Born to Fly (R)

Planes, helicopters, ghettobirds, and those fancy "Home Security" agency stealth drones carved paths through the smoggy skyline of New York City in relatively predictable intervals. This was a simple fact many city-dwellers were notedly used to and unaware of. It wasn't every day someone would randomly scan above their horizon and find something remarkably unusual.. was it?

Other things were out there. Not hostile aliens on flying laser-blasting jet ski's- but the gift of flight was becoming more intimately known by the long grounded people of Earth. Some of them had adapted, shed their metallic shells, and taken to the skies on their own.

One such person was perched on the lip of Miss Liberty's torch; along with a fellow in a uniform. Anyone that could get to them quickly would have to go the way of the birds.
"So tell me again, what did the thieves look like?"

Kas looked out with an unsteady gaze over the Hudson and the city skyscrapers of downtown across the water, waiting for the stammering buffoon next to him to produce an answer that would satisfy his curiousity.

"Some kids! There was two boys and a girl. We didn't even hear them comin" the man gulped, peering over the edge as he wiped sweat away from his face.
"I didn't get a good look."

Growling under his breath, Kelly turned to the man and gave him a displeased look. The man cringed and sniffled.
"No, no! Please! I- I can try harder to remember! I'll ask one of the others! Please!!"

"You're useless.." Kas sighed, giving the environment around him a mental shove. The air moved with a swish, which in turn rocked the uniformed idiot off balance. Kas rubbed both temples as a loud scream echoed all the way down to Lady Liberty's feet. If anyone saw the man fall, he didn't seem to care too much.
"One less worthless waste of space."

Neal had seen almost the entire country! From Washington to Texas to Florida to Maine, he was always on a tempestuous journey which took him on exciting adventures.

There’s nothing else that could be more thrilling for him than traveling day and night while flying to explore the crowded and busy country of U.S.A. Whether it’s him who spotted something worth to play and kill on the ground, or if it’s the mutants who seemed challenging him, Neal would take charge, land to pay a visit to the person concerned and kicked his ass.

Like this quiet cold night. Neal kept his head bowed, his face down, his cloak's hood up, and his eyes stuck on the avenues of the town. He didn't want anyone to notice him so he flew. Flew until he saw something weird happening in the Statue of Liberty.

"What the?!" A breath forming in front of his lips to realize how cold it was. Slowly, Neal followed the figure of a man falling all the way down the ground.

Somebody was there in the Stature, and Neal felt a smile twitch his lips. Without pausing, Neal changed his direction and flew as fast as he could towards the Liberty. He went to stand directly in front of a man who seemed familiar, surveying his physical features. Without hesitation he snapped his fingers that made his arm produced lightning sparks. "Enjoy yourself?" Neal asked, turning his eyes to slowly look at Kas.

"Hey, Sparky!"
Despite the dreary look of setback, Kelly broke a little smile.
"Haven't seen you since Lakai tried to turn you into bird-food, but you've been busy, I understand. We've both been.. busy."
He gave a dry chuckle.
"Business, not pleasure, unfortunately. I guess I should've picked somewhere higher."
Kas leaned slightly forward to peer down over the edge of 'freedom's light at the pool of darkness below.
Across the bay was lower Manhattan, though it seemed almost a world away now.. or maybe that was just a percieved distance. Did he actually miss New York City already?
"Couldn't scare many answers out of him! Oh well. At least there's more monkeys to shake out of the tree. One's bound to fuck up sooner or later, and tell me something useful."

Shrugging, Kelly looked back up to the first friend he met here. That was like a lifetime ago, in his mind; yet in reality it was barely more than a year ago. Now everything had changed.
Before, Kas would willingly fight the oppression, for the future of mutantkind.
The coin was now on the flipside.
He had more reason to care about the future, and less ambition to fight for it.

"Some last-minute things I'd like to get done before we leave, yanno."
Indirectly mentioning the plans he and Eve made, Kelly knew it could be a sore topic.. but it was too convenient Neal would show up just now. Kas wanted his friend to know anyway.
"Carry on the fight when I'm gone, yeah? It's turning into a fullscale war."
A war this soldier was ducking out of.

"Yeah. How could I forget that moment. That's the reason why I've always fantasized about waking up with Lakai's head on the pillow next to me," Neal smiled. "Note: Only her head! Without her body..." He said coolly.

Neal looked at the man who Kas dropped from the Statue of Liberty. He stared at it like an artist appraised a new painting, Neal nodded once. "It is beautiful isn't it?" Neal asked, though his inquiry may have been translated with ease as "You are perfect! Look at what you did. Look at your masterpiece. I just want to praise you." He grinned lightly, trying not to sound anything but slightly amused at the entire situation. He did not want to seem condescending, especially to a man such as Kas.

"I didn't expect that you're capable of doing that." He growled proudly; a noise that nestled in his chest and burned with the passionate fire of an artist.

Kelly Andre Sharp of everyone Neal knew, he didn't suspect the quiet mutant who everyone picked out to be one of those kinds that wouldn't take charge in the world, but Neal knew from experience, it was the quiet ones who were dangerous.

But few moments later, his momentum changed, Kas spoke something that sounded like this was his last fight and he didn't want to involve himself anymore. "Why?" Neal asked.

"Why are you leaving? Where are you going?" He asked, his manner light, his eyes still surveying him. Why was Kas leaving? Was he giving up, surrendering, resigning?

Perhaps, since Kas was thrown in the same state as Neal, he became horribly depressed, abject, resentful. He probably railed against fate, even if Neal also had a habit of tempting, or taunting, fate.

That’s what makes Neal's ambition to fight a marvel. It’s a testament to his conquering spirit. It’s a testament to mutant living. It’s a testament to mutant life. His plans were not just a blueprint for surviving adversity, it was a blueprint for living a peaceful life, free from oppression.

He believed mutants would survive and overcome this.  Neal had done so, in every sense of the word overcome. His condition of being a mutant had not kept him from doing what he wanted to do, which was tormenting the tormentable. He would destroy to unburden himself of oppression in the form of people who just marred his day, who just marred his consciousness, who just marred his cheerfulness.

"And it's my pleasure to carry on the fight. You know me." He smirked. "And if you don't mind me asking, what's all behind this killing?" Neal looked at Kas.

"Surpised ya? I really did try other methods.. but I'm losing patience, and time."
Again shrugging at the mention of the 'artwork' below, he didn't even pay a glance down. Guilt, or disinterest. Either way, he nodded at the complimentary words and picked up a pen resting on the narrow ledge that had somehow been dropped and not rolled away.

"Trying to find the depth of shit a.. friend has gotten themself into."
He answered the last question first, seeing as how it was somehow easier to talk about than moving away.
"She's running with a bad crowd, and I'm afraid once I leave, there will be no one watching out for her.."
Giving the pen a half-hearted toss off the edge, he smiled humorlessly.

"Of course, she already hates me and doesn't know I was helping. So I guess it doesnt matter. Not my problem anymore! Eve and I have found a nice place up in Maine, a few hours away. Quiet country town by the sea."

Nobody would know them, what and who they were. With luck, hopefully they would be able to raise Adam somewhere safe for at least a few years, where he wouldn't have to worry about being drawn into this endless conflict between old and new. Homosapiens' time ruling the earth was drawing to a close, and they were going to fight, claw, and struggle the whole way down. It wasn't fair to leave Eve alone to raise thier son while he fought for people who wouldn't raise a finger in thier own defense.

"We'll visit. Things are guaranteed to get boring out in the boonies after a while."

"Actually that's interesting way to kill." He said. "I prefer cutting them apart myself, but to each his own." Neal said, still looking at Kas. "Isn't it entertaining to watch those wimps dying?" Neal's smirk widened considerably.

A sigh resonated from Neal's chest, "You're killing humans to help a friend? I am intrigued." He said. Whatever Kas' reasons were, his act was another powerful blow delivered against the one malignant ailment that has afflicted the mutants for many many decades -- oppression. With one single kick, he achieved what other idiot mutants like X-Men, had failed to accomplish -- to deliver an eloquent and compelling action that hatred, discrimination, intolerance and prejudice had no place in mutantkind.

However, Neal still got a question in his mind, "Why is he leaving the fight?" He was a perfect person for what Neal was looking for.  He was a lot less crazy than those current members of the Brotherhood. And it was good because this meant that Neal could work into his plans with him much more fluidly and with much more ease.

Was Kas planning to go into hiding -- hide his family and hide their identities? Well if it was, then he should realize that it would just reinforce or galvanize M.R.D. and Government's resolve to hunt them and their kind down, all in the name of rule of law.

Kas should not bother himself to find some place where they could notch deeper underground, he should instead give priority to fight the mounting problems that this corrupt and oppressive regime was making. Fighting and living in this war may not be the best way to spend geezerhood or the best life he could give to his family, but Kas should prefer to firmly stand with dignity, rather than do sitting alone for the rest of his lifetime.

"Oh and speaking of Eve, how is she? It's been a while since I talk to her." He asked, smiling at Kas. Neal considered Evelyn Fireheart as one of his closest friends he ever had. She was one of a kind. Neal wished to meet someone like her. But he found no one. He found it hard to relate to other people who didn’t understand the setting he came from or the things he knew and he believe. It’s hard to connect to people who didn’t understand a big part of who he was. Only Eve could relate and understand his humor, his ideals, and his being a cocky bad ass.

"Entertaining?" Kas arched a brow at that. It was like hearing an employee of a slaughterhouse or a dog shelter saying their job was entertainment.
"No, not really. I've been burned out on killing, since I left Vegas." Kelly shrugged as he admitted this.

"The fun wore off when it became too easy.. but now, I don't have the motivation either."
Despite everything humans were doing to mutants, and everything they had done to him; the only motivation Kas could feel was a desire to be at home, with his family, knowing they were safe.

With a small smile, Kas answered on Eve's welfare.
"Doing very well, at least that's how things looked earlier today. I bet she's getting tired of being left alone all the time. Can't say I blame her."

A bit of a sour note crept into the conversation.
"She probably thinks I'm scared of commitment and being 'stuck' in the same relationship for the rest of my life.. yanno.. stuff women think. They're still a total mystery to me!"

A mystery Kas may never figure out, but he was determined to try.

"Listen.. this city is ground-zero. I'm taking Eve and Adam away from here for thier safety. I've told MRD and their supporters where to stick it.. They've already gone after people I know to get to me. But you, buddy.. you gut as many of those self-righteous bastards as you feel like, and maybe a few extra for me, huh? It's less than what they deserve."

With an exaggerated roll of his eyes, Neal did replied to Kas' speech. "Want me to motivate you?" He smirked.

"The threat of extinction that hangs over mutants only be removed by destroying these humans. Well yeah, I'm aware that this may take a very long time but it will never happen unless we make a start." He said lightly, his eyes moving away from Kas to look around the area, half checking to make sure they were alone.

"And the best destroyer were meant to kill." He grinned and winked at him. For Neal murdering humans was a calling. A few were offered to do so after they joined a mutant supremacist group while others just stumbled into that. It was the intellectual climate that pulled a few in. Most were influenced by other mutants' passion to attain freedom and safety.  

"I understand her." Neal said referring to Eve's recent emotions, with an incredulous arch of his right brow. "But you know what Kas, you dont need to leave. If you want to assure your family's safety, then why don't you join me? It is only in our community that you can do anything you want. In experiments... or to fuck all you want." Neal said lightly, his eyes moving back to Kas.

As Neal stated that he undestood Eve, there was a momentary break in attentiveness. Kas stared out at the iconic city skyline surrounding them.
It wasn't a secret they 'understood' one another very well, in the past. That was before Neal took on alliegance to the Brotherhood and his crusade against humans.

"..you dont need to leave. If you want to assure your family's safety, then why don't you join me? It is only in our community that you can do anything you want. In experiments... or to fuck all you want."

"Hmm?" Kas glanced to his friend, realizing what Neal had said.
For a long moment of silence, it seemed like Kelly was inwardly debating on it.

"Your offer is tempting.. very tempting."
He smiled a little.
"But there's something else behind this, too."

With a slight rush of air and a small 'poof' sound, Kas disappeared.
Though it was only to the small-minded that he really vanished.
A cloud of smoke was still occupying the space, and a voice quietly went on to explain.

"I know it sounds rediculous from me, but I haven't been feeling so weightless lately."
They were so much in common, it wasn't surprising that Eve had interest in Neal at one time. Had he not vanished from her life; Neal could have been the one now looking out for her safety.

"I'm not going after the humans anymore. Not unless they throw the first punch. MRD, MEEG, FOH. They'll be out for us no matter what we do, unless we kill them, to the last man."
The voice was hesitant, as if pulling reasons to refuse the offer; but Kelly had thought about this for months.
"I held my first gun at age 7, went on my first sortie and got my first confirmed kill when I was 10. I was bred to be a soldier. All I ate, slept, and breathed was 'kill the inferior beings'."
Until three years ago, when everything very literally came crashing down; and Kas was alone with the one thing he never had.

"I want to give Adam a choice... He shouldn't have to grow up in a warzone, being taught nothing but violence. Eve shouldn't have to keep wondering if she's going to lose someone else. She's tough, but she also wants companionship, just like anyone else."
Maybe he was speaking for himself here too, Kas realized. Before he met her, friends and lovers were  little more than a nice distraction. Something to occupy his free time when he wasn't out causing mayhem in the human world.

Neal sat down and crossed his legs and made himself a little bit more comfortable as Kas dissolved in the air and began to talk. Having him on his side would be beneficial in many ways, mostly for show. But Neal felt bit disappointed when Kas said that he's done going after the humans. When one looked at how mutants including him had handled this oppression so far, you would see that everything had been very minimal. Their efforts had been very minimal.

Kas had good reasons! His family! His son! Yeah, yeah but he should know they had a time limit. The uproar and support of some like-minded mutants could only take them so far. They were running out of options. As time passed, mutants would get weaker because they were getting more tired until one day all they had to do was look at history and look at the numbers.

"I am not interested in the things you did in your past. What you did has already been done." He put his hand up to his chin, staring across at the ghostly image of Kas.

"Whether you like it or not, your son and your wife is in this war. You have to remember something: if you really cared for your son. You have to teach him to fight. Fighting is like mother's milk to mutant kids. Without it, their bones won't grow properly." Neal stood up, walked silently, watching his steps not looking at Kas.

"And it seems you don't really realize what I am offering to you? It is simple. Freedom. The ability to not only be on the winning team but to be able to do whatever you please. Mutants who shared the same dream as mine are now uniting under one banner." He smiled. "If all goes according to plan then we will overthrow the U.S. Government." He stopped for a moment, looking at Kas this time.

"You are a man who is about survival, I am a man who knows how to survive. So, naturally, we would be in business together. The only thing I ask is that come with me. You answer to no one but yourself and you do whatever you please." He smirked and turned to face Kas again. "Sounds easy enough, right?"

Neal's disinterest in the comparison garnered no reaction; as did little of anything while Neal talked and the ghostly cloud hovered around. Kelly wasn't saying he thought his life was bad. His friend shared the same viewpoint, it seemed. What doesn't kill you only serves to make you stronger. He'd been given a mixed blessing of a head-start on survival skills. What he brought to the feild could change the tide of battle, depending on who Kas decided was expendable. Power to kill, or power to save; all on his whims.
Freedom.
This word struck a nerve. The mist eclipsing as if a shadow was passing over shivered and drew together, solidifying all at once. Kas still held his tongue, watching a giant freighter drifting by on its way past their high vantage point to harbor.

"'If the road is easy, you're likely going the wrong way.'" He finally replied, smirking a little as Neal asked a silly question. Was anything ever as easy as it sounded?

"Sorry.. I guess I don't know what to say. Most of me agrees with you."
But not all. Not the part of him that drove his actions when he thought he lost the only thing in his world with meaning. The shard of his psyche he frantically struggled to grasp when the rest of him wanted to float away and be free; be one with the wind and never put his feet on the filthy ground again.

"I have to think this over. Eve needs to have a say, too."

Talking about his family seemed strange, when explaining it to Neal. This could have been very different, and the two of them could be in one another's shoes. Kelly could only guess his friend's reasons for leaving Loika and Evelyn behind. Leave it to unexplainable plays of fate; and the destiny of each individual.
For truly making a connection to that spark of life Eve held, sharing that peice of himself that belonged to her and now made their son, Kas changed.
It wasn't because of their relationship, or any attached expectations that once they were together he would grow up or become what she needed. Being allowed to be what she fell in love with was all it took, and Kas evolved as all living things naturally do.
Could Eve or Loika have seen what changes were seeded to unfold in the future?
Kas only knew what little he'd been told of his friend's past, not wanting to stir up any drama.
Chalk two up to women's intuition.

"I want freedom as much as the next guy, but we have to decide what's worth risking for it."
Kas had no idea how invulnerable his mist-form really was, and although he didn't care to find out the hard way; this wasn't just his life anymore.

"Still, don't think I'm just bailing like a puss. If you need backup or information, you have my number.. I can't speak for her, but even though Eve has her hands full now, I think she would take up asskicking for a Brotherhood cause."
Alone, Kas could make the trip in under an hour. It wasn't convenient, but at least he was sure he could get to them faster than anyone if his family was under threat. From there it was relatively safe to balance his own affairs; and wait to see how much further, how much more suffering and loss it was going to take before mutantkind was able to reach its dream of real freedom.