Withering Wishes . • . X-Men Fanfic . • . BOOK 2

vingt

Chapter Twenty:

"Everyone run and hide!" She screamed and immediately the body of students reacted. They pushed pasted the men guarding the door and into the hallways. Footsteps pounded down the halls as they heeded her command. Ekka turned to run herself, but more men moved to block her way.

One of them pushed her to the ground with his gun, and Mandla stepped forward, enraged.

Ekka scrambled to her feet just as Mandla dove down to grab her. She ran to a man who looked a bit distracted with the escaping students.

Ekka plowed into him, knocking him to the ground. His head slammed against the glossy wood of the gym floor. Ekka yanked the metal band off his forehead, and forced her mutation into him. "Protect me!" She said, out of breath.

The man responded immediately, his fingers growing claws as he fell on all fours. He snarled, ready to fight any and all who approached.

Mandla and his men stepped forward, they all had guns pointed at her and the snarling man. Ekka quickly moved and took the man's gun from him, her shaking, sweating fingers managing to unclip it.

Ekka had only ever held a gun one time, and that was when she tried to shoot herself last year. This gun looked a lot more advanced, she didn't know how to work it.

Ekka looked up and saw Adrian behind Mandla. He rose a gun up high to attack, but immediately the black cat jumped on him, bringing him to the ground. "No!" Ekka cried, standing straight. "No! Leave him alone!"

Mandla rose an eyebrow and glanced over his shoulder at the black lion. "No," Mandla said, amused at Adrian as he struggled.

"Please! I--I will come with you! Please, do not hurt him!" This gave Mandla pause. He turned back to Ekka, an eyebrow raised. "I will!" Ekka said again.

"You will do it now," Mandla said simply.

"Ye--Yes." Mandla smiled and waved his hand. The black cat retreated, but the men beside Mandla moved to hold Adrian.

"No! Ekka! Don't do this!" Adrian said, his eyes wide in terror. Ekka didn't say anything. She walked towards Mandla. Her arms crossed right around herself as Mandla grabbed her shoulder with his big, firm hand.

He motioned to the men beside her and they pulled out a pair of strange handcuffs that looked a bit darker than usual. When Ekka put them on, they felt a lot heavier.
A man touched them, and then then the metal shifted and covered both her hands.

Ekka swallowed hard, keeping her tears from falling down her cheeks. She looked up at Mandla, who was smiling warmly. "Get the car ready," he ordered and a few men nodded, running to bring his car around.

Finally, Mandla looked back down at her, victory evident in his eyes. He moved her head so she could watch Adrian as he helplessly struggled against the men holding him.

"I will teach you many things," Mandla told her. "Today, you learn your first lesson. Never give into weakness." He flicked his hand and both the black cat and the lion pounced on Adrian. They sank their canines and claws into his skin and Adrian yelled in pain.

"No! No!!" Ekka screamed, her heart pounding. She could see Fira trying to fight back against the hungry, vicious lions, but she wasn't strong, and one of them got a good bite.

And Father left her to die.

Ekka couldn't do this. She couldn't let anyone else die. Not like this, not if they were innocent. Ekka screamed at the top of her lungs. She screamed as tears ran down her face. She screamed as terror and anger pumped through her veins.