DAYS OF FUTURE PAST, Issue #2

[Nuke261]

Coach Shelton sat amazed at the resilience and determination of these kids. "Why don't you guys come in here, it's sort of my 'war room.' Graham, you need a hand?"

Coach Shelton led them into a room on the other side of the kitchen. It was large, larger than any of the other rooms in the house. There were flags hanging on the walls, the United States of America, POW/MIA, U.S. Marine Corps and SHIELD. In between them were maps of the U.S. and Canada, just the U.S., the east coast, Ohio and north east Ohio. They all had marking all over them but no indication of what the marking were. There were two large tables in the center of the room, both were empty. There were a number of stools with chair backs throughout the room as well as two filing cabinets and a computer desk. At the other end of the room sat a big screen t.v. and two smaller ones. They were all on news stations with the sound muted. Near the computer there were a few framed pictures hanging on the wall. They were all of the coach. High school football, hanging with his friends, Marine Corps, shaking hands with the president.

"This is where I get my work done. Graham, why don't you sit down. That stuff really wipes you out. I've never seen anyone get wiped like that from using powers before. You sure you're alright? Maybe I should talk to your aunt and uncle sometime, find out about your dad and what your deal is." After they had all grabbed seats, Coach Shelton walked over and turned on the police scanner and then grabbed a seat.

"Catherine will be fine. I'll get her into town, they'll think you guys dropped her off and after being questioned she'll go home to her folks. That will be the end of any troubles for her. The rest of you I can help get into Canada. I have friends and connections up there and they can help you from there. I can't know where you're going after that, just in case I get caught. We would need to leave around 1 a.m. so if you need to sleep or eat you have lots of time. Like I said earlier, I can take you to see your folks or get stuff from your homes, if you want." He paused, trying to determine the best way to explain what came next.

"Some of your families won't be happy to see you. Some of them belive mutants are bad to the point that they would turn you in. That doesn't even come close to meaning they don't love you, they're just too wrapped up in the beliefs of society. So you need to think real hard about if that is something you want to go through or not. If you need to grab clothes or anything you can do that, too. You will be taking my truck. It has a jammer in it that will make anyone in it come up as average human on a scan."

"I know this is a lot for you to deal with. Are you kids following all of this or do you need to take a break?"

 

[Kangaxx]

Corey Vinyard

Corey follows the rest of the group in a daze. Never come back? What about school? What about college? How'd they know? "Coach... coach, how do they know about us? I mean, the ones of us that didn't get caught. We didn't get, like, scanned or anything. Isn't... don't..." Corey trails off, and continues staring at the floor.

 

[Radiant]

Jennifer Allen

"Yeah, I had planned on getting out of the states sooner or later." Kyle says as she looks around. "I suspected, you know given my uncle and aunt's comments, that my dad was a mutant. Guess that is a for sure thing." looks to the Coach. "Well, since it's you, guess it's time to switch back. Settles down in a chair and takes a deep breath, clearly not too happy to have to change at all.

She closes her eyes, takes another shaky breath and changes. The body blurs, and she grips the chair tightly as muscle and bone literally grind together as they shift in position. The teen version of Valerie Dobson slowly, and clearly painfully, shifts back to Kyle Graham.

A minute passes and finally a much paler, shaken Kyle looks over at the others. "That .. Truly.. Sucks." he says quietly as he lounges.

"Let's try to get by without it as long as we can. That looks like it... well sucks."
She gives Kyle a weak smile, he's currently freaking her out a lot but he's still a friend.

"Coach... well... I should thank you first about all this. We aren't safe yet,but it could be worst. But I still have some questions. What will happen to Catherine? Is she really normal? And after how they treat her, will she be returned home just like that? And people here starts to know what there new mutant power can do, but can you detail us our power, or the only way is to try them? And finally, where do you suggest us to leave? Canada? South America? Africa?"

"Oh please, stop whining. You're girlfriend won't be prom-queen. For her that's the end of the world but how about you start worrying about real problems. It's not like the mutant hunt would be a damn secret. they have bloody senitnels in front of the white house after all. So she's the victim, end of story. Whole school will think she's a mutant lover but she's finishing this year. Even someone with only empty air in her head should be able to surivive a few month of bad jokes."
She sighs, the one thing she never liked about the ruling couple of her school was that Andrew Ward actualy seemed to be a nice guy and that he was naive enough to think that Catherine felt anything for him.
My, you're older than me and even I realize that you would have broken up after the occasinal phone call once you'd settled on different colleges.[/color]

Eleyna was truly shocked to see the face under the mask. The Swede was actually... Coach Shelton! Frustration disappeared, only to be replaced by a huge smile. "Coach! I thought you might have had something to do with this!" She turned to Gabe and nudged him in the side gently. "We were right!"

Listening intently to the discussion, the severity of the situation slowly dawned on her. She didn't want to leave, but it was the only way. To keep her parents safe. To keep her town safe. Their options had run out here in the States. But where could they go? Where in the world was it safe for mutants to live, and how would they get there?

The thought was about to form a question, when she heard it come from Andrew Ward. "Andrew has a point, Coach. Where is it safe for us? And how would we get there?"

"Told Kyle it's a teach allready. You can smell their type."
She grins at Eleyena. That girl is no one she knows very well but she seems a lot more healthy than before. Maybe it's something about her powers. It looks like they don't only have bad sides.
"I bet we can go to dozens of countries who don't hunt mutants. The question is probably just what other downsides they have. And as you said, how we're going to get there."
Jennifer does not appear the slightest bit scared by the prospect. She has to go so that's what's going to happen. Everything will work out, that's just how her life is.

Lorenzo wandered in after making certain everything was out of the truck. He even wiped it down on the inside, trying to make certain there was nothing there that might give him away too. Obviously a detailed search would turn up something – but hopefully he would be long gone by then.

Lorenzo admired the style of the house and the contents. Staying calm on the outside, Lorenzo just uttered a, “Hey, Coach,” as Coach Shelton revealed himself. Grabbing a sofa pillow and tossing it on the floor, Lorenzo laid down on the floor, propping his head with the pillow.

“Anyway you can tell us what we do, coach?” Lorenzo asked. “Today was the first time I actually started thinking that I might be a mutant – and that was only after things started getting weird. Privately, if ya don’t mind.”

Jenn let's herself slide from the sofa to sit beside Zo. At least someone is not loosing his nerve.
"hey old man, you checked the house, you didn't happen to find some coffee did you?"

Andrew hear the word, and a painfull emotion pass throught his hearth... But something else take over, the same thing that have made him fight every match to the end, even if it was hopeless. He has always played to the end because he liked it. He will now fight to the end because he liked his life...

"Not for me. One day I'll come back here. Maybe it will be on my last days, just to see where I was born before my heart will fail me, but I hope it will be to see the ending of this nigthmare... we have gone throught slavery, why wouldn't be able to go throught mutation as a culture? Some people will have to fight for there rights, and I hope these fights will sheed no blood, but in the end, I hope no more mutant will be treated as laboratory mice.

Coach SHelton have already started that fight with his friends. I want to join it up. I know, after today, it is a dangerous one, but you know me Coach, I am not the one who will fail you, always there to end the match. So, what position should I play?"

"Yeah, away to the the Ward-mobile!"
A sarcastic smile vanishes as fast as it appeared.
"Sorry Andrew, I didn't mean that. I guess you're right, if we can do something we should. But this ain't like slavery. The battle has been fought and lost. And maybe I'm wrong Coach but I think the Sentinels won. My dad once told me that it was even one of those costumed heroes of old who gave them the technology to do it. He didn't know who though. Now that I think of it there's not much about that time around anythere. Or did I just sleep over it duringh histiry classes."

"I know this is a lot for you to deal with. Are you kids following all of this or do you need to take a break?"

"I don't want to go home, could just get my folks into trouble. But unless you know how I can get a new wardrobe I have to drop in for a second. They can exile me but they won't force me to dress bad."

 

[Velmont]

"Well, Miss Allen-know-it-all, I made myself no illusion about Catherine, but I was confortable with her. It was well enough for me. And why I am taking care of her it is because it is my fault if she is here presently, I want to be sure there is no harm done. I don't get rid of my responsabilities.

Coach, it will be fine for me. I prefer not going back, but I will write them a letter if you don't mind. Pretty evasive on what will happen next, just telling I am safe."

 

[Radiant]

Jennifer Allen

"Well, Miss Allen-know-it-all, I made myself no illusion about Catherine, but I was confortable with her. It was well enough for me. And why I am taking care of her it is because it is my fault if she is here presently, I want to be sure there is no harm done. I don't get rid of my responsabilities.

Coach, it will be fine for me. I prefer not going back, but I will write them a letter if you don't mind. Pretty evasive on what will happen next, just telling I am safe."

Jenn shrugs at Andrew and tries to look as friendly as she can.
"Well Mr Ward you make an intriguing if idiotic point. It's not your fault she is here, unless you happened to have sent the feds after her AND made them mistake her for a mutant. And I'm not even taking into account that there is no fault to begin with. She was fine, she is fine and she will be fine for the rest of her empty headed life so try to worry about yourself for a change. And if I know sound completly rude and unfair then well, please take into account that unlike your darling girlfriend I DO have my life stolen and ruined right now, which happens to hit on my mood and tolearance. Thank you very much."

 

[Synchronicity]

Gabriel 'Gabe' Adams, HP 2/2

Gabe sat up on the sofa, looking at Shelton. "I...my Mom...I have to see her. She...she'll understand...I...I'm sure she will. After my Dad died, it...it was just the two of us. I can't just leave without seeing her again. She...my parents...they never agreed with the treatment of mutants. She won't turn me in. I know it." Although what Shelton had told them had obviously hit Gabe hard, he seemed to have pulled himself back together again. One of his hands gently rubbed the pendant around his neck, while the other was entwined with one of Eleyna's hands. He sagged for a moment, but this time it seemed to be from simple exhaustion. "I'd very much like to sleep for a bit first, though. Just...don't let me sleep too long. Don't let me miss the chance to say..to say goodbye to my Mom."

 

[kid A]

Eleyna Robertson

Gabe sat up on the sofa, looking at Shelton. "I...my Mom...I have to see her. She...she'll understand...I...I'm sure she will. After my Dad died, it...it was just the two of us. I can't just leave without seeing her again. She...my parents...they never agreed with the treatment of mutants. She won't turn me in. I know it." Although what Shelton had told them had obviously hit Gabe hard, he seemed to have pulled himself back together again. One of his hands gently rubbed the pendant around his neck, while the other was entwined with one of Eleyna's hands. He sagged for a moment, but this time it seemed to be from simple exhaustion. "I'd very much like to sleep for a bit first, though. Just...don't let me sleep too long. Don't let me miss the chance to say..to say goodbye to my Mom."

Eleyna was finding all of this quite difficult. Her head was splitting, and she felt like she was going to cry. Again.

She maintained her silence through Jenn and Andrew's... conversation. When Gabe spoke, she squeezed his hand tightly. She knew it was hard for him. Having already lost his dad, and now he was going to lose his mom. Speaking softly, so only he could hear her, she said, "Gabe, I'm sorry... I'll... I mean, I know I'm not... your mom, but... ummm... I'll take care of you, okay?"

Tears in her eyes, Gabe was not the only thing on her mind. Her mom and dad flashed through her mind, and she didn't know what to do. She supposed it was better to let them know she was alive, but to have to say goodbye? That was going to be difficult, at best. Still, she had to do it. They'd understand. "Ummm, I'd... I'd like to see my parents, too, if we have time. But, I second Gabe's notion about sleep, first."

 

[KaintheSeeker]

Kyle Graham hp 2/2

Kyle speaks up, still sounding spent and exhuasted, but with a little more color in his face. "People. Focus on the now. Bitch at each other AFTER we're safely across whatever border coach is sneaking us across." He sits up, with difficulty. "Good luck finding out anything about my dad coach, I've been trying for 10 years to. My uncle won't say, my aunt swears they never met and I know my mother's name on the birth certificate is bogus. It has the name of one my my uncle's great great grandmothers on it, only the year on her birthday is different." Kyle shrugs, apparently this is an old wound for him and he's not about to pick at it. "Dead and buried coach, you'll not get anything from that angle."

 

[Keia]

Lorenzo Reynolds Hps: 2/2

Jenn let's herself slide from the sofa to sit beside Zo. At least someone is not loosing his nerve. "Hey old man, you checked the house, you didn't happen to find some coffee did you?"

“Nahh, no such luck,” Lorenzo replied. “Just gathered up everything from the truck so coach here could ditch it . . . the truck that is.”

“I could use seeing my parents again. I know that we ditched school today, but is that the only evidence that we’re mutants.” Lorenzo asked, stretching and stifling a yawn. “Seems pretty thin for sure, I guess I’m with the others in wondering just how much the bad guys know and who told them.”

 

[KaintheSeeker]

Kyle Graham hp 2/2

Kyle stops for a moment and blinks. "Coach, earlier you said I WASN'T a mutant? Or is it that I didn't register as one?" he asks quietly. "Cause, I have a way to work this through if that's the case. Your widget anything like wha the feds use?"