Chapter One- Am I a Freak?


Mystique cackled like a crazy witch. Everyone was scared. All except Lance that is. He smiled smugly.

Surely, Mystique would fill him in later, right?

The sound of helicopters far away in the distance startled Mystique. She turned from their shocked faces to look. The look of panic came across her face.

Damn! The police--- No, wait. they’’re reporters…… perfect.

““Ah, it seems that we have more company; more media for us mutants. It hasn’’t even been 24 hours and already we’’re the talk of the town.”” She turned around to face all of them. ““I’’m so very sorry,”” she announced, ““but I’’m afraid I have more important matters to attend to. Take care, I’’ll be watching.”” And with that, she morphed into a crow, and started to fly away. The X-men and the Brotherhood both stared at the three helicopters coming in their direction. They were too shocked, too confused. Everything went by so fast. Some of them still had their mouths wide open.

What would happen to them now?

Finally, Scott drew them back to reality. ““Everyone, right now, we don’’t have enough time. I don’’t know what happened, but I’’m getting the feeling that we need to get outta here.”” He paused to look around. Everyone was nervous, and look lost, this time, including Lance. But everyone was listening. Mystique had abandoned them.

Where are we supposed to go? It’’s not like there was another Xavier Institute where they could hide and be safe……

Suddenly Scott got an idea. He turned to face Jean. ““Do you remember that summer when we went to Scotland to meet this lady, uh, the professor’’s friend?””

““Y-yeah, her name’’s Moira, I think.””

““Well, she knows we’’re mutants, and she’’s the professor’’s friend. You think she’’ll help us?””

““Well, it’’s our only option……we won’’t know till we try, I guess,”” she answered, still shaking a bit.

““Alright. Uh, everyone, we need to get into the helicopter. I’’m not sure if everyone will fit…….let’’s just hope so. Okay, everyone let’’s move!””

He tried to sound calm, to make the others calm. But inside, he was just as scared as everybody else. Everyone ran quickly towards the helicopter. Cyclops and Jean stood near the opening door to count everyone. ““Roberto, Rahne, Jubilee, Sam, Ray, Bobby, Toad, Lance, Kitty, Tabitha, Kurt, and Amara, and is there anybody else?”” They both looked around. Jean even scanned the area with her telepathy. There was no one else. Both exchanged glances and nodded. Jean went in first, and Scott followed. It was pretty crowded inside. There were only six seats, so eight had to sit on the floor, or stand up. Lance stood up from his seat so Kitty could sit down. She smiled at him. He grinned. Cyclops and Bobby were both at the two front seats; they were the pilots. Amara took the seat behind Scott, Ray took the one beside her, and Jubilee took the one behind her, beside Kitty. Lance sat on the floor next to Kitty’’s seat. Most of the others didn’’t really care where they sat; they were just glad to be there. They scattered between the seats. Jean however, sat at the back, the farthest from everyone else. She needed to be alone. She needed to think. Her life had just turned upside-down. Nothing made sense anymore. Her plans for the future were ruined. Now that everyone knew she was a mutant, what do they think of her now? What does Taryn think of her? What about Duncan……?

Oh God, they think I’’m a freak.

She buried her face into her hands, and sobbed quietly.

The flight would be a quiet one.