Strays

File Two: Family

Charlie Dusk had not slept in so fine a bed in a very long time. He let his normal dreamless sleep take him. It was two weeks since he hand his comrades had joined the latest squad at Xavier's. to be honest, he thought it was pretty nice. He was with the friends he had been with already and he had made two new ones right off the bat. He liked Norm, a funny guy with a flair for the dramatic, and while he liked X-Wire, he knew she was hiding something. He was the intuitive type. He was always thinking about people and how they were acting. Mr. LeBeau had told him that was a good thing.

For instance, Charlie had recognized that most of the gender rolls on the team were reversed. For instance; the dominant leader used to giving out orders was female, and the level headed calm and contemplative second-in-command was a male, himself to be specific. The ones who the team protected and coddled were both male, Common and Eavesdrop.

The team had taken so easily to calling each other by codenames, even Norm. he thought his was ironic.

So Charlie slept soundly in his bed happy not to dream. That was when the scream woke him. His roommate, Common, was having a nightmare. Charlie hopped out of bed and roused his friend. "Common, wake up buddy, it's just a nightmare." He said.

Common awoke and looked around. "She's here," he said, tears choking his voice. "She's here and you're all dead!"

"She's not here," Tender said softly. "and She won't find you here."

"Where… Where's Take," he said, looking around desperate to find her.

"Just a sec," he said. Long ago they had stolen two way pagers, and Tender fired a page off to Take and the rest of the team. Norm and Take both showed up. Tender and Norm both quietly pushed the two twin beds together. Norm shook Tender's hand and headed back to his room with Eavesdrop. There was a small couch in the room Tender and Common shared. Tender took a blanket from the closet and stretched himself out on the couch.

While all this happened, Take had taken common in her arms, and he had practically smothered her as he put his arms around her. It was as if he were trying to climb inside her to protect himself. From Take's expression, one would surmised she would let him. They laid down on the newly made double. Common faced one wall and take moved up behind him, holding him tightly from behind. "She's not coming?" he asked.

"No," Take affirmed. "And if she tries, I'll kill her myself." With that, the two fell asleep. Tender was asleep not long after.


"AHEM!" called a loud voice. A loud very unhappy voice. Take opened her eyes to see Mr. Summers standing over them. "Up. Now." He said simply.

She growled, not a morning person, but complied. Mr. LeBeau was standing on the other side of the room, looking more annoyed than angry. He jerked Tender to his feet and to consciousness. Neither transition was made with any grace.

"Exactly what the hell happened here last night," Demanded Cyclops.

"Petites, Remy trusted ya'll," Gambit scolded.

"He had a nightmare," Take growled, showing no fear of either of these men, both of whom she knew to be trained in multiple forms of combat.

"We… we… we…" Common stammered. "We just slept… nothing dirty… I swear I'm not dirty." He began hiding himself behind Take.

"He has nightmares from time to time," Tender explained while Cyclops and Take stared daggers at each other. "Take is best at comforting him after those."

Cyclops looked at them both. The beds, he could tell, had been used for nothing but sleeping. There had been no hanky-panky. "Detention, all three of you." He said firmly. "You'll be writing lines."

"You'll have to count me in," said a voice from the doorway. Norm stood there looking serious. His room, right next door to theirs, had been awakened almost at the same time as the others. "I helped move the beds."

"Fine," Cyclops said. "The four of you." He turned and left that not one of them was angry with their punishment.

Gambit looked at them shrewdly. He could tell that Tender had omitted information about Common's nightmares, but he could also tell he had done it for Common's sake. So he said nothing. He grabbed Take and said, "C'mon. Back t' y'own room."


Two days after the incident and the entire school knew. Of course they were handling it the way a superior species should; they were gossiping their heads off. The Strays did their best to ignore it, but it all came to a head at lunch. The Hellions happened to sit a table away. And of course Julian couldn't help but comment.

"God, I figured the two of them for queers, but what was the leader doing there? Telling them how its done? I mean I guess she is the only one on the team with a real pair, right?"

Take growled into her lunch as Tender put his hand on her arm. This was mostly to keep her from using it to do anything rash. Common felt he had embarrassed Take and was looking apologetically at her. Sadly, Julian wasn't finished.

"I guess we shouldn't expect too much from that team of trash. I mean for god's sake, they've got a LOW-GENE on their team. An honest to god FLATSCAN, and they not only allow it at the school but they put it on a team and give it a codename. And what an arrogant codename at that; Norm. Like he's normal."

"It was supposed to be ironic," Norm muttered to no one. "Like the Brotherhood of EVIL Mutants. It's supposed to be Ironic." He shook his head, annoyed.

Julian's tirade continued. "And that runty little one… Common. What an embarrassment. I don't even know what his power is, but he is wearing a freaking mutant control collar. That's basically a symbol of mutant oppression. Why not have a Jew wear a swastika, or black wear the confederate flag. It's absolutely disgusting. He should just pull it together and learn to control his powers."

Both X-Wire and Tender were almost physically restraining Take. Norm dropped his fork with a deliberate clank. He turned around to face Julian, or rather Julian's back. "Listen man, I'm sure even you had problems with your powers at one point or another. Not to mention the little guy isn't in the best shape upstairs. Why don't you just lay off okay?"

Julian turned around with a look of disbelieving anger in his eyes. "One:" he started. "Don't talk to me Low-Gene. Two; Don't tell me what to do. Three: if he can't cope, I say kick him to the curb. He's worthless."

Julian began to turn around, but Norm grabbed him by the shoulder. "You don't know what he's been through," he said.

"Don't ever touch me Flatscan!" Julian yelled, using his telekiniesis to launch Norm across the cafeteria into a wall, to crumple to the floor. X-Wire struck next, wrapping her cords around Julian's throat and hurling him in the opposite direction. The Hellions were on their feet in and instant. Tender grabbed take, to keep her from doing anything rash.

"Eavesdrop!" he called, while the other side menaced at them. "Do you know how to telepathically sedate people?"

"Sorta… I think," came the young boy's answer as he scooted backward away from the forming mob. Eavesdrop knew what was coming. he removed the metal helment he was wearing, preparing to use his telepathy.

"Use it on Take and X-Wire," he said. He released Take, and both she and X-Wire peacefully crumpled to the ground. Tender held out his hand a the Hellions. A look of shock covered their faces as a pleasure like none they had felt before covered them. Rockslide and Wither both hit the ground. Mercury grabbed on to the table for support before melting into a puddle with smile on her face, gurgling Kevin's name. Tag put a hand on the table and made some very odd faces. Dust had sat still, so Tender hadn't targeted her. She looked up at Tender, than apathetically at her teammates. "He is an idiot," she said, referring to Julian.

Tender smiled at her, and turned to his remaining Teammates. he hefted Take over his shoulder, and tried to figure out what to do about X-Wire when a boy with golden skin started to pick her up, along with a black boy.

"Saw what happened," explained David Alleyen. "You shoulda let 'em take the Hellions apart."

"They would have deserved it," said Joshua Foley, the boy with the golden skin. "After what they said."

"We gotta get to Mrs. Frost's office," said Tender.

The two looked at each other curiously. These new kids' advisor was Mr. LeBeau.

Eventually, Tender herded Common and Eavesdrop while carrying Take. Josh set X-Wire down in a chair in Ms. Frost's office. "Take Mr. Ngyuen straight to the infirmary," Ms. Frost ordered. it wasn't a secret why. his leg was obviously broken, and he had hit his head pretty hard when Julian threw him.

Emma scanned the two sleeping students, and then looked at the young telepath. she woke the two up, and they jumped up ready to fight. When they realized what happened Take moved to Tender and said, "Thanks." She then turned to Ms. Frost and, with a dark expression. "We'd like to report a fight."

"I see," Ms Frost said, skeptically.

"We were in the cafeteria," Take continued angrily. "And Hellion was speaking ill of our team. Norm confronted him, Hellion threw him telekinetically, X-Wire threw him with her wires by the neck... you may wanna check and see if that did any permanent damage, and then Tender had Eavesdrop sedate me and X-Wire, while he put the Hellions out of commission non violently."

"how?" she asked, with a scrutinizing look on her face.

"Um... well?" she looked at Tender.

"Like.. this." he put his hand up and Emma's eyes went wide. he stopped and she looked at him in dissapointment.

"I see," She said, straightening herself out, taking a few deep breaths. "A weeks detention for Mr. Ngyuen, Ms. Smythe, and Mr. Dusk." she pronounced. both present nodded.

"Wait," Edith said. "Norm's in the hospital for a while. If its possible... I'll serve his detention." she looked to the teacher.

"That sounds fair," Ms. Frost said, something akin to approval in her eyes.

the door opened suddenly and in burst Julian Keller, Hellion. "Ms. Frost! the Strays attacked US!" he yelled, then saw who was in the office.

"Oh," she said, asking Julian. "I heard a very different story."

"They're liars then!" Julian said, sounding more than a little desperate.

"Lets hear your side then Julian," she said holding a hand out to him.

"Well, I don't know what they told you, but I have the freedom of speech," he said defensively. "Saying things like flatscan and low-gene, and queer... thats perfectly within my rights. they're the ones who flipped out."

"Yes, of course," she said, sitting down at her desk, starting to write something.

"And... and then their human guy, he grabs me and tries to punch me, so I defend myself. then she" he said pointing at X-Wire "Throws me, and the little mongrel," he pointed this time at Eavesdrop. "Sedated me, by his order." he pointed at Tender. "The whole lot of them should be expelled!"

"Julian," she said holding her hand up to cut him off. "What ever possessed you to lie to a telepath?"

he looked horror struck. he hadn't expected her to check to see if he was lying.

"Mr. Ngyuen did nothing more aggressive than grab your elbow, you attacked first. and Mr. Conrad only sedated Ms. Smythe and Ms. Sloan who had intentions of beating you to a bloody pulp. Mr. Dusk saved you an incredible amount of pain. in fact all he gave you was pleasure, more than your mind could handle. you provoked them, intententionally, with the intent of setting them up for a fall that cold get them expelled. for shame Jullian."

"I am giving you two weeks detention, the same as the rest of them," she said, sitting back down. "Oh, and since you broke Mr. Ngyuen's leg, you will serve his detention as well."

"But thats four weeks!" Julian protested.

"Would you like to make it eight?" she asked, almost sounding curious.

Julian stormed out, and the rest looked curiously at Ms. Frost. "Excellent planning," she said, once Julian had left. "You knew Julian would tell me what would sound best against you, owning up to just enough to make it sound believable, and then demonifying the rest of you." she looked up at them. "Now, my original punishment still stands with you. one week each person to participate in the fight, and Ms. Sloan serves Mr. Ngyuen's time. Any questions?"

"No ma'am," they all said quickly, leaving. Common was the last to leave shuffling out, looking fearfully at Ms. Frost. he was close to tears. Take rushed back in. "C'mon, lets get out of here." Common kept his fearful gaze on Ms. Frost. "She's not mad," Take said, pointing Common's face at her. "She's not mad, now come on. no one's gonna hurt you." he shuffled out with Take.

Emma made a mental note to figure out why someone who appeared to be mentally unstable was enrolled in her Japanese I class. a recent mission had kept her from grading thier early assignments.