Cortez watched as Lina looked as if she were having a vision. He had seen that look before when she caught the vision of Zoey being exposed as a Mutant. Cortez watched her carefully. Zoey for one had never seen that look before so she backed away from her. “Li-”
”We have to go.”[b] Lina said. Zoey was confused. Cortez frowned. “Now...Before they come” She said and basically collapsed on the floor and Cortez was about to rush to her side but Caelan beat him to it. For where and how, he would never know. He sure as hell was quiet for a man his size.[b]“Tulio, I need you to get the rest of the team and have everyone pack up in a calm and collected manner. Tell them that we're moving out soon. To get the children away from the freaks at the gate.”
Zoey looked up at Cortez, fear evident in her face. “Taz?” She whimpered, her eyes falling to Lina. “ What's going on?” She asked and Cortez took a breath but didn't say anything, He wasn't sure himself.
Then Tulio spoke. He looked up at him "You heard the man. Begin preparations for mass evacuation of the students and staff - keep the younger children under the pretense that this is a drill to avoid having panic spread amongst them. That is the last thing we need now."
Cortez looked down at Zoey. “ C'mon, Z. We gotta go.” He said and picked her up. Zoey was perfectly capable of walking herself. She was 10 years old for Christ sake but Cortez hardly let her walk, Not when he felt she was in danger.
Cortez helped Zoey pack her essentials “ Taz, I'm Scared.” She said as he helped her put on her pink backpack. “ I know, but we're with the X-men. We're safe.” He said softly. Honestly he was terrified too but he kept it from his face. They rushed to the assembly where the Headmistress was about to speak.
“I know that you've all been told that this is a drill, but its not. I'm not going to lie to you. There are people coming for us.”
People started screaming and Cortez frowned. He nudged the guy beside them that was yelling something about lies. “ Shut the fuck up, assh-”“Enough! Not once did we ever say that our walls were impenetrable. Not once did we say that as long as you're here, nobody would ever bother you. We gave no false hope at all. What we gave was a promise. A promise that as long as a single one of us is breathing, we will still fight this war. A promise that as long as we can still fight, we will defend you. A promise that we would never abandon you.”
Then the crowd started to dispersed. Cortez, was pissed, how could they act like this? Like Xavier's wasn't a safe haven for them. Like they would just be like 'Hey, Mutants over here. Come and get 'em'
Zoey looked up at her brother. His whole expression read anger. She kept quiet. She could understand to a certain degree, They were suppose to be safe here, so what was going on?
Just then..Chaos ensued.
Amidst the chaos, Cortez and Zoey were cut off by one of the men. Cortez threw Zoey behind him and rushed the solider, knocking him to the ground. “Run, Zoey!” He screamed as he wrestled with the solider. Stunned, Zoey was frozen. “ Zoey!” He screamed and threw his elbow into the soldier's chest. The solider recovered pushed Cortez off of him. He stood up and held up his gun. Snapping back to reality, Zoey reached out, grabbed the solider and the world around them shifted.
Cortez watched in horror. “Zoey! No!” He shouted but it was too late. She nor the soldier could hear him. He knew that. He couldn't tell what she did but the man looked horrified. His body started to convulse and in an apparent knee jerk reaction. The trigger on his gun was pulled and Cortez caught a bullet in the shoulder. He dropped to the ground, clutching the wound but he'd live. The Soldier however, didn't seem the share the same fate. He clutched his chest and crumbled to the ground. Zoey just stood there. Cortez grimaced. Both in pain and in the fact that Zoey was 'Stuck'. Most times, when she used her ability. She would get stuck in the world she created. Cortez stumbled over to her. His hand was covered in his own blood but he ignored it as he placed his hands on her little shoulders. “Sorry, Zoe.” He said and with his clean hand, he slapped her clean around the face. Zoey blinked back to reality, tears forming in her eyes and her soft brown cheek stinging red. She looked down and saw what she'd done. “He was gonna kill us, Zoey.” Cortez said, looking at his baby sister. Zoey stood stunned. She just killed a man. What scared her worse was that, she felt no remorse. She was glad he was gone. “Zo-” Just then Cortez went deathly pale, his body wavered and he fell backward.
Zoey rushed to her brother's side. "Cortez!" She screamed, her vision blurred from tears. Blood hung heavy in the air mixed with smoke and gun powder. She looked around for some place to hide her and her too pale brother. She spotted a row of Briar bushes and figured she could hide him in there. From here, it was too small for the both of them. She swallowed down her fear and remembered something from class; How firefighters would drag unconscious people from burning buildings. She stumbled around Cortez, stood behind him and grabbed him up under the arms. With a grunt, she stood up but Cortez' arms slipped out of her grip, one flung back and hit her in the face. Under any other circumstance, like say if he was asleep. That would have been funny, but now, it was just too much. She wept for a moment. How was she going to save her brother? She was just a kid? Zoey looked down at him, he looked like he was in a peaceful sleep but the crimson red liquid that slowly engulfed in crisp white shirt was evidence to the contrary. Zoey dropped her head in defeat. He was gonna die. He was gonna die and she'd be alone.
No.
Zoey looked at him. She couldn't give up. Not on him, He never gave up on her.
Zoey stood up and tried again. She wrapped her arms around his chest, this time. She could feel she had a better grip. Grunting again, she took short steps backwards, shuffling them toward the bushes. She slipped on the grass but she got right back up again and continued on.
Finally, She had Cortez safely tucked behind the bushes.
She dropped to her bottom for a moment, to catch her breath. He'd be proud of her. Not for saving him but for not giving up. She looked at her brother's face. He was too pale. He was always lighter then her, but this was scary.
She got to her feet. "I'll be back, Just hang on." She whispered and made her way to find someone, anyone who could help.
Or would.
Soon, she found another mutant. Someone she didn't know but she saw him around school. He rushed over to help his fellow mutant and soon she and Cortez were safe in one of the Vans with Cataleia , Caelan and the others, while the guy went back to continue to fight.
Zoey sat in the car with Cortez unconscious in her lap. She smoothed back his hair, sobbing lightly as they rode off.
Zoey had nodded off during the ride and was awaken by Cortez. “ Zoey...”He managed. Zoey blinked awake. She looked down at her bother. “Hey there.” He said and Zoey smiled meekly. “Hey.” She said. Cortez pulled himself up gripping his shoulder. “What I miss?” He asked. “You were shot.” She said. Cortez chuckled. “Nah, I got that part.” He said, with a cough. Zoey was uncharacteristically quiet. “Zoe...I'm alright.” He said, his voice was weak. “ Yea, I know...but...” Cortez pulled her into a one armed hug. “ Shhh, You can't get rid of me, Twerpette” He said and Zoey -typically- she would have laughed or grimaced at the name but instead she just sobbed in his chest and Cortez let her.
“Zoey.” Cortez shook her lightly. Zoey awoke again. “Hmm?” She asked sleepily. “We're here.” He said with a light smile. Zoey sat up and looked out the window. She saw a large plantation house just up ahead. She didn't know how she felt about the house given it's dark past and it's correlation to her people but, regardless, it was gorgeous. She smiled back at Cortez and he gave her one of his infamous half grins, while still clutching his shoulder. The bleeding had stopped but he was still covered in blood. “I look like a Zombie, don't I?” He asked and she giggled. “No.” She said softly. “ I'm coming to get you, Barbra!” Cortez teased and rose his hands like a 70's zombie and tickled her with his unwounded arm, Zoey giggled loudly . “Stoppit, Taz!” She squealed.
After a minute or so, the car stopped and they were lead up to the house.“Alright – Everyone out. Go inside and wash up. Make yourselves at home.” “ Damn. Maybe I should become a thief.”Cortez swooned and Zoey gave him a look. “ It was a joke...ha ha it is to laugh.” He said and Zoey rolled her eyes and they walked inside. Cortez grimaced as the pain in his shoulder seemed to get worse with every movement but he kept it to himself, he also hated that his powers did nothing for Zoey. All he could do was catch a bullet and literally slap her back to reality. He found a small couch and plopped onto it and Zoey sat beside him on the floor. This was too much for the siblings. They were supposed to be safe so...What the hell?