psinex@yahoo.com Strange Attractors 4/25 by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: They're all Marvel's, except for Danny, who's mine. Please don't sue. -------------------------------------------------------- Mass. Acad. Front Lawn: 8/27/2003: 07:45 hrs EDT: -------------------------------------------------------- "Jus' step aside, Nate - we don't wanna hurt ya," Cannonball said gently. Sam was dressed in a black vest and pants, with a stripe of black greasepaint over his eyes and his hair buzzed back to his old-school flattop. "B-but she's got transfer papers, Sam !" Nate pleaded, looking at Danny for help. The boy's hopes sank when the girl morphed into a slavering bear, shredding her clothes and charging X-Force. "NATE !" Ray screamed, leading the New Mutants into the fracas. Nate dove aside, wincing when Danny-bear fell backward on her rump and looked around, frightened. "What the HELL do you think you're doing, Guthrie !? Wasn't the Genoshan Magistrate massacre enough ?!" Emma snarled. "GET OFF MY CAMPUS !" "We din't mean t'kill all 10,000 of 'em," Sam muttered, glaring at Sunspot and Magma. "Droga, Sam, they were mutant-slaving bastards," Roberto frowned back. "Indeed, Samuel - show a little backbone," Amara growled, clinging to Roberto. "Guys, we're off the topic here," Dani yelled, her mohawk shaking in the breeze. Danny-bear shifted back to her true form, letting Moira cover her with a blanket and take her to the medlab. "Too little too late, Moonstar," Emma snarled. "Get out of here before I do something you'll regret." "You're threatening US ?" Pridewalker frowned. "Jimmy, please - this isn't helping anyone," Theresa whispered, looking regretfully at her father. "Neither is yuir runnin' with these hooligans, Terry," Sean pleaded. "Please, come home -" "Hooligans ?" Roberto growled, getting in Sean's face. "We're -" He yelled when a series of cables leapt up through the ground, restraining him. Erik snarled, "Back AWAY from our teachers, renegades, or get HURT !" "Erik ..." Alexa groaned. "Not NOW, 'Lex," Erik snapped. "These psychos need a lesson in who's in charge, and I'm taking over class !" The other Mutants gaped when pipes, cables and other underground metallic materials leapt up, restraining or pinning X-Force. Sam tried to blast off, but found himself cocooned up to his neck in a chunk of tunnel from the old Hellions base. "DAMN," Bill whistled appreciatively. "Very ... impressive, Erik," Emma said softly, looking at Sean with wide eyes. ~You think he's ... ?~ she sent to her fellow headmaster. ~I don't know, and frankly, I don't care right now,~ Sean thought, looking at Theresa sadly. "Erik ... let 'em go," Sean asked. "They've nae attacked us, an' we cannae hold'em here anyhow ..." He said the last looking at Theresa, who looked back with sorrow. "I cannae jus' abandon 'em, Da," Siryn pleaded. "I love Jimmy, an' d'spite th' others -" "Save the mush, singer," a darkly amused voice called. X-Force disappeared into a series of stepping discs, and the Mutants gasped when a red-scaled demoness appeared before them with a flaming sword. "They won't bug you again," the Darkchilde winked. "Later, cuties ..." She vanished, leaving Ray to kneel beside Nate and hug him. "Are you OK !?" she moaned. "Yeah - thanks," Nate said, smiling weakly and standing. ~Sorry - I didn't mean to embarass you,~ Ray sent. ~Nah. It's OK to hug f'r stuff like that - I don't wanna be totally macho,~ Nate replied. ~I just don't want the other guys t'think I'm a wuss.~ ~YOU, A WUSS !?~ Ray laughed. ~Nate, you stood up to X-FORCE ! That's incredible !~ ~Yeah, but you won't catch me lugging a gun,~ Nate thought, shaking his head. ~That's too creepy ...~ -------------------------------------------------------- Medlab: -------------------------------------------------------- "... so that's how I wound up here," Danny finished telling Moira and Sharon. #They seem nice,# the girl thought, allowing Moira to complete her physical. "Well, ye didnae deserve t'be hunted by X-Force," Moira said, handing Danny her clothes. "Ye just had th' misfortune o' havin' t' fight f'r yuir life 'gainst that monster o' an ex-boyfriend o'yuirs ... I know what it's like t'face a rapist." "You - ?" Danny asked, dressing with wide eyes. "M' first husband," Moira nodded with a dark tone to her words. "Our son ... killed him. If I'd had courage 'nough, perhaps ..." "Moira, you need to let it go," Sharon said softly. Moira smiled, and squeezed Danny's hand. "If'n ye ever need t'talk, lass, just stop by," Moira offered. "I will. And thanks, Dr. Cassidy," Danny said, smiling for the first time in a while. #She's really nice,# Danny thought, heading for her dorm room. #Too bad my stuff got shredded when I morphed ... but at least I don't look lame in yellow and black.# ~Daniela, please report to the biosphere,~ Emma called mentally. Danny jumped with a shriek, forcing herself to calm down and head for the biosphere complex. ~Sorry. Most of the other students are used to telepathic communication,~ Emma sent sheepishly. ~That's OK, ma'am - I'm just getting used to being a mutant,~ Danny replied, finding the girls' locker room. "Uhm ... hi," she called, seeing the other girls finishing up their preparations for their first biosphere session. "I'm Danny ... ?" "Hi," a red-headed girl smiled, offering Danny her hand. "Rachel Summers. You met my brother Nate when those lunkheads attacked - he's the one with the scars ? Ms. Frost asked me to show you your locker." "Thanks," Danny said gratefully. #Everybody's really pretty normal,# she thought, opening her locker and finding a training uniform inside. "It's already pre-sized," Ray said in reply to Danny's unasked question. The transmorph changed quickly, examining herself in a nearby mirror when she was done. "Yikes," she giggled. "Doesn't hide much, huh ?" "Don't worry - you look fine," a friendly, semi-accented voice called from above. Danny looked up and tried not to jump as a flash of light and smelly smoke sent a blue-furred girl down beside her. "Alexa Wagner," the girl smiled. "Danny Davies - nice trick," Danny replied. #Do NOT mention the fur do NOT mention the eyes -# "C'mon, ladies," Sharon called. "Time's a'wasting, and we've got 20 of you to run through your first session ..." -------------------------------------------------------- NEXT: Ah, that first time ... across the DANGER ROOM ! -------------------------------------------------------- end _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com