randomplaces | Love Me When I'm Gone. Chapter Four.

I spent another night sleeping on the floor with Ro, this time on a big puffy air mattress in Brock and Rae's living room. Wolvie had gone to the Lock-up right after he'd answered the phone, only to find no trace of McTaggart, not even a scent. Legolas had tried too, but was put off by the smoothness of the metal floors.

"[I cannot even see the scuff of a shoe on this material. And I hear no whisper of his passing,]" he had said, looking worried.

I'd finally listened to Rae and Wolvie's insistence that I needed to sleep and crashed on the mattress, still in my workout gear.

"Ah!"

I cracked one eye open and looked down at Ro. "What?"

She grinned and lay her head on my chest, patting me with a little fat hand.

"[She loves you truly.]"

I looked for Legolas and saw him sitting on the couch. "Yeah. [Where is Wolvie?]"

"Still looking. He aske me watch you." A shadow seemed to pass over the brightness of his eyes.

"What's wrong?" I threw the blanket back and sat up, my free hand reaching for Windcutter.

"[I was thinking of the lad who was killed,]" he said, his clear voice low. "[In all my years I have never seen such pain and terror on a face as there was in his.]"

I held Ro close, watching the tears run down his face, then swallowed past the lump in my throat and set her in his lap.

"Oh?" She looked up at him, hands on either side of her bum to prop herself up, then started to list.

He caught her and cuddled her to his chest, the tears flowing more freely. Ro snuggled in close, big eyes looking around as she tucked one little fist next to her cheek.

I watched her a moment, then listened for the others, but caught only a faint buzz at the back of my mind that meant that Rae'd found something interesting.

"Tatatata," said Ro under her breath.

"For sure?" asked Legolas softly, his eyes focused far away.

"Da." She scritched her fingernails against the cloth of his shirt, then suddenly stiffened with a scream of terror.

I reeled. "Rae! No! God, please help her!"

"Elbereth!" I heard Legolas cry.

It was over the next minute, and I stared at the elf's set face. -Rae?-

-I'm... here. I'm here,- came her pain-wracked sending. -Ro?-

-She is frightened, but well,- came a soft silver thought-voice. -Are you hurt, friend?-

-No...- Rae's sudden rush of horror made me gasp. -Brock! No! Jesus, no please... no.-

I exchanged glances with Legolas, then bounded to my feet and hit the door running.

"[Kimber, wait!]"

"[Do you know where he is?]" I didn't slow.

"Yes." Legolas passed me and led toward the food court, Ro peering tearfully back at me over his shoulder.

We wove through the crowds toward the service hall in the far corner, the sight of our drawn swords making people dart out of our way. I saw Wolvie as soon as we got through the door. He was bent over Brock's sprawled form, steadily doing CPR as Gimli stood guard.

"What?" Legolas skidded to a halt and fell to his knees.

"Looked like a heart attack," said Wolvie, still working.

I knelt next to Legolas, looked at the stark pain and grief on Wolvie's face and the grimace on Brock's, feeling my vision grey around the edges and my throat close off. -God, oh, Jesus, please, don't take him yet, he's only eighteen... Rae 'n Ro need him! Please...- Through the haze I heard Legolas murmuring in a soft, liquid language that I couldn't understand.

Ro squirmed, and he set her down next to Brock's head with a hand behind her back to support her.

I tried to swallow as she lay her head on her dad's forehead and patted his cheek. -Crud! No no no...-

"Brock," said Legolas, his voice sounding far away.

Wolvie shot him a frown, then looked down again quickly as Brock's chest heaved.

Brock flailed, one arm knocking Wolvie over, then sat up and looked around with wide eyes.

"What..?" He shivered and rubbed his face, then picked Ro up and held her close. "What happened?"

Wolvie sat up and stared at him, then gave a choked sound and grabbed him and hugged him, eyes squeezed shut.

Brock stared down at him as Wolvie's shoulders shook. "Uncle Logan? What ails thee?"

Wolvie let go of him and glowered up at him. "Y' ever pull a stupid stunt like that again, 'n I'll..."

"What did I do?" Brock looked at the rest of us, his own face falling at the looks on ours.

"You died." I forced the words past the knot in my throat. "You were dead, Brock."

"I..." His eyes looked somewhere else for a moment, then focused as he went pale.

"Friend?" Gimli spoke for the first time, stepping close.

"It was some form of mental attack," said Brock, shivering and pressing his cheek gently to Ro's hair. His voice squeaked with strain. "Like a blade of terror."

I scootched closer and put my arms around him, finally starting to realize that he was okay.

"Terror?" asked Legolas from behind me.

"Yes." Brock pulled his arm out from between us and hugged me to his side. "It felt as though someone had tripped all my adrenal glands and loosed a flood of fear hormones."

"Flood of fear," said Legolas softly. "Like the kid. The door watch."

"The guard," rasped Wolvie. "@#$%&*. McTaggart."

I tensed, my eyes opening as I remembered the way he'd made me feel what I didn't want to feel.

There was the scrape of heavy boots, then Gimli's deep voice rumbled next to my ear. "How do you feel?"

"Weary," said Brock. "And pained."

"Pain?" asked Gimli sharply.

"Yes. My whole being aches. But that is to be expected with what it has been exposed to."

"Didn't catch that, friend," said Gimli apologetically.

"Mr. Logan?" called a female voice.

I looked at Wolvie as he turned toward the speaker.

"Yeah, Yates?" His frown deepened.

"Dr. Summers sent us. She said that someone needed medical attention."

"He's right there." Wolvie got up and moved so that the medics could get close to us.

"You'll have to move, Miss Lee. You too, sir," said the icy blue team leader, blowing a wisp of curly blonde hair out of her eyes.

I scowled at her, but let Gimli pull me to my feet and lead me aside.

"Where is Dr. Summers?" asked Wolvie, getting up with a creaking of knee joints.

"Another team's treating her for a minor head trauma," said Yates, looking into Brock's eyes with a light. "She fell and struck her head on the corner of a counter."

Brock leaned back to look at her, catching Ro's hand as she reached for the light. "How bad was it?"

"I think it only broke the skin. Hold still." Yates gave Ro a sucker and switched the attachment on the light, blowing the loose hairs out of her eyes again.

-Kimmie? How is he?-

"Rae? He's gonna be okay." I felt myself grinning in relief. "How are you?"

-I'm alright.- She gave a mental sigh. -I'll meet you as soon as these guys finish looking at me.-

"Good." I turned to Wolvie. "Rae's coming as soon as the medics are done their pokin' and proddin'."

He nodded and started saying something, but just then I got a clear view of the inside of Rae's lab. I saw her sitting on the floor, smiling as she talked with the medics. One of them moved slightly, and I saw that he was holding up a needle, pressing the plunger to get the air out of it.

I felt a chill go up my back. It's poison.

-Rae! Don't let him stick you with that!- I mentally screamed.

I saw Rae startle and turn toward me, then whirl back and raise her hand...

"[Kimber, what is it?]" cried Legolas.

"They're tryin' ta kill Rae!" I howled, turning to run, but Legolas was already gone, darting away like an antelope.

"Stay here!" barked Wolvie, charging in pursuit.

"What?" said Gimli, an ax suddenly gripped in one hand.

Yates yelped as he growled and shook it at her, then backed against the wall with her teammates. "Miss Lee, what's he doing?"

"One 'a yer buddies just tried killin' Rae," I growled, hand clenched on Windcutter's scabbard.

"What?" she cried in disbelief.

"You heard me." I gave her a narrow look, then turned to her teammates, an Asian guy and a brunette woman who was taller than Brock. "Nobody moves till I say so."

"Miss Lee," said the guy. "I know you've been under a lot of stress lately, but violence isn't the way to deal with it."

"Shut up." I looked at Brock, who was staring blankly at the wall as he cradled Ro protectively.

"Friend Legolas stopped them." His shoulders slumped with relief. "The lab will need to be written off, however."

I sighed and looked at Gimli, whose beard was bristling with anger. "[She is safe.]"

He nodded without taking his eyes off the three against the wall.

-Kimber?-

-Yeah, Legolas?-

-[You have no need to fear the three healers who came to us in the corridor. I felt no taint of evil in them.]-

-[You can feel it? Why didn't you say anything?]-

-[I did not know till I came near these two.]-

-[Two?]- I frowned, still watching Yate's team suspiciously. -[Healer teams are three.]-

-[The last man is pure. Only the young man and the maiden are tainted.]-

-Okay.- The clack of metal distracted me, and I turned to look further up the hallway. Enforcers? What the...

"What are our valiant soldiers doing out of storage?" asked Brock as I moved slightly so that I stood between him and the incoming gold and blue robots.

"These ain't the soldiers, Brock. This is the riot squad. No guns. But they ain't supposed to work without Uncle Chuck controllin' 'em." I frowned, my unease growing.

Gimli glanced up at my face, gripping his ax. "[What are they?]"

"[Protectors.]" I felt a chill run down my spine. "[But they are not supposed to be here.]"

His eyebrows lowered and he turned to face them, planting his feet and throwing back his shoulders.

-Rae? The Enforcers're out.-

-What? Who's... We're coming. Hold tight.-

"Brock, take Ro 'n get outta here," I snapped without looking at him.

"Indeed," he said, voice still quavering slightly from weakness. I heard a grunt, then a soft clang and scrambling sounds from the pipes up by the ceiling.

"That was some jump," said the big brunette softly.

"You should have seen his father," replied Yates. "My parents have an old tape of the Beast in action. It's incredible."

"Do any of you have any powers?" I risked a glance at them.

Yates blinked and shook her head, looking scared. But the brunette nodded.

"I'm strong," she said. "And tough. But I never trained to fight."

"What about you?" I snapped at the guy.

"I'm a healer," he said softly, eyes on the incoming bots. "But I know how to fight. I just wish I had a staff."

I reached around the back door of a burger joint and grabbed the first handle I felt. "How about a mop?" I threw it to him and closed the door firmly.

"Why don't we just run?" asked the brunette.

"You go ahead, but I'm not leadin' a bunch of malfunctionin' combat droids through a crowd 'a civilians." I flinched slightly as the guy thumped his mop on the floor.

The brunette shot me a spooked look, then squared her jaw and came to stand slightly behind me, muscular arms crossed over her chest.

The Enforcers were about ten feet away now, and I found myself wishing fervently that Wolvie had taught me the override codes for them. He'd intended to, only my disappearing about a week after Aunt Storm died must've drove it out of his mind. And when I got home, it was just in time to say goodbye to Uncle Hank when he went back to the X-men.

A sudden pop of displaced air snapped me out of my reminiscence, and I threw up my hand and k-pushed the dart away, cursing myself for not paying attention. There was a bellow from beside me, then a clang and a screech of tortured metal, and the next thing I knew I was trying to shove away an Enforcer that was trying just as hard to hit me in the head. I gritted my teeth and stomped my foot, building up more energy, then let loose. Not stopping to watch it fall, I swept Windcutter out of the scabbard and into the chest of another droid.

"Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!" roared Gimli, just before another horrific clang made my ears ring.

"God help us!" the words burst from my lips without thought as I ducked and wove, deflected and pushed. I caught quick glimpses of the brunette beside me, fighting desperately with only her bloodied fists for weapons. It seemed like she was crying, but I was too busy to be able to do anything about it.

-Kimber! Behind you!- cried a strange voice in my mind.

I whirled and ducked under the Enforcer's arm, k-pushing upward as I did, then spun again and shoved Windcutter into another's waist joint.

Sparks flew, and I k-pushed it off the blade and turned...

And saw only dead droids and panting people.

"Is everyone alright?" I put my hand over the scab by my kidney, wincing a the ache of it.

"Y... yes." The brunette sniffed and wiped her eyes, smearing blood across her face.

"[Have you heard from the others?]" Gimli looked up from pulling the wires out of a sparking robot.

"No." I glanced around and saw Yates and a hairy kid in a fast-food uniform helping the Asian guy out from under an Enforcer. "You okay, bub?"

He nodded wordlessly and picked up his mop, eyes scanning the hall both ways.

"Good." I cocked my head to try and listen for Rae.

The sudden flood of terror hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt like I was alone in a sea of blackness. Alone. I would always be alone.

-They're gone,- whispered a voice that I vaguely thought that I should recognize. -They found out who you really are. No one will ever love you now.-

There was a thump, and I opened my eyes to look up into Gimli's worried face.

"What happened?" I croaked, gasping for breath and trying to get my eyes to stay in focus.

"[You fell,]" he said gruffly. "[Just as Brock did.]" I felt the world fading slightly as he spoke.

"Here, but this under her head instead of your legs." I felt fingers at my neck, taking my pulse, then something soft being shoved under my head.

-Rook, can you hear me?-

My eyes popped open. -Who..?-

-I'm the mystery woman,- the voice said sadly.

-You!- I gasped and closed my eyes again as the surge of anger grated along my abused nerves.

"Crud!" I heard Gimli say.

"Easy..." soothed Yates, turning me on my side so that I didn't throw up on myself. "Take it easy. You're going to be alright. Brian, have you raised Central yet?"

"No," said the Asian guy, sounding frustrated. "And the comm just went dead."

-Rook, you have to move your men to safety.-

"Safety?" I gasped out loud. "Safety from what?"

-McTaggart has taken over. I'm shielding this section of the hall right now, but I can't do it for very long. You have to move your men.-

"Rook..." I pushed myself up weakly. "My dad called me that. Wolvie told me... where's Wolvie?"

-I don't know. I can't find him.- The voice sounded desperate. -You have to move!-

"Why should I trust you?" I was on my feet, trying to get Windcutter into her scabbard.

There was a wordless sending of comradeship and trust that soothed away some of my pain. -Because you always have before.-

I lifted my head to look at Gimli, and saw that he was on his feet looking back at me, ax held loosely but ready. Beside him the brunette bandaged her hands, eyes lowered to her task. Yates and the hairy kid (I recognized him from my hallway... Leif) were watching me with concern while Brian slapped the comm unit against his palm.

My men, I thought dazedly, feeling my mind beat futiley against the empty places in my memory.

Then I snapped out of it. "Forget the comm. It can be tracked."

"[Do you know what happened?]" Gimli brightened.

"McTaggart's taken over. We have to get out of here before he sends anything else this way." I translated quickly, then turned the way the Enforcers had come from.

"How do you know?" asked Yates, brow furrowed.

"No time," I growled. "Gimli, [you take up the rear.]"

He nodded adn moved to the mall side of the group.

"Leif, you coming?" I turned to the hairy kid.

"Could I stay and play spy?" He looked at me seriously.

I considered quickly, then shook my head. "Too risky. I don't know what he's capable of."

"Then I'm coming."

"Good. Yates, Brian?" I glanced at the brunette. "Hurry and decide."

Yates glanced at the other two, then nodded at me tersely.

"Let's go." I pushed off the wall and nearly hit the floor. "Crud!"

The brunette scooped me up and headed the way I'd tried to go.

-Finally!- sighed the mystery woman. -You always take so long to make up your mind.-

-I thought you said I trusted you.- I looked around the brunette's arm and saw the others following single file, Leif just behind me.

-You do. But you always have to think things through. It's nerve-wracking.-

"Should we get some kind of weapons?" asked Leif.

"What did you use back there?" I checked ahead and turned back to him.

"My claws." He lifted a hand to show me glittering crystal points.

"Diamond," I remembered, then shook my head. "No. Too risky. There are some where we're goin'."

-Where are we going, Rook?-

-Don't you know?- I frowned.

-No. I've only been to Haven a few times, and I'm usually at your house.-

-Where are you now?-

-Walking by your feet. Don't kick me, please.-

I lifted my head and looked, but didn't see anything. -Why are we head-talkin'?-

-Because my voice is too faint to hear.- The sadness piled behind the thought made me swallow.

-Zit alright if I talk out loud?-

-Yes..." She trailed off and I felt the ghost of a touch on my leg. -You call me Wisp.-

I nodded as she answered my half-thought wondering. "Wisp. Got it."

"Who are you talking to?" The brunette looked down at me with concern.

"A friend." I checked the others, then looked up at her. "What's your name?"

"Conchita Cortez." She studied my face, then nodded to herself and looked ahead.

"What was that?" I asked suspiciously.

"You're getting some colour back."

Wisp laughed inside my head. -McTaggart can't touch any of you right now.-

I looked again at the empty space by my feet. "Can you see where he is?"

-No. I'm only a touch telepath, and if I leave you to look you'll be unprotected.-

"You're not touching me anymore."

-No. We're linked. We've reached the end of the hall, which way do we turn?-

I glanced back a last time, then flipped a light switch on the wall and twisted the cover aside. Squirming out of Conchita's arms, I ducked so that the little scanner could read my retina, then presed my fingers into the blob of gel on the bottom of the switchbox.

-ID?- asked Cerebro.

-Kimber Jordan Lee. Bishop's Rook to Jubilation.-

-Welcome, Kimber.- The switch plate slid back down. There was a pause, then something clicked and a square of the floor slid out of the way.

"Follow me." I sat on the edge of the hole and got my foot on the top rung of the ladder, then started down.

"You aren't fully recovered yet," fretted Conchita, starting after me and glancing down into the darkness below us. "How far down does this go?"

"About thirty feet." I stopped and put my head against a rung as my sweaty hand slipped.

"Let me go before you." She made like to slide past me.

"Just a minute. Wisp, where are you?"

-At the bottom of the ladder.-

"Already?" I peered down wonderingly.

-I teleported.-

"Can you do that with passengers?" I took deep breaths, but it didn't clear my head.

-Not right now,- she said, sounding frustrated.

"Don't worry abut it. Conchita, go ahead."

It felt like hell, going down that ladder. Especially after the hatch slid shut and the only light came from little bulbs along the wall. I was shaking and ready to puke when Conchita finally stepped onto the floor and pulled my hands loose.

-Where now?- asked Wisp as Gimli muttered in satisfaction.

"Door's to the left a' the ladder. I gotta give my scan 'n code again."

"What is this place?" asked Yates, sounding awed.

"The Boltholes." I found the scanner and gave it what it needed, then leaned against the wall drifting in some sort of empty dream.

"Kimber?" Gimli's eyes glinted in the lights.

-Rook? Rook, come back!-

"I..." I blinked and pushed weakly away from the wall. "Man, I hope Brock's okay."

I pushed the door release and waved everyone through into the white tunnel on the other side.

-He should be,- said Wisp, as Conchita picked me up again. -He died and was freed from the emotional poison. I knocked you out of the link and might've hurt you myself when I did it.-

"Emotional poison." I groaned. "Soul poison."

Yates looked at me with dismay. "We don't have anything to treat that."

"I know." I lay back and looked down the tunnel as we went along it, praying silently for the safety of my family and the people with me.

"Turn right at the end of this," I muttered, feeling myself losing hold of reality. "Find a door with a blue band 'n wait there fer me t' wake up."

"Kimber?" called Gimli.

"Angel, she's gone grey again!"

"Get to the door with the blue band!"

-Rook, you have to hold on!-