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Post by Chance on Jun 11, 2006 18:06:18 GMT -5
Mindwarp felt himself flowing into Noel's memories, into her past like a powerful stream of water. However, Noel's mind was as crafty and slippery as herself. Mindwarp had to concentrate extra hard in order to latch onto anything. Finally he saw Noel, as she was now, standing in front of a younger girl, a girl with long dark hair. Noel handed her something, a ring? Mindwarp wasn't sure because everything was changing so fast.
<Hold on Noel, you need to focus, the minds of metamorphs are harder to read than the midns of others.> And it was true. Animal morphers often thought like animals, relying on instinct and emotion rather than thoughts. Although Noel couldn't turn into a snake just yet, Mindwarp realized that her mind was preparing itself for the eventual transformation.
However, while Mindwarp was busy trying to establish telepathic communication, another memory flowed into view. This one was of an eerie yellow pasture, with a red sky. Mindwarp suddenly found himself standing alone in the field, the absense of wind making him feel strange and otherworldly.
<Noel, what are you hiding in here?> He walked forward, his astral self had taken the form of his thirteen year-old self. Wearing a white collared shirt and blue jeans he made his way through the thick yellow grass until he reached a door marked "Forbidden."
Suddenly, a snake popped up, hissed at him, and then made its way through the door, leaving it open a crack.
<A memory lock,> he mused, walking toward the crack and the shaft of light that was shinning though it. <Ms. Frost taught us about these...> Memory locks were simple things that the mind created. Sometimes they were complicated, a labyrinth of passages and booby traps manufactured by the mind to house secrets. But other times, as it often was with those who were less experienced, memory blocks were simple things, like a screen, or in this case, a door.
Mindwarp was easily a class 4 telepath, and opening the door was no problem, just a simple remix of chemicals and endorphins tricked the mind into thinking there was no danger, and in an instant the secrets poured out. Like a breeched dam the words escaped, howling at him, screaming at him.
<This isn't what I was looking for!> Mindwarp yelled over the noise of Noel's thoughts. And although he tried to ignore them, it wasn't easy. The thoughts intertwineded with his astral self, imprinting themselves into his mind. Then, with the force of a hurricane, the door slammed shut and Mindwarp was thrown out.
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Post by Midnight on Jun 11, 2006 18:17:46 GMT -5
<I'm sorry.> Noel's mind spoke, her voice soft and apologetic. Thunder seemed to rumble through the red clouds above and the snake slide back out from under the door, hissing. It shook its head and a hood popped out like a cobra and then the snake let its mouth drop open, showing two fangs. Noel was getting defensive, unconsciously. Noel and Marie appeared in the field, standing in front of each other and laughing. Another flashback. A man tried to grab Noel but Marie reached down and it seemed that a pipe materialized from out of the soft black earth. With that, she hit the man and he fell backward and disappeared. Noel and Marie hugging. Noel and Marie running together. Noel and Marie... Noel's mind was spouting all the memories she could pull up at that time, but she was getting worried. What had Mindwarp seen? Snakes started to slither out of holes in the field and the wheat started to turn an eerie dark green. So did the sky. The same color of liquid dripped off of the fangs of the advancing cobra as well.
Outside, Noel gripped the handlebars of her motorcycle tightly and gritted her teeth. It felt... it felt like she was being forced to change in front of someone, trying so hard to cover parts of herself up. She knew it wasn't quite like that, but the feeling was the same. <Find what you needed yet?> Oddly, the voice came from the mouth of the cobra as it slid nearer to Mindwarp's astral projection.
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Post by Chance on Jun 11, 2006 18:42:33 GMT -5
Mindwarp landed on the yellow grass, and even though he was just solidified thought energy, it still hurt.
<It's okay Noel, just calm down, you need to focus on Marie, I need to be able to get a handle on her. Otherwise, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack...> His telepathic voice trailed off as a cobra stood, in defensive postion, in front of him. Rising slowly to his feet Mindwarp cringed.
<Umm, Noel, you mind turning off the melodrama?> But things went from bad to worse. The sky around him changed from red to a thick pea green, and the wheat seemed to wither and die. Suddenly, out from all around him, snakes appeared, their fangs glistening with venom.
All the while a vision was playing, a scene of Noel and Marie fighting a man, and then running around together, laughing and playing. It was like a bizarre movie, or a bad acid trip.
<Noel, nothing is making any sense,> He tried hard to solidify her thoughts, to escape the realm of the unconscious and make his way deeper into her mind, but the snakes acted like a barrier, hissing at his advancement. This was a second Memory block, and this was definetly stronger than a door.
<Find what you needed yet?> Noel spoke loudly, her voice like the voice of God booming from the heavens.
<Not really,> Mindwarp admitted, trying to get a lock on Marie. The girl seemed to fade in and out of the scene, like a ghost. <But I'm not going to get anywhere with your mind on such high alert. I guess I have enough.> His voice was full of doubt. So far he had seen Marie, a girl with dark hair. How many people in Manhattan had dark hair? He thought it over quickly. He guessed that if he meditated all afternoon, he would have narrowed out a quarter of them.
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Post by Midnight on Jun 11, 2006 19:19:17 GMT -5
<Damn... oops, sorry. You probably heard that.> It was weird trying to regulate her thoughts. <Ok, I can do this... wait, I'm not trying to talk to you... darn it!> Noel unconsciously tilted her head, her yellow eyes glowing behind her dark lids. Focus. Focus on Marie... let the other human thoughts go.
The green seemed to wash through her mind again, wiping the place clean. Suddenly, all that was there were readings, like from a computer. Sight was black. The street smelled like exhaust, garbage, urine, and the unwashed scent of bodies. Closer was the clean young scent of Mindwarp and Noel herself and the new iron smell of the motorcycle. A sketchy map had been draw out and sparked red where the footsteps of people echoed. There was threat level placed on those and on the scent. Another reading show how much energy Noel had, when she would want to eat next, how high her warning level was, etc. The mind of a snake. Another door was in the wall. On it only was written "Human". It swung open and a faint glimpse of the field was shown as a silver snake slithered in, eyes shaped like diamonds. The door slammed shut behind it and the lock clicked. The snake then slithered into a round position. It seemed as though a finger formed within it. The snake was a ring. The finger formed into a hand which stretched into an arm that attached itself to the shoulder of a girl that soon stood before Mindwarp. She was smiling, a beautiful smile that showed straight white teeth. Her eyes were a dark brown and her hair almost black. Her face was round and covered in brown freckles. A friendly face. She actually seemed to look at Mindwarp and gave something in the semblence of a curtsy before going around in the moves of a dance. Noel liked to remember Marie dancing. It was something that caused Marie to forget everything they lived in and just be free.
Noel couldn't even think coherent thoughts anymore. The only thing that she could do was provide the image inside her head with every smell sound and look that her snakish mind remembered. Unknowingly, several small scales had formed on her back.
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Post by Chance on Jun 12, 2006 22:20:58 GMT -5
<It's okay,> Mindwarp said calmly, <Just try to focus.> Immedietly everything changed, and Mindwarp found himselfdisappearing and then reappearing in a new image. But this one was different. It felt wrong, strange, like the time he had tried to read the thoughts of his cat...
<Animal mind...> He knew it well. Everything registered in smells and instincts, emotions and intuition. Looking around he sensed all that the snake part of Noel sensed, all of the feelings that helped her make every desicion she was faced with. But then, to his right, appeared a large wooden door, clearly labeled "Human." Smiling, Mindwarp made his way to it, using his telepathy to quickly gain him access to what was behind it. Suddenly, an attractive girl, with long dark hair and brilliant dark eyes, stood in front of him, bowing gracefully.
<Marie?> He smiled. <Perfect. Thanks Noel.>
However, things shifted quickly, and the mind became animalistic again. Fearing that he would be trapped inside the evermoving mind of the snake, he withdrew himself.
Finally, sitting on the motorcycle on the sidewalk, Mindwarp took his fingers away from Noel's temples. He opened his eyes and let out a long sigh.
"See, that wasn't so bad, now was it?"
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Post by Midnight on Jun 12, 2006 22:30:28 GMT -5
Noel stared at him blankly for a second, her yellow eyes glittering. Her forked tongue flickered out of her mouth, testing the air. Then, she gave her head a little shake and her eyes lost the empty look as she gave Mindwarp a small smile. "Yeah, not so bad," she repeated, her voice sarcastic. "It is hard to control my thoughts. Do you find it that hard or is it just hard to wade through mine?"
Her hands rubbed the handlebars as if getting a feel for them again. "So you found what you need... can you find Marie?"
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Post by Chance on Jun 13, 2006 18:41:44 GMT -5
Mike smiled at what she said. "Umm, every mind is difficult to read, some more than others." He hoped that she was ready for what he was going to say, hopefully Noel knew just how much of a snake she really was. "Yours was...tricky. But I can't say I didn't expect it. You're an animorph, making your mind very bestial. It runs on emotions and instincts...something that most telepaths have a hard time getting a hold of. I think there's more snake in you than anyone knows about."
He eyed her up and down carefully, waiting for her to react. But, she seemed impatient, pressing the matter that he locate Marie. Nodding, he closed his eyes again and crossed his legs. The air around the two of them grew tense, like a current was running through it. Suddenly he lifted off the back of the motorcycle and hovered in the air, like an eastern mystic.
<She's here,> he said aloud. <She's in Hell's Kitchen, although I'm not really sure where....> He pushed harder, focusing on her face, her smell, her mental energies. Panning through all the people in New York City could take a while, but it wasn't long before he felt a snag. Grabbing hold he traced the mind down, finally pinning its location. Immedietly emotions flooded into his head: fear, anger, hope, love, anguish, panic. All at once he felt overwhelmed.
With a thud he landed on the concrete. Rubbing his backside he turned to Noel. "She's at the hospital."
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Post by Midnight on Jun 13, 2006 19:31:33 GMT -5
"Then get on the bike, Brosley," Noel grinned. "Let's go find Marie." So he said she was more like a snake than people thought. Noel found that... disturbing. How snakey? She had thought she was normal, or relativly. Maybe a little more given to planning and details than most people, but there were people like that. It was strange trying to puzzle through her mind exactly what may be different that she had somehow missed, ignored, or taken for granted. Maybe someday then she would gain the ability to morph into a snake. It would raise her level quite a bit, beyond just having elevated senses. Her being a mutant was easy to prove, but not necessarily as useful as being telepathic or having the ability to fly. Noel actually wanted to be telepathic. She liked to know exactly what people were thinking and act on that rather than what she could read from their tone, words, and body language. But Noel didn't mind her senses. Being a mutant was to step into power, whether deserved or not. And she intended to do something with it. She had a quick mind and was good at her classes. Maybe, someday, she could do something for the humans. She used to add 'and for Marie' on the end of that thought line, but that brought her mind back to the present. She could do something for Marie now. And it was about time.
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Post by Chance on Jun 13, 2006 21:13:59 GMT -5
Mike nodded, swinging himself onto the back of the bike. All the while he tried to maintain the mental contact with Marie. He could tell that something intense was happening, and it was taking all of his training to try and calm her down.
"Go fast Noel," he said putting his helmet on. "Her heart's racing. This friend of yours is facing some pretty intense emotional trauma, and her mutation is anything but stable. If we don't get there soon...something really really bad could happen."
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Post by Midnight on Jun 13, 2006 22:00:55 GMT -5
"I'm going to go now," Marie said softly to Eric, finally letting go. She stepped back, and looked up into his eyes. She couldn't deny that she was attracted to him, but she found that was no reason to trust him. Yet all the while, she did. Trust no one. That was something she had been taught all her life. She still couldn't help it, no matter what she told herself. And she wanted him to come with her, even though she wasn't sure where she was going or what she would be going into. But she wasn't going to ask him to. He seemed to like her, so he probably would come if she asked. But she liked him too, so she wasn't going to.
"I hope... I hope nothing bad happens to you, Eric. Thanks for everything you've done," she said, looking down at the ground so she didn't have to look into his wonderful green eyes anymore. "Sorry I got you into this," she said as she turned toward the door.
"Drive fast? No problem!" Noel jammed her helmet on as well and then twisted the throttle, switching gears with practiced skill. VROOOM! The sound of the motorcyle filled the alley and they sped forward. But for all her carefree attitude, Noel was worried. Marie's power wasn't stable? The news did show her carrying her father, so that might be where the trauma came from... but how could Marie ever hurt anybody. Mike could see inside minds, so he could see Marie's feelings. What had changed in her friend?
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Post by Chance on Jun 13, 2006 22:34:48 GMT -5
Eric's green eyes suddenly looked confused. "No way!" He said, moving closer to her. "I came this far already. No way you can just leave! Besides, you don't have anywhere to go...I mean, at least come back to my apartment with me. You can stay there, you know, until your dad gets released." He ws suddenly at a loss. He couldn't lose her, not yet. There was something about her, something that was tugging on him, making him want to stay. "Please, come with me."
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Post by Midnight on Jun 13, 2006 23:07:26 GMT -5
"I knocked down a wall when I got angry, Eric," Marie said, almost pleadingly. "I don't want to hurt you. I don't know what I can do yet..." then she looked back up into his eyes. Beautiful green eyes... She wanted to go with him. "Ok, I guess I can come back to your apartment. At least for tonight." Then something came to mind and she asked carefully, "You don't live with anyone, do you?"
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Post by Chance on Jun 13, 2006 23:33:45 GMT -5
Eric was so happy she said yes. So happy that he felt his entire cellular structure soar. For an instant he felt something funny, like a tickle, but it faded just as quickly as it arrived.
"Actually," he said, "I live with my mom and dad, but they're visiting their parents in Vermont for the weekend." He smiled down at her. She was so beautiful...
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Post by Midnight on Jun 13, 2006 23:46:01 GMT -5
"I was living with my mom and dad..." Marie said to herself, then pulled her mind back to the conversation. She hoped his parents stayed at Vermont for a while or she found somewhere else to go. She didn't want to be there when he explained why a strange girl was staying at his house with him alone. "Thanks," she said, giving him a smile.
Noel screeched to a halt in front of the hospital, shifting down so fast the bike lurched. She killed the engine, locked the bike, and put out the kickstand within seconds and had now leaped off and was hurrying up the steps. "Coming?" she yelled back at Michael.
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Post by Chance on Jun 13, 2006 23:54:24 GMT -5
"Good, come on, let's go." Eric wrapped his arms around Marie and steadied her, trying to keep her balanced. He had to make sure she was okay.
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Noel was off the bike in about the amount of time it took Mike to register the fact that it had stopped moving. "Uhhh...yeah." Mike hopped off as quickly as he could, but still it took him a good 5 seconds. In another two he was up the steps and chasing after Noel.
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Post by Midnight on Jun 14, 2006 0:06:17 GMT -5
Marie felt heat surging into her cheeks and her body tingled where he touched her. What was the matter? That didn't happen when other people touched her... Maybe her attraction to him was getting the better of her. She held tightly onto one of his arms, noting the muscle underneath it. Was it rude to pay attention to things like that? Her life had not been one that condoned dating and so she had stayed away from the whole mess. People would often 'hook up' for the week or even just the night, so Marie was no stranger to what could happen. Just nothing like that had ever happened to her.
She leaned on him as they went out the back door.
Noel dashed inside the main doors of the hospital, leaving them swinging behind her. Humans all over seemed to cower, but she wasn't going to sit there and try to tell them that she meant no harm. Her yellow eyes had probably given her away. And once he got in, Mindwarp's suit would give him away as a mutant.
Noel scanned the room quickly, but saw no sign of Marie. In a few strides, she was at the main desk, speaking to a tired and frightened-looking nurse: "Marie Adams, was she here?"
"Yes, she was here," the nurse shook. "She went to see her father. But I don't know where she is now. Do you need any more help, Miss Mutant?"
But Noel had already turned away. "Mike," she called, hoping he had made it in the doors. "Where is she?"
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Post by Chance on Jun 14, 2006 23:46:30 GMT -5
Eric liked holding Marie...it felt right. But then again, she seemed agitated, like she was on edge. Maybe they were rushing things...but he didn't care. He held her hand and followed her out the back doors.
"Gone," Mike said, trying to pick up on her mental scent. "She's feeling calmer though...wait a sec," he was standing in the middle of the hospital waiting room, in his uniform, his fingers to his temple, surrounded by a bunch of people who were cowering and staring at him.
"I don't know...it's hard to focus on her with all of these people waiting for me to attack them...too much psychic tension." But he could swear that he could feel Marie, somewhere in the sea of minds, hers was there, on the move...
"Miss," he asked refering to the lady behind the counter. "Is there a back entrance to this establishment?"
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Post by Midnight on Jun 14, 2006 23:54:49 GMT -5
"Yes... yes, there are back doors," the woman almost shook with fear. "That way!" she held up a quivering finger, pointing down the hallway. Like all hospital hallways, the walls were a pale ugly green lit with floresent lights, making the place thoroughly uninviting.
"Did she go out that way?" Noel demanded. Her nerves were on such an edge that her hands were starting to clench involuntarily and she shoved them in her pockets.
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Post by Chance on Jun 15, 2006 0:01:13 GMT -5
Mindwarp couldn't help it, he was getting impatient. "Yes," he said reading the woman's mind. "Maire left out the back doors holding the hand of some boy...a blonde haired guy who looks our age..." Mike suddenly felt a rush of fear. He hoped that Noel's friend was okay.
"They only just left, come on, maybe we can catch them."
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Post by Midnight on Jun 15, 2006 0:30:58 GMT -5
At the mention of a blond-haired guy who looked their age, Noel leaped into action. She took off down the hallway, skidding around the curve. Soon she reached a simple small door that opened into an alleyway. Barralling through it, she dashed into the alleyway, trying to avoiding the medical waste put out by a cheap hospital. There, walking away, was a dark-haired girl and a tall blond man. They were holding hands. Noel sure hoped it was voluntary. "Marie!"
Marie heard that voice, but didn't believe it. She turned her head, and there she was. Noel looked older, wiser, and a lot different with the leather clothes. But it still was Noel. "Noel!" Marie yelled, letting go of Eric's hand and running back toward the dark girl. They met in a colliding hug, Marie laughing and Noel wrapping her arms around her with suprising strength.
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