Chapter 6 – Persecution
Professor Xavier wheeled through the swiftly emptying hallways of Bayville high. The chatter of voices and minds around him he was oblivious to, his sole train of thought resting with his two new pupils that waited in the principal's office. He felt regret; after Principal Kelly had resigned to run for mayoral office, the professor had hoped someone would take the job who would be merciful and understanding to mutants. Unfortunately, his replacement was little better. He cared not to think about what his students might have heard from him before they had arrived.
Scott and Jean strode behind him, ignoring the pointed stares and jeers coming from former classmates. Xavier was proud of them, being so calm amongst the hatred of those who had once been their friends.
They entered the principal's office, just as bare and strict as it had been when Raven Darkholme a.k.a. Mystique, the former leader of the Brotherhood, worked there. The principal, tall and balding on the top, was standing behind his desk and staring impatiently at the door. His eyebrows arched with distaste when the rescue party entered. The professor saw his students, David and Inara, huddled in chairs in the corner. The five teenagers that the two had supposedly been torturing were nowhere in the room. The professor maintained a calm composure.
Scott and Jean however, stared at the younger teens with shock and pity and, most of all, anger. Inara's shapely caramel-skinned face was marred by a nasty bruise that spread to a black eye, the left side of her face and the eye were swollen, the lid almost shut. David was little better. He was bending over in his seat, one hand cradling his ribcage, and his face was also bruised with a split lip. Worse, his eyes looked vacant without emotion of any kind, and he would shiver every so often. Scott fought the urge to go and beat the stuffing out of whoever had done this to these kids. He had been acquainted with both Inara and David before today. Both seemed pleasant and intelligent, and that they should be treated like this set his blood boiling. Jean grasped his hand and gave it a warning squeeze.
The professor moved forward as the principal sat in his chair, his fingers laced.
"You were asked here on a matter of discipline for two of your students, as you are aware."
"I am aware of this." Xavier answered calmly. "However, you have only mentioned discipline. You have said nothing of consolation or of restitution."
The principal glared openly. The professor was glad he hadn't brought Logan. The feral man would surely have sliced the disgusted look off the principal's face in two seconds flat.
"Consolation and restitution? As I understand it, your students were the ones that were using illicit powers to torment five normal teens. I see only the need to address discipline and punishment."
Xavier felt anger for a moment. "First, I do not appreciate the term 'normal'. Inara and David are both good and talented young people, and excluding them for any reason is discrimination. Second, I trust that you are basing your accusations on both sides of this story?"
"I witnessed it with my own eyes. The boy used his mutant powers to drive the other students wild, and I saw evidence of the girl's powers nearby."
"And the other students have no warrant for inquiry? From what I can see, your opinion is based solely on the piece you saw, and the word of the five involved. I would like to hear my own students explain themselves before anything else."
The principal leaned back in his chair, his lip curled, but he didn't protest. Xavier moved towards the mutant teens.
"Now, David, Inara, what is your side to this tale?" The two teens explained honestly, of how Inara had been accosted, when she had been punched her powers got away from her, how David had intervened, and how the resulting fight had caused David to project his errotic empathy unintentionally. The principal's face never changed, but the professor nodded in acknowledgement. He turned to the principal.
"That is your situation. All the evidence stands as you saw it."
The man's expression grew even uglier if that was possible. "No one can vouch for this story, and even if it is true, there is still the matter of reparation for the mental assault on the five students. The parents of the five are threatening to press charges, and I wouldn't blame them if they did."
The professor sighed. He just wasn't getting through to this narrow-minded man. He turned to Scott and Jean.
"You two take David and Inara back to the Institute. Ororo is outside and will join me when you leave. These two need to rest, and I might be here for a while."
Scott and Jean nodded, and the high schoolers rose from their chairs. The principal opened his mouth to protest, but Xavier cut him off.
"You have no grounds to keep my students unless the other five involved are brought in as well. In fact, this kind of persecution would be considered unlawful, only retaining certain people who might be of guilty party. Also, forcing these two to remain here without even some medical treatment is inhuman and cruel, and if it happens again I will take action."
The principal shut his mouth. Though he detested any mutant, a wealthy one was not someone to become involved in a legal battle with.
That said, Scott and Jean herded David and Inara outside. Storm passed them, throwing tender looks at the injured teens. A flicker of fury appeared in her electric blue eyes as she entered the building. Soon, Scott's convertible was swinging out of the campus parking lot and back toward the mansion.
XXXXXX
The news of the issue had spread all over the institute by the time the four reached the mansion. David and Inara had been held back, so all the high schoolers had known of their absence. Irate comments and angry conversations were everywhere, declaring the innocence of their teammates and the injustice of their persecution. When they arrived, the student body crowded them. Yells of fury and defiance mixed with comments of sympathy as they all saw the state that David and Inara were in. The injured duo was swiftly ushered downstairs to the infirmary so Mr. McCoy could patch them up. Before an hour had passed, David and Inara were the heroic martyrs of the institute. Logan was in the Danger Room, cooling off so he didn't leave to wreak havoc on the high school. Despite his prickly nature, he cared deeply for all his trainees, and to see some of them abused as they were needed a level ten training simulation to burn off the violence and expletives that were pouring from him.
Several hours later, the professor and Storm returned. They looked tired and frustrated. The students, new and old, gathered to hear what had befallen.
Xavier held up his hands for quiet, and the noise was immediately smothered. "Thank you. I know you are all waiting to hear what happened. We did the best we could, and we must be content."
The kids all exchanged looks. That didn't sound cheerful.
"The parents of the human students, and the principal as well, pushed to have Inara and David expelled. It was prevented, but both will have suspension for a month and probation for another two."
Cries and shouts rang out, the mood growing considerably darker.
"That is in no way fair," shrieked Tabitha. "Those boneheads attacked first, why are our two getting the heavy punishment?"
"What punishment did the humans get?" Kitty called from the back.
"The humans get a week of detention," replied Storm.
Almost in complete unison, the whole crowd thundered. "WHAT? THAT'S IT?"
The professor called for silence again, but the furious rants drowned his attempts to stem them. At last, he sent a telepathic hush and all were quiet.
"I know that it is injust, but that is all they were willing to enforce. We must accept that these kinds of situations will arise, and not all will be dealt with fairly. For now, let us be grateful they weren't expelled." He turned to Inara and David, who were hovering on the edge of the crowd looking crestfallen. "You two will take classes here during your suspension. Don't worry, things will eventually work out for the better."
The mob broke apart, the smaller groups still muttering darkly.
XXXXXX
A week later, Nikolai, Bridget, and Dalaja walked the hallways of the school talking. The mutants now all walked in groups of three or more to prevent similar incidents to the previous day. Over the few days they had known each other, the three had become unlikely friends. They were a rather odd sight: the towering older Russian walking beside the small girls, but they ignored any stares or comments. They of course were discussing the previous week's fiasco.
"I still can't believe that those meatheads got off practically scot-free." Bridget snorted with derision.
"I know that the school would have to enforce something for our friends using their powers, but you are right," agreed Nikolai solemnly. "It was not right to give them such harsh punishment for an accident."
Dalaja's startling eyes glinted fiercly like chips of ice. "You heard the professor. Even that discipline was not enough for them. They wanted our teammates gone for good. I am sure they desire the same for all of us, no matter if we are innocent." Her clipped tone combined with her lack of contractions made the normally kindly girl sound cold and vengeful.
Nikolai pushed the front doors of the school open. Yet another day of torment had passed, and all were relieved that it was over at last. What they saw when exiting the building pulled them up short, mouths hanging.
The X-van had been vandalized. It was still intact, thanks to its purpose of transportation in battle situations, but the windows had been smashed in and the tires were deflated. Spray paint covered it, spelling out mutant-hating slurs. Trash had been stuffed through the cracks in the windows along with tree branches.
The rest of the Institute kids emerged from the building, also stopping and gaping at the damage. Cruel laughs from the other students pounded in their ears. Kitty and Kurt were shocked, and everyone else was on the brink of committing serious manslaughter.
Kitty strode down the steps, ignoring the insults. "C'mon everyone. We'll just like walk home." The others followed her, shooting death glares into the mob around them. The humans screamed rude words and threats at them all.
"You have no place here. Get out and don't come back!"
"You're nothing but mistakes. If you have decency, go jump of a cliff."
"Freaks!"
"Mutant trash!"
Bridget suddenly cried out as someone threw a cup of scalding coffee into her face, stinging her eyes. The girl who had done it laughed and shoved her. The little blonde stumbled into Dalaja, knocking them both over. When her eyes opened again, they were blank. The girl who had pushed her immediately adopted a vacant expression for an instant, then suddenly seized her head, her piercing shriek ripping the air.
Dalaja and Nikolai bent over their friend as pandemoniam broke out around them. The human teens went wild, half of them running for their lives and the other half lunging forward at the mutants. Kurt and Kitty gathered the group together as fist fights broke out, yells cracking what had been a peaceful afternoon atmosphere.
"Bridget? Bridget, it's Dala, can you hear me?" She shook her friend, but her eyes were still blank. The girl that had attacked her rolled on the ground, as if she were in the throes of a seizure. Her eyes were rolled back showing only whites, and her screams still tore the air. "Bridget, please stop!"
Bridget could hear her friend and was desperately trying to pull out of the girl's mind. She was in the darkest corner of her mind, shrinking away from the spectral serpent that haunted the girl's thoughts; her greatest fear. Dark and foggy landscape were everywhere except for one shaft of light far away, from which she could hear Dalaja's voice. Her psyche struggled to free itself of the fear that had attracted it in the first place. It was strange; a ghostly strand of light ran from her mental self to the snake, connecting herself to it. She couldn't leave as long as that connection was there. She concentrated until it hurt, attempting to break the bond. The cord of light snapped just as the snake lunged for her, Bridget dodging it and careening toward the exit in the girl's mind. She ran down a misty corridor, with blackness on either side. Openings, like windows, flashed by. The pictures and images within them were thoughts, memories, all the contents of a mind. The light surrounded her as she lunged for escape.
Bridget's eyes snapped back into focus. She could hear cries as she sat bolt upright, Nikolai and Dalaja on either side of her. What met her sight was terrible. Her fellow mutants were fighting desperately, restraining their powers, as the human teens surged around them. She had only been out for a few moments, but her friends were already showing injuries: black eyes, bloody or broken noses, split lips, even red marks of fingernails scarring arms and faces.
Her two friends pulled her to her feet as she prepared to jump into the fray as well, but her head was laced in pain and she sank to the ground again. Without warning, a voice, immeasurably beautiful, rolled over them like warm ocean waves. Bridget and the other Xavier kids turned as their assailants let their arms fall to their sides, smiles beginning to replace the murderous expressions of a few moments before. A group of about eight or nine people moved toward them. A tall figure dashed forward to catch Kitty as she staggered, a welt growing on her head.
"Kitty? Are you ok?" The anxious voice of Avalanch stirred the mutants from their painful stupors. The Brotherhood approached them. The X-men were taken aback to see three new faces that they had never seen before among them. The one at the rear was still chanting in a hauntingly melodic voice.
Lance looked up from the brunette. "C'mon. Morpheus can keep them distracted while we get out of here. Can you erase their memories?" he turned to the handsome boy behind him, who paused in his chanting for a moment to respond.
"They won't remember what happened, but I can't replace memories or get rid of the evidence. We'll just have to hope they stay dumb and don't put two and two together."
Lance turned back to the group. "Hope you guys can walk since we didn't bring the jeep."
Dalaja called out. "Bridget cannot stand. Her powers got away from her."
Bridget attempted to protest and tell them she could walk, but before she could one of the new guys, a tall and dark one, stepped in among them and lifted her easily. She fought the urge to squeak, one because she didn't know this guy and he intimidated her more than a little, two she could feel the well-toned muscles in his arms and lean torso. Bridget had to admit, it was nice in this strange boy's arms.
"I shall take the fetita." His voice, though not as stunning as the other boy's, was certainly intriguing. She tried to remember the accent, she knew she had heard it recently. Bridget gave herself a mental slap. "Of course, he reminds me of Tsarina. He must be pure Romanian since his accent is even heavier than hers."
Kurt seemed extremely wary of leaving Bridget with the Romanian, but as he fully took in their situation he decided that it was the more ideal option. A few other kids didn't look fit for a lengthy walk and would need help. He turned to Lance. "So, vhere are we going?"
"Back to our place, there's no way I'm walking all the way to your mansion. It's all the way across Bayville." Kurt nodded and went to help the hurt teenagers, ready to teleport them to the Brotherhood boarding house.
Without another word, Emilian turned with Bridget in his arms toward the wall of the school and walked forward confidently. She was about to ask what he was doing when the shadows swallowed her. It felt like she was being sucked down a drain at high speed. The girl trembled at the blast of frigid air around her before the blackness receded, and they were in a shabby living room with beat-up furniture. Bridget gasped as she tried to recover from the shock of the new and rather unpleasant sensation.
There was complete silence as Emilian just stood there, still holding Bridget. She didn't dare to move, feeling guilty knowing she didn't want to be put down. But his skin felt cold beneath his shirt and she shivered. His dark eyes flicked down to her and he gently settled her on her feet. Bridget blushed.
"Uhh, thanks. That was, um, interesting." She tucked a strand of golden hair behind her ear. He however, just stood back without acknowledging her shyness.
"Esti bine venit." He didn't look at her, instead letting his eyes roam the room, his face not betraying a scrap of thought.
Bridget once again attempted to start a conversation. "So, I could tell Kurt and Kitty didn't recognize you. When did you arrive here?"
He responded uninterestedly, still not meeting her eyes. "Four days ago. Call it for conveniences sake." Nothing else. Bridget was sincerely grateful when there came a familiar bamf as Kurt appeared, supporting Jubilee and Lyle. She greeted them and they sat down to wait as Kurt ported back to help the others. Within ten minutes everyone, Brotherhood and X-men, were crammed into the living space of the boarding house. The Brotherhood were surprised at the amount of people the X-men had acquired and knew there were even more that weren't here.
"So…what now?" Inquired Bobby as he nursed a swollen finger.
Wanda spoke. "Just wait, and I'm sure your fearless leader will be here to get you soon enough. I'm sure you all have some kind of tracking devices on you or something." On cue, a small object on each of Kurt's and Kitty's belts began beeping softly.
No one looked comfortable, except Pyro, who glanced around while whistling Dixie and reached into his pocket for a lighter. He sat down in the middle of the space and set light to a pillow, using the flame to begin making shadow puppets on the wall, oblivious to the disbelieving and concerned looks from all around him. There was silence until Lyle shrugged, plopped down next to him and began making shapes from the flames. Pyro laughed with delight and soon both were playing contentedly with the fiery orange tongues.
The ice was broken. Kitty went to Lance and began to talk. Tabby joined Freddy and Toad, dragging Amara with her. Morpheus leaned on the doorframe flirting shamelessly with the girls, Zenia at his shoulder as she gave him a reproving look.
Kurt turned to Pietro. "Vhy did you help us? I didn't think you liked us in zhe slightest."
"Who says we do? We detest you X-geeks, but we'd rather side with you than any of those others." His sapphire eyes narrowed and Kurt saw the ghost of Pietro's father, the infamous Master of Magnetism, on the white haired boy's face.
They held reserved conversations until Logan and Scott arrived in the other X-van to pick them up. The X-men said unsure thanks to the Brotherhood, and then left for home.
On arriving they were all ushered into the war room to be debriefed on the afternoon's catastrophic events. Upon hearing the tale, the professor looked wearily at all his students.
"I applaud how you all showed restraint in not using your powers, but I cannot deny that what has happened could have dire consequences. Let us hope that this will remain a mystery for the present. It is interesting to hear this news of the Brotherhood's newest acquisitions. What were the nature of their mutations?"
Kitty answered him. "Well, the guy Morpheus seemed to have some sort of like hypnotic thing, the girl Zenia we aren't sure about since I didn't see her use her power, and the tall Romanian guy could like walk through the shadows and teleport like Kurt." The professor nodded.
"That particular ability is called Umbrakinesis, the ability to manipulate and travel through the shadows. It's a very mysterious power and not one I'm very familiar with. I can use Cerebro to determine the girl's power, if she uses it. Hmm, well, let us hope that the new members will not mean trouble to come. From what has occurred today, it will be the last thing we need."
XXXXXX
"No!"
The despairing cry rang through the mansion, the residents throwing open doors to see what the commotion was about. They thundered down the stairs towards the living room from where the voice had come.
Three days had passed since the incident and they were all beginning to relax, believing that this time Lady Luck was on their side. When they arrived in the living room though, all those hopes were dashed.
Peyton was standing rigid, her normally mischievous face ashen gray and stricken, staring at the widescreen television. The news was on, and playing in the grainy feed of a security tape was the whole mess. Mauling teenagers swarmed on the school lawn, the yells silenced since the security cameras had no audio. At the center, the news network had been kind enough to highlight the cluster of mutants. They had even circled the screaming girl as Dread's powers afflicted her. The students all sank into seats as the news anchor came back on screen.
"From the video tape, the fight was triggered by a disturbance here." The woman rewound the tape and indicated a knot of movement near the back, blocked by the black and white figure of Amara. A moment later, a tall brunette with short cropped hair collapsed to the ground holding the sides of her head.
"It is uncertain whether the mutants intended an aggressive outcome. It is also undefined whether the mutants attacked intentionally, but it is certain that the overall fight began as a result of this attack. The human students involved claim to remember nothing of the incident, but are sure that this video tape is an accurate record of accounts. They believe that the loss of memory is also because of mutants. The school board of the Bayville school district and the city council are addressing the issue of arising mutant violence in the tri-state area. A similar event occurred last week at the Bayville mall…"
Bridget dropped her head into her hands as the others continued watching the news reel, the silence a grim press around them. She could feel tears of shame and self loathing welling behind her eyes. Her power was what had brought this on them, her stupid and evil power. She shuddered, the fear of the girl now inside of her. It was just a pale ghost of a fear, but it was there nonetheless, and always would be.
The professor had arrived. The living room now contained all of his students, new and old, and all turned to him with uncertain faces.
"What's going to happen now?" Masato asked. He among the others was one of the calmest. They all clung to his steadfast nature, glad that some of them could be composed.
The professor looked again to the screen and shook his head. "I do not know."