Chapter 4: Glimmerings
Remy LeBeau was sane once more, but at the moment, that hardly seemed like an advantage.
His mind, after all, was apparently an exceedingly boring place, a fact that Remy found to be something of a let-down. No matter how hard he concentrated, he couldn't seem to affect that endless, featureless, dull horizon of gray. It didn't seem to matter that this was apparently his own mind.
You're afraid of your own powers, Jean Gray had said. That's why you can't control them.
Jean Gray, who was currently resting, and who had left him totally, utterly, and completely bored. And until she came back, he was left pacing a fictional space inside his own head, trapped by artificial shields that Professor Xavier had placed around his mind.
Remy concentrated on the space in front of him, trying to will a table, chair, and deck of cards into existence. Despite Jean's admonitions to stay calm, he felt the frustration in him building as they stubbornly refused to materialize.
"I ain' afraid!" he shouted, turning around in a circle. "I ain'! Come on! " He pointed at the ground in front of him, willing the mindscape to reform.
The gray stayed stubbornly gray, and empty.
Remy felt the frustration in him building to intolerable levels, but there was nothing handily convenient to have a temper tantrum at, not that that's what he would have called it. He spun in a circle, kicked the ground and refused the impulse to fall down and beat his hands on the floor, breathing heavily.
Behind him, the spot he had just been glaring at... rippled. The horizon darkened almost imperceptibly as Remy stood, fists clenched at his sides, trying not to scream with frustration.
Outside in the real world, Xavier put a hand to his head in sudden pain, losing the thread of the conversation he had been holding with the newly returned Scott Summers.
Scott frowned slightly, noting the tired lines apparent on Xavier's face, deepening now in a grimace of pain.
"Professor, are you all right?" he asked softly, as Xavier continued to be silent, holding his hand to his head.
"It appears our newest guest is in some distress," Xavier said softly, looking up. "Come with me to the medbay, Scott."
"Newest guest?"
"Yes. He's some sort of psi, though I am unsure as to the exact nature and extent of his abilities. He... arrived at the mansion several days ago."
Scott followed as the Professor turned his wheelchair and headed for the hallway. Something in the way the Professor had said... "Arrived?"
"His powers are completely uncontrolled. I don't know how or why he managed to find me, he was... not lucid when we found him. Or I should say, he found us. He walked straight through the dinning hall window."
"Walked through the window?" Scott repeated, feeling confused.
Xavier glanced up at him as the elevator down to the medlab opened up, then wheeled himself inside slowly. As the doors closed around him and Scott he felt the closeness as a stifling presence, unusual given is usually exquisite self-control.
He sighed, feeling frustrated at his star student's unusual denseness. "I did mention he was not lucid. He was somehow drawn to my presence, and chose the direct route to reach me, I assume."
"So all we know is that he's some sort of psi?"
"I did not say that," Xavier said curtly, trying to stifle his impatience. He wheeled out as the elevator doors open on the white, empty corridor preceding the Medbay.
"I managed to shield his mind somewhat, allowing Jean to communicate with him by pulling him into a conscious awareness of his mental landscape. His name is Remy LeBeau; apparently he's always had something he refers to as his "charm", but the full onset of his powers did not begin until several weeks ago. That's unusual enough; he's well over the normal age for the full development of his mutation."
"And you're sill shielding him?" Scott asked.
"Of course I am," Xavier said coolly. "He was nearly out of his mind. Until he learns to control his receptiveness himself, it would be cruel to do otherwise."
"I didn't mean to suggest anything by it," Scott said diffidently, trying to keep himself from being annoyed with the Professor's curt tone. He wondered whether it was simply this new mutant that seemingly had Professor Xavier wound so tight. Or it could be the upcoming summit, Scott thought, annoyed with himself for feeling annoyed. Anyone could be forgiven for being a little snappish.
The door to the Medbay slid open and Professor Xavier moved inside, not commenting, and wheeled to the side of the still figure within. Scott followed, silent as well. Coming to stand beside Xavier at the side of the bed, he glanced down at the pale features of the boy lying there.
His irritation forgotten, Xavier was examining the boy's face closely. Hank had already noted Remy's unusual eye colour, but for a second it had almost looked like the skin of his eyelids had gleamed red...
There was nothing now. Beside him, Scott stood thin-lipped and silent, and suddenly Xavier wondered at his own recent behaviour. It was unlike him to be so snappish with his favourite student.
Remy LeBeau lay silent and still, almost as pale as the room itself. But there was something – not right here.
A small, half-smile curved his face as an answer to the puzzle presented itself to him, as simple as that.
"Excuse me for a moment, Scott." Xavier said. "I've just had an insight I'd like to pursue with our young friend here. It will only take a moment."
He barely waited for Scott's nod before closing his eyes and concentrating on the telepathic shield that connected him to Remy, moving his awareness along the length of the link to rest close to walls of the shields he had erected around the young man's mind.
He felt... frustration.
It really was that simple, Xavier mused, withdrawing as quietly as he had come, boosting the shields between their two minds as he went. If he can influence me...
"My apologies, Scott."
Xavier's most valued protégé stared intently at him, trying to gather clues as to what had his mentor bothered so. But Xavier's face gave away no clues. "Shall I ask?"
"There isn't much to tell." Xavier swept his arm in an expansive gesture towards the bed. "Despite appearances, our young friend here is very much awake."
"How so?"
"He's in a state of... heightened consciousness." At Scott's uncomprehending look, Xavier clarified further. "Without shields or control over his natural abilities, he's a danger to both himself and the students. But the only way for him to learn..."
"...is to be conscious enough to be taught." Scott finished, understanding.
"Precisely." Xavier nodded, pleased. "He's aware but not actually projecting outside his own mind at the moment. And with Jean resting, I suspect he is quite bored."
So much for a relaxing weekend, Scott thought resignedly. With the pace events had been moving at inside and outside the mansion, he and Jean had been looking forward to snatching an unusual amount of quality time together.
Xavier must have noticed the disappointment Scott couldn't quite keep off his face. "I'm sorry, Scott," he offered. "I know you and Jean were planning on getting away this weekend, but this has to take priority. We can't keep in coma forever – his muscles will atrophy."
"I know. Jean would never turn her back on another telepath, either."
"His situation now is very similar to her own previous troubles," Xavier said softly. "She has established a fairly good rapport with him so far, which I'm glad of. Shielding him so completely takes a considerable amount of effort."
Scott frowned.
"Nothing too burdensome, Scott," he added reassuringly. "In the meantime, I'm afraid our young friend will have to cope with his frustration until Jean is ready to speak with him again."
As he spoke Xavier was turning, heading back out towards the hall and elevator. Scott followed, musing on the implications of the new student and Jean's sudden role as mentor. Neither man spoke as the door slid shut behind them.
The medlab was silent, and still. And if there was a slight glimmer of red under closed eyelids, there was no one else there to see.
Author's note:
3 things: First, I'm terribly, terribly sorry it's taken me so long to update. I promise I'm not quitting on it, but there has been... stuff. Stuff always interferes with my creative plans. Sorry!
Second, thanks so much to everyone who's reviewed my story! Your feedback and encouragement is greatly appreciated.
And third... yes some of the chapters are unfortunately short, especially that last one, but I just can't resist a good closing line, it seems. The next ones will be longer, and we'll be getting in to the meat of the plot soon, I promise. Promise!