Thank you to all my reviewers and all their kind words! I'm sure my last chapter was a let down (at least for me). Hopefully this extra long chapter makes up for it!
In the darkness, there was no light.
There was darkness and shadows creeping on the walls. The bedroom held happiness and pain, sorrow and joy. Always was he small and insignificant to the world. Reasons for his existence were unfounded. A young boy sobbed in the corner and desperately tried to wipe his tears away. They spilled from his cheeks relentlessly and he could only ask why he had to be with such emotions. Crouching down a lady with black locks bent to whisper to the youngling.
"Are you alright sugar?" The blond haired boy nodded, he allowed himself to be taken into her arms. She hummed a calming tune softly, urging him to slip into slumber.
Whispering, he told her," Only you… Only you…"
He stood at the bottom of the staircase curled in a fetal position. Jean noticed that he flinched at the slightest touch. She had barely tapped his shoulder and he turned around with a frown. She wanted to rub off the grime her hand had picked up from him but resisted the urge.
"Come upstairs. You need some rest." He shook his head and used his finger to trace a circle into the ground. She guessed his height to be around four feet but she couldn't be sure…
"Bad things…" He whispered softly. Jean bent down to hear what he had to say. Putting a comforting hand on his shoulder she questioned him.
"What bad things?" He looked at her with the blank stare and shivered.
"Find the book, the man who cries and next one person shall die." A chill ran through Jean's spine. She was about to question his statement when he stood up quickly like he had woken from a long dream. She followed him wordlessly hoping he would say something about his prophetic words. She followed him into the kitchen and watched him open the fridge.
"About just now…" She trailed off in a question. The boy continued to rummage through drawers, extracting objects and examining them before placing them back in the drawer.
"Do you hear that?" she strained her ears to see if she could pick up anything. Did he have amplified senses?
"I don't hear-anything…" he had thrown the dinner's leftovers on top of her and had taken a wooden spoon from the drawer to munch on.
"You! Argh!" She cried in frustration and threw her hands in the air. The short boy laughed at her outburst.
"You think it's so funny… Don't you!" The boy nodded, took a couple of egg out and threw them at her too.
"You are so dead!" Noticing this change in attitude the young boy proceeded to run really fast out of the kitchen door. Jean yelled and ran after him while using her telekinesis to lift heavy objects to hit him with. It was then she noticed something strange there was a yellow trench coat on the floor, a dirty white shirt…
His jeans!
"Put your clothes back on!" She picked the garments from the floor and continued her pursuit. Shrieks echoed in the hallway from the female portion of the institute. Loud bangs were heard followed by more screaming causing Jean to use her powers to fly in order to catch up. She spotted Ivan and practically yelled into his ear.
"Where is he?" She asked Spyke who had been gaping at the scene. He stood half on his skateboard with a shocked expression.
"Did you know that he's…?" She cut him off.
"I know!"
"He even pulled out a gun and started firing everywhere!" Jean was shell shocked at this revelation. She was slack jawed and quickly asked if anyone got hurt. Nobody was injured but one thing was for sure… He was getting dangerous…
'Too dangerous…'
He stood staring at the large grand doors with grass handles. Something here was special… It gave him a warm sort of feeling. He pressed his head against the door. It felt nice to be near it… The door swung open as if by leaning on it he had gained secret entrance to a forbidden sanctuary. (The door was a push door…)
Shelves upon shelves housed books of all shapes and sizes, of any colour imaginable! He was in bliss as he knocked the books off with a mere touch of a finger. He pulled a single book off its perch and sniffed it. He hunched over it and fingered it open. He tore a page, then another, and another. He proceeded to rip out all of the pages and scatter them on the floor.
He lay upon the fallen sheets and tossed them into the air laughing wildly. It was like heaven… He felt content unlike ever before surrounded by so many novels. He sat upright and pricked his ears. Something was disturbing the air but was creating no footsteps. Sorcery perhaps? The door was flung open without any human laying hands on it. A furious red-haired woman floated through. She could sense that he was in here…
The blond haired child threw himself at the bookshelf knocking several books off. He began to chuck them at Jean. She yelled and swung her arms out to create a mental shield. His hand left the book to his hostler, only to realize that his pistol was missing. Jean held the weapon in her hands gently and dangled the object just out of reach. He lunged to try and grab it only to feel a painful sensation in his side. He collapsed on the floor in front of her and Jean kept the needle while breathing softly.
"Thank god for the tranquillizer…" She used her telepathy to call Scott.
'I need a towel for the new recruit.'
'What did he do this time?'
'I'll tell you when you get here. It's a long story...' She cradled the young boy in her arms. Part of her wanted to pummel him for all the trouble he had caused, the other half wanted to cure him and help him to grow.
Jean and Scott grabbed at the opportunity to give the filthy individual a bath while he was still unconscious and dressed him in a hospital gown before bringing him back to the lab. Professor Xavier, Jean and Dr. Mc Coy ran tests while he was still asleep to find out more on his mutation and mental state.
"Phenylketonuria…Left untreated, this condition can cause problems with brain development, leading to progressive mental retardation and seizures. However, PKU is one of the few genetic diseases that can be controlled by diet. However, PKU is one of the few genetic diseases that can be controlled by diet. A diet low in phenylalanine and high in tyrosine can bring about a nearly total cure." Hank said as he examined the data on the laptop screen intently.
"If a child is not screened at birth (e.g. in home deliveries), the disease may present clinically with seizures, albinism (excessively fair hair and skin), and a "musty odor" to the baby's sweat and urine. Loss of skin colour and persistent or recurring skin rashes characterized by redness, skin edema, itching and dryness, with possible crusting, flaking, blistering, cracking, oozing, or bleeding. Areas of temporary skin discoloration sometimes characterize healed lesions, though scarring is rare."
"So I assume that he was't treated at birth for the mental illness…" Jean mused as professor Xavier nodded.
"Though it would seem that his mutation has helped him in other areas. His skin heals quicker than those without the X-gene and he does not have eczema. He is malnutritioned which may account for his body size… But I can't quite determine the age though my best guess is that he is in his teen years." Jean printed a copy of the data out and filed it in a beige folder before slotting it into the cabinet.
"I still wonder how it is that he could have survived out in the streets so long without nourishment."
"He digests words it seems though it does something to his mental state. I think its possible for him to eat food but he can live off words alone. Take a look at this gene here." He pointed to the screen.
"Its quite odd…"
"That's because it doesn't exist in most humans. It converts words into energy. Unfortunetly it doesn't have any fat its pure energy. He can die without receiving enough amino acids and protein."
"But he refuses all food given to him!"Jean exclaimed.
"He may have gotten too used to living off words alone… I'll try to speak with him on the subject later. Dr. Mc Coy? Have you managed to concoct an antidote for his illness?" Hank nodded.
"Its untested though and it may have adverse effects on mutants. Especially since his biological system is so unstable." The professor wheeled himself over to the minature lab.
"At this point there's no choice. His illness is becoming worse and worse. Soon we won't be able to help him. His brain damage may become permanent." Hank placed the test tubes in the rack and pushed his glasses up.
"We'll monitor him carefully for the first week after issuing the formula, just to make sure he is able to cope with the mediaction. Hopefully, we'll be able to have a normal conversation with him." The professor turned to Jean.
"I'll monitor him professor." Jean said.
"Thank you Jean."
"Is that all it?" The lady nodded and handed him a box filled with jewels. They stood just outside a mansion in the light of the moon with a couple of boxes and a van parked next to them. The man picked up the cardboard boxes and loaded them into the van.
"The kids are asleep." The man nodded gruffly and picked up the suitcase.
"And what of their parents?" The lady dropped a gun into his hand.
"Dead"