Performance Enhancer

Author's Note: this is the first chapter in a story I've worked on in my spare time. I look forward to getting some feedback on it. The X-periment world is one where terrorists seized on a cheap new chemical weapon and started bombing civilians with it before realizing its mutagenic effects.

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Like any great escape, it started with a series of tests. Checking boundaries, seeing how lax his watchers had become. Simple things that, put together, made freedom more than just an empty promise his captors held out in return for cooperation.

In fairness to those jailers, they were overwhelmed. The sheer numbers of dangerous mutants found each day taxed their resources to the limit, even with government backing. Also, this captive was cooperative and had been for long enough that he was almost forgotten. What tipped the scales was no one realized his powers were growing.

So the tests went unnoticed. A nurse left one day with a few gray hairs. One guard whose fingernails grew longer than possible in 8 hours. Little things that people might see, but that they didn't really notice. Like a rusty spot on the door hinge in his cell.

In his 13th month of captivity, Subject 375 got his chance. They once again required him to boost the psi powers of their hunter team. He asked for a water bottle in return and actually got it. The nalgene type with a sports tip, perfect for squirting water.

.......

Subject 375, aka John Waverly, wakes with a nervous start. Stepping to the sink, he fills his water bottle and takes a few swigs before refilling it carefully to the top. Closing his eyes, he takes a few deep breaths and walks towards the cell door.

Two quick, measured squirts hit the hinges and coat them in water. A few seconds of concentration and rust starts appearing. The hinges are rapidly converted from solid steel to rusted out remnants that can't hold the weight of the door. It begins to sag inward.

A quick grab and strong pull bring the door scraping across the floor, opening it wide enough to step into the hall. Swift steps take him to the nearest door and he repeats his process, this time on the padlock on the outside. Pulling hard on it shatters the rusted inner mechanism and allows him to open the door.

John crosses the floor and grabs the inmate by her face, his hands tangling in her dirty blonde hair as they frame her face. Again he focuses. It takes only seconds, but the alarms are beginning to sound now and it seems like forever as he stares into the woman's dark brown eyes, watching the drugged look fade from them. He hopes that her drugged state really does indicate that she's a powerful mutant, someone who can help him break out.

Not one to put all his eggs in one basket, John steps away as the woman continues to regain her senses. Carrying the water bottle like a weapon, he runs into the hall and on to another door. Seconds pass as he breaks its lock and the sound of boots drumming against the concrete can be heard. A bullet ricochets off the wall near him as John ducks into the room he's just opened.

The man within is physically impressive. His bulk fills the small bed as John approaches and lays hands on his face. Looking into his eyes, John concentrates and forces the drugs out of the man's system, helping his body filter his blood and neutralize the tranquilizer.

John steps back and helps his fellow inmate to stand as screams start coming from the corridor. Gunfire rattles and the screams grow louder, all of them male. The big man shakes his head a few times to finish clearing it and looks at John.

"Thanks. Sounds like it's time to leave!"

John nods and darts to the door, poking his head around the doorjamb to see the woman standing in the hall facing a group of soldiers. Her hands are raised and a shimmering field is blocking bullets from their rifles. The shield is moving down the hall towards the soldiers like a floating wall. Some of them are down, bleeding from ricochets.

Crunching noises from inside the cell draw John's attention. The big man is literally punching the wall, powdering it with the strength of his blows. He is too strong, though, and his arms are leaving holes instead of collapsing larger sections of the wall. Realizing this, the brute grabs the wall through two of the holes and pulls into the cell.

John dives into the hall, slamming hard into the bare concrete floor as cinderblocks and concrete fly through the doorway neaxt to him.

"Sorry," comes a deep voice from inside the room. More concrete flies as John picks himself up. Looking at the woman, he sees her looking back, desperate.

"I can't hold this much longer," her voice rings in his ears, low and sweet but with an edge on it. "What do we do?"

"We're following him out this way," John says, pointing at the cell door obscured in a cloud of dust and debris. "Come on!"

Once outside the holding area John and the others have few choices. The big man goes through wall after wall, doing an end run around attempts to seal the facility. When the woman's strength starts to flag, the big man sends them ahead and collapses a ceiling behind them, digging himself out of the rubble and following after.

Within 10 minutes they exit the building, coming out onto a city street in downtown. John takes over and directs them into the utility tunnels. The ConEd logo on a sewer cover tips John to the fact they're in New York. ConEd proves to be their best friend and they are quickly lost in the mazes under the streets. After an hour of wading through sewage that makes them all naseous, they are certain their pursuers are lost behind them in the tunnels and stop to catch their breath.

After minutes of no sound but their own breath, John finally relaxes.

"Thanks. I wouldn't have made it out without your help."

The woman's eyes fix on John, "Whatever you did to me made it work. What's your name?"

"I'm John."

"Dawn."

"Call me Nikolas." The big man's voice boomed loud in the narrow tunnel. The woman winces at the sound and focuses on the giant. "So, John, what DID you do to us back there?"

"I'm a... performance enhancer. I can boost things, like accelerating your body's ability to deal with the drugs. I can do the same for people's powers."

"That's incredible!" The blonde's eyes are on John, measuring him as he pretends not to notice. He shrugs and looks at them both.

"I think we need to get out of these sewers and off the streets. Do either of you have any ideas?" Both shake their heads. "I've got a few things in mind. I'd like to know what you think."

They listen to John and as he talks their eyes grow more confident.

..................

Capt. John Marshall steps into the briefing room, closely followed by the other two members of his team, Lt. Melissa Rice and Sgt. Mike Epps. Their black boots hit the floor in synchronous rhythm as they walk across the tile to stop in front of the table. The team salutes the general and seat themselves at his nod.

The general hands out briefing folders and quickly outlines the mission to recapture Subjects 375, 417, and especially 131. He then turns to a blond man in a suit in a chair to one side of the room.

"This is Matthew Hebert, a scientist from D.C. who will brief you on a few extra details they've discovered."

"Hello, everyone. What you need to know first is that subject 375's powers of enhancement appear to have expanded greatly. Originally it was believed that he was only able to enhance the powers of others, up to nine hours if it was a single person. Now we believe that not only has he got the ability to enhance the abilities of others, but in doing so he's gaining access to their abilities for his own use, at least in a limited fashion. We're not sure of the full scope of his powers since this was only learned during his escape."

John eyes his team briefly before asking, "Can you give us more detail, Mr. Hebert?"

"Certainly. Before his escape, the last team Subject 375 enhanced had a mutant with abilities that included rusting metal the same way that 375 did during his escape. However, that team had other abilities that would have been more useful to Subject 375 during an escape, such as the ability to walk through walls. This leads us to believe he isn't consciously absorbing powers, at least not yet. The fact that his powers have grown in this unexpected direction means we shouldn't put limits on him too quickly though."

John nods. "So 375 will be our primary target."

The scientist shook his head. "No, Subject 131 should remain your top priority. He's a berserker in combat and should be neutralized first, especially before 375 can enhance his strength."

As John looks thoughtfully at the dossier in front of him, the general thanks the scientist for his input and asks him to leave. As John and the team look at the general, his face takes on a serious look.

"To assist your team in finding and recapturing these three, I am temporarily assigning a specialist with mental abilities to join you."

John could almost feel the temperature in the room drop as he and his team took in the general's words. "Sir, I think my team..."

The general waved a hand for silence as he talked over John. "The decision has been made, Captain. Your new teammate will meet you in an hour. His file will be on your desk."

John salutes, followed by his team, and they leave the meeting room.

....

As Hunter Team 2 heads back to their quarters, John's face reflects his mindset.

'Fuck me! It's not enough that I get scanned by mind benders after I hunt down rogue ones, now I have one on my team. I'm still not convinced that the ones working for us are good guys. Those "Mentats" who attacked DC last year are still on the loose and Hunter Team 1 is still looking for replacements. I feel sorry for Frank- no one should have to see his people turned into drooling idiots.'

John waves goodbye to the others and heads to their small office, a place they barely use but which at least has some privacy. Meeting the new team member MIGHT just be easier with some info about his abilities. John sighs as he walks the short distance to the office.

Settling in to his chair with the file on Lt. Elian Gomez, some forty minutes pass before he looks up from it.

'So, an empath at a distance, but a telepath via touch. Guess I don't have to worry about him dancing through my head after all.'

A knock sounds at the door and John calls out to enter. A slim, dark haired man in a Hunter Team jumpsuit walks in. Standing before John, he salutes and stares at the wall over John's head.

"Lt. Elian Gomez reports as ordered, sir!" His voice is steady and calm as Gomez speaks.

"At ease, Gomez. Welcome to Hunter Team 2. I'm your new CO, John Marshall. You'll meet your teammates later, Lt. Melissa Rice and Sgt. Mike Epps."

Gomez meet's John's eyes as he relaxes his stance and nods, but his face remains stiff. The silence stretches for a few moments before John speaks.

"Do you have any questions, Gomez?"

"No sir, I don't."

"Have you already been briefed on the mission then?"

"No sir. I'm sure you'll tell me what you want me to know, Captain." The irony in Gomez's tone is cutting.

"Lieutenant, I'm not sure what your past experiences have been, but in the field I need to believe I can rely on you as a teammate. Being a jackass isn't the best way to start off." John's face matches his steely tone. 'Great, I wish I'd said that better. Still, that WAS a dickhead thing he said.'

"Understood, Captain. Do you wish to brief me now about the mission?" Gomez's eyes are back on some faraway spot on the wall above John. His voice is neutral.

John sighs to himself as he starts telling Gomez about the mission.

....

Melissa barely was in the door of her room before Mike has her pinned against the wall. With one arm holding her arms above her head, his other roams her body, caressing and squeezing her through the jumpsuit. She moans into his mouth as he kisses her, but she manages to break from the kiss before she loses all focus.

"Mike! We're going to be meeting someone in an hour and I do NOT want to smell like sex!" The teasing smile on her face showed she was only half serious.

"I know. That's 30 minutes of sex, ten minutes to shower and twenty to get to the meeting room." Mike Epps' lips curved as he stared at the light-skinned blond. Melissa intentionally presses more of her body against him, a not-so-subtle encouragement.

She gasps as Mike uses his telekinesis to roughly push her against the wall, freeing his hands as she eyes him helplessly. Her pussy moistens as Mike steps back and invisible 'hands' run over her body. She closes her eyes and relishes the feelings.

A sharp pinch to one nipple brings a gasp. The sound of her zipper lowering echoes in the room. As Melissa's hips bounce futilely against the wall, she feels the jumpsuit being tugged down over her body.

A minute later, her clothes are gone entirely and Mike steps up to her as she lays spread eagle against the wall. Kneeling, he puts his head between her thighs. His tongue starts low, circling slowly up and around and back down again. As Melissa moans, Mike pays careful, loving attention to every nerve ending and gives each one its due. The next 30 minutes pass quickly in a haze of lust.

Freshly showered, Mike and Melissa meet their new teammate briefly before liftoff at the helipad. The noise of the chopper prohibits casual conversation, which suits everyone. The helicopter lifts off the pad and heads out into the darkness towards the city carrying the team towards their prey.

....

In upstate New York, John walks into the kitchen of their rented log cabin and puts on some water for tea. As it boils, he thinks about how flawlessly the past six days have gone for the trio. One quick armored car heist (in which no one was seriously hurt, thankfully) netted enough cash for a series of rented cheap hotel rooms and some real clothing, as well as the used Dodge minivan parked alongside the cabin.

As he looks out at the trees and sips his tea, John closes his eyes and truly relaxes for the first time since the escape. The warm smell of chai wafts up around him and the birdsong outside is the only sound besides his breathing.

The sound of a footfall brings John's eyelids open. He sees Dawn entering the kitchen, toweling her hair. Her body is lean and taut under the long shirt she wears; the sight of it makes him hard instantly.

"Morning, Dawn."

"Hey. Any more tea?"

"Sure," John replies as he stands and moves to the stove. "Here." He hands her the cup and watches as she searches for a spoon and sugar. As she bends over, her white lace panties are visible briefly under the shirt. John reaches a decision and closes his eyes briefly to focus.

As she begins spooning sugar into her cup, John notices her nipples becoming hard under the shirt. Casually, Dawn unwinds the towel from her hair; it drapes down and covers them. John fights to keep the grin from his face as he concentrates some more.

Dawn looks up from her tea. "So, we're safely out of the city, what now?"

"I don't know. We should wait and talk with Nikolas. Maybe we should split up?"

Dawn winds some hair around her finger as she sips more tea. "I dunno. We all got caught before. I think we should stay together. After seeing how smart you are, I'd like to stay with you even if Nikolas leaves." She smiles warmly and catches his eye.

As he smiles back, John ups the flow of energy. "You're someone I can get along with, I suppose."

Coyly, Dawn looks up from drinking her tea, through her bangs at him. "You suppose, huh? Need me to show you again what I'm good for?" Her smile is a grin, now and the towel slides away to reveal her nipples are rock hard against the shirt. As she straightens in her chair, Dawn's shoulders go back and she looks at John like a wolf might look at a steak.

John reaches out with a hand and covers Dawn's as it sits on the table. "I'm up for learning more about you, Dawn." He leans forward as he talks, looking her in the eyes.

"Let me show you something I'm really good at." Dawn slips to her knees on the linoleum floor in front of John. As her cute butt leaves the chair, John can see a slight trail of wetness left behind and smells her arousal. He grins openly now and runs his hands through her hair as Dawn opens his jeans and her head begins to bob on his cock.

"That's amazing, Dawn. We're going to be a great team." After just a few minutes of attention, John unleashes a load of sperm down her eager throat.

Quickly, while he still has a hardon, John pulls her up and bends Dawn over the kitchen table. Yanking her panties to the side, he pushes into her slickness and takes her. Dawn comes almost immediately and several more orgasms follow as John rides her, using short strokes that keep him deep inside her pussy. The pressure of her clit on the table's edge drives her wild, bringing gutteral noises from her. John continues to increase her libido throughout the sex session. When he finally finishes a second time John leaves Dawn on the table, a limp and thoroughly used experiment of his abilities, as he heads up to take his own shower.

....

The blue paint job of the rental catches the evening light as John pulls off the freeway and onto the road to the log cabin, a load of groceries in the back seat. Dawn's head is bobbing in his lap as they drive. Ever since yesterday morning, John has been keeping her libido in high gear and trying other things as well.

Pulling in to the driveway, John looks down at her blonde hair. "We're back." With a soft, sucking noise Dawn releases his cock, gently tucking him away.

"I think I'm addicted to this," she says as she finishes zipping him up and the car stops.

"You're not the only one," John laughs.

"No, really," her expression starts to darken as Dawn thinks. "Have you..." Her question is interrupted by shattering glass and a shot from the cabin. Looking up, they both see Nikolas kneeling and aiming a rifle through the window at the tree line.

"Shield us!" John shouts out, as he pushes at Dawn again with his power. She complies, throwing up a dome around the car just in time to stop a hail of bullets that come from the tree line. Not all the bullets are aimed at the car. John sees Nikolas' head erupt with a spray of blood and he goes down in the cabin.

Starting the car, John tears out of the drive. Bullets continue to ring off the shield Dawn has up, joined for a moment by what looks like a spray from a flamethrower. A small tree is ripped from the ground and thrown at the car but again Dawn's shield blocks it, although she visibly strains with the effort. John pulses her again with his powers, boosting her ability, as he gets onto the main road and accelerates away from the cabin.

Behind them, Hunter Team 2 emerges from the trees and begins to converge on the house. Gomez' voice comes over their headsets as they move in. "Subject 131 is dead. I felt him go. No one else is in the house." The team quickly confirms the kill and assembles out front again.

Captain Marshall looks over his team as they wait for the chopper to arrive. "Good work people. One down, two to go and they're on the run. We might even be able to track them from the air. Quick and dirty debrief anyone?"

Mike speaks up,"Tried getting a tree in front of the car to block the road. Next time we should be better prepped to block exits." John nods at the sergeant and looks around. Gomez opens his mouth once, then closes it, and finally relents under John's questioning gaze.

"Sir, Subject 417 should not have been able to keep her shield up against the pyrokinetic attack, based on what we know of her. I think we should assume Subject 375 is boosting her ability to unexpected levels."