Book 9

Chapter 1 To Chapter 2

             BS puttered about the hideout, mostly out of boredom. Timothy Rex had skedaddled weeks ago. Nine was out trying to wedge her way into a new guild since the pirates had disbanded. Megan continued to be wary and elusive, though she was easily four months along in her pregnancy and barely showing any sign save for the ravenous appetite and short temper that was an earmark for any mutant female. This left Brimstone holding the fort.

            So here he was tying to rewire the kitchen. The last few "scuffles" had shorted several major wiring conduits and he was flipped upside down under the cabinets soldering the cantankerous fibers into place when he heard Randall shuffle in. "Need any help?" the scientist asked.

            "Flip that switch on the wall there, would you?" The partially metal arms gestured blindly to the newly installed faceplate. Surprisingly he didn't light up like a Christmas tree. In fact, nothing lit up at all. "Damnation," the oversized lump of flesh and metal swore as he wriggled out of the tight corner. "Solid rock next time, I swear...."

            "So.... did you get everything fixed?"

            Brimstone scuffled to his feet to look down at "Doc". The easy going half of the scientific experiment that stranded him and his counterpart here wasn't easily rattled by BS's rough looks. He may be a bit too gentle when dealing with his girlfriend Nine, but at least He didn't try bringing their happy home literally down around their ears. "Not even. Funny how many things break when you move just a little earth." This was further exemplified when he opened the fridge to get a beer. He had to thump the side of the appliance twice to get the little light to come on inside. With booze in hand, he lead Randall back into the living room, and was not entirely surprised to see Drac and Janis sitting on the overstuffed miss matched furniture. Janis looked somewhat distracted and a bit pale, something that reminded the 'borg of Meli, the tattooed psi-hunter that he had taken more than a shine to. To see Janis in that unsettled state told BS that something bad was coming.

            He sensed it long before it reached the sewer door. Very few things could set what was left of his skin crawling like it did just now. One of the was Timothy Rex. The other would be his close relation. "You all stay here," he grumbled as he picked up the claw hammer from the counter and headed down the hallway. The pair of reptilian guard dogs were already at the door, growling, baying and slobbering, making quite the racket, but once Brimstone opened the portal, the oversized lizards took one look at the creature, then turned tail, yipping in fright.

            "Dusk," the cyborg grumbled. "What are you doing here?"

            Indeed the body stealing necromancer had returned, a bit more filled out and grown up, but full of youthful rebellion. She had adopted the goth look, complete with piercings and leather accessories, and had tried to dye the vibrant red locks her father's shade of black, but those rebellious roots were already peeking through. She strode in, either oblivious to the fact that BS was armed, or was confident enough to know he wouldn't strike her blind, only if she attacked. "Well.. You sure don't look like your happy to see me at all."

            "Very observant of you. Whaddaya want?"

            Janis and Drac had watched the two dragonlings stampede down the hall, though the den, and into the back rooms, whimpering in abject terror. Drac gave his relation a shrug of his shoulders, but Janis seemed to know the source of their fear. She likewise needed to escape. She stood up and quickly slipped into one of the side tunnels that lead down to the beach, Drac escorting her all the while. Only when she was sure they were out of earshot did she finally address the Vashtalian royal. "My sister is missing," she finally confessed. "Her body has become nothing more than a shell. Her mind is elsewhere, and I don't know how to help her."

            "Damn," Drac snorted. "If things weren't already bad enough. I've got Veradia knocking on my doorstep." He sighed, then gently rested a hand on her shoulder. "If you need any help, I'll give you all that I can."

            With that vow, they meandered hesitantly inside, just as BS escorted his 'niece" into the den. "What?" she was complaining. "Can't I hang out here just like old times?"

            "You only 'hung out' because you were a ghost scamming for a body."

            "And I will tell you that I am quite happy with this body. I will admit thought that it isn’t very customizable. This damn red hair keeps growing back." She seemed quite unaffected with the metal man's sour glances nor Janis fleeing the room, unable to bear being anywhere near the necromancer and her bad mojo. The only one that didn't treat Dusk like the plague was Randall, and to this she replied quite happily. "Hey Puddin!" she beamed back at him.

            Once Janis reached the sewer exit, she made a run for it. BS, however, wasn't about to be shaken that readily. They played a bizarre game of cat and mouse until the black robed woman pulled up sharply, almost getting flattened by the 'borg as he squealed to a stop as well. "Why do you follow?" she asked abruptly.

            " 'Cause I'm pretty sure Meli's in trouble and you're honing in on her."

            Janis now rested her hands on her hips. "You do realize that your 'aura' is inhibiting my magic, don't you?"

            "Oh.... sorry..." he mumbled and took several steps back, allowing her to coordinate with her son Marek to locate the missing girl. Apparently she did as the concern washed out of her body, but a sly smile on her behalf told him that she had done something underhanded. He could only guess that Janis didn't want the mutated metal man near Meli. A sudden fit of anger hit him in the stomach. Tired of being played and mislead like an errant child, he grabbed Janis by the shoulders and shook her, demanding that she now focus on him. "Just what in Jesus's Ten Toenails is going on!?"

            "You're hurting me," she replied sternly, though she didn't fight him physically.

            He released her. "Fine. You tell me what's what. She gives me this big lecture about not showing my feelings, then She disappears for weeks on end? And all of you guys run interference for her on top of it. Now spill it!"

            Janis pouted. "She tried to help you. You wanted to go home and she does what she can to help you. She is confused."

            She wasn't the only one. The big 'borg blinked. "I... I don't wanna go home. Heck, I can go home whenever I want. I'm Needed here. At least I thought I was needed. I ain't a rocket scientist, but I though me and Meli has a.... connection, a like minded frame, if not in craft."

            The black robed woman looked over the dejected man, then finally raised an hand to his titanium frame, patting the chassis softly. "May the creator grant you some humanity." She looked up at his face, wondering exactly what he saw when he looked out of that shiny red glowing lense. "Why do you hide from her?"

            The big man sighed. Janis had his number after all. " 'Cause I didn't wanna see her hurt. It would happen eventually and I'd have yet another lost soul due to my hands."

            Now Janis's hand slid down to his arm, touching some of what was left of the flesh. Surprisingly, it was difficult to tell the difference between the steel and the skin as they both seemed warm and pliant. "If this is so, then you would not hurt her feelings."

            Dusk seemed quite happy that most of the gang had suddenly left her behind, but before she could make any mischief on Randall, Nine sleepily emerged from the hall, having been rudely awakened by two petrified dragons trying to scramble under her bed and covers for protection. The erstwhile mutant paused, looking over the goth as she scrunched up her brow, trying to place the face. Randall figured to cut the building tension quickly, knowing that mutant long term retention was almost non-existent. "Nine, this is Dusk. She helped us fight that Rooslan clone a while back. She even saved your life then. Remember?"

            Nine's brow furrowed further. "Waitaminute. You're Tim's ilk, ain't ya?"

            Drac looked between the two girls. To his trained eye, neither really had the upper advantage when it came to a physical fight. Any contest would be won over skill, not brawn, and any of Dusk's magic trick would be hampered by the hideout's stasis field that interfered with energetic attacks. He figured then to turn and leave, concerned that Brimstone and Janis might be in a more damaging squabble. "I better go find Janis. A fleet of ships attacked one of our transport convoys to Jorelia and I want her to make sure that they were flying the Veradia banner.."

            "So we're going on a rescue?"

            Drac had the mutant's full attention now. "It's too late for a rescue, Nine."

            She was not daunted. In fact she seemed doubly charged. "Then let's go blast the bastards out of the water!"

            "Now let's not go off half-cocked," Randall spoke up, seeing that intenseness in her eyes that he knew only too well.

            Dusk snorted, cocking a black and red eyebrow. "Violent little sort, ain't ya?"

            "Hey, I gotta blow off some steam somewhere. Been holed up in here too long. I may not be able to mentally lift a tank and throw it, but I can shoot a gun. I ain't half bad with a sword either. I'm an ace in navigation and I have been trained for most combat situations. Randall can testify to my piloting skills."

            Drac was still brooding over the aftermath of his troubles. "If it is proven to indeed be Veradia, then I'm not stopping at just blowing them out of the water. I intend on wiping them from the face of the planet."

            "Oh goody!" Nine squealed in glee. "Air strike!" and she scurried to her room to find her gear.

            Megan sat out on a grassy knoll out in one of Rydin's many parks scattered throughout the city. She held her hands over three tennis balls placed out on the ground before her. It was a stupid exercise in her mind since she had no mutant talent at all, but it Was a training session and it was helpful, even if just to keep her peripheral senses aligned. Finally she had to peek, and just as she expected, they hadn't even twitched. Frowning she dropped her hands and sighed, rubbing the damp palms on the denim leggings before standing and adjusting Destroyer as he brooded on her back. This evolved into a round of stretching, knots and joints popping in protest after sitting still for so long.

            "Trying to develop our psychic powers, are we?" The dripping snide tones of Dusk broke Megan's tranquil moment. She slowly drew the charcoal blade and began to slowly twirl him around, ignoring her "sister", even though Destroyer was trembling, vibrating, demanding Dusk's blood. She gritted her teeth, but held him at bay. "Ain't you supposed to be chumming up to Nine now?" she snarled back. She had gotten most of the story from Brimstone as he felt it was kind enough to warn her that trouble had returned.

            "Am I?" the young punked necromancer batted her eyes innocently. "Sorry, I can't seem to remember. I really sort of only scheme as a hobby now. Everything has been made So much easier with this body," she purred, twirling about on one foot.

            Goury walked into the clearing, seeing Megan struggling with Destroyer. The blade was on point against a dark haired youngster bearing that same disposition and sallow features of Megan herself. Obviously kinsman. Especially as they spat epitaphs and accused each other of various things. From what he could deduce, the other girl, Dusk, was the creature that had possessed Timothy's child Bree. Clearly Megan was upset by this, as most of her kin would be, and Dusk's attitude did nothing to calm Megan down. This was further exasperated by Destroyer demanding his pound of flesh. Finally she screamed out and threw the blade, but away from the focus of her angst, deep into the heart of one of the park trees. She gave a collective sigh and staggered back, landing on her but. Clearly the weapon was half her hatred; once she broke contact, she was finally able to bring herself back under control. "You are Just like your father," Megan finally panted.

            "That would be Our father," Dusk pointed out, pouting. "You sure do like to make assumptions, don't you? It's the black, right? If I started wearing denim and dragon leather, do you think it would push people away less?"

            "Well, I dunno. Let's see if I've got the facts straight. Raised by an evil sorceress? Tried to kill my mother, father, and pretty much the rest of the Del Marian clan? And that was Before you resurrection bid. No... keep the black. It suits you." Megan stood up again and dusted off the denim and reddish dragon skin fighting leathers she was currently wearing.

            "Megan does have a point," Goury noted, making both woman glare at him, then roll their eyes in unison before they went back to squaring off at each other.

            "So why Are you here, Dusk? Looking for another angle? Another body? Perhaps you should visit Brimstone for another cup of tea. I'm Sure he'd just Love to have you over."

            "Uhm... no. Sewers ain't my thing. Besides, I gotta stick with my family."

            "Oooohhhhh... NOW you what to stick with them. After you stabbed them in the back." Megan turned and spotted Destroyer wiggling his way out of the bark, the hilt rocking back and forth frantically. A well placed kick and the weapon found himself wedged into the woodwork once again.

            Goury, ever observant, tried to loosen up some of the tension. "Like it or not, Meg; they are All your family."

            The mutant froze up as Lina made her way to the triad. She wasn't sure how the sorceress would take to Dusk, and she really didn't want to be in the middle of any magical fist fights.   "Don't remind me! They’ve gone all gooey over Nine and ignored me. I'm guessing that's why Dusk is here. She can't keep her foot in the door."

            Dusk seemed quite put out by Megan's cold comments. "You know the reason could be that I'm a necromantic mutant that has possessed the body of a metamorphic mutant and I ended up with a little directional problem. No.. no wait. I think some random, dimensionally challenged pseudo relative is to blame instead!"

            Megan thought for a second that the gothic girl had leveled that comment at Nine, not her, but she wasn't about to drop the ball now. "Dusk, you've plotted and planned every single step and taken advantage of ever minuscular opportunity. You are Not here by coincidence!"

            "Hey! Lina piped up. "Let's all blame it on my uncle Marek!"

            The three heads turned to the young sorceress, perplexed. "On Marek? Why?"

            Lina shrugged. "He's a good scapegoat."

            While both mutatedly related woman pondered the wisdom in this tact, Lina leaned in a bit. "Have either of you seen him? I had cast this locator spell, and I followed it here."

            "Around us? Your spell probably went funny. I don't see him around here."

            Indeed Marek was near by. He had been on the way to Drac's bar with the newest his forge had to offer, but he had heard the argument between the loosely related siblings and had hung back, waiting for them to move on. He frowned a bit when he saw Lina join them, but he continued to stay in the shadows, biding his time. Megan's temper seemed to rise the more animated Destroyer became. And it wasn't just Dusk that made Megan agitated. Everything seemed to grind on her, reverberate through the sword, then back into Megan two fold. One when she spotted the errant blade struggling to free itself and kicked him back into the grain did she finally gather her wits about her. It was then he decided to walk out into the clearing to talk to Lina. Megan still gave him a disparaging eye, and probably would continue to do so for some time. In her eyes, like most of her kind, his failure to protect his charge Nine was a sore spot.

            As he discussed the welfare of his grandmother with Lina, Dusk edged closer to Destroyer, looking the blade over. "so this is our family heirloom? I vaguely Remember when Mommy carried it around. Can... can I have a look at it?"

            She was expecting a no, especially after the long pause, but Megan nodded. "Sure. You want me to pry him loose for you?"

            "No," she replied, a bit stunned by her kinsman. "Lemme try first." The necromancer slowly palmed the pommel and closed her eyes, trying to attune herself to the blade. Destroyer gave his answer in no uncertain terms. A flash of green light and Dusk was on her butt as if punched in the chest.

            "Not as easy as you thought?" Megan smirked, though relieved that the blade hadn’t turned on his loyalties. There was always that risk, the believed.

            Dusk snarled and did something totally out of character. She jumped up and grabbed the hilt, ripping the weapon physically out of the tree. Even then it was clear that Dusk had no control over it, or her emotions. "Crap!" Megan barked as she scurried clear of the combat range of the weapon, hiding behind Goury as he drew his weapon, Marek squaring up beside him. "Dusk!" Megan shouted out, knowing how Destroyer must be howling in her sister's ears, drowning out all reason. "Let him go before he gets someone!" Dusk dropped him, shaking her head, clearing showing that something was terribly wrong. Megan darted forward between the two men , trying to get a hand on the blade before he could slip away, but her fingers brushed against the steel and an electric shock rocketed through her body, rattling her teeth. Snarling, she looked up at Dusk. "What in the hell did you Do to him?"

            "Now Megan," Marek chided. "Be polite."

            Dusk's form had changed somewhat. Much of the black dye in her hair had given away to the vibrant electric red of the original host. "I wasn't Trying to do Anything!" she growled back in a very inhuman voice then brought her foot down on the weapon just as Megan managed to curl her fingers under the blade.

            "That wasn't polite," Marek dead panned as Drac joined him and Goury, all three men hanging well back from the carnage, knowing these girls' temperaments all too well.

            Megan howled as the metal bit into her skin. With one arm pinned, she swung her free one round, trying to knock Dusk back so she could free herself, but missed the spell caster by miles.

            Whom surprisingly didn't cast any spells, Instead Dusk clocked Megan full in the face, sending her sailing across the clearing and into a heavy oak tree, knocking her out.

            "That wasn't nice either," Marek commented, figuring the fight to be over now that one of them was no longer moving. He thought wrong. What happened next seemed to roll in slow motion. Dusk, now equipped with a fiery halo of red hair and wide dilated eyes grabbed Destroyer and plunged him straight into Megan’s chest.

            Goury ran forward, trying to wedge himself between the two girls, but the damage had been done. Drac and Marek rushed over just as Dusk staggered backwards then collapsed, stunned at the site of blood bubbling up through Megan’s fighting garb. Even Destroyer seemed stunned, and eager to be pulled fee from the wound, which Goury did, tossing his aside as Drac pushed in to see. “Can you save her? Maybe kickstart her enough for her own powers to kick in?” The blond swordsman asked.

            The Vashtalian leader sighed. “She’s beyond my powers. Revival spells are not my specialty.. And frankly against her mutant jinx.. We could try to take her to see Seren.. Or Lord Claw. In either case, I’m afraid I will have to kill Dusk right were she lays...”

            Marek had knelt down next to the fallen red head, resting a beefy hand on the girl’s brow. “Why punish this one for a family spat?” he asked, watching as Dusks’ body regenerated, the black once again taking hold over the red locks. What Marek feared was the mental damaged done holding the cursed blade. He picked up Destroyer from where Goury had tossed him and forcefully re-wedged the weapon back into the tree, then huffed off into the deep woods.

            Drac crouched down next to Megan’s body then sighed and placed his hands over the gap in her chest. A light blue light slowly grew from his fingertips and seeped into the wound as he chanted a healing spell. Goury sat at Drac’s elbow holding his breath as he fervently prayed. There was nothing at first, not even the irksome sparks that normally happened when spells came in contact with the mutant’s metabolism, but something strange happened. Megan suddenly took in a deep breath and the blue light increased and flowed faster and faster into the injured body, now sucking Drac’s essence into her. The dragon kin held out as long as he could, but finally he had to drag himself away lest he surcame to the power that threatened to draw him dry. The deadly cut slowly knitted itself and once again Megan inhaled. Her eyes then flew open and she screamed, the last memory she had was the pain of Destroyer plunging through her heart. Her body contorted as if in the final throes of death, but then relaxed. A weak hand slowly, cautiously came up to grab where the hilt of the weapon had once rested, but seemed confused when it found nothing. Her eyes rolled downwards, looking for the damage.

            Drac was sitting back against a tree, panting, weak as a kitten, but he had to smile, seeing her move. “Welcome back, Megan.”

            Marek emerged from the forest, having contemplate what he needed to do, and he likewise seemed pleased to see the mutant alive and breathing. He looked to Dusk. “What about her? Does she deserve to die for this?”

            Megan slowly looked over at the necromancer. It seemed that the both of them had the fight knocked of them, for now. In fact Megan felt concerned about her erstwhile sibling. “No, she doesn’t deserve to die. She has only to pay for her sins, at least this time around. Leave her be.” She now turned and gestured at Destroyer. “Give him back, please.” Goury hesitated, but did as bidden, and was glad to see that the sword also had lost it’s fight. In fact he seemed quite eager to take his place over Megan’s shoulder as she slowly stood up with Goury’s help. Marek took up Dusks’ body and the somber party headed back to the hideout.

            Goury looked over at Megan. “I think you two need to make peace with each other,” he suggested.

            Marek looked over his shoulder at the swordsman. “Have you any siblings, Goury?”

            “No. I am an only child.”

            The big man finally managed a half- hearted smile. “Then you would not understand.”

            Megan had decided she needed to talk to Brimstone, but had found the hideout somewhat empty. Which was fine. It gave her time to think. This whole dying thing was really beginning to shake her confidence. It wasn’t the dying part as much as the coming back part. This was the second incident on this planet that she had flatlined and then been pulled back, by magic no less, and she wasn’t sure how. Further still, she was sure that Drac had sustained severe damage in the exchange, but he hadn’t been seen all week and those that had seen him weren’t talking about his condition, which made her brood all the more.

            One by one, they returned to roost. First it was Dusk, looking somewhat deflated as well by the incident. Her words were still curt, but Megan read into the subtle signs, the body gestures, and saw that Dusk didn’t know what happened during the fight either. Of course neither woman opened up, keeping their comments short and concise. To normal folk, this would have been rude and grinding, but to the two girls, this was how they would normally react to something they had no full comprehension of. Not enough to fight over, definitely not enough blame to apologize for any actions.

            In fact it seemed that Dusk was the ancy one. She had expected retribution from any of the mutants, and possibly from any of their alliances and friends, but neither Lina nor Goury seemed cross. In fact the blond swordsman asked after her welfare. Goury also did pass the word along that Drac had indeed taken a full week to recoup, apparently losing some of his life energy to resurrect Megan. She didn’t seem all that thrilled that she would be beholding to the Vashtalian lizard once again, but if one listened close enough, she really did have a respect for Drac.

            Brimstone returned from shopping, but instead of making a fuss, just dropped off the three bags of groceries while Megan shuffled through them, looking for something to curb her appetite. Finally Dusk tossed up her hands. “Shouldn’t you all be angry that I killed Megan? Ain’t ya supposed to be challenging me to a duel or some honorable crap like that? I AM an evil necromancer, you know!”

            BS put up the last of the canned spaghetti before replying. “Dunno.. Did you take that up with Megan? She was the one you killed, you know.” But Megan was busy snagging two of those cans of spaghetti and opening them up, determined to make a meal without burning it, and using all her concentration on the burner and pot. BS shrugged at Dusk, then felt a paper brush up against his elbow. A message, brought by Janis for him. He opened the folded paper, read it a few times, then folded it twice more before putting it into one of the deep pockets of the trenchcoat. “Well, I’m off again,” he announced and strode out the door.

            Megan emerged from the kitchen with several bowls, handing them out, whether anyone wanted or not. The discussion about Megan’s demise was clear enough. Megan had assumed that Destroyer had driven Dusk wild with rage, and that the evil sorceress hadn’t meant to kill her at that particular time. Dusk did concur with this one point, even if she tried to cast a spell over her sibling later on. Once again the mutant discordance won out. Instead of burying Megan in a mass of stinging jellyfish, the slumbering girl was smothered in sea cucumbers that just dripped warm ooze that didn’t even wake the girl. Dusk was greatly frustrated by this mutant jinx that seemed to love screwing her up on every well laid plan.

            That fuming seemed contagious because a few days later, it seemed everyone had a tinge of it. BS’s mysterious note had lead him to a dead end. This was further compounded when Janis lit into him, insisting that the ‘borg was mentally inept and couldn’t follow simple instructions. That particular problem was due to the note. On closer examination, they both found that the spell that had been cast upon it to hide the real address never disengaged and had lead the robot man to the wrong meeting spot. With a snort, Brimstone once again donned his coat, gestured for Dusk to join him, and headed off to find Meli.

            Dusk knew full well why the cyborg had insisted she come along. She could guess that she didn’t trust Meli’s kinfolk any more, that he’d been lead down too many traps and dead ends, and probably was afraid of the situation escalating into a fist fight. Since he was spell- poor, he chose to bring her along. Dusk also knew that her “uncle” wouldn’t turn on her and try for any retribution, that time had passed, but perhaps their associates wouldn’t see things that way. From what she could figure, he would keep her under his wing, for now.

            At least that was what she originally thought when they finally reached Marek’s tavern by the sea. Everything was still damp from the recent rains, making any sort of fighting conditions tougher. The bar itself seemed to be doing a fair business. The Red Door was worn, but well kept, and the atmosphere inside was friendly as people drank, at, and laughed. “Gee, what a dive,” BS commented wryly, knowing that his place in it’s best shape couldn’t hold a candle to the Door.

            Dusk, as ever, complained; though this time it was more from nerves than just from being her Father’s daughter. “Geeze, Brim. Taking me to all kinds of shady places... really kinda wrong.. Corrupting a minor and all that....” 

            As they took a seat, Marek came up, not in the most amiable of moods. “Can I get you anything?”

            “Yeah. Meli.” Brimstone took the folded directions from his pocket and tossed them at Marek, guessing Who put the strange spell on the paper. The parchment bounced of the big man’s chest and fell to the floor. “Youse guys have been leading me on for weeks. I’m getting a bit tired of it, and I don’t wanna play games anymore. I would like to just see Meli.”

            Marek’s face turned sour. “You would? Oh.. that’s lovely.”

            He turned and walked back to the bar, rotating and popping his shoulders before fetching something from under the counter. “Dusk,” BS warned as he watched the larger man walk back up to the table with a purpose.

            Dusk really hadn’t been paying attention, being distracted by the whole room, trying to locate where any sort of danger might come, figuring Brimstone could handle the big, dark, muscular, broody guy. She had felt him tense up and turned, just in time to see Marek toss a key on the table. “Room 10. Private wing.”

            BS let out a slow breath, the took the key and stood up. “Dusk, why don’t you keep yourself entertained? I’m sure Marek here is just Bubbling with enthusiasm.” With no further instruction, he headed up the stairs to the rooms.

            Marek seemed to not recognize Dusk. “What can I get you, Miss?”

            “Dunno. What do you serve here. Other than warmed- over gasoline?”

            “Sorry, all we serve here is alcohol,” and he placed a glass of light ale at her elbow before taking a seat himself.

            The dark sorceress didn’t bother to bring up the fact that she had meant gasoline since that’s what her kind drank,. “You’ve never been to BS’s Bar and Grill, have you?” She continued to case this fellow over, pretty much in that same judgmental eye that most of her kind assessed potential threats. Other than his size and less-than-chipper demeanor, she couldn’t really see an overbearing problem. The 'problem' began to compound itself when Marek squinted down at her. "I know you. From the park."

            "Oh really? Which 'me'? Because there have been quite a few 'mes'. I'm quite odd, you know; even for a mutant."

            The big man leaned in a bit, looking Dusk over with the same untrusting scrutiny that she had given him. "You killed Megan," he stated loud and clear.

            "Oh. That? Well, if you know anything about us mutants is that kind of behavior is very common. The women in our clan tend to fight. A lot. It's really quite bizarre and dysfunctional. Maybe we should seek professional help." She knew she was babbling but she couldn't help herself. She was very nervous with the big man scowling down on her. She knew Brimstone had put the incident on the back burner, but she wasn't sure any of their associates and friends would see the matter in the same light. She picked up her drink, but she just waved the glass around as she droned on.

            Marek nodded then sat back, satisfied with her answer. "I understand perfectly. My sister too, is insane."

            "Oh? Is she the one that Brimey came to see? Locked up in the tower and all that?"

            "No. that is my aunt. She's the only sane one."

            Brimstone knocked first and listened, hearing Meli call out weakly, asking who it was. He sighed and unlocked the door, slowly opening it, not quite sure what to expect. What he did see he did not like. She was buried in blankets but still shivering, her skin even paler if that were possible. She squinted in the half light from the hallway, trying to see him. Plates and trays of various types of food laid wasted on the table and chair near the bed. It seemed her kindred couldn't keep her spirits up any more so than he could. She almost growled when she recognized the bulked silhouette. "I told them I didn't want to see you," she murmured, "but I guess there's no avoiding it now."

            He came inside and quietly closed the door so she wouldn’t have to squint. He gestured to the mounds of china ware. "So.. what's all this? Did I do something wrong?"

            Perhaps it was his straightlaced concern that made her give in. "It's more like what I did."

            "Okay....." He sat down on the wooden chair, making it groan under his weight. "Enlighten me. I don't wanna have to sit here and guess. Just tell me. I can take it. Cross my heart and hope to rust."

            She inhaled, gathering herself. "I.. I wanted to do something for you, but everyone told me you wouldn't like it."

            BS folded his arms, the left elbow squeaking a bit. "Lemme guess. You wanted to make me alive and 'human' once again." He even gave the universal quotes, curling his fingers in the air.

            "You mock me," she snorted, embarrassed.

            "Hardly. It was a guess." He leaned back in the chair, ignoring the wood's protests. "Who exactly did you tell your plans to?"

            "Well.. my family for one. They think I'm crazy to waste such an effort on you." As she spoke, a fluffy little German shepard puppy emerged from under the bed. He licked one of the abandoned plates half heartedly before jumping up on the bed and curling up in Meli's lap. She took great comfort in the dog's affections and patted his head very lightly. "Then I talked to your friends, like Goury."

            BS had to smile. "They don't know me. None of them. Now, my only concern about all this is what would this do to you? How much would You be harmed trying to pull off a stunt of that magnitude? If it ended up killing you, then of course I wouldn't want you to even try." He leaned forward a bit, looking into her eyes, even as she tried to avert her gaze. "Meli, those guys want me to stay in this Robo-cop mode, but you want to change me. Why?"

            "Because... I want them to see what I see. The beauty of your soul."

            "Hon...." He slowly stood up, trying to wrap his mind around her offer. "Hon, having a beautiful soul is Not a great deterrent. Besides, those that know me can see me like you do. they don't need to see that light turned outward. I can't work like I do with that shining out like a badge."

            "But... doesn't it bother you that you must hide you face and body?"

            He nodded. "Yes, at times, but that's not the point. We can't have everything we what. It's... it's not that I wouldn't welcome being whole again.. it's the current circumstances. They need me like this, for now. I'm their only backbone." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, seeing her looking dejected. "You've seen how the girls bicker with each other, right."

            "Yes." She clearly wasn't thoroughly pleased with his growing covey of chaotic kinfolk.

            "Well, until that whole mess gets straightened out, I can't desert the post. And I can't do my job without the current firepower I'm packing. I'm not much of anything else without it nowadays." He now slipped down off the chair, bending down on one knee in front of her. "But when that changes, I will gladly discuss any change you may still be willing to make to my current shape. If you still want to, that is. Heck, by then you will probably want to kill me, just like the rest."

aliera ki

            Brimstone's secret hideout clearly wasn't. Not with the traffic of visitors that continued to knock on the door. Even old acquaintances from bygone eras showed up on occasion, the most noteworthy of the lot being Estor, Aurora's husband, Megan's stepfather, and in the eyes of the 'borg, the "good" guy. He had changed little. He still bore the mutated metal arms and wings contrived by Brimstone's nanotechs, but managed to keep his good nature, despite having Aurora's blood coursing through his veins. It was one of the few times that the combination wasn't volatile, or combative. This was good news, especially when he had to break the news of Emily's demise, and the current state of what would be his grandchild, the one that Dusk possessed. Apparently he had known that Emily's life would be quick, bright, and fast; but he seemed just as intrigued with Dusk's current condition. Brimstone also noted that revenge was not in the once-godling's heart, and the 'borg was relieved. Further discussions revealed that Estor had been on Del Mar where Aurora was currently vacationing in a military camp. The current leader of the mutant factions was Tristan, but he had been missing suspiciously for weeks. There were other forces at work, factions trying to manipulate the war, but to BS that was not news.

            Marek brought Meli around once she was well enough to walk. Frankly it would have drove BS batty if he had been pampered and babied continuously, being asked if he were okay. There was some question as to whether it was safe to leave her at the hideout, but it seemed that Drac, Claw, and Marek were taking turns guarding her. She was almost defiant of them when she reached out from under the table and cautiously took up his hand in hers. BS could only assume that he was one of those thing that they were protecting her from, but for the most part, they were cordial to him. The arguments on how to deal with Vashtalia's rival Veradia were animated enough. The death of Darius's mate Heather and her two children was enough to send Drac into a bloodbath with the rival kingdom, and not even BS's observances seemed to give the Vashtalian king any solace. For the most part, the regal lizards tolerated him courting Meli in his own weird way.

            Which was more than what his own blood kin seemed to tolerate. Nine was pacing the walls. He could see her itch, and could guess why. Spring was just in the air and she wanted to test her mettle. It couldn't be easy to have been a high rated telekinetic, only to have your livelihood ripped out from under you. Nine seemed to be bounding back from that incident finally and now she needed to know how she could fare without the power. simple sparring with him wouldn't count. She would always doubt herself, never knowing if the 'borg was giving his all. She surely couldn't use Randall as a punching dummy any more as he now sported bruises on top of bruises. Drac turned out to have the solution, asking if Nine would join him in his battle against Veradia. The petite mutant jumped readily at the offer and bounded upstairs to get her gear.

            Then Jason showed up.

            This truly was a surprise for BS, whom had watched the man die nearly ten years ago in an explosion, as well as for Megan, whom had been married to the man before that. Needless to say, she was a bit torn about seeing him alive and hale, and looking a bit younger than he should have. His recanting of the story explained much. He had been yachting in the seas east of Seadragon cliffs when the boat exploded, an assassination attempt though nothing had turned up by who. The explosion, however, allowed a rift to form, dragging Jason through to Rydin. By his retelling, he'd only been in the strange land for three weeks, knowing nothing about Megan's attempt to save the planet and her likewise slide into Rydin.

            Most took up with the young man. Brimstone, for some unknown reason, allowed Jason, a human, to take up residence in the hideout. Megan made it a point to keep far away from the dwelling, not wanting to tell him that she was pregnant, especially since they had tried for two years to conceive and failing miserably. It was a wonder that they had ever been a couple, because every time the two did bump into each other, sparks went flying. Jason was no psi like Timothy, but he must have studied under the man because he could get Megan so wound up that it took Goury hours to talk her down. But through all the yelling matches, it was clear that Jason was enjoying himself, as if he missed her screeching.

To everyone else, Jason was pleasant, but it was clear he had his secrets, ones that only Brimstone seemed to know, and the two seemed to be plotting something big. Goury constantly tried to eavesdrop on the conversations, but learned very little. Jason had money.. lots of money, and when he had died, Megan had inherited it, using the money to bankroll mutant enterprises. Even though the man was clearly broke, he didn't seem in any hurry to get that money back. Claw had even offered to repay Jason for whatever Megan owed, but Megan wouldn't take the charity and Jason wouldn't take the bribe.

So for the most, everything was quiet. Too quiet.

            The trip to Vashtalia made Nine's teeth hurt. Magic was involved to open a portal to bring those still on Rydin back to the stronghold to gather for battle. They had tried to make the rift large enough so that the frayed edges wouldn't touch her, but passing through the portal was like riding an elevator dropping from the 80th floor without a cable. She was thankful enough to touch solid land again, sliding off the back of one of the great beasts that had carried her.

            It seemed that they had found Heather, and with a great effort, managed to bring her back to the land of the living. Nine wasn't sure how much of a toll that would have on the mind, but what few glimpses she got of the black dragon with startling glowing blue eyes told her that Heather would recover, much like Nine herself was.

            There was a meeting of minds in the castle. Several royals had gathered to plan their strategy. There were dragons galore, massing, listening to Drac's rousing speech, one that even stirred Nine to battle fury. In her day, Nine was a rarity. An oddity. Here, she was only odd in the fact that magic seemed to warp around her. She had dragon blood in her, and they seemed to take her into their own because of it, even if she could not transform into one of those massive scaled monsters.In fact they took her magical resistance in consideration when they planned out the attacks. It seemed foolhardy to run her with the mages, so she offered to have the dragons drop her near Veradia's wall. Her presence alone would cause the magical barriers holding out the advancing force to waver, perhaps enough to all Vashtalia's power to overwhelm to borders.

            And it worked like a charm. Once she landed, she pulled Defender and went to town, easily cleaving through the heavy plate armor with the enhanced blade, pushing the men back just far enough to allow her team lead by a wing of dragons to get a foothold on the wall.

            It wasn't just her heroics that saved the day either. Between the other armies attacking several points on the great wall, coupled by the bombardment from mana cannons by the heavy fleet, the city fell.

Not without a fight, though. Nine had taken a few bumps and bruises, along with a nasty cut from a broadsword that must have been edged with poison, because it took several hours to mend and it left a nasty scar that went with the grain of the muscle, through lower and upper arm, a singular line running from wrist to shoulder. She also sported a black eye and several cracked ribs, but she couldn't remember a fight when she didn't come away with cracked ribs. Goury saw this when she returned, dropping heavily off the back of one of her scaled compatriots. "Did Randall know you were going?" he asked. "Because I think he's been worried sick about you."

            "Why for? I've got the entire Vashtalian military looking out for me." Normally this would be in bitter tones, but in this light, she seemed pleased with that fact, even as she started stripping off the torn and bloodied cameos, the heavy Kevlar pieces making a loud thunk as they hit the cobblestones. "You can tell him I'm back, safe and sound. Once I debrief and soak this hide of mine, I'll be home lickety split." She pulled her gear off the dragon's back, freeing him up to find some tending for his raw hide. "Besides, what are You doing here? I thought you were supposed to be watching over our expectant mutant."

            "I came to welcome Drac back. Besides, Meg wants to be alone. Her mood swings are getting real bad."

            "She Always wants to be alone. Doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. You never know when Rooslan will pop up again." She gathered her belongings and headed inside the castle, asking one of the guards the directions to the spa, determined to wash off the grime. Even though she was caked with blood and dirt, she felt happy. She had conquered a few inner demons while out on that field. In battle, she had been able to hold her own with no babying from any man or beast, and she took shots as well as dished them out. For once in a long time now, she felt useful, alive; and now she reaped that benefit, able to drift off to sleep while soaking in one of the tubs.

            Randall, however, wasn't thrilled. He Had noticed that the tracer he implanted under her skin had been inactive for over a week. He had thought her dead until the electronic gear pulsed to life, showing that she had shown up in Vashtalia, of all places. He hitched a ride with Claw and was rushing to the castle doors when Drac intercepted him, calming the man down, reassuring him that Nine was just fine. Few had ever heard Randall swear, but he clearly had a descriptive vocabulary, so great his frustration with the headstrong mutant.

            When she finally emerged, wearing a light muslin shift since her clothes and armor were drying; and carrying two plates of cold cuts she had pilfered from the kitchen; Randall bound up to her, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her small body. She couldn’t do anything about it since she was trying to balance the food while not losing her footing. She really couldn't understand what he was so upset about. She was trained to fight, and he was not. Plain and simple. But the tongue lashing she had to endure from him managed to seep into her brain that maybe things were not a clear cut as that.

            What was noticeable for days afterward was Nine's demeanor. She seemed happy, content. She even whistled as she ran a burnishing rag along the length of Defender. The blade seemed to echo her mood. It was almost too joyful to stand, though Randall made it a point to remind her that all was not happy with him. She had to swear, several times, that if she went anywhere she needed to let him know. In person. No relying on any of her kinfolk to pass the message along. Randall clearly was worried that Rooslan might have tried to take her again. Nine made it a point Not to tell him that she had gone out looking for the deranged captain while in Veradia, not finding even a misplaced hair.

            The influx of strangers kept rolling into the now not-so-secret mutant lair. About the same time Jason joined their merry band another human just wandered in from the sewer. Brimstone watched him warily for awhile, trying to determine if he was another assassin waiting for his chance, but he seemed amiable enough. He took up the afflictions of a British WWII general, and dressed as such in a old brown leather bomber uniform, complete with leather jacket and breeches. The giveaway was the albino-red eyes. This fellow seemed quite interested in the place, listening in as Nine and Randall squabbled over her brief jaunt to the Vashtalian home world, then in on Brimstone's quiet conversations with Jason, mostly over some secret they had on Megan.

            It was only when Nine turned, looking for a stiff drink to calm down with, that anyone took notice of the stranger in their midst. Nine looked the fellow up and down, then shouted across the bar at the cybernetic cowboy. "Hey! Tin Can! Is this Your drinking buddy?"

            The metal man sighed, guessing where this was going to go. "No... nobody in particular that I know of.. why?"

            Jason mumbled something in the Del Marian dialect and took up his glass before slinking off, figuring behind the 'borg was the safest spot.

            Before the fur began to fly however, two new creatures entered the equation. A portal rifted above the potential fight and two bodies dropped down from the sky. The first was a rather large cat, pitch black save for the white star on her brow, equipt with a set of black leathery wings. Her traveling companion was a dark pixie looking thing. "Home?" the larger feline purred.

            BS only had to look at the duo for a few seconds before he realized who they were. "Felicia?!" he beamed. "Willow and Eclipse's ilk?"

            The cat morphed, taking on a more two footed human guise. "I'm Felicia," she confirmed. "Their youngest and last."

            None in the room, including Meli whom had slipped in to spend some quiet time with Brimstone, had ever seen the metallic man in such an elated state. "Blessed Be! I used to bounce you on my knee when I babysat you!" and he rushed over, picking up the cat woman by the shoulders, beaming. "My you have grown so!"

            Everyone froze, not quite sure what this newcomer would do to defend herself. But she didn't protest. In fact she smiled just as heartily, giggling and near tears with joy. "I have grown Unca Brimstone! But I'm very lost and very lonely. I'm needing to find family."

            "And you have! Well, what's left of it. We have room, if you want. May have to dig out some of the rubble, but You are always welcome!" He swung the girl around the room a few times, doing a fairly good jig himself before turning her around to face the room. "Everyone. This is Felicia, my grand niece, I think."

            As the cyborg set his niece back to ground, Randall had to comment. "I'll tell you BS, your family sure has some interesting branches."

            Jason snorted. "Heck, I'm surprised it branches at all."

            "Very funny," BS snorted back, only to spot Meli slinking out of the room. "Uhm, Jason, if you would, get the introductions all round, please. I'll be back." and he likewise disappeared down the hall after her.

            Jason literally took up BS's place, standing at the top end of the counter, and turned to look over the 'new guy' with the strange red eyes. Nine had Defender drawn. In fact she had drew him on this newcomer first, before Felicia had fallen from the ceiling. she now was standing protectively in front of Randall, wavering the silver blade back and forth at each quick movement, not sure Whom to strike first. Randall was trying to talk her down. "I think you can put D up now," he murmured. "Nobody here seems to pose a threat."

            Nine gestured with the sword at Felicia and the pixie sidekick. "They use magic, Randall. That's not good around here." She had noted that the rift, though useable, had wavered and warped, fighting against the mutant energies around Brimstone's place. It was a wonder the portal hadn't closed in on them when they dropped through it. She looked again at the girls, then at her sword, then sighed and relinquished the weapon. It literally hovered in front of her, then moved itself, lifting up and over her shoulder to adhere once again to her spine. Randall was still quite put out by her recent sabbatical and decided he needed to go blow off some steam himself by returning to his workshop and upgrading his tracking devices.

            Jason seemed relieved to see Nine mellow out and tried his best at a disarming smile, but he was no Timothy. He sighed again in defeat then turned back to the alien Brit. "So, kind Sir, how Did you come by to visit our establishment.

            Of course Jason wasn’t sure if BS's hideout was supposed to be a bar, but the way the trend seemed to be setting, it was a safe bet.

            "Well, I was riding through the neighborhood when I happened to spot a very old billboard advertizing a bar and grill of some variety. I thought I'd step in for a bit, but it doesn't seem there is very much left of the place." He looked up at the braced framework holding the roof up, noting the cracks in the walls and the general unsoundness the whole place gave, like a good sneeze would bring it all down.

            Jason rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, there's been a few skirmishes around her from what I've been told. I'm sure we can still dig you up a decent drink though. What's your poison?"

Indeed there were a few bottles on the rack that would be poison in normal circumstances. Bottles of bleach, Draino, and nightshade stood next to the brandy, wine and vodka. The red eyed fellow decided to play it safer. "Peach brandy, if you have." It took some searching, but Jason managed to find a sniff for the weary traveler.

It was then that the man tipped off his talent. He held the glass up as if admiring the color in the half light. Suddenly the brandy lit afire and flamed gently for a minute before the man blew it out and took a sip, letting a sigh escape him. Jason watched with an interested eye. "Ah, so you have a few tricks too."

"Oh no, I've got a lighter up my sleeve. I just moved too quickly for you to see it."

            Jason clearly didn't buy that Excuse, but he didn't challenge it either. Nine was back up on point. At least she left Defender on her back, but she clearly wasn't pleased with the pyrotechnic trick. It took quite a few words from Randall to calm her back down again.

            BS had lost Meli in the tunnels, but eventually found her in one of the rooms in the lower levels. She had coiled up under one of the dusty throws and was laying down on a soda being stored in one of the many "storage" facilities, which in this case was just a plain room. The borg made his way through the piles of fabric, furniture, and fluff to sit on the arm of the couch. "You okay? Too many people to deal with?"

            She peaked out at him from under the covers. "I.. was confused."

            "Confused by what, dear?"

            "Confused by everything hat was going on around me in there... I.. I felt my head spinning. Perhaps a good nap is in order."

            "Perhaps." The big metal man didn't seem so sure. "Did you need anything? Some tea, perhaps? I've got Chamomile. That would help calm your nerves."

            Again those dark eyes seemed to roll over him before she stretched her hand out to him, which he took up readily, noting that she seemed cold, even stuffed under all those blankets. "Maybe I should go," she whispered.

            "Why?" he asked, clearly not happy with that remark. "Are we too close to that noise? We can move you to a better room..." he hesitated a moment. "My personal quarters are deeper in the tunnels... and it's warm."

            That finally brought out a smile. "You worry about me too much," she insisted.

            "There is no such thing as worrying too much," he replied. "Tell you what, lemme go get that tea, then we'll see about getting you a change of scenery."

            As he left, he failed to notice that her skin was becoming opaque, as if she were beginning to fade away.

            When the 'borg returned to the kitchen, he found that Drac had joined the company, and they were actually talking, not ripping the paneling off the walls. Felicia had been chatting with Nine and Randall, but when she insisted that she needed to talk with her Grandmere, not some clone, Nine's eyes bugged out. Instead of pelting the cat-girl, she turned on her heel to join Drac by the bar where they went over after-battle stats. He had brought payment for her services, but Nine would have nothing to do with the booty, not when she had lost two dragons in her unit trying to take the wall. He informed the Vashtalian that she would attend their funerals once arrangements had been made.

            Felicia came running up the second she saw her relation. "Unca Brimstone, where is Grandmere? I so need to talk to here."

            He sat a kettle on the stove, then turned to look her over. "Last I heard she was on the home world. Have you tried looking there?"

            Now the cat girl frowned a bit. "I've tried, but every time I try to 'port there, it spits me back out into Rydin. I am my father's child, I'm afraid. My powers are not strong like my brothers. Frankly I hope they never do, or I'll be dead, like them."

            BS nodded , taking note of this bit of family trivia. That seemed to be the trend of late. Too strong and you burned out. Maybe the kid was onto something. "Well, we can try to get a hold of her. For now you can crash here and let me send some feelers out."

            Felicia nodded, leaving BS to take his tray of now freshly brewed herbal carefully down the winding tunnels. She now looked over at the bar, then ventured closer to Jason and his new drinking buddy. Jason beamed up at her in a friendly manner. "Leaded or Unleaded, kid?"

            "Something to peel the fur off my tail, but sweet."

            Jason thumbed through the bottles. "Turpentine and plum sauce?" he asked, almost afraid to pick up the bottle.

            "Mix that with creme and we'll call it a deal!"

While Felicia mixed and matched, Drac leaned in closer to Nine. "Any word on our boy Zel?"

            She shook her head. "Haven't seen hide nor hair.. or is that stone and pebble? No, he disappeared the same day Tim went AWOL."

            This made Drac shake his head slowly. "That golem mage has better things to tend to than chasing a renegade mutant. Looking after his girlfriend and unborn child should take precedence over chasing Tim all over creation."

            "Anything having to do with that creep Tim is bad.. all bad." Nine added.

Jason and the British alien discussed while Felicia listened, on how Brimstone could acquire such a variety of booze. Megan's "husband" insisted that BS had an underground system, but wondered if that system was failing, seeing how the dwelling was not up to par. Then the discussion turned towards Nine. It seemed the newcomer had found Nine's fiery figure quite appealing, and it was becoming so. Her workouts were toning the muscle mass once loss to Rooslan, and even if she didn't notice, Randall surely did, and now it seemed others noticed too. Jason was only too glad to fill the stranger in on Nine's feats of self-destruction, warning the man that her temperament was not to be taken lightly, but winning her affections might be quite rewarding. "She maybe fire," he mused, "but I've become a specialist in that particular subject."

"You’re a pyrokinetic then?"

"Well.. something like that. Top secret genetic research and all that. Thankfully my contract expired when the war was over. This was just one of the fringe benefits I got to keep.”

“That would make you a mutant,” Jason insisted.

“That seems like a very harsh word to use to describe my condition.”

“Nonsense,” Felicia interrupted. “You all use it as a nasty word for someone that is different. You all don’t understand.” and she slammed down the toxic brew and plunked the empty glass on the counter, which Jason refilled for her.

The new bartender turned back to the red eyed man. “Really, don’t be offended. Most of these people here are mutants. Felicia here surely is one. So’s Nine. Brimstone. Not quite sure about that Drac fella back there talkin’ with her. I think those guys are just from somewhere else.”

“I am Not a mutant,” Drac snapped back, hearing the conversation very well, even from across the room. He ambled over to the group, having finished his discussions with Nine, and began looking through the bottle for something palatable. Nine ended up bringing the Vashtalian a pint of decent lager from one of the taps. For the most part, the petite girl was buzzing, still pleased with her contribution to the war efforts.

Jason nodded then turned back to the newcomer. “For the record, I am Not a mutant. Just a human.”

“What about Diedra?” Felicia asked, pointing to the dark pixie like creature perched on her furry shoulder. “She was created from Vampire, Fairy...and something else. I forget. What would that make her?”

“A mutt,” Jason decided. “Just enough to be an honorary mutant.

“Well, I’m a Burster, but from what you have been describing, I guess I would be a mutant too. My name is Robert, by the way..”

He held his hand out in the traditional greeting, which the non-mutant took up readily enough. “I’m Jason Gaothaire.” He turned, nodding to each player in turn. “Nine... . Brimstone, though I knew him as Sachell way back when....” He tossed his head as the big ‘borg came ambling back into the room. He had gone to find Meli, but the couch was empty and so had returned to see if he could track her with the recently installed surveillance cameras. Jason continued with the introductions. “The cat lady’s name is Felicia and her tiny friend is Diedra, and Drac, I believe.”

The well muscled man stepped forward to shake Robert’s hand. “Dracon Draghkar, Dragon Knight, Fourth King of the Dragon Realm Vashtalia.. But Drac works just as well to keep things simple.”

Nine was rolling her eyes. “Why is it every time you roll through that title I can hear trumpets sounding?”

             There are precious few spots in the hideout that are private. Surprisingly Nine found one, on the rickety roof of the fallen entertainment section. What once was a proud mountain had been whittled away through damage and destruction to almost an insubsequent hill. Most of the original bar had slid down the face of the mountain, but the floorboards were still in tact, though weak and weary. The top of the mountain now had a bowl shaped center, sheltering her from any casual onlookers from the beach or the town, giving her the privacy to sunbath in the nude. Not that she was ashamed of being naked. When you train with an army of men, you ignore most of the goggling. Eventually they quit gawking when they see you plow through your first battleship with just a thought. Besides she was basking more in the afterglow of battle than from sunlight.

            So she wasn't too perturbed when Randall made his way to the rooftops, having been directed there by Brimstone in-between his bouts of remodeling. "What's up, Nine?" he asked, not sure what kind of mood she was wallowing in.

            He got a better view of his girlfriend when she turned over to speak to him and the basking towel slipped off. Clearly the recent battle damage was fading quickly, except for the major scar that ran down the length of her left arm. She also was filling out, taking on a more womanly shape as the muscle mass once lost was slowly rebuilding. She would never be voluptuous, but she didn't need to be. Not in Randall's eyes. She sat up, totally oblivious to the effect she was having on the scientist. "Nothing much. things seem to be healing okay, save for this nasty one. At least the arm stopped stinging. Guess the poison's working its way out."

            Randall had politely looked away, disguising over his embarrassment by pretending to study the edge of the bowl some 15 feet above them. She stood and slung the bathing towel over her shoulder and picked her way off the rickety frame to firmer footing and the staircase that lead down into the den. Randall grabbed her by the elbow as she walked by. "Don't go down there yet," he asked.

            "Why not?" she asked, peeking down the dark tunnel, wondering who was down there to warrant such a warning.

            "Look, Nine, I have something important I want to talk to you about and I don't want any interruptions."

            She now looked him over slowly, trying to figure it out. "Okay, I'll bite. What's wrong?"

            He shuffled his feet, still unable to fully look upon her. "I didn't mean to come down so hard on you the other day.. about the battle and all; but to be honest, I don't think you realize how much I care for you."

            "Sure I do," she answered quickly. You're my boyfriend, right? You have already said you love me. Didn't we hash this out once already?"

            Jason had tiptoed up the staircase, hearing the feminine voice and thought it to be Megan. Instead he got any eyeful of Nine as she talked quietly with Randall. He pondered his options for a moment, then stepped back into the shadows listening in on their discussion.

            "But you don't see. I worry about you. That's why I try to take care of you."

            "And you do!" Nine insisted, still not quite sure what was up. "You patch me up. You try to make sure I don't kill myself out there. Heck you engineered that whole program around my well being so I wouldn't fry. Nobody else would have bothered about my comforts."

            "I do all that for you because I love you."

            Nine scratched her head. "Yes, you've said that before..."

            She was cut short when Randall, finding words were not explaining things clearly enough, finally stepped forward, took her up in a tight hug, and planted a deep kiss on her lips.

            While Randall tried in his way to explain the birds and the bees to a very perplexed young mutant, Brimstone continued to try and work the new power cables through the rock wall. As the big 'borg stood up and wiped his brow, he suddenly got slammed in the chest by and oversized cat with leathery dragon wings. They bowled down the hallway, managing to get themselves tied up in the length of powercord BS had been using to string along the wall to provide juice to the lower rooms. "Dear Lord, Child!" he bellowed out, then slowly tried to untangle them from the mass of wire. "Didn't they ever teach you how to knock?"

            "I'm sorry, Uncle," Felicia apologized trying not to struggle so that he could free them both. Only when the wire was once again wrapped up in a neat coil did again explode with grins, fluttering about with boundless energy. "I'm just so happy to be back with family!

            The big metal man just shook his head slowly. "You are probably THE only kin that can say that and actually mean it. I think the rest of us hang around because we feel obligated."

            "Well I don't. I've been out there. It's nasty. All the family I had is now gone. Youse guys are all I've got left."

            "Well what about you fuzzball sidekick? Where'd she wander off too?"

            "Diedra? She's feeding."

            While they chit chatted, the flame channeling vet Robert strode into the bar. "Came back for more?" BS grinned.

            "I just couldn't stay away. Such a lovely atmosphere and all." There was sarcasm, but everyone took it in stride. They couldn't help it looking at the patchwork job BS was doing to reinforce the walls and floors.

            The 'borg easily took the jest in stride, sliding a bottle of peach snapps down the counter. "I'm thinking it’s the drink that's calling to you, right?"

            "No, Unca Brimstone. He like coming here for the mood!"

The hyperactive cat woman was indeed so perky that it was hard to keep all that energy bottle up. "Yes, Felicia, we are just brimming with enthusiasm and cheerfulness. "Pity nobody else with brave the sewers or the mountain pass just to have a drink with us."

Robert chuckled at the madness in the scene unfolding. Where else could you find a robotic man serving drinks to a winged cat woman in the sewer. "Well I wouldn't want to be rude and turn down the offer of such a noble beverage. It simply would not be the act of a gentleman."

"And we are so cheerful!" She was now bouncing on the counter, clapping her hands. "Can I have some cream and gutrot, please?"

He poured his niece the carcinogenic brew then slid it over to her. "Here ya go, Precious," then shook his head as she guzzled it down. He then looked over at Robert. "A man of practical sense, are we? Boy are you in the wrong bar." The robotic man held up his own beer in salute. "Here's to being cheerful," he grimaced before he guzzled it down.

Robert paused in mid toast. "I would drink to your health, sir, but I believe I missed your name in the last go round of introductions."

"So you have," BS smiled, wiping the foam from his lip, giving Felicia an odd look. Her wings were now vibrating like a hummingbirds, though her feet didn't lift from the floor. Way too much sugar in that one's diet, he decided before turning back to the red eyed Brit. "I'm Brimstone.. and you?"

The man sat down his drink, stood and saluted. "Major Robert Arthur Williamson of her Majesty's royal armed services, order of the Silver Helix."

BS returned the salute in the same clean motions. "Brimstone Del Mar. Special Ops, Seventh Grade." He dropped his hand slightly. "Never got any official honors to tote, though."

Felicia looked the man over, then suddenly hissed at him. "What's the matter, Chica?" Brimstone asked, just as perplexed as Robert as to why she would suddenly change her disposition.

"He smells funny," she growled as her nose wrinkled up.

"Did I do something to offend your pet cat?"

The reaction Felicia had would have done any mutant female proud. Her shoulders arched, the hairs on her neck and back standing upright as she snarled. "I'm NOT his pet! I'm nobody's pet!" she spat before she launched herself into the air. Brimstone had though she meant to strike down Robert, but she easily cleared the red eyed man and bounced off the wall, heading up into the rafters.

As she climbed, BS finally got the reason why she reacted so, catching images and heavy emotions; his niece had been enslaved for a time and had taken the experience very badly. Things like that were hard to overcome, especially with the free spirit mutants had. He turned to Robert, the man still very confused as to what he had done to offend the young lady. "You'll have to excuse our women folk. they're a bit different, as you can see. Just a tad high strung." He winced, hearing some of the beams groan under Felicia's weight.

"Oh my," the pyrotechnic gaped. "It seems that I have performed something of a faux pau, or however those damn dirty French say it. My apologies, Ma'am."

"Unforgivable!" she howled back, hanging from one of the thick timbers. They couldn't see her anymore, but could hear her scuffling about.

"It's okay, Major," BS reassured the man, even as they ducked as debris wafted down around them. "This is fairly much normal around here. Felicia. Darling. Baby -doll. Please.. can't we just calm down a teeny tiny bit?"

"He talks as if I'm a Pet! A Slave! I am No such thing!"

The red eyed man seemed a bit bemused by the situation. "I do seem to have stirred up quite a fury in her. Funny, normally I get quite a bit farther before women begin hissing and baring their teeth."

"Welcome to the Del Marian mutant clan," BS replied wryly. "Women hate you long before they have a reason to."

It was then that the roof decided it had enough.

"I want to be by your side," Randall insisted.

Nine had pulled back from their long embrace, still perplexed as to why he was so adamant, but she was finally beginning to get a glimmer. "Doc, I can't take you into battle with me. I would be so distracted wondering if you were being outflanked that I... oh.. oh Teeth and Talons.. Now I think I know why they want women on ships."

She sat down on one of the fallen timbers, Randall taking a seat next to her, not wanting to lose this particular battle. "I would risk it all to be with you," he insisted.

As they sat, Nine looked down at the rubble. "Did you hear that?" she asked.

Suddenly the ground gave way underneath them.

BS didn't need to encourage his drinking partner to dive out of the way. It was amazing that he managed to hold his drink vertical in the process. The big 'borg did manage to cover Robert, taking most of the blow, but was completely covered by the debris and timbers. In fact they had all been buried under the collapsing roof. It was Nine that dug out first, then turned right around to hone in on Randall. she managed to pick up his moans and plunged her hand into the wreckage, coming up the scientist's arm, dragging the rest of him free. "Gotcha!" she barked out.

Other than being badly bruised, Randall seemed not that bad off, so she turned to rescuing the rest of the party. The arm with the bottle was her next focus. The took the drink, took a swig, then grabbed the arm and yanked, pulling the alien Brit free. "It's (cough) .. times like this... I wish I had.. paid attention.. when they tried to..(cough) teach me telekinesis..."

Seeing the WWII vet in viable shape, she released his arm. "You see that worthless tin can in there?"

Robert now looked the girl over. She was covered with just a layer of dirt an bruises with not a stitch of clothing on. "Oh... no.. I don't think so.. but I do believe I see something much more pleasant to the eyes."

Nine missed the leering eye, having already moved off when he said "no". She was beginning to wonder if the big lug had made it when the massive body suddenly burst from the center of the pile, Felicia limp over his one shoulder. "Is she okay," Randall asked.

The cybernetic cowboy strode into the next room with his prize, carefully laying the winged cat woman out on the overstuffed 70's style couch. "Oh, she'll live. We're a tough lot, dontcha know." He had caught the red-eyed Brit leering over Nine and frowned.

In fact the Major hadn't blinked since setting his eyes of the petite mutant girl. "Yes.. tough.. exactly the word I would use."

BS had seen enough. "NINE!" he barked. "Would you Please get some clothes on before you embarrass us or something?"

Nine snorted back, irritated. "Well it wasn't like I was Expecting the roof to fall in! I thought you Fixed it!" and she stormed out to find something to wear.. again, totally oblivious to the hormonal stirrings she had caused in the room.

"Well, that was quite an adventure," Major Williamson noted, leaning back noticeably to keep the mutant girl in his sights for a few moments more before straightening up. "Looks like we came out of this unscathed, for the most part. Except the poor kitty cat. Again, my apologies."

Randall had already moved over to Felicia, tending to her injuries. Many of the wing bones had broken, but true to mutant physiology, they were already beginning to reset, green bone working its way into the breaks. He even had to rebreak two of the finger bones before they healed crooked, thanking his lucky starts that the girl was unconscious.

The metallic man was trying to shake the sand out of his joints. "And I was so hoping she wouldn't have that temper. Looks like we have another manic-depressive in our ranks. Or do they still call it bi-polar?" He sighed looking over the damage to the hideout. "Drinks anyone?" he asked. "'Cause I sure need one.

Jason was the only one that had managed Not to fall in; the staircase having been carved directly into the sturdier rock. He now had a vantage point overseeing the carnage below. He watched and observed very carefully the goings on below him before finally stepping down. "You know," he observed quietly. "You would think you guys would know how to handle your women by now."

The 'borg snorted. "You're one to talk. You're hiding from yours."

"No, I'm playing it smart. She's not mine anymore."

The Major stepped forward. "Well then, do you mind if I have her? She's quite ravishing."

Jason had to smile. "That one's not mine. That ones his," and he nodded towards randall, whom was too caught up in tending the cat woman to pay attention to the conversation near what was left of the bar. "Or at least she Would be if he wasn't so damn ginger with her. Don't you agree, BS?"

The big 'borg grumbled. "I'm not even gonna get in the middle of this one.." and he took his drink and wandered after Nine, figuring to check the lower levels for damages.

Jason seemed to enjoy the metal man's disgruntled response, then turned back to the Major. "You think you can handle that one?" he asked.

            "Oh no, not at all," Robert confessed. "But such matters require a great fool to undertake, and if I am Anything, I am a great fool."

            "Then let us toast to all us fools." They lifted their glasses quietly, then sipped as they watched Randall finish patching Felicia up, grab his kit, an head down the hall to try to tend to Nine. "That one hasn't got a clue." Jason decided out loud, smiling as he sipped the wine.

jynxu2, damned souls,

Things more or less settled down to normal. The Major, as BS took to calling the red eye pyrokinetic soldier, turned out to be handy with welding torch and between him and Randall, they managed to reinforce the roof, even though it was another five feet shorter than before. Jason hung around as well, seemingly just to bug Brimstone since Megan refused to visit the hideout knowing he was in residence. Nobody questioned the 'borg and the normal human's relationship, though it was apparent they had tight history, only that Jason seemed to be exploiting.

The girls were healing just fine. In fact within a weeks time, they had invaded one of the lower rooms, clearing out the junk and converting into a workout room. The current game of choice was trying to knock each other out with a rattan stick. Normally an easy task, until they stipulated that the stick could not be broken in the strike. Now skill and luck came into play. BS and Nine would spar for hours, both working up a sweat before Nine lost her composure and charged, clubbing the metal man, but inevitably shattering the stick.

Felicia finally had a go round, pinning her wings back to spar against Nine. What should have been an easy victory for the militant raised mutant quickly gave into shock as Felicia easily sidestepped the charge and brought her stick around, clipping Nine in the back of her head. True the stick broke, but it also knock Nine out cold. Apparently Nine has been sparring with big bulky opponents and had forgotten about speed, which the wings cat woman had in spades. Felicia was stunned, seeing her tough kinsman laid out on the floor. "Is she going to be okay?" she asked, very worried that she had done serious damage.

Randall had been tending the wounded, watching Nine's eye roll as she tried to focus on him. "She'll be okay," he insisted, even though he was a tad worried, especially on what Nine was apt to do once she came to her senses.

He needn’t have worried. Nine took it in stride, and even seemed proud of the cat woman's unknown prowess. She did sit out the next match, content to watch Dusk try her hand at this physical pastime. In fact most of the menfolk seemed to have the same idea and Drac joined the growing crowd, lining up against the wall while Dusk taunted the cat-woman to hit her. That fight lasted a bit longer, but it was Dusk whom was victorious, though panting and covered in sweat. When nine walked up to her, Dusk tensed, thinking another fight was brewing. Instead she got quiet congratulations from the mutant, more proud that Dusk hadn't tried to use any magic during the bout.

 BS slowly took in the room, watching Jason stare at Nine, watching Drac stare at Nine, watching the Major drool over Nine. In fact he noted to Meli that Nine seemed to be much more at ease since her return from the Vashtalian war. Meli, of course, insisted that he get his mind out of the gutter. He tried, but clearly Something had happened. He just wasn't sure what.

Perhaps being called a gutter rat had started it, but Brimstone figured to give Meli a run for her money, twisting her words around, along with their meanings, getting her riled. When she called him a stubborn headed jack ass, he replied with a thank you, insisting that he finally gotten an honest reply out of her. In anger she whipped out a short dagger and actually threw it at him. Even though he had a titanium hide, the blade stuck in-between the rib plates, wiggling a moment before clattering to the floor. He smiled, having finally provoked a real reaction out of her, picked up and pocketed the blade, then wandered off.

What he hadn't counted on was the huge hissy fit Meli would throw in his absence. First she started with the booze, breaking every bottle and flask she came across, knowing this was the root of all ills in the world. With that she started stripping the kitchen down, stealing a plethora of necessities including the oven knobs, the wok, a slew of silverware and several small appliances though she had no real idea what they were used for. What she couldn't hide in her cloak, she merely hid in other rooms, buried under beds and stuffed behind cabinets. All she knew was that BS owned them, and she wanted to hurt him. In a final act, she cast a terrible spell, drizzling magical dust on the broken shards of the bottle, damning anyone whom would be cut by the sharp edges to bleed to death as the blood would be unable to clot.

BS didn't need to be in the room to feel the waves of anger and hatred pouring unchecked out of Meli, which is why he hid with the men in the sparring room. Even though they ribbed him for his foolishness, they also understood his folly. Just watching the trio of mutants pelting each other with sticks gave them plenty of understanding. They had all fallen for very outgoing, stubborn, independent women.

            It ws during one of these stick fights, this time staged outside in one of Rydin's parks, that all the mutants felt a twang. It had been a while since one of their kind had forced opened a dimensional rift, the last being from Tim when his plans had been discovered. It was powerful, as if too much energy had been expanded to open the rift, a sign that whomever had channeled the portal had done so as a last ditch effort, rushed in his or her efforts. Nine was instantly on point, honing in on the power source, which to no one's surprise, was just outside the bar. Brimstone pulled a very large lethal looking gun from his trenchcoat and followed suit, the rest of the crowd behind them.

            Nine was on the scene first, skidding to a stop on the beachhead when she saw the fallen grey body. Brimstone nearly plowed into her, having to literally vault over her to avoid a collision. At least He recognized the limp form. "Zelgadis! Jesus on a Stick!" and he holstered his weaponry and began to untangle the stony creature from the tangle of material, Del Marian militant issue, he noted sourly. The chimera was in bad shape. Even though he was neigh impervious, he still had several chunks of stone missing from his skin. Blood even managed to seep up between the cracks.

            Janis looked down at the tangle of flesh and stone. "Oh, look. Somebody left you a present."

            BS ignored the comments and the growing crowd and quickly took what vitals he could. One of the onlookers stepped over the body, staring down at it with cold blue eyes. "Is it dead?"

            "Not if I can help it," the 'borg grumphed, scooping up the body into his arms and heading into the convoluted sewer system while the entourage followed. Randall tried running a comparison scan, having to run sideways to keep the device on Zel's chest while BS rushed through the near pitch black tunnels, pausing only to kick the door to their hideout, sending the stone-faced portal rocking back on it's hinges.

            Their newest follower of the mule train craned his neck before entering the strangely located abode. "Does this kind of thing happen often?" he asked.

            "Almost on a daily basis," Brimstone stared down back at him, the red-lensed right eye almost pulsing with an adrenaline rush before rushing his rocky burden into the med lab. He stripped the ruined uniform off the body. "He's been out towards Cumminghyund. Tim's territories. That's the only place these rags are good for, keeping the sand off."

            Randall finally got a solid scan. "Four broken ribs," he announced.

            BS's brow furrowed. "How can they break ribs? He's got stone skin!"

            Marek had a new girl on his arm, one that kept a very tight grip as she clenched her robe around her. The newly acquired hawk seemed just as ruffled, almost ducking as the entered the sewers. "Were are we?" she asked.

            "The outskirts of Rydin," he rumbled back, though he sounded in higher spirits than he looked; just his normal gruff personality showing. He even managed a smile when he saw how worried she was. "It'll be okay. I'm here to protect you from the.... well.... " He found he couldn't quite describe what she was about to see.

            Nine had been delegated to crowd control, which currently entailed keeping back two very nosey guard dragons that had come up from the caves below and wanted to investigate. Add to that one very curious resident human, Jason, and she had her arms quite full. "That's Zelgadis?" he asked. Obviously he'd already been briefed about his ex-wife's current beau and wanted a better look.

            She shortly wished that she had managed to push them further back. Janis had slipped into the med lab with the boys, looking over the strange injured creature. "Maybe I can cast a spell to help heal those fissures in his skin?"

            "Go ahead," Randall insisted. "Anything's bound to help."

            The spell started off well, but it seemed to veer once it left her fingertips, running up Brimstone's metallic hide, then up into the electrical conduit hanging above. "Yow!" he yelped. "Would you let me get out of the way first!"

He hurried out of the way, nearly knocking Nine over just as a soft knock echoed down the hallway. Nine also was scurrying backwards, the spell cracking through her teeth, making her retreat of risk a nosebleed. She turned to watch the dragonlings scurrying down the hall, snarling and howling like the good little guard dogs they were supposed to be. Once they got to the door, their whole demeanor changed as she snuffled at Marek's pants. The big burly blacksmith was quite gently and kind to these reptiles, patting the darker charcoal one gently on the head and making his tail fan faster before turning Brimstone. "This is my friend Isilwen. Isilwen, this is Brimstone."

These were always chancy meetings. Brimstone was never an easy sight to behold, but he did his best, removing his cowboy hat with a flourish and giving a polite bow. "Howdy Ma'am. Welcome to Brimstone's Bar and Grill... or what's left of it. C'mon in!" He turned and literally pushed to two dragons back to give the new company some room.

"Is my mom here?" Marek asked and Bs wedged to door shut.

"Janis? Yeah.. they working in the operating room. Zelgadis is back and he's way bad off. Perhaps you can lend a hand?"

"I guess.

Janis had attempted twice to stabilize the chimera, but it seemed there was something that insisted on inhibiting her progress. Finally she reached out into his mind, attempting to see what the route cause of his pain was. The man's psyche was fracture, segmented. Much of it was unattached, as if Zelgadis had cut the sensation cords to avoid whatever had caused this damage. Still nothing of the man should have interfered. BS finally peeked in. "It's the place," he decided. We need to relocate him to where you're powers can have an effect. Randall.. set that brake. Let's try wheeling him out into the sewer." The entourage of Randall, Janis, Marek, and Brimstone rushed past their guest, taking the dying man back out into the muck and dark of the sewers. BS had to lift the gurney, body and all, over some rubble to clear the door, then sat the bed in the middle of the slow flowing river of refuse. "Okay Marek, give it a shot." and he ran to the doorway of the hideout.

Which wasn't far enough. Marek's spell flew from his fingers, literally bounced over the golem, and into Brimstone's hide as if he were some sort of magical magnet. "Yeow!" he danced around as if trying to stamp out a fire. Once he got feeling back into his arm, he went inside, closing the door til it was only pried a quarter of an inch. "Again!" he shouted out, wincing.

It took several spells, but finally they got Zelgadis's life signs to level out and the body finally slumbered peacefully. Now Brimstone wheeled him back inside the hideout and back to the medical recovery room. Now Dusk wormed her way around, peeking in momentarily as Randall and Brimstone set about connecting their monitoring devices. "So... he's back."

Nine sidled up to her "sister". "Oh yeah... he's back.. but why?"

Randall looked up from his tendings and saw Dusk. "Would you like to give us a hand?" he asked.

"Only one way to find out if I've got the juice, isn't there?" As she cracked her knuckles, but BS and Nine dove for cover. There was a lot of sparks, a lot of flash, but Zelgadis's condition only improved slightly. She frowned down at the prone body. "That should have worked," she insisted then frowned further. "Waitaminute. He's part demon. Maybe that's why this is so hard."

"Why don't we give Isilwen a crack at him," BS asked, still cowering behind the door.

She smiled shyly and stepped forward, pulling back the hood of the cloak, revealing a red feathered helm. She did some very light gestures, the words mere whispers compared to Dusk's commanding resonance.

And by God if Zel's wounds seemed to snap shut and bluer color flowed into the greyish rocky skin. Dusk turned on her heel and stormed off, having been totally upstaged. BS was a bit more ecstatic. "Great Job Chica!" and he swooped down on the frail girl, picking her clean up off the ground and kissing her cheek before setting her back down to Earth, then turning back to his patient as Zel slowly regained consciousness. "Welcome back, little buddy!"

As Isilwen stood frozen, not quite sure how to handle BS's jubilation, Zelgadis's eyes began to flutter, then slowly open, staring at the crowd around his bed. "Wha.. where am I?" He squinted, even in the somewhat dimmed light of the room.

"You're at the Bar and Grill," BS smiled, looking down at the chimera's quickly healing face.

Marek and Janis slipped away, taking the stunned Isilwen with them, seeing that the new patient was now on the road of mending and that their talent were no longer needed. Besides, they had family matters to discuss. Introductions actually as Marek introduced the girl to his mother Janis. The dark robed woman smiled. "My son tells me nice things of you."

The burly seafaring ironsmith rolled his eyes in embarrassment.

Janis smiled. "It's okay dear. It was nice meeting you, but I really must off to meet with.." she paused and side stepped a few paces to make sure her voice carried down the hall to where the 'borg was. "...MELI... " She then slid back next to her son., "... for tea." With that she bowed slightly to Isilwen then slipped out the front door.

"Okay, lets do some basic tests first. How many fingers am I holding up?" BS was in mid-testing. He clearly held up his singular middle finger, but the meaning seemed to slip totally by Zelgadis whom continued to rub his brow, wondering how stone could hurt so much. BS didn't need his bionic enhancements to hear Janis. "Excuse me a moment, Randall," and he plopped all his instruments in Zelgadis's lap before running out, trying to catch up with Meli's sister.

            Randall removed the instruments and sat them back into their respective holding cartridges. "You are a luck man. So many healers around to take care of you. So what's the last thing you remember, Zel?"

He noticed that Nine watched cautiously from the door, staring at the chimera in an untrusting manner. He would have to ask her later what her beef was. As it was Zel continued to stare around at the room. "I ... I don't remember this place."

Nine finally slipped away figuring that the golem was not an immediate threat and headed into the living room, slumping down on one of the couches, finally relaxing. That was short lived as something bit into her right palm. Upon investigation, she found a sliver of a broken beer bottle wedged in between the cushions. It was just a small cut, and Nine wrapped her hand with one of the mismatched ruffles from one of the pillows then headed to the bathroom to patch up. As she opened the cloth, she frowned as the cut still hadn't patched itself. She stuck her hand under some running water, but she couldn't see any reason why that scratch shouldn't have snap shut and mended by now. She took out the gauze from the medicine cabinet and taped it into place. Still the blood continued to seep. She turned around, figuring to see if Brimstone could spot the problem and damn near bounce of Drac's chest as he had been standing behind her, watching over her. "Oh Jeez.. didn't see you."

He chuckled a bit, then saw something was worrying her. "You okay?"

"I dunno. something's really wrong. It won't stop bleeding.."

"Mind if I take a look at it?" She once again unfolded her pal as he took out a cloth from his pocket. He carefully unwrapped the bandage and soaked gauze. He could see her system fighting, trying to close the wound, but it was like somebody was holding the lips of skin back on invisible fingers. "Is this from the battle?"

"No.. just now.. cut it on a broken piece of glass there on the couch. BS must've missed a piece last night when he was cleaning up the place. Somebody trashed the bar. Broke everything and stole half our cooking supplies. Even took the knobs off the stove. How crazy is that?"

Drac continued to examine the wound, having to wipe it every minute or risk dripping blood on the bathroom floor. "Shouldn't your healing thing have kicked in by now?"

"Yes," Again the worry in her face came back up.

He grunted. "Mind if I try to heal it myself?"

Nine truly must have been worried to allow him to even try as she nodded her consent, wincing. He thought he had an honest shot. He had somehow been able to heal Megan and bring her back from the grave. Perhaps there was something beginning to connect between him and these misplaced mutants. He rested his hand over the wound and a bluish light began to grow. It wasn't easy. It felt like another force was pushing back, like another spell. In the end he managed to get the cut to at least scab, with only a trickle of blood oozing from the now crusted gash. Megan took quick advantage to rewrap the hand, making sure to keep the edges of the wound tight together.

BS skidded to a stop, almost running Janis over. "Excuse me.. but did you say you were on your way to meet with Meli.

It was interesting to see Janis play up to her part so well. Brimstone swore she must have taken acting lessons somewhere along the line. "Why yes I am?"

"Uhm.. would ya.. Could ya kind of ask her if she's still mad at me? I.. I kind of teased her too much the other night. By the state of the living room, I'd say she was right sore at me."

"She took the stove knobs, you know."

"Just... just ask her if she's sill miffed. Tell her I'm sorry I was so mean. It's that mule in me.."

Janis snorted. "Maybe you should learn to be more careful with your words," she snapped, then turned on her heel and continued down the sewer.

BS stood, watching her walk away, then turned back to the hideout. He still had Zelgadis to debrief. He slipped back into the med lab just as Randall started his interrogation and saw the blank look on the mixbreed's face. "Okay.. do you Remember Randall? Or me perhaps?" The foggy look raised a warning flag with the 'borg. "Okay.. do you remember Your name?" Though he could see the chimera almost straining physically, BS had his answer. "Amnesia. wonderful. I guess you wouldn’t remember your girlfriend's name then, would you?"

"Megan," he replied, even before he realized he had blurted out the name. He wondered how he had known the name, or where it had come from.

Apparently this made the big metal man feel somewhat better. "Ah, there is hope for you yet.

"Yes. Megan. She's been worried sick about you. Afraid that Timothy somehow corrupted you. Don't happen to Remember him, do you? When you might have seen him last?"

The chimera frowned. He still wasn't sure where Megan's name had come from. "I don't know a Timothy..." though he didn't sound so sure of that either. It was like outlines of images trying to push their way through a white flexible wall, just out of reach.

            "Eh.. don't fret about it. Just be forewarned that if some brown haired runt of a chick runs into you crying a cussing, odds are it's your girl Megan."

            Randall stepped forward. "I think it's also only fair to warn you that she's carrying your child too."

            BS winced. He hadn't wanted that particular point up just yet, but maybe the shock would bring the golem around. The news did seem to make an impact as Zel's jaw dropped, but it was clear that he couldn't wrap his brain fully around the concept. This would definitely take some time.