FSE

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Alice and Chloe managed to teleport the boys to the new camp; a small grouping of abandoned apartment buildings. Ryker and Desmond were carried by others who rushed them to the infirmary. There they were placed on two small beds next to each other as an antelope came into the room, eyes wide at the sight. He shook his head as he asked Chloe to stay to keep them mentally stabilized.

"'Ello, name's Jack. Just hold tight for a moment." The antelope said with a cockney accent. Both his hands were held out over Desmond and Ryker, glowing softly before light green wisps flew about, moving to the cuts and wounds on both the men. The antelope had the special gift of healing, which usually captivated others. Ryker's eyes watched as the small wisps came about to his arms and face, instinctively wanting to bat them away. Watching them patch up his wounds made him refrain. In minutes the wolf was fully revitalized as he rubbed over where his bloodstained fur was. There was no pain and little scarring.

"Amazing, doc." He snickered as he looked to Desmond, who had shut his eyes when they arrived. Jack moved over to him as he inspected the jackalope. Ryker's ear popped up, confused.

"What's going on?" The wolf asked, sitting on the edge of his bed to look at his slumbering friend. "He's just sleeping, right?"

"No..." The antelope shook his head as he opened Desmond's eyes which flitted back and forth unresponsive. With more questions filling Jack's mind, he reached down to Desmond's arm, pinching it for a reaction. There was none. "He seems to have gone comatose..."

Ryker's eyes narrowed, getting to his knees beside Desmond's bed. "Desmond... Get up. C'mon." The wolf commanded as the antelope moved to the other side, checking to make sure everything healed properly. That's when he noticed the scarring on the top of Desmond's head.

"Did Desi here suffer some sort of head trauma?" Jack asked, poking the spots gently. Ryker looked to Jack and nodded.

"Yeah... He's a jackalope." The wolf grimaced, looking to Desmond's slumbering appearance. His tan furred paw moved up the jackalopes cheek, petting it gently. "C'mon Des... Get up." The wolf started to whine, ears laying flat to his head. Chloe came up beside Jack, looking up into his eyes.

"I know it's risky... But couldn't I try to help... Pull him out of this?" The bunny asked, feeling sympathy for the wolf. Jack nodded with a shrug.

"It'd be better to let him cope through it. No telling what a mutant being forced from a coma could do." He said, looking her in the eyes. "Just... Be careful. You don't know what you're going to find in there." He said as he checked over Desmond's vitals once more to make sure he was alright.

"Wait... What are you doing?" Ryker asked, looking to Chloe confused. He slipped his paw into Desmond's squeezing it tight.

"I'm... Going to try to jump into his mind... His unconsciousness... And try to wake him up." The bunny said, kneeling down on the other side of the bed. "Almost like that moment in a dream when you shoot up awake cause of something intense happening. At least... That's how I think it'll work." She shrugged. "Gotta give it a shot, right?"

"Is there any way I can come with you?" The wolf asked, wanting to at least be of some sort of help.

"I don't think so... That would be more of Desmond's forte." Chloe said frowning a bit. "Being here though will help him. I'm sure he can still hear you. He just can't... React." She said, biting her lip as she pulled a chair up to get comfortable. She put a paw to Desmond's temple, closing her eyes as she tried to focus. Ryker watched, looking at the two before pulling his bed closer to recline.

"Good luck." Ryker murmured as he kept Desmond's paw in his own, squeezing it gently. Those words echoed through Chloe's mind as she felt a tugging and pulling against her body. Her movements were almost like she was on a boat during a thunderstorm. She rocked back and forth before finally her vision became clear. The clarity of what she saw became equal to what it would be if she had really opened her eyes. She was standing in a street as leaves fell down into orange and red piles. There was a small breeze that ran over her small frame of a body, causing her to shiver. Then she heard the same voice that talked to her by the campfire.

"Chloe! Hey! Come here!" Desmond called out from behind her. She turned around, seeing a horned Desmond standing in the doorway of an old victorian house. Chloe blinked a bit, looking at him before doing as he said, walking up a winding brick pathway to the house he was at. The bunny stood in the doorway as she looked around, curious and confused.

"Desmond?" She called in as she heard him giggle from upstairs. She stepped into the house, a musty smell overwhelming her senses. "Desmond, what are you doing upstairs?" She called out while walking up the stairs. Her ears perked up, listening for any sounds on the second floor. She heard another giggle from down the hall, following it into an open room, a nice bay window in the middle of the wall, adorned with a desk and an old bed with posts. Another giggle caused her to look to the corner, seeing Desmond there with his hair over his eyes. Chloe cocked her head, moving towards him.

"Desmond... What are you doing?" She asked as she heard him humming softly.

"He never saw. He didn't know." He sang out of tune. Chloe's eyebrows furrowed, confused.

"Who are you talking about?" She asked as she felt Desmond's paw wrap around her wrist, pulling her down onto the floor. It was then that she noticed she was dressed differently. She had a bright yellow dress with a ribbon around the waist, black classy shoes with socks to her calves as well as ringlets in her hair. She felt as if she was dressed for going to a childrens party.

"He, of course. He didn't know." He said, pointing to the door as a man stormed into the room, mouthing words that could only be interpreted as swears. However, Chloe couldn't hear anything he was saying. Then a woman came out from the bathroom, sleek black fur with big green eyes, small horns on top of her head. Her eyes lit up in shock as she saw the man glaring at her, running back into the bathroom. The man chased her, a series of crashing glass and objects able to be heard. Chloe's jaw dropped as she looked from Desmond to the bathroom.

"Desmond, lets go-" She started before his paw covered her mouth.

"He'll hear you. Then he'll know. He can't know. So he won't hear." He glared at Chloe through his thick hair that still dangled in his face. Chloe nodded as she turned back to the scene, watching the man step out of the bathroom holding his head. His hands were coated in a dark red fluid that Chloe could only think to be blood. He shook his head, letting out a howl before storming out of the room, grabbing a suitcase and packing up things he had around. Meanwhile, a black arm appeared in the doorway of the bathroom, dragging the rest of the woman out into the room. The man didn't notice her as she looked straight to Desmond.

"Desi, baby, come to mama." Chloe heard the woman's voice in her mind, soft as an angel. The sudden movement of Desmond caused Chloe to panic a bit. He was changed, looking to be about seven years old in a pair of overalls and a t-shirt. He tiptoed behind the man, walking over to his mother as they held hands, a sudden glow forming between the two. Then just like that, her body disappeared, Desmond standing upright as he turned around. The small jackalope held out his hand, holding it towards the man as particles of light seemed to gather around. Without a sound, Desmond unleashed a beam of light at the man, blasting him through the wall. The small boy looked to Chloe, still curled up in the corner scared.

"Don't be afraid, Sally. Mommy said to." He smiled softly before everything faded. Chloe panicked more as she started to feel the floor under her disappear, causing her to fall into the blackness. She let out a cry before landing on her back, staring up at the sky again with bright blue skies. Slowly Chloe got to her feet, looking around at the change in scenery. She was in the city now, which seemed like a nice change from the homicidal suburbs she was just in. She got to her feet, seeing she was in completely new clothes that looked more average. Then she heard the same voice.

"Chloe! Hey chicka! What's going on?" Desmond called out as he skipped down the street. He had his hair fixed back in a ponytail, bangs down in his face and a fairly normal looking outfit on too. She was slightly jealous of his sweater.

"Desmond... Where... Are we?" The bunny asked as Desmond shrugged.

"No clue. I like it though. I feel like... This is the place to be." He said happily as he started to walk onwards. Chloe followed him, trying to keep up.

"Des, you're not really here though." She said to the jackalope, watching as he kept going. "What do you mean? If I'm not here, where am I?" He asked, amused at what she said.

"You're in the new camp with Ryker and I. You're just sleeping heavily. You need to wake up." She begged, keeping pace with him.

"With you and Ryker? Who's Ryker?" He asked, popping a piece of bubblegum into his mouth. Chloe glared at him confused as she kept walking.

"You know... Ryker Callahan? The man you're always with? I don't know your whole story, but-" She started before he chimed in.

"Well, I don't see a Ryker Callahan around me right now, do you?" He asked, smiling. Chloe growled, slightly annoyed at his oblivious state.

"Wake up! Dammit." The bunny growled louder. Desmond laughed, still walking.

"I am awake. I'm pretty sure I couldn't skip in my sleep. Though that'd be intense." He smiled as started to walk faster. Chloe grumbled and kept up with him, jogging beside him.

"Why are you walking so fast? What's the rush?" Chloe asked as he shrugged nonchalantly.

"I don't know. I just feel like I have to be somewhere, and I'm late. Ya know? Almost like the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. Except I'm black. And more horny. No pun intended." He stifled a laugh as she punched his arm, profusely annoyed.

"Desmond James! What the fu-" She started before she heard a pained howl. Both of the long eared furs stopped moving, looking to the alley they just passed.

"What was that?" Desmond asked, looking down it as he saw a mob of people huddled around someone. The jackalope started towards it as Chloe followed, confused. As they approached they came to see a bunch of human men kicking and beating a wolf in the middle. A tanned wolf.

"Ryker!" Chloe let out a cry as the men all looked to Desmond and her.

"Oh shit..." Desmond sighed to himself as the mob started after the two.

"More of these fur freaks, eh? Are you thieving punks too? Fucking rats." A man yelled as most of the mob started running towards them. The jackalope braced himself, sighing heavily to relax. The mob was five feet from the duo before stopping, Chloe closing her eyes.

"Alright... Everyone here is going to stop..." Desmond commanded, looking each one of them in the eyes. They did so, standing still. Chloe looked at the power he had, not believing that he could control this many people at will.

"Now... Why don't you all head off to..." Desmond started, thinking of a place for the cretons to go to. That's where Chloe chimed in.

"Guatemala." She said, smiling softly to him as he turned to her, cocking his head before shrugging.

"Guatemala it is. Pack your bags boys, you're leaving tonight. By foot." Desmond instructed as the mob walked around the two, heading off in the direction of their homes in order to prepare for their forced voyage. Chloe and Desmond ran up to Ryker who was still crumpled on the ground, unconscious.

"What... Do we do?" Desmond asked. The sight of the wolf made him want to hug the poor man and coddle him till he was better.

"Let's take him home. Help him recover." Chloe smiled, looking to Desmond as she finally figured out what she was doing. Desmond looked to her and nodded, picking the man up under the arms and carrying him with Chloe towards the sidewalk where everything started to go fuzzy again. Chloe grimaced, feeling the fall happen again as she braced herself, preparing for another rough landing before she felt a soft support under her. She was now in a living room that looked like it was currently under construction. She looked around the room, smiling at how lovely it looked before looking out the window. From there she saw two guys sitting on a balcony, just talking under the stars. She smiled to herself as she teleported to the doorway to where they were, listening in on them.

"Well, I just don't... Really know if I want to stay. I mean I appreciate all the help and everything... But I'm sure there's someone else you could spend your time on." Ryker said as there was a soft sigh.

"I... Figured... I mean, I don't... Know why... But I really have this need to be around you. There's something about you." Desmond's voice chimed, causing a small laugh from Ryker.

"There's something about you too." Chloe turned her head to the window, seeing a smirk on the wolf's face as he looked to the jackalope.

"So... Can you at least just stay a few more days? Maybe then you'll make up your mind." Desmond offered, smiling softly. Ryker shook his head, looking off into the distance.

"I don't know Des... Maybe." The wolf said in response, clicking his nails against the wooden railing. The two looked off into the distance, thoughts taking over as Chloe watched. After a few minutes of pondering, Ryker started up again.

"Ya know, why haven't you just forced me to stay? I know you can do it." Ryker asked as Desmond looked to him, shrugging.

"Well... That's not what you want. Not that I know what you want. That'd make this whole thing a bit easier. But. I just can't. It's something my mother did. She never used her powers on those she loved..." Desmond said as his voice faded out, looking off again. Ryker nodded as he took in the jackalopes image, smiling softly.

"I'm glad you haven't. Though I'm sure reading my mind would make it a lot easier to understand." The wolf smiled, leaning on the wooden railing.

"It really would." Desmond snickered, shaking his head. "Though if this were easy, it wouldn't feel as good. Ya know?"

"Yeah." Ryker nodded, looking off again as Desmond took in the wolf's form, smiling softly to himself. After a few moments of the looking and looking away game, the two finally caught a glance at each other, smiling brighter than the moon that shone down. Chloe blushed at the sight of the two under the moonlit night, letting out a sort of fan-girl sigh. Then both their ears perked up, looking around.

"You heard that, right?"

"Yeah. Was that from inside?"

"I don't know. Let's check?" Desmond offered as he hopped down off of the railing. Chloe closed her eyes as she teleported once again, but the destination she teleported to ended up changing without her control. She let out a cry as she landed in a tree, catching hold of a branch as she smelled something burning. The bunny's ears perked for noises as she managed to climb down a little lower to see the old campfire with Desmond in the middle of a group. Her jaw dropped as she let out a small gasp.

"I feel like I know you... And hate you... I heard it's called something like 'deja vu'... Who knows... Maybe it was a past life?... We'll never know... But know this, rabbit... I will find out what you are... And I will have it." Chloe heard Kent growl before the sickening sound of Desmond's antler was torn off. She could hear him screaming and crying in pain, her heart sinking even more.

"This is what I missed..." She shook her head before feeling a presence beside her. She looked to see Desmond there again, but this time she didn't panic.

"That isn't the big thing..." He murmured as he pointed to Ryker who was coming to realize who Desmond's attackers were. "He was always protective. After that night on the porch, three years ago, I kind of just... Stayed with him. Wherever he went. He was where my home was..." Desmond said before tears started to run down his cheeks. Chloe patted Desmond's shoulder as he sobbed a bit more. "But I broke my promise... I did... What my mother did..." He cried harder, shaking a bit. Chloe looked to the jackalope and shook her head. Chloe watched as Desmond looked to Ryker, sending the wolf off to slaughter all of the attackers.

"No... Des... I could feel Ryker's rage a mile away. He knew when he saw the camp was empty. Even if you didn't push him, Ryker would have fought." She cooed, hugging the jackalope close to her. His sobs kept coming as she rubbed his back. "You only saved him. It would have gone much worse if you hadn't, believe me..." She said, watching Rykers powers escalate. She was in awe at how much stronger the jackalope made the wolf. He was like a nuclear reactor that just powered up any mutant he pushed.

That's when the realization hit her. From what she saw, Desmond had never pushed another mutant until that point. Her thoughts started to race as she held the jackalope in her arms. Maybe he never knew what he could do... And this is just his subconscious guilt taking over? Then suddenly Desmond started talking again.

"This... Mind control... Thing I have... It's not mine." Desmond said, looking at Chloe sadly. She raised an eyebrow as he put her hand in his, a small light glowing as she felt her energy being sapped from her body. She looked at him, pained by the loss as the glowing grew brighter. "I can take the powers from people... And make them my own..." The jackalope sighed sullenly. He let go of the bunny's hand, restoring her energy back to her.

"So... You have three powers?" Chloe asked, shocked at the discovery. She had never met anyone with more than two.

"And more... If I take them from others." Desmond said, shaking his head. "But I absorb them fully... So they won't... Live." He explained. Chloe nodded, shocked but understanding at what happened with his mother. The bunny frowned slightly, taking the jackalope back into her arms as the clouds suddenly started to lighten up, letting sunshine in. Suddenly it got brighter and brighter, causing Chloe and Desmond to shield their eyes.

"What's going on?" Chloe asked as Desmond cried out. He disappeared from beside her as she felt the tree she was on disappear, falling again into a black hole. The edges of the hole were gray and suddenly jumped to white. More realization took over as Chloe realized that she was in the center of Desi's iris, his pupil causing every scene to play like reality. With a howling scream, she started to pry herself from the connection she formed with Desmond, finally opening her eyes and falling back in the chair. She sat there, panting heavily as she looked to Desmond who was slowly waking up, a small smile aimed towards Ryker. The two shared the same look that she had witnessed when she was on the balcony and suddenly she felt like she had done perfectly.

End of Chapter 5