A/N Yeah, it's a holiday! So, I'm slightly bored so here's the next chapter. Thanks for the support!
Disclaimer: I do not own X-men!
A year later, life was continuing on like normal. Mutants had been given rights and were not as frowned upon. I had spent all of my summer at home with my parents to get a breath and forget about…John.
Now school had started up again and I was pleased that I had pretty much the same classes as the year before. Only, I had been moved up to the advanced mutation control class along with Piotr, Bobby, Kitty, and Rogue. Each of us finally got our X-men suits. Kitty's was lined in pink, Piotr's in gray, Rogue's in white, Bobby's in blue, and mine in purple.
One day we were doing a simulation and Logan had to fill in for Uncle Scott. Even when Uncle Scott showed up for class he wasn't really all there. We were all running from a really big robot in a defensive exercise. We jumped over debris and tried to avoid the lasers that were being fired at us.
Suddenly, a wall blew apart as Piotr and Rogue ducked behind a rock. Piotr touched Rogue's head allowing her to turn metallic as he did. A piece of debris bounced off of the two and hit Logan, who healed quickly. Piotr let go of Rogue and shook his head to get rid of his dizziness.
"The whole world's going to hell, you're just gonna sit there? Let's go," Logan quipped as we continued running.
Out of nowhere a missile was about to land near Bobby and kitty. Bobby reacted quickly and iced the bomb before it hit the ground. However, a second missile came that Bobby didn't see. "Bobby," Kitty cried as she grabbed Bobby and let the missile pass through them.
"Thanks, Kitty," Bobby said as the two of them began running again. I caught the expression on Rogue's face, it looked like someone had sucker-punched her in the gut.
We all quickly hid behind some broken cars. Then I had an idea. I grabbed a broken metal pipe and locked the steering wheel. Next I shifted the car into drive and placed a brick on the gas pedal. Finally, I gave the engine a jump and it barreled into the robot's leg. It didn't do a whole lot of damage but it managed to make the robot limp.
"Not bad," Piotr said.
"It's getting closer!" Rogue yelled as the robot trudged toward us.
Storm shouted to all of us, "come on! Let's keep moving!"
"Hey, Tin Man!" Logan called to Piotr, "Come here. Piotr metaled-up and walked over as Logan brought out his claws. "How's your throwing arm?"
Storm glared at Logan, "Logan, we work as a team."
"Yeah, good luck with that. Throw me. Now!" Piotr grasped Logan and threw him at the robot.
"Damn it Logan! Don't do this!"
Suddenly, the robot's head landed in front of all of us and Logan stepped out from behind it. "Class dismissed." The simulation began to dissipate, "Hey, Colossus, nice throw."
"Simulation complete," the computer said as we left the simulator.
Storm began to lecture Logan but got into a heated debate about how to fight. After changing back into my clothes I meandered out into the gardens. After a while I happened to run into Uncle Scott leaving.
"Hey, Uncle Scott," I shouted as I made my way over to him.
"Kara, how are you?" he asked as he hugged me.
I shrugged, "Fine. What about you? How are you holding up?" His face turned sad and shrugged. I hugged him again. "Be back soon." He turned to leave.
"Bye Kara."
"Bye Uncle Scott." I sighed and headed back inside.
The following day Kitty and I were in Professor Xavier's Ethics class enjoying his lecture. "When an individual acquires power…the use or misuse of that power is everything. Will it be for the greater good? Or will it be used for personal or destructive means? Now, this is a question we must all ask ourselves. Why? Because we are mutants. For psychics, this presents a particular problem. When is it acceptable to use our powers, and when do we cross that invisible line…that turns us into tyrants over our fellow man?"
Kitty suddenly interrupted, "But Einstein said that Ethics are an exclusive human concern…without any superhuman authority behind it."
"Einstein wasn't a mutant…so far as we know." Everyone in the class chuckled. The Professor gestured to the T.V. in the corner, "Now this case study was sent to me by a colleague, Dr. Moira MacTaggert. James?"
The small boy with glasses blinked, turning on the television. A woman with brown hair appeared on the screen with a man in a hospital bed behind her. "The man you see here was born with no higher-level brain functions. His organs and nervous system work, but he has no consciousness to speak of." The Professor paused the T.V.
"Now, what if we were to transfer the consciousness of one person…say a father of four with terminal cancer, into the body of this man? How are we to decide what falls within the range of ethical behavior and what…" the Professor suddenly stopped speaking and seemed to freeze in his chair. The sky grew dark in a matter of seconds, meaning there was something wrong with Storm.
"Professor?" Jones asked, jarring the Professor back into reality.
"We'll continue this tomorrow. Class dismissed." We all rose to our feet and left the room so Xavier could go talk to Storm.
Later, I happened to be working on some math problems whilst watching the news with Bobby, Rogue, Kitty, and Piotr. Then all of a sudden a man came on, announcing he had found a cure for mutants. 'That's not possible!'
"These so-called mutants are people just like us," the man, Worthington, began from Alcatraz in San Francisco. "Their affliction is nothing more than a disease…" 'We're not diseased!' "a corruption of healthy cellular activity. But I stand here today to tell you there's hope. And this site, once the world's most famous prison…will now be the source of freedom for all mutants who choose it. Ladies and gentlemen, I proudly present…" Worthington held up a vial of some serum. "the answer to mutation. Finally, we have a cure." The crowd on the T.V. applauded as Rogue got up and left the room.
"Rogue," Bobby shouted after her.
"I got it," I told him as I followed her to the Professor's office.
"Is it true?" Rogue asked as she entered. "They can cure us?" I entered the room just after her and saw a certain blue, furry mutant on the couch next to Storm. It was my Uncle Hank!
"Yes, Rogue. It appears to be true," the Professor said.
Storm suddenly stood up and walked over to Rogue, "No, Professor. They can't cure us. You want to know why? Because there's nothin' to cure. Nothing's wrong with you. Or any of us for that matter." Soon after Rogue left.
"Uncle Hank!" I shrieked as I raced to hug one of my godfathers.
The Professor smiled, "I was just about to tell you he was here, Kara."
"You've grown so much," Uncle Hank said. "I'm sorry I haven't seen you in a while."
I shrugged, "It's okay, you've been busy."
Uncle Hank and I then had Lunch to catch up. He wasn't really happy when I told him about John, but he didn't push it. I guess I should explain; Hank McCoy and Sean Cassidy are old friends of my parents and were present when I was born and were dubbed my godfathers. Hank is the reason colored mutants didn't bother me; I've known one my entire life. Sadly, Hank had to leave and get back to work but promised to visit.
I was in my room reading a book for Lit. when I heard whispers in my head. I opened my door in time to see Logan and Storm dashing towards the Professor's office. Soon after they left.
After a few hours Logan and Storm returned but quickly disappeared to the X-hallway with the Professor. There was a rumor that they had found Jean's body, but how? She's dead, right?
Later Storm pulled me aside, "Kara, there's something you need to know. Scott's missing." My stomach dropped but I was unable to talk to Storm because she was called downstairs by the Professor. And all three of them left without explanation, leaving us older kids in charge.
They didn't return for hours and the Professor…they said he…died…and Jean had killed him. 'Jean's alive! And apparently she's on some kind of power tri.' I couldn't stop the tears that flowed form my eyes. I hugged Kitty close to me as we cried together. Logan came in the living room a few minutes later and gestured for me to follow him. I tapped Kitty's shoulder, "I'll be right back." I rose to my feet and joined Logan in the hallway.
Logan took a deep breath, "Look, this isn't going to be easy for you to hear, but…" he trailed off and held up a pair of red lens sunglasses. 'No, no, no!' I thought as I started shaking my head. "Now, I know this is hard you need to stay strong." He handed me the glasses.
"How?" I asked my voice was croaky like a frog.
His eyes turned sad, "I think Jean…" he trailed off again. 'Oh my God! This can't be happening!' I started running and somehow ended up under a tree outside. I simply curled up under it. My vision was already blurry and my chest heaved with sobs. I wished John was here; for the first time in almost a year I truly missed him.
I don't know how long I was under the tree before Rogue found me and led me back to our room. I grasped the glasses tightly in my hand.