Read Online X-Men: Dark Mirror by Marjorie M. Liu - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Marjorie M. Liu
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, adventure, Media Tie-In, Heroes, Superheroes, X-Men (Fictitious characters)
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front of him. Scott teetered on his heels to keep from running into her. Jean brushed up against his back.
He glanced at Nurse Palmer from under his lashes and found her staring at Jeff. Her forehead creased into a thick frown. "Now, this can't be right. Who let you out of lockup, Jeff?"
"I don't know," Jean said. "One of the nurses. He said he didn't want to take time to feed me, so I should do it myself."
"Of all the ..." Nurse Palmer shook her head, shifting backward. Scott wondered if she was getting ready to run. He did not blame her; she was one solitary woman, outnumbered by three mentally unstable individuals. Scott was surprised she had even bothered confronting them.
"He's hungry," Kurt said. "Can't he have dinner with us?"
Nurse Palmer narrowed her eyes. "No, he cannot. And why do you care so much, Renny? Jeff has always terrified you, and now, suddenly, you're acting like friends? You're spending time with Mindy and looking for Dr. Maguire? Something is wrong here. You're acting out of character." She gave Scott a searching look. "All of you are."
She backed down the stairs and Scott knew they had only moments before she began calling for help. He said, "Wait," but this time Nurse Palmer did not respond or act surprised by his willingness to talk.
And then another woman appeared, running lightly up the stairs from the first floor. She looked vaguely familiar. Her eyes were odd, and she wore the loose uniform of a patient.
"Suzy," said Nurse Palmer, and the woman smiled, stepping so close that Scott felt sure the nurse would say something—a shout, a warning—but colors shifted in the patient's gaze, whorls of gold and green, and Nurse Palmer shut her mouth.
"Those are real heavy files," said the woman, Suzy.
"And it's been a hell of a long day. I think you better move on now and find a place to rest your feet."
Nurse Palmer shook her head, though her gaze never wavered from Suzy's eyes. The woman swayed close, her hips round and soft like her voice, and she said, "Go on now. These people aren't important at all."
"But-"
"No." One word, dropped into the air like stone. "Now go."
Nurse Palmer turned and walked up the stairs. She did not look at Scott or the others as she passed. She did not seem to see much of anything at all.
No one else moved. They looked at Suzy, whose smile widened.
"You're so screwed," she said.
"Have we met?" Scott asked.
"No," she said. "You're usually not much of a talker."
Right. He kept forgetting that part.
"Thank you for your help," Kurt said politely. "But forgive me if I question why."
Suzy smiled, nasty. "Renny, Renny, Renny . . . that's your name and don't wear it out, right? You're not shaking in your boots, Renny. You don't act worried at all. You act like a man with balls."
"And that surprises you?"
Her smile widened. "Bras and toilets, Renny. Remember that nice diversion I created for the nurses?"
"Ah," he said. "Yes-
She folded her arms over her chest "You're a terrible liar. You were then, and you are now. Whoever you are."
Scott frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
She merely looked at him, and again he cursed his big mouth. Her eyes swirled like the sun shining through water, light to dark, pupils expanding and contracting like the beating of a heart, subtle and hypnotic. He looked away, concerned about staring too long into that gaze.
"Smart," she said. "Some are more susceptible than others, but they don't always realize it. I'm a bitch, so I warn them."
"You're a mutant," Jean said, and Scott thought about the mission that had brought them here. "Are you being kept at the hospital against your will?"
Suzy laughed out loud. "Shit, Jeff. I liked you better when you were a thug. No, I'm not being kept here against my will. I say I deserve it. I'm just a little crazy sometimes. Just a little."
"Just a little?"
"Just a little song, just a little dance, nothing at all special. Crazy, I'm just a little crazy." She showed some teeth. "And you all
He glanced at Nurse Palmer from under his lashes and found her staring at Jeff. Her forehead creased into a thick frown. "Now, this can't be right. Who let you out of lockup, Jeff?"
"I don't know," Jean said. "One of the nurses. He said he didn't want to take time to feed me, so I should do it myself."
"Of all the ..." Nurse Palmer shook her head, shifting backward. Scott wondered if she was getting ready to run. He did not blame her; she was one solitary woman, outnumbered by three mentally unstable individuals. Scott was surprised she had even bothered confronting them.
"He's hungry," Kurt said. "Can't he have dinner with us?"
Nurse Palmer narrowed her eyes. "No, he cannot. And why do you care so much, Renny? Jeff has always terrified you, and now, suddenly, you're acting like friends? You're spending time with Mindy and looking for Dr. Maguire? Something is wrong here. You're acting out of character." She gave Scott a searching look. "All of you are."
She backed down the stairs and Scott knew they had only moments before she began calling for help. He said, "Wait," but this time Nurse Palmer did not respond or act surprised by his willingness to talk.
And then another woman appeared, running lightly up the stairs from the first floor. She looked vaguely familiar. Her eyes were odd, and she wore the loose uniform of a patient.
"Suzy," said Nurse Palmer, and the woman smiled, stepping so close that Scott felt sure the nurse would say something—a shout, a warning—but colors shifted in the patient's gaze, whorls of gold and green, and Nurse Palmer shut her mouth.
"Those are real heavy files," said the woman, Suzy.
"And it's been a hell of a long day. I think you better move on now and find a place to rest your feet."
Nurse Palmer shook her head, though her gaze never wavered from Suzy's eyes. The woman swayed close, her hips round and soft like her voice, and she said, "Go on now. These people aren't important at all."
"But-"
"No." One word, dropped into the air like stone. "Now go."
Nurse Palmer turned and walked up the stairs. She did not look at Scott or the others as she passed. She did not seem to see much of anything at all.
No one else moved. They looked at Suzy, whose smile widened.
"You're so screwed," she said.
"Have we met?" Scott asked.
"No," she said. "You're usually not much of a talker."
Right. He kept forgetting that part.
"Thank you for your help," Kurt said politely. "But forgive me if I question why."
Suzy smiled, nasty. "Renny, Renny, Renny . . . that's your name and don't wear it out, right? You're not shaking in your boots, Renny. You don't act worried at all. You act like a man with balls."
"And that surprises you?"
Her smile widened. "Bras and toilets, Renny. Remember that nice diversion I created for the nurses?"
"Ah," he said. "Yes-
She folded her arms over her chest "You're a terrible liar. You were then, and you are now. Whoever you are."
Scott frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
She merely looked at him, and again he cursed his big mouth. Her eyes swirled like the sun shining through water, light to dark, pupils expanding and contracting like the beating of a heart, subtle and hypnotic. He looked away, concerned about staring too long into that gaze.
"Smart," she said. "Some are more susceptible than others, but they don't always realize it. I'm a bitch, so I warn them."
"You're a mutant," Jean said, and Scott thought about the mission that had brought them here. "Are you being kept at the hospital against your will?"
Suzy laughed out loud. "Shit, Jeff. I liked you better when you were a thug. No, I'm not being kept here against my will. I say I deserve it. I'm just a little crazy sometimes. Just a little."
"Just a little?"
"Just a little song, just a little dance, nothing at all special. Crazy, I'm just a little crazy." She showed some teeth. "And you all
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