ELENI
Eleni took in her new surroundings with carefully curated indifference. She was walking on the top level of an airy galleria that was lined below her by descending balconies. At the bottom, the lowest level was tiled and sported fountains and large potted plants. People, in miniature from her high vantage, walked about among them enjoying the cool and peaceful atmosphere. Above, the sectioned window on the ceiling that let in clean, natural light spanned the entire length of the long and broad corridor, lending to the illusion that they were in something other than a large hole in the ground.
It was a Holday today, and the mood at the UpMountain mall was relaxed. The people Eleni saw were well-dressed and happy. She observed this with dispassion; DownMountain, other than there being more kids at the center, there had been no sense that the Holday was a day of leisure. The pall of fatigue that hung over the DownMountain was noticeably absent here.
The dancer took a deep breath and looked away, towards the large window above. She and Madam P had just left one of the shops, the last in a string of them, and were now looking for a place to eat. The older woman had insisted on getting new clothes for Eleni, in spite of the younger woman's objections, and they were both carrying bags which held several new outfits in addition to the one Eleni wore, complete with a matching scarf for her head. Reservations aside, Eleni appreciated finally feeling presentable again.
"Let's get some lunch, shall we?" Madam P said in an upbeat voice. Eleni nodded, though she wished she could go back to the house and recuperate. The house where she had her own room, a proper room with a proper bed. The simple thought almost brought tears to the young dancer's eyes. She looked up again to hide them.
Eleni was barely holding on, even though she had now been living with Madam P for two days. This was only the second time they had ventured out, the first being the trip to the pass card office. Yesterday, she had stayed home, moving between the dance studio and the house. The dancing had been lovely, but the adjustment, and the attitude of the other dancers, had taken its toll and she hadn't stayed long each time. The combined facts that Madam P had thus far proven to be a stern but fair care giver, and Matthew was a constant presence at the dance studio, had helped her through it.
"This place will do nicely. Eleni. Eleni?" Madam P's hand on her arm finally brought her around, and she pulled her attention away from wishing she was one of those small particles that spent their lives floating in the sun. She glanced towards the small cafe Madam P was indicating.
"That looks lovely."
Madam P looked at her, then glanced up before she led her inside.
"Did you see something up there?"
"No. It's just so light. It's nice. Open." Madam P nodded in agreement.
They sat and perused the menu. When the waitress came, she looked to Madam P for the order.
"I'll have the ratatouille. Eleni?"
Eleni looked up to see the waitress still looking at Madam P.
"Um…" There was no change. Madam P, who had busied herself with folding the menu, looked up. Eleni saw that she understood the situation immediately.
"My companion is ready to order," she prompted the waitress.
"What will it be?" The woman continued to look at Madam P. Eleni saw Madam P's jaw clench slightly, but otherwise the woman gave no outward signs of disapproval.
"What will you have, Eleni?" she asked kindly.
"The stew, please," Eleni replied. The waitress still waited. Eleni nodded slightly to Madam P, and the woman understood.
"And we'd like one order of the stew, please." The waitress nodded, wrote the order down and walked away. Eleni determinedly pushed away the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. This was nothing.
"I know some of the students at the dance school behave as badly as that." The comment, made after a moment of uncomfortable silence, surprised Eleni. "And I fear Pryde will be worse."
Eleni nodded silently, glad for the woman's grasp of the situation and her honesty. She had been similarly sympathetic when the man at the pass card office had sneered down his nose at Eleni. The older woman had handled the situation with deft firmness, quickly certifying Eleni's talent at dance, and noting that at 17 the young woman had enough autonomy to make the decision to move on her own. Then, Madam P had ignored the man's sounds of disgust and gotten them out of there as quickly as possible.
Now, at the table, the dance teacher's gaze softened slightly. "You were right there, though. Sometimes it is not worth it to fight. Better to keep your dignity." She paused before making the next comment, her eyes sharp. "You must care for Matthew very much."
"I came here to dance," Eleni replied, keeping her face impassive. The teacher raised a speculative eyebrow.
"Well, that may be so. But I can tell you he never watched Jenna dance the way he watches you." Eleni looked away at that. After a moment, Madam P continued.
"I will do what I can to make things easier for you. Your commitment to dancing is clear to me, and I for one would like to see what you can achieve." Eleni agreed but remained silent on the topic. There was something else she needed to ask about.
"About school, Pryde, is there a…book of rules?" Madam Pietrovich looked momentarily confused, then understood.
"Ah, a handbook. Yes, there is a student handbook. Why do you ask?"
"I'd like a copy of it. To review before classes start." Though confusion still danced on her brow, the dance teacher nodded.
"I will get it for you child."
After that Madam Pietrovich spoke of the UpMountain, its history and various sections. Shopping centers like the one they had been at were found at a couple other locations, and there was one business district. Madam P also told her about the theaters in the entertainment district, and informed her that if her ability continued to grow she could expect to perform there someday. Eleni felt excitement at the thought, but then distanced herself from it.
Their food came, and conversation dropped off. Eleni found the stew, comprised of mushrooms and root vegetables and accompanied by cooked grain, simple but good.
In spite of Eleni's nerves, it had been productive venture beyond the clothing. She had been able to procure some grooming materials and the like, another upgrade over how she had lived at the Towers. While everything was different, a feeling of routine and normalcy had nonetheless started to set in. This day out was not so different from the times her mother had spent some free time out on a Rest Day.
"That scarf is lovely. It brings out your eyes." Madam P said, pausing in her eating. The one adorning Eleni's head was a sky blue and was edged in silver. "May I ask why you wear it?"
"Personal reasons," Eleni replied, stiffening slightly. To her relief, the woman pressed no further.
They finished their meal. Madam P paid and they went on their way.
"Shouldn't we get on?" Eleni pointed out as they left the mall and proceeded to walk past the closed car stop.
"We're going to take a different route home." The dance teacher smiled mysteriously, and Eleni wondered what was worth lugging the bags the extra distance. "That's the business district by the way."
Eleni nodded, looking down the wide corridor in the direction her mentor pointed. She placed the segment, located to the north-west, on her mental map of the UpMountain. It appeared to extend further out in that direction, like a tentacle. That seemed to be the general shape of the UpMountain: many branches extending out from a shared center. Madam P's Top of the Mountain extended to the north-east, while Matthew's more humble neighborhood was found to the south east.
Looking back ahead, towards the center of the UpMountain, Eleni noticed a large triangular-shaped opening coming into view through the crowds. Light poured from it.
"What's that?" she asked.
"That is the Atrium, my dear," Madam P said, a bit smug, and Eleni knew this had been their destination. "The crowning jewel of the UpMountain. Magneto Himself created it, for all to share." Her voice was reverent. "I think you will enjoy it."
She did. From the moment she entered, it took Eleni's breath away. It was a giant glassed-in structure, the air filled with the light of the sun and rich with the scent of soil. The huge glass panels that made up the ceiling were held in place with thick steel beams. The lowest row of windows rose vertically, but after that they angled inward, with the gigantic triangular panels narrowing to come together in a point at the top. The shape reminded Eleni of the bottom of cut diamonds she had seen in pictures.
She thought the glass glittered, and Madam Pietrovich confirmed that strands of metal ran through it to strengthen the panels. Below this wonderous ceiling a network of paths netted grassy segments and planted trees. Some sections appeared to have proper gardens. Eleni vaguely heard her dance teacher explain that many of the trees were fruit trees, tended so that some were always producing fruit, and anyone could partake of them.
The young dancer gazed at the verdant space, longing to relax in its soothing embrace, but her attention was quickly drawn upward again and there her eyes stayed, for she could see both the sky and the sun. The scene was not boundless like in parts of the Citadel, but beautiful nonetheless. The sun was just about to disappear over the edge of a mountain peak.
Eleni missed the sky. Living in the Montagne had made her feel like an animal in a hole, and seeing the blue expanse brought tears to her eyes again. The combination of the magnificent structure, the green spaces within and the sky above made her feel as if energy coursed through her veins. The Atrium sang to her and she felt alive.
Madam Pietrovich noticed her reaction and was pleased. "Yes, it is impressive. It is good you value it."
Eleni turned her smile, a true smile felt in the very heart of her being, upon the other woman. "It's magnificent," was all she said in reply. The older woman smiled, a trifle condescendingly but Eleni barely noticed. Together, they made their slow way through the Atrium, Eleni absorbing every inch of it that she could into her being.
MATTHEW
"I think she is adjusting well. She is quiet and keeps to herself when she can but is not rude and is willing to help around the house. And she is very dedicated to her dancing," Madam P paused, then gave a small laugh. "I think the highlight for her, however, was the discovery that she had her own bathroom. I swear she nearly fainted when I showed it to her, then yesterday she holed herself up in there for over two hours!" The woman chuckled again, but it was fond. "I'd forgotten what it was like to have a teenager in the house." Her tone turned sad, and she fell silent.
Matthew was relieved by what he heard from the conversation between his dance teacher and his father. While he had seen Eleni at the dance school the past few of days, she hadn't been forthcoming about her new life with Madam P, beyond indicating that everything was 'fine'.
He knew that to be a lie. The first day, he had constantly had the sense that she was exhausted. By the next morning, when he had met her at the dance school, she seemed to have recovered, but as the day went on, she had quickly become frayed again. She had gone back to the house for the afternoon, and Matthew, disappointed, had returned to his own home. Yesterday being Holday, he hadn't seen her, but had distantly sensed a sort of fatigue building up when he checked the bond in the middle of the day. When it dissipated into a sense of wonder and enjoyment, he had been relieved.
Her struggles had dampened his own attitude. The day they had come up from the DownMountain, he had envisioned them sitting together in the auditorium, like his old friends did, having quiet conversations about her new life. That hadn't happened, though they did dance together each day they were at the studio. Nonetheless, Matthew was looking for ways to ease the transition for Eleni.
Taking advantage of the pause in the nearby conversation, he stood and walked over to his father and Madam P.
"Madam P, would you mind if we stayed for dinner tonight? Like we used to?" Madam P blinked at the unexpected request, but then broke out in a delighted smile.
"Of course! You are always welcome. Maybe it will help Eleni get acclimated as well." Adam said nothing but looked at Matthew as if evaluating him. Matthew ignored his father's scrutiny and satisfied with the outcome, went back to watching the class at the center of the room, as Madam P and Adam moved on to work with other students.
Eleni was in a group class for the first time today, and was grouped with Jenna, Alicia and Cordelia, the other top female dancers at the school. Madelyn Frost, Jenna's mother, was teaching them. Prior to this class, Madam P had given Eleni private lessons to bring her up to speed and learn the new dancer's strengths and weaknesses better.
Today's class had only just started, and now that the conversation he had been eavesdropping on was over, he took the opportunity to move closer to the group as he continued with his own warm up.
The room they were in was the largest of the studio rooms found in the building that housed the auditorium. It was a unique room: while one side was straight and lined with mirrors, and a barre, as one would expect in any rehearsal room, the other side was shaped like a slightly flattened trefoil. The side walls curved in towards the center at first creating two smaller rehearsal areas, the after coming to a point on each side, they arched back to meet in the middle to form the back of the largest rehearsal area. The curved wall was lined all along with a barre as well.
The shape allowed music to be played in each segment without greatly interfering with the sounds of the other two areas. It also allowed Madam P to supervise multiple classes taught by different teachers. Most often those classes were taught by Adam and Madelyn.
"Thank you, Cordelia. Now, what are your thoughts girls?" The young dancer with short, bushy light brown-hair and beige skin returned to the group after finishing the short segment they were practicing. From Ms. Frost's question, Matthew knew they were doing peer critiques. "Eleni, why don't you start?"
"I thought her steps seemed a bit rushed. It placed stress on the presentation." Madelyn nodded at this, miming faint interest with her green eyes, which stood out against her pale skin. Then, smoothing her vibrant red hair as if uncomfortable, she moved on without comment.
"Alicia?"
Another reasonable critique, not so different from Eleni's.
"Ah yes, thank you for pointing out the toes. Cordelia, you really must work on keeping your toes sharp. Don't get sloppy. Jenna you're turn."
Another critique, another highlight of something Jenna had said.
"Eleni, you're up." Matthew shifted so he could watch her dance. She performed the short piece and returned to the group.
"Alicia, you're first." The dark-skinned woman with straight black hair looked at Madelyn as if she had no idea what the woman was talking about.
"I don't have anything to comment upon, Ms. Frost." Madelyn paused, but then moved on. "Jenna."
"Well, I hate to say this to someone who is practicing at our level, but her jettes are a bit—" she made an expression that suggested they were terrifying. They had been nothing of the sort. Matthew growled internally. "I know that is a fairly basic element, and hate to highlight it, but I want to be honest."
"Thank you, Jenna. Eleni, please take note. I thought you seemed a bit off balance on your landing myself. Work on those." Eleni nodded.
"Cordelia."
"Where do I begin? I mean, it's obvious she has only been dancing for a short while. Really, Ms. Frost, I don't know how you can stand it, having to act like she is at our level. But…"
"Cordelia, just pick one thing in that case."
Cordelia proceeded to shred everything about Eleni's performance. Madelyn cut her off a minute into the critique.
"She had some good points there, Eleni. Please keep them in mind." Madelyn didn't bother to point out which were good points. Matthew thought there had been none.
The class proceeded in this manner. Matthew warmed up there for as long as he could but was eventually claimed by Adam to work on a few skills he had lost during his break from dancing.
When they were both finished, Matthew joined Eleni in the seats at the side of the room where she was taking a water break.
"So, how did it go?" Eleni shrugged.
"Fine." He twisted his mouth.
"I heard some of it earlier. I know they aren't being nice. You know that most of what they are saying is crap, right? And Alicia didn't say anything at all." He pointed that out as a positive. Eleni looked at him for a long moment.
"Alicia acts like I don't exist." Matthew paused, wondering if perhaps she was exaggerating. Eleni continued to survey him. She seemed to come to some conclusion and looked away. "It's nothing in the end. Don't worry about it."
That afternoon after lunch they danced together on the stage as they had done the past two days. Matthew did his best to ignore the catcalls from the other students who had come to open dance. Afterwards, as they were getting ready to go change, Eleni started to say good-bye for the evening.
"Adam and I are coming for dinner tonight," he said, pleased with himself. Eleni was not so pleased.
"Are you sure that is a good idea? It's just going to encourage-," she gestured at the other students, "-them." He thought of the things that had been yelled at them while they danced.
"I don't care," he shrugged it off. "We're friends." And if he stayed away, they would never be more than that. Smiling reassuringly at her, he went to change.
Dinner was pleasant, even a bit nostalgic. He, Adam and Jalisa had eaten dinner frequently with Madam P when they were young. The woman had been instrumental in convincing Adam to adopt, to the point of ordering him to the adoption center on the very day Matthew and Jalisa had been brought in. She had also played an active role in their upbringing.
As they had entered their teenaged years, however, they had come less and less, and often it had been only Adam and Matthew. Eventually, Jenna had become a common addition with Jae there only on occasion.
"Are you ready for school?" Adam asked mid-way through dinner. Eleni looked up after a moment of silence and realized he had been talking to her.
"As ready as I'll ever be."
"She'll take her tests next week," Madam P provided. "You are a bit nervous, aren't you?" Matthew admired his teacher's sharp eye. He had felt a spike of anxiety from Eleni at the mention of school.
"Well, I don't think I will do very well on those tests."
"Why would that be my dear?" Matthew stopped himself from gasping out loud as he understood. He cleared his throat to hide his reaction.
Of course. Eleni had been schooled in a completely different system and language. Even with her mutant ability, she wouldn't know the things that were taught here.
Eleni glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, a warning. She had felt his reaction. The bond became tinged with hesitation.
"Well, it's just that, I've never really been into school." Madam P's eyes went stern. She was a stickler for academics, and never took someone's passion for dance as an excuse for poor effort at school.
"Well, consider this your second chance."
"Yes, Madam P," Eleni said meekly, again glancing at Matthew.
After dinner, Madam P excused Eleni and Matthew from cleaning up, saying she and Adam had some things they needed to discuss. The two young people adjourned to the living room where they sat on the couch and talked. Matthew was happy to finally have some time alone with Eleni.
"Matthew, I'm not sure you should have dinner here," Eleni said to start. He shrugged, knowing she was worried about what their classmates would say.
"What's the harm? They'll get bored of it all at some point."
Eleni looked away, not satisfied with his answer.
"Matthew, it—." She cut off.
"What?" She shook her head after a moment of thought.
"Never mind. Anyway, I have some other things I wanted to ask you about."
Eleni spent the rest of the evening quizzing him on things she had noticed about the UpMountain: people flying in the Atrium, the temple of The Cult of the Magnetist, questions about what school would be like, and, of course, the bond. He patiently answered her questions, and to her disappointment had nothing new to add to the last one. For his part, however, he was happy to once again be a source of information and enjoyed their time together.
When Adam tapped on the wall, calling that it was time to go, Matthew left reluctantly. He was up and out early the next morning and was waiting outside the doors of the dance school when Madam P. opened them. She gave him an arched look, but then helpfully informed him that Eleni was in the auditorium.
"Morning!" he called as he approached the stage where she was idly practicing a few steps. She turned and gave a small smile.
"Good morning, Matthew."
"Mind if I join?" Some light practice would be a good way to start warming up, he decided. She spread her hands magnanimously, and he grinned as he made his way onto the stage.
Later, he sat watching Eleni dance under the stern eye of Madam P in the large studio as he sat for a water break. Morning classes had ended a short while ago, and it was almost time for lunch. A voice from behind took him by surprise.
"They are so annoying aren't they? They've been like that for months now. I wish they'd go have another affair and be interesting!" Jenna plopped down in the chair beside him. She was looking to the left in disgust.
Matthew didn't need to look to know what she was talking about. His father and Jenna's mother were standing in that direction, idle at the moment. Their heads were bent together, and they had glanced in his direction a couple of times, leaving no doubt as to the topic of their conversation. He had been ignoring them.
"They never had an affair. It was one night," he muttered, not really caring. One night with devastating consequences for Adam, he thought randomly as he continued watching Eleni. Jenna continued to sit next to him as if they were having a companionable moment.
"Is she really that good?" she said after a moment. Her tone suggested she wasn't talking about dancing.
He glanced at Jenna, then back at Eleni in silence, not dignifying her suggestion with an answer. His former girlfriend had sought him out several times, and always stood closer to him than he was comfortable with. He shifted away in his seat.
"She doesn't know you like I do," Jenna continued in spite of his silence. "There's no way. I know every part of you, Mattie, and you know it." Her voice had gone soft. Unbidden, memories of just how well Jenna knew him, and in what way, came to mind. They made Matthew feel…
He cleared his throat and stood up. He determinedly thought about how Jenna had made him feel when they broke up. The condescending things she had said to him, and the contempt in her voice.
His eyes caught on Eleni doing a complex move. It occurred to him that she understood him far better than Jenna ever had. Eleni knew things about him that he had never been able to share with Jenna. Eleni didn't see him as a beautiful prize with a slightly inconvenient past; she accepted him as he was. He just hoped that what he was, was enough.
Watching Eleni, he forgot the world around him. He felt something he could only call wonder when he realized the thoughts that had just crossed his mind about Eleni were all completely true. He became aware of how badly he wanted her, and the poignant emotion started to become painful.
Jenna spoke again, shocking him out of his trance. She had stood up as well, and now put her hand on his arm and stepped close.
"Mattie, that's not all we were, no matter what anyone says. You know that, too. We can have that back, all of it." There was truth to what she said, he knew that, but it was weak compared to what he saw in front of him.
"Maybe that's not all she is, either," he replied, and shaking Jenna's hand off, he walked away.
The days slipped into a routine. Dance classes in the morning, Eleni and Matthew dancing together in the afternoon, dinner at Madam P's and then some time to talk on the couch, where Eleni continued to learn everything she could about the UpMountain.
Matthew had hoped to spend the next Holday with Eleni, but it turned out that she was going to accompany Madam P on her errands. Disappointed, he accompanied his father to the vineyard instead, and spent the day reviewing stock and tallying numbers. The next day they were back to the routine at the dance school, as the days dwindled towards the start of academic schooling.
G came up again two days after the Holday with Bright and Hulio. Hulio had an audition at the recording studio, and that event had triggered the group visit. G left Scarlet in charge when he wasn't at the Towers but didn't like to spend a lot of time away.
When Matthew joined them in the auditorium seats, they were trying to calm Hulio down. The young man was quite nervous about his audition.
"I'm gonna choke, I know it. Been singing since I was like 2, and it's not going to happen today."
G scoffed. "Just get it over with. Really. If you do bomb, well, then it means more of your sweet tunes for the DownMountain." Hulio glared at G. If he wanted to have any sort of career in music, the UpMountain was the only real option.
Eleni finished practicing and came over. G greeted her warmly, and Matthew was surprised to see her smile in welcome.
"You all are a sight for sore eyes," she said quietly as she joined them.
"That bad, huh?"
"Nothing I didn't expect." Matthew narrowed his eyes remembering she had said something similar before. He got up and moved so he was sitting in front of her instead of on the other side of the group.
"You've been holding your own. Showing these spoiled brats the meaning of dignity," he said. She looked at him, taking in his proximity, and shrugged.
"I hope you're including yourself in that comment, Mattie," G mumbled, and then smiled brightly at the glare Matthew gave him.
"How's the dancing going, Elle?"
"Good. Madam P started me on partnering today." Her excitement at that was clear. G flicked his eyes towards Matthew in an unspoken question. Eleni gave a small laugh, that was more like a smirk. "No, we are not allowed to partner. I'm working only with Adam at the moment." Matthew made a sour face at the reminder, and the fact that Eleni was using it to make fun of him.
"That Madam P is a wonder. Most intelligent person I have ever met," G commented with mock gravity.
"Actually, I haven't seen you partner with anyone, Matthew," Eleni commented innocently. G rolled his eyes heavenward.
"She is nothing short of a diety…" Matthew fake-punched G in the arm.
"I start tomorrow." He was not looking forward to that. G made a sign of resignation.
"At least Elle will be protected from your…unsavory tendencies." Matthew gave him a tired look, and the group tittered with laughter.
The conversation shifted to the mundane, and after a few minutes Madam P called Eleni back to the stage.
"How are things really going?" G took the opportunity to quiz Matthew. He shrugged.
"I think they are actually going pretty well. I mean, the others aren't nice, sure, and they aren't going to be interested in being friends, but they aren't being that bad, either. And Elle just lets it all slide off her back." G looked at Matthew for a long moment.
"What sort of things are they doing?"
"Catcalls, being overly harsh or dismissive…pretending she doesn't exist." G snorted at the last.
"I can never decide if that one is the best or the worse. It means you don't have to listen to them, but over time…" he let his voice trail off, and Bright, who sat on the other side of him, hummed in agreement. Matthew looked away in discomfort.
On the stage, Eleni was getting ready to dance. He sat back to watch and noticed G looking at him out of the corner of his eye. He ignored it.
The next day showed the lie in Matthew's report to G. He and Eleni were dancing in tandem during open dance as had become their routine. Today they were on the stage; the teachers were working in the studios, and as such the auditorium contained only students.
Their audience was less than appreciative as usual, but Matthew thought he was getting pretty good at ignoring the rude things that were yelled at them. The first few days they had caused him to lose his place in the dance. Eleni never stopped, no matter what they said.
He was mentally patting himself on the back when he heard the fall.
"Eleni are you O-?" He froze, and his concern died on his lips. It took a moment for his mind to connect that the girl sprawled on the floor, her bare, bald head shining under the lights, was Eleni.
Before he could do anything, she scrambled up and was searching for her scarf. He saw it at the corner of the stage and retrieved it for her. As he handed it back to her, he could feel the weight of an object tucked into its folds.
There was laughter from the audience, and a couple of snide remarks.
"He's got the brain, and she's got the bald! Put 'em together and you got an Xavier!" Came one. Matthew glared at the other students.
"Are you ok?" he asked. She nodded curtly and began leaving the stage. He wanted to follow her, but his anger got the better of him first. He stalked to the front of the stage.
"Jenna, that's grounds for expulsion."
"Mattie, I don't know what you are talking about."
"You never use your powers on another student. Especially while they are dancing. She could have been hurt." He glared down at his former girlfriend, who was in the front row with a couple of her friends. She looked back up at him. Suggestively.
"Mattie, why don't you come down here and we can talk about it without screaming?"
After staring at her for a moment, Matthew turned and walked away.
"If you do that again, I'm going straight to Madam P." Jeering followed his threat, and he fought keep his anger down. Jogging off the stage and down the hall towards Madam P's house, he was able to catch up with Eleni as she exited through the door that led to the kitchen.
"Elle, are you ok?" he asked again. She turned to him and answered once she reached the table.
"I'm fine."
"I'm so angry that she did that."
"It's in the past, now." Matthew wished Eleni wouldn't dismiss things so easily. Not that he had any better idea of how to deal with them. Her next question surprised him. "She can move things with her mind?" She unconsciously rapped the table top with her knuckles, her eyes intense upon him.
Matthew nodded.
"A telekinetic." He grimaced. "It's another reason we were so popular together. Like Jean Grey and Scott Summers all over again." He paused, unhappy with that. "Or Jean Grey and Charles Xavier…" Then he grimaced and shook his head. "No, let's not go there..."
Eleni gave him an irritated look and turned to make her way into the hall.
"Those names mean nothing to me you realize." Matthew blinked and started after her. She turned into the living room and began to pace.
"But you knew Erik Lensherr, who was Magneto."
"Yes, because he was demonized where I came from. All the rest of the mutants were his faceless minions."
"That's not how it was." She rounded on him in front of the couch.
"It's doesn't really matter now, does it? What does matter is what all of them can do!" She gestured almost violently back towards the dance school and anger and anxiety flared through the bond. "Could you tell me the abilities of the other students? It seems like a good thing to know, whether they are supposed to use those abilities or not." Any active use of a mutant ability was technically forbidden at the dance school. He had told her that when they had come UpMountain.
He nodded grimly, and, sitting on the couch, began listing them. Cordelia had small retractable claws. Eleni took a deep breath when she heard that one. Alicia could redistribute portions of her mass, though not change her bones, making herself thinner, fatter, lopsided, etc.
"So, she's definitely doing that to improve her dancing." Matthew shifted uncomfortably.
"She's not supposed to." But Jenna had said as much before. "If it ever becomes an issue, she'll be taken before a truth teller."
"A truth teller? What's that?"
"Not what, who. Certain mutants have the ability to discern truth from lie when someone speaks. Empaths, telepaths, and occasionally someone who is born solely with the ability to detect a lie. It's thought to be a subset of telepa—" Eleni was not interested in the theory.
"Who are these people?" she demanded.
"Well, they get trained and registered. I'll probably do it someday. But, they are usually procured for official uses; it is very expensive to hire a truth teller." Eleni had reached up and gripped her head.
"But they go around and can tell whether everyone is lying? They can do this all the time?"
Matthew hedged. "Well, in my case, I have to be trying. Like I said, I never go into someone's head without their permission. So, no, it's not like that for me. As for the others." He thought for a moment, then continued with confidence. "You have to say something to them. They can't tell if you are, say, thinking a lie or thinking of lying."
"Are any of the other students here-?"
"No."
"At the academic school?"
"I'm the only one at our school. They, we I suppose, are very rare." Matthew replied, emphasizing the latter. He could feel her distress and didn't want to worsen it. He supposed suddenly being put in a place where someone could tell if you were lying at any time would be a bit disconcerting.
Eleni sank her head, still gripped in her hands, onto her chest and stayed like that for a long moment. Given her worry, he considered mentioning the shape shifters, but decided against it. There were only three, anyway, and all employed by the military. He'd mention it at another time.
"Eleni?" He finally asked, worried. Her emotions were a tumultuous mix of fear, anxiety and growing determination. She looked up.
"Matthew, what is it like at school? Really. Don't try to make it nice." He hesitated, concerned. Irritation flared, and she snapped at him. "I've already let myself forget about this twice." She tipped her head back in annoyance, which he sensed was directed at herself. "Life just seems so normal here! More normal in some ways than what I had at the Citadel. Aargh!" She exclaimed in frustration.
Matthew recalled her comment from the other day and took the opportunity.
"Eleni, they didn't know you were a mutant. Your life should have been normal there, but it wasn't. Why is that?" Eleni froze, startled by the question, then slightly chagrined. She thought for a moment, considering him. She shrugged.
"I was illegitimate. It's seen very badly in the Citadel."
Matthew breathed out slowly. "So, that's why you are used to people treating you the way they do here." She nodded, and then took control of the conversation again.
"But I'm not prepared for people who can move things without touching them. I need to know the rules, whether they break them and what they can do. I need to know their powers, all of them." She said this determinedly, and Matthew was momentarily taken aback.
"Elle, I don't think you need to worry about it so much."
"Matthew, just tell me what it is like at school."
"The same as the dance school, more or less. Students are not supposed to use their powers against another."
"Does it happen though?" Matthew hedged, and she glared at him. He wilted.
"Occasionally."
"And there will be more students, and relatively more time unsupervised than at the dance school, right?" He nodded reluctantly, then was horrified as he felt Eleni's determination go iron hard. She stood and started pacing again.
"Elle, I think you are taking this too far. I'll be there, and overall everyone usually follows the rules. I hate that you are thinking about it like something you have to prepare yourself for!" Eleni just looked at him.
"Matthew, I need you to tell me as many of the abilities at the school as you can, who has them and what they look like." He looked at her, dismayed, but then nodded.
"Tomorrow, I'll bring last year's year book."
"OK. Let's finish up with the students at the dance school for now."
Matthew did bring the book the next day, but he had forgotten that he and his father had a previously scheduled dinner, and they didn't make much headway. Matthew quickly scribbled in what he considered the most dangerous mutant powers before he left, and Eleni kept the book to start learning faces.
It was still on his mind when he arrived at the Hellfire Club with his father a short while later.
"It's such a pleasure to have you here again, Adam." Sirah Allerdyce's smile was wide and generous. Her eyes here not.
She led them to a round table on one of the tiered levels of the Hellfire club. They weren't a large party; Sirah and Reginald Allerdyce and Selene of course, then Matthew and Adam.
Sirah, their hostess and the owner of the club, was a large woman with medium brown skin, and black hair in tight waves, which was swept up into an elegant bun. Her eyes were dark and calculating.
"It's been a long time," Adam replied as he settled into his seat and glanced around the well-appointed club. Red and black dominated the décor, which was lush and luxurious. It was a Thursday, and there was a small band performing at the front of the dance floor below. Several other tables around the large-tiered lounge were occupied, but as many were vacant.
Later tonight, Friday and the following Holday, the music would be louder, the lights lower, the crowds larger, and the club would pulse with energy. Matthew remembered it from the times he had come with Jenna.
"That's new," Adam added, gesturing up.
Sirah glanced up at the ceiling, where an elaborate frame glistened with crystals.
"Yes," their host replied. She glanced up but commented on something else. "Remember that time when you shot an energy bolt at the center lighting, causing a shower of sparks? Everyone loved it, except my mother. She was in a fit over the damage. But your mother always had a way with my father, and it never amounted to much."
Picking up on an undertone in the conversation, Matthew glanced at Adam. He recalled the pictures he had seen of Adam's mother. She had been a rare beauty – a slight, delicate figure, with golden skin, eyes and hair and translucent wings. Adam had mentioned once that her lightweight frame, which had allowed her to fly, was also the reason Adam was an only child.
The man was clearly discomforted by the conversation but smiled and seemed to shrug it off.
"A different time, a different person." He tried to put it all in the past, but Sirah wouldn't let it go.
"A different person indeed. You know, I applauded Madelyn when she made her move. It's a pity she didn't follow through or clean up the mess she made." Matthew frowned but followed Adam's lead and kept eating his salad in silence.
Glancing surreptitiously around the table, Matthew saw Selene glaring at her mother. She caught him looking at her and her face transformed into a smile. Earrings of emerald and diamond sparkled on her ears. A matching necklace graced her neck. Her hair was swept up elegantly, and she wore an emerald diadem on top of the lush black locks. Her dress was silver and strapless. When she had stood to welcome them, it had formed to her figure before descending in a smooth, shimmering cascade. She was dressed to impress and conquer.
Matthew adjusted the collar of his heather grey suit self-consciously. It was of fine quality, and the straight lines emphasized his broad shoulders. The round-collar allowed a glimpse of the silky sapphire blue shirt beneath. The pants fit snugly and sported additional sapphire accents, which were again echoed by the gold and sapphire earrings he wore. He looked good, and he knew it. Nonetheless, he made a note to himself to get the latest style.
"Matthew, it is so good to have you back." Selene's smile seemed genuine, and Matthew found himself smiling in return. "And you'll be finishing up at school, I assume?" He cleared his throat in embarrassment.
"Yes, well, I did that to myself didn't I?" He chuckled and was charming in his self-deprecation. Selene was in the same year as he had been and was now done. "I'll be there for the next semester to finish."
"And after that?" Reginald jumped into the conversation. Selene took after her father and he shared her green eyes, tanned skin and straight black hair.
"I haven't decided, yet." Adam had made some subtle suggestions about law, and G had made a couple of mentions about Matthew pursuing civil management, but Matthew wasn't particularly interested in either option.
"Well, the military is always a good option." Adam nearly choked on his salad. "Yes, that's right! You sister has already gone that route, hasn't she?"
"She has," Matthew responded reluctantly. He didn't want to talk about Jae. Things were worse between them now that Eleni was living UpMountain, something he hadn't believed possible. They couldn't be in the same room without threat of an altercation. "They approached me a while back. I considered it, but I'm confident I would not be a good candidate for military service."
"Many people think that," Sirah cut in, "but the truth is that a military training is never a waste. You can move on to, or return to, something after. It would open up many new possibilities for you, both in terms of a career or other…activities." Sirah's eyes were intent on him as she shared this information.
"Mother's right," Selene chimed in. "I entered at the Cadet level at the beginning of the summer, even though in the end I expect to run the club. The contacts alone make the experience worth it."
"I'll take that into consideration," Matthew said, hoping he sounded sincere. Sirah's eyes remained trained on him, and he felt like a mouse trying to stare down a cat.
"We spoke of some of you father's misdeeds," Selene's father spoke up. "I hope you don't mind if I do the same with you." Matthew did mind, but Reginald didn't notice or didn't care. "All with the best of intentions, of course. But, really, Matthew, what are you doing with that…girl?"
"Her name is Eleni. She is an exceptionally good dancer."
"Dancer, huh?" Selene's father laughed as if he shared a secret joke with Matthew.
"I grew up with ballet. I don't find it so strange that I want to help another artist of skill."
"Yes, you grew up with ballet. I believe we have Adam's mother to thank for that as well." Sirah mumbled as she took a bite of her salad. Matthew glanced at Adam. The woman was baiting him, but Matthew was honestly curious. He knew very little about Adam's parents.
"Did your mother dance, too?" Adam shook his head.
"She supported my dancing," was all he said. He gave Matthew a look that told him not to pursue the subject. Unfortunately, his question had given Sirah an opening.
"Oh, no! Candace Summers was known for other activities. Trangpeng Pryde worked hard to win her, everything that came with her, and…everything she brought down upon herself." Her tone suggested she didn't mean the vineyards for which the Summers family was famous. Matthew saw Adam's jaw clench, but then the man suddenly smiled.
"Ah, Sirah, I thought this dinner would be difficult after being out of the circles for so long. But you are bringing back all the wonders this lifestyle has to hold. I'll be happy to live with the memory of tonight for the rest of my quiet days."
To Matthew's surprise, Sirah scowled for a moment before falling silent and bending to her food. He noticed Reginald look at his wife in irritation. The man looked back to their guests.
"So, Adam, how goes the business?"
The conversation fell to the mundane for a while, with Sirah taking no more veiled shots. As courses were brought and cleared, they spoke politely of the latest UpMountain news, the decisions that were coming before the Council of Barons and the upcoming school year. At the dessert course, Selene made a show of turning their custards into ice cream with her freezing powers.
They were just finishing up over coffee when a strident voice interrupted.
"By the Helm, I do believe it is the Summers'. I thought for sure I was mistaken. So, you've emerged from your hole." A tall figure had joined them at the table. Medium length, luscious black hair framed a handsome, pale face with striking blue eyes. The woman, who came to stand to the left of Selene, wore a smart suit that hugged her fit form. Her eyes were fixed on Matthew, her smile viciously triumphant.
"Lady Tracy Lensherr. An honor. Well met, I trust?" Adam provided the greeting, and her eyes briefly looked to him, then returned to Matthew.
"Of course, Adam. How goes the vineyard?"
"Promising harvest this year." She nodded approvingly.
"Just the news I want to hear. So, Matthew, this new…'friend' of yours…she's kind of pretty." Matthew bristled, but he tried to project calm indifference.
"She's not really your type, Lady Tracy. Jenna's still free if you're getting bored." He looked straight back at her. Tracy's eyebrows raised in delight. She glanced meaningfully back at what Matthew assumed was her table, where an attractive young woman waited.
"Not bored. Never that." She looked back as Matthew wondered just which popular young woman she had snagged this time. "Jenna was very special, though. You set me a good challenge there. One I clearly met." He just stared at her after that comment. Reginald Allerdyce tried to ask Tracy a question, but she spoke over him. "So, what monumental occasion has brought both the Summers' men back into the realm of the living?"
Matthew saw Selene open her mouth to respond, but he quickly provided an answer.
"Selene cornered me." He spoke the truth as if it were a jest and smiled at both the woman. Tracy looked down at Selene, an arched expression on her face.
"Selene? How, interesting…" The two women looked at each other for a moment, in silence. Then Tracy looked to Adam. "And you brought your father along. How sweet."
Sirah, silent throughout this exchange, finally spoke.
"Lady Tracy, I was mentioning to Matthew earlier how beneficial a military career can be. Wouldn't you agree?" Tracy focused on Sirah.
"Yes, I would heartily agree. If you ever have any questions, Matthew, please come to me. I am finding the experience quite enlightening." Her eyes never left Sirah's during the brief speech. Tracy was currently an officer in the military, a historically common occupation for the Lensherr heir.
"You might want to get back to your date, Lady Tracy. I'm sure you wouldn't want to leave her bored."
"That never happens." Finally, the two women broke eye contact. Tracy smiled graciously to the rest of the table. Her eyes came to rest on Matthew and Selene for a moment longer than the rest, then, smirking, the woman sauntered back to her table.
Matthew was glad when they said their final good-byes to the Allerdyces, and he and his father left for the closest closed car station.
Matthew knew he shouldn't but couldn't resist asking.
"Those things she was saying about your moth-?"
"All true." Adam cut him off with his clipped reply. Matthew paused.
He didn't care about the suggestion of infidelity. That was a common story UpMountain where often marriages were more or less arranged, and for many, particularly for those who preferred the same sex, the unions were in truth only an exercise in proving their loyalty to the Montagne by producing children to claim their assets. It wasn't unusual for people to follow their heart's desire once they had fulfilled their economic, genetic or political role.
"I'm sorry if that upset you. I was just wondering, what did she mean with the comment about bringing things down on herself?" Adam sighed.
"I'm sorry I snapped at you. Sirah got me worked up, that's all. I still don't know the details, but apparently the affair between my mother and her father had far reaching implications. Some even connect it with the South Slope Cave-In."
"The one that killed the former Head?" Both the Head and her husband had been killed in the disaster. Adam nodded.
"My parents were there, too. That's how they died, and Sirah's father was killed there, though her mother survived." Then the man shook his head again. "It's all speculation. I don't know the whole story, and don't particularly want to." Matthew was quiet for a minute.
"Do you ever think of going back to that life?" When he was younger, Matthew had felt cheated at times seeing what his father was making them miss out on. He didn't care so much now, though his sister still did. Adam shook his head.
"That lifestyle made me lose everything that was important to me. And I didn't just lose it, I destroyed it. No, I never want to go back to that."
"You aren't tempted even a little? I mean, at the least, it makes things so much easier." Adam looked at Matthew.
"Matthew, I have found myself very content over these years. I have hardly ever missed what I gave up." Then he tilted his head to the side as if in compromise. "I did, once, use the Summers' name to get something I wanted." Matthew raised his eyebrows surprise.
"What was that?"
"You and Jalisa. And it is the best thing I ever did." Matthew nodded his appreciation, but then looked down, not sure what else to say. They walked on in silence.
"Dad, did you really blow out the lights in there?" This time Adam laughed and looked sheepish, if slightly satisfied.
"Yes. I had Gilan tunnel a hole to the outside so I could charge up properly before I did it. We both got in serious trouble." Matthew smiled. His father rarely spoke of his youthful escapades, though apparently there had been plenty. Unfortunately, he didn't share any more. He changed the subject as their reached the closed car station.
"Matthew, there's something I wanted to talk to you about. It's in regards to Eleni."
Matthew tensed.
"I've been watching you two, closely, and have come to the conclusion that there is indeed nothing more than friendship between you. I've also noted that this is a situation it appears you would like to change." Clenching his teeth in frustration at the intrusion into his privacy, Matthew hoped Adam was the only one who had noticed his feelings for Eleni. He found himself thinking about her at all hours of the day.
"I told you we were only friends from the beginning. You are the one who was imagining something that wasn't there." He hoped his father would take the hint and decide everything else he'd seen was of his own imagining as well. No such luck.
"Matthew, your feelings are clear to me at least. And, I think, to Eleni. She, on the other hand, does not seem to be reciprocating beyond friendship."
You don't have to rub it in, Matthew thought, but he didn't say anything. After a moment Adam continued.
"I just want to make sure you are careful, both for your sake and hers. At some point, if she is still not showing interest, the best thing to do is to let it go. There's nothing you can do in that case."
"Thanks for the support, Dad," he said sarcastically. Adam sighed in frustration.
"She's in a difficult situation, Matthew. Don't make it any harder for her."
Matthew didn't reply to that inane comment. They spent the rest of the trip home in silence.
The next night at dinner, just four days before school was to start, the topic of conversation was Eleni's test results. They weren't good.
"So," Madam P was wrapping up the dismal report, "based on the results, she will be moved down two class levels. They will not move her farther than that due to her age, and she will receive additional support outside of standard classes."
Eleni had sat silent through the entire report, after giving her consent that Madam P could share it with Adam and Matthew. Matthew felt his stomach sink as he heard this news, and quickly tried to suppress the feeling. Too late, as Eleni looked up and caught his eye.
"What do you think, Matthew? How does this change things for me?" Her eyes were sharp on him. He squirmed uncomfortably.
"Well, I thought we would be together at school. You see, there are 5 grades, and the top two share most of their classes, and as such their schedules are similar. This change means you will now be grouped with the lower three classes…"
"So, I won't see very much of you." She said it flatly and gave the impression that she was simply digesting the information. He was privy to the spike of anxiety that preceded the comment.
Later, sitting in the living room, she brought it up again.
"The people you have been telling me about…they are from the top two classes, right?" Matthew nodded. Eleni cursed in her native tongue, then took a deep breath. He sensed she was bracing herself against the knowledge that much of the preparation she had been making for school was now irrelevant. Once calm, she looked straight at him.
"Well then, let's go back to the beginning."
Matthew's head was hurting by the time Adam came to collect him to go. He almost felt relief, instead of regret, at saying good night to Eleni as they left. Almost.
His father was blessedly quiet on the way home, but Matthew's thoughts weren't. They were filled with Eleni and impatient for the time they would be more than friends. He acknowledged that it was a not situation to which was he accustomed. To distract himself, he brainstormed ways to ease her anxieties about school.
Reaching the house, Matthew and his father rounded the back to enter as they always did, through the porch. Matthew made to retreat to his room; he had another book on telepathic theory to read. Eleni continued to ask him about his progress in regards to the bond. His father stopped him.
"Matthew, wait a moment. I'd like to talk."
Matthew's stomach sank. The fact that Adam had waited until they got home suggested it would be more involved than what they had discussed the previous night. When they settled in the living room, he learned his intuition was correct.
"Mattie, I've been talking to Madelyn over the past few months. About you, about Jenna. We've been worried for both of you. Jenna's been putting on a strong front, but Madelyn says that the situation between you two is tearing her up inside. I didn't bring it up before because you were still so upset. Now, you are in a much better place, you're seeing Jenna again at the school, and I think you need to know." Matthew thought back to their conversation from the night before and got angry.
"Are you telling me to give up on Eleni and go back to her?" Adam quickly raised his hands in defense.
"No. You know I wouldn't do that. I just want to make sure you understand the entire situation. You and Jenna together were," he paused for a moment, "you two were amazing together. And I don't mean your tabloid image, or what everyone else saw. I mean what Maddie and I saw. Two young people who truly cared about each other; who took care with each other. Maddie feels much of Jenna's behavior the past few months has been bravado, the attitude she thinks she has to project to appear on top of things. Her father…," Adam sighed, "that would be Devon's way, and Jenna had bought into that way of thinking wholesale. But you know that Jenna can be as nervous and afraid as any of us, and she is, and she doesn't have you to confide in anymore. Madelyn is worried about what she might do."
A picture of Eleni, collapsed on the dance floor looking like a cornered cat about to attack, her bald head shining in the lights, flashed through his head. Madelyn is right to worry, was his thought, but he didn't share it with his father.
"Dad, I'm not going back to Jenna. That is done. I don't have those feelings for her anymore." As he said this, he realized it was completely true, and felt a moment of loss. He and Jenna had had something special. And now it was gone. Adam sat back, his face slack with disbelief. Disbelief and…pain.
"What happened?" The question came out in a desolate whisper, and Matthew looked askance at his father. The man's expression was wretched. Uncomfortable with the conversation, Matthew sought to end it.
"You wouldn't understand," he said flatly. Adam blinked at that, his face clearing to bewilderment and hurt for a moment. Matthew took advantage of the man's confusion, and left the room, mumbling that he had something to do.
Once upstairs, however, he found that his mind for once didn't fill with thoughts of Eleni. He didn't pull out the book on telepathy.
Instead, memories of himself and Jenna, once happy but now with a veneer of sadness, drifted through his mind. Laughing and having dinner together at Madam P's, hanging out with Jae and Adam at home, going out for dinner, bringing down the school dances as the most impressive couple and knowing it, lying close to each other for hours… Two young people who truly cared about each other; who took care with each other, his father had said. Yes, they had been that, and much more.Matthew spent the evening curled up on his bed, mourning for what had once been, and was now lost.
CITADEL 3020.08.23
DAVE
The building was quite plain. It didn't stand out from the other buildings though there were some subtle tower like protrusions, and a curving of the walls that was unusual if you focused on it. That was it. Dave stopped a man walking by.
"Excuse me. Is this the Hindu temple?" The man blinked, then nodded.
"Thank you," Dave said, and the man walked on. Moving to a bench a short distance away, Dave sat, and surveyed the building. He watched the people walking in and out and took in the rarity of a religion heretofore unknown to him.
Dave's research into the homogeny he saw in Bloc 7 had led to a lesson in both history and religion. The Citadel was by and large a Christian city. In the chaos after the Devastation, many religions had proclaimed theirs the proper path to navigate the apocalypse God had visited upon the world. The clashes between those varying religions, some old, some new, had endangered the existence of this small segment of humanity that clung to survival.
Then, a Christian leader had risen to power, taken a firm grip on the city, and persuaded it into some form of stability. Force was used to the extent that practitioners of other religions who objected to the ascendancy of the Christian church, were systematically subdued or eliminated.
While that theocracy had dwindled after a few centuries, as power shifted to the militant arm which was a necessity in light of fairly frequent mutant threats, the Christian church was still seen as the savior of the city. Dave had known that a few other religions existed, but they all outwardly adopted the same tenants as the dominant religion, and they kept quiet. This was the first time he had seen a place of worship that did not bear a cross, and that was why he was here.
After watching the people come and go for a while and seeing no evidence of any who wore a scarf on their heads, he shook his head at his foolishness. Seeing a couple of headscarves both times he had come to Bloc 7 had reminded him of an old mystery. As he stood to make his way to his fourth meeting with a family who had lost a mutant child, he admitted that his activity had no real basis at all. Eleni's scarf had been a lie in the end. He didn't know why he was trying to discover the religion she had pretended to practice.
Dave enjoyed the moment, as he turned his girlfriend around the floor of the empty conference room. Of all the dances he had been required to learn, the waltz had been the most frustrating. But now, he glided them across the floor with little thought. He was privately quite pleased with himself.
His newfound mastery was the reason he knew something was wrong when he stepped on Eleni's toes. For the first time, it hadn't been his error that caused that misstep.
"What's wrong, Elle?" he asked as they pulled apart and she bent down to rub her foot. He crouched beside her.
"Nothing," she said quietly, but he knew it was a lie.
It was hard to read Eleni, even for him who had grown up with her. She had become more withdrawn as they entered their teenaged years. While he had suspected something was bothering her earlier in the evening, he hadn't been certain until she had been so distracted that she made a mistake in the dance.
"It's not nothing," he said quietly as he bent down beside her. He took the hand that wasn't holding her foot and squeezed it. "Tell me, Elle."
"Dave, you didn't! I thought you were past that." Dave's head snapped up, and he pulled his hand away from Eleni's. His father had come over to the edge of the tables and was giving Dave a disparaging look.
"It was me this time," Eleni said as she stood. Robert Kelly's eyebrows went up in a dubious expression.
"You've made quite some headway with him, Elle. I'd say the job is done." With a smile and another warning look at his son, the man left.
Dave let out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. Eleni looked up at him, an amused look on her face.
"It's not so bad," she said. "Let's keep dancing."
He took her in his arms again.
"Elle, I know something happened. Please tell me," he tried again after a minute. He suspected there had been some incident at school. Eleni didn't like to talk about what her classmates did to her on a daily basis, and Dave knew not to press too hard. This time, however, his instinct told him not to let it go.
"Really, Dave, it was nothing. Laughably stupid in fact. I don't know why I'm letting it get to me."
"Well, if that's the case, tell me and let's laugh over it." Eleni shook her head in annoyance but gave in.
"They pulled my scarf off. I thought they had gotten over that." Dave sighed out.
When Eleni was younger, her classmates had found it amusing to pull her scarf off and reveal her bald head. Eleni had taken the bullying quietly, as she always did, but Dave remembered a few times when it had made her cry. He hadn't seen her cry in years, now. Not since she'd been in the hospital.
"You're right. That's an old joke!" he returned. "Old and tired."
It was. While the schools they had gone to as small children hadn't been as close in proximity to each other as their current schools were, Dave's friends had known about Eleni, her scarf, and her lack of hair. They had sometimes joked about her. He had joined in on occasion.
He guided himself and Eleni as close to the wall that held the doors as he could get, and out of sight of anyone passing casually in the hall. Then he paused and pulled Eleni to him in a tight hug. Her head went to his shoulder, and he rested his cheek on the scarf in question. Her mother claimed the headwear, as well as shaving their heads, had some religious significance for them.
"They said some things. About my appearance and…my future." Dave didn't understand the significance of that but did understand that it had bothered Eleni. And that was saying a lot. He held her tighter for a moment.
In 5th grade they had moved into adjoined schools, and the teasing had taken place with Eleni present. He'd never forget the way it had made him feel to realize how he'd been talking about her, in spite of the fact he considered them to be close. Understanding on some level that making a scene would only make it worse, he had said nothing, but then walked with Eleni to the office building. He had apologized for his friend's behavior; she had just shrugged and said she was used to it.
He had never again taken part in his friends' teasing after that. It had dropped off with time and boredom.
"They don't matter, Elle," he said softly, though he knew it wasn't true. Their world was too small for these people not to matter. This twisting of reality was what Eleni's mother told her on a regular basis, however, and he willingly encouraged the deception.
His slight guilt was assuaged by the fact that his father took steps to improve her experience when he logically could. For instance, when her teachers had routinely graded her low, Robert Kelly had hired a private proctor to join the usual supervisors for the annual standardized test. Those cold, solid scores had proven that Eleni was among the top of her class. Her command of languages was nothing short of astounding.
"I know," Eleni said in quiet reply, and the reminder of the lie she believed did seem to calm her. She pulled back, rested one hand on his shoulder, and held the other out to the side waiting for his. "I know," she said more firmly as he caught her free hand in his. They returned to their dancing.
That was the last time their classmates had pulled the scarf off her head, Dave recalled. The abuse had quieted after the incident, for several years in fact. Until something worse had taken its place.
Dave sighed sadly at the memory. He understood all too well now the insinuations her classmates had probably made. He tried to push it all away, but the memory of her soft scarf pressing against his cheek lingered as he mounted the steps to an apartment building. Entering the foyer, he located the correct apartment number and rang the bell. Turning, he surveyed he street as he waited.
Over the past weeks, he had met the remaining two families on his first list, one more from Bloc 7 and the other from 3 and found all of them eager to talk to him. He and Kurt had met again, and he had four more families he could contact. Today he was meeting the first of those four. He was trying to get as many meetings as he could in before university classes started in a couple of days.
Dave glanced at the apartment number again, wondering at the delay. He would wait to ring it a second time. He didn't want to pressure them, but if they didn't respond they would be the first family who had lost their nerve to speak to him. It would be a disappointment. He resumed his observations of the street but didn't really see anything there. Inadvertently, his hand came up to rest on his cheek.
A buzz behind him alerted Dave to the fact that the family was letting him up. He went through the interior door and ascended the stairs. On the 9th floor, he made his way down the hallway and found a woman waiting for him outside an apartment.
"Bharti James?" he asked.
"Yes," he thought he saw her sigh in relief. She indicated he should follow her into the apartment.
"Come on in," she led him down a hallway, off of which he saw a kitchen and bathroom, into a sitting room which looked out onto the street below. The apartment appeared to be fairly large, from the long hall he saw branching off to the side. A man rose from the floor as he entered and introduced himself as Bharti's husband before indicating Dave should sit. He asked if Dave would like something to drink, but Dave politely declined. They all sat on the pillows laid around a low table.
"My apologies for the wait," the man continued. "Our other children are being watched down the hall and we had some difficulty getting them all out." He shared a weary look with his wife, who nodded in tired agreement.
"How many children do you have?"
"6," the man responded, at the same time the wife said, "7." Then they stopped and looked at each other. The wife looked down as her husband put an arm around her shoulders.
"I've never gotten used to it," the wife admitted, sniffing. "Even though it's been a year."
"Would you tell me what happened?" She nodded.
"He was playing chess with one of his sisters in the boys' bedroom, and she started screaming. When I went in, he had turned black, like a pit to nowhere, and there were black…holes…appearing in the air around him. It stopped a moment later. He said he was sorry. I, I was frozen to the spot. I knew what it meant, but he was such a good boy. We had just had his 12th birthday. That's when we got him that chess set…" Here, she broke down and was unable to continue. The husband picked up the story.
"She tried to hide it." He meant his wife. "She didn't tell me. I don't blame her." This was said fiercely, as if Dave would judge her for trying to save her son's life. Dave nodded in agreement. "She said he was sick and needed to stay home for a bit. But, his sister talked at school. She didn't know any better, she was so scared!" The father was starting to tear up. Dave asked if he wanted to pause, but the man shook his head.
"They came that day. They almost took my wife. She tried to keep them away from our son. They found him, of course, and injected something into him that made him fall asleep. When they tried to take her for hiding him, I had gotten home at that point, and told them that we had 6 other kids to raise in support of the Citadel and were they going to take a many-times Blessed mother from all of them? They stopped at that, but told us our kids would all be retested, and would be monitored at school…" Here his voice did drop off, hopeless. It was rumored that families to whom multiple mutants were born tended to disappear.
Dave bowed his head in respect, hiding his anger at how they had been treated.
"I am so sorry for your loss. I have heard several of these stories so far,] and intend to hear as many as I can. Every one of them is just as painful as the last. These babies, these kids, these…people are just that, people! I understand their powers present a challenge but killing every single one on sight is wrong." He paused, collecting himself. He had said more than he had intended, but something about the couple sitting in front of him told him it had been the right thing to do. "I knew a mutant, who was also killed." He saw understanding on their faces and knew they had guessed as much. "I knew her power, it was languages. She could pick up languages at an inhumanly fast pace! How could that be dangerous?" They responded with fierce agreement and he made another spur of the moment decision. "I believe there is another way, and I want the Citadel to start looking for it. That is why I am meeting with families like yourselves. To understand what you go through. To see if there might be support for…change."
"What kind of change?" the wife asked her eyes sharp. Dave paused, reevaluating his decision. He hadn't spoken of his plans so far. Yet, the grief and anger he encountered at each meeting had been consistent. And this woman's eyes demanded more.
"If…if I feel there is enough support, I am interested in petitioning for mutant amnesty." He said the words, then held his breath.
The parents looked at him, then at each other. The father's face was more hesitant, but the mother's only hardened further with determination.
"How?" Dave knew she wanted this. Just like him.
"I'm becoming familiar with the laws of the Citadel for one thing and hope to find a legal method of introducing the amendment. Regardless of how it is done, it will need substantial support, so I will eventually be ramping up to more public events." Here he held his hands up, although he noted that neither the husband nor the wife blinked when he mentioned going public. "I do not expect that you would join me in that. If you wish to join you are welcome. But as you said, you have 6 more kids to raise and I don't want to ask anyone to put themselves in a situation that could be difficult, or dangerous, for themselves or their families."
The husband and wife looked at each other again, then nodded and the wife spoke.
"You're right, we are in no position to commit. But know that you have our support if it should come to a vote, and…" she glanced at her husband and mouthed what appeared to be names. The man looked surprised, then worried, so she leaned over and whispered in his ear. He whispered back to her, and she continued. "There are others we can pass your intentions on to, if it is ok with you. We can't share their names, but they will be discrete. Also, the eldest of our children are as good as grown. They loved their brother dearly. Please let us know if you are planning any events. They might feel comfortable with committing in a way we cannot. We will at least let them know about the events, although we won't share that we met with you."
Dave nodded a bit stunned. He had never expected this reception.
"I just ask that you keep my name out of it, for now. If I'm discovered too soon, all of this will come to nothing." They nodded. "There will be meetings at some point in the future, and I'll let you know about them so we can spread the news through the Network."
Dave felt it was a breakthrough and floated through the rest of the meeting. The parents spoke more of their son. The wife revealed a great sadness that they had no body for their funeral rites. It was not the first time Dave had heard that. Some of the other families also found their grief incomplete because they had no body over which to mourn. It had surprised Dave, and after some research he found it was true that the bodies were almost always confiscated. Just like Eleni's and her mother's.
They spoke for a short while longer, then Dave excused himself, thanking them for their time, their stories and their support.
That night, he dared to take out the photo of Eleni even though his mother was home. The sensation on his cheek refused to go away, and the feelings that went along with it had left him with no appetite for dinner, so he had excused himself early.
He grasped the excitement he had felt speaking to the parents earlier that day as he held the picture tightly in his hands and spoke to it.
"Elle, I'm going to do it. I am! Today, I told them what I want to do, and they want it too. They didn't turn me away. They didn't even look at me like I was crazy. They want mutant amnesty as much as I do, and there are going to be more, I can feel it." The determination that kept him going grew in his stomach as he spoke, pushing away feelings his memory had brought on. "Once we reach critical mass, I'm going bring it straight to the top. I'm going to make it happen. I'm going to make a world where we can be together!"
I'm going to make a world where we can be together!
But Eleni wouldn't be there to share that world with him.
His determination was destroyed by the despair that crashed down upon it. He once again lost himself to the grief he thought he had finally conquered.