“Uh…Wolvie? This wasn’t part of the program, was it?” I ask as we both get to our feet, slowly and cautiously.
“Nope, sure wasn’t, darlin’. CYC! Time to turn off the program!”
The Wolf-Men leap at us and we block, fully expecting to feel the impact of their claws against ours. Just before their claws collide with our own, they, along with the surroundings, disappear; reverting back to the huge room.
Storm and Beast hurry in. “Are you both all right?” Storm asks, concern coloring her lovely voice.
“Yeah…” I respond, running a hand through my sweaty hair.
“What the hell happened?” Wolvie asks, anger in his eyes and voice.
“That, my Canadian friend, is still a mystery,” Beast answers, gently taking the electrodes off of my body. “There must have been a malfunction in either the program or the hardware involved in projecting and processing it. The esteemed Cyclops and Nightcrawler are looking for the problem.”
“That don’t sound good…is there anything I can do to help?”
Storm shakes her head. “I’m afraid not, but the offer is much appreciated, HLM.”
“K, well, in that case, is there any more testing you need to do? Or can I get a shower and maybe something to eat?”
“I would just like to play the part of the vampire and take a sample of your blood, but that can wait until after your shower and dinner,” the Beast answers with a kind smile.
“Sounds good to me, but ya better make the drawing quick; things inserted into my body don’t really hold up well” I tell him.
He nods and we head out of the defective Danger Room.
As I step into the steaming water, I think about a dream I had about a week ago. It just comes into my mind as if it has a will all its own.
In the dream, I was walking down a black hallway. I was clothed in lavender silk, sewn together with golden thread, making a magnificent gown. As I walked, I could feel a cool, dry breeze against my face and millions upon millions of voices whispering to me. They were coming from the walls and so garbled that I couldn’t understand what they were saying. This didn’t seem to matter to me, after all, I had a place to get to, didn’t I? Or did I? I didn’t know, I just knew that I had to keep walking. The entire time I was walking, the voices were getting louder. Eventually, they escalated into terrifying screams. Still, I didn’t care. I just kept walking until I came to a strange figure. Upon arriving, I stop and look up at him.
His long, dark hair flowed freely over his shoulders, as his surprisingly pale eyes looked down at me. He lifted an elegant hand to touch my jaw.
“Soon,” he began, his voice low with an odd mix of tenderness and menace, “soon you will bloom, my exotic flower, and you will bring me to power unimagined. My beautiful blossom…”
At that point, I had awakened, troubled and unable to go back to sleep.
I turn off the shower, breaking myself out of my reverie. Biting my lip slightly, I dry off and get dressed I dress in lavender without even thinking about it.
When I open the door, I find Wolverine waiting for me.
“Wolvie! You weren’t waiting long, I hope. If I’d known you were here, I would have gone a bit faster…”
“Logan shakes his head. “Nah, I wasn’t waitin’ long. I just figgered you ‘n me could use a little talk.”
I bite my lip, flipping a lock of damp black and red hair over my shoulder. “If this is about mom…I’m sorry for not tellin’ ya earlier…life just got so hectic and I was in rough shape…”
He stops the rush of words with a gentle finger over my lips. “Darlin’, darlin’, it’s ok, I understand. I just thought ya needed ta talk about yer lil’ government an’ FOH adventure.”
I cringe. “I’m really not ready to talk about it,” I shudder again. “Don’t know if I ever will be.”
Wolvie nods with sympathy.
We start walking again, this time in silence.
When we reach the others, we find that they’re preparing to go out.
“Eatin’ out?” Wolvie asks.
“Aye, we thought we’d introduce HLM to an old X-Men tradition,” Sean answers with a smile.
“Oh? You’ve got my curiosity piqued.”
Wolvie grins, grabbing his jacket. “We’re headed ta Harry’s Hideaway, I take it?”
I manifest my own jacket to me and grin.
“Harry’s Hideaway, huh? I’m game.”
“Well, as the saying goes then,” Beast speaks up, “Let’s blow this pop stand!”