Six Circles Of Light
by jeanne
Introduction:
Once upon a time, there was a funny little man named Gateway who had done
alot of bad things in his life. So he decided that in atonement, he must do
something good....he rescued a child from a monster. After naming her
Penance, he left in the care of Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters.
At Xavier's, Penance, or Yvette as she was found to be, lived in reletive
peace. She was given lots of apples to eat, and she even, sorta, made
friends. If those friends happened to be mutants, well, Penance was a mutant
herself. She had a power that allowed her to absorb light and make her body
diamond-hard. She became very sensitive to light as a result of it.
But not many people payed much attention to Penny. In fact, most of the
time they ignored her.
Which really wasn't a very good idea.
Part 1
The day was sunny and bright, with few clouds in the sky. The flowers
bloomed and spread color around. The birds twittered high up in the tree
branches, while the squirrels scolded them from the ground. In short, it was
perfect. But what else could you expect in the bio-sphere?
Emma Frost sat cross legged in the gazebo, addressing the crowd of
students in front of her. "This will be a normal training session. The
object of the game is to hunt and "kill". To kill, you must touch the other
person's shoulder. The last standing team wins. Losers return to the gazebo.
Any questions?"
"Why return here?" The imperious voice of Monet St. Croix, M, rang out.
"I would much rather leave the bio-sphere entirely. There are things I wish
to accomplish before lunch."
"yeah, what?" Jubilation Lee, Jubilee, asked nastily, "Gonna go stare at a
wall for a few hours? Color in your diary? 'Phone your brother?"
"You dont' know anything, you....." M said scathingly to Jubilee.
"Enough!" snapped Emma.
Jubilee and M subsided with nothing more than a glare and a stuck out
tongue. Everett Thomas, Synch, smothered a laugh as Jubilee made a face
behind M's back.
Paige Gutherie, Husk, raised her hand.
"Ms. Frost, ma'am? What if one person on a team is out and the other
isn't?"
"Then the remaining teammate plays on alone." Emma replied, "Any more
questions? No? Then you may pick your teams."
"Cool!" Jubilee yelled as she ran to Synch, "I'm on your team, Ev!" An
arm suddenly grabbed her from behind.
"Uh uh, chica, you an mi amigo here, that ain't fair!" Angelo Espinoza,
Skin, said.
"I'll give ya fair, ya......" Jubilee started as she shook off Skin's arm.
"Jubilee, join my team!" Husk yelled across to her, and she left,
grumbling under her breath at Skin. M and Jonothon Starsmore, Chamber,
completed the final team.
"You have one minute to get ready before the game starts," Emma said as
she set her timer.
"What have ye got the wee ones at now, Emma lass?" The cheerful voice of
Sean Cassidy, Banshee, rang out. Emma frowned. She should have sensed
Banshee, but she....hadn't.
"I'm training them, Sean. They are here to learn after all!" Emma
snapped.
"All the proper safety measures have been taken?" Sean continued blithely.
"Of course Sean. I AM a professional." Emma said with gritted teeth.
"Good, good, good. So ye're all set for a day o' fun and adventure then!
I'll just be on me way now," Banshee said jovially, slapping Synch on the back. Synch froze, a change coming over his face and a glazed look entering
his eyes.
Emma's head snapped up and she stared intently at Synch. "Are you all
right, Everett?
"Whu...? Yes, yes of course I'm all right." He said distractedly.
"Are you sure?" Emma persisted.
"Yes. It's just that Mr. Cassidy's tap wasn't exactly a tap." He answered
jokingly.
"Oh, 'tis sorry I be, lad! Sometimes I dont' know me own strength!"
Banshee said remorsefully as he left.
Emma stared after him searchingly. Something had passed from him to
Synch. She didnt' know what, or why..........but somehow she had the feeling
that it was very very important.
"Can we start now, Ms. Frost?" Jubilee asked impatiently.
Emma dragged her attention back with a force of will. "Yes. Begin now."
She said, resolving to find out what happened at the earliest opportunity.
Little did she know that neither Banshee nor Synch intended to give her
the opportunity.
Part two
The silent, enigmatic girl named Penance sat forgotten on a log. This was
her favorite spot, the place where she found peace. And butterflies.
Penance loved butterflies. They had such pretty colors, and if she stood
quite still, they even landed on her nose and tickled.
Penance loved apples too, but she never found them on the log. She got
those from the one they called "Jubilee" and the other one, "Chamber".
They had the most colorfull lights around them, something they called
"auras", and they were such pretty rainbow colors.
One of Penance's favorite things to do was to watch the others. When she
saw them come outside, she was so happy that she stayed quiet and hid, lest
she frighten them away. She knew that they were afraid of her, ever since
she almost killed one of them.
The one called Banshee came out too, but he didnt' go to the others, not
at first. He went to the edge of the forest and a huge dark light, as
different from the auras as light from day, engulfed him and he collapsed.
Penance became frightened, and her body turned razor sharp in reaction. The
man got up. He saw her in the trees, and his entire face changed. He came
close to her, and reached out to touch her......but her skin kept him from
it. He looked at her in anger, and spoke to her, but Penance couldn't hear
him (she never heard anything) and she ran away in confusion. His aura
wasn't pretty anymore, the rainbow colors were gone and blacks and browns and grey's remained.
In one of her queer turns of mind, Penance relized that this wasn't the
Banshee one. This was something else in Banshee, something evil that
wanted to enslave her. And Penance did not like being enslaved. Once she
had been...but she escaped, and she didn't ever want to go back to that. She
needed to warn the others, as best she could, before the thing went to them.
Penace was too late. She felt it deep in her bones before she saw the
light. The one called Synch looked exactly like Banshee......he was no
longer Synch, but was now another one of the light creatures.
Angry at herself for her failure to warn the others, she withdrew deep
into the shadows, her body shrinking closer to her, her skin growing razor
sharp, her face growing hard. The others knew nothing, but she knew. It was
her duty to protect the ones who had rescued her, and she would do it. Even
it it meant she had to die.
Part three
Jubilee hid in the bushes near the stream, making sure to cover her tracks
behind her. {As is that matters with Ev out there!} She thought, thinking
vengefully of what she'd do to Skin later.
A stick broke somewhere nearby, and Jubilee immediately tensed. Only
Synch could have tracked her here, and she did not want him near enough to
latch onto her powers. Dropping onto all fours, she silently crept out of
the bushes....and straight into Synch.
"Going somewhere Lee?" He asked with a grim smile.
"Aw, Ev! Why'd ya have to come after me?" Jubilee groaned "Can't you just
go get Chamber or M?"
"Now, now, Lee, that wouldn't be fair!" He said, shaking a finger at her
"Be a good girl and give in gracefully."
"Give in?!" Jubilee yelped "When I was with the Xmen, we NEVER gave in!"
With barely a thought, she threw out a hand and fireworks lept torwards
Synch. Synch absorbed it, then sent it back in a rainbow shower that knocked
Jubilee off her feet and into the stream.
"I believe that you are the next thing to caught, Ms. Lee," He said "Need
a hand up?"
"If you say I told you so, I'll.....," Jubilee began as she reached up to
grasp his hand........
Penance lept out from the shadows, her claws reaching out to rake Synch's
arm. With a small scream, Jubilee fell back into the stream. Synch dropped
to the ground, using his powers to synch to Penance's power, and covering his
face. Penance ripped and teared at him with all the ferocity she could.
"Ms. Frost! Ms. Frost! HELP!" Jubilee yelled as she scrambled out of the
water.
Emma appeared and took in the scene with a glance. "Penance, STOP!" She
yelled, stabbing deep into the girl's mind in an attempt to calm her.
Penance gave her one agitated look before she lept away into the trees,
disappering before she touched them.
Emma turned torwards Synch and said impeccably "Got to the Medi-Lab.
Now." She turned torwards the crowd of students that had come when Jubilee
had screamed. "Skin, go with him."
"Really, Ms. Frost, I"m quite alright. I synched to her powers, and
Penance never even scratched me." Synch said as he got up and dusted himself
off.
"Go. Now." Emma said. She waited until Synch and Skin had left before
continuing. "You are all dismissed. I would suggest that you finish the
reports that are due on Comparative Biology." She turned and marched off, the
rest following her.
Penance watched from the shadows.
par four
As darkness fell, the campus settled. Penance paused at the edge of the
girl's dormitory. Halfway up, a light went out, and she took off. Digging
her claws into the bricks, she climed up and hesitated at the open window.
She cocked her head and searched the room as best she could before sliding
in. She stood outlined in the shadows, her body absorbing the light, leaving
her in darkness. She moved to the edge of Jubilee's best and put her claws
over the girl's face, her own face confused. She'd expected Jubilee to have
the same light as the other two, but Jubilee's was the same as always, bright
rainbow colors. Yet, Penance had seen another kind of light here, at the
windows.......
Jubilee woke up with a start. Penance stood abover her with the claws
over her faces, posied to close across her throat. "Penny? What are you
doing?" She whispered in fear.
Suddenly, Penance whirled so fast that her hand was a blur of motion, and
sliced open Skin's throat as he appeared next to her. His skin contracted to
cover the cut, but he was too slow, and with a little moan he collapsed in on
himself. The body evaporated and all that remained was a tiny circle of
black light that slowly dimmed and went out.
Emma burst into the room and took in the scene in a glance. "What the
hell happened here?!"
"MsFrost, PennycameintomyroomthenSkintriedtokillmesoPennykilledSkin!" She
said in one breath as she struggled out of her blankets.
"What?!" Emma said, startled "But if Penance attacked Skin...She also
attacked Synch this afternoon! We have to find the others!"
"Why, Emma, if 'tis us ye be lookin' for, ye won't have to look far!"
Banshee's voice said from the doorway. Ranged behind him were Synch, M,
Husk, and chamber.
Somehow Emma thought that she might be in just a bit of trouble.
Part five
Penance never hesitated when she needed to do something. Experience had
taught her that to hesitate was to endanger yourself. So when she saw the
bad light at the door, she didn't hesitate.....she attacked.
Leaping from the bed, she landed right in front of them, and raked her
claws down. Unfortunately, it was the one who could synch to her powers and
it didn't hurt him, but she had the effect of scattering them. She clawed
and ripped in the midst of them, sending them all to opposite ends of the
room. She lost sight of Synch, but Husk appeared in front of her, tearing
off her skin to show granite under. Penance turned on her, but with a
vicious laugh, Husk shrugged her off and threw her into a wall. The wall
shuddered under Penance's weight and a crack appeared from the ceiling to the
floor. Penance used the wall for leverage and lept again at Husk, her
momentum throwing them both against the opposite wall and completely falling
through it. Husk threw her off and pounded on her with her granite fists,
but Penance's skin held firm,and Husk's couldn't do any more than bruise her
until she turned back to her normal state.
Penance threw her claw torwards Husk, but missed and threw it into the
wall instead. The claw went threw the middle of the wall, in the softer
area, and stuck. Penance desperately tried to draw it out, but it was stuck
fast and wouldn't budge. Husk edged closer and her mouth opened to taunt her
again. Penance got a blinding idea and moved her other claw so fast that
Husk didn't have a warning. She shoved her claw down into Husk's throat and
with a ripping sound, tore out the softer inside. Husk's head fell to the
floor, and her body collapsed in on itself, the light inside dimming.
Penance stood inside what was left of the hall and Jubilee's room, working
her arm out of the wall. Everybody was gone, but Penance saw the window was
smashed and she could hear the sounds of explosions outside. With one of her
graceful leaps, she dived through the window and climbed down the side of the
building to go see who might need some help.
Part six
Jubilee dived behind the bed when Penance lept at the others. She knew
exactly what Penance could do with those claws, and she didnt' intend to be
anywhere around them when Penance was this angry. And just like she
suspected, they scattered the minute that Penance started flashing her claws.
{Stupid things!} She thought cunningly {Don't they relize that they are
sooooo much easier to pick off one by one?}
Just as Jubilee prepared to come out and help Penance with Husk, Emma was
attacked by M and they both flew out the window. Chamber had disappeared,
Husk was occupied by Penance, Banshee was working some kind of spell in the
air.......and Synch was headed right for her.
Jubilee jumped out from behind the bed, her fingers pointed like a gun,
sparks flying around her. "Where do you think YOUR going, ya copy cat?" She
said bravely.
"Lee, stop this. It won't hurt a bit to join me, trust me on this. All I
gotta do is touch you, and YOU can have all this power and fun too!"
"Power? Fun? In being a vampire? I don't think so! What did you do
with Ev?" She snarled.
"Everett and the rest are all in a safe place, but dont' think you'll ever
see them again. As soon as I get you and Penance is killed by Husk, our
master will kill you all." He said. NOT the answer Jubilee was looking for.
"Dont' bet on it, ya reject! Eat my sparks!" She shot out a shower of
sparks, but Synch laughed at her and sent them back in a much more powerful
blast. Jubilee went flying backwards and went through the already smashed
window. She fell through the air and landed in the stream again, hitting her
head on a rock and barely retaining consciousness. {Stupid, Lee, really
really stupid. You know that he can do that! Start thinking!} She
though to herself with anger.
Synch landed next to the stream and started looking for her, checking the
water and looking for her passage on the bank. Jubilee swan underwater to an
overhanging tree branch, then swung herself up lightly into the tree. She
inched her way off it, and just as she touched the ground, the entire branch
broke off and she plunged to the ground. Synch's head jerked up and he came
trotting closer to her with a look of anticipation on his face.
Jubilee shook her head and tried not to cry. {This is impossible!
There's no way I can beat him, he can top everything I do!} She thought
despairingly. Her hand moved and she hit it with the edge of the tree
branch. "OW!" She yelped, backing away, and sucking on her bruise. Synch's
smile grew wider and he came closer to her, his eyes searching in the
darkness and his ears cocked for another sound.
An idea hit Jubilee. If she couldn't hit Synch with her power, then she
should improvise and use the next best thing.....a sharpened tree branch that
could peirce skin. She grabbed the branch in one hand and hid it behing her
back, then stood up and waited until Synch's eyes fell on her. "I've decided
to give up. If you want to absorb me, or kill me, or whatever, I don't care.
I'm not strong enough to defeat you." She said, trying her best to sound
sincere.
Synch came all the way to her without a clue. "I'm so glad you've decided
to see reason, Lee. I always said that you were a smart girl." He stood in
front of her with an evil smile and reached out to touch her
arm..........With a lightning quick move, Jubilee ducked under his arm and
brought out her stick at the same time, shoving it deep into his stomach and
enjoying the look of surprise on his face. "If you had really been Ev, you
would have known: When I was with the Xmen, I never gave up...and I don't
intend to start now!"
Synch collapsed in on himself and the light dimmed.
Far away, Jubilee heard the sound of a fight. {M and Ms. Frost} She
thought {Only M could be so destructive} She jogged away as fast as she
could on a twisted ankle to help Ms. Frost, passing by Penance but not
relizing it.
Part seven
{When Penance moves} Emma thought dimly {She really moves} Diving to the
side, Emma avoided Synch as he came torwards her. She has seen Juiblee hide,
and she hoped that she stayed there. Already Penance was fighting, with
Husk, but she couldn't find Chamber or M........
"Hello, Ms Frost. Wouldn't you agree that today is a good day for you to
die?" The cultured voice of M said from behind her. Emma turned around and
saw M standing behing her with a huge knife in her hand.
"Going to kill me? I thought that you were attempting to subjugate the
entire team." Emma said calmly.
"You know very well that we cannot absorb you, Ms. Frost. The very nature
of you power keeps us from it." M said.
"Ah, but you absorbed Monet, and I have always suspected that that child
had more power than I ever did." Emma said, inching her way across the
floor, putting as much space between her and M.
"Yes, we did, and yes, she does. She, however, does not have the
potential to open the portals between the dream relm and the natural relm."
M said, with a blank face. She started to advance on Emma.
"And your saying I do? That wouldnt' matter at all, unless you happened to
have stashed the children into the dream relm....." Emma said in a quiet voice, relizing that the dream world was exactly where the children were.
"You don't have to worry about that! You just have to die!" M said with
an angry face. She took the knife and threw it an Emma, but Emma dived under
it and came up on the other side of M. M flew at her with enough momentum to
push her out the window, and Emma fell down to the ground. She caught at
tree branches, leaves, anything to stop her downward flight.
With a sharp pain, Emma landed on the ground. The noise of her passage
passed, leaving nothing behing but the sound of the wind. Emma bent over her
side in pain, and her wrist hung limply. {Great!} She thought {I'm now out
of my own fight with a broken rib and a broken wrist!}
"Die, Ms. Frost," A voice said above her. M landed lightly on the ground
next to her and approached, the knife gone but her fist cocked and ready.
Emma closed her eyes and attempted to control the girls mind, but like Synch
earlier, nothing happened. Emma sighed and M's fist connected with her face,
breaking her nose and sending her backwards into the trees.
"That is IT, child!" Emma said, blood dripping down her face. She
stared at M and concentrated, focusing her energy.....then sent a psionic
lightning bolt straight from her head to connect with M's stomach. The girl
dropped like a stone, her mind going into meltdown, and her heart stopping to
beat. Emma took out the letter opener in her pocket and bending down, neatly
slit M's throat. The body evaporated and the lights went out.
"Ms. Frost, I got a question for yer. That's wasn't very nice, now was
it?" asked Chamber, appearing out of the mist. He stood there, his psionic
energy coloring the air around him, and watched her.
"Well, Chamber, if there was a very powerful person attempting to kill
you, wouldn't you use all the tricks you know?" Emma said as she dived to
the side to avoid Chamber's blast. The blast never came though, because
Chamber suddenly went up in fireworks, outlining the girl standing behing
him. Emma grabbed a branch and stood up slowly, wincing at her rib.
"Jubilee. I never knew you had it in you."
"Next time, Ms. Frost," Jubilee said quietly, staring at the smoking husk
that was all that was left of "Chamber", "Next time you have to save
yourself."
"And the next time might be sooner than ye think," Banshee's voice said.
He appeared out of the darkness, shadows streaming off him, half visible as
if he stood in two dimensions at once. He walked over to Chamber and admired
what was left. "You, dear child, are a wonder with you powers. I will be
sorry when it comes time to eat your soul."
"So you are a soul eater. I wondered." Emma said.
"Yes, I am. I have all of your students, and even the one called
"Banshee". I have everything you've ever worked for. And you , Emma, you
are going to die." Banshee said.
"What exactly is a soul eater?" Asked Jubilee. Emma waved her hand at
Jubilee, telling her without words to shut up. Jubilee ignored her. "I mean,
you come here, looking like Irish, put imposters in our school, and we can't
find a trace of the real ones. You have powers like we do, but your
imposters are really stupid. So just what are you?"
"I, child, am an eater of souls. I spend my life searching the globe for
the wonderous challange of taking the souls of humans. Your kind are so
stimulating to my palate. I came here to take the souls of you children
because as mutants, you are much more of a challange to one of my ability
than those of no powers. Your friends are still alive, and you will be
joining them soon. They are tied to this body, oh yes, that was an extremely
hard spell to create. Having five souls tied to this body is a tricky thing
to do. Oh, and your powers won't work on me.......I have a sheild that
prevents mutant powers such as yours and Ms. Frost's from working on me."
Banshee said with a pleased face.
"Y'know, there is just one thing that is always bothering me. " Jubilee
said thoughtfully, staring off behind Banshee's shoulder, "And that is how
come you would be world conquerers can be so stupid! GET HIM PENNY!
Banshee spun around in time to see Penance leap from the shadows with her
claws extended, ripping his face off and tearing out his stomach.
With a blinding flash of light, Banshee disappeared. Penance was thrown
backwards into the trees, her head striking and the tree cracking under her
weight. Jubilee dropped to the ground, and Emma threw up a Psi Sheild.
When the light faded, Banshee, Synch, Skin, Husk, Chamber, and M were set
out in a circle design with a circle of light like a halo over each of them.
Part eight
The day was perfect, with no clouds and a light blue sky. But what else
could you expect in the bio-sphere?
Emma sat on the grass near the shattered gazebo. Her wrist was sprained,
not broken, though she complained that it felt the same, and her splintered
rib had been taped up. Around her sat her students, their faces alert and
paying attention.
"We've done this before. The way to get someone out is to touch their
shoulders. Are there any questions before we begin?" Emma said.
Jubilee raised her hand. "Uh, Ms. Frost, do we, like, have to touch each
other? Can't we just, like, say 'your out' or something?"
M and Synch turned to glare at Jubilee. She raised her hands in front of
her. "Hey, it was just a suggestion!"
"Begin, children." Emma said. Everyone scattered, Synch eyeing Jubilee
in a way that seemed to say 'your first, brat'.
A slight tap on her shoulder caused Emma to turn around. There, behind
her, sat Penance. She cocked her head, and Penance copied her movement.
Emma reached into a bag nearby and took out an apple, handing it to Penance.
With a very small smile, Penance took the apple and disappeared into the
shadows.
This time nobody forgot about her.
(
geocities.com/soho)