X-Men: After the Fall ( IC Thread )

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The year is 2014. The war between humans and mutants is over. They SAY it's over, at least. That's what they want everyone to think. I know differently. I know because they are still hunting me. They haven't stopped. They'll never stop. My war will never be over. I've realized that, and I suppose it brings me a little peace. ... Peace. Such a simple concept that can only be achieved by complex means.


Anyways... this is the story of what happened to me and a ragtag group of mutants that crossed paths after the war. This is the story of...


X-Men: After the Fall


Jeremy drove along in his beat up van. It was a good vehicle for someone on the run. Inconspicuous, yet reliable. It hummed out it's throaty growl as he cruised down the freeway. The young man chomped into a pop-tart he had opened a few miles back as he rubbed his tired eyes. Sixteen hours on the road tended to wear a person out. Then he swerved into the other lane. "Time to stop somewhere... I'd rather not chill in the van again."


He like his van well enough, but sleeping in it all the time was getting old. Everyone needs a change of pace once in a while. He counted the bills in his wallet. One... two... three... four... twenty. "Heh. Figures. Smoke 'em if you got 'em." He said with a smile as he pulled a J from above the sunvisor. Yeah... he was THAT kind of teenager. But he was good at what he did. Smoke rolled from his lips and through his long hair. The pupils of his brown eyes began to dialate. Oh yeah. This was good stuff.


A few miles down the road, Jeremy saw a neon sign for "O'Reily's Inn." "Well..." he said as he took one more hit "... seems as good a place as any to stop and at least grab a bite." The half pop-tart was tossed out the window as he spoke. Something would eat it. He pulled into the dirt parking lot outside the bar and stepped out of his van. "Bikes..." he remarked at the slew of choppers outside. "Great." He knew his loose-fitting bellbottoms, tie-dye shirt, and tattered vest would make him stand out. Hopefully it'd be a smooth night.


Hopefully.
 
Kaelyn twisted out of the way just as the man’s hand reached forward to slap her ass, somehow balancing the tray of drinks artfully over her head in her impossibly executed spin before she continued to serve the table. “’Eh, girly . . . join us for a drink,” demanded a rather badass-looking, twenty-something member of the biker group which was currently inhabiting the inn’s bar and grill. It always irked her when they demanded rather than asked, but she knew better than to mouth off. She needed this job.


“I’m working,” she retorted with an ingenuous grin, “I have tables to wipe, orders to get out . . . the whole shebang! ‘Sides . . . I’m 18 which means I serve ‘em . . . drinking ‘em would lose us our license.” She was lying through her teeth of course but getting a job as a 15 year old was hard enough. She didn’t really need everyone to know that she wasn’t even legally allowed to serve liquor.


“Come on, now . . .” he pouted playfully, but his face grew much more serious as she turned away to help another table. A rather cold smile twisting cruelly at his lips, he picked up one of the cups before dropping it off of the table as the word oops started to form on his condescending lips.


Much to his surprise, however, the cup never reached the ground. The girl, still balancing an almost full tray of drinks on one arm, saw the reflection of the cup as it started to drop in one of the small television sets. Without so much as pausing to process the sight, her body bent backwards as she snatched it from the air with her free hand. Her movement was natural and fluid as she placed it gently on her tray without so much as missing a beat. The display was a rather breathtaking nod to her gymnastics training and drew a few surprised compliments from several of the patrons. “Try to be a bit more careful there, Hun,” she teased with an easy grin back at him.


Finishing with her current tray, she loaded it up with empty glasses and plates before starting back towards the kitchen. Out of habit, the girl glanced back over her shoulder at the door as a new customer walked in and caused the chime to sound. He looked to be some sort of modern hippy she noted with a smirk. “Mister, you’d better damned well have money for your bill . . .” she muttered low under her breath. “Take a seat anywhere ya please, Hun,” she called out much more loudly as she pushed open the swinging door of the kitchen with her hip, “I’ll be with ya in a minute!”
 
Eliza was at the bar the seat closes to the register, her head laying down at it’s cool surface. This place sucked in her eyes . . . and here she was trapped due to mostly bikers coming by. Even SHE knew better than to hitch a ride with one of those, well not unless she wanted to risk using her mutant power in self defense and others finding out. The only reason she ended up in this hell hole is due to one of the people she hitched hiked with asking for . . . well something she wasn’t willing to give so dumped her at the side of the road. This just happened to be the first thing she walked to a few days ago . . . been there since and now her funds was starting to get low. It was time to get out of their if possible, but first she had to get at least a few hundred to do so.


Slipping her hand inside her jacket she used it as a cover as she reached the best she could to get at the register . . . going under the bar and over to enter it from under was uncomfortable and quite a difficult task. She learned the hard way though elsewhere, that going just from behind was a risk of frying the whole thing. The task would have been much easier if the guy next to her wasn’t trying to hit on her. Lowering her head more on the counter she tried to act like she was obviously ignoring him hoping he would get the hint. It didn’t help that she had to pause every time the register opened or risk getting caught as well.


Hell she was starting to think it may be easier just to swipe a few of the tips off the tables, and then she hit pay dirt. Trying to be reasonable knowing it would be obvious if she took everything she got what she could from the bottom of the drawl instead and a few from what seemed to be the larger stacks. “I’m not interested in old men.” She finally snapped at the man next to her as she pocketed the new funds as secretly as she could and started to pull her arms into the sleeves of her jacket. “Can’t you get a hint already? Sides I’m not old enough to drink . . . I’m just here cause the foods just that good.” Sure the last part was a lie but perhaps it could finally get that hint across.


It was her luck that he didn’t try to pressure her, a few more lines of trying to get her into his lap, a few more insults from her and it was over the man muttering insults at her under his breath as she left. She didn’t look up usually when new people entered, hell she didn’t care who was around her but when the Waitress spoke of them better having money she did. Eyes widening at the site of him and she couldn’t help but smile. He was a hippie right? What did she know about hippies? They tended to smoke pot and drive around in vans . . . vans?? That gave may be just the chance she needed to escape this dump.


Trying not to seem over excited she stood, drop what she owed for her food and drink on the bar before heading outside. Doing a small dance when she saw the van out of the happiness alone only to realize and straighten up. Calm down she told herself in her head, play it cool and this may be your ticket out of this dump. Normally she would head back in and ask for a ride . . . she didn’t wish to risk it this time though. Being turned down meant she was stuck here longer.


Instead she started off as if she was going to take a walk heading to the side of the van most out of view. Here she proceeded to phase and enter it being extra careful she didn’t ruin anything after all electronics seemed to hate her. Coughing at once when she was inside at the smell, waving away the air in front of her annoyed hoping she got used to it in time. Yeah . . . he was a smoker of that kind . . . beggars couldn’t be choosers though, and she had more important things to worry about, like finding away to hide back there so he didn’t see her at least until he left a ways down the road.
 
Jeremy was immediately seen as a bum by one of the staff, who commented on him having no money. "I got money, babe. Don't worry." ... then the woman caught a cup that a patron dropped... without so much as a look. "Whoa... that was awesome! yelled the stoned man as he stares on in relative amazement. But then again, he wasn't here for entertainment... he was here for a bite to eat and a drink if he could get someone to sell him one. "Hey. Lemme get a menu over here. And... Am I to assume smoking is allowed?" Several of the bikers were smoking, after all... and Jeremy wasn't sure if they were allowed, or just being unruly. In looking around, however... Jeremy saw something that ALWAYS put him on edge. A man in a black suit with a white undershirt. ... just great. Even this close to Vegas, there were frigging feds. Or at least what looked like feds.


Currently, the man actually wasn't looking at Jeremy... but the young woman who had displayed in uncanny amount of luck in catching the cup in mid-drop. When she came over to take his order, Jeremy would simply inform her of the suspicious suit that had his eye on her... but for now he would play it cool. He lit up a "cigarette" and inhaled deeply in a blatant attempt to draw the fed's attention. He was used to them by now... but by the look of the waitress who was being eyeballed, she wasn't. "Lemme get a double shot of 151 and a Guinness while you're up, please." Chances were good that he'd be ID'd... but he didn't honestly care. It was whatever. ... but when the man in the suit stood up and walked toward Jeremy instead of the woman... it was time to go.


"Nevermind... I got some shit to check on out in my wagon." and with that, Jeremy disregarded the woman AND the suit... and walked outside. Predictably... the suited man followed. And just as Jeremy got to the driver's door of his van, the man spoke. "Jeremy Verdance." to which the now-sober from sheer 'oh crap' factor-Jeremy did not answer. "Druid. Halt. You're under arrest for assault, murder, and mutation." ... great. This guy wasn't just a fed, but an agent of the United Offensive's Mutant Hunting Squad. The MHS... a group of agents trained to fight mutants and equipped with some pretty potent weaponry to boot. "Listen, man. I don't know who you're calling a mutant, but I know I ain't one. Now can I check my texts before you take me in for possession?" ... the dried roots of grass in the dusty parking lot were wriggling inder the dirt as Jeremy stalled for time... but would he have ENOUGH time, was the question.
 
When Eliza managed to calm her coughing the site of the van seemed . . . well . . . dirty. It was just gross in her eyes and she sighed shaken her head. She figured before even a hippie kept his stuff cleaner than this. Sorting through it looking for the best place to hide she ended up spotting something shinning under the passenger side. Hesitating she moved to check it out only to gasp as she took into her hands the item, it was a .44 Magnum Revolver.


Moving back deeper in the van it in her trembling hands. “Why a peace loving hippie have a gun?” Was there a none peace loving type she wondered now in fear. Her hands trembling while she held it, well . . . it was one way to get a free ride if he found her. Although in truth she probably couldn’t even point it straight. Either way she wasn’t given much time to think on the matter as she heard a shuffling outside and all she could do was try to stay more in the shadows.


The conversation made her hesitate though . . . some guy named Jeremy was being arrested. Here she found herself kicking herself thinking it was for drugs only to hear a new name ‘Druid’. Her eyes widen at the term ‘mutation’ and she brought forward the gun once more . . . so that’s why a peace loving hippie would be packing. Cussing herself out in her head as this Jeremy Druid guy mentioned checking his texts and she found herself rushing as silently as she could back towards the front of the van. He needed his gun right? God she could never forgive herself if someone got killed due to her. Not that she was willing to step into the view of the guy harassing him either. She was willing to hand the boy the gun though if he was allowed to get it. If he did look and reach for it she merely held it out for him a weak smile on her face glad she always wore gloves.
 
Kaelyn watched in confusion as the hippy stood and exited the building quickly only to be followed by one of her more sharply dressed customers. When she heard the man attempt to arrest the boy for the crime of mutation, it felt as though someone had stolen all of the air from the room. Her head spun as she watched him approach the boy. Images of the bullet mutilated body of her mother transposed themselves over the scene, fading and reappearing as they saw fit.


Suddenly the world around her seemed to snap into focus and everything seemed to move so slowly for her. She was aware of the patrons of the bar and grill moving about behind her as she tracked them all absentmindedly from their slight reflections in the glassed windows. The girl traced the path that a thrown projectile would require to breach the back of the man’s neck through the air with her eyes. Then, without even realizing she had started moving, she released the steak knife that she had retrieved from the pocket of her apron.


No sooner had the knife left her fingertips than she was already on the move, however. She jumped, calculating the trajectory necessary in a split second, and landed on the far side of one families’ table. Using her weight to tip it, she utilized her forward momentum to keep it moving towards the door. By the time the knife had pierced the back of the man’s spinal column she was already past her makeshift barricade and sprinting towards the hippy. “Get moving,” she barked as the body fell away in front of her. Not more than a second or two later she reached the pair and pulled the boy roughly about face.


She didn’t know where she intended to drag him to, but here was not safe for a known mutant. Kaelyn had watched the brutal murder of her mother by these people, she was not about to let it happen again. It was not going to happen to this boy and it most certainly wouldn’t happen to her.
 
Jeremy peeked his head into the van and saw... of all things... a girl, handing him his revolver. "Well that's odd... am I still tripping from that opium or something?" Seemes she had not only snuck into the van, rooted around, and even found his gun... but was also a mutant supporter. "Send in a squad. Primary target has changed. Apprehension of Druid now priori..." The man's message was cut short as a knife embedded itself into his neck. Not long after that, the waitress that the MHS Agent had been eyeing lept out from inside the bar. Immediately, she grabbed Jeremy and barked an order. Not cool. "Listen babe. That dude was here for YOU from what I saw. Couldn't take his eyes off you after the little trick catch you pulled. Even just now he said something about me being a NEW target." Jeremy pulled away from the waitress and climbed into his van... but then opened the passenger door. "I'm heading to Vegas... it's the safest place for mutants anywhere for as far as 500 miles. Plus... I heard a rumor that some of the old X-Men are still living there. Hop in and we'll go."


As he turned the key, Jeremy suddenly felt rather woozy. He was suddenly reminded of why he stopped in the first place. He was hungry and tired... and still hadn't done anything to fix that, thanks to the MHS Agent. "You there... little stowaway. You know how to drive? If so, you're driving. I'll get us killed. We need to get out of here, though... he called for backup just before the waitress killed him. They won't be far. They never are." ... Jeremy was right, and the wailing sirens of MHS cruisers could be heard faintly, but were steadily growing in intensity. It wouldn't do to sit around here with a dead agent. "This baby has a three-fifty-one eight cylinder. She's pretty quick for her size. Get on it. ... Oh... and do either of you know how to use this?" Jeremy lifted up the heavy revolver that he had taken from his grandfather. "I'm an awful shot when I can't keep my eyes open."


It wouldn't be long now...


"Eh there, webby. I be hearin' a fuss over the government frequencies. An agent went silent out at old O'Reiley's place. Last I know, you was headed there yourself. Should step on it." said a voice into a small microphone. Sorry to put dis on you for the first thing out the gate. Figured this'd be an easy thing... go in, talk to de girl, bring her back. But seems they's after some "Druid" guy now. Best of luck, enfant." a quick chirp of static, and the voice fell silent...
 
Eliza could only give a cute shrug at the look he gave her. Sure she felt foolish NOW that he saw her, she wasn’t expecting to let him find her if she could help it before. A scream actually leaving her lips as the man after Druid suddenly dropped dead. She was about to ask him if he did that only for the waitress before to grab him suddenly and make demands. A hand moving over her mouth as she looked at them both a bit fearful now, kicking herself for handing him the gun in case he was more dangerous that she first realized. “You . . . you just killed someone.” She spoke to the girl who was now being offered a seat into the van her eyes studying them both as it all seemed too surreal.


Listening to the druid she knew she couldn’t stay there . . . after all she was a mutant if the man knew it or not. If they were going to swarm who knew if they had ways to tell if she was one or not, her eyes continued to filter between the two though as this Jeremy Druid spoke. “It’s true.” She told the waitress nodding quickly. “I heard him on his walk before.” She paled even though she moved to glance over at the dead body. She never allowed herself to get this close to a dead human one before.


Eliza was surprised but grateful as the guy seemed to not kick her out then and there. She was trying to relax only for him to bark at her to drive. “Yeah . . . but never really legally.“ She had driven underage and unlicensed before as an attention getter for the parents. Guys tend to give in when she gave a cute enough look at times. And boy was it fun to freak them out; late at night testing speeds and learning on your own was the best when someone was stupid enough to trust someone under 16 drive with no experience. Then again with the dyed hair and makeup she could pass as older at times. Getting arrested thought just seemed to get her parents to spend more time working . . . so that phase didn’t last long. In fact it sucked due to the fact that the law was officially making her wait till 21 till she could get a proper license due to the arrest. Not that it mattered since she was a runaway now going in for a test would be like given herself up. “Whatever you do don’t ask me to Parallel Park.”


At his words she paled deeper only to gentle and hesitantly touched him on the shoulder. “Then move out of my way hippie, unless you expect me to sit on your lap to do so.” This was bad this was SO bad . . . she had to be careful not to panic and phase or these two would be in trouble. This so sucked . . . how the hell did she managed to get into this mess . . . either way she was the last person to just give up and let others die due to it. “If you have seatbelts USE them” She warned with a gentle smile waiting for everyone to settle first.


When he held up the gun though Eliza found herself shaken her head “I’m not a killer.” She nodded towards the waitress hoping that she was safe at least for now around her. “Try her, if she’s good with knives lets hopes it works with guns too.” Her eyes going to the girl who seemed so gentle and nice before this whole thing happened. “Why DID you kill him?” She asked holding her hands up as if calling a truce if any dirty looks were given her way.
 
Kaelyn was shaking hard as the adrenaline of the situation flooded her body and made her quite jittery. People were talking and moving around her, but she wasn’t certain that she followed the conversation. When the man offered up the gun, however, her head snapped back into place. She took it without hesitation and held it awkwardly for a moment. “Why DID you kill him?” she heard, but the words made very little sense.


‘Why did I kill whom?’ she thought as she tried to figure out how to work the big gun, ‘oh right, she means the man in the suit . . . Wait . . . killed? Well . . . I guess that generally happens if you send a knife through someone’s neck . . .’


Opening her mouth to answer, all she really managed was a rather childish sounding squeak. Rolling her eyes at her own stupidity, she face palmed before going back to tinkering with the gun. “I . . . I just remembered, is all,” she choked out finally. “I remembered . . . people standing over mum and how she looked as she bled out . . .” Turning to look at the hippy as he crawled into the back of the van, giving him a wary glance. “That’s who these lot are, right? They’ll slaughter us then buddy it up over the corpse like we’re just some . . . animal they exterminated, right?”


The girl was shaking hard as she turned back towards the window of her door and leveled the gun against it. She was already calculating shot trajectories despite the lack of current targets. Really, she couldn’t help it. This was just how her brain was wired. Her mother had explained to her about mutations. Hers seemed to be an intuitive understanding of movements and an impossibly fast reactionary system. Hyperkinesis was the name her mother had given it . . .
 
Viktor slowly made his way back up the highway road towards the inn he was sure he had seen a few miles back, he was growing desperate now almost no cars and trucks had passed him for hours, he was tired, weak and hungry. The last few weeks had been harsh on him, hardly able to scavenge any food and not able to rent any rooms since he was out of money, sleeping outside most of the time too afraid to break in anywhere, and then he got a big brake – a truck driver had promised him to take him all the way to LA. He had been so exhilarated and happy, finally he´d get to the place where the last X-men were rumored to be, if only could find one person who used to know professor x,he might get a step closer understanding who is grandpa really was , who he himself really is, and most importantly help him improve his powers and gain more magical artifacts (Viktor thought of his books and scriptures in his backpack as artifacts, even though he’d not even translated them yet).


As he moved to check on his backpack, Viktor swaggered, world spinning around in his head, he knelt down to catch his breath and to try not to faint from exhaustion - he had never felt this weak before.


” I don’t think I’ll manage sleeping outside another day, why the heck did that truck driver have to through me out – Viktor kept walking - in the middle of nowhere… I was trying to steal some money from his wallet true but here? Dammit I was so close to getting to LA. Now I might end up dead before getting there. “





Viktor looked up he could see the motel now, O’Reilleys Inn clearly.


He saw some sudden movement in the parking lot and a rundown van charghing out on the highway at full speed.He couldny believe his eyes – the car was heading towards him, towards LA!


Ok, this will be my last chance at getting out of here. Not even sure if I could make the it to the inn before collapsing anyways.





Grinning grimly to himself Viktor makes his way out on the middle of the road attempting to stand in the way of the old van charging towards him. Holding his hands out to the sides trying to cover as much of the road possible


.


“A young emancipated teenager standing in the middle of the road alone and hungry, come on!, he thought to himself, the gotta pick me up.” Hoping his scruffy black leather jacket and dirty Emo hair wouldn’t scare them off. He prepared to send out a telephatic messege to the people in the car as they got closer and sent it as strongly as he could, trying to pack as much desperation and urgancy he could in his words.


PLEASE, PICK ME UP! I CAN HELP!(would be heard in all of the people’s minds in the car)


adding the last part when sencing what he thinks are stressed and worried thoughts eminating from the people in the car.


It wouldn’t force anyone to stop. But sometimes it had worked on people mistaking his telepathic messages as their own thoughts.
 
Given a weak unsure laugh Eliza asked. “So which pedal makes it go again?” only to tap her foot on the gas pedal having the car jerk forward slightly as she quickly removed her foot after all. “Never mind I figured it out.” At that she started to put the car into reverse than started to leave, of course her stops and starts were a bit jumpy but once she got it going cars were easy to keep on the road.


The pedal to the metal, they didn’t have much time. Course with that speed and someone stupidly standing in the middle of the road not counting the fact Eliza wasn’t really a driver . . . “**** **** ****!” she yelled trying to hit the break, and still crashing into the guy. There was no time really, no warning more than some random thought in her head. “Shit.” She glanced to the others panicked now. “I think I just killed someone!” The poor girl was panicked, trying not to cry as she stumbled out of the car to check on the idiot.


“We don’t have time for this.” She was hoping to god someone else of the group helped; this obviously not being something she was used to yet. “God! Quick get him into the van we can toss him at the closes hospital or whatever may help him when we pass. If we leave him on the road he surely will be dead . . . that is if he isn’t dead now. ****! What kind of moron just stands in the middle of the road? I can’t do this . . . I can’t touch him . . . you guys check . . .” If the guy was lucky he wouldn’t be seriously damage but there was no way he got out of that not hurt.
 
It was supposed to be just another day. Rayanna had just gotten off work and was going to spend some time with her younger siblings before heading home for some much needed sleep. But sometimes when you least expect it life throws you a curve ball. This one was most unexpected and unwelcome. Her parent's house was somewhat run down, the paint could use a new coat on the rail and the siding was both dirty and somewhat falling apart. But still Ray considered this place home, after all she had grown up here. Using her key she had unlocked the door and walked through the hallway. It was almost eerily quiet. Then she heard yelling. Turning her head she looked to see the kids playing outside 'oh there they all are' she thought to herself as she went to watch them playing. Seth was chasing Rebecca and Emille around... where was Bella? Then she heard a noise upstairs and went to investigate.


Opening Bella's bedroom door was like opening pandora's box. The image placed before her brought to mind her own memories that had been locked away. The feel of his cold hands, the stench of his breath, a touch that made her tremble, Rayanna wanted it all to stop but there it was right before her, but this time it was her seven year old sister. “G-get away from her you monster!” she screamed rushing at him. But of course when Ben, their so called father saw her he had pushed the girl away, and now he was regretting this action because there was no one in between the enraged teenager and him. But soon his fear turned to spite as he realized he was bigger and tougher than some skinny kid and he grabbed a lamp, daring her to come closer.


Not even registering what she saw before her she rushed him, only to feel a blow against the top of her head. Adrenaline rushing through her Rayanna tackled him while the thick fluids of her own blood trickled over her own eyes. Wiping it away so she could see Ray had to do a double take for her blood had attached to her fingers and solidified somehow, leaving her with something that reminded her of icicles attached to the tips of her fingers. Her vision started coming in and out as she attacked him. She was pretty sure there was screaming but couldn't register if it had been his or hers.


When she awoke Kyle was knelt down to her, wiping the blood from her forehead. “You gotta get out of here” he said. Always the practical one. There was concern, and fear written across his face. Looking about the room at the bloody mess of her so called father she swallowed deeply, he was fearful of her. She merely nodded and took his hand as he helped her up. “I didn't see you but I don't know how much time that will buy” he managed slipping something into her hands. Looking down while her head was aching she saw green. Money. “I-I can't take this” he only closed his hands around hers, making her grip the cash “You need it. Ray ray, you take care of yourself” there was still the fear on his face but there was something else, concern. Nodding she gave him a tight hug before heading for the door. She couldn't risk saying goodbye to her other siblings.


That was then and this is now. Rayanna told herself trying to escape from the memory. But it was a hard motto to stand by when that one event shaped what her 'life' was like now. Keeping to the streets, trying to stay in control so that her mutation didn't act up. Yeah mutation. It took some time to accept it but Rayanna was one of those, the guys they called the bad guys. But Rayanna didn't feel like a bat person she was just Rayanna. Sure she had accidentally killed Ben, she refused to call him her father now, but he had deserved it. There had been four girls in his care. Four. He could have been doing it to all of them for all she knew. She shuddered at the thought and hoped that therapy would help the girls. She only wished that she could have been there for her sisters now. But staying would have meant death, and Rayanna rather didn't like that option.


Down to less than a hundred bucks Rayanna knew she had to make it last, either that or find a way to get work. Surely she could find work then, but she was afraid of settling down now, had she gotten far enough away? Rayanna felt as if she could never get far enough away. She could never escape what she had done, and in a way, she wouldn't be able to. Her eyes landing on a restaurant, her stomach can't help but to protest it's lack of food. “I get it I get it” she mumbles, making way to get her grub on. But instead of heading into the fine establishment she sees someone rush in front of a moving van. “Is he craz-” her mutterings are interrupted when the van runs into him. “Oh shit” she manages, picking up her pace so she can see if he's okay and if she can help at all.


Another steps out of the van, the driver? She assumes. The girl is nervous as ****, and Ray can't blame her. “You can't just move him, he's injured, you need to call 911!” she yells at the girl. Didn't she know that moving him could only worsen his wounds? Turning her head to tell the girl this Rayanna notices something else in the corner of her eye. A body? Looking to this girl now she wondered just what the hell she had walked into. “Did you..” she points to the other body, the memory of Ben's dead corpse fresh on her mind.
 
Viktor’s body was aching all over, head spinning around barely able to think, never mind remembering where he was. Trying to get up was out of the question as he wriggled on the tarmac. Tarmac, the run down van! Oh yes, that was a stupid idea, he thought, must be getting slow from dehydration. Were those sirens ringing in the background or was it only his ears ringing?


Viktor reached out with his mind trying to gauge the situation. Three people from the van, clearly on edge, a girl nearly losing control!?, a sleepy guy, and mind like he has never sensed before calculating everything around it, he had to shield himself from the input.


A girl from the side approaching? His head was spinning and he feared he would lose consciousness soon.


“Someone has to call 911!”


Oh no, Viktor thought. He couldn’t be left to the police or the hospital, never mind that he might have killed a cop and that he was an illegal immigrant – bottom of the line he was a mutant. Being left to the authority would mean death.


Coughing out some blood he manages to mumble out with a thick German accent,“ No 911, No Hospital… please…. Huh…. Just take me vith you…. I´m a mut…..”


He was going to tell them he was a mutant as he was trying to get up but he collapses on to the tarmac again almost loosing concioussness again. That was a lucky break though, what was I thinking telling strangers my secrets!? His body was aching though and he couldn’t get up by himself, as much he hated it he’d have to put his trust in these strangers, if he only could get a ride in the van.


“argh… I... I can’t move…. Please?…. I need to... to... LA”’


Oh god, Viktor thought, I must not be making any sence. Wait, what if they actually wanted to hit me? What if they are… Viktor would be reaching for one of his knives but his head was spinning soo much so he tried to focus his mind on the pain of the cuts and bruises all over his body to keep himself conscious - biting his lip head spinning, spinning.....
 
The moments after Jeremy allowed the young girl to drive... up until now... passed by as if it was literally no time at all. In fact, it seemed like he had actually fallen asleep for that oh-so-brief period. Fat chance staying asleep through a collision with a werson and then three yelling teenage girls. The normally laid back hippie stepped out through the sliding passenger door and rubbed his head. "If you don't all calm down, I'm gonna have you all get re-aquainted with your roots. The kid just tanked a van to the face and isn't dead... it's pretty apparant he's not a normal person, so calling 911 isn't an option." Jeremy reached into the pocket of his vest and retrieved a little pouch filled with pill capsules "Herbal energy suppliments. Hell of a kick. Get him to take one of these..." the young man then took a black bottle from his pants pocket. "... and one of these. Painkillers, made with a TINY amount of opium for immediate relief."


Having a green thumb and knowing your plants definitely came in handy, especially when going to a normal hospital was out of the question. Were the group actually in Vegas, then it would be far less risky. But outside the confines of the mutant haven... doing so was basically a death sentence for a mutant. "So yeah... all of you get the hell back in the van and get ready. The MHS is definitely going to catch up now." ... and boy was Jeremy right. A couple of bullets bit into the rear panels of the big van, followed by a quartet of loud booms. That confirmed it, the MHS wasn't messing around on this one. They were aiming to just kill their targets this time. "Shall we get going, then? Might be smart." As he hopped back into his seat, Jeremy swallowed one of his herbal energy pills and used his gift to quickly metabolize the plant matter into his bloodstream. It'd work for now... but he gave himself 15 minutes at most.


Things were getting rough... and hopefully these kids would find a way to make it out alive.
 
Kaelyn had originally pointed the gun at the girl who was slowing them down and demanding that they call an ambulance. She was so far on edge that she felt her whole body craving a rather trigger happy response to the slowdown. Thankfully the hippy took control of the situation and in a bossy fit had settled everything quite quickly. The fact that he didn’t even seem to care that the girl driving had just mowed some poor bastard down was kind of a good testament to just how dangerous this situation really was. Jumping out to help pull the now injured kid into the druggy van, she paled in surprise as a few bullets pinged into the doors near to her.


Panic immediately drowned out her better senses. She dropped the injured boy as she scrambled back up to where she had left the gun. From what she had seen in movies, she knew to **** the hammer and then it was just a matter of aim. Two quick stochastic bursts deafened her as she fired twice, easily mapping out the trajectory necessary to take out the front tire of the nearest vehicle. Dumbly, she dropped the gun in surprise as her ears rang from the noise. As that first car spun out of the road, three more quickly passed it.


“Uhhhh . . . how many . . .” forgetting the English language almost entirely for a moment, the girl gestured wildly at the air. For some odd reason panic had stolen the word bullets from her vocabulary. Finally, quite frustrated, she pointed angrily to the gun at her feet and sighed heavily. “There are three more cars,” she noted lamely.
 
Rayanna tries to focus on her breathing, her own memories putting her in a panic. That was then this is now, she chants in her head while trying to focus on current events without a cloud from the past messing with her judgment. The guy that was hit was coughing up blood, but he was conscious, well barely. That one dodged a bullet surely. Through an accent she thought she heard him call himself a mutant, no that was clouding again, she couldn't do that. Hell she shouldn't be here right now when she didn't know who out there was after her. Wait did he refuse the hospital? Her mind was working against her in overdrive it seemed.


Turing as the van door slid open Ray barely registered someone she might call a hippy as he started talking to hem all calmly, idle threat aside. Deciding to trust him because she didn't see much in other options she takes the capsules and pill and bends down to hold the head up of the one that was barely conscious, helping him to take them. Not a normal person huh, was he a fellow mutant? Rayanna couldn't help but to think it was the oddest circumstances to meeting a fellow genetically inclined like herself, but she wasn't about to speak up to this group about it.


The MHS, where did that sound familiar? Oh crap. Rayanna really need to get out of there. Getting assistance from one of the passengers Rayanna helps get the guy into the van only for a loud popping sound to go off. It was at this time Rayanna registered that she may be in shock and not thinking too clearly. Guns, her thoughts kept screaming to her, which she could barely register in her conscious mind. Thankfully her body moved on it's own and she jumped into the van, hoping the girl drove better without someone getting in the van's way. Perhaps she was making the wrong choice now, but it wasn't like there were many options for a mutant on the run nowadays. Wait did one of the girls just shoot a gun? Still rattled Rayanna kept low and kept an eye on the guy that had been hit, lying to herself saying she was of use and taking care of herself when obviously she didn't have the first inkling how.
 
When Ray came over Eliza couldn’t help but look at her like she was an idiot. “I did say we don’t have time for this right? I wasn’t thinking it . . . oh god I think I killed someone.” Then the girl suggested that she killed the one back there and Eliza lost it in away. “NO I DON’T kill people, now shut up, get out of the way and . . . hell get in or whoever is left here may be dead.”


The mutterings from Viktor was a welcome relief though. He’s talking? “Oh god he’s talking! So he’s not dead.” Eliza the poor girl was doing her best to keep it together obviously she was lucky enough not to be around death so much let alone kill yet. Grateful for the hippie stepping in, his words exactly what was needed but she herself was having a hard time saying such due to panic. Course the gun fire that followed didn’t help.


The girl with the gun dropping the guy in the van was a great help. Eliza didn’t risk touching him even with her gloves on. If he died . . . they wouldn’t have a darn clue if she was touching him after all . . . then again no one there really knew her powers beside her, and it did have to be a skin touch. Despite this fact she followed him into the van holding her hands up and keeping her distance in away although she was obviously conflicted. She wanted to try to tend to him, not that she had any real clue how . . . she just . . . really didn’t want to touch him at the same time.


Head peaking out at the other two females she snapped. “Grab the gun, get IN” She wasn’t foolish enough to wait for them to stand around shooting “Please” she ended up adding quickly, she didn’t want to see more deaths, not today at least, not up and personal. Watching the new girl join her in the back she glanced to the side grateful Jeremy was going to drive. “Tend to him.” She muttered waiting for them to take off as she found herself glancing to the new gun holes. “And keep low . . .” her voice seemed to fade a bit soften as if she was losing what to say or perhaps she was trying to calm and figure away she herself can help.
 
Darkness. Viod. Nothingness. Eight heartbeats and it seemed like forever. Then someone picked him up, Victor couldn’t remember if he ever had been touched such a way by another human being, he'd never had any parents, and grandpa, he had just been too old. And now there were two, two pairs of soft hands carefully carrying him into a backseat of a car and he lavished every second of it -cuddling into their embrace.


Then someone held up his head put two pills in his mouth and forced him to swallow.


Viktor’s mind jolted quickly realizing he hadn’t gone to heaven and his head was resting in some strange pierced redhead girls lap and the van was speeding. Gunshots? No, this definetly wasn´t heaven. Viktor would wrestle himself free of the repugnant redhead but his body wasn’t quite ready to respond yet. He tried probing the other teenagers minds to try to figure out what kind of shit he gotten himself into this time. He noted a hippie guy thinking about plants and driving fast in the drivers seat, a girl in the passenger seat trying carefully not to touch anyone with her hands thinking about how she could aid the group. And the girl to the other side of him thinking about how she could kill all the agents without wasting to much ammo. MHS agents? Three cars following them?


God, I should have just died already, Viktor thought, Good Riddance!.


“You are all mutants aren’t you?” Viktor chuckled with bitter irony. At least he’d die with his kin.


The drugs were clearly working wonders as he with some help from Rayanna was able to sit up on his own, hunching his head down so he wouldn't get shot. “Ever touch me again and I’ll kill you bloodhead” Viktor whispered spitefully to Rayanna as soon as she let him go. “Not that we’ll live much longer at this rate anyvays”





::OK, IM A TELEPATH AND CAN MOVE STUFF WITH MY MIND.::


Viktor Sent out with his mind to the other teenagers as clearly as he could.


::NOTHING I CAN DO TO THE MHS VEHICLES OR AGENTS UNLESS IM CLOSER. THE HIPPIE IS DRIVING AND WONDER GIRL HERE IS CLEARLY A NICE SHOT WHAT CAN YOU OTHER GALS DO TO STOP THOSE FREAKING HUMANS FROM KILLING US OFF!?::


“My name is Viktor by the vay” he added smugly in his broken English and hunched even further down into his seat, his body and mind forcing him to calm down for a bit, almost falling into a slumber despite the gunshots singing around the van."Any one got a cigg?", he mumbled out hopefully, searching his pockets for a lighter.
 
Jeremy turned the wheel and eased the accellerator to the floor. The van responded in kind by leaping into action. The powerful V-8 roared like an angry lion as the heavy vehicle lurched forward and easily got up to basic highways speed. But they weren't staying at that speed... no no. Jeremy kept his foot down even as the recovering accident victim whispered something to Ray that (from her reaction) was less than polite or proper. Then soon after, Jeremy heard something in his head. Since there weren't any other mutants nearby, and the voice was referring to everyone within the vehicle... Jeremy naturally assumed it was this new kid. "Good of you to join us, kid". said Jeremy out loud as he eased up on the accellerator slightly, allowing the van to shift into top gear more easily. "Let them do what they can, Vick. You're not in any shape to help. I could do quite a bit, but that would mean slowing down. You know how I'm not slowing down? That's a thing, apparantly."


All that was out here in the desert was grasses and cacti... and those were mostly away from the road. There actually wasn't a whole lot that Jeremy could do. ... except one thing. In a blatant showing of his abilities, the some of the seeds inside Jeremy's backpack sprouted out of the top zipper pocket and began to grow rapidly. Not sure how long this'll help, but it'll give us a shot." the vines continued to grow, and erupted out of the open windows on the driver and passenger doors. They then moved along the sides of the van and wrapped around it a few times over. "Behold. Now we're in an armored car." ... the van groaned under the added weight and slowed down a decent amount, but Jeremy had dealt with MHS before. Hopefully they'd fall for this again. "There's a box of shells for that Magnum inside the cabinet at the head of the bed. And don't worry about the slow-down. All part of the pl..." Jeremy's words were interrupted as an MHS bullet shattered his driver's side mirror and send bits of glass and metal into the hippe's face.


"I thought I was downright boned right there. Glass and metal, plus high speeds, plus a face? Not a good recipe for escaping a pursuit. But then, normally I didn't have a group of people with me trying to reach freedom as well. They really pulled through for me that day. Nah... not for me. For us. 'D be rude to just say they did it for me, after all. Anyways... so there I was..."


A few of the pieces of shrapnel hit home in Jeremy's flesh. A couple in his face, one in his chest, and several in his arm (as he instinctively raised it to protect his eyes). Immediately he shouted to the passengers. "I'll be fine, just take out that car!" his adrenaline rush from the wounds, plus the quick surge from the energy capsule he had taken moments ago, were keeping Jeremy on the edge of his seat and ensuring his reactions were quick and precise. Problem was that it was also raising his heart rate... and blood was flowing freely from the numerous cuts to his face and arm. Hopefully the rest of the group could take out at least one or two of the pursuing cars... and if they could manage to take all three out, that would be stellar...
 
The girl jerked her black servers apron off over her head and yanked the cord free rather shakily. The hippy had just been injured, but he had given her a somewhat suicidal plan. After quickly tying her unruly mess of frizzy brown hair behind her head with the cord, she reached into the pockets of the apron to see what she had to fight with. A quick inventory check revealed about 60 dollars cash, the credit card of one of the bikers, 2 forks, and 1 spoon. For a moment she thought that she might have a knife as well before she recalled having already used that part of the silverware set on the first agent. Tossing the cash and the card aside, she shoved the silverware in her back pocket.


With a disheartened sigh, she crawled into the front seat and pushed some of the vines there out of her way. "Hey Plant Whisperer," she squeaked, sounding far less confident than she had intended to, "try to avoid bumps and for the love of God drive straight!" With that out of the way, she pulled herself quickly out of the window and started to pull herself up.


The scenery flashed past in a blur which even her calculative mind found taxing to make sense of. She estimated that they had to be moving at nearly top speed for this old boat. Thanks in part to her ability and in part to years of strength training via gymnastics, she did manage to make her way onto the roof eventually in spite of this. Not a second later, several shots rang in the air around her. She had no idea where they had been, but was quite please to find that none had hit her.


Flattening herself onto the roof as she twisted a leg around one of the vines to help her balance, she lifted the spoon before tipping her head back to watch their pursuers reflection rather than risk being shot. As they hit a minor turn in the road, she lost one of the forks as she tried to pull it free. Swearing softly, she pulled out the second one. Judging the necessary trajectory from a reflection in a spoon was mildly challenging, but she managed to do it after a few seconds. With a flick of her wrist she sent it crashing into the leading car's windshield at an excess of 90 miles an hour.


Dishearteningly, the window spiderwebbed in cracks but stayed otherwise intact. Not willing to give up her spoon, she grabbed another vine and leaned over the side of the van to glance in the passenger side window. "I need more things to throw," she tried to shout over the wind as it roared past, although at this speed it was quite challenging to even breath at such an angle. "Anything heavy!!" She cringed as she heard more gunfire in spite of the roaring winds. "And for ***** sake hurry..."
 
Eliza seemed to be calming or trying to only for the guy to start to speak. “I’m not . . . and if I was it’s none of your business!” She snapped at the invasive one, only to narrow her eyes as his voice started in her head. She covered her hands over her ears as if trying to drown him out, in protest of such actions. “Stay out of my head you perv! Don’t you have any respect for personal space? Well that’s about as over the line as you can get if you ask me!”


Eliza watched the plants, and she seemed to soften some . . . she knew the guy was a mutant, the girl perhaps. Maybe . . . maybe she could come out of this closet in away. Gasping as she saw the shatter glass she winced. Heading towards the front to try to help him only to wince when he told them to do what they could. There was a few things she could do, she knew this but it would give away her powers . . . something she hadn’t allow anyone else to know about yet. Shamed of them due to her own experience and fearful of letting others know.


The waitress insanity had her gasp watching her head to the roof, only to laugh some amazed. Okay this wasn’t fair to them she HAD to help. “Well I guess it’s about time I stepped forward to try to help then . . . lighter van means faster right?” She asked her eyes going through what was in the back of it. “I swear if anyone of you tells others about this . . . just . . . argh! Don’t! I’m . . . I’m normal . . . no one knows.” She protested before spotting the TV and grinning as the girl above demanded more stuff. Lifting it to wince as it started to spark from being phased alone she moved it through the top of the van and gave the poor waitress a small smile. “Get ready to grab it so I can go back down.” She stated and when she was sure the girl could she was gone below once more.


After that she decided to do some spring cleaning, tossing empty chip bags through the back, hoping they got caught covering the windshield. Looking around for stuff in which she could send up to the girl above, grabbing the jack and the crowbar before popping up again, and holding them out. The problem was she was barely managing her phasing as it was. So if she stayed up for too long while trying to stay grounded to the van below . . . well once mistake and she may f herself over. It was why she waited for the girl to be ready to grab the items before letting go and returning below again. The items unphased only after she let go. Breathing heavily after that last trip she closed her eyes to lean against the van walls. “I may need a small break if you two don’t mind . . . just a small break and I’ll get back to work I promise. You guys find junk to give her while I take it.”
 
Kaelyn felt all of the color drain from her face as the former driver of the van she was riding suddenly rose through the roof of the vehicle. Were it not that she had already secured one of her legs using the vines, she probably would have fallen clean off of her perch. Considering that they were moving at a speed somewhere above 80mph, she was pretty sure that she would have merely been stroganoff on the road after impact. She was not, however, willing to dwell on that as she listened to the ghost girl and readied to grab the 13 inch television set.


Not entirely certain how to use this just yet, she secured it to the roof using her free leg as a sort of binding. No sooner had she started to consider this than the woman was back with a crowbar. That one she knew how to deal with almost instantly. Taking her spoon out again to help figure out the trajectory of the throw, she timed her toss before letting the crowbar fly. Keeping careful tabs of it in her spoon’s reflective surface, she watched the window of the already damaged car cave in a shower of glass shards.


Moving the tv carefully under her knee and meandering it over her head, she readied for another throw. This one was a bit more risky. First off, she was throwing a far heavier object than she was accustomed to and was going to require her whole body to launch it properly. Secondly, she was going to have to do a blind throw and calculate the path necessary in mid throw as she couldn’t hold her spoon. Thirdly, she was going to be seated afterwards . . .


Not really having time to consider all of these points considering that she could hear gunfire again, she quickly started wrapping her other leg. She was going to attempt to use her body as a catapult and thus needed to be well grounded. Having finished that, she sat upwards and threw the television awkwardly off of the back of the moving vehicle. It missed . . . horribly.


Quickly drawing her trusty spoon, she threw it side arm at the vehicle. This time, however, she didn’t aim for the hood. That part of the car seemed very well protected. Rather she aimed for the front bumper. Throwing it as hard as she could, she watched it fly true. A second later it indented deeply into its target and the airbags of the vehicle deployed on the unsuspecting driver. Kaelyn didn’t see this, however, as pain ripped through her body as a bullet passed clean through her shoulder.


Falling backwards so that she was lying flat on the roof, she swooned dizzily at the realization that she was bleeding. It hadn’t quite occurred to her why yet, but she knew that she was in pain. She was in a lot of pain. Weakly, she hit at the roof of the van and prayed that ghost girl could hear her. There was nothing more she could do as it was her throwing arm that had been hit. “Ghost girl!” she whimpered weakly, knowing her words were lost to the wind. There was one more vehicle currently able to pursue them, and she was now worthless . . . perfect!
 
:: Anything you vant Princess ::


Viktor sent as a response to Eliza’s outburst from him probing her mind. Something told him he didn’t want to probe Rayanna’s mind, he could sense there was some nasty memories bouncing around in her head.


Thankfully Viktor found a discarded joint in the backseat of the car and lit it as Jeremy introduced himself and sprouted shrubbery turning the van into something like a woodland tank. Blissfully smoking as the girls scrambled around in the car, Viktor just laughs nervously at the frantic otherworldly chaos of it all - Watching their display of their powers in resentful awe, noting Eliza phase through the car repeatedly like some kind of ghost.


“Well, Princess” referring to Eliza “You are clearly no mutant, vood boy I get, but that?!”pointing at her as she phases in and out once again, “That is just freakish” and snickers at his own snide remark.


Viktor continued smoking trying to suppress the stressfulness of the situation, smiling at the fact that Eliza finally needed a break, his jealous nature already trying to spot weaknesses in the other mutant powers of the group. He could feel his own body going numb and his mind growing slower again, grimly Viktor burns the backside of his hand with the sweet smelling cigarette, the pain of it helping to retain him conscious of his surroundings, aging marks on his arm proving that this is somewhat of a ritual of his.


And suddenly he could sense the girl on the roof again, or rather sense what she was feeling.


“Hey princess, wonder girl up there seems to be…. How should I put it…. In Pain.”
 
Hearing his voice in her head again got Eliza to shoot Viktor such a dirty look. When he said princess out loud normally she would question if he meant her . . . course there was clear signs he did. His words hurt and she frowned deeply as she continued her rest plotting away to get him back in her own manner. Only to watch him burn himself and roll her eyes, he was that type? Masochistic was it? Well so much for having fun at poking his side asking if it hurt for revenge.


She had just about closed her eyes and fully relaxed only for that man’s voice to bring her around again. That mocking nickname he gave her, where did he even get that from anyways. Her anger soothed into a gentle worry and maybe a slight panic at his words though and she steadied herself to stand. Taken a deep breath she popped right through the roof of the van again looking the girl up top over.


“Shit . . . you got hit . . . do you need me to bring you down?” She asked in truth wondering if she could manage such a feat safely. She never did really try to phase others before now after all. Her eyes going to the top of the van as if tempted to rush down and get some of that first aid kit to try to take care of the girl here. Frowning as the difficulty still remained, not that she was willing to admit what that might be.


Course about that time she started to swear and seem extra annoyed as she noticed a bullet pass through her own head. Turning to look at the car and the persons shooting she flicked them off. “I swear, some people have no sense of justice . . . is it just me or are they actually trying to kill us?” She glanced back to the girl hoping for at least a smile. Humor was good in these situations right? To keep up spirits? At least she was trying.
 
Kaelyn rolled her eyes as a rather rueful smile managed to make its appearance in spite of the seriousness of the situation. Winking at the girl, she twisted her good arm around another vine so as to secure herself. "Nah, I'm set for a bit . . ." she slurred rather poorly, her head spinning a bit. "But I'm out . . . try telling plant boy down there to slam the breaks and cause a crash . . ."


She tried to bind her injured arm as well, but failed miserably. A small cry escaped her lips as the wound seemed serious enough to deny her momentary control. This was going to hurt . . . a lot. It should work, however. They were larger had a lot more mass which should mean that the enemy would take the brunt of the hit. At these speeds the impact would undoubtedly kill the car . . . it may well injure this group also, but with time to prepare they should be able to pull through alive.


There was the added bonus that engines had this nice tendency to live in the front of the vehicles meaning that theirs should survive while their pursuant vehicle's should be quite damaged. This particular plan was not one of her favorites. It was all she had though as the others didn't really seem to want to step up. Ghost girl was doing her part and the plant boy was driving, but they seemed to very much lack combat type abilities so far. "This is going to suck . . ." she muttered more to herself than to ghostie as she started to brace herself.
 
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