[Reviews - 15]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story |
Printer Chapter or Story |
ePub eBook Chapter or Story |

Has been viewed 4817 times

- Text Size +




Iqadi knocked softly on Storm’s door after dinner that night. She had spent the entire day with a blue furry man by the name of Dr. McCoy, whom she had showed off her water bending skills. At first she had been intimidated by the large man, but after a few minutes she found the man behind the beast. He had encouraged her and was a patient teacher. For once someone found her powers fun like she did. The only other person who loved water like she did was her father and that had changed. This was exactly why she was at the weather witch’s door tonight.

“Come in,” rang out a soft voice. Iqadi took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

“Iqadi! What a surprise! I was just about to come down and talk to you.” Ororo laid aside her work and got up from behind her desk.

“I need…” the young girl hesitated. She had not even expressed her fears to her Amu Kuhio and now she was going to tell a complete stranger. However, something in the back of her mind was telling her that she could trust Storm. After all, her father had told her stories about the white haired thief and referred to her as a friend. “I need help.”

“Whatever you need, I am here,” she said, leading the younger girl to the couch. Her blue eyes shone with concern. “What is bothering you?” Iqadi hesitated, not sure how to start.

“It’s my father…I think something is wrong.” The words tumbled out of her mouth. “Baba would never leave me, I know it. He loves me and my mutation. Something happened to him…it’s the only way he would ever leave me!”

“I don’t want to believe he would leave you either, my dear.” Ororo was surprised by her outburst. Before that, Iqadi had hardly said a sentence to her. “The Malaka I know would have never left you.”

“The last time I saw him, he kissed me goodnight and told he loved me. He did not say goodbye,” she added. “When I awoke the next morning Amu Kuhio was there and told me we were going to America and that Baba had left.”

“What do you think happened?” asked Ororo, calmly.

“About a week ago, some men came with Amu Kuhio. They talked where I could not hear them, but Baba was very upset afterwards. He kept hugging and kissing me and telling me what a good daughter I was and how proud of me he was…” Iqadi’s voice stopped, her eyes closed tightly. “It just does not make sense.” Ororo shook her head.

“Do you remember anything about the men who came to see your father?”

“They had snake tattoos- the same ones all over their left arms.” She shuddered. “I don’t like snakes.”

“I don’t blame you,” Ororo smiled, but in the next second turned very serious. “I can see if I can find out where Malaka is, but are you sure you want to do that?” The last thing this girl needed was to find out some dark secret about her father. Not that Storm expected something bad, but she did not know what life he led now.

“Yes, please,” Iqadi pleaded. Then after shooting a frightened look at the door, she motioned Storm closer, dropping her voice down to a small murmur. “I love Amu, but he is a liar. That is what his mutation is. Sometimes I do not know if he is lying or not. But Amu Kuhio can only make a lie successful if he can make the listener have no doubts. Most of the time, the lie flies right under the radar, but other times there are doubts.”

“You have doubts?”

“I think he knows where Baba is. He said he didn’t, but I heard him talking on the phone and he mentioned Baba’s name. But you see, the lie is trying to work its magic and I don’t even believe myself completely.” Her eyes were lost, trying desperately to make sense to the woman beside her. Kuhio’s power of lying was confusing and complicated.

“I promise to look into it, okay?” Ororo touched her hand to Iqadi’s cheek and kissed her forehead. “Thank you for telling me.” Iqadi nodded and jumped off the couch, returning to her new room. Ororo however did not return to her work or bed, but rushed off to the labs in the lower floors of the mansion.

Storm checked her watch and swore. It was close to midnight. She needed to catch Hank McCoy before he went off to bed. If anyone could help her with this, it was him. A light was on in a far room and she breathed in relief. Hank was still up and operating. She did not bother knocking for once, but burst right into the room.

“Ororo? What brings you down here?” Hank took off his glasses and laid down the thick textbook he was reading.

“I need your help. Iqadi just came to me with some disturbing news.” She quickly relayed the conversation. “I need you to find those men.”

“You said they had snake tattoos?” Storm nodded and Hank frowned.

“What? Snake tattoos aren’t exactly unusual.”

“That’s true and hopefully this is simply coincidence. Two months ago I was alerted by the United Nations Mutant League that a mutant gang in Africa was causing quite the chaos. They call themselves Mwasi Nyoka.” Storm racked her brain for the English translation.

“Rebel Snakes.”

“Correct. Two brothers lead the group. One of them can detect mutants and their powers. We don’t know much about the other one.” Hank paused before rambling on. “Basically they are using his power to detect mutants in Africa and recruiting them to their cause. They are rebelling against the government for mutant superiority- a sort of Magneto thing, if you will. However, once the Mwasi Nyoka ask you to become a member, you don’t back out. They have taken many law-abiding citizens and either tortured them or their families until they complied with the Mwasi Nyoka’s cause.”

“Malaka isn’t a mutant.” Ororo pointed out, crossing her arms across her chest. She didn’t like the sound of a mutant gang.

“But his daughter is,” stated Hank matter-of-factly.

“You think that they could have possibly taken Malaka to get to Iqadi?” she gasped. The blue beast only nodded. “We have to find him.”

“The only way to do that is to go straight to the source, but it’ll be dangerous.” He laughed when he saw her eyes dance.

“Since when has danger scared or stopped any of us?”

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

Wolverine, Beast, and Colossus sat aboard the X-Jet as it flew with ease towards the African coastline. They had left early that morning from the mansion in search of the Mwasi Nyokas. After a bit of arguing and fit throwing, they decided that only the three of them should go, as the rest would be taking or teaching classes. The only reason that Peter got to skip class was because they needed someone who was indestructible to watch the jet and he knew how to fly it. Hank had called a few of his friends and got an estimation of the location of the gang’s headquarters.

It was beautiful land they were flying over as they entered African airspace. The sort of sight that took your breath away with every bend of the earth. They landed just an hour off the coast where a small fort was built into the side of a cliff. Colossus stayed on the jet as Logan and Hank expertly entered without detection. It took only an hour to scour the small building and locate where the prisoners were kept.

Logan slid a claw down the side of the door and heard a satisfying click as the door swung open. Inside were cages full of people- mutants and non. The dirt floor had turned to muck in places and a stench hung in the air. They looked hungry, tired, and worse for the wear. Most had bruises and cuts from repeated beatings and interrogation. There were men nearing their sixties as well as children as young as four or five. It was heart-wrenching to see.

“See if you can break them all out,” he muttered to Beast, who nodded and picked up a random piece of rock and banged it against the first cage. After a few attempts, he released the woman and her child that were inside. Logan looked around wildly before finally asking, “Which one of you is Malaka Erevu?”

“I am,” came a feeble reply to his left. Sitting weakly on the ground was a dark-skinned man with bruises covering his face and lacerations to his torso. Logan slashed the lock off his cell.

“You’re comin’ with us.” The man did not look the least bit surprised or scared.

“What doya want wit me?” His English was nothing compared to that of his daughter and friend. “I willn’t break. You cannot have her.”

“Your daughter is safe, Mr. Erevu,” said Hank walking up beside Logan. All of the prisoners were free and fleeing for the door. “She is presently at the Xavier Institute in New York.” Seeing the look of confusion on the poor man’s face, Logan began to explain.

“Your friend Kuhio brought her to Ororo Munroe on your wishes.”

“Ororo…” he murmured her name in wonder. But then his bloodshot eyes clouded over. “Kuhio is no friend. No,” he shook his head in panic.

“What?” asked a shocked Wolverine.

“He will kill her…he wants revenge,” Malaka pushed himself off the floor with much effort, fear overtaking him.

“Trust us, your daughter is safe,” said Hank slowly, trying to comprehend what was going on.

“No, not Iqadi. Ororo. He is after Ororo.”





You must login () to review.