psinex@yahoo.com Strange Attractors Chapter 14/20 by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: They're all Marvel's, except for Todd, Deanna and Danny, who're mine. Please don't sue. NOTES: Yes, I'm back - and yes, I'm shortening this fic. I've got a much firmer handle on where I want to go with it, and a MUCH larger sequel in mind. (And no, no timeline shifting when this is over. I swear. For what I've got in mind, it would just stink anyhow ...) -------------------------------------------------------- Mass. Acad. Quad: 10/8/2003: 08:00 hrs EST: -------------------------------------------------------- "So there we are, facing this overgrown hunk of tin in the biosphere, and - Ray ?" Frank asked, looking as she, Nate, Luna and Nicoletta's faces took on an odd expression. "Chronovariance," Ray explained, pointing at a flicker of space/time in the middle of the quad. It opened, dropping six black-clad figures in a flash of light, and prompting a cry of joy from Todd. "It's - they're 'LIVE !!!" the boy cheered, running to the newcomers. Frank and Ray gaped as a man with buzzed blond hair helped a woman with short red hair up, and slowly walked to them. The woman looked at Todd with a huge smile and cried, "You're ALIVE ! Oh thank GOD - uh-oh. Frank, look ..." "Oh man," the elder Franklin whispered, meeting his younger self's gaze. "We ... probably have some explaining to do ..." "I should say so," Emma called, approaching with Sean, Moira and Tom. "I presume you're the future X-Men ?" "Canadian Resistance Army," the elder Ray replied, hugging Todd. "OOH ! I missed you - are you OK, Ahab said you'd been killed ?!" "'M OK, Mom," Todd smiled. He looked back at the younger Frank and Ray and said, "I ... I gotta go ..." "We know, kiddo," Ray nodded, fighting back tears. She hugged him, as did Frank, and stood to clasp her older self's wrist. "Thank you," the elder Rachel smiled sadly. "We won the war - it just took longer than we thought. Is ... is Nate - ?" "Holy CRAP," Nate gasped, running up beside Frank and Ray. "I felt somethin' - you're - ?" "Hopefully not your exact future, bud, but maybe something close," the elder Frank sighed. He turned to the younger Frank and said, "Whatever happens, stay by your Rachel. If this timeline is anything like ours ..." "I'll never leave her," young Frank nodded, squeezing his Ray's hand. She laid her head on his shoulder and waved as the future X-Men and Todd began to vanish. "Wait ! What about - oh, darn it, I was gonna ask what caused that stupid war they were talking about !" Luna pouted as the portal closed on itself. "Nate's early death, for one thing," Ray sighed. Frank squeezed her hand again and sent, ~You miss Todd, don't you.~ ~Yeah,~ Ray psmiled sadly as they went back to their studies. ~You think we'll ever have kids like him ? I mean, safe, sane ones ?~ ~I think that as long as I have you, any kids we have will turn out great,~ Frank sent. ~Besides, we're kids ourselves - havin' Todd around was cool, but I want to get to know you even more before we dive in ...~ ~Amen to that,~ Ray smiled. -------------------------------------------------------- Athletic Center Track: 09:00 hrs: -------------------------------------------------------- "An' - GO !" Lew smiled as Luna forced herself to run without using her super-speed. #She's been workin' so hard t'go slow,# he thought from the bleachers. #Man, she's ... beautiful. But how ... ?# "WellhowdidIdo?" Luna asked, coming to a stop beside Lew. "Uhm - er - a minute three," Lew said, blushing. "Sorry ... ah - " "Lew, I'm not gonna bite," Luna teased, sitting beside him in a pink leotard. "I really appreciate all the help you've been giving me - y'scan, with our studies and my powers." "An' ah 'preciate all th' help ya've given me," Lew smiled. He held one hand out palm-up and created a tiny raincloud, adding, "'Member when all ah c'ld do was toss lightnin' ?" "You've come a long way," Luna said, leaning on his shoulder. "You know, Todd told me that his Lew and Luna were ..." She blushed, but Lew looked at her with wide eyes. "Oh WOW," he whispered, dispelling his raincloud. "Luna - ah - y'r so pretty, but ah nevah thought ah'd have a -" #OH MAH LORD WHAT HAVE AH JUS' SAID !?# "You LIKE ME !?" Luna squeaked, hugging Lew. He hugged her back, and blushed again, as Luna added, "OhWOWIthoughtyouthoughtIwasasnobby-" "Ya ain't snobby ! Ya're sweet 'n kind an' pretty an' smart," Lew smiled, looking at her. "An y'got them ... big blue eyes ..." They leaned towards one another, but Lew shook his head. "Ah cain't," he gulped. "Ah wanna wait - ah mean, t'kiss ya. Ain't right t'kiss a girl jus after ya tell her ya care f'r her - lahk ah care f'r ya." "You're so romantic," Luna swooned, leaning on Lew. "And Mr. Guthrie ... ?" "Yeah ?" "Didn't your mama ever tell you to listen to a lady ?" "Er, well, yeah ..." "Then kiss me NOW, you blond farm stud." "Yes, ma'am." SMOOCH. -------------------------------------------------------- Library: 10:00 hrs EST: -------------------------------------------------------- "Bill ... ?" Gail looked over at the religion and philosophy section of the library with an arched eyebrow and asked, "Bill, you need any -" "BACK OFF," Bill snarled viciously. "I thought you made it pretty damn clear weeks ago I was a sexist scumball. You can't have it both ways with me, Bailey - either you deal with what I am, or you get the hell away and leave me alone. GOT IT ?" Gail's lip trembled, but she just glowered and spat, "FINE ! See if I care ! But don't you blame your jinx for driving people away - your attitude's doing a damn fine job !" She stormed out, wiping her eyes, but Bill just snorted and turned back to the books. #Witch,# he thought angrily. #Waste my time following my lust, when I oughta be honin' my powers ... there we are !# He reached for a specific tome and found a private reading room, opening the volume with an eerie light in his eyes. #If Mom could hone her powers with magic, why can't I ... ?# Bill thought, slowly smiling. Bill began to read, ignoring the title on the front: DARKHOLD -------------------------------------------------------- Biosphere: 11:21 hrs EST: -------------------------------------------------------- "Alone at last ..." Naomi looked around, satisfied that no one else was present, and opened her mind to the plants calling her. ~Be one with us !~ they cried, grass reaching to caress her bare feet. ~Let your power flow !~ ~Ah will,~ Naomi agreed, unbuttoning her overalls and letting them fall to the ground to reveal her naked body. She placed them on a rock, apologizing to the grass she'd covered up, and found a secluded grove of trees. ~Nevah tried this b'fore ... but there's a first time f'r ev'rythin',~ she sent to the plants, smiling as she let her toes dig into the soil. And elongate. ~Welcome, daughter of the Green,~ the oaks surrounding the girl nodded. Bark shot up from Naomi's feet, covering her while her hair turned to leaves. She held her arms up high, stretching her fingers into twigs and letting leaves sprout from them. ~Wonderful,~ she thought, letting the plants embrace her mind and hers, theirs. ~Sun ... water ... that delicious air ...~ ~Welcome home,~ the plants replied. -------------------------------------------------------- Boys' Dorm: 13:00 hrs: -------------------------------------------------------- "I'LL KILL THAT BASTARD !" "Joe, trust me, Bill's not a bastard. Not technically," Tom muttered, watching Joe storm up and down the common room. "Yes, he's a king-size jerk and a half, but -" "BUT NOTHING ! Gail TRIED to be his friend, and that - PRICK - treats her like some kinda tramp !" Joe roared. "I'm gonna kick him between his legs and -" "Watch the mouth, gentlemen," Bill sneered from the doorway. Joe lunged for him, but slipped on the rug and landed hard at Bill's feet. "Save the genuflection for after I REALLY kick your self-righteous behind, Bailey," Bill sneered, walking upstairs with a book in his hands. "That ... shouldn't've happened," Joe huffed, rising with an angry glare after Bill. "My TK shield shoulda' kicked in automatically -" "That's not all that shouldn't've happened," Tom said, arching an eyebrow and helping Joe up. "Bill controlled his power - and he used the word 'genuflection.' Now when the heck did he get so verbose ?" "Who cares. He can spell 'supercalifragilisticexpealidocious' and I'm STILL gonna turn him into a eunuch," Joe hissed. "Oh, THERE'S a lovely image," Tom muttered ... -------------------------------------------------------- Girls' Dorm: 14:00 hrs: -------------------------------------------------------- Sarah stood before her mirror naked and frowned, "What's wrong with this picture ?" She rolled her eyes and tugged at a bone spur jutting from her back, then gave a small cry as it came free with a savage blade on the end. "THAT'S what's wrong," she growled. "Damnit, I'm sick of this - " "I WANT MY BODY BACK !" She concentrated, trying to draw the bones back in - - and screamed as a bone sheath covered her from head to toe. #Can't move can't breathe HELPME !?!? PLEASE !!!"# ~Sarah - OH MY GOD HANG ON !~ Nicoletta's voice rang in the occificator's mind. Her locked door crumpled under the Moroccan girl's kick, and the unibodied St. Croix twins burst in. ~Hold on - I'll get you to the medlab,~ Nicoletta rang in Sarah's head. ~Wait - ~ ~Nocan'twait want OUT -~ Nicoletta jumped back, gasping, as the bone sheathe cracked and let Sarah roll out, coughing. She stood, shaking, and looked in the mirror. "Oh ... oh wow ..." Sarah breathed, touching her forehead. Four delicately-curving bone horns were visible at her brow. She looked down at herself, seeing a bony "bra" and "briefs" covering her nudity, and bone wristlets and "boots" at her wrists and ankles. "Sarah ... you're - no comeon meant here, but you're quite aesthetically pleasing," Nicoletta smiled. "Thanks - oh WOW," Sarah blushed, retracting the bones into herself with a thought. "I ... I can control it ... I CAN CONTROL IT !!!" She laughed, dancing, and pulled on some boxers and a T-shirt, giggling. "I haven't felt this good since the time Daddy and Aunt Ceccy took me to a Yankees game !" Sarah grinned. "Come ON - I wanna show this off to the others - GOD, this RULES !" -------------------------------------------------------- Biosphere: 22:00 hrs: -------------------------------------------------------- "Go 'way," Gail sniffed, curling up in a corner where she could look out the roof and gaze at the stars. "How'd you know it was me ? I thought you weren't a telepath," Joe called, sitting beside her. "'Thought' ? 'Telepath' ?" Gail smirked, wiping her eyes and sitting up. Joe offered her a tissue, and she blew her nose before hugging him. "Thanks for ignorin' my little fit," she whispered, letting Joe hug her. "I missed you ... Christ, Joe, I TRIED to be nice, I know I was a bitch when the quarter started, but -" "You are NOT a bitch," Joe said softly. "You're a classy, great girl who deserves better than that geneskrag Shade. Even Tom can't stand him." "I don't know ... Bill was a jerk, but today he was ... vicious," Gail said. "Something's going on, Joe. Promise me you won't challenge him ?" "If you're in -" Joe began, until Gail put a finger to his lips. "You're my twin brother, damnit. I do NOT want you hurt," Gail demanded. Joe nodded and hugged her again. "I won't fight him," Joe sighed. "Even if he deserves a serious asswhuppin' ..." "Trust me, Joe. If he keeps up what he did today, he'll get his ..." Gail shuddered. She looked over at a tree standing alone amidst the others and arched an eyebrow. "Is it me, or is that tree ... familiar ?" Gail muttered. "It IS," Joe gulped, concentrating in the dim evening light. "It ... man, I'm gettin' horny - it looks like a naked girl ..." "You think it's a dryad ?" Gail whispered. "Dunno," Joe shrugged, standing with his twin. They linked hands and approached the tree carefully. ~Oh ! Oh my !~ Gail gasped mentally. The twins' eyes bulged, and they slowly grinned. ~No WAY - WE ARE TELEPATHIC !!~ Joe pshouted triumphantly. ~And my TK feels stronger too -~ He let go of Gail, grinning widely as he levitated under his own power. "This is NUTS ! Where's the powerboost comin' from !?" he whooped. ~Dunno,~ Gail replied, concentrating. ~Better put up a mindshield before we get our thoughts all squished from -~ The Phoenix Effect appeared with a grinning Ray amidst it. ~I 'heard' that - this is SO cool !~ she sent, landing and hugging Gail. "You need any help at all - " "- I scan," Gail smiled. "Say, tell me - does that tree look like a naked girl ? It ... feels familiar ..." Ray looked closely at the tree, which had begun to take on a rosy hue, and arched an eyebrow. "You know - OH MY GOD !" she shrieked, jumping back as the 'tree' began to turn pale. Joe's jaw dropped as Naomi morphed back to human and looked around. "Oh mah GOD," she whispered, covering herself and blushing. "Looks like we're all getting experimental tonight," Ray whistled. "Naomi, you want a lift back to the girls' dorm ... ?" "Please," Naomi blushed. Gail just covered Joe's eyes with a wicked grin and said, "I'd better walk brother dearest back to the boys' dorm - you never know when those nasty trees will leap out at an unsuspecting male virgin and demand a late-night sausage snack." "GAIL !" Joe shouted, blushing as he and Gail left. "She IS evil," Naomi blushed again, letting Ray teleport her back to the girls' dorm. "But it felt raght ..." "Maybe, but you just have to be more careful," Ray smiled kindly as Naomi ducked into her and Sarah's dorm room. "Have a good night - and I won't tell." "Thanks, Ray," Naomi smiled gratefully. She slipped into her bed, not bothering to put on a nightgown, and let Sarah's breathing rock her to sleep. #But ah miss th' Green ...# -------------------------------------------------------- NEXT: The countdown to finals begins with a field trip - to Wundagore Mountain - AND THE RETURN OF CHTHON ! (I'll just settle for a nice ACT again, thanks ...) -------------------------------------------------------- end _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com