24My dearest readers…
I realize that it has been forever since I last posted anything, and I apologize. So much has been going on – some good, some bad. But now, I have finally found it within me to carry on with what makes me happy: being creative.
One more thing… I promised that Marietta McCullough was not a mutant, and I meant it. She does not have a mutation.
With that in mind, I hope you enjoy…
Chapter Seven
Balancing a breakfast plate with one hand and a bowl of dog food with another wasn't that difficult a balancing act. But for Marietta…, well, things just weren't going her way at the moment.
She thought focusing on feeding Nero and her 'guest' would distract her from what was going on at Moongate, but then…
a² +b² = c²… (a – b)²… x + y²…
(Oh, Lord… Not again! Not now… Please…?) It was happening again. Without any warning, algebra equations were floating before her eyes. Images no one else could see.
π=3.141592654…
(Oh, look… the pi symbol, again…) This wouldn't be problem if she was at the library. There, she was able to sit quietly and concentrate on breathing until the numbers faded away. But right now, she was trying to deliver breakfast to the stable. The equations blocked her view, so she didn't see the stones…
CRASH!
The next thing she knew, Nero was licking her face. When her vision finally cleared, she was flat on her stomach, the bowl was upside-down, the dish was smashed and the food was on the ground. The ants were feasting like never before.
There was nothing to salvage but the dog bowl and the utensils, but there was no point leaving the broken dish pieces there as well. So, after thanking Nero, her hero, with loving ear-scratching, she gathered what she could and returned to the house.
Nero could only watch as his girl gathered some of the mess and went back into the house. He sniffed the food. It smelled good, but he didn't like ants in his food. He decided to wait near the house for a moment, in case his girl needed him again. The strange cat wasn't going to come out… if he knew what was good for him.
Marietta slowly made her way up the steps, and carefully felt for the door. She had to make sure what she was seeing was real. This wasn't the first time that had happened, and it was never going to be the last. Once inside, she put everything in the dishpan. She would sort the pieces out later.
After giving her face a good lather of soap and water, she sat at the table… and cried.
Marietta had her life all planned out. After high school, she would go to college and begin her studies in Veterinary Medicine. Her ultimate goal was to set up a clinic near her uncle's farm. She would've made a career and still supported the family farm. She'd have her cake, and eat it too.
But ah, the best laid schemes… the best laid schemes…
Marietta knew college meant working harder than in high school, and she was prepared for it. She wanted to learn as much as she could about animal biology and everything else needed to become a veterinarian. And what did she get for all her hard work? The dirty looks, the murmurs, the deaf and blind teachers… All those memories she's been trying to forget. They just kept haunting her, like it was her fault for wanting to be educated instead of being cool…
She had hoped being at her uncle's farm would help her recover from all that, but now the visions have come back. Algebra equations floated before her eyes, blocking out everything else. It's been a while since that happened… (But they used to be red. Now they're… bluish? Indigo…? This can't be happening! Why is this happening?)
Marietta gently massaged her head. She did not have time to deal with that. She did not need to relive the past. She needed to move on. She needed to watch over the farm. She needed to find out who was in the barn. She needed… another glass of ice water.
"Das kann nicht passieren… Das kann nicht passieren…" [This is not happening… This is not happening…]
"Boy, you and your foreign languages. Heh-heh…," Amos Jardine was enjoying the show. "I don't really know what the heck you're saying, and truth be told… I couldn't care less. It's not like you have a say in anything, after all. Heh-heh-heh… All you need to understand is that I own you, and I can do whatever I want with you. You give me any trouble, and you'll be sold on the spot. I can think of one or two people… Yeah, they'd pay big bucks to have their very own pet demon, so think long and hard before you take my hospitality for granted…"
Kurt closed his eyes tightly, squeezing out some more tears. He could not bear to see the bars any longer, even though they seem to be keeping Jardine out. But they offered no protection from Jardine's words. He's been called a lot of things in his life, but a… pet?
(But… what if he's right?)
Kurt always had to hide himself from the rest of the world. Even when he was performing with his mother's circus, he could not get too close to his adoring fans; he couldn't risk them realizing the truth about his appearance. The consequences… well, Jardine was proof of that, wasn't he?
Then there was Weapon X. Those cages… Oh, those horrible cages. Zoo animals were given better treatment. He was not worthy of being called an animal, even when he had finally succumbed to their… training.
And Professor X… He may have given Kurt a room with no bars on the door or windows, but he was still forced to hide himself. He couldn't go anywhere except on dangerous missions that required his talents…
"Mein Gott…," [My God…] he whispered to himself. "I… I really am just a… pet."
I told you, Nightcrawler… And then Stryker returned. Your suffering has only just begun. Keep trying to escape, and we'll just have to cut our losses and get rid of you. Sabretooth will probably miss you, though… He takes such pleasure in hunting you down…
"Nein… Nein…!" [No… No…!]
Kurt's screaming alerted Nero. He was wondering when the strange cat was going to try something. And no one was going to hurt Marietta again… Not on his watch. He ran straight to the stable to teach the cat creature some manners.
Marietta heard the screaming, too. "Nine…? Well, there was a nine in the pi equation… Hold on! Isn't that German for 'no'…?" With her vision clearing, she was able to find the door, walk slowly down the stairs, and head for the stable. She arrived in time to see Nero barking at the rear stall door, which shows no sign of it being open. The chickens, meanwhile, were clucking like crazy, adding to the commotion.
The bluish equations appeared again, but this time, they created a trail, leading straight to the rear stall… to him. (What is going on…?)
Well, first things first. She needed to calm Nero down. "Nero… Nero! Come here, boy!"
Nero gave the cat creature one last growl before reporting to his girl. As he sat with his tail wagging, Marietta didn't even have to bend over to gently pat his head. "Wait here, Nero. Good boy." She looked through the bars and saw the numbers circling around the creature as he hid under the blanket.
He was shivering, but not from any cold. And she could just barely hear him mumbling, "Bitte… bitte… Tu mir nicht weh… Ich bitte dich… bitte…?" [Please… please… Don't hurt me… I beg of you… please…?]
From what little German she understood, it was clear to Marietta that he was begging for mercy. (Poor soul… Whoever he is, he's scared out of his mind.)
And Nero's constant growling isn't really helping.
"Now, Nero… I know you're looking out for me, but right now, we should take it easy on him. He's lost, he's scared and he's probably starving. I know you could use some breakfast, too. So, you wait here while I fix something, okay? That's my good boy."
Once again, Nero felt a sense of pride hearing Marietta call him her good boy. It made his tail wag at warp speed. So he stayed put as she made her way out. But he continued to glance at the stall with the cat creature in it.
The screaming had scared the chickens, but they were still in their stall, so she didn't worry. They would eventually calm themselves. It was a slow, gradual process. It usually is.
Marietta's vision was fully cleared when she made it to the house. She sighed with relief. She went to the kitchen. She still had her plate in the fridge. She decided to heat up that plate and give it to the… the… She had no choice but to assume that he was a… mutant.
A lost, scared, hungry mutant…
While the microwave was doing its job, she refilled Nero's bowl. She didn't want a repeat of what happened last time, so she decided to deliver one plate at a time, starting with the breakfast plate. She also found some plastic knives and forks, just to play it safe. He may be scared, but that doesn't mean that he won't try anything. But if he does, there'll be no saving him from Nero, her hero.
As she made her way back to the stable, she thought about the floating numbers. Usually they were reddish, or even yellow. But this time, they were blue. More like an indigo blue. The same shade of blue as the… mutant… in the stall.
She didn't really like having to call him a mutant. It seemed like such an insult, especially the way Frederick would say it…
You might as well be one of those muties…
Being picked on at school was bad enough, but to be treated like that at home…? No, that place wasn't home to Marietta anymore. It never really was. This farm is her home. In spite of Sigma Alpha Pi, it's far safer. The images don't come nearly as often as they did living with…Frederick. And as long as she has her uncle Quincy and her hero, Nero, then she is definitely not alone.
And as she carried the breakfast plate to the stable, she hoped the…mutant… liked her cooking. She did not want to have to kill any of the chickens and serve them raw.
When she entered the stable, the poor soul was still crying. Nero, upon seeing her approach the stall, decided to gently block her from entering. He did not want her getting hurt again.
Marietta used her free hand to pet him as she said, "Listen, boy… I need to try and feed him. I'm not going to have him starve. We don't know when he last ate anything. Once I give him this plate, I'll be back with your food, okay? Now, you wait here."
Nero reluctantly obeyed, but he stayed close to the door. If that cat creature tried anything, Nero would be having him for breakfast.
Kurt was indeed scared out of his mind. The latest episode of hallucinations did nothing to help him feel better. He felt so alone, so lost… and so hungry. All he could do was beg for mercy, and pray for a miracle. He would do anything for just one piece of food…
Suddenly there was… knocking? "Hello…? Hello…?"
Upon hearing this new voice, Jardine and Stryker had vanished. Kurt was suddenly at a loss. He didn't know what was going on. All he could do was hide under the blanket for dear life, and pray that whoever this new person was, that they would grant him just a tiny shred of mercy.
Marietta looked through the bars and saw the poor soul shivering under the blanket she gave him. She decided it was best to just open the door slowly, leave the plate where he could get to it, and lock the door so he could hopefully eat in peace. "I've left you some food. I hope you enjoy it." Then she told Nero, "I'll be right back with your bowl. You wait here, okay? Good boy." With that, she went back to the house.
It wasn't until Marietta left that Kurt was able to smell… food? He couldn't believe it. He could smell food. He took a chance and peeked out from under the blanket.
There it was, right by the door. A plate filled with scrambled eggs and bacon. It looked delicious. It smelled delicious. But… was it real? He did not want to believe that Stryker, Jardine, or even Rogue were really here. But if it turned out that the food was imaginary, too… He really didn't know what he was going to do.
His rumbling stomach made the decision for him. He was hungry. He needed to eat. There were no bars between him and the plate. He had to try. So he crawled out from under the blanket and slowly made his way to the plate. Once he was as close as he dared, he gave the plate one more sniff…
Nero could only stare through the bars as the cat creature devoured the food at lightning speed.
When Marietta arrived with Nero's food, seeing the mutant licking the plate filled her with a sense of pride. Uncle Quincy always said that she was a good cook, but it felt good knowing that someone else was enjoying what she made. (Looks like he's going to need another plate. I hope we have enough eggs…)
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
I said she doesn't have a mutation. But, that doesn't mean that she can't have a condition…