Coming Out Of The Dark

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name
But what's puzzling you is the
Nature of my game

(Rolling Stones--Sympathy for the Devil)

Leaving the Miller house with Justine was easier than Magnus expected. Nobody mentioned her demon possession and "Mr. Magnus" helping her, for which Magnus was grateful. He introduced her to Logan, who was holding her suitcase. She didn't acknowledge Logan's greeting, instead ducked behind Magnus. Logan didn't seem distressed by this; he just picked up her suitcase and headed to the door.

Justine said a simple good bye to her parents, no dramatics, no commotion. She could have been saying good bye to someone she met in an elevator. Mr. and Mrs. Miller were almost as nonchalant, although Mrs. Miller looked as if she were holding back on her real feelings.

Outside Justine looked even paler and more delicate than she looked in the basement. When they got into the sunshine, she fell to her knees, raising her arms to cover her face and gasped. "Noooooo!" she cried out.

"It's all right Justine," Magnus assured her, kneeling down beside her. "It's just the sun. I know it must hurt your eyes, but it will be all right. We'll get something to help with that."

Logan opened the car and took his sunglasses from the dashboard and brought them over to Magnus. "Here, these'll help."

Magnus accepted them gratefully. "Justine, take your hands away from your eyes."

"No!" Justine shook her head, pressing her hands tighter to her eyes. "It hurts!"

"I know it does, and I want to help. Trust me, Justine all right?" He unfolded the glasses. Logan moved so he was standing behind her, obstructing the sun. "Just for a moment Justine, take your hands from your eyes and I can help you. I've got a pair of sunglasses here. They will help."

She hesitated, quivering, then finally lowered her hands from her face. She continued to keep her eyes squeezed shut, tears running from them, down her cheeks. Magnus slid the glasses on, hooking them behind her ears. "Keep them closed right now Justine," he suggested. "Logan and I will help you to the car, all right?"

She nodded, still trembling. Magnus looked at Logan. "We have to get to a drug store or some place like that. We've got to get some type of sun screen or any exposure to the sun is going to burn her skin."

"Yeah, that's a safe assumption." Logan shook his head, studying her carefully. "Did she tell you what she can do? What got her into that hole for eleven years?"

Magnus shook his head, taking her arm and gingerly helping her to her feet. "I just wanted to get her out of there. I'll inquire further when we are away from the property."

They guided her to the car. "I'll take the back seat," Logan suggested. "Put her in the front with you."

"She can sit in the back. She might wish to stretch out."

Logan shook his head. "She's like a caged animal bein' let loose now," he pointed out. "Look at her Mags, right now she's not even hearing what we're saying. We're talking about her like she's not even here. She's likely t'do anything from try t'hide in a corner t'just open the door and leap out. If she's in the front, you an' I can keep an eye on her."

Magnus couldn't picture this chalky, wretched, bundle of nerves doing much of anything, but Logan was right. He'd seen people in worse condition then her before do unpredictable things. He nodded.

They helped her into the front seat and got the seat belt on her. Magnus could feel they were being observed. He suspected Mr. and Mrs. Miller were watching from the window, but neither of them came outside. So far so good, he thought. Just one more stop to get something for her skin and her own pair of sunglasses and we can leave this town.

Logan climbed into the back seat, sitting behind Justine. Magnus got into the driver's seat. "Are you all right now?" he asked her.

She nodded; her eyes still shut under the glasses, a few tears still falling down her cheeks. "Y-yeah I-I guess," she whispered. "I-I'm being pretty stupid aren't I?"

"No," he disagreed. "The sun is bright today, and you're not used to it."

"No, not the sun," she disagreed. "Everything else. I-I'm still scared. T-terrified actually."

"That's understandable." He nodded as if to confirm his words. "It's been a long time since you've been outside, since you've been free. I-I know how you must feel. The world suddenly seems like a very big place. You've gotten used to being incarcerated. Now you're in the open. You feel exposed and that makes you feel... vulnerable."

She turned her head in the direction of his voice, raised her hand to shield her eyes further and opened them slowly. "How did you know?" she asked in a horse mumble.

"Because I've been there," he said softly.

She looked at him scrupulously. "I find that kinda hard t'believe. Are you kidding with me?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm not.

"Then maybe you can tell me how d'ya get it to stop?" Tears still streaked down her face, he didn't know if they were still due to the sun or if she was crying.

"It takes time," he answered gently. "You'll be all right Justine, just be willing to give yourself the time you need to get used to it all. And you'll have help. I'll help you and where I'm taking you, there are other people who also will help you."

"Speaking of where we're going, can we leave?" Logan interjected from the back seat.

"Good idea." Magnus started the car. "There's a drugstore downtown, we'll stop there."

As they drove to the drugstore, Justine stayed in her seat, shoulders slack almost as if she were trying to curl herself up into a ball, but didn't quite dare. "Justine, I need to ask you some questions," Magnus said carefully.

"Ask." She tried very hard to sound brave, but the single word seemed to waver.

"Why did your parent put you in the basement?"

Silence filled the car. Magnus adverted his eyes from the road for a moment to look at her. Her hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms. "Because I'm the Anti-Christ," she finally whispered.

"No, you're not." Magnus disagreed. "I know it's difficult to accept that, you've been force fed it for eleven years, but it's true. You are not the Anti-Christ; actually you are a mutant."

"What's a mutant?" Her nails still dug into her hands.

"A mutant is someone who is born with something extra. A special ability which sets them apart from the rest of humanity." Magnus kept his explanation as simple as possible for her. She had plenty of time later to learn about genetics, chromosomes, and DNA.

She absorbed this information, chewing on her lower lip. Her shoulders straightened a bit and she unclenched her fists. Her mind started calling on memories unused for many years. "Like, Super Heroes?"

"Score one for Justine!" Logan said, leaning forward from the back seat. "A lot like Super Heroes. A' course not all Super Hero's are mutants, sometimes they get their abilities in other ways. An' not all mutants are Super Heroes, but it's a good comparison. Yer pretty quick."

Justine smiled, pleased with the compliment, then frowned. "I'm no Super Hero."

"That's all right," Magnus assured her. "You don't have to be a Super Hero." He decided to save explanations of the X-men, the New Mutants, and the school for another time. "But Justine, I think you did something -- probably just before you were put into the basement -- that lead your parents and others to believe you are the Anti-Christ. I need to know, what was it you did?"

Once more, silence filled the car. "Something very, very, very bad."

"Perhaps," Magnus said, making sure his voice held no trace of emotion. "Perhaps not. Why don't you tell me what it is you did?"

Another long, uncomfortable silence, Magnus and Logan both noticed her shoulders slumped again and she started clenching her fists. "I can't remember," she whispered, "I just know it was bad -- very, very, very, bad." The tears started falling down her face again rapidly and her shoulders shook. "I'm sorry, I can't remember," she repeated. "But it was bad. Very very very bad."

She's blocked it from her mind, Magnus thought. Whatever it was, it was so appalling for her, that her mind shut it off rather than acknowledge it. "It's all right," Magnus assured her, wanting to set her at ease. "Don't worry about remembering. It isn't important right this second. Perhaps later it will come to you and you can tell me then."

Her shoulders declined father and she continued to tremble. Magnus suddenly wished he'd never asked her. "Are you all right Justine? I'm sorry I asked, I didn't intend to upset you."

She straightened her shoulders, sitting up in the seat. Swallowing, she started singing in a rusty voice:

As she sang, her voice started getting louder:

"What in the world?" Magnus murmured.

"I know the song," Logan said calmly. "Seventies tune. Couldn't get it Right, The group that did it was called the Climax Blues Band. God, I haven't heard it in years."

"I'd rather not hear it now," Magnus said sardonically. "Justine, do you have to sing that?"

Justine didn't confirm. She sat up very straight now, staring out of the window and continued to sing:

Her mind is somewhere else, Magnus thought. I don't think she even knows she's doing this!

Logan reached over from the back seat and gently put his arm on her shoulder. Justine jerked forward, but continued singing, her voice getting louder. "Christ Mags, how do we turn her off?" he queried. "That voice o' hers is scrapin' my ear drums."

"Let her go," Magnus suggested. "She's got to tire out soon." He pulled the car in front of the drugstore. "Why don't you go in and get some sun screen and sun glasses for her. Possibly I can persuade her to stop singing while you're gone."

"Good luck," Logan shook his head and gratefully stepped out of the car.

When Logan left, Magnus turned to her. "Justine, would you please stop singing?"

She was moving her head back and forth with the music and didn't respond to his question, but continued singing:

Her voice kept getting raspier, obviously her warbling straining her vocal cords. "Justine!" Magnus said, raising his voice louder. She continued singing. "Justine!" he called, a little louder now. It didn't even slow her down. He drew in a deep breath.

"Justine!"

Her head snapped back, hitting the back of the seat. She froze for several seconds, then shook her head. "Wha-?" She turned her face in his direction.

He couldn't see her eyes under the glasses, but he could sense the bewilderment radiating from her. "Justine, are you all right?" He spoke in a softer tone. "You were singing. I asked you to stop and you wouldn't. Could you even hear me?"

She shook her head. "I-I'm sorry." She swallowed several times. "I don't know what happened. It-it was like I fell asleep or something. I don't even remember doing it."

"It's all right," he smiled, trying to reassure her. "I was worried about you.

"I'm okay," she whispered. She looked away from him, out the window of the car. "Logan is coming," she said, changing the subject.

Logan walked over and got into the car, holding a small, plastic sack. "Glad t'see ya stopped singin, Justy," he said honestly, the added, "I was afraid you'd get a sore throat."

He pulled out a pair of dark, mirrored sunglasses in a sliver frame. "These were the darkest lenses I could find." He held them over the seat to Justine. "What say we swap Darlin?"

She hesitated, staring at the proffered sunglasses for a long time before finally reaching out and taking them. She held them in her hand, almost shaking. "Th-thank you," she finally managed to whisper.

"Yer welcome," Logan said simply, ignoring the emotion choking her voice. Been a long time since anyone gave you anything kid, he thought. "Try em' on and see how ya look."

She smiled, then ducked her head. Quickly she slipped off Logan's glasses and put on the other ones. She sat up straight and handed Logan's glasses back to him, a small grin on her face. "They look all right?"

Logan grinned in return. "They look great. Not only that..." He paused to brush his hand through is hair. "...People can check how they look."

There was another pause as she looked at him, then a snorting noise emitted from her nose. It took both Logan and Magnus a moment to realize it was a chuckle.

"That's it Darlin, laugh," Logan encouraged her. "You've got a lot of years t'make up for." He reached down into the bag and pulled out a can of Sprite. "I picked this up for ya too. Figured after your little recital, ya might want something t'drink." He held it out to her. "Go ahead, take it."

Unlike the glasses, she didn't hesitate, but took the can from him. "Ooohhh it's cold!" She held it up to her face, brushing it against her cheek. "Th-thank you Logan."

Magnus watched as Justine popped the can open and took a long gulp of the liquid, then held the can to her forehead to again enjoy the coolness of the container. With the mirrored sunglasses, the soda in her hands, and the smile on her face, she could have been any young woman out for a ride. The only indication of her past eleven years was her unnaturally whitened complexion. "Did you remember the sunscreen Logan?" he asked.

"Sure did," Logan reached into the bag one last time to pull out a bottle. He handed it to Magnus. "Most powerful stuff they had. Probably safe for vampires."

Magnus nodded and handed the bottle to Justine. "You need to put this on," he informed her. "It will protect your skin from the sun." He turned back to the steering wheel and started up the car.

She nodded, slipping the can of sprite between her knees to hold it. "Wh-when I-I," she began, and abruptly stopped.

"No, go ahead," Magnus said softly as he drove out of the parking lot. "When you what?"

She took in a deep breath as if to draw enough courage to speak. "It-it's nothing. I-I was just gonna say that wh-when I used to go outside, um... before... I had to wear sunscreen then too. I-I've always burned easily."

Such a simple statement, Magnus thought, a stab of pity going through him. Yet those simple statements, that casual conversation we all make every day is something denied to her. Those little snippets of information we offer total strangers. I burn easily, or I hate carrots. I don't even know what it is she can do and already I know she's going to take a lot of time, just to get her to accept that she's a person. He wanted to say something to her; something equally casual that would tell her it was wholly acceptable--even expected--for her to make these remarks. He couldn't think of anything.

"I'm glad I bought the big bottle then," Logan noted.

That was perfect, Magnus smiled. I wish I thought of it.

Magnus drove the car down the main thoroughfare, heading to Route 95. He watched as Justine opened the sunscreen and began applying it to her face and arms. When she finished, she capped the bottle and placed it neatly on the floor.

Justine looked more relaxed now, leaning against the headrest, watching the road disappearing under the car through the windshield. "C-can I open the window?" she asked in a timid voice, turning to look at Magnus. "J-just for a little while?"

The air conditioning was on, but Magnus didn't care. If it had been him in the basement for eleven years, he'd want to feel the wind too. "Be my guest."

She rolled down the window, turning her face toward it, letting the rush of air whip through her hair and over her face. She smiled to nobody and for nobody. Memories rushed through her, happier times when she'd done this sort of thing all the time.

They were almost to the exit onto route 95 when a patrol car, flashing its lights came up behind them. Magnus looked in his rear view mirror. He thought at first the operator was merely trying to pass him to pursue an emergency call, but when he pulled over to the side of the road, the patrol car followed.

"What in the hell is this about?" Logan asked, scowling.

"Since I wasn't going more than five or six miles above the speed limit, I have no idea," Magnus answered.

He and Logan both watched as the driver of the patrol car stepped out of the vehicle. Logan let out a long, exasperated sigh. "Not this asshole."

"I'm afraid so." Magnus' sigh was almost as deep as Logan's as he watched Deputy Victor Black heading toward the car. He walked slow and easy, as if he was in a used car lot debating if he should ask the salesman to let him take a test drive in their car.

"Oh let's just get the hell outa here," Logan suggested. "We can outrun the bastard."

It was an enticing thought, but Magnus discharged it. "No, he's had a chance to read the license plate number. We'd better just see what he wants." He patted the front of his suit to make sure his wallet with his license was there, but did not take it out.

Victor inspected the back of the car, walking back and forth. He wore a pair of mirrored sunglasses, comparable to Justine's, which made it impossible to see his eyes, but Magnus had the impression if he took them off, they'd be sparkling with amusement. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Victor completed checking out the back of the car. He took two steps back; then, instead of heading left, to the driver's side, he headed to the right, to the passengers' side.

Magnus glanced over to Justine. She was sitting in her seat so ridged she looked as if she had a steel bar running through her spine. She clenched her teeth and pressed her lips together so hard they were turning white. She was breathing through her nose in tiny bursts. "Justine, roll up the window, quickly," he ordered.

She didn't move, just sat there, frozen, stiff, and obviously petrified. Magnus seriously considered driving off and leaving Victor to eat dust, but before he could execute the impulse, the Deputy came up to Justine's open window and leaned his head down, resting his arms on the ledge. "Afternoon folks."

"What seems to be the problem?" Magnus asked briskly, hoping Victor would take the hint and hurry things along.

If Victor caught it, he gave no indication. He ignored Justine for the moment and looked over at Magnus. "Goin' a little fast weren’t you?"

Magnus could hear Logan starting to growl from the back seat. I do not need this, he thought. He looked at Victor. "The posted speed limit is 40 miles an hour. I could not have been going above 45."

"That's five miles faster than you're suppose t'be drivin," Victor drawled, smiling widely. "This can be a busy road. You might've caused an accident."

"I assure you, I was in complete control of the vehicle." Magnus said in a monotone voice.

"Maybe you were, maybe you weren't." Victor shrugged. "Don't really know you too well Mr. Magnus." He paused and lowered the glasses, staring at Magneto with those unearthly cold eyes. "An' I don't know nothin 'bout your drivin' habits."

And if I have anything to say, you never will, Magnus thought. "Is that why you pulled me over?" he asked Victor, staring back at him, "because of a possible five miles?"

"Nooooope," Victor dragged out the word, shaking his head. "What's five miles 'tween friends, right Aaron?"

Magnus refused to answer his question. "Then why are you detaining us?"

"Wellllll I jess wanted t'give ya a little warning t'slow down. Like I said, I'd sure hate it if ya got yerselves int' an accident while you were tryin' t'leave Jericho."

"Consider us warned," Magnus snapped, then added, "and I'll make sure to keep the car at 40 until we're on the Highway."

"That's real nice o' you." Victor's lips curled into a mean smile. "And I do appreciate it, Mr. Magnus."

"No. Problem." Magnus bit off each word.

Magnus waited for him to step back from the car and let them leave. Victor, however seemed in no hurry to comply. He looked towards the back seat and nodded to Logan, who was glaring at him. Finally, he seemed to notice Justine. "Well hey there Justine. How ya doin' this afternoon?"

Justine didn't say a word and started trembling violently. This didn't seem to bother Victor; actually, he seemed to like it. He grinned at her, reaching out and putting his hand on her shoulder. She jerked in the seat, trying to shake the hand off, but it didn't move. "So Justy, why ya with these people?"

"She's coming with us because I believe I can help her." Magnus fought the urge to send Victor's shinny metal badge straight into his skull.

Victor's eyes flashed to Magnus for a moment. "I didn't ask you now, did I?" He looked back at Justine. "Do you wanna go with these people Justine? Ya don't have to."

Justine didn't answer, just tried to shrink further into the seat.

"Leave her alone," Logan growled from the back seat. "She's over eighteen. If she wants t'come with us, that's her business."

"Yeahhhh technically, that's true," Victor conceded. "But that's the key too, ain't it? If she wants t'go." He looked back at Justine. "Do you wanna go with em' Justine? You'd better speak up now, cause if ya don't, I'm gonna take ya back home."

Justine's trembling was beginning to shake the front seat. Under the sunglasses, her eyes squeezed tightly shut to keep the tears back.

"C'mon Justine," Victor said, his voice soft, gentle and smoothly soothing. "Let me take you home honey."

Magnus was just about to stop Victor with any means he needed to use, when she suddenly tore the sunglasses from her face and looked directly into Victor's eyes. "I-I'm goin' with them!" she informed him. "Y-you can't stop me!"

SNIKT! Logan leaned forward, behind Justine, putting one long, glittering metal claw onto the hand that rested on her shoulder. "You heard the lady ass wipe," he growled. "Take yer goddamned hands off her and get the fuck away from the car. You piss me off Victor Black. You piss me off something bad an' right now I'm just looking for an excuse t'turn you into crow food." With that, he drew the edge of the blade down Victor's hand, scratching a thread thin line of blood.

Victor pulled his hand away quickly, taking a step back from the car. He stared at Logan, then to his hand. Logan held up his arm and popped the other two claws, grinning at Deputy Black. "Go ahead boy," he whispered. "Give me an excuse."

Suddenly Victor Black's eyes didn't look as scary. In truth, they looked almost fearful. He took a few more steps away from the car. "You want her, take her," he said, trying to sound unaffected. "B-but you may have gotten more'n you bargained for with that girl."

"We'll take the risk." Not wanting to waste another moment, Magnus started the car and drove away, leaving Victor Black to stare at the retreating vehicle.

When they were out of sight, Magnus looked into the rear view mirror to Logan. "Crude, but effective," he commented, a wry smile on his face.

Logan's eyes narrowed. "Lot more I coulda done." he growled. "An' I can't help but feelin' I let him off too easy."

"I'm inclined to agree." Magnus looked over at Justine. "Are you all right?"

The sight of Logan's claws didn't seem to be upsetting her as much as Victor Black's touch had. She nodded rapidly, fumbling to put the sunglasses on. "I-I wanna get away from here," she whispered. "I wanna get as far away from Jericho... as far away from him as possible."

"I understand," Magnus said gently. "I don't like Victor Black either."

"It's unanimous," Logan commented, sheathing his claws. "Vic is a prick."

Justine mumbled something. Logan heard it anyway, and so did Magnus.

"I'm not the only evil in this town."