Exiles Part II: Contact

Concept BY~NeoPenance,WHITEFROST and^^~DOMINO~^^
Written BY~NeoPenance

[email protected]

Jonothon Starsmore was screaming. He has been screaming for the last two and a half years. It never helps,the threats,the pleading all fall on deff ears. Beautiful,deff ears.
"Shut up,Chamber."
Paige Guthrie said,smiling. It startled Jonothon for a moment. Then Nathanal Essex ,Mr. Sinister, entered the room and Chamber resumed shouting.
"SINISTER! LEMME OUT AN' I PROMIS YE'LL REGRET THIS! YOU F***IN' 'URT 'ER AND I VOW BY ALL I THE F*** I 'OLD 'OLY I'LL KILL YER SH**Y WHITE SELF AN' FEED IT TO A PACK A RABID WOLVES!"
"Now,now Mr. Starsmore."Sinister walked up to Chamber's clear tube." Is that anyway to speak to your host?"
"When yer host is Sinister,Yeah, it Bloddy well is!" He starred daggers at Sinister. Sinister smiled and left. Chamber slid down into a sitting posistion. "F***!,sh*t." He said as he kicked the wall of the cylander. ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clarice Ferguson was standing next to a large screen that was embeded into the wall. A 3D moddle of Jonothon Starsmore was on the screen,accompanied with stats.
"Jonothon Starsmore, AkA:Chamber. A 1 st class Psi of untold power. Where abouts unknown. Last heard from in sector 3 of the PITs."
M jumped up,knocking her chair over. "Well,let's go get him."
"No."Said Domino. "First you must find this mutant." The screen flickered again and the image of a blackish,gray blob appeared. The blob seemed familiar. It was human,male and looked like a serious mess. "Los Angelos. In the barrio. Find your contact. Angelo Espinosa."
Now Jubilee jumped up. "SKIN!?"
"Zut alors!" M whispered. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The portal closed and M,Jubliee,Blink,Shockwave and Domino where in the mean-streets of LA looking for their one time friend, Angelo Espinosa. They turned into an alley and climbed up the fire escape. Domino tapped on the window 3 times and a man peeked through the blinds.
"Last hope." Domino muttered to the eyes on the other side of the blinds. Their was a pause. Then the window opened and Domino climbed through.
"Stay here."Domino said to Blink and the others.
"Should I go now,Boss?" The man who opened the window for Domino asked.
"Si." A voice said from the bathroom. "And tell Torres that if she wants Emilio's boys iced, She know what she's gotta do for me."
"Si,Boss." The thug left out the front door. Domino snorted. Angelo opened the door to the bathroom.
"Well,well,well. Sinora Domino." Said Angelo,stummbling into the room. He thumped down onto a chair. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Angelo. We need to know where Jonothon Starsmore is kept." She said, looking around at the messy apartment. The wallpaper was peeling off of the wall in curls and the place smelled of smoke and liquor.
"Why should I help you? What's the point?" He looked at Domino with a sort of missplaced hatred. "I already lost them. You couldn't do nothin'. I couldn't do nothin' No one could do nothin'."He stood up and walked across the room. He picked up an empty beer bottle. "Not like anyone tried." He tossed the bottle aside.
"Espinosa, don't lay a guilt trip on me! I've seen more people die than you could dream. Don't act out that 'Poor Angelo' bull crap. It won't work." Domino said simply.
"Fine." He lay down on the couch.
"I have some friends of yours here with me." Domino said,walking to the window. "Come on in." She said to Clarice. Blink nodded and crawled through the window. M followed,then Penance,then Reyes.
"Angelo?" Monet said softly. She could not believe that this drunk bum was once her friend and teammate.
"Si,Sweet thing." He said looking up at the ceiling. Jubilee made it through the window.
"Skin? It's me. Jubilee."
Skin went ridged. He jumped off of the couch and began shouting. He ranted on and on in Spanish.
"Skin- Angie. It's me, Jubecita! Espinosa! Like,calm down!"
Sweat was running down his face. His eyes were red as he starred at Jubilee.
"YOU! YOU'RE THE REASON THAT HE'S DEAD! EDWARDO'S GONE AND YOU DID IT! YOU TOOK HIM FROM ME! I'VE HATED YOU FOR TWO F***IN' YEARS!
" "We don't have time for this!" Domino said. She walked up to him and punched him in the jaw. His head swung back on his neck and he faced front in slow motion. When he composed himself,he stood strait up and rubbed his jaw. Angelo turned his back to them.
"I hope his death made you fell like a big girl,Lee."
"Angelo, I have no clue what you're talkin' about." Jubilee said.
"Humph. The PIT's.Two years ago.You,me,Eddie,Razorblade an' Synch were bustin' out of their." He starred out the window,obilvious to his audiaunce. "We got out and were almost free. You were lagging behind, as usual. I had to go back for Edwardo 'cause he was just a lil guy and he was scared. You tried to stop me. You called out to me,alerting them to our escape. We ran. They got Edwardo, Razorblade and Everett.. You told me to forget about Edwardo and pulled me after you. Last I saw of him was,Sinister, closin' down on him. Wanna know what happened to Synch? Siryn tortuerd him to death. And Emplate killed Razorblade." Angelo turned to face Jubilee,the hatred in his eyes finally placed. "I left my best friends in their and my son,so YOU could escape." He said venomously. "Do you have any idea what I wouldn't give to see just one of them again.?" Then,he smiled insanely.
"But,this...this is the best part,this is my favorite part." He was chuckling now. "You wanna know what happend to you? Wanna know what happened to poor little Jubcita? You died! Haha.." He was laughing crazily now. "Hahahaha! You had a run in with Paige...Husk...little ol' Hayseed! Haha! Y'gotta love the irony in that one! She stabbed you in the back. Hahaha! LITTERALY!! Haha.heh...heh." He calmed down. He ran up to her and pushed her into the wall. He pinned Jubilee. "And you ask yourself, 'What's he complainin'about? He's free,He's fightin' for the 'Greater Good' What could her possably regret?' Well,I'll tell ya! My only regret is..." He looked around and whispered into her ear. He didn't want anyone else to hear this. " ..that I didn't get to kill you myself." He grinned at her and nodded frantically. Angerlo released Jubilee and lay back down onto the couch. "You go now." Angelo waved them away.
Jubilee was shaking. Domino sat on the arm of the couch. "I'm so glad we could help you through your 'anger managment' Angelo, but, we're here on a schedul. Starsmore's. Where abouts. Now."
"Right...whatever."Angelo hobbled up and walked to a desk askew with papers. He looked through the piles,and threw them aside untill he found what he wanted. "Aha! Says here that sinore Starsmore was transported three weeks ago to Sinister's base in North Amarica. Wayyy North America."
"Where?" Blink asked coldly.
"North West...Canada. British Columbia...Vancouver. Pack your parka. It's chilly there."
"How'd you get such an accurate coordinate?" Monet asked.
"You arn't the only people that wanna stop Pocky. 'Sides. I got stuff people want." He smiled wickedly. "Wanna see?"
Monet made a sour face. "Distasteful..No thank you."
"Kay."
"Will be going now." Reyes said as Domino and Blink moved towerds the window.
"Wait,wait,wait." Angelo jumped up,blocking their path. "I'm not free. I gave you something,you gotta give me something back in return."
Domino looked at him. "Sorry Espinosa, I haven't any drugs with me." She said sarcastically
"I don't want none of that sh*t." Again that manacing smile. "I wan't her!" He nodded and looked at Jubilee.
"No deal." Domino said firmly.
"Then kiss Starsmore goodbye.You seem to forget,I could help Apocalypse just as easily as I could help you."
"Dammit Angelo! We don't have time for this right now."
Skin made a buzzer noise.
"Wrong! I could play with you for as long as I want. You're on my turf now, amigas."
"Skin...please." Jubilee pleaded quietly.
"SHUT UP!" He yelled to Jubilee.
"Angelo." Monet interjected. "I'm not impressed with your mannerisms today, but you don't honstly think that we'd traid Jubilee away for a peice of information,do you?"
"You guy's owe me." Angelo said reaching into his pocket. He pulled out something black and shiny and pointed it at Jubilee. "Especially her." He sneered.
"Put the Squirt-gun back,Espinosa." Domino said.
" Squirt-gun? Squirt-gun!? Oh no, sinora Domino. This thing is very real." He lifted it and pulled the trigger. A shot ran out.
"Arrghh!" Reyes screamed horsly.
"Dr.Reyes!" M shouted,running to her side. "Are you alright?"
"Y...Yes..My force-shield ...protected me." Reyes gasped.
"Lucky thing too." Blink said. "That would have been a fatal shot."
"Dosen't mean it hurts any less." Reyes said.
"Angelo. ENOUGH!" Jubilee shouted.
"THEN ACCEPT YOUR FATE!!ACCEPT YOUR PUNISHMENT FOR KILLING MY SON! AND SYNCH..AND RAZORBLADE!!" Angelo screamed.
"SKIN!" Jubilee shouted back. "Get over yourself! I know you're not that fond of me anymore. I'm not crazy about you myself right now. But you hafta help us!"
"I-I-If...not for... friends....then ....for Edwardo." A voice in the corner said.
Everyone turned to see Yvette. Penance was quietly sitting on the window sill throughout this scene and was forgotten. She remembered Skin. Her Skin. Her friend. They fought that dragon together.Long ago. She didn't want to see Angelo mad,so she felt she had to say something. What she said seemed logical to her. Penance didn't understand why her friends,who were so much wiser than she, did not think of it. She starred sadly back at Angelo. Angelo starred back at her, as if he were starring at a holy creature. Penance cocked her head back at him. Everyone looked back at Angelo.
"Well spoken, wasen't it,Angelo." Blink stated not questioning.
"Go on,Yvette." Monet said gentily. Penance looked back at her,then back at Skin.
"Even if Skin hated....Jubilee ....f-for killing Edwar-do. 'Poclypes made it...that way. If Skin h-h-hates...Jubilee...Then Skin work for 'Poclypse. If Skin hate 'Poclypse, Then Skin work for Exiles. But who Skin....hate more? Jubilee...or 'Poclypse?"
Angelo was speechless. He just looked at Penance and had so many thoughts jumbled into his mind that he could not identify them.
"Who? Who are you?" Angelo asked,mesmerized.
"Yvette St. Croix." Domino answered quietly.
"Razorblade?" He walked up to Penance and looked at her. "Is that you Porccupine?" He reached out to touch her and Penance shrank back.
"No. Penance does not..want-t-t Skin to hurt himself." Penance said slowly.
"Penance,huh?" Angelo smiled. "S'okay,chica. Buenos Dias. Hola. I come in peace. Wanna apple?" He asked her. Penance nodded her head,slowly. "Cool." Angelo said walking to the fridge.
"What's with Skin?" Jubilee asked Blink.
"Razorblade, this realities 'Penance' and Skin were good friends. They were very close.
"Blink answered.
"How close?" Jubilee asked. "I mean, Like,she's not Edwardo's mother..is she?"
"No. It was more like a brother-sister thing."
"But Skin said...Emplate killed Razorblade. And you said Emplate killed Penance. So Penance is Razorblade?"
"Right" Blink said.
"And Skin said he'd want to see any of the victems from that night,And Razorblade was one of them." Jubilee concluded.
When Angelo returned,Penance asked him."What does Skin want? F-f-for-for infor...mation?" Penance looked at him,questioningly.
"Uh." Skin thought about this as he handed the apple to Yvette.
"Penance would give it to Skin...If Penance can." She said.
"Some things nerver change Proccupine. You're as simpathetic as ever."
"Penance learned alot with Emma and Sean,Skin." Monet said.
"What Skin want?" Penance repeated.
"Nothin' Porccupine. Nothin'." Angelo answered,contented to watch Penance eat her apple. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Paige. Listen to me,Gel." Chamber pleaded. Husk was parcially listening. "Sinister's usin'ya. Yer better than that! Yer gotta heart somewhere in their.Yer just cofused.Essex brainwashed yer."
"Oh no, Starsmore. Ah see clearly now." Paige said. "Apocalypse is power. All who follow him will have power. He is Lord."
"Paige! Listen to me. Yer 'Lord' killed or captured all our friends. 'E's insane." Jonothon was starting to see that the old Paige Guthrie was no more. "Like yer."
"Yes,like me. Just like me! Ain't it great!"Paige said as she danced in a circle.
Chamber stood up. "Paige. Focus on me voice. Remember all we've been throught?Yer forgeting what we mean to eachother."
"That's the past,Starsmore. And like the Lord says: Their ain't no time like the present."
Mr.Sinister walked into the room and walked over to the control panal.
"Mr Starsmore." He said. "I am now going to flood your tube with an anestetic gas. It will deffuse into your cells and sedate you. Thank you for your cooperation."
"Yer out o' yer ruddy 'ead." Chamber said halfheartedly. He could hear the soft hiss of the jets letting the gas in. He tried to fight sleep.
"He shoulda been out cold bah now." Paige said.
"Increase the flow accordingly." Sinister said.
Chamber fell to his knees. His vision whent blurry and he shook his head to see clearly. As he shook his head,he could feel his brain smack against his skull and a sharp pain grew.
"Argh." Chamber groaned as he cluched his head. He fell forward onto his elbows. The littlest sounds were growing louder and the forground noises were echoing.
"Nighty-night Mr. Starsmore-...more-...ore..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Blink,how close can you teleport us to Sinister's layer?" Reyes asked.
"Inside. But I need total silence.The portal will only be open on this side for a few moments."
As the others were checking their weapons and equipment,Angelo and Penance were in the kitchen talking. Penance was sitting on her haunches on the countertop while Angelo was standing next to her,leaning his back on the counter.
"Penance happy Penance could make Skin happy." She said,starring of into space.
"Me too,sinorita. Y'don't know how much this means to me." Angelo ran his fingers through his hair.
"Yes, Penance does." Yvette said,nodding slowly. She drapped her arm on Angelo's shoulder for comfort,the leather straps protecting him. "Penance does." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jonothon woke out of his daze looking up at the ceiling. He blinked a few times and shook his head. He was laying flat on a metal table. He turned his head and saw a computer screen and various scientific instuments.
"'ELLO?" He shouted. Where am I? He asked himself. Wherever he was,he knew he was in trouble. He tried to get up and found that he was tied down
"Mr.Starsmore."
"Sh*t" Said Chamber.
"I'm so glad you awoke."
"I'm not." Chamber sighed. "Where are yer?" He looked around to the best of his abilities and saw no Sinister.
"In a cosy little booth." He said. "My assistant,the lovly Paige Guthrie,is going to take a sample of your DNA. I hope you don't mind."
"'Bout as much as I mind a frontal lobotomy." Chamber spat.
Paige walked up to the immobile Chamber and jabbed the thick sirynge into his stomach. Chamber clenched his eyes shut.
"Was it as good for ya as it was for me?" Paige asked,smilling as she yanked the sirynge out of his stomach. "It's my fantasy." She continued. "You,me and empty room,bondage. Physical pain."
"Yer gotta be kiddin'." Chamber said as Paige walked to the table. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As the portal closed, M walked down the hall to where she senced Chamber was being kept. Domino caught up to her and grabbed her arm.
"What do you think you're doing?" Domino demanded.
"I don't think." M said,shaking her arm free. "..I know. J-..Chamber...is this way."
"How are you so sure?" Blink asked.
I love him....Monet thought.
"I have a super high intelligent quotent. You tell me." She said,continuing dow the hall. Blink and Reyes exchanged glances.
"Also." M added. "Chamber's psi-signature is remarkably unique. It's easy to find him.Even as a low level psi, I can sence him."
"Cool." Jubilee said. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "We seperate here." Domino said.
"Say what?" Jublee shouted.
"Shhhh!!!"Blink hissed.
"Why?" Asked Reyes. v"If their's a chance we can get Sinister,I don't want to pass it up." Domino said,charging her lazer rifle. "M,Penance, you are to find Jonothon. The rest of you,come with me."
"Good luck." Jubilee said to M and Penance as she turned down the hall. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Deliver this packet of Mr.Starsmore's self to Mr.McCoy. Tell him that I wan't this DNA synthisized and reproducing withing 48 hours." Sinister's brodcasted voice said.
"Yes,Mr. Essex." Paige answed, as if trained. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "This door." Monet said ,pointing. Her heart began to pound as she pressed here ear against the steel door. "Penance. Open the door,Sil vous plait." Penance walked towards the door. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "The ventilation system." Reyes said,looking up.
"Good." Domino said. "Jubilee. Blast it."
"Kay." Jubilee said. A soft 'paff' was heared as Jubilee's fireworks shot from her hand. As the vent fell, Blink cought it so it wouldn't crash against the metal floor. They climbed into the tunnle. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Calm down Chamber. Ya should be very happy. Your DNA mixed with Mr. Summers's an' Ms. Gray's will be the first for the Lord." Paige said.
"Goody." Chamber said sarcastically. "I'm gonna be a daddy."
The sound of shreading steel followed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Penance dug her fingers into the steel door and pulled her fingers down,shreading the door to pieces. When M and Penance ran into the room, M was surprized at what she saw. Chamber was strapped down on a table. And someone was working at a table with a computer. That person turned. M's eyes widened. "PAIGE?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The vent was easy to navigate through. It was one long tube. When Domino and her group stopped at a dead end, they saw through a wire sceen that showed them that the room was empty.
"This is our stop." Domino said as she detatched the sceen and let it fall to the ground, a few feet below. One by one they jumped out of the vent. Just as Jubilee landed,the door burst open and dozens of soldiers stormed into the room.
"Crap." Jubilee said quietly as she backed up. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" Paige. Let Chamber go. Now." Monet demanded.
"Can't." Paige said,shrugging. "Lord hasen't told me ah could yet." She looked down at Chamber. "Not that ah wanna."
"I don't want to fight you,Husk." M said.
"Then don't. If ya pledge devotion to th' Lord, ya won't hafta,neither."
"M?" Chamber said,astonished. "I thought....I thought yer died."
"Yes,well... I'm back." M said. "Penance, go. Free Chamber."
"Yes." Penance said as she jumped to the table.
"Chamber hold still." Penance told him. She ran the tip of her forefinger vertigaly down the center of the strap holding his left arm down. Penance repeated this on all the straps until Chamber was free. Chamber jumped up and ran next to M.
"Thank yer."
"We'll be going now." Monet said,turning to leave.
"Ah don't think so." Said Paige,pulling out a lazer pistol and aiming it.
End of Part II
June 06 10:33pm 1998