(Continued from A Mansion Adventure.)

Katrina was never quite certain what exactly she had done to the controls. Sam took care of making sure they didn't crash and that was enough for her. The pounding, it turned out, was only partly in her head. The rest was part of the rock music that was blaring over the speakers. The little teen blinked at the flashing lights as Sam helped her into the copilot's seat and strapped her in. Wait, who was flying then, Cailyn? Or the jet could fly itself.

“Thanks,” the little illusionist managed to mutter in response to the assistance with her belt. She still wasn't sure why they had to take off so quickly. She didn't know what type of emergency would warrant such a hastily unplanned departure.

She was about to find out.

A voice crackled over the radio, interrupting the music. It wasn't a voice that Katrina recognized. “I've got some more info for you. The school is on the line for you, sir. A sister Irene from St. Augustus' School for Boys in Massachusetts.” That sounded like an orphanage, to Katrina.

“Mr. Johnson?” A warbley woman's voice replaced the abrupt staccato of the man that had preceded her. “They told me I should fill you in on the details. I'm afraid we have a bit of a situation. We thought we could manage it, but, well, we don't have a lot of resources available for this sort of thing.” She sounded unsure, and just a little bit guilty. Katrina could picture her biting her lip on the other end of the line.

Sister Irene continued, “We only have a few mutant students here. We try to do our best by them, but sometimes...” she trailed off mid sentence. “There's been an incident with one of the students. There was a fight, and I'm afraid that the boy used his mutation to hurt another of the students. There is an ambulance on the way as well, but we need assistance with Joshua, the mutant boy. We aren't certain exactly what to do with him now.”

...

The flight was very short. The other school was not far away and the Blackbird was very fast. Within thirty minutes they were touching down on the front lawn of St. Augustus' School.

Two women were waiting on the steps to greet them, both in black habits with white trim. Katrina decided that the taller of the two must be Sister Irene. She was tall and thin as a crane, and just as white. She wrung her hands nervously and couldn't seem to keep still for more than a minute. She kept pacing back and forth, shifting her weight and her eyes as if it were uncomfortable to stand or look on any spot for more than a moment.

The other woman was like a rock. She was short and plump, but undoubtedly strong. Instinctively Katrina knew that she was not a teacher that it would be wise to cross. Her face was kind, but stern. She stood solidly, unyieldingly, until they had landed and she moved to meet them halfway between the school and the jet.

“Oh thank goodness,” the tall nun exclaimed as soon as they were within ear shot.

The short nun gave Katrina a glance with one eyebrow raised and the young teen found herself straitening her posture automatically under the steely gaze. Luckily the woman turned back to Sam, who clearly looked like the leader. The teacher wasn't about to judge the team of mutants that had come to help her with her problem. Who they sent was none of her business; as long as thy got the job done they could sent whomever they pleased.

“I am Sister Bernette,” she announced with authority. “This is Sister Irene, to whom you have already spoken.” The stork nun clasped her hands in agreement and frowned worriedly over them all. “I will give you the facts I have been able to piece together from the incident this morning,” Bernette continued. “The incident began with an argument over breakfast. There was name calling involved and before we could intervene two boys had turned to blows. Joshua, the mutant boy, lost his temper and chased the other boy out into the yard with knives, injuring him severely. One of the older students, Matthew, was able to contain Joshua and the other boy has already been brought to the hospital. If you'll follow me, I will bring you to them.” She turned on her heel with military precision and the clear expectation that they would follow and walked back into the school, through a hallway, and out the back door into the school yard.

...

In the school yard, a blonde youth stood straight and tall, his back to the approaching group. He looked old enough to be graduating this year. His hands were extended, palms forward. He did not turn as the group approached, apparently concentrating.

A few yards in front of him crouched a smaller, darker boy. He huddled defensively on the ground, glaring up at the older blonde boy. All around him spoons, forks, and knives were littered on the lawn. The look in his black eyes was that of an animal that had been backed into a corner. His mouth twitched itself into a snarl. He was probably only ten or eleven.

The two nuns stopped next to the blonde boy. “Joshua,” Sister Bernette's voice was surprisingly kind sounding. “These are the people from Xavier's School. They are here to help you.”

The dark boy looked up at her when he heard his name, but the rest of her words showed no sign of affecting him. Without further warning, he let out a primitive cry that sounded almost like 'nooo' and threw himself toward the group. Around him, the silverware rose in a cloud and flung itself toward them, points shining in the sunlight.

Silverware and boy bounced back, leaving iridescent ripples in the air where the collided with Matthew's forcefield.

After fixing controls and making sure that everyone was where they were supposed to be Sam disengaged the auto pilot and looked to Kat and offered a quick, ”Sorry about that…” before he turned his attention back to the radio on the Jet. ”Patch her through” Sam said calmly as he lowered the speed of the jet, the main reason he took off so fast was because of a distress signal the idea of getting there as fast as possible made more sense to him than taking off slowly. It was just Sam’s fault he took off before making sure that everyone wasn’t buckled in the first place. Something he will start making sure is done before he starts taking off.

>>>“Mr. Johnson?”

”I’m here, Sister Irene” Sam said calmly as possible as he tilted the Jet with the controls in the right direction to the orphanage. It should only take them a few minutes before getting there any ways, after all it was only a little out of the state.

>>>“They told me I should fill you in on the details. I'm afraid we have a bit of a situation. We thought we could manage it, but, well, we don't have a lot of resources available for this sort of thing.” “We only have a few mutant students here. We try to do our best by them, but sometimes...” “There's been an incident with one of the students. There was a fight, and I'm afraid that the boy used his mutation to hurt another of the students. There is an ambulance on the way as well, but we need assistance with Joshua, the mutant boy. We aren't certain exactly what to do with him now.”

She sounded worried, worried that something horrible was about to go down, which made sense seeing as it was a distress call, and he could only imagine what was going on. She mentioned an ambulance and that was enough for Sam, ”Do what you can, we will be there A.S.A.P!” Sam said as he pushed the throttle forward as the jet jerked and sped off in the right direction.

---

As he touched down the landing gear in place and the hatch already lowering Sam turned off the jet and then unbuckled as he looked to the two girls and said, ”Stay close and keep your eyes open alright?” he made his way down the hatch and met the two nuns who had been impatiently waiting for them to arrive. A stout nun and a tall thin one where waiting for them and were egger to get things straightened out before Sam and the girls intervened.

He watched the nun’s expressions to both Katrina and Hymn before they focused on him; Kat straightened up as the stout one spoke with a worried filled voice. Once she was done speaking she lead them over to the two boys that were surrounded by silverware. Sam watched as the young boy charged towards them silverware lifting in his wake and flung themselves in not only his but everyone’s direction.

Instinctively Sam bent his knees and put himself in front of the four women, as he was ready to activate his mutation, however his intensity lightened as they bounced back after hitting a force field of some kind most likely produced by the other boy. Sam looked to the nuns and waved his hand and asked, ”May I?” he didn't really wait for approval, the older of the two boys the one who was controlling the force field looked drained bags under his eyes and his breathing heavy, Sam figured it was time to intervene.

”Kat, you and Cailyn stay with Sister Bernette and Sister Irene alright?” Sam said calmly as he walked closer to the older boy and whispered in his ear, ”Is there any way you can let me in so I could talk to Joshua?” Matthew turned his eyes slightly still focusing on Joshua, just incase he was ready to attack again, “Yeah but… your not going to hurt him are you?” Sam looked from Matthew to Joshua and said, ”Of course not, he is just scared…” Sam walked in closer curious to see if Joshua was a telekinetic or something along the lines of magnetism.

As Sam entered the field Joshua backed up as he looked like he was being corned by a predator and the only way out was to strike, ”Hello Joshua,” Sam raised his hands up as he calmly lowered his figure into a crouching position, basic strategy when encountering someone who was scared and dangerous, make yourself look smaller. ”Can we talk?” Sam asked curiously as he watched the floating silverware glisten and gleam in the bright sunlight.

The air around Sam could be felt as it started to grew colder, his mutation was slowly activating ready to fend off the oncoming eating utensils if need be. Sam had no intention of attacking the boy but Sam wouldn't be doing much good to the situation if he was impaled a few dozen times by the silverware.

Cailyn had no clue what was going on at the entire cockpit area. It was all rufling and funny noises that made her go silent and praying to god, and the voices in her head that everything went well. Everything seemed to work out well as they where being kept in the air. Cailyn: 1 , Falling to a horrible death: 0. Another win for the good girl, with crazy voices, that somehow killed a few people once in a while.

After a short, but bumpy ride they touched down in front of a building. A orphanage in this case. She unclicked the clicky belt and hoped out of her seat. She was a bit woozy from the flight, since she had never flown at all but she would survive. People where waiting for them, people who where scared but neither the X-man nor katrina could tell. The little voices in her head spoke of their fear from mutants. She just softly "ssshh"-ed them off. She didn't want them to interfear from hearing what was going on here.

They where babling about who they where etc. This was something Cailyn already knew about them.... somehow, so it wasn't very interresting to her. She was more interrested at her surroundings. She looked around, at the building, at the yard and at the people. This was like school only worse. To many people around with all kind of different sad and happy thoughts. She rubbed her left eye with the palm of her left hand. It was getting anoying and headachey. She blinked a couple of times and followed the people.

Arriving in the yard there where children playing with knives and other silverwear. Bad people played with that kind of stuff. Cailyn stayed back as her voices where threatening her. "They are going to hurt you, get out now ." Said the voices to which she just shook her head. She was scared to even see the silverwear flying around a boy. With silverwear flying around she hid behind one of the nuns. This was going to end badly.

Katrina watched the boy Joshua as he pushed himself up from the ground where he had fallen when he hit the forcefield. He was panting and there was fear in his eyes. He looked feral, almost as if he were more animal than boy. He was trapped and running wasn't an option, that left fighting but there was no one he could fight with there inside this invisible cage.

Hymn ducked behind one of the nuns and Katrina subtly slipped over to grasp the older girl's hand in her own. She wasn't sure herself who was supposed to be comforted by her action. Sam requested that the tall blonde boy let him into the force field to talk to the dark haired silverware manipulator. Katrina shook her head, hoping to change his mind. Don't go in there. Don't go. It wasn't safe. He must not have seen her, because he went in anyway.

There was just the slightest of ripples in the air as Sam crossed through the barrier. Josh backed up as far as he could go and encountered the back of the forcefield. He looked for an escape route, but knew there was none. Across the barrier, sweat beaded on the older student's face as he concentrated on keeping two people in now. Josh hissed at him. This was his fault. He was a traitor and now he was letting strangers come after him to take him away.

The strange man crouched like a tiger ready to spring and spoke in a voice like velvet. There was no way the dark haired child was going to go with him. He wanted to stay here in his home. He snarled and threw his silverware points first at the new comer, spoons, forks, and knives, including the big sharp ones. He ran forward, too, in their little ring of existence. He held a knife in each hand, intent on stabbing them into the new guys' arms.

“You can't take me!”

Katrina had never heard a voice sound so desperate before.

The boy was scared that was obvious as Sam entered the bubble around them, it was a force field that was now a prison one that was the young boys salvation, if he had managed to attack anyone else Sam doubted the boy could stay here which seemed to be what he wanted and Sam had no intention of taking him from his home if he didn’t want to go. Scared like a bunny he was, as soon as Sam approached him the young boy fled to the other side of the bubble only to be stopped abruptly. As he realized he was trapped he screamed out in fear about not being able to be taken.

Still crouching the grass around him started to frost and turn white as Sam activated his mutation things were always more clear when things were cooler at least in Sam’s experience. Knives spoons and forks launched themselves from their stationary position as Sam’s crouching position turned into a diving one. Tucking and rolling and avoiding the first barrage of silverware Sam looked back at the ground and small layer of frost that covered it. The metal utensils were embedded into the ground even the spoons which Sam was by far the least worried about.

Was he telekinetic or a giant magnet? Sam thought about it for a moment then decided that he didn’t have to worry about it much seeing as the end result was the same the boy was manipulating the eating utensils and was flinging them at Sam and if he stayed put while in his current unguarded state things were going to get messy.

Watching as the young boy charged him with the knives Sam watched a few tears streak down his face as another round of spoons flew from their positions and launched them at Sam. Tucking and rolling again as the grass around Sam and Josh started to turn white with snow Sam continued to move hoping Joshua would be to preoccupied with him t take precaution.

Sure Sam could have taken unnecessary force and ended it there but he was a scared kid, why hurt someone if you don’t have to? The young boy being scared also led Sam to the conclusion that an ice armor would be far scarier than he was now and again that would be counter productive. ”Joshua calm down buddy, I just want to talk I promise! I don’t want to take you anywhere!” Sam continued his dodges as more and more of the utensils that were embedded in the ground rose from the ground only to fly at him once again.

Unbeknownst to Sam as he was currently busy avoiding the young boy and the deadly tools, the young blonde who was holding up the force field was quickly losing control of the field. Dropping to one knee as he continued to stare at the two inside his bubble he started to breath heavily hoping that his young would wise up and regain control of himself.

Everything was going to turn out very bad. You had a young blond who couldn't keep up the forcefield anymore and another young child who was willing to spill some blood today, just to be left alone. To bad nobody by herself knew what was going on in their head.

Whispers in her head feeding her all kinds of stuff. To get out of here, to stay and hurt them and even to hurt the innocent people around her. What was she going to do with so much happening around her and in her head. It was enough to drive a normal person crazy.

Silverware was flying around and the forcefield was failing. A silver knife flew by her and she ducked away from it. It only scraped her cheeck a little but it was enough for let out some blood. Nothing that would last though. She started to snif and slowly cry a little as she grabbed her head and stayed down. She was really scared right now with all the commotion.

And then something snapped. Soft songs started to fill up the places that they where standing right now. Everyone could hear it and the children standing there where suprised at what was happening."Enough." She shrieked, though it wasn't really Cailyn speaking. it was her body but her mind was supressed by her nature. It was time this ended. Everybody who could hear the music would experience the type of chaos in their mind that would effect the way they felt. The young agressive boy would become his opposite, a tired and not angry little boy. To bad it worked differently on the forcefield child, he experiences rage and anger. what would happen next nobody would know but they would soon find out.

The ice mutant had a smooth tongue, but Joshua wasn't fooled. This man may sound like he wanted to help, but he was using his ability to attack. There was no way that he was going to listen to that. Frost formed on his skin and on his knives, and the silverware manipulator was feeling sluggish, but he wasn't going to give up. He wouldn't let anyone kidnap him and take him from his home.

>>>”Joshua calm down buddy, I just want to talk I promise! I don’t want to take you anywhere!”

“No!”

Lies. Mutants weren't supposed to attack other mutants. They were supposed to be on the same side, but this man was an enemy. The older man dodged his attacks, and Josh rallied for another one. Knives and other less dangerous utensils swirled, this time splitting randomly and flying not only where the ice manipulator was, but anywhere he might try to go as well. The boy tightened his grip on the knives in his hands and raced in for another head on attack.

He wouldn't let the snow covering his arms stop him. Though he shivered, he knew he had to win before he would freeze to death. The stakes kept rising.
Outside the circle of frost, Matt collapsed to one knee and a ripple shivered through the air as his forcefield collapsed. Josh snarled and hurled a couple of knives randomly toward the onlookers, not really aiming, just warning them to stay away.

...

Hymn dodged the knife by ducking in one direction. Katrina ducked the other way. The nuns backed up and looked at each other, not sure what to do. Katrina ran towards them, motioning toward the building.

“Go inside! Take shelter! Sam can take care of this.” At least, she hoped he could, because she had no idea what to do. She was nervous and unsure what to do with herself. Was she supposed to stay and help, or should she go inside, too? And what about Caitlyn? Should she get her inside, too? Even though the girl looked older than herself, she sometimes seemed like a little girl even younger than Katrina. She was vulnerable out there...

A soft music floated through the air. From Caitlyn's mouth, the sweet notes of confusion issued forth.

Katrina looked back from where she was. She was brave. She could help. She started running back towards the fight.

...

Josh held his knife aloft, ready to strike. The soft notes hit his ears and he looked at his own hand, frost covered and clenched around the handle of the sharp weapon. What was he doing? It was too hard to swing the knife, too much work to finish the blow. He was too cold. Too tired. All he wanted to do was lay down and drift off to sleep carried by that sweet melody. He opened his frozen fingers stiffly and the knives he was holding dropped out of his hands.

Matt was pissed. He pushed himself up to his standing position. What the hell did these people think they were doing here any way? Like lullabies and snow storms were going to do anything.

“You shouldn't have come,” the blonde senior yelled at the ice manipulator, “You're making things worse. You're hurting him! I could have helped him on my own, just like I've always done. Get away from him right now!”

He clapped his hands together and the air between them rippled when he separated his palms. Small forcefields were much easier than big ones. He threw this one as hard as he could at the meddling frost maker. As soon as it was released, another formed between his hands.

Katrina saw this, but she wasn't afraid. She slowed, and stopped. Right next to the forcefield thrower, she stood and tapped him on the shoulder.

“I think you should stop. What you are doing now is not helping any...”

He released the forcefield and hit her squarely in the chest. It knocked the air from her lungs and sent her flying backwards to land in a tangled heap on the lawn.

Despite frost licking the young boys hands he still continued to move. Sighing slightly as he dodged another barrage of utensils Sam’s eyes widened as ice cover his legs. It seemed that the young boy was growing tired of all this play time and wanted to end it, which of course was fine with Sam though he didn’t want to end things on the boys terms seeing as his terms meant an impaling, and Sam wanted to avoid getting impaled.

The range of attack just increased as the young boy readied the frost-covered knife in his hand. ”Shoot…” Sam said as his body reacted it’s usually way as ice quickly condensed onto his skin. Jumping back and falling with the shower of utensils Sam felt a fork in his side break the ice as a spoon was touching the tip of his stomach, while the most dangerous of the eating utensils the knife found it’s way into his arm. Three utensils broke the ice, he should if anything consider himself lucky his powers reacted the way they did.

Leaning up as he eyed another dozen utensils in his ice armor Sam wasn’t ready for the final strike that Joshua was about to bring down. Knife in hand the boy breathed heavily as he sighed and dropped the knife. Blinking once then twice Sam inched upright his ice armor quickly weakening due to the lack of focus behind it.

Then it hit him, the sound, beautiful and deadly at the same time the sweet music penetrated Sam’s ears as he suddenly felt light and carefree, no longer concerned with the situation Sam looked up into the sky and watched a cloud pass by. Out of the corner of his eye Sam saw a butter flutter by as Sam smiled slightly the way someone smiles when they don’t have a care in the world.

Turning his head to the butterfly Sam slackened his jaw slightly as his attention turned to a young boy who had something in his hands. Blinking once not really reacting Sam felt something hit his body hard. The wind was knocked out of him as Sam was forced into a tumbling frenzy only to land on his back up at the sky. The utensils that were once logged into his skin were now free as a dozen more scrapes were added to the wounds from this particular outing.

His leg behind his other one while his arm twitched under his back Sam leaned up his eyes looking from the sky to the boy who had a Kat approaching him. ”Hi, Kat!” Sam said as his blooded hand waved. Watching the young couple exchange words Sam blinked once up righting his legs as he continued to smile.

A punch, that was all it took and then Sam’s perfect little world shattered, he realized then that he did indeed have something he should be worried about, Kat was just punched, and he didn’t like that one bit. Something else he didn’t like to much was the fact that someone was singing during the chaos.

And on that note everything went to hell in a handbasket. Katrina was brave, Sam was a hippy and the sisters where gone. Now they where the only ones left and all of them weren't in the right state of mind to say the least. Everything was getting out of hand and non of it was helping anybody. Katrina got brave but knocked down. Sam was looking at a butterfly. And the two boys now where the other way around. Instead of the forcefield one trying to protect he attacked and the knife one did... well not much anymore.

Hymn however wasn't in control of what she was doing and it was getting out of hand. For now she was just changing things, but in a matter of minutes this could change from making people go insane or even killing each other. Not that she had even the remote clue of what he body was doing but still.

The music that came from her started to fill up for of the yard and more and more people got affected. The children that where hidding in the yard where now no longer scared or hatefull. They became cheery and wanted to help. It was almost like a peacekeeping rally now. She herself however seemed to be in the helpfull mood aswel for now seeing as the children where trying to pick up Katrina now and stop the forcefield maker from hurting her. If all worked out well in time, they might even help out before she became more volitile and started working their minds the bad way.

Katrina struggled to catch her breath. It was hard to be brave when you couldn't get enough air into your lungs, but she was still trying. Mouth open wide, like a fish out of water, she tried to suck in air as best she could. Finally, after she had just started to panic, her diaphragm shuddered painfully back to life, pulling sweet air into her lungs once again. Air had never felt so good as that frosty cold stuff that bit into her alveoli.

She pushed herself up onto her elbows and surveyed the scene. Things looked very different now than they had a moment ago. The children from the school were surrounding the two boys, patting them on the backs and telling them things would be alright. The two boys were calm now, listening to what their classmates were saying. The blonde one, Matt, noticed Katrina and walked over to her, offering his hand to help her up.

“I'm sorry about that, miss. I don't know what came over me.”

The dark haired boy, Joshua, seemed completely bewildered and lost. He clearly was still not trusting of everyone, especially the children that had tormented him for so long. And certainly not the ice manipulator that had attacked him, and yet, everyone was suddenly being so nice and he felt so calm. He frowned down at the ice guy and offered his hand, helpful, but still glowering.

“You might as well stand Iceman. You look like an idiot laying on the grass like that,” not that he was looking the man in the eyes. More like, looking everywhere but.

Eyes looking for the voice that was affecting the chaos that had quickly arisen on this simple mission, finding no one but the brown haired boy offering him a hand to help him up Sam looked over to Kat who was being helped up by the boy that punched her. The voice of the songstress seemed to change or at least change notes because again everyone’s personality changed.

Confused now Sam grabbed the boys hand and pulled Joshua into a hug, blaming it on everyone’s calming state around him Sam smiled and patted Joshua on the back of the head, ”If you don’t want to leave we won’t take you, we just want to help you, last thing we want is for you to hurt someone…” releasing the hug Sam stood upright and looked around to find to make sure everyone was alright.

Walking over to the girls Joshua by his side Sam looked to Kat and Caitlyn, ”Are you both alright?” Sam asked curiously mainly focusing on Kat who he assumed had never gotten hit before. ”That was a nasty hit you took…” his eyes trailed over to the boy who had hit her and his eyebrows lowered slightly as he looked about for the nuns who seemed to scamper off before the chaos happened.