## - represents thoughts
Note: I had to upload chapters one and two as a single file because the system absolutely refused to upload them separately. I don't know why.
CHAPTER 3: A Voice of Reason
Later that day, Scott was sitting in the rec room, watching the news. He was considering turning off the television (since there was nothing interesting on anyway) and going to the Danger Room for a workout when he heard the door open. He turned to see Hank poking his head in. He looked nervous, and scanned the room thoroughly before opening the door all the way and entering.
"Um.. Scott, if I could be obliged to borrow some of your time?" he asked quietly.
"Of course, Hank," Scott replied, puzzled by the nervous expression on the man's face and the way he kept looking over his shoulder as if making sure he wasn't being followed. He also wondered where Hank had gotten his black eye.
"After much contemplation which has yet to prove fruitful, I find myself compelled to seek others to aid me with my quandary, as I am forced to admit that I haven't the slightest clue about what has been going on here recently."
Scott didn't have a clue what Hank was talking about. "So...what's the problem, then?"
"Ah, yes. It all began yesterday during a rather calamitous introduction to one striped young lady, the name of which has eluded me thus far."
"You mean Tyger?"
"So that is her name. Hmmph. I should have thought of that. It so happened that this encounter led to an altercation between Jubilee and myself, and I have yet to discern just how that came about."
"Yes, go on," said Scott, unsure of what Hank was trying to say, or where they were going with this one-sided conversation.
"Tyger, as I now know her name to be, approached me earlier today in what I assume was an attempt to clarify yesterday's events which I believe now to have been merely a misunderstanding between the two of us. Yet, when she attempted to voice her opinions, I fear that she was so alarmed by my appearance that she was rendered speechless, and..."
"Speechless? Hank, don't start with the puns, alright?"
Hank blinked repeatedly. "I beg your pardon?"
"Puns, Hank. Tyger can't talk."
"Oh?"
"She can't speak, so of course she would be 'speechless', now wouldn't she?"
"Ah..." Hank put on a mask of calmness while anger boiled inside him. He desperately wanted to rant, rave, flail his arms about and scream because he could not decide which was more infuriating: the fact that he had been too stupid not to realize this on his own, or the fact that no one had possessed the decency or inclination to inform him of it.
"Thank you for that extremely important, albeit very belated, piece of information, Scott. Will you please excuse me? I have urgent business to attend to."
"Um...of course, Hank. Glad to be of help," Scott replied uncertainly as he watched Hank leave the room. He then went over and turned the TV off. Who needed audio-visual entertainment to mess up your brain with twisted subplots and strange happenings when he could always count on his fellow X-Men to provide all that for him?
* * *
Ororo spotted Hank heading down the hallway. She wondered if he had cheered up at all since their last meeting, and approached him from behind. Placing a hand gently on his shoulder to get his attention, she said, "Henry, I..."
"GAAAAAAAAA!!!" Hank cried, swinging around to face his latest tormentor. "In complete contrast to what you may believe, Ororo," be began, bordering on hysterics, "I HAVE NOT, to this date, done anything which could possibly incur your wrath! You MUST believe me!"
Ororo was stunned. "Er, Henry.." she began, hoping a calm voice would soothe her anxious friend. "Have you been forgetting to mix some water with the coffee before you drink it?"
Hank's muscles relaxed a little. She didn't sound like she was angry with him. "Um...no, Ororo. Why do you ask?" he said, trying to sound as if he was perfectly fine.
He failed miserably. "It would seem that something is bothering you, Henry. Would you like to talk about it?" she offered.
Ah, finally! A voice of reason! He almost burst into tears and had to restrain himself from picking her up and carrying her to the study to talk.
* * *
"Now, to begin, would you mind telling me why you believed I was intending to 'hurt' you?"
Hank sighed. "Jubilee, whatever the reason, has come to regard me as nothing short of a rapist, and will not speak to me. Rogue, even though I have no idea what I have done to incur her wrath, cannot be thinking the same thing as Jubilee, otherwise there would be nothing left of me but a squishy blue pulp in the middle of the library floor. Now, considering that every female I have come into contact with since yesterday afternoon has been hostile toward me, I could only come to the conclusion that you wished ill intentions upon me as well, Ororo. I apologize for thinking as such."
"Apology accepted, Henry. Perhaps if you start from the beginning, I may be able to help you with your problems."
"It all started with an unfortunate introduction to one striped young woman."
"Ah, you mean Tyger. I found her about three weeks ago, and brought her here. She looked badly in need of some good food and a soft bed. She had been living on the street prior to her arrival. But I simply cannot see why this woman, or Jubilee and Rogue for that matter, would want to harm you."
Hank related to her his first meeting with Tyger, and the series of events that had occurred since then.
Ororo leaned back into her chair, a smile of understanding appearing on her face. "First of all, Henry, from what you have just described, I can assure you that she is not terrified of you."
He raised his eyebrows.
"She was just terribly embarrassed."
"What about Jubilee? And Rogue? Embarrassed is definitely not how I would describe their reactions toward my person."
"As for Jubilee, I believe she got the wrong impression entirely. To be quite honest, Tyger's quiet, meek manner has nurtured within all the female members of this household a protective instinct toward her. Rogue was simply reacting to what looked like a physical confrontation between you and Tyger."
"Meek?" Hank repeated, still not entirely convinced. "The girl flashed her claws at me, Ororo. Forgive me if I sound incorrect, but was that not an obvious threat?"
"She has lead a very solitary life, Henry. And the fact that she can't speak only makes her more self-conscious and withdrawn. Her people skills are underdeveloped, to say the least. The only persons she has actually warmed up to so far are Jubilee and myself. She otherwise spends her time avoiding everyone else. She would be just as uneasy around you if were Scott, or even Remy."
He sat back, deeply contemplating her words. Now that he understood what had been going on, and all the implications, he could easily forgive Jubilee and Rogue for how they had reacted. He also felt like a complete fool for the way he had handled the situation in the library. Tyger had only been trying to communicate with him. Why had he gotten so angry?
Ororo watched as Hank began brooding. "I will go and talk with Tyger for you, Henry," she offered, and left the room.
He nodded absentmindedly, already lossed deep in his own thoughts. He knew all too well what it entailed to have a mutation such as hers - to be amidst so many people and still feel utterly alone. And in many cases, even hated and despised. If only there was a way he could make her feel more comfortable, and apologize to her at the same time....AH-HA!"
He flew out of the chair and rushed down to the lab.
* * *
Ororo knocked on Tyger's bedroom door. "Tyger, are you there?" she called out gently. "It's me, Ororo."
There was no answer. Ororo slowly opened the door and stepped inside. She could not see Tyger anywhere, but there was a peculiar lump under the comforter in the middle of the bed. She walked over and sat on the end of the bed.
"Tyger, I feel that we need to talk..."
The bundle shifted slightly.
"...about a certain blue-furred character."
The bundle shook vigourously as Tyger shook her head 'No!'.
"He is very sorry for the way he has been acting, Tyger."
A pair of ears popped out from under the blanket.
"It has all merely been one huge misunderstanding."
Tyger's head was now visible, but her body was still wrapped inside the comforter.
"But unfortunately, you yourself have played a major part in this misunderstanding, Tyger."
Her eyes widened in an expression which read, "Who, me?"
Ororo nodded.
Tyger shook her head again. She now freed her hands as she tried to communicate to Ororo her thoughts and feelings.
Ororo was patient. Tyger held her hands out wide, then pointed to the blue shirt that Ororo was wearing. She understood this was a reference to big, blue Hank. Then Tyger put her hand to her mouth and made a talking motion, with her fingers, then pointed to the floor, and finally pointed to herself. She repeated the gestures in the same sequence. It took Ororo a moment to comprehend what she meant. Then she chuckled.
"My dear, Henry talks down to everybody! That is just his manner of speaking. Half the time I find myself wishing for a dictionary when I talk with him. He certainly never meant to make you feel foolish."
The feline made a silent 'Oh!' with her lips.
"And, he did not know that you could not speak."
Tyger's ears drooped and she bit her lower lip when she realized that she had made a big oopsey.
Ororo patted Tyger's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Perhaps you would do well to talk to Henry."
Tyger gave her an apprehensive look.
"Do not be intimidated by his size and appearance, for he has the kindest, gentlest heart I've ever known."
She stood up and headed toward the door. "Oh, and Tyger, just for your information, Henry can almost always be won over by Twinkies."
She left the room, leaving Tyger to mull over just how she was going to reconcile things with Hank.
Note: I had to upload chapters one and two as a single file because the system absolutely refused to upload them separately. I don't know why.
CHAPTER 3: A Voice of Reason
Later that day, Scott was sitting in the rec room, watching the news. He was considering turning off the television (since there was nothing interesting on anyway) and going to the Danger Room for a workout when he heard the door open. He turned to see Hank poking his head in. He looked nervous, and scanned the room thoroughly before opening the door all the way and entering.
"Um.. Scott, if I could be obliged to borrow some of your time?" he asked quietly.
"Of course, Hank," Scott replied, puzzled by the nervous expression on the man's face and the way he kept looking over his shoulder as if making sure he wasn't being followed. He also wondered where Hank had gotten his black eye.
"After much contemplation which has yet to prove fruitful, I find myself compelled to seek others to aid me with my quandary, as I am forced to admit that I haven't the slightest clue about what has been going on here recently."
Scott didn't have a clue what Hank was talking about. "So...what's the problem, then?"
"Ah, yes. It all began yesterday during a rather calamitous introduction to one striped young lady, the name of which has eluded me thus far."
"You mean Tyger?"
"So that is her name. Hmmph. I should have thought of that. It so happened that this encounter led to an altercation between Jubilee and myself, and I have yet to discern just how that came about."
"Yes, go on," said Scott, unsure of what Hank was trying to say, or where they were going with this one-sided conversation.
"Tyger, as I now know her name to be, approached me earlier today in what I assume was an attempt to clarify yesterday's events which I believe now to have been merely a misunderstanding between the two of us. Yet, when she attempted to voice her opinions, I fear that she was so alarmed by my appearance that she was rendered speechless, and..."
"Speechless? Hank, don't start with the puns, alright?"
Hank blinked repeatedly. "I beg your pardon?"
"Puns, Hank. Tyger can't talk."
"Oh?"
"She can't speak, so of course she would be 'speechless', now wouldn't she?"
"Ah..." Hank put on a mask of calmness while anger boiled inside him. He desperately wanted to rant, rave, flail his arms about and scream because he could not decide which was more infuriating: the fact that he had been too stupid not to realize this on his own, or the fact that no one had possessed the decency or inclination to inform him of it.
"Thank you for that extremely important, albeit very belated, piece of information, Scott. Will you please excuse me? I have urgent business to attend to."
"Um...of course, Hank. Glad to be of help," Scott replied uncertainly as he watched Hank leave the room. He then went over and turned the TV off. Who needed audio-visual entertainment to mess up your brain with twisted subplots and strange happenings when he could always count on his fellow X-Men to provide all that for him?
* * *
Ororo spotted Hank heading down the hallway. She wondered if he had cheered up at all since their last meeting, and approached him from behind. Placing a hand gently on his shoulder to get his attention, she said, "Henry, I..."
"GAAAAAAAAA!!!" Hank cried, swinging around to face his latest tormentor. "In complete contrast to what you may believe, Ororo," be began, bordering on hysterics, "I HAVE NOT, to this date, done anything which could possibly incur your wrath! You MUST believe me!"
Ororo was stunned. "Er, Henry.." she began, hoping a calm voice would soothe her anxious friend. "Have you been forgetting to mix some water with the coffee before you drink it?"
Hank's muscles relaxed a little. She didn't sound like she was angry with him. "Um...no, Ororo. Why do you ask?" he said, trying to sound as if he was perfectly fine.
He failed miserably. "It would seem that something is bothering you, Henry. Would you like to talk about it?" she offered.
Ah, finally! A voice of reason! He almost burst into tears and had to restrain himself from picking her up and carrying her to the study to talk.
* * *
"Now, to begin, would you mind telling me why you believed I was intending to 'hurt' you?"
Hank sighed. "Jubilee, whatever the reason, has come to regard me as nothing short of a rapist, and will not speak to me. Rogue, even though I have no idea what I have done to incur her wrath, cannot be thinking the same thing as Jubilee, otherwise there would be nothing left of me but a squishy blue pulp in the middle of the library floor. Now, considering that every female I have come into contact with since yesterday afternoon has been hostile toward me, I could only come to the conclusion that you wished ill intentions upon me as well, Ororo. I apologize for thinking as such."
"Apology accepted, Henry. Perhaps if you start from the beginning, I may be able to help you with your problems."
"It all started with an unfortunate introduction to one striped young woman."
"Ah, you mean Tyger. I found her about three weeks ago, and brought her here. She looked badly in need of some good food and a soft bed. She had been living on the street prior to her arrival. But I simply cannot see why this woman, or Jubilee and Rogue for that matter, would want to harm you."
Hank related to her his first meeting with Tyger, and the series of events that had occurred since then.
Ororo leaned back into her chair, a smile of understanding appearing on her face. "First of all, Henry, from what you have just described, I can assure you that she is not terrified of you."
He raised his eyebrows.
"She was just terribly embarrassed."
"What about Jubilee? And Rogue? Embarrassed is definitely not how I would describe their reactions toward my person."
"As for Jubilee, I believe she got the wrong impression entirely. To be quite honest, Tyger's quiet, meek manner has nurtured within all the female members of this household a protective instinct toward her. Rogue was simply reacting to what looked like a physical confrontation between you and Tyger."
"Meek?" Hank repeated, still not entirely convinced. "The girl flashed her claws at me, Ororo. Forgive me if I sound incorrect, but was that not an obvious threat?"
"She has lead a very solitary life, Henry. And the fact that she can't speak only makes her more self-conscious and withdrawn. Her people skills are underdeveloped, to say the least. The only persons she has actually warmed up to so far are Jubilee and myself. She otherwise spends her time avoiding everyone else. She would be just as uneasy around you if were Scott, or even Remy."
He sat back, deeply contemplating her words. Now that he understood what had been going on, and all the implications, he could easily forgive Jubilee and Rogue for how they had reacted. He also felt like a complete fool for the way he had handled the situation in the library. Tyger had only been trying to communicate with him. Why had he gotten so angry?
Ororo watched as Hank began brooding. "I will go and talk with Tyger for you, Henry," she offered, and left the room.
He nodded absentmindedly, already lossed deep in his own thoughts. He knew all too well what it entailed to have a mutation such as hers - to be amidst so many people and still feel utterly alone. And in many cases, even hated and despised. If only there was a way he could make her feel more comfortable, and apologize to her at the same time....AH-HA!"
He flew out of the chair and rushed down to the lab.
* * *
Ororo knocked on Tyger's bedroom door. "Tyger, are you there?" she called out gently. "It's me, Ororo."
There was no answer. Ororo slowly opened the door and stepped inside. She could not see Tyger anywhere, but there was a peculiar lump under the comforter in the middle of the bed. She walked over and sat on the end of the bed.
"Tyger, I feel that we need to talk..."
The bundle shifted slightly.
"...about a certain blue-furred character."
The bundle shook vigourously as Tyger shook her head 'No!'.
"He is very sorry for the way he has been acting, Tyger."
A pair of ears popped out from under the blanket.
"It has all merely been one huge misunderstanding."
Tyger's head was now visible, but her body was still wrapped inside the comforter.
"But unfortunately, you yourself have played a major part in this misunderstanding, Tyger."
Her eyes widened in an expression which read, "Who, me?"
Ororo nodded.
Tyger shook her head again. She now freed her hands as she tried to communicate to Ororo her thoughts and feelings.
Ororo was patient. Tyger held her hands out wide, then pointed to the blue shirt that Ororo was wearing. She understood this was a reference to big, blue Hank. Then Tyger put her hand to her mouth and made a talking motion, with her fingers, then pointed to the floor, and finally pointed to herself. She repeated the gestures in the same sequence. It took Ororo a moment to comprehend what she meant. Then she chuckled.
"My dear, Henry talks down to everybody! That is just his manner of speaking. Half the time I find myself wishing for a dictionary when I talk with him. He certainly never meant to make you feel foolish."
The feline made a silent 'Oh!' with her lips.
"And, he did not know that you could not speak."
Tyger's ears drooped and she bit her lower lip when she realized that she had made a big oopsey.
Ororo patted Tyger's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Perhaps you would do well to talk to Henry."
Tyger gave her an apprehensive look.
"Do not be intimidated by his size and appearance, for he has the kindest, gentlest heart I've ever known."
She stood up and headed toward the door. "Oh, and Tyger, just for your information, Henry can almost always be won over by Twinkies."
She left the room, leaving Tyger to mull over just how she was going to reconcile things with Hank.