In a flash, I knew- if Matt had gone as far as to mention the possibility, it had already been decided. However, it would take a long time to implement. It would be messy, and they would try to keep it quiet. Call it intuition with a strong dose of deductive reasoning and common sense. See, that was the one thing I hated about any slight precognitive abilities I may have had. Things only seemed to come to me when something bad was going to happen, and even then I couldn't do anything about it most of the time. Firing all mutant employees? It had happened before- most of the time they never would have been hired in the first place. But someone in the casting department thought it 'innovative' to actually hire a mutant or two to amongst all the actors they usually used to play the host of mutant characters. How noble of them. I think the network ate it up because it saved them a few pennies on makeup and special effects. Frankly I was surprised they broached the subject at all. Fictional mutants were one thing. The real deal? Well, that was something else.
It had worked in their favor though, sparking major controversy. And everyone knows controversy brings in ratings and publicity. As loud as those bigoted mutant hating protestors are, I believe there are even more people who are curious about us. Especially if they can watch it all in the comfort and privacy of their own home. But people had a tendency to forget that what they where watching the result of what a team of second rate writers had dreamed up. It was a stereotypical drama with cardboard cutouts for characters. It was a world where mutants where either all good or all bad, but always suggestively dangerous. Yet it was what the audience wanted to see, so we delivered again and again. Hiring me had been a publicity stunt. If there where other mutants among the talent on any of the network's top rating shows, I didn't know about them. For the most part they worked behind the scenes- Lisa, the wardrobe mistress and Adrian in makeup where a couple I where close to, though I knew there were a few on the custodial staff as well. People suspected that Rachel was, but I knew she wasn't. Her energy was one hundred percent human, even if her self entitlement was in a class by itself. It seemed almost too perfect on their end- I would be the only visible disappearance. The rest? As crucial as we knew they where, most people would see them as expendable. The public wouldn't even notice. Something still lingered in my mind though, that as simple as it seemed to carry out, someone was going to step in and blow this up. As much as I wanted to, it wouldn't be me that exposed this little operation that I wasn't supposed to know about... that hadn't even happened yet.
Back in the here and now, I realized I had been staring at Matt while I had been hit with… whatever that was. He had paled several shades, as though he expected me to burst out with Grace's pyrotechnic blast- an ability god knows who had deemed to give her, though one I personally did not possess. It seemed as though he had forgotten that fact. Again.
"It's ok, I know it's not your fault." It seemed a woefully inadequate thing to say, but it did seem so calm him down a bit.
"Amber, have you ever thought about going back to school?" Robbie, playing the part of the ever practical agent, seemed to have found his voice again.
"And leave you out of a job? Never." My tone was so lighthearted I even surprised myself. "Look, I'll call you later."
If either man had anything else to say, I didn't hear it. The door slammed behind me as the sound of my designer stilettos clicked down the hallway. They had cost me a week's pay, and where probably the first and last pair of that caliber I'd ever own. Unfair was not the word to describe this situation. I wasn't sure if I wanted to tear down the door of every office in the building, or curl up in bed and cry myself to sleep. So I laughed, probably looking more than a little mentally unstable.
I passed a poster someone had hung in a slightly crooked fashion on the wall approaching the lobby. It showed the entire cast of 'Destiny Shores' smiling on the beachfront. The slogan running along the bottom read 'Destiny Shores and TGN Network- working for mutant equality'
I tore it down as I tore past, cheeks burning red with anger as I ripped it into tiny pieces. Reaching the front door, I allowed the sudden breeze to carry the shreds away.
Not even noon, and I was ready to end the day. I suppose equality only exists for those who don't find themselves in the minority.
AN: Ok, so I know I didn't move the plot far with this bit. I'm still not sure where I'm going with this, though I have more of an idea now. I'm considering bringing in an X-verse villain within the next part or so… I'm playing with the idea of Sinister, though I know he's not movie verse, and I'll admit to not knowing a whole lot about him. But he's caught my attention for some reason. Or any other bad guy who seems to enjoy emotional manipulation as a favorite passtime. What can I say, I'm a weird one!
Thankyouthankyouthankyou to Meadowlark and army-of-one for the reviews. They seriously make my day. And I especially appreciate your criticisms Maranora, I knew I had to be missing a thing or two with that late night, caffeine induced posting. I'll be sure to go through everything at a more sane hour… or maybe gasp quit posting at 2am when my brain has gone to sleep but my fingers just keep on typing.