Angelo worked the same combination as before and the door opened.
"Great. Now we better get to the others." They entered the secret passage
and went to the next door. Almost as he started to attempt to open it, the
door opened and Sean started coming through.
"Angelo, lad, how did ye get out of the room ye were in." Obviously
Sean was surprised by his presence.
Franklin answered the question quickly. "I change reality in the
room so the trigger was in the UFO display."
Kyuukai, who was starting to head out the door said, "Brilliant
move, but it must have been tiring."
The boy nodded and then Angelo said, "We should get to the Artie and
Leech. Those two must be scared right now." Sean nodded and they headed
for the room the boys were in.
Sean couldn't believe it. His worse thoughts were coming true.
Both Rich and Yvette were in the clutches of Emplate. He hoped that Rich
had thought of enough tricks to keep Emplate's plan from working. When he
finally got to the room on the Inner Earth displays, Artie and Leech
immediately came out of hiding. Leech looked at him and said, "They still
in there?"
He didn't want to scare them, but he had to answer truthfully, "I
hope so, lad. I hope so."
He walked over to the door and looked at it. He then looked at Kyuukai and
said, "Okay, lass, what's the password?"
He saw Kyuukai shrug and said, "Don't know. That's Godiva door.
It's her password."
Sean didn't need to hear that, but at the time, all he could do was
contact Emma. Emma had gone with Godiva on the search. He activated
communicator and said, "Emma, are ye there?" He heard a metal clanging
sound in the background. He called again, just a bit louder. "Emma, where
are ye?"
He heard another voice on the communicator, shouting above the
clanging. "She can't here you. She's out cold." It had sounded like
Daria's voice.
"Daria, is that ye?"
"Yes sir. I'm trying to break through the door." He had to give
the girl credit. She was going to try anything to save Rich and Yvette, but
then he knew that Rich was her legal guardian.
"Is Godiva there?"
"You mean she isn't over at the other door." This had him worried.
He called everyone and said, "Where is Godiva, and does anybody know
why Emma is out cold?"
The first voice to answer was Jono's. {She went out when Rich and
Yvette let out psionic screams. The blighter Emplate must be torturing them.
They must have put a wrench in 'is plans. Had me incapacitated for awhile.}
He realized that the screams must have played havoc with Jono's ability.
The second voice was that of Jubilee. "Godiva's with us. We are at
the base of the stairway. We hit an obstacle."
Sean had an idea what it was. "It's Aura, isn't it."
Godiva then said, "Yea, it's the bitch. She and Everett are having
abit of an aura stand off. Unfortunately, his force with two hands is doing
nothing to move her force with one hand." The way that she said it showed
her hatred of Aura.
"Godiva, can ye tell us your password for the door to the
Inhumanities room."
Just then Kyuukai, who was looking at the door said to him, "It
won't help." He was shocked and he faced her. She then said, "Emplate
changed the password as soon as he entered the room. There are now two
options. The first is to go in through my door."
Just then, a groggy voice spoke, "Then we need your password." It
was Emma. Sean was relieved to hear her voice.
He said, "Emma, how are ye feelin."
"I'll be fine as long as Rich and Yvette don't yell anymore, and if
Daria will stop hammering at the door." He heard the clanging stop as Emma
continued. "Now, Kyuukai what is your password."
He noticed that Kyuukai was about to answer when he heard everyone
yelling. He yelled into the communicator and said, "What's going on?"
The voice that responded was shouting something he didn't need to
here. "I'm beating you to the punch, loser." It was Aura, and she was
headed for the door as well.
Elane realized what Gen X was going to do. They were going to use
Kyuukai's password and rescue Rich and Penance. It was time for her to act.
She placed a second hand forward and ran down the steps. The momentum of
her moving aura pushed everyone down the corridor. She heard Banshee's
voice over the communicator and she told the loser off. They had cost her
her revenge the first time, but not the second. She ran into the first door
and closed it. Now that part of Gen X couldn't follow her. She turned and
faced Emma Frost. The woman looked at her and said, "You're not going any
farther, Aura." The woman's eyes started to glow and a bolt knocked her to
the ground.
Elane just looked at Emma. She could tell that Emma Frost was proud
of her looks, just by the way she dressed. Elane then noticed that another
figure was running straight for her. It was Daria. Elane rolled out the
way of the oncoming attack and go up. She noticed Daria still had
sledgehammers for fists, and was preparing to strike. Elane just manipulated
her aura again and said, "Emma, be a dear and stand here." She noticed the
shocked look on Emma's face as her arms were straight out from her sides and
she was pulled in front of Daria's attack.
Elane heard Emma scream in pain as Daria hit her straight in her
chest. She heard Daria gasp and then exclaim, "I'll get you before you get
in that door, Aura. I'll make you pay for that." The girl took flight and
rammed straight into her, making her drop Emma.
Elane looked at Daria and said, "Wrong move." She held her hand in
a grasping motion and twist it. She watched as Daria's legs bent back. She
was amazed to see that miniature rockets were in the girl's shoes. Daria
then went flying backwards, knocking down a now recovering Emma. When Daria
finally stopped, Elane noticed that the two were on a pile on the floor.
Elane used her aura to hold them down and said, "Nobody move." She moved
over to the door and entered passcode. It opened and she sneaked in. She
removed her aura and said to the two women, "How I wish I was into blackmail."
Elane closed the door and changed the password. She then turned and
saw Emplate facing her. He looked like he was upset. Emplate just said, "I
was hoping you would show up. Rich won't crack, even under my own personal
assault."
Elane turned and saw Rich and Penance on the Rack. She noticed a
trail of blood running down their foreheads. She smiled and said, "You were
hungry. What needs to be done?"
"Rich has manacle himself to Penance, and neither will say were the
key is. Maybe you can persuade Rich to let us in on his secret."
Elane just smiled and walked over to the rack. She watched as both
of the captive's stared in fear at her. She looked at them and said, "This
will be my pleasure. I have an idea. I'll take turns crushing a part of
your bodies. Penance first." She rammed her fist down in the air and heard
Penance scream in pain.
She watched as tears came from her former cousin's eyes. This was
more than he could take, for he finally broke down. "The key is under the
last place to sit." She stopped and stood up. That was too easy. She
would have figured that each would last through at least one attack.
Her lover just said, "What does that mean?" She was about to
pressure Rich for more when she heard the answer. A constant electric hum.
She left the rack and ran over to the Electric Chair.
"No wonder he gave in. He had this figured. Take a look." She
waited until Emplate was by her side. "Rich must have jammed the chair into
the max setting and one. He must have the key under the chair in such a way
that we have to touch the chair just to see it."
She noticed a gleam in her lover's eye. "Barricade the doors. If
you changed the password as well, Gen X will do the rest for us." She was
puzzled by this, but she figured that he knew something.
"What's the plan now?"
"There is one way to open those doors, and that is to cut the power
to this room." She heard movement and glanced back at the Rack. Now Rich
was trying to break the chains, but she knew that he couldn't. She just
laughed. All they had to do was wait.
Everett could not believe the force that he had been hit with. He
truly understood how powerful Aura was now. He got up and then pulled
everyone else up. As he helped Jubilee up, she said to him, "I'm beginning
to wish this was Sabertooth we were dealing with."
He was puzzled by this remark. She had told him about the time that
the power went out at the X-Men's headquarters, before the Phalanx attacked,
and when Sabertooth almost killed her. He just looked at her and said,
"Why?"
"Because, we know Sabertooth. We know very little about Aura." He
had to agree with her on that. He thought he could push Aura back, but her
control over her power was much better than his control of those powers. He
could handle Angelo's, Jubilee's, Sean's and some of the others fairly well,
and even better, but he had never had to control a power he couldn't see.
His thoughts were cut short when Sean's voice came over the
communicator. "Is everyone alright?"
"Just shaken up. We're heading back to the room. Why?"
"Emma and Daria aren't responding to me calls. I think that Aura
might have injured them severely, or worse." He didn't like how that
sounded, and by the look on everyone else's faces, neither did they.
He noticed that Godiva rushed ahead. She stopped at a spot and said,
"Damn, she closed the door." He watched as Godiva started searching for the
pegs to open the door.
Monet walked over to the door and said, "May I?" He watched as
Monet just looked at the holes for the pegs and then placed the pegs in the
corresponding holes.
Godiva turned and said, "Cartier, how smart is Monet?" Nobody
wanted to answer the question, and then the door opened. Godiva glanced in
the door and stepped back and said, "I wonder if Elane placed them in that
position. I don't think they did it themselves."
Everett looked in and saw what she meant. Daria and Emma were
laying on top of each other. He and everyone else ran in and help get the
two to their feet. They were just recovering from the attack when Cartier
said, "What happened?"
Emma was the first to answer. "Aura had shut the door and I knocked
her down with a psi-bolt. She dodged Daria's attacked and then used me as
a shield. I was just getting to my feet when Daria flew into me. She was
acting as if she was out of control."
Daria then said, "That was when Aura grabbed hold of my legs and
bent the back at the knees. I didn't know how that was affecting my flying,
but it did." Everett was surprised by this, as was everybody else.
Monet just looked at her and said, "When could you fly?"
"I don't know. I just did." Everett then looked over at the door.
He noticed something that nobody else had probably seen. There was a
flashing sign on it. Daria noticed it and said, "I hope that's not a bad
sign."
Everett just sighed and said, "I think the password is useless." He
watched as Godiva walked over to the door and cursed. She motioned him to
contact Sean. He did so and said, "Sean, I think we need something better
than a password."
It was Kyuukai that replied, "Godiva, what about the generator? Do
you think we could get in if we deactivate it?"
He heard Godiva say, "Yes, but some of us have to wait here, and the
door might be barricaded."
Another voice came over the communicator, that of Paige. "We can
deactivate the generator, if that's what it will take to free Rich and
Yvette."
Sean replied, "Good. Godiva, Kyuukai, could ye tell them were to
go." Everett then listened as Godiva recited the instructions. Then Sean
said, "Daria, ye might want to persuade the door to open. Everett, do yur
best to help her. I will try to knock the door open from my end." Everett
then got in synch with Daria and the two got ready to open the door.
Paige had listen intently to what Godiva said. She then led Jono
and Mondo to where the generator was. She knew the consequences if they
failed. Emplate had attacked the school on a couple of occasions, and all
had left a major impact, and all of those were when they won. She was almost
started when she heard Jono said, {Come on, luv. We have to stop Emplate.}
"Jono, Ah hope we manage to save them." She was worried for both
Rich and Yvette, and she even heard the concern in her voice.
Mondo, who even had a worried look on his face, said, "I hope so
too. Although I must admit I am concerned how it will effect Daria. She
sees Rich as her guardian."
Paige just glanced at Mondo. The way Mondo was talking seemed to
point toward one thing. "Mondo, do you have a crush on Daria?" She noticed
that he nodded sheepishly.
She was about to say something when Jono said, {You know the look.}
She just looked at him and whispered, "I could swear that you had a
crush on Penance when she first arrived."
{I thought of her as a kindred spirit. At the time, we would never
have expected her to return to the state she is in now, but then.} He had
stopped speaking, and Paige saw why, but she also knew the end to his
statement. They had reached the generator room. He then said,
{Ladies first.}
"Thank you, Jono" She opened the door and saw a generator and a
smaller version of it connected to a computer. She walked over to the
computer and looked over it. A screen showed that the entire lights,
security and display set up. She noticed that the inhumanities had a
large amount of electricity heading towards it and figured that it must
have been the doors. She then looked at the generator display and saw it
read:
MAIN GENERATOR: OPERATIVE
EMERGENCY GENERATOR: STAND BY
COMPUTER POWERED BY: MAIN
SECURITY POWER: FULL
LIGHTING POWER: FULL
DISPLAY POWER: FULL (STRAINED)
The last word was flashing. Jono looked at it and said, {Something
must be pulling alot of power.}
Mondo then said, "Wouldn't that mean that the generator might
explode if not shut off." Paige's eyes went wide. She knew what that meant.
Whatever Emplate was doing to Rich and Yvette must be taking alot of energy.
Paige replied, "Yeah, and if we don't stop it soon, we'll be at
ground zero of the explosion." She raced over the controls and switched the
computer over to the back-up generator and then shut off the main generator.
She looked at the display which now read:
MAIN GENERATOR: OFF-LINE
EMERGENCY GENERATOR: OPERATIVE
COMPUTER POWERED BY: EMERGENCY
SECURITY POWER: OFF
LIGHTING POWER: MINIMUM
DISPLAY POWER: OFF
Jono, who had removed the bandages covering the hole in his chest,
said, {Paige, I'm beginning to have a bad feeling about this.}
Paige turned to her boyfriend, concerned, and said, "Why?" She was
scared when he said that.
He just looked at her with tears in his eyes. She had never seen
him cry, but he was as he said, {They are screaming again. Screaming that
Emplate has them.}
She quickly tapped the communicator and said, "Godiva, can you hear
me?"
Godiva's voice answer the call. "Yes, but something is happening
here, Emma just collapsed in pain. Daria and Everett are trying to hammer
the door in, and I think Sean is trying it on the other side with his
screams."
Paige abit concerned about all said, "Is there anything in the
Inhumanities room that would take alot of power."
"Just the electric chair display, if it was jammed on the highest
setting. Can knock a person unconscious, why?"
Paige put two and two together. Emplate wouldn't use the chair,
but Rich and Yvette might have, as a defense measure. "We'll be right down,
and get into the room, fast." She turned to Jono and Mondo and said, "We
better hurry, or else Rich and Yvette won't be in the room any longer."
With that, they headed off to the room.
Rich listened as Emplate and Elane were barricading the doors. He
knew that they had everything running in their favor. Emplate had
successfully capture them, but he now needed the key. Rich heard Yvette
stir and she said, {What's happening?} He noticed that she had tensed up.
He couldn't help but do the same.
{Emplate and Elane have barricaded the doors. They know where the
key is. They figure that the only way that Gen X can get in is to shut off
the power.}
{Will they shut off the power?} He knew what she was hinting at.
{They don't know the spot we are in, but the second the lights dim,
and the electric hum stops, Emplate has us. I just have to wonder about one
thing.}
{And that is?}
{How did he know when to leave the display room and attack early,
unless..} His thought was cut short buy the flicker of the lights. When
the lights came back on, they were dim. He also didn't hear the electric
hum. He turned to Yvette and said, {Psionicly yell. If we get someone to
understand us, we might be saved.} They both yelled about their impending
doom.
Rich heard Elane go, "Yes. Time to get out of here." They had the
key. It would be over in seconds. He also head the doors starting to give.
Would luck remain on their side?
He saw Emplate looking over them. Emplate had the key and unlocked
the manacles. He felt himself lifting off the table. It was Elane. She had
done the same to Yvette. Emplate just looked at him and said, "When you
awake, you'll be at your new home." He felt the pressure push him into
unconsciousness. Soon, darkness overcame him.
************************************************************
It wasn't to long after he started that he knocked through the door.
Sean quickly ran into the room and saw the most horrible site he had ever
seen. Then, everyone else came in the other door. Emma, who looked as if
she was hit by a mack truck, said, "What happened?"
Everyone else just stood there. He heard the little one's crying,
but he also heard Daria crying. He knew why. Godiva just looked at the
room and was speechless. Sean decided to voice the answer, "I think that
we were too late."
He then saw Paige, Jono and Mondo run in. Mondo ran to Daria's side,
but Paige just said, "Did we save them?" When Sean shook his head, Paige
just said, "I thought so."
He was wondering what the girl was thinking and said, "What is it,
lass?"
Paige answered his question, "When we turned off the power, we just
handed them over. Emplate must have wanted us to turn off the power. There
was alot of power going into this room, which meant that a display was
taking it. Godiva said it was the Electric Chair display, and I figure that
Rich must have activated it, but why as a defense?"
He noticed that Kyuukai had walked over to the display of the Rack
and held up a pair of manacles. She just said, "This is why. Rich must
have manacled himself to Yvette and then out the key under the chair in
such a way that the chair would have shocked anyone going for the key."
Sean then realized that his worse fears had entirely come true.
Godiva looked at him and said, "What are you going to do now?"
Sean knew that Rich's family should never know about what problems
he would encounter. He just replied, "Godiva, keep this a secret from his
folks, alright. We know where Emplate's lair is. We will head back to the
school and plan an attack from there. What we do know is that we have about
a week to do it in." The girl just sighed and he led everyone out. They had
to leave.
As they were leaving, Sean noticed Cartier walking to him. He
stopped and told everyone else to continue. Sean noticed that Monet seemed
nervous. It was after all had left that Cartier said, "Be careful if Monet
enters one of her spells. Get her out of it as soon as you can, and make
sure you get her out." Cartier walked away and Sean wondered what that
meant as he went to the van. Gen X had to leave soon to rescue Rich and
Yvette.
To be continued in "THE EMPLATE WAR"
