Disclaimer: Same as chapter 1
Chapter 3
The Choice
Scott sat at the table eating some breakfast. As Kurt and Kitty were arguing about who got the last muffin, he silently talked with Jean.
"Hey y'all. Isn't that the schoolhouse were Katy was at?" Rogue said as she came in the room and looked at the TV.
Everyone looked up.
"Turn it up!" Scott said quickly as he saw the schoolhouse in flames.
"This image was taken late last night." The TV reporter said. "Police reports said no one was found inside the house; however, two people were found dead in the woods nearby. Reports say one of them had been shot. Cause of this incident is still unknown. More details will be given later in the day."
Jean gasped. "I hope they're all alright." She said.
"We should see if we can find them." Scott said. "They might need our help."
"That's a good idea, Scott." Professor Xavier said as he entered the room. "In fact Cerebro just found two of them by a coffee shop not too far from here."
"We'll go there right away, Professor." Scott said.
Twenty minutes later, Scott, and Jean got in the car and started driving to the Java Junction, thirty minutes away.
~*~*~*
Katy silently walked through the city. Sean walked by her side holding Alicia. The realization of the situation had not even fully hit. It was as if their minds could not comprehend what happened. Sean walked into the Java Junction and took a seat near Rich and the others. At first, everyone was silent.
Rich sighed. "So where should we go?" He asked.
"I still think we should go to Professor Xavier's school. At least till we can find a place." Katy said.
"No way. I am not stepping foot in that place. I will not be anywhere near someone who believes humans and mutants can live together. Not after humans killed Megan and the professor." Jake said immediately, anger present in his voice.
The thought of Megan and the Professor almost brought tears back to Katy's eyes.
"Where are we suppose to go then?" Matt spoke up.
"My parents don't live too far from here." Audrey said. "We could go there."
Rich nodded. "I think that will be good for now. We will see if they will take us in for a few days." Rich looked over at Katy. "Agreed?"
Katy looked up at him. "And what if they don't take us in? What then? We go door to door, seeing if someone will let us in?" Katy said, anger now present in her voice. "Think of Alicia and Aaron. Is that the kind of life you want them to live?"
"It's better than learning how to protect humans." Jake said angrily.
Katy glared at him, but said nothing.
"Look, I don't have all the answers." Rich said, trying to calm the tension. "But we need to find some place. Audrey's idea is the best. We'll move on from there." Rich suggested.
Katy shook her head.
"Your parents sent you away because you were a mutant, right Audrey?" Joanne asked. As Audrey slowly nodded Joanne continued. "Then what makes you think they will take all ten of us in?"
Audrey sighed. "I don't know."
"It's at least worth a try." Rich said. "It's the best idea yet."
"Why are you being so stubborn, Rich?" Katy asked. "There is a place we can at least stay for a little while and yet you refuse to go there."
"Look it's obvious we all have different opinions." Jake said. "So I have a new idea. How about whoever wants to be a fool and go with Katy to Professor Xavier's school just go. Otherwise we find a new place."
"What are you suggesting? That we split up?" Joanne asked.
"Exactly! If Katy wants to go, I say let her." Jake replied.
Rich sighed. "Let's take a vote. All in favor of going to Professor Xavier's school, raise your right hand."
Katy raised her hand, followed by Matt and Joanne.
Rich sighed again. "Fine you three go to his school. The rest of us will go to Audrey's house." He said as he stood.
Katy shook her head. She did not want the group to separate, but there seemed to be no other way.
"Keep in contact then Rich." Katy said, sadly. "You have my cell phone number."
Rich nodded and turned to leave. Audrey quickly hugged Joanne and Katy and went with him. Rich looked back and still saw Alicia sitting at the table. Her head was down and Rich was not even sure she had heard the conversation.
"Alicia," Rich said gently. "Are you coming with us?"
Alicia didn't even look up. "I don't want our group to separate." She said in a muffled tone. "What if we never see each other again?"
Katy sat down on the chair near Alicia and placed a hand on her head in comfort. Rich bent down by her.
"We're just separating for a little while, Alicia." Rich said gently. "We're just going to figure some things out and find a place to stay. Everything will be okay." He comforted as he placed his hand on her shoulder.
Alicia sniffed and looked up at him. "But what if those men come back?" She sobbed.
"No one is going to hurt you, Alicia." Katy comforted.
"It's going to be okay. You have to trust me." Rich said. "Do you trust me?"
Alicia nodded.
Rich smiled and embraced her. "Why don't you go with Katy. We'll meet up in a couple of days."
Alicia nodded. Katy took her hand, and the group slowly exited. After brief good-byes, Katy, Joanne, Matt, and Alicia headed toward Professor Xavier's school.
~*~*~*
Joshua Thauton slowly opened his eyes and looked around the room. He was sitting in a chair and his hands were tied behind his back. The room was dimly lit, but Joshua knew it, only too well. He had been in the room many times before. He tried to struggle in the chair, but he failed to loosen the ropes. He sighed. He knew his mutation would not work because his captors had placed some kind of device on his arm. They had used it before to capture him.
"I'm glad to see you finally decided to join us." One man said as he walked into the room. The man was tall with dark brown hair and brown eyes. His face was aged and he had a scar from his left eye down to his lip. Joshua knew him as Edward Strofe.
"Let me go!" Joshua hissed.
"You know I can't do that Josh. We need to finish our project." Edward said.
"I won't let you use me as an experiment." Josh said angrily.
"The way I see it, you don't have a choice. We are going to learn how to make the most powerful mutant imaginable and you are going to help us."
"I will never help you." Josh said, his fists clenched tightly.
The man merely smirked. "You will help us. Whether you like it or not."
Joshua glared at him. "How did you find me?" He asked.
Edward smiled. "You should have known you couldn't escape us that easily, especially when we have a little help."
Joshua stared at him.
"Oh come now. You didn't think you could get rid of Stephen that easily, did you?" Edward mocked.
Joshua continued to stare. "He's not dead?"
"No, I'm very much alive. No thanks to you, Josh." Stephen said as he walked into the room.
Joshua looked the young boy over. His blond hair was shaved from his head. A visor was over his eyes, but Josh knew that beneath his visor, his eyes burned for revenge.
Stephen wore the visor because his eyes saw in an almost four-dimensional way. With them, he could see almost normally, but without them, he could see things that the naked eye could never see.
Edward smiled again. "Now let us begin!"
Chapter 3
The Choice
Scott sat at the table eating some breakfast. As Kurt and Kitty were arguing about who got the last muffin, he silently talked with Jean.
"Hey y'all. Isn't that the schoolhouse were Katy was at?" Rogue said as she came in the room and looked at the TV.
Everyone looked up.
"Turn it up!" Scott said quickly as he saw the schoolhouse in flames.
"This image was taken late last night." The TV reporter said. "Police reports said no one was found inside the house; however, two people were found dead in the woods nearby. Reports say one of them had been shot. Cause of this incident is still unknown. More details will be given later in the day."
Jean gasped. "I hope they're all alright." She said.
"We should see if we can find them." Scott said. "They might need our help."
"That's a good idea, Scott." Professor Xavier said as he entered the room. "In fact Cerebro just found two of them by a coffee shop not too far from here."
"We'll go there right away, Professor." Scott said.
Twenty minutes later, Scott, and Jean got in the car and started driving to the Java Junction, thirty minutes away.
~*~*~*
Katy silently walked through the city. Sean walked by her side holding Alicia. The realization of the situation had not even fully hit. It was as if their minds could not comprehend what happened. Sean walked into the Java Junction and took a seat near Rich and the others. At first, everyone was silent.
Rich sighed. "So where should we go?" He asked.
"I still think we should go to Professor Xavier's school. At least till we can find a place." Katy said.
"No way. I am not stepping foot in that place. I will not be anywhere near someone who believes humans and mutants can live together. Not after humans killed Megan and the professor." Jake said immediately, anger present in his voice.
The thought of Megan and the Professor almost brought tears back to Katy's eyes.
"Where are we suppose to go then?" Matt spoke up.
"My parents don't live too far from here." Audrey said. "We could go there."
Rich nodded. "I think that will be good for now. We will see if they will take us in for a few days." Rich looked over at Katy. "Agreed?"
Katy looked up at him. "And what if they don't take us in? What then? We go door to door, seeing if someone will let us in?" Katy said, anger now present in her voice. "Think of Alicia and Aaron. Is that the kind of life you want them to live?"
"It's better than learning how to protect humans." Jake said angrily.
Katy glared at him, but said nothing.
"Look, I don't have all the answers." Rich said, trying to calm the tension. "But we need to find some place. Audrey's idea is the best. We'll move on from there." Rich suggested.
Katy shook her head.
"Your parents sent you away because you were a mutant, right Audrey?" Joanne asked. As Audrey slowly nodded Joanne continued. "Then what makes you think they will take all ten of us in?"
Audrey sighed. "I don't know."
"It's at least worth a try." Rich said. "It's the best idea yet."
"Why are you being so stubborn, Rich?" Katy asked. "There is a place we can at least stay for a little while and yet you refuse to go there."
"Look it's obvious we all have different opinions." Jake said. "So I have a new idea. How about whoever wants to be a fool and go with Katy to Professor Xavier's school just go. Otherwise we find a new place."
"What are you suggesting? That we split up?" Joanne asked.
"Exactly! If Katy wants to go, I say let her." Jake replied.
Rich sighed. "Let's take a vote. All in favor of going to Professor Xavier's school, raise your right hand."
Katy raised her hand, followed by Matt and Joanne.
Rich sighed again. "Fine you three go to his school. The rest of us will go to Audrey's house." He said as he stood.
Katy shook her head. She did not want the group to separate, but there seemed to be no other way.
"Keep in contact then Rich." Katy said, sadly. "You have my cell phone number."
Rich nodded and turned to leave. Audrey quickly hugged Joanne and Katy and went with him. Rich looked back and still saw Alicia sitting at the table. Her head was down and Rich was not even sure she had heard the conversation.
"Alicia," Rich said gently. "Are you coming with us?"
Alicia didn't even look up. "I don't want our group to separate." She said in a muffled tone. "What if we never see each other again?"
Katy sat down on the chair near Alicia and placed a hand on her head in comfort. Rich bent down by her.
"We're just separating for a little while, Alicia." Rich said gently. "We're just going to figure some things out and find a place to stay. Everything will be okay." He comforted as he placed his hand on her shoulder.
Alicia sniffed and looked up at him. "But what if those men come back?" She sobbed.
"No one is going to hurt you, Alicia." Katy comforted.
"It's going to be okay. You have to trust me." Rich said. "Do you trust me?"
Alicia nodded.
Rich smiled and embraced her. "Why don't you go with Katy. We'll meet up in a couple of days."
Alicia nodded. Katy took her hand, and the group slowly exited. After brief good-byes, Katy, Joanne, Matt, and Alicia headed toward Professor Xavier's school.
~*~*~*
Joshua Thauton slowly opened his eyes and looked around the room. He was sitting in a chair and his hands were tied behind his back. The room was dimly lit, but Joshua knew it, only too well. He had been in the room many times before. He tried to struggle in the chair, but he failed to loosen the ropes. He sighed. He knew his mutation would not work because his captors had placed some kind of device on his arm. They had used it before to capture him.
"I'm glad to see you finally decided to join us." One man said as he walked into the room. The man was tall with dark brown hair and brown eyes. His face was aged and he had a scar from his left eye down to his lip. Joshua knew him as Edward Strofe.
"Let me go!" Joshua hissed.
"You know I can't do that Josh. We need to finish our project." Edward said.
"I won't let you use me as an experiment." Josh said angrily.
"The way I see it, you don't have a choice. We are going to learn how to make the most powerful mutant imaginable and you are going to help us."
"I will never help you." Josh said, his fists clenched tightly.
The man merely smirked. "You will help us. Whether you like it or not."
Joshua glared at him. "How did you find me?" He asked.
Edward smiled. "You should have known you couldn't escape us that easily, especially when we have a little help."
Joshua stared at him.
"Oh come now. You didn't think you could get rid of Stephen that easily, did you?" Edward mocked.
Joshua continued to stare. "He's not dead?"
"No, I'm very much alive. No thanks to you, Josh." Stephen said as he walked into the room.
Joshua looked the young boy over. His blond hair was shaved from his head. A visor was over his eyes, but Josh knew that beneath his visor, his eyes burned for revenge.
Stephen wore the visor because his eyes saw in an almost four-dimensional way. With them, he could see almost normally, but without them, he could see things that the naked eye could never see.
Edward smiled again. "Now let us begin!"