Chapter 8: "Tyler Creed v. Barney Fife"
It had taken more than a few weeks, but Tyler had finally gotten into a routine and was dealing with campus life. He was looking forward to Thanksgiving Break so that he could get away from all of the looks, though. He'd seen it before, of course. The other students that wouldn't sit anywhere near him. The kids who shouted "freak," "animal," "feral," and whatever else they could think of while he was walking between classes or going to the library. He was honestly pretty used to it. But it would really be nice to spend some time with his mom and Henry for the holidays without having to put up with that nonsense.
Before he got to the holiday break, he had to get through a pretty big microbiology exam, which meant he was in the library with a stack of notecards and his earbuds in to ignore the people around him. Normally, he'd have studied with Hisako, but she was actually in the middle of taking a test at the moment for a different class. And he was starting to feel the stares on the back of his neck even if he wasn't listening to them.
Hopefully the negative press thing would blow over soon, but in the meantime, he had studying to get done, and he wasn't going to let these people get in the way of him becoming a doctor.
It was a little later than usual when he finally left the library, his notecards in his bag and about a hundred different bacterial names and their related diseases running through his head. He was still running through them all as he wrapped his headphones around his iPod to put it back in his bag. Noh had given him a playlist of songs that he assured Tyler would help him to focus and concentrate, though Tyler had only made it through a couple songs before he defaulted back to his usual playlist.
He was halfway across campus when he spotted a group of kids loudly joking around and generally blowing off a little steam, so he skirted across the street to stay out of their way. But when they spotted him, they kicked themselves into motion to head toward him.
Tyler let out a sigh and tried to keep his head down, though he was familiar with the look they were giving him, and he figured he wasn't going to pass without some conflict.
"That's the most pathetic thing I ever saw," said one of the bigger guys with a sneer. "Feral thinks he's smart enough to be a college student. What, you think if you come on campus you'll learn by osmosis?"
Tyler rolled his eyes and tried to keep going past them, not in the mood to deal with their trash talk when he had more important things to do — and much more intelligent people to talk to.
But they didn't back off and instead kept pace with him as another one spoke up. "Aw, you confused him, Paul. Big words like 'osmosis' and 'campus' and 'think.'" He grinned at Tyler like he was sizing him up, and Tyler could see him quickly deciding the group of them was big enough to take him on.
"What's an animal like you doing here anyway? The bio lab run out of specimens?" one of the guys piped up.
Tyler actually had to half smirk at that one, because, well, he knew he'd seen this guy a few days before outside of the lab.
"Where you headed, feral? Back to the woods? Got a nice log to sleep under?"
"Nice of you to ask, but you're really not my type," Tyler replied finally. "Not interested."
The other guys let out a chorus of 'oohs' as the one who had tried to insult Tyler looked livid. "Paws off, freak," he managed at last with a look of pure disgust.
"Can't help that that's what's on his mind. Animal instincts," said another as the group as a whole snickered.
"Nah. Just proof you're not very intimidating," Tyler replied almost lazily.
The guys looked a bit annoyed for a second before they started in again. "Must think you're so big and bad, don't you, freak? Well, how big and bad're you gonna feel when we ship you off to Siberia, huh?"
"Kick 'em out," agreed his buddy.
"Wow, so you're failing biology and government. Hard to keep your football scholarship that way, isn't it?" Tyler asked offhandedly.
That seemed to push at least one of them into actual anger and not just harassment as he ran forward to try and punch Tyler — which set off the rest of the group of football players, who ran to help their buddy.
For the most part, Tyler tried to deflect as best he could and try not to take any real damage. These guys were big, but not trained to fight, so he was able to handle them — up until one of the guys pulled out a pocket knife and jammed it into Ty's side.
He snarled at the injury and simply grabbed the offending attacker and slammed him to the ground one-handed before he pulled the knife out of his side. "What is wrong with you?" Tyler shouted. "You can't just stab someone!"
That had a couple of the guys scattering — though whether it was the snarl, the fact that Tyler had pinned one of their own, or the fact that the knife wound hadn't done the damage it should have, it wasn't entirely clear. But a few more started to scatter when they heard the whoop of a campus police car showing up as well, even though a couple guys were stupid enough to stick around and immediately try to run to the officer. "This freak just attacked us, man!" one of them said.
"Your buddy stabbed me!" Tyler said with no small amount of outrage as he gestured to the bloody spot on his shirt. "I just stopped him from doing it again!"
"It was self-defense!" the guy on the ground half whimpered out. "I ain't got no freak powers like you."
"Yeah, we had to stop him — he's one of those feral mutants like they've got on the news," piped up his buddy.
The cop took in the scene of the group of teenagers and glared for a second, his arms crossed. "I'm gonna need backup," he said into his shoulder radio before he looked right at Tyler. "Release the young man and keep your hands where I can see them," he said in a sharp tone.
Tyler let out a breath and locked his jaw tightly before he did as he was told — careful to keep his hands in plain view. This was not good.
"You gonna arrest him for assault, officer?" the guy Tyler had pinned asked with obvious delight. "I'll give a witness statement."
"I'll want all you boys to come with me down to the station," the officer said without taking his eyes off Tyler — looking like he wanted a reason to draw his weapon.
When the second police car arrived, the first officer had all the boys that had stayed behind get into his car, while Tyler was in the second. And before they knew it, all four were down at the station.
The officer who had arrived on the scene was sure to keep Tyler separate from the other three as he took their statements on how Tyler had attacked them — going so far as to say they'd tried to run away before he grabbed their friend, and that was why the kid stabbed Tyler in the first place.
And considering the climate, and the definite bias against ferals in particular, Tyler soon found himself being taken down to the station without his statement taken into consideration.
"She'll take the bottle if you heat it right, but if she's being fussy, sometimes it helps to distract her with a bamf so she doesn't realize she's eating and not playing — and don't forget to watch out for the tail when you change her, and—"
"Kate, seriously, relax," Jubilee said, shaking her head. "You know Kurt already knows all this stuff."
"Yeah, I just don't know how long we'll be gone, so if he gets tied up with something, you need to know it too," Kate pointed out. "I'll be back often... I'm taking a bamf with me so I can come home for the downtime. You know. The parts where we hit a dead end. Again." Kate shrugged up her shoulders and ran a hand through her hair. "Being a PI was tough the first time, too."
Jubilee rolled her eyes at her. "You'll be fine. We won't let anything happen to little Krissy except maybe too much fun, right?" She looked over her shoulder at Noh, who was very quietly singing to Sying to try and get him to sleep, and he looked up only to blink and nodded his agreement before he went back to what he was doing — though it wasn't clear if he knew what he was agreeing to.
"Alright, well. I'm off," Kate said for about the third time in the past ten minutes before the house phone rang, and she paused. "I got it," she said quickly and ran to the phone to pick it up. "Xavier's Institute for Higher Learning — this is Kate Bishop-Wagner. How can I help you?"
"Hawkeye, it's Hisako," came the voice on the other end. "These guys just attacked Tyler, and the police showed up. They're saying Tyler attacked them, and they took them all down to the station. You should probably send someone after him before those guys try to frame him for assault or something."
Kate frowned and looked over her shoulder at Jubilee and Noh before she nodded. "Alright. I'll send someone right away. Thanks, Hisako." She turned to face the other two. "Ty's in trouble with the police, if you can believe it," she said.
Jubilee flipped out her cell phone and waved at Kate with it. "I've got it covered. Go. Handle your evil whatever. Which station is he at?" She already had the phone to her ear and was looking at Kate expectantly.
"The one on campus," Kate said. "And thanks. Wish I could go save our darling little Lifeguard, but Wade's already blowing up my phone telling me I'm late." With that, she nodded at her little bamf buddy, and the two of them disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Tyler was in a rare, growingly foul mood. The police had, of course, put him in a cell while the kids that had actually started the fight were free to roam and were even taking turns muttering trash at him through the bars while the cop was occupied.
"The evidence supports your story," the cop was telling the kid who had stabbed Tyler. "There's no sign of any stab wound, and we did find him pinning you down."
Tyler did all he could to keep from groaning outright, instead clenching his teeth together tighter before he started pacing in the cell. Total. Set up.
As if to echo the whole mood of the afternoon, the sky seemed to open up, finally, and a downpour of cold November rain began. Tyler let out a weary sigh listening to the rain pouring on the roof and took a seat. It would likely be hours before this clown allowed him to take his phone call — if at all. He'd already put him off twice, after all.
But as Tyler was starting to really feel sorry for himself, the door to outside opened, and someone stepped inside — though he didn't bother looking up, sure that it was the MRD or someone else equally fitting for the day he was having.
"Who do I gotta talk to to get a kid outta jail?" Logan asked as he took off his hat and gave it a good shake in the middle of the precinct before he made his way over and leaned against the counter.
"You can't just walk in here and demand we let people out," said the officer who was dealing with the kids in a tone that said he knew who Logan was and didn't like it in the least.
"Believe me, if I make a demand, you'll know it," Logan rumbled as he turned his full focus on the officer. "I asked who I had to talk to. An' judgin' by the chip on your shoulder, I'm guessin' that's you."
The officer glared at him. "You'll have to wait until we set bail on his assault charges."
"Yeah? Why don't you tell me exactly what the charges are, though if he's under arrest, I guess I should ask: has he been read his rights yet, or should I call up my lawyer?" As he spoke, Logan had pulled his phone from his pocket and was already scrolling for Murdock. He looked up at the officer as he hit the button and waited for the answer.
"What are you, this kid's father?" the officer sneered.
Logan let out a hollow sort of laugh and smirked. "He wishes. Nah, you could say I'm a family friend. Me and his dad go way back."
"Well, either way, he's up on assault charges, after he—"
Logan held up one hand to cut the cop off as he turned his back to him and started talking low to Murdock, who apparently had been filled in on the way to the station on what was happening. The cop stared at him, dumbfounded for a moment as Logan spoke low then turned around to put the cell on speaker and hold it out. "Go on, Murdock," Logan said just before Murdock started reading the cop the riot act on civil rights before he ended with, "As his lawyer, I have a right to know what he's charged with in detail immediately before I slap you with a lawsuit for violation of my client's basic civil rights."
Through the whole thing, Logan unblinkingly held the cop's gaze, expressionless and waiting. When Murdock was done, and the cop looked fit to be tied, Logan stepped in again, loud enough to be sure he was heard. "Thanks, Matt, I'll let you know how to get here if they don't cut him loose in the next ten minutes." With that, he turned the phone off and glared at the cop. "Runnin' on a timer, Barney."
The cop sputtered for a second before he turned a beet red with his glare Logan's way. "That kid attacked three innocent boys. I've got their witness statements here."
"That's crap, and you know it," Logan half growled out. "You don't even believe your own lie."
"The evidence supports it, and there's three sworn statements on his assault and battery."
"Yeah? Three sworn statements? From these jokers?" Logan asked as he looked over to the lined up football scholars. "They haven't got a mark on a one of 'em, they're holding, and you're gonna believe them? Enough to risk your job? Why don'tcha check 'em for drugs, seein' as you're convinced it's fine to hold people who're victims. Might wanna make sure your story'll hold water in court. But I should warn ya. I'm never wrong."
The football players looked a pale at that as the officer looked their way at an obvious loss. He tried one last reason: "I saw with my own eyes — that kid was practically sitting on this young man."
"Was that before or after he got cut?" Logan asked, tipping his chin up at the one in the middle. "Washed out high school starter's got Tyler's blood on his sleeve and under his nails. That get there by magic?"
"It was self-defense," the middle kid muttered.
Logan took a step toward him and narrowed his eyes further as he looked him over slowly. "Ya really wanna lie to me? 'Cause let me tell you — had ya stabbed me? I'd've stabbed ya back."
The kid looked down at the ground to avoid Logan's gaze.
"Why don'tcha try the truth out before I get mad and forget how to get home on my own?" Logan said in a low tone laced with a growl.
"Hey. You can't threaten these kids in this station," the cop cut in with heat in his voice.
Logan turned with a wicked smirk, his eyes flashing. "What was my threat?"
"I know how this works with you people. Lose your temper and half a city block ends up ruined. You try and get mad at these kids, and you'll get locked up with your kid too."
"You're thinkin' of the Hulk. I'm not big on trashin' buildings — just assholes. Now. Seems to me like if you got a problem with mutants or ferals then you're in the wrong damn line of work. Me? I'm here to get a kid out of jail that has yet to be read his rights or charged, so by the letter of the law, you gotta do both if you wanna hold him. You wanna charge him? Great. Go for it. I'll bail him out right now. Don't wanna charge him? Fine. Let him out or I'll give Matt Murdock a call back. He loves chewing on redneck morons compensatin' for what nature didn't give 'em. Either way, you can't throw me outta here — and I'm stayin' until he gets out."
"You need ID to bail him out — and we haven't even set the bail yet," the cop said stubbornly.
"You haven't legally arrested him yet either. Clock's ticking," Logan reminded him as he pulled out his wallet. "You want ID? Fine. Two forms. Both meet up with state laws. I checked." He tossed his driver's license and Avengers ID on the desk, then leaned on the counter again. "Still not leavin'."
The cop glared at Logan openly as he looked over his ID, then at the three football players, and then at Tyler, who was starting to smirk by this point at the show Logan was pouring on this guy. The cop finally glanced up at the middle kid, who did in fact have Tyler's blood on him, before he let out a noise of frustration. "Alright, fine. Take this freak and get out. But I'm warning you: he puts another toe out of line, and we'll bring charges so fast it'll make your head spin."
"That'd be impressive," Logan replied with an easy drawl.
When they let Tyler out of the cell, another officer, who had seen the whole thing go down, was searching the three football players — who were, as Logan had said, all holding various recreational drugs. Tyler was smirking wider as the three kids were charged with possession, more than a little entertained by how the day was shaping up.
But there was one hurdle left as Logan waited for the cop to finish the paperwork. He signed for Tyler in a few spots, then stared at the cop. "I'll take that ID back now," Logan said, still unblinking.
The cop glared at him for a second. "Still being processed. The driver's license checked out, so you can take the kid home, but that other ID has to be run a little more thoroughly."
Logan smirked. "How thorough you need it? If I gotta call someone in charge over there, you'll be looking for a new job before I hang up the phone."
"Just gotta make sure it's current. I know a couple of you people got on the team, but you're on and off again," the cop said with a glower before the other one, the one that was charging the kids with possession, shook her head at him and plucked the Avengers ID from behind the counter to hand it to Logan.
"Have a good day, sir," she said with a small smile at the corner of her lips.
"Thanks, darlin', you too," he replied before he tipped his hat her way and led the way out with Tyler in tow. Not a word was spoken all the way to the Jeep, and once they were inside, Logan let out a little breath. "Alright, kid, what really happened?"
Tyler sighed and frowned as he buckled in. "There were about nine of them before that officer showed up. They tried to rile me, call me names, all that stuff, and when it didn't work, they thought they'd try and pummel me instead." He smirked the slightest bit. "Which didn't really work until one of them pulled a pocket knife and caught me by surprise, so I pinned him."
Logan nodded to himself. "Better than I'd've done. I wasn't jokin'. I'd've stabbed him back with a little more'n a pocket knife."
"Yeah, well, honestly, I didn't have time to do anything but pin him before the cop showed up," Tyler said.
"The way things are goin, you shouldn't travel alone," Logan said. "Not 'cause I don't think you can handle it — more 'cause I think you'd do well to have a witness. You're lucky Hisako saw you get picked up."
"I was wondering how you knew to come get me," Tyler said, shaking his head. "That guy kept putting me off when I asked to call the institute."
"I figured as much," Logan said. "Happens pretty frequently, truth be told."
"Trust me, I know," Tyler said with a nod.
"Turned out alright, all things considered," Logan said, leaning back as they headed down the road. "K wanted to come get you."
"I'm… kind of glad she didn't."
"Me too," Logan admitted. "They'd have locked her up, and she'd have broken out."
"And then we'd have a whole other set of issues, and I'd probably be charged as an accessory to boot," Tyler said with a small chuckle.
"Yeah, well her solution was to kill the cops and the kids there if they were too stupid to wise up." Logan shook his head. "She keeps it cool most of the time, but she's had just about enough of this crap."
"Yeah, I'm pretty close to losing my temper myself, to be honest."
Logan raised an eyebrow at that. "I'll have Hisako get your car for you," he told him. "You can ride into class with her tomorrow."
Tyler nodded. "Sounds good. We usually stick together ... just… slightly different classes. But we'll figure it out." He smiled over at Logan. "Thanks again, really."
Logan simply nodded at that, and the two fell into companionable silence on the drive back to the institute.
