Professor Xavier's school of Higher Learning

When I woke up it was on one of those narrow hospital beds that don't belong in a school nurses' office. The room was dark, and occupied by a second empty hospital cot. I was feverish and sweaty and cramped since the cot was so small. I could hear the other people in the adjacent room. One nurse was typing on a type writer, another treating a student who seemed to have a rogue sickness. Either way, I was stuck in a place I didn't want to be. I began to get a banging headache; the shadows started closing in…

I turned my head only to swallow my tongue.

There sitting next to me was the guy who could do nothing but sit next to me: Professor Xavier. He was looking at me the only way a "compassionate" man in a wheelchair can look at a kid who had just crashed his sop speech.

"Hello, Lance Dapperville."

This time his lips did move but it wasn't any less disturbing that he knew my name.

"You probably are wondering how I know your name."

I didn't speak or nod.

"I try to promote the most awareness of violence, between mutants and humans, in schools that are prone to have mutants attending them."

I frowned at him, but he didn't continue. "Well? Go on. I know you can read my mind."

"I believe you misunderstood me in the auditorium. I don't read anyone's mind without their permission. I didn't have to read your mind to know your name. There is a mutant that currently attends my school who knows the identities of all possible mutants."

"And my name just happened to pop into the muttie's head."

"Not quite like that; but, yes, your name did appear."

Several moments of silence passed between us. It wasn't awkward, just a thoughtful silence. I took that time to take a closer look at the Professor.

He was in a wheelchair, as I'd already mentioned. He was also bald. Not the bald of hair loss, but the bald of o biker dude. He had a kind expression but one of those faces that didn't have to shift an inch without letting you know just how murderous they were.

And then it occurred to me exactly what info had passed between us.

"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!! I'M NO MUTANT!! I THINK YOU BROKE MORE THAN YOUR SPINE, OLD MAN!!! ONLY A SICOPHANTIC, MUTANT LOVING BASTARD LIKE YOU WOULD WANT TO COME IN HERE AND RUIN A KID'S LIFE!! JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE IN A WHEELCHAIR DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO BRING EVERYONE ELSE DOWN TO YOUR LEVEL!! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!!!"

I didn't find out if he'd taken my advice or not. Right after my last words the dark closed in fast and I was out like a light.

The next time I woke up I was in the hospital. I couldn't see anything, but by the whir and beep I knew I wasn't in the school cafeteria. I heard the deep breathing of a sleeping person. Possibly the nurse, possibly my mother. That knowledge didn't stand a chance against the fact of what Professor Xavier had told me.

I was a mutant and he'd come to take me to whatever hole mutants went to. One thing the Professor didn't mention was what my powers exactly were. I still didn't know if I believed him or not. What I didn't want to happen was that I'd walk around believing I wasn't a mutant and kill someone in the process.

I croaked something that was supposed to be a 'hey'. The light clicked on and was surprised to find that it was my sister in the room with me.

"Hey." Valerie said, "You've been out forever. Mom thought you'd never wake up, but I knew better than that."

"Where's mom?" I was able to get out."

"At work. We've been taking shifts so that you wouldn't have to wake up alone. I'm staying here tonight since mom got the graveyard shift. She couldn't take off of work any longer."

"How long was I asleep?"

Valerie shifted to a seat closer to the bed. I saw that the one she had been sitting in was actually a roll out couch. Valerie had that look on her face when she knew I wouldn't like what she was about to say.

"Lance, Prof---,"

"Don't even mention that bastard. If he's told you anything, don't believe it."

"Lance, listen to me for once. Professor X knows more about you than you know about yourself. When you fell into a coma---,"

"A coma?"

"Yeah. A coma. Professor X said you might not believe you were---," she hesitated, "…what you are, but if you don't go to his school you can die."

"So, what did he do? Just walk up to mom and said, 'your son is a mutant.'"

"What did you expect him to do? You've been in a coma for nine weeks?"

My heart was beating so fast it hurt. I couldn't believe what my sister said. That she and my mom believe the Professor was unthinkable. I hated the man. He was the cause of all my ruin and he would probably be the footnote of my life. Like hell I'd die front not attending his institution. He probably gets tax deductibles from all the students that are locked up there.

I told my sister so.

"Don't be such a jerk-off, Lance. Professor X wouldn't waste his time on you if he didn't think you were worth it."

"That's the thing," I replied, "I probably am worth it. Worth the effort in tax dollars. I'm not going to be some muttie's meal ticket. Professor X can go to hell in a hand basket for all I care."

Valerie stood from her chair, exasperated, "you're an idiot, Lance. You've always been one. How do you not understand that you're not the only one at risk here? Every moment someone is near you you're a danger to them too. It's not just to you. Professor X said he doesn't know what your power is. Until then…it'd be stupid not to go to his school."

"What's his school called anyways?"

"Professor Xavier's School of Higher Learning. The mutants that go there call it Mutant High."

"How do you know?"

"I went there to check it out. How else would I know all that I do?"

I let the argument drop. I wasn't going anywhere as far as I was concerned.

"Just so that you know, you're not coming back to the house without going to Professor X's school."

"Who gave you that authority, Hitler?"

"Mother did; and she told me to tell you that she loves you very much, and that she'll miss you."

Now that was the end of the argument.

My mother always said that she brought us into this world and she could take us out even quicker. I knew she couldn't do any less with the way she made hell break loose when she was angry. She was a single mother. The law was on her side and who could blame her if she went rampage? Blame it on the kids. A hardworking woman shouldn't have to stress over the actions of her delinquents. Send them to where she wants to be sent: send to them to Nick's place? Send them to Nick. Send them to mutant high? Send them to Xavier's School of Higher Learning.

But, that wouldn't be life if it worked out that easy now would it?

First, we have to let the whole world know that my family was removing me from mainstream society. For some odd reason, unbeknownst by me, my mom had to pull my school records. My medical records were pulled; any criminal or misdemeanor reports I had? Went straight to Professor Xavier's desk.

And, as wont with all children being uprooted, people get curious. The teachers asked too many questions for their career. The neighbors started asking questions that, if we were the mob, they'd be dead by now.

Somewhere in the whole process my mom contacted my estranged father. What a surprise. What more of a surprise was that he went on about how he wanted to sell me to the government for a bundle of money and dust.

That didn't appear to sit well with Professor Xavier. In fact, he thought it grounds for an all out mutant war.

But, that would be spoiling everything for you, now wouldn't it?