| Marvel: In the Beginning... | ||||||||||
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The Professor sits in a wheel chair in the cafeteria. He has called a school wide meeting of all on campus students. It is after dinner time when people would have wounded down and already enjoyed their day. Once everyone has gathered, he starts to speak, "Welcome everyone. This is our first official student, headmaster meeting since we have opened the school officially in January 2010. I have a number of surprising announcements to make today, that I hope will impress on all of you the importance of Xavier's School."
Lily sits in the back, sipping from a water bottle. She is watchful and listening carefully. A curious expression on her face.
Alex has slipped inside and plopped down on a table near where the professor is sitting, Siobhan having come with him. Just a soda in his hands, between his knees.
Siobhan has opted for a bottle of water instead of a soda. She has a guarded expression on her face, looking a little tense, but she tries to focus on the Professor.
Unlike the others, Jonothon has nothing to drink, and has chosen to stand near Lily for this meeting. Just didn't feel like sitting.
Standing near the Professor, Kyle's offering his usual smile to everyone that enters. Alex and Jono get nods as the glowing teacher waits patiently.
Oa has gone to the kitchen to raid the frig for her fav after dinner snack pudding. She walks in with a few pudding snack packs. She blinks seeing there a meeting and hurries to a table and sits down and opens one of the snack pack.
"I founded Xavier's School about three years ago and recruited my first class. For a year, these class members studied and studied hard. A few were behind on school work because of their situations, another was much ahead in their studies. In either case, they spent all day of every day, not only studying but training. What I mean by that, is I specially selected the first class to create a band of mutants that would provide the physical enforcement of my dreams. Though I wish I could obtain equality between mutants and normal humans, a lasting peace behind them as Gandhi did with the independence of India, it would sacrifice too many lives which I am not willing to do. As a result, I knew I needed a team of mutants to protect the lives of others, to be a force to stand against even fellow mutants that wish to destroy the peace between normal humans and mutants such as Toad, the mutant terrorist most of you have met." Xavier lets these words sink in for the students.
Siobhan's gaze darts around the room to look at the different faces, then looks back to the Professor. This is the first she's heard about a mutant terrorist, and she's curious, but now isn't the right time for those kinds of questions.
To be honest Jonothon doesn't look surprised thanks to the fact that Kyle spilled the beans on a few things, and Jono isn't entirely stupid. Hands tucked in pockets he listens and waits to see where this goes.
Alex shrugs his shoulders a bit, leaning back against the chair and slouching a bit. His cheeks are starting to redden now, as if in preparation for embarrassment.
Oa listens as she spoons pudding into her mouth. Smoke comes out of her nose and her golden eyes follow it for a moment before she focus on the speaker again.
Lily blinks and takes another drink of her water. A slight smile on her face. Of course she would find this interesting. Not that she is jumping at the chance to go beat up bad guys, least not right now.
Kyle smiles a bit, just looking the students over and waiting until he's needed to say something.
Xavier smiles a bit, "My first class and those who have joined after are known as the X-Men." His hands fold easily in his lap. "Now, we are forming a new team for those who have potential but is not yet ready for the full responsibility of being a mutant superhero. This team will be known as the New Mutants." A pause as he looks toward Kyle then back over at the students. "Those who have been invited to join the team if they are willing to training and choose this as their path are Jonothan Starsmore, Alex Summers, and Oa Boonyasak." Another slight pause. "If you choose to show interest in this avenue - to choose to be superheroes and not soldiers - then please follow Kyle to his office." Though Kyle is really going to be taking them into the sub-levels. "The others are to remain here with me. I will answer questions within reason. There are more than one way to fight for the cause other than physically. There is community service, creating foundations to help mutants and promote education to the public, as well as creating homes to house mutants that have no where else to go and need assistance. Xavier's School, the education obtained here and the teams being created are just a small baby step to the future before us. Just a piece of sand upon the beach of the hard work needed to save the future of our world from chaos and destruction. This is my dream, and I hope in some way, all of you can share in it."
Siobhan can't keep her cheeks from taking on a hint of red, and she squirms a little in her seat. Her expression becomes one of stern concentration as she tries to focus. Professor Xavier's news registers shock on Siobhan's features, and she turns to stare at Alex. The shock breaks her concentration, but the Professor offered an excuse for her to leave the room, and she hops up to take it, prepared to follow Kyle to his office.
Oa blinks and almost drops the spoon as her name is called. She looks at Kyle and wonders if this is what he was talking about. She gathers up the pudding snacks and walks over to Kyle, "I guess it is not math after all."
Jonothon isn't quite sure about the being a superhero part, but he did want to help people, so agreed to join the team. He's not smiling though. He is rather confused though. Already thought he agreed to this, but here the Professor is asking again? << Are you asking us twice? >> Just wants confirmation. If he needs to go with Kyle, then he will.
Alex reaches over to pat Siobhan's leg as he gets called, and stands up just a beat or two after the Professor made his invitation. His hands slip into his pockets and he wanders towards Kyle. He sat in the front because he figured something like this was going to happen. Then Siobhan pops up and he blinks at her. "I'll be alright. Its a meeting, stick 'round and listen to the Professor." Said directly to her...she stood up to talk to him, right?
Kyle offers a wave to the students as the Professor mentions him. He steps forward when the Professor finishes speaking and shakes his head. "New Mutants, come on. And the interested follow along please," he chimes, heading for the door and his office beyond.
Siobhan suddenly hears Xavier speaking into her mind, << I apologize, but that was meant for the three selected student. You cannot join them. You have no filters to block out emotions. If someone was hurt in front of you, you would feel their pain, shock and surprise and potentially become a danger to yourself and others. Perhaps in time Siobhan, you can join them. You are not ready at this time however. You can go get me some ice tea from the fridge and no one will know the difference. >>
Toward Jono, Xavier states, "This is like a ceremony Jonothon. As of today, the team is officially founded." He smiles a bit at that. "It also allows you second thoughts, and to decide what is best for you. Kyle and I talked extensively, we agree the three of you are the best for the team, and want you to join. But we also want it clear it is your choice and not ours." He speaks mentally to Jono alone, << I also want it clear to the others it is your choice and not ours. We will not force anyone to fight for the cause in this manner if they are not willing. It is also to not hide. Information and details about the teams are confidential, but knowledge that they are here will no longer be purposely hidden from the students. >>
Siobhan's gaze flits between Alex and Kyle, wrestling with indecision. Something draws her attention to the Professor and she nods, her cheeks darkening several shades. Either way, it gets her out of the immediate vicinity. With her water bottle in hand and walks quickly toward the kitchen. She returns a short time later with a glass of ice tea, bringing it to the Professor. She leans in to speak softly to him. "If it's all right, Professor, may I be excused?" The Irish lilt in her voice is unmistakable, to those who are within hearing range.
A look to Lily, who he's been standing next to, and Jonothon follows Kyle. He eyes Xavier, but doesn't say anything. Ceremony? There's a bit of a dubious expression on all this. As he's spoken to lips thin, but after a moment he decides to keep his silence. There's only the shake of his head and he stays near Kyle. The teen is also purposely shielding his thoughts. Sure Xavier can break through those shields, but Jono is expecting the man to respect them.
Oa Finish the first of her pudding cups and opens the next. She looks at no one else but does stand near Kyle waiting to see what happens next. She happy at the moment and her mind focus on the pudding. It seems Oa has a one tracked mind at the moment.
Xavier reaches up to accept the team, "Thank you my child." He then smiles softly, "Give them a few moments to settle. If you wish, you can step outside to the north grounds." He just doesn't want anyone to see something they shouldn't or follow them. "Come in when you are ready." Xavier doesn't bother with Jono's blocks, he does respect the boy's privacy. He often even tries not to gather surface thoughts unless something jumps out at him, or he has reason to look.
Xavier chuckles at Alex's words, "We are expecting much more than 'jock' from you Alex. If that is all you become, I would be sorely disappointed as you well know." He apparently calls Alex on his smart arse comment. "Go ahead, and enjoy yourselves." Then toward Lily, "Do you have any questions or concerns?"
Lily, who'd been sitting quietly all this time, waved at Jono and Alex as they got named off, then sighed. She would /never/ be on that team. Oh, she could learn to throw a mean punch, but human-normal fighting skills were going to be of little use against other mutants, and her own mutation was going to be of even more limited use in a fight, even if she'd /wanted/ to be on the team. But fighting like that wasn't really her idea of a good time. No ... figuring out some other way to help, some other way to make it easier for the next kid born looking strange or who suddenly exhibited a weird ability ... that appealed to Lily. Only question was ... what the heck could she do? "Professor?" She finally asked. "I ... why do so many people think causing trouble will fix the whole 'mutants freak people out' problem?" It doesn't make sense to her. Never has. "I mean, howling about it isn't going to stop things you don't like from happening. It just makes you sound ... and look ... like a complete raving loony."
Xavier becomes thoughtful. "I suppose I should mention Magneto to you. He has already approached a new student that is joining, Kitty. He believes that in time, humans will turn on mutants like the Nazis did on Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals and the mentally ill during World War II. As a result, he has a philosophy to build an army and be the first to strike, gathering power for mutants so that they can defeat the normal humans. Except he uses terms like homo-superior and homo-sapiens like we are two separate races, and that being a mutant automatically makes you better than a human," he says with a hint of sadness.
"I believe Magneto has the chance to do many great and wonderful things, but his own fear and growing hatred is clouding his vision. As a result, he is more likely to instigate a war, than to save mutant-kind. This is something I want to prevent from happening. There are many undercurrents going on around the world Lily, terrible and dangerous things. And there are so few of us to try and stop it. Actually, perhaps you could help me with a project. We are bringing in another mutant, she hasn't chosen a name yet and has no knowledge of ever having one. I am not sure this is the sort of place for her, but there is no other place for her at this time. I was wondering if you wanted to research into other organizations and foundations that could prove useful to help fellow mutants of all ages and types. It could be a special project for this school year. Perhaps it might inspire you for what you want to do as a career once you graduate?" It is an option, not something Xavier is forcing but he thinks Lily might find interesting.
Siobhan nods to the Professor, taking the suggestion about stepping outside for awhile. She needed a little breathing space, and a chance to recover from her embarrassment, out of sight of the others.
Though Lily cannot blush (or lose color), there's no mistaking her shock. "Wait. Wait. Magneto. Approached. Kitty." She looks, for a moment, like she wants to crawl under the table. Because she's remembering the silver-haired guy with the number tattoo on his arm and the attitude that had made all her 'danger' alarms go off. The one that had approached her, Siobhan, and Kitty. "Ohh boy." Scales rasp as she rubs her face with her hand, trying to keep from freaking right the heck out, with only partial success. Part of her mind is now rabbiting about having been nose to nose with the guy. Yeep. Fortunately, Xavier provides her with a distraction, and she manages to pull it together enough to focus on that. "I ... sure. Who is she?" She asks. "And yeah, figuring out who could help, or would want to, would be cool."
"Ah, yes, you were with Simone at the time along with Siobhan. How could I forget? I apparently have a little much on my mind right now," and Xavier sounds a little wiry. "I am not sure who she is Lily. She is strongly physically mutated, even her psyche into something I suspect to be plant-like. She cannot read, but she can use a telephone. She will need a lot of assistance I suspect. There is also a lot in founding an organization to help others. There is money, location, security, staff, charters, and so much more. It took me many years to firmly establish Xavier's School, especially since I was attempting to keep the truth of it a secret." Too many years he fears, but he found a good team for the original X-Men.
Lily cocks her head. "Wow. That has to be interesting to get used to." Plant-based psyche? How would that even /work/? Concentrate on the girl. Not on /him/. Freak out later. And this is a heck of a distraction. Lily'd been calm and cool-headed before she manifested, and was working her way back to it in fits and starts. "Special ed teachers, shrinks. 'cause let's face it. Waking up one morning to the realization you're growing scales, or are suddenly covered in blue fur, or are growing wings ... gonna mess with you. And not everyone's going to handle it well."
It doesn't work and confuses Xavier. "Lily," he says gently. "Magneto, he...was once a very good man. Perhaps one day he could be again. Try to remember that, even if he does something wrong. Let us not lose hope that he can change, try to see it from that perspective." He doesn't want you to leave only to seriously freak out. That would be counter-productive.
Back on the calmer topic, "That is very true. Warren would have handled it well, but...family issues," is all Xavier says on it. "You had the same, and if you had to go to a normal high school it would cause additional problems. This place is meant to give you time to adjust to yourself, before you have to look at yourself through other people's eyes. You will need to become stronger Lily, and I have faith you will. You have a strong and giving heart," he says with a gentle smile.
Again, good thing she can't blush. "Maybe he can, Professor, but ... he wierded me out when he approached us. You don't live on the street for a while without getting a sense for when someone's dangerous, and he was making me want to dive under the table ... without once having actually, you know, threatened us." It had all been in the /way/ he'd said what he'd said, and the look on his face, that had her wanting to wig even then, and knowing who he was now, does not make it any easier to fight the urge. She blinks. "Warren?" She's not met him, yet. She'd been thinking of Simone with the wing comment. Then she grins. "It's ... getting easier." She's mostly ok with how she looks these days. "It's just the dealing with how other people react to me that's still tricky."
A simple nod, "Yes, Warren is one of the members of the first class. He is busy with college and being a mischievous young man," Xavier says with a bit of a fond smile. "He is a good man though. He has quite lovely wings, which are more difficult to hide than Simone's. He had a contraption built to keep them restrained under his clothing and has his clothing specially designed to keep them hidden." It speaks of money. "Hopefully you will meet him soon."
"Ouch. That sounds uncomfortable." Because, seriously? Wings bigger and harder to hide than Simone's? Trapped under ... something? That doesn't stand out like a neon sign under his clothes? Yeouch. "Something smaller, quieter, would work well in the city, too ... because a lot of kids ... well, this place would make them jumpy, or they would just feel like they couldn't leave where they lived to come here to learn, you know?"
A nod at that. "So perhaps a more public school with options of dorms but meant for commuting? That is perhaps an option." Xavier is listening and considering your words. He wants to put his stamp on the world and make a difference, he wants the children he educates and trains to save it. Perhaps that is egotistical, but in the end he truly just wants to make a difference to the extent that he sacrifices his own freedom and life to do it.
"And things smaller than that, even." Lily says. "Sort of the mutant version of soup kitchens ... send a small group into a really poor area, places where the kids born there wouldn't think to approach a 'rooty snooty' school, or wouldn't be able to afford it, and refuse to accept charity, that sort of thing. And something to work with adults. Not everybody manifests at fourteen, and especially /now/, there's a lot of adults out there who don't know much of anything and might only be managing to control their abilities by the skin of their teeth. Getting some pointers from someone who knows their butt from their elbow would help."
"So, a public face and an underground face?" He does that already in a form, and the fact the girl is thinking about such things here and now. It shows good things. Xavier nods in approval. "I believe you will do great things in time Lily. Learn and study. Write your ideas down, keep notes on them. Also add how to make them a reality as you learn new things. How would you like to take a special class on non-profit organizations, the forming of them, what it takes to create them and keep them running? I have some contacts that could give you private lessons, as well as what classes you will need to take to better learn the ins and outs, and the legalities. See if it is something that you want to do long-term."
"Not so much underground, Professor, as geared towards the people who would feel reluctant, for one reason or another, to approach a public school." Lily says, then nods. "I will." And soon. She's already got some ideas running around. "And I think I'd like that. I'm just not suited to ... " She waves her hand in the direction Jono, Alex and co went. "Fighting that way, but I want to do /something/. Helping kids and adults get their lives put back together after they manifest'd be a darn good way to 'do something'."
A firm nod. "I'll arrange it then. The classes will be through web camera and mic. You can choose to show yourself via web camera or keep your appearance private, whatever you are most comfortable with at this point. Also, remember the library is there to assist and there are a number of online library sites we have access to here. Politics, Legal, Business, Finance and Non-Profit Organizations are the topics you would likely be interested in. In honesty, I never took classes geared to founding this school, I just took the knowledge gained throughout my life and did so. So I will be learning something new myself in how best to help you obtain the knowledge you need."
Lily grins and nods, making a mental note to raid the library soon. She knew you could get lawyers to work pro bono, but there were about ten thousand different things you'd need a lawyer FOR, and that's just the stuff Lily can think of offhand. Who knows how much else there is. "The stuff you learn in life can be a huge help." She points out. "Plenty of people don't have degrees on their walls, but call them dumb at your peril."
A low chuckle, "I lost count on how many degrees I have, almost all of them are not ones I went to school for. I have received many honorary degrees in life for my work, not my ability to attend classes." Xavier falls thoughtful, "I can see you doing much, you just need the knowledge and life experience to back it up." He smiles at that. "I look forward to seeing it."
Lily grins a little. "I better scoot. Need to start writing stuff down before the ideas get away from me, you know?" She says. "And Professor? Thank you. For everything."
"You are quite welcome Lily. We encourage each student to succeed here, not only in controlling their powers but of finding a way to contribute to the world as themselves. Let me know if you need any assistance." Xavier then will wheel away, letting Lily open the door for him while he heads to the staff East Wing, leaving her to head toward the West Wing.