BRUTALITY

I DO NOT OWN any of the X-MEN or MARVEL characters.

Cameron was now allowed and encouraged by Professor Xavier and Jean to help with the progression of Mya's rehabilitation. Considering she seemed to be able to keep herself together more often when he was in contact with her, it was much easier to make advancements in their testing. Her body had been in a semi solid state for the past few days, with the help of Cameron keeping contact and staying close.

The Professor had finally found the right voltage to keep her form stabilized enough on it's own, parts of her body phasing from liquid to skin sporadically. Jean was even able to create a bracelet which administered the voltage while keeping her mobile. It was more than he and Jean had been able to do on their own, but it still wasn't enough on it's own.

Cameron had been trying the best he knew how, to teach her words again. He was constantly talking to her and telling her stories, using the Professor's ability to help whenever she couldn't remain solid long enough with only the bracelet. It was more than they'd thought they'd see at this point, however she wasn't completely stable on her own. Now that the entire school was supposed to be taking a field trip to the museum, he had the day with her to himself. Only Jean and Scott stayed behind.

"I can remember it like it was yesterday," Cameron started his next story as he sat alone in the lab at the edge of the cradle, holding her hand in his. She looked up at him blankly, only knowing that he was a friend and trying to help. He was the one who came to visit, kept her company. He was the one who was helping her to remember.

"We were out camping at the time with our parents, my brothers and Crystal and I," as he said her name, he looked up at Mya to see if there was any reaction. She simply furrowed her brow, waiting for him to continue. "They, the N.O., came at us through the forest, sneaking in during the night," he looked back at her for any sign of recognition, but she did what she always did when he spoke to her, she silently stared at him only barely understanding what he was saying. Her brow would furrow and sometimes she should even smile, but not once did she say anything.

"I had just come back from the lake with my brother Jared when we found them tearing apart the campsite. I mean, not just our site but the entire campground they tore apart looking for us, and any other mutants that were trying to live normal lives," Cameron shook his head thinking back on the heartbreak of finding his family either dead or wounded and all of their belongings on fire. "I looked everywhere for my brother and sister, my mom and dad, they..." bowed his head, shaking away the tension and regret that night held for him. Come to think of it, he hadn't thought about that night in over a year which was when it had all happened.

"They were dead when we got there, I think they killed them first because they were our parents. I mean, they must have known and been looking for us." The way they had seemed to have been sought out, it couldn't have just been a coincidence. "Anyway, I left Jared at the campsite and told him to hide while I phased everywhere looking for my other brother Ryan and Crystal. I checked the lake, the main entrance, I mean everywhere. I found Ryan hiding in the staff house and put him with Jared then went back out to find Crystal."

"There was so much brutality and death going on, it was like being in some sort of horror film. It wasn't until I tried to phase into the part of the forest closest to our site when I realized the forcefield, just like the one back in Saratoga Springs, the one around the forest that Scott told me about." He nodded at her putting the two together. "I was looking everywhere, I swear I checked every inch of that campground and couldn't find her." Cameron took a deep breath before continuing again. It was harder for him than he'd imagined to bring it all back up again. But in comparison he thought, Mya had technically died for him to survive. He had to tell her why she saved him, what he'd lost to the N.O.

"When I finally got back to our campsite site..." he could feel the tears brining behind his eyes. "When I got back to the site, both Jared and Ryan were dead, stuffed in the tent along with my mother and father," He paused again controlling the overwhelming urge to breakdown right there. All he'd wanted was to have a normal weekend with his family, have some quality family time. That night he lost everything that had been close to him, including his sister.

Suddenly there was a hand on his arm. He looked up and Mya was staring right at him, eyes wide and confused.

"What? What is it?" He shook his head at her, glancing around the room, trying to figure out what she was looking for. She bolted upright, looking around frantically, nearly panting. She was trying to say something, making breathy noises and shaking his arm, but nothing comprehensible. "Mya?!" She ripped her hand away from him and hopped down from out of the cradle, wobbling at first on her shaky legs but using things around her to stabilize her as she continued "Mya!" He called after her again as she made her way out the door. "Damn!" Turning back he called Jean from the wall phone by the bed.

Frantically, Mya made her way though the empty halls of the school, something ominous and terrifying calling her. She wanted to stop, wanted to turn back, but her feet wouldn't let her. Practically falling through the doors, she made her way into the back courtyard, to the balcony overlooking the forest on the grounds. Something was out here, calling her to it, but what? She screamed out in frustration and fear, dropping to her knees with her hand on the railing still sobbing and panting, feeling as if whatever it was would find her and crush her where she knelt. Unavoidable doom lurked close by and she had no way of telling anyone.

"Mya?!" Someone called her name and she turned towards it. It was John, just over a hundred yards away sitting on a bench by the pond. He stood up immediately, only half believing what he was seeing, Mya kneeling there in her hospital gown, screaming and sobbing. "Mya!" He ran as fast as his feet would take him, never taking his eyes off of her. "Mya!" He called again as she curled up in a ball on the dirty cement still screaming and rocking back and forth.

"Mya!" Suddenly Cameron appeared beside her, with open arms. Just as he reached for her, she turned to Cameron, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"It's okay, Mya, you're okay," he tried to reassure her, looking out at the forest for any sign of what might have called her to it. She continued to make anxious noises, pointing out at the vast forest that surrounded the grounds.

"Ha!" She pointed again, desperate to tell him something,

"What the hell is going on?!" John stood over them both, shaking his head in disbelief. "Is it?" He reached for her wrist and she pulled it away, leaving the bracelet in John's hand. As soon as the bracelet was off, her body began to phase uncontrollably, convulsing on the ground, leaving a confused John inspecting the device in his hands. "What?"

"The bracelet!" Cameron held on to her wrist tightly, fearful she could lose her form completely. "Give it!" He waved his hand at John frantically. "Now!" He yelled as the convulsions slowed and her skin started to fade, becoming more and more transparent. As soon as John handed it back and it was back on her wrist, the convulsions stopped and her body returned to normal.

"Mya?!" Cameron shook her body forcefully, unable to wake her back up again. "Mya, please?!"

John stood there looking incredulously at the two of them, all the many different lies and betrayals running through his head, lashing away at the few contented memories he'd been left with. Cameron had stolen her, kept her from him! Then, the guilt set in. Cameron didn't even look up, his attention was so acutely focused on her, it reminded him of himself. "What the hell is going on?" John was now beside himself with all the emotions swirling around inside him. Anger, guilt, joy, all at the same time. "Is it really..." just as he went to kneel down to touch her, to see if she was real, they disappeared.