Ghost

Phantom

Chapter 2: The Cure

Claire's P.O.V

"How do you figure that this time will be anything like the last time?" I asked Jubilee as we exited ethics class, half way through the lesson we were informed that the Government had found a cure for the mutations. This wasn't going to be like last time, when all it was the Registration Act, now they finally had a way of taking out the 'Mutant threat'. Why did they think we were a threat? Everyone was fascinated by magic and fantasy that they read or watched, but when faced with a group of individuals that possessed powers close to those wrote about in scripts and books they wanted to eliminate us. We were the way forward; we were the future of humanity, or a sector of humanity. We shouldn't be feared, we shouldn't even be revered, nor should we be tested upon. We should be looked as equals to humanity. After all we are human beings with a slightly different DNA chain; we should be treated as human beings. But we were never seen as equal.

"It isn't mandatory; we aren't being forced to take the cure. They simply have an option for anyone who doesn't like their powers, or wants to be…" she replied, I knew where she was going with this. She was going to end her sentence with the word normal, I knew we weren't normal, but who can say what is normal?

"Jubilee, who wants to be normal? What is normal?" I questioned as we entered the lounge area, a crowd had gathered by the television to watch the news. Near the back of the crowd we spotted the tell-tale white stripe within dark brown hair of Rogue…now if anyone wanted to be 'cured' of their powers it would be Rogue. She wasn't able to touch anyone in fear of killing them…a bit of a concern when she was dating my brother…but she was able to limit skin on skin contact with covering most of her skin and wearing gloves all the time. But what kind of life was that? She didn't want to kiss Bobby in fear of killing him and this is what leads to many an argument between the couple.

"I think I have an example of someone who would want it." Jubilee whispered as she tilted her head slightly towards Rogue. Probably everyone in the room, who had spotted her anyway, were thinking the same thing. Hell maybe even some of the people in the room were thinking of getting the cure, I didn't know what everyone's powers, some of them may have been harder to live with than mine. I could just turn off my visibility if I wanted and could just avoid all the gazes I wanted to avoid. There was just the concern that I would go invisible forever and never be able to be seen by anyone ever again…that would be a very lonely existence.

"Guys, have you heard?" Kitty exclaimed as she walked into the room, there was a momentary turn of heads towards her but then everyone returned their attention to the TV. It was rather a tense atmosphere and so it should be, this wasn't the greatness news to everyone…there was a way for mutants to be wiped out.

"Yeah, think we have Kitty." I replied as I pointed up at the screen she looked up at it silently accepting that no matter where you were in the school, you would have found out anyway.

"What do you think?" she asked as the report finally ended and we sat down at the table in the corner, where the group generally sat in the room, back before the attack and before John left, when we first came to this Academy.

"I don't know, but something tells me that this isn't going to be as peaceful as the claim it is." I replied Jubilee gave me a warning look, probably concerned that I was going to leave and join an anti-human group of mutants, but I wasn't going that far. Not every human was against mutants it was only a few that were always given more screen time than those who supported the mutants.

"I think something is going to go wrong with this." Kitty added as soon as Bobby arrived in the room he found Rogue. We watched as they whispered between each other for a couple of minutes before Rogue strode out of the room…was she off to see the Professors? To see if she was allowed to get the cure?

"What's wrong Bobby?" Jubilee asked as he walked over towards us, whatever they had been talking about had deeply concerned him. Maybe I was right that Rogue wanted the cure and had gone off to consult the Professors.

"I think Rogue is considering this cure." He replied looking back at the screen in case there had been an update, maybe even a new report saying that the cure didn't work. But there wasn't going to be a report if they had found a cure and broadcast that information to the world then they had definitely found this cure.

"Isn't it her decision as to whether she gets it though?" Kitty interjected she had a point, Bobby wasn't the one who could decide for Rogue, he could offer arguments as to why she shouldn't get it, but in the end it was down to her whether she got the cure or carried on life as a mutant.

"I just don't want her to feel as though she needs this 'cure'" Bobby answered as he looked round the room. "No one in this room should feel as though they need the cure, I don't want anyone to be pressured into getting it especially her."

"Who said we'd be pressurised into getting this cure?" Jubilee asked though I'm sure she knew what answer she was going to receive, it was one thing to announce that there was a cure, but the next minute someone may take it too far and the next thing we know everyone is forced into taking the cure.

"You never know what the future holds…unless you have the power to see the future." I replied everyone was quiet for a moment and then it dawned on me…the Brotherhood of Mutants. "…I doubt John will be happy with this…"