Ally sighed as Logan carried her. She finally
floated from his grip and reached for her.
"I don't want to be extra
weight." She said pointedly. He let a little growl at the idea. "I
want to check on my uncle," She smiled knowing strategy and well wishes
weren't his best tactic. "Can meet you with the kids?"
He sighed and rubbed his jaw
thoughtfully, "Ten minutes.”
She nodded and kissed his cheek and
floated away before he could change his mind. He shook his head and walked off
towards the nursery and suddenly it dawned on him and he began to run for
Xavier's room.
Justice walked quickly away with Storm's
hand in his and Storm struggled to keep up. "Why did you run out of the
infirmary?" She demanded as she stopped.
"Al's up to something and I don't want her to leave us
behind," he said quickly and encouraged her to move along with him.
Storm nodded, 'Ally could be a lot
like Hayley at times, stubborn to a fault.' She thought to herself and
began to look for Ally around the halls and once again tried to keep up with
Justice.
Ally sighed and knocked on the door
quickly hoping she wasn't spotted going to the man's room.
The door opened hesitantly and Reg's
head popped out, "Yeah?" Reg eyed her warily floating there with one
of her pants legs cut off. He knew she was one of the busier mutants and part
of the group that had been holed up there a while.
Reg raised his eyebrows at her,
"This can’t be good."
Ally smiled at his casual nature and
heavy Australian accent, "Can I step in speak to you?"
Reg chuckled and opened the door wider
to allow her in, "Step or float in, whichever you prefer?" He shook
his head as she glided into his room.
Ally smiled at the like-able guy. She
sat heavily in the chair next to his bed, drained from using her ability to
transport her from place to place. "Reg, Can I ask you a favor?" She
bit her lip not really sure she should ask, because she didn’t know him very
well. On the other hand, she desperately wanted to be included in the rescue.
Reg narrowed his eyes and looked at her
and her torn pants, "Depends on what yer got in mind, Shelia" He
joked.
"Can you heal my leg?" She
asked with pleading eyes, "My sisters are in trouble and they need
me."
Reg had heard the students talking
about the captured mutants and he nodded, "Sure, no worries." He
wanted to do something to help the people that had rescued him from that
nightmare.
"Wait!" Ally said quick and
levitated a towel and scissors to her hand, "Let me get the stitches out
first."
Reg quietly watched her work her
stitches out and exposed the wound she needed him to close. She had a doctor’s
touch and he knew it must be painful pulling stitches out of a fresh injury. He
cringed at the ugly wound but got on his knees to fix it right away.
Ally watched his eyes glow bright
white. He healed it very quickly and with little effort. "Wow," Ally
said amazed, "Did that drain you much?" She worried remembering the
tale of what he had done for Rayne.
"Nah, not a problem," He
smiled, "I did have a devil of a time with that other sheila. That one
hurt like hell. Thought I was gonna turn inside out on that one." He
produced a cigar and lit it with a wry smile. He knew she would be going for
her family now and was glad he could help some. He wished he could go with them
to help out in the field but he knew he wasn’t a tremendous fighter like they
were.
"Need anything else? Would you like
me to come along?" He said in a low voice.
"Thank you, Reg, I think we can
handle this alright," Ally smiled standing on her feet securely and
marveling at what he had done. She bit her lip when she saw a slight downcast
look on his face, "You seem upset."
"I’d really like to help
yers," He sat on the bed.
"You can't fight against Magneto
and Sabretooth but perhaps you could help the wounded there," Ally
suggested, "You could mean the difference between life or death out there.
We don‘t know what kind of shape Hayley and Alex will be in when we find
them."
Reg nodded thinking he would really
like a good scrap, only he knew he would be a sitting duck if he did though.
"Sure, if I am allowed to go."
He had heard how stubborn most of them were about having help.
"Perhaps you could hold a triage
onboard the blackbird," She smiled, "You would be a life line."
"Good then, I’ll go," He
winked at her then wondered why in bloody hell he just volunteered on a mission
that might get himself killed. Or worse yet, captured.
Ally moved to the door, "Thank you,
Reg." She opened the door and looked out for anybody. "I have to meet
the others quickly. I‘ll send for you soon."
Reg watched the red head run off, shook
his head and closed the door.
Alex winced as she felt her head
was on fire and her wrists and ankles burned. She opened her eyes to see a
ceiling staring back at her from the bed she was pinned to. She turned her head
and could see Hayley next to her, bloodied and wearing a helmet.
'Her healing factor isn’t working with
that power suppressor helmet on,' Alex thought as she struggled against her
restraints. She began to worry that Hayley might die from her multiple wounds.
She then eyed all of the machines attached to her sister, 'What
are they planning?' A strong hand on her mid section caused her to freeze
her thoughts and she looked to see
Pietro was smiling at her broadly. He was
clad only in a robe. "Awake now?" He smiled. Alex didn't bother to
answer but glared at him wondering what he wanted. "I hope your sister
lives to see you again," He sighed looking over at Hayley.
Alex grew angry at his callous words,
"If she doesn't, I will get you, first!" Alex eyes narrowed and she
struggled to get free.
Glad his taunt worked he smiled, "So
you do have the fiery disposition shared by your other sisters?" He
drawled, "That's good, but it won't help you in this case I‘m
afraid."
Alex held her words for fear of them
being used against her again.
"You will comply and do as we tell
you, soon enough," He smiled to her, "Just as your sister will. If
she survives, that is."
Alex heard footsteps by Hayley's bed and
turned to see what was being done. She saw a woman with glasses perched on her
nose, and she began to administer something while she shook her head at the
sight of Hayley.
The woman glared past Alex to Pietro,
"I thought she could heal herself?"
He nodded, "She can. I saw it
firsthand."
She scoffed, "Well, it's not working
and I am doing all I can to stabilize her."
Alex panicked and wrestled with her bonds
feverishly.
Quicksilver narrowed his eyes at the
woman, "Should I tell my father that you are failing to keep his prize
alive?"
"Take the helmet off her," Alex
finally screamed, "It's keeping her from healing herself."
Deanna nodded and began to loosen the
metal hat but found Pietro beside her grabbing her hands to stop her.
"You would blindly follow her
lead?" He gave her a small push.
"She's probably right. But even if
she's wrong, this mutant's no threat to us in this condition," Deanna
pointed at Hayley.
He stared at her knowing she made sense,
and then he noted that her face fell as her eyes looked behind Pietro and
saw Eric standing there.
"How long does would it take for her
healing power to work?" Eric asked looking at the bloody mess Sabretooth
had made of his prized possession.
"I don't know," Deanna glared
at Quicksilver.
"I saw her healing scratches but it
was nothing like these injuries," Pietro sighed.
"Take the helmet off, but be sure to
leave her weakened," Eric ordered and then faced Alex, "We can't have
you both leaving before we finish with you, now can we?"
Alex felt her breath coming fast and
ragged as they undid Hayley's helmet. Eric stood in between the sisters
blocking Alex's sight but Alex felt Hayley's telepathy full force and she
suppressed a smile.
Hayley wasn't sure what was going on at this point. This all
seemed so familiar to her.
'Remy,' She whispered and suddenly he felt close by
and she relaxed some.
Remy held her and kissed her deeply as
they both stayed in her bed with their robes between them and she sighed. Their
bodies and minds seemed to be made for one another. He whispered something to
her and brushed his lips to hers wrapping his fingers in her hair. She felt his
hand reach into her robe to caress her shoulder and nothing more and was
touched by the feelings she had of how the simple gesture made her heart race.
Remy's eyes weren't the same as she remembered then. He looked sad and upset
all of the sudden.
"Chere, come back to me," He
said as if from a dream.
Hayley shook her head, that wouldn't do. She didn’t like seeing him that
way. Then she heard Alex knocking on the door trying to interrupt the private
moment and she grabbed the sheet to cover them even though they both were in
robes.
Hayley then watched Remy talking to
Jordan in the hall. He was smiling at the infectious child like nature the
young girl had. Hayley watched them both amused as Imp tried to understand what
Remy was saying. Hayley smiled and walked off with them. Something grabbed her
shoulder and she turned to see Alex looking at her, battered and tired.
"Wake up Hayley!" Alex barked
at her sister, "Fight them!" Hayley blinked at her not comprehending.
"You're dreaming Hayl. You need to wake up and fight them."
"I want to stay here with
Remy," Hayley said confused and felt him take her hand.
Remy looked at her, "I'll come for
you, chere." He looked at her sadly and then to Alex.
Briefly Ally and Justice stood there as
well. Justice chuckled, "Reached for loverboy first, huh?"
Alex was getting more and more upset,
"Don’t come here. Leave us!"
Ally shook her head, "We can’t do
that!"
Alex pushed them away, "We will fight
our way out of here. Don't put yourselves in danger too."
Remy now held Hayley tightly but Hayley listened to Alex and
pushed him back gently. "She's right, they could kill you," Hayley
looked at them, "I… I thought I was dreaming."
Remy reached for Hayley's fading figure
and Alex stood along Ally and Justice. Hayley fell and began to weep cutting
Remy off from her slowly. He tried to move forward to Hayley as she cried but
was held back by Alex.
Justice bent to help Hayley too but Alex
pushed him away as well, scooping Hayley to her.
Hayley knew Remy had seen this and she
looked at him as he disappeared, "Survive." Was all she could think
to tell him as her siblings and Remy faded from view and she sank back into
darkness.
Eric watched them remove the helmet and
the smaller cuts quickly faded. Hayley began to move a little and he didn’t
want her too strong, "Replace the suppressor, quickly."
Hayley's eyes flew open and began to glow
lightly. Eric exhaled hard wondering if she was coherent. He could only assume
what she was doing at this point.
Deanna watched Hayley, amazed as the
helmet extinguished her glowing eyes, "Do her eyes always glow when she
heals herself?" She asked as she looked at Alex as if Alex was going to
answer her.
Alex held her stare, "Kill us while
you can." Alex looked at Eric next, "Because if you hurt our other
sister or one our loved ones, we will come for you first."
"I knew you would come around in
time," Eric smiled, "We will only kill you if we need to. I suggest
you be co-operative and do as we say," Eric made a sad face,
"Otherwise, you will pray for death, Alexandra.
Alex narrowed her eyes at him with anger
she didn’t know she was capable of. Then everything went blank.
Eric had watched Sabretooth run over and
punch Alex in her face knocking her unconscious, He became angry at the assault
but only watched curiously as Creed didn't attack her further.
"She can contact her sister even with
the helmets on," Sabretooth growled.
Eric nodded, he had forgotten they could
do that but Hayley's serious injuries had side tracked him. "I forgot that
you have a history with them," Eric said in a demeaning manner.
Sabretooth grunted running his hand along
Alex's face.
Eric marched next to him, "You will
help move her away from her sister." Then he turned to Deanna, "You
will give her drugs to keep her out until the surgeries." He looked at
Deanna's face and half expected her to argue but she just nodded. He walked out
glad she was in line again.
Pietro was right behind his father,
"What's next?" He didn't bother to mask his concern,
"If Alexandra contacted somebody we
will need to be prepared. Which is why we will need to step up our plans and
work quickly," Eric said pointedly, "Alexandra needs to be broken
quickly and fall in line with us, and Deanna needs to keep her that way with
the surgery."
Pietro looked at the floor not sure he
could do it but then he thought of how easily his father caught the cats and
realized that he could do it if he really set his mind to it.
"If they come for those two at
least one will be ready to fight against them," Eric chuckled and met
Mystique as they began to discuss plans.
Ally was running down the hall to find
Logan when she saw Justice and Storm. Justice picked up his pace to meet her.
Ally smiled and slowed her pace.
"Ok, you're walking?" Justice
groaned hoping to leave Ally behind.
Ally smiled, "Yes I am."
"What's the plan?" Justice
demanded.
"To leave as many behind as
possible," Ally sighed, "We can't let people put themselves on the
line for us."
"Then it is suicide," Storm
said angry, "I will not let this happen."
She let her gaze pass between the
siblings.
Justice squeezed her hand, "Ororo," He sighed. He
wanted her to be safe.
"I don not need to remind you
that you both have children to come back to," She argued.
Ally crossed her arms, "We know,
Storm." Ally stared into space.
"Al?" Justice asked knowing her look.
"Alex is awake," She
smiled, "Unharmed and I have a location."
"Then we leave," Justice
exhaled.
"I am going Justice, and so are
the others," Storm stood her ground.
Ally held her hand up, "We leave
Remy though."
Justice gave her a confused look,
"Because of his injuries?"
"Magneto wants him too," Ally
reasoned, "I saw the other helmet Scott had and it was for him. I am sure
of it."
"No more than he wants you or
Justice," Storm sighed and she realized they weren't listening and their
eyes started a tell tale glow.
Justice swallowed hard, "Hayley's
helmet was off and she's hurt."
"We need to help them, now!"
Ally said quickly as she darted off knowing Jean might have caught the message
too.
Storm watched Justice for clues but he
looked as upset, "How badly is she hurt?"
"I'm not sure," He whispered
and pulled her into a hug and kissed her head. He didn't want to scare her with
Hayley's condition.
Remy sat on the bed listening to the
news with Rayne. She had sat on the same bed with him chattering on in Cajun
French trying to keep his mind off of things. He watched Beast going through
the emotions he also felt. He sighed again feeling helpless and tried to listen
to what Rayne was saying but his mind kept wandering.
"How long Ah got ta be here?"
He asked Jean and Hank.
Hank stared at him over his glasses,
"Is your head ache gone yet?"
Remy nodded ignoring his pounding head
and Rayne scoffed. "He lyin’ ta yo' Beast," Rayne said quickly,
"He can' even hear half a what ah’m sayin’." Rayne almost laughed
knowing he would be kept here now, and he wouldn't be able to go without her if
he did manage to sneak off.
"I would not let him leave
anyway," Beast looked back at the computer, "I know you both by now,
and I am fully aware that he is saying the thing that is not."
"Den mebbe dey won' take yo'
either, Beast," Remy countered hoping to bluff him, "Too many
patients yo' need ta stay wit'."
Beast tried to appear unaffected by
Gambit’s words but knew the Cajun was probably right. They would need more than
Jean to keep these two from escaping. "Then you will have to recover
quickly my Cajun friend or we shall both remain behind," Hank said but he
had every intention of going, regardless. He heard Remy gasp loudly and hurried
to him as Gambit stared ahead vacantly.
Remy listened to Hank calling his bluff
and rolled his eyes but suddenly a familiar female's voice haunted his mind. He
heard Hayley's laugh in his mind and he could see into her mind. 'Is she
dreaming?' He could almost feel her pain but in his mind she was laughing and
calling his name. Images of Hayley in his arms when they had been clad in their
robes that special day floated from her mind to his and it quickly changed to
the time he had been asking Imp where her 'pah rents' were.
"Remy?" Rayne asked, but her
brother didn't respond and kept his stare ahead at the opposite end of the
room.
"I believe a telepath is
contacting him," Hank said but couldn't help but wonder if it was Alex.
Rayne shook her head with agitation and
watched him, "It’s Hayley."
Remy's heart jumped almost feeling like
she was with him and couldn't have been more surprised when he heard Alex as
well. He felt Alex's worry, and then he saw Hayley lying there despondent. He
swallowed hard also making out the other people around them as they began to do
things he didn't understand, and didn’t like.
'No,' Alex's mind screamed. 'Leave
us!' Alex warned the others. He saw scattered images of Ally and Justice
there and Hayley seemed to wake up and fell to the ground crying. He moved to
hold her but he seemed to be pulled away and she looked at him sadly.
Hayley may have been talking but he only
saw her mouth one word, 'Survive.'
Remy swallowed at what she didn't say. He
made a mad grab for her but the image was fading fast as the four siblings
seemed to separate as well.
Alex and Hayley pulled from Ally and
Justice. Justice also grabbed for them hoping to hold on but he and Ally faded
leaving the two sisters broken on the floor.
Remy screamed for them.
The contact was then broken. Remy looked at Rayne who stared at
him wide eyed, "Ah’m alright, Rayne." Suddenly his head ache was just
about gone.
"Who contacted you?" Beast
said quickly.
"Hayley," Remy said still
amazed that she had contacted him and could contact him. "Ah t'ink she
linked me ta Alex," He swallowed hard again.
Hank was intrigued, "What did they
say?"
Remy shook his head, "Hayley said
‘survive’, an Alex said ta leave dem dere." His eyes looked at Beast for a
clue as to what he thought. "Hayley looked bad, homme," He remembered
the true image of Hayley he had seen and rubbed his jaw.
Rayne draped her arms around her brother
and nuzzled his neck trying to comfort him, "She a strong femme, Rem. She
be ok."
He nodded. Hayley had touched his mind
before and it had never been like this, "Hayley didn't talk none. It was
lik’ she was dreamin’," He sighed deeply, "Ah saw t’ings dat happened
a while back."
"Allyson would know," Hank
mumbled and it dawned on him that they must have contacted Ally and/or Justice
as well, "I need to find Allyson before she leaves everyone behind."
Remy got to his feet as Jean came back
into the room and he looked for his shirt ignoring the stares. "Yo' didn'
see what Ah did," Remy said as Beast came at him, "Ah'm goin'."
He looked to Rayne sadly, "Petite, Ah got to go now."
Rayne looked at the bed as her own ideas
began to materialize then she gave him a worried look, "Come back ta me
safe, chere." She set the bluff and now she would have to time everything
just right if she were to sneak along with them.
Jean grabbed Remy with her telekinesis,
"Remy, you need to stay here. You are in no condition to go where there
will be heavy fighting."
He fought her hold and found it was only
the lower half of his body she held still, and before she realized it he
grabbed a cup that had been by the bed and charged it and released it at her
feet distracting her enough to get away from her.
Jean sighed watching him run out of the
infirmary.
Rayne sighed, "Dere’s no stoppin’
dat fool, mon ami."
Beast sighed knowing he would have done
the same. He missed Alex and saw her everywhere he looked in the sick bay. He
looked at Rayne meaningfully and hoped that Jean could keep the wiley girl here
in sickbay. Rayne looked back at him and smiled innocently.