Chapter 16: Starlight Escape Part 1: Travel to New Jersey
Clark, Lois, and the kids were taking an uber to New Jersey as Jean looked outside to see the light.
"The stars are so bright." Jean noted in awe. Spending most of her life in New York, she'd never seen a truly starlit night like Charles had.
"A little too bright, Jean." Hank pointed out. "Nur's guards could spot us a mile away. We never should've taken this road in the first place."
"Don't worry, Hank." Charles assured his young friend. "Our friends in New Jersey assured me that if anyone can get us there, it's Wanda."
Hank looked at the driver's seat as Wanda Maximoff in the front seat, talking to the passenger side of it. Wanda had black hair that was cut short and bright green eyes.
"I don't see how." Hank responded. "She's as old as the hills, deaf as a stone, and she talks to the car."
"No, no, no, Regis!" Wanda argued to the dashboard. "We go left at the next junction. Not right!"
"Charles," Alex asked. "Why are we going all the way to New Jersey for a story meeting?"
"Because it's getting too dangerous in New York, Alex." Charles explained. "As more people become Christians, Nur sends more guards to catch us."
All of a sudden, there was a beeping sound from the dashboard.
"What's that, Regis?" Wanda asked. "Imperial guards? Well I sure don't sense any guards."
"Oh that's a relief." Hank groaned. "Wanda doesn't sense any-"
"Guards!" Kurt called out as he pointed out of the uber as several guards were following them on motorcycles.
"Guess you were right, Regis." Wanda said as she floored the acceleration pedal. "Hold on everybody!"
The car burst forward as the guards pursued them. Despite a few twists and turns, the guards were still coming up fast behind them.
"They're gaining on us!" Scott called out.
"Don't worry!" Wanda called out. "I'll lose them!"
"If you've got any tricks up your sleeves, you better use them right now!" Hank called out.
"Right?!" Wanda called out. "Only an idiot would go right with people right on his tail! We wanna go left… NOW!"
Wanda drove off the road down a steep hillside as the car began speeding out of control.
"Are you trying to get us killed?!" Hank called out.
"Sit down!" Wanda argued back as she took her hands off the wheel, and an indigo glow covered her hands.
Wanda moved the car up into the air and into a clearing surrounded by trees as she then sighed.
"Whoa." Everyone said.
"Yeah, what a ride!" Wanda sighed.
"Is everyone alright?" Charles asked.
"I think so." Moira responded.
Hank walked out and found that during the initial fall, one of the tires was badly damaged.
"Well the car's not." Hank groaned. "So much for the story meeting. We'll never make it to New Jersey now."
"Don't be so sure." Wanda said as she took out a spare tire from the trunk. "I said I was gonna get you guys to New Jersey, and I'm gonna do just that. Just give me an hour or so, and we'll be on our way again in no time."
"I'm cold…" Alex groaned.
"I think we can do something about that." Charles said with a smile.
()()()()()
Eventually, the group made a small fire to keep warm while Wanda worked on the car.
"Where'd the leaders in New Jersey find that old smuggler anyway?" Hank asked.
"No one knows much about Wanda." Charles explained. "But they do say she's traveled every road and footpath from here to Xandar."
"Hey, zere goes another one!" Kurt called out as he pointed up, and they all looked at the falling star.
"Why do stars fall, Charles?" Alex asked.
"I couldn't tell you, Alex." Charles said with a chuckle. "That's a question for astronomers."
"Who?" Scott asked.
"Astronomers are people who study space, particularly the stars, and in fact, a group of ancient astronomers called Magi play an important part in one of my favorite stories.
"A long time ago, before any of us were ever born, several Magi discovered a new star. They knew the star meant that a special king had been born. So they decided to follow the star to Israel in the hope of finding him. The Magi traveled for nearly two years before finally arriving in Israel's capital city, Jerusalem. Unfortunately, there was another king living in Israel at the time, and his name was Herod. He was a vain, cruel, moody man who lived in constant fear.
"'Someone is trying to steal my throne! I know it!' He would often say.
"You see, he would do anything, even kill his own wife and family to remain king, and the visit by the Magi did little to comfort him.
"'Great king,' they said. 'We have come to worship the child who was born to be the king of the Jews. Do you know where we may find him?'
"'I am king of the Jews!' Herod called out angrily to his advisors a short time later. 'Their only king! Where can I find the other king of which they spoke?!'
"'In Bethlehem,' one of Herod's holy men explained. 'As the prophet Micah wrote hundreds of years ago.'
"Upon learning this, Herod immediately called for another meeting with the Magi and said, 'The child you seek is in Bethlehem. When you find him, come back and tell me where he is for I would like to worship him too.'
"And so, the Magi journeyed to nearby Bethlehem. By then, the child they had come to see was now nearly two years old. He was staying in Bethlehem with his parents, Joseph and Mary. Upon meeting him, the Magi opened the gifts they had brought for him. Gold fit for a king, frankincense for worship, and Myrrh. This last gift was a strange one. Myrrh is usually used in the burial of the dead. Perhaps the Magi knew that much sorrow would come to this small boy. However, that night, the Magi were warned by an angel of the Lord not to go back to Herod, so then, just as suddenly as they arrived, they left. No one knows where they went for certain, but one thing is certain. They didn't return to Herod's palace. For days, Herod waited, and when he realized the Magi had tricked him, he flew into one of his terrible rages.
"'Those meddling sorcerers are trying to hide the child from me!' Herod called out. 'So be it. By the time I'm finished, they'll wish they served him up to me on a plate!'
"Herod then called his captain of the guards and said, 'Assemble your men. They are to scourer the city of Bethlehem and kill every male child under the age of two! No one must escape alive, do you understand?! That's an order!'
"The guard reluctantly agreed and headed out."
"How did Joseph and Mary manage to escape, Charles?" Jean asked.
"Yeah, Charles!" Scott called out. "Finish the story!"
"Well," Charles resumed. "The same night Herod ordered his men to kill all the newborn children, Joseph was warned by an angel of the lord in a terrible dream about Herod's plan. Joseph and Mary knew from the dream that they had to escape, but they didn't have much time. For sure enough, Herod's men carried out their orders. Though Joseph, Mary, and Jesus managed to escape, the sound of weeping mothers that night was a sad sound indeed. And so, the family made their way to Egypt."
"Wow." Kurt remarked after the story was over. "King Herod sounds almost as bad as Nur."
"At least Joseph, Mary, and Jesus didn't get caught." Jean pointed out.
"Yeah, well we might not be so lucky if those guards decide to double back." Hank said as he stood up. "I'll see what's taking so long."
Hank approached the car, still frustrated at the dangerously slow pace things were going as he saw Wanda putting the final touches on the wheel.
"No, Regis." Wanda said. "You've got it all wrong. It goes, two rabbis go into the tavern, and they've got a duck."
"I'd hate to interrupt, but how's the wheel coming?" Hank said as loud as he dared.
"And then they asked the innkeeper if he serves ducks." Wanda went on, apparently not hearing Hank.
"What am I doing?" Hank groaned. "This old kook couldn't hear a thunderbolt if it hit her in the ear."
"Watch it, kid!" Wanda said quickly, much to Hank's surprise. "It's a long walk to New Jersey."
Hank then walked off, thoroughly confused about how deaf Wanda actually was.
Well, I'm back for more.