"Say again Cloud-cover?" Asked Tessa still on the channel. Kenna quickly pulled the piece out of her ear and buried it in her pocket. Franny was out of commission, but not dead. Or at least she was in a good enough state to address the real problem. That problem being an otherworldly creature that she had no way to contend with now. A troubling thought, but one that she didn't have to deal with alone.
"You!" she yelled running back into the surveillance room. Laura continued to ignore her until Kenna ripped the electronic from her hand without warning. The claws came out, but they were falling short of their mark. With every swipe Kenna had shielded herself with the phone. "I thought we had something! I thought we made a connection!" Laura yelled at her in angry spanish. Kenna yelled back at her in even louder angry german. It was upsetting. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. Can we just both speak english? That would make this way easier."
The feral child gradually withdrew her claws in a huff. "Give it back," she said.
"You stabbed Franny. For like, no reason. She could have died." Laura shrugged. "That's bad. That's a bad thing. You did a bad thing. Do you understand? Do you understand what you did was a bad thing?" Laura shrugged again. Before she could continue her shank shaming the camera feed caught her eye. It was brief but she could have sworn she saw Layla heading towards the bathroom. "What? When did she? Fuck! Whatever! I have to deal with this! If you want your phone back it's coming with me," she said running back into the hall.
The alert was triggered in the women's dormitory, first floor. Despite the hour, the hallway lights were on, struggling to keep a consistent current. The lockdown doors had partially been deployed moving up and down as if unable to fully commit to the order. It was much like a scene out of a horror movie complete with a burning smell and trail of blood leading to the bathroom. Kenna tugged on her inhibitor nervously hoping it was close enough to break, but no matter how hard she tugged it wouldn't betray its design. She settled for the fire extinguisher who she could better convince to do otherwise.
"Sup," said Noriko as Kenna opened the bathroom door. The blue haired student was leaning against the wall with her gauntlets laid to the side, trying to tighten a makeshift tourniquet around her bleeding leg.
"Hi?! Are you okay?! Do you need help?!" Kenna asked, aggressively holding the fire fighting tool.
"Nah I got it. It's just a pain in the ass to tie anything with those things on."
"What happened!?"
"A deer bit me."
"That's not…what?"
"And they got Lin."
"What!? Who!?"
"The antler girl."
"Where!?"
"The woods?"
"Show me!"
"Fuck no."
"But we have to save her!"
"Sounds like an X-Men problem."
"That's kind of what I am right now!?"
"Sucks-,"
"I think!?" Kenna said, interrupting her.
"Sucks to be you then."
"It never isn't like that right now!"
"What code name did they give you?"
"Cloud-cover."
"Lame."
"Well, I think it's cool."
"To each their own."
"Do you have one?"
"Surge."
"Cool."
"If you like drink names I guess."
"How did you get a code name?"
"You might want to move," said Noriko, spotting Laura sneaking up behind her with only a single claw outstretched.
"Oh! That's right Lin and the deer!"
"No like, I think you're about to get shanked." Kenna turned around to find the skulking child pouting at her own discovery.
"Perra," spat Laura. The rest of her bladed arsenal made themselves known. Noriko raised her hand in protest. "I wouldn't," with another step Laura was flung into the wall by a brief arc of electricity, "Get any closer with those."
Kenna hosed her down. Laura had been struck so hard so fast that her hair was on fire. She was completely knocked out, but her electrical burns were healing. "Did you know she could heal herself?"
"Did she know that I can't?" Kenna wanted to yell at her for literally cooking a child, but this child also had just stabbed her best friend. With all things considered it seemed justified, so she moved on. She secretly hoped that Noriko's blood trail would lead to another trail of sorts and she could simply follow trails upon trails until she'd find their fauna'd friend. The trail went not cold, but odd when she got to their room. Which was partially decorated for Christmas. Which she completely forgot about.
Kenna by no means was the inquisitive type, but the fried deer corpses near the broken window were easy enough pieces to put together. It was Crystal, still soundly asleep in her bed, wrapped in tinsel, spooning a banjo, that made the rest of the puzzle hard to complete. "Crystal," she loudly whispered, trying to wake her but not enough to panic her into an elemental blitz. She nudged the wayward princess with increasing intensity until she was nudged right off the bed.
Crystal hit the ground with a sad banjo note. Didn't even wake her. It dawned on Kenna that she had essentially juggled her through a warzone without waking her up and that this was not going to happen. It was only during her assessment of the shattered window did she hear a tiny cough from behind her.
It was Laura again, standing a polite distance away from everyone at the threshold of the room. Her hair is still growing back from the last time she barged in on Kenna. She was very focused on Crystal. "Oh that's right," said Kenna, "She nearly drowned you last time." The feral child held out her expectant hand.
"Look, I need to find Lin. If you'd actually help me instead of trying to kill me I promise you'd get your phone back faster." Laura lowered her hand, defeated not in body but in preference, and began sifting through Lin's clothes. "Do you think she's hiding in the dresser?" Kenna looked as well hoping that either she was and this would resolve much sooner and more easily than she expected, or she could find more clothes to borrow.
Laura took a long draw off of a jacket, breathing deep the essence of Lin. Kenna found this visibly disturbing, but took a whiff to see what the big deal was about. Laura found this in turn visibly disturbing as well, and left. Leaving the room through the shattered window, beckoning Kenna to follow her.
"Hello Tessa?" Kenna said into the earpiece, "This is Cloud-cover, breach appears to be a bunch of rabid deer that kidnapped Lin. Skunk Bear and I are in pursuit. Because Laura can track people by their smells, like her father. Which I knew the whole time." When she let go of the button all she heard was a painful static. "Well I tried."
It was cold. Not so much in a winter wonderland kind of way, but in a damp forest at night after an intense rain kind of way. So much so that Kenna had justified borrowing one of Lin's jackets. She would give it back, eventually, if she remembered, or had time. Time being the thing that Lin may or may not have much of left. The trail led through into the woods past the perimeter fence. Which Laura cut through with a noticeable ease.
They had gone so far so quickly that Kenna had trouble keeping up with her, until Laura stopped abruptly. She thought it was to allow her to catch up, but she seemed to be sniffing the wind in confusion. "Did you," Kenna sucked in another breath, "Did you lose them?" Laura craned her neck upwards.
"No," she said.
A bit of spittle landed on Kenna's head. With her eyes still adjusting to the darkness of the trees something stood out amongst the branches. Christmas lights, like the ones you'd wrap around the tree were instead wrapped around a pair of antlers. In the moment of the frigid darkness it added a strange festiveness to the whole situation. Until her vision cleared. Lin and her decorated antlers were sitting upon a deer delicately distributing its weight between branches. Mouth agape, breathing heavily, and an unsettling look of determination in its remaining eye. It roared a note not meant to be made by this creature.
The forest answered the call and all manner of beasts surrounded them. Deer, coyotes, beavers, wild turkeys, and the like with a shaved bear rolling up as a cherry on top. Each one bearing its own irregular look of purpose. Perhaps it was her own mind struggling to fight the swelling panic that led Kenna to ask "How the fuck did you get up there!?"
"What?" Asked an equally scared and confused Lin.
"How the fuck does a deer climb a tree!? I don't think their little feet work like that!" Laura charged a bear, but Kenna pulled her back by a belt loop. "Hold your shit for just a second, I need answers."
"Go for help!"
"I am the help! Don't change the subject!"
"Find Crystal! She knows how to deal with this!"
"That thing your riding looks like it weighs four-hundred pounds! How are those branches even holding it up!?"
"I don't know! Just walk slowly away!"
"Well it's a little late for that! They have us surrounded!"
"They will let you go!"
"How could you possibly know that!?"
"Dr. McCoy said I was empathic with the natural world!"
"What does that even mean?!"
"You also confuse and terrify them if it helps!"
"Why would they-," Kenna immediately recalled the crushed deer she found in one of her massive footprints, "Oh."
"What?!"
"Nothing! I answered my own question! Do animals normally hold a grudge?"
"You should really stop asking questions!"
"I would, but it really distracts me from the reality of the situation! Don't take that away from me!" Their conversation was rudely interrupted by a taxi plowing through the circle, blaring its horn while spraying bullets from the driver side window.
It was absolute chaos. Fur, flesh, and feathers filled the air mixed with the smell of gunpowder and blood. Between the roars and screams Kenna was tossed into the taxi on top of Lin before their mysterious interloper drove off as quickly as he drove in. Kenna closed her eyes and clenched her butt cheeks together until the ride went from forest bumpy to road smooth. Only then did she have the courage to get off Lin and confront their fresh problems.
"Did we just get kidnapped?" Kenna mouthed. Lin didn't answer her, she was more concerned with the rear windshield and what may or may not be following them down the road. The back of the cab was messy with all manner of tools, trinkets, and treasure troves of trash littering their seats. The driver, with only a broken plastic barrier separating them, reloaded his weapon. With static in her earpiece she tried the phone.
"Nine-one-one what's your emergency?" asked the police dispatch.
"I think I've been kidnapped," Kenna whispered.
"You think you've been kidnapped?"
"Well I was surrounded by animals at the time when he drove up and threw me in a taxi. I'm still feeling it out."
"Do you know this man?" Kenna looked at his reflection in the rear view mirror.
"No."
"You've been kidnapped."
"I knew it."
"Stay calm, can you tell me where you are or where you're heading?" She pursed her lips while looking out of the window.
"No."
"Any mile markers, road signs, or landmarks?"
"It's dark and we're going pretty fast."
"Where were you kidnapped?"
"Xavier's school for Gifted Youngsters. Oh wait, we were somewhere in the woods near there. Can't you just find us with the GPS?"
"We'd have to contact your cell phone provider and get permission to ping your cell phone which will only put us within ten to hundred meters of the last ping."
"Okay, do that."
"We will ma'am, in the meantime what does your kidnapper look like?" She took another look at the rearview mirror.
"Roguishly handsome."
"Could you be more specific?"
"He looks like he's haunted by a dark past, but he's trying to move on and put it all behind him."
"Hair color? Facial features? Clothes?"
"Black curly hair, kind and gentle, and taxi clothes? I don't know, it's dark!"
"That's fine, just stay on the line and tell me if you see anything that might help. We're here for you."
"Oh, that's cool."
"What's wrong?"
"I just thought this was something I could report and then move on."
"Ma'am your life may be in danger."
"Do I have to talk to you the entire time? Long calls are exhausting."
"What's your name Ma'am?" Kenna hung up. "I'm about out of ideas, what do you got Lin?"
"Who are you?"
"Kenna."
"I'm in danger."
"Yes, yes you are."
"Get it together Lin. If you can survive the game show aliens you can survive Kenna."
"Whoa whoa whoa, what?"
"I'll have you know, Mojo said I was very difficult to eat."
"You don't 'survive' Kenna," Lin screamed, "That's not what I meant! I am an asset! I am a boon! I am friend to all!" She yelled.
"Hey!" yelled the taxi driver.
"What!?" Kenna yelled back.
"Keep it down! I'm trying to order food!" During Kenna's various conversations they hadn't noticed the taxi driver had taken them to a McDonald's drive thru.
"Food for me? Food for me maybe?"
"No," he said, turning back to the speaker.
"Where was I?" Kenna asked Lin.
"You were not going to eat me," said Lin.
"You are correct, but why is that even in question?"
"Cause you killed and ate Elixir."
"No I didn't. Who said I did?"
"Ellie," Kenna groaned, "She said that's why you were expelled."
"I wasn't expelled. I was getting special teaching."
"Like at a remedial mutant school?"
"No? Maybe? Fuck, that's what it was wasn't it."
"There there," Lin said, patting her on the shoulder.
"This is extremely patronizing, but I actually appreciate it thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Can I have a hug?"
"That's a peculiar thing to ask someone you just met "
"I'm not hearing a no."
"It would be awkward."
"Why?"
"Horns get in the way."
"About that, how do you wear clothes? Wouldn't they get in the way?"
"Zip up jackets."
"Oh, that makes sense," Kenna said, looking through the garbage.
"What are you doing?"
"Do you have a hairpin by any chance?"
"Here," she said, pulling one out of her hair. Kenna jammed it into the lock on her inhibitor. "Do you know how to pick locks?"
"No."
"Then I don't think that's going to work."
"Well why don't you call the fucking one-eyed deer to save us Lin! Huh! Why don't you do that instead of poo pooing my ideas!" yelled Kenna. Line scooted away from her. "I'm sorry, I," Kenna ran her fingers through her hair, "I've just had a really hard time for a very long time, and I could have really used that hug."
"Tell me about it."
"Franny's been stabbed, and I don't even know if she's alive. I thought I was doing this to save her X-Men career, but I might have left her to die," Kenna wiped the tears from her eyes, "It just feels like every decision I make is the wrong one, and I can't do anything right."
"That's not true. You saved me."
"We were kidnapped and I'm still a little worried that you are not addressing that." They came to a stop at a nearby faded parking space.
"Give me your phone," said the taxi driver.
"What phone?" Asked Kenna.
"The one you called the police with."
"You heard that?"
"The other cars could hear that lady."
"Fine," she growled, handing it over.
"Right, now I'm going to list some names and you're going to tell me if they sound familiar."
"Shoot."
"Conner Grate," Kenna's heart began to beat with abject horror, "Dan Driver, Donna Angles, Milton Farthrow."
"Who's that?"
"You don't know?"
"No."
"Well you killed him too. The list goes on, you get the picture."
"Not really, are you like with SHIELD or something?"
"What's SHIELD?"
"The sketchy government agency that keeps tabs on mutants and stuff."
"What's mutants?" Kenna pointed at Lin's antlers, "I thought that was just a costume."
"Nope, real."
"Huh, well anyway."
"Did that not blow your mind!?"
"I was more shocked by that deer in the tree."
"I know right!"
"Physically impossible."
"What's worse is that it really stole the show from the shaved bear."
"Yeah."
"I'm sure there is a whole ass story behind that mysterious creature." The taxi driver cracked a smile that quickly escaped him.
"Probably, but yeah no I am tasked with avenging your victims."
"Oh shit you're going to kill me."
"You're in danger," said Lin.
"She's right! Why did you even save me if you were going to kill me later?" asked Kenna.
"I wasn't sure which one of you was Kenna at the time. I was just told where she would be," said the taxi driver.
"Who told you? My victims!? Are they Ghosts!? Are they here now!?"
"No," he scratched his chin, "Look, you're a little different then my normal marks so I'm gonna try something different."
"You're going to let me go?"
"I'm going to let you choose how you want to go."
"Oh, that's nice."
"Right? I'll be honest most of the time this ends with me beating a guy to death in a dirty alleyway next to a dumpster."
"In the face next to a pond."
"That was quick."
"I'd like the killing shot to knock me into the water please."
"I think I can manage that."
"Can you also manage that delicious smelling bag to be my last meal?"
"It's a fish sandwich."
"I love fish sandwiches."
"I haven't eaten all day."
"You're about to kill me."
"Just take it."
"Yay!" After her humble last meal they traveled to the edge of the Middle Branch Reservoir. They had found a pleasant leafy bank bathed in the moonlight in which to enact her dramatic end while Lin waited in the car. Positioning herself in such a way that falling backwards would plunge her into the water while her murderer adorned a suppressor to his weapon. The wind had picked up making an already cold night even colder, and an already shitty plan even shittier. "Well?" asked Kenna.
"Something's wrong," said the taxi driver.
"What?"
"Usually people are more talkative when they're about to die."
"Please don't kill me?"
"You're going to jump in and try to escape aren't you?" Kenna scratched her chin.
"I wish I thought of that." The taxi driver shot her in the head. It wasn't long after her body hit the water that a large warm fog erupted from her corpse obscuring everything.
"She's not dead," said the unseen otherworldly voice.
"I figured," said the taxi driver.
"She's getting away."
"I'm not diving into freezing water, not tonight."
"Pathetic."
"Why do you want her so bad? There are worse people out there."
"Wait."
"What?"
"She's coming back."
"Why would she come back?"
"Idiot."
"No, I bet she has a plan."
"She's going for your car!" He found her trying to shove a screwdriver in the starter like a key.
"Oh, hello," said a shivering Kenna. The taxi driver's eyes glazed over as silvery ceremonial garbs wrapped around him forming a cape and cowl. "Fuck." She ran for it. The idea was to get back to the water, but a crescent blade was thrown into her leg toppling her over herself. She tried to crawl away, but he grabbed her by the leg and dragged her to a roadside dumpster.
"Why is there a dumpster on the side of the road!?"
He hit her. He hit her a lot. With blows stronger than she thought possible. It was so bad Lin even tried to stop him. He stopped only to restrain the poor screaming antlered woman, before returning to his victim. He found her trying to stand up.
"I'm sorry," Kenna said weakly between her drippings.
"I know," said the taxi driver.
"I didn't mean to kill any of those people."
"I believe you."
"Then why?"
"I don't know, you're just one name on a very long list."
"I don't want to die."
"Nobody ever does." As he braced her for the final blow long metal claws erupted from his chest. Laura stabbed him repeatedly with every appendage she had. Kenna didn't question the chance to cheat her ever encroaching consequences. Getting up and reaching into the fray long enough to grab his keys. Pain surging through her broken body as she limped to the car. Lin screamed through her gag in the back seat.
"Yeah I know," groaned Kenna. She drove the taxi into the taxi driver crushing him against the dumpster. "Laura, get in, we're leaving." Laura dug her phone out of his pockets before she got in the back seat and they drove away in triumph.
"Woooooo!" Kenna howled into the early morning high on spite and adrenaline, "Pour some Gatorade on Laura we did it!" Lin screamed with glee under her gag, while Laura returned to the screen. "How did you even find us? I thought we left you in the forest." Laura shook her head. "Whatever! Doesn't matter! Nothing matters! I don't even know where we're going! We have Lin and I feel invincible!"
"Why, you ask," said the otherworldly being. Sitting in the passenger seat next to her was the well-dressed man with a bird skull for a head.
"It's not over, is it?" asked Kenna.
"Because, you've been seen." The taxi driver landed on the hood of the already damaged car. The robes he wore still stitching him together through the waves of metal and glass. Even with his face covered she could feel the radiation of his fury. The impact made her lose control of the vehicle, sending them crooning off a bridge into the icy water below.
Only the burning bite of her bound mutation kept her awake. They were trapped, surrounded by every imaginable sea life that could be found in a lake, and descending to the bottom quickly. Her legs were stuck. Laura was panicking, flailing wildly to escape their sinking metal coffin. Lin was not moving, slowly being cocooned in fish. Their ghostly specter of a pursuer still clinging to the vehicle's body ripping it apart. Kenna grabbed one of Laura's flailing claws, cutting off her shackle. Freeing her wrist. Stopping the pain. Drowning the fear. Boiling the temper.