X-Men: The Falcon (Book One)

Coming Clean

Ororo rubbed her temples with two fingers on each hand and took a shaky breath. "Daniella, do you remember what you told me when you first got here at the school?"

I frowned. "Yes why?"

"You said you were trapped in Germany right?"

I nodded, suddenly afraid of where this was going. If I could sweat, I would feel beads of them forming on my forhead. They knew! They knew that it's me with the tracking device, they're going to kick me out now. I nervously rubbed my knee caps.

"And the people you said that kept you were building a type machine before you left?"

I bit my lip and nodded again.

Ororo pinched the bridge between her nose. "Daniella, do you realize you're the one with the tracking device?"

All of the sudden the whole world came crashing down. Adrenaline pumped into my stomach and errupted through the rest of my body. The metaphoric beads of sweat were running down my face. My hands were clutched so tightly together the fingernails were digigng into my palms.

"I didn't know," I said with a quiet whisper.

I heard the tension in the room sky rocket.

"What can I do?" I asked.

Logan grunted. "I don't know, get out?"

Ororo smacked his arm. "No, Logan that's not an answer. We don't know where the tracker is on you and I'm not sure you want us to look."

I shook my head ashamed. "I'm sorry. I thought if I told you, you would kick me out."

"We wouldn't do that." Ororo shot Logan a menacing look. "But Daniella, I want you to do something."

"What's that?" I asked.

"Tell us all that you know about this machine."

Ororo was pacing up and down and Warren was in the far corner of the room after I was done telling them about the machine. I also told them how I had evesdropped on those two men at the planetarium.

"I just don't know why you wouldn't tell us about this," Warren said.

"I'm sorry. I thought you guys would hate me."

"We could never hate you Daniella but we're concerned on what we do now. They're still too far away for us to do any real damage. If we headed out there we wouldn't stand a chance."

"So what do we do?" Logan asked.

"We intervene. I suggest we train everyone so when they come we won't be totally helpless. How did you say the machine works again?" Warren shifted on his feet.

"It attacks the mutant cells in the person and totally paralyzes them. Then some other energy comes in and shrinks the cells so much the mutation disappears. But it doesn't last long, just for a few weeks. Plus, the man said it only works once on the mutant," I explained.

"What do we do?" Logan asked again.

The room was silent for a moment. Then Warren spoke. "There is one thing that we have that they don't. We have Daniella. The machine won't affect her so she could be our secret weapon."

"You're right kid, but what about everyone else?" Logan folded his massive arms across his chest.

Warren sighed. "I don't know."

I sat in the chair thinking. There honestly wasn't much we could do. Warren was right, the machine wouldn't effect me at all. But that still didn't apply to everyone else. I don't know what we can do in a situation like this. Then I had an idea.

"I'll go by myself," I suggested.

Warren's head snapped up quickly. "No. That's not going to happen."

I raised my eyebrows. "Why not? I'm the reason they're coming anyway. It should be me. It's what I deserve after all."

Warren crossed the room with a serious look in his eye. "No."

I scowled and got up from the chair. "This is my choice, not yours Warren. Thank you for your concern, but I've made my decision. I'll go alone. It will be my head if anyone else gets hurt, and that's not what I want."

"It's not what I want either Dani, but you can't just walk out there like a sitting duck. If you do try to stop them, I'm coming with."

"The hell I am! I'm not going to let everyone get hurt because of my stupid choice!"

"Ororo, you can't just let her do this by herself," Warren argued.

"I agree. I don't want to let Daniella go by herself. But face it Warren, either way someone's going to get hurt."

Warren's face went from plain, to red, to plain again. He was struggling to find the words to say and then he turned back to me.

"Daniella, this isn't a good idea. I'm not going to let you do this. You're my friend, it's not going to happen."

"You know what Warren? I've lived my whole life with people making my decisions for me and telling what I can and can't do! I'm putting my foot down and I'm making this choice myself! And since when do you care so much as to not let me do what I choose?" I yelled.

I felt so angry I ignored his soundless protests and left the room. Who does he think he is? Bossing me around like that! If I could, I'd give him a good slap across the face. I was not going to be controlled like an animal in a cage. I was going to make my decisions when I wanted and how I wanted. I don't care if they don't want me to, I'll gladly go out and get my vengence.

So that's what it was, I wanted revenge. I knew when I would see their pathetic faces, I would kill Healer and Trainer.

Even if it killed me.