Ch 8
Glen's stay in the Institute's medical bay had been surprisingly short. Jean and Xavier cleaned his wounds and gave him an injection for the swelling around his face. He could already feel the pain beginning to subside barely after the needle had broken his skin. "What was that stuff?" he asked.
"Just a little something we've worked up," said Xavier. "You might be surprised at the number of minor accidents we treat in here," He brought out another syringe and drew a few drops of blood from Glen's arm.
"You still haven't told me what 'here' really is," said Glen.
Xavier gave the syringe to Jean, who took it over to a machine on the side of the room. She depressed the syringe, forcing the blood out onto a tray, which slid into a slot in the machine.
"Yes, and I'll do that now," he said. "But first, I must ask something from you, Sam. The nature of this Institute is very sensitive. For our own safety, I must ask you not to reveal anything that you are about to see and hear. If our work and our lives here were to become public, there could be serious repercussions, not only for us, but also for Glen, and the other people here that you haven't seen. The others have had their reservations about telling you this, but your friend claims that you can be trusted, and I am inclined to agree with his judgment. Can we count on you?"
"I promise, Professor. I won't say anything," said Sam.
"I'm glad to hear that," said Xavier. "Now, take a look at the screen up there," One of the panels on the wall went blank, and a picture of a double- stranded DNA helix appeared. "This is a strand of human DNA," said Xavier. The image shrunk as the bottom half of the screen shrunk to show a chromosome display. "And these are all of the chromosomes that are found in a person's genes," The screen went blank, and another helix appeared. "And this is your DNA," said Xavier. He pointed to a segment in the middle of the helix. "Look at these strands here in the middle,"
"They look different somehow," said Glen.
"Indeed they are," replied Xavier, and brought up the first DNA picture again. "Look at how there are some extra pieces in your DNA that are missing from the first strand," He brought up the chromosome picture again. On the bottom were Glen's chromosomes. "Look at that one there," Xavier said, pointing to an extra chromosome that was formed in the shape of an X.
"So I have an extra chromosome," said Glen. "What does it mean,"
"It means, Glen, that you are one of a very few special people on this planet. You have something we call the 'X-gene'. It means that you are a mutant,"
"A mutant? You mean one of those guys in the comic books with super-powers, who runs around in yellow spandex?"
Scott grinned a bit. He had heard that before.
"Not exactly. We're certainly not super-heroes. But the people here do have unique powers and abilities. Myself, Scott, Jean, and Ororo all have the same extra gene, as do the other people here, who you'll meet later if you choose to stay with us," said Xavier. "Here at the Institute, we try to help people manage their powers and still live healthy lives, as well as provide a safe haven for mutants who may be struggling with life's challenges, or who have no place else to turn to,"
Glen looked down glumly when he heard those words. "That's exactly how I feel now," he said. "My step-dad almost killed me when he found me and Sam together, and he didn't know I was a mutant! I don't think this is something you'll be able to help him cope with,"
"What about your mother, Glen?" asked Jean. "You told me a while ago that she was a pretty accepting woman,"
"She is, and I think she'd manage to deal with this," Glen replied. "It'll be like coming out to her all over again,"
Sam spoke up. "How did your mom react when she found out?"
"She didn't say anything. She just hugged me, really hard. I think I can still feel the bruises!" Glen said, smiling. "After hearing that, I think she'll accept me no matter what I tell her about me," His eyes suddenly went wide. "Oh no! She's probably home by now!" Glen could just imagine the look on his mother's face when she saw his ransacked room. What would Seth do when she got home? "Look, I'd love to hear more about all this, but I have to get home, right now! If Seth's still around when my mom gets home, there could be trouble,"
"We can go with you," said Xavier. "Perhaps I can help explain your situation to your mother,"
"That'd be good, but we should worry about getting there before anything bad happens first," said Glen. They all raced back out to the limo, and were off.
After a short drive, the limo pulled up at Glen's house. "Do you want us to come with you?" asked Xavier. "That might be a good idea. If Seth's mad, we could need the Marines to keep him down. But I think I should go in first. If he sees all of you, he could REALLY freak out!"
"As you wish. We'll stay out of sight, but we'll be there if you need us," said Xavier. They all got out of the car and followed Glen up to the front door.
"Are you sure you'll be all right?" asked Sam. "The last time, he nearly…" He didn't want to finish.
"I know. But this time, I'll have backup. And I'm sure the Professor's got some more of that magic potion to use," He turned to the door. It was open, and he could hear shouting inside. He pulled the handle and walked inside.
He saw Seth and his mother, Helen, in the living room. Seth had her backed into a corner and was yelling at her. Glen could see that despite her tears, her face was free of any bruises. That meant that Seth hadn't hit her. Yet.
"You knew about this all the time, didn't you! That the boy was a goddamn faggot! Did you think you could just keep this a secret? Did you think I wouldn't find out?"
"Seth, please don't yell at me!" Helen said, trying not to cry. "Yes, Glen is gay, but why should that matter?"
"You know damn well why that matters! You know what those kind of people are like, what they do, what sort of diseases they have! They should be drug out into the street and beaten to death like the animals they are!"
"Seth, don't say those things!"
"Shut up, woman!" Seth roared. His hand flashed out and struck her across the face. "Don't think I'm going to let him come anywhere near this place again! If he even shows his face around here again, I'll…"
"You'll what?!" yelled Glen.
Seth spun around to face Glen. "Well, look who came flying back in! The little fairy herself! Come here, girl. That's all you are now, you faggot, just a little girl," He raised up his hand to strike, but Glen anticipated the blow and easily dodged it.
"It's one thing if you hit me," Glen growled. "But NOBODY hits my mom!" He sprang forward and struck Seth across the face.
Seth's head rolled back from the blow. He shook it off and felt a bit of blood at the corner of his mouth. He looked at Glen with an eerie look in his eyes. "So, the little girl thinks she can fight. Thinks she can be a man," he said, grinning perversely.
"I'm more of a man than you'll ever be!" Glen yelled, his eyes furrowed.
Seth roared and rushed forward at Glen. "I hope this works," Glen thought. He extended his arm, feeling the rush of energy surge forward again. A bolt of energy shot out from his fingertips, and Seth was again frozen in place.
"Glen?" his mother said, nervously. "What's happening?"
"Um, mom, I have something ELSE to tell you,"
Glen's stay in the Institute's medical bay had been surprisingly short. Jean and Xavier cleaned his wounds and gave him an injection for the swelling around his face. He could already feel the pain beginning to subside barely after the needle had broken his skin. "What was that stuff?" he asked.
"Just a little something we've worked up," said Xavier. "You might be surprised at the number of minor accidents we treat in here," He brought out another syringe and drew a few drops of blood from Glen's arm.
"You still haven't told me what 'here' really is," said Glen.
Xavier gave the syringe to Jean, who took it over to a machine on the side of the room. She depressed the syringe, forcing the blood out onto a tray, which slid into a slot in the machine.
"Yes, and I'll do that now," he said. "But first, I must ask something from you, Sam. The nature of this Institute is very sensitive. For our own safety, I must ask you not to reveal anything that you are about to see and hear. If our work and our lives here were to become public, there could be serious repercussions, not only for us, but also for Glen, and the other people here that you haven't seen. The others have had their reservations about telling you this, but your friend claims that you can be trusted, and I am inclined to agree with his judgment. Can we count on you?"
"I promise, Professor. I won't say anything," said Sam.
"I'm glad to hear that," said Xavier. "Now, take a look at the screen up there," One of the panels on the wall went blank, and a picture of a double- stranded DNA helix appeared. "This is a strand of human DNA," said Xavier. The image shrunk as the bottom half of the screen shrunk to show a chromosome display. "And these are all of the chromosomes that are found in a person's genes," The screen went blank, and another helix appeared. "And this is your DNA," said Xavier. He pointed to a segment in the middle of the helix. "Look at these strands here in the middle,"
"They look different somehow," said Glen.
"Indeed they are," replied Xavier, and brought up the first DNA picture again. "Look at how there are some extra pieces in your DNA that are missing from the first strand," He brought up the chromosome picture again. On the bottom were Glen's chromosomes. "Look at that one there," Xavier said, pointing to an extra chromosome that was formed in the shape of an X.
"So I have an extra chromosome," said Glen. "What does it mean,"
"It means, Glen, that you are one of a very few special people on this planet. You have something we call the 'X-gene'. It means that you are a mutant,"
"A mutant? You mean one of those guys in the comic books with super-powers, who runs around in yellow spandex?"
Scott grinned a bit. He had heard that before.
"Not exactly. We're certainly not super-heroes. But the people here do have unique powers and abilities. Myself, Scott, Jean, and Ororo all have the same extra gene, as do the other people here, who you'll meet later if you choose to stay with us," said Xavier. "Here at the Institute, we try to help people manage their powers and still live healthy lives, as well as provide a safe haven for mutants who may be struggling with life's challenges, or who have no place else to turn to,"
Glen looked down glumly when he heard those words. "That's exactly how I feel now," he said. "My step-dad almost killed me when he found me and Sam together, and he didn't know I was a mutant! I don't think this is something you'll be able to help him cope with,"
"What about your mother, Glen?" asked Jean. "You told me a while ago that she was a pretty accepting woman,"
"She is, and I think she'd manage to deal with this," Glen replied. "It'll be like coming out to her all over again,"
Sam spoke up. "How did your mom react when she found out?"
"She didn't say anything. She just hugged me, really hard. I think I can still feel the bruises!" Glen said, smiling. "After hearing that, I think she'll accept me no matter what I tell her about me," His eyes suddenly went wide. "Oh no! She's probably home by now!" Glen could just imagine the look on his mother's face when she saw his ransacked room. What would Seth do when she got home? "Look, I'd love to hear more about all this, but I have to get home, right now! If Seth's still around when my mom gets home, there could be trouble,"
"We can go with you," said Xavier. "Perhaps I can help explain your situation to your mother,"
"That'd be good, but we should worry about getting there before anything bad happens first," said Glen. They all raced back out to the limo, and were off.
After a short drive, the limo pulled up at Glen's house. "Do you want us to come with you?" asked Xavier. "That might be a good idea. If Seth's mad, we could need the Marines to keep him down. But I think I should go in first. If he sees all of you, he could REALLY freak out!"
"As you wish. We'll stay out of sight, but we'll be there if you need us," said Xavier. They all got out of the car and followed Glen up to the front door.
"Are you sure you'll be all right?" asked Sam. "The last time, he nearly…" He didn't want to finish.
"I know. But this time, I'll have backup. And I'm sure the Professor's got some more of that magic potion to use," He turned to the door. It was open, and he could hear shouting inside. He pulled the handle and walked inside.
He saw Seth and his mother, Helen, in the living room. Seth had her backed into a corner and was yelling at her. Glen could see that despite her tears, her face was free of any bruises. That meant that Seth hadn't hit her. Yet.
"You knew about this all the time, didn't you! That the boy was a goddamn faggot! Did you think you could just keep this a secret? Did you think I wouldn't find out?"
"Seth, please don't yell at me!" Helen said, trying not to cry. "Yes, Glen is gay, but why should that matter?"
"You know damn well why that matters! You know what those kind of people are like, what they do, what sort of diseases they have! They should be drug out into the street and beaten to death like the animals they are!"
"Seth, don't say those things!"
"Shut up, woman!" Seth roared. His hand flashed out and struck her across the face. "Don't think I'm going to let him come anywhere near this place again! If he even shows his face around here again, I'll…"
"You'll what?!" yelled Glen.
Seth spun around to face Glen. "Well, look who came flying back in! The little fairy herself! Come here, girl. That's all you are now, you faggot, just a little girl," He raised up his hand to strike, but Glen anticipated the blow and easily dodged it.
"It's one thing if you hit me," Glen growled. "But NOBODY hits my mom!" He sprang forward and struck Seth across the face.
Seth's head rolled back from the blow. He shook it off and felt a bit of blood at the corner of his mouth. He looked at Glen with an eerie look in his eyes. "So, the little girl thinks she can fight. Thinks she can be a man," he said, grinning perversely.
"I'm more of a man than you'll ever be!" Glen yelled, his eyes furrowed.
Seth roared and rushed forward at Glen. "I hope this works," Glen thought. He extended his arm, feeling the rush of energy surge forward again. A bolt of energy shot out from his fingertips, and Seth was again frozen in place.
"Glen?" his mother said, nervously. "What's happening?"
"Um, mom, I have something ELSE to tell you,"
