Chapter 7 Coping

As Black, Xi, Ryan, and Angelo emerged from the stairs leading up to the foyer, they could already smell the hamburgers. They walked through the foyer and into the kitchen through a side door. As they were entering, Ashlyn was coming in from the outside with a plate full of hamburgers. She crossed to the table and put the plate of patties down next to the steaks. Xi walked over to the table and looked over all the food they had prepared. There were hamburgers, steaks, and hot dogs. There were also vegetables with ranch dip, baked beans, deviled eggs, and a couple of things she didn't recognize.

"What is this?" Ryan asked picking up a serving spoon and scooping some of a soup-looking substance out of a pot.

"Gumbo." Ashlyn said. "Traditional homemade Louisiana Gumbo."

"Oooh!" Angelo exclaimed as he grabbed a bowl and snatched the spoon out of Ryan's hand. Ryan looked at him like he had been violated.

Jane was just finishing up skinning another cucumber when Xi walked up to her. "How can I help?" Xi asked her.

"Here you go, you can cut this up." She said handing the skinned cucumber to her.

Jeska appeared in the doorway and all the kids looked at her hopefully. She nodded her head to let the kids know that nothing had changed with Art. She had a solemn look on her face and it looked like she hadn't slept in days, even though they all knew she had.

"Ahem." Black cleared his throat breaking the uneasy tension that had settled in the kitchen. "Miss Jeska, we are all sorry for your loss. Dr. Franks was a good man."

The students instantly felt like crap. They had been focusing their thoughts so much on Art, that they had basically forgotten all about Dr. Franks' death for the most part. They all looked at each other, and each one could see the distraught on each other's faces. They each took turns trying to comfort Jeska as best they could.

At the mere mention of his name, Jeska broke down into tears, which made the kids feel even worse. Jane crossed the room first and embraced Jeska, comforting her. Xi and Ashlyn followed. Ryan looked at Angelo just in time to see him start walking over toward her. He followed and suddenly Jeska found herself wrapped up in five sets of arms. She felt minimally better, but she knew they all meant well. She was glad to see such an outpouring of emotion from all of them.

So was Black, who watched from the back of the dining area.

When the embrace finally broke up, Jeska wiped her face and simply said, "Thank You."

"You must be hungry. You are going to join us, right?" Xi asked her.

"Of course I am, that's why I came up here. I'm starved and the smell finally penetrated the infirmary walls." She smiled and everyone spread out to start making plates.

Black fixed a plate and pulled Jeska to the foyer. "You hang out with the other kids. You're only 27, so you are closer to their age. I'll go sit with Art."

"Thank you. I won't mingle long."

"Take your time."

With that, Black turned to leave, disappearing down the stairs to the infirmary.

Jeska took her plate and went back into the dining area. She sat down at the table next to Ashlyn. Everyone ate in silence.

As Black entered the infirmary, he saw Art's body lying motionless on the bed. He sighed and walked over to his bedside and had a seat in the chair there.

He couldn't help but feel remorse. He had seen a lot of mutants die. But none that he was this close to. He had just been on the island nation of Genosha just before Magneto had killed thousands upon thousands. He had watched the news footage from the Genogoth Helicopter and had wished there had been something he could have done. He wondered if there was somebody out there that even cared that Arthur Bantham was lying on his death bed. When the Genogoths had found Art, he was living on the street with no family. He had gotten busted for drug dealing when he was only 16, and given probation. He violated that probation 6 months later at the age of 17 and was tried as an adult. He served a 6-month sentence in a correctional facility, and upon release had stopped dealing in drugs and instead decided to earn his way through basketball bets and tournaments.

No, there probably wasn't anybody concerned about him. Except for those in this house. Jeska was positive and upbeat outwardly to the kids as far as Art's condition was concerned. The kid's knew in their minds that Art was going to be fine, but Black knew better. He could see it in Jeska's eyes. Her theory wasn't near as sound as she made it out to be. And every hour of every day shredded that theory further and further. When he thought about it this way, he was glad there wasn't anyone else out there concerned about Art. That saved him the responsibility of having to call that person should the worst happen. Black wasn't sure whether Jeska would be able to handle the duties herself or not, he wasn't even sure she was qualified. Regardless of her skill and qualifications, though, she was all that they had. And for the time being, that was going to have to be good enough.

Black heard the phone ringing in his personal office across the hall. He sat down the half-eaten hamburger and crossed the hall.

"Genogoths." Black said as he picked up the phone.

"Did you think you could just fall off the radar? Did you really think we wouldn't find out about you and your little "New Genogoths"?"

"Leather." Black said.

"Ah, I'm touched. You remembered me." Leather said sarcastically. "What are you doing, Black? You know my groups occupation."

"Yes, I do. All to well, actually. You are the number one reason for the fall of the Genogoths. You turned that outfit from Mutant Protectors into Mutant Assassins. How many Sentinels do you have now?"

Leather laughed. It was a laugh that made Black's blood curl. "Protect those kids well, Black. And pray that you never have to find out just how many Sent's I've got." Leather paused. "I don't suppose you are going to make this easy on me, and tell me where you are at.."

"You know me better than that." Black said.

"Yes, I guess I do. Well, let me give you something to think about. Just yesterday we got a good friend of yours. Yesterday we collected on Chill. You remember Chill, don't you?" Leather chuckled. "The problem is that your former pet project, and Chill's wife, Espeth, got away from us. Is she there with you, Black? Well, I don't suppose you'd tell us if she was. But I'll bet she's on her way if she's not there already. Pray you find her before we do, Black, because after she's gone, we have a bounty to collect on one of your students. After Espeth, we're coming after Angelo." With that, Leather hung up the receiver.

Black slammed the phone down in frustration. Somehow Leather had found out about the New Genogoths. "Espeth" Black muttered.

"So what was that all about?"

Black turned toward the door to his office and saw Jeska and the students standing there. Ryan was the one who had asked.

"An old acquaintance." Black started to explain.

"Now would that be Espeth? Or the guy on the phone?" Ashlyn asked.

"Espeth was an inner-circle member that fell in love with a mutant named Chill. Leather was the guy on the phone, he's a mutant-killer for hire. He killed Chill, supposedly, but apparently the bounty was for both Chill and Espeth. He called me thinking that I would either have her here or would know where she was at."

"So this psycho is trying to kill a friend of yours?" Angelo asked.

"It would appear so." Black said

"You have any idea where we can find her? Maybe we can get to her before they do." Xi asked.

"I imagine that if Leather could find me, so shall she. She did learn a thing or two while she was with the Genogoths. Besides if I know her, she's got Styx with her, so she shouldn't have a problem with staying one step ahead of Leather." Black said. "So I imagine we don't need to do anything. She'll find us."

Jeska had disappeared back to the infirmary to check on Art. Black and the kids sat in thought for a moment more before Black made a decision.

"Let's go across the hall and begin training sessions. I have a feeling you are all going to need all the training that you can get here pretty soon."

The kids went into the locker rooms to change into their costumes. Ryan and Angelo both felt a twinge of regret as they walked up to their lockers. Both members' eyes locked on the locker belonging to Art. Both of them immediately pushed the thoughts out of their minds. They both knew they were about to enter into training simulations and they needed to be focused.

The guys came out of the locker room to find the three girls already suited up and talking to Black. Ashlyn was attaching a Black Box to her ankle. It looked like a house arrest monitor to Angelo. He noticed that the other two already had theirs on.

So, you trying to make sure we don't leave the state, amigo?" Angelo asked as he walked up to Black.

Black chuckled and handed Angelo and Ryan their own anklet. These are going to be what you need to protect in this upcoming training exercise." Black pressed the box on the anklet he still held and it lit up. "These are touch sensitive and are set to accept each member's fingertips. We are going to go outside and train in the woods."

Ryan raised his hand, stopping Black so he could ask a question.

"Why don't we use this room?"

"Because we haven't really got a way for Jane to use her powers in these simulations, yet." Black explained. "The object is going to be to eliminate the opposite team. The teams are going to be guys vs. girls. To eliminate your opponents, you just need to touch their box, and set it off. They will be eliminated."

"Wow, we are handicapped 3 on 2, plus we have both the members that manipulate nature on the stacked side. Doesn't sound very fun to me." Ryan said.

"You really think it's going to be fair in the real world?" Black asked smiling. "I want to see how creative you two are."

Everyone tested their boxes to make sure they were working. Once that was completed and the sensors reset, they went outside to begin the exercise. Standing outside the backdoor to the kitchen, Black sent the girls into the woods first. Then he turned to the guys.

"They've been instructed to not work as a team. You guys are now being instructed TO work as a team."

With that, Black signaled for them to start. Ryan and Angelo walked across the lawn and into the woods, not knowing what to expect.