*Alan's POV*
"Leaving Guy after that discussion was probably the best decision I ever made."
Alan sat alone in the cafeteria, the spoon in his hand halfway to his mouth, his food cold and untouched. His eyes stared blankly ahead, seeing everything and nothing at once. The usual chaos of lunchtime laughter, footsteps, clanging trays blurred into meaningless noise. He wasn't there, not really. His mind was stuck in a loop, replaying that argument with Guy, over and over again like a broken record.
He didn't hate Guy. He just didn't want to hear another word about "that"party. Not from Guy. Not from anyone. The very idea of attending made his stomach twist. It wasn't fear it was memory. The kind that clings to your skin like smoke and makes your chest feel too tight. He hadn't forgotten what Danny did to him last time. Not for a second.
A voice sliced through his thoughts.
"Hey, honey!"
That voice. Sugar-sweet and sharp-edged. Alan flinched inwardly as a familiar chill snaked down his spine.
"Don't tell me this is Guy's big plan,"
he thought, dread pooling in his stomach.
He couldn't look up. He didn't *want* to look up. That voice belonged to Piper John a girl as persistent as she was terrifying. Arguing with her was like wrestling with a storm. Useless. Dangerous.
Piper dropped into the seat across from him with the grace of someone who knew she owned every room she entered. Her sleek hair fell over one shoulder as she leaned forward, one manicured finger snapping in front of his vacant eyes.
"Earth to Alan," she said, her tone impatient. "Are you going to stare at your mashed potatoes all day or acknowledge my existence?"
Alan blinked rapidly, dragged back to the present. "Huh? What is it?"
Piper sighed, dramatically. "Seriously. Sometimes I think you're part alien. Whatever's going on in that mysterious head of yours, keep it on pause. I came for something important."
Her red lips curled into a smug smile as she pulled a glossy, silver invitation from her bag and slid it onto his tray like a poker card in a high-stakes game.
Alan barely glanced at it before nudging it back. "I'm not going."
"I didn't ask if you were going," Piper said, crossing her legs and tilting her head with mock sweetness. "Because I already know you're not fun. Let's be honest."
Her words hit like a slap disguised as a compliment. Alan stiffened. "Not fun?"The most popular girls in school practically fought for his attention, and she was calling him "boring"?
But Piper wasn't done.
"I'm here to ask you out. A "date" Alan."
Alan choked on air. "What?"
"You heard me," she said, flashing him a wicked grin. "Pick me up at 7 p.m. sharp. Wear that blue tuxedo I like. And don't be late."
She stood and leaned in, brushing a light kiss on his cheek that somehow felt more like a warning than affection. Alan sat frozen, his heart thumping in confusion and low-grade panic.
"What just happened?" he thought, watching her strut away, heels clicking like war drums.
He gulped.
Piper didn't accept "no" for an answer and if he didn't show up, he knew she'd make his life a living hell
He blinked, his eyes slowly drifting back down to his untouched tray.
A heavy sigh escaped his lips. "Why me?" he muttered.
He ruffled his hair with both hands, groaning into his palms. It wasn't fair. Why did it feel like the world had chosen him as the punchline to some twisted joke?
His mind wandered to the only solution he could think of.
Maybe I should just run away… Maybe that's the only way to avoid this.
He wasn't even sure if he was joking anymore. Running away suddenly sounded like a very real, very tempting escape from Piper's clutches.
But the more he thought about it, the more he knew if he couldn't escape her… if she found a way to rope him in like she always did…
Then he'd better brace himself. Because the party wasn't just coming. It was coming for him.
And he had a very bad feeling about what was waiting on the other side .
Alan stood up, lifting his tray of food with slow, mechanical movements. The rice on the plate was barely touched, a few fork marks scattered across it like abandoned thoughts. His appetite had vanished killed off by a mix of dread, confusion, and Piper's overwhelming presence.
His stomach growled in protest, but even it seemed to know it was pointless. No matter how hungry he was, his body couldn't stomach another bite. Not after that.
"Forget it," he muttered under his breath.
He carried the tray toward the bin, each step heavy, the food now just an inconvenient reminder of how normal his day should have been. And yet, nothing about this day was normal anymore. He dumped it, the clatter of the tray louder than expected, earning a few curious glances but he didn't care.
His mind was already spiraling again. What if she really makes me go? What if I say no?
There was no peace now. Only uncertainty.
*SOMEWHERE ELSE – UNDERGROUND | MUTANT HIGH*
"Follow me," Mr. Walter said sharply, his voice clipped and urgent.
The secretary didn't question it. He simply matched the older man's stride as they exited Cherry's room and moved swiftly through the stone corridor leading to the restricted meeting hall.
"What are we going to do now?" the secretary asked, almost breathless as he tried to keep pace.
"What else?" Mr. Walter snapped. "We're going to try and find whoever Cherry saw. Summon all directors. We're holding an emergency meeting now."
His voice echoed against the cold, metallic walls, carrying both authority and tension. His steps were fast, purposeful but the secretary could see it.
The way Mr. Walter's shoulders stiffened. The way he blinked too often, like holding back something. The way his hands trembled ever so slightly when clenched behind his back.
Outwardly, he looked composed. Inwardly?He was breaking.
Cherry was his daughter. His only family. And seeing her in that trance seeing her eyes roll white, speaking in riddles like a prophet had cracked something deep inside him. He wasn't just a leader right now. He was a terrified father clinging to logic in a situation that made no sense.
The secretary slowed his pace for just a second, letting the moment settle in.
"Whatever's coming… it's bigger than all of us."
*15 Minutes Later – MUTANT HIGH SECRET MEETING ROOM*
The dimly lit conference hall slowly filled with figures emerging from the shadows some in crisp suits, others in plain clothes. Tired eyes blinked behind glasses, fingers gripped onto warm coffee mugs, while quiet murmurs filled the air like static.
Each of these people held power. Directors, leaders, strategists. Guardians of the underground world of mutants.
But tonight, they looked uneasy.
"Thank you all for honoring my summon. Let's get right to it."
The voice echoed from a corner cloaked in shadows. All heads turned as Mr. Walter stepped forward, his figure gradually illuminated by the flickering lights. He adjusted his glasses, his expression grave. The weight of leadership sat heavy on his shoulders.
From the far left end of the long metal table, a man with a thick gut, balding head, and steaming cup of coffee took a casual sip and spoke without concern.
"So... I heard your daughter had another one of her visions."
Mr. Walter's jaw tightened. His face darkened. He hated how they always said it like it was some hallucination, a glitch. But Cherry's visions weren't illusions. They were warnings. Accurate, haunting, prophetic warnings.
As the words sank into the room, murmurs began to ripple through the group like a growing storm:
"Cherry had a vision?"
"Have we been discovered?"
"Is there another invasion?"
"Are we going to have to relocate again?"
BANG!
Mr. Walter slammed his palms down on the table. The sound reverberated through the metal, silencing the room instantly. Even his secretary beside him jumped.
"There's no invasion. We haven't been discovered," he said firmly, eyes sweeping the table. "But… according to Cherry's vision, a new mutant is about to awaken. And not just any mutant. Someone powerful so powerful that their existence could force the X-Mutants to move."
The room froze.
The idea was terrifying.
The X-Mutants were ruthless, elite, and merciless. If this new being could shift their interest, it meant their power level was off the charts possibly dangerous, definitely rare.
And then another voice chimed in, filled with suspicion.
"If what you say is true… why hasn't the Mutant Dictator detected their power wave?"
A new wave of whispers broke out.
"That's a good point."
"It doesn't add up."
"Cherry could be wrong this time."
"But she's never been wrong before…"
The room teetered on the edge of chaos again voices rising, logic clashing with fear.
But before Mr. Walter could respond, a calm, authoritative voice rose above the noise.
"This isn't the time for doubt or arguments," the voice said. A tall woman with silver-streaked hair stood from her seat.
"If Cherry had a vision, we trust it. We prepare. Assemble our strongest students and send them. We find this mutant before anyone else does."
The murmurs settled. Heads nodded. Even those with lingering doubts knew better than to ignore a warning from Cherry.
Mr. Walter inhaled deeply, regaining control of the floor.
"I've already begun compiling a list of candidates for the mission. Talented students, each one prepared for what lies ahead."
He looked around the room into the eyes of those he trusted… and those he didn't.
"The names are…"