close to Nico’s face, preparing to administer a killing blow of flame. Nico pleaded with him to stop, to let her down, and screamed as she heard the light tap of a lighter flint, a peal of flame lit the air around her, engulfing her in its heat. But the expected searing pain did not come, and Nico opened her eyes to find herself falling, a beam of protective energy between her and the mutant’s advances. She followed the pulsing energy back to its source, and found Alex Wilder, his face bruised and battered and shining with sweat as he fought to control the gauntlets which released the bank of bright flame. Beside him crouched Gertrude York, her purple hair plastered to her head with blood. Her glasses broken, she squinted as she struggled to aim the gun she held.
“I can’t get a clear shot,” Gert panted, “could you lay off a bit with the gauntlets Alex, I think Nico can fend for herself!”
Alex lowered the flame to leave a small bank of energy encircling the mutant, trapping him against the crumbling wall. Gert sent three darts flying forward just as she and Alex had to roll to avoid an arc of flame which was cut short as the darts hit their target. Sparks flew from his chest as a cold metallic voice rung out from Pyro’s mouth <Cure administered, powering down>
The whir and click of strip lights sounded as the battlefield was bathed in flickering blue light. A door opened a few feet from where Gert lay gasping on the ground, revealing Dr Wilder, a slim smile on his usually passive face.
“Good job kids, a little bit more property damage than I’d have hoped for, but minimal injuries at least.”
“Minimal… ack.. injuries?!” choked Gert as Alex helped her to her feet, “I’ve got a cut on my head .. Ahn.. the size of a small African country, Nico nearly got her %$#*ing face burnt off and I wouldn’t be surprised if Alex has serious brain damage after the beating that… thing gave him!”
Alex nursed the rapidly swelling bruises on his head. “Gee thanks Gert, you really know how to make a guy feel good about himself. Anyway it wouldn’t have happened if Stein here knew how to work a Purifier! I was trying to create a distraction, not go on a suicide mission.”
Chase‘s eyes flickered with anger as he walked up to join the group. “The thing jammed okay Wilder! No one was to blame, I didn’t ask you to call the ‘bot over.”
Nico grimaced, her eyes still adjusting to the harsh light, “Guys keep it down, you’re not exactly helping this headache.”
Dr Wilder coughed, a subtle sign of irritation that was instantly recognised by the kids despite the short time most of them had known him. Dr Wilder was not a man to be crossed, he didn’t appreciate to be kept waiting, and it was clear that their bickering was not appreciated. “Thank you. Now go get yourselves cleaned up for debriefing in two hours. You did a good job, but you‘re still not functioning as a team.”
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
“Well I thought it went OK,” mumbled Chase through a mouthful of half chewed hotdog.
Alex and Nico smiled to one another, both glancing in Gert‘s direction.
Gert glared up at them from where she sat attempting to tape her glasses together, “What? Look, I’m not even going to bother arguing.”
They sat on the front steps of the Pride Corporation’s LA headquarters, an imposing marble and glass monstrosity which looked out of place amongst the Coffee chain cafes and clothes shops on the streets around them. Building had begun just over a year ago, just before the Pride Corporation’s Mutant cure had become available to the public. Unlike its sister building in New York, which acted as a clinic for the administration of the cure, and treatment and counselling of those mutants who wished to take it, the LA headquarters played a quieter role in the Corporation. The ’official line’ for the general public was that the block was offices focusing on “Research and Relations”, yet there it sat, all polished mirrored glass, glimmering steel and CCTV, all activities inside concealed from public view.
The kids sat eating their lunches, looking like any ordinary group of teenagers now they were out of uniform and relishing these few moments of rest before the dreaded debriefing with the Wilders.
Nico took a tentative mouthful of pasta, wincing at the pain in her neck from Pyro‘s grip, “At least it was an improvement on the last session, that ’Jubilee’ bot nearly blinded all of us.”
“Oh no, I have to say that last session was better for me Nico,” grinned Chase. “Watching you
Asian sensations grappling with one another…”
Gert sighed. “There are so many reasons why that is just… wrong, Chase”.
Chase grin broadened “You’re just jealous. Anyway, I don’t care about these training sessions anymore, just for once I’d like to see a bit of real bad-guy-ass-kicking action.”
Alex nodded, “For once, I agree with Chase. I agreed to join out parents little mutant hunting team to earn my stripes as a hero, not to play with the Stein’s little robotic pets.”
Nico glanced up from the uneaten pasta on her lap, still shaken from her encounter with the Pyro-bot. “I don’t know Alex, I still don’t feel ready yet. I don’t even know why my parents sent me here.”
Gert sighed, “We’re all here for a reason Nico. Alex is our tactician, Chase our muscle, you’re our stealth and I’m, well, resident unwanted child.”
“Gert, don’t talk like that. I’m sure your parents wanted you,. Maybe they just couldn’t cope with a child. And besides, where would we be without our resident sharp shooter?”
Chase turned to Gert, his face coated in ketchup and mustard “Yeah babe, we’re your new family now”
Gert fixed him with yet another icy stare “Oh Chase, my joy knows no bounds.”
Alex’s wristwatch flashed , *DEET-De-DEET*
“Uh-oh, time to face the music kids. Teen-heroes assemble.”
*****
The Wilders and Deans were already seated when the kids arrived in the boardroom, a chrome and glass masterpiece, designed to provide the absolute minimum of comfort. Nico winced as she looked at the video display that sat on the far wall where a close up of her dangling from the Pyrobot’s grasp filled the screen.
It didn’t help that the first gaze she caught was Mrs Dean’s. The thin sardonic smile that rested on her perfectly made-up face was all too familiar. Mrs Dean was an actress before she joined the Pride Corporation as head of Public Relations, but she made no attempt to use her acting talent to disguise her feelings of disdain for Nico or Gert, whom she considered the weakest members of the Pride’s Team, or in her own words ‘the most likely to cause… negative PR‘. Or it might owe more, as far as Nico was concerned, to her much publicised attraction to handsome younger men, such as the two that were both quietly trying to get into the same seat at the head of the table.
“Oh, Sorry Nico,” simpered Mrs Dean, “we were just looking through some of the footage from the training session, didn’t mean to embarrass you”.
What a bitch! Thought Nico, but her anger was reigned in by a sympathetic Gert, who squeezed her hand reassuringly under the table.
Mr Wilder raised a hand to bring quiet to the room. He looked around the table as he talked, looking each of the kids in the eye, searching for reactions. “Well, as I said before you made a good attempt, but you just don’t seem to be ready for combat yet. As you know we’ve invested a significant amount of the Pride Corporation’s time and money in your team, and so far we’ve seen few results. You were brought together to bring those mutants who use their power to steal from, intimidate and kill the weak, to ultimate justice. Now if this disorganisation and in-fighting is to contin-”
Mr Wilder was interrupted as the door to the boardroom was thrown open. Alyssa Valerio - Frank Dean’s PA - stood at the door panting, a light sweat on her brow. She nervously avoided Mr Wilders gaze as she spoke, “I’m, uh, so sorry to interrupt Mr, um, Wilder. But there’s a call for you.”
“Can’t it wait Valerio?”
Alyssa stared at the floor as she answered “Um no Sir, sorry, it’s New York.”
******
Half an hour later, the kids were getting ready for their first assignment.
“What happened to ‘You’re not ready?’” Gert whispered to Nico as she pulled her uniform on, the green and purple leather felt strangely warm and safe, especially when the armoured section settled into place. She looked down at the Pride Logo on her cuff, the lioness head and the P which she felt so disconnected from. You should feel proud of the symbol you represent, she thought, as she loaded her gun.
Victor Stein ran a hand through his greying hair as he watched his son and Alex prepare for their mission. Looking at the team gathered around him he couldn’t help but worry, they may have been approaching adulthood but he couldn’t avoid that they were still children. He would have felt guilty if he didn’t have so much conviction to the cause. He handed Chase a gun with a smile, “It’s a new updated version of the Purity gun, nothing too different, just makes it a little easier to aim.”
Alex placed the gauntlets around his wrists, attaching them to wires which led down his arms into the aiming system now fixed to his face, a mess of metal and wire which covered his right eye. “Could always use some help in that area, hey Chase?”
“Shut up Alex, I thought you of all people would want this to be as professional an operation as possible. Which means none of your girly bitching, Borg reject.”
Alex scowled, quickly placing a contact lens into his left eye just as his father entered the room.
“Right kids, mission brief, gather ‘round. I understand that this has come sooner than expected, but according to reports your targets are planning to launch attacks upon the general populace. You have two targets, a couple, names Gene and Alice Hayes. Both have highly developed telepathic abilities.”
“Sounds easy” whispered Gert to Nico.
“Quick and fast is the aim of the game kids, Nico and Alex, take these helmets. They‘ve been fitted with material which will prevent the Hayes from accessing your minds. Good luck. This is your chance to prove yourselves”.
Victor gave the team a grin “Your Mom’s piloting the chopper Chase, she’ll drop you off two blocks down from the Hayes home. Take care.”
*******
“Daddy I can’t sleep,” Molly Hayes pouted, her light brown hair tousled and slightly damp from her pre bed bath.
Gene Hayes groaned, wearily lifting himself out of bed. “What’s wrong honey?”
“Promise you wont laugh?” Gene smiled down at his daughter, shaking his head. “ Something weird is happening to my body .”
Damn, now this was a talk Gene wasn’t ready for. “Em, Molly darling, you might what to talk to your mom about th-”
Alice Hayes sat up suddenly beside him, her eyes shone with violet energy as she spoke in a hurried whisper “Gene, can you sense that?”
As she spoke the lamp in their bedroom flickered into darkness. They heard a soft click before the windows shattered around them, spilling shards of glass around the room. “Molly, get under the bed!” screamed Gene as the room was once again bathed in harsh light from outside. Silhouetted in this light were four figures, each aiming a pistol which ended not with a barrel, but needles which shone dangerously in the light.
The tallest of the group, a young African-American man dressed in blue and red, metal covering his right eye stood forward. “Gene and Alice Hayes, you have been identified as dangerous mutants. Due to the threat you pose to the general populace you have been selected for de-empowerment, your co-operation in this would be much appreciated. However, if you do not co-operate peacefully, we must depower you by force.”
Alice walked to her husbands side, “Dangerous are we Gene?! Time to live up to our reputation!” and their eyes burned with anger as they attacked.
to be continued
