3. Confederate Yankee
"So vat do ve do vith him?" Kurt asked as Miguel slept on a foldaway cot in the back of the Blackbird.
"I would think to make sure he doesn't kill Juggy," Tabitha said. "He looked like the Terminator just then."
"Are you, like, sure we should see if he wants to come back with us?" Kitty asked. "Cause he may still want to kill someone."
"But ve vere told by the Professor. He said he was a rare mutation." Kurt looked at the sleeping young man and noticed the scowl on his face. "He's even mad in his sleep."
"Jean, what have you found out about him?" Scott asked as his fiancé read Miguel's mind.
"It's…it's a jumble of emotions," she told him. "I can only make out a few of them clearly. Fear, anger, violence…hate. It's as if he knows no peace whatsoever. Miguel's mind isn't like anyone else's. It's constantly giving off his emotional state. Even earlier I could feel the, the anger he had. It's even worse now."
"What else do you see? Can we trust him?"
"Well, that's just the thing. I see water, a man standing over me, a woman in…great pain, people being tortured and…and mutilated. Scott…it's just too much." She broke contact with the sleeping mutant and rubbed her head. "I think we can trust him not to do anything to us. As long as we don't do anything to anger him. He's just so…angry."
Looking Miguel over, Scott thought about waking him up for the tenth time in the past two hours and exhaled forcefully. He couldn't keep the man unconscious and fly him back to the mansion. Plus, Mexico doesn't look too fondly on a kidnapping, much less than the US. "Ok, wake him. But make sure you have a solid grip on him. We don't need another guy looking to take our heads again."
"Okay, if you're sure." Holding her hands out, Jean released her hold on Miguel's mind and brought him out of his sleep gently.
Inhaling deeply, the first thing he did was rub a hand over his face. It took a few seconds for him to realize where he was and he shot up to a sitting position. Looking around, he searched for Juggernaut but was pinned back down by Jean and couldn't move again. "Let meh go!"
"Listen to me," Scott said as he took a knee beside him. "I'm sorry for your loss. But I need you to calm down. We're taking Juggernaut to a maximum security prison for criminal mutants. He won't be able to cause destruction anymore. With that said, I have a question for you."
"Red eye, if you don't let me up I'll-"
"Miguel, we were sent here by Charles Xavier to meet you after we restrained Juggernaut. We were too late to stop him but we are not too late to meet you. You have a…a genetic abnormality the Professor wants to see for himself. I can't promise you anything more than a chance to discover what your powers are."
"Ah know what mah powers are. Just let meh go so Ah can kill the gringo, den ah'll be on mah way. Deal?"
"You're not exactly in a position to compromise, you do know that, don't you?" Scott said with a worried grin. He hoped he wouldn't make Miguel angry by any means.
"You're not gonna let meh kill him?"
"I can't allow that. No."
"Red'll knock me out again if Ah try?"
"Pretty much so, yes."
Miguel looked away, the scowl on his face still present. "Ah can't promise ah won't try ta kill him."
"That's…acceptable."
Miguel stared daggers at Juggernaut. His gaze traveled from the mutant criminal to the one called Scott. He then stared at the others one by one, making them all feel rather uncomfortable at his murderous eyes. "Give meh a day. Ah've got someone to bury."
The next afternoon, Scott, Jean and the others waited in the Blackbird. While they appreciated the free hotel rooms they were given by the people of Juarez, they really just wanted to get back home. For a group of northerners, the heat was murder, one hundred nine degrees and rising. They had attended the funeral for Miguel's abuela out of respect for him but left him alone to pack for the trip to New York.
The people of Juarez were already rebuilding their town except for the ones attending funerals. Miguel recognized a few who were in mourning and let them be as they did the same to him while making his way to the Blackbird. Given there was no life for him here anymore, he packed up what few possessions he had and hurriedly got out of the small house he and his abuela shared. Beside the new, clean clothes he wore, a pair of khaki cargo pants and a black DX shirt with the words 'SUCK IT' written on his back, he had a duffle bag and a backpack with all he owned inside.
Sand and gravel crunched underneath his boots with the rays of the hot sun being reflected by his aviator sunglasses until he reached the entrance to the jet. Kitty and Kurt were there to greet him and offered to take his bags, a gesture he declined, as he threw himself in a chair. It took all he had to not look at Juggernaut and kill him on the spot and realized that was probably the reason they had him sit next to Jean in the front.
Conversation was kept to near zero as he put on his earphones and turned up his MP3 player to listen to his rock music instead of having to talk to the others. He didn't know when, but eventually he fell asleep and didn't wake until a few hours later when Tabitha gently nudged him and explained they were landing at the mansion.
"Velcome to zee mansion," Kurt said with a smile, a stark contrast to Miguel's sneer.
"Okay, this is it," Scott said as he stood beside the new passenger. "Since we haven't eaten anything, why don't we get you a late lunch before meeting the Professor?"
"No offense, or some, whatever ya prefer, but Ah'm only here to meet this Charles guy then Ah'm on mah way out." Miguel grabbed his bags and headed out the rear hatch, stopping momentarily to stare at Juggernaut and thinking about going ahead and killing him on the spot. If it wasn't for Scott saying Jean's name, he most likely would have.
Once stepping out of the plane, Miguel took in his new surroundings. He looked over the hanger where the jet was stored and looked up at the sound of large doors closing overhead. Since he was behind Scott and Kurt who were in the cockpit and asleep, he didn't notice they landed the aerial vehicle underground. A long metal covered hallway lead them to an elevator which took them up to a preparation room filled with lockers and shallow closets with more of the uniforms the others wore inside them. He took stock of what was there and saw a pair of fingerless gloves, boots, and a face covering stored in a clear glass case with others just like them. Another hallway led them past a large chamber with the words 'Danger Room' displayed above it, peaking his interest slightly. Another light was lit indicated it was occupied at the moment.
A second elevator ride delivered them into a large mansion foyer that looked like something Bill Gates would use as a summer house. A red carpet covered the floor and large bay windows adorned the front of the building where a large set of double doors led outside to the front with young men and women entering and exiting. Some looked to be the same age as him while others looked to be older with a few looking younger than he was.
"Pitor," Scott called out as Miguel looked around at the expensive décor. "We need to tell the Professor we're here before taking Marko back to his holding area and change out of our uniforms; can you please show Miguel here to an empty room in the mean time?"
"No problem, tovarich," the man referred to as Pitor said. As the others took their leave, Pitor slapped his hand on Miguel's shoulder in a friendly way, causing the Hispanic man to turn and glare. "Come my friend, I'll lead you to a room upstairs."
Miguel was taken by surprise as he came face to chest with a mountain of a man. Looking up, he saw a smiling face looking down at him. At a smidge over six feet, he felt dwarfed by the seven foot-plus tall Russian. He followed him upstairs without saying a word, mostly because he didn't like how friendly Piotr was.
"To the right are the male bedrooms, left are reserved for the females," Pitor described. "Yours will be at the end of the hall, above the kitchen since it's just been remodeled."
Opening the indicated door, Piotr stepped aside and let Miguel get a look at his room. A single full sized bed sat in the corner against the far and right side walls with a shelf above it. A private bathroom stood a few feet away from the foot of it. Beside it was a nightstand with a single lamp and partially opened drawer. A simple computer desk stood next to a closed closet with a chair parked in its seating area. Beside the door was an oak dresser/mirror combo with a small unplugged clock radio on it. Directly in front on the door was large window overlooking the side of the mansion with a large open area between a stone path and a high brick wall. Overall, it was a good sized, simple room with a simple beige color scheme to it.
"So, what do you think?" the Russian asked.
Miguel stood there for a moment, not believing his eyes as he stared at a single object he had never once owned or used before in his life. He took off his glasses to make sure he wasn't seeing things. "It's a bed."
Sitting in front of a large cherry wood desk, Miguel carefully watched a bald paraplegic man in a wheel chair look over a computer screen with images from the Juarez fight. Scott had handed him an SD card from his visor which was now equipped with a tiny video camera to record in the field operations. Along with the two were a white haired African woman introduced as Ororo Munro, a southern couple who went by the names of Remy and Marie, and a rather scruffy Canadian named Logan who smelled of cheap cigars and even cheaper beer.
"Very impressive Mister Cortez. You managed to take down Cain Marko single handedly," the one introduced as Charles Xavier said. "Please, tell me, what made you go into battle against an individual as dangerous as Juggernaut."
"He interrupted play tyme," Miguel replied with a sneer.
"Pardon me?" Ororo said.
With a sigh, Miguel rolled his neck around and replied, "He showed up, said he was wit the cartels, and threw a truck into a church. Thought Ah would see if he was as bad as he pretended tah be."
"Indeed," Xavier said. "Cain Marko is my half-brother, a very dangerous mutant that's nearly unstoppable. Thanks to your actions, he is now back in his specially designed stasis tube."
"Yeah, well, Ah'd charge ya but Ah'd rather prevent another person from getting' hurt. Anyway, why don't we cut to da chase. Ya want to see mah powers? It'll cost ya."
"What do you mean by 'cost you'?" Logan asked.
"A thousand per power, per use. I got five to choose from."
"You're charging the Professor to see your powers?" Ororo asked a little shocked.
"Mah talents are not ta be wasted. And Ah need da money to get my ass outta heah." Miguel looked over the group around him as they looked to each other.
"Well, before we get into any of that territory, let me go over your records." Pulling out a file from his desk, Xavier opened it and shook his head. "You've got a very extensive record, Mister Cortez."
"What are ya getting' at?"
"Police, records. I'm sorry, this is the reason I called Remy Lebeau in here. He can tell you about what I did for him when he joined my school."
Miguel turned to the man with glowing red eyes and looked at him unimpressed.
"The Prof managed tah get me a semi cleahd file. It just means I have the fun of dirtying it up again. He's got connections where people usually don't have any." Remy grinned as he explained like it was some sort of partnership he had with the paralyzed man. "Gotta admit, you've got some rathah nasty doin's in your record, mon ami."
"He also helps ya wit ya powahs," Marie said. "Basically, he works witcha to control yaself." She wrapped an ungloved hand around Remy's and smiled.
"Remy is a thief with an extensive criminal background, which is severely shortened due to he only gets caught when he wants to, which is 'just for fun' as he puts it. Marie here was unable to control her absorbing powers but she made great strides to do so and now can walk around here without the fear of bumping into anyone and putting them in a coma." Charles said while looking through Miguel's file.
"What all does he got there?" Remy asked.
"The most severe is arson of a McDonalds." Xavier said as he and the others looked toward Miguel.
"They forgot mah Happy Meal toy," Miguel commented.
"Burglery," Xavier read.
"He stole mah trahke."
"Assault one."
"He tripped."
"Assault two."
"He cut in front of meh while buyin' groceries."
"Vehicular assault."
"Nevah cut meh off."
"Jay walking."
"Wanted tuh try it."
"Two hundred and thirty seven parking tickets."
"Do ya really want tuh walk across a Wal-Maht parkin' lot in da middle of summuh?"
Remy couldn't help but laugh at Miguel's remarks. "This guy's a keepah. We could paint da town red if he stays."
"Don't encourage him," Logan intervened. "Kid, what's the real reason you cause so much trouble. And no more smart ass answers."
"Fine," Miguel sighed while rolling his eyes. "The McDonalds was a cover for a Meh lab, the burglary was a woman's passport someone stole that Ah stole back, the assaults are from fights wit street gangs, vehicle's from drag racin', pahkin' tickets are from a trip to Vegas, and Ah just wanted to jaywalk in front of a cop for tha hell of it."
This time Ororo and Marie joined in Remy's smirking while Scott and Logan gave them a sneer and a frown. Xavier only grinned as Miguel crossed his arms. He wasn't lying as the Professor and Logan's abilities registered what he said, his heart didn't skip a beat and there was no flicker in his mental activity to suggest a lie was being told when a knock echoed through the room.
"Professor?" a girl said as she stepped in Xavier's office. She had a friendly high pitched voice.
"Yes, Megan, how may I help you?" The wheelchair bound professor rolled out from behind his desk and stopped just to the side of it.
"Mr. McCoy sent me to tell you there's a problem in the Danger Room. The programs are not loading properly since Logan's last session."
"Sorry, Chuck," Logan apologized bluntly. "Guess I broke it again."
"I'll contact Forge to work on it. In the meantime, would you please be so kind as to show our guest around the mansion, Megan?" Xavier asked the girl who entered.
"Sure, no problem, Professor."
Turning his head to look at her peripherally, Miguel caught a glimpse of a smiling freckled girl about a year or two younger than he was. She dressed like other girls her age, blue jeans and a simple white t-shirt with a light sweater over it. He had to look twice when he saw her hair, pink with streaks of blue running through it. That was where the normal looks ended for her eyes were the only thing about her appearance that was different. They were completely black with faint pink irises.
"Miguel Cortez, this is Megan Gwynn, also known as Pixie. Megan, Miguel."
"…And that brings us back to the main entrance. Sorry it took so long, it's just, this place is so huge. But, you'll get used to it." Megan flashed him a friendly smile as she ascended the stairs in front of the building, completing the tour and turned to look at him. "So, what do you think?"
"It's…nice. A little cold for mah taste," Miguel told her as he slid his hands in his pockets.
"Well, I'm from Whales so I'm used to the cooler temperatures." She moved a strand of hair behind her ear, which caught Miguel's attention as they were pointed. "If you don't mind me asking, what are your powers? I've heard Kitty and Tabitha talk about some sort of claws you have. Are they like Logan's?"
Forcing himself to look down from her, Miguel took one hand from his pockets and glanced around to see if anyone else was close by. He flexed his hand and a blue transparent energy formed over the appendage, solidifying into five pointed claws with that high pitched slicing noise. Each were about eight inches long from the knuckle of each finger.
"Cool," Megan said with a grin as she looked at the energy constructs. "They're pretty. What do they do?"
"Depends on how Ah feel. Usually they make a person go into a seizure or if they be a mutant, feel weaker every time Ah take a swipe at them. They don't leave a mark unless Ah use them to cut through metal. If Ah get to the point I lose my temper completely, they turn black and can kill in one hit."
"Has that happened before?"
"Only once," he admitted after a moment's hesitation. "But he was very bad." He let his claw dissipate and looked down, ashamed at what he remembered and telling her that. "What about your power? What do you do?"
She took off her sweater and turned around, showing him the extremely low cut back of her shirt. Two vertical slits on her shoulder blades flexed slightly as translucent dragonfly wings emerged from them. They took on a rainbow like coloring when the light hit them and shimmered. "I fly."
"Ah understand why they call you Pixie now. Ah thought it was cause you might shrink or something."
"Nah, it's mainly cause of the wings and pointed ears. Just don't call me Pix. I hated that name since I was a kid."
"No problem."
She fluttered her wings back and forth quickly before turning back around to face him. "I can also make this stuff everyone calls Pixie Dust. It's also another reason how I got my name. It makes people hallucinate or experience something they've gone through before, depending on the person and what they're thinking. That, and I can make a weapon I call a soul dagger."
She held out her hand and an elaborately engraved dagger formed from the palm of her hand with a pinkish glow surrounding it. Miguel stared at her as she showed him her weapon and wings.
"That's…that's amazing," Miguel said as she withdrew her wings and dagger.
"Hey, what's with your accent?" she asked. "I could actually understand you better just now."
Miguel's face flashed red for just an instant and he hoped she didn't notice. "Ah…Ah can talk regularly if Ah want to. Ah'm…I'm from Texas originally and lived in Juarez since I was eight."
"It's nice. Still hear that Texan drawl but…it's nice to completely understand you."
"Yeah."
After an awkward silence, Megan finally spoke up. "Well, dinner will be ready shortly. After you get freshened up, meet us in the dining room. Most of us will be there since it's Piotr, Amara, and Kurt's turn to cook. I think I heard them say something about a roast."
"Alright."
As Megan left to go inside the mansion, Miguel took a long look at her. Unknown to him or his tour guide, Logan was watching them both as he worked on his motorcycle from the garage.
After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Miguel made his way down to the dining room where he saw a wide assortment of people waiting for their meal. He tied his hair back in a short ponytail and looked over the table as the others talked freely amongst themselves. One of the mutants put a fingertip to his glass, creating frost on the outside of it before taking a drink. Another walked up to his twin before fusing with him as he sat and spoke with another young man eagerly. Two women, one Asian in appearance and the other with long brown hair, lit candles by either shooting sparks at the wicks or creating a flame at her fingertips.
"Hey, newbie," Tabitha called. "Here's a seat for ya."
The others looked up at Miguel, making him uncomfortable from the attention. He just wanted to get out of there but the idea of a free meal had him thinking of staying around at least through dinner with the bed making him think of staying overnight.
He sat down between Tabitha and the one who froze his glass, keeping his head down as he looked everyone over with an attempt to not make it look like he was looking them over. Remy and Marie sat together towards the end of the table. The white streak in her hair hung playfully down the side of her face as she giggled at something Remy was telling her and referred to him as 'Swamp Rat'. Jean and Scott were acting the same way, although those near them rolled their eyes in annoyance. Kurt, the blue elf looking one sat next to Amara, the one with the fiery fingertips, and the kid with the clone of himself after bringing in a few more side dishes. Megan was talking in a hushed tone with three other girls. The ones near Logan behaved as if sitting beside him was a punishment and Ororo sipped at a glass of tea.
"So, how are you doing so far, Miguel?" Ororo asked once sitting down her glass.
"Fine." He answered without looking up at her.
"Another silent type?" the kid with the frozen glass next to him asked.
"Silent and strong," Tabitha said with an arm around his shoulders. "Yup, this guy took on the Juggernaut all by his lonesome."
The others around him stopped what they were doing and stared at him. He could feel his temper rise a little bit from the attention.
"Sounds suicidal," someone said.
"Actually," Kurt spoke up, "he beat him. Made a dent in his helmet before cutting it off." The others couldn't believe what was being said about him but Scott and Jean backed up what they said. Even Megan looked surprised at the revelation.
Dinner was spent with Miguel mostly grunting at the questions aimed at him. His responses were kept short and to the point regardless who asked them. Beside a few who stayed behind to clear the table and wash dishes, everyone left to head to their rooms or watch TV in the den for a while. Not feeling like watching a mindless reality show about keeping up with a family famous for nothing, Miguel retired to his room and looked his bed over. He stood in front of it for a minute before touching it with his hand, pushing down on it to feel its softness. Normally he would sleep on the floor with a few blankets or in a hammock, but now he would finally get to use a mattress and actual pillows. He was just about ready to sit on it when a knock came from his door. Annoyed, he opened it and was surprised to see Logan standing on the other side.
"Yeah?" Miguel asked flatly as he looked down at the shorter man.
"I'm only gonna say this one time, kid," Logan began, "Chuck wants to see your powers and he's not paying for a show either, so you can drop the wannabe tough guy act unless you want to see why those around here tend to keep away from me. Now you have something the Professor needs to see. You have a mutation that is extremely rare. Most mutants only have one, you have two. Come morning, he wants you to meet him in the Danger Room to see what you can do and why your mutation is the way it is. So I recommended getting to bed early. You're gonna need your rest."
"And what if Ah don't want to show you what ah can really do? You gonna kick meh out?"
"In a heartbeat. You can stay as long as you work with him for however long you want. If you want, you can work for him and earn a nice little chunk of change on a weekly basis. The choice is yours but think it over carefully."
Letting out a huff, Miguel looked back over to the bed. He really wanted to sleep in a bed. "Fine. But ah want something for mah time."
"That can be worked out. One more thing, I need the size of your pants and shirts. You'll get a uniform in the morning."
"Uniform?"
"Yeah, uniform."
Miguel handed Logan the pants and shirt he wore earlier so he could write down the measurements from them.
"Thanks," Logan said. "Morning call is at seven so be up by six. Don't be late."
"Six? Tell Skid Marks I don't get out of bed before ten."
"You be up by six or I'll drag your ass out of bed myself."
Miguel rolled his eyes and slammed the door. "Like to see him try."