Blastwave 7

Scott pulled up outside the Bayville Mall and Harry, Kitty, Rogue and Rahne piled out the van. Harry was already beginning to regret going with the girls but Rahne and Rogue had promised him that if we went with them they'd help him sort out his room and wardrobe.

Logan had told him, he needed some decent clothes. So Harry, agreed. He entered the Mall and directly down the stairs in front of them were a mob of thirty people mainly men all of them with a sign. It read 'Friends of Humanity'.

"Who are the 'Friends of Humanity'? They sound like an extremely shite music band." Rahne smirked but Kitty and Rogue sighed.

"They're ah Mutant hatin' group. Mainleh in Bayville." Rogue explained, she gulped at Harry's distinctively wolfish smile. All she knew was something was going to give and somehow she knew it would be his temper.

"Jus', try an ignore it." Harry nodded "Lead on Rogue. Where we going?"

Rogue strode forwards, Harry and Rahne followed. Harry was keeping with the Brit mainly because they had things in common and the other, Rogue had a mighty fine figure and he was a young hormonal male; somewhat in control of his emotions but still.

The collective luck of the group held out. Harry ended up leaving the store with several t-shirts, five shirts, and three sets of trousers, four pairs of jeans and various other bits. The best bit was the trench coat.

As he walked past the Friends of Humanity, he heard two people say 'Did you hear, an eight year old has been hospitalised. Supposedly the kid is the son of one the Friends of Humanity, turns out he was a mutant.'

'Is the kid okay?'

'He's alive if that's what you mean. Oh checkout the kid in the coat, he looks gorgeous.' Harry jerked himself out of his listening and very neatly stepped around one of the Humanity supporters who jumped back to avoid touching him.

"Sorry, didn't see you." Harry, then he realised he was slowly being surrounded.

"Can we speak to you quickly." The evident leader stated.

"Call off your lapdogs, break this circle and you'll have my attention…I have had a shitty day and I have a very good feeling it's going to get shittier."

"I'm Frederick Davies, I work at the Bayville Council Office, my associates and I have realised things are happening in Bayville…"

Harry raised an eyebrow "This is what this presentation is about? Things happening in Bayville? It's called life. I thought you'd be more intelligent."

One of the lackey's grabbed Harry's arm "That's Mr. Davies to you, boy…" Harry drove his foot into the mans knee, it was accompanied by a sickening crunch. Harry followed it up with a knee strike to the Solar Plexus.

"Never…call…me…boy…NEVER…Lay…Hands…on me." Harry growled before kicking the man in the head.

Davies stared at him "Unnatural things…Fre…"

"Tread carefully. That word better not be 'Freakish' otherwise you're joining your friend here." Harry growled.

"Unnatural things. People turning into wolves in the street, people lifting things with their minds and if you can believe it devils walking amongst us." Harry lost it and he started laughing.

"You're harassing me based on superstitions? Are you high? Where can I get some?"

"I'm being serious brat. Plus it is occurring near the Xavier Institute, we have been reading the news about people with these gifts. They've been termed Mutants and they're infecting people the good common people of Bayville."

Harry stopped laughing "I'll ask you again what has this got to do with me?"

"We've noticed that you live with the mutant menace…We want to rescue you. Save you if we can, only by the light of the lord can these souls be saved."

Harry's nerves were on edge "Mutants…are evil…The decent non-mutant is good am I following? You're harassing me in the street in front of people who I live with; who have to my knowledge not even done a single thing that you claim. Furthermore, it sounds like you're discriminating against them without fear."

Davies nodded. "The people deserve to know!"

Harry had enough and turned to one of the women carrying a microphone "You…Give me that."

"How dare…"

"How dare I talk to you without respect? Listen woman, I've had a shit day. Your fuckwit associates are bringing up memories I'm trying to repress and this discrimination and prejudice is quite frankly pissing me off. Now give me the fucking microphone so I can speak clearly to all these poor ill-informed fucks that you're press ganging based on illogical fears."

The woman nodded and handed him the microphone. It crackled as it was turned on. "Hello, testing, testing. 1, 2…If you can hear me up the top give me a shout."

He was met by a vicious roar "Good, good. Now how about you fine people down on the ground floor." He got a similar response. Harry grinned, this was going to be fun.

"Now, how many of you here have heard about the Friends of Humanity?" There were nods and rumours.

"How many of you have been interrogated by them to sign up with them about the 'mutant' menace?" Harry asked before holding the microphone out.

"I just have. Come on, I'm not going to judge. Rather discriminatory for me not to after my rather hasty and physical response."

Michelle was in the mall with Emily and James. She quickly made her way over "May I?" The microphone was in her face.

"My names Michelle; I'm a nurse at Bayville Central Hospital. The Humanity group asked me to join them and I refused. A couple of days ago, one of these strange occurrences happened near me. Someone was thrown physically into my car. He was fine, I didn't get his face. He could tell I was scared and he said 'I'm sorry for this. I'm sorry for trashing your car…' I told him it was fine. The ground started to shake and he began to cover himself in a red light. I have seen mutants and they are just like us. Men and women, male and female, good and bad. I looked at him and said 'if you can do something do it'. He got up and began fighting back. He helped me get out of the area before going to fight. I refused to join the Friends of Humanity based on one account. As a result, they are trying to bar me from my place of work…If you encounter a mutant of this 'menace' ask them why they do what they do. Make your own mind."

Harry took the microphone "These people also make assumptions. They assumed that I was a mutant because I lived near where all of these 'mutants' and 'unnatural occurrences' are had the audacity to tell me that they were 'the children of the devil' and that the 'mutant menace must be stopped at all costs'. I am not a mutant because I know what I am. I am a human being. If mutants and humans do exist how can we tell? How many of know Shakespeare? How many of you know the Merchant of Venice?" The crowd nodded someone spoke up and old man.

"To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villany you teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but I
will better the instruction."

Harry grinned "Precisely. Jews and Christians if we wrong one another will we not retaliate in kind…" He turned to the Friends of Humanity "…If you think Mutants are bad do not say that they all are. That's like saying all Germans are evil based on era. Yes I am referring to the Holocaust, one of the most horrific events millions of people dead because they did not have the 'correct looks', 'correct religion'. Millions died based on the ideals of a few. What about the genocides in Rwanda?" Harry took a breath "Treat unto others like you would yourself be treated. If you want an example of their brutality, a little innocent boy has been hospitalised because he displayed a unique gift."

He chucked the microphone back to the woman "Not interested. Make a logical argument before scare mongering."

With that Harry walked away. Michelle followed him "Thanks Michelle, for not telling them about me."

Michelle nodded "It's fine. You saved me and my children. It is true. About the boy. His gift is to create duplicates of himself."

Harry grinned "I'll get him out."

"If you get outed as a mutant?"

Harry shrugged "One step at a time. They'll quickly understand that I won't be pushed around."

Michelle nodded "You'll kill?"

"No. Won't kill. I'll fight. I will defend myself. But I'll defend myself brutally. I'm tired of death…Saw three people murdered in front of me. Killed two people; both accidental…Don't tell me you would not do the same to protect your family."

Michelle nodded "I would kill to protect my family. I wouldn't like it but I would."

Harry nodded "You're much like me. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get a few more things." With that they parted ways.

"Scott's going to kill you for almost blowing our cover." Kitty said as Harry joined them.

"Scott can blow me. Besides nobody got hurt."

"That guy…"

"No-one that really matters now." Harry replied, he was being followed by the Humanity bunch.

"Just so you three know, we're being followed."

As Harry picked up several albums from Disturbed, Blink-182, Dropkick Murphy's and he saw the Friends of Humanity were unsuitably blockading them in the store.

Harry's temper which had been gently simmering now reached low boiling point "I'm going to sort this out."

Harry grabbed his stuff, withdrew his wand and headed out of the store. He slid his wand into his jacket sleeve "We can make life difficult."

Harry didn't back down "I know. I guarantee you've never met someone like me. Now, move."

"Or what?"

"How do you like your knees in your body?"

The fool didn't have a chance as Harry imbued his foot with energy and launched a precise strike which fractured the man's kneecap "That wasn't normal! GET HIM!"

Harry repeated the process except he broke four arms "I just have a very good understanding of the human body. Now that is not a crime, neither is self-defence. Now piss off."

The group managed to make it back to the Institute without much hassle. "Harry, a word please." It was the sound of Xavier. He didn't seem angry at all and that set Harry on edge.