"It's been a while," he said slowly gravitating towards the girl, the one had left him just when he needed her the most. As much as he wanted to hate her he couldn't.
"Hey, two years isn't that long." She said enclosing her arms around him. In the general scheme of things it wasn't but the words seemed to burn as she said them, making her feel like her tongue had been scoured with soap as punishment for lying.
Sonya and Marcos stood uncomfortably, both of them knowing what Karlee had only imagined John had been through after she left. They had been the ones to scoop up the pieces of his shattered heart after his best friend's death, so sharp and jagged that it left their hands bleeding. Then again a few months later the girl he had silently loved disappeared. They would watch him night after night dissecting every part of the state in search of her till one day Polaris found the note telling him to stop looking, she had left by choice. She didn't want to be found and now, she was back looking as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.The two pulled apart and Sonya eyed them quizzically, Karlee had always been aware of Sonya's crush on Proudstar and by the looks of it, she was still smitten.
John pulled away and turned to Marcos and Sonya, his business face back on as if all wounds were now mended and healed. "We need to find a place for this family" his voice was serious suddenly making Karlee aware he was a leader. Sonya chuckled as if what John said was the funniest thing in the world "This family, who are these people? you almost got killed Johnny, We didn't discuss these or her " Sonya said glaring at Karlee, who looked bored to death with Sonya's dramatics.John shifted in front of Karlee subconsciously trying to protect her."No, we didn't "he said bluntly."It's about time we talked about this freelance job of yours" he said shifting his attention to Marcos.
"You just run off and pull this without telling anyone?"Karlee shifted, selfishly praying that no one would point out the similarities of what Marcos had done to what she did 2 years ago.
"We help mutants in danger, John.Those kids are mutants, and you sure as hell saw the danger." Marcos fired back, Karlee knew he was lying but who could blame him the girl he loved was taken from him. No one would be surprised if he ripped apart the see in search of her.
"Come on, don't give me that.This was about Lorna," John said stating what they all knew.
"So what if it was? We can't just leave her out there."
"Marcos is right we can't just leave her out there caged up like an animal by Sentinal services, she wouldn't do that if it was one of us," Karlee said trying to get her friends to understand. Lorna as much as she tried to hide it, had the biggest heart she would risk everything to protect them, damn! she had scarficed her self for a complte stranger in need of help.
"You don't think I want her back, too? " John starred across at his friends disappointed that they would think so lowly of him "'We're not gonna help her by destroying - the whole organization."
The argument was cut short by the sound of the door handle turning. He looked at Karlee only briefly before dropping his gaze and unlocking the door. In came a young blonde girl shaking with anxiety, as if the room wasn't already full of it. The girl from the front door.Karlee thought back to what Sage had told her Marcos was doing today and the news report she had watched just over an hour ago everything started to piece together like a puzzle piece. It was her sister, Karlee had never thought about the possibility of het siblings being gifted as well. Selfishly she hadn't thought of the much at all.
Whatever the girl had said, had blown right past Karlee as she struggled to come to terms with the revelation.her head was spinning but as she saw every rush out the room she found it only fair to squash down her emotions and follow the group.Thinking only that she had become too good at doing so.
The boys came to a sudden halt in front of the bench in the hallway where a girl with purple hair laid spasming.Karlee gently pushed past Marcos and crouched down at the side of the bench, placing the back of her hand against her forehead to check her temperature. "she has a temperature but she should be okay" said Karlee said trying to reassure everyone panic,"that's not the problem" said the blonde a woman crouching down next to the girl."She's in respiratory distress, " she said "I'm a nurse" answering the question written over Karlee's face.
"I can't - - I can't breathe." The purple haired girl said, her eas voice strained as she struggled for even the breath to speak, Karlee sighed.What are we going to do" Karlee said looking up to John, he was always the man with the plan. Now he looked more lost than she had ever seen him."She needs medical attention." Karlee turned her head towards the source of the voice, it was Kate her stepmother who she only had the pleasure of meeting twice, and was relieved to see she didn't recognize her. "We can't get a doctor right now." Marcos stated, frustration pent up on his face, it made it easier to believe the stories about him now." Your telling me you have this whole network, - and you don't have a " Karlee groaned internally,it was the naive mistake any human would make,Karlee was certain she had made it to, presuming that mutants had it easy or just as easy as the next person.
"- A what? A Blue Cross? Yeah, we're on the mutant plan."Marcos said sarcastically, Karlee knew he was frustrated without Lorna, but he had to understand the brainwashing of the perfect American dream.In Caitlyin's world, the mutants were taken care of treated like people at least that's what she had been led to believe.
"No, we've got some first aid and some painkillers."Karlee said, "That is unless things have changed?"Karlee said exchanging questioning glances with the others, none of them spoke up so it was safe to presume it was a no.
"Can you do anything?" Lauren asked her mother, Karlee admired the calmness in her voice, she couldn't have been much younger than when Karlee had arrived here and already she was twice as tough.
"- I-I took a one-week course on human variant medicine in school."
"Mom, She saved us. You can help her".
"Yeah." Caitlin sighed, running her hands through her hair : a universal symbol of motherly stress.
"Okay." Kate had returned to hovering over the girl in question "Her heart rate's through the roof. Without running tests, I can't "Caitlyn stopped in her tracks peering at the small portal opening from the girl's hands"What, what's she doing? What's going on? She may be in shock. If her system's crashing, if it's unstable, it may be affecting her abilities." Kate had clearly raked her head for possibilities and concluded this was the most likely one, Karlee was glad she was here if it were left to just Karlee, she would of just put an ice pack on it and called it a day.
"What does she need?" John asked Karlee could see on his face that he was running a mental list of they're supplies and how they could get more. Was he ever not preparing.
" Hypercortisone-D to stabilize her powers.Sodium polystyrene sulfonate for potassium.S-Something to restore her blood calcium." She rambled before just breaking it down simply "She needs a hospital. "
"Whoa, a hospital? She's wanted."Marcos said alarmed."She'll go straight back to jail."
"And all of this would be for nothing, do you understand that"Karlee was becoming just as frustrated as Marcos now and took two deep breaths to calm down, John had noticed and place his broad hand on her shoulder.It did the opposite of his intention, awakening further discomfort rather than ease.
"I don't think you understand me.She could die here Kate " snapped looking around the room, the look on their faces had dropped, they no longer saw her as the stupid suburban wife but instead someone who knew a lot more than them.
The sound of electricity crackling came from inside the house and for once it wasn't Karlee. "What is that? Move! "John screamed running a pushing Karlee down to take cover.As half a car came crashing through the room honking."Well, shit "muttered Karlee looking up at John".You alright?" he said peering down at the girl beneath him, she was too shocked to speak, replied with a small nod in use of words.It had been less than 3 hours since her return and already drama had found its way into the house.Maybe her return wasn't the best idea
"I thought you said she was overextending her powers." Karlee said "because this really doesn't look like it" Karlee pointed to the green-eyed girl.
"How is she doing this? "Marcos asked clearly just as confused as Karlee.
"I think I was pretty clear, I'm not an expert," Kate said, Karlee suddenly felt bad about all the pressure they'd put on her, not even she could withstand an overwhelmed Marcos.
The same noise of electricity crackling happened, shifting the room into silence. "Look! It's happening again!"
"That's the same road as before, "Andy said, Karlee moved closer to the portal and realized her brother's observation had been right.Through the portal peered two men, mumbling two each other and as much as Karlee hoped it was words of peace, she knew not to get her hopes up as one holding a shotgun."They can see us" Karlee said standing beside Marcos both of them getting ready to attack."We're not attacking innocent people" John said placing his hand on her shoulder "They don't look so innocent " tilting her head toward the man with the gun but she still stood down, removing John's hand from her shoulder and stepping to the back of the room. Where she began tousher Andy and kate away, she might not have known them well but they were her family. TAhere was no way she was letting them get hurt. Neither of they made objections, they only complied and stepped back.Karlee turned to look for Lauren but she had maneuvered her way around Karlee, and made a b line straight to the portal.
"What are you doin-"Karlee said seeing Lauren hold up her hands, Karlee was all about ready to pounce but stopped mid sentenced as stared in awe at her younger sister, who had managed to shrink the portal to nothing in a second.
"That was awesome" Andy and Karlee said in unison, their mouths hanging agape.
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