Monday, June 26, 2006

   Gryphon-X Part Two
Part Two:

Alexis sat in the kitchen of the Rhodes Manor in her pajamas drinking a cup of hot Milo. The morning sun was peaking its way past the hills. The kitchen was gleaming in the shine from the sun, the white tiles were smooth and shiny, the brown wooden benches and table tops clear of mess and the fridge in the corner next to the stove and microwave. The stools that Alexis was sitting on were next to the cooking area table top and were cushioned by soft silk.
The grandfather clock struck 5 in the morning and Jackson walked into the room.
“Hey sis couldn’t you sleep either?”
“No, I can’t stop thinking of Damien.”
Jackson walked over to the coffee dispensers and grabbed a blue mug from the rack and poured the coffee and the milk into it. “Why, what’s wrong with him?”
Alexis got up from her stool and walked over to the sink were she placed her empty mug.
“He is having trouble controlling his power; unlike us he hasn’t had them for long.”
“I guess, I mean you have Pyrokinesis and that took a long time, but I got Telekinesis and it didn’t take me long to master it.” Jackson walked over to the dinning room table and took a seat while his sister followed. “Of all people Alexis you should now, that every mutant gene is different, which leads to different times of manifestation and development.”
Alexis walked over to her brother and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you Jackson, now if you don’t mind I am off to have a shower and go into work early. Give my regards to Lorenzo will you.”
Jackson nodded as his sister walked off into the entrance hall and up the double spaced mahogany stairs.

* * * *

Alexis was wearing a deep navy blue suit with her hair loose. She walked through the double glass doors and on to the Detention Bay. Damien had been moved from recovery ward to the detention bay by the time Alexis had arrived. She was anxious to ask a few questions. Her footsteps echoed in the corridor, she slowly made it too the steel plated doors; she placed her hand on a scanner by the door. A flash of light past over her hand and went from blue to green and a voice said Access Granted.
The door made a “phssssh” sound as white steam flowed from the ground out. She walked into the containment area, the cold frost bit at her face. Damien was in a cryogenic sleep and until Alexis deactivated it Damien was frozen and was not a threat to others, or to him. Alexis walked over to his cage and waved her hand over a pad to the right of his cage. With a flash of red Damien defrosted and fell to the bottom of the detainment area.
“Damien what happened to you?”
Damien could hardly lift himself up let alone talk, he moaned and looked up at Alexis.
“Ambush.”
Alexis got down low and lifted up his head in her palm, she had a frightened look on her face.
“You were attacked?”
Damien slowly nodded and started to shiver. Alexis got to her feet and turned the Central Heating button on high so then Damien could get warmer.
“Have you any clue as to who did this?”
Damien started to fall asleep all that came from his mouth was 247. Alexis sighed and left the Detention Bay. She walked back to her office contemplating what 247 would be. Leah sneaked up on Alexis and gave her a letter. Alexis, meanwhile was still in a trance and simple said thank you as she entered her office. She sat down at her desk and threw the letter aside, she could not understand what 247 meant, and it could mean the number of days Damien was missing maybe a street number or a power level. She glanced at the envelope that read:

Future Tech Industries

She frowned and picked it up and opened it. She read it over and over again. Jackson Rhodes, Damien Drake, Jamie Quartz, Kimberly Denarius and Herself will be the 5 chosen subjects for the Gryphon-X prototypes. The Gryphon-X prototypes will be ready in 2 days. After reading this a scientist by the name of Jacob came running into her office, she looked up a waiting what was so important.
“Miss Rhodes, the Gryphon-X prototypes have arrived.”
Alexis glared at him and then looked down at the letter, it was sent to FTi 2 days ago. Alexis got to her feet. “Thank you Jacob, let’s get started.”
The scientist smiled with enthusiasm and ran out the office. She picked up her phone and told Leah to get her brother down to the Corporation immediately. Alexis made a very late meeting for the council and barged right in the council room. She looked furious, so furious that you could see the heat waves emitting from her body. At this the council members looked really scared. For a long time now the council and the workers at the Corporation new that Alexis, Jackson and Damien were mutants and what their powers were.
“When was my family and innocent others decided to be apart of this!” Alexis slammed her fists on the table causing scorch marks.
“Miss Rhodes you are so convinced that this project is a step in the right direction, although you have not said that you are so convinced that you can bet yourself a sure viable way of it working.” Mocked Mr. Jenkins.
“Just because I didn’t choose myself or my brother doesn’t mean I am not a 100% sure that Gryphon-X is going to work Mr. Jenkins!”
“Yes Miss Rhodes but we thought that instead of finding others that we would use you your brother and Damien plus two others for this procedure.” Miss Marilyn said with a squeak.
With a huff and a groan Alexis stormed out of the room and thundered down to the Performance Enhancement Bay. She slammed the doors wide open causing the scientists to jump.
“WHERE IS DALON O’HARA?” exclaimed Alexis
From behind a piece of metal a small scientist with thick round glasses and buck teeth popped his head up. Alexis was so mad that her whole body went up in flames, she stomped over to Dalon and demanded she know how long until the Gryphon-X testing will commence.
Dalon started to whimper, his glasses fogged up with the amount of sweat that as coming from his forehead. “M-Miss Rhodes.” With a loud swallow Dalon worked up the courage to continue. “W-We are just waiting f-for M-Miss Denarius and M-Mr. Quartz to arrive.”
Alexis slowly started to calm down, she lowered her flame and soon enough she wasn’t on fire. Dalon O’Hara fell to the ground and dropped the wrench that was in his hand. Alexis walked out of the room and was off to the Refreshing Sector.
On the way to the Refreshing Sector Alexis had a sudden feeling that something bad was going to happen but merely dismissed it and went on walking, she continue to walk and think at the same time that she didn’t notice the person that she was about to bump into.
“Oh Sorry abou- Jackson, I’m so glad you’re here.”
Her brother Jackson as towering over her and was quite worried about the telegram he had gotten from Alexis’s Secretary Assistant Leah. “What is it Alexis?”
“I will tell you later at my office right now I need a shower.” Alexis walked off with out another word, leaving her brother with nothing but a breath of air.

* * * *

Alexis got out of the shower and put on her comfortable clothes. She put on a white long sleeve shirt under a black tank top with the symbol of fire on the front. She also put on her baggy brown jeans. After rubbing her red hair dry she used her power to make it completely dry. She put on her black shoes on and left the Refreshing Sector and headed for her office.
As Alexis was walking she took a green hair band from her bag and tied up her hair in a pony tail only letting her side hair flow. In the state she was in she looked like an ordinary 18 year old girl. She walked into her office and threw her bag on a chair near the front of the room; she sat down behind her desk and stared into Jackson’s eyes.
“What is it Alexis?”
“Some how Bartholomew Jenkins a member of the council has said that me you Damien and two other people will be the test subjects for the Gryphon-X prototypes.” Alexis placed her hands on the desk and slumped down.
“How can he do this? He has been helpful to the Rhodes family for ages, he wouldn’t put our lives at risk and besides didn’t you say that Gryphon-X is a fail safe production?”
“I said it was operational, It is possible it might have glitches, that it why I have all the best minds on it, carefully developing everything. I just don’t want to harm the other two innocent children. You know Jamie Quartz is only 10 years old and Kimberly Denarius has just turned 16, I don’t want to be responsible for killing two children because of a genetic program.” Alexis got to her feet and paced herself around the office.
“Don’t worry Alexis I have faith in you, and so does Damien. We have been friends since we found out we were mutants, we even brought him into our family when we found him on the street when mother and father died. Don’t you remember? We will take away Jamie’s and Kimberly’s mutancy and just enhance our own so then we aren’t a threat to anyone…especially Damien.” Jackson took her sisters hand and put both his hands on it. “You are a Rhodes and you have the blood of our ancestors, everything will go right.”
“Let me guess your power has evolved?”
“No it hasn’t, it is called faith in my little sister and besides I’m Telekinetic.” Jackson smiled as he used his telekinesis to move Alexis’s bag from the chair to the closet in the far corner and closed the door.
“Haha very funny.” The clock struck 5 as Alexis finished what she was saying. “That reminds me Jackson Jamie and Kimberly should be arriving soon.”
“Well then let’s go meet them after we bring Damien along.”
Both Alexis and Jackson left the office and went down to Damien.

* * * *

Damien awoke to see both Alexis and Jackson looking down at him. His eyes were stinging in the light. They slowly took him out of the containment area were it was sucking out all the energy from Damien, stabilizing his body after the painful ordeal that happened previously.
“What are you two doin, I’m never to be aloud out of this containment area?” Damien’s feet were slowly regaining momentum and Damien slowly picked himself up. He shrugged of the drowsiness and started feeling a lot better.
“We and two other children are scheduled to be the first 5 test subjects for the prototypes for Gryphon-X.” Alexis explained. “We have to go down to the Performance Enhancement Bay since your little mishap nearly obliterated the Manufacturing Plant Damien.” Alexis had a grin on her face, as did Jackson.
“Oh yeah, sorry about that Girly.”
“Both of you get there now Jamie and Kimberly have arrived and are a waiting your arrival I need to go to my office for my clearance key.”
Jackson and Damien ran down to the Performance Enhancement Bay whilst Alexis jogged down to her office. As she was jogging the whole thing hit her like a bolt of lightning. Damien was talking about GX. Alexis ran hard to her office, she ran down the corridors of both Sector A and Sector B of the Corporation. Leah looked up as her boss ran to the door and blew it apart with a burst of fire. Alexis went to her computer and quickly typed in GX 247. Page upon page came up. Detailing about a mutant called Jethro Hilton and how he was a Technopath, Jethro was 15 when he discovered his mutant abilities and when his parents disowned him he change his name to Bartholomew Jenkins.
Flashes of the council member Bartholomew ran around in Alexis’s head. Her heart started pounding. As she was reading an announcer said:

Miss Alexis Rhodes. Miss Denarius is not present so Mr. Jenkins has taken her spot. Apparently he is a mutant and is wishing to get rid of it. We require your attendance here.

Alexis’s heart raced. What was he up to? What was he going to do? Alexis ran out her office and faced Leah. “Leah I want you to inform every worker in this facility to leave at once just the scientist from the Performance Enhancement Bay to stay behind until further notice. Do you understand me?” Leah nodded not know what was going on. Alexis ran to the P.E.B as fast as she could.
Although when she got there Damien, Jackson, Jamie and Bartholomew Jenkins were in the Gryphon-X prototypes and were attached on the wall in the glass containment unit. Alexis ran up to the scientist but before she could say any thing they gave her a suit and made her suit up quickly. The Gryphon-X suit was made from anew metal that had been found recently in Kings Park it was as strong as diamonds but was very light like aluminum. Alexis was put in the containment area and the test began.
At first everything was fine. The scientists were closely monitoring the test subjects. Their vital signs were correct and their body heat was substantial. But at the point were the suits were piecing the skin to attach to their skeleton, the machine froze up, electrical sparks flew form every corner. The computer screen skipped and shorted out. The electronics blew up in flames and sparks. In the containment area Jamie, Damien, Jackson, Bartholomew and Alexis were screaming in pain. The suits were surgically grafting themselves to their bodies, connecting to their skin. The suits were sending of sparks, Jamie was screaming and trying to pull himself away from the wall.
Although the suits were doing what they were suppose to do. They were making Bartholomew, Jackson, Alexis and Damien stronger by making them control their mutancy. They were also making Jamie loose his mutant gene, but the pain of it was too much for him, with a loud scream of agony his head whipped back and then it fell and his body became motionless.
Sparks and flames shot from the suits and the machinery in the room, computers and lights blew up. Alexis was crying while the others tried so hard to release themselves from the cuffs that held them to the wall. Alexis could see the changes in everyone. Jackson was loosing his pupils and iris. His eyes were going pure white. Bartholomew was loosing his skin. The once pink skin was now becoming a denser metal alloy and Alexis was loosing everything. The suit was making her torso, her legs, her arms and her head turn from the suit metal to actual lava rock. Her eyes were changing to a bright white and she was gaining a flame aura. Damien was changing also.
His body wasn’t changing like Bartholomew’s or Alexis’s. His eyes just went purple and his skin went from a tanned brown to a pale purple. The suits were making them change, the mutancy was expanding. The pain that was surging through their spine and bones was enormous. Until everything went quite, the cuffs that supported them to the wall opened and the fell to the ground with a thud.
The scientists outside went to the glass door. They rushed to Alexis, Damien, Jackson, Bartholomew and then the motionless body of Jamie. Alexis got to her feet whilst the scientist who help her up back off.
“What’s wrong Mendez?”
Alexis looked down at her body. The whole of it was like molten rock, and her hair was fire. Her eyes said it all she quickly went to look what her brother and Damien looked like. Jackson was normal but his eyes were completely white, she new he would never be able to see again. She looked over at Damien and saw that his skin was a pale purple and that his eyes were glowing purple. At last she hovered over Bartholomew’s body, it was completely metal. No skin at all was visible.
Jackson was starting to stir when Alexis went over to help she felt a grab at her leg; she immediately looked down and saw his face smirking. Bartholomew threw Alexis across the chamber and into the enforceable glass.
“ALEXIS!” Jackson got to his feet and used his telekinesis to send Bartholomew into the wall, causing a large indent. Jackson ran over to his sister’s body. He tried to touch her but was burned and tried to talk to her.
“Alexis…Alexis are you ok…answer me!”
“Eeeerrr.” Alexis’s head was moving side to side.
Bartholomew pushed himself out from the crack in the wall and used his power and sent a computer through the glass and at Jackson. Jackson had little time to react he somehow made a force field but then was slammed to the wall.
“Mendez, Jean, Sara, Joseph get your selves out of here, evacuate any other person you find. GET THEM OUT NOW!” Alexis got to her feet and walked over to Bartholomew. She narrowed her eyes and glared at Bartholomew.
“Wow little miss everything has arisen and is about to take action.”
“Why are you doing this Jenkins or should I say Hilton.”
“Well now. Little miss has done her research.” Bartholomew walked around Alexis; she watched him carefully, making sure he didn’t try anything. Then he foolishly said “Hopefully you will cry for mercy just like your pretty mother did before I killed her.”
Alexis’s eyes widened and with no hesitation she turned around and sent Bartholomew flying into the glass with molten lava. Steam emitted from Bartholomew, he was being pushed into the glass. Although the glass quickly melted and Bartholomew was let loose form the chamber. The fire on Alexis’s head that was her hair flared and blazed in anger. She rushed over to see how her brother was when Damien got to his feet and went to see how Jamie was.
Damien couldn’t wake him he turned to Alexis as she pulled her brother from the computer wreckage. Jackson was unconscious but still alive Alexis left him next to Jamie. Damien looked at Alexis and shook his head. Alexis was infuriated her hair blazed up and expanded, as she walked out of the chamber the steel under her melted away. Damien go to his feet, his eyes still glowing purple. He trailed after Alexis as she confronted Bartholomew.
“What is daddies little girl gonna do now?” He was mocking her now; he smirked and gleamed in the sparks coming from the broken computers.
“You have no right to come in to this corporation and harm me, my family, my friend or an innocent child!” Alexis’s voice was harsh and raspy but was still understandable. “For this endangerment you must suffer.” Alexis extended her hands out towards Bartholomew and a tunnel of fire mixed with lava was thrown at him. Damien stood forth and also used his evolved power at Bartholomew. Purple waves were shot at Bartholomew, hitting his body and the ground he was standing on.
They were both focused on the one target, until Jackson came to Alexis’s side and used what seemed to be telekinesis at Bartholomew, a stream of blue light hit him in the chest. Bartholomew was laughing though he did not notice that he was moving. The ground under him was dissolving from Damien’s power, he was moving because of Jackson’s power and he was melting because of Alexis’s power and determination. Bartholomew was thrown into the wall of electricity and screamed in agony. The three of them moved closer to him, his body was writhing on the floor; sparks from the lights above fell on him.
Alexis gave the signal to stop. Damien walked foreword more and aimed at the roof. His purple waves of “Bad Luck” hit the roof and the rock and steel pipes fell on top of Bartholomew’s body. The three of them smiled happily at each other. Their bodies started to change once more. The lava on Alexis changed back to the silver steel suit that was known as Gryphon-X. Damien and Jackson went back to there original appearances.
In the back round they heard a moan.
“What was that?” Damien said, looking around the room
“Isn’t Bartholomew dead?” exclaimed Jackson aiming in all directions.
“No.” Alexis turned to Jamie’s body and smiled. “Jamie isn’t dead.”

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