Chapter 9: Chapter 9- Planning a Murder, and Executing a Plan
POV- Andy
Pulling out my phone I text Esme, the hottie with a heart, "Hey, just letting you know, Lorna wants in, she'll come with us tomorrow morning, that cool?"
*brzzt*
"Yes, that's fine, we are glad she has accepted the truth. How did you convince her?"
"I explained the Humanity Today summit, who attends and the fact they use innocent children to 'make their hate palatable.'" Something I'm sure the Frosts will be using like a trigger phrase to piss Lorna off. "When she sees them all there, smiling and cheering for their hate, she will flip entirely. See you tomorrow. PS. Can you read minds through a phone?"
*brzzt*
"No, we cannot, and thank you for getting Lorna on side."
"Yes, but you're misunderstanding, she's on MY side. We just have a common goal, Esme, though I was serious about becoming friends with you and your sisters. Be wary of hypocritical leaders Esme."
Leaving enough of a hint, I put away my phone, Lorna, Marcos, John and Sage already waiting as I sit on a side table. With little else to do I start manipulating my powers as I wait, throwing a dried apricot into the air and catching it by pushing on it from all sides, somewhat similar to Lauren's constricting, but done from the opposite direction. Slightly distracted by Lorna doing the same with a knife, though I think it's much simpler, the apricot explodes with force, the omnidirectional force being directed into a wall and leaving nothing but splattered fruit and a dent in a wall.
"Shit," getting off to clean it, my family shows up, having obviously eaten in the time I was arranging the meeting's outcome.
John stands from the sofa and begins the daily report, with Sage providing information on resources and growing instances of purifier activity. 'I can't be sure if this is a result of something I did, or if it was something that just wasn't covered in the memories. Not that I can do much for them until Campbell goes.' He then looks at me and sighs, knowing the shitstorm that will follow. "Another point of discussion. The Frost sisters have asked for people to go with them and attend the Humanity Today event tomorrow, with plans to kill Dr Campbell and kidnap any mutant remains of the Hound Program he has with him, so they can be provided help."
Clarisse scoffed, "Of course they immediately went to murder."
John however actually retorted, "If we somehow capture him, we would have to detain him ourselves until he dies, or hand him over to authorities and watch as he escapes justice."
"There's justice, and then there's the law," Reed countered.
"Well seeing as we are ALL fugitives, most of us killers, thieves, or working for a drug cartel to provide the resources we use, I think we're a little past following the law," Lorna offered, completely shutting Reed's argument down.
"And who do they want to help them huh? Lorna and me?" Clarisse continued still pissed that we even considered listening to the Frosts.
"No, you weren't asked. Andy, Lauren and me. With me to destroy comms and protect the two of them while they take down the bodyguards and Campbell."
"Absolutely not. No way am I letting my children become assassins," Mom cried out, fists clenched tightly on the edge of the table.
Hopping off the table I'd been sitting on, I point out the issue with her statement. "I'm one of the ones working for the Cartel, and considering the fact Campbell wanted to turn me and my sister into drugged-up attack dogs, I don't think there's any way you could stop me from killing him."
While Caitlyn sobbed into her hands, her illusion of her son returning to a normal life shattered, Marcos asks, "After Campbell, what about the next one? The next person to come after you and your sister, the one after that?"
"If I have to wipe out threats a few times, others will avoid me, just as a child learns not to touch a hot stove after getting their fingers burnt, so too will they. ANYTHING for family, right Marcos?" He looked at Lorna, then at their unborn baby, and smiled softly nodding his head in agreement as my words seeped in.
"Anything." Wrapping Lorna in an embrace as they sat together, Marcos was now fully supportive of Lorna and my direction.
"You're okay with this John? Child soldiers and public assassination? This isn't why the X-men chose you."
"The X-men failed for decades to make peace. Decades. And when they vanished, just as everything went to hell, they left you with nothing. No resources, no land, no assistance. And Child soldier really? The Sentinels are okay with arresting mutant children, and the purifiers are willing to kill them, so why shouldn't we get a decision? Considering all you do Clarisse, is vanish the moment things go sideways for you, perhaps you should get less say than the children who don't have that ability and are forced to fight." My breath was hot as I finished, my volume had gotten progressively louder, and I was sure that most of the HQ had heard most of my enraged rant. 'God this bitch pisses me off.'
Seeing her try to open a portal, I simply constricted her as I had the Trask spy. "Coward." Those were the only words I said to her before I flung her through the closing portal.
"Was that really necessary?" John asked.
"The reality check, definitely, the space lock, probably not. But the sheer arrogance and smarminess she carries with her, a coward, is infuriating." With a shrug I signal to John to continue, telling the council that we'd be leaving in the morning.
"Well that went poorly," Sonya laughed, ruffling my hair. "Are you okay, you know with this? I have to ask while the Frosts are away."
"To make sure I'm not being mind-controlled, no. They have to be within limited space and their eyes glow blue. Plus, the idea was mine, as was destroying Trask." Seeing the soft smile as she cupped my cheek in my hand she apologised.
"I'm sorry that you're having to do this. That we failed to protect you from it."
"I don't blame you, or the humans really. The only ones to blame for the current situation are the Brotherhood, the Hellfire Club and the X-men, who could have changed the world, provided a sanctuary, and created a real future for mutant-kind, but instead spent all their time squabbling." Squeezing her hand gently, I go to bed in my cot, mere feet from Lauren's as we listen to the music box, which no longer has the same drug-like effect on us, but is relaxing nonetheless.
"Andy wake up. Get up, you idiot." Sitting up as I shield myself from Lauren poking me in the face, I groan. 'No one should be made to wake up this early.' Joining Lorna and Lauren at the cars, now somewhat clean and dressed, we enjoy the drive, well the massaging heated seats at least. Arriving at a manor of a similar size to the Guerra one, I'm even more pissed at the X-men. 'Wasn't Professor X rich?' After showering, with an actual shower, for the first time in a while, I am shown to the hairdresser, who tsks at me and immediately sits me down on the seat, wraps a cape over me and begins working, with zero influence on my part. 'Yep, this is obviously what happened to Andy before, because the hairstyle is the same and he's using some kind of colour-changing mutation to effectively dye my hair platinum blonde, closer to white than Lauren's. 'While I won't have to deal with hair damage which is nice, Lauren finds it hilarious watching me sit through the process,' though her hair ends up being shifted to match my own, near-white.
"Much Better."
"Now you look presentable"
"No more homeless teen sheek."
"Yeah well, it wasn't on my list of priorities."
"It will be from now on."
"Wash off the hair and we can get you dressed."
I smirk at the mental image but quickly shake it from my head, "no need." Focusing for a brief moment, all the loose hair is removed from my body, progressing from head to foot and placing the cut hair together on the floor under the chair.
"An excellent demonstration of control."
"I thought you couldn't do that yet?" Lauren bumped me.
"Not with dirt or any liquids, because they cling to the skin, but loose hair is fine. They're larger and easier to push off."
Looking at the laid-out clothes, dark jeans, sneakers and an oversized rock band hoodie, I can't help but remark, "You don't think this might stand out at the event? I figured it would be a fancier event, you know business jacket and tie."
"Well, we could get you a slimmer bulletproof vest, which uses a kinetic-dispersion gel instead, and a suit," one of the Frosts said, as they had no difference in appearance yet, still considering my suggestion.
"That would be much appreciated." 'At least that way they won't pick me out as not belonging based on my clothes. Between my hair and clothes, I should be fine unless they get close enough to see my face, not that it matters with Lorna's bright green hair.' Now dressed in a somewhat semi-casual, stretchy slim-fit suit, I test the flexibility. "Not bad. I could actually fight in this if I had to, though the fact I can't bring a gun is a little annoying."
"Suck it up little brother, it's not like you need one."
Wearing a similar outfit to my own, though slightly less form-fitting, 'she'd always hated the way people leered at her in certain clothes,' her hair tied back unlike Lorna whose hair was seemingly always a mere second from going into her eyes. 'Yep, just the goth-looking aunt off to an anti-mutant event with her niece and nephew, totally not suspicious.'
Luckily, the Frosts had found some old pharmaceutical company owner who'd decided to support the anti-mutant cause, who would be our ticket in. "All this extra work explains why they wanted us here so damn early," I groan, sitting in the back of the car next to the old racist dude. Mind controlling him into changing security detail was easy, as was getting through security. From here the plan was a little iffy, as we didn't have a teleporter, however, a clever use of Laurens shields used as platforms, allowed us to simply walk up to the second-floor balcony, avoiding the entrance security entirely. "Okay, we have two choices, we can either attack him as he leaves in his car, or, we can take this opportunity to cause a scene, using Lauren's shields to protect the small group of children singing currently. Sending a text to the Frosts, asking their opinions, they chose the latter.
"We both want them dead, but killing in front of kids is too far."
"Fair enough," I agree, telling the Frosts the decision, as we stay to spy on who he talks to as well to record who is attending, in case some of the profiles, such as the radio host seated in the back left of the room, who I know is close friends with Reeva. "Plan A- Let him get to the car."
Receiving a simple ok from the Frosts, we wait, fortunately not for long as we arrived late. "Here he comes, he's headed for the cars." Surrounded by a group of 5 mutants, probably with powerful mutations, limited only by the drug-affected state they are in, Campbell walks quickly towards two large-sized SUVs. While the company he worked for had performed illegal testing and procedures, as it was off the books there was no evidence of his knowledge of or participation in the experiments, and as everyone at Trask that night had been disintegrated, there were few who could allocate blame to him. Lorna, can you pull him towards the car? Perhaps with a belt buckle or something? Lauren, I need you to trap and shield the mutants with him, when you see me nod, go."
Performing the same trick, I'd been practising for the past few days, summoning fire where I can't see, was difficult at this range, but attempting combustion from here, however small an area felt like having screwdrivers grinding into my skull. Again, the image of Lauren in a collar appears in my mind, then of Reeva planning to kill me, and of the Frosts planning to kill my sister should she refuse to join them. Building the vibration within the space, the heat and the pressure, I nod, before releasing a shout as the car closest to Dr Campbell, which he was now pressed directly against, explodes sending him flying back towards us, burnt and missing parts of his body. A leg was missing, as was his head. "Lorna, Comms now." Removing the risk of being filmed, as all camera devices shattered where they were, we move down to the mess of Campbell, Lauren crushing the skull further in our shared anger.
The sound of gunshots echoed off the concrete, and the first shot slams into my stomach before Lauren can react, Lorna still having been destroying cell phones at the moment. Shields sprang up in front of us as I ward off my sister, telling her I'm fine. 'Holy fuck that hurts. While it does disperse the kinetic energy, the force that would pierce through me instead slams into me like a hit from a cricket bat.' With a fling of my arm, the arms and legs of the attacking security guards snap, and Lorna protects us from another round of bullets, beating the attackers with their own weapons by launching the heavy chunks of metal at them.
Coupling my powers with Lauren's the Frosts bound and drugged the mutant guards, each having the same tattoo as the others, none of them now having an electronic device on their being. Between Lorna and Lauren, no one else got shot as we moved them. "We need to go," Phoebe said, something I was guessing as Phoebe had driven both times, I'd been in a car with them. Looking at the sleeping hogtied mutants in the boot, I can't help but feel sympathetic for them, being used as a weapon against your own kind, against family and friends.
"Hopefully Mom can use some of that hypertrexone you got given and counteract the drugs in their systems."
"They're gonna hate the withdrawal from it though," I reply, knowing the pain Graph went through when given it. Unlike the first Trask spy, these mutants don't share the same enhanced metabolism, so the drugs would take days if not longer to be out of their systems, without the hypertrexone. 'At least they're alive.' Being dropped off back at the MU, John takes care of the new prisoners, and I pass the video to Sage to copy, so that we have evidence of who was there.
Being wrapped in a hug by Reed, who'd come to slowly accept the situation and the shift in the personality of both myself and Lauren. While she'd become less sociable, having actually ignored Wes when he arrived, and was more tolerant of violence, I had become a new person. Affected by the memories of a whole other life, of being depressed, in addition to knowing fragments of a set future, now almost completely derailed, I was more outgoing, colder and yet even more protective of Lauren. I was glad to have Reed accept the shift, as he was caring, and genuinely wanted to have a connection with his kids, unlike the father from the memories.
"It's done, Andy. You can rest. Your mom's got some steaming hot spaghetti cooking now, so why don't you get changed and join us." Squeezing him lightly I head off to get changed, glad that no one had noticed the small hole in the lower section of my jacket. Shrugging it and my new bulletproof vest off, a gift from the Frosts, I take a look at my stomach. "Fuuuck. Even bending to get changed hurts," I whine to myself.
"Well not everyone's bulletproof," John comments, pulling me close to him in what I imagine a bro-hug looks like. "I'm so glad you're not injured. Lorna mentioned you'd been shot but that you'd said you were fine. I wasn't sure if you were ignoring an injury, or actually fine so I came to check."
"No, thanks to the vest I'm just bruised. Apparently, some of the security detail decided to cover the carpark as people left, and decided to shoot the mutants who killed Campbell."
"I have to ask. Have the Frost sisters tried to invite you to join their group?"
"Not exactly, but they probably assume I would join them regardless, Lauren included."
"Would you?"
"Join the group my family and Lorna's helped build. Who are similar to me in realism, though perhaps a little extreme. With money and resources that could actually help mutants." I pat him on the arm, "John, you've done amazing, but if Marcos and I hadn't gotten the help from the Cartel, you would have no food, or water and would have been overcapacity by a ridiculous amount. You're a good person, but a poor leader, just like Marcos. If Sage left, could you manage this place?" Seeing him downcast as he shakes his head, long hair covering his eyes, I feel pity. "Focus on logistics rather than ideals, and you'll find yourself more successful. Anyway, just something to think about, I have to go, spaghetti awaits apparently."
Sitting at the table with my family I decide to offer them the choice. 'That seems fair.' In between bites of the canned delicacy, I explain who the Frosts work for, and explain that I was considering joining them, as the MU had nothing to offer me. "While it's fine if you don't want to come with me-"
"Us," Lauren corrects. "There's no way I'm letting you run off by yourself." Honestly, I was glad. The reason why we suffered so much in the memories was due to our separation and feelings of betrayal.
"With US," I continue, "while I'd love to have you both there with us, as a family, with Dad able to get tested and train properly when his powers develop. If Lorna comes with us, Mom could help with her baby, being a nurse and all. On the other hand, we'll be fine, and you could both do some serious good here, helping mutants in need escape."
"If you are both decided on going, then so are we." Cait had a way of making hasty decisions when it came to family, but it only meant she cared for us.
'Well, I guess Reeva will get the full set this time. Too bad Fenris is FAR beyond her pay grade.'
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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