Hey people, sorry I've neglected you, but here's a gift from me to you on
my birthday, enjoy!
Chapter Sixteen-Bread and Water II
"We've got a plan." Logan turned, dust and grime peeking out from the creases of his grizzled visage, a wane smile cresting tired lips.
"That's a start." Kat, wincing slightly as she leaned against the wall, stated. Voice cold like a first winter's breeze, the large irises of her eyes like small chips of blue ice, she gazed at him. Lean form resting with cat-like grace senses attuned to all in the room and every sound outside. Her dark hair clung to darkly stained cheeks, aura burning with cold fire. Nor did she notice the muck and grim clinging to her pant-legs or the rips in her tank top, even that her hair was messy and out of place. Logan knew the old Kitty was long gone from this wily woman. With a finger impatiently twitching over the trigger of her rifle, she was enough to make a man nervous.
Logan wanted to chuckle, this woman reminded him of a G.I. Jane. Instead he swallowed his mirth, and lifted a craggy and dusty finger. "But that depends on how attached you are to this old building."
"A building is a building." Sucking on bloody knuckles, she did not bat an eye. Spitting crimson onto the cracked floor, she turned from him. Hoping that he would not see her thoughts reeling in her head. 'Where's he going with this?' The words trespassed through her mind, a master statement of naivety. She knew what he wanted to do. Craftily regarding him, she asked softly. "Are you like planning a trap?" Logan was not known for being clever, and this trick was the oldest one to play. But the Brotherhood in turn suffered from a brainless lack of clarity, and fell for any trap. It would work. 'It requires a hefty sacrifice.'
Outside the distant sound of Scott yelling for backup, and the blazing of his eyes, reached their ears. The earth groaned beneath their feet, and the foundation of the building rocked again. Steadying himself, Logan said. "Something like that." His eyes bore into hers. "Are you willing to sacrifice it."
The chilling sensation she'd felt from the beginning twisted painfully around her gut. She knew what he meant to destroy...the last place she had left. Her home, the one place dearest to her heart, this was her last sanctuary. She glanced around at the cracked plaster of the walls, the dark stains, the peeling wallpaper, the hemorrhaged carpets; this place was stained with her sweat, her blood! It was christened by flying bullets. This place was hers. She'd laid her claim and fought and fought until none could rise to challenge her and Ty...TY! No, no, this was just a building. Sadly she ran her fingers over the concrete and its shattered pieces, the sharp abrasions slicing her palms, a pang ringing sadly in her heart. This place did not matter. Finding Ty was important. Kat glanced up the rising stairs twisting to the top like a spiraling candy cane, 'As long as Ty is alive, I'll still have my family.' With a long sigh, she wiped a single tear from her cheek, and turned to face Logan once more.
Watching the sweeping sadness take hold of her countenance, Logan was sure her earlier words were a farce. 'This building is not just a building.' He thought softly, this downtrodden, roach infested, crumbling building on this ruined world was not her home, it was her sanctuary. He knew it was not right to ask her to destroy it. But as he opened his mouth to speak, Kat's hardened whisper silenced him, and hung in the stale air.
***
"You have her?" The words echoed around him in a thousand different voices. "She is contained?"
Adrian glanced up, legs aching as he remained on bended knee. His dark trench coat flapped aimlessly about his waist and lower body, refusing to stay inanimate upon the floor. Black hair plastered to his forehead, sunglasses glinting in the gloom. "Yes, everything is as you have planned." Voice filled with serpentine adoration, he bowed lower.
"I have no need for a sycophant Adrian." The voice thundered, curving form leaning forward, almost revealed from within the black shadows worn upon her body. "Those are easily found, treasured servant." It became softer than velvet as the tones caressed the dome room, and the man bent upon the floor. Voluptuous hips and breasts remained tantalizingly hidden beneath fluttering black silk. Luxurious hair tumbled around her shoulders, innocently seductive. Her face remained beyond the impenetrable curtain of darkness. "Remain above such petty ideals, servant, for you are most assuredly a diamond in the rough."
'Hers is certainly the face of Aphrodite.' Adrian contained his thoughts cautiously, knowing his mistress was a mutant of great power.
"I have removed the fog that hides from us the future. Soon, my servant, very soon our awakening shall be realized and all will again tremble before us." The power of her words commanded his attention, as he knelt in reverence. "Or fall!"
"But what of the colonies? There are whispers that a second tournament is to be formed." Adrian hissed, raising his eyes to hers. "You know as well as I my Lady, that the earth cannot survive another assault."
The shadow woman stretched, peals of warm ethereal laughter echoed throughout the hollow room. For all the warmth of her voice, there was no mirth, and Adrian shivered slightly as it touched him. "It is not your concern. Cobra has frozen the working gears of the League of Nations, as a simple frost delays a jet mobile's engine. No dearest servant, there will be no second tournament. The bureaucrats bicker amongst themselves, and with the latest attempt upon their lives they now see assassins around each and every corner. Dear servant, the League of Nations is little more than a dancing marionette, and I am the one pulling its strings." She spread her hands. "By the time they see past the shroud so cleverly laid across their eyes, they will find themselves already in the belly of the beast." Sweetly, in a motion of abject innocence and eternal wisdom, she said. "It has all come forth as I have foreseen." Her voice became far off, as she continued. "Soon my dearest Sculptor, our plans shall come to fruition and we shall reap our rewards."
Adrian leaned eagerly upon his knees. "What is your bidding?" His question alive and dancing within the inky shadows of the hollow room, gaze fixed firmly upon the hologram before him. "What must we do?"
"Patience, my eager viper, patience." He felt her dark smile upon him, and beneath it the stirrings of a soul blacker than his own. The mental brush of her mind against his in the softness of a kiss, passed across him, and he knew exquisite pleasure would be enjoyed this night. "For now you will continue implantation of memories into the minds of your captives. And..." She raised a solitary finger, stating coldly, said. "Continue the torturing of your latest captive." The shadow's crystalline voice rose to almost a shriek. "Break her!" The hologram vanished, and Adrian relaxed into darkness as his mind melded with another's in pleasure.
***
"Yes." The word was strained, cracking on the surface like thin ice. However beneath the weak frame were the freezing black waters of commitment. Any unsure feelings vanished as easily as sadness fled, and the eyes that met his were hard and devoid of emotions he'd previously known. "A building is just a building." Kat's eyes turned toward the writhing battle outside. "What did you have in mind?"
Chapter Sixteen-Bread and Water II
"We've got a plan." Logan turned, dust and grime peeking out from the creases of his grizzled visage, a wane smile cresting tired lips.
"That's a start." Kat, wincing slightly as she leaned against the wall, stated. Voice cold like a first winter's breeze, the large irises of her eyes like small chips of blue ice, she gazed at him. Lean form resting with cat-like grace senses attuned to all in the room and every sound outside. Her dark hair clung to darkly stained cheeks, aura burning with cold fire. Nor did she notice the muck and grim clinging to her pant-legs or the rips in her tank top, even that her hair was messy and out of place. Logan knew the old Kitty was long gone from this wily woman. With a finger impatiently twitching over the trigger of her rifle, she was enough to make a man nervous.
Logan wanted to chuckle, this woman reminded him of a G.I. Jane. Instead he swallowed his mirth, and lifted a craggy and dusty finger. "But that depends on how attached you are to this old building."
"A building is a building." Sucking on bloody knuckles, she did not bat an eye. Spitting crimson onto the cracked floor, she turned from him. Hoping that he would not see her thoughts reeling in her head. 'Where's he going with this?' The words trespassed through her mind, a master statement of naivety. She knew what he wanted to do. Craftily regarding him, she asked softly. "Are you like planning a trap?" Logan was not known for being clever, and this trick was the oldest one to play. But the Brotherhood in turn suffered from a brainless lack of clarity, and fell for any trap. It would work. 'It requires a hefty sacrifice.'
Outside the distant sound of Scott yelling for backup, and the blazing of his eyes, reached their ears. The earth groaned beneath their feet, and the foundation of the building rocked again. Steadying himself, Logan said. "Something like that." His eyes bore into hers. "Are you willing to sacrifice it."
The chilling sensation she'd felt from the beginning twisted painfully around her gut. She knew what he meant to destroy...the last place she had left. Her home, the one place dearest to her heart, this was her last sanctuary. She glanced around at the cracked plaster of the walls, the dark stains, the peeling wallpaper, the hemorrhaged carpets; this place was stained with her sweat, her blood! It was christened by flying bullets. This place was hers. She'd laid her claim and fought and fought until none could rise to challenge her and Ty...TY! No, no, this was just a building. Sadly she ran her fingers over the concrete and its shattered pieces, the sharp abrasions slicing her palms, a pang ringing sadly in her heart. This place did not matter. Finding Ty was important. Kat glanced up the rising stairs twisting to the top like a spiraling candy cane, 'As long as Ty is alive, I'll still have my family.' With a long sigh, she wiped a single tear from her cheek, and turned to face Logan once more.
Watching the sweeping sadness take hold of her countenance, Logan was sure her earlier words were a farce. 'This building is not just a building.' He thought softly, this downtrodden, roach infested, crumbling building on this ruined world was not her home, it was her sanctuary. He knew it was not right to ask her to destroy it. But as he opened his mouth to speak, Kat's hardened whisper silenced him, and hung in the stale air.
***
"You have her?" The words echoed around him in a thousand different voices. "She is contained?"
Adrian glanced up, legs aching as he remained on bended knee. His dark trench coat flapped aimlessly about his waist and lower body, refusing to stay inanimate upon the floor. Black hair plastered to his forehead, sunglasses glinting in the gloom. "Yes, everything is as you have planned." Voice filled with serpentine adoration, he bowed lower.
"I have no need for a sycophant Adrian." The voice thundered, curving form leaning forward, almost revealed from within the black shadows worn upon her body. "Those are easily found, treasured servant." It became softer than velvet as the tones caressed the dome room, and the man bent upon the floor. Voluptuous hips and breasts remained tantalizingly hidden beneath fluttering black silk. Luxurious hair tumbled around her shoulders, innocently seductive. Her face remained beyond the impenetrable curtain of darkness. "Remain above such petty ideals, servant, for you are most assuredly a diamond in the rough."
'Hers is certainly the face of Aphrodite.' Adrian contained his thoughts cautiously, knowing his mistress was a mutant of great power.
"I have removed the fog that hides from us the future. Soon, my servant, very soon our awakening shall be realized and all will again tremble before us." The power of her words commanded his attention, as he knelt in reverence. "Or fall!"
"But what of the colonies? There are whispers that a second tournament is to be formed." Adrian hissed, raising his eyes to hers. "You know as well as I my Lady, that the earth cannot survive another assault."
The shadow woman stretched, peals of warm ethereal laughter echoed throughout the hollow room. For all the warmth of her voice, there was no mirth, and Adrian shivered slightly as it touched him. "It is not your concern. Cobra has frozen the working gears of the League of Nations, as a simple frost delays a jet mobile's engine. No dearest servant, there will be no second tournament. The bureaucrats bicker amongst themselves, and with the latest attempt upon their lives they now see assassins around each and every corner. Dear servant, the League of Nations is little more than a dancing marionette, and I am the one pulling its strings." She spread her hands. "By the time they see past the shroud so cleverly laid across their eyes, they will find themselves already in the belly of the beast." Sweetly, in a motion of abject innocence and eternal wisdom, she said. "It has all come forth as I have foreseen." Her voice became far off, as she continued. "Soon my dearest Sculptor, our plans shall come to fruition and we shall reap our rewards."
Adrian leaned eagerly upon his knees. "What is your bidding?" His question alive and dancing within the inky shadows of the hollow room, gaze fixed firmly upon the hologram before him. "What must we do?"
"Patience, my eager viper, patience." He felt her dark smile upon him, and beneath it the stirrings of a soul blacker than his own. The mental brush of her mind against his in the softness of a kiss, passed across him, and he knew exquisite pleasure would be enjoyed this night. "For now you will continue implantation of memories into the minds of your captives. And..." She raised a solitary finger, stating coldly, said. "Continue the torturing of your latest captive." The shadow's crystalline voice rose to almost a shriek. "Break her!" The hologram vanished, and Adrian relaxed into darkness as his mind melded with another's in pleasure.
***
"Yes." The word was strained, cracking on the surface like thin ice. However beneath the weak frame were the freezing black waters of commitment. Any unsure feelings vanished as easily as sadness fled, and the eyes that met his were hard and devoid of emotions he'd previously known. "A building is just a building." Kat's eyes turned toward the writhing battle outside. "What did you have in mind?"