Mutant Struggles


The Struckers stood frozen when the portal closed while Reed was still in the warehouse. The strain of using her powers proved a bit much for Clarice and she collapsed, Kylie catching her before she hit the ground. "Clarice?" the platinum blonde questioned, shaking her shoulders. "Clarice, wake up."

Behind her, Andy was freaking out, trying to contemplate what had just happened within the past few minutes. "Andy, calm down." his mother told him.

"What the hell was that?!" Andy exclaimed again.

"Hey!" Lauren called. "Where's my dad?"

"We know as much as you do." Marcos replied calmly.

"What just happened?" Caitlin asked them, "Where are we?"

"This is our headquarters." John answered.

The voices of the three family members overlapped, but all were asking the same questions and wanting the same thing; to go back to that warehous and save Reed.

"Even if we could get back, it is a very bad idea." John explained, still managing to keep a level head. "I know you want to help your dad, but that is suicide. It's not gonna help him if we all get killed. Right now, we need to take care of Clarice."

As he was explaining that last bit, Kylie and Marcos each slung one of Clarice's arms around their shoulders, helping her into the main room of the Mutant Underground Headquarters.

Despite the warning from Thunderbird, the youngest Strucker was persistent in wanting to go back for his father. "Please. You got to help us. Can you get us back to my dad?"

"It hurts." Clarice muttered, her head slumped to the side resting on Kylie's shoulder. "I've never gone that far before."

Marcos and Kylie managed to lay her on a nearby bench. "She's in no condition to use her powers again." the blonde informed, kneeling down by the bench. "C'mon Clarice, stay with us."

"Ky." she muttered, her bright green eyes half-closed, but looking up at the blonde.

"Yeah, I'm here." Kylie half smiled, moving hair from Clarice's face.

"Give her some space." Marcos pushed Andy back a few paces, but the fifteen year old pushed back. "You've got to wake her up." he pleaded. "Can you wake her up, please?"

"Hey kid!" Kylie yelled, her eyes turning electric yellow, sparks flying from her fingertips. "Back off!"

Marcos pulled Andy aside as Kylie's eyes faded back to normal after she took a deep breath. "Look, kid." he spoke calmly. "Your dad was gonna help me get my girlfriend out of jail. I want him here just as much as you do, but we cannot do this right now. All right?"

Kylie pressed her hand to Clarice's forehead, her expression changing. "She's burning up." She looked over her shoulder at John, who was standing right behind her. "She needs a doctor."

The older male put his hand on her shoulder, "I'll see what I can do." he promised, him and Marcos heading up the stairs.


Half an hour went by when Clarice suddenly gasped for a breath, her hand grabbing Kylie's forearm and squeezed tightly. Lauren ran to grab John and Marcos while Caitlin knelt down by the bench to check on Clarice.

"What's wrong with her?" Kylie asked, biting her lip. "Is she alright?"

"She's in respiratory distress." Caitlin informed. "And her temperature's spiking." Lauren returned with John and Marcos. "I'm a nurse." Caitlin elaborated. "She needs help."

"She portaled for miles." John noted. "The energy that must take."

"I can't-" Clarice rasped. "I can't breathe." Kylie knelt back down next to her friend, taking her hand. "She needs medical attention." the blonde said.

"We can't reach a doctor right now." Marcos informed.

Caitlin's expression changed. "Are you telling me you have this whole network, and you don't have a -

"A what? A Blue Cross?" Marcos cut her off. "Yeah, we're on the mutant plan. We've got first aid kits and pain killers right now. Our only two member with medical training are at another station that's hours away."

"Can't you do anything?" Kylie asked, looking up at Caitlin.

"I took a one-week course on human variant medicine in school." she replied.

"Mom. She saved us." Lauren reminded. "You can help her."

Caitlin caught her breath and knelt beside Kylie to check on Clarice, "Her heart rate's through the roof." she informed. "Without running tests, I can't-"

Clarice lurched up, purple sparks emitting from her palms, making everyone other than Kylie jump back. "What, what's she doing?" Andy stammered. "What's going on?"

"She may be in shock." Caitlin noted. "If her system's crashing, if it's unstable, it may be affecting her abilities."

Kylie gave Clarice's hand a tight squeeze, taking a shaky breath "What does she need?" she asked, her eyes locking on Caitlin.

Caitlin took a moment to gather her thoughts before answering. "Hypercortisone-D to stabilize her powers. Sodium polystyrene sulfonate for potassium. Something to restore her blood calcium." she listed. "She needs a hospital."

"A hospital?" Kylie repeated.

"She's wanted. She'll go straight back to jail." Marcos added.

"I don't think you understand me." Caitlin rebuked, meeting Marcos' eyes. "She could die here."

Clarice lurched up again, purple sparks flying from her hands. A portal began to open near the vault, the other side displaying a dark road. "What is that?" Lauren asked, her eyes wide. A pair of headlights came into view, heading right for them.

The truck's horn blared and the tires screeched as everyone dove out of the way. The truck swerved and the tail-end was cut off when the portal closed. Thunderbird shielded Lauren and Andy while Eclipse pushed Caitlin out of the way and Kylie threw her body over Clarice.

"Mom." Lauren knelt down next to Caitlin, noticing the small cut on her forehead that was bleeding.

"It's okay." the woman assured her daughter.

John and Kylie lifted Clarice from the bench and laid her on a metal table near the vault's entrance.

"I thought you said she was overextending her powers." Marcos said to Caitlin, "How is she doing this?"

Caitlin got to her feet with the help of her children, "I think I was pretty clear, I'm not an expert." she reminded.

Two other women joined the group. One was petite with long, red hair, pale skin and green eyes, wearing a grey shirt with a black leather jacket and matching pants. The second was taller, with dark brown hair and matching eyes, wearing a red shirt with a white lab coat and camo-printed cargo pants, along with a pair of brown combat boots, a set of metal dog-tags dangled from her neck.

Marcos looked up and sighed in relief, "Dani, thank God." he breathed.

The brunette walked forward, standing next to Marcos and looked over Clarice, "So this is the teleporter you three went chasing the other night?" she asked.

"Yeah." John answered. "Her powers seem to be out of control."

"Must be overextension." Dani guessed, checking Clarice's pulse. "Her body's going into shock."

"We've established that much." Marcos confirmed, motioning to Caitlin. "She said the same thing."

Caitlin took a few steps forward, "I'm a nurse." she repeated.

Dani gave a nod, "Well, I'm a doctor." she replied.

Clarice let our a grunt before gasping for breath, Kylie immediately holding her down. "Look!" Andy alerted, pointing to another forming portal. "It's happening again."

"That's the same road as before." the petite readhead noted.

The driver of the truck stepped out, a shotgun in hand. A few other vehicles were on the road, everyone's attention turned on the glowing portal. "This is a problem." Marcos muttered. "They can see us." He stepped forward, the palms of his hands glowing.

John grabbed his friend's forearm, "We're not getting into a pitched battle with innocent bystanders."

"Yeah?" Marcos questioned. "What about him?" he looked back to the truck driver with the shotgun.

Lauren stepped forward, spreading her arms. Small, compacted bubbles formed on either side of the portal, forcing it closed. Before the shotgun could be fired, the portal closed altogether.

"Dude, what did you just do?" Andy asked, his eyes wide.

Lauren shrugged, "I don't know." she answered. "I just, I used shields to close it. I didn't think it'd work, but I guess it did."

"For now." Kylie muttered, tucking hair behind her friend's ear. "She's in bad shape."

"That could happen again." John added, standing opposite Kylie.

"Again." Marcos repeated. "If people start coming through, we're toast."

Kylie bit her lip, turning to Caitlin and Dani, "If we get you the medicine you need, can you help her from here?" she asked.

Caitlin let out a shaky laugh, "You can't just buy Hypercortisone-D at Walgreen's." she informed. "You have to get to the hospital, get in the Pyxis machine."

Marcos looked to Dani, who shook her head, "I haven't been able to restock, what with the government cracking down on the people who help us."

"Is there anyone you can go to, to get what we need?" Marcos asked.

Dani licked her lips, "There is one hospital a few hours out." she answered. "Someone there I know from the service. But, I'll need a way to get back there."

"Well, then we'll take Caitlin." Marcos suggested. He turned to Lauren, "If this happens again, can you do whatever it is you just did?"

The teenage girl nodded, "Yeah. I think so."

"Good." Dani cleared her throat. "Let's go."

"No!" Caitlin interjected. "I am not leaving my daughter here to close space holes."

"Mom." Lauren walked up to her mother, "It's okay. I can do this." she assured.

Caitlin reluctantly agreed to leave with Marcos and Danielle, while Lauren and Andy stayed behind in the headquarters.


Kylie stood watch over Clarice, trying to quell her fever with a cold, damp cloth. The two Strucker kids were sitting on the bench with John standing in front of them. "So, who are they anyways?" Andy asked John, motioning his head towards the two girls.

Clarice let out a low groan. Kylie pursed her lips together and continued dabbing at her forehead and neck, "Refugees." John answered. "They escaped from jail."

"Jail?" Lauren repeated. "What they'd do?"

At the tone at which the asked, Kylie looked in their direction, continuing to tend to her friend, "She used a portal to steal food from the back of a supermarket." Kylie answered,

"It happens a lot with mutants who can't pass for human." John added. "They can't get jobs, one thing leads to another-"

Clarice gasped, electricity crackling from her hands, panting. Kylie grabbed her friend's forearm, speaking her name calmly. John motioned to the redheaded female from earlier, Sonya, to get everyone in the facility away from the forming portal.

Sirens could be heard and as the portal grew, the same road, only in daylight, was shown. A police barricade was set up, the officers gaping at the portal before them. Lauren stepped forward and used her abilities like before It took a bit longer than the previous time, all the while Thunderbird was listening to the officer's voices.

"Listen, I need all the help I can get out here." "Copy that. They're on their way." "Yeah, I need a SWAT team out here ASAP. We could have an alpha-level threat here."

Lauren managed to get the portal closed, catching her breath after. Kylie let out the breath she had been holding, "That was way too close." she mumbled.

John stepped back, turning to Kylie, "I'll be back in a minute." he told her, earning a nod of confirmation. "Anything happens, you yell." Kylie nodded again.

Andy turned to his sister, "What you're doing, it's insane." he chuckled.

Lauren mustered a small smile, "Thanks."

The younger Strucker sighed, "Do you think, um...Do you think mutants drink soda?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders, "I'm kind of thirsty."

Lauren shook her head and chuckled softly, "We are mutants." she reminded.

Andy nodded, "Right, yeah. Still sinking in." He glanced back at Kylie, who had all her attention on Clarice. "So." Andy cleared his throat, "What did you do?"

The platinum blonde mutant met the two siblings' gazes, "Depends who ya ask." she replied, a slight accent coming through her tone.

Lauren raised an eyebrow, "We're asking you."

Kylie sighed, "I used my powers in self defense." she admitted. "Some off-duty cops, Purifiers,-" she looked down, her jaw tensing. "They deemed me 'dangerous' and arrested me." Her eyes grew hard as she gripped the metal table, "You ask me, those racist bastards deserve to be thrown in cages, not us."


A few hours out, Danielle parked the car and cut the engine. "Here we are." she informed Marcos and Caitlin. "Someone I served with works here. He can help us get what we need."

The three approached the South Region Hospital entrance, Caitlin's eyes taking in the sight of the over-crowded urgent care facility. "It's not much like the hospitals you're used to, is it?" Marcos questioned, glancing to Caitlin. "And they're talking about closing even this place to mutant patients. Turns out one of our best superpowers is bankrupting hospitals. We're born with the ultimate preexisting condition."

"I guess so." Caitlin muttered.

"This is gonna be tough." Dani sighed. "The ER's secured, and the drugs are inside. We're not getting into the treatment area without an emergency, not for hours."

An idea came to Caitlin's mind, "You said a cop shot you." she said to Marcos. "Where?"

"Wait, what?" the male questioned with a raised brow.

"Look, Clarice is dying." Caitlin stated. "Show me your wound."

Marcos complied and removed his flannel, "Just watch out for the blood." he warned.

Caitlin rolled her eyes, "I've seen blood." she reminded.

Dani let out a chuckle, "Not like his." Caitlin removed the duct tape from Marcos' upper arm, revealing the open gunshot wound and his bio-luminescent blood.

The trio rushed into the waiting room, Caitlin claiming to be Marcos' girlfriend and pleaded for a doctor. Once Marcos revealed his wound, the receptionist let them into the ER. A Doctor Watkin tended to Marcos while Dani changed into a pair of green scrubs and met up with her hospital connection.

"Dani, what the hell are you doing here?!" Dr. Lee exclaimed. He was around Dani's age with short, sandy blonde hair and blue eyes.

"I need some medication." Danielle answered. "And before you even try and argue, remember that I'm the reason you're alive."

Dr. Lee sighed, "What can I do to help?"

Dani smiled, "Just point me to the medicine cabinet and I'll do the rest."

Dr. Lee led her towards the back, pointing to where the medication was kept, "Take the minimum of what you need."

The female mutant nodded, casually walking towards the room. She caught something scrawled on a board next to a patient's room, "Stacy?" she questioned, the nurse in the room turned to her, "Radiology needs Mr. Embry down for X-rays." she pointed over her shoulder. The nurse named Stacy shook her head and walked out.

Using her telekinesis, Dani kept the door to the medication from closing, long enough for her to stand in front and shield herself from the staff walking by. Once it was clear, she grabbed the vials of what she needed, along with syringes and various other supplies the Underground Station needed, placing them all in the small backpack she brought along.

As she walked back to rejoin Caitlin and Marcos, Dani caught sight of Dr. Watkin talking with a couple of uniformed officers, "Aw shit." she cursed, picking up her pace. "We've gotta go." she informed Marcos and Caitlin.

"What's goin on?" Marcos asked.

"The doctor that treated you, well he's talking to the police right now." Danielle answered as the trio headed out.

"You sure he was talking to the cops about us?" the Hispanic male questioned.

"I don't think we should take any chances." Caitlin advised. The two officers spotted them and they made a run for it.


Kylie pressed the palm of her hand on Clarice's forehead, taking a deep breath. Once she exhaled, her breath became visible and her eyes and hair faded into a steel blue, ice crystals forming on her hand. "What're you doin?" Andy asked, somewhat intrigued.

"She's burning up." Kylie answered, referring to Clarice's fever. "Hopefully this can keep her temperature down long enough for your mom and the others to get back."

"It hurts." Clarice rasped, her eyes half-closed. "I have to get away."

"You're not goin anywhere C." Kylie replied in a soft voice.

"We need to start getting everyone out of here." John voted.

"We are not gonna abandon this place." Sonya objected.

"I don't see what choice we have." John admitted. "She's opening portals every few minutes now, and Lauren can't keep this up."

"I can keep trying." breathed the aforementioned teen.

"Mom has to be back soon, right?" the youngest Strucker questioned.

Clarice lurched once more, another portal forming not too far from them. Kylie tried to hold Clarice still, while Lauren attempted to close the new portal, but failed as it was larger than the previous ones.

One of the officers stepped through the portal with his weapon drawn. Kylie's grip tightened on her friend, and John stepped up, putting himself between the S.W.A.T officer and the others. Thunderbird disarmed the officer easily, lifted him to the ceiling, and then tossed him back onto the other side of the portal. Just as the rest of the S.W.A.T team was about to open fire, Andy ran forward and used his kinetic powers to knock them away. The recoil knocked the table over and Clarice hit the ground while Kylie banged her head on the vault door.

John knelt beside Kylie, his hand on her shoulder, "Kylie, you okay?" he asked.

The blonde shook it off, pulling her arm back, "Fine. Not the first time I've had my bell rung." she probed her forehead and felt a warm, wet substance. Smaller portals began to open all over the building. Kylie turned all of her attention on Clarice.

"Get everyone out, now!" John ordered, looking to Sonya, who nodded. Andy helped his sister to her feet the the two followed the redhead. John turned to Kylie, who was trying to awaken her unconscious friend, "Kylie, you should go too."

"No." she rejected, re-activating her ice powers, her hands on Clarice's forehead and the side of her neck.

"It's too dangerous-" John grabbed her shoulder.

"I'm not leaving her!" Kylie spat, her steel blue eyes meeting John's brown ones. He could tell by the look in her eyes, she was determined not to leave her friend's side, and he backed down.


Dani drove back to HQ with Marcos in the passenger seat and Caitlin in the back. "Is it always that bad for mutants?" she asked.

Eclipse and Nyx exchanged a look, "You thought that was bad?" Marcos quirked a brow, "That doc actually stitched me up before he called the cops. That's top flight mutant health care right there."

"I mean, there are protections, though." Caitlin argues. "The Civil Rights Act."

"Yeah, yeah, Mutant Rights Oh, they're a nice idea." Danielle scoffed. "But there's always an exception for public safety. All they have to do is call you dangerous, and-" she snapped her fingers, "-those go right out the window."

Caitlin looked to both mutants, "How did your families deal with it?"

"Mine didn't." Marcos scoffed. "When I first lit up, I was thirteen. They kicked me out the same day." he rested his arm against the window, "To survive, I had to do a lot of things that I'm not proud of, but it was Lorna who saved me from all that."

Caitlin nodded in understanding, her eyes moving to Danielle. Feeling the human woman's gaze on her, Dani's Puma ears emerged from beneath her hair, "My parent's 'claimed' to be okay with it." she used air quotes, "But, I really don't think they were. Lucy and I were ten when we got our ears, tails, and claws." She tapped the steering wheel and her nails turned into curved feline claws, her pupils momentarily slitting. "It happened in the middle of school. Once our parents found out, they had no idea what to do. Lucy and I accepted it, not sure if our parents did though."

"What makes you think that?" Caitlin pressed.

"They were fine with the whole ears and tails, as long as it was only the four of us at home." Dani's claws shifted back to normal nails. "If company was over, or we were out in public, we had to hide them. At eighteen, Luce and I enlisted in the Army as medics. We served a couple tours, were discharged, then we worked for a Mutant Clinic in Dallas. Then seven-fifteen happened and we were approached to join the Underground. Been with it ever since."

Caitlin pursed her lips, "I can't believe parents would reject their own children."

"You haven't." Eclipse pointed out.

"That's something." Nyx added.

Caitlin nodded in agreement, before suddenly becoming panic-stricken. "Something's wrong." she gasped, "Turn around!"

"It's alright." Nyx assured. "It's just a security measure."

"It's what?" Caitlin braced herself against the backseat.

"One of our mutants can project fear. It keeps people away from the HQ." Eclipse elaborated. "It's not usually this strong."

"Something's wrong." Nyx deduced. She brought the vehicle to a stop and Marcos spoke with Pedro, the mutant responsible for security. He informed them that the building was being evacuated as Clarice's portals continued to violently open and close everywhere in and around the building.


Kylie fought through the throbbing pain radiating from her right temple, blood dripping down that side of her face, keeping all of her focus on Clarice. "C'mon Clarice, open your eyes!" she yelled, shaking her unconscious friend's shoulders. "C'mon Clarice, please!"

John nudged Kylie's shoulder and she followed his line of sight. A portal opened above them and they saw Caitlin staring back at them. The top portal closed and another opened a few feet ahead of them. Caitlin jumped through the portal and landed on the nearby couch.

"Caitlin!" John helped her from the couch to Clarice.

Caitlin knelt beside Clarice's head, the mutant girl panting and mumbling, "Have to go."

"No, Clarice, you're staying here with us." Caitlin rebuked, taking out one of the smaller medication She tore open a syringe packet and filled it with the medicine, "I need you to listen to me, and I need you to be strong." she injected the medication to stabilize Clarice's potassium levels.

A plank of wood came flying through another portal. Kylie lifted one of her hands and sent an ice blast, freezing the debris coming towards them. She let out a gasp and swayed, steadying herself by putting her weight on her hands. John held his arm out in front of him and Kylie, blocking the wood from hitting her.

"Kylie-" Caitlin addressed the girl.

"I'm fine." the mutant teen rebuked, "Just help Clarice."

Caitlin nodded and handed Kylie the bottle of Hypercortisone-D, "Hold this for me." Kylie obliged, her eyes never leaving her cellmate. Caitlin filled a second syringe with the liquid, "Okay, Clarice, deep breath." she said, the needle hovering over Clarice's shoulder, "And be strong for me, now." She injected the medicine into the muscle tissue of the shoulder.

Clarice's eyes flew open and she caught her breath, the portals dissipating. "Ky." she muttered upon seeing her cellmate's face.

Kylie sighed in relief, her eyes and hair their normal color once more, "You're gonna be okay." she whispered, moving some hair from Clarice's face. "You're okay."


Everyone worked to get the building back in relative order. Clarice was laying on a cot, a bag of saline hooked up to her. Kylie sat on a bench a few feet away, being tended to by Caitlin.

"There's a pretty nasty bruise forming." Caitlin noted as she cleaned the blood from the teen girl's temple. "I'm surprised you stayed conscious as long as you did."

Kylie shrugged, "It's not my first concussion." she admitted, not even wincing as Caitlin placed a bandage over the cut.

"Well, if you feel any dizziness or nausea, find me okay?" Caitlin patted her knee.

Kylie saw the warmth in the woman's eyes and gave a slight nod, "Sure." she agreed, getting to her feet. Caitlin patted her shoulder, returning the smile. Kylie walked up to John, who had just finished talking with Clarice, "She okay?"

"Yeah." he answered. "She asked for you." John brushed past her.

"Hey John." Kylie called after him, he turned to face her. "Thank you, for-" she licked her lips, "-for helping us. Clarice and me."

John cracked a small smile, "You're welcome." he replied before walking off.

Kylie tapped Clarice's hand as she moved to sit beside her cot, "Hey girl." she greeted softly.

Clarice looked at her friend and noticed the bandage on her forehead, "Please tell me that's not because of me." she muttered.

Kylie shook her head, "Nah." she assured. "It's nothin. Not my first concussion, remember?" Clarice chuckled lightly, squeezing Kylie's hand. "Just get some rest okay. I'm not goin anywhere."

Clarice smiled at her friend and closed her eyes. Kylie herself smiled and sat on the floor beside the cot, leaning against it. She pulled her leather knapsack close, opening it and pulling out a journal with an angel wing design on the cover. She opened it and flipped through the pages, some had small polaroids taped on them, others had what appeared to be song lyrics written on them. Kylie stopped on a certain page, which had a picture of her at thirteen; her platinum hair in low pigtails. She had her arms wrapped around a male in his late twenties to early thirties, with brown hair that reach the tops of his shoulders and blue eyes. Both were grinning ear to ear, wearing red jersey-shirts with cream colored trim and red ballcaps with a big cream colored 'OU' in the center.

Kylie bit her lip, moisture welling in her eyes as she touched the photo. "I miss you daddy." she whispered, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.