Even though Jacen was doing his level best to focus on his intelligent conversation with Slate, his thought process kept getting interupted by the pure lunacy of what Calley and Petunia were discussing.

"Hampsters? The Muffin Man?" The man spluttered in surprise and disbelief, his eyes moving to the mirror so he could stare at the two lunatics for a moment before finally shaking off what was going on between them.

"You have interesting family and friends Slate." Jacen said with a slight shake of his head as his eyes returned to the road in front of him, "I'll be checking in the paper to announcements about your revolutionary breakthroughs." He offered, going back to the question Slate had just answered, "What company name should I be looking for?"

Oh the mutant’s hamsters. Calley was truly naive to think that Petunia hadn’t thought ot the mutants’ hamsters. “Don’t you see? That was the beauty of letting the camps go on as long as they did. By the time mutants returned home to their plotting little pets, the hamsters would have perished. No food, no water, no one for them to hypnotize, into letting them out of their cages, with their little hamster eyes.”

Petunia crossed her arms and leaned against the back of her seat. A little on Calley. “And as far as the muffin man is concerned, he’s not leaving his house any time soon.” The muffin man would truly pay for his fowl interference.

>> "You have interesting family and friends Slate."

"Rather too interesting at times," Slate understated, assuming that the man would understand. He could have glanced meaningfully at Calley and Pix, but found no need. No. Even with his baby blue gaze remaining perfectly forward, he was quite certain the man would understand.

>> "I'll be checking in the paper to announcements about your revolutionary breakthroughs. What company name should I be looking for?"

"Mondragon Labs," Slate provided for the man. "We only have a facility on the outskirts of the city at present, but it is comfortably sized, with land already purchased for future expansions. We are still small enough that everyone can know each other; it is rather like a family." A family who lived mostly on the Labs' grounds; a family in which researchers and soldiers were balanced fairly evenly on the payroll. There was really no particular reason to mention these small details.

"If I may ask, what is your opinion of mutants?" It was not usually a wise question to ask of a human. Given the fact that Mr. King had tolerated his interesting family and friends for the past few hours, however, he assumed that he was in the presence of a man who could express his opinions without foaming at the mouth. And who could exercise great patience, for that matter.

Calley slowly, slowly, shook his head. "Oh, ye of little understanding. Did you think our future lords and masters incapable of opening their cages? All the ingredients they need to create rudimentary wire cutters are clearly upon hand in the very construction of the cages themselves. Not to mention their uncanny climbing abilities." Anyone who had ever seen a hamster would understand: uncanny. climbing. abilities.

"That aside," he stated into the top of the older girl's head as she leaned against him, "the muffin man has all he needs within his house. Or, should I say, his Cybernetic Muffin Cave. The trouble is getting him out of it, really." Huh. This hair was a little comfortable. He let his chin properly burrow into it, stifling a yawn. Debates: they made him both sleepy and hungry. Unfortunately, he was in the wrong form to properly appreciate that hunk of deer meat in the back.

Which was still staring at him.

Staring, its eyes glassy and clouded.

Staring, its gray tongue beginning to bloat.

Staring, as they entered the traffic leading to New York City.

Staring.

"There are good mutants and bad mutants just like there are good humans and bad humans." Jacen replied without the slightest hesitation as he continued to drive along, "The criminal mutants need to dealt with just like criminal humans need to be dealt with."

There was really no reason for their to be any other answer. Until true scientific evidence was shown that all mutants truly did tend to become deranged lunatics, Jacen had to think that they could be good or bad just like any human. If scientific evidence was ever released then obviously they would have to begin to treat the X-Gene as a disease but Jacen had yet to see anything that was convincing. A lot of theories but no scientific evidence.

Reaching over without thinking, Jacen flipped on his police scanner as he fell silent. There really wasn't anything else to talk about and he just wanted to focus on getting Slate and the two psychos back to their school. Whoever was in charge of the school could deal with them while he went on about the rest of his day.

"This is a Code 30. Repeat this is a Code 30. Officer needs assistance. Currently in pursuit of white Chevy van on Interstate 287, Eastbound. Suspect is fleeing convenience store with two dead. Approach with caution. Repeat. Approach with caution!"

For a moment Jacen's mind ran through the possibilities. He was on I-287 heading east but he also had three civilians in the vehicle with him. It was what he trained for but could he really put three innocents in the line of fire?

"Requesting medical assistance. Car 81 is off the road and not responding. Officer down. Requesting a bus!"

That did it and without thinking Jacen bent forward, pulling out a magnetic police light from under his seat. Quickly hitting the button to roll down the window Jacen slapped the light on the roof of his truck and flipped it on.

"Hold one you three!" Jacen said grimly before reaching over and grabbing his microphone. "This is officer King, badge number 72170 responding to request for assistance. Now passing mile marker 21 and accelerating." Everyone in the vehicle could feel the truck suddenly leap forward in acceleration as he pressed down on the accelerator.

As they raced along the highway, most vehicles moved out of the way but at least a few Jacen had to maneuver around. "If I only had time to give them tickets..." He muttered to himself before his eyes finally locked on the flashing lights up ahead. There were two patrol cars and out in front of them was the white van.

"Any of you have a mutation that's working again that might help us out?" Jacen asked over the sound of the sirens, "We could use the help."

Pix crossed her arms in the coat and continued leaning back against Calley, who had a comfy arm. “Oh Ye of little faith My Calley. You see I know that you actually can’t hold a hamster back. You either squish them or you delay their progress. I’ve delayed their progress long enough to keep them from helping the muffin man. As for the muffin man. His cave has been cut off from the rest of the world. Sure he’s planned for such experiences but he’s trapped himself. For as much as a cave is a good place to hide, they make a lot of moisture. The muffin man has dug his own grave, technology or no technology. For if I don’t get him, the condensation will.” Mother nature. The goddess of insect’s best friend.

Suddenly the truck started going faster and Pix pushed herself off of Calley’s arm to lean forward and look out the window as the hunter man went into police officer mode. Including this awesome little siren and flashing lights. Petunia was suddenly on the edge of her seat leaning from between the window, that only showed her one side of the truck, to the place between the front two seats. “Dude. You get to speed on purpose…” Pix’s face scrunched up like she was making a big fart. Sort of like the guy on Heroes who time travels. “Nope powers don’t work yet.” Though the cab of the truck might be smelling deadly. Did that count as a useful power?

Silent but deadly. The deer would agree.

>> “For if I don’t get him, the condensation will.”

Calley shook his head in disgusted disbelief. “You just don’t get it, do you? The Muffin Man has a dehumidifier.” He had never expected the bug girl to be so naïve.

He had never expected Mr. King to be so reckless.

>> "Hold one you three! This is officer King, badge number 72170 responding to request for assistance. Now passing mile marker 21 and accelerating."

Yes, they were all mutants; however, they were all still civilians. Unclothed civilians, he might add. It was hardly a point to quibble about, however. At the end of the day, they were well capable of defending themselves, and Slate himself might be of some use for that ‘officer down’ which the radio reported.

>> "Any of you have a mutation that's working again that might help us out? We could use the help."

“I-“ Slate began to volunteer. The statement died in his throat. He scratched along the back of his arm with a fingernail, drawing just the smallest welling of blood. He stared at it, as the pain did not go away, nor the wound disappear. Neither was a large concern. The implication, however, was. “No,” he stated simply.

Calley gave a shrug, and echoed the statement as he reached across Slate to crack a window. “Nope over here, too.”

The man was taking three unarmed, unclothed children in pursuit of a killer. And Slate could not heal. The velocity at which they were traveling took on a new meaning for him. It had been only a few weeks since the last time he and Calley had been in a speeding vehicle.

They’d broken their neck.

Slate sat very still in the back seat, hands whitening where he gripped his end of the blanket. “Could you please slow down?” He asked, quite reasonably. “Now. Please. Slow down.” His baby blue eyes were rather wider than usual.

So this is what mortal fear felt like.

Ah.

Curious.

It was amazing... it was shocking... it was sick! Who would have thought that such an odor could come from such a little girl?! As the vehicle continued to race forward at what most people would call unsafe speed, Jacen's eyes narrowed at the same time as he tried to get his nostrils to narrow as well. This was wrong... he hadn't even eaten beans before going on this hunting trip and still he was subjected to the wonders of flatulance!

“Could you please slow down? Now. Please. Slow down." Slate asked, the wideness of his eyes betraying the calmness that he was projecting in his voice.

For a brief moment Jacen wanted to tell him no and press on with the chase. An officer had been injured by the creep that was just up ahead of the two patrol cars and that meant he deserved to pay even more than your normal criminal. But as much as Jacen wanted to press forward the training he had gone through was continueing to run though his mind. A police officer's job was to bring criminals to justice but first and foremost his job was to protect innocent civilians. Even though these three were mutants they were still civilians that needed protecting.

Slowly applying the brake Jacen could feel the regret deep down as he watched the speeding van dissapear along with the police cars that were trailing it. Reaching he over he flipped the switch that would turn off his police light. "This is officer King, badge number 72170. I am withdrawing from pursuit. Repeat, I am withdrawing from pursuit. Without sirens my vehicle is endangering civilians."

Placing the microphone back in its holder Jacen continued to slow the vehicle until he was just flowing along with traffic like any other traveler. "I hope the people at the mansion cane take care of your powers being on the fritz." He offered, trying to make himself forget about the high speed chase and his fellow officers that were at the moment risking their lives in order to bring a law breaker to justice, "Some of ya'll can do a lot of good with those abilities."[/B}