Mutant: Choosing Sides - Lucas
Mapu

Disclaimer: SeaQuest belongs to Amblin and Universal Entertainment. X-Men Movie is owned by Fox Movies. This is was created for no other purpose than non-profit enjoyment.
Author's Notes: My thanks to Caitlin for the always excellent editing and Margaret for her help.



"I can't stand this anymore," Lucas thought darkly. His footsteps echoed hollowly in the silence as he walked slowly down the hall toward his room.

Staring at the same set of grey walls every day was driving him crazy, and he felt so alone. He was lonelier than he'd been on the street, when he had purposely kept to the shadows, trying his best to be invisible. The sense of isolation was all encompassing; it left him feeling small and so very tired. The only person he got to speak to at all was his host, Magneto. It was worse than those first few difficult months on the seaQuest, before Bridger had shown up. No! He couldn't think about that. He found himself missing the boat and crew more than ever, it got so bad some nights he'd been unable to stop silent tears escaping.

Magneto always treated him with polite respect, but there was a deep inapproachable coldness about the man. Lucas was afraid of him. He was grateful to Magneto for all the help he'd given him. It was a debt he would never be able to repay. There was no doubt in his mind that he would've died without the older mutant's help. The man had saved his life when he had stepped in and defended the teen against an attack by a group of angry vigilantes. Magneto had rescued him, protected him, and given him shelter inside the security of his compound. Lucas knew he should be more appreciative but every instinct in his body told him to run.

Lucas didn't doubt for a moment that Magneto told the truth when he said it was dangerous outside the compound, but he needed a break. Some time to think, time away to sort out exactly how he felt. Everything Magneto had told him was true. Mutants were the next step of human evolution and it was wrong that mutants were hunted and hurt because they were different, but did that give mutants the right to hurt them back ... or to kill them? All of it was true, but somehow it didn't seem right.

In his confusion it was becoming harder and harder for Lucas to separate his own beliefs from his protector's. Magneto was obviously extremely well educated, highly intelligent and world-wise in a way that hinted at having learned the hard lessons of life, in that respect Magneto reminded Lucas a little of Bridger. As an awesomely powerful mutant, Magneto had also become Lucas' teacher. Instructing the younger man on how to call up his own intense power safely. More importantly, Magneto had shown him how to shut it down again without hurting himself ... much.

As he turned the last corner, Lucas was careful to keep his head lowered, as he knew he was under surveillance. Magneto had insisted the surveillance was there to protect him, and Lucas accepted that as the truth, but he was smart enough to know it was also there to keep track of his movements. He affected a deep yawn for the camera's benefit. A yawn that wasn't entirely counterfeit.

As soon as the door closed Lucas went to the far wall. There were no cameras in his room, at least there weren't any longer. Lucas had repeatedly destroyed them until Magneto had finally given up replacing them. It was an understanding of sorts. Laying his hands against the smooth metal wall, Lucas called up his power in small stages, just as Magneto had taught him. A large section of the solid wall dissolved into a fine metallic dust at his feet and Lucas stepped through the gap.

After rapidly repeating the performance on the much thicker outer wall, Lucas found himself in the darkness outside the compound. Never had he maintained or controlled his power for such an extended period, and the effort left him swaying with exhaustion in the cool night breeze. He didn't feel any guilt about the destruction of the walls; he knew that with Magneto's ability to control metal it would be the work of seconds for him to repair the damage. Shaking off his fatigue, Lucas gave the building that had been his refuge for over a month a last look and took off at a run across the grounds.

He made it to the trees without hearing any alarms or signs that his escape had been detected and took a much-needed rest against a large tree. He desperately needed time to catch his breath. It was incredibly comfortable to lean back against the trunk's rough bark and close his eyes while he took several deep, calming breaths. His legs shook from his exhaustion and the exertion of the run across the grounds, so he let the tree support most of his weight while he recovered.

A faint noise sounded close by and Lucas opened his eyes. Gasping in fear he flatten his body against the tree, swallowing at the sight that greeted him. Several centimetres from his face, three huge pointed blades gleamed menacingly in the low light. Behind the bladed fist, hard dark eyes bore unyieldingly into his, and Lucas felt the hot tip of another sharp blade brush lightly against the sensitive skin of his throat. His heartbeat pounded so loudly in his ears that he almost missed the soft guttural warning.

"Don't move... and don't try anything. Got it? ... Who are you?"

"L-Lucas," he stuttered out, mesmerized by the gleaming steel. The blades erupted from between the man's fingers and seemed to actually be a part of his body. There was no doubt - his attacker was definitely a mutant.

"What are you doing here, L-Lucas?" the stranger asked. His voice held less hostility but the blades remained unwaveringly close.

Realizing that this mutant must be one of Magneto's security people, Lucas scrambled for an answer that would defuse the tension. Stupid! He should have known leaving the compound wouldn't be as easy as it had seemed.

"Please, you don't have to hurt me. I just needed to think for a bit... I'll go back quietly, I swear. I promise I won't try to run away again," Lucas pleaded.

"Relax, kid, I'm not going to hurt you," the other said, backing off fractionally.

The other man gave him a deep appraising stare, searching his eyes for something. Whatever it was he seemed to have found it and he relaxed, moving further back. In an instant the blades retracted back into the man's fist and he lowered his hands. Lucas watched in fascination as within moments the wounds the blades left behind between the fingers healed.

"Who are you?" Lucas asked in awe.

"Logan ... sometimes I'm known as Wolverine." The other shrugged then nodded at him. "You're a mutant?" he asked.

Lucas nodded and lowered his eyes; it still hurt him to hear himself described that way. Just hearing the word spoken aloud brought back a flood of images of his panicked flight from the seaQuest and the months he'd spent running. The face of the man that he'd killed...

"What's a kid like you doing with slime like Magneto and his motley group?" Wolverine asked him.

"You don't work for him?" Lucas asked, surprised. He'd been certain this man had been one of Magneto's associates. Magneto's countless warnings of the dangers to his life if he left the compound came rushing back to Lucas and he wondered if this strange, wild looking mutant really did mean to hurt him.

"No ... now answer the question. What are you doing here?"

Lucas realized he had nothing to lose by telling the truth, he just wouldn't mention the specifics of the truth. No need to let this dangerous but potential ally know that he was a murderer. Despite the fact that this man had originally threatened him with those amazing blades, Lucas trusted him... there was something inherently honest about him.

"Magneto's teaching me to control my power, but I just ... I needed to think," Lucas frowned as he tried to sum up the complex fears and uncertainties that had driven him to the radical action and couldn't. In the end he just shrugged at a loss for words.

From the direction of the compound a siren began to wail.

"I suppose that's for you."

It wasn't a question but Lucas nodded slowly anyway, gazing fearfully back at the imposing building.

"Come-on, kid, if you want a place to think ... I know of a place where you can do all the thinkin' you want." Wolverine turned away and took a few steps before turning back to look at him questioningly.

Lucas thought quickly, if he stayed by himself he knew Magneto would find him, it would just be a matter of time. For reasons he couldn't explain the thought scared him deeply. Pushing himself off from the tree he followed the stranger. Wolverine nodded and grunted slightly as Lucas accepted his offer and led the way through the trees to the road beyond.

Hidden by bushes at the side of the road was a stunningly beautiful bike and Lucas couldn't stop the murmur of appreciation or the wide grin that settled on his face at the prospect of the imminent ride. Wolverine gunned the motor and waited as Lucas settled himself behind the larger man, holding on tightly. The bike tore down the road and Lucas felt his spirits lifting with the freedom of the speed.

Three hours later the bike turned off the highway and into the parking lot of a dinner. Lucas hopped off the bike. "Is this the place?" he asked confusedly, as he waited for his companion to stand.

"We're about half way there ... and trust me, this is still too close as far as Magneto's concerned."

"Where are you taking me?" Lucas asked feeling suddenly a little worried about what he'd gotten himself into.

"I told you, someplace safe, where you can think... You hungry, kid?" the big man asked him and Lucas shook his head. It was a lie, he was hungry, in fact he was starving, but he didn't have the money to buy food... not even cheap diner food.

Wolverine looked at him sceptically, "We've ridden for hours and you're not hungry?"

"I don't have any money," Lucas answered at last, embarrassed by the admission.

Wolverine scowled at him. "That's not what I asked ... come on."

Lucas followed the older mutant into the diner and took a seat in one of the booths while Wolverine went to the counter and ordered their meals before claiming the seat across from him.

Lucas felt uneasy under the man's composed gaze as they waited for their order to arrive. It made him feel as if he was sitting for an examination, one he hadn't studied for. Fortunately, the food didn't take too long and Lucas was surprised by the size of the burger. It had been a very long time since he'd had a burger and he'd almost forgotten what they tasted like. He wasted no time getting started on the meal.

Across the table from him Wolverine picked at his meal, still watching his every move. "So what's your mutation... what's got a slime like Magneto interested in you?"

"He's not a slime ... he's helped me a lot. I owe him a lot," Lucas corrected, automatically defensive.

"Fair enough," Wolverine replied with a non-committal shrug before repeating his question. "What do you do?"

Lucas shifted uncomfortably under the other mutant's gaze; he hated talking about his ability. "It's kind of hard to explain," he mumbled around a mouth full of burger.

"Try."

Lucas sighed, "I can break something down or build it back up. I can feel the shape of things, the way they should be, and I just move the molecules to be that way... but that's really hard. I mostly just destroy things."

"So can you turn one thing into something else? You could turn this fry into a ten dollar bill or something?"

Lucas shook his head and picked up one of his own fries. Instantly the pattern of atoms in the thing's makeup came to his mind and had to quickly stamp down on the impulse to use the power.

"No, it doesn't work that way ... I just move the molecules. I can't make new ones. Some day, maybe I could do more, but right now all I can do is make it a better chip... or a mushy puddle of potato," Lucas said disgustedly.

"So, if you can't control your power, what does Magneto want with you ... he's not generally known for his sunny personality," Wolverine asked him.

Lucas shrugged his shoulders and thought furiously. He trusted Wolverine, at least as much as he trusted anyone, but he couldn't find the words to explain what Magneto wanted him to do without it sounding obviously bad. How did you phrase "He wants me to help him use a nuclear device and a show of mutant power to threaten the UEO into recognising mutant rights," without it seeming like a bad thing.

It had sounded dangerous and radical when Magneto had explained the plan to him but it hadn't seemed ... evil. Sitting in a dinner in the middle of nowhere Lucas wasn't so sure anymore. How the hell had he managed to get himself caught up in it anyway? He hated nuclear weapons. He'd spent several restless nights on the seaQuest just thinking about the boat's awesome firepower. Comforted only by the fact that it rational people like the captain and commander Ford who were the only ones able to use them, and then worrying what would happen if someone else had control. How could he have seriously been thinking of going through with Magneto's plan? Was he insane? He began to have a nasty suspicion that even if he wasn't Magneto almost certainly was. But what of the debt he owed? Could he just ignore everything Magneto had done for him?

With a start Lucas realised that he still hadn't answered Wolverine and he tried to settle his roiling thoughts into some semblance of order. His struggle to find something to say was interrupted by Wolverine.

"Look, Kid, forget it. You don't want to tell me, then don't tell me. You don't have to make something up. I'll still help you."

Lucas took a calming breath, putting his internal discussion aside for another time.

"You haven't told me where you're taking me yet," he stated quietly, and watched the other with intense eyes as Wolverine sighed and ran a hand down his face, rubbing at his bearded chin.

"Okay, that's fair. It's a school, a very special school; it's a school for mutants. It's run by a mutant, the teachers are mutants and all the kids are mutants." Wolverine told him.

Lucas was amazed. "You're kidding? That's... That's fantastic! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

He was so caught up with the thought of meeting mutants his own age that he missed the softly muttered comments and rolled eyes of his companion.

Wolverine tapped the table in front of him to get his attention. "This is decision time, kid. Magneto wants you to do something ... something dangerous or wrong. You have to make up your mind. I'm offering you a place where you can be with kids the same as you. Where you'll find people who really do understand what you've been through and what you're going through cause they're going through it too. Or you can stay here and wait for Magneto. I won't stop you either way but you have to decide... Trust your instincts, kid."

Wolverine stood. "I'm going to pay the bill, stretch a bit, then I'm leaving. If you're coming I'll meet you out by the bike," he told Lucas then walked away, leaving him to his thoughts.

Lucas was confused. He owed Magneto, but he feared him too. Not for the first time Lucas wished Bridger were near by. What would the captain say? A strong face deeply marked by care-lines and clear compassionate eyes swam into Lucas's mind. "How do you want to be remembered?" the ghostly image asked him quietly and suddenly Lucas knew the answer. He knew the right thing to do.

The more Lucas thought about Magneto's idea, the stupider the plan seemed... all that it would accomplish is to make people even more afraid of mutants than they already were. With shock, Lucas realized how obvious Magnetos real plan was... he had no intention of negotiating for mutant rights... at least not until after he had already kill millions of people and started a global war. Magneto really was mad, Lucas realized with surprise.

That he hadn't put it together before surprised him even more... until he thought back to how busy and tired Magneto had kept him. Tears of shame welled in his eyes when he thought about how easily he had been manipulated and used. A momentary indecision gripped him, what if this Wolverine was using him too? Offering him the one thing Lucas wanted more than anything in exchange for some, as yet unknown, price? "Use your instincts," Wolverine had told him. Lucas shook his head, his instincts had been screaming at him about Magneto for some time but he'd been ignoring the warning.

Lucas looked out at the strange mutant, standing on the diner veranda, leaning casually against the railing smoking his cigar. This guy was different; he really had given Lucas the choice. If Lucas chose to walk out by himself and refuse his offer of the fairytale school for mutants, Wolverine wouldn't stop him. He was sure he could make it on his own ... he'd been doing it for months, but he was tired of it. He deeply missed company, just having someone to talk to.

His mind drifted back to a day long ago, on the seaQuest. Lucas had been disappointed that he'd had to ask for Katie's help with a computer problem. His pride hurt. The captain had noticed it and with a comforting hand on his shoulder the older man had said, "We occasionally live on one, but no man is an island, Lucas." It had been a corny joke at the time, one he'd groaned loudly at, but it was true all the same.

His decision made, Lucas stood and left the diner. He'd wait by the bike and see what the school had to show him... if he didn't like it he could always move on. At least he'd get to have another ride on Wolverine's bike.

***