The Saga Continues. Since we alternate every week, you start here with Part 3 of “Escaping Humanity” – click HERE to go to Mary’s site and read Part 4! 

*~*~*~*

Ilana sat on the stone banister of the steps in front of Anna’s apartment. On the surface she kept her features stoic, almost bored. For anyone that passed by the dirt under her nails was all that had her attention.

Inside she was laughing her ass off. James’ internal dialogue about the woman he was attempting to ‘save’ was just too much.

Dammit, she’s a stubborn one. What the hell does she have in that bag? Could we be tracked because of it? After a pause, he went right back to admiring her again. For someone that’s dying she’s got a hell of a figure.

Ilana sighed, picking at some actual dirt beneath a nail. James was a great warrior, an excellent tracker. Underneath it all he was always disgustingly male. She shut down the telepathic energy in her brain to stop listening in on his next series of thoughts. As amusing as some of his thoughts could be, she didn’t like watching porno. Plus, when he switched back to suspicion again, and he inevitably would, it would make her paranoid.

She hated being paranoid. Yes, they were living in a really shitty time. There were few people you could trust. Yes, she was fully aware of every danger lurking around every corner. Yes, she knew all too well how much the minds of the military had been corrupted into believing mutants were an evil insidious race.

Before the war had gone from covert military action to all out fighting, Ilana had been anything but paranoid. There’d been a time when she was anything but dark and depressed. There were days before she was nothing but a Guardian living only to protect her people and kill those that would kill them.

Unlike her parents, all of their kids had been born mutants. Ilana had been the most unique of them all. Instead of one mutation, or even two, Ilana had been able to call on any of the mutations her family members had. At will. Just as easy she could push it away like it had never been there.

She’d been pegged as a Guardian of her people. The embodiment of ancient tales of a shape shifter born to protect that had come to life.

Believing that, Ilana knew she’d been spoiled. Rotten as the day was long, she’d been a difficult child for her mother.

The War had changed all of that.

Guardian.

What a joke.

She hadn’t been able to stop the destruction of her tribe’s lands. She hadn’t been able to save her own parents.

“Illy,” James’ voice was soft. His hand on her shoulder was warm. “I left you alone too long again.”

James understood. His self-loathing over what had happened to their parents was close to equal to what she carried. Aware now of the tears lingering on her cheeks, she wiped at them and forced forward a smile. “I’m fine, Jimmy. This her?”

In a brief thinning of the dust cloud still darkening the sky, the young woman’s blonde hair shimmered a bit red. At first her blue eyes were wide with shock, but inevitably narrowed in suspicion.

“Yup. Insisted she bring a bag. Think you can haul this load?”

Ilana smirked, despite Anna’s anger-flushed skin. James’ intent had been to make her smile, not insult Anna. Even if he had managed to do both with a skill she almost envied. “Be nice, Jimmy. She’s got no idea what’s going on. Although with her mutation I have no idea how she couldn’t.”

“The war,” Anna straightened up like she was putting her backbone back into place. Admirable, even if it was an act. Without reading Anna’s mind, Ilana could see how worried and afraid she was. It was something they were all too used to seeing these days. Everyone they rescued wore the thin lips, wide eyes and pale flesh of fear. “New York City is pretty much dead. I can find signals out, but so much information is controlled or encrypted beyond what I can do.”

“Cyber,” Ilana said at the same time as James.

They both laughed and James nodded at her, “Exactly. I’m guessing whatever information Anna got a hold of was all military propaganda. Cyber is intent on protecting everything else from those that would use it to hurt us.”

“So you want the world to think the military is right?” Anna huffed, “Because if he’s blocking all of that information, no one is getting it!”

“He’s trying to make sure mutants are safe. There are more military now than mutants, or even humans. General Steele has all the power. More than the President who’s only a figure head these days.” Ilana sighed, “We have to be careful who gets their hands on what until we have a better idea what position we are in.”

“For what?”

“To fight back.” James lifted his chin, his lips curling up in an eager grin. “To pay back the bastards that created us only to try to destroy us all.”

“You look excited at the thought that this war isn’t over.” Anna adjusted her bag, taking a step back. “Haven’t we had enough?”

Ilana pursed her lips, “James. Is the distraction set into place? We should get out of here as soon as possible.”

Before James could answer a loud scream echoed through the remains of the buildings all around them. James grinned as it was followed by gunfire and high pitched female laughter. An explosion shook the ground, “I think she’s got it covered. Why didn’t you check yourself?”

“Because I didn’t want to hear your sick and twist thoughts, thanks for asking. You okay to get back to the plane?” Ilana rolled her shoulders, preparing for what she had to do next. In a blink she pulled on the one mutation she was born with and could never dismiss. Shape shifting.

“I’m fine. I’ll probably help out Lynx and meet you back there.”

“Fine. Just remember – you could still be killed!” Ilana frowned, knowing that he’d heard her even though he’d started running before she’d been close to finishing.

His voice echoed back in his gleeful shout, “Failure is not an option!!”

Ilana rolled her eyes, “Well then, Anna are you ready to get away from the chaos?”

Anna clutched her bag to her chest, staring where James had disappeared. What little color had been in her face was gone. Pale as a ghost, the dark circles under her eyes added to the effect of death. Maybe she wasn’t wrong. Maybe she was dying.

Ilana moved closer and touched her arm, “I know it’s overwhelming, Anna. I know James is a total idiot and handled this poorly. I mean really, I know there’s only a very small patch of Central Park left – but even post war it’s the last place you’d go to meet a stranger. Lynx and I came to late to stop his idiotic move there. Really, though. We’re the good guys. If there is such a thing.”

Anna trembled but nodded, “He’s a jerk.”

“Let’s get moving. Those two will only be able to distract the soldiers for so long. Once they scatter, our chance to escape will be lessened.”

Anna took a shaky breath, “But how will we leave?”

Ilana grinned, pulling her shoulders forward as wings grew out of her back. They stretched out to full length under Anna’s wide-eyed gaze. “We’re going to fly.”

“What the hell?”

“Yeah. I get that a lot. There’s a lot you have to learn, Anna. Don’t worry, I’m stronger than I look. We’ll get to the plane long before those two animals do.” Ilana stepped closer, “I know. It’s weird being picked up by a girl, but it’s going to happen.”

Anna’s weak protest was ignored as Ilana scooped her up and bent her knees. “Don’t hold your breath, Anna. That makes it worse.”

With a push she flew straight up into the air, making it to the dust clouds as quick as she could. It wouldn’t help them if any of the soldiers saw them before they hit the cover of the dust clouds.

Ilana didn’t need to see to fly back to their plane. Her sense of direction was impeccable. To her fortune Anna had gone completely still. If the woman had fought it would have been a bigger problem. Instead they made it to the plane with little trouble.

The barn they’d hidden it in was next to a burned out field. The barn itself was scorched and half falling over. Ilana pulled open the door of the barn, “Our plane is inside. It’s nothing fancy, but it gets us there. Cyber’s trying to build us something much nicer and stealthier – but parts are hard to come by. James will be along soon.”

“Seriously. What are you people?”

“Mutants.”

“I know that. What are you?”

Ilana’s amusement faded. “We’re what the military created with their virus, Anna. Thousands of mutants created because they tried to make super soldiers and instead spread a virus across the planet. In return for their blunder, they tried to find us all and kill us. You were there, you should know this.”

“I don’t remember.” Anna pulled her bag close, “I just remember the end. The day the city was destroyed. Before that – I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Then when we get back home you’ll get a history lesson. Right now all you need to know is that we are the ones fighting for survival. Mutants aren’t an insidious species. We are the victims of a virus. We just want to survive. To live. Like everyone else. Now please get on the plane. Hold onto the armrest, this plane has no stealth. We’ll be in for a bumpy ride.”

“I’m already on a bumpy ride.”

“It’ll get worse before it gets better.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*