A Soul Divided: Part Seven

by Kerri

"I don' like this," Wolverine told the other two. He'd tracked her down to the warehouse entrance of the MSL. There were mutants everywhere in the shadows. "She's gotta be in there, but I don't see how we're gonna get her out without a fight."

Charlotte cleaned up, getting the blood off her skin but not doing much for her clothes. She sat near Everett while the healer worked on him, taping his ribs and cleaning up his face.

He turned his head over to her, giving her a slight smile. "Thank you."

For a few seconds she was at a loss. "Oh. You're welcome. Feeling better?"

"No."

"Well, you will be."

"How did you know what I could do?"

"How I knew you could get in synch with me? It's a long story." Too long to go into now, even if he'd believe her. "I just knew. What were you doing out there if there's a curfew?"

"Business."

"That kind of business almost got you killed."

"That's a risk I'll take."

"Got to pick your battles carefully. One wrong choice can mean no more chances."

"We got company outside." Lakato announced. He stood threateningly over Charlotte, several of his companions surrounding him. "Exactly who are you?"

"I'm lookin' for a friend," Wolverine growled into the face of a guard, his fist tangled in the boy's shirt, claws ready on the other. "Maybe ya seen her."

"Get her."

A couple of kids made a grab for her. Charlotte rolled backwards off the crate she sat on, looking around for a weapon of some kind. She reached out and snagged a short length of pipe, about 3 feet long. It wasn't a sword, but it would have to do.

"I don't know who's out front and I don't want to hurt anyone," she said.

"Why don't I believe you?" the boy said sarcastically.

"Not my problem, kid." She turned to jam the pipe in the belly of the kid behind her, then swing it up to connect with his jaw. Two more charged her. She ducked the first and met the second with a thrust against his knees, using her elbow against his head. Turning to meet the first again, she blocked his try at clubbing her from overhead, sweeping his feet from out from underneath him, a heel kick to the jaw settled him down.

The rest formed a loose circle around her.

"You can't fight us all," Lakato told her.

"I don't want to fight any of you. Next time I'm out for a stroll and find a couple of FOH boys beating on a friend, I'm just gonna walk away. This isn't worth it."

His wrist bands began to glow, charging up. "Put it down."

"You kids need a few lessons in the art of negotiation."

He fired off a blue bolt of bio-energy at her.

It hit her, pushing her back a few feet. She absorbed it, then grinned at him. "You really need to find out exactly what a mutant can do before you try and take 'em out." She released it at a few of them, four of them falling to the ground writhing with the pain dancing along their bodies.

The doors were blasted off from the outside, pieces of steel exploding into the huge space. Their guards came flying in under someone else's steam, flung into the air like rag dolls.

Everyone dived for the ground. Charlotte flung herself onto Everett, covering his head and chest from the sharp shards of metal falling like hailstones.

The dust settled and the noise faded away to an eerie silence.

Footsteps.

"Charlotte!"

She turned her head to see Gambit and Wolverine coming towards her, Magneto levitating over the group.

"About time you guys got here," she said with faint humor. "I thought I was gonna have to hurt all of them."

"Why doncha get off the boy, darlin', 'fore he smothers to death?" Wolverine still had his claws out, scowling at the kids on the floor.

"I don't mind," Everett's voice was muffled, but they heard him clearly. She raised herself up to find his face pressed between her breasts.

Her face flushed and she started to pull off him. "Oh, that hurts," she groaned.

"Careful, chere," Gambit winced as he looked at her back. A half-dozen spreading blood stains indicated she'd been hit by Magneto's exploding door trick.

"The kids, are they okay?" she asked as Gambit helped her off to stand on her feet. "Where's Leech?" She felt like a hundred needles were poking her from head to foot.

Gambit looked around. "Which one's Leech?"

"You can't miss him, little guy, green skin."

Lakato got up off the floor and looked at the new arrivals. "I know you people. You're part of the President's special mutant guard. The President's lapdogs," he sneered.

"Boy, ya comin' this close to bein' sushi," Wolverine snarled at him.

"We came to find our friend," Magneto set himself down in the midst of the group. "We'll take her and leave."

"These kids need medical attention," Charlotte protested. "Can't you get Hank here?"

The three men turned disgruntled faces to her.

"I'm not leaving till we get them taken care of," she warned them.

"Weren't dey just tryin' to kill you?" Gambit asked. "I saw dem attackin' you."

"That was your fault."

"Huh?" It was official now. Gambit did not understand women, any women, from any dimension. It was time to either change preferences or join the priesthood.

"They thought I led the authorities here. Of course they're going to attack. By the way, they could really use some instruction in resistance fighting." Leech approached her from behind and put his hand in hers. "You okay?" she asked him. He nodded.

"I have no right to make demands on you, Magnus, but these kids need medical attention for the injuries you've just caused, and Everett needs a hospital, but he can't go." She looked into his eyes.

"You need attention also."

"I can wait till we get back. At least bring Hank to look at Everett. We can take care of the others."

"We don't need help from any of you." Lakato stated.

"Fine. Now we go?" Magneto reached for Charlotte, intending to take her arm.

She pulled out of his reach. "Everett. We take Everett with us."

"No." Lakato said. His gang gathered around him. Some were limping, the few she'd romped on still down for the count.

She ignored him. "Please." Charlotte said. "He'll die here."

Magnus walked over to where the boy lay on the table. His breathing was shallow, he was still bleeding from the wounds he received in the fight, but his eyes were defiant. "Will you come with us?" Magnus asked. "We have a doctor that will take care of you."

Everett shook his head. "No."

"I think you all should leave." Leaderboy was almost gloating.

Charlotte looked at their faces. They were so young to be doing this, too young to know exactly what they were fighting for.

"Okay." She turned to the men. "Let's go."

"Ya can't save everyone," Wolverine told her as they left the warehouse.

"I didn't want to save everyone, I just wanted to help some."

Charlotte was stretched out on the exam table on her stomach. She had bits and slivers of steel up and down her back and legs. It was too painful to take her clothing off and the blood had ruined them anyway. Beast simply cut the fabric off her, leaving her backside completely bare.

Magnus had been able to pull the metal from her flesh, all that was left for Hank to do was disinfect the wounds and stitch up some of the bigger cuts. She lay quietly. Beast thought she'd gone to sleep till she spoke.

"They told me about the mutant laws."

He continued to clean the scrapes.

"I didn't know it was so bad here. No wonder you don't go out."

"It's not the same in your world?"

"We have our problems, sure, but special curfews? Segregated hospitals, stores, neighborhoods? A long time ago, and those were for other races, but not anymore. Affirmative action put the end to it." At least the end to anything overt.

"I suppose we didn't tell you because we have lived this way for too long. It's normal for us."

"You know what Logan said to me? He said I can't save them all. I never considered saving them all. I just wanted to help and they didn't want it."

"Some do not want assistance."

"And some need it desperately. It's time I tried to help someone besides myself."

That alarmed him. "Who?"

She didn't answer him. She put her head down and let the tears fall silently onto the pillow.

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