The Debate
I looked up at the Congress Building infront of me. It was huge, making me look so insignificant. I took in a deep breath and walked up to the building. My hands shook as I pulled the huge glass doors open. I stepped inside, marveling at the decor and spacious environment. I almost forgot why I was here, what was ahead of me. Almost.
I was snapped back to reality when someone said. "Step through the detector sir." My hands shook as I walked through the metal detector. I walked to the end of the foyer and waited for my briefcase to be claimed. It had to go through as much as I did. Finally I was free to do what I came here to do. I was here to debate.
The hall I was to debate in was the largest, and by far it should be. The room was already packed when I arrived. More still waited in line to get inside. I withered passed, showed the officers my V.I.P. badge and wormed my way to my table. My colleagues were there. They didn't look very happy. I didn't care, I didn't even like them. "Where'vya been?" questioned Mary as she fanned herself with some papers.
"I was wrapping up my argument," I said coolly and sat down. I fiddled with the locks on my briefcase and opened it, looking through some of the papers.
Percy snorted. "Well, the other team was here before anyone was. I thought I would be the first, but I saw their freakish group was sitting in silence when I got here."
I leaned across the table and took a look. "They aren't that bad are they?" I asked and spied a beautiful red-head looking through her notes. My heart skipped a beat, she was gorgeous.
"Oh really?" laughed Percy. "Take another look. In the shadows." I did. My jaw dropped and I retreated back to my seat. I couldn't believe who I saw. The X-Men.
The X-Men were here! I panicked, trying to remember who was here and what they could do. I knew the horizontal red strip floating in the darkness was the leader, Cyclops or something. He could shoot stuff out of his eyes. Probably intimidating us with the visor thing I thought.
A huge furry blue animal walked up to the red-head. "McCoy," I muttered to myself. I had seen him on a lot of scientific debates on t.v. He was large with animal-like paws and was as strong as some of them.
The red-head, I finally remembered was part of them too. She would have been hot, if it wasn't for the fact that she was a mutant. She controlled minds, which obviously made everyone a little nervous. But, I remember clearly, the council said she had promised not to use her powers. I just didn't know if that was true for the rest of the freak club.
A man in a trench coat stood beside the furball. He was probably one of the richest men in this room. Warren Worthington the third. But the reason he was with the muties, I had no idea.
A bald guy in a wheelchair came up to the red-head. I knew he wasn't a mutant, he was Charles Xavier. But he was just as bad, hanging around those monstrosities. A brilliant mind, using it to help them. "Should be crowned a mutant himself," I snorted. My colleagues nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, over the bustle at the entrance, the metal detector went off. A loud curse followed the scream from the detector. Everyone yelled and ran to the sides. Now I could see who had set off the metal detector.
A short harry man argued with the guards as they tried to calm the man down. It wasn't working. I could hear one thing. "I can't take out any metal bub! It's inside o' me!"
"That's that wild man eh?" whispered Percy. I nodded, but could have sworn the wild man looked over at us. His eyes were cold and evil, I had to look away.
"See pal," said the wild man. He stuck his arm into the metal detector x- ray. My mouth dropped. I could have sworn I saw metal components on his bones! "It's inside o' me."
"Well sir," said a shaken guard. "Wear these." He handed the man a pair of cloth gloves. "Please don't take them off."
The wild man nearly laughed out loud, but took them anyways. He walked by our table and muttered, "Cloth! Ha, they must be jokin'." He walked over to the freak table. The whole table took a look at the gloves and started to laugh quietly.
I was about to say something to Mary, when the congress men came in. The whole house stood in respect and was seated when the congress had be seated. "We are here to hear the debate for mutant rights and evolution. Mr. Neil Parker, Miss. Jean Grey, would you like to make your way to the podiums?"
I nodded slowly and walked over to the podium. Miss. Grey walked over, as cool as could be and got ready. My hands shook, I was sweating and felt like a wreck.
How can she be so calm! I thought as I brought my papers to the stand. I cleared my throat and began.
I couldn't remember the whole debate, it went by too quickly for me, despite the fact it lasted four hours. I remembered one part clearly though, what I said, what she said.
"If mutants had something to hide, why are some so open?!" I shouted at Miss. Grey. I clicked a button and the screen behind me lit up with the image of a national criminal. "That Magneto character seems very open with his heritage, attacking people and government buildings!"
"He wouldn't have to attack if he could roam freely without being judged!" countered Miss. Grey angrily. "But some people judge by appearance or ability. My colleague Mr. Henry McCoy or instance." The furball walked into the light. "He has a brilliant mind, but because of his appearance, he is judged!" McCoy took his seat again.
"But mutants have powers that can hurt us! You know that, I know that, the whole council knows it. Mutants with powers that can harm themselves or others should be put in special places where they wouldn't hurt themselves or others. We should know what mutants can do! We could be caught off guard by a new mutant's power!"
"I know of mutants who have been tested on like rats, which is awful all on it's own. They were tortured, and eventually died because people like you had to know the limits of their power. When they die, you just shrug their death off and find a new test subject!" growled Miss. Grey. She was shaking with rage at her comments, staring at me with hateful eyes, but I countered.
"You sat you have a cure, but there is no 'cure'! you can't cure being human! What you are doing is killing people!"
"That isn't proven yet. When we find a cure, then they could feel normal about who or what they are. They could fit into society," I said, finally finding words. "We could find a cure, ridding mutants of their curses." The entire hall erupted in cheers. I blushed and bowed slightly. At that moment I knew I had won.
The rest was a blur. I only remember the end, and even that was but a dream. I remember stepping off of the podium and walking to my coworkers. For once, they were happy to see me. "Excellent job Neil!" said Percy as he shook my hand. "What a debate!"
"You certainly showed them!" quipped Mary. I thanked them both and put my papers in my brief case and walked out the door.
I stepped out into the fresh air, it was very inviting, cooling me down instantly. I looked around the crowded steps and saw the X-Men standing in the shadows. I walked over. "An excellent debate Miss. Grey," I said as casually as I could, trying to keep myself from collapsing.
She looked startled for a moment then smiled. "You too." Some of the others nodded, others did nothing.
"Pleasure meeting you," I said and backed away. But a pang of guilt hit me as hard as a punch to the gut. What was I doing? I wondered and looked back at them. they all looked angry or disappointed, as if it was the end of the world.
I walked down to the stairs, each step made me feel worse and worse. What I had done, had domed them all, including me.
For I am a mutant, with the power of manipulation. And what I just did in there was make the audience come to my side. I wanted mutants to loose, I would loose. I had all of those people at my will, bending them my way, and I won that way. I had gone against my own heritage and now I was going to pay for it, as would all of the mutants in the states.
I'd kill myself if anyone found out I was a mutant, and no one would know. No one except me.
I looked up at the Congress Building infront of me. It was huge, making me look so insignificant. I took in a deep breath and walked up to the building. My hands shook as I pulled the huge glass doors open. I stepped inside, marveling at the decor and spacious environment. I almost forgot why I was here, what was ahead of me. Almost.
I was snapped back to reality when someone said. "Step through the detector sir." My hands shook as I walked through the metal detector. I walked to the end of the foyer and waited for my briefcase to be claimed. It had to go through as much as I did. Finally I was free to do what I came here to do. I was here to debate.
The hall I was to debate in was the largest, and by far it should be. The room was already packed when I arrived. More still waited in line to get inside. I withered passed, showed the officers my V.I.P. badge and wormed my way to my table. My colleagues were there. They didn't look very happy. I didn't care, I didn't even like them. "Where'vya been?" questioned Mary as she fanned herself with some papers.
"I was wrapping up my argument," I said coolly and sat down. I fiddled with the locks on my briefcase and opened it, looking through some of the papers.
Percy snorted. "Well, the other team was here before anyone was. I thought I would be the first, but I saw their freakish group was sitting in silence when I got here."
I leaned across the table and took a look. "They aren't that bad are they?" I asked and spied a beautiful red-head looking through her notes. My heart skipped a beat, she was gorgeous.
"Oh really?" laughed Percy. "Take another look. In the shadows." I did. My jaw dropped and I retreated back to my seat. I couldn't believe who I saw. The X-Men.
The X-Men were here! I panicked, trying to remember who was here and what they could do. I knew the horizontal red strip floating in the darkness was the leader, Cyclops or something. He could shoot stuff out of his eyes. Probably intimidating us with the visor thing I thought.
A huge furry blue animal walked up to the red-head. "McCoy," I muttered to myself. I had seen him on a lot of scientific debates on t.v. He was large with animal-like paws and was as strong as some of them.
The red-head, I finally remembered was part of them too. She would have been hot, if it wasn't for the fact that she was a mutant. She controlled minds, which obviously made everyone a little nervous. But, I remember clearly, the council said she had promised not to use her powers. I just didn't know if that was true for the rest of the freak club.
A man in a trench coat stood beside the furball. He was probably one of the richest men in this room. Warren Worthington the third. But the reason he was with the muties, I had no idea.
A bald guy in a wheelchair came up to the red-head. I knew he wasn't a mutant, he was Charles Xavier. But he was just as bad, hanging around those monstrosities. A brilliant mind, using it to help them. "Should be crowned a mutant himself," I snorted. My colleagues nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, over the bustle at the entrance, the metal detector went off. A loud curse followed the scream from the detector. Everyone yelled and ran to the sides. Now I could see who had set off the metal detector.
A short harry man argued with the guards as they tried to calm the man down. It wasn't working. I could hear one thing. "I can't take out any metal bub! It's inside o' me!"
"That's that wild man eh?" whispered Percy. I nodded, but could have sworn the wild man looked over at us. His eyes were cold and evil, I had to look away.
"See pal," said the wild man. He stuck his arm into the metal detector x- ray. My mouth dropped. I could have sworn I saw metal components on his bones! "It's inside o' me."
"Well sir," said a shaken guard. "Wear these." He handed the man a pair of cloth gloves. "Please don't take them off."
The wild man nearly laughed out loud, but took them anyways. He walked by our table and muttered, "Cloth! Ha, they must be jokin'." He walked over to the freak table. The whole table took a look at the gloves and started to laugh quietly.
I was about to say something to Mary, when the congress men came in. The whole house stood in respect and was seated when the congress had be seated. "We are here to hear the debate for mutant rights and evolution. Mr. Neil Parker, Miss. Jean Grey, would you like to make your way to the podiums?"
I nodded slowly and walked over to the podium. Miss. Grey walked over, as cool as could be and got ready. My hands shook, I was sweating and felt like a wreck.
How can she be so calm! I thought as I brought my papers to the stand. I cleared my throat and began.
I couldn't remember the whole debate, it went by too quickly for me, despite the fact it lasted four hours. I remembered one part clearly though, what I said, what she said.
"If mutants had something to hide, why are some so open?!" I shouted at Miss. Grey. I clicked a button and the screen behind me lit up with the image of a national criminal. "That Magneto character seems very open with his heritage, attacking people and government buildings!"
"He wouldn't have to attack if he could roam freely without being judged!" countered Miss. Grey angrily. "But some people judge by appearance or ability. My colleague Mr. Henry McCoy or instance." The furball walked into the light. "He has a brilliant mind, but because of his appearance, he is judged!" McCoy took his seat again.
"But mutants have powers that can hurt us! You know that, I know that, the whole council knows it. Mutants with powers that can harm themselves or others should be put in special places where they wouldn't hurt themselves or others. We should know what mutants can do! We could be caught off guard by a new mutant's power!"
"I know of mutants who have been tested on like rats, which is awful all on it's own. They were tortured, and eventually died because people like you had to know the limits of their power. When they die, you just shrug their death off and find a new test subject!" growled Miss. Grey. She was shaking with rage at her comments, staring at me with hateful eyes, but I countered.
"You sat you have a cure, but there is no 'cure'! you can't cure being human! What you are doing is killing people!"
"That isn't proven yet. When we find a cure, then they could feel normal about who or what they are. They could fit into society," I said, finally finding words. "We could find a cure, ridding mutants of their curses." The entire hall erupted in cheers. I blushed and bowed slightly. At that moment I knew I had won.
The rest was a blur. I only remember the end, and even that was but a dream. I remember stepping off of the podium and walking to my coworkers. For once, they were happy to see me. "Excellent job Neil!" said Percy as he shook my hand. "What a debate!"
"You certainly showed them!" quipped Mary. I thanked them both and put my papers in my brief case and walked out the door.
I stepped out into the fresh air, it was very inviting, cooling me down instantly. I looked around the crowded steps and saw the X-Men standing in the shadows. I walked over. "An excellent debate Miss. Grey," I said as casually as I could, trying to keep myself from collapsing.
She looked startled for a moment then smiled. "You too." Some of the others nodded, others did nothing.
"Pleasure meeting you," I said and backed away. But a pang of guilt hit me as hard as a punch to the gut. What was I doing? I wondered and looked back at them. they all looked angry or disappointed, as if it was the end of the world.
I walked down to the stairs, each step made me feel worse and worse. What I had done, had domed them all, including me.
For I am a mutant, with the power of manipulation. And what I just did in there was make the audience come to my side. I wanted mutants to loose, I would loose. I had all of those people at my will, bending them my way, and I won that way. I had gone against my own heritage and now I was going to pay for it, as would all of the mutants in the states.
I'd kill myself if anyone found out I was a mutant, and no one would know. No one except me.