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His breath never returned as Lucas limped through the urban jungle of New York, dragging Noel behind him. They had only gone about five blocks but he had to stop and take a rest. Leaning his back against a wall to steady himself, he tried in vain to suck in air, receiving a stinging pain from deep inside for his efforts. He had assumed he had cracked a rib or two when they were thrown out of the building but it seemed now that it was worse.

“Where?” Noel wheezed from beside him. She was growing tired and they needed to get off the street soon but they were so far from where Lucas wanted to be. He needed to get her back to Brooklyn and to Noel’s old stomping ground. Maybe something there would trigger her memories but the main thing was to find someone who knew her. He knew of only one other person she had met and from what Lucas remembered, there was little chance he had gone out for the day. They had to get there quickly because anyone with half a brain and her map would know where they were headed now that one of them was injured.

Like an angel sent from heaven, a cab came around the corner as they waited for their breath to return. On willpower alone, Lucas pushed himself from the wall and stepped out towards the street, waving his bloody hand to catch the driver’s attention. It pulled over to wait for the new fair to enter.

Opening the door, Lucas pulled Noel around in front to help her get into the back seat first before entering the cab himself. Once inside, he pulled the door shut and flopped back into the plastic covered seat. A Middle Eastern gentleman with a receding hairline stared back at him from the rear view mirror.

“Where to buddy?” He asked in heavily accented English.

“Brooklyn” Lucas gasped. He leaned forward and to the side a little and pulled back Noel’s sleeve to read the man the address. After sharing the information, he changed his mind. “Make it two blocks north of the address. I don’t feel like walking today.”

Letting go of Noel’s arm, Lucas reached his left hand up over his back and tried to pull his hooded sweater off over his head. It caught under his right armpit and he almost passed out from the sudden wave of agony. He gave up instantly and turned to Noel for assistance.

“I need your help to get my sweater off.” He said in a raspy whisper. “You have to wear it until we can get you some different clothes.”

Leaning all his weight against the door, Lucas struggled to find purchase on the smooth tiles. On the other side, the nursing staff sent to quell the patient uprising slowly pushed the door open despite his efforts. There was nothing he could do to hold that portal closed and he knew it. If only he could stall them for half a minute more, some of the other mutants might escape. He risked a glance back over his shoulder to see how the rescue effort was moving along to witness Tiny grab Noel and slowly move her towards the window. Her hands were over her ears to drown out the alarm bell and she had dropped the folder he had just secured upon the floor nearby.

She called out to him for help. “L-Lucas?”

He was busy trying to hold back an army. There was no time to aid her. If they were all going to escape, he needed to hold the door and give the others a chance to….

Everything changed when Lucas saw Tiny toss Noel’s tiny form out of the window.

Lucas gave up the door immediately as the three heavy set shoulders pounded into it. He used the door’s slingshot momentum to reach full speed almost instantly. The orderlies tumbled over each other as the obstacle to entering the room had suddenly changed stance and given in completely to their onslaught. The decision was made in a heartbeat. Lucas was here for Noel; the rest were on their own now.

He hurtled across the room. Jane’s folder sat on the floor in direct line with his goal, enticing him to slow and snatch it up on his way by. It contained hints to who Noel really was. Not a full picture, but at least a starting point for her to rebuild her life. The information inside might help Noel to understand her past and where she came from? Maybe some clue was buried within that folder that could lead the woman to discover who she truly was and aid her in regaining what she had lost? It would only take a split second to pick it up…. but Noel might not have a split second. He could see small, slender fingers gripping the base of the window where she had caught hold. Noel’s safety was the only thing that mattered.

Launching off the ground, Lucas sailed through the air and landed in a crouch with his feet on the window sill. Reaching down with his tattooed hand, he grabbed Noel by her wrist and pulled her up from her precarious perch. The effort nearly unbalanced him but his right hand shot out and grabbed the side of the broken frame. Jagged shards of glass bit into his palm and fingers as he steadied himself. A fine trickle of red started to roll down the side of the window and Lucas’s arm as his grip held firm. Looking down, he saw the cement below. The bloody splatter of the red headed woman proved the risks inherent in the fall. Across the street, the fire escape of the apartments sat invitingly, mocking the man’s quest for freedom as it watched, just out of reach. He couldn’t jump across an entire street and seize the opportunity for escape and there was no time to lower the woman down safely.

Cradling Noel against his chest with his left arm now, Lucas wrapped the fingers of his right hand around a large piece of glass and tore it from the ravaged frame, holding it like a dagger. Looking back, he saw the staff as they poured into the room. They were merciless as they subdued the patients and cries for help or mercy went unanswered by their victims. A few feet away, Noel’s folder sat on the floor, promising salvation for the woman that Lucas held but it too was lost as four angry orderlies charged the pair’s position, stomping over its manila cover on their way.

Lucas had failed. He had wanted to save them all but wasn’t strong or quick enough. His mutation allowed him to heal others. Instead of taking away pain he had inflicted all this misery and he couldn’t see a way to stop it. By crossing that line in the office, he had brought this to these innocent mutants and there was no one to blame but himself. He had thought he could face the consequences of his actions but hadn’t considered that it might not be him that ended up paying the price. There was still a chance for the pair to get free but it meant he needed to cause even more agony to someone who had tried to help him. Another selfish act of sacrifice so he could save the woman in his arms. At what point was the cost to high? Guilt was to be the price of freedom… and Lucas made the choice to pay in full.

The glass dagger punctured Tiny’s flesh as Lucas stabbed the giant under his ribs. The Colossus cried out like a wounded animal at the sudden unexpected injury. Releasing the glass shard, Lucas wrapped his other arm around Noel and held her as tightly as he could while turning his back to shield her body from what was coming next. Tiny’s massive couch sized arm flailed outwards instinctively to try and protect himself from the unseen attack, connecting solidly with the man that had just jabbed him and sending the couple hurtling over the street towards the fire escape.

“How can all her stuff be gone?” Lucas raged as he slammed his fist down on Doctor Peterson’s desk. “That’s Noel’s life! You don’t have the right to take it from her!”

The gray haired doctor sat calmly behind his desk and allowed the man to vent his frustrations. He had nothing to worry about. He had protection. To his left, the black brute from the park flexed his crossed arms menacingly. His eyes showed intent to cause bodily harm at the slightest nod from his superior. To the doctor’s right, another man was standing in stark contrast to his counterpart. He seemed thin and frail with heavy black framed glasses and large buck teeth. This man stood stupidly, his neck arched over his sunken shoulders like a sulking emo teen.

Lucas turned from the trio and looked through the two-way mirror into the other room. Noel stood by a grate covered window, gazing longingly towards freedom as the sunshine bathed her face. She mumbled softly to herself and her blindfold was gone. It looked like they had drugged her again once Lucas had left her side. He hated to see her like that but the fruitless discussion with the doctor had seemed necessary. In hindsight, it had been pointless.

Doctor Peterson adjusted his glasses with a liver spot covered hand and then addressed Lucas again in an official tone. “I told you before, the state delivered Ms. Doe to us as she was unable to care for herself. Unless you can prove your identify as a family member or guardian, you have no ability to petition for her release. Quite frankly, all we know about you is your first name.”

“She was unable to care for herself because they took away her support system.” Lucas growled through clenched teeth. “Are you even listening to me? And her name is Noel Gage. Not Ms. Doe.”

The doctor sighed like an adult trying to explain physics to a child. “I didn’t want to say this but you give me little choice. This will be tough for you to hear Mr. Monroe, but she is not, in fact, Noel Gage. She stole that woman’s identify. No one knows who she is.”

The words hit harder than any boxer’s punch ever could. The doctor continued on unphased by the shocked look on Lucas’ face. “Noel Gage was an FBI agent that went missing a little while ago. When Jane returned to the FBI as Noel, she was apprehended. They could not get anything from her to help discover the whereabouts of their agent so she was sent to me. The sad truth is, even if you were family, your friend can’t be released until it is determined that she is not involved in Noel Gage’s death.”

It was a lot of information to take in. Lucas continued to watch Noel through the glass as he tried to process everything he had just learned. She seemed so distant, locked away from the world, unable to truly comprehend the situation she was in. Her life was over. There was nothing Lucas could do to help her now. She didn’t remember anything about a lost Federal Agent, she couldn’t even remember last month. She would live out the rest of her days in this hospital, and thanks to Lucas running into her, might never even feel actual grass beneath her toes again.

Then, Lucas saw through the lie the doctor told. The young mutant’s jaw clenched tightly together and his brow furrowed. He examined the common room of the asylum more closely. A teenage boy rocked in an old chair in the corner, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings or the drool rolling down his chin. The long mullet on his head hid the lines on his neck but they were unmistakable. The boy had gills.

Across the room, an older woman with a graying pony tail played checkers against herself. Whenever she reached out to take a piece, her eyes seemed to catch the rays of sun from the window and hold them. Her irises would flash a fiery orange as if on fire before she could blink the effect away.

All around the room, subtle signs could be seen. Most of the patients seemed normal but the evidence was there. These were mutants. At least some, maybe even all of them. They had all been sequestered away to keep society protected. There was no rehabilitation for these people, only an endless stream of paper cups and water for chasing down the pills. But that wasn’t the Doctor’s lie, just his deep dark secret.

“Give me the picture doctor.” Lucas said, the calm of his voice betraying the anger clawing up from within.

Peterson tried to correct him. “I told you all her things are gone young man.”

Turning to face the old doctor, Lucas felt a smirk raise the corner of his lip. It wasn’t a happy grin. He had caught him. The story was unraveling. “Then how do you know my last name if you don’t have the notation on her picture?”

Peterson sighed again and shook his head as if disappointed. “I had hoped you could be reasoned with Mr. Monroe.” Waving a hand dismissively to his compatriot he addressed the orderly beside him. “Jefferson, please show the man out.”

The large black man smiled eagerly and stepped around the desk. “Wit Pleja doc.”

“They are all mutants, aren’t they?” Lucas accused, goading the doctor to slip up further before his time ran out. It seemed like this man was the warden in some sick underground prison, not a doctor meant to heal the sick. Lucas wanted to hear him say it. Wanted him to admit the truth so he could be sure before he threw his life away.

“Wait a moment Jefferson.” Peterson said as he took his glasses off. Jefferson stopped like an obedient dog, glaring at Lucas, readying for assault. The doctor glared back at the mutant before him, his annoyance clearly showing through now. “Can you understand how important places like this are to humanity? Of course not. Your concern is for your precious little piece of ass out there. But there is another side to her. A dangerous and dark side. This girl has the power to destroy the mind of anyone she comes in contact with. What says she should have the right to be free and cause havoc in countless other people’s lives?” The doctor stood up and shouted across his desk now, the vein on his neck popped out and his face turned an ugly red color. “You’re a fool living in a fantasy world! These things will eradicate us all if we don’t protect ourselves! It’s us or them! You need to grow up and get on board!”

The man’s fear and hatred had probably consumed him long ago. Mixed with a self righteous belief in his cause meant there was no reasoning with the madman. Nothing Lucas said would make a difference and anything he tried would only prove to the doctor he was right. Peterson’s opinion didn’t matter anymore though. There was only one thing left to do.

*****

A thousand shards of glass exploded outward as Jefferson’s unconscious body sailed through the two-way mirror and landed on the floor of the common room. Lucas remained in the office, his fists clenched and muscles taught. He knew he had just crossed over a line in the sand, but he hadn’t been the one that put it there. Things had been set in motion and all he could do was what he thought was right. He would hold his head high when the consequences caught up to him.

“Give me the picture doctor.” Lucas said forcefully to the old man behind the desk. “I won’t ask you again.”

The head orderly pounced suddenly, like a cat upon a wounded mouse. He threw his hands around Noel’s eyes and jerked her back by her head, away from Lucas. Another orderly, this one an overly muscular red headed woman, jumped in too, pinning Noel’s hands behind her back as she struggled like a wild animal in a trap.

The shock from the sudden attack evaporated almost instantly and Lucas’ muscle flexed and pushed him into action. He lunged forward, intent on pulling both the staff off Noel but before he could help her, he was tackled from the side by a third orderly he hadn’t noticed in the confusion. The man’s arms were like two dark skinned tree trunks wrapping Lucas tightly before driving him hard into the turf. Air pushed out of Lucas’ lungs and he fought for breath as those humongous arms constricted his chest further and the man’s weight bore down upon him. He struggled in vain but was held fast. All he could do was watch.

"I haven't seen her this bad since she first came in!" the man holding Noel’s eyes grunted to his colleague as they struggled to subdue her.

The head orderly didn’t realize the significance of what he said but it wasn’t lost on Lucas. Noel was a fighter. If she had given them trouble when she was committed then it was because they had locked her up against her will. This shook the young man’s mind into action and it put together a few more of the missing pieces. A chill went down his spine as another truth came to him while he struggled for freedom.

“You know.” Lucas wheezed with surprise, his thought slipping out of his mouth accidentally.

The head nurse had covered Noel’s eyes. His first thought was not to bind her or protect anyone; it was to hide those soulful, hazel eyes. They knew she was a mutant. They weren’t drugging Noel to help her get better; they were drugging her to subdue her powers. These people had medicated the woman to keep her docile and safe while they put her in some deep dark hole to be forgotten. Taking a scan of the staff around him, he confirmed his suspicion instantly. Lucas couldn’t believe he had missed it as it seemed crystal clear now. It wasn’t a particularly sunny day but all three of them had been wearing mirrored glasses. It was not UV or fashion that concerned them. They wore the glasses for protection from Noel. When the woman had used her powers a month ago, her eyes had almost seemed to vibrate before Lucas’ memory got turned to salad. It made sense. Noel’s powers required eye contact and all of them had taken precautions.

Pulling out a piece of cloth, the two orderlies bound Noel’s eyes and dropped her back down on the grass roughly. She was exhausted from the battle and didn’t put up any resistance to the treatment anymore. She panted heavily and tried to speak in between her laboured breaths. “I… I have to wait here." She pleaded softly, coughing on some dirt. For a moment, Lucas saw her will to fight broken as she lay prone on the lawn before him.

“But why?” Lucas wondered. Why go through all the trouble? Was Noel so dangerous that they had to lock her up and throw away the key? She had been a federal officer, out in the field serving her country before. What had changed? Something still didn’t make sense.

The large black man on top of Lucas noticed the struggling of his victim had stopped and leaned his head to the young mutant’s ear. The orderly’s deep baritone voice had a hint of sadism buried deep inside it. “If yo done fight’n, I’se can let you up. Yo gonna be good now m’ man?”

The question sounded more like an invitation for more punishment than a truce. The burly orderly had enjoyed blindsiding Lucas and revelled in the power he felt. It was as if he was daring the young man underneath him to start to struggle again, but now wasn’t the time. Lucas needed to play it cool. His time would come. There were too many unknowns and he was at an obvious disadvantage.

“Sorry I got carried away.” He lied to the large man lying across his back. “I thought you guys were hurting her. I understand you are just trying to help now. You can let me up”

Putting his elbow into the small of Lucas’ back, the dark skinned orderly pushed himself to his feet and Lucas winced at the pressure and weight. When the large man finished standing, he put his hands up as if to apologies but his sinister smile showed his true feelings. This man enjoyed hurting people. It was in his nature.

Sitting up, Lucas purposely ignored the brute and looked over to check on Noel. She seemed fine physically but was just lying prone, her face still done in the grass as she coughed out air and dirt. He crawled over to her and rolled the woman onto her side so her breathing would be unobstructed.

“You hurt?” He asked her as he examined the woman more closely. She seemed relatively unscathed. In one sense it was disappointing. If she had been hurt, it would have given him a chance to use his powers. It was possible the sensation of his healing her would trigger a buried memory but he couldn’t injure her for that purpose alone of course. Things were not that desperate yet.

Lucas’ sock and shoe sailed over and landed beside him as the bulky orderly tossed it to remind the young man of his existence and taunt him further. Paying no mind, Lucas put the clothing back on while sitting beside the woman in the grass. Once complete, he looked to the head orderly, ignoring the goon that was trying to antagonize him.

“Let’s get going guys. Don’t want to keep the good doctor waiting.”

It seemed to be time to go. The orderly was ending the field trip early thanks to Lucas’ intervention in the normal routine. This worked out fine for the young man but Noel had reservations. He wanted to see the doctors that were treating her so he could figure out a way to get her back. Unfortunately, now Noel didn’t seem to want to leave as she preferred to wait here for something. The irony being Lucas was probably that something. Battery Park had been the young man’s idea. The chances that Noel had another appointment in the same place were remote. Now that he had found her here there was no reason left for her to stay that he could think of.

Despite everything that had happened, Noel had somehow retained the knowledge that she had to be here to see Lucas again. Was it possible that he had been mistaken and the attraction between the pair was mutual? There was hope to be found in that notion. The thought was both uplifting and deflating however since Noel couldn’t remember who the young man in front of her was.

Trying to be calm so as not to upset her further, Lucas tried to explain his thoughts.

“Noel, we were supposed to meet each other here a few weeks ago in this park. Now that I am here, I don’t think you have to wait anymore.”

Taking her hand in his, he tried to gently lead her towards the small bus were the other patients were loading up, continuing to attempt to jog the woman’s memory as they walked.

“This was going to be our second date. We met when you accidentally stepped in front of a taxi. We ended up spending the night together in a hotel. Do you remember?”

The words were true but sounded crazy as they left Lucas’s lips. If the doctors were to learn that Noel had stepped in front of a cab, they would likely assume it related to her condition or was a suicide attempt. If they drew either conclusion, getting the woman out and free would be much more difficult. But what could he say to convince them that she was not dangerous to herself or others? How much did he really know about her? They had only spent a day together but in that time Lucas felt he had grown to understand her a little. However, she was still very much a mystery to him. He had thought he understood her that night only to be turned around the next morning as she left. Which was the real woman and which was an illusion? If he wasn’t sure, how was he to explain it to a psychiatrist? Was he even making the right decision by trying to help her? This had all the signs of ending very badly.

In the end, Lucas decided to go with his instincts. It was too late for second guessing now. They were almost at the bus so Lucas would see it through. No matter who the woman beside him was, she deserved better than to be shut away from the world. Lucas would do whatever he could to help her if she would let him.

Years with his grandmother had taught Lucas that if Noel was going to come back to herself, it would be some small tidbit of information that would trigger her return. Conversation might suffice but the best chance of success was always physical. Her personal effects could be the first step to that recovery. Long term memories related to them and having something physical to put in her hands was infinitely better than words alone. Lucas needed to get his hands on those items. The system with the map and ankle pouch far predated his arrival in Noel’s life. The family photo might be another clue that could be used. Their familiarity was the best bet to help the woman find herself again. To get the items, Lucas would need to speak directly with the doctors responsible for Noel’s treatment. They would likely have her things in storage somewhere and wouldn’t give them out to anyone but family but he had to try.

“I would like to talk to your doctor for a bit about how we are going to get you better. Do you want to come back to the hospital with me while I do that?” He asked as they both finished crossing the lawn and stood in line to board the bus.

Lucas’ knuckles turned white as he held onto the frame of the red Porsche where the door had recently been. He tried to pull himself inside but what remained of the vehicle juked and spun through Manhattan rush hour traffic so vigorously. All he could do was hold on for dear life as his legs dragged along the asphalt. His arm muscles strained under the exertion and he gritted his teeth as he was pulled outwards while the car banked left for a steep left turn.

The damaged car careened around the corner and straightened out. It seemed to understand Lucas’ situation suddenly and stopped weaving for a moment. An arm reached over from the driver’s seat to help pull him back in. With this help, the young man clambered through the hole and quickly fastened his seat belt to avoid being thrown from the speeding sports car again.

The arm belonged to Shin, a young Asian man that Lucas had just met. He seemed a friendly, gregarious kind of guy and quite likeable at the time. Now, he was almost emotionless, the previous jovial attitude washed away by the imminent danger of the situation. His concentration was complete. The man in the driver’s seat seemed absolutely unphased, like he did this every day, as he casually shifted gears and steered through the treacherous streets. Shin never took his eyes from the road despite his lightly highlighted hair flipping about his head as the wind rushed through the shattered window. He gave the impression of someone who did this every day.

Smoke had started to billow out of the bullet holes that littered the hood of the vehicle but the engine refused to die and continued to roar onward despite the punishment it had taken. Its sound almost drowned out the thumping of the helicopter following behind or the constant beeping of the timer in the back seat as it counted down.

Looking back over his shoulder, Lucas spotted the huge chopper as it rounded an office building and continued its pursuit of the pair. The muzzles of its twin machineguns flashed madly as it sprayed another burst of death towards them. Sparks flew and the vehicle rocked violently as a fresh trail of holes tore through the back bumper and trunk. Shin pulled the steering column hard to the right and the Porsche responded by leaping the curb and continuing its flight along the sidewalk.

“I don’t want to be a backseat driver but I am betting bullets and explosives don’t mix.” Lucas yelled nervously over the sound of the car’s hum. The incessant beep of the timer continued and he glanced over to see that less than 3 minutes remained before the bomb it was wired to in the trunk would explode.

‘How did I get myself into this?’ he wondered to himself as a fresh spray of bullets tore a path along beside them, glass and shrapnel filling the air.