X-MEN: Entropy

Prologue

The dampness of the dark space was familiar to the inmates residing in the prison. The silence that had fallen upon them was not unusual, merely a habit taken up by the men and women between the conclusion of dinner and lights out. It was in this interval that a man called Jack Wayne became inspired.

"Cyndi," he spoke softly to the teenaged girl across from him, "have you noticed these walls seem to be deteriorating?" She arched a perfectly shaped brow above a hazel eye.

"No, I think it's safe to say you're the only one around here paying any attention to the walls' conditions." She turned back to whatever it was she had been doing in far side of her cell. Jack was undeterred by her indifferent behavior. He ran his fingertips over the crumbling, somehow feeling the fragility of the surface through his thick-skin. He applied pressure -- a feat too easy after years of muscle building -- and restrained a cough as layers of dust cascaded off of the wall. His brow furrowed, he made to check on the metal bars at the front of his cell. Jack Wayne wasn't fond of metal; he wasn't sure, but he assumed it stemmed from something that happened to him before he could remember. He took a step back when a guard approached his cell. When the guards weren't near, they were referred to as "Animals One and Two". The two guards were fierce and formidable masses of muscle and an unrelenting vicious malice. The way they breathed, the structures of their face and hands, reminded the convicts of animals. Not that they had ever seen an animal.

When the guard was a good distance away, Jack grasped the cold metal and crushed. With torturous speed, it was bending to his will. Jack took away his hand to evaluate, noticing the imprint now left on the withered bar. Jack knew if he went for it, he'd have to wait for Animal Two to be at the farthest end, because that one looked stronger. Jack had also never been out of his cell, and he knew this. He had no idea where the exit door was or if there even was one. He was also aware that if he did not find the door and was caught, there was a good chance he would be killed. I've been in this cell long enough, he thought, growling to himself, about time for some action.

With a glance to check the Animals were in their optimal positions, he threw two hands on the door evenly spaced out and pushed out and upwards. With some effort on Jack's part, the creaking of the metal was indicative to the bars giving way. Sure enough, after a few moments steady pressure, a neat square was raised and consequently crashed to the floor.

Before the sound reached the ears of those imprisoned, Jack was already racing down the row. The prisoners on both sides were taking notice, some cheering, some yelling. More yelling than cheering. The news began to spread to the second floor, and the noise erupted there too.

Jack saw the outline of a door ahead of him. With a surge of hope, he accelerated. This better be worth it. He heard the footsteps of the assailing guards echo his own. Only feet from the door now, the call of his freedom resounding in his ears--

"Jack!" The cry stopped him in his tracks. It came from Lucas, the young man who used to be in the cell adjacent, but was later moved for reasons not disclosed. He turned to look at the sparkling blue eyes set in the young face. I don't have time for this.

"Push on the door!" Jack yelled as he began running. His heavy and urgent footsteps weren't enough to block the sound of creaking behind him, then a clatter. Wow, he got the door open.

Jack didn't look back, he was nearly at the door. He pulled it open from an enormous handle and stepped outside, the shouts of the Animals and former inmates still ringing in his ears.

Jack gasped, not just from shortness of breath. He found himself in a field pasture, a vibrant green set against a soft blue sky. The door opened and he spun around, ready to take down an Animal. He stopped short, however, when the form of Lucas appeared.

"Run," he whispered. Together they sprinted, knowing nowhere to go but away from the place they had spent their lives.

"The guards wouldn't leave the rest of them!" Jack shouted from beside Lucas. He threw a look over his shoulder, and saw the prison diminishing in the distance. Reluctantly he slowed to a walk, and Lucas followed suit.

"What's that?" Lucas pointed straight ahead of them to a dot, obviously a structure of some kind. Jack considered their options.

"Let's check it out, but don't get too close." They approached at a cautious pace. What they came to caused Jack to search his brain for answers.

A younger man than Lucas wearing an odd helmet was sitting behind a desk. The desk was situated facing a tall wall with some sort of screen or projection device, too many to count. On the desk also was what looked like a small technological box. Jack could hardly take it in. Just escaped from prison, and here was this young man who obviously had a considerable realm of control over something, but what?

"Your job's done." Jack punched Lucas square in the jaw, the shock and force knocking him out. Jack took off his belt and used it to tie Lucas' hands to the bottom of the chair the other kid was sitting on. The boy was ignorant to all that was going on behind and beneath him, and shouted in surprise when his helmet was removed and he was pushed to the ground. Jack pushed any worry about him from his mind; he looked weak, and his large and sensitive eyes seemed to prove it. In fact, looking at the young man, memories that had been buried in the recesses of his mind slinked to the surface. Jack sneered as he realized precisely who this boy was, and everything that had ever happened to him. Jack lowered the helmet onto his own head. "I'm in control now, David Xavier."

*A/N: Hey guys! Samantha here. So happy to be introducing you to our next endeavor! This prologue is being released just hours before the TV series, Legion, will premiere. Similar to our story, it will focus on David having an entire community of people in his head, and David's dad is Charles Xavier, but that's about as much as they'll have in common. We hope you enjoy reading this story as much as we do writing it, and we would appreciate you telling us with votes and comments. Thank you!
~S