Chapter Twenty One
I don't own Digimon or X-Men
"When an individual acquires great power. The use or misuse of that power is everything, will it be for the greater good? Or will it be used for personal or destructive ends?" The Professor asked as he taught some students. "Now this is a question which we must all ask ourselves. Why? Because we are mutants. For psychics this presents a difficult problem. When is it acceptable to use our power and when do we cross that invisible line, that turns us into tyrants over our fellow man?" Xavier said.
"But Einstein said that ethics are an exclusive human concern without any superhuman power behind it," Kitty said.
"But Einstein wasn't a mutant….as far as we know," The Professor said making the kids chuckle. "Now this case study was sent to me by a friend, Dr Moira MacTaggert. Jones," Xavier said to one of the student who blinked and the TV turned on.
"The man you see here was born with no higher level brain functions, his organs and nervous system work, but he has no consciousness himself," Dr MacTaggert said before the video stopped.
"Now what if we were to transfer the consciousness of someone, say a father of four with terminal cancer into the body of this man, how do we decide what falls into the range of ethical behavior and wh…" The Professor stopped talking as the clouds outside darkened.
"Professor?" Jones asked him.
"We'll continue this tomorrow. Class dismissed," He said and the students all left the room, while Xavier headed outside to a balcony where Storm was. "The forecast was for sunny skies," He said making Storm turn to look at him.
"Oh. I'm sorry," She said as her eyes became cloudy and the wind died down and the clouds dispersed and the sun shone through.
"I don't need to be psychic to see that something is bothering you," He said to Storm, soon both of them were moving through the mansion past the students who were heading to their next classes or hanging out.
"I don't understand. Magneto is a fugitive, we have a mutant in the cabinet and a president who understands us. Why are we still hiding?" Storm asked the professor.
"We're not hiding. We still have many enemies out there, and I must protect my students Storm," He answered.
"Yes, but we can't be students forever," Storm said making Xavier chuckle.
"Storm, I haven't thought of you as my student in years, I thought that perhaps someday you might take my place one day," He told Storm making her stop walking at look at him.
"But Scott's…" Storm tried to say.
"Scott politely declined my offer, he said he wants to spend more time with Jean. And he can't do that while looking after the school, yes things are better out there. But you of all people know how fast the weather can change," Xavier said to Storm.
"There is something you're not telling me," Storm said and Xavier headed off and she followed him to Xavier's office where they saw Hank looking at a painting. "Hank?" Storm asked and he turned around.
"Ororo. Charles," He greeted as Storm hugged him and he hugged back.
"I love what you've done with your hair," Storm said.
"You too," Hank said.
"Thanks," She replied as Hank shook Xavier's hand.
"Thanks for seeing me on such short notice," Hank told him.
"Henry, you are always welcomed here. You're a part of this place," Xavier told him.
"I have news," Hank said.
"Eric?" Xavier asked.
"No. Not him though we have made some progress on that front, Mystique was captured recently," Hank explained.
"Well, look who it is," Cyclops said as he and Jean entered the room.
"Scott. Jean," Hank greeted them. "Should I be calling you Mr. and Mrs. Summers now?" He questioned.
"Not yet," Jean answered with a smile.
"Yo, big guy," Takato said as he and Mizu entered the office and shook Hank's hand.
"Takato my boy, Mizu good to see you again," He greeted them.
"Who's the furball?" Everyone turned to see Logan and Yuriko standing at the doorway.
"Hank McCoy, secretary of mutant affairs," Hank introduced himself.
"Right, right. The secretary," Logan said as he and Yuriko walked into the room. "Nice suit," Logan added.
"Henry, this is Logan and Yuriko. They're…" Xavier said before Hank cut him off.
"Wolverine and Deathstrike. I hear you're quite the animals," He said.
"Look who's talking," Logan said only for Yuriko to smack him on the back of the head. "Hey!" He exclaimed but Yuriko smiled at him and he grumbled.
"You know Magneto is going to come after Mystique right?" Everyone turned to see Daisuke leaning against the wall. "Nice to see you again Beast," She greeted Hank.
"You as well Stardust. And Magneto isn't our biggest problem. At least not our most pressing one," He said.
"What is?" Mizu asked.
"A major pharmaceutical company has developed a mutant antibody. A way to suppress the mutant X-Gene," Hank explained.
"Suppress?" Logan asked.
"Permanently, they're calling it a cure," Hank said.
"What?" Cyclops asked.
"That's not right. No it's impossible, you can't cure being a mutant," Storm said.
"Well, scientifically speaking," Hank said.
"Since when did we become a disease?" Storm asked.
"Storm, they're announcing it now," Xavier said and Takato turned on the TV in the room where a man stood at a podium in front of a building with a sign saying Worthington Labs.
"These so called mutants are people like us. Their affliction is nothing more than a disease, a corruption of healthy cellular activity. But I stand here today to tell you that there is hope. This sight, once the world's most famous prison will now be the source of freedom for all mutants who choose it," The man said as he held up a vial. "Ladies and gentlemen, I proudly present to you, an answer to mutation. Finally we have a cure," The man said and the crowd applauded. Takato then turned the TV off.
"Who would want this cure? I mean what kind of coward would take it just to fit in?" Storm asked.
"So you're saying that if a mutant's powers put the people around them in harm's way, and the mutant takes the cure. That they are cowards? Is that what you're saying Storm?" Daisuke asked her angrily.
"That's not what I mean," Storm said.
"Isn't it? You know how many lives have be ruined because of people being mutants. Mine in particular…I had a family but once they found out I was a mutant they tried to lock me away like I was a common criminal!" She shouted at Storm angrily. "And it's not like they're forcing the cure on us. It's voluntary,"
"But how long will it be voluntary? What's going to stop them from forcing the cure on all of us?" Storm asked her.
"Now you're starting to sound like Magneto with that line of thought," Daisuke replied making Storm frown at her but before anything else could happen Mizu jumped in between the two of them.
"Everyone calm down," She said as Daisuke growled and turned away from Storm.
"For all we know, the government helped cook this up," Logan said.
"I can assure you the government did no such thing," Hank said.
"Well I have heard that before," Logan said.
"My boy, I have been fighting for human rights since before you had claws," Hank said.
"Did he just call me boy?" Logan asked.
"Don't start now Logan," Yuriko told him.
"Is it true, can they cure us?" Rogue asked walking into the room.
"Yes, Rogue it appears to be true," Xavier answered her.
"No Professor. They can't sure us. You know why, because there is nothing to cure, nothing's wrong with you or any of us for that matter," Storm said.
"Says you," Daisuke grumbled before she walked out of the room intentionally bumping into Storm on the way out. Meanwhile once night fell in a church dozens of mutants gathered for a meeting.
"How should we as mutants respond? Here's where I think. This is about getting organized, bringing our complaints to the right people. We need to put together a committee and talk to the government," a mutant said standing on the stage. "They don't understand, they don't get what it means to be a mutant," He said as a very obese man walked towards a small gap making the two other mutants look at him worried before he shrank down to fit in the gap and smiled. "We need to show them, educate them. Let them know that we are here to stay. People you must listen, they won't take us seriously…"
"They want to exterminate us," A women with violet colored hair said.
"This cure is voluntary, no one is talking about exterminating anybody," The mutant on the stage said.
"No one ever talks about it. They just do it," Everyone in the church turned to see Magneto and Pyro walking towards the stage. "And you go on with your lives, ignoring the signs all around you. And then one day when the air is still and the night is fallen they come for you. While you sit here talking about organizing the extermination has already begun make no mistake my brothers and sisters, they will draw first blood. They will force their cure upon us. The only question is will you join my Brotherhood and fight? Or wait for the inevitable genocide? Who will you stand by? The humans? Or us?" Magneto asked before he and Pyro walked off and another mutant walked up to them.
"Big talk from a guy in a cape," He said, Pyro then turned around and a fireball appeared in his hand.
"Back off," He threatened making the mutant back up.
"If you're so proud of being a mutant then where is your mark?" A woman with a chin piercing and a tattoo on her chest asked him.
"I have been marked once before my dear," Magneto answered showing a brand on his arm. "And let me tell you, no needle shall touch my skin again,"
"Do you know who you're talking to?" Pyro asked as the other mutant shot spikes out of his skin.
"Do you?" he asked Pyro who smirked.
"And what can you do?" Magneto asked the girl who sped off to the stage and back to Magneto in less than a second. "So you have talents?" he asked.
"That and more. I know you control metal, and that there are eighty seven mutants in here, none of them above a class three. Except for you two," The woman said.
"So you can sense other mutants, and their powers?" Magneto asked and the woman nodded.
"Can you locate one for me?" Magneto asked her. Daisuke meanwhile walked through the mansion back to her room before she rested on her bunk when her cellphone rang. "Hello?" She asked answering the call.
"Daisuke, it's Tai. Listen you need to get back to Japan right away,"
"Why? What's wrong?" Daisuke asked him.
"It's Kari, something's wrong with her. She's been doing strange things," Tai answered.
"Strange how?" She asked him.
"Well, things start levitating around her. Her eyes turn pitch black while that happens, her skin becomes pale, her hair turns fiery orange, and she's even atomized the things she's levitating. I think she's a mutant, and that she needs your help," Tai explained.
"I'll be there as fast as I can, don't tell anyone else. Not even your parents," Daisuke told him.
"They already know, but they promised me that they'll let you handle it," Tai said.
"Okay. I'll be there soon," Daisuke told him hanging up the phone. "I need to use the jet," She thought before she ran off.
The end of the chapter
Read and review