Chapter 2
You're a Mutant!
Three weeks later
Mark's English class had just finished and he was now heading towards the cafeteria for his supposed "lunch". He hated eating at school; a plate cost five bucks and couldn't nearly satisfy his hunger. Prying his way through all the starving people, he finally managed to get to the food line.
- Hey Mark! practically screamed Ali, waving at him to come over. There are nuggets today! she shouted excitedly.
-Oh joy! said Mark sarcastically, going in line besides her.
-Yo Mark! you're coming at the game tonight right? shouted a guy in the other line named Rick, one of his ''admirers.''
-Probably, first game right?
-Yup! You better be there, we need all the supporters we can get.
-I'll be there, he replied with a grin.
-Great! You here that guys, Mark's coming!
-Cool, this totally rocks, shouted some of the other guys from the hockey team.
-Christ, are they all gay!? asked Ali a bit too loudly.
-Ali! don't scream like that, said Mark shushing her.
-Common! How many are gay Mark? asked Ali still a bit to loudly.
-Well... you know... said Mark a little embarrassed.
-Spill it! and then she gave him "the glare."
-Well, most of them are more like... well... bi, he said quickly. Well, at least they hit on me sometimes…
-Anime fall over you've gotta be kidding ....makes you wonder what they actually do in that locker room....Why are you going anyways? You hate the whole hockey and prep deal.
-Kinda, but there still nice people you know, and anyways, Tyler plays remember? he said smiling a bit too much.
-There still just jocks...your odd sometimes. This school is so weird, people either suck up to you, or don't talk to you at all.
-laughs Yeah, guess so, he replied. So anyways, I take it that your not coming at the game tonight.
-Not in a million years bitch!
-I'm not a bitch, bitch! he said as he took his plate of chicken nuggets and fries which he glared at with a distasteful look.
-Sure, she replied happily as she took her plate. Mmmm, chicken nuggets, my love.
Mark shook his head. They went to sit down with there friends at there usual table, talking about music, movies and who they were, but most often who, they wanted to be dating. Mark couldn't help but feel a bit depressed; knowing that the person he wanted to be with was having lunch with a bunch of jocks and cheerleaders.
After school, Mark went directly to work. A year ago, he had gotten a job at the pool. He taught young children from 4:30 to 5:30, ate at Subway or Ali's place because they were both close to the pool , then came back to watch everyone for free hour and teach 2 other classes for adults from 7 to 9 . Strangely his adult classes were quite popular amongst women, and even a few daring guys showed up.
He'd usually help close up everything, but tonight he had a particularly bad headache, and being near so many people wasn't helping at all. Passing his hand through his soft brown hair, he sighed. These headaches were getting out of hand, he could barely control his powers anymore. Being an empath, he could sense all the different emotions people were experiencing, and lately, he could barely keep his mental barriers up, the emotions constantly bombarding against them, almost making them crumble underneath the pressure. He sighed again, maybe some sleep will do me some good he thought. But I still have to go to the game, I promised Rick I'd go, but I really don't feel all that good. He'll be ok if I don't go this once. On that, he decided to go home and relax a bit.
Once he got home, he switched on the T.V. Flipping through the different channels; he found a show that he liked. He wasn't a big fan of reality shows, but Big Brother 4 wasn't all that bad, he kinda liked it. Alyson was telling about how she would back stab everybody to win the half a million dollars prize money when his thoughts drifted off. He wondered where his father might be, but then frowned, realizing he was probably with one of his ''important clients.''
Mark wasn't close to his parents at all, and contrary to most teenagers, he wouldn't have minded actually having a relationship with either one of his parent's. When he was six, his mutant powers emerged, almost driving him insane. The feelings of other people were overwhelming him, and he could barely make out those feelings from his own. That's when his parents where contacted by Professor Charles Xavier, a man who helped young mutants control there newly emerged gifts. Refusing to be a mother to what she described as a "perverted creature of hell," Marks mother had disowned him, but his father, though not fully accepting his sons "condition", decided against disowning him, which caused his parents to separate. Mark had then left for the Xavier Mansion, where the professor could teach him how to control his new found power. When arriving at the Xavier Mansion, Mark found that there were only two other students, a young boy named Scott Summers, unable to control the optic beams constantly bombarding from his eyes, and a young girl, Jean Grey, who was a telepath like the professor, both having the same age as him. Seeing that he was too young to control his powers, Professor Xavier placed mental blocks in Mark's mind.
Two years later, a man named Logan joined the institute, as well as a young 16 year old girl named Ororo. Mark was intrigued by the mysterious Logan. Logan eventually grew a soft spot for the kid, and taught him Japanese martial arts and other lessons he considered useful. Two years later, Mark was able to fully control his powers, and after 4 years at the Xavier Mansion, went home.
Going to school wasn't much fun, being a ten year old who could sense others feelings, he never got really close to anybody. Mark was a shy, quiet boy, he felt that if he ever let his powers slip, and sense ones emotions, he would somehow be violating them. Then he met Alita. She was a lively young girl with an attitude, being a bit overactive at times, but she was the only one who became his true friend. The first time he saw her, he couldn't help but think that she was pretty. She had long brown hair that came down to her waist, and deep grey orbs. He was very surprised when she told her that she was a mutant as well. The young girl also specified that if he didn't like sailor moon, he could go to hell. From that moment on, they were best friends.
Mark had never had a close relationship with his father, but at least they spoke to each other, but when he was about twelve and a half, Mark figured out he was gay. He decided that keeping it from his father would be a bad idea, so he told him. What he didn't know, was that his father was homophobic. His father all but disowned him, as his mother had once done. He said that he had never been so ashamed of him and that they were never to speak again. But to Marks great surprise, he never sent him away.
Mark didn't like to come home at night, fearing he would have to face his father. In some ways, he'd rather have his father insult him instead of living with somebody who barely acknowledged his existence anymore. Luckily, his dad worked very late at night, and usually went on long business trips. Clearing his mind, he focused back to the show, seeing Jun talking behind Jee's back. He was laughing when he heard the telephone ring. He got up on his feet and picked it up.
-Hello?
-Hi, is that you Mark?
-Yes, who is this?
-It's Scott, haven't forgotten me now have you?
-Scott! whoa, haven't heard from you in a while.
-Mark we need your help, there's a mutant who's being chased by some guys, we'll be there in a while, but probably not soon enough, we need you to go help him.
-Where is he? asked Mark very seriously.
-Professor says he can see some sort of tennis court, and a tall building with some tree's behind it, he's near the tree's.
-I'm on my way, and he hung-up.
I know where that is. It must be between the tennis court and the abandoned warehouse. He quickly put on his sneakers and a coat and rushed out of the house. Since when do people hunt down mutants? he asked himself as he ran towards the old warehouse. Luckily it was only about an eight minute run from where he lived. He got there in five and went strait for the woods, sensing many presences there. When he arrived at the entrance to the forest, he saw a lone figure running out of the woods. The person came, running strait towards him, and when the person got close, Mark realized it was Tyler. Tyler stopped in front of him and looked back at the woods fearfully.
-You gotta get outta here now Mark! he practically yelled.
-Tyler! what's going on?
-People are after me, all explain later, just run!
But it was too late. Tyler's eye's flashed a pale white grey colour, turning almost like a tiger's. "There here!" Tyler exclaimed. Four men jumped out of the nearest trees, all running towards them. They were dressed from head to toe in black, wearing strange goggles on there heads. They heard one of the men say: "Ma'am, we've found the other mutant" Shit, he's the mutant! I can't believe this thought Mark. Three men charged at Tyler, one at Mark. Mark sensed more people coming. He could certainly handle one guy, and Tyler was doing fine with three, but from what he could tell, there were at least thirty more men. All of this for him? What's going on here? Mark asked himself. Mark knocked his guy out with a kick and turned around to see that Tyler was already done with his three. Six more men attacked them, three on each of them this time. Tyler quickly knocked them out, and helped Mark finish off his last guy.
-There's too many! said Mark.
-I know, but we have to fight, they'll just catch up!
-He's right, they'll follow us, I have to do something, he thought. He tried to think of a solution quickly and said: Get behind me!
-What? Tyler asked surprised.
-I said get behind me! NOW!
Tyler saw the blazing fire in Mark's deep green orbs, sheer power emanating around him, he nodded wordlessly, and without a sound, went behind Mark. Mark sat down on the ground and relaxed himself, putting mental walls around Tyler's mind; he then looked at the 30 men rapidly approaching them. With a sharp move of the head, Mark released all of the tele-empathic energy that had been unconsciously gathering up in his mind for the past few months, unleashing a wave of shier emotional terror all around him. He only noticed that the tele-empathic waves he had sent out had taken form in waves of darkness before he drifted off into unconsciousness.