Chapter 11: Hidden Exit

"You wanted to see me, Professor?"

"Please sit down, Miss Munroe." Xavier cast her a sharp glance as she complied. Then he smiled. "No, you're most definitely not in trouble."

"Good," Ororo said. "And please don't do that."

"You weren't betraying anything but the usual worries of a not-quite-eighteen-year-old being summoned to the principal's office, but they were a bit stronger than usual. Not that it's a surprise, after all."

"Oh?" What was he getting at?

"Judging by your outbursts last night, it would seem that all your emotions are running higher than usual," Xavier declared.

"Oh," she said again. Come on, come on! she urged her brain. Say something intelligent, damn you! "Jean noticed it, too."

"I think every highly sensitive brain from here to Staten Island noticed it. Have you and Mr. McCoy had a falling out?"

Was she blushing? Damn. What for? This guy was psychic, after all, and, even worse, he was probably right. She was surprised she hadn't called down an electrical hurricane instead of that little downpour. Jean probably hadn't even needed to be mentally tuned in to for her to have heard every word. Still, besides feeling — variously — rejected, angry, and hurt, she couldn't hear that he'd been practically spying on her from all the way downstairs without feeling just an itsy bit vulnerable. Not exactly an emotion she was used to.

"Henry is highly sensitive right now," the professor went on.

"I know. I got that, too, but when I tried to tell him that I thought it explained how he was acting, he got mad at me."

"I'm not surprised. You've probably guessed that someone as intelligent as he is doesn't like to be told what's going on inside his head, even if you have just as good a measure of it as Jean or I. However, although I certainly sympathize with him, I wonder whether there was anything you could tell me about his so-called 'conspiracy theories'?"

More than vulnerable, after all. The word came to her mind unexpectedly — she had the creepiest feeling of being violated. And that, she did have experience with.

"He said…" she began. Then she thought back, and realized for the first time how stupid it would sound if she said it out loud. "He said that…"

"Take your time."

"No, never mind, forget it."

"Ororo." He was trying to stare her down again, and she knew that one way or another, he would find out. She stared at the toes of her boots.

"He said that…" Why was this so hard? "Hesaidthatyouwerecontrollingourminds." The words came out in a very un-Storm-like rush.

"Pardon?"

She took a deep breath. "He said that you were controlling our minds," she repeated, watching his reaction closely. "That you're making us agree with you all the time, and you're making us want Bobby back here for all the wrong reasons."

He sighed. "I'm disappointed to find that Henry is indulging in such paranoia, but quite frankly, I'm not surprised."

There wasn't any answer to that except, "Huh?"

"Your generation has been nurtured on The X-Files and Saturday morning cartoons, am I correct?" Seeing the look on her face, "I didn't mean you personally. But you do love movies so much that you're sure to have come across some form of the stereotype. The character with the large, shiny head, the mental powers, and the plan for saving humanity from itself is rarely portrayed favorably, wouldn't you agree?" He smiled again.

"So it's not true?" She couldn't resist asking.

"Having you in my care means that I am responsible for deciding what is best for you," said Xavier. "It also means, however, that I am responsible for maintaining your trust. Unless I deemed it absolutely necessary, I would never touch any of your minds. And I have not deemed it absolutely necessary yet."

A wave of unanticipated relief washed over her. "That's what I tried to tell him."

"He refused to listen, and that's not your fault. I would suggest that you let it sit for a while. In the meantime…" He opened a drawer of his desk and removed a file folder, which he pushed toward her. "Cyclops has already received a similar file. He'll be departing this evening on his newest assignment. I think it would do you some good to get away from the Institute for awhile."

"Thanks. I'll keep it in mind…" She trailed off. "That wasn't just an offer, was it?"

"Unless you'd like to accompany Colossus and Wolverine on their drug bust, then no. I thin you will like this one. Go ahead, open it."

Ororo did, only to be faced with a photo of a smiling, dark-haired teenage boy. He looked vaguely familiar, and she wondered if she'd seen him on the news or American Idol or somewhere like that.

"Roberto Da Costa was a freshman at Pacific Heights High School up until his disappearance two days ago," Xavier told her. "He's a fine student, popular, and a gifted soccer player. He's also possessed of a form of super-strength derived from direct contact with solar energy."

"Pacific Heights," Ororo echoed. "That's in California, right?"

"San Francisco, to be exact. I've already set you and Scott up with false identification and transcripts from elite private schools. Your assignment is to investigate Roberto's disappearance and, if all goes well, arrange his safe return."

"Won't people recognize us?"

"It's impossible to maintain a mental hologram from this great a distance. If anyone asks, just say you admire that Storm character a great deal."

"Cool."

"Shall I take that as a sign of consent?"

"Looks like I don't have much of a choice," she said.

"I will notify Cyclops of the adjustment in plans. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to have you along."

They had all been allowed their time to recover from the devastating events in Europe — Xavier included. Now it was time to get things moving again. There was nothing she liked better than a goal to accomplish, and this looked like the perfect opportunity. Besides, after the little sunspot they were looking for was safe and sound, she could probably convince Scott that a little direct contact with some solar energy was just what the two of them needed as well.

It was probably true. Some time away would be good for her. He thinks I'm stupid? He thinks he was wasting his time with me? Well, maybe it's the other way around. I'll do my good deed, I'll ace this assignment, and I'll show him that I don't need him around to make me feel all fulfilled. I don't need him.