Chapter 12

Xiriel and Callisto reached a concrete wall with a huge steel door. All around, there was very dark and only a personal light source of the white-haired women allowed seeing anything in the vicinity. The noises coming from above the city were much clearer, which meant that the two women had reached their goal.

"It's here. Behind this gate, there is an underground of the Institute of Science, its unused sections. Failed experiments were thrown out through this passage." Xiriel said looking at the steel rising high in front of her.

"How will we get in? Are you strong enough to open the door? Using telekinesis?" Callisto asked.

"No. I'm not strong enough and to lift up so many tons of steel, additionally reinforced by hydraulic actuators and mechanics. But there is a digital lock on the other side. Its code was known to all employees of the Institute. I also know it. I'll try to tap out the code telekinetically through the door. If I focus, it'll should work."

"Do you think they didn't change it? After all you escaped them. You have become their enemy. You said that you had been erased from the list of citizens."

"Yes, but they probably do not believe that I could survive down there all this time. Besides, they walled the tunnel through which I ran away. I think that's enough for them. I've never approached to that gate before."

"All right. Keep trying. I kept my fingers crossed for you."

Xiriel sat on the concrete floor. She crossed her legs and put her hands on her lap. She closed her eyes visualizing the digital lock on the other side of the massive gate. Telekinetic field that was a part of her persona penetrated through big steel door and touched the control panel. Xiriel was looking for buttons like someone in a complete darkness trying to find a light switch. She focused even more to let her touch become more sensitive and help her to differentiate buttons and precisely determine their position in the space rather than an overall impression of dissimilarity of the panel and the wall on which it was mounted. She worked slower than usual, because fatigue and fever really affected her. Finally, she used her power to tap out the code that open the gate. She sighed, hoping that no one bothered to change the code in a place where no one wanted to come willingly. She changed her position to be more comfortable. She felt that her fever rose up and knew that finding the Institute of Science was her only chance to overcome the infection and survival. After a while, one could hear a movement of the hydraulic actuators and a creak of rarely used mechanical systems. The big door opened to reveal a corridor located behind it, as dark as the place where two women were.

"Xiriel, you made it!" Callisto was glad. She looked at the white-haired girl, still sitting on the floor.

"Yes. I'm home." Xiriel said quietly.

"Get up. We need to go further. Your daughter is up there."

Elven woman got up, but then she went to the door to press her hot forehead against its cold surface.

"Xiriel?" Callisto was worried.

"I've got a high fever. I think I got a wound infection. Using telekinesis weakened me, also I lost a lot of blood earlier."

"You came so far. You cannot stop now!" Callisto said firmly.

"It's not that. We must enter a small program into the computer system, otherwise sooner or later someone will notice opening up that door. I'm in such a state I cannot do it alone." Xiriel said.

"What should I do?"

"Go upstairs. Somewhere there should be a door closed by a normal lock which you can handle. Take this drive." A woman gave mutant woman a small, cylindrical object.

"Put it to the nearest terminal with a shape similar as the small plug in the drive. The rest will be taken care by the software." Xiriel sat at the door.

"Ok. I'll be back as soon as possible." Callisto took an object from white-haired girl's hand and ran down the dark corridor.

Meanwhile, Kanzar was sitting alone in his office. His eyes were closed and he was in a deep meditation.

"You used the power again, my sister. I know where you are." He said, opening his eyes. He pressed a button on his desk. After a few minutes little white-haired girl with pointy ears entered the room.

"Ciel ..." Kanzar said quietly.

"Yes?"

"Your mom returns. Get ready."

The gir'sl eyes grew big with an astonishment and her mouth took on an expression of badly concealed joy.

At the same time, Callisto was running through darkened corridors og the Institute of Science's basement. She left Xiriel's lamp with the owner at the entrance, because she fared well in the dark. After all, she spent her life in the intricate maze of canals lying under the New of York. The woman came to the stairs leading up. The next level turned out to be illuminated by small red lights mounted on concrete walls. The woman stopped for a moment and looked around, searching for cameras and other devices that could alert about her presence. She noticed nothing. It was still at a very deep level, where no one worked. Carefully, she went to the open door leading to another staircase, this time illuminated by red lights. She found that the stairs ended with another door, this time closed and with a wall panel and a keyboard. Callisto looked at it for a moment and saw that it had a slot for the software disc. She smiled, plugged the device to the panel and started to prepare for a way back, to tell the white-haired friend about the success of her mission.

Lord Kanzar and Ciel arrived at the office of Dr. Mahler. The woman was sitting at a large desk looking at the results of the simulation on her computer and visualization of a curved spacetime forming a gateway between the membranes of the multiverse. The room was furnished very minimalistically or even sterile. Apart from desks, monitors, cabinets on with disks and books, a black chair on which the scientist was sitting and coffee machine standing in one corner, there was nothing. A large window showed the city and the garden located on one of the levels of the closest residential tower. A simple lamp composed of interconnected white balls was hung from the ceiling. Seeing the man, the old woman broke away from her work.

"What can I do for you?" She asked.

"Hello Ciel." She added, looking at the girl with a smile.

"Xiriel returned to the city." Kanzar replied flatly.

"Your sister? How did you come to that?" Mahler was very surprised. It seemed to her that Kanzar's sister was dead.

"I sensed the use of her telekinesis. Twice."

"Do you know in which part of the city she appeared? It's a real achievement to get here from the area of the old city."

"She is here, a few dozen floors below us. In the basement of the Institute of Science. That's why I came here."

"Are you saying that you came here to arrest her? And you took a child with you? Haven't you hurt that poor girl enough?"

"You know that the situation has changed since I saw her for the last time. I want you to evacuate the medical level lying closest to the basement of the Institute. Xiriel will go there and I do not want anyone to be there. I will be there waiting for her."

"How do you know that she will go there? She may go directly to the streets and mingle with the crowd. Would she risk detection by droids or cameras?"

"The last signal that I received from her was much weaker than the previous one. Xiriel is sick, maybe injured. I think she would want to help herself."

Dr. Mahler stood up from the chair.

"All right. I'll immediately pass the information that there has been some leakage of dangerous substances." She went to the control panel attached to the wall.

"I have one more request." Kanzar hugged each other a little Ciel.

"I want Ciel to be with you. I do not know how my sister would react and I do not want to expose little one to any danger." He said.

"Okay." The old woman agreed.

Meanwhile, Callisto and Xiriel were walking down the corridor in one of the lowest floors of the Institute of Science. Their path was lit by small lamps glowing in blue light attached to the walls and ceiling. The corridor looked different than the ones left by women a few minutes ago. The walls and ceiling were painted white and the doors had numbers. But it was just as deserted as the previous hallways and probably was a place for warehouses, lumber for no longer used equipment and items. Callisto went ahead and Xiriel was a few steps behind her, because she felt worse and worse. One-eyed mutant stopped to wait for her friend.

"Xiriel where will we go now?" She asked, pointing to two staircases lying on opposite sides of the corridor.

"To the left. Two floors above us, there should be one of the medical wards. If they didn't change the rooms layout since I was here the last time." The woman answered. She leaned against the wall.

"Let's not waste time." Callisto said. She climbed the stairs and stood in the middle of the way to the upper floor. She turned around seeing that her companion stopped again.

"We 're almost there. Hold on." She said, looking at Xiriel holding the handrail.

"I have such a high fever that it's getting close to the upper limit for my race. I can barely see and I'm feeling dizzy." The white-haired girl said. Callisto walked over to her and touched her hand.

"Come on. We'll find something that will help you."

Xiriel smiled sadly. Her eyes betrayed that she was dizzy, groggy and stimuli of the surrounding reality did not reach her mind.

"Strange..." she said when entered the next floor.

"Yes?"

"It's so empty here. It feels like the place is deserted."

"I put the disc into the panel. The program worked. Nobody knows about our presence." Callisto said.

"I know, there was no alarm. But some individuals should be here, the guards, staff of the warehouses. Someone always was here."

"Don't worry unnecessarily. Let be happy that we were able to reach here."

Women appeared at the medical level, which was as deserted as the lower floors of the building. Lights that illuminated the hallway started to glow in red, not in green as before. Xiriel had too high fever to notice the change and Callisto did not know the alarm in a place that she visited for the first time. The woman came to the door indicated by the white-haired girl, opened it by picks and helped her friend to go inside. Xiriel immediately lay down on one of the beds.

"What should I do? I know nothing about this technology and medicines." One-eyed woman was confused. She looked around the cabinets with drugs.

"Red disposable syringes. They are used for our soldiers. They contain an antibiotic that kills most bacteria and it also destroys viruses known to us." Xiriel said quietly. She put her head on the pillow.

"Ok." Callisto quickly found a small device which was mentioned by the elven woman, came up to her and injected the contents of the syringe in her thigh.

"I hope it works." She thought.

White-haired woman closed her eyes and turned aside. Callisto had a strange feeling that someone was watching her out of hiding. When she ran out the front door, it turned out that she had not been mistaken. Kanzar stood opposite to her. The woman instinctively reached for the knife and retreated to the office to protect her unconscious friend.

"I don't know who you are, but I advise you to put it off and not meddle in matters that do not concern you." The man sad crossing the threshold. Callisto attacked at him with a knife.

"I knew it was going too easy for us." She thought. Kanzar created telekinetic shield around his body. Mutant hit it like a concrete wall. She was thrown back, lost the knife, and finally landed on the wall. Long-haired man moved his hand again attacking the woman with telekinesis. Callisto was kicked out of the room and landed on the corridor. The blow was so strong that she was temporarily eliminated from further fight. Kanzar approached the bed where Xiriel lay.

"We meet again. But this time we're on the same side." He said looking at her pale face.

Alexandra was standing on the balcony protruding from the side of the flying machine. She was leaning on the railing looking at the sea moving below the flying vehicle. She wanted to be alone and take a break from all the events of recent days. Cold air didn't disturb her. She also ceased to also pay attention to the wind whistling and the monotonous sound of the antigravity drives keeping the ship in the air. At one point she felt that someone was watching her. She turned away dissatisfied. When she found out who disturbed her peace of mind, she was even more upset.

"You'd better go inside because you'll catch the cold." Alaina said, standing at the front door to the balcony.

"Unbelievable. How can you be so damn pesky. It really gives you such pleasure? Following me and talking like this to me all the time? " Wicked said.

"There is something in it. I guess I like to watch when you're angry. I was looking for you all over the ship, but not to argue with you." The blonde said going back to the corridor.

"I want to talk to you, but not here. I barely hear my own words here." She added.

"I wonder how long it'll be until we start to argue again. But ok, I'll listen to you." Alexandra also went toward the door. Alaina led mutant girl to the room that had once been a canteen for soldiers stationed aboard the flying ship. The restaurant was closed for obvious reasons, but gloom and bizarre lighting in a form of bent tubes with illuminating microorganisms floating inside gave it a peculiar atmosphere. The girls sat down at one of the tables. For a moment, there was only silence. Alexandra stared defiantly at Alaina waiting for her words.

"You was great with the worm. We didn't blow his head up and we had no trouble with Marcus. I guess I have to thank you for that."

Wicked became serious.

"I did what Xavier had taught me. I don't think you mean just that. She said. Alaina looked at the room.

"No. I was looking for you because I want to end our conflict." Finally she she managed to tell one sentence.

"I didn't started it." Wicked said.

"Yes, I know ... I was one of those who started everything. When you came into our camp I thought that you had been fugitives from the city because you had been bored with the life in the technological utopia created by the Collective. I hated you, like I hate the whole city which we left behind. When I learned the truth about you it was even worse. I was just mad because you came into our world from a place that didn't know the conflict that is called the march of the Collective. I'm still angry. I know it does not make any sense. But because of everything that I experienced... my whole family was killed in the fight between the Earth coalition on the Cosmic Collective. They died in a rocket attack but not from the hand of aliens, but our soldiers who wanted to defeat the invaders even at the cost of killing their own citizens. I'm angry at all of them, furious at myself, angry with my own helplessness! You and your colleagues let me to unload all the tension just for a moment. You're ok even though you grew up in a world which didn't know our war." The girl covered her face with her hand. Wicked touched her other hand.

"You may believe me or not, but I experienced exactly the same thing. I lived with my parents in the city that was the capital of the state for people with superhuman abilities. The city became a target of the crazy woman who hated us for her own reasons. My parents and brothers were incinerated before my eyes by a giant robot. I survived only because my powers kicked in somehow at the time of death of my family and allowed me to create a protective barrier. When I regained consciousness, I found out that I was the only living person in the whole district. Then I began to hear voices, which soon took the form of ghosts. I don't know what they were and whether they were in any way related to my loved ones, but because of them I was not alone and the whole time I felt someone's care and continuous presence. And now, when I found myself here, I lost them perhaps forever. I know that this place filled me with other ghosts ... but it's not the same ... they are alien to me like strangers."

"I should not ask you for anything after what I did, but ... could you do me a favor?"

"Depends on what favor."

"Your phantoms. You say you got them after coming to our camp. I know that you summoned someone close to Marcus. Could you ... could you try again? I understand that they are not real people, but if you could try to summon all? Maybe one of them..."

"I know what you mean. I'll try." Alexandra said. She closed her eyes and reached deep into her mind to trigger the manifestation of her power. At the beginning, her body began phosphoresce in blue glow, which eclipsed the light coming from the lamps and lit up the dim room. A moment later, a ghostly silhouettes formed around the table - at first a few of them and dozens after a while. There were so many spirits that they had to pass each other to fit in the small room.

Alaina eyed them carefully, looking for the presence of someone she remembered from her past. Unfortunately, in a vain. There was nobody who she knew among the newcomers. Her eyes were filled with tears.

"Do you see someone?" Wicked said going out of her trance. The blonde shook her head. She began to cry. She leaned across the table and covered her head with both hands. Alexandra initially hesitated, but finally decided to comfort her somehow. She sent all the ghosts away, got up and moved to the couch to be closer to Alaina. She wrapped her arms around her and hugged her.

"It's okay. I'm with you." She whispered.

At the same time Shola approached the room where Hub was sleeping off many hours after teleporting insectoid ship. He gently opened the door and quietly went inside, not to wake the friend. He stood close to her bed for a moment and studied her face shrouded in a dream and lighted by a glow coming from the corridor. Seeing that Hub still not regained consciousness, he turned around with the intention of leaving her room. At the same time, the young black woman opened her eyes.

"I'm not sleeping. But I'm too weak to go outside." She said.

" I ... have to go. I'm sorry I woke you up. You need to relax." Shola said.

"No. Stay." Hub turned around. The young mutant noticed a stool standing at the wall, moved it closer to the bed and sat down by the girl.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"Above the sea. Or maybe we crossed the shores and now we are flying over China. I don't know, because the ship is gaining more and more speed." Shola replied. He noticed that the girl closed her eyes again as if she wanted to sleep again.

"Hub, I can see that you still need sleep." He rose from his chair. Hub grabbed his hand.

"Shola, tell me what do you want to do when we reach the Ocean City." She asked. The black man asked. He did not know what his friend meant.

"I'll protect Natalie as I promised Callisto."

"I'm not talking about our task. I mean what you'll be doing when we set up there permanently. You know, I wanted to do something related to the computer science. I was a computer specialist before Genosha was destroyed. After that I could no longer work, because the electronics was not working on the island. I hope that the Ocean City is a city of technology like the one from which we fled."

"Hub, what are you talking about? We'll return to our home. Marcus and the rest promised to help us. We'll look for Callisto, Karima and Magneto. People from the Ocean City will help us to open the door to our world."

"Stop it!" Hub cried. She sat on the bed and approached the boy.

"Why do you say such nonsense? You know perfectly well that we'll never go back! There is no way back. We don't what brought us here! Perhaps it was Magneto's power, but he's not with us now. Why didn't he help us when we were down there, why? Because he's probably dead! He died while passing through the corridor!" The girl clenched her fists on the sheets. She began to cry.

"I didn't want all of this. I had a normal life and I never wanted to be a superhero. I'm not fit for that. Why didn't I perish when the Sentinels attacked the island?! Why didn't they kill me with the rest of my family?" Hub cried and lay down. Her dreadlocks scattered on the pillow.

"Hub, I know you're scared. I'm also afraid, everyone is afraid. But you cannot give up. You have to believe that we'll come back. By joining forces we'll find a way to return."

The girl again turned to Shola.

"Maybe there's no reason to go back? Perhaps it'll be better when we stay here?" She asked.

"For all the camp rebels the Ocean City is the final destination, the place where they can safely start a new life away from the round-ups and enemies. Maybe the Ocean City will become a new home for us as well? Maybe we can stop hiding among the ruins, barely getting something like a toilet paper and defend it from others who want us to steal it from us. Does it really make sense to go back to Genosha?"

After Hub's words, there was a silence. Shola did not know what to say, because in his heart of hearts he knew that his friend was right. Ever since he joined Xavier group's, his life was full of constant and worsening discomfort. Although the professor had a choice for the fate of mutants gathered in the ruins of Genosha, he chose, as it seemed to Shola at that moment, the worst scenario.

"I don't know, Hub." He answered honestly.

"But we cannot stop looking for Magneto, Karima and Callisto. If we have to decide what to do next, we have to be together."

"And when I decide to stay here?" The black woman asked again.

"No one will force you to return. But I would prefer that it did not happen. There will be much sadder in Genosha withour you." Shola replied smiling. Suddenly the door to the room opened and dark-haired girl Fox came inside. Hub clenched fists.

"Should you knock first?" She said angrily.

"I knocked. But you didn't hear it. The door was opened so I came." The girl said.

"And do you have any reason to come here? - Hub spoke again. Then he turned to the boy.

"Shola can be chase her away and then close the door telekinetically that no one uninvited entered here again?"

"Hub maybe we should listen to what she wants from us?" The bald man wanted to somehow ease the situation.

"Right. But be quick because otherwise I teleoprt you to the middle of the ocean." Hub agreed very unwillingly.

"I came to invite you to Mary and Natalie. She really is special. Once I was going through something very bad, I was angry and confused ..."

"It's not like ... well maybe I heard a little. But back to me ... then Mary asked me to took care of Natalie in her absence. I did it with a disgust and dislike and really because Marcus threatened to throw me into solitary confinement. But when I stayed with the girl, it turned out that she calmed me down internally. I felt better, I really started to be part of the community and found a purpose. I think that she can influence the same was you and your friends."

"Listen. I'm not going to join your sect and I do not care about your child messiah, do you understand? She won't show me how to get home!" Hub got out of bed. Shola helped her keep the balance, because she was still very weak.

"I helped you just because Callisto asked me to do it. And now I don't know if she chose well. Maybe we would have a better chance to return if we asked for help your "Savior"? Or maybe we should have stayed in the city and began to live there instead of fleeing to your camp?"

"I'll go now. But the offer is still open." The black-haired girl said sadly. She went out, closing the door behind her. Hub sat on the bed.

"I woke up several minutes ago and I have no peace." She said.

"Haven't you treated her too harsh? She wanted to help you. She came probably to others of our group."

"I wonder how this kid could help me? If you want, go to her. I'll sit here alone in the dark."

"I think you need this meeting more. It's not only about Natalie. You need to go to the people, to talk, to share with others what's in your mind, fill you head with thoughts of something else. You're scared as we all are, and your fear turns into anger. All your helplessness you change into the attack. You have to overcome this or else you'll die in the next fight, if it occurs."

The black girl wanted to say something, yell at her colleague, throw him out of the room, but she knew that he was right. After a minute of silence, she smiled.

"Ok. We'll go to them. But now come out because I want to change." She said.

Freakshow was called to the warehouse on board the flying ship. The message was short and related to subsequent problems associated with insectoid transported in the custody. It was understandable that the boy could help, because he had been able to communicate with the alien life form before. The blond boy was surprised when it turned out that the room was empty and darkened. He looked around. The silence seemed to him extremely unnatural and disturbing. Suddenly, he noticed a piece of wooden stick approaching him with a high speed. He dodged. He began to morph into a monster and his hands and face covered with golden scales.

"Who you are? What do you want from me?" He shouted into the darkness. At the same moment, the black man with a metal hand jumped out at him,. The boy shielded from the blow, but he was thrown back into the chamber. He stopped on some wooden box.

"Trevor? What's wrong with you ?!" He cried.

"You aren't vigilant enough! If I had an ax I would cut off your hands or even head!" The black man attacked again. Michael turned into a tall bully similar to Trevor. He parried another blow of the metal hand and was able to move the attacker back a little bit. The black man spat on the floor.

"Here we go again! You don't learn from your mistakes! You cannot beat me that way!" He shouted. He hits the boy with a vengeance. This time, Michael fell to his knees. He covered his head from the blow of the cold metal.

"You lack imagination! Do you think that if you duplicate what you see you succeed every time like you did with this worm?!" Trevor screamed and beat Michael by his own and prosthetic hand.

"Bullshit! You need to be creative! You need to surprise your opponent, don't give him a chance to react!" Plates on the shell of a turtle appeared on Freakshow's hands, but it did not help him against ever stronger blows.

"How do you want to protect her, huh? How do you want to protect this little, black-haired bitch?" The black man was yelling, spitting through his teeth. Michael clenched fists. Spikes appeared on his arms. Unfortunately, he was too slow. The black man broke his block and hit his face with a full force. The boy fell to the floor. He turned back into human form. He wiped blood from the mouth. The black man looked at him. He smiled revealing a row of white teeth.

"You're too mediocre to protect anybody. Maybe now I'll go to your girl and convince her what it means to be with the real man?"

"Enough of this." Michael whispered. He got up from the floor.

"Don't even talk that way." He shouted. His body began to change and after a few seconds it took the form of a green Chinese dragon, two times taller than Trevor. Freakshow attacked the rebel, opening his jaws full of sharp teeth. The man was frightened. In a split second he realized he had gone too far. He managed to force Michael to assume the dangerous form, but it could cost him his life. Dragon stopped over Trevor's head at the last minute. He stood over him for a moment with his mouth open, but then he withdrew. Still remaining in the form of a dragon, he looked at the black man, who was smiling again.

"I think you've learned something. Next time when we fight with someone, don't be afraid to act the strongest you can. Life of your companions will be depended on it." Trevor turned around, heading for the exit. Michael changed his shape to human one. His clothes virtually did not exist, and the only pieces of what remained of them were used to cover the boy's pubic region.

"Hey, how do I get back?" He called Trevor. The man answered him without turning around.

"You're in a warehouse. Find something."

Marcus was sitting in the bridge of the airship, looking at the monitor showing the Earth's landscape over which the vehicle flew. There was no one else, even Valerie, because the man gave her the order to rest and sleep after many hours of service. Computers took on the whole burden of maintaining a predetermined route. The main light was turned off and visibility in the room was provided only by light control panels and wall-mounted monitors. The hissing sound of the opening door pulled the bearded rebel leader from his thoughts. It turned out that Rose returned. She was smiling.

"Falcon-drone returned from reconnaissance. We did it!" The woman said with an obvious joy. Marcus got up from his chair and walked over to Rose, who at the same time placed disk inside one of the panels.

"The Ocean City? Did we really arrive?" The bearded man asked.

"Not yet, because the falcon-drone is much faster than our machine, but we will arrive in a few hours. But we have the proof that the city still exists." The brown-haired woman said. She pressed a button to start the video recorded by the reconnaissance robot. Both eyes turned to the screen with the landscape full of meadows and forests and a large dark blue dome visible on the horizon towering over everything, which according to the rumors was the protective barrier of the sea water separating free city from the world subordinate to the Cosmic Collective.

"We did it. Natalie will be safe." Marcus said seeing his travel destination.

Soon, a message was sent to monitors in all areas of the aircraft. Screens showed great dome of water to each crew member. All saw it, Wicked and Alain in the canteen, Shola and Fox in the hallway and Hub changing in the medical cabin. The image appeared also to Trevor and Michael who was looking for clothes, Mary and little Natalie, Almea in her prison cell and Valeria, who had just woken up to go back to the command bridge.