บท 40: Chapter 39: Choosing Sides

Unfortunately after the group broke up after breakfast, Moira, Charles and Erik had to attend an urgent meeting. But before they have entered the meeting room, Moira made a call to Yumhee to inform her that Howard Stark and her son would be arriving at the base in the afternoon.

While waiting for them to arrive, Yumhee joined the young mutants with their small getting to know party but ultimately had to bail before Sean can demonstrate his ability. She apologized to the young mutants which they just replied with they understood. Which they really did. Everyone in the group knew her story and they felt extremely sympathetic towards her. Although life hasn't been good to them entirely, but it wasn't as painful as what she had gone through.

After leaving the group, Yumhee excitedly followed the agent guiding her to a small conference room. When she entered the room, she immediately saw her friend, Howard, beside her son, Stephan, who's sitting patiently while waiting. Both of them looking through the glass wall having a quiet conversation.

She observed that her should be eighteen year old son still looked like a 2-3 year old. This dampened her excitement a little bit. She was hoping that they would have a solution by now regarding his predicament.

When both men heard the door opening, they both expectantly looked at the person who entered. Agent MacTaggert had briefly explained to them about Yumhee's situation and they honestly don't know how to react.

Yumhee ran to her son and hugged him tightly like his going to disappear while Stephan hold onto her just as tightly. "I'm so sorry my son. I'm sorry." Yumhee said brokenly while crying.

Stephan tried his best to comfort her mother with her little arms. He had none to little memory of his mother. She had disappeared when he was just starting to see, hear and learn about his surroundings. Her grandfather told him many stories of both his mother and father. Him and his uncle Howard helped him tremendously with his predicament in aging. While his grandfather never stopped searching for his mother, he also didn't forget to find a cure for him together with his uncle Howard. But unfortunately, until this day, no cure was found. They have done numerous experiments through the years without success. With every failure, he felt more hopeless. But uncle Howard never seem to lose hope.

Because of his slower aging process, it was hard for him to live normally and learn normally. Most of his education was taught by his grandfather and his uncle Howard. They had decided to enroll him in a normal school, college level, when he turns ten. The lose of his grandfather was a big blow to him. The day he left this Earth was the day they have discovered he had abilities like his parents especially like his mother. It was fortunate that they were in uncle Howard's home when that happened.

As much as his uncle Howard tried to study and understand his abilities, he would never really understand how he felt. But now that he have his mother, he felt immediately assured and safe. He doesn't know if it comes with her being his mother but he doesn't really care.

Yumhee released her son but held his face gently, observing him wholely, memorizing everything about him. She smiled broadly at him. "You look just like your father. Very handsome."

Howard decided to interject in that moment. "Are we talking about before or after the Rebirth Program?"

Yumhee stood up and slapped his shoulder in a faked angry face. "Hey! Not nice Howard." After a beat, everyone laughed.

"Welcome home my friend." Howard spread his arms for a hug while giving her a gentle smile.

Yumhee dived into the hug. "Thank you Howard. I don't know how to repay you."

Howard held her shoulders. "Don't be silly. You're like a sister to me, you know that. You don't have to repay me for anything. I'm only glad that you're alive and healthy."

Yumhee gave him another hug after that, having a hard time to express in words how thankful she is to him. "Thank you...brother." Howard smiled broadly after hearing her calling him brother.

Howard had to return home for his work in the evening while Stephan stayed with Yumhee. The mother son duo went to Yumhee's room, laid down on the bed and just talked through the rest of the evening until Stephan fell asleep. Yumhee covered her slowly with a blanket and kissed his forehead. She laid beside her son for a few minutes just adoring him.

She was interrupted by a gentle knock on the door followed by Moira's voice. She left the bed slowly and walked silently towards the door. When she opened the door she gestured for Moira to follow her away from the room.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to wake you up." Moira immediately said when they were a few feet away from Yumhee's bedroom.

"No no. It's okay, I wasn't sleeping yet." Yumhee reassured her. "So, what can I help you with?"

"Oh right. We're going on a mission tomorrow. But unfortunately, Erik and Charles would be the only mutants going with us." With Yumhee's confused face, Moira explained further. "The others are still young and inexperienced. It would be dangerous for them join us."

Yumhee nodded at her explanation. "Do you need my help?" Moira hesitated to answer her question for a few seconds. "Moira?"

"Not really. I'm sure we'll be fine. You can stay here with your son." Moira replied with a reassuring smile.

"Are you sure?" To which Moira nodded again. "Wait here for a second." Yumhee went back to her room to retrieved the latest version of the transponder Howard has invented. "Contact me with this if ever you need my help. I'll teleport to your location as soon as I can."

"Thank you Yumhee." Moira felt relieved after knowing they'll have back-up in a short notice.

THE NEXT DAY

As Moira's group went out very early in the morning to do their mission, the rest of the mutants were left in the repaired lounge they have trashed the previous night. Everyone was evidently in low spirits after being reprimanded.

Yumhee entered the room with her son. She introduced her son to everyone while everyone repeated their introductions from yesterday albeit without the theatrics. Then some agents walked towards the glass wall to mock the mutants. Yumhee teleported outside, in front of them. "Why don't you repeat that again?" The agents visibly paled and ran away.

Yumhee teleported back inside the room beside her son while Hank closed the curtains. Everyone was laughing at the scared faces of the two agents.

"Thanks." Angel genuinely said to Yumhee. Angel can't remember when was the last time she felt safe and secured. Yumhee just gives off that aura all the time. Whether it was due to her being a mother or due to her powers, she didn't know. But she's thankful for it.

The harmonious atmosphere was shattered by the regular sound of a thud. Yumhee stood up immediately, she guided everyone to stand close to each other. The group made a circle around Stephan with Yumhee in front of them, arms spread out while a sphere of blue electric forcefield surrounds them.

When Yumhee was sure the shield she had built is stable, she retracted her arms. "No matter what happens, don't leave this bubble." She instructed seriously. "Stay calm, prepare yourselves and protect each other. Understood?" Everyone nodded. "Good. I'll just sweep the area to know what's going on. I'll return immediately I promise." Then she stepped towards Sean, holding his left shoulder. "Shout if you need me." She looked at Stephan, he nodded understanding what her mother has to do. After that she disappeared.

Yumhee teleported above the base, surrounding herself with the same blue electric shield to help her stay afloat. She was horrified when she saw a person landing on the pavement. Though she tried hard to save them, she wasn't able to get to all of them. With her constantly teleporting, creating another large shield to accommodate all the agents she was able to save and her body not yet at it's optimum capacity, she's getting tired quickly.

After making sure there were no more agents falling from the sky, she returned inside the shield housing the mutants, behind everyone. But Angel and Armando were outside of it, standing with the three unknown men. One of which is the devil lookalike who can teleport as well. Alex was in the middle of both groups.

"Do it!" She heard Armando yell before she saw Alex shoot a beam towards the unknown group. Unfortunately the man in the middle with a dirty blonde hair was able to absorbed the attack.

"Protecting your fellow mutants, that's a noble gesture." The man said. When he made his way towards Armando, Yumhee teleported in front of him with her whole body covered in a diamond like stones while she was emitting electric currents. Everyone was visibly shock with the simultaneous display of her abilities.

"Who are you people?" Yumhee asked calmly.

"Sebastian Shaw." The man in front of her introduced. Then he gestured to the devil lookalike. "That's Azazel." Then he looked at the last remaining man in their group. "And this is Riptide." He looked back at her and smiled. Before Yumhee can ask their purpose, Shaw explained generously. "Like I've said with your 'colleagues', I'm not here to hurt my kind. I'm here to give you a choice — be enslaved by the humans or stand fighting beside your kind?"

"I decided to go with them." Angel interrupted. standing behind Sebastian Shaw. "No matter what you say, my decision won't change."

Yumhee looked at her sadly. "Then I'm very sorry for this." She tried to break Shaw's neck but Azazel was able to teleport beside him, grabbing him harshly towards him. Angel and Riptide held onto him immediately and he teleported them out there before Yumhee can do anything.