A Trip to St. Louis: (Part 3 of the Field Trip Saga)
- bum and Bryan. (Special thanks to Harlequin!)
This story is released EXACTLY one year to the date
of Harli and I's first release, LA TRIP. A bit of trivia for
you there.

Prologue:
New York City, 2:47 a.m.


New York City. It is bad enough during the day, but as the sun sets and the night inevitably arrives, the scum of mankind thrive in a city that never truly sleeps. At night, the threat of mutants seems insignificant compared to that of dealers and addicts, thieves and thugs, murderers and rapists. A new vigilante roams the alleys, and tonight I observe once more.
Two men meet behind an abandoned apartment complex. Two men, small time heroin dealers and addicts, whose lives have hit rock bottom. Two men who pull the city down with them through their addiction.
They converse for some time, and make an exchange. Enveloped in their business, neither one of the unfortunates notices the dark figure who steps out of the shadows; the figure whose appearance I have been anticipating this night. Their heads turn at the sound of footsteps.
The men, using slang and explicatives, inquire as to the identity of the unknown individual. They are answered with an enormous flame that illuminates the alley and incinerates everything within a five foot radius of the figure. The smart one begins to run, as if he has a chance of escape. The other, frozen with fear, is reduced to ashes in a matter of seconds.
The running man, disoriented by the drugs that poison his body, does not travel far before his maker seems to float behind him. As he is lifted by one who is not consumed by the flame he produces, he pleas for help, mercy, and any other prayer that comes to mind. But this "defender of the law" is judge, jury, and executioner, and sees each role though as he terminates his prey.
Emotionless and unmoved by his actions, the figure fades out of sight and vanishes from the alley, another step complete in an endless battle.
Now, I retire as well, with the knowledge I intended to obtain. It is significant enough when an Alpha Class mutant appears, but this individual has a personal significance to me. Before I engage my next move, I must know entirely what I am to deal with. Through the past several weeks of observation periods, I believe I have gathered the information I require to ensure my security.
The boy seems to be too enveloped in his own world to pose a threat. As he had his revenge, so shall I have mine.
So ordains Sinister.


Chapter 1
------------


Paige Guthrie bites into a six day old sub. It tastes just as disgusting as the blend of Mayo, soggy bread and wilted lettuce looks. She cringes for a second, looks at it one last time to make sure no organic life forms are using it as a home, then takes another bite.
"It's sure better than anything Mz. Frost can make." She assures herself. She sets the sandwich down and goes over to her little coffee maker and brews some coffee before sitting down at her laptop (actually she was borrowing it from the school) She puts the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack on and puts it on repeat select tracts and starts her report.
"PAAAiiiGE!" Jubilee's voice rings out. Paige's eyes narrow as she glares at the three words she's written so far.
"What Jubilee?" She says without turning to look at her roommate.
"Paige. I just had an idea. Okay. I think we should have a class where we do nothing but make up cool saying to say in fights."
"Why would you need a class like that?" Paige asks, not really wanting to know the answer.
"Well all the X-men normally say really cool things. I mean I should know-"
"You were an X-man." Paige finishes for Jubilee. "Good point but I don't think that's a real class or -"
"Wanna see some of my ideas??" Jubilee interupts.
"Sure." Paige lies as she closes out the program and doesn't bother saving. She picks up the notebook Jubilee hands her. It's full of cartoons and sorted drawings, she finds randomly placed sentances amoung the doodles. Paige reads them out loud.
"Don't make me force you to kick my roommate's butt?" Paige reads.
She silently rereads the sentence then glares at Jubilee. She looks back down at the list.
"Don't make my roommate throw a Latin book at you..Don't make me have my roommate force you to listen to No Doubt nonstop for weeks. Don't make me force my roommate to take up your side of the room with her --'. "
Paige reads the insults out loud as if she were quickly reading notes before a test. She takes off her glasses raises an eyebrow at Jubilee. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were mad at me for something." She folds the glasses back and puts them in their case. The best defense to an offense is not to take offense.
"Nope. Yer just scoping chapter five, insult both a roommate and the villain at once. I just thought it makes a nice opener and all."
"Oh.. " Paige rolls her eyes and hands the notebook back to Jubilee. "It's great. Stick to spur of the moment jokes..It's what you're best at."
"You think?"
"I know. Look I gotta run and get some sugar for my coffee. Have some of my sub left on my desk there."
"Okay. Hey, like thanks! I'm starved! Emma's cooking." Jubilee says as she runs over, grabs the sub and bites into it all without looking at it. Paige is out the door before Jubilee starts to scream. Paige smiles wedges herself out of the hallway and into a doorway and remains absolutely silent as she can. Jubilee runs past in a fit of rage so intent on finding her roommate that she doesn't realize she just ran past the very target of her bad sub induced rage.
Paige smiles as she hears Jubilee turn the corner, and quietly creeps back into the empty room. With an evil grin Paige notices Jubilee left her keys on her bed. With a quick flick of the wrist Jubilee is locked out of her own room and Paige has the room to herself. Growing up in a family of eight brothers and sisters teaches a girl some tricks.
Paige sits down at her desk and after rummaging through the piles of papers finds the phone cord and plugs it into the modem jack. Then she looks at the screen and thinks for a second. She brings up a file called "Shucker's Tale" She winces at the name but she hasn't the heart to rename the file. After entering the password the document opens and she scrolls down and types in the date.

Dear Me. Okay, I know it's been a while. This is a little different than my last rant about finding out Angelo had a son but it's been a while. A long while. In fact my last entry was about me going to Kentucky to make sure that Humanities Last Stand was just a rumor. Because I have no wish for Jo to suddenly wake up with a bunch of cultists around her wanting revenge for bringing a few of us mutants down all the way across the state of Kentucky floodin' our small lill' ol' county and bringin the place to the ground.. literally. (See Entry: How I found out about Trask and helped out the X-men) Well things didn't go to well. That's why I haven't written. I didn't even make it past the 606 area code. See we hitchhiked with these people and then Sinister turned out to behind our whole little trip. Naturally we walked blindly into his trap and ..."

Paige gets up from her computer. WHY even bother writing it. Like it's not going to be permanently etched in her brain. She looks as the water drops work intricate ways down the glass, trying to avoid the suspended drops, sometimes picking them up and gaining momentum, zigging and zagging down the glass.The bigger the drop the more powerful it became. Somehow it seems fitting.
Paige looks at her reflection, then her room behind her through the transparent reflection. She starts to chew on her left thumb nail and looks down at her hand. Her shattered finger never completely healed. It wasn't enough that Sinister kidnapped her and Angelo, and then used her as some damn stupid breeding factory for his stupid quest to make a perfect mutant. Not enough that he messed with her mutant powers, manipulating them and making her genetically something else. Not only did he do that, but he forced Jonothon to do.. things.
What better way to make someone some submissive chunk of living lab equipment than to degrade a person or just destroy the person she cared so much about? Paige grinds her teeth and glares at her reflection. Sinister is dead. Jonothon killed him. It's over.
Jonothon. She could still clearly remember that day in the medlab. She had rushed there to prevent Emma Frost from uncovering any damaging information from Jonothon's battered mind. She had arrived too late, for Emma was already returning from her journey into the depths of Jono's mind. She could still see Jonothon floating in the air, almost entirely engulfed by his psionic flame. What was it he had said? "Please... call me Chamber."
Everything changed that day. Ms. Frost began treating her differently, perhaps over-sympathizing. And of course, Jonothon was different.. and worse of all she became the powerless but still enrolled student that constantly gets left out of everything.
Another plump rain drop assimilates a few smaller and then beelines down the glass. She remembered back to a month after the.. event. Jonothon wouldn't be seen for days at a time. When he was seen, usually for class, he never interacted with the other students.
Perhaps the team was intimidated by him. With his new appearance, Jonothon's powers had also been greatly enhanced. To what extent, no one could be sure; no one except Jonothon himself. Because of his new powers, Jonothon began attending classes less and less. Of course, meals weren't a necessity. When Jonothon did make an appearance, no one seemed to exchange more than a hello.
The team's main concern was... Jonothon didn't seem to care. A month had gone by, and no one had spoken to Jono, not even Emma or Sean. "He needs time," Sean had advised. But Paige needed to talk to him. So much had happened to them in Kentucky, and she felt she needed to finally confront him about it.
One afternoon, Paige and Angelo had been outside preparing to go for a jog. Jonothon appeared in the distance. "There he is," Angelo had said softly. "I wonder when he's gonna snap outta this."
"I'm going to find out," Paige had replied with a determined look as she had begun to approach him. Angelo had stretched out a hand and put it on Paige's shoulder.
"You think that's wise, chica? Senor Cassidy said..."
"I know what he said, Angelo," Paige retorted, and walked away anyway. As she approached Jonothon, she noticed he was gazing at the sky.
"Um... hi."
Jonothon continued star-gazing. "'ello, Paige."
There was a pause. Broken by his simple cold statement, "Was there somethin' else I should say?"
"Huh? Ya heard what ah thought?"
"I guess I did."
"Er... how have you been? You ain't said much for near three months now."
"Everything is fine."
"Fine? That's... good. Ah'm glad to hear that."
No response.
"You've been... keeping to yourself lately. Ever since... since..."
"Ever since me new powers developed? I hadn't noticed."
"Yeah... since your new powers developed. Look, Jono, Ah was kind of hoping we could... talk."
"We are talkin', Paige."
"Yeah... no... I mean... about what happened..."
"We all did what was required under the circumstances. That's the way life goes sometimes. I'm sorry about the inconvenience. You can rest assured that or anythin' like that will never happen t' ya again."
"Ah... I'm glad t' see you are... comfortable... with what happened."
"I've accepted it, if that's what ya mean."
"I guess so." A dead silence stood between the two of them. "Ah guess that's it, then."
"It was good talkin' t' ya, Paige."
Before Paige could say anything, Jono had flown away. As she had watched his shape disappear into the distance, she heard a voice behind her. "He'll come around, country mouse."
"I hope so," she had said.

Now, five months later, Jonothon still hadn't "come around." Nothing more than confrontations similar to hers had occurred between Jonothon and his teammates. The more time passed, the more she longed to confront him with her feelings.
If she could just tell him that she doesn't blame him. She doesn't know if she does or not. He didn't have to give in to Sinister. He could have let her die.
Sometimes when the nightmares come and she looks at the way Angelo and Emma watch her with different eyes, she wishes he did let her die.
The whole deal is ironic too. Jonothon was the only thing that made the whole experience remotely survivable mentally, and because of it he vanished and was replaced by "Chamber-the avenger."
Paige walks over to her computer and creates a new file without saving the old one. She opens a folder: "Files on How to Be a Mutant again" She sighs as she attempts to log on the local server. When Jubilee isn't around she searches around the scientific community.. looking for ANYTHING, ANYONE that could possibly help her undo the apparent lock on her powers. Since she was thirteen she wanted to be a mutant. Now she still is, but her powers are stuck and there hasn't been a thing Dr. Henry McCoy, the X-men's resident scientist, has been able to do to help her use her megamorph powers again.
Paige suddenly feels a cold chill. A new posting about the advantages of living "mothers" vs. Chemical vats for creating genetically enchanted creations grins back at her.
"Serves me right for bookmarking anything with 'Alt.' in the name.."
Curiosity wins and she starts to read the file. She's not sure but she could swear someone dumped a tray of ice down her back. That or it could be the fact the document was submitted by a Nate Essex and it was posted only a few days ago. He's using a server in St. Louis, Missouri. Essex equals Sinister's real name, and those aren't theories he's posting. He actually did the experiment. Paige should know. She WAS the experiment.
Paige runs a finger along her jawline lost in thought about how to find out if this "Nate Essex" was indeed Sinister back from the dead. She heard Emma mentioning she was going there for a business meeting. Alonzo, her godson is there. Everett's parents live there and Angelo wouldn't have a problem going along to see his son... perfect situation for some.. investigation.
Paige continues to look around and finds another article, this one on the concept of so called Meta-morphs as Genetic canvases. She saves both files to the folder, and saves it to disk and puts it in a suitcase. She's going.



Chapter2
----------
"Cassidy. Don't argue with me. You know I always win arguments." Emma Frost, head administrator of Xavier's School for Gifted Youth, smiles a sly smile knowing she's already won the argument.
"Emma, the wee lass should be here, not out on a road trip with you an-"
"Stop right there. Now who is the expert on how the students think?" Sean Cassidy is about to respond but his mouth isn't even open before Emma continues. "Paige has been keeping herself trapped on campus, and Jonothon..I followed your advice there and let him be, but for the love of me Cassidy. The child hasn't been on campus after dark for almost a month. I think- KNOW- what he's doing, and I'll be damned if I'll see another student destroy his or her life like he is."
Sean Cassidy throws his hands in the air. "So yuir tellin' me that loading the lass into a limo, driving for a day and a half and letting her roam around a city while you attend your meetings is somehow goin' to make her open up and feel better."
"Yes. Don't question a telepath. We know the question before you ask it, and YES I'm going to tell the other students Paige is going with me to St. Louis. No. I'm not going to tell them why. Yes. I do know that Angelo will want to go, and no doubt Everett as well."
"The boy's family is there. Both of them. Angelo's kin and Everett's parents. You are nae the one that has to deal with explaining to them why they can't go."
"Oh if they give you a problem I'll just shut off their memories of their family." Emma says as she walks out the door. Then she turns. "I'm joking Cassidy. Relax."
She chuckles to herself and Sean can simply run a hand through his red hair and stare at the door. Then it dawns on him. He never finished his argument about why Paige shouldn't go to St. Louis with Emma. Sometimes working with a telepath is harder than working with the students.
Chapter 3
-------------

An hour later Sean finds himself agreeing with Emma... a scary thing unto itself. They had given Jonothon his space, and he had yet to make any progress. On the contrary, Jonothon had been acting withdrawn now more than ever.
Deciding to take action, Sean determinedly makes his way to the boy's dormitory. "Time to set it right," he thinks to himself. "I've given the lad enough time to sort things out himself, and it's nae workin'. I think I gave him too much time. Just hope it nae too late."
Arriving at the basement entrance, Sean slowly opens the door. "Chamber? Are ye in here, lad?" Receiving no response, he steadily descends down the stairs into the dark basement. "Chamber?"
Nothing. Suddenly, Sean realizes it has been months since he has seen the basement of the boys' dormitory. With only light from the upstairs barely enlightening the room, Sean investigates the room. The walls are now barren, and a pile of junk that somewhat resembles a television set lies on the floor. The couch is covered with burns, every light is broken and every mirror is shattered.
"Dear God! The place is in ruins!" Sean thinks to himself. "I cannae believe I didn't come here earlier..."
"It doesn't matter when ya invade a man's privacy, Cassidy. The fact is ya did."
Alarmed, Sean spins around to find the light of psionic energy that reveals the presence of one Jonothon Starsmore, now known only as "Chamber", sitting on the staircase. Chamber stares at a wall directly ahead of him, and seems to be paying no attention to his teacher.
"Ye startled me, lad. How long have ye..."
"I've been 'ere all along. What do ya want."
"Well, I'd like t' see you adjust yuir attitude a wee bit, but if that's too much of a problem I'd settle for yuir attendance to class."
"Sorry, gov'nor. Not ready," Chamber responds in a monotone voice, still staring straight ahead.
"NOT READY? Lad, ye've been on yuir own fer almost a year! That's more than enough time t' get over yer injuries..."
Chamber looks at Sean for the first time as his psionic flame flares up. "I think ya misunderstood, Cassidy. I mean yer ruddy class isn't ready for me." Chamber rises and floats over to his teacher.
"What can this school teach me that I don't already know? I won't be needin' any bloody arithmetic or Shakespeare courses. An' about me powers? The White Queen herself is no match fer me."
"YE ARE STILL ENROLLED IN ME SCHOOL, LAD. AND I EXPECT YE TO START ATTENDIN' CLASSES. YE ARE NAE EXCUSED!"
"I think I graduated, "sir." With honors."
Sean covers his eyes as Chamber's psionic flame flares up and brightens the room. As the light dims back to it's original dreary state, Sean opens his eyes to find Chamber gone.
"That went well. Aye, lad. What am I gonna do with ye?"

Chapter 4
--------------
Paige paces back and forth in the hotel room, She's never been in a hotel where the bathroom is bigger than her bedroom back on the farm. The bathroom itself is bigger than the kitchen in her house. She throws on an oversized teeshirt and prepares herself for "bed."
"Paige. You know how to work the remote. I have to go out an-"
"Actually Mz. Frost, ah was feelin' rather tired and was going to turn in for the night."
Emma smiles "Paige. It's 11pm."
"Jet lag."
"Is that so?" Emma says her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Well actually if you're not going to be getting back too late from exploiting the innocent men of this city, I was thinking of doing some sight seeing tomorrow. St. Louis has a lot to do for free you know." Paige says and flashes a smile.
Emma chuckles slightly at that, "I'm not going to exploit anyone that doesn't want to be exploited. If you need anything call one of these two numbers."
"The big Pink and Green guys." Paige says as she looks at the numbers with a frown.
Emma for a second looks uncomfortable. "Yes." She puts on her coat and leaves locking the door behind her. Paige's frown works it's way into a smile. Emma Frost is alot like Madonna, and not the virgin Mary Madonna. She won't be back till sometime early in the morning.
Paige quickly looks at the map of the area of St.Louis again and gets dressed into her favorite pair of jeans and denim shirt. "Reason #112 I wish I was a mutant again. I could change into clothes without opening a single drawer," she says to no one in particular.
Humming the Mission Impossible theme, she slowly sneaks her way out of the building.


Chapter 5
-------------

Jonothon Starsmore soars through the air, carrying himself with his recently enhanced psionic power. Ever since his second accident, in which he destroyed more of his body, he had graduated to a first class psi. His telepathy comes all too naturally now. He can sense the thoughts of countless people from who knows how far away. He has developed new telekinetic abilities as well, as displayed through his current flight over Boston. With his newfound powers, his daily walk has transformed into a nightly flight.
Cassidy had told him that Dr. Henry McCoy, the X-Man known as Beast, would be arriving shortly to run some new tests. Chamber did not object to this. Let them have the satisfaction of believing they can "help" him. He had no problem with this besides the fact he considered it foolishness. Let them be satisifed. But let them be satisfied when Chamber is ready...
He gazes down over the city. Suddenly, his attention is called to a location merely a few miles away.
"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"
"Shut up, or I'll cut your damn throat. Now gimme the god damn' purse!"
Chamber descends upon the source of the voices he "heard", a back alley. Sure enough, he finds a man holding a knife to a young woman's throat. He casually lands behind them. The man with the knife turns around and stares awestruck at the sight before him
"What the hell are you?"
"Step away from the gel. It'll be easier on ya."
The man takes five large steps away from the woman. "You're one of those mutants, aren't you?" he yelled with a tone of fear in his voice. The woman steps away in the other direction.
"Yeah. I'm one of those mutants." Chamber raises his arm, pointing at the man.
"What... what are ya doin'? I... I... did what you said! Look! I'm dropping my knife!" The man throws his knife into a sewer. "I... I'm unarmed. I stopped! I'm sorry!"
"Yeah. You stopped. Today. What about next time?"
"Next time? There won't be a next time. I'll go turn myself into the police right now. Will that make you happy!?!" the man cried.
Chamber's arm glows brightly. "No." He channels his psionic energy through his arm hitting the man directly in the chest. The awesome force leaves barely any evidence of a corpse. Chamber glances over at the woman cowering in the corner, staring at him with a horrified look. She glances at the remains of her assailant.
"I.. I guess I should thank you..." she whimpers as she looks back to the glowing figure. He is gone.


Chapter 6
---------------
"Anything to help a college student write her thesis. Athough it is rather late. Dr. Essex will be going on his break in an hour, if you'd like to talk to another doctor."
Paige smiles, "Well I just got into town and all and I'm a big fan of Dr. Essex's work so it'd mean a lot if I could talk to him personally."
The woman with the lab coat smiles and nods, "He's quite a bright young man. We're a rather low budgeted establishment, but with what he's done with our limited resources, I can see why you're interested. Not many young women are interested in the field of genetic engineering; at least at your age."
Paige smirks, "I'm not like most young women." She checks her watch and waits, hoping nobody notices the fact that one can practically hear her heart trying to pound it's way out of her chest and onto the floor.
After what may have been the longest three minutes of Paige's life, the door swings open. "Dr. Essex will see you now." Paige springs out of her chair and follows the woman down a series of corridors. "Right through that door," the woman smiles.
"Thank you... ah... I appreciate this."
The woman nods and disappears down the hall. Paige swallows hard, closes her eyes and pushes the door open. "What if it... no, it can't be him. He's dead as a doornail." As the doors swing shut, she scans the laboratory.
"And what can I do for you, Ms. Guthrie?" Paige swings around to find a short young man in a lab coat. He wears his blonde hair parted to the side and has a thick five o'clock shadow. "You'll please excuse my appearance, I have been working long hours." He looks nothing like Sinister.
"How did you know my name?" Paige asks, her voice a bit shaky. She reminds herself that if this was Sinister he shouldn't have any problem telling her that he is indeed the "Mr. Sinister". Why would he want to pretend to be anyone else to her?
"My assistants do not allow guests to venture into my laboratories unannounced. Does this surprise you?"
"No, of course not," Paige smiles. "I guess I'm just a bit nervous over meeting you. I've been following your work."
"Of course. Let's start over, shall we? My name is Dr. Nathaniel Essex. How can I be of service to you?"
" I'm er.. doing a term paper for school, and was wondering if you can give any insight on genetic enhancement."
"That is quite a heavy topic," Dr. Essex calls out as he resumes his lab work. "You seem too young to be writing a college thesis paper on such a topic."
"Ah... I guess I've always been interested in genetics... specifically mutants. Starting early." Paige chuckles as her eyes search over the young man for any trace of cold eyes that haunt almost her every nightmare.
"Well, you've come to the right place Ms. Guthrie. In my field of work, we rarely are willing to speak to a mutant about genetic enhancement-."
"How did ya know ah was a mutant?" Paige interupts the surprise overcoming her manners.
"I am a very good observer, Ms. Guthrie. Not to mention our security devices here alert us to any possible threats. This IS a genetics lab," Dr. Essex smirks.
"Then why did you let me in if..." Paige's brain starts setting off it's "get-ready-to-fight-or-run" alarms.
"I am also aware that you are currently having difficulties with your mutant powers, rendering them inactive. I assume that is the true reason why you are here?"
Paige sudddenly becomes very uncomfortable as she is caught off guard. "Well, ah... yes... but I am writing a paper on it too..How did yah?-."
"Of course you are. Ms. Guthrie, I can not guarantee anything, but I feel I may be able to help you with your dilemma. But I will need to know some information," Essex says with rather jadded edge to his voice. He works like a robot with a few test tubes. "First, I will need to know the status of your genetic gift... What you "do" to trigger it... I will also need to know the origin of your problem..."
"The... origin? As in how it happened?" Paige interupts, feeling sweat forming on her forehead.
"Yes, of course. Is this a problem?"
"No, but..." Paige bites her lower lip. Big problem.
"I will also need a DNA sample... I hope I am not moving to quickly for you," Essex stops his work and moves towards Paige. "Sometimes I get carried away in my work."
Paige catches herself in a daze, then wipes the sweat off of her forehead. "Um, thank you Dr. Essex. You've been very kind. I think ah may just take you up on your offer, but I should be really getting home now."
Essex glances down at his watch. "Ah yes, it is getting rather late. And I have late dinner planned with my wife tonight. She and the children are most likely waiting for me right now! I, too, must be going."
"You have children, Dr. Essex? You don't look old enough to be outta college." Paige says then cringes, step by step makin' an ass of herself she realizes.
"Why thank you, Ms. Guthrie. That is an immense compliment for a man my of my age. Things aren't always as they seem. I am lucky in that regard."
"I'll be in touch, Dr. Essex." Paige telling half the truth.
"You know where I am. Although I will be busy over the next several days with an experiment I will be conducting." He says with almost a taunting look in his eyes.
"I'll call and arrange an appointment," Paige smiles, but only on the outside. "Have a good night, Dr. Essex."
"Ms. Guthrie, you seem uneasy. Is it laboratories that make you uncomfortable?" He asks with what now appears concern. How honest the concern is escapes Paige.
"Uncomfortable? I guess places like these do make me a little queasy. Thank you for your time."
"Farewell." Dr. Essex watches as Paige slowly walks out the door. As soon as the girl turns the corner he continues, "I underestimated you, Paige Guthrie. You are obviously more intelligent then I had thought you. Discovering me half way across the continent is not an easy task. This surely alters my plans. Sleep well, Paige Guthrie. For it will be your last chance."
Essex smirks, then runs his fingers through his bright blonde hair, momentarily revealing the existence of a diamond shaped mark on his forehead.


Chapter 7
------------

Paige curses silently to herself as she pulls herself up onto the window ledge and opens the window she left cracked open. The meeting with Essex proved nothing. She heard somewhere Sinister was able to change shape, but why didn't he simply try and rip her heart out right there? He had his chance
She slips into the dark room and shuts the window behind her. The blue readout of the clock on the nightstand reads one a.m. She walks over to the bed and flops onto it. Her head smacks against something not as soft as a pillow. The light on the nightstand turns on and Paige rolls over to see that she just sat on top of her teacher. Paige shrieks and falls off the bed.
"I believed you Paige." Emma simply says. All Paige can find herself doing is trying to calm down and get over the fact that she just almost fell asleep onto of Emma Frost.
"Are ya CRAZY?" Paige finally exclaims. "For trusting you. YES. How DARE you lie to me like this. Do you think I wouldn't worry about you when I came back and found you missing?"
"Ah can take care of mahself, yah ain't my mother."
"Your right! If I was your mother I wouldn't think twice about doing something much more drastic than-"
"Why don't ya'll just respect mah wish to-"
"Why don't you respect me enough to tell me your plans instead of attempting to manipulate-"
"THIS COMING FROM YOU?!" Paige screams at Emma. "You manipulate anything with a pulse. Ah'm not gonna get a hypocrite tellin' me what to do. Sam was right. Ah'm outta here."
With that Emma's eyes flare white "No. You are not. You are staying right here and we will finish this argument in the morning." Emma Frost telepathically grabs onto Paige's mind and body functions forcing her student turn around.
"Ah hate you." Paige growls under her breath as she gets into bed not unlike a zombie, no longer in control.
Emma breaks her control over Paige and turns to leaves the room. "Right now I'm not to fond of you myself." She says and shuts the door.


Chapter 8
------------

"Thanks for coming, Hank," Sean says while shaking Dr. Henry McCoy's hand.
"Of course, my Irish companion. I am only inquisitive as to why you haven't allowed my presence here earlier."
"Sorry, Hank. It's just that I was hoping the lad would straighten himself out socially first. But we don't seem t' be making progress with him."
"The Professor and a certain Mrs. Jean Grey Summers have detected his presence on the astral plane for months now and have expressed concern for the boy's welfare."
"Aye, I can see why. Such a power increase in such a short time can be dangerous. And I don't know how emotionally stable he is now."
"Well, only one way to find out. Where is young Starsmore?"
"I'll call him." Then, without raising his voice a decibel, Banshee looks up and speaks a word. "Chamber?"
"I could have done that myself, Sean," Beast grins. "You want me to go get him, eh?"
Suddenly, the door to the medlab burst open and Chamber floated into the room. "Yer called me, Cassidy?"
"Oh my stars and garters..."
"Afternoon, Dr. McCoy. Are ya surprised by me appearance?"
"No, Chamber. I am overwhelmed by your ability to hear Sean summon you."
"It ain't that difficult, sir. I was only a few yards off campus."
"Of course," Beast smirks. "My mistake. Won't you have a seat? This won't take long."
Jonothon sits down on a bed and Beast begins running his tests. Every once in while, Beast pauses to mention a word like "intriguing" or "fascinating." Sean anxiously observes from the sidelines, desperately awaiting the results of the examination.
Suddenly, Jonothon looks up. He can feel Paige's anger; her distress appear in his own thoughts. Without warning, he rises and shoots like an arrow through the ceiling out of the medlab.
"CHAMBER! Dammit lad, the tests aren't finished yet!" Banshee calls out, but Jonothon is long gone.
"It's all right, Sean. I believe I have what I require. The results are... staggering!"
Banshee glances over at the Beast, who stares down at some chart read-outs. "What is it Hank? What have ye discovered?"
Beast begins pacing. "To begin, young Starsmore now seems to be a psi of the first order with an unknown amount of power at his disposal. You said he willed The White Queen out of his mind months ago?"
"That he did, Hank."
"And she has years of training and experience. But that's not the most remarkable discovery! I ran several tests to learn more about the damage done to his body."
"And?"
"According to these results, young Starsmore's body seems to be nothing more than... an outer shell!"
"What are ye saying, Hank? What does that mean?"
Beast looks directly at Banshee. "I'm not sure. I've never seen anything like it before."


Chapter 9
------------

Paige finishes getting changed. She looks at the window and then to the door. Arms crossed she ponders using one of the other and simply leaving. Why stay? She's not a mutant anymore, no chance of becoming an X- man, and she can't put up with the baby treatment. She can't help but thing of how it was like when she 'borrowed' money from the offerin' plate and told the pastor she didn't, only to have her momma pull the change and bills from her back pocket. Paige pulls the covers over her head and proceeds to sink further into an already foul mood. Her momma never threatened to keep her sedated for the night. She's sick of Emma being over protective. What happened to her is over. Done. Finished. Unlike Chamber it's left no ill effects... except for her inability to husk.
"Do yer truly believe that gel?" Jonothon's voice pops into Paige's head as the room lights up with flickering colors. She looks out the window and sees a red tinted flame as he floats outside the window. The window unlocks and opens as he floats inside.
"No offense Jonothon, but I'd really like it if you didn't read my thoughts. It's very uncomfortable." Paige says as she sits up in bed, taking her pillow and using it as a backrest.
"Emma resorting to mind games?" Jonothon simply replies without emotion.
"What should you care?" Paige says as she grabs the flannel from the edge of her bed and puts it on over her oversized tee-shirt. Jonothon stares blankly at Paige, still floating inches above the floor.
"I was in the medlab an' I 'eard yer soundin'... unsettled."
"You heard me in Massachusetts? Are you serious?" Paige exclaims.
Jonothon stares back at Paige, "Do I look serious...?"
"How did you know.. and why did you come? You've been so isolated lately."
"Are ya implyin' somethin', gel?" he says. The fact that he answers with no emotion in his voice worries Paige. She decides to push more; perhaps the old Jonothon is still somewhere in that flame.
"Ah- I know you care. If you didn't you wouldn't have done what you did. Back with Sinister." She climbs slowly out of bed keeping it between the two of them, "Why did you come here?"
"Ya screamed." Jonothon says as he crosses his arms.
"Yeah.. well it was nothing." Paige says as she breaks eyecontact.
"If yer not in trouble," Jonothon says as he starts to hover out the window.
Paige backs up almost subconsously. Millions of questions start to flood her head at once. Foremost "why is he acting like this?" In the blink of an eye, Chamber's form is right in front of Paige. She gasps at how fast he can move; one second he was half way out the window the next he is right in front of her across the room.
"ACTIN' LIKE WHAT?!!!! I THINK 'INHUMAN' IS THE WORD YER LOOKIN' FER. AN' DON'T I FIT THE TERM PERFECTLY? LOOK AT ME PAIGE!!!" he screams, his telepathic voice raised the loudest she's heard in the months since they returned to school. Her ears aren't ringing, but her head feels like someone just took a bat to it.
"What ABOUT you? Fill me in here! I can't read your mind, your the one that's constantly monitoring my thoughts, REMEMBER?" She snaps back.
"Monitorin' yer thoughts? As if I could help it. Things have changed a bit if ya 'adn't noticed... I'M A MONSTER!! LOOK AT ME!!!"
"YOU MADE YOURSELF THIS WAY!!!" Paige shouts before she finally collects herself. "I don't know WHAT happened, but I know you saved my and Angelo's life and-"
"Yer lucky I'm maskin' this conversation or..."
"Or WHAT Jonothon? While ya've been doin' this to yourself, Angelo an me have-"
"MOVED ON?" Jonothon turns his head away from Paige and looks at the bed. Suddenly Paige is telekinetically flung across the room and lands with a thud on the bed. Unhurt but shocked, she tries to sit up but can't. Jonothon floats over to her. His body now engulfed in a raging psioinc fire. "Ya really think ya've moved on?!?"
Paige again tries to sit up but can't.
"Stop," she simply whispers as Jonothon dulls the fire from one of his arms. Paige feels the warm burn of a tear roll down the side of her face. She tries to wipe if off, not wanting to admit that she's almost as terrified as she was that one night. She can't move. What was an uncomfortable feeling quickly become a full fledged terror. "LET ME GO!!!" she starts to scream, no longer in rage, but in pure fear.
"It's all in the past, right Paige? Sometimes life throws ya a curve and ya have t' adjust yer batting stance? Is that how it works? Well if yer moved on, then WHY IN BLOODY HELL ARE YOU SO SCARED OF ME RIGHT NOW?!!"
With that Jonothon floats over to the window and starts to float out of it. He releases his telekinetic grip on Paige and she sits up almost instantly.
He is right, and she knows it. She wipes the side of her face with the back of her hand and represses a shudder. "That's not fair." She says as she swallows down what threatens to become a sob.
"LIFE isn't fair Paige." Jonothon says, again his voice emotionless.
"But you don't have to-"
"Live it alone? Monsters don't fit into society, Paige, no one..."
"Ya know that ain't true. You KNOW!! You can read my thoughts from thousands of miles.. why can't you accept-"
"This conversation is done." Jonothon lowers the flame so his arms, face and legs are no longer engulfed.
"Ah loved ya once!!!" Paige grabs his arm "Ya were disfigured, but it didn't matter! It doesn't matter! You had feelings and you cared and-"
"You were confused." Jonothon states coldly and floats out of the window.
Paige releases Jonothon's arm. She looks at him through slited eyes. "You're right. You ARE a monster now."
Jonothon looks back at her. For a brief second she swears she sees the old Jonothon's pain lingering in his eyes, but that is quickly replaced with an emotionless giant psionic flame as he re-engulfs himself. The window slams shut in front of Paige locks itself. Jonothon is gone from sight by the time Paige can unlock and open the window.
Chapter 10
-------------

In Pittsburgh, some will claim to have seen a shooting star soar through the air. But anyone who knows Jonothon Starsmore would know that it was more like an angel fallen from grace than any shooting star. Carrying himself with his telekinetics, Jonothon has traveled almost halfway across the continent in approximately two hour's time.
Whether he is taking his time, even Chamber himself doesn't know. But the young man travels on to nowhere in particular, fueled by rage as much as the psionic energy he naturally produces.
For six months he had controlled his feelings. For six months he HAD no feelings. He taught himself to displace certain traumatic events from his mind to ease the pain he could not endure. In exchange, he unknowingly sacrificed Jonothon Starsmore. However after his confrontation with Paige Guthrie, for the first time he is unable to contain the anger and hurt locked away in his mind.
"Ferget about the gel. She had no idea what she was talkin' about," he reassures himself. "Yer doin' what ya need t' be doin'." He scans the streets of Pittsburgh, and all seems to be well. Then finally, in an alley fifteen miles away, Chamber detects a sense of distress.
Three minutes later, Chamber is hovering above the alley, masking his presence from the people below. Two men with purple and yellow hats, one armed, had a crying, half naked young woman cornered in the back of the alley. Enraged, Chamber makes them aware of his presence and sets himself down between the girl and the men.
"HOLY CHRIST!" the first man screams. He points his gun at Chamber and begins to fire away, but the bullets melt within a twelve inch radius of their target.
The gun flies out of the man's hand as Chamber moves towards him. "Scum."
"WHAT ARE YOU?"
"Yer judge. Yer jury. And of course, yer executioner. Of all the scum in this detestable world, you are the most pathetic, cowardly and disgusting. I'm gonna take me time with you."
Suddenly, the man is telekinetically tossed all over the alley. His body is flung through garbage cans, directly into brick walls, and dragged through the dirt.
Finally, his broken, bloody body resting on the ground, he looks up at the glowing figure hovering over him.
"You... son of a... NOOOO...!" The man screams as Chamber's flame erupts from his torso, disintegrating the man into nothing.
Chamber looks up at the other man, who has picked up the gun and trembling points it at Chamber. With a quick scan, he senses the girl has worked up enough courage to run out of the alley.
"St... stay away from me!" the man trembles, pointing the empty weapon at Chamber. The man receives a cold stare from his maker, and in a flash he is laying on the ground with Chamber standing over him. Chamber pulls back his fist as it erupts in a psionic flame.
"OH GOD! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! I DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT! THEY SAID I COULDN'T JOIN IF I DIDN'T, AND IF I DIDN'T THEY'D KILL ME AND HER! OH GOD, PLEASE!"
Chamber pauses and looks at the figure before him, a boy no older than sixteen. The boy closes his eyes and grabs the crucifix around his neck. "Oh God. I'm sorry . Please forgive me... I didn't want to do it. Please God..."
And as the boy prays for deliverance, the rage in Chamber's eyes dissipates. The glow around his pulled back fist vanishes as he lowers his arm. "Go."
The boy opens his eyes, stunned to find himself alive. He gets up, and sobbing runs out of the alley, leaving behind the empty gun and the yellow and purple hat. Chamber falls to his knees "Oh God. What have I become?"
Just months earlier, Jonothon Starsmore sat on a cold floor and prayed for deliverance, not unlike the young boy who had just cried out to God for mercy moments ago. Now, after seeing his own face in the boy he almost destroyed- after months of being intangible- Jonothon prays once more.


Chapter 11
--------------

"Ah.. don't understand. Why me? What does Jonothon have to do with any of this?" Paige murmurs as she attempts to keep her eyes open. Wondering where Angelo is, she passes out for a little bit, and keeps phasing in and out of awareness. Last she remembers she was holding Angelo's hand right after Sinister shot something into both of them. Right now he's taking some sort of readings on her. She can hear a slow and steady "beep" of some intrument.
"Fertility drug. What did yah mean by that?" Paige isn't sure if she actually asked the question or if she thought it.
Sinister laughs and Paige feels another needle pierce into her arm. She'd flinch or pull her arm back, away from all his needles and pain, but she can't, nothing of her body is responding. It's even hard to breath. It's taking everything and more she's got just to stop from drifting into sedated sleep.
"Unlike most 'morphs' you become what you change into, not simply an impression or a replica of it."
The beeping in the room grows louder, Paige tries not to let the slowly increasing tone distract her.
"Don't understand." She mutters. She can't see now, only hear Sinister shuffling around and feel him cutting off her shirt and sticking something cold to her chest. She wants to kill him. The only think she can really see now is the red shine of his inhuman eyes.
"Think of it. If I were to give you the encoding of say the Summers and Grey into your system, making you change into a base template. From there I could pick and choose what to do from there. Of course you wouldn't develop any of their abilities, but your offspring would bear the combination and then the added factor introduced. Instead of using a clone like I did before.." He chuckles as his red eyes burn into Paige's soul. He presses two fingers to her neck, taking her pulse. "Mr. Starsmore will be a good, inaugural probation."
The background noise becomes the foreground noise with the repeated "ping" of the heart monitor increasing in rapidity and tone.
Paige tries to talk above the deafening sound, praying to talk Sinster out of what she knows he's implying, "Yah want me ta... but ah never-"
"That will soon change you willing or not." The beep screams and so does Paige, as Sinister jabs yet another needle into her this time into the inside of her left thigh.

Paige lashes out with her right arm, grabs the alarm clock and smashes it back down on the nightstand. "Damn." The ringing from her nightmare stops, but not the memory of the dream. She slowly untangles herself from the bedsheets and wipes the sweat off her brow.
That was more than the average flashback. Paige makes it to the bathroom in time to get the shakes. She hasn't had a flashback like this ina long time. She slowly starts to stand up, still holding onto her stomach and the side of the toliet for support. The bathroom door knocks at her.
"Uh.. Hello?" she asks the bathroom door.
"Paige." Emma's voice filters through the door.
"Um. Yeah. Just a second Mz. Frost I'm.. getting dressed." Paige responds, half telling the truth. Now if only she had the luggage in here to get the clothes to change into.
"Times I miss being able to husk #201" She thinks to herself.
"Paige," Emma again states. No emotion. Just saying it as if it were a greeting like "hello.".
"Yeah.. uh okay." Paige says and opens the door.
"Paige."
"Yeah. Um okay. Well .. Mz. Frost. I'm really sorry about the way I acted last night. I'm sorry I tried to manipulate you into taking me here so I could find out if this doctor was any relation to Sinister, when I could have just as easily asked you to find out for me but-"
"... I feel useless and wanted to prove that I can do something even without my mutant powers. And wanted to be able to bring back proof to Jonothon that it's over and that he can get off his powertrip." Emma completes the speech for Paige.
Paige scratches the back of her head and looks down at the tile floor of the oversized bathroom. "Chamber. He's Chamber. Jonothon is dead." Paige corrects Emma.
"Please. He may have blocked from me what happened between you two last night but you and I both know the truth. Now Breakfast? We can even go to a place like Denny's."
Paige smiles. That was as close to an apoligy she was going to get from Emma.


Chapter 12
----------------

It is about late evening when Paige has finished wide eyed staring at the television bashing old B movies that are showing on the Sci-Fi channel. She was SUPPOSED to be out watching a baseball game, or visiting the brewery or doing something tonight, but after the meeting with Dr. Essex and his strange and rushed questions, she stayed in the room.
She stands and stretches. Emma Frost is sprawled out on a sofa with a blanket covering her. Paige smiles. Sometimes it's hard to think of Emma as a person, but somehow with her teacher flat on her back slightly snoring with a very small stream of clear drool working it's way down her cheek, the papers for her presentation under her as a blotter, it's hard to think of her as anything BUT a person.. a person with a vampire or something in her.. but a person.
Paige turns off the television and quietly goes back to her room and boots up the laptop. She opens the "Files on How to Be a Mutant again" folder and starts to write about the conversation she and Dr. Essex had. Leaving out all parts with her being uncomfortable out, of course. Which scratches almost all the converstion.
She looks at the entry. "Okay Guthrie. Think. He looks nothing like Sinister. But Sinister is a morph of some sort. He knew alot about me, but he contributed it to scanners, which I have no clue if he was lyin or not. Then he said he needed a DNA test. Which means he didn't know me... But then he was so willing to give me the test. DNA tests are not cheap. Why the intrest in someone he's met only a few minutes?"
Paige runs a hand through her hair and rests her head in her other hand as she stares at her computer screen looking over all the infomation she's typed up.
"He's working at a REAL place. I've already looked into that ... Even has goverment funding, which came WITH Mr. Essex. Two Nate Essex's BOTH working in genetics. Both with simular interests in the field.. and.. "
The blood in Paige's whole body freezes, How DID he know her last name. She never gave him her last name, or anyone at the office her last name... and how DID he know she had problems with her powers? Where were his diplomas? His ability... post a few things around the internet, he'd get hired by a struggling research firm, a small office wouldn't really care as long as this man could help them get funding from the goverment with his break throughs and unique insight. What if he was Sinister trying to go honest?
If that could happen. What if he was trying to get money and equipment so he could try this whole experiment over again? Look what he's done to the whole Summers clan.
The door to her room creeks open and Paige can hear the sound of Emma's high heels on the floor.
"You are going to kill a man on the basis that you beleive he's a man that's been dead for almost a year."
Paige turns from her computer and saves the file to a floppy disk and tosses it on the bed. She slowly stands up and turns off her computer.
"Maybe you're wrong Mz. Frost. With all due respect, it wouldn't be the first time." Paige says hoping NOT to get into another fight, but it seems unadvoidable, "I hate to argue with you. But I figured this out. NOT you. It's my fight, not yours. Not Chamber's, or anyone else's but mine."
"Now what are you going to do Paige. Kill him?" Emma repeats.
Paige pauses for a second, not knowing how to respond. Finally she bites her lower lip and coldly states the truth. "He deserves it." With that statement shattering everything she's believed in her whole life.
"I'm sending you home. I'll have someone look in on this Sinister deal. Someone who's not personally involved. I believe you're wrong. There's no trace of him anywhere on the psionic plane so-"
"Maybe he's found a way to stop from bein' detected. He's not stupid." Paige slides open the window to her room. In the back of her mind she knows she's not coming back.
"You're going to kill an innocent man and you will go to jail and throw away all of your dreams just because you think he's-"
"He's Sinister, and he knows I'm around, and if I don't do this now it will be to late. " Paige says. She is about to push off of the ledge when Emma grabs her arm and drags her back in the room. Paige glares at Emma. "Listen to me Emma. It. Is. Sinister."
Emma's eyes narrow. "Paige, you do this and you'll be no better than Chamber. Look what his revenge did to him."
"I don't plan on coming back." Paige states, simply speaking her thoughts.
"Thousands of women get raped, do you think all of them don't feel the same way you do?"
"Go to hell." Paige jumps up, pushes Emma to the floor and goes to open the door to her room. She doesn't make it before Emma telepathically grabs onto her mind. This time Paige falls to the floor partly sedated. She continues to reach for the doorknob.
"Paige. I'm calling Banshee now. We'll send you home and then find out about this whole Essex person in a professional manner. This goes far past simple revenge," Emma explains as she picks up the phone. She frowns and checks to see if it's plugged in. "The phone's dead." she mutters as she looks down at Paige. A look of panic crosses her face. "Paige.. get up."
Paige turns on her side, feeling like her body is weighed down or like someone is stepping on her holding her down.
"Let go o'mah mind and ah can." She says as best she can through slurred speech.
"I.. I did. Get up." Emma orders. "Husk. Stand up."
"Ah'm not moving. Yah didn't. Ah'm trying to move. Heck if I could move my hand I'd be crawlin' over t' strangle yah 'bout now." Paige slurs.
Emma steps over Paige and opens the door. "I'm going to call someone. GET UP."
"Ah'm telling you.. LET GO of my mind and I WILL," Paige screams, it being nothing more than a simple muttered comment. She's NOT finding this funny.
Emma doesn't respond, for as she stepps out of Paige's room, she is greeted by one of the last things she hoped to see.



Chapter 13
-------------

"Emma Frost. It has been far too long." Comes a very recognizable deep voice.
"Sinister," Emma coldly states, as the dark figure steps into the doorway. "How appropriate you show up now, just in time to make a mockery of me in front of my student. I just finished telling her you were dead."
"Timing is one of my greatest virtues."
Paige remains helplessly sedated on the floor. Every nightmare she has had in the past year was coming true. She feels the sweat pour down her face as her heart practically jumps out of her chest. Fear itself is standing at the doorway, reflexively she claws at the floor trying to move to behind the door.
"Get over yourself, Sinister. Tell me what you want before I lose my curiosity to know."
"Fortunately for you, White Queen, I desire nothing of you. I have simply come to reclaim something that belongs to me. You have already graciously packaged her up so neatly on the floor, all I need do is pick up the package and be on my way."
"Sorry to disappoint you, Essex. There's a policy I have at my school against giving students away to deranged lunatics such as yourself." Emma's expression suddenly grows serious. "Leave. Now. Before I am forced to make an example out of you."
"I am enthralled by women who know what they want. It is of no wonder how you got yourself to the top of the business world. It is unfortunate, however, that you have no power over me, as you have no power over your pupil any more."
"Last chance..."
"I grow tired of your nonsense, Emma Frost. I will have what I came for." Sinister moves forward and pushes Emma out of the way, knocking her against the wall.
"Now THAT wasn't very polite." Emma stands up straight and attempts to overload all the synapses in Sinister's brain.
Sinister's reaction is solely an evil laugh. He turns around to face Emma, still laughing. Emma's confident look is suddenly replaced with a foriegn expression... an expression of fear. "That's... impossible."
"Goodbye, White Queen. You were an unworthy opponent, yet I will get some satisfaction out of your death." Sinister raises his arm and sends an energy blast into Emma's chest, knocking her through the wall into the bathroom.
He then turns to face the crippled girl, and smiles at her. Paige starts to claw at the wall trying to stand up. She wears a blank expression on her face as she powerlessly watches Sinister walk over to... the phone?
"What... are you..."
"Patience, child." Sinister picks up the phone and dials a number. He waits, and then speaks... in a female voice:
"Sean Cassidy please. Oh, hello, Mr. Cassidy, this is Mrs. Thomas, Everett's mother..."
Paige's horror grows larger. She tries to scream. All she has to do is scream, then Sean would know something was wrong. That Emma or someone in St. Louis was in trouble. No sound comes.
"I'm afraid there is some bad news. Alonzo has grown ill and we had to take him to the hospital... no, nothing serious, I hope. The doctor says it's just a cold. But you know how large a cold is to a child not yet two years old... Well, actually there is something you can do. Alonzo keeps asking for his "padre." If you could... oh, that would be wonderful! Have him take a flight in the morning? Great... oh, you'll send Everett too! Thank you for the information... that will help a lot... it will be good to see my boy again. Thank you, Mr. Cassidy. I can't wait to see them. Buh-bye."
Sinister hangs up the phone and grins as Paige, who stares back in a mix of awe and pure hate. He then walks through the new hole in the wall, and finds Emma's battered body covered in rubble by the bath tub.
Barely conscious, Emma struggles to look Sinister in the eye. "I... will... kill... you..."
Paige still remains restricted to the floor in the other room. "No... not happenin'... this is not happening... gotta get up... help Ms. Frost." Paige managed to move her head to see the back of Sinister as he stands over her teacher.
"You will do no such thing, Frost. The last thought you will bear is of the fact that you rendered your student helpless on the floor. The thought that instead of protecting your charge, you handed her over to a fate much worse than yours. Death. The irony is almost angelic, isn't it?"
Sinister raises his hand, and at point blank range releases another blast, rendering Emma Frost silent. The cloud over Paige's body and the weights on her limbs lift. Paige gets to her knees, and starts to stand up.
"You." She simply growls, "Yah killed mah teacher. Ah'm gonna kill yah. "
"Come now Miss Guthrie." Sinster laughs and reaches a hand for Paige's face. As if the hand its self helds some sort of power Paige feels the anger drain out of her body replaced with pure fear again. She stumbles backwords wide eyed as Sinister slowly walks into the room. Ever part of her body WANTS to kill Sinister, but every part of her body is equally racked my memories of pain and fear that he causes.
Paige freezes. She tries to get up off the ground but her body is frozen by terror as she can only watch her doom come in the form of Sinister as grabs her by the front of the shirt and picks her up like a limp rag doll off the ground, instead of screaming she can't stop sobbing. This is NOT how she expected a confrontation.
"Not to worry, Ms. Guthrie. It will all be over soon. I can understand your torment. Anyone who comes near you gets hurt. Is that what you are thinking? But come now, Paige Guthrie. You have a scheduled appointment with Dr. Essex."

Chapter 14
--------------

Chamber gazes over the beautiful city of London. Much of it can be seen by the naked eye, especially when sitting on top of the clock known as "Big Ben." Silently he stares at the city as a single tear rolled down what was left of his cheek. Although silent and still, war was occurring inside Chamber's mind. It was as if a tremendous brick wall was tumbling down, allowing thousands of trapped emotions to flow through. Feelings have become foreign to him, and he finds himself having difficulty dealing with them.
Almost a day has passed since he let the boy, a would-be rapist, run free into the night. This is one thought that Chamber keeps playing through his mind. The other main thoughts are of his discussion with Paige in her hotel room. And finally, thoughts of the Sinister nightmare, memories he has repressed for several months, begin to flow through his mind as well.
Chamber, his psionic flame down to a minimum glow, reflects on the recent events that have transpired. "What did I see in that kid? What made me snap?" But he knew the answer. Months earlier, he himself had prayed hard before Sinister had forced him to commit the ultimate violation upon one of his closest friends. His prayers went unheeded.
Hours ago, this young boy prayed for mercy as Chamber did months back. It was happening all over again. Only now Chamber had placed himself in Sinister's role. By releasing him, by showing mercy, Chamber had somehow regained something he lost... his humanity.
More tears flow out of Chamber's eyes; eyes that are his normal color for the first time since he had killed Sinister.
"It all seemed so right. How could I 'ave been so wrong?"
Perhaps he saw himself inside the young boy. Perhaps he saw more. But whatever it as he saw, it was enough to let the persona of Jonothon Starsmore emerge after a long leave of absence.
"It's about time ya face the bloody music. Ya've been hidin' from this far too long. How could ya 'ave been so bloody ignorant?" Jonothon thinks more of his behavior over the past months and hangs his head in disgrace.
"In runnin' from the past, I lost meself along the way. Look what I've become? Some night time vigilante takin' the laws into me own hands. I let Sinister win after all."
He thought back to a conversation that occurred months ago. '"Look, Jono, Ah was kind of hoping we could... talk."
"We are talkin', Paige."
"Yeah... no... I mean... about what happened..."
"We all did what was required under the circumstances. That's the way life goes sometimes. I'm sorry about the inconvenience. Yer can be assured that or anythin' like that will never happen t' ya again."'
Jonothon slammed his fist down. "Ya ruddy plonker! There she was reachin' out t' ya! She needed ya ... NO... she needed ME. An' I wasn't there fer 'er. What kind of a friend am I?"
'Ah loved ya once!!!... You're right, you ARE a monster now.'
Damn. I ruined me friendship... and the chances of much more. I let Sinister take away the most imprtant part of me. I have t' try and make things right."
Jonothon opened his mind and reached out halfway across the world, hoping to pick up Paige's thoughts and maybe communicate to her. Instead, he picked up something a lot different than expected.
'No... not happenin'... this is not happening... gotta get up... help Ms. Frost.'
Jonothon grows nervous as he feels Paige's feelings and hears her thoughts. Complete and utter fear.
'Not to worry, Ms. Guthrie. It will all be over soon.I can understand your torment. Anyone who comes near you gets hurt. Is that what you are thinking? But come now, Paige Guthrie. You have a scheduled appointment with Dr. Essex.'
"SINISTER!" Jonothon screams out as his psionic flame grew large once more. He floats into the air and fights back his tears. "But how... never mind. It doesn't matter how... he's back."
Jonothon soars into the air. "I thought I finished ya, Sinister. But I failed t' get the job done, an' now Paige... I'm comin' for ya."


Chapter 15
---------------

"I must avow. I am unquestionably impressed. You no longer wince or even show any indication of pain when I insert a hyperdermic into your spine." Sinister comments as he takes a fluid sample. Paige Guthrie hasn't moved in the slightest since he picked her up off the floor in the hotel mere hours ago. He curses. It's as if she's shut off her mind. The only movement she has made was that of her eyes to watch him strap her into an old dentist chair. When he DOES need a reaction from her, THEN she shuts down her mind.
"As most of my facilities have been destroyed as of late, I must make due with what I have until I can get more finances for my projects," he explained. Hoping to get a reaction, he shows her where he intends to put Angelo once he is in captivity as well. No reaction.
"Unfortunately, you walked in on my cover prematurely. But no matter. I simply adjusted my plans. I will obtain the genetic samples I need, and having you here makes it easier. He will come. And when he does, you will once again watch a loved one fall before Sinister."
Still, no reaction from Paige. Sinister cups Paige's chin in his hand as he looks at her now vacant eyes, the only sound she's making is of her shallow breathing. Her eyes lock onto his. No hate, no fear, Nothing. Just as emotionless as the blue sky.
"If I had known that disposing of Frost would be all that was required to enter this state, I would never have forced you and Mr. Starsmore to engage like breeding factory dogs."
Sinister's lips work into a grin as Paige's face suddenly begins to distort with rage. Sinister smiles. Her pain will bring Chamber to him. He takes the incentive, "How does it feel to know that you are going to be bringing not only Starsmore, but a legion of your classmates to their doom?"
"If I had my powers. I would kill you." She growls, no accent what so ever in her voice for almost the first time. Sinister undoes the restraints on Paige's arms. He notices she's cut through the flesh on the back of both her wrists,both hands with small streams of blood making patterns over her knuckles. He smiles- perhaps she was angry and feeling pain all along.
"Stress does wonderful things Miss Guthrie... Haven't you tried husking every day? Did you give up on yourself? You've always had your powers-" He instantly lashes out with one arm and repins her arms down at her sides as she starts to frantically struggle to find out if he's lying. She tries with all her might to move against his grasp but to no advail.
"You've had your powers all along." Sinister laughs as he watches Paige's eyes grow wide with realization, "Do not tell me Paige Guthrie, aspiring X- Man, has forgotten how to use her mutant ability? Isn't the mental trauma induced on you a much more effective sedative than simple chemicals? Much more inexpensive as well." With that he pulls her out of the chair and throws her into a corner of the room.
Paige starts to rip out the wires that have been already inserted under her skin. One of the needles snaps off and remains lodged in her shoulder. She doesn't care. For the first time in a year she husks her skin off. But nothing is different. Paige screams and continues to rip at herself, but all that happens is the continual shedding of her skin, but no new form underneith. She screams at herself, she screams at her body, she screams at her mutant power, she screams at the fact that she knows deep down that he's right, she's had her mutant power, but she couldn't concentrate. So she stopped trying. Paige Guthrie just slams to her knees and screams. Sinister smiles. With a snort and laugh her turns away from her.
"Genetrash. Now if you don't mind, I must attend to an arrival for which I am expecting from Massachusetts."
He leaves the room and the metal door slides and clicks shut behind him. The only sound that fills the room is the deadline of the heartmonitor now unattached, and Paige frantically ripping at herself.


Chapter 16
---------------


"Madre de dios!" After an hour or two of cabbing to the hotel, they had buzzed Emma's room. No answer. Finally, they had gone up themselves. But when they had opened the door with a subtle use of sonics, they were greeted by a horrifying scene.
Emma Frost, prone on the floor, unmoving. Sean had quickly assessed her condition as Ev had dialed 911. Angelo frantically begins to search the room for any clue as to what had happened to his teacher- and to Paige.
Eventually, he finds himself in Paige's room, neat and clean. Everything seemed in complete order. Suddenly, Angelo's attention is grabbed by one element out of place. A sole computer disk on her bed.
"Angelo, the ambulance is downstairs. We're leaving."
"Er... you go ahead, chico. I think I'll stay behind and call a cab. I really need to see Alonzo."
"Understood, Ange. I'll tell Mr. Cassidy when I see him downstairs."
"Thanks, amigo."
Angelo stands still for a few moment until he is alone in the hotel room. He stares curiously at the disk, then reaches for it. He picks it up and slowly reads the title. MUTANT POWER. On impulse, he slips it into the disk drive of Paige's laptop and searches through the contents... journals, letters, files.
"I feel bad going through Paige's stuff like this..." Angelo thinks to himself. "...but this all too weird. This room is in perfect condition while next door is a war zone. Senora Frost is in bad shape, but Paige is nowhere to be found. Something doesn't fit. Maybe something on this disk will clue me in on what..."
Angelo's thoughts suddenly freeze as his eyes come across a word that sends chills down his spine.
"ESSEX."
His heart sinks, and he recalls a name that still brings him cold sweats and nightmares.
"The Essex Family Carnival."
"No... it can't be... she would have told me..."
And as hundreds of thoughts run through his mind at once, Angelo barely notices the shadow now looming on the wall in front of him, nor the hauntingly familiar laugh emerging from behind.



Chapter 17
-------------


There are things about evenings in St.Louis that stays with a person all their life. The cool breeze through the trees that brings a mix of both the city and the country in one breath. The light of the moon as it plays a reflection off of the arch. The Mississippi River reflects the moon as well as the being coated in pure psionic flame who flies under the arch and over the Stadium. People watching the game this late spring night mistake him for a misfired fireworks.
Jonothon Evan Starsmore has no time for these things. He doesn't notice the small brick houses as he flies over the suburbs of the city. All his attention is focused on finding Paige. He expects the worse. He saw through her eyes Sinister's cold stare and the chill his touch brings. Then nothing. He thought she was dead. But now as he enters the suburbs of St. Louis, he can detect her faintly again. He keeps flying with one thought on his mind. Making sure Sinister can never hurt her or anyone ever again.
Chamber lands and senses the guards are drinking some coffee, not doing their job. This doesn't surprise him, however. As this place is a small building, these are most likely interns learning to be security guards. But Sinister would be more creative, not all of them can be so innocent. This has to be a clean escape, and the less surprises on the way out, the better. Chamber drops his cover and turns back to take care of the guards.
It only takes a matter of seconds for a wave of Psionic flame sent along the ground to take out all the guards as they look up in shock at the glowing boy. Chamber floats over to them, knowing they are still alive he takes their pulses anyway. Out of all the men, an older one has a odd psi signature to him. As an afterthought he takes the gun out of the man's holster and checks it for bullets. None of the other men have guns.
"Ya won't be needin' this today, gov'nor," Chamber states as he slips the loaded weapon into his jeans. Again he raises his psionic fire around him, blowing open the door to the facility.
The place looks no different than any clinic one might find anywhere in America. That doesn't stop Jonothon, every door comes blasting down. After the last door he stops. A woman no older than thirty by her looks is cowering behind a desk. He knows she's there but doesn't care. He's here for one thing, Sinister. Nobody else needs to get hurt and by the fear on her face and that he can detect from her, he's the first mutant she's ever seen. She does nothing but whimper to herself at the sight of a boy encased in a flame.
He starts to examine the desks and shelves in the office looking for the work of Essex, hoping to find any new, or old, motive Sinister may have. He comes across a shelf of medical supplies and swiftly fills his pockets while praying he won't need them. Jonothon finds Essex's desk and reads through the papers on his desk as fast as he can. He looks back at the woman, who looks like she's about the faint. He turns from the file cabinet and looks at her as she opens a desk drawer. He points to her and simply utters the command "Sleep."



Chapter 18
--------------


Paige groans. The lights in the room reflect like Christmas lights. It should be calming but it isn't. She looks down at her hands there is blood all over them. She's finding it hard to deal with the fact that she's ripped at herself so much that her body, which hasn't made the attempt to do so for about 8 months stopped. She again feels the fresh wound on her face and winces.
The room smells funny, like some form or petroleum or naphtha. That's one thing that confuses Paige. The smell becomes overwhelming like someone was sticking a zippo lighter right under her nose.
"I am not going to fall." She reminds herself and starts to move to the door. The next thing she knows she's on her side and staring at her hand. She squints and focuses on her hand, clenches her fist and then rolls over and stands up. It almost seems surreal. The room looks like a Picasso painting. She realizes with a sinking feeling that she's been drugged.
But.. but...I husked and everything should be outta my system." The smell in the room is very overpowering and starts to burn her lungs. "The room itself is probably drugged."
"Yeah. That makes sense." Paige mutters. Then she looks up. "Who said that?" She turns her head. Her line of vision follows a few seconds later in slow motion. She grabs her head in both hands, then remembers she was holding her self up with both hands.
"Damn." She mutters and falls face forward.
"Bet it's hard to think with the fumes in the air here." A transparent image of a man appears hovering above Paige.
"Aren't you...?"Paige asks searching for the name but she can't remember..
"Yeah. I am. Listen Guthrie. I'll be blunt. You're going insane. You know it and Sinny knows it. Some of it's drug induced of course. In case you haven't noticed how hard it is to breath in this room. Sinister didn't want to give you the chance to escape really and he well.. wants you to drive yourself nuts. He doesn't want you for your brain or your charmin good looks."
"Typical guy." Paige mutters to herself. "Wants me for what's inside my genes."
"Now bein' rational would say we are beat down and to give up, right? No hope."
"Makes sense." Paige mutters as she slowly exhales.
"WRONG. Last time you did that you didn't realize that it was stress that was keepin' ya from huskin in the first few months, then you just stopped trying. Plus, think about what Sinister's gonna be able to do if he actually does what he plans with you. Think about the hell he's gonna raise. Think about what it's gonna be like for others, while you live in the rapture going through labor ever few months."
"Never thought about that, That.. sucks.."
"Yah know why? Yah only been thinkin' about how much you want to get the revenge on him that you couldn't get before cuz you were so busy cryin and coming outta the drugs. This is your change to kick his demon butt back on to hell . It's up to you. The guys aren't here, it's your chance. Before you fade out on me..Sinny'probably far from done with his attempts to drive you nuts," the partially visible man says.
"Not gonna-" Paige starts to mutter but gets cut off from her conversation with herself as the airborne sedatives take over.

Chapter 19
--------------

The door holds for only a mere second before melting under Chamber's psionic blast. He enters the room and looks at the shanty lab equipment. A metal table with restraints on it, and two more doors. Chamber growls to himself as he looks around at all the lab equipment. Memories of the past flood back.
In one corner of the room is Paige, curled in a ball and sleeping peacefully in a nest of her own husked skin. Jonothon looks around at the lab equipment and then turns on the fan to air out the room. One doesn't need to breathe to be able to tell this room is poisoned.
Chamber walks over to Paige and kneels down beside her. If he could smile he would. She looks strangely at ease, one hand laying over her heart where it raises and falls with every breath she takes, the other hand laying across her stomach. In spite of recent events, he somehow feels happy for the first time in a long time. He bends over, slides one hand under Paige's knees and the other around her ribcage in order to lift her off the ground. She moans like a little child being put to bed and turns slightly to the side in Chamber's arms. Chamber tries his hardest to keep his blue psionic flame from touching the girl. He starts to walk out the door, concentrating more on his psionic flame than on the situation at hand.
Suddenly, Paige snaps awake, straightens out and thrashes enough that he drops her. Paige hits the ground and rolls into a crouching position.
"Not gonna fall for it." She simply hisses.
"Gel, it's me luv. I'm gonna get yer outta here."
"Right. Ya ain't gonna play no more games with me.. Ain't gonna work Sinister. "
Jonothon steps forward with his arms outstretched. He notices for the first time that her shirt is ripped and she has small scratches down the side of her face. Her mental state makes it hard to read her.
"Paige. Look I know yer scared but we got to get out of 'ere. Before Sinister gets back..."
"Right. Always the hero. I don't need ya or nobody to save me. Ah'm not some little kid, so stop playing off of that Essex."
"Paige. I didn't mean that. Look, come with me and I'll go to Westchester and talk with Phoenix about me shape. Sound like a plan?"
By the look in Paige's eyes, Jono can tell she's not buying into anything he's saying. Somehow, he has to regain her trust. He reaches into the pocket of his jacket and removes a small box of medical supplies he had swiped from Essex's office. Long since having thrown away his old leather wraps, he pulls out some gauze and attempts to wrap himself up as best as he can
Paige stands up and walks over to Jonothon. "Oh I get it. The "old" Jonothon. Should I still call you Chamber?" she asks as if this were some verbal quiz.
"Gel, ya got through t' me. I wasn't right in the head fer a long time. You rescued me from myself, luv. An' I'm here t' return the favor."
He approaches Paige and puts his hands on her shoulders, then looks down at her. She looks back at him with her eyes full of confusion, then concrete certainty.
"Right." She simply says before bringing a sharp knee to Jonothon's groin. She slips the gun out from his belt, and then in one fluid motion brings both elbows down between his shoulder blades as he bends over in pain. "Jono would NEVER do anythin' like that!"
She brings a sharp kick to what's left of his ribcage before turning and running out of the room and up the stairs. Jonothon sighs, and begins his pursuit.

Chapter 20
--------------

"PAIGE! We don't 'ave much time!"
Paige holds the loaded gun next to her heart as she tucks the extra gun she found in the drawers of Sinister's office in the band of her boxers, with the jeans nicely covering the gun from view. She knows Sinister is coming. How he's able to talk directly mind to mind with her is a new trick. She remains huddled under his desk, ready to unload the bullets of the first gun into his kneecap as soon as he walks into the room.
"Paige. I know yer scared. It's really me. Look, remember the time you and I were in yer room. We sure made a mess o' the dorm didn't we?"
In fluent motion, Paige is up from under the desk. She jumps on top of the desk, and points the gun at what would be Sinister's eye level. Instead Jonothon walks into the room. Paige aims the gun at him. "Why.. why haven't you turned back?!!" she exclaims.
"Because I'm Jonothon." The boy replies directly to her head.
"Ya'll violate mah memories with me and Jonothon, then yah expect me t' shoot ya when ya in his form." She says as her hands start to shake, but she doesn't move the gun.
"I don't know what to say, luv. I don't know how I can convince ya. But I'm tellin' the truth. And the only truth I know right now is... I'll never hurt you again, sunshine. Ever... I love..."
Suddenly Jonothon falls to his knees in pain and looks up at Paige. His eyes betray him and his agony shows through. He barely catches himself from falling face first into the tile floor.
Paige blinks, "What?" She loses her caution and jumps off the table, gun still in hand and runs to his side.
"Jonothon?" she asks. He can't respond, he only looks at her in pain. She screams his name again and his only response is falling down. She holds him up and places his head on her shoulder, attempting to drag him into the office with her.
Before she can do so the door is obstructed with the presence of Sinister. He chuckles slowly as he looks at a device held in his left hand. In his right hand, Angelo is slumped over like a rag doll. He looks at Paige, who's holding Jonothon like an oversized child. He smiles and motions to the device in his hands.
"This wonderful apparatus allows me complete control over the psionics of any telepath or telekinetic I choose. He is helpless. This proved to be quite invaluable in your capture, Ms. Guthrie. I simply channeled Emma Frost's power and pinned you to the ground. Just as I use Mr. Starsmore's own powers on himself as I speak .If I were to use it to full power, Mr. Starsmore would die rather instantaneously. To think it would be all your fault."
Paige's confusion grows larger. She looks at Jonothon, then to the limp Angelo, then back to Sinister himself again. Wide eyed and flustered, she has no idea what to do.
"You've managed to do it again, Ms. Guthrie. Your teacher is dead. You can consider your friends here dead as well. Haven't you ever heard the expression, "Curiosity killed the cat"? You should have kept your nose in your own matters, Ms. Guthrie. Your entire circle of companions will pay for your mistakes."
Paige points the gun at Sinister and fires off all six shots into his face as she screams. She doesn't stop shooting even after all the bullets are spent. The clicking of the empty chamber doesn't seem to affect her. Her hand simply trembles as she holds the gun out and continues to attempt to fire.
"Does that revenge amuse you? Do you feel useful like Mr. Starsmore did? Do you feel you've enacted your vengeance for the wrongs I commited towards you? I'm sure you wished late at nights that you were the one that "killed" me, but instead you were the one who was sobbing like a useless child."
Sinister smiles as his face heals the small entry and exit wounds the bullets made. "Much like you are now. Save them. Rescue your two friends much like they tried and failed to rescue you. In fact.. twice now they tried and failed." He steps forward, as his smile grows.
Paige tightens her grip on Jonothon's leather jacket and pulls him even closer to her, almost threatening to smother him into her. She continues to fire the empty gun. Her voice starts to crack from screaming..He drops Angelo beside Paige as if he was a pile of garbage. In one swift movement, he removes the empty gun from Paige's still outstretched hand. He puts one foot on Angelo before he crushes Paige's gun. The dark man then allows the gun parts to fall onto Angleo's chest.
Paige reaches over and touches the side of his cheek. All the skin on his body is melted like putty. Her hand sinks into Angelo's flesh. She quickly pulls her hand away, and gasps as his skin sticks to her hand.
Sinister chuckles, "Aren't you going to save them? Where is the X-Man inside of you, Paige Guthrie?"
Sinister simply smiles and puts his now free hand on the weapon that brought Chamber to his knees. Paige can only bury her head into the shoulder of Chamber's jacket to hide her sob of anger and frustration.
"The X-Men, although my enemies, have earned my respect if nothing more. I see no X-Man in front of me, Paige Guthrie. You... are... nothing."


Chapter 21
-------------

"Step away from Chamber."
Paige ignores Sinister. Jonothon is still in incredible pain, and there is no way she will leave him alone.
"Step away from Chamber, or I end his tragic existence right now."
Almost no way. In a drone type manner, Paige hopelessly stands up and backs away from Chamber. Her eyes glance to the right and land on Angelo, who has not given any signs of life since Sinister carried him into the room.
"Such power in such a trivial little instrument. This invention is capable of much more than simply blocking my presence from first class psi's. Far more than just holding Starsmore down like the dog he is. Allow me to demonstrate."
Suddenly, Jonothon whips back onto his knees and grabs his head. Paige listens in terror as his psionic scream crashes through the astral plane and fills the physical room as well. Moments later, the screaming stops and Chamber flops to the floor.
"Wha... what did ya... wha..."
"I simply removed his guard, Guthrie. Do you believe that a psi of Starsmore's power can exist without screening out the thoughts of others? I lowered his defenses and allowed these voices to pass through his head. Imagine millions of voices sounding off at once. The laughter, the crying, the sighs and the screams. What is the difference when they're all amalgamated together? Enough exposure will undoubtedly cause madness. I wonder if any permanent damage has already been caused?
"Stop it."
"But there is so much more to show! Observe."
It begins with a slight twitch. Then a shudder. The convulsions become more frequent, and soon Jonothon's body is curled up in a ball shaking violently. Yet there is no scream. The only indication of pain can be seen in what is left of his face: his eyes are pinned shut, his forehead wrinkled down towards his nose.
Paige looks over at Angelo, he's still not moving. It triggers a memory. A memory of Los Angeles
She had watched as Angelo was beaten until he was no longer moving, much like he is now. Then she killed the man who did it. Then she killed the members of his gang. She turned to a form of energy and electrocuted even the ones who begged. Paige clenches her teeth. The last of Emma Frosts mental blocks broken down.

Chapter 22
---------------

Sinister's voice snaps Paige back to the present. "And now I bring his powers down on himself. Just as moments ago I dropped his defenses, essentially opening up his powers and mind to the entire globe, I now bring all his power down on him. To put it in terms you can comprehend...I am crushing him."
Paige simply starts to laugh. "Yo' do know Ah'm quite crazy now?" Her blonde hair hangs in strings, masking the fact she's standing with her head lowered looking at her empty hands.
Sinister shrugs. "I never needed you sane. If you were sane, you would try to escape and--" Sinister ends his sentence and simply looks at Paige, confused. He never expected this exact reaction. He expected submission.
Paige continues to laugh as she raises her head. Sweat is pouring down her forehead and the lines of red in her eyes clash with the blue. "Bein' close to Jono and seein' Angelo like that. Just happened to remind me. Reminded me of what Emma kept tryin' to make me forget. Ah ain't what you think ah am. Ah ain't no Jean Grey."
She starts to laugh so hard that the last few words are drowned out in laughter. In a fluid motion she reaches into her jeans and pulls out the gun. She shoots Sinister's hand as if she had used guns her whole life. She hits the remote, firing three times, effectively destroying not only the device but Sinister's hand.
Now laughing so hard that tears are gushing out of the corner of her eyes, Paige points a finger at Sinister as if she was laughing at him. "Ah'm gonna kill ya, from the inside just like ya did t'Jono 'n me!" She laughs as if it's a joke. She moves so fast that Sinister doesn't realize she's right on him until he hears a sound like ripping paper is heard. Paige pulls back her fist and in a fluid motion punches it forward, dragging her left hand and fingernails up her right hand as she brings it forward. Bringing it forward and right through Sinisiter's chest. The acid eats away the instant it touches him. Paige pulls her fist out of his chest letting more acid drip into the wound and eventually eat a open hole in him. She pulls away, her wrist still dripping the liquid onto the floor, the second it touches the floor a hole appears as it starts to eat at anything organic, or metalic.
Paige steps back in disbelief. What was her right hand continues to drip acid slowly onto the ground. She stares in disbelief and shock .
Sinister looks down. A small hole about the size of a fist has been pierced clear though his chest. He looks back at Paige. "Why Miss Guthrie, Are you finally making the attempt to kill me?" He looks down at the hole it has already doubled in size. He concentrates harder on healing up the wound but it's as if the hole is lined in the most potent acid he's seen. Paige smiles as she watches Sinister panic. The more he tries the heal the more the acid has to replicate itself with. "What.. IS this?" Sinister finally exclaims as the acid eats away his shoulders and neck.If Sinister is about to say more it is lost as the acid eats away the rest of his chest and moves down his legs, leaving nothing behind as it eats away.
"Does it matter?" Paige says as she staggers backward and sits down between Angelo and Jonothon watching Sinister's face as he panics. She holds what was her right hand close to herself trying to stop anymore acid from dripping onto the ground. The acid doesn't burn her, but she knows it will burn anyone or anything else. She looks back up at Sinister and smiles, "If you have nothing to regenertate with, You ain't gonna regenerate, but hey, you wanted this didn't you?""
Sinister would respond but he no longer can as the replicating acid has fully desolved most of his body destroying everything it contacts down to his RNA. Paige simply snickers as she ties off her right wrist with a strand of guase.

Chapter 23
-------------
Paige sits slumped against the wall. She releases a chuckle every few moments, her laughter growing less constant.
"Huh." She finally says. She half expects at anysecond that Sinister will jump out from the puddle of acid that's eating now through the floor. The stench is nearly overwelming. It doesn't affect her as much as it should have if the acid wasn't actually part of her. She lays down and puts her arms behind her head and simply looks up at the skylight. "Huh." She simply says again as she looks at the purple tinted sky. A bit of black smoke starts to cloud her view. The place is probly going to catch fire shortly. She rolls over on her side and looks at Chamber. For a few minutes she even forgot where she was or the pain of just a few seconds ago.
"Jono?" she ask asks as she takes his hand with hers and squeezes it gently.
"I'm... fine... gel... You should... see t' Angelo. Get 'im outta here."
"Ah... I can't leave you in here alone, Jono. He still might be..."
"He's gone, sunshine. Fer good. There's no... trace of him... on the astral plane. His... psi-signa..ture... is gone. You... did it."
A sense of release washes over Paige Guthrie. For a moment, she can't help but smile at the world. Her smile disappears as quickly as it had appeared when she hears Jono's moans.
"What's wrong!?"
"It... just hurts.. a bit. It'll pass.
"You'll be O.K.?"
"Get... outta 'ere." She nods and crawls over Angelo, the room quickly begining to fill with smoke.
"Ange? Wake up..." she begins as she starts nudging him. "Angelo! Wake up, Angelo! I can't do this by myself!" She starts shaking him violently, as she realizes Sinister could have done any number of things to Angelo. "ANGELO! WAKE UP! PLEASE ANGELO!!!"
She stops shaking him. Angelo does not move. She tries to feel around for a pulse but his excess of skin makes it near impossible. She pulls him up into a sitting possition, as best she can with only one arm. "Angie. Please, ya can't be dead. Your son needs ya, ah need ya." She whispers in his ear as she attempts to drag him. She can't, her body is still trying to recover from the loss of mass that came with her recent change. Paige would cry if she had any tears left, all she can do now is make the attempt to drag him. "Angelo, I'll do anything. Just come back." She whipsers one last time in his ear.
"Really? Anything? I do have a list you know." She hears him whipser in her ear. She almost drops him on the spot.
"You JERK!!" She can't help but grin dispite the fact the room is slowly filling with toxic air. "You were awake the whole time."
"No, but I would like to thank you for pounding on the rib that I think Senor psychopath broke on me." Angelo smirks, then coughs and grimices in pain.
"Can you walk?" Paige asks growing serrious. Chamber doesn't breath and the fumes will take a little while longer to bother her than they would Angelo Angelo coughs again, this time more violently, "I can stagger."


Chapter 24
-------------
"Huh. Told you to stop smoking." Paige snickers as she helps Angelo out the door. Black smoke follows them out the door. Angelo responds with a gag and a cough.
"The place is goin up in flames, or at least it will soon." Angelo says as Paige lays him down gently next to a payphone.
"I know. That's why I'm going back. Stay out of the way of the cops if you can."
"Yeah I can just blend in with the grass." Angelo says sarcastically before he is racked with another flood of coughs. Suddenly his eyes open wide and he lashes out a hand towards Paige. The skin wraps around Paige's waist and turns her around to face him. "You're not gonna do what I think your gonna do are you?"
Paige doesn't answer; she doesn't have to. Angelo runs his free hand up the side of her face. "Just, don't give up. " He says, "We've been through worse." Paige leans down, kisses Angelo on the forehead as she breaks away from his grip and runs back to the building. Angelo isn't sure if it's the smoke or the creeping feeling in his heart, but for the first time in a long time his eyes moisten up.

Chapter 25
-------------

Paige pushes herself through the flaming inferno. Fire now blocks the route she had taken out of the building. She's going to have to find another way. The good news is she knows the direction she in which she must travel. There is much more bad news.
The fire spreads rapidly, and heavy smoke begins to flood the hallway. The sprinkler system has long since kicked in, and has been effectiveless against the raging flames. She finds a fire extinguisher in the wall and pulls it out. She manipulates the body of the extinguisher under her arm and uses her remaining hand to point the hose. Attempting to clear a pathway, she manages to buy herself a few more seconds of time every time she uses it.
Acquiring, but hardly noticing, a few burns along the way, Paige approaches a wall she hopes lies between herself and the room Jono occupies. Praying the flaming wall is weakened by the fire, she uses the extinguisher as a ramming device. The wall crumbles before her, and Paige jumps into the next room.
Sure enough, Jonothon lies in the center of the room. The perimeter of the room is burning high, and the flame slowly moves itself towards the center of the room. Paige dashes towards Jono.
"Paige... what are ya.. doin'..."
"Ya think you're the only one who can do the butt saving on this team?" Paige responds as she sits Jono up.
"I can't even bloody move! How are ya gonna..." But suddenly, Jono realizes Paige's intentions. As he gazes into her eyes, he understands that Paige knew she would not be able to drag him out of the building. "Ya shouldn't have done this, gel."
"How are you feeling?"
Jonothon sighs. "I don't think I'll be flyin' us outta here, if that's what ya mean."
"That's not what I meant. Does it still hurt?"
"Every few minutes. I'm not worried about it."
Paige gravely smiles, then pulls Jono close to her. "Ah wasn't gonna leave you in here alone."
Jono doesn't respond. He gathers enough strength to lift up his arm, and places his hand on Paige's. The two wait in silence.

Chapter 26
-------------

The fire creeps closer to the two teenagers in the center of the room. Being together makes the waiting a little easier. Black smoke fills the room, and the breathing becomes more difficult with each breath. Of course, this does not phase Jonothon Starsmore. But each cough Paige Guthrie produces is another stab into his heart.
"Can't ya husk into some form to protect you from the flames, luv?"
Paige coughs. "Maybe in a little bit. Right now. It's too soon after my last change." Her words drowned with a few random coughs.
"Ya know, sunshine, it's odd... this situation. Fer the past... year, I... considered meself invul...nerable. I didn't think... anything could stop me. I was... bloody unstoppable. The almighty 'imself couldn't stop me. With... arghh..." Jono halts as pain momentarily overtakes him. Paige squeezes his hand. "With... me powers... the weaknesses that... make men mortal... didn't apply. Finally.. He finds a way. A natural... element. Not air... not water... not earth... but fire. In a way... it's... relieving... to find out I'm mortal... I'm human."
"Mortal or immortal, Jono. It doesn't matter. You're not a monster. You are human. I've always known that." The room grows blacker and blacker
The two can hear the sounds of fire trucks arriving outside. They know they will not be rescued in time. There is no reason to waste time on false hopes.
"It's too bad I... took so long.. to come around."
"Jono! Stop..." She is interupted by her coughs. "You're doing it again. Stop blaming yourself for everything. Just move on..." Her coughing becomes more uncontrollable.
"Lay down, gel. Try t' get under the smoke."
Paige lies down alongside of Jono. With all the strength he can gather, Jono removes his jacket and puts it over Paige's head. Paige raises one end of the jacket and spreads it over Jono's head as well.
Under the jacket, the two stare deeply into each others eyes. The outside sirens seems so far away For a few moments, Paige and Jono are at last together.
While in their joint gaze, neither one has to say a word. Paige doesn't have to express the feelings she has felt for him that have been developing since his arrival at school. Jono doesn't have to describe his feelings of inadequacy, his fear of hurting her, nor his unwillingness to admit his feelings to her. That is all in the past. Paige starts to say something but it's choked out with a gag and cough. Jonothon realizes the air past the point of anyone being able to breath. He can no longer see her even though she's only a foot away from him. He puts an arm around her and is relive to feel her sides rise and fall. He pulls her close and holds her head close to his shoulder. She moves her head slighly so she can look back at him. The only sound is that of her shallow breathing and the sirens outside.
They feel the heat growing hotter around them. Tears begin to form in Paige's eyes, but her smile shines through them. Both had felt alone for so long. They can hear the structure of the room crumbling around them as the flames purify their pasts. Both understand the cleansing, and appreciate it's beauty. All is forgiven.
The sirens grow louder. They seem to be approaching closer, yet at a higher pitch. The two embrace one last time before they are suddenly pulled apart.


Chapter 27
-------------

Paige is loaded into the back of an ambulance as she is treated for her burns. She smiles up at her fellow students, Angelo Espinosa and Everett Thomas.
"Thanks Everett."
"No problem, Paige. It was kind of cool, actually. I've synched with Mr. Cassidy's sonic scream before, but I've never actually flown with it. I should thank you for being so light. Thank God you weren't in rock form," Everett smiles back. "But Angelo's the one who made the call. He's the real one to thank."
"Angie. I knew you'd be there for me."
"Pah, can't let you die without a real kiss, verdad?"
The medic finishes treating Paige's wounds, then jumps out the back of the ambulance. She feels like mentioning to leave them be and in a few hours she can simply husk them off but it's nice to be normal for once.
"How's Jono?" Paige inquires as she sits up.
"Dr. McCoy arrived this morning. Mr. Cassidy brought Jono straight to him," Everett responds. "Last I saw him, he was gaining more and more strength. Really fast, actually."
"What about the pains he was having?" Paige asks further.
Everett looks over to Angelo, who turns to Paige and responds, "Those were increasing more to, and getting stronger."
Paige's smile fades into concern. "I want to see him."
"Lads," Banshee's voice comes out of nowhere. "There's been a change of plans...."
"What's wrong with Jono?" Paige shouts.
Sean sighs. "He started going in t' convulsions. Then 'e just shot away into the sky. I'm taking the jeep with Hank to go find 'im."
"I'm going with you..."
"No yuir not, lass. Angelo and Ev will go with ye to the hospital."
"Mr. Cassidy, Jono and ah have been... look, I know I can help him if ah'm there for him."
Sean hesitates. "Fine. Get in the jeep."


Chapter 28
-------------


Sean Cassidy's jeep tears into the streets of St. Louis. Banshee glances into his rear view mirror and looks at his students sitting solemnly in the back seat. He then turns his attention to Beast in the passenger seat, who is busy working with his tracking device.
"What do ye have for me Hank?"
"I've locked on to Chamber's psi-signature about two miles due south of here. It's curious that I have been able to lock on to him, a young man quite capable of masking his presence from our sensors."
"So ye think he wants us to find him?" Sean asks as the jeep peels around a corner.
"It seems that way. Or maybe he is not able to control his powers as well as he's used to as of yet. Either way, if my theory is correct, Chamber will need assistance in the near future."
"Ye think we can help him?"
"Psychologically, yes..."
"Dr. McCoy, what "theory" are you talking about?" Paige nervously asks.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, Paige," Beast replies.
"He's holding back," Paige mutters.
"Easy, Paige, I'm sure Dr. McCoy knows what he's talking about."
"I know Everett, I know. But he knows something about Jono and he's not telling us for a reason. And I want to know what it is."
Everett looks to Angelo and rolls his eyes.
"Don't look at me, amigo. I've been dealin' with that for three field trips." Angelo cringes as Paige elbows him in the stomach, and Everett can't help showing a smile.
"Straight ahead, Banshee. The readings mark Chamber's presence in the center of that park."
The jeep pulls to a screeching halt and the members of Generation X plus Beast jump out onto the grass. The team follows Beast as he leads the way to the center of the park. Suddenly, he stops short as does the rest of the team.
"What is it Hank? Why have ye stopped?" inquires Sean. Beast raises his arm and points ahead of him.
"There."
Banshee and his students look in the direction in which Beast points. In the distance they can see the glow of Chamber's psionic energy located up in a tree.
"Now, children, approach cautiously. We don't want to scare him off again, understood?"
"Of course, Dr. McCoy, now let's go..."
"Paige. Behind me," Beast orders.
"Right. Behind you," Paige grumbles.
Everett leans over to Angelo. "We better keep an eye on her."
"Wouldn't have it any other way, amigo."
Slowly, Beast approaches the tree currently acting as the dwelling to a distressed Jonothon Starsmore. He stops a few feet away from the tree and looks up at Jono, who resides on a branch in fetal position with a pained look on his face.
"Chamber? It's Hank McCoy."
"G...go.. away... I don't want... ya t' get hurt..."
"Chamber, I need you to speak to me. I want to help you."
"Ya... can't..."
"We don't know that for sure."
"I do... the... pain won't... go away..."
Beast sighs and looks back at Paige, Everett, Angelo and Sean. They all stand silently as they stare straight back at him. He turns his attention back to Jonothon.
"Jonothon... what is happening to you as we speak... is something marvelous..."
"Heh... easy... fer you t' say..." Jono interrupts.
"After all the tests I ran on you, I can safely guarantee you that what's happening to you is natural!"
"What?"
"This is your natural evolution, Jonothon. This is your mutation! What you are experiencing now is your further development, which no doubt was accelerated by your confrontation with Mr. Sinister months ago. This would have happened eventually, but the stress you were under triggered a sooner development."
Jonothon remained in fetal position. "You... 'ave got... t' be kiddin' me."
"I assure you, Jonothon, I kid you not."
"Then... why does it... 'urt so much?"
"Because you are resisting, Jonothon. You may not even know it, but you are resisting the metamorphosis. You are trying to fight against nature."
"Re... resistin' nature. I've learned... me lesson... about that.... How do I... make... it stop?"
"You can't stop your own evolution, Jonothon. No one has the power to do that. However, you do have the power to stop the pain. And to do that, you must let go."
"Let... go?"
"Yes. Stop fighting it, and the pain will subside. Let it happen."
"I... I can't."
"Don't be afraid, Jonothon. Remember, this is what was intended for you since your birth."
"But... life as I know it..."
"You will adjust, as always. Let go, Jonothon. Your destiny awaits you," Beast smiles proudly.
For the first time, Jonothon comes out of the fetal position and stands on the tree branch he was sitting on. He looks at Beast's encouraging smile, and glances back to his teammates. Finally, he locks eyes with Paige, who stares back with a comforting, yet cautious look.
As he looks upon Paige, Jonothon Starsmore "let's go." Suddenly his psionic flame grows large and seems to swallow up his body. This is followed by a burst of light that temporarily blinds his friends as they gaze upon him.
A few moments later, the light dissipates and their eyes begin to recover. Paige's vision is the first to return. She looks back to the now vacant tree branch where Jono was seconds ago. Slowly, her eyes travel down to the base of the tree and settle upon a ball of psionic energy.
"Jono?" The others watch as well as the ball of psionic energy slowly takes humanoid form.
"Oh my stars and garters..."



Chapter 29
-------------


"What do ya MEAN I still can't see him? Dr. McCoy? Beast?" With a growl of frustration, Paige slams her hand on the door of the medlab. "They haven't let ANYONE in there for TWO DAYS," she thinks to herself. "What are they DOIN' To him?"
She storms out of the medlab, angry and hurt. She nees to scream. She needs to rant. She needs to talk to Angelo.
She heads out to the boys dorm, storming past Everett and up the stairs to Angelo's room. She pounds on the door. "ANGIE? ANGELO? Are you in there?"
No answer. She trys to open the door. It is unlocked, but Angelo is nowhere to be found.
"Angie?" She looks out the window and then cranes her neck to try and look up at the roof. Angelo has a habit of sitting on the roof of the boys dorm when he is alone. Unsuccessful in her search, she pulls her head back inside the window.
"HEY! PAIGE!"Everett's voice calls out.
"Yeah, Ev?"
"If you're looking for Angelo, he's down in the garage."
"What's he doing there?"
"Part of the deal him and Banshee worked out about Alonzo, I think. Angelo helps out with the handywork with Chevy, and Angelo gets an 'allowance' to take care of Alonzo with. At least, that's what he told ME..."
"Thanks Ev!" She pats him on the shoulder and dashes out the door.
"You think those two were brother and sister or dating or something," Everett grins.


Chapter 30
-------------


"Are you sure you can do this?" Paige asks as Angelo takes apart the code key pad to the med- lab doors.
"Si. Easy as pie, as you Country Mice would say. The things I do for you, Paige. Cassidy and Dr. McCoy would kill me if they find out I helped you break into the medlab. And I'm not exaggerating."
"That's why I love ya, Ange. But I've been out of my head not knowing anything for the past two days. I have to see Jono."
Angelo sighs. "Understood." He touches one wire to another wire and the door swooshes open.
Paige marches quickly in, seeing Jono 'sitting' on a medlab table, and Beast hunched over a computer.
"JONO!" She cries out, and Dr McCoy raises his head. "GOOD HEAVEN!"
Angelo slips into the shadows as best as he can.
"When Paige Guthrie has her mind set on something.. best not get in the way," he thinks to himself.
"Paige, I expressly requested that no-one."
"Dr. McCoy, No offense sir, but I really think you're wrong and-" Paige begins as she works her way to a giant clear tube that appears to be holding a glowing yellow mass of energy.
Dr. McCoy jumps up onto a bar and grabs onto it with his feet, his face eye level to Paige's,effectively blocking her view of Jonothon. "How did you and Sam come from the same Mother?" he says calmly.
"Dr. McCoy, please don't change the subject. Why hasn't Jonothon been in contact with any of us? I mean if he's as powerful as he seemed to be.. wouldn't he be able to contact us even during your tests?"
Still hanging upside down Henry McCoy takes off his stethoscope and with one clawed and blue hand drops it onto a nearby examination table. "Paige, Jonothon has had to be secluded. His power is so intense now he's practically linked with every mind on the planet. It's going to take time for him to be able to-"
"NO! Ya.. you can't do that.. I mean.. I can't even talk to him?"
Beast sighs and drops off the bar, landing on his hands and doing a quick backflip away from Paige so he is standing again. "I'm sincerely apologize, but I can not allow it. To communicate, he'd have to make telepatic contact with you, and that would subject him to countless other factors we don't know if he can endure..."
Paige interupts Hank by pushing past him, trying to get close to the tube with the psionic energy floating in it. Before she can get close enough to tell for certain if it is Jonothon, a big, blue and hairy arm hooks itself around her waist and whisks her off the ground, back a few feet, and right out the door.
"The best healer of wounds is time."
"Ya know.. if he's not out in a day.. I'll be back." Paige says halfheartedly.
"I don't doubt it, Paige, 'It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion.'" Beast smiles at that then adds "Oscar Wilde." With that he gently shoves Paige out of the room.
Paige turns and walks down the hall for a few steps. She considers what Beast had said about subjecting Jonothon to a world of thoughts and feelings, and whether or not it was good for him. She pulls up a chair and sits down, trying to conjure up her next move. She looks up at the airvents above her and smiles.
"''Disobedience, in the eyes of any one who has read history, is man's original virtue..' Who am I to go against human nature? But then again, I could hurt Jonothon..."
"Is it so important t' talk t' me that ya'd risk the wraith of the Beast, sunshine?" Paige suddenly hears in her head. Taken by surprise, Paige falls out of her chair.


Chapter 31
-------------

"Jono? But I thought you couldn't..."
"I'm learnin'. It's taking a lot of concentration t' do this. It's hard t' shut everyone else out so I can't hear them and they can't hear me."
Paige rises and looks around. "Where are you?'
"I'm still in the medlab. Dr. McCoy fell asleep at his desk. Guess nobody's perfect."
Paige giggled slightly and then regained her composure. "Wait, you heard..."
"Everythin'."
"Everything. Oh. Well, if Beast is asleep I can get in there now and..."
"Why risk it?" Jonothon's voice booms in her head. Paige glances up at the airvent and sees psionic energy flow through and float down in front of her. The energy begins to change form and ends up resembling the shape of Jonothon Starsmore. Paige stares awkwardly. "So, what do yer think?"
"Ah.... ah don't... know... ah..."
"It's still me, luv."
"Ah know that, Jono," Paige responds, still staring awkwardly.
"Paige. Close yer eyes."
"Why?"
"Do ya trust me?"
Paige looks at Jonothon for a few more moments before closing her eyes. She feels as if her surroundings are changing, but keeps her eyes closed. "Can I open them?"
"Of course."
Paige opens her eyes and looks around her. The setting is strangely familiar, yet different. She turns around and sees Jonothon in his human form. "You brought us into my mind?"
Jono smiles and walks a few steps away from her. "This is the best place I can help ya, gel."
Paige wears a surprised look on her face. "Help me? What do ya mean?"
"Yer right arm, sunshine."
Paige pauses. "You think I can get it back?"
"I think I can," Jono smiles. "I feel I 'ave some experience in this area. Everyone has somethin' locked up inside themselves... everyone has brick walls. It's just a matter of bein' able t' tear them down."
"Brick wall?" Paige asks, a bit baffled.
"Look, sunshine." Jono points towards a brick wall, which Paige is sure wasn't there a moment ago. "Behind that wall lies yer strength, yer power, and most of all, yer confidence. Get through that wall, and I'm sure ya'll find yer answers."
"You think so? You think ah can husk mah... my hand back?"
"Unfortunately, I ain't an expert on body maintenance," Jono smiles, although with a sad tone to his voice.
Paige just raises an eyebrow at that. "This is so weird. I mean it's like a dream." She looks down at where her left hand should be.
"Where do ya think dreams come from luv? You can do whatever ya want here."
"Anything?.. and it's all in my head.. no consequences.. Humph?"
"Well. Er..." Jonothon clears his thought, "First step is that you should start imagainin' ya have yer hand here. Ya need to believe fer this to work."
Paige looks down at her hand and instantly she has it back again, "That was easy enough, and for the record I wasn't thinkin' what you thought I was thinkin'"
"I don't doubt it one bit gel. Now t' worry about the wall."
"But.. I don't get it? A wall? I mean I'm all for symbolism and all, Jono. But couldn't it have been something more inviting?"
"Like"
"Uh.. I don't know, a pizza box or something?"
"Paige, have ya been sleepin' a full 4 hours of sleep?"
The brick wall turns into a pizza box, complete with the smell of oven fresh melted mozzarella.
"That's more like it." Paige smiles and reaches over and grabs the box out of the sky and tries to open it. However, no matter how much she tugs at it, he box won't open. "What the?"
"Pizza. I have it as a great symbolic meaning, and you choose to symbolize yer hidden ablities and repshaped self as... a pizza."
Paige looks up from struggling with the box, "Well yeah, I'm hungry. What better inspiration than a pizza from Tony's ?"
Jonothon sighs and puts his arm around her. "First off luv, yer gonna have to will it open, not force it open. Do ya want that Pizza.. arm back?"
Paige starts to roll her eyes but stops herself. "More than anything." But the box still will not open. Paige starts to shake it.
"Yer still tryin' to force it open, yer have to will it open, not force it open."
Paige looks confused at this remank and tries willing it open without laying a finger on the box. The box remains closed.
"Damn!" Paige exclaims. Suddenly, she feels two hands touch each side of her waist as Jonothon holds her from behind.
"Easy, luv," Jono says, his voice soothing. "Look at the box."
"Okay, I'm looking at it."
"Now, picture it open."
Paige turns her head and looks back at Jono, whose chin is hovering over her shoulder. "That's it?"
"That's it."
She turns her head and stares back at the box.
"Picture it open." Suddenly, Paige Guthrie stares at an open pizza box.
"Ah... I did it!" Paige exclaims. "But... there's nothing in it... wait... I get it."
Jonothon smiles. "You opened the box. You broke through the brick wall. You don't see anythin' in the box because what yer lookin' for is already inside of ya."
Paige watches as the box disappears, and then turns and faces Jono. "More symbolism than a work of Hemmingway. Lovely. Thank you," she says as she takes him in an embrace.
"No thanks necessary. We did it t'gether. Just like we promised."
The two stand in an embrace for what seems like an eternity. Finally, they gently pull apart.
"Jono... where do we go from here?"
The smile on Jono's face seems to slip away as he looks away from her. He turns back to her and stands silent as if he doesn't know what to say.
"What is it?"
"As much as I hate t' admit it, Paige, I don't see how it can work..."
"DON'T SAY THAT!" Paige screams out. "You... you can't give up... not now, not after all that's been said... and done. You just finished teachin' me that ah can make anything happen with mah will! Ah didn't give up and ah'm NOT lettin' you give up!"
"Paige, it's different. Here, everything is as perfect as we want it. Here, we can escape, we can be t'gether. But we can't stay here. We 'ave t' go back to the physical plane. Back to reality."
"This can be our reality, Jonothon. Every once in a while, we can come back here..."
"You deserve more than that. I may 'ave lost any hope for a regular life, but I refuse t' let ya give up yers."
"JONO! YOU'RE NOT LISTENING! REALITY ISN'T FAIR.. But.. but.. in here.. it's.. whatever we want."
"I am listening, Paige. An' that makes it 'urt all the more." Jono pauses and looks at Paige. "I'm leaving."
"What?"
"I'm leavin'. I'm here t' say good-bye."
"What do ya mean you're leaving?" Paige asks, her voice raised and annoyed. "Where are you going?!?"
"When I was in the medlab, I began t' hear a voice in me head. Not like all the other voices I was tryin' so hard t' block out. This voice was clear, and it was communicating directly to me."
"Jono, you're not makin' sense..."
"The voice explained everythin' to me in... in seconds! He told me he knew Cable, that 'e spent a lifetime with him as a friend and advisor before he had t' leave the planet. He told me he knew of my situation, and he could help me."
"Whoa, whoa! Leave the planet? THE PLANET, JONO? To join a voice in your head? No."
"I know it sounds crazy, luv. But ya gotta trust me. I know this is the truth, I ain't ever been so sure in me whole life. My physical form is only psionic energy now, an' he's gonna teach me t' control my powers."
"Jono, listen to what you're saying! You want to leave the planet?!? With someone claimin' to be a friend of Cable's? You just wanna pick up and..."
"Paige. I can't live 'ere anymore. I don't know how to. No one 'ere can teach me control. I can end up hurtin' a lot of people."
Paige sighs. "I can't believe I'm hearing this. And I can't believe I'm about to say 'you're right.'"
"There's no other way, luv. At least not now. Maybe someday."
Paige smiles as tears fill her eyes. "Maybe."
They embrace one last time. Then, the tranquility is at last broken by Jonothon's gentle voice. "Close yer eyes." Paige closes her eyes. "And husk."
With her eyes closed, Paige begins to husk. She concentrates, imagines her hand in it's place. Finally, she opens her eyes and finds herself back on the physical plane. She raises her arm before her face and is amazed to at last see her hand back where it belongs. She wipes tears off her cheeks with that hand, then looks up and finds the room empty.
"Jono? Where are you. You didn't..."
"I want ya to remember me the way I was, not as..."
"I will, Jono. But I also want to remember you the way you are."
Suddenly, the psionic shape of Jonothon Starsmore forms before Paige. Paige looks ahead, but not in the same awkward stare as before. This time, she sees only beauty.
"So, you're off to see the stars?"
"Yeah. It ain't that bloody exciting."
Paige snickers. "You better keep in touch, Mr. Starsmore."
"Of course, but don't expect a postcard anytime soon. I'm a ruddy plonker when it comes to that."
The window opens and the psionic being walks to it. Paige follows and watches as he floats out the window.
"Till we're t'gether again, sunshine."
"We always will be, Jono."
As the human shaped form softens into a ball of psionic energy, Paige watches through the window. All across campus, Beast, Sean, Everett, Angelo, and the other students on campus all receive private telepathic explanations and goodbyes from Jonothon.
Paige observes as he shoots up into the sky, disppearing on the horizon. She smiles as she thinks of all he will get to see and do, and then as she thinks of her own uncertain future. A future with limitless possibilities...

The end.
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