Todd had been in his room since getting home from school the night before. Next exactly locked in, but no one was trying hard to get him out either. Dinner hadn't been a consideration, nor breakfast. It was looking like lunch was out of the question too.
He lay on his back on the lumpy mattress on the floor, hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling, watching a large beetle crawl from one crack to another. His stomach growled.
He stared at the bug for another moment, and then rolled violently over onto his stomach, pulling his pillow over his head.
"Man this sucks yo," he grumbled.
He hadn't heard Martha, his foster mom all morning, or the TV, which was usually blaring loudly by now. Maybe she was still asleep. Maybe she wouldn't notice if he grabbed something out of the kitchen.
As quietly as he could, Todd opened his door, and tiptoed downstairs.
Don't wake mommy, he thought to himself. Not that she IS.
He glanced carefully at the large armchair in the living room as he passed it, half crouched. He couldn't see her. Just a stack of pizza boxes and beer cans.
Creeping into the kitchen- dishes piled high and mouldering in the sink- Todd passed up the fridge, which was unlikely to do anything for his stomach but make him nauseous.
He had his hand on a can of spaghettios that was thankfully still in date when he thought Maybe she ain't here. I could get outta the house. Lance and Morgan both texted they wanted to hang…
The thought was interrupted by a voice as shrill as it was cigarette raspy. "Todd?! If that's you creepin' around in the kitchen I swear to christ you're gonna regret it!"
Todd winced and crouched down. So much for not there. Maybe she wouldn't come and check and he could just…. Wait her out. He held perfectly still.
That didn't stop the looming shadow in the doorway.
The woman's small eyes narrowed on him.
"I thought I told you I didn't wanna see your face downstairs, rat," she sneered. "After all I do for you, the least you owe me is a little obedience!"
"Y-yeah, but-" he started to sweat. Shoulda just stayed in his room.
Should have gone out the fucking window. Callisto and Dorian had the right idea.
Despite the situation, and the way the woman was gearing up for another verbal assault...it seemed fate may have been somewhat on his side. Because before another word came out the woman's mouth, the doorbell rang once...followed by three hard, clinical knocks.
An official sort of knock.
The woman scowled at Todd, and looked torn. She pointed at him. "Get up to your room. If I hear a single sound you're going to regret being born."
Yeah, I like I don't already.
"You got it, ma'am," he half-whimpered, and legged it for the stairs as she stomped to the door. Despite the warning- he stayed in the shadow at the top of the stairs, watching as she yanked the door open.
Outside the door stood a woman with auburn hair pinned in a professional bun behind her head. Her keen eyes narrowed as she took in the woman in the doorway, as she smoothed out her suit with a slim smile.
"Good evening, ma'am." She said in a voice that dripped with professionalism and danger. "My name is Katherine Lawrence, Child Protective Services."
She pulled a badge out from her breast pocket, and held it out for her to see "Might I have a word?"
"Why, of course, Ms. Lawrence."
The woman smiled her widest smile, and moved to step outside with the woman and close the door subtly behind her.
Ms. Lawrence's hand shot out...and stopped the door from closing with a thin smile.
"Inside, if you don't mind."
"O-oh, but it's such a nice day outside..."
Ms. Lawrence looked at her clipboard briefly and made the most nerve wracking of "hmmm" sounds.
"I've heard reports, Ms. Smith. And I think I'd like to have a word with young Todd. in private."
"I'll... go get him," she nodded, "Ms. Lawrence."
"Good." Ms. Lawrence tapped her fingers on her clipboard "And do hurry it up, Ms. Smith."
Martha smiled and edged into the house, sweating.
Todd heard her coming and scrambled to his room- she'd know he hadn't been in it, but- well, it wouldn't matter now. He was gonna get his ass beat when the juvie lady was gone anyway.
When she pulled open his door, he was sitting on the bed smiling like an angel with his hands folded in his lap.
"You say one filthy lie about me mistreating you, you nasty little creature, and you're out on the street. Even my saintly patience can only take so much of you."
Todd swallowed hard.
"Yes ma'am, wouldn't tell a lie, yo, I ain't no wooden boy," he muttered nervously, slipping past her, and down the stairs.
He found Ms. Lawrence still standing outside the door, her hand on her clipboard and an enigmatic smile on her face.
"Mind taking a little walk with me, Young man? Somewhere...quiet?"
"Anything you say, ma'am," he murmured. "Don't gotta put yourself out on my account, yo."
He shoved his hands in his pockets as he headed out the door.
Ms. Lawrence led him towards a car parked in the driveway, pointing with a thin smile.
"Get in." She got into the driver's seat herself, and had a tone that didn't brook any argument "we have a lot to talk about."
Todd blinked, at the car and at the lady.
"Uuuuuuuh... y-you sure?" He glanced back at the house. "Don't think Martha's gonna like that much."
"You'll find that I care very little about what an insignificant peon like Martha would like." The woman started up the car."I'm far more interested in talking to you, Todd Tolansky."
Todd looked back at the house one more time- and hopped into the car, buckling his seatbelt.
"Peon, huh? ... yeah."
Ms. Lawrence smirked as she pulled out of the driveway.
"What has she contributed to anything? To a cause...to a community? As far as I've been able to tell, Todd, the only thing she's done is mistreat the boy she was supposed to care for." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes. "A boy who's far more special than she could ever hope to be."
"Yo I mean, I ain't one to turn down a compliment or nothin, lady, but uh," he paused, and his mouth wrinkled. "If this is about a letter to hogwarts ya missed eleven by a good few years."
The woman's mouth formed a thin line as she gave him an incredulous look with her dark eyes.
"Not quite hogwarts, no. "
Todd stared at her from the corner of his eyes while looking straight ahead.
"Yo that ain't quite a no, neither," he said. He frowned. "Are you really from CPS?"
"I've protected a few children in the past." She pulled down a side street. "You look hungry. Why don't we grab a bite and talk."
"...alright," he said, a little suspicious of the good will, but not suspicious enough to pass up a meal. "But like, no roofies, got it? I got an allergy to em, yo."
He chuckled slightly playing it off as a joke.
"Most people do." She pulled into the drive-thru of the local burger chain, and tapped her nails on the steering wheel. "Unless they've got extrodinary constitutions."
"...good point yo," he shrugged, casually checking if the car's child lock was engaged.
It was not. She pulled up to the speaker and gestured.
"Go. Get anything you want."
"... your funeral, lady," he grinned nervously, and leaning halfway over her, he shouted out an order for a large meal, extra fries and a large shake. He paused, looking to her one more time nervously. The other shoe was definitely going to drop.
I ain't pretty enough to be trafficked. Slave labor maybe?
The woman added to the order.
One black coffee.
And a small fry.
She glanced at Todd.
"I'd prefer we save the funerals for the distant future."
"You know funny you should say, me too, yo." He settled back in his seat, biting his lip.
She pulled the car through the drive through, before paying at the window without another word. She purchased the food-she collected it and dropped it on Todd's lap, putting the coffee in the cupholder before she drove off to a quiet and secluded spot by the river, parking at the otherwise empty overlook.
She glanced at Todd with a look of amusement.
"You seem a little frightened. Maybe a more familiar face would help?"
He looked at her with half a burger stuffed into his mouth.
"Mmmf?"
"Swallow," she instructed dryly. "I don't think anyone would like it if you choked to death out of surprise."
He swallowed obediently, holding the rest of the burger by the half-peeled wrapper in one hand.
"...okay."
what the hell have you gotten yourself into, Toad?
The woman closed her eyes-and for a moment her skin seemed to ripple in the afternoon light. Blue flecks bloomed on her skin, only to fade into a soft pale-the suit reshaped into a starched pantsuit in black and grey, and her face took on the pinched and sharp-featured features of...
Principal Darkholme
"Tolansky."
Todd stared at her for a long moment, then looked at the burger, then back to her.
"One, I said no roofies. Two- ain't it supposed to be your day off?"
His brain had basically ground to a halt. It was furiously attempting to reboot.
"Consider this an extracurricular," she drawled, before looking at him "Todd. I know what you are. You're a mutant. Just like me. Homo Superior. And I'd like to speak with you about something very important."
"Well, uh, you bought me lunch, so I'm definitely listenin'," he admitted, taking a moment to wolf down some fries.
"You looked like you needed it." She said, her eyes hard as she stared out at the river for a moment.
"Didn't know you were a mutant, ma'am. That's cool, yo."
She picked up her coffee...and the same strange effect happened once more. Only this time-the woman sitting next to him had striking deep blue skin that held a strange and inhuman texture, and crimson hair that hung in a long bob around her face, a small skull charm decorating her forehead as she watched the water with pure golden eyes.
"I have to keep myself hidden from the humans," she said with a note of old bitterness "something I'm certain you understand well, Tolansky."
He looked her over with his eyebrows raising.
"Yeah, I sure do... damn tho, that's like, a good look for you, yo. Shame nobody appreciates it."
"You have taste, have a habit of failing to appreciate wonderful things and to drag them down to their level instead." She closed her eyes as she sipped her coffee
She lowered the coffee cup "How do you feel about the state of things as they are, Todd? Between humans and mutants."
He scratched the back of his head, and shrugged.
"I mean its obvious its pretty shit yo. Humans ain't even got they own shit together you know? Like ya said."
"And yet they seek to push their will on us." She frowned sharply "and expect us to roll over and allow them to do whatever they wish...and why?"
She turned to look at him "because they think they're the pinnacle of evolution. And people like Charles Xavier and his gaggle of 'students' are all too ready to help enforce that false sense of status quo while people like us suffer."
Leaning on the wheel, she looked him in the eyes "Have you ever wanted to do something about it, Todd?"
"Uh, yeah?" he nodded. "Not much I can do though without the whole pitchforks and torches thing comin up. or the institute kids comin' to kick my ass, yo. Not to say I ain't cool as hell but like..."
He trailed off, biting his lip. He wasn't sure what she was suggesting, so he shoved more fries in his mouth.
"Magneto, is a dear, old friend of mine. We've worked together a number of years now. With the number of mutants growing, and the humans growing more concerned...more volatile as time goes on, we came to a decision. We are looking to create a Brotherhood of mutants, like you, to fight for and protect our kind ." She put a hand out and patted his shoulder "and from the Institute, should they decide to meddle. Because you've seen the inside, haven't you? I don't have to tell you what they're capable of in there."
He made a face, crumpling up the burger wrapper and rolling it in between his hands.
"Yeah, I seen it alright yo. They got flowerpots and busts of Shakespeare and also like, some kinda death room," he mumbled. "This Brotherhood thing... you're not like... askin' me to join, are ya?" he asked warily.
"That's exactly what I'm doing, Todd." Principal Darkholme said, looking at him seriously "I'm asking if you want to be a part of something great. Something that will protect your fellow mutants from threats both looming and current."
She offered her hand
"I want you in our Brotherhood, Tolansky. But joining means standing against the world and it's obsession with the status quo and fighting for a better future." She met his eyes "WIll you join us?"
Todd didn't have to think about it.
"Count me in, yo! I won't let you down!"
"Wonderful." The principal smiled, as she grasped his hand "then you may call me... Mystique."