Who’s More Important?

Posted on Sat Jul 13th, 2024 @ 9:04pm by Iris Walker & Hank McCoy & Mara Ricci

Mission: Episode 4: The Savage ConneXion
Timeline: September 19. 1990

As the door closed behind Xavier, Iris turned to Mara. Her mind was going a mile a minute and she had completely forgotten the reason she’d sought out the Professor in the first place. “So, you really did it?” she asked. “You erased the computer files and everything?”

”Yes,” answered Mara. “I took care of the computer files and the professor erased you from the memories of everyone who knew anything about you.”

Iris finally sat in the chair next to Mara. “Wow,” she said almost dispassionately. “That’s… how did you do it, though? Did you have to go to DC?”

“No,” answered Mara. “We… How much do you know about computers?”

”Not a lot,” answered Iris. “We had them at my school, but I never used them except to look up the card catalog in the library.”

Mara nodded. “Well, many computers are connected to one another,” she said. “It’s possible for me to tap into a computer a long ways away from any computer that’s connected to this computer network.”

”I’ve heard a little about it,” Iris replied. “That explains the computers, but what about the minds? Can the Professor erase minds from a distance.”

”Apparently,” answered Mara, almost gravely.

”That’s frightening,” agreed Iris.

”I’m just glad he’s on our side,” said Mara.

There was a pause and then Iris sighed. “Well,” she said. “I guess that means I can go to bed.”

”And I should go help Hank clean up,” Mara agreed, standing.

”Oh, I can help!” Iris offered, jumping to her feet.

”No you can’t,” said Mara. “You’re dead on your feet and it shows. Go to bed. We’ll clean up.”

”If you’re sure…”

”I’m sure,” Mara assured her. “It’s probably been awhile since you’ve had a good night’s sleep and I just had one last night. Go to bed. We’ve got it covered.”

”Okay,” said Iris with another sigh. “I’m too tired to argue.”

Mara grinned as they headed to the door of the office. “Good,” she said. “I’d hate to have to frog march you to your room.”

Iris giggled. “Thanks for the lasagne,” she said. “It was delicious.”

”Of course,” replied Mara. “Now off to bed with you!”

As Iris headed towards her room, Mara headed back to the kitchens. She did fully intend on helping Hank clean up. And perhaps talking to him would help settle her mind.

She found him with his sleeves rolled up and his hands in the dish water. “Need some help?” she asked, picking up a towel and beginning to dry the dishes.

”It would be appreciated,” Hank replied with a grin. “Some of the team offered to help, but I sent them to bed. They all look thoroughly exhausted.”

”I just saw Iris,” Mara replied. “She offered, too, but didn’t argue when I told her to go to bed.”

He gave her a concerned look. Even though her tone was light, there was something in her eyes that was troubled. “Is everything all right?” he asked.

She hesitated a moment. She didn’t know how much she could tell him, but she knew Hank well enough by now to know that he wouldn’t pry if she left the story vague. “The Professor and I… well, I don’t think I can tell you exactly what we did, and besides, I’d like you to have plausible deniability, but suffice it to say it wasn’t legal, but it was definitely necessary and morally right. Anyway, somebody detected it and now I’m considered a person of interest.”

Person of interest? That wasn’t good. “What does the professor propose you do?” he asked.

”Lay low here for awhile,” she said. “Probably for a long while. Hopefully they never come asking questions. I don’t think they’ll ever be able to tell exactly what we did-it should just look like somebody poked around a bit- but we won’t know that for awhile.”

She was staying? That was good. He’d like having her around for a good long visit. It would give him ample opportunity to find a good way to tell her how he felt about her.

But even as the thought flitted through his mind, he realized that he couldn’t do that. She was essentially stuck here. He couldn’t tell her that he was in love with her now; she might feel cornered. His heart, which had soared only moments before, now sank to his stomach and sat there like yesterday’s meatloaf.

His emotions must have shown on his face, because now it was Mara’s turn to ask, “are you all right?”

”Yes,” he said hastily, but then, “no. Mara, could you go to jail for this?”

She took a deep breath. “Maybe,” she admitted. “I won’t let them take the Professor, though. I don’t think they’ve detected his involvement, so I’ll tell them it was all me.”

At once, Hank felt guilty. He hadn’t even thought about that. As part of the first class of Xavier’s School, shouldn’t he have immediately thought about the Professor? “I’m not sure he will allow you to take the fall,” he pointed out.

“He won’t have a choice,” she replied. “Unless he tries to erase more minds.” She blinked and looked at Hank. “You don’t think he’d do that, do you?” she asked, horrified at the thought.

”He doesn’t usually solve problems by creating more,” he replied. “But he could convince them that he’d controlled you and forced you to do it.”

”Absolutely not!” she declared. “He has to stay here, at the school. I can go. I’m expendable.”

”You are not expendable, Mara,” Hank told her sternly. “Nobody is expendable.”

”You know what I mean,” she replied. “He’s far more important to this school than I am. Don’t give me that look!” she told him, seeing his almost angry glare. “You know it’s true. What would happen to the students without him here? What would happen to the staff? To Iris, or Connor, or any of the others? What about the pregnant girl? Aurora, is it? Where would she go? No. He has to stay here.”

Hank knew she was right. The professor couldn’t leave the school. The Professor knew that just as well as he did. He wouldn’t try to take the fall for this, but Hank also knew there was no way he’d let her go to prison for it, either. Granted, he was also sure the Professor already had something set up in case of his incarceration or incapacitation. He doubted they would all be out on the streets. And there wasn’t even any guarantee anybody had enough evidence to whatever it was they had done that they would ever come asking questions anyway. He just didn’t like the idea of Mara going to prison for doing something morally right and was doing a pretty lousy job of talking his way out of it

”You’re right,” he admitted quietly. “He’ll come up with something. He always does.”

Mara thought there was a real possibility that he wouldn’t, but decided to just let Hank have this one. “Yeah, I’m sure he will,” she agreed. “Let’s not talk about this anymore. It’s depressing.”

”Yes,” agreed Hank. “We could talk about music or art.”

”Or Weird Al,” added Mara teasingly.

“Or Plato,” said Hank.

“The only thing I know about Plato is his name,” Mara said.

“I could tell you all about him,” offered Hank teasingly.

”That’s okay,” laughed Mara. “I think I can survive without knowing. I could tell you all about Weird Al,” she added teasingly.

”That’s okay,” Hank laughed, echoing Mara’s words. “I think I can survive without knowing.”

They both disolved in laughter and it was awhile before they were able to resume cleaning up.