First Mutant
By David D. Amaya
Chapter 4
******************************
Xavier Academy for Gifted Youngsters, Snow Valley, Mass. 0900 EST. Day 5
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"Ms. Frost, Professor Xavier is on the telephone for you."
"Thank you Monet," Said Emma Frost as she strode to the phone. "Yes, Charles?"
"Emma, do you have the information I requested?"
"Yes, Charles, you will have it on your desk within the hour, but I would still like to know why you have asked for this information?"
"It may be nothing, but I can not allow any room for error on this."
******************************
Sidwell Friends, Lunch Period, 1206 EST.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
After careful examination, the seventh apple appeared to be satisfactory to Cyrus as he carried his tray toward the empty table he left yesterday.
But unlike the pointing and whispering, there was...
Applause.
Like all school gossip, word spread quickly about Cyrus' run-in with Lawrence Flemming and the subsequent drenching, which the school as a whole, quickly credited the President's son, who earned the moniker; Citrus Punch Parkman.
"Gee, you'd think my dad was here playin' to the Party," he said.
"Do not do it, Cyrus," Agent Nichols warned.
Cyrus looked at him with a wide grin.
"DO NOT DO IT."
But Cyrus did, he...
Took a deep bow to his, now adorning fans, who cheered his name, "Citrus Punch! Citrus Punch! Citrus Punch!"
Citrus Punch then held up his Ham on Swiss like an award prize, and addressed the crowd;
"I would like to thank all those responsible for this award. The makers of red colored soft drinks. The manufactures of ice buckets that can be balanced over a doorframe. And last, but surely not least. Mean people everywhere, for without whom all this," he said wiping away a 'tear.' "would not be possible. Thank you."
"Having no political messages in your speech," Agent Nichols noted asthe cheers died down. "Let us continue with your lunch, shall we Cyrus?"
"My, are you jealous, Agent Nichols?" he replied with an all-knowing smile.
******************************
Sidwell Friends, Sixth Period, 1411 EST.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"All right, students," said Mrs. Kaufman, the Computer Instruction teacher. "You will have exactly 30 minutes to find and download all the information you need for your assignments in your other classes. When you are done, you can then e-mail the pen pals we set up on yesterday, and tell them about your day."
Yea, I'll e-mail my 'Pal' all right, Thought Cyrus.
Then using the web browser in front of him, called up the password-protected site that he was all too familiar with.
His best friend, Oz.
With all the surveillance at the White House, they felt that the MiBs would read e-mail sent to Cyrus in Washington, so he communicated with his friend via the Web page his browser was now loading.
Got 2 go K'Watt, and think about what I said about your partner, Secret Squirrel (Hey, wouldn't make u Morocco Mole?? :} He, He He.)
Yours 'Till Puget Sounds,
OzΘ USlink. Net
"What are you reading, Cyrus?"
Startled, he clicked the "Home" Button and quickly returned to the Sidwell Friends Home Page.
"DON'T DO THAT, NICHOLS. Ya gonna give the Pres' kid a stroke."
"What were you reading, Cyrus?"
"Just some stuff for my oral report," he said. "Ain't no books in the library worth a nickel."
"Very funny, Cyrus," said Nichols. "I shall book you a club date in Las Vegas for the 18th."
Okay, Oz, Cyrus thought. I'll do it!
**********************
Office of Charles Xavier, Xavier Institute, New York 1420 EST.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"Do ye think we should go this route, Charles?" Sean asked over the phone. "Maybe the lad is hiding it from him as well."
"This may be our best bet, Sean," Scott replied who was seated with Jean and the professor. "If Professor Xavier can not gain a private meeting with President Parkman, his son will undoubtedly use his powers in public again."
"I know your concerns, Sean," Charles added. "But if we can get the President to see our point of view, it may turn the tide with those who view mutants as a threat, to see that all mutants are somebody's brother, sister, daughter, or son."
"Not to mention his son's use of his powers," Scott added. "If he is not careful, he could cause a great deal of damage, maybe even harm himself accidentally."
"Given the information Emma has given us this should not be a difficult task," Jean offered as she read the dossier the White Queen had delivered earlier that day.
"Yes, but his Secret Service bodyguard?" Sean was surprised at this angle.
"Yes, Sean," Charles explained. "The agent assigned to the President's son may be the link we need to address our concerns to the President himself."
"The question is, can we trust him?"
"A better question, Scott, is how can we be sure that he knows that the lad he is protecting a young mutant?"
"I believe that if young Mr. Parkman would confide his secret to anyone, it would be Agent Nichols, as he is the only one that he is in close contact with throughout most of the day, my friends."
"Special Agent Kordel Nichols, United States Secret Service," Jean read aloud as she skimmed over the dossier. "He's from the Back Bay part of Boston. Started with the Secret Service when he was still in high school as a clerk in the local field office.
"He graduated top of his class with degrees in business and writing at Boston University. Joined the Service full time after graduating," she continued. "Received a perfect score on this entrance exam and decorated six times for valor under fire and executive duty after only four years of field duty, and he is younger than Bobby Drake!"
"Charles, this sounds like an extremely motivated lad on the fast-track," The Generation X headmaster noted. "Especially considering his background."
"Yes, Sean," the Professor added. "Apparently he took great lengths to hide his past, even when he was still young. He must have planed a career in federal law enforcement for a long time."
"But why hid this information, Professor?" Scott asked.
"I would imagine he did not want his past to interfere with his chosen career."
"And there is no evidence that he would have a hatred for mutants," Jean continued to overlook the dossier. "To the contrary, he would seem to be very non-biased.
"He was an active member of the ACLU while in college, was a student member of AIDS Project: New England and the Rainbow Collation, and his application for Enforcement Division of the Secret Service shows many hours logged with programs to feed and help the poor and homeless. Even as he played varsity ice hockey."
"Aye, but nothing in his jacket shows if he is prejudiced against mutants."
"On the contrary, Sean. Emma also added stories from his tenure with the student newspaper and literary magazine at Boston U. Since his sophomore year he spoke out against anti-mutant groups, especially the Friends of Humanity."
"But what you have in mind is still a little … how do the students put it? If-ie." Said Sean.
"Right now it is out best option, Sean, but if you have any alternatives, I would be happy to pursue them."
"All right, Charles. Anything to help the lad."
End of Chapter four
© David D. Amaya 2007