Shylow was sitting outside with Max in front of him, leaning against his chest. They had been enjoying the silence until Max decided to bring up a call, he had gotten at lunch that day.
"So, I was talking with Thalia today…" He started casually picking up Shylow's empty hand and running his fingers down the palm, "I was telling her about how you were gonna have to spend your summer here at the institute…" He added.
"Ok?" Shylow asked him with a chuckle already knowing what Max had been talking with her about.
"And when she said that it sucked, I decided to go out on a limb and ask her if it would be ok for you to come stay with us for the summer… if you wanted to…" He continued looking down to see Shylow's eye roll.
He sighed heavy when he saw it and went to stand, only to find two arms had snaked around his waist.
"That's really sweet baby and I really appreciate it, but I don't know if it would be a good idea considering… circumstances" Shylow said hesitating, before he made this directly about his physical appearance.
"You can wear sunglasses and a glove when we go out… just like you do now!" Max told him squeezing his empty hand.
"Yeah, I know that but how's your godmother gonna feel when she sees that you've been dating a carnival act?" Shylow said trying to make himself laugh but failing miserably, receiving a light nudge in the ribs from his boyfriend.
"I told her that you were raised a Morlock and that you look different than most people and I promise you she won't judge!" Max pleaded looking to make eye contact and giving the former Morlock big puppy dog eyes, "We could see if she wants to come and meet you before school ends and see how that goes?" He suggested not breaking his gaze.
Shylow laughed softly after a few minutes and shook his head a few times.
"Ok, just don't say I didn't warn you…" Shylow told him pulling the other boy closer and nuzzling down into the crook of his neck.
Max smiled, tilting his head to allow the boy more access to his neck.
"Love you too Shy…" He said breathily as he felt a soft kiss on his shoulder.
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Ruby was sitting beside the boy she had helped rescue from Weapon X, on a stool. She had been telling him about spring break and about how classes had been going since she got back. Her concern for him had grown when she heard Beast and the Professor talk about the incident that had happened with Bobby while she was in Honolulu.
She calmly reached out her hand and locked her fingers with his. She told him that she hoped he would come out of this soon. However, when she went to let go of his hand, she felt an almost painful squeeze.
Then out of nowhere the cot beside her rose violently into the air and imploded in on itself, frame turning into a ball of useless metal. Her eyes went wide as she tried to pull away, realizing that he wasn't planning to let go. After the cot on the far-left followed suit, she knew she had to go get the Professor or Beast.
"Please let go!" She begged him, "I'm going to go get help!" She told him feeling him loosen his grip slightly.
After another second or so a metal trash can in the corner contorted into a ball and went flying through the air both bed carcasses following suit.
"That's right just let go for a moment, I promise I'll come back!" She told him feeling him loosen enough for her to pull away and make a break for Beasts Lab.
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Shylow was walking into the library to find a book when he spotted Jean and Marie sitting on a couch studying for their senior finals.
"Hello Jean" He said waving as he walked to the shelf that was located on the wall behind them, "Hello Marie!" He smiled raising his hand to scan the titles of the books before taking one off the shelf and walking over to the computer. Typing in his full name and a password before adding a book to the list of those he had checked out which only had consisted of comic books before that.
After he turned to say goodbye, he saw Marie waving him over to join them.
"How is the studying going?" He asked them both as he sat on the love seat that was next to them.
"It's going by really easy actually…" Rogue told him gaining a small chuckle in response.
He nodded in response before sighing and looking at them both for a moment.
"Do you mind if I ask you guys a question?" He asked them, getting two nods in return, "What do you guys and your boyfriends plan to do after you graduate from here?" He questioned earning a smile from Jean.
"Well, I'll be spending a couple of years studying at the genetic research facility on Muir Island under a close friend of the Professor's, Moira MacTaggert…" Jean told him, "Several students are going… it's like Mutant University!" She added closing the book on her lap and placing it in her bag.
"I know Remy wants to work with Moira too, so he'll probably go there and stay a while… but Scott and I are staying here, so that there will be X-Men here to help the Professor!" Marie answered putting her books away as well.
"So, you can still stay here if there isn't an option for you out in the world after school?" He asked making them both chuckle.
"Of course, not to mention the team will always need a good telepath around and depending on how long I'm gone, they could really need you to hold down the fort!" Jean assured him gaining a smile in response.
Just before he could ask her what she wanted to study, they all saw Ruby Milton come darting at top speed around the corner.
"Phoenix, Rogue, have you seen Beast?" She asked panicked look in her eyes.
"No, what's wrong?" Jean asked her while she sidestepped quickly and made her way to the Professors office. Ruby opened the door and Jean, Marie, and Shylow joined her.
"Professor, something is wrong with the boy down in the hospital!" Ruby announced out of breath, "I think he's trying to wake up!" She added making everyone look worried before the whole group went rushing to the tube closest to there.
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When the Professor and the four students arrived in the hospital, they were all shocked to find hundreds of crumbled metal balls of various sizes flying in a circular motion through the air.
"If you can make your way to him Jean, I need you to try to unblock his mind long enough for Shylow to enter the Psionic void and try to pull him out…" The Professor started as they watched what was happening, "I can try to hold all of the things in the air still long enough but I'm afraid if we can't help him awaken now then we may lose him for good!" He told them before looking over to Rogue and Six Pence.
"I need for you both to go find Psyloche and Beast, I may need help containing this and he will definitely need medical attention if we can save him, quickly!" He instructed the girls.
Ruby gave the boy one final look before turning and running with Rogue out the door.
Jean and Shylow made their way over to the boy as quickly and safely as they could before Jean rested her hands over his head. She closed her eyes and concentrated then told Shylow to go.
He gently laid his eye upon the boy's forehead and a moment later was in the void with the boy who was on his knees holding his head. A second later Shylow realized the void was gradually shrinking.
"I need you to concentrate!" He told the boy making him groan, "It's me, Shylow, tell me do you remember anything about who you are or what happened to you?" He pleaded making the boy close his eyes.
"I… I was in a room with some kind of restraints on my hands and feet, there were large spikes flying at me and I was using my mutation to crush them, but my hold got too powerful and equipment in the next room came flying through the observation window!" He shouted tears running down his face, "It all became too much, and I blacked out!" He added, Shylow ran over and grabbed one of his wrists using his eye to look, as random events took place around him.
A birthday party, a few children playing in a field, a younger version of the boy in front of him with his hand out in front of himself levitating pennies.
After a few moments the boy's eyes opened wide and there was a bright light.
When Shylow could see again, all the objects in the hospital around him that had been airborne came crashing to the ground and the boy's eyes were wide open and he was looking around frightened.
After Beast and Psyloche checked his vitals and agreed that he was suffering no physical side effects they allowed Jean and Shylow to approach him once more. He smiled at Jean when he saw her and then wrapped his arms around her and Shylow.
"Thank you!" He said with a scratchy voice.
Jean told him that the thanks wasn't necessary.
"What's your name…?" Shylow asked him quietly.
The boy smiled and quickly recounted to them who he was and what had happened at Weapon X. After they all left aside from Beast, Ruby made her way silently into the room looking over at Beast and getting a nod of approval before he stepped over to the medicine cabinet system.
Beast said that he would just be doing a little maintenance. Ruby walked over to the boy who was now no longer in a coma and sat on the stool beside him.
"I'm so glad you're ok…" She told him, getting a smile in response, before he motioned for her to lean forward.
When she complied, he wrapped his arms around her, and she hugged him back immediately.
"Thank you so much for bringing me here… if you hadn't, I would have died in that hell hole!" He told her not yet letting go.
"I couldn't have just left you there!" She told him with a chuckle.
When he pulled away, he held out a hand to her.
"Bryce Harrington…" He told her introducing himself to her properly.
She took his hand and shook it firmly.
"Ruby Milton… It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Bryce!" She told him with a chuckle.