Back In Business

Posted on Sun Nov 19th, 2023 @ 1:33pm by Charles Xavier & Scott Summers & Iris Walker & Cameron Hood & Elias Buckley & Tammy Thompson & Bliss Hawkins & Shinobi Shaw & Ethan Hale & Aurora Summers

3,059 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Episode 3: X-Tra Ecclesiam
Location: X-Mansion | War Room
Timeline: August 17th, 1990

"I'm sure you all might be wondering why I've called you all here," Professor Xavier said to the assembled group. The video feeds were calm, the radio waves silent, no looming crisis that demanded an emergency response. "First of all, I wanted to commend you all as a team. Some of us have already talked privately, but you deserve collective recognition for all you've achieved in recent weeks."

Connor's hand shot up, but the Professor waved it down so that he could continue.

"Even in my absence, you responded to the call of a mutant in need. Not everyone you rescue will join us here. That's a good thing. We can't house every mutant in the world or even this country. The change we bring must go beyond the stone walls of this campus and into the streets and burgs, far and wide, until the world shifts away from the precipice of violence. I don't know enough about the mutant you rescued from Baltimore to find him through Cerebro, but you indubitably saved his life either from the mob or from the system. You all should be proud of that." The look on the Professor's face certainly resonated that very feeling.

Silently, Elias listened intently to every word leaving the Professor's lips. Kind, genuine words in gratitude for a job apparently well done. That in itself was a new experience for the teen, but he'd take it. He looked across the room at the older man, then awkwardly down to his feet, then back to X.

"I STAYED HERE," Connor typed on his device. "I NEVER WENT TO BALTIMORE."

"Yes, you helped Scott hold down the fort," the Professor said. "That is not ignoble, Connor. There will be times when others provide passive support for your direct action, and there will be no less honor for them than there is for you now."

Connor looked less than convinced but kept his peace.

"But Connor has raised a fair point," said the Professor while looking at the group. "Impostor Syndrome is a phenomenon where we undermine our achievements because we feel unworthy of them. That is one of the reasons why organizations from armies to religious orders have utilized uniforms. They are a tangible representation that who we are is more than appearance. When we wear uniforms, they show we are part of something greater than just ourselves. It makes us ambassadors for causes and creeds that show the best of who we can be. For that reason, I wanted to give you this."

Pressing a button from the control panel embedded in his chair, the Professor guided the others to look at one wall which fell away to reveal X-Men uniforms. These weren't extras or hand-me-downs or generic. Each one was labeled by codename, specifically tailored and fashioned with the person's measurements and abilities in mind.

"Go on, my X-Men," said the Professor. "You've earned them."

Aurora’s mouth dropped open as she saw the uniforms, in particular one with her codename on it. Her thoughts went to the fact that given a few weeks her suit wasn’t going to fit anymore unless it came in maternity sizes. She got up from her seat and walked over to it wide eyed as she touched it. “Professor, this is...amazing!”

"I'm glad you approve," said the Professor with a chuckle. He noted Scott standing back in the corner emitting mixed feelings of pride and apprehension.

"Yeah, well done," Scott added, feeling Xavier's attention on him. "It's a big day to get your own uniform. They're updated a bit from the originals," he added with a chuckle.

Aurora gave Scott a warm smile but kept her emotions in check, she didn’t need Xavier getting suspicious. “It’s amazing nonetheless, Scott. I love it!”

Connor stripped down to his boxer shorts without an ounce of shame and began putting his uniform on like it was a locker room.

"Connor!" the Professor said. "There are facilities for that!"

But Connor just laughed. There were no buttons or zippers in his uniform. Everything was straps, clips, and buckles for ease of his unique dexterity needs. There was even a breastplate which could safely house his speech-generating device.

"Try the gloves," the Professor prompted.

As he slid them on, Connor could feel a soft whirring from an electrical circuit in each hand. He wiggled his finger near his chin, trying to figure out what in the world it could be.

"CEREAL." His speech-generating device spoke out from its armored position on his chest.

"Wha-wha-whaaa?" Connor tried to say.

"Your gloves contain next-generation haptic sensors," the Professor explained. "They detect motions made in sign language and upload them through your suit into your speech-generating device. Many of us talk with our hands, Connor, and now so can you."

"Oooohhh..." Connor said before chuckling. The finger wiggle he'd made was very similar to the hand sign for the word "cereal." Giving it a try, Connor made a few more quick handsigns. "I MUST BRUSH UP ON MY SIGN LANGUAGE IN THAT CASE." His eyes shot wide. He set his fingertips near his chin and flipped his hand outward toward the Professor. "THANK YOU," said his device.

"You're most welcome, Connor." The Professor beamed at him with glee.

“That’s super cool, Connor!” exclaimed Iris as she checked out her own suit. She immediately noticed it was a matte black with no frills or shiny bits. “So as to not attract attention,” she said approvingly.

"YOU WILL LOOK LIKE A SHADOW," Connor said by way sign language with his gloves. The joke and the ease of communicating without typing his words made him guffaw twice as hard.

That also made Iris grin. “I’m going to go try mine on!” she said, snatching her suit and hurrying towards the nearest space appropriate to change clothes in.

Aurora grinned at Connor before wondering about her own suit. “Professor, is my suit able to withstand my fire abilities?” She looked at Xavier curiously.

"Yes, the interwoven fiber mesh is rated up to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit," the Professor said. "About 300 degrees higher than the melting point of iron, as a reference."

“Wow!” Aurora gazed at her suit in amazement. “I can’t wait to try it out.”

Cameron looked at the suit meant for him. It had a more utilitarian cut to it, loose,dark blue trousers with cargo pockets on them at the knees. A black shirt with a round neckline sat under a dark blue coat. The reinforcements at the shoulders and elbows were yellow. He reached out and touched the coat, feeling a leather-like material, supple and soft. He then noticed the lining on the inside. As he stepped closer he noticed another detail, a British flag in a subdued manner on the side of the arm, under which the X-Men logo was similarly subdued. Finally he looked at down at the pants, the belt with the drop holster attached, and finally black leather combat boots. More or less the same he had worn for years.

"Thank you, Professor," Cameron said as he took a step back. "But I really can't wear it. Not while I'm still in the Army."

Nodding in acknowledgement but not surprise, the Professor said nothing.

Scott crossed his arms over his chest and arched his brows over the ruby rims of his sunglasses. A slight twitch passed over his body at the same time as a twitch from the Professor's eyebrow. Whatever might have been said was kept silent.

"INGRATE," Connor said through his device by handsigning. Once again, he laughed at the phenomenon.

For just a moment Cameron considered turning around, and turning Connor's speech gadget into a thousand marbles. Just for a moment. But he didn't let it show in his stride as he exited the room.

Aurora looked between Scott & the Professor curiously before grabbing her suit. “I’ll be right back” she quickly headed out of the door. When she returned not too long afterwards she was beaming with excitement. “This is amazing, thank you, Professor!”

"You are most welcome," replied the Professor who couldn't resist a side-eye glance at Cameron. "I am delighted you think so, Aurora. It should make Danger Room practice that much better for you." Realizing that Iris had left a few moments before Aurora did, the Professor looked around. "Has anyone seen Iris?”

Aurora looked around, “Actually...no.” She wondered whether or not she should cheat and try to find Iris with her mind, but that wouldn’t be much fun.

“I’m right here!” announced Iris from her spot right next to the Professor. “I got back about five minutes ago, but I wanted to try out my suit. I’ve been doing jumping jacks and nobody noticed!”

"I CAN DO MORE THAN YOU!" Connor challenged, already past five.

The Professor chuckled at them both. "Your new suit becomes you, Iris."

"Oh wow! check them out! That is awesome! Thanks, Prof! You rock! Let me try it on!" Tammy slipped off to where she could change. A few minutes later she came out. "Oh yeah! Tammy Thompson, supermodel, crime fighter, and looking good!" she said with a grin.

Her exuberance brought a smile to Scott's otherwise taciturn face. She never failed to crack him up.

Quietly and without fanfare, Elias had blinked out of the room with his new uniform. Now he phased back into the mix fully kitted out and proudly displaying the X colours, only to frown at the missing soldier. "This is awesome!" he told X with clearly genuine enthusiasm, but even as the exclamation sounded in the room, Fable was gone, seeking Cameron.

Bliss looked over her uniform with open curiosity. On the display the hot pink and white panels gleamed like the metallic Chrome on a old school hot rod. One thing was for sure, everybody's going to know where she is. On a tactical level she understood the necessity of it. She was probably the toughest team member to hurt given g her abilities. If that meant she drew the attention of the biggest bad guys, she knew she was up for it. She could take a punch better than, say, Hoodwink. She's much rather take a punch than having to attend another funeral of a friend.

She quietly took the uniform into a nearby room and put it on. It certainly fit like a glove, and was extremely flexible. It seemed to provide protection without restricting her dexterity. She tried a few dance moves and a split, and there was no restraint like you would with normal fabric. As she explored the uniform she discovered a control on the wrist. It was a dimmer switch for the uniform's colors. She could turn down the metallic shimmer so it was more of a matte fabric.

"Well at least this way I can walk around without blinding people with my garishness."

She returned to the rest of the group as they milled around. She adopted a super bubbly tone to her voice like you would hear from a valley girl cheerleader type. She put her hands on her hips and stuck at her chest like the old schools heroes.
"Hello! I am Superhero Barbie!"

"I LIKE YOUR OLD CODENAME," Connor spelled out with his hands which his device then stated.

Bliss gave Connor a warm pat on his shoulder.
"Don't fret, Dude. I'm still Escapade. I was gonna switch to Hijinks, but I didn't want to get confused with Hoodwink. "

Bliss looked around with curiosity.
" Speaking of which has anybody seen her lately? "

Ethan had been amused when Connor, in his exuberance, started to strip down. His uniform, especially compared to the others, looked quite ordinary. It was a dull gray and looked more like something one would find in a thrift store as opposed to the uniform of an elite superhero group But he didn't really mind. Or at least that's what he told himself in his teenage mind. But a tiny part of him was disappointed.

He took the uniform into his room and put it on. It fit him very well accommodating his wings and clinging to all the right places. It was comfortably snug but otherwise unremarkable The kernel of disappointment disappeared then. The uniform didn't define the hero, the hero defined the uniform. He'd be just fine.

Then he looked in the mirror and his eyes widened.

He raced back into the room. "Look," he called out. "I'm a real boy." Indeed, from others' perspectives, it certainly looked that way. His wings were no longer there, or at least they weren't seen. His ears looked like a normal human.

"How did you do that Professor asked, "I look like I'm normal. What else does it do?"

"One of our greatest adversaries used an armored exoskeleton to disguise his true nature," the Professor explained. "It utilizes... shall we say 'foreign' technology to reconstruct the amplitude and distribution of coherent wave disturbances. It won't hold up under intense scrutiny but it will trick the eye of most observers."

Jace went up and grabbed his suit during the fanfare. It was relatively colored but somewhat muted. Sort of fitting for his personality and the streets. But he wouldn't be living on the streets anymore. Anyway, maybe he'd try it on later...when the 'new' had worn off having suits.

Now that everyone had a chance to try on their suits or pass on them, the Professor raised his hand to draw their attention.

"I must confess that I have an ulterior motive beyond the simple joy of honoring you all as a team," he began. "For the benefit of those out of the room, I will also share this telepathically. Just recently I've accepted an invitation to a public debate regarding mutant registration and all that it entails. Usually, debates are uneventful, save for a notable exception or two..."

"Like the time you were abducted by Sentinels?" Scott interjected.

"Actually, yes," the Professor replied. "For that reason, I believe it would be prudent for a team of X-Men to be on standby in case matters go awry."

"Who is your opponent this time?" Scott interjected again.

The Professor was mildly annoyed by the interruptions, but he rolled with them anyway. "The Reverend William Stryker."

At the sound of the name, Scott turned his head and tried not to spit. It came off as a bitter scoff.

Aurora looked at Scott, then at Xavier. “Who is Stryker?”

"I've heard of him! Loud mouthed fire and brimstone anti-mutant preacher! Says we're demons and devils and the like!" Tammy said.

“Great! Another mutant hater!” Aurora sighed. “He sounds like trouble.”

Jace 'harrumphed' and said, "There's always going to be those."

"Indeed," the Professor said. "I am not concerned for my personal safety, but as the debate will be open to the public as well as televised, it would be prudent for the X-Men to be present and show support as positive symbols that represent what the world could be for everyone." He looked around. "Anyone who comes should be allowed to present themselves with a little style."

“How’s about our team wearing these lovely new uniforms Professor?” Aurora grinned. “They certainly give us a styled look.”

“I’m for it!” agreed Iris enthusiastically. “Since nobody will see me anyway, I could sneak around and find out what everyone else is doing.”

The Professor chuckled and nodded. "It sounds as if we are all on the same page, though I will follow up with those who have stepped out."

Aurora grinned. “My first official trip out with the team, I’m looking forward to it.”

When Connor thumped his chest twice in approval, the device said, "BOOYAH." He threw back his head and guffawed in sheer delight. "Booooooooo!" he shouted with laughter.

Aurora couldn’t help but laugh. “I love that new suit of yours. I can’t wait to test mine.”

"Me neither! Count me in, professor!" Tammy said. "I absolutely love the suit!"

Bliss's good spirits head muted at The mention of The Good Reverend. She finally spoke up.
"Striker's bad news. I ran into a lot of his particular brand of anti-mutant Bible thumpers between here and Vegas. They're true believers and you can't convince them that they're wrong. They're not afraid to hurt you because they know their Belize are more important than the law. If they kill you that's bonus points for their trip to heaven. If they try to hurt me or my friends. I'll be sure to give them an express ticket straight to the afterlife."

"Our purpose will be to show the world that peace is a real choice," said the Professor. "Hopefully if Reverend Stryker's more militant followers are present, they will suffice with jeers and slurs. It is ideas, in the end, that are our final enemy to be defeated." Nodding with pride at his team who had attained a significant milestone today, Professor Xavier said, "To that end, if I am to be the voice of mutant advocacy, then I'm afraid I must go and make ready. The Danger Room will be made available for any who request it. Do try and have fun, though." With a final smile for one and all, the Professor excused himself.

Aurora watched Xavier go. “I guess I’d best go change” She smiled warmly to everyone before heading out of the office, giving Scott a smile as she headed out of the door.

With Professor X's mental speech still fading from his mind, Elias shook his head as he stepped out to walk alongside Cameron. "Good job our fearless leader is a powerful mind-messer-upper," the teen said, wry grin not mirrored in his eyes. "Cos he really seems keen to put himself right in the path of all the worst dangers for our miserable, undeserving mutant arses..." He looked to the soldier. "I can't fix things," Elias added, "but if you ever need to be somewhere else real fast, just hit me up." He raised a fist in the air in a mock heroic pose. "Have tricks, will travel."

Bliss looked around and grinned.
"Go go, power rangers, mighty mutant power rangers!"
With that she struck a pose right out of the kids show.
"Yeah!"

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