feathers ↣ w. worthington iii

(16) Raise Your Hand if You Want to Overthrow an Evil Tyrant!

"They ain't trying to see us shine, shine, bullet on our time, time. But fuck it, we'll live forever." Forever by Noname and Ravyn Lenae

Lilli stared up at Cas and the other Kezing agent in horror. Kezing had infiltrated the school. They were here. Where were the other X-Men? Who had locked them in the room? How had Kezing gotten in? What was happening?

"Let's just go. They're obviously not in here," the Kezing agent said. Lilli, wide-eyed, watched as Cas and the agent left the room. Where were they going? What were they about to do?

Simultaneously, Peter, Lilli, and Warren stood up and wordlessly followed Cas out of the door. Lilli grabbed both of the boys' hands and clutched them tightly to ensure that they stayed invisible. She felt Warren's hand tightly close against her left hand, fitting her like a glove. It gave Lilli a little comfort.

The three followed Cas down the hallway, making sure to step quietly and avoid the squeaky boards. He was chatting amicably with the Kezing agent, who was the youngest Lilli had ever seen. He looked about her age. Cas and this agent seemed to be friends— they were bumping shoulders and laughing. It felt weird to see such a young Kezing agent. It felt wrong.

Cas and the agent turned left out of the hallway, and Warren, Lilli, and Peter followed behind at a safe distance. They walked all the way out to the giant entryway. Lilli gasped as she looked up at the steps. All of the students of the Institute were sitting quietly on the steps, crowded in together. There were big Kezing agents standing guard at the top and bottom of the steps. The kids looked terrified. Lilli felt her blood begin to boil. What was Kezing going to do to the kids? She had to protect them. They were just children.

Cas and his friend had gone to a bench that was sitting against a wall. They were sitting next to each other, talking to each other as they watched the children. It was sickening to see Cas watch the kids he'd used to live with be corralled up like farm animals and not do anything about it. Lilli felt disgusted as she stared at him. She was itching to punch his stupid little face. He had made her leave the X-Men. And he was going to pay.

"Where is everyone else?" Peter whispered to Lilli and Warren.

"Maybe they've already been taken," Warren suggested. Lilli nodded in agreement. That was the only possible explanation for the X-Mens' absences.

"What are we going to do?" Lilli whispered, looking up and surveying the room. The children weren't currently being harmed, but that didn't mean they wouldn't be later. There was no guarantee of their safety.

"The real question is what are they going to do?" Peter asked, referring to the Kezing agents. He was right. They couldn't decide what to do until they knew what Kezing was up to. But how were they supposed to find out what Kezing was going to do?

"Get back," Warren whispered suddenly, dragging Lilli and Peter backwards. Their backs hit the wall just as a gaggle of Kezing agents passed right where they had been standing. Lilli watched them walk by. They were all young boys, about her age, and obviously mutants. Many of them had abnormally colored skin, such as blue, purple, or red. They were all clad in the Kezing uniform— a sharp suit, sunglasses, and shiny bald heads. It was shocking to see how many new, young agents Kezing had acquired.

"Where are they getting all these younger agents?" Peter whispered, echoing Lilli's thoughts. She shrugged. She didn't know.

"I'll bet they're from Chaos," Warren whispered, watching the group just as intently as Lilli. The agents had made their way up to where Cas and his friend were sitting. Lilli watched as the group cheered, and Cas stood up with a broad grin on his face. He high fived a few of them. It was obvious they were all celebrating their success in capturing the school. Lilli felt sick.