Chapter Fifteen: Sentinels
"Today is the first day that America takes a stand against the mutant terrorist. Today, we launch the Sentinels, mutant trackers and destroyers. We believe that this is going to be the most effective way to stop the mutant terrorists." The President said. "These Sentinels determine between mutant DNA and that of normal human beings. It is time that we took the matter of mutants into our own hands…"
I couldn't watch anymore. I flipped the collar of my jacket up for protection against the wind and moved on. I had nowhere to go. I was living in Charlotte with my aunt and uncle. It had been a month since I left New York. And I was living a pretty routine life. I went to a private school and I attended church with my aunt and uncle. I didn't have any friends. And I was pretty reluctant to consider my aunt and uncle as family. They lived in a large two story suburban house with a first floor master bedroom. Basically, they lived downstairs and I lived upstairs. It was almost like having my own apartment.
I walked to a small downtown café and ordered a small latte. I took my latte to a small park and sat with a book.
I could hear the playful laughter and the screams of children playing not too far away. Suddenly, that playful laughter turned to screams of fear. I looked up to see children running from a giant robot type thing. I should have run. It was a sentinel and I knew it. But here I was, frozen with fear. I could have done something. There was a fountain nearby. I could have distracted the sentinel so that it didn't hurt the innocent people. It was here for me. But I didn't do anything. I hesitated.
The sentinel got closer and I felt my heart rate speed up.
"Mutant DNA confirmed," a metallic voice said from the giant machine. That's when I finally started to run.
It chased me. For every one of its steps, I took seven. I wasn't going to be able to escape. But I knew that I had to lure it away from innocents. I found a small field and made a break for it. Then I realized that there was nothing I could do once I got there. I was running to my death. There was no water out there. Nothing I could use to my advantage. Nothing I could do. The sentinel grabbed me and lifted me off the ground.
"Begin annihilation," it said in its metallic voice. Its eyes began to glow red. I knew it was over.
Suddenly, I was no longer in the hand of the sentinel. Rather, I was standing in a tree next to a fuzzy blue boy. Instinctively, I screamed. He was startled and almost fell from the tree.
"You don't recognize me?" he said in a familiar voice. I scanned my brain for a match.
"Kurt?"
"Yeah! Nice to be remembered."
"Wait, you're a-"
"Yeah. I'm a mutant. And I'm here to save you." His smile was contagious.
"A little help here, Kurt!"
"Is that Scott?" I asked.
"Yeah. There are a lot more of us at that school in Bayville than you think. But now, I gotta run." He jumped from the tree and was gone before my eyes. I looked up to see him and Scott battle the sentinel. A black woman with white hair was floating in the sky and suddenly, it was lightening. Lightning struck the sentinel and his head fell off. Then it floated safely to the ground without hitting anyone. It was amazing. And they were all here to help me. My bleak outlook on mutants changed. As the decapitated sentinel fell to the ground.
Kurt teleported back into the tree.
"Come with me," he said, holding out his hand. Hesitantly, I took his hand and let him lead me to the others.
"Hello, Carson," said the professor. "It's a pleasure to see you again, though I had hoped we could have done so under less traumatic circumstances. Are you alright?"
Dumbfounded, I nodded.
"Good. Let me introduce you to the team. These are just a few of my students. This is Ororo Munroe," he said, pointing to the lady who had conjured up the lightning. "Also called Storm for obvious reasons. And I believe you've already met Kurt and Scott."
Again, I nodded.
"I'm sure that you have many questions for us and there will be ample time later for me to answer them. However, first, I believe that we should get out of here before more of the President's sentinels find us."
I suddenly found my voice.
"I don't want to go," I said.
"Carson, be reasonable," Scott said.
"Now, Scott," the professor intervened. "Carson has the right to make the choice." The he turned to me. "If you change your mind, you know where to find us," he said. And then they left.
All night, I fought with my conscience. It kept me awake, separating the pros and the cons. If I went and became an X-man, I would constantly have my neck on the line, risking my life for people who didn't appreciate it. I would be looked down on because I had an extravagant power. By the time I fell asleep, I had decided against going.
A/N: So this was a little bit longer... i hope you enjoyed. sorry for the long wait.