A voice begins to speak as the area fades into a small town in Arizona called Red Hawk as a car drives past the sign welcoming anyone who passes through. "My name is Desmond Greene I also go by Armory.....what your about to see is the story of my life, where I learn, love and lose......and by the end of it all.....Armory will be no more"


The scene soon changes to around 10 pm and we come to a small diner called Hal's Home from Home and inside is a few customers. A couple of old men playing chess at one table and at the counter across from them is a man in his 40s at the register, one table down from them is a happy married couple, at the bar is the waitress who looks to be a high school student in blue shirt and skirt talking with her red hair tied into a ponytail to two bikers. Lastly there is a young man with short black hair that's spiked a bit in the front, he has green eyes and a scar on his right cheek and is wearing a jacket that matches his eyes and maroon shirt underneath, he sits starting out the window as cars drive by and people walk the streets, his eyes land on a family with a young teenage son, walking down the street the mother is smiling as she watches her son and husband toss a football back and forth while going down the street.

Soon a thud is heard and Desmond looks to see his burger and fries in front of him and looks up to see the waitress from before speak to him.

Red Hair Waitress: "Been calling you for a good 10 seconds there Des, you doing ok?" she says asking if one of her regulars is ok and with a nod and a smile Desmond Rolland replies to the waitress.

Desmond: "Oh yeah Dawn I'm ok just tried, thanks for the food" she nods at him and walks away and as he digs in one of the bikers at the bar speaks to him.

Zeke: "You really gotta leave the day after tomorrow Des? we're gonna miss you around here man" said Zeke a biker around his mid 30s with tan skin, black hair, brown eyes and a full beard. As Desmond shallows his first bite he replies.

Desmond: "Sorry Zeke I'd like to stay but I'm not one to stay in one place plus I gotta get back to good ol high school" he said sounded honest but in reality this was a lie, Desmond didn't even get to finish high school after what happened to him, the second biker a bald guy probably in his 50s and a full gray beard named Buck asks the young man.

Buck: "Why didn't you be with your family while you had summer off?" The question bothered Desmond inside but he calmed himself and said.

Desmond: "I was visiting a friend in the next couple towns over and he started to get busy with his job and choose to get a head start back home, stopped here for the night and well the last 3 months are history haha" Buck nods satisfied with the answer and the man in his 40s at the register who has a name tag that reads Drew says.

Drew: "We are gonna miss you son mostly Dawn but you know-OW!" Drew is cut off as he was hit in the head with Dawn's notepad.

Dawn: "Don't listen to him Des he is full of crap....I mean not to say I won't miss you of course I will, I mean look at you, I mean not that I stare, NOT that your not handsome you are, I just mean-" Everyone in the diner starts laughing and soon the chief and owner Hal himself steps out and is whipping off his hands with a paper towel and speaks saying.

Hal: "We're all gonna miss Desmond, it won't be the same but you stop anytime you want, this will always be your home from home" Desmond smiled he liked the sound of a home even if was some diner, all these people he got to know and for once he felt in 4 years he was happy, Desmond is once again snapped out of his thoughts as the man from the table ahead of him and his wife stand up. This was Marcos and Angie they had been married since they were 20 and now are 33 both from Asian families that expected so much from both of them and found comfort in each other, when they got married they moved to Red Hawk for a quiet but promising life and now as they stand up Marcos speaks up.

Marcos: "Well if your leaving sonn Des I'm think now is as good as ever to tell you all some amazing news" all eyes are on them, even the two old man stopped their game and soon Angie places a hand on her stomach and says.

Angie: "We're having a baby" in the second she finished talking everyone erupted into cheers and claps, Hal speaks up.

Hal: "Ok this calls for a celebration and a send off for Des, everyone be here at 7 tomorrow we're closing the restaurant early and partying the night away!!!!" Hal shouts in joy and the whole restaurant cheers and agrees, soon it's midnight and everyone is heading out and as Desmond steps out he sees Marcos getting Angie in the car and he calls out.

Desmond: "Marcos wait up" The said man looks up as he closed Angie's door and walks to him a few steps.

Marcos: "Hey Desmond what's up?" Marcos asks the young man to which Desmond replies.

Desmond: "I wanted to ask you something and I know it's random but I hear about it a lot...." he says rubbing the back of his neck and Marcos nods curiously signaling him to go on and then asks "When they hit their teens.....what if it turns out they are a mutant?....." he says kinda pulling back worried Marcos might lash out but instead Marcos replies.

Marcos: "Then I might be the father of a soon to be X-man or woman" Marcos says laughing and Desmond asks once again confused.

Desmond: "Your not gonna freak out if they do end up being a mutant" Marcos replies.

Marcos: "No of course not, Desmond mutants aren't that different from all of us, I see them as gifted people and some are bad yeah but so fair a lot of the bad ones seem to be put behind bars so what do I have to be worried about?" Desmond was shocked hearing him say this, Marcos then pats his shoulder "Well I gotta get going, see you tomorrow night"

Marcos bids farewell and hops in his car driving off and Desmond stuffs his hands in his pockets and begins to leave until he hears a voice struggling down the alley by Hal's and so he goes down the alley and peeks around the corner at the end and sees Dawn being held by one guy, another looking through her car and the other looking through her purse, all three wore different outfits ranging from vests, ripped jeans and beanies but Desmond was trying to get a look at their faces however they wore white masks with two eye holes and red letters F.T.B and they way it's painted on makes it look running blood.


As they finish looking through her things the one from her car who is wearing the beanie says.

Thug B: "That's all she has" the one who had her purse with a black vest replies in a angry tone. 

Thug Leader: "Jeez this place is a dump...." Dawn begins to plead with them.

Dawn: "Look I'm sorry but please let me go..." she says on the verge of crying and the guy holding her, who has the ripped jeans speaks in a worried tone.

Thug T: "Guys let's let her go ok? I don't like pretending to be in this weird cult" The masked vest thug says.

Thug Leader: "Shut up ok? we pretend we're of Father's True Blood to get some money and you know when someone doesn't have enough, they pay with their life" Dawn hearing this starts struggling.

Dawn: "No please please don't do this, take my money and my car just please let me go" she says now crying and a bit too loud as the one in the beanie hits her

Thug B: ''Shut your mouth bitch!" this was already too much for Desmond so he stepped out.

Desmond: "Hey let her go!" the three men turn and the one in the vest says.

Thug Leader: "Shit! a witness, B go kill that guy!" the one in the beanie called B starts walking over and Dawn starts yelling.

Dawn: "No no leave him alone please!" As B draws closer he swings his wrench at Desmond who catches his wrist and punches him in the stomach and then in the face and kicks him in the chest. As B falls Desmond got the wrench from him and tossed it aside and the guy in the vest says

Thug Leader: "God damn it!!! T get him!" The vest leader spoke as he took Dawn and held her as T started walking and says saddened.

Thug T: "Should have walked away man..." he say sounding like he doesn't want to do this and Desmond prepares for a punch but he sees him reach back and pull out a gun. Dawn begins screaming more but Desmond it sounds fair and everything feels slow.....is he really gonna have to show his secret to someone who really cared for him? or is he gonna have to die.......no cause if he dies, Dawn dies.....no that wasn't going to happen. Desmond arm soon starts to change being covered is in a black substance that looks like muscle and soon hardens and then the bullet flies and all three of them watch as Desmond catches the bullet with his arm looking different. Desmond stares at them and opens his hand and he crushed the bullet flat, T is shaking and Desmond tells him.

Desmond: "I'll take it easy on you...." once he finished his sentence he punched T passed Dawn and the group's car into the dumpster as he lays their groaning in pain.


The last guy lets go of Dawn in shock as she runs behind Desmond who begins to walk forward and the guy says frighted.

Thug Leader: "Y-You need to back off mutant scum, I'm with FTB I can have you killed" Desmond coldly says.

Desmond: "I don't know or care what a FTB is but I heard you say you and your buddies were pretending plus even if you were I still wouldn't care" as he keeps walking forward the leader of the thugs starts swinging his knife wildly and Des easily dodges each one and turns one of his arm back to normal and catches the guys wrist and then right away punches him in the face breaking his mask and making the guy's face hit the wall causing him to be knocked out. As Desmond's other arm turns back his breaths in then out.

Desmond: "Dawn look I bet your really-" he is cut short as she hugs him and says crying a little.

Dawn: "Thank you....thank you so much Desmond" Desmond is confused and but wraps his arms around her to calm her down and soon she pulls away and starts picking up her things and Desmond asks.

Desmond: "Are we not gonna talk about this?" Dawn asks smiling at him.

Dawn: "Talk about what?" Desmond asks.

Desmond: "You saw my power?" Dawn stands up with the last of what she had and replies with another short answer.

Dawn: "I did" Desmond asks.

Desmond:"Your not freaked?" Dawn walks around closing her back seat door where that B guy was in and repiles with a simple.

Dawn"I'm not" Desmond is dumbfounded.

Desmond "I'm......this......I don't know what to say" Dawn gets in her car  and tells the young mutant.

Dawn: "I do, get in I'll give you a ride back to the motel" Desmond not knowing what to say or do gets in and soon Dawn starts the car and pulls out of the ally and drives off.....little did her or Des know another car's lights started after they left and began to following them. As the car drive was going Desmond felt he couldn't let this be.

Desmond: "Ok why aren't you freaked I'm a mutant or at least didn't tell you?" Dawn says smiling

Dawn: "Desmond your still you, you haven't done anything wrong, hell you just saved my life!" she says laughing a bit thinking he is overthinking this whole thing and she sees he is looking down at the ground and continues to speak.

Dawn: "Look Des, I'm not freaking out cause I don't see mutants as monsters, like how can someone betray their friend, leave the person they love or-' Desmond cuts her off saying blandly.

Desmond: "Abandon their child" she looks at him and asks saddened.

Dawn: "Desmond?.....is that why?" Desmond just nods and she looks upset as she keeps driving and soon reach the motel and Desmond unbuckles and says.

Desmond: "Well get home safe.....I'll see you tomorrow and please don't tell anyone ok?.....I know the dinner has good people but-" he is stopped as Dawn places her hand on his hand.

Dawn: "I promise..." she leans over and kisses his cheek "Good night hero" she says smiling and Desmond acts goofy

Desmond: "uh pfftt....yeah have a hero night-uh a good kiss NO I mean uh bye" he says getting out the door as she giggles and drives off after he closes the door and Desmond watches her leave and smiles feeling he may have a reason to stay, as he heads inside the motel the car from before was parked and watched and soon the person gets out and goes to a phone booth that was still around in this little town and a voice says after dialing.

??? "Yes police......I need the MRD I just saw a mutant.........yeah Red Hawk's motel......my name........I'd like to not disclose my name.....yes......ok thank you" as the man hangs up and is about to head to his car another one passes by and the headlights reveal the face of Drew the cashier and as he walks to his car he says "Sorry kid.....but mutants aren't anything but trouble." he starts his car and drives away.


As Desmond is getting ready for bed as it's 1:30 in the morning, he starts to think about maybe staying and having a life here with Dawn a place where he belongs.....he hasn't had that since he was 13......maybe it was time.....could he finally stop moving around so much?. As the idea made him smile he started hearing a rumbling noise and looked towards his door and sees shadows at the edge of his door and then hard knocking followed.

MRD Officer 1: "Desmond Rolland, this is the MRD we need you to come out peacefully, do so and we can talk this over." Desmond's eyes go wide, did Dawn turn on him?....no she wouldn't he remembers when she held his hand he felt her kindness, someone else sold him out....but who? and how did they know where he was staying? questions for later Desmond thought as he put his jacket back on and grabbed his bag he always kept packed as soon as he puts it on the door is knocked down and two men break the window dressed in swat gear with the letters MRD on the shoulders and they put their guns at him and said.

MRD Officer 1: "Mister Rolland please take the bag off and come with us peacefully or we will use lethal force" as they all stood off, Desmond said to them after a brief silence

Desmond: "Ok I'm going to take it off slowly alright?" he says lowering his hand to his bag strap across his chest and the man leader the Mutant Response Division nods and says.

MRD Officer 1: "Nice and easy your a smart kid" Desmond takes his bag off still holding his bag and says.

Desmond: "I am" he then swings his bag as it was still open and clothes fly out and block their view and while that happened Desmond's arms changed to there muscle mass form like before and he punched one MRD out the window and then uppercuts the other one who came from the window, as the officer hits the ceiling and falls Desmond catches him and throws him at the men who came from the door and leaps out the window and sees there is 3 cars with the same letters on them and a helicopter and another man says through a megaphone.

MRD Officer 2: "Mister Rolland we will say this one last time, on the ground hands up and you will not be harmed, if you continue this you will be killed" Desmond looks around and he looks like he is gonna get on his knees but he smiles and his legs are coated the same way his arms get and then he leaps up higher then the helicopter did and even leaps over it, as he lands he starts running at inhuman speeds the MRD from in the hotel says into his radio on his vest.

MRD Officer 2: "Target is on the run, powers seem to apply increase of muscle mass increasing physical combat, permission to shot on sight granted!!!" he then proceeds to get in one of the MRD vans and give chase.


As Desmond is running he is soon stopped as a MRD van stops in front and someone in the gun turret starts shooting, Desmond's left arm changes and does what it did before but the black muscle turned into a shield and the bullets are aren't getting through and the driver turns on his coms.

MRD Shooter: "Target can use his mass to change the form of his arms, the black mass he emits cannot be pierced" As Desmond keeps his shield up he hears the vans behind him and soon he runs forward yelling and rams the MRD van with his shield arm to tip over. Desmond jumps over and starts running again and hears the helicopter, if he wants to hide he needs to get rid of it, Desmond stops moving and then looks at it and the pilot calls in.

MRD Pilot: "Target has stopped moving- oh dear God!!!" the the officer yells as Desmond leaped up and is on the front of the chopper and punches the glasses out and as the MRD officer reaches for his gun Desmond punches him and slams his head on the controls knocking the guy out, Desmond still hanging on the front steers it towards the park and grabs the officer and leaps off the front and uses his shield arm to break their falls. Desmond lays the officer against a tree as he watches the chopper slide across the park grounds into the lake, the sound of sirens and screech of wheels is heard and Desmond runs off.


The next day soon sets upon the town of Red Hawk and people are out and about everywhere looking at the mess off the motel, the park and some are standing in front of a shop with TVs and they are reporting about last night, but the biggest crowd is at Hal's as the MRD had just entered and woman with short black hair and in bullet proof army with blue clothes underneath walks up to Hal who is standing between her and the regulars from last night and Dawn.....but Drew isn't around. The lady introduces herself.

Sylvius: "My name is Commander Sylvius and I'm looking for Mister Rolland, please turn him over for all of your safety" Hal snaps back in anger.

Hal: "From what? so what if he is a mutant, he didn't cause any trouble you people attacked him!!!" Dawn nods agreeing with Hal and says.

Dawn: "He saved me from getting killed last night!!!!!" everyone from last night is yelling at once and one of Sylvius's men yells.

MRD Officer 3: "Shut the fuck up all of you, we are doing you favor!!!!" Marcos steps up and yells at the officer.

Marcos: "No your doing yourselves a favor whatever your deal with mutants is has nothing to do with us, leave Desmond alone!" the men pushes Marcos to attempt to push him over. 

MRD Officer 3: "Sit down!!!!" Marcos keeps his balance and pushes back.

Marcos: "Back off!!!!" he yelled at the man, the officer gets mad and tries to wrestle with Marcos with one arm and Marcos and the others are trying to get him off and Sylvius is trying to stop her own men but in the middle of the struggle the guard's finger slips and his gun goes off, everyone backs off and Sylvius yells.

Sylvius: "No one move....is everyone ok?" nothing seems to be a miss until Hal speaks Marcos's name with shock and fear and everyone looks and sees his chest is bleeding.....Marcos falls to the floor and Angie kneels crying and begging him to stay awake, Sylvius orders for a medit but the shot soon zooms out and pans to Desmond on a rooftop with his hood up and just saw all of that......Marcos was gonna be a dad......now he was dead defending him......as tears fall down his face he sees Drew in the crowd and running away after Marcos was shot....wait why was Drew not in there......No........No no no no, a repeat of no's ran through his head as he started moving from building to building and soon leaps down into ally and waits a few seconds and then charges out going forward and as he knew Drew was tunnel visioned and ended up being tackled by Des into a shop that closed down, as Drew flew through the door Desmond stepped in and started walking towards him.


Drew starts moving back in fear and he says.

Drew: "Desmond please please don't..." as he moves further into the dark boarded up shop and Desmond speaks sounding upset by his betrayal.

Desmond: "Please....Drew.....tell me it wasn't you....." Drew says stuttering and scared replies.

Drew: "A.......A mutant took my daughter from me......she was only 5......." Desmond looks up in anger.

Desmond: "So that just makes me bad?! like I'd take Dawn or Hal OR MARCOS!!!!!" he grabs Drew and throws him into some shelves and Drew backs up to a wall.

Drew: "Des please you have to understand-" before he can finish Demsond says "No I don't!!!!!" he arm morphs and he raises his arm and Drew guards himself with his arms and yells, all he hears is a whoosh noise and peeks and.....he's gone. Soon a line of mist enters a board meeting room and a red hair woman in a black jacket and yellow lines making a X on the said zipped up jacket and Desmond are manifested from the said mist and the young mutant jerks away and looks ready to fight.

Desmond: "What the hell just happened? who are you?" he then hears a calm voice say.

Beast: "Please calm yourself young man....we are like you and we brought you here as I think we can help each other" Desmond's eyes land on a blue animal man in a suit and glasses. Desmond looks up and down at the animal man and says.

Desmond: "Ok now I've seen everything.....who are you?" the animal man holds his hand out.

Beast: "My name is Dr. Hank McCoy but hear at the X-League I'm called Beast" he holds his hand out to shake "Pleased to meet you Desmond" Desmond stares at the extended hand and isn't sure if he can trust this guy, what was he here for? what does he mean help each other? let's just say Desmond's life isn't gonna be settling down any time soon.

End of Chapter 1