Review Thanks: Thank you Caellach Tiger Eye for reviewing and commenting and all and seeing the summary and reading it and, yea. Bricesquared thank you, too, for reviewing and complimenting the characterization. And, uh, your welcome? I'm glad I'm not predictable, (so far)... And Ariel Sparrow, thank you as well for reviewing. And, sure, you can use Corbeau, you'll find out what her mutant name will be in this chapter. Just, make sure you capture her personality! Thanks Twilight L. Xari for commenting on my story, and telling me about the principal deal. Sorry about that. I hope I won't mess anything else up! Thank you all for complimenting and reviewing so long! That makes me so happy: ) : ) : ) : ) I'm all smiles!
I stood outside the school in the parking lot for some time, considering what I should do next, but, someone else decided for me...
Another Visit
What to do, what to do... hmm... A big dilemma engulfed me. I couldn't choose whether to go back home and rot for the rest of my life there, continuing my self-punishment, or to go back to Xavier's mansion. I was so frustrated with my unsure feelings I smashed the principals car windshield with a branch I found next to a tree. Well, okay, it was partly for revenge, too. And, I don't suggest revenge. Sometime later I had to pay for the damages. It wasn't cheap.
Side note: I thought that I should tell you that Lilian's parents work for Hank McCoy, or, as many people know him, Beast. Well, Lilian told her parents about the principal who told Hank who told some people who had authority to fire her, and, she was! The principal was fired! At least I could rest assured that Lilian didn't get in trouble for something nonsensical. This happened about a month later.
I sat on a curb, gripped my head and thought intently. I squeezed my crown harder, as if it would help. On the contrary, I was focusing on my hands rather than the problem. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I jumped, and, screamed. I should have expected it, what, with the constant surprises I had been recently receiving. I turned around, and my face tightened. I recognized him, how could I forget?
"You look lost," he said.
"If I was lost, I'd be asking for directions," I replied. "And even if I was, I wouldn't ask you."
"I'm not sure you understand what I mean by 'lost'."
"I'm pretty sure I understand. You think that just because I look frustrated that I am either emotionally lost, or lost with my mutation. Apparently, since you're talking to me, you already know I'm a mutant." He smiled a little, which was a relief for me to know that I was right. I actually wasn't sure if I understood, but I acted like it because this guy really made me tick.
He held out his hand, "You're Corbeau Darkholme, correct?"
"Isn't this great! I don't even need to introduce myself anymore!" I sarcastically said.
"My name's Magneto." Yup, the guy I really hated. He didn't wear the doofy hat thing, but, his silver hair was combed back. And, of course, you can't not see the cape that drew attention. "I'm here to help you."
I pretended like I was thinking about the offer, "No, thank you. I've had enough help already. Besides, I've heard about you, wanting to destroy all humans. Well, you know what? I completely disagree with that, so, you might as well leave me alone or kill me right now!"
He tilted his head upward, showing how highly he thought of himself. And, disgustingly, this allowed me to see up his nose. "You will come with me."
"We're getting forceful now, huh?" I felt that nothing in the world would make me go wherever his base or whatever was.
But, he found something in the vast earth that motivated me to go, "Your mom is with me." (Baam Baam Baaaaaaaaam!)
My heart jumped a moment. I hadn't seen her, which, didn't really matter, but, I knew she was a mutant now, and I knew that she was on his side. More conflicting feelings. I wanted to see her, yet I didn't. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" I asked.
He held out a cell phone and it creepily floated toward me. He said, "Mystique, you may now speak."
"Hey, Corbeau. It's me," her voice. Hearing her voice again. For some bizarre reason, it seemed like ages since I heard her voice. I guess I went through a lot in those couple of days. "I would really love to see you again. I can't come home, though. So, could you go with Magneto? If you do go, you'll see me." Gah! It felt like I had no choice, so, I followed him to a helicopter which was beyond some trees. And in the helicopter I saw more people. What is up with these mutant affiliations coming to me in groups?
Okay, I see about two others. One looks really cocky, with the 'I'm so cool, look out!' kinda attitude and he's playing with fire in his hands. Oh boy, what did I get myself into? It didn't take long before that question was answered. The other was some guy who was to fly the thing, you've never heard of him before, and, besides, he's not relevant to the story. He just flies the helicopter. Why doesn't Magneto just do it? I think so he can not get too worn out.
"Please, get in," Magneto stepped aside and stretched out his arms, letting me go first. His politeness is notable, but, still. Kind or unkind, he kills... but, he knew where my mom was. Anyway, I got into the helicopter and was forced to sit next to the kid playing with fire.
He nodded his head and said nonchalantly, "Hey. My name's Pyro."
"Seriously? What kind of name is... oh, you mean your mutant name?" It was gonna take me a bit to get used to, pretty much, everything. "Well, I don't have another name, and I don't want one." As time went by, my hatred toward myself and mutants was gradually diminishing. The part of me that realized this detested me more.
This Pyro guy examined me... I hated it when people did that. "I heard you're a shapeshifter."
"That's what I hear, too," I responded, acting like I didn't know if I was a shapeshifter or not.
"Apparently you not only hear, but, know as well... considering you look normal," he stared at me right in the eye. That's when I felt most insecure, when someone stared at me directly into my eye. If I do it to someone else, well, that's fine, but, someone doing that to me just makes me shiver.
"You don't know what I'd give to be normal right now," this was my point of view... mostly, some of me enjoyed this being different and special. Like I told you recently. He then suddenly jumped a little, like he was shocked.
"What? Did you burn yourself?" I sarcastically asked.
He wagged his head and said, "No, you're eyes just glowed green..."
"Lime green? Figures. Even if I try to look regular, people can still tell if I'm a mutant," I looked out the window and just noticed that we already had taken off. I was glad to be away from those violent students.
Well, the rest of the ride Pyro kept drilling me with personal questions, of course, about my life. I'd have no problem answering them, except for the fact that I don't know him. So, I kept my answers short and sweet and no more than necessary. I wanted to answer them, so as not to anger him... he controls fire! I don't want to upset him for obvious reasons. But, he kinda creeped me out, I was afraid he was going to ask me out or something.
We arrived at some desolate place, I think it was somewhere in Arizona, I don't know. The helicopter was safely landed on a landing pad located on the roof of a one story building, which I found odd, but, that's just me. After exiting the helicopter, we entered a door (not including the helicopter flier guy) that took us into the long, one-story building. Instead of hustle and bustle, I just found empty hallways, which kinda reminded me of the mansion. The long empty halls.
"I assume you want to see your mother?" Magneto somewhat asked.
"Duh! Of course I want to see her!" I was growing angry. Every moment near this guy enraged me. Hey! Another person I hated more than Wolverine!
After hearing my reply, Magneto opened a door, and there my mom was, sitting at a desk doing something on the computer. Short black hair, fair-skin, blue eyes. I wondered what she really looked like. "Mom!" I shouted like it had been decades since I last saw her. She looked up, got out of the chair and darted over to give me a hug.
"Hey! It's good to see you again," she squeezed me. This normally occurred when she got home after her long 'business trips'. So, this wasn't unusual. "How've you been?"
I answered, "Good, just, my whole life is going crazy and the world despises me... no big deal."
She smiled some and stated, "We have a lot to talk about." I kinda figured we'd be doing a lot of talking. Like, why was she working with this murderer? Why wouldn't she tell me she was stabbed by Wolverine? Why wouldn't she tell me she was a mutant? And many other things she didn't tell me I thought we would discuss.
It was odd just sitting there, me and her, just sitting there silently for a moment or two. Magneto and Pyro had left to do something. And I was left here, with my mom, who lied to me, who works for a maniac. I didn't know how to start a real conversation and apparently, neither did she.
"So..." She kept thinking. "How have you been taking the mutation?"
I tilted my head and replied, "Well, you already know I was attempting to scrub my skin off with scalding water, so, let me think. I was willing to starve to death because of being a mutant... and, uh..." I wasn't sure if telling my mom that I had gone to Professor Xavier's place was a good idea. But, I did anyway. Contrary to her, I didn't want to hide anything. "...and, I went to Xavier's School for the Gifted, or whatever, for a couple days."
"At least I know you were safe..." Whoa. ... ... ... ...wait, what? She wasn't angry? Upset? She wasn't getting up in a hurry to tell Magneto? ...she seemed okay with it, like, it was a good thing. And, I didn't expect her to view it as a good thing. I guess it was obvious I was baffled, for she queried, "Was that unexpected?" I nodded slowly. "Yea, well, I know that when you're over there, you're... cared for... I can see it with the others who go there...
"Well, over here, you're just told what to do, so, to be here, you have to be strong and readily accept orders, no questions asked. Now, believe it or not, I'm giving you a choice. Do you want to go back to Professor Xavier and the X-Men?..."
"X-Men?" No, I hadn't heard the term, until just then of course. "Huh."
"Or do you want to stay here?"
Too many decisions! I was going through a similar problem before I was fished up by Magneto! Can't I ever get a break from all this confusion and stress? "Would you go to the mansion with me if I go?" She lowered her eyes and shook her head. "No? Well, that decides it all, I'm staying here!"
She smiled and appeared happy, but, her eyes read otherwise, like I was committing suicide. Hm, maybe it's the fact that I wasn't skilled in hand-to-hand combat and I'm probably going to be doing a lot of fighting. That sounds like a good reason.
We talked some more about other things, like what she's been doing lately as well as what I've been doing lately. While talking, Magneto came into the room.
"My dear, may I borrow your daughter?" He asked. Dear? What in the world? Okay, he was creepier than ever at that moment!
My mom looked at me and I shrugged my shoulders, as in 'I guess'. "Sure, just, don't take too long."
Once more I was out in the hallways, but, soon I was back in another room... it seemed more gloomy. "Please take a seat." This was similar to when I was talking to Professor Xavier. "I heard that you aren't very fanatic about mutants... do you still dislike the race of humans that is going to conquer the earth?" What kind of question was that?
"Uh, yea, I still don't like mutants."
"Do you hate your mom?" Grr... why do people have to ask such annoying questions that made me change my perspective to some degree?
I sighed, "Of course I don't hate my mom! But, I still don't like mutants in general." That part of me that hated mutants was getting smaller and smaller. I now didn't necessarily like or dislike mutants.
"If you don't like mutants, then, you don't belong in the Brotherhood," he started to get up.
"No! I want to be a part of the... Brotherhood," it sounded odd to me. He sat back down and raised his eyebrows.
"Okay, so, you are a shapeshifter, like your mother... how is that progressing?"
I contemplated my frustration in attempt to morph earlier, "Not so well. I can only shapeshift if I am deathly motivated to do so and I have to see a literal picture beforehand... sorta."
"We'll have your mother help you with that... Now, dear, what's your name?" Don't you dare call me dear!
"Corbeau Darkholme, but, I'm guessing you already know that, so, I'm guessing that that's not the answer you're looking for. If you're referring to a mutant name, I don't have one. But, I also guess that I'm going to need one, huh?" He smiled and nodded. "Well, what's my mom's name?"
"Mystique." Deep thought. Mystique. What sounds like Mystique? Yes, I still wanted to be like my mom, despite her... occupation and her deception, I still wanted to be like her, in every positive way at least.
Then it came to me, it rhymed with Mystique, now it just had to make sense. "Do you have a dictionary?" He got up and went to the shelf behind him, grabbed one and handed it to me. I looked up the word and then victoriously grinned, "You can call me Physique."
Me: There you have it! Her name is Physique! If you don't mind, please tell me what you think of her mutant name. If you do review, please no cussing or indication of cussing and flames are accepted, thank you!