Chapter 1 Separating and Capture Tennessee 2013
"Mommy!"
The woman in question was out of bed and down the hall before the call had finished echoing around the house.
"What is it sweetie?" she asked opening her daughter's bedroom door.
"I had a bad dream," the little girl whimpered clutching a teddy bear to her chest.
The young woman sighed as she walked over to the bed before sitting on it and pulling the little girl on to her lap.
"Come stop your crying, it will be all right. Just take my hand, hold it tight. I will protect you, from all around you. I will be here, don't you cry. For one so small, you seem so strong. My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm. This bond between us can't be broken. I will be here, don't you cry. 'Cause you'll be in my heart. Yes, you'll be in my heart. From this day on, now and forever more. You'll be in my heart, no matter what they say. You'll be here, in my heart, always. Always."
Looking down the young woman smiled before dropping a kiss on her sleeping daughter's head. Standing up she tucked her daughter back into bed, smoothing her hair away from her face. Shutting the bedroom door the young woman heard the phone ringing downstairs. Frowning she glanced at the wall clock and cursed. Stalking down the stairs she grabbed the phone off the hook just as it rang again.
"What?" she growled into the phone.
"And a good morning to you too little sister," a male voice said sounding amused nearly making the young woman drop the phone in surprise.
"How are you Scott?" she said happily.
"Worried," Scott Summers said his tone turning serious. "Amelia. You and Kayla need to get out of your town."
"What?" Amelia Xavier asked stunned. "Why?"
"There's a big mutant hating group heading toward the town," Scott said as keys clicked like crazy over the phone into Amelia's ear causing her to frown and hold the phone away from her ear. "Is there anyone in town who knows that you and Kayla are mutants?"
"Only our neighbors," Amelia said as she walked over to her computer. "They know I'm a mutant."
"What about Kayla?" Scott pressed sounding anxious.
"They think she's human," Amelia replied as her fingers sped over the keyboard.
"Thank God," Scott breathed into the phone while listening to Amelia type on the computer.
"I'm sending Kayla up to you guys," Amelia said finishing at the computer and turning it off.
"What about you?"
"I'm staying."
"What? Amelia this group has guns!"
"Look Boy Scout I'm staying so I can put the house on the market. And bullets don't really hurt me."
"Oh. Yeah."
Amelia chuckled into the easy silence that fell between her and Scott as she stuffed various items into a bag.
"Be careful," he finally said sounding sad.
"I will," Amelia said as she wiped her eyes before any tears could spill over. "Have Ororo meet Kayla at the airport."
"I will," Scott said as he reached for a pad and pen. "When does the plan leave?"
"Two o'clock this afternoon," she replied. "It's the soonest I could get her in the air."
"Bye Mia," Scott said about to hang up.
"Bye Scott," Amelia said. "And thanks, big brother."
There was a sad, small chuckle before Scott hung up.
xXx
"Mommy?"
"Yes baby?" Amelia asked glancing in the rearview mirror ar her daughter.
"Where are we going?" Kayla Xavier asked clutching her teddy bear to her chest.
"We are going to the airport where you are going to get on a plane to go see Auntie Roo," Amelia said, chuckling when Kayla let out a cheer.
"What about you Mommy?" Kayla asked.
"I'm staying here. I'll be up in a few days."
For the rest of the ride Amelia avoided her daughter's eyes.
xXx
"Do you have everything?" Amelia asked for the umpteenth time.
"Yes Mommy," Kayla said rolling her eyes as they walked to the departure gate.
"I'm being a pest aren't I?" Amelia muttered as a rosy glow settled on her cheeks. "I swore I wouldn't be one."
Kayla giggled as a stewardess stepped forward smiling.
"Hi I'm Holly," the stewardess said extending a hand toward Kayla, who hid behind her mother's legs. "I'll be looking after you during the flight."
"Holly I need to talk to my daughter real quick," Amelia said steering Kayla away from the gate and the overly cheerful stewardess.
"Here's my phone to call Uncle Scott in case Auntie Roo isn't there to pick you up," Amelia said before lowering her voice. "And don't tell the stewardess that you are a mutant. 'Kay?"
"Okay Mommy," Kayla said before throwing her arms around her mother's neck. "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too baby," Amelia whispered hugging Kayla close as a tear slipped down her cheek. "Now go before I make a fool of myself."
Kayla nodded as they walked back to the stewardess, who held out her hand to Kayla.
"I'll take good care of her ma'am," Holly said smiling.
Amelia nodded brushing stray tears off her face as she watched Kayla and the stewardess walk down the tunnel to board the plane. Walking toward a window, she leaned her forehead against the glass staring at the plane as tears flowed down her cheeks unchecked. The plane taxied out to the runway as Amelia watched. Once the plane was in the air she turned and left the terminal, not noticing the man trailing after her.
xXx
Reaching her car Amelia stuck the key in the lock, opening the door before shrugging out of her jean jacket and tossing it on the passenger seat leaving her in a halter top. Climbing into the SUV she dug around in the glove box for the guns she kept hidden there before tucking both guns into the waistband of her jeans. Just then there was a knock on the car door making her jump. A man stood there with an upraised fist staring at her curiously.
"Can I help you sir?" Amelia asked after rolling down her window.
"Sorry to bother you miss," the man said not sounding sorry at all. "But my friend and I can't find our way out of this damn car park."
Sighing Amelia climbed out of the car, her senses on high alert for any shenanigans.
"You're gonna follow the row your car is in to the end of the row and you're gonna take a right," Amelia said with her back to the man as she gestured down the row all her senses on the man behind her.
Suddenly she felt a tiny pinprick on the side of her neck. Sighing she plucked the dart from the side of her neck before lashing out backwards with her foot, folding the man in half. Another man tried to jump her but he went down with a bullet in his chest. Suddenly a bullet tore through Amelia's upper arm. Looking down she calmly watched as the wound healed before her very eyes.
"You asked for it buddy," she growled jumping onto a car, her wings unfurling with a sucking sound from her back.
Pushing off, Amelia flapped her wings rising off the car hood. Suddenly she screamed, arching her back as a thousand volts of electricity ran through her. Barely able to stay aloft Amelia crashed to the asphalt allowing twenty men to surround her, trying to subdue her. Amelia lashed out with her right fist catching one in the face breaking his nose.
"Give her the sedative!" another man yelled struggling to pin her legs. "Quick!"
"How much?" someone else asked as Amelia kicked a man off her leg.
"Two hundred milligrams!" the one who attacked her first shouted. "She wasn't fazed at all by a hundred milligrams!"
Someone stabbed the needle into Amelia's neck again making her roar and struggle harder.
"Not working!" a man screamed before falling silent when her claws sunk into his belly.
The man fell backwards, dead.
"Amp it up to a thousand!" another man shouted frightened.
Twisting her legs under the men trying to hold them down Amelia wrapped her legs around one of the men's neck and twisted quickly snapping the man's neck. Seconds later she felt the needle pierce her neck again. Amelia roared again struggling harder against her captor's grip. Surprisingly her struggles didn't seem to be having any effect on the men.
"It's working!" one of the men exclaimed in relief.
Amelia fought the growing darkness with horror. The tranquilizer was making it hard for her to move her limbs. And then she knew no more.