X-Men-First Class: Rise or Fall
Chapter Eleven
Author's Word: Hi, guys. I want to say thanks as always for the feedback. It's so awesome to get this posted on my birthday, which is today so much celebration will be had this night. I am so glad to be able to cherish this occasion with my family. I hope you all enjoy this!
Warning: This chapter contains a term or two of an offensive nature. The writer is a young woman of mixed race who hates no one, except a good chunk of the human race but only because they're annoying and lack intelligence.
Sundays always seemed to bring in a calm yet tedious aura about them, even for the Xavier Mansion. Like any ordinary household, the idea of completing homework assignments on Friday just did not exist. Then Saturday came along and outside of a couple training sessions that usually ended before two PM, playtime became the biggest concern for the numerous adolescents that made up the majority of the residents. On Sunday, before anything relating to fun could be had, work had to done, specifically schoolwork. That proclamation had come straight from the reigning officials aka the adults.
On that Sunday in particular, Joey laid out on his carpet with every subject spread out around him. Although he had a lovely antique solid oak desk in his room that came complete with a comfortable padded chair, the boy had gotten so used to sleeping on floors, or a couch when lucky, that using actual furniture still felt a little odd. Charles often admonished him for spending so much time on the floor but Joey could never really understand why. The floors and carpeting stayed clean to the point of perfection after all. Even though Joey kept Charles on a pedestal that reached the stars and beyond, he still thought some of the rules to be kind of silly.
With math and spelling all done, Joey figured he could take a little time before he started in on his reading lesson and social studies. He was also elated over the fact that Hank had not assigned anything for science. Joey got up to search for signs of life. He met with nothing but silence. Well, not completely as he heard furious typing coming from Sean's room, erasing and grumbling in Frank's, and a light humming from Becky's. Joey decided to try the lower level; particularly the gym with hopes of finding Alex.
When Joey got downstairs he had to do his best tip toeing to get by the parlor without alerting Charles. The ever faithful headmaster would undoubtedly ask if the boy had completed his homework. Then Joey's unofficial mutation of inability to lie to Charles would kick in and he'd end up right back in his room studying.
Going into the gym, Joey looked around eagerly for Alex then poked his lips out in a brief pout at the lack of fun and groovy teen. With the large assortment of equipment, Joey often felt as if he could be swallowed up by the gym. Of course, he felt that way about most of the mansion when he first arrived. He went over to a machine that had a bench and something that resembled upside down handlebars from a bicycle. He reached out and grabbed hold of one bar and attempted to pull it by the attached rope. When zero movement took place, he decided to grip the entire handle bar. He pulled with all the might a child under ten could possibly possess but to no avail.
Then the weights suddenly inched up. Joey glowed with excitement, thinking he had gained some sort of sudden muscles.
"Whoa!" he exclaimed when the handlebar snatched right out of his hands and the weights dropped with a cling.
Noticing a shadow to the right of him, Joey glanced back to see the source of his unexpected strength in the form of the tall dark haired metallic wizard. Letting off a sound that resembled something between "eep" and "yelp", Joey ducked and crawled over snake style to hide behind a leg presser.
Erik shook his head as he came in fully and started using the machine Joey had called himself working out on. "I didn't know we allowed stray animals in here."
Joey frowned with confusion as he peeked out from behind the leg press. "Huh?"
"No kangaroos in the gym."
The small blonde stared at him incredulously. "I'm not a kangaroo."
"Your name is Joey, is it not?" Erik stopped to look back at him. The boy nodded. "There we have it then."
"Oh." Joey shifted his eyes. That still didn't make sense. He became so lost in thought over it that he did not have a chance to move before Erik lunged and pulled him up off his feet in a tight hold. "Hey!" He squirmed to be released.
Placing the wriggly little figure down, Erik said, "Next time, you shock me."
Joey's mouth dropped open. "I can't!"
"If there's ever a time when one of us is not with you and someone tries to grab you the way I just did, you're to shock that person with everything you have inside," Erik told him in a no-nonsense tone.
"But I'm not supposed to do that when it's not training," Joey argued.
"What reason did you have for coming down here if not to train?" Erik rationalized. He lowered slightly and extended his pointer finger out to the child. "Go on. Give it a jolt."
Taking a step back, Joey let off a whimper.
"Do you want to hurt me?" Erik asked him.
"No!" Joey answered immediately.
"And I don't want to hurt you. I trust you, Joey."
At the man's words, Joey very slowly reached and touched the tip of Erik's finger with his own and sent out a teeny spark of electricity.
Erik did not flinch as the small surge coursed through his hand. "That's a good boy."
"Did I do it okay?" Joey played with his fingers nervously.
"Even better." Erik carefully brought his chin up. "Don't fear your gift, Kangaroo. Not ever. Take pride in it."
Joey grinned. "Bye!" He took off in a near blur.
Hanging back, Erik looked on as the kangaroo bounced off yet again.
IIIIIII
Turning another page in his worn yet familiarly comforting novel, Charles failed to look up at the sound of teeny tiny feet inching up behind him. Of course, he had sensed the more familiar than the novel presence long before.
"Joseph," he spoke out, not taking eyes off the book, "continue with what we both know you're thinking and it'll be your bum to pay."
Slipping his wayward hands into his pocket, Joey asked, "How come you can use your powers on me but I can't use mine on you?"
Putting the novel open and face down next to him on the loveseat, Charles took possession of the boy now and held him in his lap. "Because I'm the Professor."
"I'm gonna be a professor, too," Joey told him eagerly. "Just like you."
"Oh really?" Charles smiled at him in that delightful way the sweet little vessel always brought out in him. "You're going to go to Oxford?"
"Yep."
"You're going to make good grades?"
"Yep," Joey repeated.
"And you'll write to me every day?"
Joey rolled his head back to look up at him. "Can't you come with me?"
"Absolutely." Charles gave him a tender squeeze. "I'll fix your meals, remind you to go to bed on time, and post all of your best marks on the refrigerator." Charles only hoped that by the time college did roll around that the spirited youth still wanted to pack him away in his suitcase. "Speaking of higher learning, how is that homework coming?"
Right on time. Joey just knew that question would spring up eventually. "I did my math sheets and spelling words."
"What about the reading and your social studies?" When Joey responded by burying his face into Charles' shirt, the older make chuckled softly. "Go on and finish up, little one." He stood Joey up with a light pat to the bottom to propel him forward.
Joey started out but looked back for a moment. "Erik calls me Kangaroo now."
"Does he?" Charles knew this meant that Joey had actually stopped long enough to have an actual conversation with the 'foreboding' man. "That's a very nice pet name."
"But I don't know what to call him," Joey put forth. "Besides Erik."
"Oh, I'm sure you'll think of something," Charles said certainly.
Joey went out into the hall and started for the stairs then spotted Alex heading out towards the back of the house. Joey watched him leave then quickly galloped behind him. He saw Alex go to stand before Erik in the backyard, both in workout clothes. Joey stayed quiet as he hung back to watch the pending sparring match.
As usual, Erik kept the upper hand on his side but Alex's movements came off sluggish at best and he seemed to be in a daze. He also began to sweat faster and more profusely than Erik.
"Guard your face," Erik barked, connecting an uppercut to Alex's chin. "You're agonizing too much. Just swing."
"How about we hold all comments 'til the end?" Alex snipped.
"Unfortunately, I don't have a pen handy to write down your endless list of errors," Erik countered.
Alex glowered and made a move to attack him but Erik simply stepped out of the way, causing Alex to take a swan dive into grass and mud.
"No focus, no speed, no drive," Erik recounted. "You haven't displayed any of this for the last three days."
Refusing the hand Erik extended next, Alex shoved himself up. "I can hold my own enough. And in case you didn't notice, I can protect myself fine."
"Your power is strictly offensive," Erik reminded him. "Or haven't you noticed? You'll need these hand to hand skills in the event someone sneaks up from behind and does this to you." He demonstrated by pinning Alex's arm to his back.
"You made your point." Alex kicked at him and Erik let him go.
"I don't think you see the point," Erik stated to the contrary. "But perhaps it will become very clear when you put in two additional sessions every day this upcoming week. The first to begin at six AM tomorrow morning."
Alex gaped at him disbelievingly. "What? Erik, come on!"
Unmoved, Erik said, "Go take a shower," before walking off.
Joey watched Erik head out across the yard then happily ran over to Alex.
Seething, the now soiled teenager did not even notice the child. "Lousy kike," he muttered towards the departing older mutant before taking off for the opposite direction.
IIIIIII
"Hey, you guys, dinner!" Raven called from the back door.
"Be right there, Rae!" Frank hollered back then turned to his present playmates. "Race ya!"
Becky laughed and shot after him with Joey not too far behind.
The moment the excited trio barreled into the dining room, Charles scolded, "No, no, no. Not inside."
"Sorry, Charles," the younger two said in unison while Frank gloated over his victory.
Erik eyed Joey as the small blonde bounced down into his usual chair. "Still haven't burned off the energy, Kangaroo?"
Joey grinned and replied, "Not yet, Kike."
Erik stiffly dropped the fork in his hand.
As if an atomic bomb had just been fired, every little noise of the dining room ceased. Raven and Hank very nearly dropped the serving dishes they carried, Sean's mouth dropped open in such a round way it looked as though his mutation had muted, Frank stared with wide eyes at Joey while Becky looked extremely confused. Then there was Alex who appeared uncomfortable to the point of wanting to burrow underground and find some nice moles to take refuge from.
"Joseph Andrew Reynolds." Charles' voice carried a fire and ice mix that honestly startled the eight-year-old. "What did you just say?"
Having not heard his middle name in so long, the boy let off a whimper. "What?"
"I better not ever hear you use that word again," Charles went on.
"What?" Joey realized it. "You mean kike?"
Charles glared. "Yes, that one. Do not say it again."
"B-but… I… what does it mean?" Joey asked fretfully. "Is it a cuss word?"
Frank explained, "It's like nig— um, it's like the N word for Jewish people."
An alarm sounded in Joey's mind. Now, that word he had heard many times.
"Oops," he squeaked. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I didn't know."
"Where on earth did you hear such a thing?" Charles wanted to know. Joey darted his eyes down into his lap. "Well? I am waiting on an answer, Joseph. Do I need to read your mind?"
"It was me," Alex spoke up, getting the whole room's attention on him now. "I… I don't even know what I was thinking. I got mad at Erik and I just mumbled it."
Charles turned a stern grimace on Alex. "What in God's name possessed you to say such an ignorant utterance, let alone in earshot of Joseph?"
"I'm sorry!" Alex exploded in defeat. "Erik was hounding me during training and I just lost. I didn't even know the kid heard me."
"You take your dinner to your bedroom. We'll be in to discuss this later in full," Charles ordered, not at all wearing his usual calm easy-going exterior.
The Professor's tone and angry eyes unnerved Alex greatly. He picked up his plate and hurried out of the room.
Charles turned to the rest of his household. "If I hear of anyone, and I mean anyone, ever letting off any sort of hateful terms or expressions in or out of this house again, that person in question will be tasting soap and having a session with my ruler. Is that perfectly understood?"
All of the youngsters nodded solemnly and Joey looked terrified.
Sighing, Charles reached for him. "Come here, my little one." Joey obediently went to stand near him. "I know you didn't know and you're not in any trouble."
Daring a glance over at Erik, the Poland native held his arms open to him.
Joey went into the offered embraced and said, "I'm sorry, Erik! I'll never say it again. I promise you."
Erik gave him a squeeze of reassurance.
Satisfied, Charles said, "Now sit down and eat before your supper gets cold."
"Charles," the stone silent Erik finally spoke after letting the child return to his food, "we shouldn't come down too hard on him. Not that it's surprising but I was incredibly harsh with Alex earlier. I understand where that anger came from."
"If that's your position, I respect it," Charles said. "Do you want me to talk to him?"
"Both of us," Erik decided.
That said, the meal went on with the usual good humor and conversation swapped out for a grave quiet that spoke louder than anything else.
IIIIIII
Over the course of his less than twenty years, Alex had gotten into his fair share of trouble. Most of those situations involved his rather nasty brand of mutation, which almost always end resulted in a fire or two. Since arriving at the mansion, he maintained his typical sharp wit, as any of his housemates could vouch, but he had quickly learned his limits.
That day, though, he knew he had crossed over into dangerous territory. Not only had he said a word, a stupid word at that, but Joey had been there to overhear and repeat it. Alex wished for some sort of double-jointed ability so that he could reach back and kick his own butt. Then again, he figured Erik, or even the incredibly irate Charles, would be up to kick it for him. Erik… his entire reaction to that word had shattered something in Alex he did not know existed. Yes, Erik had annoyed him earlier but Alex could not fathom a plausible explanation for saying something like that. After everything Erik had done, Alex strongly considered packing up and leaving.
The blonde sat up when the expected yet ominous knock came to his door. "Come in," he responded, hoping his voice carried some trace of a baritone. When both the headmasters walked in, Alex figured Charles was there to hold him down while Erik punched.
Erik looked directly at Alex for the first time since the table incident. "It's been so long since I heard that word thrown my way that I almost didn't recognize it."
"I'm sorry, Erik," Alex said, quietly then made a move to stand. "Don't worry. I'm packing."
Charles stepped forward. "And where do you think you're going, young man?"
"Don't you want me out?" Alex asked as if the logic should have been plain. "After what I said…"
"No one leaves this mansion without my permission," Charles said firmly.
"With a word you think you're no longer one of us?" Erik said next. "Alex, I have been called that and worse and I doubt if it'll be the last time. You are part of this family. You mean too much. A great value that you can't even see for yourself."
Alex could not believe it as his burning eyes threatened tears. "Erik, I am so sorry. I never meant it."
"I know you didn't." Erik came over close to him, gripping his face with his hands to maintain eye contact. "Look at me. We must never let words like that become part of our vocabulary. Because if we do, the hate that bred them will follow and continue on into the young ones, like Joey. He meant no harm. You meant no harm. But he looks up to you like a brother. You have to watch what you say and do."
Don't I know it, Alex thought, but promised, "I will."
Erik felt something while touching the boy's face then noticed the plate of food that had gone untouched for the most part. "Alex, are you feeling all right?"
"Not exactly," Alex replied. "For the last few days I haven't but I didn't want to tell you."
"You children and your secrets," Erik stated, mostly to himself.
"Alex, you cannot hesitate to tell us when you have a problem," Charles told him. "You might have more control than the younger students but you could still be changing. We are here to take care of you."
"I get that but it's a little hard to start depending on other people after all this time," Alex admitted.
Erik actually gave him a smile. "I think I know where you're coming from with that myself."
Alex smiled back then remembered something. "Am I in trouble?"
Charles spoke into Erik's mind. Do you wish to handle this?
Erik gave off a slight nod.
"I'll let you two settle things." He went to touch the doorknob but looked back. "And Alexander? Any further talk in your leaving will result in you being tranquilized and mounted to my wall."
Wondering when exactly the telepath became so scary, Alex responded with an immediate, "Yes, sir."
Satisfied, Charles took his leave.
Erik felt Alex's forehead. "How are you feeling now?"
"Crappy," the boy answered. "Pretty sure it's just a cold, though."
"Come on." With the simple direction given, Erik led him out and around the corridor to the lab.
Hank gave Alex a simple enough examination and confirmed, "Definitely a cold."
"I wanted to be sure," Erik said. "A few days rest should do him some good."
Hank looked at Alex knowingly. "And that's rest. As in none of your usual antics."
"I can't help it," Alex insisted. "I have a tic loose."
"That explains the rattling in your head I heard a moment ago."
Alex laughed. "That's good. You're almost on my level."
After they left the lab, Alex settled into bed while Erik went in search of an additional blanket.
When he came back with the fleece cover, he said, "Well, this certainly explains your lack of drive during sparring. But I suppose with you so terribly under the weather that we'll just have to cancel any sort of training for you, especially so early in the morning."
"Good," Alex smirked.
Spreading the blanket over the teen, Erik recalled, "I know I come off as a tyrant to you. Perhaps I am. The main reason behind it is because I know your capabilities."
Alex looked at him. "As a mutant?"
"And a man," Erik added. "A man trying to rise from a boy's body." He pulled up a nearby chair. "You know, in the back of their minds, I always suspected my parents were quite aware of what I could do. They never shooed me off into a corner nor did they put me on display for all to see. I suppose they wanted me to decide my own future."
Turning to his side to better face the older man, Alex said, "Is that what you're trying to get me to do?"
Erik considered this. "I tend to lean more towards the display ideal. The world has so little greatness. I believe we as mutants are creatures to be celebrated."
"No offense but I think I'll stick to the corner option. It just makes life easier."
"It's your future, Alex," Erik told him.
When a coughing spell erupted from the boy, Erik used his hand to rub comforting circles to the ill one's back. He sat and lowered Alex's head down onto his lap carefully.
"Breathe," Erik coached lightly, continuing to run his hand up and down the thin back.
Alex's coughing eased and he realized that he still had his head in Erik's lap. Not knowing whether it was the cold or what but Alex found himself not wanting to jump up. In fact, he settled calmly into Erik's surprisingly soothing touch. It made the teen revisit a dormant but significantly more pleasant period in his life. He soon drifted off, going back in time.
After he heard the distinct sounds of sleep echoing off the young man, Erik laid Alex back in bed. He stayed with him for another few minutes before leaving and heading downstairs.
Not surprising, he found Charles in the parlor. "Mouth washing? This coming from the one who never wanted to be the stern professor?"
Charles gave off a shrug from where he sat at the desk. "When you insult my family, you incur the wrath of the Stern Professor."
"Family." Though Erik himself had slipped the word earlier with Alex, it still tasted so foreign in his mouth. "So I am to be adopted as well? Raven will love that."
Charles chuckled. "We must face reality, man. You're the closest thing I've ever had to a brother."
Erik, refusing to display how the sentiment affected him, came back with, "Just don't forget who the eldest is."
"As if you would ever let me," Charles responded then asked, "How's Alex?"
"He'll be off his feet for a few days," Erik said. "Ever notice how teenagers can be nearly endearing when sick?"
"I have," Charles concurred fondly. "I'll send some soup up in a bit."
"Good." He headed away but tossed back over his shoulder, "And don't you stay up too late, either!"
"Yes, Father!" Charles called back cheekily.