Post by James West on Sept 26, 2011 2:11:32 GMT -5
The Texan prairie seemed to be a little less bright as James watched Rose drive away. Not because she had attracted him that much, but because of what she had come for, what was offered to him. For a few minutes, life seemed to be a little brighter, as if there was a future that didn't include more nights of a drunken father or hearing about more mutants being killed and knowing who did them but not being able to say who. As if, for a few minutes, James had been special and not the piece of dirt he was treated like for his entire life. Slowly he left for the barn, to face his punishment for the day...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Four Days later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"JAMES WEST!" The voice and name echoed across the estate. James, who had been shoeing a horse let out a soft sigh and turned toward the barn, where it had been coming from.
As tough as the young man seemed to be, as confident as he always appeared, as much of a "man's man" that he seemed, until now he had always thought that he was worthless. After all, you can't get told that every second of every day by your father and not begin to feel like it. Sure, he fought the feeling, fought it hard, but it was a losing battle every day that he had to wake up to new bruises. It had been a few days since the last time his father had a "session" with him, so there was no telling why he wanted him today.
When he reached the door of the barn he paused for a moment, pulling out the crumpled pamphlet that the woman had given him from the other day from his pocket and let out a sigh. He didn't know what his father was calling him for, but he was tired of getting beat down, he was tired of being his fathers dog and tired of his brother being treated the same way.
This was it, he was going to tell his father what he was going to do, he wasn't going to get told what to do anymore. Not only that, but he was going to tell him that he was a mutant. Would it mean death? Very likely, but it would also be freedom either way. That woman was right, James was right, he had always lived to be as free as possible, that's why he loved this lifestyle. So he wouldn't take being burdened down by his parent any longer; today was the day.
James boldly pushed the door of the barn opened and stepped inside, "Dad, I have something to sa-" There was total silence once James saw the scene inside. The barn was dark inside as usual, a few rays of sunshine breaking through the darkness from the cracks in the boards of the barn. In the middle of the concrete floor stood his father, hair disheveled, suit torn open slightly, obviously drunk and most likely on something. At his feet was a young girl with blonde hair, green eyes, a faded yellow sundress, a real knockout... Were it not for the row of spikes down her arms and back and blood running out of the corner of her mouth and tear tracks down her cheeks.
"What the hell is this?" James said, pointing at the scene with the pamphlet and staring at his father.
"This is what I called you for son..." Despite being obviously drunk, with a pungent odor and blood red eyes, the man spoke with clear distinction in his usual gravely voice, "I know I've been a little rough with you in the past, but I just wanted you to know how proud of you I really am. Yer rough, tough, and not afraid of pain or danger, exactly like yer old man." Those last few words cut into James like a hot knife, causing him to clench his fists. He was nothing like his father...
"So I figured it was about time you finally grew up and we had a little father and son activity..." His father said calmly, walking behind the girl who was kneeling on the ground as if she had been knocked down. John let his hand slowly run through her blonde hair, causing the girl to flinch away in fear. It was then that James noticed the revolver in his father's hand, "I caught me a mutant on the way home, look at her... So beautiful... So... Deadly, like all sins she is a disgrace before God himself."
James had always known that his father was psychotic, even more so when he was drunk, but he had never actually had to see it until now, "So, I thought I'd let you do the honors of ending her suffering in this world as an abomination." As his father spoke he slowly walked toward James, and held out the revolver's handle for James to take. Despite being fairly tall, and very stout, his father towered over James, making him feel impotent no matter what the situation.
Leaning to the side just a bit, he looked at the girl on the floor behind his father. She was still kneeling down, silently sobbing and not daring to look up. John glanced at James, then at the girl and grinned a little, "Heh, feel free to play with her a little if you like. I can tell you, she was fun for being an abomination." So that was why she was crying, James couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had known his father was cruel to mutants but this, this... just pushed James over the edge.
"Dad..." He said quietly, to which his father raised a brow slightly. His eyes slowly turned from the girl on the floor and met his fathers gaze, "I'm a mutant." The smile on his fathers face dropped immediately, and before he could react a powerful right hook slammed into the man's jaw. James sent his father flying into the barn wall to his left, crashing into it and crumpling up into a pile of drunken douchebag on the floor.
James wanted nothing more than to go over and continue beating the man, instead, he made his way toward the mutant girl, "Hey, it's alright... Let's get ya outta here." James said, gently grabbing her arm and helping her to her feet. Just as they stood up, James heard a distinct clicking sound behind him, he already knew what it was before he turned around.
Letting out a slight ragged breath, he turned around to face the barrel of a gun pointed in his face. "I should've known all along. I knew there was something funny about you, something that bitch mother of yours gave you. I tried to beat it out of you but I guess I couldn't... You are no son of mine and I will personally send you to hell now."
James braced himself for the shot, but something caught his eye behind John, and he suddenly relaxed, "I'm a mutant remember?... Where do you think I came from?" James winked slightly, as a wooden bat slammed into John's head; hitting so hard it splintered in half. As his father fell, it revealed a very angry John holding the handle of the broken bat and panting slightly.
"That felt good." Ethan said with a slight grin, "I figured something was up when I saw dad bring her in here, I followed you in here when I heard your named called." Ethan said, nodding the girl who seemed to have turned into a mute; not like they could blame her after what had happened to her...
"I got bad news though, a bunch of dad's friends in white cloaks showed up loaded for bear... You gotta get out of here man or they'll kill you and do God knows what to her." Ethan said as he dropped the handle of the baseball bat and bent down to pick up the gun from his unconscious father's hand.
"Triple K is here?..." A few curse words fell out of James' mouth. This was not good, they took pleasure in getting rid of mutants, or people who aided mutants.
"Yep, and you won't be for much longer." Ethan said, pulling another pistol out of the back of his pants, and at his brother's confused expression he grinned, "I have to stay here man, I have no life anywhere else. You though, you got the chance to leave." He said nodding toward the pamphlet James was still holding, "Take it... This world is a f'ed up place, but I believe you have the potential to make it better... So do it... And by the way, you're nothing like him." James couldn't believe what was going on. In one second everything had been a normal day, and now... All hell was breaking loose, and not in a way that James usually enjoyed.
"What... You... I will." Finally catching his sense and he stood up a little straighter, and spoke very seriously for the first time in years, "But how do we get out of here? They'll gun us down as soon as they see us leaving."
Ethan turned and looked to the side of the barn, James glanced over as well to see what he was looking at, which was a large, black and red, Harley. "I don't think dad'll be needing his bike for a while. Just get her in to town, and then go to that school, and don't look back."
"What about you?"
Ethan grinned slightly and began walking toward the door, "I'm gonna buy you guys some time, and sing our friends outside a little lullaby." Ethan cocked both of the pistols and stopped at the doorway, "See ya on the other side brother." Ethan called over his shoulder as he stepped outside.
"Damn... I never knew he was such a badass..." James said as he watched his brother walk away for likely the last time. Now wasn't the time for regret though, he didn't have time to grieve. Grabbing the girls hand he pulled her over to the Harley and hopped on, firing it up just as he heard gunshots outside. His brother gave him an opening, so James took it, driving straight toward the door of the barn and crashing through it into the gunfight outside. Already there were three dead, white cloaked, men on the ground and the rest were scattering as Ethan was opening fire; but there were at least thirty of them.
James hit the gas and tore off down the road, running one of them down on the way. Just as he drove by the house he glanced behind him to see Ethan, but he was gone... Likely just in cover... Or so he kept telling himself. Hitting the throttle harder, he opened up the Harley and began screaming down the dirt road toward the highway as bullets opened up around him. Were it not for how much adrenaline was pumping through his system now, he would be reveling in the action... As it were his heart was pounding, his mind was racing, and his only thought right now was to live...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Four Days later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"JAMES WEST!" The voice and name echoed across the estate. James, who had been shoeing a horse let out a soft sigh and turned toward the barn, where it had been coming from.
As tough as the young man seemed to be, as confident as he always appeared, as much of a "man's man" that he seemed, until now he had always thought that he was worthless. After all, you can't get told that every second of every day by your father and not begin to feel like it. Sure, he fought the feeling, fought it hard, but it was a losing battle every day that he had to wake up to new bruises. It had been a few days since the last time his father had a "session" with him, so there was no telling why he wanted him today.
When he reached the door of the barn he paused for a moment, pulling out the crumpled pamphlet that the woman had given him from the other day from his pocket and let out a sigh. He didn't know what his father was calling him for, but he was tired of getting beat down, he was tired of being his fathers dog and tired of his brother being treated the same way.
This was it, he was going to tell his father what he was going to do, he wasn't going to get told what to do anymore. Not only that, but he was going to tell him that he was a mutant. Would it mean death? Very likely, but it would also be freedom either way. That woman was right, James was right, he had always lived to be as free as possible, that's why he loved this lifestyle. So he wouldn't take being burdened down by his parent any longer; today was the day.
James boldly pushed the door of the barn opened and stepped inside, "Dad, I have something to sa-" There was total silence once James saw the scene inside. The barn was dark inside as usual, a few rays of sunshine breaking through the darkness from the cracks in the boards of the barn. In the middle of the concrete floor stood his father, hair disheveled, suit torn open slightly, obviously drunk and most likely on something. At his feet was a young girl with blonde hair, green eyes, a faded yellow sundress, a real knockout... Were it not for the row of spikes down her arms and back and blood running out of the corner of her mouth and tear tracks down her cheeks.
"What the hell is this?" James said, pointing at the scene with the pamphlet and staring at his father.
"This is what I called you for son..." Despite being obviously drunk, with a pungent odor and blood red eyes, the man spoke with clear distinction in his usual gravely voice, "I know I've been a little rough with you in the past, but I just wanted you to know how proud of you I really am. Yer rough, tough, and not afraid of pain or danger, exactly like yer old man." Those last few words cut into James like a hot knife, causing him to clench his fists. He was nothing like his father...
"So I figured it was about time you finally grew up and we had a little father and son activity..." His father said calmly, walking behind the girl who was kneeling on the ground as if she had been knocked down. John let his hand slowly run through her blonde hair, causing the girl to flinch away in fear. It was then that James noticed the revolver in his father's hand, "I caught me a mutant on the way home, look at her... So beautiful... So... Deadly, like all sins she is a disgrace before God himself."
James had always known that his father was psychotic, even more so when he was drunk, but he had never actually had to see it until now, "So, I thought I'd let you do the honors of ending her suffering in this world as an abomination." As his father spoke he slowly walked toward James, and held out the revolver's handle for James to take. Despite being fairly tall, and very stout, his father towered over James, making him feel impotent no matter what the situation.
Leaning to the side just a bit, he looked at the girl on the floor behind his father. She was still kneeling down, silently sobbing and not daring to look up. John glanced at James, then at the girl and grinned a little, "Heh, feel free to play with her a little if you like. I can tell you, she was fun for being an abomination." So that was why she was crying, James couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had known his father was cruel to mutants but this, this... just pushed James over the edge.
"Dad..." He said quietly, to which his father raised a brow slightly. His eyes slowly turned from the girl on the floor and met his fathers gaze, "I'm a mutant." The smile on his fathers face dropped immediately, and before he could react a powerful right hook slammed into the man's jaw. James sent his father flying into the barn wall to his left, crashing into it and crumpling up into a pile of drunken douchebag on the floor.
James wanted nothing more than to go over and continue beating the man, instead, he made his way toward the mutant girl, "Hey, it's alright... Let's get ya outta here." James said, gently grabbing her arm and helping her to her feet. Just as they stood up, James heard a distinct clicking sound behind him, he already knew what it was before he turned around.
Letting out a slight ragged breath, he turned around to face the barrel of a gun pointed in his face. "I should've known all along. I knew there was something funny about you, something that bitch mother of yours gave you. I tried to beat it out of you but I guess I couldn't... You are no son of mine and I will personally send you to hell now."
James braced himself for the shot, but something caught his eye behind John, and he suddenly relaxed, "I'm a mutant remember?... Where do you think I came from?" James winked slightly, as a wooden bat slammed into John's head; hitting so hard it splintered in half. As his father fell, it revealed a very angry John holding the handle of the broken bat and panting slightly.
"That felt good." Ethan said with a slight grin, "I figured something was up when I saw dad bring her in here, I followed you in here when I heard your named called." Ethan said, nodding the girl who seemed to have turned into a mute; not like they could blame her after what had happened to her...
"I got bad news though, a bunch of dad's friends in white cloaks showed up loaded for bear... You gotta get out of here man or they'll kill you and do God knows what to her." Ethan said as he dropped the handle of the baseball bat and bent down to pick up the gun from his unconscious father's hand.
"Triple K is here?..." A few curse words fell out of James' mouth. This was not good, they took pleasure in getting rid of mutants, or people who aided mutants.
"Yep, and you won't be for much longer." Ethan said, pulling another pistol out of the back of his pants, and at his brother's confused expression he grinned, "I have to stay here man, I have no life anywhere else. You though, you got the chance to leave." He said nodding toward the pamphlet James was still holding, "Take it... This world is a f'ed up place, but I believe you have the potential to make it better... So do it... And by the way, you're nothing like him." James couldn't believe what was going on. In one second everything had been a normal day, and now... All hell was breaking loose, and not in a way that James usually enjoyed.
"What... You... I will." Finally catching his sense and he stood up a little straighter, and spoke very seriously for the first time in years, "But how do we get out of here? They'll gun us down as soon as they see us leaving."
Ethan turned and looked to the side of the barn, James glanced over as well to see what he was looking at, which was a large, black and red, Harley. "I don't think dad'll be needing his bike for a while. Just get her in to town, and then go to that school, and don't look back."
"What about you?"
Ethan grinned slightly and began walking toward the door, "I'm gonna buy you guys some time, and sing our friends outside a little lullaby." Ethan cocked both of the pistols and stopped at the doorway, "See ya on the other side brother." Ethan called over his shoulder as he stepped outside.
"Damn... I never knew he was such a badass..." James said as he watched his brother walk away for likely the last time. Now wasn't the time for regret though, he didn't have time to grieve. Grabbing the girls hand he pulled her over to the Harley and hopped on, firing it up just as he heard gunshots outside. His brother gave him an opening, so James took it, driving straight toward the door of the barn and crashing through it into the gunfight outside. Already there were three dead, white cloaked, men on the ground and the rest were scattering as Ethan was opening fire; but there were at least thirty of them.
James hit the gas and tore off down the road, running one of them down on the way. Just as he drove by the house he glanced behind him to see Ethan, but he was gone... Likely just in cover... Or so he kept telling himself. Hitting the throttle harder, he opened up the Harley and began screaming down the dirt road toward the highway as bullets opened up around him. Were it not for how much adrenaline was pumping through his system now, he would be reveling in the action... As it were his heart was pounding, his mind was racing, and his only thought right now was to live...