Battle for the Atom part 3

" Do you know where you're going Rachel?"

Nathan asked the girl as they flew in the hummingbird towards young Scott and Jean's location.

" Yes, look down there."

Rachel said to Nathan as she pointed at Scott and Jean below them being surrounded by both X-Men groups

" Damn, it. Surrounding little kids now? I'm putting a cap on this now."

Nathan declared as he leapt from the hummingbird down towards the ground.

" AHHHHH!"

Nathan yelled. He charged up his energy. Nathan landed in front of Young Jean and Scott and clapped his hands together forcing the energy he built up to shoot out in a wave of energy, pushing both teams back.

" What the hell is going on here?"

Kitty asked as she stepped out of the hummingbird.

" Jean, are you okay?"

Rachel asked the girl.

" Ten X-men taking on two kids? Way to go headmistress."

Kitty said to storm as she berated the way the woman acted towards the kids.

" It's not as it seems, kitten. And you were all ordered to stay at home."

Storm said to the girl.

" Ordered? I take orders from no one, Ororo. Not even you."

Atom explained to the woman.

" Ugh! Atom, a displeasure as always. Was it really necessary to attack us? We are allies."

Xavier said to the man.

" Sorry, I got a problem when a group of adults gang up on two kids."

Atom stated as he glared at Xavier. His hands started glowing again and the future X-Men stood by Xavier's side ready to fight.

" Just chill for a second everyone. Kitty you guys weren't here. Young Scott fired first."

Rogue explained to the three adults.

" Because two X-Jets were pinning them down?"

Kitty replied in defense of young Scott.

While the group was arguing, Nathan slipped up to Scott and Jean and passed them the keys to the hummingbird.

Jean and Scott took the keys and quickly took off in the hummingbird.

" And as for you two, she's just a kid! You go at her with a full telepathic attack?!"

Rachel asked future Jean. Angered over the clear abuse the woman was doing to her younger self.

" It wasn't an attack, Rachel. And I don't think you realize how dangerous I was at that age."

Jean replied to the girl in her defense.

" You know, I find it funny that you guys keep talking about this danger and yet we still don't know what happens. I think you guys are hiding something. Maybe we should let Rachel see what's going on inside those heads of yours. I mean her knowing shouldn't be a problem she's from an alternate timeline's future anyway. Right?"

Atom said to the group of future X-Men.

" You know we can't do that."

Xavier replied.

" Why not? We've been doing a lot of things we shouldn't be doing latley."

Atom responded.

Off to the side Kitty was still arguing with Storm and Wolverine.

" And you Wolverine!"

Kitty yelled as she pointed at the man.

" Me What?"

Logan held his hands up to his chest and asked in confusion.

" Wait? SILENCE!"

Xavier yelled as he finally realized that Scott and Jean were gone.

' Should have paid attention Cueball.'

Nathan thought to himself as she smiled at the man's growing anger.

" Cerebro, reacquire! Reacquire! Damn it! They're gone. Again!"

Xavier yelled in anger as he failed to locate Scott and Jean.

" Cerebro, Reacquire! Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. No sign of them."

Xavier cursed as he tried once again to find the young X-men.

" Oh well, Xavier. I guess Jean and Scott will have to be in charge of their own destiny and choose their own fate instead of having you guys roll all over them."

Kitty said to the man. Smarmily antagonizing him and the others.

" Kitty."

Storm called out to the woman.

" Ororo! You of all people... Let them be. Let them live their lives. We don't know what is going to happen. All we do is fight for our freedoms and the freedoms of our people. How can you-- How can any of you stand there and tell me that attacking them like this is."

" Stop."

Storm exclaimed as she cut Kitty off from speaking any further.

" We have entertained the original X-men being here. We were all grieving the loss of Charles Xavier and we were happy to have them here as a reminder of what we're supposed to be doing here. We all knew, deep in our hearts, that they should not be here. That it was dangerous."

Storm explained to the woman.

" Everybody should live their own lives the way they want to."

Rachel stated.

" Come on, Rachel! Everyone should do what they whatever they want? Even if the consequences are disastrous?"

Future Kitty asked the young woman.

" Yes, because that is what it means to be free. Free to choose our own paths wherever they may lead. Whether they lead to happiness and joy or to death and damnation. At the end of the day, it is their choice. And again, who's to say them staying here will be as bad as you think it is. I don't especially when I don't know what's going to happen. That's the thing about time. It's always changing each and every second a new timeline is born. But for the sake of your argument let's say you're right and that this big bad event is destined to happen as long as the X-men are here. Let me give you this piece of wisdom: One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it."

Nathan explained to the X-men the paradox that is the time stream.

" This isn't up for debate. You're all outvoted. This is happening. The originals shouldn't be here. They need to go home before something bad happens. Nothing is more important to me than the school. And if them being here is a threat to that school then we need to fix it and send them home."

Logan explained to the man.

" I seem to remember a lot of people trying to tell you what and where and how you should be. I remember people telling you that you were nothing more than an animal. So, it's okay for you not to listen and run away... But it's not okay for them?"

Kitty asked the man.

Logan ignored the woman and continued sniffing for Scott and Jean's scent.

" Kid ya aint mad at me. You're mad at Mccoy for bringing them here in the first place."

Logan said to the girl.

" Wow! I'm a kid from space who grew up fighting wars. And I thought I was from a dysfunctional family. but damn does this take the cake."

Nathan stated in disbelief.

" This isn't just dysfunctional. This is us at our worst. This is why people hate us. You have no idea how much I root for you... For all of you to be the best version of yourselves and I'm telling oyu this isn't it. You're going to make me make a choice here that I don't want to make. Yu have to listen to me! These are my students! These kids have to choose for themselves or our entire lives as teachers and mutants are a lie."

Kitty tried desperately to appeal to the humane side of her friends. But her pleas unfortunately fell on deaf ears.

" It feels like you might still be grieving the loss of Xavier. We all are kitten. You are all emotion and no..."

" You're letting them do this."

Kitty asked Storm.

" You don't even trust yourself."

Storm said to the woman.

Kitty closed her eyes and turned away from her old friend, disappointed that they would sink so low.

" I can't find them."

Xavier stated.

" Then what is our next path of course?"

Future Hank asked.

" I know where they are."

Jean suddenly stated.

" you do? How?"

Xavier asked in disbelief.

" Emma frost. They're on Genosha."

Jean said to the man.

Knowing where their next targets would be the group all boarded the Jets and flew towards Genosha.