Thunderbird || X-Men

Chapter 29 ~ Tides Change

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1975

"Kayla, can you get the door?" I heard my mother call from the living room. I quickly put down the plate I was drying and headed over to the door. Standing in the open doorway were four men in black suits. I could already tell they were government officials. Of course, I got scared. They could only be here for one reason.

"May we come in, ma'am?" One of them asked, pulling out his badge. I obviously had no choice, and let the four men inside. They didn't sit but opted to stand near my mother and me.

I knew they were here for me. After everything I did, I assumed they were here to arrest me, but surprised that they didn't do that immediately.

"Are you Kayla Hudson?" The same one said. I didn't answer at first. "I'll take that as a yes."

"If you're going to arrest me then do it." I told them, holding out my wrists in preparation for the handcuffs. But they moved my hands away.

"If you can answer our questions and maybe help us a bit, we'll clear your record."

"What..?" I was shocked beyond belief.

"Let's sit." He sat down in a nearby armchair while the other three stood near him.

"What is this about?" My mother asked me. I didn't answer her.

"Can you give us some time?" The officer asked, shooing her away. My mom listened. I waited until I heard the door close at the end of the hall to start this questioning.

"Kayla, you are an alleged former associate of a man named Erik Lehnsherr. A rather close associate from what I've heard. Is this true?" He wondered.

"Yes, I am."

"You were with him in Cuba in '62, correct?"

"Yes."

"And during Kennedy's assassination in '63?"

"...Yes."

"And also at the Paris Peace Conference in '73?"

"Um... yes."

"And what about later that week in Washington?"

"If you don't mind me asking, what is this about?" I question, adjusting myself anxiously. The man sighed, fixing his tie.

"Erik Lehnsherr has done a great many crimes. He's been missing since Washington. You were the last person to see him before his disappearance." He explained. "We were hoping you could tell us where he is."

I stood up.

"I'd love to help you but I don't know where he is." I told them. "I want nothing to do with that bastard nowadays."

I hoped they would accept it and leave, but they didn't.

"Really? You don't know?"

"No idea. I cut every trace of him from my life." I explained.

"Then why is that in your possession?" He asked a bit angrily, pointing down the hall into my open room. Sitting on the desk was his helmet, in pristine condition.

"You don't understand, he-"

"No, we understand just fine. Please, Kayla, don't make us do it the hard way. Just tell us where he is and-"

"No!" I yelped, the lights flickering as I did. "I already told you, I don't know where he is!"

Before I could react, the second of the other men pulled out a gun, holding it in my direction. A third grabbed me by my shoulders roughly as the second held the gun to my head.

"Remember what happened in Paris?" The first teased me with an overly confident smirk. "You injured over 600 people, right? That's a big felony. They could give you the death penalty, or I could give it to you right now."

I heard the gun click as it was cocked.

"But I'll forget about Paris if you cough up Lehnsherr."

My hands were shaking, and my knees were so weak I felt that if the third man weren't holding me, I'd have fallen over by now.

"You have three seconds." I was ordered. I couldn't tell who said it, because my vision was getting dark. I knew I was having a panic attack, and what I might do scared me even more. I knew the men were yelling at me, but the ringing in my ears drowned them out. I tried to push one of them away, and he lost grip of me as I fell to the ground

Once I could see again, I lifted my eyes from the wooden floor. All of the men were on the ground. Three of them stirred, but the fourth lay completely still. I noticed the power was out. I was about to let my consciousness be known until I heard one of the men yell.

"Gavin's dead!" He exclaimed. "She killed him!"

"Shhh! She'll hear us. Shoot her before she wakes up." One of them whispered at his sobbing colleague. I heard the faint click of a gun at my ear and slammed my fist against the floor as hard as I could, focusing to knock them out again. They fell unconscious, giving me time to quickly get to my feet.

I ran to my mom's room, flinging the door open.

"Mom, you have to leave. They'll kill you after they kill me." I told her. My mom, in shock, didn't move. "Get around anything you can and leave. I can't keep them under for much longer."

At that, my mom started packing as fast as possible. She probably didn't understand what was happening. I walked back out into the living room to see the men all on their feet, their guns pointed in my direction. I did the only thing I could do, and I regretted it.

I made sure my mom got out safely, and that she didn't see the four dead bodies in the living room. Her knowing I had murdered four government officials in our home would have shocked her beyond belief. I felt I had to because after they killed me, they'd kill my mom as well, and I couldn't let that happen.

I knew after that day that Erik was right. Humans could never accept us. We could never be treated like normal people. I left the house with a small backpack, clutching Erik's helmet in my sweaty palms. It dawned on me how dangerous I was. I killed four men without laying a finger on them.
Brain aneurysms, all of them.
I felt that my fate had been decided.

Erik's helmet wouldn't collect dust anymore.