Children of the Atom: Mutants alone in a world with no mentors, no resources, and no barriers but prejudice.

Previously: Burn, Seeker and Still went to a nightclub/bowling alley with Greta's friends Noctivagant and Format while Purple Haze stayed in Clarksville. Exiting they ran into and fought bank-robbing supervillain Backbone, not being very successful. Meanwhile, someone's been spying on Seeker.

Still inside Still's apartment, much later that night...

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Boy, does Seeker snore. Really, he does. All of them are piled up in the living room, asleep. Greta, Bruno, Amanda, Ted and Mark, or should I say Still, Format, Noctivagant, Seeker and Burn? No, I'll call them by their names, like their parents wanted us to when they named them. So, they're sleeping, but the sixth member of this cast isn't. Jimi Powell is across the building.

"I still can't believe you've been stalking us." Jimi says.

"Not all of you. Just him. Just the mutant-tracker. Sometimes his boyfriend."

"His what?!?"

"Boyfriend. Wait, I have a copy of that page from his journal." The man starts to look for something on the drawer of the nightstand.

"His what?!?" Jimi is wide-eyed and surprised.

"Journal. You know, his notes and feelings about the world. He keeps one."

The man opens another drawer, looks to his nightstand and says "A-Ha!". He grabs the piece of paper and shoves it to Jimi.

Today I found another pers mutant like me. His name is Mark Hayes, and he just arrived in the city Clarksville. We've become friends. Hopefully we will

"Ok, now read this." And he gives him yet another piece of paper.

Mark and I kissed. It's hard to believe, but he's also gay. I'm gay. I'm gay. I can't believe it. We kissed. Why do I have to write it so many times. He kisses well. Better than Judi. God He doesn't belong here. I'm gay. What am I

"Mark...?" Jimi says astounded. It's a surprise for him, but it ain't for ya, right? He has been for quite some time now.

"Ok, read enough." And he takes the paper away from Jimi. "If you're wondering how the hell did I get this, I broke into his house and got it. Sue me."

"How the heck did you...?"

"I knew 'cause one day he got to me and asked tips. Right outta the blue, just walked up to me. He said he knew I was a mutant, and that wanted some tips and stuff. I told him to go to hell, but then I followed him. The rest you know."

"And just what the f--k am I doing here, you bastard?" Jimi's angry reaction was. Man, the guy kidnaps him, loads him with a story and a couple of threats, and when he finally starts to speak, he gives him this bulshit.

"Look, I need him to find a place and find bait. Now, you're bait."

"Me?!? I ain't no--" Jimi says, raising his hand and feeling the sudden need to release his acid haze on this man's crotch.

"YOU and your friends back there." He points to the others. "Look, I'm not a bad guy. The people I'm after, they are. Or maybe not. I need you to find out."

"Why us? And who the heck are those bastards there with them."

"No need to swear, Jimi." He says with a snarling contempt.

"Shut up. And what's your name, anyway?"

"You can call me the Cynic."

If Jimi actually knew what that meant he'd say "how appropriate", but Jimi was never much of a book-reading guy...

You will know the place where this bit happens soon...

A woman dressed in a silken blue robe with a silvery crescent moon, a hood resting on her shoulders, looks to the man giving her a report. The twelve are sitting on reclining chairs, around an oak table. She listens as the man, certainly the youngest of them, speaks.

"And in that Oklahoma mission a telekinetic guy. His telekinesis is specific, but he's good for someone so inexperienced. We still haven't succeeded in finding that mutant-tracker you asked for - Caliban, isn't it?"

"Yes. You've had no success at all, Brother Mercury?" She asks, glaring.

"Not much. The X-Men have gone public with their identities*, and so it will be far easier to find them. Maybe one can be convinced to join--"

[* X-Men #77, by Shawn Connelly - go-read-the-rest-of-the-mutants 'Cisco]

"Leave those considerations for me, Mercury." She says to the man, whose face turns rapidly into an expression of anger.

"Listen, Moon, this is a brotherhood. There are no bosses here, only one person who founded us for a reason - and a good one at that - can say 'yay' or 'nay' to stuff. You ain't him."

"Alas, she is right." Speaks one of the others around the table. The man on the head. The Big Cheese. "The Man" inside this organization. "As Brother Sun I have more power than you, and I have delegated her this part of my responsabilities. So, Brother Mercury, when she presents a plan only all of us together can veto."

"Yes, Brother Sun." Mercury replies. Sun smiles. His mutant power may be that of flight, but his manipulative an authoritative side is an acquired trait.

Under his breath, Brother Mercury actually mutters 'These two are in cahoots'.

Back to the apartment...

"Wake up, wake up, wake up!" Cynic yells, the door wide open behind him, the lock now in desperate need that the Gordian Knot Lock Co. would come fix it.

"Uh...?" Say Mark and Bruno. They had crashed in the living room, and these two had the lightest sleep of the bunch. Not to mention they were the least hung over.

"C'mon, rise and shine, beauties!" He says. He was being cynical (like he always is) because he was staring at Bruno that moment.

When asleep, Bruno kinda... loses control of his powers. Sometimes his nose starts to grow a bit too much... Yes, like Pinocchio... and others he becomes overly muscular in the arms and pecs, but loses most of his waist line. I tell you, once he and Amanda were in a party, and they hadn't started dating yet, but they already knew each other... this is funny, my speech pattern is breaking... and he was so tired he started to fall asleep, and his nose it would... hehehe... well, you had to be there. Really. Ok. Things are happening again.

"Jimi? Who...?" Mark's sore arm makes his voice sound a bit harsher. That's what you get for fighting a super-villain.

"Mark. There's a few things you and I gotta--"

"There'll be time for that later, kiddies." The Cynic intervenes.

"NO! You should've told me that ya're... that ya're... what ya are before you invit'd me ta live with you!"

Mark's blood freezes. Suddenly he is not looking around to see if there is any coffee already filtered. He is wide awake.

"Look, Jimi, I was going to, but I was afraid you would--"

"Tell what?" The now only a quarter asleep Bruno Horgan asks.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." And then looking to the man wearing a trench coat "Who the hell are you?". Touchy, ain't he? Just because a secret about himself leaked, one that got him estranged form family and friends once.

"I am the Cynic. And I'm looking for Theodore Cleary. Oh, there he is." Cynic goes to the couch and starts to remove the pillows and alike that are covering Seeker's body. The sudden cold makes him shiver, grab the couch arm and grumble "I'll be ready in a minute, ma..."

He opens his eyes and what he sees isn't his 'ma'. And who he sees is green to his eyes. The sight startles him a bit. This face is somewhat familiar, but he can't remember straight.

"'Member me, kiddie?"

"Honestly, I think...*yawn* I dunno. Rings a bell, but I can't--"

"Forget it. I need you to find a few mutants for me." He throws an envelope on his lap. Ted opens it while the man lights a cigarrette - that the now awake Amanda lights off. Ted reaches inside and grabs two pictures. "This is my nephew. His name is Joseph. I have reason to believe he was kidnapped by the man in the other picture. I dunno his name."

"Look, even if I knew you or was in the mood to do this, that's not how my powers work. To even know a person is a mutant I have to see him. I only 'sense' mutants this way is when there are lots of them in a place. Felt it only when I saw this big fight with superguys in Central Park a few months back."

"Don't worry. I think there are plenty where he is. Some sources tell me the captor was spotted in upstate New York. We believe somewhere there might be lots of other mutant kids who--"

"Who are your sources? Why do you expect us to believe this?" Mark says, clenching his teeth afterwards.

"Look, faggie, I have my sources. Maybe if you play nice I can show you. If you don't, tough luck. What I'm saying is that you have to do this. Or else all I know about you will be out in the streets of your little corner of hell: Clarksville."

Blackmailing. Plain and simple. The right and heroic thing to do is to punch this man in the face, send a fireball through his ass and then kick him where it hurts he most. Well, maybe not, but that is certainly what a 'hero' would do.

Mark Hayes is not a hero. He is not old enough to get married in some states. He would not be able to rebuild his life from scratch. His boyfriend is younger even. His parents are understanding about their relationship, but... Ted's classmates? His teachers? Every person in Clarksville would stare. He would be cast away. His new friends... he doesn't know yet how accepting they are about this. He doesn't have much of a choice.

"We'll do it."

"Look, Mark..." Bruno starts to speak but Amanda interrupts him "Right. We'll got there and do what, exactly?" Bruno frowns a bit. This woman is bossy with him, I tell ya.

"Great! Start getting ready." Cynic says and turns around. Mark prepares a flame to attack him in the back. Cynic notices it. His hand glows a dangerous hue of red, and he releases a blast of energy Mark's way.

"This ought to do it."

Mark looks astounded. He isn't hurt. His arm was in pain, but the pain has been severely diminished.

"Ta show ya can trust me." Cynic says. "This is my mutant power. Healing. I could still kick your asses in lots of ways, but I chose not to. Now get your gear."

Inside a car driven by Burn...

To use an old cliche, one could slice the tension with a butter knife if one wanted to. Burn is driving, Still is in the front seat and Purple Haze is sitting with Seeker in the back seat. One finally decides to cut it.

"So... how long has dis been going on?" Jimi says.

"For quite some time now..." Mark says without taking his eyes off the road.

"Pass me the comb, will ya?"

"Here, Greta. It's been an year, I think."

"A year next month, Mark." And then thinking to himself Seeker is certain he was gonna forget.

"And why the hell didn't ya tell me before?! I mean... I wouldn't... well, I prob'ly would've, but still..."

"What with me?"

"Nothing, Greta, nothing." Ted replies fastly.

"Now, really, what am I missing? Why did you accept us to go?" and before Mark could answer "Doesn't matter. If there'll be others there, we'll probably be able to--"

"Shut up, Greta! Just shut up now, will ya?" Ted says a bit irritated. Mark's not in school, but if this leaks further, his already-hanging-by-a-thread peace will totally be left in shambles. Teenagers are cruel.

"Geez, no need to be snappish!"

And in the other car, with Format and Noctivagant, driven by Cynic...

"Hmmmmm"

"Ahhnnn"

"Oooohhmm"

"Could you kids make out louder? My grama hasn't come back from the dead to complain yet." And after a few more growlings and complaints he says "Teenagers! People! The more I know them, the more I love my dog!"

Next issue: The kids rendezvous with lots and lots of other children of the atom. Bad pun, yeah. I know. Next time it'll be a better one.

Author's Ramblings

First, let me apologize for taking a bit more time than I initially thought I would. Randy being away and all made me hesitant of when I should send an issue, and I kept procrastinating with writing issue 8 (old habit - only sending an issue when the next three are ready), and so it took me time to send this one. As you might have noticed, I have become branch editor for the MV1 International branch, but I promise that will not affect my output; and this is a promise I intend to keep.

Yes, Gordian Lock Co. came straight from Watchmen. The last phrase is a paraphrasing of a saying from the Greek philosopher Diogenes, the Cynic. ("Cynic" comes from kyons, a Greek word for "dog".) The title for this issue comes straight from the American dramatist Lillian Hellman, who said "Cynicism is an unplesant way of saying the truth." Nothing like a Quotes section in your encyclopedia.

Now, nothing more of Cynicism and on with reader response...

E-mail your comments, thoughts and constructive criticism to Francisco Araujo da Costa

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