Elfchik: I liked writing chapter 19 as much as you apparently liked reading it.
Chapter 21: Traitor in Our Midst,
The resulting explosion of curses from Kurt's announcement was such as that those involved would latter fervently deny ever having heard those words. Let it just rest that Jamie learned 95% of the curses he would ever know in those two minutes.
When the swearing had ended, Kurt handed Professor Xavier the bag. Opening it, the Professor found a small disk.
"I had Arcade and Forge check it for anything they could think of... It's clean."
Xavier nodded, and then turned. "Let us see what Mystique found out."
As they headed down, Rogue walked up behind Kyle.
"Kyle," she began, "Ya'll know I'm not big on apologies..."
Kyle smiled, a small, warm smile, "Apology accepted, my friend."
The power-duplicating mutant smiled at Kyle, an actual smile for once, and then fell back to walk with Kitty.
When she reached the phasing mutant, she found that Lance had joined the caravan.
"Waht 're yeh doin, earth shaker."
Lance turned to look at Rogue, "I don't know about the rest of the Brotherhood Rogue, but I made a decision last night."
Rogue looked at him, and, realizing what he meant, smiled.
The X-Men reached the Planning Room, and saw that the Professor was just bringing the data on screen.
Reading the schematics, plans and notes for a few minutes, Professor Xavier sighed.
"It appears," he began, "That this machine of Magneto's allows him to control the mind of any mutant. It does this by creating a sort of 'fake personality' over the person's brainwaves that control conscious thought. Due to the design he requires another mutant who is willing to act as a 'host'. The 'host' mutant serves as the pattern after which the fake's brainwaves are built from. This also means that the host has to be within a certain range of the subject."
Scott shook his head, "So, as long as he has willing hosts, he could control any mutant he wanted?"
Xavier nodded, "That is correct."
While Berserker listened to the discussion, he quickly felt himself becoming sick to his stomach. Suddenly, with a sickening certainty, he was certain that Xavier's dream of acceptance would never come to be. With that certainty, he stood, and left the room without a word.
The X-Men and New Mutant's watched his departure, the same question burning in all of their minds. What was THAT about?
Berserker reached his room. Grabbing a duffel bag, he shoved some clothes into it. He also put in his CD player, and some various other odds and ends. From the door, Tabby watched, her eyebrows raised.
"What are you doing?" She asked, wondering why the boy with whom she felt such a kinship was packing.
"The Professor's wrong Tabby. Mutants will never be accepted peacefully, I can see that now. I can't stay here, I'm leaving now, while I have the chance."
Tabby watched him her eyes displaying her shock. "What... where will you go?"
"I don't know, but I'm not staying here." With that, Berserker walked over to the door.
Tabby tried to stop him, "Stop Ray. You're just loosing your cool again, you know? Just blowing things out of proportion."
He glared at Tabby, "Me, blowing things out of proportion. No, Boom-Boom," and he made the codename feel like a curse "Professor Xavier is wrong, and you will see it in time. When you do, Boom-Boom, come find me. It won't be difficult." With that, he pushed the blond to the ground, and stepped over her. She swung her leg around at Ray; glad she paid attention to Sensei for once. She stood, and watched her hyper-agressive friend.
Ray fell to one knee, but he turned, and, to Boom-Boom's surprise, he smashed her with a fist enwrapped in electricity. The blond pyrokinetic flew back, the electricity increasing the power of the punch. She skidded along the ground, and Berserker ran towards her, proving that his electricity didn't just increase his strength. He jumped at Tabby, intent on punching her again. However, he underestimated the elder girl, who lifted her legs into his stomach, and kicked him over her, then scrambled to her feet. As she turned, Berserker smiled at her, and then ran down the hall behind him. By the time she had reached the stairs back into the foyer, the door had already slammed.
The elevator to the Sub-Basements opened just as Boom-Boom fell to one knee, the pain from the electrified punch finally fighting its way passed the adrenalin induced rush. The right side of Tabby's shirt was burnt to a crisp, and, as Jubilee, Amara, Rahne, and Rogue rushed forward, they saw that there was a bad burn underneath her hand.
Dr. McCoy soon made his way past the four mutant teenagers, and knelt down next to the downed Boom-Boom.
"Tabitha, what happened?"
She looked at him, and gave a weak impression of her usual smirk. "Berserker up an left us... didn't even say thanks for the mint."
Dr. McCoy shook his head, picked Tabby up with both arms, and carefully walked with her down to the Sub-Basements.
"It seems I just manage to get the last of you out of the infirmary when one of you comes back in." He said to Tabby several hours later.
"How bad is it Doc?" Tabby asked, not quite sure just what the results of several hundred volts of electricity would be.
"Well, Tabitha, you should consider yourself lucky he didn't catch your heart in-between beats, or else you would be one dead little lady." Dr. McCoy said bluntly, "As it is, the volts have only frazzled your body a bit, so you should be in order again in a few days."
"Awww... So I don't get out of school?"
"No"
*NYC Warehouse District* (AN: If such a place doesn't exist... Hey, it's fanfiction, right?)
Ray was walking down an alleyway, about a week after his violent departure from the Institute. He knew that he couldn't return to his parents, they didn't care about him anyways. And he would never return to the institute, ever. He could go to the Morlocks, but the others knew that he knew them, so they would check there.
While he was lost in thought, a quadruplet of shadows had been following him on ground level, while one watched from the rooftops. The four shadows detached themselves from the wall.
"Hey, lookie here, this kid's gotten himself lost," said one of the men, as he swung a chain.
"Maybe we should show him the way home." Said another as he cracked his knuckles.
"I've got an idea," Said Ray, as he rubbed his hands together, "Why don't you not." He then thrust his right hand at the one carrying the chain, and a burst of electricity flew out of his hand, catching the man in his chest. He flew through the air, and hit the ground hard.
"He's a Muttie!" Said the third man, who was brandishing a pipe.
"Good observation, moron." Berserker responded. His hands and legs were surging with energy, and he watched the three men.
The fourth one rushed forward, a knife flashing at Ray. Ray responded by blasting him in the chest as well. He flew backwards, slamming into a brick wall.
The two remaining men looked at each other, then began to go around, intending to catch him from both sides. Ray laughed at their obvious plan, and then slammed his electrified fist into the one with the pipe. The man dropped to the ground, and didn't stand back up.
The remaining man looked at his three downed friends, and started to run.
He never made it ten feet.
The fifth shadow dropped from the roof, landing next to Berserker.
The ballistic mutant turned to look at the person, "If you want some too."
"Non, mon ami, Remy have a proposition for you from Magneto."
