"And remember, being allowed out is a privilege that can be revoked." Orero…oreo…orori…the black lady with the white hair said in closing her safety speech. Christian hoped and prayed that this would not be the procedure every time a group of students went into town. The lady had told them about the importance of anonymity in an un safe society. Christian wondered why they should hide what they are. It's a fact of life, why should they be forced to keep it to themselves? That's like Christian painting his face white to hide his blackness. It's just what he is. Why hide it. The answer of course was obvious. If people know who they were they would react with fear and possibly violence. That was something they did not need happening.
There were about ten or fifteen students who were out in front of the mansion. Christian knew Wendy and Tyrol, and Lilith. There was some new blonde kid hanging all over Wendy now though. Christian hadn't seen him before. Wendy didn't look too too pleased with the blond over coat she was carrying. Not that Christian was concerned anyway. When the lady finished her speech the group dispersed a bit. Some of the students had cars of their own and would be driving them into town. This blond boy had a car of his own. A new Mustang convertible from what Christian could see. The boy put the top down and Lilith and Tyrol hoped in the back. Wendy sat in the passenger seat. The boy gunned the engine and rode off with a squeal of the tires. Christian could just feel himself so impressed by this boy's show of bravado….ha!
After the students with automobiles departed there were about six students left. The lady was taking these ones into town in the Institute's van. Christian didn't mind not having a car. A car gave you a ton of extra things to worry about. Being driven around in a not too bad looking van was just fine by him.
"We ready to go?" Someone asked.
Christian turned and sighed at what he saw. This is what he was not altogether fine with. Standing before him was the five foot one inch, 90 pound frame of Ziggy the crackhead mutant. Well he damn sure looked that way. Only this sight was so much goofier looking. Earlier in the day Ziggy had asked, no, begged Christian to borrow some of his clothes. He gave in and now Ziggy was dressed in a hat too big for his head, a huge shirt and baggy jeans with a belt that had to be looped around his body twice to be able to be fastened right. The other students laughed when they saw Ziggy, but Ziggy didn't care. He was content with how he looked. Christian liked that about him. Christian had props for anyone who didn't let what other people say or think dictate who they were and what they were going to do.
"I'm tight huh?" Ziggy asked, hopeful. Christian laughed.
"Yeah Ziggy, real tight."
Ziggy grinned and climbed into the van. Christian went in second, followed by the other students. The white haired lady got in the driver's seat a moment later and started the van. She did a quick headcount and made sure seatbelts were on before pulling out of the institute drive and through the gate onto the open road. On the roof of the van, Fredrick Williams laid stretched out, watching the stars in the night sky above his head. His mindset was not as serene as the environment around him though. He had bad intentions on his mind, and those intentions involved one Christian V. Darchart. Fred had things to settle with the boy, and it would be settled.
*
It wasn't a long ride into town to the movie theatre but Bruce sure made it seem like one. His mustang was quite new and he wanted to be in it as long as he could and wanted his passengers to have the same privilege. Well doubtless in his mind it was a privilege. Wendy could do without the privilege. Every second Bruce was in the mirror checking his hair, or his teeth or something. After that he would look at Wendy as if trying to catch her looking at him. At stoplights he would get the attention of other people on the road and gun the engine, or he would turn up his sterio system loud as hell. Everything he hoped and assumed would. Lilith and Tyrol sat in the back quiet as can be, not making it any better for Wendy like they were supposed to. Wendy was definitely glad when the large neon sign of the movie theatre appeared in the distance. A few moments later and they were out of the car and making their way to the theatre.
A few minutes after Wendy & Co. arrived, the Institute's van pulled up in the parking lot. After much begging and pleading, the white haired lady agreed to park the van a ways away in the parking lot. Then no one would see they rode on a van. It was a matter of pride. If anyone of them saw any prospects of the opposite sex they didn't need to be turned off by the van appearance. Christian and Ziggy were the last out of the van, Ziggy bouncing around all the while. Christian looked at him funny whenever he looked at him period. Ziggy just garnered that kind of reaction.
"You don't get out much do you?" Christian asked. Ziggy shook his body no.
"Not really."
"Thought so."
"Parents didn't allow it." Christian looked at Ziggy. Ziggy took a breath preparing to let out a bit of self revalation. "They thought it was some sort of growth disease I had. I came out of the womb way way premature, and underweight, it was a wonder I survived. My siblings they were all normal." Ziggy seemed to be fighting his innate urge to bounce around. "I'm the oldest and yet smaller then my ten year old sister. I can eat anything, everything and not gain a pound. My body burns everything up and soon as it enters my body."
They started walking towards the theatre. Christian was still listening intently to Ziggy as he was genuinely interested in hearing Ziggy's story.
"The professor has a theory though." Ziggy continued. "My brain is super developed. I was found to have a genius IQ in the fourth grade. My first words were explaining the theory of relativity. I am a certified big brain."
"Sounds like that wouldn't be a bad thing to have." Christian remarked.
"Take it with a grain of salt. You know what I said about my body eating everything up?" Christian
nodded. "All that energy goes to my brain. Doesn't leave much for my body to use to develop."
Christian nodded again. That explained why Ziggy was twenty years old and yet so small and frail. And Christian surmised that the energy and super developed brain translated into the fact he never seemed to be able to stop moving. This was new to Christian. He never thought before that a mutant power could be a bad thing. Ziggy was super smart, true enough, but his power seemed to be a curse in a way as it left him so physically behind everyone else his age. All Christian's power did was ruin a pair of pants or two. He guessed he got off lucky.
"Aight dawg. What's on the menu?" Ziggy asked as they got to the ticket window. Christian rolled his eyes. Ziggy was in his 'gangsta mode'. For some reason he thought this would endear him to Christian sooner then just being normal.
"I haven't followed what's out in a while."
"Screech it is." Ziggy said.
"What's that?" Christian asked.
"Some slasher flick that just came out. Though it might as well be like any other they made. These kinds of movies are never different. Same plot, same characters, same everything."
"And you want to see it?"
"Yeah I don't want to be the only one who didn't."
Christian and Ziggy paid for their tickets and went inside, Behind them, Wendy, Bruce, Lilith, and Tylor entered the theatre. Bruce was counting the high bills that were in his wallet, careful to try to get them in Wendy's line of sight. Bruce was concentrating so much he did notice Christian standing in the concession line until he walked into him.
"Hey!" Bruce said in surprise. "You trying to make me lose my cash?" Bruce quickly grabbed at the bills that had fallen to the floor. Christian didn't pay him much mind as he turned around.
"Should watch where you are walking."
"I think you should." Bruce said.
Wendy stooped to help Bruce with his money. This caught Bruce's attention and he focused on her again. Christian looked at Wendy for a second and then turned back around in line. Bruce grinned at Wendy, but her gaze was on Christian at that point.
"That's Bruce Davidson." Ziggy whispered. "Rich kid, thinks he runs the world. Dates Wendy."
"Interesting." Christian said dryly.
"What will you have?" Bruce asked.
"Just get me some popcorn or something, I have to excuse myself." Wendy said quickly. She walked off pulling Lilith along with her. Bruce grinned after her.
"The girl is digging me Tylor." He said.
"I cannot stand that boy!" Wendy said as soon as the women's restroom door closed. Lilith crossed her arms across her chest and leaned against the wall nearest to her.
"You mean you weren't impressed with his car and his money and everything else?"
"Not in the slightest. And yet he's always throwing it in my face like I am supposed to be smitten with him because of the stuff he can buy me."
"You ought to use that." Lilith said. "Get a few bracelets or some earings, or a watch, or a yacht."
"No way Lilith. I don't want to owe that boy a thing."
"Well at least help out your best friend here."
"I should have just stayed at home." Lilith chuckled.
"But Christian is here, not at the school." Wendy laughed.
"And that concerns me because?"
"I didn't say it did, I am just stating a fact." Wendy eyed Lilith suspiciously.
"I know you Lil'. You're insinuating something." Lilith winked.
"Shouldn't matter if there is nothing to insinuate about."
"Okay let's just go back. I can better deal with Bruce's ego rather then your suspicions."
"Yeah. I need to get some candy for my armadillo."
The two walked out of the bathroom. The guys were still waiting in line, though Christian and Ziggy were no where to be found.
"Why do you even have that thing?"
"I'm the Armadillo Queen. Why not?" Wendy just shrugged.
Christian and Ziggy got a couple seats smack dab in the middle of the theatre. Christian always hated sitting off to the side and seeing a warped looking screen or be too close to the surround sound speakers and all, or sitting to far in the back, or sitting to far up front and straining your neck for two hours. The best seats were right in the middle. Actually they took up three seats. The third seat was full of candy, drinks, and junk food. All Christian got was a soda. The rest was for Ziggy.
A few rows back from the two Fred sat low in his seat. He never took his eyes off Christian the whole time. He was biding his time for the perfect time to strike his enemy. It was Christian's fault he got in trouble at the school with the professor and he was going to pay for that. The door to the theatre opened and Wendy and her crew walked in. Fred sunk a bit lower in his seat, not wanting to be seen by anyone he knew. The four sat off to the side a row or two in front of Fred. Good. Fred had a good view of everyone he needed to see.
Christian shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He definitely drank his soda too fast and two soon. Nature was calling out to him. Actually about this time she was screaming bloody murder. Christian cursed softly. Right during the previews. That was half the reason Christian went to the movies and it was like taboo to miss them. Another time. Christian got up and excused himself past the other people in the row and made his way up the aisle. He saw Wendy and half smiled at her. Christian didn't notice Fred get up and follow him out of the theatre.
"Another round?" Fred asked. Christian turned on his heels and saw Fred standing behind him.
"The hell do you want?" He replied.
"You know what I want." Fred said. His eyes began to redden. "Here or the parking lot, makes no difference to me."
It was bad enough Fred cheapshot-ed him the first time they got into a fight, but Fred was still picking at Christian despite the result of last time. This kid still had plenty of lessons to learn. Christian sure felt like a teacher right then.
"Here is just fine."
A few feet away from Christian and Fred at the concession counter trouble of a different sort was brewing. Standing at the front of the line was a very big boy. He was at least six feet tall. Hell, more then that. And he was round as can be. There were rolls all over his body that could be seen clearly hanging out of various places of the outfit he wore. His dark eyes were filled with rage as he slammed a meaty fist on the counter.
"I want all your food, how hard is that?" The boy asked.
"You can't have it. There are plenty of other people that want and will be paying for snacks from us."
"I don't think so. And I won't be paying. I will be taking. If you don't want to get hurt you can leave now."
"Look buddy I will call the cops."
"Oh please do." The boy cross his arms and laughed. "They can do what the want but I ain't going anywhere. Nothing moves the Blob."
Christian and Fred were just about to collide when the ground beneath them shook. They looked around them and saw the Blob boy punching through the counter and helping himself to some food. The employee behind the counter tried to pull the candy from him as well as a theatre rent a cop did. The Blob punched the girl employee sending her into the popcorn machine. She slid to the flood out cold. A backhand to the cop and he was out too. Christian and Fred looked at each other again and then back at the boy. Christian was getting ready for a sucker punch of his own when a chunk of the counter struck him in the chest knocking him back on the floor. Fred began to laugh when another chunk nailed him as well. Fred rolled with the blow and was back on his feet. He grit his teeth as anger surged through his body, His eyes became blood red as he let loose the floodgates that were his control over his powers, Fred changed into his werewolf form and poised himself to attack the Blob. All around Fred people screamed and scattered when they saw him. This got the Blob's attention and he looked over his shoulder.
"What do you want?" He demanded. Fred bared fangs.
"Your ass."
The Blob turned around, the ground shaking with every step he made. Christian began to focus his mind to activate his mutant power at a moments notice. Blob cracked his knuckles and grinned. Fred took that as an invitation and charged. Blob swung high and sloppy. Fred easily ducked the punch and slashed Blob's gut. There was no reaction out of him. No nudge, no yell, no blood, no nothing. Blob laughed and delivered another devastating backhand to Fred. He landed in the theatre arcade near the door. Christian saw his open space and let his power kick in. Instantly Christian's legs turned to what looked like a jet turbine. Christian went toward the Blob with hands outstretched, like a human rocket. Blob just stood there. Christian hit Blob with all the force he could pick up in that short space. It still didn't matter. Christian hit Blob's gut and richocheted uncontrollably in another direction.
Wendy was really going to hurt Bruce. He had yawned about fifty times since the movie started. Each time he tried to put his arm around Wendy's shoulders. She could not understand what this boy did not understand, did she need to hit him to get the point across? This movie was turning out to be the worst experience in a long time. Wendy wished something would happen to change it all. As if on command, Christian crashed through the left side wall of the theatre and into the middle rows. The people in the theatre scattered quickly. Wendy, Lilith, Bruce, and Tylor scanned the area to see what was going on.
Christian got up slowly. Usually with his power he was not hurt by impacts of any kind. This was something that never happened though. The Blob redirected him and there was no way for Christian to stop himself. Christian wished there was a different way to stop then crashing through a five foot wall into a row of seats. As Christian pulled himself he noticed Wendy and Co were in the theatre as well.
"Dawg, what's going on?" Ziggy asked. He ran to Christian to help him up.
"Some big mutant." Christian answered.
Christian stood up and rocketed back out to the lobby. Ziggy watched him fly back through the hole he made. A moment later Christian could be seen careening out of control into another part of the lobby. There was a crash after that. Wendy came up behind Ziggy.
"What happened?"
"He said it was some big mutant or something."
Wendy pictured the lobby in her mind. A moment later she appeared in a flash of light a few feet away from the Blob. At that moment, Fred was in the grasp of the Blob. It was very much the same position Fred had Christian in during their fight. Wendy concentrated again, this time on producing lighting from her fingers. It took a moment for her body to switch from using the teleportation ability to the lightening ability. When it did, lightening erupted from Wendy's hands. The bolts struck the Blob full on his fat frame. The Blob responded by throwing Fred into her. They tumbled head over heels backward and landed in a heap.
"That's my girlfriend!" Bruce shouted. Wendy rolled her eyes where she laid on the floor. "Why don't you try that with me?"
Bruce sized up the Blob as he approached him. Bruce just thought he was all fat easily taken. Bruce began to get a bit larger himself. Bruce was rapidly gaining mass and height. That was Bruce's power he could alter the size of his body larger or smaller. The bigger Bruce got the more durable and stronger he became. Bruce went from his normal six foot height to near eight feet. Bruce pulled a fist back and nailed Blob across the jaw. The Blob didn't even twitch.
"Nothing moves the Blob." was all he said.
Blob kicked Bruce in the stomach. Bruce fell back holding his gut, he was hoping their was no internal damage but with a kick like that he wondered how their couldn't be. Lilith took over Bruce's stand. She had morphing powers like Fred only hers made his turn into an armadillo like creature. Lilith curled up into a ball and rolled at the Blob. She didn't do much though. Blob just punted her away like a football.
Wendy felt Fred moving off of her. She caught her wind back and started to get back up. Why, she didn't know. She didn't know how it started but two students were in a brawl with some strange and powerful mutant. They were definitely breaking one of Storm's rules about not using mutant powers in public. Wendy didn't know why she was even trying to help. She was no fighter. Heck, none of them were, they were just students with powers. They weren't experienced with this sort of thing. The X-Men were perhaps, but they weren't X-Men.
Christian was trying to take everything in everything he surveyed. It was about six mutants against one…well five. Ziggy didn't count since he couldn't fight. Christian had tried his power and that didn't work. Neither did Fred's. Bruce looked to be strong as hell and did nothing, Lilith was no help, and he seemed to be impervious to Wendy's lightening. Tyrol also didn't seem to be lending a hand either. So how in the hell were they going to stop this guy. Then again who said it was there job to stop him? They could just up and leave and let the cops handle it. Christian knew that he had gone after the Blob simply to get him back for hitting him with some debris earlier. It was for pride that he kept trying to stomp this fat guy's ass. Lilith, Wendy, and Wendy's boyfriend did not need to get involved. Wendy was getting hurt too. Christian didn't like that sight of that very much. But he had no idea what to do. Christian thought again of the cops and wondered where they were, the fight had been going on for about fifteen minutes now. Cops were unreliable as hell, but this was slow even for them.
"MUTANTS," A voice boomed through a loudspeaker. "THIS IS THE POLICE, WE HAVE ALL THE EXITS COVERED, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE!" Christian shrugged. Long as they stayed out there.
"So what now dawg?" Ziggy said rushing up behind Christian. "We got the Blob here and the po po outside. We gotta bounce now."
"Thinking about it, but how do we get past them if they have the place surrounded?"
Christian was clueless as to what to do, though he was fast formulating ideas. He had had enough run ins with the cops in his short lifetime and sought to avoid them at any cost. The Blob and Wendy's boyfriend were back at it with the boy not fairing to well. A flash of light occurred next to Christian and afterwards Wendy was there in a crouching position. She looked at Christian. He rolled his eyes.
"Why do you people think I know what to do?" He asked. Then he thought it was probably due to the fact he's been arrested and all that good stuff before, it was like when police were around Christian was to automatically know what to do.
"YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO COME OUT AND SURRENDER OR WE WILL COME IN!"
"Well at least that gives us two minutes to let our life flash before our eyes." Wendy said.
There was a crack of thunder at that moment. Not just a crack it was one of those thunderous booms that comes out of no where on a clear sunny day where no one thought rain would ever come down. Everyone in the theatre jumped at this, even the Blob was distracted. Thanks to the distraction Wendy's boyfriend landed a good shot that actually floored the Blob. Another boom and lightening followed. Rain poured down outside. Christian could see the cops getting soaked to the bone. This was definitely some freaky ass weather. A gust of wind blew the front doors off the theatre and a cloud of fog rushed in. There also seemed to be someone in the fog. Christian looked on astonished as the lady with the white hair floated through the fog into the theatre lobby. Her blue eyes were now white and crackled with power.
"I have masked us from sight," She said. "Now get out of here and get clear of the theatre, I will pick you up in the van a mile from here." She barked orders like one who was quite used to doing such a thing, or had gotten that kinda training, Christian wondered where. But would do more wondering on a different day. Now they had to haul ass. Lilith was across the room and made for the and emergency exit. As she did she used her power and changed into her armadillo form. Lilith curled up in a ball and rolled straight through the door. Tyrol was quickly behind her and out the door. Wendy disappeared in a flash of light and the white haired lady was gone to. Christian grabbed onto Ziggy and kicked in his 'afterburners' and shot through the door, behind him police stormed the theatre. For a fleeting moment, Christian wondered how the Blob would fare against them. Not his concern though, his was safety.
That and the kind of trouble they would be in when they got back to the institute.
