The Song of Eternity
Canto 8
The Mutant Underground
Verse 4
The Trial of the Mutants
Still free,
They watch the future unfold,
As some captives make their case.
The day after arriving in the safe houses was relatively uneventful. In New York, Remy, Elena, Creed, Murphy, Pietro, Lance, and Todd were busy looking through the various systems that Starmore left, trying to figure out all the electronics. In Boston Vincent woke up early and spent the day watching the news and waiting for Captain America to check back in with him. Scott, Rogue, Jamie, and Kurt played around with the electronics, eventually making contact with the others in Boston. All involved parties in Boston tried their best to stay out of Cole's way as he busied himself in trying to drink his way through the kitchen.
Vincent watched the television as a reporter showed soldiers still trying to enter his house in Bayville, but having no success. "Vincent, can we have a word with you?" Scott asked quietly.
"Sure," Vincent replied as he blinked his eyes and muted the television. "Shoot."
"Well, it's about Cole," Scott said as he, and Rogue glanced back to the kitchen where Jamie and Kurt were watching Cole from a distance. "You know what is going on with him, mind filling us in," Scott stated.
"He and Murphy said they have no memory of their past, but its easy to see they're lying," Rogue added. "And he just flipped out the night before all this happened and flew off, what's the matter with him?"
"Since you are in the same boat as us here, here's the real deal," Vincent started as he check to make sure Cole was in the other room. "He and his brother lived other lives before coming to Bayville. On another world really," he mused as he picked his words carefully. "Murphy came out fine, but Cole has problems. He started out a normal, well-adjusted kid. On his world he was forced to do things that he would rather not talk about," he explained as he let the significance sink in. "The thing is, he just shut a part of his mind off after he started doing them, keeping his relatively normal self apart from the side that did the things he did there. So now we have Cole and his other self, who is kept in check by his void field," Vincent continued. "Cole thought his other self was gone for good after coming to Bayville, but when his powers were negated, the old self resurfaced, which is forcing Cole to go through the past he buried," Vincent finished.
"Maybe we should make him talk about it, instead of him drinking everything," Scott suggested.
"Make him? Feel free to try," Vincent laughed. "I'd much rather let him sort it out himself."
"But he's having a nervous breakdown or something. He needs help," Rogue protested.
"I know that, but it is something we cannot give him right now," Vincent countered angrily. "Try to talk to him if you want, but the reason he was seeing Xavier was because I could not get through to him, even before he knew his other self was still around," Vincent explained. "Leave him alone if he gets angry, he's capable and liable to kill you," Vincent finished.
An hour and one passed out Cole later, Vincent received a transmission from Captain America. "I assume turning yourself in is out of the question?" Captain America asked him after a bit. "Okay then, here's what I need you to do tomorrow," he explained what would happen tomorrow to Vincent.
At eight in the morning the world went live to video from inside Congress's chambers. The place was packed full of cameras from all the major networks along with the President himself and half a dozen marines within arm's length. The crowd of politicians grew silent as three 'guests' entered the building, one in a wheelchair, and two others in shackles with armed escort. Xavier, Magneto, and Mystique were seated in the front row and injected with fresh shots of the power neutralization agent.
"This is a special meeting of the United States government to examine the events of the past few days," the President began. "To speak on behalf of the involved parties are General Ross and Colonel Stone of the USMC. Charles Xavier, Eric Lensherr, and Raven Darkholme are here to speak on their own behalf as is Vincent Valentine of the Turks from an undisclosed location via satellite," the President introduced everyone as a large television screen flipped on to show Vincent sipping a cup of coffee.
"By now all involved parties have been briefed on the reason of the actions taken by the marines, that being the evidence of mutant terrorist groups in Bayville," the President began as Ross and Stone presented evidence of the past actions of the mutants is Bayville, deeming them a threat. Ross then explained that the night before the raid they had received a threat from someone claiming to be a mutant in one of the schools saying that they were going to attack a public place, which forced the marines into action.
"We feel the need to point out that no one we captured was hurt or killed and that the actions by Valentine and his Turks, aiding in the escape of several children, have justified our reasoning that they are a threat to national security," Stone finished.
"I think I need to add that they showed up at my house with a tank and ordered my surrender and that we did not kill anyone either," Vincent replied dryly. "When I held off Mr. Stone I made sure I only clipped his soldiers' legs and as we escaped the Xavier institute, we could have easily killed many of your soldiers, but didn't. In fact, the only ones that really stood a chance against their men were us, not the children, they didn't fight back much, they couldn't," Vincent stated.
"Why couldn't they fight back, if they were so dangerous?" the President asked Stone and Ross.
"We developed an experimental drug that can temporarily negate mutant powers. If we had not used it, I have no doubt there would have been fatalities," Stone replied.
"So you injected experimental drugs into children. Into your own citizens," Vincent snorted. "And you really don't know that the kids would have killed your men. Maybe they would have done what was needed to flee instead, as the rest of us did," Vincent pointed out. "I must add that the use of this drug on one of my Turks has inadvertently caused him to begin a mental breakdown, due to its causing the emergence of other personalities which were subdued by his powers," Vincent finished.
"If we can have some order in the room," the President broke in irritably. "The use of experimental drugs on US citizens, who are innocent until proven guilty, is something that will be brought up at a later time. The involved parties will be held accountable," the President looked at the two marines. "This meeting is to give you all a chance to explain yourselves, where you come from, what your intentions are, etc. Mr. Valentine, since you are the most enigmatic of this bunch, I would like you to go first," the President began as he opened a thin manila folder. "Most importantly, I would like to know why it seems you did not even exist until right around the time when Galactus was destroyed."
"That information is not something that should be divulged at this or any time," a voice boomed as a man in a trench coat and hat spoke up from the back of the room. He removed his hat and coat to reveal himself as Captain America. "If the word of the Avengers is not good enough, then I don't know what is," he added. "Vincent Valentine was crucial in defeating Galactus and saving this planet. You'll have to trust me when I say you can't handle the truth of his past though," he finished.
"Well, moving on," the President responded as Vincent chuckled. "What of your team, the Turks? Are any of them mutants?"
"Only one, a boy whose only power is to negate other powers," Vincent responded. "He is not a threat to anyone because of his mutant powers," Vincent added.
"This boy single-handedly battled nearly two dozen marines to a standstill, how can you say he is not a threat?" Ross asked Vincent.
"Because he has no real mutant power. You might as well lock me up then, I could have very well done the same thing." Captain America added from the back of the room.
"What about the allegations of terrorist actions?" the President asked before the situation got more out of hand.
"You got an anonymous phone call. You also received anonymous files on all of the children, detailing their powers and such, months ago. I know because I entered your computer system last night to find out how exactly you knew how to stop them so well considering their incredible powers. It is a set up if I've ever seen one, especially since two individuals that work with us went missing shortly before this began and we have been unable to locate them," Vincent finished. "I need to go take care of the kids I have with me now. You may want to call off the search for us, some of our charges are going to be less reluctant about the injuring, killing, and maiming of potential captors from here on out," Vincent said coldly before cutting off the transmission.
Later that night Vincent went outside the warehouse where Scott, Kurt, Rogue, and a few Jamies were tossing a frisbee around. "So how's it looking? I really couldn't stand watching that anymore," Scott explained.
"I think they're making their point quite well," Vincent replied. "Xavier's talk of peaceful coexistence, along with Magneto's ranting about how this could very easily become like the situation with the Jews in World War 2, seemed to work the crowd over decently. For her part Mystique cleaned up her philosophy of messing with the X-Men to something more along the lines of using your powers to better yourself. If anything can convince them it will be because of Xavier and Magneto," Vincent continued. "Where's Cole?"
"Jamie, come here," Scott called to the boy. One of the half dozen Jamies came over after throwing the frisbee to another one of himself. "Where's Cole?" Scott asked.
"Still inside drinking, one of my dupes has been watching him all day," Jamie replied.
"Call off the dupe, I need to go speak with him in private," Vincent ordered. "Stay out here, all of you," he told Scott and the others who had wandered over to the conversation. Vincent walked past the duplicate that was watching Cole on his way into the warehouse and continued on until he met up with Cole in the kitchen. Vincent leaned on the counter beside Cole and let out a sigh.
"What the hell do you want?" Cole asked him with a bit of slurred speech.
"You to stay sober and alert, but I'll settle for a little talk," Vincent replied. Cole snorted and shook his head in disbelief. "How are you doing?"
"What kind of a stupid question is that? You know what I feel like, now quit playing around and ask what you really want to know," Cole demanded angrily.
"Fair enough, will you be here when we need you?" Vincent asked as he looked at the teen.
"Yes, now just let me do what I have to do," Cole replied after a bit of silence.
"Want me to tell the kids to leave you alone?" Vincent asked as Cole finished off the last of his bottle.
"Don't worry about it, I can handle them. They wouldn't leave me alone if you told them to anyway," Cole laughed. "I'm gonna head out to a bar tomorrow around noon, just call if you need me, otherwise I'll call when I need picked up," Cole finished as he walked off toward the cots. "You might want to check out this equipment more, see if there's a quicker way for us to get back together with the New York group," Cole shouted as he disappeared into the darkness.