Chapter 23

The day had been and gone relatively quickly. David had deemed it best to let Althea make the next move. Sending her minions into battle would leave her to defend herself only. With any look, Morgomir would have been taken care of.

It was dusk. M and Samson lay, exhausted and sweating, on the bed. M had begun to redress herself, but Samson had pulled her back onto the bed with just her undergarments on, and they were now kissing, softly, but passionately.

"Thank you; thank you so much." M whispered

"Don't mention it, i could say the very same to you." Samson whispered back

"I'd best be getting back to work, I need to clear up that desk," Jess sighed, but was met by Samson's wide eyes of begging.

"5 minutes won't hurt," she chuckled, and once more, they kissed.

Back in the main hall, the rest of the team were relaxing with yet more drinks. David in particular had developed a taste for cocktails, this evening, Cosmopolitan. They had decided to play a game of Truth and Dare, but more civilised than the version teenagers played during summer breaks with their friends, this one was organised. Each player would do one dare and one truth, that was a rule. The truth round was used to talk about each of the mutants history. The dares would come when they were all stoned! David and Jason had avoid having to talk about their previous friendship and hatreds at their school. Jason had talked about the destruction of his Parents house, and David had talked about his meeting with the Professor, which brought a tear to Siobhan's eye, who used her time to talk about the last time she saw her father. Luca, Sofamke and Jet told them all about the City of Atiome. Daine had humoured everyone with his breakout of Prison when he had been taken away by The MCI, Mutant Control Industry. Then the job fell to Olva, Ella and Will. Of coarse, there Mutant history was well known through the team, but, combined, their story told the tale of the Revolution. Their first contact with Mutants.

Ella walked down a cold, deserted street. She had left her friends at the club to walk home. It was times like this, she regretted going overboard when her parents went on their honeymoon to France. Her older brother, Albert, had failed his driving test for a second time. It was times like this she also regretted having an incompetent brother. Chuckling in her drunken state, she staggered down the road. She was only about, from what she could see, two blocks from home. 15 minutes walk, nothing too strenuous. The howl of a nearby dog gave he a fright. As she stuttered along the road, sound that belonged in a horror movie echoed around the mountains in the horizon. Ella turned to check that no one was following. As she turned back, the source of the howls was there, before her eyes. From what she could see, there was a man, licking the blood of a young boy. A second, much older boy was at his side. The young boy groaned. His hands were tied behind his back, his shirt ripped from his back. His legs and ankles were also bound. His clothes were burnt, some through the leather on his boots. Any skin visible below the neck was burnt and blistered. Blood ran from every orifice.

"He saw me dispensing of a traitor!" Hissed the man, who seemed to have hair growing from his hands and face, like a stereotypical werewolf. He had stood to his full height, and was at least 6ft 3. Ella looked up to him, he was surely almost a foot taller than her, gasping, she backed off.

"A traitor?" She crocked, terror had almost robbed her of the power of speech

"To our lord Morgormir. We're Mutants you see, and we're trying to establish a foothold in the world that you humans, so cruelly mistreat!"

"So, your Global Warming Activists?" Ella asked hopefully, only to be met by the roars of laughter by the Man.

"Nope, revolutionaries! And you missy, are going to feel the full power of the Revolution!" He raised a knife, ready to stab when a voice rang from behind him.

"Pelanto! Stop!" growled Morgormir, his voice soft, but venomous. "I thought the job of assassination went to the leader?" he coyed

"Of coarse m'lord, there's two t'be got m'lord. There's that little runt next to Yeluka, and there's this one. That 'uns almost dead, this one might be more to your fancy!"

"what, i mean no harm!" squealed Ella.

"I know, but you're a human medalling in Mutant affairs. You're a mortal watching our powers, dreaming of our powers..."

"I'm not, I promise!"

"So sweet," Morgormir hissed, "she'll make a great feast for you Pelanto!" Pelanto didn't reply. "Pelanto? keeping you awake are we?" Still no reply

"PELANTO!!" Morgormir roared, but someone other than Pelanto answered this time.

"He ain't going to reply for a while yet. I've just shot him," Came the voice, as Olva emerged from behind Pelanto, a ray-gun smoking in his hand.

"He's not dead," Morgormir grunted, "Only a mutant can slay another Mutant!"

"i know," Olva replied, "I've been shooting you for the past two months, you and your revolution Morgomir. I've just stunned him. I hand this to the famous Prophecy child, or any mutant that opposes you, and even you can't fight back if you get hit!" Olva cried

"Your Prophecy child had yet to be born, but i warn you, the second he does, he'll be dogged by me and my mistress!" Morgormir snarled

"You're Mistress is over in Africa, she can hardly hurt him from there! Olva shouted

"It takes her less than two hours to fly over. He will feel her wrath soon enough!"

Morgormir then grabbed the limp Pelanto, and scurried inot the undergrowth. Olva immediately turned his attention to Ella

"You Ok?" he asked

"Yeh, I'm fine thanks. Who are you exactly?"

"Just call me O," he winked at her, "And you are?"

"Ella," she smiled, before something caught her eye, "Oh my God the boy!" she yelled, running over to the two bodies. Examining the larger of the two, Yeluka, she sighed quietly. "He's dead!"

She moved over to the younger, shorter lad. His face was badly bruised, cut, and burnt, but his eyes were open, and showed life through them. He looked at both O and Ella.

"Th--thank----you!" He croaked, before pointing to the burns on his body, "W--wa--wa---ter," he gasped.

"Of coarse!" Said Ella, looking to O, who produced a flask from his rucksack. She poured it over his badly scolded body, pulling off his boots and socks, and his ripped shorts, dragging the ropes with them, as she untied his ankles.

"I have some spare clothes in here somewhere," O rummaged through, producing a basketball shirt and a pair of trousers, and putting them onto the wounded boy.

"What's your name?" Ella asked him.

"William," he gasped, regaining some strength, "William Greskern," then he sat up, as O untied his hands, "call me Will."

"Well, Will," O said, "You can come with us; 'cos we aint leaving you to fend for yourself, Morgomir will be after you in a flash!"

"My house is nearby!" Ella suggested,

"Will your brother mind you having two strange men round at your house?" O asked

"How'd you know i have a brother?" Ella asked him, surprised

"Lucky guess!" a cheeky smile crossed his face, before hoisting Will to his feet, supporting him on his shoulder. Ella did the same.

"Now," said O, "Direct us home!"

"I still have the scars!" Will told the flabbergastered group.

"Wow!!" gasped a couple of people, followed by "Oh my god"'s and "That's terrible before Daine perked up,

"Can you show us?" he asked, to be met by lots of laughs and groans, "What?" he asked politely.

"that is just so typical of you," Jess laughed,

"I really don't mind," Will spoke up, whipping his socks of, to reveal red and purple scold marks on his feet, causing the whole group to gasp. They all cringed as he whipped off his shirt to reveal the most horrendous marks all over his chest.

"that is terrible, said Samson, as he walked in, wearing only his boxers, he had come to see what the noise was.

"Oh, hello lover boy!" chuckled Daine

"I thought it was a little quiet!" Jet smirked, "You weren't very...subtle with the noise levels"

The whole group burst out laugh at Samson's humiliation.

"you should have heard what Luca said about..."

"That's enough Siobhan!" Luca interrupted her very abruptly, as Samson glared knowingly at her, "What?" she protested to him.

"Ok, that's enough of that, where's your missus?" David looked to Samson

"Here!" M's voice called from around the corner

"She's sorting out her desk!" Samson told them

"Well, i reckon we put the game on hold and have a bloody good swig!" Pete roared

"Cheers to that!" Cried Luca, motioning to Jason, "Our turn to chose the music!" she stood up and dragged him off, to the utter contempt of Jess
"I need a vodka," she groaned, followed quickly by Pete, Jet and Ella.
David stood up to follow, but before he had the chance, he slumped down back into his chair and sighed, to the music of Showaddywaddy!