Chapter 5: Raging Waters Part 2: The Story for New York

Each city on Earth possessed an aqueduct system similar to Ancient Rome as a means of easily having access to free water, one of the only good choices Nur had made.

Jean's way of getting to New York was taking the Bayville aqueduct to the adjacent New York aqueduct.

"Captain Scott to the rescue!" Scott called out.

"I vanna be captain!" Kurt complained.

"Me too!" Alex called out happily.

"They'll be okay, won't they?" Moira asked Charles as they watched the children and Hank head off.

"Of course." Charles said with a kind smile. "When I was a kid, we did it all the time."

()()()()()

Back on the aqueduct, Hank jokingly bopped Kurt in the head with the bread that hid the New York story.

"Stop with the splashing." Hank said with a smile. "I've already had one bath today, and I'm not taking another."

"Oh yeah?" Jean smirked as they reached the end of the aqueduct, which turned out to be a foot away from the New York aqueduct, and they all fell to the pool at the bottom as a guard was investigating a grate.

"That's three fish, seven rocks, one sandal-" The guard said as the kids splashed down. "And approximately 356 pounds of assorted children."

The guard helped the kids out as he said cockily, "No, no, this won't do at all. Children playing in the aqueduct. As aqueduct inspector, I'm afraid it's my duty to give you all a citation."

"Yes sir." Hank said quickly as he took the new citation, not wanting to cause a ruckus when they had more important places to be. "Won't happen again, sir."

Hank then turned to the kids and whispered, "Let's get out of here."

As Hank turned, he bumped into a young man about his age with red eyes wearing a brown trench coat.

"A bit old to be playing in the aqueduct, aren't ya, mon frère?" The man asked.

"Who me?" Hank asked nervously. "We were uh…"

"We're not playing." Jean said quickly. This kid was fast on her feet. "We're junior Praetorian water scouts, and he's our troop leader."

Scott, Kurt, and Alex quickly followed suit and raised their hands.

"I am?" Hank asked before quickly accepting the story. "I mean, I am!"

"Uh-huh." The man said. "What's that you've got behind your back?"

"Bread!" Fred said as Hank just noticed him. Fred was sure to taste it if he let him, and Hank knew their cover would be blown big time if that happened. "I'll take some of that."

"No!" Hank said quickly as he pulled the bread away before Fred took it and bit into it, revealing the scroll as Fred rubbed his face.

"Wow. This bread's kinda stale." Fred said as the man took the scroll out and looked at it.

"So you're one o' those Christians." The man said. "I've never met one in person."

Hank then rushed forward and grabbed the scroll.

"Halt!" The man called out.

"You'll never take me alive!" Hank called out when the man held up a card that was glowing with pink energy. "Of course if you want to take me alive, we could work it that way too."

"Take him to the Imperial Palace in New York." The man said. "Pharaoh will wanna interrogate him."

"Of course he will." Fred said plainly. "Just before he feeds him to the lions."

()()()()()

At the mansion, Jean and Alex had rushed in and told Charles and Moira about Hank being taken by the guards.

"And I think they took him to the palace." Jean said urgently. "Then Scott and Kurt went after him."

"Oh this is terrible!" Charles called out. "We've gotta cook up a way of getting Henry out of the palace!"

Charles' use of the word "cook" suddenly caused something to snap in Moira's mind.

"Cook up a way." Moira said with a smile. "That's it!"

"Huh?" Charles asked.

"Don't just stand there!" Moira said as she quickly tossed aprons to Charles, Jean, and Alex. "We've got a lot of baking to do!"

"Moira, what does baking have to do with rescuing Henry?" Charles asked.

"Don't you remember?" Moira asked. "Nur's famous for his sweet tooth!"

"Of course!" Charles called out. "Come on everyone. You heard Moira. We've got a lot of baking to do."

"But what will we bake?" Jean asked. Charles and Moira were teachers, so she had a limited idea of what the two could make that would help get Hank out of prison.

"A feast for a king, my dear." Charles said with a smile as he took out some dough and flour. "A feast for a king."

()()()()()

At Nur's New York palace, which he spent most of his time in, Mesmero announced him to several senators.

"Live from Pharaoh's palace, it's the incredible, En Sabah Nur!" Mesmero called out as Nur walked out.

"Welcome to this meeting." Nur said. "I have called you here for a rare treat. Mesmero, call Remy LeBeau."

"LeBeau!" Mesmero called out as Nur's favorite soldier, Remy LeBeau walked out holding Hank, who'd been bound up with adamantium chains, stopping him from escaping.

"Now Remy, how did you capture this young man?" Nur asked.

"We found this Christian near the aqueduct, Pharaoh." Remy said simply. "He was carryin' this scroll."

"You know Christian; I never understood the logic in you people throwing away your lives for the sake of a Jewish carpenter who died 2,000 years ago." Nur said plainly, which only made Hank angry.

"He's not dead!" Hank called out. "And all over the world, billions like me wait for the day he will return and your empire will end."

"You are in for a long wait." Nur said with a sneer. "Remy, what's on the scroll?"

"Some kind of story, Pharaoh." Remy said plainly and in the same tone as Nur. "About this Jesus of theirs."

"Well that should be entertaining." Nur said. "Read us your little story, Christian. Who knows? Perhaps you'll convert us all."

Everyone laughed, and Hank could feel the anger boiling inside of him like lava.

"You heard En Sabah Nur." Remy said plainly. "Read."

"You don't wanna hear the story!" Hank shouted out. "You just want to make fun of it! I will not dishonor my lord for your entertainment."

"I am your lord, Christian!" Nur shouted, as angry as Hank. "Read the story, I command you!"

"I'd rather die!" Hank shouted back.

"As you wish." Nur said with a smirk. "But first I must find out what you're dying for. Remy, what does it say?"

"It starts with Jesus and his disciples at the sea of Galilee, Pharaoh." Remy said as he unrolled the scroll.

"Well go on and read it." Nur said.

"'That evening, Jesus turned to his disciples and said, "Come, let's cross over to the other side."'" Remy began. "'During the voyage, Jesus rested on the floor of the boat, but before long, a furious storm came up, and terrible waves began to break over the bow of the disciples' boat, filling it with water.

"'"Master!" One of the disciples called out. "Please wake up! Don't you care if we drown?"

"'Jesus awoke and went to the edge of the boat as he turned to the disciples and said, "Silence." Before he turned to the sea and shouted, "Be quiet!" And upon his command, the wind died down until the sea was completely calm.

"'Jesus then turned to his disciples and asked, "Why were you frightened? Do you still not trust me?"

"'And they turned to one another and said, "What sort of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?'"

Remy stopped reading and starred inquisitively at Hank along with everyone else in the room. Hank starred back at Remy and was surprised to see a spark in the center of his red eyes.

"Well what are you all staring at?" Nur asked, obviously unmoved. "I never heard such a ridiculous, illogical story in my entire life. It's completely absurd!"

"Oh yes, Pharaoh." Mesmero said oily. "Absolutely absurd. No doubt about it. In fact, I'd have to say on a scale from one to-"

"Shut up, Mesmero!" Nur snapped.

"Yes sir." Mesmero said timidly.

"DESTROY THE SCROLL AT ONCE!" Nur shouted.

"Yes Pharaoh." Remy said calmly.

"And as for this wretch, I want him thrown to the lions at the games tomorrow." Nur said as he starred at Hank. "He shall be an example to the entire planet of how we deal with Christians!"

Nur laughed maniacally as Hank was carried away.