....And Then, There Was Chaos

CHARACTERS: The X-Men (Gambit, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Storm, Beast, Jubilee, Rouge, Cyclops and Xavier). Plus, my own characters. Also, appearing in short sections- Sinister. My Characters include- (Jonathon, Benji, Sarah, Dr. Candice, Duke, Karen, MacKenzie "EmotionalStorm" and refugees.)

RATING: R-NC-17 (MATURE AUDIENCES APPLY)

SUMMARY: The X-Men are knocked through a portal 45 years into the future, and land in a war-struck town. The war between humans and mutants have played out into a big mess consisting of the humans having the upper hand with a new weapon- The Beam. It is used against the mutants, leaving them slowly dying from having their genes stripped away. Wolverine and Cyke are both hit by the beam, but Wolverine recovers. E.S. stumbles upon them and brings them to their underground base. Trouble soon follows the team.

DISCLAIMER: THE X-MEN AND ALL LIKENESSES BELONG TO MARVEL COMICS. MY CHARACTERS IN THE STORY, DO NOT, HOWEVER BELONG TO ANYONE BUT ME. NO MONEY INVOLVED, JUST MY UNIQUE THOUGHTS AND IDEAS.

*action* "speak" mind-talking ~dreams~

Part One

~ 9 months Prior~

"Perhaps we should wait until we are joined liked humans? Our *kiss* love *kiss* will be *kiss* more right. Any child should have the right for proper parents, Sarah." Jonathon was sitting on the makeshift bed that was made out of a mattress overtop a long sturdy table. They shared a small bedroom which was no bigger than a single-car garage. The room was basically empty, minus the bed in the farthest corner from the door, and a small wood bedside table holding only an old 12 inch tall oil lamp. He kissed her bare neck before removing her torn and dirty shirt, tossing the rags to the floor. He kissed his way to her left breast and ran his tongue over her nipple. He smiled as she gasped quietly and then giggled. Sucking on her now hard nipple, he pulled her close to him and started to unbutton her long dirty white skirt.

Sarah placed her hands on his shoulders and was reveling in his kisses as she answered. "We are humans, still, Jon. No gold band perhaps, but we have our love that binds us together. Our child will know their parents love them just the same." She moved away from him and placed herself in the middle of their small room. Letting the oil lamp's dim light show her milky soft skin to him. Sarah was a woman of thirty years, but that didn't stop her from in helping Jonathon to understand love. She began to remove the rest of her tattered and dirty clothing. Her eyes had never left the young man who was now removing his slightly worn T-shirt and equally faded blue jeans.

Sarah let her skirt fall to the floor and walked back over to the bed. Jonathon had made room for her by lying on his side, and sliding himself back onto the bed so that he was close to the wall, propping himself up on his left elbow. His back had been inches away from the cool gray wall, as their bed sat in the corner of the next to empty room. She climbed up next to him and lay on her back, to let him hover above her. Jonathon smiled as he reached to the end of the bed where an old fire blanket lay. He covered both of them in the thin, scratchy yet soft enough blanket. She had rested her head on the semi-flat yet clean pillow. Kissing her in a soft and gentle fashion, he let her take hold of his manhood and place him inside her.

His rhythm was slow at first, before their climaxes took over. They kissed and held each other tightly. This wasn't their lust that had taken over, it was simple and pure love. Sarah, being Jonathon's first, had fallen in love with the young man. And he, her. Though, this wasn't their first time in making love together, they devoted their shift breaks into spending it with one another. Short, frantic breaths and soft moaning gave way to tense orgasms. He was the first to release, and soon after she followed as she pulled him near to her. Jonathon grimaced and moaned softly into her ear. Each time he orgasmed, it hurt like fire was spitting out of him and into her. Running the back of his hand along her slender cheek bone, he winced in pain as his orgasm finished in a heated flow. He lay still for a moment and then let her move over so that he could lay beside her, near the edge of the bed. Spent, they lay beside each other and let the cool room cool them off. They kissed and snuggled in each other's arms. Tears filled his eyes, but only a few fell. She brushed the sweat-dampened hair from his forehead and looked at him questioningly.

"Does it hurt again?"

He nodded. "It's over now. Lie still, love. We have a short time left before my shift restarts."

A small knock at the door had woken him from their dozing. Jonathon had been lying on his back with the blanket covering his waist and below, while Sarah, though still half-naked, lie on her stomache and draped herself over his right shoulder as she slept. Sarah hadn't heard the knock, but it was loud enough to wake him up. "Come." He said evenly, careful not to wake Sarah.

"Jonathon," A boy around the age of 10 had opened the door 6 inches and had peered inside to find his target. "Mac has returned from outside. She is badly hurt and is asking for you. Come quick." The boy waited for the reply and then quietly closed the door and was gone.

He sighed and then slid out from under the warm feminine body. Covering her to her shoulders with the blanket. Not having anything to clean himself with, he put his dirty clothes back on and looked about the room for a moment. The lamp that sat beside their bed was burning dimly, but just enough to see where he was going. He kissed her forehead and then deciding to put out the little oil lamp, before leaving her to sleep.

Closing the door quietly behind him and turning around to find himself face to face with a small, near forty year old woman, Dr. Candice. She stood with her arms folded in front of her and a tired smile on her thin and pale lips. He followed her to the elevator that led down 2 floors to the makeshift med lab where his sister was sitting on a metal table awaiting to speak to him.

Stepping into the old and small two-person elevator- that really looked like a walk-in closet- to go down to the med lab and closing the wooden door behind them. Jonathon pushed the down button and then turned to the Doctor and spoke in a calm voice. "I need you to give me a checkup tomorrow."

"What is the matter?" Candice looked at the young man in bewilderment. She was a woman of about 38 years. Her long brown hair had been pulled back in a bun that was coming undone. She was a little shorter than Jonathon by a few inches. She was also thin, and mainly wore blue scrubs over top of her old jeans and t-shirt. Her voice sounded tired from stress and long hours of not sleeping.

"My orgasms are becoming more and more painful. I am even finding blood in my semen, when I orgasm on my own." Jonathon looked to the pink towel-carpeted floor while awaiting her answer.

"Stop by tomorrow morning. I might need some new samples from you, as well as run some tests to possibly help relieve your pain. Does Sarah know about this?" Candice asked, looking at him.

"Yes. I gave myself a shot of anti-virus before we made love. Is that enough to stop this from infecting her, and possibly our child?" He looked up at her in hopes she would understand.

"If blood is in your semen, and you ejaculate into her without the shot, you could put her at risk. However, I am still working on your tests from last week. Keep taking the shot. I will give you more samples before you leave my office. Have Sarah come in with you tomorrow. I'd like to examine her and make sure you aren't infecting her as well." She looked back from him to the door as they stopped and Jonathon opened the "closet door" to step out of the small closet spaced elevator.

They reached the medical lab and Jonathon hurried to his sister's side. "What happened? Where are the others?"

"Gone. I got out before the real big blast hit. Sam's gone, Jonny. She's gone. She was only 17 years old. She's gone." A dirty face with piercing ocean blue eyes looked from the floor to the young man infront of her. MacKenzie, or simply Mac, wrapped her arms around Jonathon's shoulders and hugged him tightly. Her clothing as well as her pale skin were covered in black ashes, dirt and building rubble, as well as blood. Her frail body had been scraped up and probably a few ribs and other bones were either broken or fractured. Mac was a few years older than Jonathon, but loved him like he was a little brother. She wasn't one to allow herself to cry, but this time it was unstoppable. He too, had hugged the shaken and bloody woman. Her black hair was long and being barely held back in a somewhat braid that reached below her beltline.


~ The Present ~

"Move it kid! We aint got time for your card tricks." Wolverine's gruff voice called to a hurried Gambit, who was running through the hangar doors, past Logan at the top of the ramp, and into the waiting jet.

Taking their seats, Gambit had sat on the opposite side of the jet as Rogue. Rogue, who had taken the left side, sat by the window while Logan sat beside her. Jubilee took the aisle seat across from Logan, to sit beside Remy and play a friendly game of Gin Rummy. Scott and Storm sat at the controls, while Jean and Beast were at the back of the jet taking inventory.

Xavier had gotten a call from a frantic old friend of his who needed the X-Men's help.

As the jet took off from their launch pad, located behind a waterfall in back, they were briefed by Scott as to where they were going and whom they were to meet.

As they reached 200 kilometers outside of the mansion, a whirlwind had started up and was now pulling them in.

"I assure you, I am not doing thing." Storm looked to Scott as they both fough the controls that were stuck. Their jet spun loosely into the dark, ominous cloud and disappeared as the cloud dissipated. "Hold on, everyone. The controls are jammed. We may be in for a bumpy ride and an even harder landing."

"I could fix those stuck controls." The familiar *SNIKT* of Logan's claws sliding out from his knuckles. Despite his cursing and threats, he remained in his seat and stared at Storm, who was having increasing troubles with the controls.

"Shugah, we want to get back home by this thing. Not have spaghetti for a control panel." Rogue said as her gloved hand patted Logan's arm. She jumped slightly as he retracted his claws and placed his other hand ontop of hers in understanding.

Cards went everywhere. Jubilee screamed in shock as the jet tilted to the right and threw her into Gambit's startled chest. Amidst the chaos, Remy had unknowingly charged the 7 cards in his hand before another bump knocked them out and they went flying through the cabin of the jet. They exploded, barely missing Storm and Scott, two hit the roof and crackled at the tin lining, and 3 flew into the back near Beast and Jean.

Seeing the card about to land, Jean used her psychic shield to encase the card in a psy-bubble and protect the others from the explosion.

Amazingly, no one was hurt at the blasts, or the rocky landing in the middle of a disheveled and rotting, abandonned town. Scott and Storm had been amazed that the landing gear opened itself and set the plane down in the middle of a desserted street. Buildings on either side of them missed the jets enormous wings bye a few feet. They had landed on a median in the middle of a four lane road.

Getting out of the jet one by two, they each looked around in silence.

Jubilee was the first to speak. Putting an arm around Gambit, she joking stated, "Well, Toto, I guess we're not in Westchester anymore."

"Toto?" Remy turned and looked at the young woman in bewilderment.

Scott surveyed the jet and then the scene. "Looks like no one's here. Pan out, there's got to be a clue around here that can tell us where we are. And how to get home."

As they separated, a bright light in the sky came down and landed just inches from Jean and Storm. it lasted only a milisecond yet, left a faint residue on the sidewalk, next to a tall, old apartment building. Looking up to where the light had come from, there was only the trace of gray in the sky and heavy dust in the air.

"Be on your guard, here. And stay togeth-- " Scott started before another blast from the sky hit him in the chest and sent him flying onto the hood of an old VW Bug.

"Scott!" Jean and Storm both ran to him, but before they could reach him, beast swooped down from a bent over and broken street light and knocked the two girls out of the way from another beam. He had managed to prevent the girls from being hit.

Rogue and Logan had started to divert the beam's ray from the others who were now gathering around Scott to see what happened. Rogue took to the sky to try and find where the beam was coming from, but had little luck. Logan was not far behind her, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, dodging blasts.

Logan had managed to jumped several rooftops in front of the group to keep the beam away from them. He stopped atop one and looked to where Rogue had been dodging one beam, and then glanced at the beam that had been chasing him. Reaching the end of the shaky structure, he jumped to meet another building but was struck in mid-air by the beam. Falling from a 4 storey height, he landed on his back inbetween the two buildings and was briefly knocked out. He awoke to find himself on the ground amidst old papers and empty trash cans. Rubbing the back of his neck, he hadn't noticed Gambit run up to him to see if he was okay.

Shrugging off the helping hand, Logan stood up and shook his head to rid himself of the sickening dizziness that had overcome him. "Don't worry about me. Where are the others?" Logan pushed himself off of Gambit once again and made his was to the end of the alleyway.

"Dey back dere, homme. You sure you don't want Gambit to carry you? You can even put your arm around Gambit, mon ami." Remy had jokingly suggested.

"Stuff the romantics, Gumbo. We need to find our way outta this place. Not cozy up to each other." Logan sauntered ahead of him as they cautiously made their way back to the group.

Arriving back with the others, Logan pushed Remy behind him as he eyed the suspicious vehicle that looked slightly like a suped up SUV. It was black in colour with equally dark tinted windows. Logan sniffed, and sniffed again. Unable to key the scent of the driver, he released his claws and krept closer to the vehicle that had stopped just a few feet away from the VW.

The engine had turned off but no one got out or even rolled down the window. Suddenly, the driver's side door opened and a young woman in her late 20s got out and stood there to take in the scene. A light blue denim cap sat low on her head, doing it's best to hide her long black hair underneath. Her bangs had fallen heavily over her violet eyes and several thick strands hung out from the rest of the cap. Her clothes were filthy but in somewhat good condition. A huge blue denim long sleeved-shirt with sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and tucked into her black jeans that seemed to be a few sizes too big for her slim body. Black running shoes with the laces tied in a strange knot had made a faint thumping sound as she cautiously walked up to where Scott still lay on the hood.

She smiled passively and then went about examining Scott. "We need to get him to safety. The beam will find you again. One of you help me place him in the back of the vehicle. The others get in and keep low." She looked about the group before they moved. Deciding the girl meant them no harm, the obliged. Beast and Jean helped her carry Scott to the back and lie him down in the small space. Jean climbed up beside him to keep an eye on him, as the woman shut the trunk.

Storm, Rogue, Jubilee and Remy had stuffed themselves into the back seat while Logan and Beast joined the girl up front.

"Who are you? Where are we, exactly?" Storm asked in a calm voice from the backseat.

"Name's Mac. MacKensie. Or EmotionalStorm. I prefer Mac. You're in the same place you left, only about 45 years difference. Don't worry about your ship, our clean-up crew will bring it back to our camp. How long have you been here?"

"About twenty minutes. Look kid, we aint got time to play cat and mouse with a flashlight with an attitude, or hide and seek with someone we've just met. How'd we get here, and just what the hell was that, that hit Cyke and me?" Logan was losing his patience and was about to give the girl a taste of his six claws when Beast placed his blue furred hand on his friend's arm.

"You were hit too? And you aren't unconscious?" The woman looked over at him for a second and then refocussed on the street.

"Wolverine's a magician of sorts, shugah." Rogue spoke up.

"Amazing. You were struck with a beam that the humans have manufactured to keep the mutant population at a decliine. It strips the mutant gene from the DNA code, reverting them back to humans. The only problem is that as it strips the coding, it also breaks down the mutant. Causing them to perish within 48 hours of being struck. Your friend has very little time if he is going to recooperate. You," She glanced at Logan again and then back to the street. "have a remarkable structure if you aren't suffering from the symptoms also." She turned the vehicle to the left and slid down into what seemed to be a subway tunnel inbetween two condemned buildings.

The vehicle came to a stop in what seemed to be a huge parking garage full of other suped up SUVs, Trucks, Jeeps and other strange yet recognizable vehicles.

"So, who summoned us here?" Storm asked as the vehicle came to a stop, and the engine was turned off.

Mac sighed and then turned around in her seat to face the questioner. "I did. I placed the call to Xavier, and asked him to send the best of his team here to aid us. We are in need of help to win this war. I learned about your team from the history books of a burned down schoolhouse not far from here. We have over 100 children in our care here, and they too are slowly dying from the beam. Come, we must get your friend to the med lab. The rest of you can get cleaned up and joined us for dinner."

The doors opened and Mac stepped out and called for assistance. She lead two young men to the back of the SUV and opened the truck lid.

The two men put Scott on a stretcher and carried him off through a hallway, while Jean and Beast followed.

Mac showed the rest of the bewildered group their camp. Answering questions and dodging Wolverine's attack incentives, she managed to end the tour and insight without harm. "This is the med lab, where your friend is being cared for. We don't have much in way of equipment, but we do the best we can." Letting each peer inside through a dusty window that was big enough to fit 2 people in the middle of.

Nudging them into the dining area, which was really the middle of their warehouse type building. She sat them at a table and waved to another woman who brought them each a plate of- what looked like- beef stew. Mac had also motioned for the pale, yet expectant woman to join them. She had introduced the group to the woman and then motioned for them to eat.

"How long have you been back?" The woman asked Mac, tiredly.

"An hour. Is Jonathon awake enough to join us, tonight?" Mac held a bread roll in her hands and tore off a piece of it to eat.

"He is in the med lab. Candice should be releasing him soon." The woman who was referred to as 'Sarah', rubbed her tummy and covered a yawn.

Mac started to stand up and looked to the direction of the med lab. The corridor was dark but, the windows of the lit office glowed enough for her to find her way to it. "Is he ok? What's he doing there?"

Sarah had started to answer her, but a tired and even voice interrupted.

"I'm fine. I just didn't feel well." Jonathon came to stand at the head of the table and smiled slowly when all eyes focussed on him. Sarah had trouble pushing herself off the bench and standing up but, she eventually made it to her feet and kissed his cheek. Jonathon took her spot beside Mac, and let Sarah sit down on his lap. "You must be the X-Men. I was hoping that your journey here wouldn't be so traumatic for you. However, from the look of your friend, I'd say you've met the reason you are here, inadvertantly. My name is Jonathon. I am the group appointed leader of this bunch. Despite your friend, I hope you all are doing well?" He looked about them as he reached his arms around Sarah and rest his hands on her expectant belly.

"The rest of us are fine. Thank you. How is Cyclops?" Storm broke the groups silence and answered for them. She hadn't touched her food, nor had anyone else in the bunch.

"He'll be fine. He was coming in and out of consciousness as I left. I spoke to the lady with him and she understands. If you wish, you may each visit him in the lab. The meals here are few and far between. Please, eat." Jonathon smiled weakly and motioned them to their plates.

Jonathon examined each of them, one by one. They seemed to be exactly what he'd heard about. Wolverine, Storm, Jubilee, Rogue and Gambit. They were excellant. He was lost in his thoughts until Sarah shifted, suddenly. "Are you allright?" Bringing his eyes to meet Sarah's, he lifted his free hand to her cheek and brushed the back of his fingers against it.

She nodded, and leaned back to rest against him. Closing her eyes, she smiled as she felt Jonathon's lips carress her shoulder. She was growing tired, and could barely keep her eyes open. Jonathon was warm to snuggle up against, but this wasn't the best place to fall asleep. Her stomache twitched and kicked. She winced in pain and waited for the child inside to calm down.

Remembering they were not alone, Jonathon helped pushed Sarah to her feet, and then looked at his guests. "If you all are finished with your meals, I will show you to where you may sleep. I'm afraid this isn't a hotel, but I can assure you the beds will be comfortable."

Each one of them stood at casual readiness, and waited.

Jubilee had been the first to walk over and stand within three feet of Jonathon. "Well, nice place, but I'm kinda bushed." She looked at her host and tried to hide the rising heat in her cheeks. Since he came to the table, she had fits with herself to keep herself from staring at him. She blushed in embarrasment as she watched Jonathon hold Sarah on his lap. The way he kissed her, and held her close to him. Somewhere in her mind, she wanted that to be her.

"Please, follow me." He smiled faintly, and then led them down a dimly lit corridor, opposite the medical hall. They reached the end of the hall, and waited as he opened a door. he motioned for them to step through and up the stairs. "I'm sorry for the long route, but the elevator holds only 2 people at a time."

The group had gone up two flights of stairs before Jonathon opened another door, leading them to the hall where his quarters were. Logan counted doors and steps. Five doors down on the right was his, Gambit's and eventually Beast's room. And right across the hall, just four doors down from the stairs, was Storm's, Rogue's and also eventually, Jean's room. Mac had volunteered to let Jubilee bunk with her.

Jonathon pointed further down the hall about two doors down from the boys' room. "If there is anything else I can do, please let me know. I hope you have a pleasant night. Tomorrow, I will show you all you need to know about why you are here. Good night." Taking Sarah's hand and walking to their room, Logan kept his eyes on both of them.

"I don' t'ink he do us harm, mon ami. I t'ink he needs our help." Remy leaned against the doorframe, shuffling a pack of cards in his hands.

"Somethin about that kid looks familiar. Can't place him right now." Logan stood in the middle of the hallway. He noticed Rogue and Storm had closed their door, and that he and Gambit should at least try to get some rest. "How's the room look? How many beds?" Logan gave Remy a change in demeanour.

"Like a room, homme. Three beds, a nightstand wit' a lamp an a window. You gon' stand out dere all night?" Remy looked down the hall to where Logan's eyes had remained. "I don' t'ink he come back, homme."

Logan huffed and then pushed past the tall Cajun and stood in the middle of the small room. It was nearly empty and semi-lit by the small lamp on the table that sat at the far wall. He sniffed and tasted the air. The room seemed clean, and okay to be in. But he was still skeptical.

*******************

Mac and Jubilee had gone the opposite direction down the hall. They reached her room, and Jubilee had followed in Logan's idea of counting doors. From the staircase, they were 3 doors down and on the same side as the girls' room.

Jubilee half jumped as Mac shut the door behind them. Again the room was dimly lit by a small lamp, and nearly empty. A bed was off to her left, in the corner. The lamp sat on the floor at the end of the bed. Jubilee noticed the bed was neatly made with gray linen and matching blanket that was somewhat thick by the looks.

"You can have the bed. I don't sleep much." Mac spoke and startled Jubilee. Her calmness was almost seductive but lacked the shape of lust. "Tell me, you like Jonathon? I saw it in your mind. You wished you were Sarah." Mac sat down at the end of the bed. She looked at Jubilee with a smile. She had gotten Jubilee to blush fully.

"Is it that obvious?" Jubilee sat down a few inches from her, on the bed. "Don't get me wrong, I'm all for reationships to work. But, gosh! I didn't think he'd be that cute. Don't tell the others, okay?"

"Your secret's safe with me. If I might inquire about that Wolverine, what's he like? I've heard stories about the infamous 'Wolverine' but, is he really that wild?" Mac turned slightly, facing Jubilee.

Jubilee looked at her for a moment. She had noticed that through dinner, Mac had been glancing at Logan. But, then again, it was Jubilee who had been trying not to notice Jonathon. "He's ok. He has a bit of a temper, but other than that...." She yawned and looked to the pillow. Her sentence was forgotten as she ran her hand over it's smooth texture.

Mac took the hint and told her that they could finish their talk in the morning. Letting Jubilee slip off her shoes and crawl under the blanket, Mac reached down and turned off the light. She closed her eyes and opened them to see the darkened room in a blue-ish glow.

**************

Sarah lay on her side of the bed, next to the wall. Her long white nightshirt covered most of her body. Short sleeves showed her pale and thin arms as she rested them ontop of the blanket. She was waiting for Jonathon to finish getting ready, and join her in bed. "Are you sure they will help us, Jon? The one was struck by the beam already, and they had just arrived. How can they help when we have nearly failed?"

Aside from the bed and the nightstand, A chair had been placed at the end of the bed, for Sarah to sit in when laying or standing had become uncomfortable for her. Most of the time when she wasn't sitting in the chair, they placed their clothing there. Over the past nine months, their small room had become even smaller. A bassinet and a box of baby clothes and miscellaneous items now occupied the other half of their room. The bassinet looked like a toy cradle in its white paint and equal hood. The legs of it were short, yet the complete height of the bassinet came up to waist height on the 5 foot 7 inches of Jonathon. The feet of the bassinet were shaped in a rocker style, for them to rock the baby to sleep. Since the sex of the child hadn't been determined, the clothes box was full of both boys and girls clothing.

Jonathon finished putting on his gray t-shirt and black cotton shorts and had turned to look at her. The t-shirt was close to being snug, and the cotton shorts seemed to be just barely hugging his slim hips. He looked like a wiry rag doll. Brushing his shaggy brown hair, he thought for a moment on how to answer her. "They are the best weapons of the 20th century. Together, I'm sure they will teach us how to fight and regain our balance in society, just like they have done for themselves." He sat on the bed, facing her. "Sarah, I know they can help us."

"Jonathon, I know they mean so much to you. If you have that much faith in them, then so do I." Sarah gave him a weak smile and kissed his cheek. It took some effort to get herself comfortable, and she had already been exhausted when she lie down. She was glad that he was there to help her out, and that she felt him love her so entirely that it hurt him to see her in any pain.

"They have been my heros since I was a child, sitting in my father's lab. He would go into details of just how extraordinary these people really are. He wanted me to be their personification; all of them. But, somewhere along the ideas, he lost touch of who I am. So, they became my friends in my mind. They have done so much for our kind. Sarah, they will help us." His voice was steady and calm. He had laid down beside her and let her use him as a pillow. He was half asleep as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed her forehead.

Soon, they were both asleep. Sarah, dreaming about her unborn child singing and dancing in the front yard of a big gray/blue house. It was a drizzly autumn day and yet she and the child had been carrying on and laughing as if it were a sunny afternoon in July. Both snug in coats with hoods bundled up around their joyed faces, and Jonathon, sitting on the front steps laughing, holding a cup of hot chocolate and hidden underneath an oversized thick gray wool sweater.

Jonathon's dreams were not so nice. He sat in a large glass tube, from ceiling to floor. A medical gown replaced his bedclothing, and a tube full of thick red fluid had been stuck into his arm. His pale and scrawny legs curled underneath him, and his equally pale and thin arms wrapped about his small waist. He was hungry, he could feel it. He looked about the room outside the glass and recognized it. His father's lab. It had been barely lit by the only light that had been on; the light from the platform underneath him, in his space. Several machines were still on, whirring and tapping out secret informations while most of the rest were off. He was so hungry and ontop of that, he had to use the restroom. Jonathon knew his father wouldn't be back in his lab until late in the evening, so he groaned and grimaced. Jonathon shifted in his sleep. He wanted to wake up.

Jonathon had been examining the floor and his chances of escape when a voice from outside startled him.

~Awake so late, my dear boy? You should get some rest, you have a full day ahead of you.~ The shadowed outline of a tall and shapeless man spoken in an amused tone.

~Please, father. Let me out of this. I am not an animal. I swear to you, I will never run away. Please release me from this!~ Jonathon looked up in brief horror and watched as the man came into view. Nathaniel Essex.

~Oh? My boy, you will, given the chance. A drawback of your progression will be the world's undoing. I'm not ready to lose all I have worked for, just yet.~


End of Part One.