The Saga Continues. Since we alternate every week, you start at Mary’s site with Chapter 5 of “Escaping Humanity” – then come back here and read Chapter 6!!!  

For those that have missed this from the beginning, you can find the complete story description and chapter listing HERE.

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James led Annie down the hall quick as he could. The sooner he could pass her off, the sooner he could go let off some steam. Something about being near this woman was making his already taut nerves shatter.

For her part, Annie was still laughing under her breath. Apparently tension made her giddy. Either that or she was cracking under the pressure. Around here it wasn’t an uncommon event.

“Here we are,” he pushed open Warren’s office door. The brief relief he’d felt flew away at the empty space inside. “Dammit.”

“What?” Annie followed him in, a soft gasp interrupting the smile she’d still been sporting. “Oh my.”

James left the door open while she scanned the wall of monitors in Warren’s office. Just as he was about to grab his cell to text him, it buzzed with an incoming text.

Something came up. Be there soon as we can.

“Damn.” He shoved the phone back in his pocket, “Cyber’s been delayed. Have a seat. We’ll wait here.”

She took a seat, then looked up at him, “Are we going to sit in sullen silence? Or do you want to tell me about this telethon?”

“You don’t remember that either?”

“I told you. I don’t remember anything before the battle.”

James sighed, “Fine. The telethon. It was supposed to be to raise money and awareness as to what mutants really were. To help those hurt by the military, and their families. It was all my Mom’s idea.”

*~*

Five Years Earlier (2018)

“No. I don’t want this to be a parade or a freak show for the viewing public’s fun and pleasure.” Talisa slammed down her clipboard, “We aren’t a circus side show. This is serious. Any day now they could launch an all out attack.”

Roark walked up behind her and rubbed her shoulders, “I agree, Li – but we also have to make some bit of a show. There has to be at least a few mutants that have physical abnormalities. Everyone that we use has volunteered for it. They know what they’re getting into.”

James’ hands clenched together and his low growl rumbled through the room, “This whole thing is a freak show! Why don’t we just fight already? I’m sick of the subterfuge. You’ve got Cyber running so many pathways for this thing the entire country is wired for battle! I’m sick of hiding!”

“James,” Talisa’s voice switched in a flash. The frustration melting into concern and warmth he knew she reserved for all of her kids. Her hand smoothed along his head before rubbing his back, “If we go to an all out war, the destruction could be extreme. Right now our best defense is counteracting the propaganda. This telethon will take a large leap in that direction.”

“We’re taking every precaution to make sure that everything about this telethon is safe.” Roark didn’t approach, but his concern was laced into the warmth of his voice. Underneath it he was as tense as James, and James knew it. “Cyber is running all the interference necessary, making everything unhackable by even the best military minds. There are p.o. boxes all over the country in the offices where our best mutants are working. If this fails, you may just get your wish.”

“It’s not a wish,” Talisa snapped. “We don’t want a war. It would be too vast, too huge. So many innocent lives, both human and mutant, would be lost. I like a good fight as much as either of you, but I don’t want an all out war.”

“No one does,” Roark sighed.

“It’s going to happen.” James shrugged off Talisa’s hand and stood up. “Don’t delude yourselves into thinking this freak show is going to do anything but make them angrier. Make them hunt us down even harder. I’m supposed to be protecting our people!”

“And you do protect them.” Talisa frowned, “But we have to do whatever we can. Make people know what we are. How we were created.”

“Look at everyone here, James.” Roark pointed outside the windows of the office they were in. The crew was setting up for the first hour of the telethon. Both humans and mutants greeted each other like old friends. Some were starting to take their seats behind the phones. Others were showing off their mutations to each other. “They all have hope for something better. We need to foster the hope, not the fear.”

“You’ve turned into such a weak old man,” James snarled. “I remember when you both used to fight first and bother with science later.”

The sharp sting at the back of his head was the only warning before Talisa had him pinned on the floor. Her own snarl was deep and harsh. Pressure drove into his trachea, cutting off his air supply, “We lost a lot of good people that way. I almost didn’t live the last time we tried it that way. If the day comes that we need to fight you know we will be there on the front lines. Right now we are doing whatever we can to keep you and your brothers and sisters alive for as long as we possibly can! You need to stop being such an angry little brat and start using the brain I created you with!”

“Li,” Roark pulled her back against him. “Let him breathe.”

James coughed once the air started returning to his lungs. “Dammit, Ma!”

Roark growled low, “Remember son. We’ve been fighting since before you were created. You have the need for battle in you, but you haven’t had to live with nearly half the consequences we have. I hope you never have to.”

“I hope I never get as weak as you two have.” James spun on his heel and slammed the door behind him.

*~*

Back to 2023

James jaw clenched, staring at his clenched fists in his lap. The consequences he’d ended up facing were far worse than he’d ever expected. Worse than his parents had ever expected. “I was right. Everything escalated after the telethon. Within a year all out war had started. Small skirmishes grew into larger battles. Then a year ago the militaries sent out the mass destruction efforts.”

“And your mom was right about the innocent lives,” Annie’s voice was soft.

“To say the least.” James straightened up, pulling his phone out of his pocket. After he sent off a quick text he hopped to his feet. “Gotta go. Cyber will be here soon.”

“Wait. What?” Her face fell and she rose to her feet, “I’m just supposed to sit and wait?”

“Something like that. I don’t care. Just know that every move you make will be watched.” James walked to the door and closed it behind him. The memory had shaken him too much; he couldn’t be around anyone like her while he dealt with it. She was a stranger. An unknown. It had to stay that way.

“That was rude, big brother.” Charlotte touched his arm. The concern in her eyes let him know how much she’d overheard, “Go on. Lynx is waiting for you in the training room. I think after that you need it. I’ll wait with Anna.”

“Annie. She wants to be called Annie.”

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