The Capture

Chapter One

"Scott, do you love me?"

He gazed into Kitty's eyes as she asked the question. It was really strange, having come to the same college as her, and now they were going to be in a play together.

"The character's name is Scout, not Scott," he reminded her.

"Oh, right," said Shadowcat. "I keep thinking Scout's a girl's name for some reason."

"To Kill A Mockingbird," Scott said. "She's the protagonist of that book, which you studied in English last semester."

"Yeah, that's where I heard the name. Why is the character in Parabolas Dramatis named after her though if he's a guy?"

"Who knows?" Scott said, shrugging. "It's just what the playwright decided to name him."

Scott…Kitty…I'm sorry to interrupt, but I think it'd be best if you don't come home to the Institute this weekend…awful things are going on he—

Professor, what is it? Scott projected.

There was no answer.

"What do you think that was about?" Kitty asked.

"I don't know…" Scott said.

There was a popping noise and Kurt stood next to Kitty, in his human disguise. "Hey, did you get that message from the Professor?"

"He told us not to come home this weekend," said Scott.

"Yeah. Did he tell you why?"

"Seemed like he was cut off."

Kurt leaned against the table. "Yeah, that's what I thought too. Think Jean's got more infor?"

"Probably," said Scott.

Just then the doors burst open, and Jean stood there, breathless.

"Guys, there's a mutant hunter on the loose. He attacks the Institute and got Rogue. And Iceman was caught too. But that's not the worst of it."

"What is?" Kitty inquired.

Jean fiddled with her backpack strap as she said, "The mutant hunter just reached the Institute. I think he captured Professor Xavier. For some reason he's not communicating with me anymore, and the hunter was spotted near Bayville High, which is rather odd since we all graduated."

"I never heard of mutant hunters before," said Kurt. "What are they?"

"People who want to use our powers for their own ends," Jean explained. "If they can capture us, they'll use us. And it could spell destruction for the whole world."

"Didn't we already go through all this, with Apocalypse a few years ago?" Scott asked.

"Yes, but that problem has passed. Now we've got this one on hand."

"I think our best bet for triumphing over them is to go to their headquarters and free the captives they've already taken in," said Jean.

"Where's their headquarters?" Kurt asked.

"It's a city in Washington called Forks. It rains a lot there, and I think they're convinced that the rain will help keep mutants in restraint. Professor Xavier couldn't tell me everything before our communication was interrupted."

"Well, what are waiting for?" Kitty said. "Let's head out to Washington."

"Why don't we fly in the X-jet?" Kurt asked.

"Why do that when you could just take us there?"

"Well, I thought we were going to do a bit more planning, you know. Take loads of our team there. Then trounce them!" He made a gesture with his arm, slamming his projector into the wall, so that his blue fur was now visible.

"Why do you even bother with that thing anymore?" Scott asked. "People know we're mutants now."

"Yeah, even so…girls are usually not inclined to accept dates when I appear as myself. But in my human guise…"

"You can't worry about dating right now!" Jean said. "We're all in danger."

"And the X-Jet's out of the question," Scott added. "If they're at the Xavier Institute, there's no way we can get to that means of transportation."

"All right then, grab on," Kurt said. The three others held on to his shoulders, and they teleported away.