The State of New York, USA
"They'll be getting closer. If we stay here, they'll find us for certain."
"Okay okay... let's just get inside."
Two silhouette figures emerge from the bushes. The tallest picks up the other and darts across the school parking area in an instant, creating a small sonic boom and leaves flying into the air. They stop at the other side, finding themselves on the playground. They quickly check their surroundings, struggling to catch their breath. Just by looking at them, you can tell they haven't eaten a proper meal in weeks, maybe months.
"I'll open the wall up..." says the smaller one, a girl. "Just... just let me gather my strength"
They wait cautiously for a few seconds, backed up against the wall, trying to keep out of the moonlight. Then, the girl tenderly places her palm against the brick wall. Her palms glow red and start to gently hum and then, like magic, the bricks start to slowly fade transparent as her magic hums.
"There'd better be food inside Wanda", her brother whispers, agitatedly.
"Stop whining Pietro... there will be", she replies, her voice strained from exhaustion.
Then, as the wall is about halfway done, a collection of whirling buzzes descends from the sky. 3 drones appear above the twins and aim their blinding spotlights at them. Pietro frantically grabs Wanda's arm and is about to run when Wanda says "No wait! I'm almost through, we can lose them inside"
A military-style truck then pulls up in the parking lot, and drives violently through a wire fence and onto the playground. Approximately 10 soldiers in specialised armour pile out the back and surround the twins. An armed woman in military garments then gets out of the passenger side. Her black, silky hair disappears into the night.
"I've got them, over", she communicates into an earpiece with a soft British accent, strutting towards the two young Mutants. Unsure what else to do, Pietro attempts to disarm the soldiers, but he is easily outnumbered. He gets shot square in the chest with a specialised dart from the woman with the earpiece. His sister stops her magic and drops to the floor beside him.
"Stay AWAY!" Wanda screams, causing the ground to shake vigorously. She cradles Pietro in her arms as he passes out.
"You're coming with us", the woman says, bluntly, before going to shoot Wanda too. As the trigger is about to be pulled, the dart gun slips out of her hand and into Wanda's.
"Shoot her", the woman says, flustered. The soldiers all go to shoot but also all lose their weapons unexpectedly as their guns are flung forwards by Wanda, who smirks slightly.
"Stop it!" the woman shouts, in futile, as Wanda uses her chaos magic to raise all the dart guns into the air and aim them back at the soldiers who were going to shoot them.
"Have mercy, please" some of them mumble and plead, getting to their feet.
Without hesitation, Wanda fires. They fire until the clips run out. Eventually, the only people left standing are Wanda and the woman. Terrified, the woman goes to her last resort. On her wrist device, she activates the 3 drones, from spotlight mode into engaging mode. They take Wanda by surprise and while she tries to deflect every dart, several hit her in the arm and the legs, and she falls to her knees.
Confident she's completed her mission, the woman takes out her mobile phone and dials the only number on it.
"Boss" she says, "Agent Elizabeth here. Assets retrieved, over"
1 hour later
"Oh no", says an older man's voice solemnly. "I'm too late."
The gentleman glides slowing over the parking lot and gently removes his helmet. He lands on the grass and stares into the flames which have engulfed the school.
"I'm so sorry, my children" says the man. He puts back on his helmet and begins to fly again, heading towards upstate New York.
YOU ARE READING
The X-Men: Volume One - Survival
Science FictionThe state New York is in a frenzy. All mutants are under great threat from a twisted human trying to annihilate them all. They ALL must work together if they're all going to survive...
