Elemental Feelings
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DISCLAIMER: I do not own any Marvel Properties! This is pure Fan Fiction, and is not intended as a violation of the appropriate Laws. I only lay claim to the OC's I have made.
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Chapter 06: Unwanted Attentions
At the Xavier Institute
I stood just inside the doorway, as Lance explained what had happened. I'm glad that he was basically honest. This makes it so much easier to conceal the truth. Oh my Goddess! I am in so far over my head for this, this BOY, that I'm HIDING even being seen with him! I walk into the Mansion, raising my mental shields, to avoid problems with either Jean, or the Professor. Neither one would understand the truth.
Maybe I should just tutor him in academics. This subtle flirting is driving me crazy. He IS of legal age, but I am NINE YEARS older! It's inappropriate. I need a man, and Lance Alvers is the only one to give me romantic attentions. I wonder if those attentions are truly unwanted, or am I lying to myself now, too?
Walking inside, I see Hank coming to see what Logan was yelling about. I sit heavily in a cushy chair, and try to hold in my tears! The hurt from the racist. The need of my heart. The need to let poor Lance go, instead of being selfish! It's all just a tangled ball of PAIN!
I know that Hank wants to help, but I really need to just be left alone for a few minutes to get myself together. I didn't notice Logan intercept Hank, but I did hear Logan give Hank the same story that Lance told him. At this point, the Professor wheeled in, looking concerned. I redoubled my efforts to keep up my mental shields.
As the three of them gently come to me, I really, really just want to be left alone, but I know that I need to confirm Lance's story, before I can get any peace. Looking up at them, I begin.
"I was at a nightclub. I need to get out, and mingle with people my own age. To dance. When I sat down, I saw Lance Alvers had gotten in. We spoke. Then a drunken racist began spouting things at me! He implied that I should 'get a room' with LANCE! Then this disgusting BIGOTED DRUNKARD called me the N-Word! He actually used the N-Word!"
I was shaking with remembered RAGE!
I could see their reactions. The Professor looked personally offended. He would, with such a sensitive soul. Hank looked angry and mortified at the same time. Logan clearly wanted to hunt down the bigot…
I continued "Before I knew it...Lance Alvers was pounding the racist! He FORCED an apology out of him, and Goddess help me, I was GLAD! If Avalanche had not beaten him, then held me back….Charles…"
I really was in danger of sobbing right there, but took a moment to hold it together, to finish.
"Charles, I actually would have used my deadly lightning upon an unarmed man, in a crowded room! I WANTED too! Only Lance Alvers held me back. At this point, I don't CARE why he was there, I'm just thankful that he was..."
Then I broke down…
Later, Back At The Brotherhood House
I am a dead man. Soon or later, Baldy is going to figure out that I couldn't have gotten in without help. When he figures that out, it's a really short step to figure out what weather witch got him in. Five minutes later, after Baldy tells Wolverine, it'll be my blood all over the ground. Five very long, painful minutes…
I get up, and get ready for another day at work. At least I got some food with Ororo last night. I get another coffee, and roll. It's not healthy, and it's going through my money like crazy, but I have to eat.
I get to work, and see that one of the workers looks kinda familiar. I don't know why, though. I shrug it off, and just work. At lunchtime, I just rest, since I don't have the money for the extravagance of FOOD at lunchtime. That's when a HUGE shadow loomed over me from behind. Oh crap…
The voice was NOT menacing, threatening, or cold. It was just a question "Hey, kid. Did you really beat that guy up for using the N-Word at the Lady you were with?"
I answered carefully, but honestly "Yeah."
I slowly turned around, so I could see him. Slowly so that I wasn't looking like I was going to fight.
I saw this HUGE African-American! He was so big, that he could probably lift Blob! His muscles, muscles had muscles! If he wanted to, this guy could probably kill Sabretooth by ripping his head off! I don't think that Sabes could regenerate THAT!
He looked down at me, and smiled. I was very, very grateful that it was a friendly smile.
He held out one massive hand "James Parkman, First Shift. You?"
I gave my name and shift. He looked at ease with me.
"Are you on a diet, kid?"
I shrugged. I did NOT want a hand-out from anyone. I will EARN what I have, even if the earning is something sneaky, and/or illegal. That I put effort into it, is what makes me have earned it.
I am not sure that understood the expression that I wore. Maybe he just didn't care. He held out a sandwich. If I didn't handle this just right, I was a dead man.
I shook my head 'No', and said "No, thank you, Mr. Parkman. I only take what I earn. And I did NOT earn that sandwich. If I take that, then I violate my own Honor. I beat that racist, bigoted sonuva bitch for my own satisfaction."
Mr. Parkman looked surprised, but nodded. He turned and left, but had a smile on his face. Whatever. As long as I survived with my sense of self-respect intact, I'd be OK. So far, so good.
Five minutes later, I vaguely recalled seeing him at the nightclub, checking out Ororo. Great. Just freakin great!I bet that he'll want to seem to be my friend. My mentor, even. All to get a hook into Ororo. I'll bury the guy five hundred feet straight down first…
Meanwhile, at Xavier's Institute
In the morning, Professor asked if I wanted time off for today. I smiled but declined. I needed something to do. It was a Friday morning. I could NOT just sulk in my room, and with school out for the summer, I could not leave poor Hank to deal with the children nearly alone. I say nearly because Logan is hardly going to be useful for anything beyond discipline or combat training. The Professor is wonderful with academics, but he doesn't quite keep up with the teenagers. Being in a wheelchair must be a true burden!
I needed to head off trouble in the form of Kitty, wanting to get back together with Lance.
I spoke quickly and quietly to Scott. "We do not want Kitty being pulled back into Lance's influence. Scott? Do you have any reason to believe that Lance would have taken advantage of the racist, to seem heroic to Kitty?"
He understood completely, even as I lied to him, by omitting that Lance was in the nightclub because of me.
Breakfast was interesting. I could tell that many of them felt sorry for me. I do not like that. Worse was the nearly solid sense of curiosity from Kitty. I do NOT want her going back to him. They are NOT right for each other.
During a lull in the coversation, Kitty asked "So what is going on with Lance?"
I answered "I am scheduled to tutor Lance, so that he may Graduate High School. However, I have had time to think about the events, and the circumstances surround the events. How did he get into nightclub? Don't they serve alcoholic drinks there? Professor, I must say, that while I am trying hard to believe in his better nature, that before I tutor him, I am going to insist that he be sober. If I smell ANY alcohol upon his person, I shall drop him immediately!"
Logan spoke up saying "He didn't smell like alcolhol to ME. Yes, I checked."
The others weren't quite done with deterring Kitty, yet.
Jean firmly told her "Before you decide that you will see if he is available, Lance was still in a nightclub. In addition, Kitty, you have had good reasons to break up with him."
Scott was all for trashing Lance. He did. After ten minutes, I would have almost believed that Lance DID kill and eat his own parents. Scott is VERY convincing. Only I, and Scott, know that this a deliberate effort to discredit poor Lance. I had to keep my mental shields up all during breakfast, to avoid being found out! Goddess forgive me!
Part of me wanted to kill Scott for trashing poor Lance, and another part wanted to thank him for keeping Kitty away from him.
Kitty left the room, much like one of those movie zombies. Moving, but empty. May the Goddess forgive me. What have I done? It's too late to call her back, and tell her the truth about Lance. What could I say without admitting to my own very human weakness. My lonely soul.
Back At The Brotherhood House
I got in at the usual time after work, and was grateful for a night off. No Ororo to make my desires run wild. No perfectly beautiful Lady to bewitch me with a look. Just the idiots that I call my brothers of the Brotherhood.
It's started already. Todd is hexed passed me, and into the wall. Wanda is looking...scary. I back out, slowly, with my hands up in front of me in a gesture of 'Don't Shoot'. Wanda seems to not notice me at all, as she stomps up the stairs to her room. I look inside again after she left.
She is gone, and Todd is still breathing. He's even moving, so I am hopeful that he'll be OK. Fred is wisely hiding behind the couch. After getting inside, I take a cold shower. After a hot, sweaty summers day of working in manual labor, I must have been a good match for Todd.
I go back down to talk to Todd. I soon wish that I had stayed upstairs and smelly. Wanda is there, at the table. She is wearing little more than lingerie. I turn around before she has a chance to spot me, and I am SO grateful for Fred keeping her attention.
I could hear her asking Fred what he knows of my suddenly 'clean' appearance, and who I am with...Thank God that I have NEVER been stupid enough to tell anyone about Ororo. I sneak out my window, and I realize that if she hears me escaping, I'm a dead man. So I put my jeep into neutral.
Pushing it silently, I am all the way to the second intersection, about half a mile from the Brotherhood house before I am too tired to push any further. Starting the jeep from here is too risky, and I wait in the jeep to rest for a few minutes. Then I push it silently for another quarter mile. I rest, and repeat.
I started the jeep about a mile and a half away from home. She'd have to to be Wolverine to hear it now! Driving away, I realize that I have no where to go. I also have no money, as I spent it all on food for the Brotherhood.
I settle on the Bluffs above town. It occurs to me that having a secret hideout is a FABULOUS idea. I set to work making a cave big enough for my jeep. I can expand it later.
As soon as I am done, my Tracfone rings. I check the number to see who it is. Thankfully it is NOT Wanda. It's Ororo's number, so I answer it.
I hear Ororo's VERY welcome voice "Lance? Are you alright?"
I answer her "Yes, Ororo. I'm fine. For now. Wanda was waiting for me, after my post-workday shower. She was dressed in lingerie, and not much more. She was asking Fred who I was dating. I do NOT think that my paranoia was unreasonable."
Ororo asked "Is anybody hurt?"
I answered her "No, Ororo. Nobody was hurt. I just needed to make a cave to sleep in for the night. Until I get this resolved, I can't sleep back in the Brotherhood house. Wanda might try something while I sleep…"
Ororo surprised me by saying "Can you meet me at the Bayville's Best Motel?"
Fourteen minutes later I was at the motel, and happy to see Ororo waiting for me.