Note: Hey guys, thanks for reviewing. Yeah, I know this might seem a little out of character for Kurt, but if you look deeper at the situation, first, his history would teach him the value of not being seen (in this specific version, he was once almost burned at the stake) and second, at the very least, he could be targeted and blamed for acts of the brotherhood, any other random mutants and anything bad that's ever happened when someone saw him without his hologram (even if they make it up). If he's lucky, he would be arrested. So I think it's in character for him to at least consider the road that would hurt his friends but could very well save his life...and perhaps save them some trouble because they are associated with him.
Anyway, here's chapter five. I've been having some real life problems lately that hopefully will be resolved soon and I'll finish chapter seven and go on. Though if my problem takes a turn for the worse...well, it's good you're going on vacation, Carol J, and I'm sorry to everyone else. It might take me a while to want to write again.
Chapter Five: On Debates and Not-So-Bright Ideas
Stephanie stepped to the podium, looking supremely confident in her opening argument. The auditorium hummed with bored teenagers and Crystal's pen clicked against her clipboard. She had the unhappy task of also grading the participants as well as supervising and looked for all the world like she wished her Bazooka wasn't just gum.
"Ahem." Stephanie cleared her throat like a delicate piece of glass refuse and the buzz reluctantly lowered to a dull roar. Principal Kelly glowered, the Institute kids looked like they wanted to melt through the floor—Kitty seriously thought about it—and Kurt, behind stage, bit his tongue, wondering if this could possibly be less painful than his sharp incisors. "Ahem. Mutants. A mutation is defined medically as a change in a genetic trait and has entered our daily vocabulary as slang for something that is a variant of the norm. Mutation is often another word for evolution, commonly accepted as the method of changing life, the very reason we exist here as we do today. Some, then, might agree that mutants are normal, that they are simply an extension of our natural evolution. But there are glaring holes in this argument that will be highlighted in this debate and show you that mutants are the result of something far from normal and thus require special consideration.
"I refer, of course, to mutant registration. Evolution, from here on out in this debate, will be separate from mutation because it is a natural event that take place over the course of millions of years and is reinforced by the idea of natural selection. Mutation, on the other hand, is a seemingly spontaneous and, indeed, instantaneous event which breeds not adaptation, but instability. Blame it on pollution, global warming, or bad diets...in the end, it is an anomaly that is spreading, like a virus experimenting with new and untested forms of sucking a host cell dry." She smiled here and the crowd hooted its approval. Kurt felt sick. "Unlike a virus, however, it has been proven that some mutants are not harmful, even that they can be productive members of society." Someone in the crowd booed. "But things like this cannot be left unchecked. Mutant registration will allow the situation to be monitored and any potential problems will be dealt with. Proper rights, given freely to those properly evolved, will be awarded and shared with those who deserve it and mutants will live among us like they do now, except that they will no longer need to hide in shadows. They will be seen for what they are, live responsibly under a watchful and necessary guiding eye, and nature will resume its rightful course." She ended with a flourish and parts of the audience burst into applause. Kitty winced at the sound but noted that it was not as many people as she had expected; the ones that were cheering where just louder than most of the school. She glanced at her friends to see if they noticed, but Rogue was glaring, Scott was seeing red for once not caused by his shades, and Jean looked like she had a massive headache. Disappointed, Kitty slouched in her seat and worried about Kurt.
Said fuzzy mutant was also listening to the crowd and wondered at the same revelation. Maybe it wasn't too hopeless; maybe the world, or at least Bayville, wasn't too far gone with hate. Doubt flourished. He had to do something. His gaze panned the crowd and landed on Crystal. The senior was muttering to herself and shaking her head, and then she looked up and caught his eye. She blinked, slowly, and then looked at him with curiosity, like she wanted to delve into his mind and understand...something. Anything.
Kurt smiled. He had an idea.
Josh and Sandy went next, but Kurt didn't hear a word they said. He was too busy refining his plan and trying not to talk himself out of it. It was risky sure, would probably cause a riot but Bayville would surely benefit from meeting him after they met...him. It was unfortunately inevitable that they would tie him to him, but better they know he was not dangerous...and the best way to do that was to...apparently start a riot. Strange logic, mein freund, he thought to himself.
His thoughts were interrupted by the opening remarks of the opposite side: Amanda's speech.
"As early as 1939," Amanda began, her voice ringing loud and clear through the auditorium. Her audience shuffled nervously as she paused, her eyes flashing at each and every one of them as she ascertained that she had their full attention. "As early as 1939" she growled again, "the Jewish people were forced to label their clothing with the Star of David in parts of Europe." Kitty shifted in her seat, as did the rest of Bayville High's Jewish population. Crystal raised an impressed eyebrow and Kurt momentarily forgot his anger toward Amanda. "Whether it was the intent of the law or not, these Stars allowed the Jews to be easily identified and targeted by those who thought they were less than human, who thought they should be feared and treated with contempt. And we all, of course, know eventually where this contempt led." She paused. "The mutant registration act is in defiance of every person's right to be human and, as such, treated as a human being." A low uproar swept through the auditorium. Amanda raised her voice. "The mutant registration act, with or without the good intentions that pave the road to Hell, will result in the labeling, the fear, and the contempt with which the Jews were faced in the world's darkest hour. It WILL result in the incarceration of innocents, traumatized children, and the segregation of our world. The truth is that we do not understand evolution and you cannot say it cannot happen spontaneously or instantaneously. You can, however, say this: innocent until proven guilty," she roared. The crowd answered her roar, some cheering, some trying to scream her off-stage. "You can't define us by what we are before you know who we are! You can't tell us that we will harm you until we do anymore than you can accuse an innocent holding a loaded gun! We are all human; we are all..." The rest of her speech was drowned out by the crowd as it surged forward onto the stage. Kelly ran forward as well, waving his arms ineffectually and screaming his unheard screams. Crystal leaned back against the wall and just smiled. Yes, it had turned into a riot, but no one stupid could be heard over the din...only Amanda's last words would ring in the minds of those present. Besides, it wasn't her prob...er, responsibility. And Kurt...
Kurt felt cold. He distantly remembered how it felt to glow with pride, how right Amanda's words had felt, how much he loved her, but now everything was ice. She had said "we", he thought as he pulled her back from the crowd she was still trying to taunt. She had said "we" and "us" and it was all that would register in the fog as he pulled her out of the school.
"Alright, Kurt, you can stop now. I think we're far enough away," Amanda called, her voice flush with excitement. Kurt couldn't hear over the pounding of blood in his ears, but stopped when she tugged on his arm and turned to stare. He stared, breathing heavily; just long enough for some of her adrenaline to start bleeding away. "Kurt...?"
He didn't yell. He was past that, so angry and scared that all his voice could do is whisper as it shoved its way through his constricted throat. He started to lecture, to shame her for doing this to herself and him, to tell her it wasn't worth it, that he wasn't worth it and no one ever would be, not to risk her life for some small tolerance that would inevitably fade away. It took him many seconds to register her confusion and several more to realize that his vocabulary had reverted entirely back to German. But he couldn't stop and the English couldn't come past the haze of red and then she was shaking his shoulders and shouting and...
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Felt her hand stroke his cheek. Heard her ask slowly if he could start again. But it was all gone and he was just cold.
"You said 'we'," he stated. Her jaw dropped. He walked away.