Chapter Three
Twelve years later
Anastasia Van Holtz
After training with Professor Xavier and the other X-Men for awhile, my sisters and I went out to further our education. I became trilingual in English, Russian and Spanish. Esmeralda became a writer and Gwyndolyn became a radiologist technician. Of course we had the financial support from the Professor and our parents, though our parents paid for most of it.
I ended up working for the government since I fluently spoke three languages and since Spanish was similar to Italian and French, I could somewhat understand those. Esmeralda wrote best selling novels and Gwyndolyn was the most recommended radiologist in the country. Esmeralda is now 29, I am now 27 and Gwynie is 24, making Dad 50 and Mom 49.
Today was the day that we were going home for the first time in nearly nine years.
Esmeralda Van Holtz
Gwyndolyn, Anastasia and I agreed to keep this surprise visit a secret from our parents and we were to take a cab back home instead of calling one of our parents. Icouldn't wait to see Mom and Dad again. The three of us have been putting this visit off too long.
As soon as the cab pulled into the driveway of our childhood home, I was feeling as if something wasn't right, like someone was watching us. I assumed it was the cab driver. I looked at my younger sisters and knew they felt the same thing. Dad taught the three of us at an early age to always be aware of our surroundings.
Mom came out running to greet us. Dad was shortly behind her. They smothered us with hugs and I pulled Dad aside, after all I was Daddy's girl.
"Dad, are you feeling like someone's watching us?"
"You too, sugar?"
I nodded and he said, "It will be alright. We will go in the house where there are many weapons."
I shook my head and asked, "Still keep a gun at every entrance, Dad?"
"Damn straight."
I laughed and we walked back to the others and together, we walked into the house. Nothing much had changed except my father's weapons obsession had increased since we were last here nine years ago or so. Not only did he have a gun at each entrance with extra ammunition but he also had a gun cabinet in the dining room that was cleverly hidden by my mother's touch of interior design. He also had three swords displayed in the living room and I knew without a doubt that they were sharped at least once a week and kept unlocked. On my dad's hip was his trusty hunting knife that he never went anywhere without. Dad made Mom keep one in her purse "just in case" and my sisters and I kept one in ours as well. Also, in the kitchen was a knife set that Dad also kept sharpened and could double as cutting tools for cooking.
Yeah, my dad had an obsession.
But I was glad for it today.
Dad and I saw it first and immediately took action, letting our battle instincts take over.
There was a cobra advancing on my mom through the open window. Dad grabbed a gun and my sisters and I grabbed the three swords in the living room. Mom jumped to the other side of the room and grabbed Dad's knife from its holster attached to his left hip. We were acting like gladiators because Mom was allergic to snake venom.
The cobra went for Mom's neck and Mom turned invisible and swatted at the snake. Dad caught the snake and threw it through the window. The cobra gliched as it hit the ground and turned into a blue woman wearing a white sari looking thing. I had no idea that there were mutants like that.
Dad hissed and said, "Mystique."
Mom teleported in a tree outside and stayed there, watching over everything.
Dad activated his metal skin and took off towards Mystique. They fought with whatever was within their reach, including everything from weapons and old rusty automobiles that were lying around the yard.
When it was safe to come to Dad's aid, which was after he had thrown more things at Mystique and began hand to hand combat, Anastasia, Gwyndolyn and I went to help Dad. Anastasia and I turned invisible and I activated my other skin and temporarily transported my skin to Anastasia for protection. Gwyndolyn transformed into her other skin as well and teleported behind Mystique, wrapping an arm around her neck and squeezing as hard as she could. Mystique gasped for air and then transformed herself back to a snake. Dad then caught Mystique by the back of the head on the snake and she shifted into an insect of some sort and Dad lost his grip on her. Mystique then transformed back to her normal form and lunged at Mom in the and Anastasia teleported next to Mom, desperate to save her life.
They were too late.
Mystique had a knife to Mom's throat and moved it across, slicing her neck open and exposing her inner organs, and cutting the major arteries in the neck. There was blood everywhere. It was horrifying to see my mother exposed like that. I had always thought of her as a strong but also sweet, independent woman.
That image of my mother was ruined within five minutes.
"MOM!" the three of us girls screamed out.
I ran towards Mystique, wanting to kill her but Dad pushed me back. Dad snarled and jumped towards Mystique and changed to his metal skin in the middle of the air. He had my sword in his hands, ready to strike for the kill. Mystique just smiled and changed to a bird and flew off.
I ran to my mother's side and the last thing she said was, "I love you, your sisters and your father very much. Don't let your dad avengeā¦" in between deep breaths of air. Then her eyes went still and I knew she was gone. I cried and Anastasia closed Mom's eyes.
I looked at my dad and said,"Mom loves all of us and she doesn't want you avenging her death."
"I am whether she likes it or not."
I sighed, knowing to just let him do it since he was as stubborn as an old mule.
Daniel Van Holtz
Adreneline. Pure adreneline. That was the only thing keeping me going and preventing tears from flowing from my eyes. I would bet that pride was a factor in this as well.
I wanted to kill. I knew how I would kill Mystique.
Slowly.
Just like the pain she put my Amelia through.
