A/N: Too bad you won't learn what Hank discovered in this chapter. It will come in eventually but for the moment it's going to remain hidden; this is the next day and picks up with the children's day. Not really children, though, are they? Both of these reactions happen at the same time; this will show two different reactions to ONE event.
JANUARY 22, 2005 5:52 p.m.
"Someone want to remind me what we're doing here?" Russ bounced the basketball he'd picked up, randomly, from the sidwalk. It made a hollow smacking sound against the pavement. He tossed it down several more times then looked up.
"Since it's the seventh time in four hours then I guess we don't have a choice, huh? There's been several mutant sightings around the area in the last few months...Logan just wants us to check around and find some information,"Angel replied, replacing her sunglasses to avoid looking at either him or the bright sunlight.
"Information, information, information. Don't we ever get any field action?"Corey scowled from his place on the other side of the road. He kicked a can and sent it scittering into traffic. "What are they so afraid of?"
She shrugged and kicked the basketball, forcing Russ to run after it. He ran, yelling at it to 'stop'. "Maybe because not everyone will get involved with field work...?"
His response was as clipped as hers. "If it was a good cause, I'd get involved."
"Oh, for the love of all things good and holy..!"
Why didn't I agree to go with the intelligent two? Tara at least doesn't argue about the importance of events from weeks go and Kellie's alright company. Maybe they're not having the greatest time either since they have to carry around that transistor with Julius' mug on it.
Russ caught up to his basketball then grabbed it, dribbling it several times. Shouting and voices drew his attention away from his pretend game; he whistled behind him.
Angel was the first to reply through his mind. ~Have you found something?~
~There's alot of commotion up ahead. Speed it up and we'll check it out...~he answered then stopped to toss the basketball against the nearby half-wall. To anyone else he would have looked like a street wise kid with nothing better to do than chunk a ball at a wall all day. His teammates knew differently; he'd already 'charged' the ball.
Corey crossed the street at the same moment when Angel reached his side, removing her sunglasses. She worked to clean them off on her shirt a moment then replaced them, staring into the distance.
"Don't get over dramatic right now,"Russ warned as they made their way toward a large crowd of people.
There were people of every age from early stages of childhood up until middle age. Black, white, mexicans, everything. Blonde hair. Red. Electric blue. Black. Earrings. No earrings with tattoos. Earrings with tattoos. It was as if one big event was about to happen that concerned all of these people. The crowd was mostly men but there were quite a few women through the crowd, screaming right alone with the others.
Bunch of lunatics, he thought with a scowl toward the people. He pushed his way through several people then waited until the other two caught up. Angel had taken a tight grip on Corey's wrist as if to keep him there; obviously, she sensed something else from him.
"Is this a good idea, Russ? I think this might bring back...memories,"she said, emphasizing the word with a tilt of her head toward Corey. The gesture was not lost in his quick reaction.
"I'm not a child, Angel. This doesn't affect me...I'm fine."
She released his wrist. "Suit yourself. Hey, what's going on?"she asked, catching onto a random stranger, a guy around their age with spiked electric blue hair, and looking up at him. "Why's everyone gathered here?"
He looked down at her with little to no interest for a moment. His expression changed suddenly into an expression of dark turbulance. "Punishment. The senator's men promised that there would be a public hanging today...a public mutant hanging. It's drawn quite a crowd, hasn't it?"
Russ noticed her voice wasn't quite so strong when she spoke. There was a slight tremble to it and she backed away from the guy, releasing his arm. "I hadn't heard. Is there anything known about this...mutant?"she asked with as much interest as possible. "What's his or her crime?"
"Does it matter? Mutants are the lowest beings on the earth."
Corey stepped up to her side. He spoke, quietly,"We need to go, dear."
There was hesitance for a moment then she nodded. Her expression hadn't changed throughout the change; she still glowered, fiercly, at the young man. She allowed Corey to pull her away but it wasn't an easy task with one hand clenched into a fist and her breathing too shallow.
"Don't cause a scene."
"I won't. Wait..! Something's happening."
Sure enough as she'd spoken, several figures had approached and mounted the stages. The first two were men around Gambit's age with war paint and commando clothing along with heavy rifles held in two hands. The third man appeared closer to Logan's age but his hands were cuffed in front of him, his head was down, and there were healing scars and bruises over the exposed part of his body. A few more guards followed behind him with a similar appearance. When the cuffed man stopped, one of them drove the gun into his ribs hard, bringing him to his knees.
The crowd cheered.
Russ felt the change in Angel's persona more then saw her hand go to her mouth and her eyes close in pain. He wanted to help her but couldn't tear his gaze away from the scene before him.
What kind of people can do this?he thought, forgetting to mask his thoughts. He projectted them, unknowingly. This is wrong. Apparantly this man's done nothing...why's he being punished?
Some deeper part answered the rhetorical question.
Mutant. There was no greater crime within this time.
The man in the lead stepped forward to a strategically placed microphone. He bent close then spoke into it. "I assume you're all here for the hanging?" Cheers from his capive audience. "I'm sure some of you are wondering what his crime would be. It's alright to admit it..." Several nods and mumurs.
The electric blue-haired boy remained motionless through the proceedings, listening but never moving or screaming along with the crowd. He glanced at their small group several times but never spoke.
Corey tapped his shoulder then inclined his head toward Angel. She was standing completely still with one hand over her mouth and the other across her stomache, touching her left ribs, staring at the scene before them. Sweat had broken out across her forehead and every now and then she shivered. Corey, himself, didn't look much better.
"Take her back, Corey. I'll stay..."
At Corey's touch on her arm she jerked away. "Don't touch me,"she hissed with more the sound of a cat then a girl. She pushed her way forward to get a better view, though, her hands never moved more than an inch from their positions.
The electric blue-haired boy glanced their way. "Is something wrong?"
"Weak stomache,"he apologized, thrusting his hands into his pockets at the familiar burning. He left them there, waiting for the feeling to vanish; it didn't.
The noose was slipped around the man's neck then tightened slightly. One of the commandos took fun in continuously slamming his gun into the man's stomache until the one at the microphone said something. He stopped, abruptly, and rejoined the others. The leader again took up his position before the people as a great emperor addressing his people.
Someone stop this. Russ tightened his hands into fists but even that couldn't stop the pain. His reactions were worse off then the other two. He wanted to scream at the people. To hurt them as they were hurting this man. He couldn't have been too serious a problem if handcuffs so easily subdued him. What's wrong with you people? This is wrong. No one deserves this.
"...decision of the Senator on behalf of the state. It's a warning to mutants that run against the code of the state and those who help them. There's only one response to this-death by hanging. Begin." The man stepped back from the microphone.
And the rope was pulled. Angel's sunglasses fell and the tears could clearly be seen running down her face. The sickening sound of bones breaking filled the area, drawing more cheers from it's on lookers. Things were thrown forward onto the stage; several hit the man's lifeless body. None of the commandos moved to do anything about it.
Russ turned away, sickened. He shook his head to his teammates then walked away with the two of them in tow. The three slipped into one of the back alleys; silence reigned between them for all of five minutes before one spoke everyone's sentiment.
"Bastards."
Angel gradually came out of her trance. She wiped the sweat from her forehead then leaned against the wall, staring into space. The pained expression left her face only to be replaced by anger; no one spoke afterwards.
Two and a half members of their team were still missing. Maybe someone had been spared what they'd seen, maybe not.
JANUARY 22, 2005 5.52 p.m.
Tara tried her hardest to ignore the voices from her other side. Julius' was the most prominent while Kellie's was quiet but answering.
"Don't blame us cause you had to go and get your nose broken, Kanteon." Kellie turned the transmitor away from her and allowed him to watch the street view before them. Her steps never faltered despite the move.
What have I ever done to deserve this?Tara wondered, looking skyward despite her lack of religion. She tried to ignore the communications, knowing another confrontation about behavior was coming. I know I'm not the perfect child but even I don't deserve this much. There's got to be something wrong with this world.
"Hey, what's with that crowd? I can't see anything." Julius' whining voice filled the air. It had become whining whenever he grew irritated. Often as of recently. "What's going on? What's going on?"
"When we find out we'll let you know..." She shoved her way through the throng of people then made her way up to the far side of a large stage. Her gaze met nothing but a sea of people beyond and surrounding the stage until her gaze met on a parting within the crowd. Several figures moved up a long, straight path the crowd was making. "It's a crowd, Julius."
There was an irritated growl from the transmitor. "Tadpole, stop being a smart ass and figure out what you're suppoused to be,"Logan growled as his face appeared across the screen. He did not look pleased by their antics. His expression was darker then Julius' had ever gotten. "Have you learned ANYTHING yet?"
"Would we still be wandering through endless crowds if it were any different, Logan? Something's happening...be quiet until we figure it out."
Kellie clicked the transmittor off then both transported their attention to the opening in the crowd. The men had boarded the stage then one took to the microphone while the others stood nearby, holding their prisoner. Cheers and applause met his announcements and words. Things continued with cheering, talking, and finally the hanging of a mutant.
In an instant, a memory came forward in Tara's mind. It was old. It was buried. For the moment it was clear as though it played out before her eyes.
FLASHBACK
The circus was in town. Children and adults, alike, had turned out for the big event. Signs proclaimed anything one could think up in circus dreams. Alligators. Ring masters. Circus freaks. Clowns. Rings of fire with animals. A frog-child.
Garbage and half-eaten food items flew at the stage when the ring master led forward his favorite act-the frog child. It was his pride and joy, not to mention favorite punching bag.
The child was a small thing, maybe five years of age, with something like a chain around her neck. Maybe. Her body structure was smaller then most children, her hair was greenish brown and somewhat dirty and messily crossed over her head, and her clothes were tattered and too big for her. Her skin was like that of a frog but the eyes were the main part. Hazel eyes. Terrified. The child stared out at the crowd with a mixture of fear and panic.
"Who can guess what this is?"
The crowd gave no response except to yell,"What?"
"A mutant child. Would anyone care to see what she can do...?" More cheers from the audience. The man smiled, a devious smile, showing he recieved pleasure from this job, then made a mocking motion toward the child. "Presenting...Tadpole."
Things went from bad to worse in a few moments. The other circus workers and the crowd took joy in tormenting the child; the child, Tadpole, responded with fear and by struggling to get away. Her movements did no good against them. It only took a short amount of time to turn the child into a quivering thing upon the stage before them.
"That's enough!" The words were spoken from a stranger. He'd come from the crowd but his expression was not the good natured amusement of someone else's pain. His expression was fierce but there was a strange look to it whenever he encountered the child. "Leave her alone."
That's when a fatal mistake was made. The Ring Master made the mistake of flinging the whip he'd been using toward the man. It was caught within one of his hands at the same moment as claw-like structures made of metal came from his knuckles. Utter silence fell upon the stage and among the crowd.
Tadpole took the chance and retreated behind the man. She cowered there, quivering and shivering.
The rest was a blur until later in the day. The man hadn't given a name but had gotten her something to eat, some somewhat too large but decent clothes, then left her at some large building the next morning before she was fully awake. She remembered him saying something to her about "needing to go but she was safer now". It was a huge building with tons of women all overly concerned for her well-being; she had realized people were fake early on.
To her knowledge, the man had never resurfaced nor would he ever. He'd saved her, taken care of her, then abandoned her. Alone.
END FLASHBACK
"I remember. I know who he was..." Tara stared at the scene a moment then turned away, spotting their friends on the other side. She caught Kellie's wrist and pushed her way through the crowd, pushing them forward. Several people protested the move but it wasn't enough to stop her. "Move already!"
"Tara, there's no reason to get over dramatic....calm down."
"Just come on,"she scowled, shoving past an electric blue-haired boy who had begun walking away. For the briefest moment his eyes flashed yellow without pupils. She recoiled then shook her head when he was restored in the blink of an eye.
I imagined it. Over active imagination kicked into overdrive. There was nothing odd about him except maybe the hair, she thought while continuing to shove her way through.
Kellie finally caught her breathe when they reached their friends and/or teammates. She gasped for a moment then glanced at Tara, lifting an eyebrow.
"Where's the fire?"
"I needed to get out of that circle. You think that was the mutant action we were looking for?"Tara asked, quietly, glancing back toward the scene. She quickly turned away, sickened.
The human race was no longer even human. It had become animals.
Russ nodded. "I'd bet on it. Something's been going on to get these people in an uproar. Ready to head back...?" His gaze went to Corey's far-away expression and Angel's still emotionless yet tear streaked face.
Corey nodded.
"There's nuthin' else we can do. I'll pray for his spirit,"Angel said, quietly but began to walk with them. The crowds cheers and the sounds of their scuffles were fading behind them but the sight and sounds would never leave them. It would stay there for a long time until another, worse image, replaced it.
8:45 p.m.
"Hey, we're home!" Angel slammed the door with enough force to rattle several pictures on the walls and a vase in the hall.
Russ gave her a look. "Nice job. Want to bring down the house with your next words?"he asked, sounding much more irritated then when he'd originally started the drive home. His demeanor, including emotions, had gotten worse as the night fell closer.
"Sorry to disappoint you but no, Russ, darling."
"I'm going to go talk to Logan a moment and tell him what we found,"Tara said as way of excuse then slipped off from the group. Her foosteps barely made a sound across the floor but after a moment she was gone.
Why's everyone seem so weird? It was just a public hanging. Of a mutant. Angel pondered these thoughts but walked with Corey and Kellie toward the living room and it's voices.
The room held a feeling of unease, excitement, distrust, and suprise. It was a strange, usually unusual mix of emotions. She could sense Rogue's the strongest with distrust. Another unease.
Corey interrupted. "Hey, Rogue, didn't you hear us yell? We found....who's this?"
Kellie stopped walking and tried to look around him while Rogue simply stood, smiling.
"Where's Angel?"she questioned, looking among them.
Great, what have I done now? I haven't even been back long enough to cause a problem. This better not be about Julius agian.
Angel lifted her hand, tentatively if that was possible. She stepped around her friends then looked at Rogue. "Yes, Rogue? I'd really like to go upstairs and sleep..."
"Your uncle's watcher is here."
"Yay, who'd the great and powerful Veliction feel necessary to guard his precious neice?"she asked with more sarcasm than should have been legal in one sentence. She stepped forward into the room then her expression changed to one of shock then joy. "You!"
Corey and Kellie traded expressions then both raised an eyebrow toward her. "Who...?"
JANUARY 22, 2005 5:52 p.m.
"Someone want to remind me what we're doing here?" Russ bounced the basketball he'd picked up, randomly, from the sidwalk. It made a hollow smacking sound against the pavement. He tossed it down several more times then looked up.
"Since it's the seventh time in four hours then I guess we don't have a choice, huh? There's been several mutant sightings around the area in the last few months...Logan just wants us to check around and find some information,"Angel replied, replacing her sunglasses to avoid looking at either him or the bright sunlight.
"Information, information, information. Don't we ever get any field action?"Corey scowled from his place on the other side of the road. He kicked a can and sent it scittering into traffic. "What are they so afraid of?"
She shrugged and kicked the basketball, forcing Russ to run after it. He ran, yelling at it to 'stop'. "Maybe because not everyone will get involved with field work...?"
His response was as clipped as hers. "If it was a good cause, I'd get involved."
"Oh, for the love of all things good and holy..!"
Why didn't I agree to go with the intelligent two? Tara at least doesn't argue about the importance of events from weeks go and Kellie's alright company. Maybe they're not having the greatest time either since they have to carry around that transistor with Julius' mug on it.
Russ caught up to his basketball then grabbed it, dribbling it several times. Shouting and voices drew his attention away from his pretend game; he whistled behind him.
Angel was the first to reply through his mind. ~Have you found something?~
~There's alot of commotion up ahead. Speed it up and we'll check it out...~he answered then stopped to toss the basketball against the nearby half-wall. To anyone else he would have looked like a street wise kid with nothing better to do than chunk a ball at a wall all day. His teammates knew differently; he'd already 'charged' the ball.
Corey crossed the street at the same moment when Angel reached his side, removing her sunglasses. She worked to clean them off on her shirt a moment then replaced them, staring into the distance.
"Don't get over dramatic right now,"Russ warned as they made their way toward a large crowd of people.
There were people of every age from early stages of childhood up until middle age. Black, white, mexicans, everything. Blonde hair. Red. Electric blue. Black. Earrings. No earrings with tattoos. Earrings with tattoos. It was as if one big event was about to happen that concerned all of these people. The crowd was mostly men but there were quite a few women through the crowd, screaming right alone with the others.
Bunch of lunatics, he thought with a scowl toward the people. He pushed his way through several people then waited until the other two caught up. Angel had taken a tight grip on Corey's wrist as if to keep him there; obviously, she sensed something else from him.
"Is this a good idea, Russ? I think this might bring back...memories,"she said, emphasizing the word with a tilt of her head toward Corey. The gesture was not lost in his quick reaction.
"I'm not a child, Angel. This doesn't affect me...I'm fine."
She released his wrist. "Suit yourself. Hey, what's going on?"she asked, catching onto a random stranger, a guy around their age with spiked electric blue hair, and looking up at him. "Why's everyone gathered here?"
He looked down at her with little to no interest for a moment. His expression changed suddenly into an expression of dark turbulance. "Punishment. The senator's men promised that there would be a public hanging today...a public mutant hanging. It's drawn quite a crowd, hasn't it?"
Russ noticed her voice wasn't quite so strong when she spoke. There was a slight tremble to it and she backed away from the guy, releasing his arm. "I hadn't heard. Is there anything known about this...mutant?"she asked with as much interest as possible. "What's his or her crime?"
"Does it matter? Mutants are the lowest beings on the earth."
Corey stepped up to her side. He spoke, quietly,"We need to go, dear."
There was hesitance for a moment then she nodded. Her expression hadn't changed throughout the change; she still glowered, fiercly, at the young man. She allowed Corey to pull her away but it wasn't an easy task with one hand clenched into a fist and her breathing too shallow.
"Don't cause a scene."
"I won't. Wait..! Something's happening."
Sure enough as she'd spoken, several figures had approached and mounted the stages. The first two were men around Gambit's age with war paint and commando clothing along with heavy rifles held in two hands. The third man appeared closer to Logan's age but his hands were cuffed in front of him, his head was down, and there were healing scars and bruises over the exposed part of his body. A few more guards followed behind him with a similar appearance. When the cuffed man stopped, one of them drove the gun into his ribs hard, bringing him to his knees.
The crowd cheered.
Russ felt the change in Angel's persona more then saw her hand go to her mouth and her eyes close in pain. He wanted to help her but couldn't tear his gaze away from the scene before him.
What kind of people can do this?he thought, forgetting to mask his thoughts. He projectted them, unknowingly. This is wrong. Apparantly this man's done nothing...why's he being punished?
Some deeper part answered the rhetorical question.
Mutant. There was no greater crime within this time.
The man in the lead stepped forward to a strategically placed microphone. He bent close then spoke into it. "I assume you're all here for the hanging?" Cheers from his capive audience. "I'm sure some of you are wondering what his crime would be. It's alright to admit it..." Several nods and mumurs.
The electric blue-haired boy remained motionless through the proceedings, listening but never moving or screaming along with the crowd. He glanced at their small group several times but never spoke.
Corey tapped his shoulder then inclined his head toward Angel. She was standing completely still with one hand over her mouth and the other across her stomache, touching her left ribs, staring at the scene before them. Sweat had broken out across her forehead and every now and then she shivered. Corey, himself, didn't look much better.
"Take her back, Corey. I'll stay..."
At Corey's touch on her arm she jerked away. "Don't touch me,"she hissed with more the sound of a cat then a girl. She pushed her way forward to get a better view, though, her hands never moved more than an inch from their positions.
The electric blue-haired boy glanced their way. "Is something wrong?"
"Weak stomache,"he apologized, thrusting his hands into his pockets at the familiar burning. He left them there, waiting for the feeling to vanish; it didn't.
The noose was slipped around the man's neck then tightened slightly. One of the commandos took fun in continuously slamming his gun into the man's stomache until the one at the microphone said something. He stopped, abruptly, and rejoined the others. The leader again took up his position before the people as a great emperor addressing his people.
Someone stop this. Russ tightened his hands into fists but even that couldn't stop the pain. His reactions were worse off then the other two. He wanted to scream at the people. To hurt them as they were hurting this man. He couldn't have been too serious a problem if handcuffs so easily subdued him. What's wrong with you people? This is wrong. No one deserves this.
"...decision of the Senator on behalf of the state. It's a warning to mutants that run against the code of the state and those who help them. There's only one response to this-death by hanging. Begin." The man stepped back from the microphone.
And the rope was pulled. Angel's sunglasses fell and the tears could clearly be seen running down her face. The sickening sound of bones breaking filled the area, drawing more cheers from it's on lookers. Things were thrown forward onto the stage; several hit the man's lifeless body. None of the commandos moved to do anything about it.
Russ turned away, sickened. He shook his head to his teammates then walked away with the two of them in tow. The three slipped into one of the back alleys; silence reigned between them for all of five minutes before one spoke everyone's sentiment.
"Bastards."
Angel gradually came out of her trance. She wiped the sweat from her forehead then leaned against the wall, staring into space. The pained expression left her face only to be replaced by anger; no one spoke afterwards.
Two and a half members of their team were still missing. Maybe someone had been spared what they'd seen, maybe not.
JANUARY 22, 2005 5.52 p.m.
Tara tried her hardest to ignore the voices from her other side. Julius' was the most prominent while Kellie's was quiet but answering.
"Don't blame us cause you had to go and get your nose broken, Kanteon." Kellie turned the transmitor away from her and allowed him to watch the street view before them. Her steps never faltered despite the move.
What have I ever done to deserve this?Tara wondered, looking skyward despite her lack of religion. She tried to ignore the communications, knowing another confrontation about behavior was coming. I know I'm not the perfect child but even I don't deserve this much. There's got to be something wrong with this world.
"Hey, what's with that crowd? I can't see anything." Julius' whining voice filled the air. It had become whining whenever he grew irritated. Often as of recently. "What's going on? What's going on?"
"When we find out we'll let you know..." She shoved her way through the throng of people then made her way up to the far side of a large stage. Her gaze met nothing but a sea of people beyond and surrounding the stage until her gaze met on a parting within the crowd. Several figures moved up a long, straight path the crowd was making. "It's a crowd, Julius."
There was an irritated growl from the transmitor. "Tadpole, stop being a smart ass and figure out what you're suppoused to be,"Logan growled as his face appeared across the screen. He did not look pleased by their antics. His expression was darker then Julius' had ever gotten. "Have you learned ANYTHING yet?"
"Would we still be wandering through endless crowds if it were any different, Logan? Something's happening...be quiet until we figure it out."
Kellie clicked the transmittor off then both transported their attention to the opening in the crowd. The men had boarded the stage then one took to the microphone while the others stood nearby, holding their prisoner. Cheers and applause met his announcements and words. Things continued with cheering, talking, and finally the hanging of a mutant.
In an instant, a memory came forward in Tara's mind. It was old. It was buried. For the moment it was clear as though it played out before her eyes.
FLASHBACK
The circus was in town. Children and adults, alike, had turned out for the big event. Signs proclaimed anything one could think up in circus dreams. Alligators. Ring masters. Circus freaks. Clowns. Rings of fire with animals. A frog-child.
Garbage and half-eaten food items flew at the stage when the ring master led forward his favorite act-the frog child. It was his pride and joy, not to mention favorite punching bag.
The child was a small thing, maybe five years of age, with something like a chain around her neck. Maybe. Her body structure was smaller then most children, her hair was greenish brown and somewhat dirty and messily crossed over her head, and her clothes were tattered and too big for her. Her skin was like that of a frog but the eyes were the main part. Hazel eyes. Terrified. The child stared out at the crowd with a mixture of fear and panic.
"Who can guess what this is?"
The crowd gave no response except to yell,"What?"
"A mutant child. Would anyone care to see what she can do...?" More cheers from the audience. The man smiled, a devious smile, showing he recieved pleasure from this job, then made a mocking motion toward the child. "Presenting...Tadpole."
Things went from bad to worse in a few moments. The other circus workers and the crowd took joy in tormenting the child; the child, Tadpole, responded with fear and by struggling to get away. Her movements did no good against them. It only took a short amount of time to turn the child into a quivering thing upon the stage before them.
"That's enough!" The words were spoken from a stranger. He'd come from the crowd but his expression was not the good natured amusement of someone else's pain. His expression was fierce but there was a strange look to it whenever he encountered the child. "Leave her alone."
That's when a fatal mistake was made. The Ring Master made the mistake of flinging the whip he'd been using toward the man. It was caught within one of his hands at the same moment as claw-like structures made of metal came from his knuckles. Utter silence fell upon the stage and among the crowd.
Tadpole took the chance and retreated behind the man. She cowered there, quivering and shivering.
The rest was a blur until later in the day. The man hadn't given a name but had gotten her something to eat, some somewhat too large but decent clothes, then left her at some large building the next morning before she was fully awake. She remembered him saying something to her about "needing to go but she was safer now". It was a huge building with tons of women all overly concerned for her well-being; she had realized people were fake early on.
To her knowledge, the man had never resurfaced nor would he ever. He'd saved her, taken care of her, then abandoned her. Alone.
END FLASHBACK
"I remember. I know who he was..." Tara stared at the scene a moment then turned away, spotting their friends on the other side. She caught Kellie's wrist and pushed her way through the crowd, pushing them forward. Several people protested the move but it wasn't enough to stop her. "Move already!"
"Tara, there's no reason to get over dramatic....calm down."
"Just come on,"she scowled, shoving past an electric blue-haired boy who had begun walking away. For the briefest moment his eyes flashed yellow without pupils. She recoiled then shook her head when he was restored in the blink of an eye.
I imagined it. Over active imagination kicked into overdrive. There was nothing odd about him except maybe the hair, she thought while continuing to shove her way through.
Kellie finally caught her breathe when they reached their friends and/or teammates. She gasped for a moment then glanced at Tara, lifting an eyebrow.
"Where's the fire?"
"I needed to get out of that circle. You think that was the mutant action we were looking for?"Tara asked, quietly, glancing back toward the scene. She quickly turned away, sickened.
The human race was no longer even human. It had become animals.
Russ nodded. "I'd bet on it. Something's been going on to get these people in an uproar. Ready to head back...?" His gaze went to Corey's far-away expression and Angel's still emotionless yet tear streaked face.
Corey nodded.
"There's nuthin' else we can do. I'll pray for his spirit,"Angel said, quietly but began to walk with them. The crowds cheers and the sounds of their scuffles were fading behind them but the sight and sounds would never leave them. It would stay there for a long time until another, worse image, replaced it.
8:45 p.m.
"Hey, we're home!" Angel slammed the door with enough force to rattle several pictures on the walls and a vase in the hall.
Russ gave her a look. "Nice job. Want to bring down the house with your next words?"he asked, sounding much more irritated then when he'd originally started the drive home. His demeanor, including emotions, had gotten worse as the night fell closer.
"Sorry to disappoint you but no, Russ, darling."
"I'm going to go talk to Logan a moment and tell him what we found,"Tara said as way of excuse then slipped off from the group. Her foosteps barely made a sound across the floor but after a moment she was gone.
Why's everyone seem so weird? It was just a public hanging. Of a mutant. Angel pondered these thoughts but walked with Corey and Kellie toward the living room and it's voices.
The room held a feeling of unease, excitement, distrust, and suprise. It was a strange, usually unusual mix of emotions. She could sense Rogue's the strongest with distrust. Another unease.
Corey interrupted. "Hey, Rogue, didn't you hear us yell? We found....who's this?"
Kellie stopped walking and tried to look around him while Rogue simply stood, smiling.
"Where's Angel?"she questioned, looking among them.
Great, what have I done now? I haven't even been back long enough to cause a problem. This better not be about Julius agian.
Angel lifted her hand, tentatively if that was possible. She stepped around her friends then looked at Rogue. "Yes, Rogue? I'd really like to go upstairs and sleep..."
"Your uncle's watcher is here."
"Yay, who'd the great and powerful Veliction feel necessary to guard his precious neice?"she asked with more sarcasm than should have been legal in one sentence. She stepped forward into the room then her expression changed to one of shock then joy. "You!"
Corey and Kellie traded expressions then both raised an eyebrow toward her. "Who...?"