Young Mutants in Love

by William D. Dickerson

"A paper?" Cacy suggested.

  "Yes," Xenia agreed, "I suppose that is the best term, but hardly adequate. This is amazing."

  "So what can you tell us?" Gavin pressed, moving around the room to readjust to his own body.

  "You are both fine, and your matrices are stable." Xenia listed. "I would like to tweak the linkages just a little, release the fullness of your potential."

  "What will that do to us?" Cacy asked. "I still want to stop whatever Mornigan is planning. What if something goes wrong?"

  "For now, I will respect your decision," Xenia answered, "but there may come a time when the choice will no longer be within your hands."

  "Let's wait for that time," Gavin stated. "You can run your experiments once the world is safe."

  "There is one other thing that we should try," Xenia offered as she took their joined hands. "I believe that I can create an opportunity for the two of you two have a conversation with Karis and Diz."

  "How would that work?" Gavin wondered.

  "The three of us will create a space of dreaming for the four personalities that create your reality to converge and converse."

  "Will it be safe?" Cacy asked as she tightened her grip on Gavin's hand.

  "As safe as your four minds will make it," Xenia answered as she closed her eyes.

  Without warning, the room faded and Cacy and Gavin felt their world shifting. Reality was still as real as it had ever been, but it wasn't holding them as closely as it normally would. Even though they felt their eyes closing, it did not change the lighting of the world around them.

  It was foggy, and there didn't seem to be anything of substance aside from that fog with the exception of Gavin and Cacy who stood there in the fog. They were still holding hands, and the hand that they touched felt solid and real, but nothing else in that place held the same form of reality.

  "Where are we?" Cacy asked as she looked around.

  "Xenia must have sent us to the dream world she mentioned," Gavin whispered pulling Cacy closer to himself.

  "Does this place seem unreal to you?" Cacy inquired.

  "Like we're the only true things here?" Gavin returned. "I would agree with that."

  "So what are we supposed to do now that we are here?" Cacy continued with her questioning.

  "If this is a dream," Gavin pondered, "then perhaps we need to start dreaming."

  "Fine, but don't go all Ray Stantz on me," Cacy joked. "Let's start someplace familiar and safe."

  The fog cleared and they found themselves in a familiar field with a single oak tree standing in the middle. It was night, although they could see details as if the sun was still in the sky, but they could also see the stars. Gavin looked at the heavens and Cacy could clearly see a smile forming on his face.

  "That's one thing I miss living in the city," he announced. "The stars are impossible to see."

  "I like seeing the stars with you," Cacy mentioned as she swung his hand in hers. "You know so many of them like old friends."

  "I suppose you are right about that," Gavin admitted as he pointed at the sky. "I wish we had a different night. I would love to see Cassiopeia."

  The skies shifted and the stars passed by in a blur. They came to rest and Gavin could see Cassiopeia in the same place where he had been searching the stars before the shift happened.

  "How did," Gavin started.

  "I thought I would test these dream powers," Cacy revealed. "It doesn't work too poorly, does it?"

  "Not at all," Gavin agreed wrapping his arm around Cacy. "So what happens next?"

  "I guess we wait and see," Cacy muttered. "Do you think we'll see them?"

  "That's the plan," a feminine voice called from above.

  Cacy and Gavin looked up and saw Karis floating in the sky above them. Her red hair was flowing in a breeze they could not feel, and the costume that Gavin had worn in many a battle looked better than he remembered. Before they could respond, they felt, rather than saw, a wind created by the fleet feet of the speedster known as the Diz. He ran around them for several seconds before coming to a stop.

  "Slow aren't they?" he quipped as he pointed at Cacy. "I like you better as a red head."

  "I think she looked better as a brunette myself," Karis replied landing next to everyone. "None of us got much choice in how we looked."

  "Fair enough," Diz replied. "I don't suppose either of you brought a fight with you."

  "Sorry," Cacy told her other self. "We didn't plan ahead for one."

  Karis moved next to Diz and took his hand. The two sets of nearly identical people stood and looked, uncertain what else to do at the moment.

  "This is bizarre," Diz said breaking the silence. "I'm not sure how I feel about you being a red head."

  "I'm not sure how I feel about you being blond," Gavin replied to Diz.

  "Let's ignore hair color for now," Karis suggested. "Xenia must have a reason for bringing all of us together."

  "Let's start with some simple observations," Cacy suggested. "Even though we are the same people we are different."

  "Don't take this personally, Cacy," Diz quipped, "but I have way more fun than you do."

  "What do you expect when you can move so fast," Cacy snapped. "You're also a bit of a jerk."

  "Touché," Diz groaned as he faked getting stabbed with a rapier.

  "Would you two knock it off?" Karis and Gavin yelled at the same time.

  "How did I know you two would react like that?" Diz muttered. "They seem closer to the same person than we are."

  "I don't know about that," Karis responded. "We have more differences than you might notice."

  "You both babble about the stars," Diz joked.

  "I think it's sweet," Cacy argued.

  "Fine," Diz admitted. "I do too."

  Silence filled the air as the four waited to see what would happen next. The stars started moving, but that was about the only activity in this dream space. After a few moments, Diz reached out and took Gavin's hand and Cacy reached out and took Karis' hand.

  The dream world faded to white and the four looked at each other. More accurately, they looked at their other selves.

  "What is going to become of us?" Karis and Cacy asked together.

  "The future is uncertain," Gavin and Diz replied.

  The circle was broken when a wind rushed up in the middle of their ring and blew them in four different directions. They found themselves on the top of a mountain looking down at water on all sides. They were spread around the edges of a dormant volcano. The sun blazed down on them and caused them discomfort for some reason that they could not place. They looked up at a sound coming from above them.

  It was the Komodo dragon in dragon form again. It took a location in the air and started creating winds with its wings. Karis and Gavin took to the air. They stopped and looked at each other for a moment. Then the dragon blew fire at them. Engulfed in flame, Gavin panicked for a moment until he realized that he wasn't being hurt by the flames.

  While Karis and Gavin were resisting the flames, Diz and Cacy found themselves confronted by the mouse that had started their adventures against Mornigan. The mouse lunged at Cacy, but she sped away. The two speedsters began running around the mouse trying to avoid its attacks and hitting it when there was an opening.

  As the dragon flames subsided, Gavin felt himself falling, and Cacy was hit by a random swing of the mouse’s tail. Gavin panicked as he fell, and Cacy tried to use her speed to slow their decent, but nothing worked. Both of them found their falls interrupted by a pair of helping hands. Gavin looked, and saw that Karis was holding his hands.

  "See, I told you I wouldn't let you fall," she said with a smile.

  Cacy found her own fall end in the arms of the Diz catching her at the ground.

  "I'll always be there to catch you," he added.

  The dreamland faded and Cacy and Gavin opened their eyes to see Xenia standing above them as they held hands. She smiled at them and nodded.

  "What does any of that mean
?" Gavin asked as he sat up.

  "I cannot tell you," Xenia replied as she turned back to her data device. "It was your dream time, and the meanings belong to you."

  "Helpful as always," Cacy groaned.

  "This is a time where you will have to help yourselves. I can only provide an opportunity for you to have a conversation. You will have to sort out the meanings on your own."

  "Do you want to go get something to eat?" Gavin asked Cacy.

  "Sure," she replied. "It's been a long time since I’ve eaten in this body."

  Chapter 39

  This morning the Mayor's office declared war on all vigilantes including the team of Karis and the Diz, who until recently had worked for the Mayor’s office as a part of his task force to discourage vigillantes. When asked about his sudden change of heart concerning the duo, his office had no comments to make on the matter. It seems like a strange change of policy considering how openly he embraced the heroes before their supposed death.

  In other news, Karis and Diz were spotted out on the town recently. It seems that reports of their demise were gravely mistaken. Karis was sporting a lovely purple dress and Diz was dressed sharply in a tuxedo with a purple shirt to match his date. They were seen dancing and at an undisclosed restaurant for dinner.

  * * *

  "Why do we even turn that thing on?" Gavin wondered as he turned the channel. "It never has any news that I want to hear."

  "You did look very nice last night," Cacy chuckled, pretending to straighten her bow tie. "I'm glad that you went through the effort."

  "It wasn't me," Gavin insisted. "That was Karis. She wanted to look good for the date."

  "If it were me," Cacy responded, "I would have dressed just as well for you."

  Gavin thought back to the dream they had experienced the other day. It had answered some questions, but they had more questions after the experience than they had had before they dreamt. Karis and Diz were their own people at this point, but they still had to share living space with Gavin and Cacy.

  The situation with the Mayor was also confusing with his sudden change of policies. Perhaps it was because of the sharp decline in vigilantism since Karis and Diz had started campaigning for the Mayor's office. Maybe there was something more there. They would have to sort out that problem soon.

  "Let's do something while we're waiting for the next big emergency," Cacy suggested, snapping Gavin out of his train of thought.

  "What did you have in mind?" Gavin asked as he got up and walked over to refridgerator.

  "Maybe a nice walk around the city," Cacy offered.

  "We could head down to Times Square," Gavin suggested walking back with a gala apple in each hand. "We haven't taken much time for all of the touristy things the city has to offer."

  "How long have we been here," Cacy asked as she reached out for one of the apples, "and you want to start being tourists now. You're a little behind the curve."

  "We've been busy," Gavin insisted as he took a bite of his apple. "Besides, it's better than walking around aimlessly."

  "I suppose you're right," Cacy admitted. "Anything specific you want to see there?"

  "I've only seen it from the air," Gavin responded. "One patch of lights is similar to the rest."

  "I'm not really sure either," Cacy replied. "Let's just go down there and see what we can find."

  "Sounds like a plan to me."

  They decided against switching to Karis and Diz, partly because they wanted to enjoy some time as themselves, and partly to enjoy life at a slower pace. The subway was a nice change of scenery, and a great way to start their day as regular people.

  It was good to be among normal people with normal problems. Cacy played with a baby on the train, and Gavin considered trying the stunts a group of performers had displayed between stops, but decided it against it after one of them slipped and landed on his head. When they got to the exit for Times Square, they stepped off the car and climbed the steps to a spectacle they had only seen as Karis and Diz, and those times they didn't have time to appreciate the view.

  The sidewalks were crowded with people and it was hard to get anywhere since they didn't really have a plan in mind. Cacy finally picked a direction and they merged in with the crowd. After several blocks of walking, Gavin noticed a store he wanted to check out.

  "FAO Swartz sounds interesting," he hinted.

  "Is that a Ferris wheel inside there?" Cacy wondered.

  "Of course it is," a woman passing by shouted.

  "She makes it sound like a Ferris wheel inside a building isn't unusual," Cacy muttered.

  "Maybe she just spends all her time on Times Square," Gavin suggested as he guided her towards the door.

  "Or all of these buildings have one," Cacy joked.

  "It looks like a toy store," Gavin commented. "Do you want to check it out?"

  "What is that supposed to mean," Cacy growled. "Is it wrong for me to want to go to a toy store?"

  "That has nothing to do with it," Gavin rebuked. "I just wasn't sure you would want to see inside. It looks like a place worth checking out in my book."

  "Let's go," Cacy nodded as she grabbed his hand and ran for the door.

  Gavin followed Cacy as they ran through the doors. Not only was there a Ferris wheel inside the building, but just about every kind of toy or game they could imagine. They spent a couple of hours exploring the various rooms dedicated to particular product lines. They had to refuse clerks several times since they weren't looking for to buy anything.

  After an enjoyable exploration without any purchases, they stepped back onto the crowded street. In front of them, they could see a large screen showing the latest news with the stock prices scrolling beneath it. The screen went black, and when it lit up again, Hypnose was on the screen wearing his goofy helmet.

  "Citizens of New York," his voice boomed as thousands of people turned from their own business to see what was happening, "the Mayor of New York City has seen fit to release me from custody in an attempt to curtail the activities of the team that was once hailed as heroes-Karis and the Diz. It is my pleasure to serve each of you in this role. In fact, it will be a pleasure to use my powers in such a worthy goal."

  The camera followed Hypnose as he stood and moved towards a door.

  "I know that your previous experience with me wasn't as positive as I would have hoped," he continued, "but I'm sure that I can change your minds with time."

  People in the crowd that had stopped to watch the show had now started shouting at the screen. At first the shouts were against Hypnose, but as he continued to talk, he seemed to win over the crowds. Soon they were shouting angry statements against Karis and Diz.

  It's a good thing we came as ourselves, Cacy thought to Gavin.

  Agreed, we wouldn't have much trouble getting away from a group like this, but who knows what they might try to do.

  I think this reation has something to do with Hypnose. Do you think he could use that helmet over the air?

  I think this reaction is evidence enough to prove that point.

  "The Mayor and I need your help," Hypnose continued. "If you spot Karis or the Diz, we need you to report that to the authorities right away. Who knows what kind of foul deeds they have prepared for the city. That is all there is to say for now, but keep looking for our helpful words to keep our city safe, and this November, you can be thankful to have my guidance in clearing the city of Karis and Diz."

  The screen went black again before returning to the images that were showing before Hypnose started his message. Cacy and Gavin looked at each other wondering if the helmet had affected the other person, but it didn't seem to change the way that they were thinking.

  "Let's get home," Gavin suggested as he took Cacy's hand. "I have a bad feeling about this."

  "Should we take the quick way home?" Cacy asked.

  "We don't want to draw any attention," Gavin answered. "Who knows how this crowd will react to seeing us as Karis and Diz."

  "Good
point," Cacy started to say before a tall man with short blonde hair and dressed in a black suit stopped their progress.

  "Can you believe that Karis and Diz are still running around this city?" he grumbled. "It's about time the Mayor started doing something about this problem."

  "Yes, of course," Gavin agreed trying to get by the man.

  "We should organize some kind of search for them," the man demanded.

  "It's a large city," Cacy argued.

  "What better reason is there to get started now," the man shouted. "Who's with me?"

  Several people within earshot shouted various replies, all of them agreeing with the man. They formed a circle around him and Gavin and Cacy blocking them from getting away.

  "How do we start?" a woman at the back of the growing crowed demanded.

  "We need more people," the man ordered. "Everyone spread out and spread the word. Send everyone back to me."

  The crowd dispersed and Gavin and Cacy started moving away.

  "Where do you two think you are going?" the man demanded.

  "We're going recruiting," Gavin related, "just like you said."

  "Do you have to go together?" the man asked.

  "Leave my man behind?" Cacy replied, draping herself over Gavin’s shoulder.

  "I suppose not," the man agreed, "just work twice as hard."

  "Yes, sir," Gavin saluted and then he started running down the street dragging Cacy behind him.

  "That was a close call," Cacy said once they were out of range of the man.

  "Let's just get someplace safe and then we can talk," Gavin suggested.

  Cacy's silence signaled her agreement as they continued down the street.

  * * *

  Cacy and Gavin rushed to the hiding place of the Greys and back to the living space that they shared. Xenia was waiting there when they arrived. She stood with her back to the door, staring at the wall like she was looking out of a non-existent window. Her long black hair was starkly present against the white gown that she was wearing. This was a very different look for her.

  "Hello?" Cacy started.

  "Yes," Xenia replied as she turned around, "I know that you are there, and I am sure that you must have many questions. The situation with the release and empowering of Hypnose is very disturbing"