Summer Challenge: Devil's Plaything

[steyn]

At first Logan wasn’t really into the whole idea of it all. He was sitting cross-legged on the mat in the shack he built. This was his little haven away from the mansion, deep in the wooded area on the Xavier estate. Both his hands resting on his knees, his head looking straight at the other one in the shack, also sitting cross-legged. The rain could be clearly heard tapping on around the shack.

The one in front of him was Steyn. He was only at the Xavier mansion for the past couple of months. He had horns coming out of his forehead, the top of his head, the back of his head and out from his spine on his back. At first his mutation were just a couple small horns on his forehead, and a small thin tail at his behind. A month later he ended up with a couple more bumps and horns on his head, and his tail had thickened, gaining more muscle. At the moment though, his tail’s tip was tapping next to him on the mat.

Oh man, I just know it, he’s staring at me again. Or maybe not, maybe if I just take a quick peek, just to make sure he isn’t. What if he is. The guy’s mental. He’ll probably start telling me to do some stupid thing again. Like chop more wood. Who the hell chops wood out here?!? This stupid place is filled with chopped wood! I can still feel that stupid splinters in my fingers. Fuck it’s cold. I wish I were in a warmer place. Cape Town’s probably nice and warm right about now.

All of that went through the mind of the one Logan was staring at.

“Look, kid, if you don’t stop thinking and start emptying your mind like I told you, I’m gonna make my fist greet your face real quick like. That usually empties a person’s mind. Get me?”

“Hey, I’m trying, okay?” Steyn answered nervously, eyes still closed.

A growling mumbling noise came from Logan as he started talking, “I don’t care how much you try, just do it. Can’t believe I let Chuck talk me into this.”

Okay, empty my mind, empty my mind, empty my mind… stomach’s empty. Damn it I’m hungry. I wonder what I can have for dinner. I wonder what’s there to eat. I really should check the fridge. Strange…. he thought when suddenly the sound of rain dissipated to slight tap-tap-tapping at one side.

Steyn opened his eyes.

“Oh fuck!” he said, noticing he was in the kitchen, staring at the refrigerator. Logan’s going to be pissed off. This was like the ninth time it happened and every time more of Logan’s anger showed. Steyn feared for his near future.

Maybe I should bring some food back. I mean, you can’t be angry at someone who brings you… Steyn thought when he opened the door to the fridge, “fruit… no… he doesn’t look like much of a fruit person,”

Steyn then snorted, thinking of fruit and Logan and the wolverine from the role playing game he used to play a bunch of months ago. Imaginary super heroes are so much easier then real life ones.

All the while he was looking for something to bring back to Logan, Steyn was snacking on whatever he picked up. Grapes, slices of ham, even a slice of pizza of which he only took one bite before realizing how bad it tasted cold.

A fist hit the side of the fridge and Steyn quickly stood up and spun around, pizza slice still in his hand, other hand at his side. His eyes went white as he looked at the thing in front of him.

Yep, Steyn thought, Logan’s pissed.

[Edited on 3/7/2008 by steyn]

[Scumfish]

Hee!!! Awesome start

[steyn]

“Stuffing your face again?”

“I’m…I was hungry.” Steyn almost towered over the shorter mutant, but the shorter one had that aura of authority around him that made anyone near him just want to go and yell, ‘Yes Sir! Right away Sir! Don’t hit me Sir!’

“You’re more hungry then The Blob. You stuff your face every time I see you. Look at you. You’ve been here how long, and you still have the body of a hippo.” Logan slowly shook his head, not even looking at Steyn anymore as he pushed him out of the way and grabbing a beer from the fridge.

Logan turned and saw Steyn still standing there like a pillar in his way. “Move your fat ass out of my way or I’ll cut it off, kid.”

Steyn just nodded and stumbled backwards away, tail feeling the cabinet behind him before knocking against it.

The kitchen of the mansion wasn’t the same as he had imagined in the role playing game. For one, the floor wasn’t wood or tiled with normal tiles. It was all expensive looking, tiled with fancy looking stone slabs. Sure, there were wood paneling on the walls at certain areas, and the kitchen cabinets, but it was expensive looking wood paneling.

Logan had made his way to a chair, sitting back on it, lifting his feet up and resting them on the kitchen table.

He whistled Steyn over, “Horny, grab a seat.” Steyn started moving over to the table, “And lose the slice.”

“Huh?” he was confused until he remembered the pizza slice in his hand. “Oh, okay, umm,” he was looking around where to put it for later.

“Now, Junior. I ain’t gettin’ younger. Trash is over there.”

“Yeah, but, okay.” Steyn had a tiny bit of sadness in him as he threw the slice in the garbage before coming over to the table, sitting two chairs away from Logan.

Logan was resting his arms over his chest, staring down at his can of beer. He took a sip of it and looked up at Steyn. He breathed out heavily before saying something.

“Do you know why I’m trying to help you?”

“Because…you think I’ll be a good…member of…you know….the X-men?”

Logan snorted a laughter, “Heck no. You’re the last person I would think of putting on the team. But it ain’t my call. I’m doing this more of a favor to Professor Xavier. But I’m only doing what I can. Up to you if you gonna do your share. Up to you if you wanna stop popping up wherever you don’t wanna be. You hear me? If you end up poppin’ into a place and end up dying, it ain’t my problem. Only person who’ll care is you and Wheelie upstairs. Got it.”

Steyn just nodded.

“Good.” He said, and then emptied his beer in his mouth. He burped then said, “Catch,” and threw the can to the other side of the room, away from Steyn.

In a blur of shapes and colors inverting and flipping in on themselves, Steyn disappeared and reappeared where the can was going to land. He was disappointed at his empty hand and the tinny clang sound of the can hitting the stone floor.

“Look like Kurt’s not making any progress either.” Logan checked his watch and groaned. “They’re probably still busy in the Danger Room.” Logan looked up and out the window at the rain hitting the glass. “Looks like we’ll be having a little run in the drizzle then.”

“What? But, but it’s pouring outside.”

Logan stared at him, “Get your damned ass outside, now!”

“Yes Sir, right away sir,” Don’t hit me Sir! he mentally added and ran for the kitchen’s backdoor to the outside, followed by a short man with an attitude.




An hour later they were nearing the mansion again. Steyn was by then glad they were running and jogging in the rain. His heart felt like it was clawing through his chest, trying to get away from his lungs, which, he could swore, was burning to a crisp.

He passed Logan who was waiting for him on the way to the mansion. Logan didn’t tell him to run and come back while he waited. Oh no. Logan ran with Steyn, but in the end he ran on without him.

Logan came up next to Steyn again, breathing in a nice breath as they ran. “There we go, come on kid, lift your feet, you’re going to fall over if you don’t lift your feet.” He pointed that fact out by sticking his own foot in front of Steyn, who then ended up on the ground. Logan stopped, hands on his hips, looking down.

“See what I mean.”

“You fucking tripped me!”

“I wouldn’t if you lifted you feet. Now get up, we’re almost home.”

“No, I’m not almost home. Home is not the stupid mansion. It’s on the other side of the stupid world. That’s where my home is!” Steyn said as he stood up, brushing off what he could, but not much. His clothes were drenched and the mud stuck to him like glue.

Logan grabbed out and twisted around, bringing Steyn back on the muddy ground. “Ow! Stop it, I’m tired! I don’t want to do this anymore!”

“Tell you what, I’ll stop if you make me. How’s that?” he dragged Steyn across the ground, lifting him up and against a tree. “Look at me Kid. You have a fucking talent of going anywhere you want, and what the hell do you do with it? Sit all day in front of a fucking computer, wasting it!” He slammed Steyn against the tree again.

“Look at you, bub! Pudgy as hell, can’t even run a few steps without turning red in the face. How the hell did you live so long? You sure you ain’t got healing too?”

After a couple moments of Logan staring at Steyn, Steyn staring down, away from the other one’s eyes, hands finally left their grip on wet clothes.

“Come on kid. Don’t want you dying out here. Chuck will get his panties in a twist.” Logan turned for the mansion, giving a couple steps before stopping again. He didn’t hear anything except for the rain. He turned back, “I said get up k…” He looked at the empty space of where Steyn had been sitting.

He looked back to the mansion and walked, patting his pockets, mumbling to himself. “Gotta buy some smokes.”


Inside the mansion Steyn was dripping over the floor in his shared room, sitting on his bed, probably getting mud on it too. He hated it there at the mansion. He should never have come. He thought it would have been cool, been easy. Hell, he had superpowers and crud. It was supposed to be easy!

On the other hand, what the hell will he do back home? A couple weeks into his mutation some people already threw rocks at him. Rocks! He lost his job, even the church asked him not to come anymore, because it was upsetting to the other members. No, the church didn’t ask him, they asked his sister. Well, he always did try to think of ways of not going. Seemed like horns and a tail was a perfect excuse.

Steyn put his head in his hands. His hands slid further, feeling the first pair of horns. He gripped them hard, pulling at them. He hated those things. He hated the tail, the horns, the stupid appearing everywhere, anywhere… he sniffed. And now his nose was runny. Not only that but he was cold.

Steyn stood up and walked over to the light switch. In a flick everything was brighter. Over at his dresser he pulled out dry clothes, throwing them on the bed. He walked over to the bathroom door, knocking, making sure no-one was in there already.

When coming to the mansion, he learned early on the etiquette of a shared bathroom between rooms. Luckily it wasn’t something bad, but still a bit embarrassing.

Steyn walked in the room, flicking the light switch on. He turned the hot water on, and started taking his clothes off. He stood topless, staring in the mirror.

“I’m not that fat.” He said. In fact he was more fit then ever in his life. Sure he didn’t have rock hard abs, but he didn’t have a flabby stomach like he had most of his life. Steyn lifted his arm, flexing. He smirk crossed his face. He never really did have much of a bicep, or tricep, or whatever those things were called. But now he had arms he usually wished he had. Sure there was a little bit of fat, but that’s just to keep him warm.

“Up yours Wolverine. I’m staying.” He said, and then went on stripping and taking a shower.

To a normal person a shower is a nice enjoyable warm way of cleaning one’s body. To Steyn it was an everyday struggle of not thinking too much or preferably of anything at all. Half the time he ended up standing with a sudsy scrub, wet, in a classroom or some other place that happens to be with populated and as naked as he came into the world.

That was one of the many reasons why Professor Xavier asked Logan to teach Steyn good meditation techniques to clear his mind, and not have his mind wander. This time it was the garage’s turn to see him naked. Steyn was wearing a Speedo just in case it happened again.

[Esynthia]

hee! this is so awesome so far, Steyn

[Elfdame]

Glad to see you back, horns and all.

One suggestion? Is that allowed, or am I too forward? I think it might read better to say " if you don’t stop thinking and start emptying".

Karate kid wood chop. Ha ha.

Great use of nicknames: Horny, Wheelie. Gotta love it.

This is a gem, totally Marvel-esque: "I’m gonna make my fist greet your face real quick like. That usually empties a person’s mind. " How perfectly Wolveriney.

"fruit… no… he doesn’t look like much of a fruit person," Right-o. In so many ways. Although I sometimes wonder if someone who forages in the woods a lot doesn't maybe develop a taste for berries and such.

"you still have the body of a hippo." Actually, I was picturing more of an inverted rhino ... or perhaps a Stegosaurus ...

Again, the way you describe everything (eg: "His heart felt like it was clawing through his chest, trying to get away from his lungs, which, he could swore, was burning to a crisp.") is so clever and amusing. I hope I have time to read more as you go along.

[steyn]

yes, it is better that way around, and I just fixed it, thanks Elfdame

[Elfdame]

I'm sorry. I'm a compulsive re-writer. When I get to Purgatory, I'm sure it'll be a huge warehouse full of manuscripts which I must read WITHOUT CORRECTION FLUID OR CUT-&-PASTE. When I have learned patience and forgiveness, I'll hit the escalator to my mansion in the sky.

But until I shed this mortal coil, I stand (sit), red pen (delete key) in hand, poised for action, heh heh heh ...

Thanks for not being upset at my intrusion.

[steyn]

No no, goodness no! I prefer critique, how else can anyone get better if they aren't shown the right way/better way?

[steyn]

Steyn was lying on his bed, reading a Discworld novel until he suddenly jerked at the loud slam coming from next door. He hit the wall to show his displeasure in being taken away from a good book. Just when he found his place again he heard a familiar sound and then a knocking at his door.

He sighed, folding a corner of a page and placed the book down on his bedside cabinet.

“Coming,” he said and stood up.

“Hi, Mr.. er…” Do you say it Vachner or Wagner again? “Kurt.”

“Please, just Kurt. I wanted to speak with you about your current position here.”

Steyn looked a bit worried. “Look, I’m really trying my best to be on par with the rest of you, but if you just give me some more time then…”

“Nein, stop, stop, stop, I was going to tell you that something had come up and you and other team members will have to investigate it. Mission briefing will be in fifteen minutes.”

And with that Steyn stood dumbfounded before a puff of, what paint manufacturer’s might call, aubergine smoke. His nervousness of trying to be as good as the X-Men was replaced with nervousness of maybe not being ready for an actual mission.

Five minutes later Steyn was sitting at the fancy round desk in the War room. In the middle of the desk was a really nifty hologram display. At that moment however it played a mind boggling screensaver of colours and shapes intertwining into each other and mixing and changing hues.

The door opened and Hank McCoy walked in with one hand full of papers, and in the other a half eaten Twinkie. He stopped dead in his tracks when he realized he wasn’t the only one in the room.

“Mr. De Kock, you are either a tad early, or my watch is a little faster then expected. And I am quite sure my watch isn’t wrong.”

“I’m early.”

“Oh, well, the debriefing only starts in another ten minutes and that usually get postponed for latecomers.”

“Err, yeah, I was… I’m just nervous about this.”

Hank smiled, “If it helps take you mind off things, I may have a quick request of your abilities.”

Steyn looked up at him with a concerned look forming with his eyebrows, “Oh…kay?”

Hank held up his half a twinkie, “I’m running low on my Achilles’ heal,” he said, putting everything down on the table, then digging out his wallet from his jacket’s pocket, pulling out a note, “Would you mind?”

Steyn gave an inner sigh, and then stood up taking the money.

“Excellent, three should be enough, thank you.”

Many times Steyn was sent to buy various small items from the convenience store. He was the unofficial store runner, as in, if you need something from the 7 Eleven, then ask Steyn. He can get there, buy whatever is needed, and come back in almost less time it takes to walk all the way to the garage, wait for the doors to open and start the car.

Sometimes Steyn wondered if Kurt had that job before he arrived.

“Three…right, okay,” he said staring at Hank for a second longer, while thinking of the 7 Eleven a couple miles away. He blinked his eyes, and wasn’t looking at Dr. Hank McCoy anymore but the store’s closed doors. Behind the glass was a large paper sign with red marker written on it.

“Woter domoge, closed for repoirs?” he read aloud. Someone had terrible handwriting. That or one heck of an accent.

“Great, what now?” he asked to no-one in particular.

“There’s a sh...”

“Holy crap!” Steyn yelled as he turned around clutching his chest.

The other guy was just as startled as Steyn was, staring at him, both standing in shocked induced silence.

Steyn finally said, “So sorry, you kind of snuck up on me there.” Still more silence and Steyn just looked around a bit. It was getting dark, the clouds were thinning out showing more sky, and the sun was making things more orange.

“Err…so…you were saying?”

“What are you?”

“A…demon…monster? For a costume…party?”

“I can see that, but what are you wearing?”

Steyn looked down at himself and winced as he remembered he was wearing his X-Men uniform. Not something to go grocery shopping in.

“It’s a kinky costume party, Angels and Devils…hey, I thought it was a dumb idea too when I saw the invitation.”

The guy didn’t seem to be buying it.

“You think this is bad? You should see the couple holding the party. Less skin on a nude beach. So what were you saying?”

“There’s a corner shop, just go down the street, you can’t miss it…” the guy looked around, “You hoofing it?”

“Sorry?”

“No car.”

“Oh, yeah, walking.”

The man went back to staring at Steyn.

“Okay then, I’ll just be going.” Steyn said and started walking down the street.

“How do you get it to do that? Is it mechanical? The tail.” came the man’s voice from behind him.

Steyn turned, “Yeah, great stuff…you can buy over the internet.” And with that the man shrugged and walked his own way, leaving Steyn on his mission for Twinkies.

Steyn on the other hand was against the whole idea of walking the whole way down to the shop. Instead he made ported jumps. After a couple disorientating steps he realized he was leaning against the shop’s wall.

A minute later he finally pushed himself away from the wall, and opened the door, hearing the small bell jingle as he walked in. Another jingle came as the door closed behind him.

“Twinkies…Twinkies…Twinkies…” he told himself, as he looked through the shelves of packaged produce, finally grabbing three Twinkies in the candy section. He rushed for the till, putting them on the checkout counter.

And then…he looked up…straight at the clerk. An elderly woman. Who happened to be holding a silver cross that was on a necklace around her neck and she was repeating something over and over again.

“Err….look I just want to…,” Steyn started but was cut off by the woman’s screaming.

“No, no, no, no, no, shh, look, money, I wanna pay,” and with that the woman started emptying out the cash register, which was quite unfortunate because two other customers walked into the store, saw the screaming woman, the money, and then ran out. Steyn could hear someone yelling ‘Call the police, call 9-1-1,’ outside.

“Oh shit!” was his last words in the store before appearing in his room, hands clutching the Twinkies. He made another jump into the War room, where Hank, Kurt and Logan was waiting.

“About damn time, let’s get this started.” Logan said without even looking at Steyn.

“Err, you’re…twinkies,” Steyn held out the packets.

“Thank you, you look flushed, is something the matter?” Hank asked as he took the Twinkies.

“No, nothing, had to go to another place, the 7 eleven was closed for repairs….water damage.”

“Right, what a shame. Kurt, would you please do the honours,” Hank said while taking out a folder with papers, passing it over to Steyn.

[Esynthia]

LMAO that was great, Steyn loved it. Twinkie Run FTW!!! poor lil ol lady though.

[steyn]

teensy update:

___


“If you look in you mission briefing, we are dealing with a kidnapper. Over the last five months children had gone missing. Children….babies…a couple months old up to the age of six. Usually we don’t handle missing people cases such as these…but we then found out that two of those children were born with mutations.” Kurt said.

“And seeing that we only care for us mutants, that’s why we doin’ something about it now…” Logan added.

“Nein Wolverine, it was only after hearing that two mutant children went missing that we found out other children had been disappearing too.” Kurt punched a couple keys on the keyboard in front of him and the hologram in the center of the table loaded a map.

A knock came at the door and it opened, “Sorry I’m late,” said Doug.

“Doug?” Kurt quickly glanced from Doug down to his notes, “I haven’t assigned you to this case.”

“Professor Xavier asked me to help.”

There was a second of silence before Kurt finally agreed, “Very well, you might be of help in this situation.” Kurt pushed a couple of his papers towards Doug who was now sitting next to Steyn.

“We were just starting, I was just telling Logan and Mr. De…”

“Steyn, just say Steyn, it’ll be better for us all.”

“Telling Logan and Steyn that there were quite a number of children disappearing at a certain region. We noticed it because some were born with a mutation, and we have a suspicion that the others might also have had some mutation. We aren’t certain about this yet, but we want to find that out. If it is the case then we will know the reason why they are disappearing.”

“Looking at the map I can see why the Professor asked me to go too.”

“Yes, if you look at the map, and at your notes, all of the children were disappearing in this region, east of Tunis in Tunisia.”

“Wait, where’s Tunisia again?” Steyn asked.

“North Africa, borders Mediterranean sea,” and as Kurt said it he zoomed out on the map to show the larger version.

“Guess I’ll have to brush up on my Tunisian then,” Steyn joked.

“Arabic…now the Tunisian Government is only letting a handful of people know we are helping out.”

“I thought the X-Men usually goes at it alone?” Steyn asked.

“We do, usually, but we need all the help we can get if we want to finish this as quickly as possible. Xavier had asked some of his friends to coerce the Tunisian police to help with all that they could, which was not much. Apparently they do not have any records of these children going missing.”

“So how do we know that they’re going missing?”

“That is part of the problem. There were records, they don’t have them anymore.”

“We gotta handle with crooked cops too?” Logan interrupted.

“Probably, probably not. You’ll have to find out yourselves when you get there.”

“You’re not going?” Steyn asked. He was not looking forward to his first mission without having Kurt as a buffer between him and Logan.

“Nein, I have other obligations that needs tending.” Kurt moved a paper aside, “You shall be meeting the police at the airport. You will picking up your tickets at the airpor…”

“Airport?!? Elf, were you smoking Chuck’s glaucoma medicine?”

“Sorry Logan, but we need the X-Jet for another mission. One where airplanes tend not to go. Don’t worry, airport authorities already know about you and your…ahem…special needs.”

“Special needs?” Doug asked.

“Their term for a mutant who gets an extra helpin’ of passin’ security.” Logan explained, and ended it with a claw sliding out and picked under his other hand’s fingernail.

“Sooo, are all the missing children mutants?” Steyn asked.

“As I said, we have a suspicion, but is not sure. You will have to question the families yourselves.”

“When’s the flight?” Logan finally retracted the claw.

“Tonight, which means you three will have to get going.” Hank finally said. Steyn had almost forgotten he was in the room.

“That’s it?” Logan asked, “No other intel?”

“Nein, this is all new, no other investigations had been done. Or if there were, there is no trace of it. Good luck.” Kurt finished.

Everyone stood up practically in unison.

“Dibs on driving!” Doug yelled, holding his hand up. Logan shot him a look that could bring chills to even Iceman.

“Err..I meant to say, shotgun!”

Steyn was completely fine with that. “So I guess you won’t be going with us?” Steyn asked Hank.

“No, unfortunately not. I shall be accompanying Kurt. I would have loved to see the ruins in Tunisia though.”

“Heh, yeah, I’ll bring back photo’s if that’ll help any.”

Hank sighed, patting Steyn on the shoulder as they followed the rest out of the room, “There is quite a difference between seeing pictures and taking them.”

[Edited on 17/7/2008 by steyn]

[Esynthia]

wheeee Tunisia! he needs to try the coscruits... or however you spell it.

[steyn]

just a tiny interlude in the mission

___________________________

“You know, this is the first time I’ve seen him talk French.” Steyn said.

Steyn and Doug were sitting in the waiting area in the airport in Paris, France. They had a ten-hour flight getting there and it was not one of the most comfortable experiences in their lives.

“I keep forgetting that people are talking other languages.” Doug remarked.

“Huh?”

“Universal translator?”

“Oh yeah.” Steyn said. He and Doug were waiting for Logan who seemed to be having a rather loud discussion with the French authorities concerning hidden weapons.

“Man I’m glad wearing the uniforms is optional.” Steyn said. A family walked by him and he smiled, nodding. They tried their best to not even look his way.

Doug snorted and nodded in agreement. “I was actually once stuck in the uniform, while riding in public transport. You should have seen the looks I got from the other people in the subway. Here’s a tip, never ever in your whole life ride the subway in skin tights.”

“Wow, that’s just asking for trouble. The looks you got, same as we’re getting now?”

“Nope, what we are getting here is a little bit of curiosity. What I got back there was…let me put it this way, imagine a rocky horror picture show tunnel of love. It was around eleven pm when I took the train. I was so glad getting off of that thing in the end. I think I showered twice when I finally got back to the mansion.”

The two sat in silence in the bustling airport, the only real noise they listened to was the familiar voice of the now French speaking Logan.

“What’s he saying?” asked Steyn.

“How much he dislikes everything here. How much he dislikes being treated like this. Aaaand how much he can gut everyone from here to Timbuktu but he’s not because he has papers that gives him permission to board the plane with his knives.”

“You think it’s wise to threaten the police?”

“Nope.”

“What’s happening now?”

“A lot of arguing.” Doug layed his head back, shifting lower, trying to get comfortable sitting.

And suddenly there weren’t any loud voices coming from behind the one door Logan and some officials were last seen going in.

“Wonder what happened.” Steyn said.

Doug looked up at the door grinning. “Can’t make anything out.”

The door finally opened, and a really pissed off Logan walked out. “Come on, the plane’s not gonna wait for us.”

The two got up, grabbed their overnight bags, and followed Logan.

“So I take it you won them over with your cheery disposition?” Doug asked.

“They got a phone call from someone who can fire them.” Logan answered.

As they finally got to the gate, and were waiting in line, Steyn finally asked, “What’s that smell?” He sniffed a couple more times then said again, “Smell’s like my mom’s pork chops she used to make.”

Logan growled.

Doug leaned in to Steyn and whispered, “Onay alkingtay ofway orkpay. Before they got the call they tazered him.”

“And they’re still alive?” Steyn asked.

“One with the tazer’s havin’ difficulty breathin’ through his nose.” Logan said without turning back to them.

A little while later they were on the plane, seats and tray tables to their upright and locked position. Steyn got a few looks from the other passengers, but strangely enough, the stewardess treated him pretty much the same as the other business class passengers.

“Thank god Professor Xavier isn’t a penny pincher.” Steyn said. “Tail is not a good thing to have in economy class.”

“But it’s kind of fun if you know what the other people are actually saying.” Doug said, making light of the subject, “Incredible how many swearwords you learn in one flight from Mexico to New York.”

[puppygirl]

tazered Wolvie, keep it up Steyn

[steyn]

just think of how well the adamantium helps with the electricity

[Esynthia]

HA! That was great wunt moar

[Elfdame]

Sorry, this will have to come in spurts (multiple posts) b/c I haven't time lately to keep up reading ... so I'm days behind.

Discworld! Discworld!!!! YESSSSSS!!!!! I am so pumped!


Great plot twists: emergency meeting, sent to the store, the inevitable reaction to his mutation. *sigh* If only I could be creative and learn to plot things ... but reading you guys is the next best thing to having that ability, so I'll be satisfied. No pressure on you to keep up the perfomance of course. *smirk*

aubergine smoke - ha ha ha! I grew some once; we referred to them as "the ornamentals" because they grew up these gorgeous, huge-leafed plants, then put out lovely purple, er, aubergine? flowers, but we thought they'd NEVER produce actual eggplants. Finally they did. Aubergine smoke. You and your little last season Prada shoes. ("Legally Blonde" )


Sometimes Steyn wondered if Kurt had that job before he arrived. Betcha he did. A blue gofer.

“Woter domoge, closed for repoirs?” he read aloud. Someone had terrible handwriting. That or one heck of an accent.
Aaaah, the famed Steyn brilliance. Très amusant.


And then…he looked up…straight at the clerk. An elderly woman. Who happened to be holding a silver cross that was on a necklace around her neck and she was repeating something over and over again.
LMAO. And that takes a lotta laughin' with all my junk inna trunk!

"...look, money, I wanna pay,”
I dunno about the realism of that. Most Americans, you flash the cash, you got their attention. Okay, I'm kidding. I *loved* this - the pure Harold Lloydian panic of it. Or Woody Allenish, take your pick.


Oh, I hope I can get my stuff done here at home so I can come back and see what other mayhem your poor hapless Steyn encounters!:worship

[Rowena]

This is really good, and a fun read. You have a great descriptive style! You've especially got Wolverine's voice and attitude down. Looking forward to what happens next! Thanks very much for entering!

[steyn]

“I don’t understand, I thought they wanted our help?” Steyn asked.

Doug and Steyn were sitting in the backseat of the grey BMW. The driver never said a word and the officer in the passenger seat were busy on his cell phone.

An hour ago the police met the three X-men at the airport, with open arms. But half an hour later they were ushered to two cars, and told that they were going to stay the night at some posh hotel. And then the next day they will be ushered right back into the first flight out of Tunisia.

“Hey, be glad they didn’t do what other countries usually would do in this circumstance.” Doug said.

“And what’s that?” Steyn asked.

“Airport lodgings. Can’t wait to see the hotel they stuck us in, or better yet, what they got on tv around here.” Doug replied.

“At least I’ll get a shower. Wake me up when we get there.” Steyn said and shuffled back into the seat to get more comfortable, tail curling at his foot, and pretty sure the bony horns at his back was about to damage the expensive looking leather seats.

Doug just turned his head towards Steyn and smirked, shaking his head a little in disbelief. Steyn opened one eye and spied up to him.

“What?”

“Next you’ll start calling people bub and downing beer like it’s going out of style.”

Steyn snorted at that, “Do me a favor and hit me over the head when that ever happens.” And then he tried getting in some sleep.


Darkness was all around. He couldn’t see anything except a small pin of light, growing larger and larger, until it started burning away the darkness.
The flames licked every part of existence around him.
Everywhere he looked, the yellow and orange and red veils waved around fiercely until they opened to show a room. No ceiling, just stars and the moon, no walls, just long flames, and strongly colored marble, stone and granite decorated every surface he could see.
Then the sharp smell of burning hot metal pierced into his head.
And in the middle of the room was a stone seat, and in it, a large golden statue looking straight ahead at him.
The next minute the statue’s face was so close to his own that he could feel the searing heat coming from it, burning his face.
The statue opened its golden eyelids, the sound of groaning metal as they moved and bent the metal they were made of.
It screamed, sounding like metal screeching against metal, and underneath it all, he could swear there were words.

Steyn woke up with a shake from Doug’s hand and him saying, “We’re here.”

Steyn turned his head to look out of the window. He gave a whistle at the nicely lit building with its white arches. “Nice.” He said.

“Welcome to the Golden Tulip Carthage Tunis Hotel.” The officer in the passenger seat said with a French accent, “Your flight tomorrow back to Paris is at four pm, we will be picking you up here at twelve. Please don’t leave the hotel, we don’t want to send out a search party when we could be doing something more important.”



It was very late, and inside the hotel they were quickly greeted by the graveyard staff and then were taken to their rooms. Correction. Room. Singular. It however did contain space for three people to sleep in. Unfortunately only one would get their own bed; two others would have to share a double.

It was quickly decided that Logan would get the double bed, and after fifteen games of rock paper scissors, it was decided that Doug get the single bed and Steyn was stuck with the couch. Luckily it was right in front of the TV.

While Logan was making use of his right to shower first, Doug joined Steyn on the couch who grabbed the remote and started flipping through the channels.

“Dude, just choose a channel, this is giving me a headache.” Steyn requested.

“Really?”

“No, but it’s nicer to say that then ‘It’s fucking annoying.’” He mouthed the words quite well as he said them.

Doug sighed and ended his channel flipping spree on a game show. It looked old. Steyn had no clue what they were saying.

“What the hell are they saying?”

“He has to guess a name of a movie, book or saying, and the pictures are clues.” Doug looked at the remote and started pushing buttons until the English subtitles appeared underneath.

“Thanks,” Steyn added.

The two stewed in front of the tv for a couple minutes until Logan came out of the shower, already dressed in clothes, looking like he was not sitting around until the next morning.

“After you girls finish watching your soaps, meet me in the bar, we have a mission to finish before we leave.” He said and left.

The two on the couch watched the door close, then to the bathroom, and finally to each other. Doug started struggling out of the couch making a run for the bathroom, but in a flicker of light, Steyn was already in there and locked the door. “Too slow!” He called from behind the door and was answered with a thump against the door and a groan.

After Steyn, and then Doug, was finished, they found themselves downstairs, looking at the nearly empty bar. Nearly meaning only Logan was sitting at the bar with files in front of him, pouring himself another drink.

“What kept you?” Logan asked.

“Is this place open?” Steyn asked, ignoring Logan’s clearly hypothetical question.

Logan’s answer was a metal claw popping up and the words, “My VIP card says I can go where I want. Now sit, we don’t have much time left. While you ladies were busy pamperin’ ya’selves I phoned for a cab. Should be here in a couple minutes. We’re headin’ for the places where the kids were last seen.”

“Okay, but that’s probably gonna take a hell of a lot of time, and we only got until tomorrow at twelve I think.”

Logan emptied his glass, tapping the files in front of him, pushing it towards Steyn and Doug. He breathed out harshly, catching his breath before saying, “They all disappeared in this area.”

Doug looked down and saw that Logan was pointing at a map, with ink lines circling around an area, adding the words “Newly Excavated Ruins”.

Steyn had a confused look on his face, “I thought half of the kids disappeared from their homes.”

“Yeah, but I like that place. Plus the half that disappeared from their homes, were also at that place. Some got family working close by, figurin’ either they visited the site, or at least walked past it. Either way, it’s a start.”

“Logan…this is a tourist trap.” Doug finally spoke up. “This is just ruins, that’s all.”

Logan pinched the bridge of his nose, nodding his head in agreement. “And Xavier’s is just a school for the gifted, Stark Industries stopped making weapons and Susan Storm never flirted with me.”

Doug stared at Logan. “The mansion isn’t just a school?” he asked surprised.

“If you weren’t a bleeder I would have punched you long ago.”

“You have punched me long ago. And not so long ago. You punched most, if not all of the X Men one time or another. It’s like an initiation into the clubhouse.”

A man looking like he worked for the hotel appeared at the bar’s entrance, “Pardon me, m'sieur, your taxi had arrived.”

“You heard the bellboy, time we get going.” Logan got up, “Doug, grab the papers, Horny, move yourself, we’ll be needin’ your powers when we get where we getting.”

Doug snorted at the nickname Logan called Steyn. Steyn however scowled at the back of Logan’s head and then at Doug, who seemed to be trying his best to hold back a laugh.

At the front entrance of the hotel they found their taxi waiting for them. It was a minivan. Steyn seemed really relieved at the idea of a minivan instead of a smaller car he usually imagined the taxi’s would be at a place like Tunisia.

The three got in, and the car sped off, Steyn suddenly clutching at the handle above the window he was sitting next to. He then thought the idea of a smaller car that wouldn’t easily roll over seemed like such a better choice.

Logan told the driver something, Steyn didn’t pay any attention, his was more concerned on the swift images of the landscapes they were passing. After quite a while of driving, the taxi driver pointed at something and nodded at Logan, who then turned back to Steyn.

“You’re up now. See what he’s pointing at? Port us there, we won’t be stoppin’.”

“Wait, what? Why? It’s right over there, we’ll be passing it in a minute.”

“We ain’t stoppin’, ‘cause we don’t want our shadows followin’ us in there.”

“Our what?” Steyn asked.

“The police that’s following us since we left the hotel.” Doug explained feeling a little smug.

“Get ready, we’re getting close now,” Logan said.

“But I haven’t ported two people at once before.” Steyn said with a worried look on his face.

“Learn through experience, get ready. When we pass over the brighter lights, then you port.”

“But the car’s still moving. Never did it while I’m moving this fast.” Steyn added with an even more worried look. “Can’t I get a practice jump or something? And why over there?”

“No time for practice, and the light will cover your portin’. Get ready, here it comes.” When they were almost right up at the brighter street lights, Logan turned to Steyn, pointing his finger at him. “You better be porting us or I swear I’ll hurt you so much you’ll wish you grandparents nev…” he got cut off.

A small flicker of light happened in the minivan and then another one happened at the same time in a very darkly lit area in the ruins. There was crunch as boots landed on gravel and gearth.

“…er met.” The voice finished the sentence in the dark. Then there was a shuffle and a stumble.

“Cypher, help him up. Portin’ disorientates him.” With those words Doug knew the Canadian switched over from serious Logan to dead serious Wolverine.

After Steyn got his land legs back, and the dark surroundings stopped spinning around, he said, “Not always…just when it gets too much…like..like porting…you twoohmygodI’m gonnabesick,”

Steyn bent down at a corner of an ancient broken wall, and made his mark in history, being the first in modern history to regurgitate on the newly excavated ruin of Carthage.

[Rowena]

That is one way to leave a mark. LOL! I'm enjoying this story, and I'm looking forward to finding out how it ends! Remember, the deadline for the contest is Aug. 30. (If you need more time, please let me know).

[steyn]

Okay, please excuse me if half of this doesn't make any sense at all, I was a bit tired when I was typing it all

_____


“You okay? Got it all out?” Doug asked.

“I hope so.” Steyn said, still clutching at the stone he was leaning a little against.

Sneering at the smell and looking around himself, Wolverine said, “When we get back I’m gonna train you personally if Nightcrawler can’t do his job right with you. If something broke out and you had to teleport more then two people out, what then? We gotta hold a bucket after every port?” Wolverine shook his head, “Gotta tell Elf to push you more. Now you two, spread out, see if you find anything, we’ll canvas the area, starting here, and move to the street over there.Cypher, you still have that penlight of yours?”

He was answered with a smile and a flash of a rather strong light in his face. “Knock it off smart ass. You two take that side, I’ll take this side, we’ll canvas the area and meet at the street across from here. We’re looking for anything.”

“Wow, that’s so vague. I’m sure we can solve this mystery in no time Scooby. Come on gang, let’s find some clues.” Doug was pushing his luck as he and Steyn walked off into their direction, while Logan started looking around his area.

“If I knew we’d be scavenger hunting around in the middle of the night I would have brought my E.T. finger flashlight. Wait….am I Scooby or am I Fred?” Steyn asked almost tripping over a brick.

“You’re Shaggy.” Doug shone the light around as they walked, making sure not to trip over anything.

“I can’t be Shaggy, I’m not that clumsy and I don’t eat that much.” Steyn said, and then tripped over a couple large loose rocks. “Son-of-a…”

“You’re Shaggy.”

“If I’m Shaggy then you’re Velma.” Steyn got back up on his feet, wiping his hands off on his legs.

Doug Just nodded in agreement, and then lit a large square hole in the ground. “Ceramics and bricks and pottery and bricks.”

“Thought ceramics is pottery.”

“It is, was spicing up the sentence.” Doug answered as they moved on to the large square room sized hole, shining a light in it. “Same, just more bricks and walls.”

An hour later their search didn’t yield much and they ended up back on the other side of the area they were going through, and waited for Logan, who didn’t take as long as they thought he would.

“Anything?” Doug asked.

“Nothing.” Logan blew out a breath of frustration through his teeth.

“Wanna call it a night? We can’t question anyone at this hour.” Doug suggested.

“We quite now then we won’t finish this thing.” And after a second of after thought Logan finally conceded, “But it won’t help we keep floggin’ this horse. One more sweep back to where we started then we head back to the hotel. You two take this side, I’ll take yours, maybe you missed something.”

“Wow, your confidence in us is touching.” Doug said before they broke off once more.

The following hour just consisted of more pottery, more bricks, more stumbling, this time Doug’s turn, and finally Steyn learned two new swearwords in a language he had never even heard of. Steyn used them when Doug accidentally stepped on his tail.

Finally at the other side Doug and Steyn ended up sitting on a ruined wall, waiting for Logan to finish. The two would chat about this and that, finally ending up on the subject of each other’s powers.

“So how long does it take for you to learn a new language?” Steyn asked.

“A couple seconds I think. I don’t actually learn a new language, just takes me a few sentences before I figure it out…so to speak.”

“Really? Wow….so…have you ever heard Afrikaans?”

“Afrikaans, don’t thinks so.”

“Okay, I’ll start a long sentence and you stop me the second you figured out my language.”

“Sure, and after that we can order pizzas and braid each other’s hair.”

“Ha. So funny. Okay, starting now. Toe ek klein was het my mamma een keer vir my gesê dat ek enigiets kan doen, maar toe ek..”

“Stop”

“What? Already? Holy crap that’s fast.”

“Yeah well..it was kind of easy, sounds like a mix between Dutch and German and English.”

“Oh, yeah, probably because it is. Anyway, what did I say?”

“Word for word? ‘When I was small, my mommy told me once that I could do anything, but when I’, and that’s where I stopped you.” Doug nodded towards the figure coming closer to them. “Find anything?”

“Nope. Plus I think whoever is excavating here is doing it wrong.” Logan said.

The other two stood up, “Yeah, I agree, how are people supposed to walk around here in the dark and not break their necks on all the rocks they leave lying around?”

“Was talking about them not oiling their generators. Smells like they don’t take care of their machinery, overuse and under cared.” Logan pulled out a cellular phone from a pocket and started dialing.

Steyn leaned in to Doug and asked, “Dude, when do we get phones that works everywhere?”

“Who’s we?” Doug pulled out his own, “Mine’s beryl green with light up buttons. Stylish and practical.”

“Cab’s gonna be here in half an hour.” Logan said.

“Right. Okay then.” Steyn said. He and Doug looked at each other, then at Logan, then around them, not knowing where to stare.

“How about about sitting, anyone wanna have a seat?” Doug suggested.

“Yeah, sitting sounds good.” Steyn agreed and sat back down where he was sitting previously. “So….okay…”

It was an uncomfortable half hour, and Steyn thanked his stars when a minivan finally arrived and stopped across from the street they were waiting on.

“ ‘Bout damn time.” Logan said.

The three climbed and another half hour later they were back at the hotel and in their room. Steyn just flopped face first on the couch, Doug face first on his bed and Logan mentioned something about the bar and disappeared.

Steyn yawned, and sat up.
He was probably too tired to sleep.
He grabbed the remote and clicked the tv on.
Nothing happened.
Steyn shook the remote a bit, tried the power button again and still nothing happened.
He turned it over, took the back off and rolled the batteries, closed it and tried once more.
The TV switched on to a picture that looked familiar.
The floor, the marble and granite and stone.
The pillars and then suddenly the fires started blazing.
The fire didn’t stop just as a picture on the tv, it somehow traveled from behind the tv all around Steyn.
He jumped up, looking around him, following the flames as it circled around him.
Steyn then realized he wasn’t in the hotel room anymore, and turned back to look at the center of the room.
The stone chair.
The statue.
He took a step closer and found himself once again face to face with the golden sculpture.
The eyes flew open and Steyn was certain its eyes were burning his skin as it looked at him.
It’s mouth opened again and started talking.
The screeching metal was louder then before, hurting his ears.
He was certain her heard something underneath all that noise.
The statue’s hands came up to his face, it’s palms clasping the sides of his head.
He could smell burning flesh, hear the sizzling.
Steyn opened his mouth to scream.

“I said wake up. We got work to do.” Came Logan’s voice and a slap over Steyn’s head.

Steyn pushed himself up on the couch, feeling his face, making sure it was only a dream. It was. He gave a sigh and stood up and stretched. He yawned and then asked, “So where to off now?”

“Back to the excavation site. We got another four hours before we’re shipped out of here.” Logan said with his back turned to Steyn, rummaging through his own bag on the bed.

“Thought that horse was out-flogged,” Doug said from the bathroom with a mouthful of foamy toothpaste.

“Can’t we at least grab something to eat?” Asked Steyn.

“Grab what you can take with you. We won’t be going through the site again, we’ll be going to ask around. ‘Specially ask some of the parents some questions. Least the ones that work near the area.”

Ten minutes later and the three were back in rather eccentrically colored taxi.
“Love the incognito look we’re going for.” Steyn joked. The other two looked at him, his horns on his head then back down to him. “Yeah, okay, point taken.”

Half an hour later and the three were standing, overlooking the site where the excavation is going on. Steyn grabbed his spectacles that was clipped at his shirt’s neck and put them on. The lenses had started darkening the moment sunlight had hit them.

“Show off.” Doug said not looking at Steyn.

“I love my glasses.” Steyn said with contentment.

“Then why don’t you wear them everywhere?” Doug asked.

“Only slightly near sighted. Heck, I can drive a car without them. Just not allowed to. See that sign over there, wouldn’t be able to read the words ‘Keep Right, No Parking’ on it from here.”

Doug squinted at the tiny sign so far away. “Err…yeah..yeah that’s exactly what it says.” Doug kept squinting at the sign trying to make out the words.

Steyn nudged him in the side, “Need glasses?”

“No. No I don’t. I can read the sign.”

“Liar. I read that sign last night, can’t make anything out from here. Too far, even with the glasses.”

“If you ladies are finished, start looking for a shop. There’s supposed to be one around here.”

“I only see houses that I’d give my left pinky for to live in. Strange, if it wasn’t for this unbearable heat, this place would look a bit like Cape Town. Trees, homes, security fences, odd people standing on the sidewalk talking and pointing at the nice houses and trees and security fences.” Steyn reminisced. “Good times.”

Logan pulled out a couple papers with addresses on them, then the three walked over the street to the excavation site. It was easy getting someone’s attention to help.

“Can I help…err..you three?” Asked a darkly tanned woman with a mixed accent of a French English teacher. She was eyeing them peculiarly, especially Steyn’s added bits.

“Yes Ma’am, we’re curious what this site is,” Doug said before Logan could even ask about the directions.

“Exciting is what it is. A year ago when developers were clearing this area, they kind of stumbled upon something exciting. Well, exciting for me at the least, and for probably for other homeowners around here. Not so much for the developers. I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch your names.”

“Oh, right, my name is Douglas Ramsey, this here is Logan and Steyn. I’m guessing you’re the head of this place…whatever this place is called.”

“Forgive me, my lack of etiquette is thanks to being neck deep in dirt all day. I am Professor Emile LaCroix, and unfortunately no, I’m not head of this place, but I do get to boss people around from time to time. Professor Gunther Eberstark is the head, but unfortunately he’s in Germany for the moment. He’ll be here by Monday though.”

“You do realize you haven’t exactly told us what here is.” Steyn added.

“Pardonnez-moi, completely slipped my mind. This area is what we believe to be pre-Roman Carthage houses. Or at least one rather large house. Some items we found actually dates much earlier, which only means either a collector lived in this region or hopefully this place was actually built when Carthage was first built.”

“Well that was nice of you to tell us this, but we really need to go now, “ Logan couldn’t take the history lesson anymore. “But would you tell us if you know where these places are?” and he showed the addresses.

“I’m sorry, I’m not that familiar with the streets around here. I just recently started working here, plus I have been most of the time stuck here or at the museum. But I do know who can help you,” LaCroix turned and waved a man closer. She spoke in Arabic with him and nodded towards the papers in Logan’s hand.

The man gestured for them and Logan showed the papers, “Yes, yes, I know where this is. And this. All of this. I know where.” He spoke in broken English.

LaCroix nodded to him with a smile, and he in turn asked something back in Arabic. The two talked for a short while. He seemed a little upset and he left, only to come back with a clean shirt on.

“Habib will show you gentlemen around.” LaCroix said.

“Thank you Professor.” Logan and Doug said almost in unison and waved to her as they turned and followed their temporary guide.


[Edited on 29/8/2008 by steyn]

[steyn]

Teensy update.

_______________


If Steyn didn’t feel self conscious enough with Professor LaCroix glimpsing at his horns and even his tail that touched-touched the warm ground, he was definitely getting a fistful of self-consciousness with Habib glancing back at him from time to time.

All four went around to all the addresses, Logan questioning people, Doug sometimes having to play the translator. It was almost half past eleven, the sun was only getting brighter and hotter and the air even humid.

“Let me guess,” Steyn started when he saw Logan and Doug coming down the paved driveway, “Them too?”

“It’s like none of these children ever even existed.” Doug answered.

“Think Xavier got this thing wrong? Maybe there was a mix up somewhere.” Steyn asked.

Logan shook his head, “Nah, something’s off around here. Watched them looking at the pictures. They know them…they just don’t remember them. We got a bigger problem then just a kidnapping. It’s a complete cover-up.”

“What now? It’s practically half past, and we gotta get back to the hotel.” Steyn said.

“We’re damned X-Men, we can do whatever we want.” Logan answered.

“I don’t think that’s right…I think it’s another X group that can do that…or maybe The Avengers. They get away with a lot of stuff.” Doug added “Come to think of it, I think because we’re X-Men, we’re supposed to do what the government asks us…you know…the whole representatives of the American mutants…or something like that.”

“Since when did that ever stop us.” Logan asked with smirk.

“Since Professor Xavier asked me to make sure we don’t do anything stupid before we came here. That’s why I was asked to come along. Not just be a translator.”

Logan’s smirk had fallen away to be replaced with something that nearly became a sneer. “You telling me you’re my babysitter?”

“Oh, heaven’s no…just see me as...” think Doug, think, “that little voice of reason?”

“I can easily shut that voice up if I want.”

“Yeah, but, do you really want them to end up hunting us like fugitives?” and Doug pointed at the men waiting at a BMW at the end of the street. Since they left the hotel, and never did anything to lose the police, the BMW, the same one that Doug and Steyn had ridden in, followed everywhere they went.

“Okay, just curious, why didn’t we ever ask them for directions?” Steyn interjected.

“Because they don’t want to help us.” Logan said.

The three and Habib were now looking at the men at the car, who in turn were just staring back at them behind sunglasses.

“Sooo….guess we’re going back to the hotel?” Steyn asked, finally looking away from the men, back at Logan.

“Nope, going back to the ruins.”

“Damn it Logan, there’s nothing there. Nothing.” Doug said.

“There is something there. You can go back to the plane and take you fifteen hour flight back to New York, but I’m staying here and getting to the bottom of this.” Logan looked turned his head to the third member, “Steyn, you staying or going?”

Steyn was actually half shocked. Logan never used his real name before, and it was a bit unsettling then the usual ‘hey you’ or ‘Horny’. “I’m-I-I-I don’t know, I think we should go, we really don’t want to end up being arrested or something.”

Logan was almost killing Steyn with his stare, and then pushed past them, on his way back to the dig site.

“Look, Logan, you can’t help anyone if you end up having to run around dodging the police.” Doug said. He looked past Logan and saw the men climb in the BMW.

And then Habib spoke from out of the blue. “Excuse me. I will go back to work now.” Doug and Steyn almost forgot about their guide.

Doug then thanked Habib in Arabic, telling him that Logan was also on his way back to the site, and that him and Steyn will also go back with him.

On their way, following Logan from a distance, Steyn asked, “So are we staying or going?”

“We’re going. With Logan. Just don’t know how to get him on the plane though.”

After that the two kept quiet, and only walked, trying to think up a solution to everyone’s problem. As they finally neared the site they saw the BMW getting closer to them.

“Looks like we got a ride back to the hotel.” Doug said, then looked back to Steyn, only to find him not where he thought he was. Doug looked around him, and then saw Steyn standing next to Logan, talking to him.

He quickly jogged to catch up. Logan looked back to the approaching Doug, and then said, “Horny here has an idea. He’ll fill you in when we get to the airport and is alone.” Logan looked over to the car pulling up next to them.

“Mister Logan. Would you and your friends please climb in the car. We don’t want you to miss your flight.” Asked the man from the passenger seat.

Steyn eyed the car. It’ll be all three stuck in the back. He sighed and opened the door, shifting himself over to the other side. He was thankful for the fact that it was Doug that climbed in next, which meant Logan wouldn’t be sitting in the middle.

The front passenger door opened and the guy got pulled out and Logan sat in his place. The driver just looked at him as if he stepped on the cure for hunger. Without looking back, Logan said, “You want me to drive?”

The other guy got in the back next to Doug and they all drove off to the Hotel to pick up their items.

[steyn]

okay, maybe I will need atleast one day extension. August does have 31 days technically

[Rowena]

August 31 it is then. The new deadline will be 11:59 tomorrow night. If you find you need more time, I can give you until Sept. 6. Let me know!

[steyn]

It was a dull three hours of waiting. The airport wasn’t as stuffy and overcrowded as the airports at Paris or New York, but even with air-conditioning, they didn’t come near as stuffy as the one Logan, Doug and Steyn was waiting at.

When the flight was ready to board, they practically jumped for their gate. And as per usual, Logan had to have a police escort him past security. Steyn had noticed that Logan was not amused at his predicament.

Once on the plane they were waiting for the second the doors were shut before making their next move.

“How long does it take to fill in a plane?” Steyn said, watching more and more people file in.

“Think we should have waited a bit longer in the terminal to be the last to board?” Doug asked next to him. Steyn was unfortunately stuck in a seat between Logan and Doug.

“Hell no, can’t take another garbled non sensical announcement. And what the hell was up with the music? Do they have a Beegees cd stuck in the intercom or something?”

“Wasn’t that bad. Maybe they had one too many Beegee songs, but at least they spread them out in between other songs.”

“Every second song being Beegees is not spreading out. Every fifth or sixth, maybe, but repeating the same cd over and over every time they finished it was irritating as hell.”

The announcement from the flight attendant came on, telling them that boarding was now finished and they will be taking off momentarily.

“You’re up,” Logan said, and leaned over a bit, looking down the aisle, before sitting back normally.

“Think now is best or until we get on the runway?” Steyn asked.

“I’m not the one doing it.” Logan answered.

“Okay, now would be best then,” Steyn said, nodding his head, trying to think. He bit his lip hoping it would work. He could hear the plane’s engines starting. Focus he told himself.

“No one’s looking, better do it now.” Logan added.

“What? Now?” Doug realized when he looked back from the window, “My bag, it’s still up in the storage…”

Steyn closed his eyes and then grabbed Doug’s and Logan’s arms. The next minute he opened them again, and was staring at a wobbling reflection of himself.

“…compartment…crap” Doug’s voice echoed off of the tiled walls in the men’s bathroom.

Steyn stumbled around and Doug and Logan caught him at each side.

“Toilet…toilet..” Steyn gurgled. Logan and Doug let go as Steyn stumbled for a stall, watching his lunch greet him once more.

“Now what about my bag?” asked Doug.

“We’ll pick it up when we get to the Paris airport.” Logan said

After a couple minutes later Steyn was at the wash basin, rinsing his mouth and face with cold water. He looked up at the mirror. “I used to be normal. A normal person with a normal life with a normal job.” He said to himself.

“Now we need to get going before anyone notices us….hm.”

“What?” Steyn asked, watching Logan’s reflection. He was staring at Steyn.

“You stick out like a sore thumb.” He answered.

“Well, you ain’t so pretty either.” Steyn said back.

“Can you port out to the parking lot?”

Steyn closed his eyes, took a deep breath and slowly shook his head. “I’m having trouble just getting to the door. I’ll probably keel over and die if I try going for the parking. Not doing any porting anytime soon. Anyone got something for a headache? Can’t I just walk out like a normal person?”

“A guy with horns and a tail gets unnecessary attention. Wait here.” Logan walked to the door, opened it, peeked outside, and then walked out completely.

“Where’s he off to?” Steyn asked.

“My bag. My stuff I bought was in the bag.” Doug said.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get your bag back. Hey, when did you get time to buy stuff?”

Doug looked at Steyn, “I didn’t spend three hours actually waiting for a plane.”

“Oh, right, that’s what you were up to. Shopping.”

“I like nice things too you know.”

A toilet flushed and someone walked out one of the stalls, glancing at the two and then washed his hands, and walked out.

“Maybe a restroom wasn’t the best place to hide out.” Steyn said.

Another flush and another man came out. Unfortunately he was a little too scared to stay there a bit longer to wash his hands.

“Did he just wipe and went?” Steyn asked.

“Did you just say ‘wipe and went’?” Doug asked back.

Some time later the bathroom door opened and Logan came in, holding two plastic bags. He held the one up to Steyn.

“Here’s something to help you get about without more people staring then usual.”

“Shucks, you shouldn’t have.” Steyn looked in the bag. Steyn looked up at Logan then back in the bag. “Wow…you really shouldn’t have. Are you for real?”

“Just put it on. It’s called hide in plain sight.”

Steyn reached in and pulled out a special looking hat, a pair of very large trousers, a very large shirt and a bunch of what Steyn guessed would work as padding. He sighed and started thumbing at his zipper.

A couple minutes later the restroom door opened and out walked a blonde man, with thick black-rimmed glasses and a baseball cap. Another minute later out walked a stout man with a condition that could easily be remedied with a day at the electrolysis hair removal studio. He was wearing a pair of aviators and a stylish cowboy hat.

And finally much later, at the request of a blonde in a baseball cap, to not be seen together, out stepped a heavyset looking man, wearing a large fedora with horns all around it, and on his chest, the shirt with the words ‘ I’m Horny ’ printed on it.

Steyn walked half funny with his tail wrapped as tightly as he could manage around one leg. It was a difficult thing to do, but still manageable thanks to the large trousers.

After passing quite a lot of people, the coffee place with two recognizable faces sitting at a table chatting, and even seeing a flash from a camera from the other side of the hall, knowing that it was aimed at him, he walked all the way through the airport to join the other two who was already waiting for him at a cab.

Steyn quickly climbed in, cringing when he sat on his tail. “Are we waiting for something?” he asked.

“Yeah, this,” Doug pulled out his phone, held it up at Steyn, and a click went off as he took a picture. “Thanks Logan, let’s go.”



Some time later they pulled up at the dig site. The people who worked there had thinned out to just three workaholics. One of them the professor that they had met earlier.

“Professor, excuse me, professor.” Doug waved at the woman, trying to get her attention. Steyn tried not to look at the professor that much. He kept feeling her eyes on him from time to time. Instead he looked out over to the view. To the bay, the water, the far off land and mountains across the see.

“Oh, hello, welcome back, I’ll be with you in a minute.” She said and disappeared into a hole. A couple minutes later she climbed back out handing a couple shards of something to one of the other workers. As she walked towards the three X-Men she wiped the dust off of her hands on her pant legs.

“Welcome back,” she repeated, “How may I help you?”

“We were a bit more interested in what you have to say about this site.” Logan said.

“Ah, curiosity got the better of you. Unfortunately I can’t tell you very much that I already have told you. At the moment we are only finding more and more everyday items here. Pottery pieces, some wooden items, not very much.”

“Well, you mentioned that this place was discovered a year ago, right?” Logan asked.

“Oui, yes, by some developers.” She nodded.

“This might be a strange question, but did something happen around here five months ago. Five or six months ago?” Logan added.

“Oh, umm, I don’t think I was here since then. Come to think of it, I just started working here four months ago. I was replacing someone who passed away five months ago.”

“Passed away?” Logan’s curiosity peeked.

“Yes, most unfortunate thing. Apparently he died in a fire. Horrible accident.”

“What kind of accident?” Logan asked.

“Pardonnez-moi, I am not certain if I should be speaking with tourists about such things.”

“We’re not tourists ma’am, we’re investigating something that happened around here, and we think that your predecessor’s death might be part of it.”

“Investigation? I am sorry, I did not know you were the police.” She said, glancing at Steyn once more. “Would you please show me your identification?”

“We’re not from the police, this is something of a personal matter.” Logan stated.

Professor LaCroix looked from one person to another. “Maybe it is better that you are not from the police. I think there is something that you should see. Would you wait for a short while, I’ll need to send everyone home first before I show it to you.”

Logan, Doug and Steyn glanced at each other as the professor walked away, calling the other workers together, and telling them that it’s time to start finishing off things.

After a short while the site was deserted, and the three spotted LaCroix holding a flashlight and waving them over.

“It’s something that I found…I think it’s got to do with what happened to Doctor Salam.” LaCroix said, and then climbed down one of the rooms dug up in the ground. “I make sure people don’t search this area. I tried showing this to the police, Professor Eberstark, anyone that may be able to help, but they just..” she sighed as she wiped away the dirt on the ground, exposing wooden planks. “Mon dieu, I was thinking I was going crazy. Everyone I showed either shrugged it off, or just didn’t remember it the next day.”

“When you say didn’t remember it…what do you mean?”

She lifted the first plank. “I mean, they can not remember seeing this.” She said, lifting and shoving the second plank aside.

“Why didn’t we get that last night?” Steyn asked Logan quietly, trying to make sure the Professor didn’t hear him.

Logan shook his head, “Don’t know. Probably same reason why people forgot this the next day.”

The professor threw the third plank aside, and stepped to the side, showing a passageway. She turned the flashlight on and started climbing down in the passageway.

Logan followed her in, while Steyn and Doug looked at each other and waited. Logan’s head appeared from the passage, “Get in here,”

“You first.” Doug and Steyn said to each other in unison.

“Now,” Logan added, and then disappeared in the passageway again.

Steyn took the initiative and headed in next, followed by Doug. The passageway was dark, but at least not long.

“What’s that smell?” Steyn asked, but his question was quickly answered when they all found themselves in a larger room, also as dark as the passage, except for something in the middle. Something that was lightly glowing orange with heat. A statue, sitting on a stone throne in the middle of the room.

“Oh shit.” Was the only words Steyn could say.

The three X-men were so intrigued at the statue they didn’t give any notice to LaCroix slipping back into the passageway, walking away, not remembering what she was doing there, only knowing the single thought that was planted in her head. She had to get out of there.

The X-Men, still staring at the middle of the room, suddenly heard the groaning and slamming of metal doos, closing the passageway off.

“Heads up, looks like we’re in for some action.” Logan said.

The statue started glowing stronger and the room’s temperature started getting warmer.

“Moloch...” Steyn said.

“What?” Logan asked

“I think its name is Moloch.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I dreamt this.” Steyn said still staring at the statue. It’s head started turning towards Steyn.

It opened it’s eyes and started talking. The same screeching metal sound from his dreams, not as loud though. Steyn could hear the words more clearly. He couldn’t understand them, but he could hear them.

“Cypher, translate.” Logan said, standing ready in case the statue had any other tricks up its sleeve then closing doors from a distance.

“Okay..er…We are Moloch. We serve our divine master.”

“Right, then who’s the divine master, bub?” Logan asked.

The statue stood up, metal groaning as it bent under pressure. It held both hands out towards Steyn and said, “Ba‘al Hammon”

Suddenly Steyn ported without knowing it right in front of the statue, its hands close by the sides of his head. He could feel the heat coming off of them.

“Logan, a little help here. I can’t move my body!”

“Rrrraaaaw!” Logan yelled as he jumped at the statue with his claws popping out.

Moloch’s hand shot to the side towards the lunging man and Logan found himself jerked back and flung against the wall. He never even touched the metal man.

It spoke again and Doug translated. “We have taken all malformed ones. All born with the mark for the divine. We brought them into our embrace for the divine. Ba’al Hammon, we have done this for millennia. We have used the divine powers to serve you. You have left us, but we waited. Two horned god, we knew you would return.” The statue looked at Steyn as it spoke.

“Wait, what? Nooo, no, no, no, no, no, my name’s Steyn. I’m not a god. I’m pretty certain I’m not a god. I think I would know if I were one.”

The statue brought its hands on Steyn’s head and he yelled. Logan ran again, jumping at the statue once more, taking the advantage of its attention not being on him. His claws slid into the statue’s side, and got stuck in there.

The pain was intense and Steyn was about to pass out when the hands parted. The Statue spoke again.

“You are not Ba’al Hammon. You are not the divine. You are but only marked ones for his sacrifice.” Doug translated, all the while he grabbed for something to hit the statue. He ended up grabbing a stone that was once part of the wall.

Doug whistled to get the statue’s attention, “Yo, Matlock!” and he threw the stone, hitting the statue at the side of his head. It turned its attention to Doug. “Crap.” He said. He didn’t think past throwing the rock.

Logan however was using his leg against the statue as leverage to pull his claws out, feeling his pant’s material singe off and the skin on his knee starting to burn. Slowly the claws started sliding out.

Moloch’s attention on Doug only led to him making be pushed back against the wall the same way as Logan. It then looked around to the other side with Logan’s claws finally slipping out of its body.

“You will be embraced into us. You will be one with us. You will be….screw this, the guy’s just gonna try kill us!” Doug ended the translation with his own choice of words.

It grabbed out with a hand, holding Logan’s head. “Arrgh…” Logan yelled and then held back as he started clawing at the arm. His right hand pulled back and forced its way forward at the statue’s face, claws going in the head and coming out the other way.

It’s mental hold on Steyn ended and he could move his body again. He couldn’t think of anyway to stop the statue.

“Hey! You let him go. I am Ba’al Hammon and I order you to stop!.” Steyn yelled.

It started talking again.

“Dou..uh…Cypher, translate!”

“You are not Ba’al Hammon. You are not the Divine. Ba’al Hammon is the Divine. The temple of Ba’al Hammon sits upon the mountain Jebel Bu Kornein across the water. You are not Ba’al Hammon.”

It’s other hand reached for Steyn who then dodged back, but his body stopped in mid air, then slowly moved towards the hand reaching for him. It was then Steyn realized something.

“Logan, hang on!” The minute the statue’s hand touched Steyn’s chest, he closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to achieve what he would normally think impossible.

After a flash, Doug was left in the dark.

Half a second later a flash appeared far in the middle of the Bay of Tunis. A splash and steam, water shooting everywhere as glowing hot metal touched cold water. The statue started moving slower and slower the deeper they sank in the see.

Steyn struggled, finally being able to pull his shirt off, and swam up, breaking the surface and gasping in air. He looked around him. “Logan! Logan! Wolverine!”

After several gasped for air, breathing hard, pushing and kicking water, Steyn started losing consciousness. He could hear a splash near him, but then water rushed around his ears as he started sinking. Steyn then felt a hand grab his wrist.

A little while later Steyn felt himself being dragged up the shore. He started coughing, and when he looked up, the last image he could see was of Logan, one of his hand’s claws still sticking out with a metal arm stuck to it. Then it was darkness.

The next morning Steyn woke up in a bed. A double bed in a familiar hotel room. His head felt like it was going to explode, but deep down, he felt happy. He was an X-Man.


[Edited on 1/9/2008 by steyn]