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Chapter 21
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Raine stood in line for popcorn with Jubilee and Ororo.The others had already
went to get seats in the movie theater.They were at the AMC 60,the best movie
theater in New York.Raine was a bit excited,they were going to see a new movie
called 'Bless the Child'.
The couple infront of them got their popcorn and left the line.Raine and Jubilee
stepped up,to give their order.
"What can I get you?"The teenage boy asked.
"Three large popcorns,extra butter.Two boxes of Nestle Buncha Cruncha bites,One
box of Skittles,a bag of licorice,and and seven medium drinks.Three cokes,one
mr. pibb,two sprites,and one orange soda."Jubilee said,all in one breath.
The boy rang up the price."That'll be...$28.96"
Ororo handed him a fifty.The boy took it,and gave Ororo her change.
A few minutes later,Jubilee,Raine,and Ororo were carrying the load into the
theater.They found the boys and Rogue sitting in the -very- front,laughing about
something.
"Ooooh!Food!"Nicky said,lunging for the popcorn.
Raine handed him her bag,and giggled when he shoved a handful down his
mouth,then he half choked,half gagged.
"Eat it,don't inhale it!"Bobby said,taking his sprite,buncha cruncha,and popcorn
from Jubilee.
Raine took her seat inbetween Rogue and Skye.The seven of them,teenagers and one
adult,settled eventually in the seating pattern of,left to
right:Nicky,Skye,Raine,Rogue,Bobby, Jubilee,Ororo.
The theater lights were still on,due to the movie would start in three
minutes.The theater was mostly full,and practicaly everyone was talking
lightly.A few people,a couple rows back,were whispering to each other about
Ororo's hair and Skye's hair and skin color,but the seven of them ignored
them,and chatted lightly to each other.
A scream filled the auditorium.The seven of them turned,and looked back,to see a
woman,frantically shaking her infant lightly.The infants face was an ash
color,and it appeared as though he wasn't breathing.
Ororo was already by the woman's side,trying to help.Bobby got up and ran to go
get help,followed closely by Rouge and Nicky.
Raine stood,frozen in her place,staring at the infant.The whole theater was in
chaos with people talking,shouting,running here and there.
Skye,stood,near Raine and next to Jubilee.A bright glow caught their eyes,and
they both turned and looked at Raine,then both of their jaws dropped.
Two translucent wings,slowly formed on Raine's back,and spread up and
out,casting an eerie glow through the theater,rivaling the brightness of the
lights on the ceiling.
A hushed quietness fell over the theater,as all eyes fell on Raine.
Raine stepped out into the ilse,and made her way over to the woman,whom had
tears running down her face,and her nose and eyes were red from crying.Raine
held out her hands,and carefully took the still infant from the woman.She held
the little girl close to her with one arm,then place two fingers gently to the
infant's throat.A few seconds later,the cry of the infant filled the room.
The woman,let out a cry of relief and happiness and took her daughter and held
her close.The woman looked up at her,being shorter than Raine,and threw her free
arm around Raine."Thank God for you...It's a miracle!"
The large room filled with cheering,and shouted compliments.
"You're an angel aren't you??"The woman's other daughter asked.She looked about
seven,and had a big grin on her face.
Raine tried to reply,but felt herself go weak.The wings faded,and the
energy-like light disappeared into her back.
Ororo caught Raine before she fell,holding her up."Hold on,you'll be
fine,Raine."
"I'm okay...just tired..."Raine replied,letting herself down into a seat.
Soon,paramedics arrived,and then Raine,and the infant,her mother,and Raine's
group were shipped to the hospital.
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"We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news."A oriental woman appeared
on the screen of Magneto's television.
He looked up,with slight interrest.
The woman was standing outside a hospital room."Nearly half an hour ago,a true
miracle took place at the AMC 60 in downtown New York.Marin Kershoft,and her two
young daughters,one being an infant,were sitting down to see a movie.When all of
a sudden,her infant daughter,Casey Kershoft,stopped breathing.Having a past of
asthma,this was a bad sign.After five minutes,the child's heart stopped.Unable
to do anything,people in the theater panicked,and contacted
paramedics.But,before paramedics arrived,a miracle took place."The woman was now
walking down the hall slwoly,looking into the camera."For the past
decade,mutants have been feared and generally thought of as bad-natured,but one
shined tonight.Literally."
The scene cut to earlier footage,of comments from people who were in the
theater.
"She stood up,and these wings just came out her back.And they glowed."A teenage
boy commented.
The screen cut to a older woman."She looked like an angel sent from high to save
this young child's life.She walked all slow and graceful like,and she took the
baby,held it,put her hand on it,and it started to cry.And so did I."
"She must be some kind of saint,saving that baby and all."A woman said,standing
by the older woman.
Then the screen cut back to the reporter,who was now standing outside a room."An
angel?A saint?Could it be true that a mutant could be a saint?Or have we,as
people judged all mutants wrong?Let's get a statement from the girl herself."
The reporter enetered the room,where the girl,Raine as Magneto recognized
her,was sitting on a bed,unattended.
Magneto's mouth curved into a smile.She had began to use her powers
completely,as he expected,and he knew Xavier would be left guessing.He knew they
thought she ressurected Toad that night,but she merely healed his wounds.She
didn't have that power then,but now,with her wings,she was fully capable of
regenorating dead tissue,and healing viruses.But that wasn't what Erik was
interested in.It was her wings,the tool he needed.She could absorb mass amounts
of energy and put it to use into helping man evolve.
"Miss?Do you feel up to commenting?"
Magneto looked back to the screen,just as the canera was zooming in to Raine's
face.
In another room,Taod stood infront of a wall of television moniters,that had
been switched to the channel the breaking news.
Toad stared at the image of Raine,still conflicted.He wished it was easier just
to hate her,but he couldn't.He knew Magneto wanted to use her...and it could
kill her,taking all that energy into herself and releasing it.Toad didn't want
that.He wanted her to be alive...to be compassionate like she was,and show
people things,he knew she was meant to do.If anyone was put on this Earth for a
reason,it was her.
"How did you do it?"The reporter asked.
A tear fell down Raine's cheek,as she replied."The baby...wasn't breathing,and
I...had to help her.."
Toad knew what she meant.Raine was a kind of person who helped anyone,without
thought or doubt,or reason.Toad loved that about her,and hated himself for not
being strong like that.He always found it easier to hurt people than to help
them.Dealing with all those emotions...it was a bit of a struggle and strain on
him.
"You are a very brave girl,and I think that your actions were very heroic."The
reporter said,smiling.
Raine smiled,but her eyes were red and tearfilled.
The reporter turned to the camera."We will be back at ten with a follow up
story.Now we will return you to your regulary scheduled program."
Toad put a hand up to the screen before the close up image of Raine
disapppeared,and touched his finger tips to her 'lips'.A moment later,The Drew
Carey showed appeared back on.Toad flipped the moniter control off,and the
screens went black.He sighed to himself,and decided it better not to mentally
discuss his conflicts right now.He'd rather not,when it was easier to sleep.
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Chapter 22
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Raine heard the reporter and camera man leave,but ignored them.
Her eyes were red,and hurt from crying.She gripped the side of the bed so
tightly,her knuckles were white.That feeling....Cold.She felt so cold...the
feelings,emotion,fear she felt when holding that baby.All those feelings were
those baby's,but now,they were in her...she had drawn them from the baby when
she took away it's pain and what ailed it.But the coldness wouldn't go away.It
smothered her,choking her...she felt like she couldn't breathe,even though she
was breathing okay,but heavily.
Raine didn't even notice she was rocking back and forth slightly,as her eyes
fixed forward,staring at the wall.Raine was pale,and a bright red flush was on
her cheeks and forehead.She felt a bit feverish...weak....why did she feel so
weak?
Raine stood and looked out her hospital window,only to double back,shocked.A
large crowd of people had gathered at the front of the hospital.She wondered if
they planned on attacking her when she left the hospital,since she was a mutant
and all.
Raine turned,and walked to the entrance of her room,the door was open,and walked
into the hall.
Down the hall,talking together,were Rogue,Ororo,Bobby,Nicky,Skye,The woman and
her baby,and her other daughter.Raine ducked into another hall before she was
spotted.She felt like being alone...these emotions in her...were so immense that
she felt she couldn't be around anybody at the moment.
Raine walked slowly and quietly towards a door marked "Stairs".She opened the
door quietly and began walking down the stairs.Her footsteps echoed through the
stairwell,and it was the only noise she heard,other than the beating of her
heart in her ears.Soon,it seemed that her footsteps and heartbeats were
one,sounding at the same time,in the same,slow,rythmic beat.
Raine made it to the first floor,and opened the door.She enetered a large area,a
waiting room and reception room.She spotted the entrance doors.She needed fresh
air,no matter if she got mobbed or not.She felt smothered...she needed fresh air
so badly.
Raine made it over to the doors,and pushed them open.
Much to her surprise,she wasn't mobbed.But instead,the large crowd began
cheering at the sight of her,and moving towards her.Raine soon found herself
surrounded by the people.Each person was talking to her,trying to get her
attention.
"You are so cool!"
"Are you an angel??"
"What's your name?"
"Can you help me?My son was born with aids...can you heal him??"
"Hey!!"
"Let me ask her something!"
"Heal my daughter's deafness!"
Raine felt the world spin around her.People were reaching out to her,touching
her shoulders,her head,her back,as if she were some divine being,but she wasn't.
Raine felt the smothering feeling overwhelm her,and then an slight burning
pressure on her back.
Part of the crowd backed up,as her wings slid out,moving through the tears in
her tshirt.The unfolded and arched up,to the glory of the crowd.Raine felt
light,and dizzy.
"Oh my god!"
"It's true!"
Flashes of lights from photographers made Raine more dizzy,and she bagan to sway
lightly on her feet.
Raine felt someone tug her,while shouting,"Please!Heal my son!"
Someone caught her arm,and tugged her in another direction,shouting their
command.
Raine pulled her arms free,and ran through the crowd,breaking free.She ran from
the hospital,seeing nothing.Lights,darkness,colors whizzed past her eyes.
Raine ran into a busy freeway infront of the hospital,and heard horns blare at
her.Raine turned and saw traffic barelling towards her.For once,she stretched
the muscels in her wings and pushed them downwards,and felt herself lift off the
ground,and soar high above the city in a blur of colors.Raine slowed,and came to
a hovering stop.She awed as she hovered over the city,forggeting her fear of
heights momentarily,then let out a scream as she realised she was at least a
thousand feet over the city.
Raine shivered lightly and wondered how she would get down.Raine titled her
upper body downwards,bringing her feet above her,and held in a scream as she
soared back down to the earth at an amazing speed.She pulled upwards just as she
nearly slammed into a speeding car,bringing herself up just before she hit the
windowsheild.She titled right and flew towards the back of the hospital and up
to the roof.All her friends were waiting for her here...she felt she'd better go
see them before she hurt herself flying about like she was.
Her feet set down silently,and she felt her wings slide back into her back.Raine
headed over towards a door that probably lead into the hospital.Raine stopped
short,as dizziness overwhelmed her.
As new sound caught her attention.An helicopter in the distance.Raine turned to
see it,approaching the hospital.Raine felt herself go weak in the knees,and fell
to her knees.
The helicopter landed on the rook,about twenty feet from her.Two men in black
suits jumped out,and jogged towards her.
Raine fell onto her side,growing very weak.She saw the boot of one of the men
stop infront of her face,just as she passed out.
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A woman walked slowly through the hospital hallway,looking around,searching for
something she lost a long time ago.The woman was tall,and had long light brown
hair,that fell in curls past her shoulders.Her clothes were really new,a pair of
loose,faded blue jeans,black boots,a loose,violet-blue tshirt,and greyish
flannel.She looked like she was one whom didn't spend much on attire.Her dark
eyes were very sad looking,and almost desperate.
The woman stopped a nurse."Do you know where Raine Cusak is being treated?"
The nurse was stumped for a minute,but then replied."The mutant girl?Oh,she's
down the hall,in room 6A.She's resting."
The woman nodded,then practically pushed past the nurse,and quickly made her way
to the room.She slowed when she saw a group of people,conversing,and blocking
her way to the room.
One of them,a woman with white hair,turned and noticed her approach.
The woman didn't stop her pace,but also didn't look away from the woman's stare.
"Are you looking for someone?"The woman asked.Her white hair was remarkable
because the younger woman was just that,young.
"No...I....Is Raine Cusak in that room?"The older woman asked.She wasn't that
much older,she was only 32.
"Yes...she's resting....Are you a friend of her's?"The woman asked.
"Yes,I am."The woman replied,and tried to step around the woman,but a boy,a
tall,blue skinned mutant stepped in her way.
"Reporters aren't allowed around here anymore."He replied,coldly.
"Yeah,all you reporters are the same....don't you care that she needs rest??"A
chinese looking girl said,her eyes showing how upset she was.
The woman stepped back,taken aback by the coldness the boy was showing.The woman
regained herself,and stood her ground."I have every right to see her."
"You can't,she's resting right now."The white-haired woman argued.
"Go away,reporter."The youngest looking boy said,also in a icy manner.
"I'm not a reporter!"The older woman argued,her chest began to hurt."I'm her
mother!"
The group fell silent to the sudden revelation.
