THEN
Andy and Scott were now playing video games and for once Andy felt normal like he was back to just a regular teenager whose biggest worry is passing high school. No sentinels to worry to catch them.
As if he wasn't a fugitive being hunted down.
As if he wasn't a mutant.
Andy knew as a child that he wasn't much of a golden boy every parent should be proud of. He wasn't academically inclined as they initially hoped, and he wasn't as outgoing or friendly as his older sister. He certainly wasn't sporty and on the football team like his father would have wanted instead he was in a way considered the school's loner and freak. His quiet demeanor and thin frame made him the perfect target for the bullies to torment him.
he wanted to escape that life but what he didn't know were the consequences of this wish. Now he missed this— him playing video games
No running and just being normal.
But then he suddenly felt a gwaning overwhelming pain in the pit of his stomach, as he realized it was a burning ache of guilt, as he thought about how the other mutants back at the underground couldn't have this.
The privileges he had as a child growing up were foreign to them and he felt bad how here he was wishing to be normal again where some mutants have it worse.
When suddenly he was dragged away from his thoughts when his cousin piped up "always knew you were a beast at medal of honor but now you're the beast at real life too"
"All right" dismissing his cousin's words with a grin
"You know what I'm gonna call you now? De-Struckto, get it? It's like Strucker.." Glancing at him but still very much multitasking at the game.
"Yeah, I get it. please don't" lips curled up as he didn't want to entertain the thought further.
Andy thought it was done but he should have known better when his cousin didn't stop with his incessant ramblings. "Could you like destroy a skyscraper?"
Pausing for a while " uhh I don't know. Probably not."
"Here cover my flank, I'm going in"
"I gotchu De-Struckto"
"Dude, really?"
"What about, like, a jumbo jet?"
"Man I'm trying to play, why would I even wanna destroy a plane?" Asked Andy from as he glanced from the corner of his eye.
His cousin shrugging " I dont know. like if it was attacking you or something"
Chuckling at the response "attacking me with what? Luggage? Jumbo jets don't have guns"
the screen showed that the game was over, signaling the defeat. "Great, first game in week's and it's a total slaughter, this is gonna kill our ranking" Andy voiced out
Not noticing that Scott stood up and grabbed something from a shelve "dude, who cares? I need to see what you can do" walking towards him to see that it was a silver trophy
"C'mon give me something to this, please?" His cousin's eyes were expectant and needy as he whined.
"No, I don't... I can't just do it out of nowhere" Andy sighed thinking about the gym accident still fresh in his memory.
"Andy, you can't do it at all" his sister called out, tone motherly as he redirected her gaze to the other boy "and don't encourage him"
Andy scoffed at being told what to do "go back to insta-stalking Jack"
Humming sarcastically as Lauren looked back at her device but couldn't help but let out a gasp "oh my god"
Curious as Andy peered at his sister.
"What? What's wrong?"
"It's nothing okay?" Trying to cover it from his sight as she dismissed it.
"Hey! What is it?"
Leaving with no other choice Lauren pursed her lips and showed Andy a post — it could have been perceived as a random post but what bothered her was their background.
Familiar garage and the garden as it their house. Their home they were vandalized.
Spray painting: Beware of the Muties.
Andy Huffed as his visage changed
"It's our house, that's Lucas. We've been going to school with him since second grade"
Wiping away a fallen tear, Lauren grabbed Andy's attention "Hey Andy, they're just stupid kids it doesn't matter"
Andy furrowed his brows, he should've known things were never going to be normal as if in hiding wasn't enough, now he has to live with the fact people were always going to either mock him or fear him. He was just sick of it.
But he was too lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize that he clenched his hands into a fist was what made the objects on the table shake as if magnetized towards the forgotten trophy.
"Andy!"
Extending his hand towards it as the trophy significantly bended. "No way" shocked as his cousin grabbed at the destroyed metal but swiftly hid it behind his back as they heard Caitlin call out to them.
"Guys? Is everybody okay?"
"Yeah, these dorks are just going WWE on each other, it's nothing " covered up Lauren
Caitlin looked as if she believed it "you guys should try to get some sleep all right?" Turning away but Andy called her back.
"Mom! Is uncle Danny gonna help?"
"We're working on it" She hesitantly replied finally walking away.
NOW
It was morning when Valentine and the guys arrived at the house undetected.
Valentine first saw Caitlin sleeping on the couch and gave a nod to John, he understood as he woke Caitlin, startling her enough to pull out the knife she had hidden.
"Shh, Caitlin listen to me, I don't have time to explain right now, you are in danger here, where's Andy and Lauren?" Lowering her voice to a whisper not answering his question as she finally gained her senses she noticed Marcus and Valentine behind him as she pushed John away from her
"What are you doing here?"
"You don't understand what's —"
"Yes I do, I understand that I am trying to help my husband" Caitlin cutting him off firmly.
"And how did it go? Is there a rescue team on the way now?" Valentine couldn't resist but snap at the woman
"I'm working on it" She reluctantly admitted as she lowered her head.
"What? With favors and phone calls? We discussed this" Marcus then quipped.
It seemed that sentence made Caitlin break out of her stupor as she glared at Marcus "no! I distinctly remember, there was, in fact, no discussion" still very much gripping the knife tightly in her hand as she pointed it at the mutants.
Marcus was clearly uneasy about it as he opened his palms to show he meant no harm. The sight of powerful mutants cowering at an angry human holding a kitchen knife was comical if it weren't for the fact the situation was serious.
Very much irritated at wasting time Valentine voice out "okay enough, let's just go now! We need to get as far away as possible from here"
"That's right if we can find you, others can too" John supported when suddenly a deep voice broke the conversation calling out the woman.
"Cait! What's going—"
Valentine preparing for a fight she turned towards the man who has just entered the room, stance tense as she assest him for weaknesses
So far plenty.
She could tell the man was completely boggled seeing strangers breaking into his house.
John ever the peacemaker "Hey relax"
"Danny, please. everything's okay" Caitlin trying to remedy the situation knowing how it must have looked as she slowly placed the knife on the ground.
the man glanced at them one by one.
"We should kill him" but Valentine ever the strong-headed bull suggested as screams of refusal sounded (mostly from john)
"These are the people who are trying to help us" Caitlin looked frazzled which was understandable.
"Really? One of them literally suggested murder!" The man screamed agitated as he dive first to take the knife on the ground as if it would protect him.
Valentine however looked unphased as she shrugged as if the motion couldn't be helped.
At that the man's eyes were wide like saucers, clearly terrified at the girl but they suddenly noticed the growing commotion coming from outside.
Marcus was the first to detect it as he went to check.
The man however was clearly angry as he raised his voice (well, so much for going in and going out undetected) "Caitlin, what... you bring mutants into my home?"
"Mutants?" Caitlin repeated offended at the word "Seriously Danny? The only mutants I brought into your home are your niece and nephew"
At this point, Valentine was bored of the sibling fight, she really couldn't give a damn about all of it.
Apparently she wasn't the only one as Marcus voiced out "Save your family spat for later, right now we got bigger problems" gesturing the commotion outside.
"Get the kids" John turned towards Caitlin. But Valentine couldn't help but tense as she suddenly remembered her previous anger.
Violent hot anger towards an idiot strucker boy.
John went near her, placing his hand on her shoulder when he noticed her form "Hey you all right?"
Nodding "let's just get this over with"
John looked as if he wanted to say more but ended up nodding along.
He'd talk to her later.
When Andy and Lauren finally came into the scuffle, she noticed his eyes lit up and smiled at her once he set his sights on her "Valentine!" but frowned when she didn't return the gesture.
Instead she turned the other way, not meeting his eye as he physically deflated, his gaze lowered as he looked as if a puppy being scolded by his owner.
She didnt care as she wore a straight expression, not giving anything away but just enough to let him know they weren't the best of buds at the moment.
They were fortunately (for valentine) cut off any future awkward conversation as a boy around their age was apparent beside the struckers.
"Woah! Your hot" obviously directed towards her as she saw he was roaming his eyes, clearly checking her out.
This wasn't new for Valentine, boys checking her out and seeing only a piece of meat. However, it was a first for John and Marcos to witness as they glared daggers at the boy.
Rolling her eyes at the ridiculousness of it at all she however didn't see that Andy was also glaring at his cousin.
"We know your in there. Danny, come on out. We need to talk" a man yelled out causing them to panic
"God, Who did you tell that you were coming?" The man she threatened to murder who Valentine recently learned was their uncle marched up to Caitlin "no one"
"Well obviously one of your friends here did, cause..." his eyes bounced to each present mutants and when they landed on Valentine, she merely smirked in response.
"Dad I think.." The boy who was checking out Valentine earlier spoke as he was cut off by his anxious father.
"Scott! Not now, please"
"I texted a pic of a trophy Andy tore apart to one friend" the news clearly shocked his father as his face fell.
"What?" Andy looked at his cousin as he too was taken by the betrayal.
"Scott—"
"He swore he wouldn't anyone. He swore" the boy tried to defend himself but what's done was done.
Marcus asked aloud "there's seven deep out front, anything around back?"
John answered " yeah there's four of em' and then more outside the kitchen door, we're surrounded"
Everyone panicked at the news but John continued "Look I can get us through a wall but if they start shooting while we run, there's gonna be a fight"
Sighing, Valentien figured it was best to take charge now as she stepped forward "you all go, I'll distract them"
"No!" Marcus, John and Andy were in sync as they rejected the idea.
Tilting her head "look, we are surrounded by people with guns and the sooner they make so much noise, the faster the cops get here" looking fiercely at them each "I can distract them and hopefully it will buy you guys enough time to run"
"Run? Why should we have to run?" Andy asked as he continued "we didn't do anything wrong and now your saying you'll stay and fight? No, that's bullshit I'm staying with you"
Caitlin gaped at her son at his choice of word.
But Valentine was in mixed emotions, she admired his bravery to stand up and fight, it was a different attitude to the shy boy she met a few days ago but she was also still very much angry at him, angry at him for leaving and now her pride was bruised thinking that he thought she couldn't handle herself.
"Look, Andy—" she ignored his grimace at the way she called him, not pretty boy but Andy. She must really hate me.
"Your inexperienced, you have zero training in your combat much less your powers, you need to leave, I'm sure that's not hard for you" Andy couldn't ignore the obvious dig as he tried to get her to look at him.
" didn't you hear them? There's an army out there" Lauren however was doubtful
"Oh don't worry about that just make sure you guys run away fast enough"
"Val—"
"John, don't worry I got this" they held eye contact, it was clear John was worried but he wasn't worried about Valentine per se. Rather the people outside.
"People are gonna die" he tried to change her mind.
"People are already dying, much better theirs than ours" John debated arguing further but he knew in the end it was her call, not because she's their leader but because he trusts her.
"Okay" he nodded finally
"Val, you sure about this?" Marcos asked
"No" she admitted "but what choice do we have?"
"Send them out and we'll go away!" The man outside yelled.
"I'll go with her, It's chuck sanders" the man reluctantly sighed not liking the situation.
"Chuck? I was on swim team with him, we went to church—"
"I know, I know, I don't think your quite understanding how people..." losing his voice at the end as he glanced at the strangers in his home."How they feel about all this"
At that it further solidified Valentine's stance on normal people,
They will always fear them.
"You guys should move, cmon Caitie"
Gesturing them to pick up the pace as Valentine glanced at Marcos and John "Remember, don't look back okay?"
"I—"
"Okay?" Pressed further as both Marcos and John hesitantly agreed.
"Okay" "ok"
"Good" turning away from them as she approached the front door with Danny.
"Don't freak out but I'll be right behind you"
"What?" Stammered when his questioned went unanswered when she went invisible to the naked eye.
Danny very much freaking out but tried to keep it together as he walked out the door slowly, palms up to show he means no harm.
"Chuck" Glancing around, noting the firearms one of the man was carrying. "The hell you doing? Who are all these people?"
Valentine still invisible as she slowly walked behind Danny.
"Just a few concerned folks from the community"
"What do you want?"
"C'mon, you know why we're here, Caitlin and her kids.... they inside?" The atmosphere was tense as Danny denied the man's sentence, however the man 'chuck' didn't believe it.
"Rick saw a photo from on his son's phone when they got up from swim practice─" the man and Danny started arguing, words exchanged as they started to raise their voice.
"Dan, I know their family but these kids destroyed half a school, we're just trying to keep everyone safe!"
"Yeah, and the $300,000 bounty's got nothing to do with it, right chuck?" Danny asked the man rhetorically as he stared at him tensely.
At this point valentine shuffled in her place, impatient the longer this drags out.
"C'mon the only person in that house is my son scott, who plays mine craft with your son, Jacob , who's lived down the street from you since he was six years old! Chuck c'mon please...." Danny trying to convince him as he was starting to get nervous, and it looked as if chuck was starting to falter and give up the man hunt.
"Ju─ just Go!"
But then another piped up "he's lying man, just go in, we didn'tcome here for nothing" then it started a chain reaction amongst the people as they agreed with the man.
And then it was chaos.
As chuck punched Danny in the face causing him to bleed and groaned in pain.
When suddenly they were pushed back by some force, confusions were present by them but then Valentine showed herself in her blue form pushing them away magnetically.
At first it was silence was the people took in her scaly blue self, By then fear and terror overtook the people at the creature.
At her.
they started to rush towards the girl. Valentine holding them off by fighting them but what she didn't know as she was too busy punching someone, the man who held the gun raised it and slammed it on her head. hard.
"You freak!"
Black spots overtook Valentine as she crumpled on the ground. Shouts coming from Marcos and John and especially Andy's were what Valentine heard when she was on the ground, cupping her now aching head.
At the sight of a bleeding Valentine stirred something in Andy as he screamed out.
Destroying the door and pushing the people away, a great powerful force lurched out of him
"Leave her alone!"
Shocked out of his daze, the man who hit her with the gun hastily raise himself and the rifle.
John instinctively grabbed Andy out of the way as Marcos went forward as he fried the gun in the man's hand. Making the man scream in pain.
"Leave it!" Marcos yelled out warning the man who was about to grab the rifle
Marco's hands were still up in defense but to the people, it came off as threatening seeing as moments ago he used his light powers on the gun.
Manipulating it to roast the hard metal.
To the humans, it was a shocking sight.
Hurrying to leave, John and Lauren went near valentine who was luckily just near the door or what used to be one, carefully supporting her as they all rushed towards the car
Groaning as she tried to touch her head, Valentine spoke once they were all in the car "what the hell?"
"Val, Val you all right?" Valentine didn't register at first who asked her when she snapped back "does it look like I'm all right?"
Turning to see, it was Andy who made the comment and the sight of him made her angry again "Um"
"Don't answer that"
When suddenly the car swerved causing her to lean further into the boy
"Valentine I'm really sorry i left ─"
"Andy not now"
"I know your mad at me and all but please Val I really am sorry"
"Andy I said not now!"at her outburst, Andy looked like a puppy being yelled at by his owner as he deflated at her cold shoulder.
A gunshot fired on the car "shit!"
"John, what are you doing? step on it"
"I'm going as fast as I can okay?!"
Tensions were on high as people screamed at the bullets bouncing off
Vehicle along with the fact their hands were tied on how to lose them.
Especially as John was on the phone while driving.
It felt like absolute torture as black dots were covering Valentine's vision, trying to massage her temple as she tried to block off the yells of John and Sonya from the phone.
"Eight, maybe ten, either way we can't afford a fight especially now that Valentine is hurt"
"I'm fine" trying to John as she lowered her head, still trying to get rid of the dark dots on her vision.
"The way out of this that doesn't leave any corpses!" John yelled back to Sonya on the phone.
Then a gunshot was heard
"Okay, that's it!" Seemingly done with all of it and just wanting to get it over and just go home and sleep off the incoming headache.
Maybe even eat pizza
As Valentine sat straight as she opened up her palms facing together as if she was holding a ball.
Trying to conjure up the familiar purple glow as beads of sweat was seen on her face, the bleeding and the pounding headache not helping her concentrate
"Val, don't! You haven't even practiced yet, who knows what it'll do to you?" John peeked at her from the corner of his eye, already having a hint on what she was about to do.
"Just shut up and drive and make sure we don't die John!" Snapping back
John turned around to face the road, clamping his mouth shut.
"You do know what your doing right?" Lauren faced her as she hesitantly asked
"In theory" she quipped
"Great, we're dead" lauren deadpanned but Valentine ignored her reply as Valentine closed her eyes, still trying to regain her focus.
"Whatever your doing Val, just do it quick" Marcos anxiously looked at her but still keeping an eye on the fast approaching cars.
"I'm trying"
"Any day now Val"
"Shut up john"
"I'm not Pressuring you Val but─"
"You all are, so all of you shut the fuck up and let me concentrate" returning back to her focus as she pulled the energy out of her
When finally a few feet away from their car was a big enough portal just managing to open as it was clearly fluctuating, the out edges of it flicker in and out of focus shows that it wasn't going to stay open long.
But it was still a win as they successfully passed through and just managing to shut just before the humans catches up to them.
Finally relaxing as Valentine let out a breath she was unconsciously holding, her form leaned on the person next to her which just so happens to be the brown-eyed boy she was mad at.
His arm manage to support her back all the way up to her head guiding it to fully use him to lean into his shoulder, their eye connected and an intense feeling washed over Andy as he admired the girl for her strength and was simply in awe of her display.
Their eye contact was broken however when cheers surrounded them, the loud ones, especially from John
"That's our girl!" Smiling at their happiness as she contagiously smiled, finally relaxing into the boy but just for once seeing as she used the last bit of strength into her to create a portal
And definitly Not because she found his presence comforting.
blues speaks!
Hi! So I'm really sorry this took so long but hey at least this was a long chapter, hopefully ya'll enjoyed it ♡︎