"We understand that we should leave but as you can see we're accompanying Jenifur, the cat." Billy pointed. He wondered when he became the official spokesperson of their group but Bob couldn't be bothered, and like that Megan could articulate herself as good as he was – they're in weeb territory in the sense that this was the appearance of a new character.
Ooh, since when did I get so meta? I ain't mad at myself though.
"Isn't that right, Jenifur?"
The cat in question ignored him and merely licked her paw and gave a cute meow.
"You take me as a fool then?" This woman raised a hand and–
"Ew," Billy imagined the face Megan made when she said that because from the woman's palm came… "bones?"
"I will give you one last warning: Leave."
The cat made a sound that grabbed everyone's attention and ran towards the woman and deeper into the tunnels.
"The cat's getting away…" Megan whispered under her breath.
"We just need to get the cat, okay? No need to-huh?"
Bob lunged to the woman, his presence seeping out from his pores.
"Bob, wait! Stop!"
The woman met Bob head on. Out from her palm launched three shards of… bones? That's definitely something going to make Billy queasy for a few weeks but yes… shards of bones came out in succession, firing like bullets to Bob.
Fortunately, Bob had the reflexes to dodge the projectiles. "Go, just focus on getting the cat and then we can leave!"
"But-"
"Do you want to finish the request or not?" Bob cut him.
For the first time, Billy realized that maybe getting his video game wasn't worth it. He was just about to say to just leave the woman alone when he felt someone grab his arm and drag him forward.
"Well, what are you waiting for, you weirdo, let's go!" Megan's eyes were just as pink as her hair, "C'mon, Jenifur's getting away!"
Reluctantly at first, Billy let Megan lead him.
The two ran for as long as they could, until Billy's lungs gave out. Megan noticed that unlike the boy in front of her who was gasping for air, Megan was just merely tired but not out of breath.
"What are you… like the Terminator?" Billy asked with a cough when Megan started to drag him by the arm again.
"The more time we're idle, the farther Jenifur becomes."
"J-just… let me… take a break… for a second…" The boy said between whizzes.
"Well, can you hurry?" Megan crossed her arms. At the back of her mind, she was really astounded that she appeared to have more stamina than this boy.
"Why aren't you even out of breath, we've been running for like, God-knows how long."
At the Academy, she always felt like everyone else took the Danger Room simulations more seriously, which made them athletes in Megan's head. She was only able to truly realize now that all the things Professor Logan made them do was actually for their benefit.
"I'm a mutant."
"You say that like that explains everything."
"A mutant at the Academy."
"Like the Academy? The one that has all those weird rumors that the mutants there are child soldiers?"
"We're not child soldiers." Megan started to briskly walk seeing as Billy was no longer out of breath. "We're mastering our mutant abilities."
"How is that not the same?" Billy followed suit, trying to keep up, but failing horribly. While this girl power walked like an athlete, Billy was almost running with his pace.
"You have to know the limits of your powers before you're able to master them. By understanding that, you are able to harness, use, improve, and most importantly, control them." Wait, how am I remembering all this? I thought Professor Jean's class in mutant mastery was some values education class that one can simply bluff their way out by being prissy. Am I secretly that good of a student? No, that's probably not it.
"I don't get it."
"Think of it this way, what if you had the power to read the mind of someone." Omg, I'm using Professor Jean's example. Who am I? Who is she? "By that definition it's an invasion of privacy. It's actually the first thing one of my professors there drills to telepaths the moment they enter her class. But we're getting sidetracked. If you could read minds, does that mean you could only read the minds of people? How many people? Is it only to people? Can you see through their memories? Can you read what they're feeling? How about the minds of animals? Is this power something that's always on? How does your mind reading work? Like sound where you could hear the thoughts of everyone near you? If so, why can't you push out their thoughts?"
Megan let that thought sink in to Billy. "If you try to understand your powers, you're also learning to control it. Besides, wouldn't it be better to do it in a controlled environment with people who are more experienced than you? I understand why it's so easy to misunderstand the mission and vision of my school because there is a fine line between mastering your powers and using it to your advantage. In order to live your mutant life in full control of your powers that is fully integrated in the normal world, one must train and hone their powers in such a way that it does not only harm others but also doesn't harm you."
And that's it. My last 3 brain cells are tired.
"You actually learn those things at the Academy?" Billy asked in disbelief.
"Yeah…" Megan was thankful that they were in a tunnel surround in darkness, the only light source being the flashlight of their smart phones. "Besides, better be proficient in controlling your power than ending up as soot like those things in the news."
The two walked in silence before Megan noticed something ahead. "Is that light?"
"In the underground tunnels of New York?" Billy was also in disbelief. The tunnel here only went in a straight line. There was no left or right turn.
Also, as they neared they could hear… "Voices? No… chatter?"
The light at the end of the tunnel was getting unbearably bright. The GPS in Megan's phone still clearly told them that they were still in the city but…
"This is a city. Underneath the city."
What they were looking at was a thriving urban city. Made of used cardboard boxes, barrels and crates. Houses and houses made from makeshift materials like rope, plastic and scraps of cloth. Instead of light posts, make-shift fires contained in steel barrels line what would have been the city's streets. And the people…
"They're mutants. Like me." But you would be hard-pressed to look for mutants that resembled a 'normal' human. Skin colors that were in the rainbow spectrum, having more than two arms, scaly skin, enlarged body parts; no one looked like the average person.
"Well, I guess we should go in, Megan." the girl then grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him back.
"Looking like that?" Megan pointed at him.
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing? Are they gonna hate be because I wear anime merch?"
"No, idiot. I'm pointing at you."
"At me?"
"Yes, at you."
"And that's a problem because?"
"You look normal."
"Okay?"
"I'm a mutant. And while I don't speak for every mutant, I know what every mutant on the surface has been through. Constantly being stared at and being noticed. Mutants, because of years of social pressures, are conditioned to be hypersensitive about their outer appearances."
"Uhm… are you getting all SJW on me?"
"Wha-no. You're not getting my point: you go in there looking like a freakin' CW actor, everyone's gonna notice you and probably alert the same people like that bone lady."
Billy looked at Megan like she grew an extra head before saying, "Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry. It's no wonder I suck at Assassin's Creed."
"Here," from Megan's backpack, she pulled out the beanie that Jenifur tried to steal earlier. "Wear this."
Billy grabbed it and was about to wear it until he took a whiff of its smell. "Ew, no. I'm not gonna wear this. This smells like death."
"Well, we can call that your mutant powers."
"BO is not a mutant power."
"Well, now it is. So unless you want to stay here, be my guest."
"Fine." Billy took a deep breath before ceremoniously wearing the article of clothing. "I just felt an actual shiver run down my spine. Urgh-"
"Yeah, yeah. C'mon now."
Mirajane heard the 'ding!' of the elevator before stepping out of it. Due to the nature of her responsibilities, she barely has any more free time. Between running this hotel and being hands-on with the [Guild] business, there was barely any free time for her – especially since she used that free time to try to get home. Despite the resources she was able to gather, time is now something she severely lacked.
"Baekho," at any given moment, she was accompanied by Ted, Bob or Baekho. "Any updates on that thing?"
"Well, the person who took the request said that it's going to take just a little bit more time."
Billy was getting stared at. He was very self-aware that people were looking at him.
"They're staring."
"Stating the obvious."
But none of the mutants there made any move against them. Billy was half tempted to turn back when he heard a scuffle from the side.
"It's that cat!"
Ignoring the few people that looked at them, Billy grabbed on Megan's wrist and dragged her to the cat's direction.
"Jenifur!"
The cat in question was talking to a tabby cat.
"Are you well?" Jenifur's voice was inquisitive but also worried.
"I am, your meowjesty. I am fortunate enough to be safe from harm. I have heard from the neighboring cats and they have suffered more than me."
"That is a problem. My kingdom is under attack and we have no means of defending ourselves, or even knowing what this threat is, meow."
"What's happening?" Billy asked as he joined the conversation.
The tabby cat saw Billy and hissed at him, "Human!"
Jenifur wagged her tail, "It is okay, they're magic."
"But…"
"It's okay. They're–"
"Look out!" The tabby cat ran to Jenifur and tackled her.
Everything flashed for a moment, and then there was heat.
Billy and Megan had no idea what happened but the next thing they saw were the crates and cardboard boxes around them were in flames.
"Your majesty, are you okay?" The tabby cat stood guard in front of something in front of them.
"Yes, thank you. You have saved me." Jenifur took a moment to get her balance before facing the direction of where the tabby cat stood.
Billy looked forward and saw… a dog? It looked like a dog. It had dark fur but purely red eyes. Like their eyes were made out of smooth rubies.
"What is that?"
"A lesser demon," Jenifur commented. "Are these what's hunting down my cats?"
"What is a lesser demon?" Billy asked.
"We have to run!" Megan said because the dog(?) made a dash for them. Also mutants around them doesn't seem to notice the thing. In fact, their attention was focused on the two of them – pointing fingers and asking them why they started burning their homes.
"Let's go!"
The group was now being chased. By the dog(?) and an angry mob of mutants.
Megan was worried especially since Billy was not as athletic as her. They've been running for quite some time now and Billy's just about to give. The two cats ran with them, concentrated on running away from the dog.
The tunnel they were running through as they distanced themselves from the underground city was getting darker, which was good because that meant that if the opportunity arose, they could simply hide in the shadows, but they had to worry about the dog.
Going by realistic standards: that dog could probably smell them even through the darkness.
They'd need a miracle to get out of this place.
"Where are we?" Megan's phone battery has died, leaving Billy's phone the only thing lighting up the darkness. New York tunnels, at least this side of the city was seriously wider than expected. In fact, it was so wide that an angry mob of mutants fit here.
"Follow us…" Jenifur's voice was steady, despite running. She was ahead of the group followed by the tabby cat.
The four entered a domed area that felt like they were underneath an intersection. It was still dark but with the mob of mutants carrying literal torches, the room was starting to grow brighter.
"There!" Billy pointed at a steel ladder. He pushed Megan towards the ladder and made her climb it. Billy followed suit after grabbing Jenifur and the tabby cat and balanced them over his shoulders.
It was a good thing that darkness worked both ways: while they slowed Megan and Billy from getting away, it was also what made it easy for them to lose the angry mob. It was especially lucky that the mutants in the mob have yet to use their powers. It was stupidly lucky that no mutant there had the convenient power of tracking them.
Above the canal, Megan and Billy watched as the mob went into the opposite direction.
"But…"
"…the dog."
Jenifur and the tabby cat looked forward, ever vigilant with their stride. "That demon's trying to catch our scent."
"Oh no."
"Let us go." The tabby cat turned and began walking away.
"Yeah, we should."
With quiet but hurried steps, Billy and Megan slipped into the darkness.
"So where do we go from here?" Megan asked.
"We go to the safest place we know." The tabby cat answered.
"The Academy?" the pinkette asked.
"To the city's ruler." Jenifur said, without pause. "That demon was a thrall. It answers to someone. We need to inform our ruler that her city's under attack."
"But isn't our ruler a demon too?" the tabby cat asked.
"…makes her all the more the true solution to our problem. She may be kind but she's still a demon. A demon encroaching on another's domain? Ha!"
"Perhaps we should get out of this place, don't you agree, your meowjesty?"
"But what about Bob?" Megan asked.
"We're too far off that we can't go back to him, meow." The tabby cat said.
"Besides, I doubt someone like him would go down that easily." Jenifur huffed proudly before walking into the darkness.
"I guess." Billy said. A man like Bob who exuded that type of air just wouldn't go down that easily. "So how do you suppose we get out of here?" He brought out his phone and turn on his flash light. "Twenty percent left. We need to get back to the surface or we'll be in the dark."
The group continued on from there journey, making sure to avoid any more of those dogs(?) and the mob of mutants.
By the time they saw their first ladder, Billy's phone battery was at ten percent. "Thank God."
Megan shushed him–too late.
Pat-pat, Pat-pat, Pat-pat–
"What's that sound?"
"It means we should hurry and get out of here." Jenifur said, jumping onto the boy's shoulder.
Billy, by instinct, faced the flash light to the direction.
In the distance, there were four, five, six(!) small red beads glowing in the dark. Three demons?
"C'mon, let's go already!" Megan grabbed him by the sleeve.
The two ran for the ladder. "Climb already!"
"Don't rush me; we need to carry the cats too!"
Billy was first to reach the ladder, with Jenifur in his shoulder. Megan arrived a few seconds later. She pushed Billy to go first because the Tabby cat jumped for his other shoulder.
"Can these demons climb ladders?" Billy asked, getting into the rhythm of climbing up.
"Guess we'll have to find out." Megan said.
Down below, even through the darkness, Megan could see these dogs. Not that she could use her sight to see them, because it was totally dark, but those things that hummed in the air felt more pronounced and energized. Like the air was humming. Billy's amulet made it easier because it dulled the sensation but even dulled it felt strong.
"They're catching up to us." Jenifur said.
How something so quadrupedaled could climb ladders was beyond Megan but she could agree to Jenifur because she sensed it.
"We need to distract it someow."
Megan was out of options. She had to do it. "Lemme try." Steadying herself, a hand to firmly grip the metal bars of the ladder, Megan rubbed the fingers of her other hand on her palm.
This was what made her not just an anthropomorphic mutant. She was a mutant with other abilities. By rubbing her palms, she was able to create a substance often described as dust. Combined with her X-Men codename, her peers called it…
"Pixie dust. I hope this works." When she felt that there was a small amount on her palm, Megan blew it downwards, towards the demons.
The primary use of her power, pixie dust, was to distract. Those who knew her power, because she rarely showed it (because a girl being able to basically create dirt was just ew), it had the effect of distracting them by showing hallucinations.
"What'ja do?" Billy asked.
"Distracted them." If unicorns and teddy bears were distracting enough for demons. Why is my power so tumblr and weird.
Fortunately, a second later, disgruntled grunts were heard down below.
"Did it work?"
"Just keep climbing. We'll know when we're outta here."
A few more seconds of climbing, "that's the top but it's covered."
"Allow me." Jenifur said. There was a ball of fur that launched from Billy's shoulder.
-pang!-
That was the sound of the manhole cover as it flew into the air like a coin being tossed.