Picasso
By Maiden of the Spear
Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men and their counterparts… I do own any original characters
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!
Chapter One - Trouble
William Tell Everhart stared at his father. The man calmly continued eating his meal from the other end of the long table, ignoring the growing fury that radiated from the blond-haired boy.
"You can't do this to me! It's not my-"
"Enough!" interrupted his father. "I am sick of getting calls from you principal. Almost every day, you get into some kind of trouble, and every time you claim that it is not your fault. Yet the trouble seems to center around you; and I, for one, have had enough, William. If it truly is not your fault, then there should not be a problem. You will not have to deal with those causing the trouble any longer. I agreed to allow you to attend a public school as long as you kept your grades up and stayed out of trouble. Obviously it was a mistake. You will going to a boarding school and that it final."
The boy leapt to his feet, shoving the plate of food away from him. His normally soft brown eyes were hard and full of hurt and anger. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then seemed to change his mind. Whirling around, he fled out the large oak doors of the dining room, ignoring the serving man's cries. He heard his father telling the man to let him go, and then he was gone.
"William, welcome. I am Miss Monroe, and this is Scott Summers."
He looked up to meet the kind, blue eyes of a pretty African-American woman. He noted with a slight frown that she appeared to be in her late twenties - early thirties, but had long, snowy white hair. He then looked at the older teen standing slightly behind her, taking in the chestnut brown hair and red - tinted sunglasses that hid his eyes. A gasp of realization caught in his throat and he took a step back, his tongue flicking out to touch his suddenly dry lips. The woman blinked in surprise at his reaction, then gave a light, delighted laugh.
"Well, your file did say you were a genius. Please do not be afraid, child. Surely you know of your own abilities?"
"Tell," he muttered, finding his voice. The woman arched an eyebrow in confusion.
"Excuse me?" she asked politely.
"Do not call me William. Only my father calls me that. Everyone else calls me 'Tell.' Please," he added at the last minute, remembering his manners. Miss Monroe smiled at him kindly.
"Very well, then, Tell," she said. "Let's go get your bags, shall we?" He fell in step beside the other boy, Scott, and looked up to meet his sideways glance.
"So, your name is William Tell?" Scott asked. Tell scowled, then nodded. "After the archer?" Scott questioned again. "From the old story about the apple on the head?" (A/N: Please don't tell me you've never heard of this story….)
Tell stopped and glared at him, ignoring the push of the enormous crowd that filled the JFK Airport. "If you have to know, my father wasn't always a rich, cold-hearted bastard. He actually liked doing the mundane, everyday thing that normal people do, and his favorite author was Louis L'amour. I'm named for a character in some of his books, whose father named him for the archer. All right?" With that, he spun on his heel and strode toward the luggage claim. He quickly pulled three bags from the belt (A/N: I know this seems like a lot of bags for a guy, but it will be explained…promise!) and dropped them next to his carry - on. Scott silently picked up two suitcases and led them out into the cold, wintery night of New York City.
"Welcome to Xavier's Institute For Higher Learning," Miss Monroe said as they pulled up through a long driveway after the long drive, to stop before an old Victorian mansion. Tell could see that the grounds were well - manicured and vast. He emerged from the van and thrust his hands into his pockets, looking up at the institute. He glanced at Scott, who stopped next to him, but kept quiet. The older boy did as well for a moment, then gestured toward the mansion.
"Don't worry about you things," he said. "Somebody will come get them for you. Come on. The professor wants to meet you."
Tell gave a small noise of acquisition, and followed Scott up the stairs and through the front door. The hallways were well furnished, and displayed a quiet show of wealth. He was led to a study - like room and found himself looking at an older man with bright blue eyes that seemed to reach into his very soul. He stopped in the doorway and met the man's gaze for a long moment, a chill shooting down his spine at the knowing gleam that radiated from him. Then the man smiled, and waved him in.
"Good evening. You must be William. Welcome to my Institute for Higher Learning. I am Professor Xavier."
"Call me Tell," the blond said, somehow put at ease, as he shook the Professor's hand. He perched on the chair before the large oak desk, and looked around. He then looked at Professor Xavier questioningly.
"So…you just go around the country picking up mutant geniuses?" he asked. The professor chuckled, and shook his head. "Actually, we accept any mutant who wishes to come. The children here attend Bayville High, as well as have other classes here, mainly to control their mutations. I understand that you already have a fairly firm grasp on your own, but we also teach self - defense, in the unlikely case that you may need to defend yourself without your power, for some reason or another."
"Friends of Humanity?" Tell questioned dryly. Xavier smiled.
"You are well informed. That is one potential threat, yes. There are other mutants, however, that also pose a threat. They are ones who do not share my dream of mutants and humans living in peace."
Tell thought for a minute, then frowned. "Wait," he said. "We go to the local public school? How the hell did you get my father to let me attend?"
"Your father is an… interesting man," the professor said, choosing his words carefully. "You are obviously not aware of this, but I was good friends with your mother once." He watched as Tell digested this. "Your mother was-"
"A mutant too," Tell said, interrupting him. A look of remembrance flashed across his face. "I remember now. I remember her eyes…" His voice trailed off, and he gave the professor an incredulous look. "He knows?! My father knows about me?"
Professor Xavier nodded. "I extended an invitation to your father for your attendance here at the Institute three years ago, when you turned thirteen. Your father declined, wishing for you to remain close to him. It was only after these recent…occurrences…you've had at school that your father finally agreed to allow you to attend. I don't think he fully realized how much trouble you could cause with your powers."
Tell gave the man a sullen look at the reminder of why he was in Bayville. "They were asking for it," he muttered. The professor laughed again.
"All the more reason for you to attend here," he told the boy. "There are plenty of people who need to realize that they cannot go around harassing others just because they are bigger than them. I can promise, you will get your share of the bullies and more. Particularly at Bayville High. There are a group of mutants known as the Brotherhood who enjoy causing trouble. They are all about your age, and it is generally the older X-men who keep the chaos level down.
"X-Men?" Tell asked.
"It is the name that the children have given to the mutants here at the Institute. They all have codenames as well, and I'm sure you will come up with one for yourself, or someone else will." He studied the blond - haired boy for a moment, then nodded. "Now," he said decisively. "Shall we go meet the rest of the team?"