Chapter Three
"All right, let's get started."
That was the cue for Vertigo to slouch down in his seat, partly closing his eyes, clearly not expecting to be inspired. Pyro ignored him, and went on, "First of all, you'll be glad to know that we're going to see some action at last. I know you've been pretty bored these last couple of weeks, but the training we've been doing is essential. Since losing Overlord, we've had to change our tactics quite a bit."
Nobody's expression really changed. None of us had really liked Overlord. I hadn't had a chance to get to know him, but from what Cassie had told me he'd been arrogant, dismissive of others, and had treated her like his private property even though she made it clear she didn't like him.
Pyro switched on the projector on the table beside him. An image of a multi-storey, glass-fronted building shone on to the wall facing us, and we gave it a quick glance before returning our attention to our leader.
"Tomorrow's mission is simple," he said. "We go in, we kill any security personnel, we plant explosives, and we get out. Our target," he pointed to the image on the wall, "is the research facility you see here. It's in New York City, and the work being done there has to be stopped, for the sake of our species. They are developing something they call 'mutant detectors'. Now, as you know, there are already devices in all major hospitals, which can determine whether a new-born baby is a mutant or a human…"
Several of my friends squirmed and looked uncomfortable; their families had abandoned them because of what those very machines had revealed. Pyro went on, "We believe these human researchers are trying to develop more advanced versions which will be cheaper, more portable, and able to identify any adult mutant. The government plan to install them in all important civic buildings. As hard as we tried, fooling them would be impossible. I don't have to tell you the effect these machines would have. Mutants' lives simply wouldn't be worth living. We'd be refused entry to schools, shops, hospitals, courthouses, orphanages; basically it'd be impossible for us to have any kind of life at all. In other words, it's the humans' solution to what they call the 'mutant problem'. They can't kill us, because our powers protect us; they can't arrest us, because they don't know who we are. Instead, they will merely rob us of our rights and starve us to death."
"Why do they do it?!" Gemini cried angrily. "I don't understand; why do humans hate us so much?"
"Because they're scum," said Vertigo.
"They're jealous of our powers," said Scarab.
Recyclo glanced over, "They feel threatened. They don't trust us to use our powers responsibly."
Atlas nodded. Cassandra shook her head and retorted, "Oh no, there's more to it than that. My human parents abandoned me the day I was born. They didn't do that because they were afraid of me. They did it because they didn't want to have a mutant child."
"Same thing happened to me," Mole agreed, his eyes narrowed. "Human scum!"
Pyro interrupted, "The same thing happened to all of you, one way or another. What happened to Gladiator - and what happened to me - was slightly different, but it all amounts to the same thing: coexistence with humans is not possible. One of us has to make way for the other. We are the future, and they are the past."
I noticed the others exchanging intrigued glances. This was the first time I had ever heard Pyro talk about his past, why he had joined and ultimately become leader of the Brotherhood. He normally revealed very little about himself, and this was the first hint he had given as to what lay inside his heart. I wondered what had happened to him. What drove a man to leave the X-Men and go over to the other side? Well, nobody knew about that better than I did. I had switched sides because the humans had murdered Marina. After everything my parents, my sister, and the X-Men had told me about coexisting with humans, and why we should protect them - I had even believed them for a while - the humans had shown their true colours by killing, without provocation, an unarmed, defenceless fourteen year old girl.
"Anyway," Pyro was saying. "Before you let me get side-tracked any more, back to the briefing. Our intelligence suggests that the building is well defended, with rigorous security protocols and dozens of armed security guards. This isn't normal for a research facility…perhaps they fear mutant attacks, and rightly so, but that amount of defence makes me think that they're hiding something else inside that facility. I don't know what it could be, but if it's a threat to us, it has to be destroyed."
He paused, then continued, "Impressive as they might think their security to be, it won't be any match for us. Once they realise this, they'll summon an armed response unit, either from the police or the army, or both. It doesn't really matter. They're only human, and we'll destroy them as well. The only difficulty lies in the possibility of the X-Men making an appearance."
"Are they likely to?" asked Recyclo. "If we're destroying a threat to mutant survival, surely they won't try to stop us."
"Don't credit them with logic," Gemini said bitterly. "Humans can hurt us and mistreat us and kill us all they like, and the X-Men won't lift a finger. But the second we try to fight back and stand up for ourselves, they're all over us with their self-righteous crap and human-loving fantasies, forcing us to accept whatever the humans do to us."
"Yes, well, those times are at an end," said Pyro. "We are stronger than we have ever been. We are at least as strong as they are, if not more so, now that we have Gladiator."
"What about Oculus?" asked Gemini. "Gladiator's father. He's with the X-Men - isn't he supposed to be the most powerful mutant in the world?"
Pyro looked at me. I said, "My dad renounced battle before I was even born. He hasn't used his powers in years. He won't be a threat to us. My sister, on the other hand - "
I hesitated. I wasn't happy talking about this. It was the only uncertainty I had about the success of our plans. The others looked at me, willing me to continue.
"Well?" said Mole impatiently.
"My sister and I both inherited my father's powers," I said. "She has four completely different mutations from the ones I have. I guess one of us is the strongest mutant alive…but I don't know which."
"And she loves humans too?" asked Gemini.
I sighed, and looked at the floor, "Yes. She's always gone along with the crazy fantasies our enemies have. And don't look at me like that! I'm not proud of my family's allegiance!"
Gemini looked like she wanted to say more, but Pyro interrupted, "So there you have it. There is only one possible threat to our success. It's not an ideal situation, but it's a lot better than how things looked a month ago. And a month from now, if all goes according to plan, there will be no humans left in the world."
Cassandra smiled, and she leaned closer to me, her fingers intertwining with mine on the seat between us.
"We'll leave at noon tomorrow," Pyro said. "Recyclo has downloaded plans of the facility, and maps of the surrounding area, if you want to look at those and come up with any suggestions. Otherwise I've got everything more or less planned out. The building has only one entrance, so once we've killed off the humans we'll have to hold a position there, in case we need to make a quick getaway. I've identified the areas where the explosives should be placed. We also need to check the research labs on the upper levels, to find out if the humans are hiding something."
He paused, "Any questions?"
"What if the X-Men do show up?" asked Gemini.
Cassandra nodded, "Yeah, Pyro, we forget to tell you earlier, but today they arrived on the scene far more quickly than they should have done. We're not sure if we were just unlucky, or if – well, it was almost as if they knew we were going to be there."
Pyro frowned.
"Gemini thinks one of us sold us out to the X-Men," said Vertigo.
"No I don't!" Gemini snapped. "That was just a stupid idea I had! I was just trying to think of some explanation!"
"We thought we'd better mention it to you," I said to Pyro. "We weren't sure what to make of it."
Pyro narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "You say it was almost as if they knew you were coming. Unless they have discovered a mutant with the same power of foresight as Cassandra – which is unlikely – I don't see how they could have known."
"Unless there is a traitor among us," said Atlas – ever the paranoid one – uncertainly.
"Impossible. I know everyone in this room is fully committed to the ideals of the Brotherhood. I have seen you all suffer at the hands of humanity. I know none of you would betray us to our enemies."
Vertigo shrugged, "Gemini, what made you think there might be a traitor?"
Gemini fiddled with the shoulder strap of her dress, and looked away, "I dunno. I told you, I didn't really think there was one. It was just an idea that came to me. I mean, there were times when I didn't really trust Gladiator. But then I saw what the humans did to that friend of his, and the way he reacted – nobody could have faked that. And the rest of us have all fought against the X-Men at their mansion. If anyone was going to sell us out, they'd have done it then."
"Agreed," said Pyro. "No more useless speculation. We'll assume they just got lucky today. In answer to the earlier question, if they arrive on the scene, we face them. We'll be at full strength, and there are only eight of them, so we should be able to overcome them. Remember – do not kill them. We never kill other mutants. They have as much of a right to life as we do, even if they are using it to do wrong. When the humans are wiped out, maybe the X-Men will see the error of their ways, or maybe not. In any case, they must be allowed to live to see that day."
He sounded confident enough about facing them in battle, but I wasn't so sure. There were only eight adult X-Men, but what if they brought my sister with them? It was unlikely that they would do so, since she was only 16, and the X-Men didn't like to put children in the front line if it could be avoided. But still…if they felt they needed her along…things might very quickly go against us. I had never matched myself against my sister, so I didn't know which of us was more powerful. I wasn't sure I wanted to find out in the middle of a battle we couldn't afford to lose.
When I went to bed that night there was a strange feeling I had never experienced before. It was a curious blend of emotions. There was the obvious anticipation and wondering of what was going to happen tomorrow. There was a definite measure of uncertainty, as well as something else…fear? Was I afraid of what was going to happen? Was I afraid of the unknown? Was I afraid of potentially having to fight against my old teachers? Was I afraid that I was doing the wrong thing? I had to admit, there were still doubts in my heart about what we were doing. Maybe it was only my subconscious, harking back to all the things I had been taught at the school, telling me not to kill humans. Maybe I should just ignore it, and follow my instincts…but I still wasn't comfortable. Whenever I made an important decision or I had to determine a course of action, I always liked to be 100% certain that I had made the correct choice. It didn't feel right to be making this decision when a part of me still wasn't sure. Maybe that was part of growing up. Maybe that was part of becoming an adult, realising that choices weren't so simple any more, that the good and the bad aspects had to be weighed against each other, before the right conclusion could be reached. In this case, my instinct to protect my own kind was stronger than my slight misgivings about killing humans. But still…
"Cassandra?" I said softly.
I heard her stirring in her own bed a few feet away, and in the darkness came her voice, "Yeah?"
"Do you ever think we're doing the wrong thing?"
"What do you mean?"
"By killing humans, I mean. Do you ever have doubts about it?"
"Well…" she hesitated. "Yes and no. I think we've got the justification to do it, but…I think there's a part of me that just doesn't like killing. I mean, life is such a precious thing – once it's gone, it can't ever be brought back – and sometimes I wonder if…well…if we've got the right to take it away from somebody else."
"I know what you mean."
"You feel the same way?"
I nodded, "Sometimes. Killing adult humans doesn't bother me. They've done so much to harm us. It's hurting children that bothers me. I know they're going to grow up and become mindless bigots, but…oh, I don't know…maybe it's just instinct. Maybe I've got some in-built aversion to hurting children."
"I think everyone does. Every mutant, that is. Humans will happily hurt a child if it's a mutant."
"Yeah. Sometimes I…sometimes I can't help agreeing with the stuff my sister and the X-Men believe. About trying to live with humans and educate them about our kind – "
Cassandra interrupted, "I don't think you should let Pyro or anybody else hear you saying that."
"Are you going to tell him?"
"Of course not. I love you. In a way I see what you mean. In an ideal world, it would be nice to coexist in peace with humans. But a whole bunch of other things would be nice too, like getting rid of famine, war, disease, or even death. It's not going to happen. The X-Men just don't realise it, and they're risking mutant lives while they pursue their fantasies."
"I suppose you're right."
"And we know it will never happen because we've both seen what humans are like. They've done so much to both of us. I mean, sometimes I sit down and think – well, what if my family hadn't hated me, and had loved me in spite of what I am? Would I feel differently about humans?"
"I doubt it. My family loved me and I still hate the sub-creatures."
"I guess…"
Neither of us said anything after that, and silence fell upon the room once more. I laid my head back on the pillow. I was restless, and couldn't seem to fall asleep. It was always the same the night before something important was due to happen; the excitement formed a tight knot in my stomach and I couldn't quite drop off. I shut my eyes and listened to the sounds of the night, idly trying to work out what they might be. There was the sound of rhythmic – and very loud – snoring from the next room. It was the biggest of the bedrooms, shared by Mole, Atlas and Scarab. One of them had to be making the noise. I could also make out the sound of footsteps, some way down the corridor, and the sound of a door opening and closing. That was probably Pyro – his room was further along from the rest of ours.
"Hey – you still awake?" came Cassandra's voice.
"Yeah. Can't sleep."
"Me neither. I just can't get comfortable."
I heard her turning over in bed and squirming, trying to get into a relaxed position.
"Come and sleep next to me," I said.
My mouth had spoken the words, but I had no idea where they had come from. They hadn't been the product of any logical thought on my part. I had made no conscious decision to say that. Some deep, instinctive part of my brain must have been responsible. Immediately I wished I could unsay those words. I had no idea how Cassandra was going to react. I doubted she'd be pleased. She hadn't said anything in response, but it was probably the surprise that was keeping her from saying anything right away.
If she had been surprised, it wasn't as surprised as I was when I felt my duvet being lifted, a dark, warm shape slipping underneath, an arm sliding over my shoulder, and a pair of lips pressing softly against mine. For a moment I was too stunned and nervous to react, then I simply did what came naturally, putting my arm over Cassandra and returning her kiss. As we parted, she said breathlessly, "Are we doing what I think we're doing?"
"I dunno – but whatever we're doing, let's do some more of it…"
We kissed again, our bodies drawing closer, until we were pressed tightly against each other. It was the most incredible sensation I had ever experienced. My excitement level was rising higher than I had thought possible. My blood was racing through my veins with my heartbeat increasing rapidly. This was like going berserk – but at the same time it was so different. It was a completely different emotion – passion, not anger – that was driving me. I thrust myself towards her, and began kissing her with a renewed energy. Cassandra reciprocated, gently pushing me over on to my back, as she lifted her leg and moved on top of me. I had both arms around her now, pulling her down to kiss her once more.
She hesitated. Her hold on me slackened, as she began trying to pull free. Reluctantly, I let go.
"What's wrong?" I whispered. "Did I hurt you?"
"No," she said quickly. "It was – it was nothing you did. It's just I – I don't want to go that far. Not right now. I mean, we are only fourteen. And I don't want to get pregnant."
"Yeah. You're right. I'm sorry."
"Don't be. You didn't do anything wrong."
"But some day…"
"Yeah…some day. Come on, we need to get to sleep, or we'll regret it during the mission tomorrow."
She kissed me once more on the cheek, then settled down beside me, nestling her head against my shoulder, draping her arm loosely across my chest. It felt strange having her there – it was the first time we'd been together in bed – but at the same time it felt – well, right. It didn't feel uncomfortable or unnatural to have her lying against me – it felt as if she was where she should be, as if there had been a huge gap before that had just been filled. I soon forgot how restless and uncomfortable I had been before – with Cassie beside me, how could I possibly not be comfortable? I put my arm over her, marvelling at how wonderfully soft and warm she was – then I shut my eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.
I next woke some time during the night. I didn't know what time it was, but my throat felt dry and I decided to get a glass of water. Taking care not to disturb the sleeping form of Cassandra, gently lifting her arm aside, I got out of bed and left the room, heading for the kitchen. In the darkness it wasn't easy to find my way, but I had reasonably good night vision, and I manage to avoid bumping into anything. I entered the kitchen, my bare feet padding silently across the floor, and I went over to the sink to fill a glass. I sipped it slowly, glad it was a warm night.
It was then that I heard the noise. At first it didn't register in my tired, sleep-addled brain, then it came again and this time I was aware of it. What was it? I couldn't tell exactly. Was it coming from the pipes or something? Could it be the wind? No. It wasn't a regular kind of noise, so it couldn't be any kind of ambient sound. There was something pronounced, something deliberate about it. There had to be somebody making it. But what was it? As I thought about it, my brain woke up a little, and I realised what the sound was. It was the sound of somebody typing at a computer keyboard. It had to be coming from the computer room. Ordinarily I wouldn't have overheard anything from there, but in the middle of the night when there was no other sound, it was a different matter.
Who was using the computer at this time of night? Was it Scarab or Mole trying to secretly use the Internet to look at dirty pictures? Was it Pyro, going over the schematics of the target building one more time? Was it somebody who, like me, hadn't been able to sleep, and was whiling away the hours on the computer? My curiosity piqued, I decided to find out. Putting my empty glass down next to the sink, I left the kitchen and turned the corner to the computer room. There was a light on inside, so somebody must have been in there. There was no sound coming from the room now.
I pushed open the door and walked in. The room was empty. I frowned. I knew I'd heard somebody in here, and I'd have heard if somebody had left the room. Strange – there was nobody there now. The computer was switched on, though. I glanced at the screen to see what the mystery person had been doing. There was some kind of E-mail package running, and an on-screen prompt that read: Send Message? (OK/Cancel). Weird…who would be sending an E-mail? None of us had friends or associates outside the Brotherhood. I decided to read the E-mail and find out what it was. Hitting the Cancel option, I brought up the text of the E-mail. It read simply: For the attention of the X-Men. The Brotherhood's next target is the Carlson and Berg research institute, map reference…
On the computer screen, I saw the reflection of something moving behind me. That was the only warning I got before something slammed into the side of my head, knocking me off balance. Caught by surprise, I stumbled and fell to the floor. My fighting instincts took over, and I rolled over, getting to my feet instantly, both fists clenched and ready to defend myself. Before I could get my bearings, however, something metallic slammed into my face with immense force. I was thrown backwards into the wall, feeling no pain, but the shock threatened to send me unconscious, and I wavered, seeing stars before my eyes. Struggling to get back up, trying to use energy that had been stunned out of me, was obviously too much. I felt blackness creeping into my vision, and I slumped to the floor, out for the count.
"All right, let's get started."
That was the cue for Vertigo to slouch down in his seat, partly closing his eyes, clearly not expecting to be inspired. Pyro ignored him, and went on, "First of all, you'll be glad to know that we're going to see some action at last. I know you've been pretty bored these last couple of weeks, but the training we've been doing is essential. Since losing Overlord, we've had to change our tactics quite a bit."
Nobody's expression really changed. None of us had really liked Overlord. I hadn't had a chance to get to know him, but from what Cassie had told me he'd been arrogant, dismissive of others, and had treated her like his private property even though she made it clear she didn't like him.
Pyro switched on the projector on the table beside him. An image of a multi-storey, glass-fronted building shone on to the wall facing us, and we gave it a quick glance before returning our attention to our leader.
"Tomorrow's mission is simple," he said. "We go in, we kill any security personnel, we plant explosives, and we get out. Our target," he pointed to the image on the wall, "is the research facility you see here. It's in New York City, and the work being done there has to be stopped, for the sake of our species. They are developing something they call 'mutant detectors'. Now, as you know, there are already devices in all major hospitals, which can determine whether a new-born baby is a mutant or a human…"
Several of my friends squirmed and looked uncomfortable; their families had abandoned them because of what those very machines had revealed. Pyro went on, "We believe these human researchers are trying to develop more advanced versions which will be cheaper, more portable, and able to identify any adult mutant. The government plan to install them in all important civic buildings. As hard as we tried, fooling them would be impossible. I don't have to tell you the effect these machines would have. Mutants' lives simply wouldn't be worth living. We'd be refused entry to schools, shops, hospitals, courthouses, orphanages; basically it'd be impossible for us to have any kind of life at all. In other words, it's the humans' solution to what they call the 'mutant problem'. They can't kill us, because our powers protect us; they can't arrest us, because they don't know who we are. Instead, they will merely rob us of our rights and starve us to death."
"Why do they do it?!" Gemini cried angrily. "I don't understand; why do humans hate us so much?"
"Because they're scum," said Vertigo.
"They're jealous of our powers," said Scarab.
Recyclo glanced over, "They feel threatened. They don't trust us to use our powers responsibly."
Atlas nodded. Cassandra shook her head and retorted, "Oh no, there's more to it than that. My human parents abandoned me the day I was born. They didn't do that because they were afraid of me. They did it because they didn't want to have a mutant child."
"Same thing happened to me," Mole agreed, his eyes narrowed. "Human scum!"
Pyro interrupted, "The same thing happened to all of you, one way or another. What happened to Gladiator - and what happened to me - was slightly different, but it all amounts to the same thing: coexistence with humans is not possible. One of us has to make way for the other. We are the future, and they are the past."
I noticed the others exchanging intrigued glances. This was the first time I had ever heard Pyro talk about his past, why he had joined and ultimately become leader of the Brotherhood. He normally revealed very little about himself, and this was the first hint he had given as to what lay inside his heart. I wondered what had happened to him. What drove a man to leave the X-Men and go over to the other side? Well, nobody knew about that better than I did. I had switched sides because the humans had murdered Marina. After everything my parents, my sister, and the X-Men had told me about coexisting with humans, and why we should protect them - I had even believed them for a while - the humans had shown their true colours by killing, without provocation, an unarmed, defenceless fourteen year old girl.
"Anyway," Pyro was saying. "Before you let me get side-tracked any more, back to the briefing. Our intelligence suggests that the building is well defended, with rigorous security protocols and dozens of armed security guards. This isn't normal for a research facility…perhaps they fear mutant attacks, and rightly so, but that amount of defence makes me think that they're hiding something else inside that facility. I don't know what it could be, but if it's a threat to us, it has to be destroyed."
He paused, then continued, "Impressive as they might think their security to be, it won't be any match for us. Once they realise this, they'll summon an armed response unit, either from the police or the army, or both. It doesn't really matter. They're only human, and we'll destroy them as well. The only difficulty lies in the possibility of the X-Men making an appearance."
"Are they likely to?" asked Recyclo. "If we're destroying a threat to mutant survival, surely they won't try to stop us."
"Don't credit them with logic," Gemini said bitterly. "Humans can hurt us and mistreat us and kill us all they like, and the X-Men won't lift a finger. But the second we try to fight back and stand up for ourselves, they're all over us with their self-righteous crap and human-loving fantasies, forcing us to accept whatever the humans do to us."
"Yes, well, those times are at an end," said Pyro. "We are stronger than we have ever been. We are at least as strong as they are, if not more so, now that we have Gladiator."
"What about Oculus?" asked Gemini. "Gladiator's father. He's with the X-Men - isn't he supposed to be the most powerful mutant in the world?"
Pyro looked at me. I said, "My dad renounced battle before I was even born. He hasn't used his powers in years. He won't be a threat to us. My sister, on the other hand - "
I hesitated. I wasn't happy talking about this. It was the only uncertainty I had about the success of our plans. The others looked at me, willing me to continue.
"Well?" said Mole impatiently.
"My sister and I both inherited my father's powers," I said. "She has four completely different mutations from the ones I have. I guess one of us is the strongest mutant alive…but I don't know which."
"And she loves humans too?" asked Gemini.
I sighed, and looked at the floor, "Yes. She's always gone along with the crazy fantasies our enemies have. And don't look at me like that! I'm not proud of my family's allegiance!"
Gemini looked like she wanted to say more, but Pyro interrupted, "So there you have it. There is only one possible threat to our success. It's not an ideal situation, but it's a lot better than how things looked a month ago. And a month from now, if all goes according to plan, there will be no humans left in the world."
Cassandra smiled, and she leaned closer to me, her fingers intertwining with mine on the seat between us.
"We'll leave at noon tomorrow," Pyro said. "Recyclo has downloaded plans of the facility, and maps of the surrounding area, if you want to look at those and come up with any suggestions. Otherwise I've got everything more or less planned out. The building has only one entrance, so once we've killed off the humans we'll have to hold a position there, in case we need to make a quick getaway. I've identified the areas where the explosives should be placed. We also need to check the research labs on the upper levels, to find out if the humans are hiding something."
He paused, "Any questions?"
"What if the X-Men do show up?" asked Gemini.
Cassandra nodded, "Yeah, Pyro, we forget to tell you earlier, but today they arrived on the scene far more quickly than they should have done. We're not sure if we were just unlucky, or if – well, it was almost as if they knew we were going to be there."
Pyro frowned.
"Gemini thinks one of us sold us out to the X-Men," said Vertigo.
"No I don't!" Gemini snapped. "That was just a stupid idea I had! I was just trying to think of some explanation!"
"We thought we'd better mention it to you," I said to Pyro. "We weren't sure what to make of it."
Pyro narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "You say it was almost as if they knew you were coming. Unless they have discovered a mutant with the same power of foresight as Cassandra – which is unlikely – I don't see how they could have known."
"Unless there is a traitor among us," said Atlas – ever the paranoid one – uncertainly.
"Impossible. I know everyone in this room is fully committed to the ideals of the Brotherhood. I have seen you all suffer at the hands of humanity. I know none of you would betray us to our enemies."
Vertigo shrugged, "Gemini, what made you think there might be a traitor?"
Gemini fiddled with the shoulder strap of her dress, and looked away, "I dunno. I told you, I didn't really think there was one. It was just an idea that came to me. I mean, there were times when I didn't really trust Gladiator. But then I saw what the humans did to that friend of his, and the way he reacted – nobody could have faked that. And the rest of us have all fought against the X-Men at their mansion. If anyone was going to sell us out, they'd have done it then."
"Agreed," said Pyro. "No more useless speculation. We'll assume they just got lucky today. In answer to the earlier question, if they arrive on the scene, we face them. We'll be at full strength, and there are only eight of them, so we should be able to overcome them. Remember – do not kill them. We never kill other mutants. They have as much of a right to life as we do, even if they are using it to do wrong. When the humans are wiped out, maybe the X-Men will see the error of their ways, or maybe not. In any case, they must be allowed to live to see that day."
He sounded confident enough about facing them in battle, but I wasn't so sure. There were only eight adult X-Men, but what if they brought my sister with them? It was unlikely that they would do so, since she was only 16, and the X-Men didn't like to put children in the front line if it could be avoided. But still…if they felt they needed her along…things might very quickly go against us. I had never matched myself against my sister, so I didn't know which of us was more powerful. I wasn't sure I wanted to find out in the middle of a battle we couldn't afford to lose.
When I went to bed that night there was a strange feeling I had never experienced before. It was a curious blend of emotions. There was the obvious anticipation and wondering of what was going to happen tomorrow. There was a definite measure of uncertainty, as well as something else…fear? Was I afraid of what was going to happen? Was I afraid of the unknown? Was I afraid of potentially having to fight against my old teachers? Was I afraid that I was doing the wrong thing? I had to admit, there were still doubts in my heart about what we were doing. Maybe it was only my subconscious, harking back to all the things I had been taught at the school, telling me not to kill humans. Maybe I should just ignore it, and follow my instincts…but I still wasn't comfortable. Whenever I made an important decision or I had to determine a course of action, I always liked to be 100% certain that I had made the correct choice. It didn't feel right to be making this decision when a part of me still wasn't sure. Maybe that was part of growing up. Maybe that was part of becoming an adult, realising that choices weren't so simple any more, that the good and the bad aspects had to be weighed against each other, before the right conclusion could be reached. In this case, my instinct to protect my own kind was stronger than my slight misgivings about killing humans. But still…
"Cassandra?" I said softly.
I heard her stirring in her own bed a few feet away, and in the darkness came her voice, "Yeah?"
"Do you ever think we're doing the wrong thing?"
"What do you mean?"
"By killing humans, I mean. Do you ever have doubts about it?"
"Well…" she hesitated. "Yes and no. I think we've got the justification to do it, but…I think there's a part of me that just doesn't like killing. I mean, life is such a precious thing – once it's gone, it can't ever be brought back – and sometimes I wonder if…well…if we've got the right to take it away from somebody else."
"I know what you mean."
"You feel the same way?"
I nodded, "Sometimes. Killing adult humans doesn't bother me. They've done so much to harm us. It's hurting children that bothers me. I know they're going to grow up and become mindless bigots, but…oh, I don't know…maybe it's just instinct. Maybe I've got some in-built aversion to hurting children."
"I think everyone does. Every mutant, that is. Humans will happily hurt a child if it's a mutant."
"Yeah. Sometimes I…sometimes I can't help agreeing with the stuff my sister and the X-Men believe. About trying to live with humans and educate them about our kind – "
Cassandra interrupted, "I don't think you should let Pyro or anybody else hear you saying that."
"Are you going to tell him?"
"Of course not. I love you. In a way I see what you mean. In an ideal world, it would be nice to coexist in peace with humans. But a whole bunch of other things would be nice too, like getting rid of famine, war, disease, or even death. It's not going to happen. The X-Men just don't realise it, and they're risking mutant lives while they pursue their fantasies."
"I suppose you're right."
"And we know it will never happen because we've both seen what humans are like. They've done so much to both of us. I mean, sometimes I sit down and think – well, what if my family hadn't hated me, and had loved me in spite of what I am? Would I feel differently about humans?"
"I doubt it. My family loved me and I still hate the sub-creatures."
"I guess…"
Neither of us said anything after that, and silence fell upon the room once more. I laid my head back on the pillow. I was restless, and couldn't seem to fall asleep. It was always the same the night before something important was due to happen; the excitement formed a tight knot in my stomach and I couldn't quite drop off. I shut my eyes and listened to the sounds of the night, idly trying to work out what they might be. There was the sound of rhythmic – and very loud – snoring from the next room. It was the biggest of the bedrooms, shared by Mole, Atlas and Scarab. One of them had to be making the noise. I could also make out the sound of footsteps, some way down the corridor, and the sound of a door opening and closing. That was probably Pyro – his room was further along from the rest of ours.
"Hey – you still awake?" came Cassandra's voice.
"Yeah. Can't sleep."
"Me neither. I just can't get comfortable."
I heard her turning over in bed and squirming, trying to get into a relaxed position.
"Come and sleep next to me," I said.
My mouth had spoken the words, but I had no idea where they had come from. They hadn't been the product of any logical thought on my part. I had made no conscious decision to say that. Some deep, instinctive part of my brain must have been responsible. Immediately I wished I could unsay those words. I had no idea how Cassandra was going to react. I doubted she'd be pleased. She hadn't said anything in response, but it was probably the surprise that was keeping her from saying anything right away.
If she had been surprised, it wasn't as surprised as I was when I felt my duvet being lifted, a dark, warm shape slipping underneath, an arm sliding over my shoulder, and a pair of lips pressing softly against mine. For a moment I was too stunned and nervous to react, then I simply did what came naturally, putting my arm over Cassandra and returning her kiss. As we parted, she said breathlessly, "Are we doing what I think we're doing?"
"I dunno – but whatever we're doing, let's do some more of it…"
We kissed again, our bodies drawing closer, until we were pressed tightly against each other. It was the most incredible sensation I had ever experienced. My excitement level was rising higher than I had thought possible. My blood was racing through my veins with my heartbeat increasing rapidly. This was like going berserk – but at the same time it was so different. It was a completely different emotion – passion, not anger – that was driving me. I thrust myself towards her, and began kissing her with a renewed energy. Cassandra reciprocated, gently pushing me over on to my back, as she lifted her leg and moved on top of me. I had both arms around her now, pulling her down to kiss her once more.
She hesitated. Her hold on me slackened, as she began trying to pull free. Reluctantly, I let go.
"What's wrong?" I whispered. "Did I hurt you?"
"No," she said quickly. "It was – it was nothing you did. It's just I – I don't want to go that far. Not right now. I mean, we are only fourteen. And I don't want to get pregnant."
"Yeah. You're right. I'm sorry."
"Don't be. You didn't do anything wrong."
"But some day…"
"Yeah…some day. Come on, we need to get to sleep, or we'll regret it during the mission tomorrow."
She kissed me once more on the cheek, then settled down beside me, nestling her head against my shoulder, draping her arm loosely across my chest. It felt strange having her there – it was the first time we'd been together in bed – but at the same time it felt – well, right. It didn't feel uncomfortable or unnatural to have her lying against me – it felt as if she was where she should be, as if there had been a huge gap before that had just been filled. I soon forgot how restless and uncomfortable I had been before – with Cassie beside me, how could I possibly not be comfortable? I put my arm over her, marvelling at how wonderfully soft and warm she was – then I shut my eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.
I next woke some time during the night. I didn't know what time it was, but my throat felt dry and I decided to get a glass of water. Taking care not to disturb the sleeping form of Cassandra, gently lifting her arm aside, I got out of bed and left the room, heading for the kitchen. In the darkness it wasn't easy to find my way, but I had reasonably good night vision, and I manage to avoid bumping into anything. I entered the kitchen, my bare feet padding silently across the floor, and I went over to the sink to fill a glass. I sipped it slowly, glad it was a warm night.
It was then that I heard the noise. At first it didn't register in my tired, sleep-addled brain, then it came again and this time I was aware of it. What was it? I couldn't tell exactly. Was it coming from the pipes or something? Could it be the wind? No. It wasn't a regular kind of noise, so it couldn't be any kind of ambient sound. There was something pronounced, something deliberate about it. There had to be somebody making it. But what was it? As I thought about it, my brain woke up a little, and I realised what the sound was. It was the sound of somebody typing at a computer keyboard. It had to be coming from the computer room. Ordinarily I wouldn't have overheard anything from there, but in the middle of the night when there was no other sound, it was a different matter.
Who was using the computer at this time of night? Was it Scarab or Mole trying to secretly use the Internet to look at dirty pictures? Was it Pyro, going over the schematics of the target building one more time? Was it somebody who, like me, hadn't been able to sleep, and was whiling away the hours on the computer? My curiosity piqued, I decided to find out. Putting my empty glass down next to the sink, I left the kitchen and turned the corner to the computer room. There was a light on inside, so somebody must have been in there. There was no sound coming from the room now.
I pushed open the door and walked in. The room was empty. I frowned. I knew I'd heard somebody in here, and I'd have heard if somebody had left the room. Strange – there was nobody there now. The computer was switched on, though. I glanced at the screen to see what the mystery person had been doing. There was some kind of E-mail package running, and an on-screen prompt that read: Send Message? (OK/Cancel). Weird…who would be sending an E-mail? None of us had friends or associates outside the Brotherhood. I decided to read the E-mail and find out what it was. Hitting the Cancel option, I brought up the text of the E-mail. It read simply: For the attention of the X-Men. The Brotherhood's next target is the Carlson and Berg research institute, map reference…
On the computer screen, I saw the reflection of something moving behind me. That was the only warning I got before something slammed into the side of my head, knocking me off balance. Caught by surprise, I stumbled and fell to the floor. My fighting instincts took over, and I rolled over, getting to my feet instantly, both fists clenched and ready to defend myself. Before I could get my bearings, however, something metallic slammed into my face with immense force. I was thrown backwards into the wall, feeling no pain, but the shock threatened to send me unconscious, and I wavered, seeing stars before my eyes. Struggling to get back up, trying to use energy that had been stunned out of me, was obviously too much. I felt blackness creeping into my vision, and I slumped to the floor, out for the count.