Disclaimer: I own nothing but a pen and pad. Marvel ownes the X-Men.
A.p.R. - I've been gone for quite some time now. I appologize. But my career has taken me away so much! I'm trying to find the time to write but it will be more often hopefully. Thanks for being understanding.
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Scott stood in the corner of the rec-room, arms crossed over his chest just staring at Professor Xavier. Every member of the X-Men and the New Recruits were just standing there staring at him. They all seemed uncomfortable, each rearranging and shifting as they pondered what the Professor told them. They looked at him, at each other, at no one. This went on for a few moments. Finally, Bobby broke the ice.
"You want to run that by us one more time?" he said as he scratched his forehead.
"What exactly was unclear here?" Scott said. "The guy who hated and harassed us for being mutants is now a mutant and staying with us. What's not to get!" he said, sarcastically. Scott disliked Duncan with a passion.
"Scott, everyone, I know this is difficult to understand." Xavier stated.
"Damn right it is." Jubes said.
Logan was sitting in the infirmary as they argued in the rec-room. He had an apple on one of his claws, cutting slices off with another claw then eating them. Duncan stirred in the bed and his eyes fluttered opened slowly.
"Good afternoon, sleepyhead." Logan said, seeing on the clock that it was three o'clock.
Duncan sat up quickly and looked around, breathing very heavily. Lacerations above his lip a few on his cheek and on big diagonal on from his forehead to the brim of his nose. "What the- where am I?"
"Take one wild guess." Logan said, sliding another slice into his mouth.
"Whoa! Heh - you're one of those mutants!" he said, almost in shock.
"Yeah, same to you, bub." he said, Duncan almost fell out of the bed.
He sighed, looking down, deep in thought. "So, it wasn't a dream?" he asked.
Wolverine did not feel it was even necessary to look at him. "I'd pinch ya…but I really don't want to."
"Like I'd want you filthy mutie hands on me." Duncan retorted, under his breath.
The next thing Duncan knew, he was slammed up against the wall harshly, Logan's fist and forearm against his chest. The two side foot long claws shot out, the cold adamantium blades rested against his cheeks. The center claw was coming up slowly and threateningly. "Hey, buddy, I know you're new to this but you're a mutant now! SO let's get some things straight-"
"Logan. Could you be so kind to leave Mr. Matthew's head attached to his neck?" Hank said, from the doorway.
Logan dropped Duncan on the floor then helped him up. "Only 'cause you asked so nicely."
Duncan leaned against the wall for support before sitting on the bed. "Wait…are you coach McCoy?" he asked.
Logan stormed out of the room and Hank rolled his eyes. "Indeed."
"You weren't as furry last time I saw you…"
"Freak Rogaine accident. That's not the point. I wanted to talk to you about yesterday. What happened?"
"I don't want to talk about it…" he said, turning away.
Hank raised a brow. "It looks like you received a taste of what anti-mutant hate crimes feel like."
"My own dad…" Duncan muttered under his breath. "That Xavier guy is supposed to be a psychologist or something…I want to talk to him." he added.
"Not right now…you are going to need to rest. Follow me to your room." Hank stated, Duncan got up and followed him.
Back in the rec-room they were still arguing. "C'mon, he's gotta be screwing with us." Jubes said, gesturing her hands wildly.
"She's got a point." Tabitha said, sitting on the couch.
Jean stood behind the Professor. "Listen, I don't like Duncan as much, if not more, than the rest of you…but we can't throw him out. He's a mutant."
"He's still Duncan Matthews!" Scott snapped.
Jean glared. "Scott!"
"Jean!" Scott barked.
"Bobby!" Bobby yelled. Everyone stared at him and he offered them a nervous smile. "Sorry, I got caught in the moment."
"He shouldn't be here." Kitty said.
"Oh, like Lance should have been here that one time?" Roberto shouted.
Kitty gave him the look of death. "Hey I…"
They all went on like this for a while. Arguing, shouting, snapping.
Charles Xavier looked disappointed. "I thought I taught you all better than this. I thought I taught you to accept people for what they are. To never judge and that everyone deserves a second chance. I guess I haven't taught you anything." he said, as the room grew silent. He wheeled out of the room.
They all watched him as he exited then looked down at their shoes, feeling ashamed.
"That was harsh…" Evan said.
Duncan was now in his room, it was not the same as his old room. The beige walls were covered by nothing, unlike his room. His room was filled with posters, trophies, and his sports equipment. This room had nothing. No trophies on the shelves or equipment littering the floor. Just nothing. It wasn't the same. It never would be.
His legs, chest, and left arm were bruised and vaguely burned from the taser attacks. His back covered with bruises that hurt every time he moved. One thing he had concluded from those: baseball bats hurt.
Xavier knocked on the door, entering after Duncan gave him the OK. "I wanted to talk to you." he said.
Duncan nodded. "About what happened yesterday?"
"Yes."
"Then let's talk. Where should we start, it was a very eventful day." he said, rebelliously.
"What happened yesterday? Start from the beginning."
"Well, my alarm clock went off…" Duncan explained the whole day with every detail he remembered. From that great breakfast to the tasering he had after school. "Then, I stumbled my way here…next thing I know I'm pinned up against a wall about to get my head cut off."
"Duncan, I want to offer you a chance to become a student at my institute. You can learn to control your powers-"
"I can't believe that happened…I never…why did this happen?"
"It's genetic. You could not have stopped it."
"How did I catch it?" Duncan wondered in unbelief.
Xavier blinked, stupefied by that unusual statement. "It's genetic, you didn't catch anything."
Duncan stood up and glare viciously at the wheel chaired man. "Well I didn't deserve it! I didn't deserve for my life to crumble, I didn't deserve for my friends to abandon me! And, God knows, that I did not deserve for my parents to turn on me!"
Charles raised an eyebrow. "And the others did?"
"What!"
"Did any of the others who have gone through deserve it? Did Jean deserve it when her awards were taken away because she was special? Were you justified when you and your friends harass mutants as if they are second-class citizens, no better than? Is it right that we are discriminated and characterized as menaces when most of us are just trying to live a normal life?"
"Oh, what…are you so smart? It's my life! MINE! Now what? I'm nothing! All my friends equal up to the sum of zero. My dad disowned me. And, to top it all off, I don't even know how to control my thingy-powers!"
Xavier, feeling somewhat bewildered, had put up with Duncan for long enough. "Well then, you begin training in the morning - six a.m. sharp in the garden." he said, wheeling out of Duncan's accommodations.
In the kitchen…
Tabitha Smith limped over to the counter and sat on it. The phone rang and she answered it. "White House." she stated, sternly. "Rick, no, wait…" she said with a laugh but it was too late. He had hung up. The phone rang again. "Bat Cave, who may I say is calling?" she asked, chuckling. "I can't believe you fell for that one, Rick." Tabby nodded. "Oh, yeah, I'm feeling much better, I still have to limp, but I'm better. My collarbone still stings a teensy bit. It was sweet of you to check up on me…sappy, but sweet."
Ray was standing in the hall behind her, watching her. Overhearing the conversation. Tabby was just hanging up the phone when she saw him. "Oh, what's up, Ray?"
"I, uh…I just wanted to check on you."
She humored him with a smile. "I'm good."
"Because…I really am concerned for you…"
"Yeah…"
"Yeah…" he replied, quiet and defeated.
Ray turned around and was about to walk away when he couldn't hold it in any longer. "Tabby, you haven't been the same since…" he sighed, stopping short.
"What?" she looked curious now.
"Since you went to the movies with, Rolando." he answered.
"His name IS Rick." she defended.
He rolled his eyes. "We've barely hung out these past two weeks!"
"Calm down, okay!"
"Why? Why! Is it because you always get what you want? Why, huh! Because everything revolves around you! Or wait, is it because when I try to spend time with you, that hack-musician and his crappy music block out what I'm saying?" Ray yelled.
"Hey! The music's not crappy-"
"Not my fault you have Van Gogh's ear for music."
"Ray!"
"Sorry!" he groaned. "Sorry…damnit!" He slammed his palm against the wall, breathing heavily. Ray stood there, looking at the wall, trying to sort his thoughts. "I should have seen this coming. The handwriting was right there…on the wall…" He pointed his finger and dragged it across the wall as he walked towards her. "Right there, highlighted with a hot pink marker. But I didn't…want to believe it. Maybe it would just fade away, I thought."
"Stop it! Just because him and I are spending time together doesn't mean I like Rick. I like Rick!" As soon as she said that her hands clamped over her mouth tightly.
Ray halted in his spot, mind hardly there and heart no longer beating the same as it previously was. He looked at her, not with anger, not with hatred, but with understanding. Complete and total understanding. He had seen it coming; he had waited for it patiently. He wouldn't believe it unless she said it and she said it. "Okay…" he said, tiredly, walking away.
"Rick, wait." Tabby said, grimacing suddenly after that mix up. "I mean, Ray…" she added. He did not show any signs of acknowledgement.
She wanted to cry but she was angry. She grunted and slammed the phone on the counter, resting her weight on the arm she slammed it with. She pouted, silently to herself. Silent and alone.
The others were absorbed in their own business, their squabbling voices exuded from the rec-room. They did not know that Tabby was hunched over in the kitchen sobbing. Silent and alone.
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