eXtraction

❅ ❅ ❅

Andy finally was clear.
We decided to just hang out in the vault, where Andy was reading that mutants history book he found in the library, while I was reading just some boring novel.

I wasn't with Jack, because him, the Frost triplets, and John's group had a mission to go on, and Jack thought it would be best for me to stay with the Struckers.

We are fine, just letting our silence comfort us, until Lauren decided to join us.

"Are you seriously reading that book again?" The blonde asked her brother.

"Why do you care?" Andy filled through the pages.

I look up to her. "I would expect you to be with Wes, your boyfriend."

"Wes went back to Augusta, for your information," Lauren tells me, then goes to her sibling. "You barely put that thing down."

"So?" Andy shrugs. "There's stuff about our family in here, even Lux's. You're not curious?"

"No, thank you. I know all I need to know about our psycho great-grandfather."

"He wasn't a psycho," The Strucker boy snaps.

I decided to help the situation a bit. "I mean, the book was written by humans, so... it can be bias, right?"

Andy explains, "Andreas and his sister were trying to build something. Uh, a-a place for mutants."

"Andy," Lauren scoffs, "Why don't you look around? We are literally in a place for mutants."

"No, no, I don't mean, like, a place to hide. That's all we're doing here..."

"No, no it isn't," The older Strucker defends, "The Underground is saving people. Those people were murders."

"But, if were to be talking about the American Revolution, we certainly won't call George Washington a murder, for fighting back against England," I argued.

I could see where Andy was coming from.
Personally, I felt the von Struckers were in a position of lawfully evil.

They were terrible for killing people, but they did it to protect mutants from humans, so said what came from Andy's book.
Even so, I don't get how people can see them as the bad guys, but Columbus and George Washington the good heroes of America.

"You guys, this isn't some war fantasy, okay?"

"Whatever," Andy said, "Now everybody's freaking out about the Frost sisters and Jack for some reason. At least they treat us like adults."

"The Frost sisters? Don't tell me they got in your head, too."

I glared at Lauren, knowing damn well what she was implying.

"Those girls are liars," She continues.

Before I could speak, Andy beat me to it.
"Are they?" He asked. "Maybe they're the only ones around here who are actually telling the truth."

This shocked Lauren, while I gave myself a grin.
The older Strucker walked away in disbelief, as Andy and I stay where we were.

§

Yesterday

"Jack... what happened back there?"

We were secluded on the roof, where it was just us.
Jack was holding onto his tears, as I try to comfort him.

"Those two... the two who tore apart Fairburn, I knew them. It was for a short bit, but they were my cell partners before they divided us to go to Trask. My god, they were both terrified."

I wrapped my arms around my brother, who I felt immense sympathy for.

"They were crying and holding onto each other of fear life. I-I talked for them for a bit... and I couldn't help but have them remind me of you and me."

"Jack..."

"Lux, if things turn out bad for anything... you leave me. If I get stuck, you leave me there. I don't want you to come get me and leave you in danger."

"What are you—"

"Just promise me!" He yells, out of his upset emotions.

I swallowed my rebellion and sighed, "Okay. But you gotta do the same for me. It's only fair."

"No, no, it's not."

"Yes, it is! If you are willingly gonna make this sacrifice, then I'm doing it too."

My brother looked at me in disbelief, but only slowly nodded his head for a reply.

Jack pulled me in for a hug, a hug that meant a thousand words.
Of course, I knew Jack wouldn't follow with what I said, it's in his nature to do so, but if he knows me like he says he does, he would know I am the exact same way.

§

I helped Andy and Lauren do their chores in helping the Undergound.

From the tension in the room, Lauren and I had a complete strained friendship.
The only thing that was bringing us together was Andy, despite the two siblings already having their own issues.

"Hey, speed demon. You missed the bean sprouts," Lauren points out, referring to all the unwatered plants Andy left out.

"Yeah, well, excuse me for not being a professional waterer guy," He grumbled, "This is stupid. Do you think Campbell's gardening right now?"

"The Undergound, Jack, and the Frosts are going after him," I explain to him, again.

"I know, but we should be doing that, too," He tells me, before turning back to his sister. "The way those mutants who ambushed us in Fairburn, combining their powers, their hands were joined. Campbell got that from us. We should be doing something."

Lauren response, "Like what? Going out and attacking people? That's not how it works. This place is a team, and we're part of that."

Before Andy and I could reply back, Cate and Reed come into the picture.

"Kids, we need to go," Mrs. Strucker tells us.

Reed informs, "Sentinel Services and Trask is sending someone to speak to my mom."

"What, Ellen?" I raised my eyebrow. "I thought they already talked to her."

"You're right, but it was just harassment. This time they're after something real - my dad's research."

"We need to get to her first," Cate adds.

The Struckers and I didn't hesitate to hurry on and try to save Ellen, before it was too late.

§

It didn't take long as we pull up to the company building, where Ellen worked.

The older Struckers parked their car, leaving us inside the vehicle.

"You know where Grandma's office is?" Andy asked the two.

"Hopefully, I haven't been here for a couple of years," Reed replies.

"Okay," Cate hands Lauren a cellphone. "call if you see anything. If we run into trouble, you three head back immediately. Understand?"

The three of us nodded our head silently as the two get out of the car to retrieve Ellen.

It was starting to take a bit, so Lauren, Andy, and I watch outside of the car, looking in case if there were any suspicious activity.
Andy has his arm around my shoulders, with my head on his, for comfort.

"Keep looking this way. Sentinel Services comes, they could drive up in either direction," Lauren ordered us.

As Andy and I look, he started cracking his knuckles as I start to slowly charge us.

"What are you two doing?"

"If something happens, we need to be ready," I simply tell her.

"If we get into trouble, we can make it worse if we—"

"If we what?" Andy interrupts, "You understand who we are, right? What we can do? Sentinel Services does show up, we're not the ones in trouble. They are."

I looked to Andy, in a bit of shock.
I knew he wanted to have more action in taking down our enemies, but what he said was dark... in a way, I agree with him.

"Andy," Lauren scolds softly, "Look, our powers comes with responsibility. The last thing we want is for them to be sacred of us."

"Maybe they should be scared," I said, "Maybe if they were more scared, they wouldn't be coming after your grandma, just because she is related to you guys."

"Don't bring my family into this," Lauren stated to me.

"Or what?" I cocked, leaving the blonde to say nothing in return.

Before the two of us could bicker on, Andy taps my shoulder.
"Guys..."

We both turn to the back of us, in the distance I see a Sentinel Service car making its way to us.

"Get down," I tell them, pushing them both to the ground, so we don't get spotted.

"Dad," Lauren talks to the phone. "Sentinel Services is here."

"  Have they seen you? You got to get out of there before—  "

"No. Not yet. But they are coming."

The two officers were walking to the building, having me become anxious with my powers charges and ready to us.

"If they get to the back of the building, maybe we can find an emergency exit of something," The blonde tells us.

"There's not time," I explain.

"What about the car?" Andy asked us.

"We can ditch the car. It's safer to get everybody out," The Strucker sister says.

"Safer for who? Them?" Andy jabbed to the officers. "We just have to hold them off."

"What are you doing?" Lauren scolds, as Andy stands up.

"Protecting our family."

"Andy," I try to call him, but it was too late, as I stood up to bring him back, the officers already saw us.

"Wait, that's one of the Struckers," Officer #1 says to his partner, pulling out a gun on us.

"And Mycroft," Officer #2 copies.

"Hand in the air!" #1 yells at us.

But Andy and I kept on walking.

I was already exposed, might as well come to Andy's side.
It certainly beats being stuck on the sidelines, doing nothing, than fight and protect each other.

"Stop!"

The two of us did.

"I said, put your hands in the air. Right now, where I can see them."

"Stop what you are going!" #2 fires to me, noticing my small icy glow in my eyes.

I put my hands up, and with a small flick of my head, my ice rushed to the covering start in the man's hand, making the man drop the weapon.

Andy puts his arms in the air and pushes the guards down to the ground, knocking them high in the air.

"Leave our family alone!"

"Andy, Lux, stop! They're hurt!" Lauren tells us.

"They were going to hurt us!" I fire back, seeing the second officer try and aim his gun right at me.

I quick ice the gun and his hand, who he was holding onto.

"I said, stop!"

Lauren made a shield in front of us, which screwed my concentration on my abilities, making me stumble back.

"What the hell?!" Andy roars to his sisters, with him and I turning back to her.

Out of a sheer moment of anger and frustration to one another, they threw their powers to one another.

Both opposites of destruction and construction came against each other, they created a force repelling, making Andy and Lauren fly off and landing on the ground, hard.

"Andy!" I shout, kneeling down to help him get back up.

With our luck, the Strucker adults, and Ellen came out of the building.

"Lauren? Andy? Lux?" Cate calls for us.

We all hurried ourselves off the ground and into the car, riding away as fast as we can to get out.

§

We all made it to an unoccupied cleaners, all of us got out of the car, as Reed spoke on the phone.

I had my arm wrapped around his, as my head fell to his arm.

"Are you sure you two are okay?" I ask them.

"I'm fine."
"Peachy."
They grumble.

It was a stupid question for me to ask, but the tension was building up strongly.

I understand being in opposite sides would create much conflict, but these issues would need to hide down til they mattered, because what mattered now was Ellen.

The three adults walk toward us, making the three of us walk to them, to find answers.

"The Undergound is sending someone to pick us up," Reed spoke.

"Is Grandma coming with us?" Andy asked.

"Yeah," Reed answers and then turning to his mother. "You'll have to lay low for a while."

Lauren helped out. "We've been staying with a group. An underground group that helps mutants. You'll like it there."

Ellen smiles. "Thank you, sweetheart... But I can't go with you."

"What?" Cate gave a confusing expression. "Ellen, you—"

"Look at me. I-I would just hold you up. I saw what happened back there. Those people who are after you, they mean business."

"But they're coming after all of us now. You can't just go home," Mr. Strucker explained.

"Home? Reed, do I look like a complete idiot. I have a friend in Boca Raton. Lives way out of town. I have enough cash to get there."

All of us were concerned for the old woman.
I just felt so guilty to just leave her on her own and after everything she has done for us.

"Believe me, it's best."

"Ellen," I talked, "I-I know it's weird... knowing that we're mutants, but please believe that we are the same people we've always been."

"Oh, sweetheart," She says to me, "No, that's not true. You're more. You're so much more."

She brought me in for a hug, which I accept.

I had to admit, I let a tear slip as we hugged goodbye.
Not because of the actual goodbye itself, but because she was the only person who told me that being a mutant was a gift, than to think it was hideous.

We all had to say our goodbyes to Ellen, not knowing if we may ever see her face again.

§

We got back to the Underground and Lauren and Andy hadn't talked to each other, they were just trying to ignore one another.

"Okay, stop," Cate tells us, "What happened in that parking lot? We came outside, you two were both on the ground, and you haven't been speaking to each other."

"It's just a disagreement, right?" I lied, looking at them both in hopes of them agreeing with me.

"A disagreement? You two attacked those agents," Lauren objected.

Andy clarifies, "They were gonna shoot us. Lux and I stopped them, and we got away."

"You almost killed that guy."
"Yeah, key world: 'almost.'"

"Guys," Cate interrupts, "I don't know what's going on, but we need to stick together as a family right now."

"Tell her that, not me," The Strucker boy blustered.

"What?"

"Last time I checked, I'm the one person in this family who's actually proud to be a von Strucker."

Andy automatically left the group, having me to follow him behind, to cool him down.

❅ ❅ ❅

I'm a complete idiot for not speaking about this sooner, but
I just wanted to come out and say that I support BlackLivesMatter movement.

I am writing this to all of my books, because this movement needs to be heard.

I am a privileged Latina that is still trying to educate myself on the matter.
I have my best friend - who is black - that is helping me educate myself on it.

If you seriously do not support this movement, I will ask you to unfollow me.

Please use the privilege that you have to spread awareness to this movement!

~ Mariena <3