Chapter 3: Reactions
Magneto felt the presence of his transportation orbs. He walked to the opening of his lair, expecting his three fellow Brotherhood teammates to return with Daphne. However, Magneto was disappointed when all he saw were his three allies alone, though he did a great job of hiding it. "What happened? Where's the girl?"
Mystique turned to Sabretooth. He frowned at her before saying, "They took her."
Magneto frowned. He knew exactly what Sabretooth meant.
Jean was organizing some materials in her lab as she kept an eye on Daphne. She was lying on the medical bed, covered with a white sheet. Jean walked over to her as she began to moan and her eyes began to flutter. Above her, to her right, she saw a woman with red hair like her. She was wearing a red dress and a white lab coat. Daphne asked fearfully, "Who are you? Where am I?"
"It's okay," reassured the older woman. "Just relax. I'm Dr. Jean Grey. You're with friends here."
Now a little calmer, Daphne asked, "Where am I?"
"Westchester. New York," came another voice. Daphne looked to her right to see a bald man in a wheelchair approaching. He came to a stop beside her. He said, "I am Professor Charles Xavier. We spoke on phone. My people brought here for your protection."
Daphne then asked, "Those two . . . "
"They were trying to kidnap you," interrupted Xavier. "Fortunately, we were able to stop them. I knew you wouldn't be safe at home, so I had Dr. Grey and a few others bring you here."
"But what did they want with me?"
The professor took a deep breath before answering. "You were planning on coming here to talk to me about the unexplained headaches and strange dreams you've been having, am I correct?" She nodded. "Well, these so- called 'dreams' are not dreams at all. What you have been experiencing are the manifestations of powers that mutants at your age discover. The powers that you have appear to be telekinetic as well as being able to read and control people's minds. There are only four others, that I know of, who have such powers, and that is myself, Dr. Grey, Betsy Braddock, and Emma Frost."
Daphne was shocked beyond belief! "I can't be a mutant! I'm not a monster!" She was now on the brink of tears.
"That's right," reassured the professor. "You are not a monster, but, yes, you are a mutant. And that is nothing to be ashamed of. Now, I want you to get some rest. We'll talk in the morning if you'd like."
Daphne was too scared and tired to argue. She simply nodded, closed her eyes, and within minutes, she was asleep.
The next morning, Daphne's parents walked into the kitchen for some breakfast. They were surprised to see glass lying on the floor by the back door. Cindy Blake, her mother, raced upstairs to Daphne's bedroom. She ran back to her husband and said, "Daphne's gone!"
John Blake, Daphne's father, immediately called the police.
About half an hour later, the Mystery Machine pulled up to the Blake household. "Uh oh," said Freddy. "Something's up." There were police cars all over the scene.
Fred, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby walked up to the chief who was talking to Daphne's father. The chief asked, "Are you sure you didn't hear anything going on outside?"
"No, officer," said John. "Our house is sound-proof."
"Excuse me," said Fred. "What's going on?"
Seeing his daughter's friends, John took a deep breath and answered, "Daphne's been kidnapped."
"WHAT?" asked Freddy in disbelief. "How did it happen? Was there any foul play?"
"Not as far as we know," answered the chief. "Look, kid, calm down, panicking isn't going to bring the girl back."
Velma asked, "Did you find any clues?"
"No, young lady. We searched her bedroom and found nothing. We looked under the bed and everything."
"Plus," added John, "all of our security systems were disabled."
"Do you mind if we look around?" asked Velma.
"Sure," said the chief. "Just don't get in our way."
The Mystery Inc. gang went to the back yard. Velma noticed the downed tree and approached it.
"Wow," said Shaggy. "Whoever chopped down this tree could give Paul Bunyan a run for his money."
"Reah," agreed Scooby.
"This tree wasn't chopped Shaggy," said Velma as she ran her hand across the stump. "It looks like it was cut right through. And it's too smooth to have been cut with a chainsaw."
Freddy wasn't sure he should ask the question on his mind but decided to ask anyway. "Do you think . . . mutants are responsible for this? After all, Daphne was planning on seeing Xavier today."
"Perhaps," said Velma. "But I'm not going to jump to any conclusions until I know the truth." She then took a camera that she had taken from the Mystery Machine and began taking pictures of the downed tree.
"So, what do we do now?" asked Shaggy.
"I'll tell you what we're gonna do," said Freddy. "We're catching a plane, and heading for New York."
To Be Continued
Magneto felt the presence of his transportation orbs. He walked to the opening of his lair, expecting his three fellow Brotherhood teammates to return with Daphne. However, Magneto was disappointed when all he saw were his three allies alone, though he did a great job of hiding it. "What happened? Where's the girl?"
Mystique turned to Sabretooth. He frowned at her before saying, "They took her."
Magneto frowned. He knew exactly what Sabretooth meant.
Jean was organizing some materials in her lab as she kept an eye on Daphne. She was lying on the medical bed, covered with a white sheet. Jean walked over to her as she began to moan and her eyes began to flutter. Above her, to her right, she saw a woman with red hair like her. She was wearing a red dress and a white lab coat. Daphne asked fearfully, "Who are you? Where am I?"
"It's okay," reassured the older woman. "Just relax. I'm Dr. Jean Grey. You're with friends here."
Now a little calmer, Daphne asked, "Where am I?"
"Westchester. New York," came another voice. Daphne looked to her right to see a bald man in a wheelchair approaching. He came to a stop beside her. He said, "I am Professor Charles Xavier. We spoke on phone. My people brought here for your protection."
Daphne then asked, "Those two . . . "
"They were trying to kidnap you," interrupted Xavier. "Fortunately, we were able to stop them. I knew you wouldn't be safe at home, so I had Dr. Grey and a few others bring you here."
"But what did they want with me?"
The professor took a deep breath before answering. "You were planning on coming here to talk to me about the unexplained headaches and strange dreams you've been having, am I correct?" She nodded. "Well, these so- called 'dreams' are not dreams at all. What you have been experiencing are the manifestations of powers that mutants at your age discover. The powers that you have appear to be telekinetic as well as being able to read and control people's minds. There are only four others, that I know of, who have such powers, and that is myself, Dr. Grey, Betsy Braddock, and Emma Frost."
Daphne was shocked beyond belief! "I can't be a mutant! I'm not a monster!" She was now on the brink of tears.
"That's right," reassured the professor. "You are not a monster, but, yes, you are a mutant. And that is nothing to be ashamed of. Now, I want you to get some rest. We'll talk in the morning if you'd like."
Daphne was too scared and tired to argue. She simply nodded, closed her eyes, and within minutes, she was asleep.
The next morning, Daphne's parents walked into the kitchen for some breakfast. They were surprised to see glass lying on the floor by the back door. Cindy Blake, her mother, raced upstairs to Daphne's bedroom. She ran back to her husband and said, "Daphne's gone!"
John Blake, Daphne's father, immediately called the police.
About half an hour later, the Mystery Machine pulled up to the Blake household. "Uh oh," said Freddy. "Something's up." There were police cars all over the scene.
Fred, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby walked up to the chief who was talking to Daphne's father. The chief asked, "Are you sure you didn't hear anything going on outside?"
"No, officer," said John. "Our house is sound-proof."
"Excuse me," said Fred. "What's going on?"
Seeing his daughter's friends, John took a deep breath and answered, "Daphne's been kidnapped."
"WHAT?" asked Freddy in disbelief. "How did it happen? Was there any foul play?"
"Not as far as we know," answered the chief. "Look, kid, calm down, panicking isn't going to bring the girl back."
Velma asked, "Did you find any clues?"
"No, young lady. We searched her bedroom and found nothing. We looked under the bed and everything."
"Plus," added John, "all of our security systems were disabled."
"Do you mind if we look around?" asked Velma.
"Sure," said the chief. "Just don't get in our way."
The Mystery Inc. gang went to the back yard. Velma noticed the downed tree and approached it.
"Wow," said Shaggy. "Whoever chopped down this tree could give Paul Bunyan a run for his money."
"Reah," agreed Scooby.
"This tree wasn't chopped Shaggy," said Velma as she ran her hand across the stump. "It looks like it was cut right through. And it's too smooth to have been cut with a chainsaw."
Freddy wasn't sure he should ask the question on his mind but decided to ask anyway. "Do you think . . . mutants are responsible for this? After all, Daphne was planning on seeing Xavier today."
"Perhaps," said Velma. "But I'm not going to jump to any conclusions until I know the truth." She then took a camera that she had taken from the Mystery Machine and began taking pictures of the downed tree.
"So, what do we do now?" asked Shaggy.
"I'll tell you what we're gonna do," said Freddy. "We're catching a plane, and heading for New York."
To Be Continued