Utopia: An X-Men Story

Chapter 5

Sunlight poured into the kitchen as I tossed a frozen tart into the microwave and nuked it. The stove read 8: 49, about an hour before my appointment at the police station. The microwave beeped and I pulled it out and ate. The tart burned the roof of my mouth. I grabbed my bag and headed out the door.

Everyday was busy in Utopia, but Saturdays seemed to be the busiest to me. Of course, I wasn't out and about as much during the week. The main train station was always a buzz. The station itself was a bustling airline, suspended miles over the floating nation; all the lines met here. Vendors set up stalls and carts along the vast space, selling everything from antiques to collectable cards. I hardly paid them any attention and they had learned to do the same for me. Today, the patch man was there.

"Miss, your coat looks like it needs a new patch!" He smiled in my general direction and motioned to his cart, throwing his head back with glee.

"You don't have to play this game with me. I know you can't see."

"Very true, but I can tell where everyone is. And you have a coat on. I can hear it move. So please, buy a patch." He hovered his hands over the large collection and leaned against the cart.

He had everything from vintage, old world paraphernalia to modern brands and fan loved concepts. Old flags from countries no longer in existence, slang terms, logos, jokes, war tags, revolutionary status symbols and the such.

I sighed and dug through a pile. "Alright, I'll take this rainbow. I have a friend who will like it."

"That will be ten."

"Ten? That's too much!"

"Ten or no patch."

"You're a crook." I handed him a bill from my pocket and held onto the patch.

"All businessmen are crooks." He smiled and rubbed a finger on the money. "But at least you're honest. I'll remember that."

I rolled my eyes and moved through the crowd onto the train. People kept their distance to a point. Eventually the empty seats around me filled and the train pulled out like a bullet.

Monty stood inside by the check in at the police station. I saw him checking his watch as I walked through the metal detector. "You're late, cuz. And why don't you ever call me? I haven't seen you in forever."

"You know the wife isn't too fond of me and I'd hardly count a week as forever." I smiled.

Monty was a cousin of mine, distant but still blood. The Creeds were fairly consistent with having one kid, at least, one kid that the records showed, but that wasn't the case here. My grandfather had a twin brother who, unlike himself, did not present the feral mutation. And while the one gave in to deeply seeded instinct, the other learned to control his telepathic tendencies, married a good woman, had a nice family, and changed his name. Monty wasn't a Creed. Instead, he was a Levit.

"It is nice to see you again though," he grinned at me and gave me a hug, patting my back a couple times before beginning to lead me to the record room. "How have you been?"

"Pretty good, I think. I'm trying to become an X-Man, and you?"

"An X-Man, huh? That's pretty big. And I'm doing pretty great. Missy just turned three, the cute little bugger. I swear, she gives me more and more gray hairs every day."

"That's exciting."

"Oh yeah," he pulled out a chair at our regular desk and sat down. "I would have invited you, but you know how Sarah is."