Homecoming & Leave-taking
Posted on Thu Mar 7th, 2024 @ 6:59pm by Charles Xavier & Connor Bruin & Bobby Drake & Iris Walker & Cameron Hood & Jade Farwynd & Bliss Hawkins & Levi Rousseau & Shinobi Shaw & Ethan Hale & Aurora Summers & Bianca Mathew & Hayden Davis & Max Herrera & Hank McCoy & Grace Buttler & Kayleigh Marshall
3,626 words; about a 18 minute read
Mission:
Episode 4: The Savage ConneXion
Location: X-Mansion | Hangar
Timeline: August 26th, 1990
Professor Xavier sat patiently in his hoverchair while the others arrived. The Blackbird had been moved. He'd seen to that personally. The transport from Muir Island had called in that they were on final approach and would be arriving in moments. It had been a smart call on Cameron and Jade's part to send the young ones to Muir Island while they conducted the raid on Niagara Falls. It had amounted to an unscheduled weekend trip to the Mutant Research Center, something that the Professor could easily write off as an educational moment for anyone who pushed for it.
However, on the homecoming of the junior students, it was important for the campus faculty to be present. Even Bobby, though he was years away from faculty status. From there, seeing all of the adults together waiting for them would send a message stronger than any words could convey.
Bliss had been waiting for the Return of the youngest students back to the school. She had always enjoyed playing games with the youngest kids when she could. In a way it kind of fulfilled a need on her part for the things that she missed in her own childhood. She wasn't above organizing tea parties for the little girls, or hopscotch games for all comers. She wasn't above roping teammates into the fun. Everybody had a sad take at the school. She found that the school had become her new home, and the other students her family. She would protect everyone with all that she had.
Bliss was pacing, excited to see her little friends. She was wearing her best jean cutoffs, sneakers, and a tied-off yellow and black Xavier school t-shirt. She was still feeling the aftereffects of the fight over the good Reverend. But the most important thing was to show the kids that everything was okay back home.
Iris didn’t see any point in calling attention to herself until the students arrived. She knew Professor Xavier would know she was there and that was good enough for now.
Still disoriented, but decidedly less than he had been, Hank looked forward to the students’ return. He didn’t feel up to teaching just yet- in fact, he wasn’t sure he could tell the difference between a plant cell and a human liver cell at the moment. Well, okay, that was an exaggeration. But, it gave the right impression. He glanced around at the group and vaguely wondered where Scott was, but put it out of his mind for now.
Connor hopped along until he joined up with the rest of the group. His eyes were for Bliss at first, though he was still emotionally smarting a little from their argument the night before. For as much thought as he put into their conversation, he still wasn't sure what she was angry about. He wondered if she still was. But then Hank's big, blur fur caught his eye. He put his hand against his forehead and gave the sign for hello before breaking into a grin.
Jace sauntered on in and joined the team. A lot had happened with the attack, the Falls, and trying to get back to normal at the mansion. And now the junior students were coming back. Maybe that would help things to feel more like normal. Normal. What was that anymore?
Aurora entered the hangar to join the rest of the team, walking across she paused alongside Hank McCoy offering a warm smile as she did so. She couldn’t help but wonder what Scott’s reaction would have been to having Hank back, but she put it out of her mind for now as she waited to see what Xavier had to say.
Ethan was next to enter the room, though he was quieter than usual, not saying much at all. He could usually be seen wearing a smile, or barring that a smirk. Instead, he couldn't muster that. He was frowning.
Jade kept to the back, her hair pulled back into a beanie, large sunglasses on her face. She still looked paler than usual. The area under her eyes was still darkened, and her eyes were bloodshot. It appeared that draining a person left an aftereffect and recovery was slowed.
Drained a person...that moment had been replaying behind her eyes since they returned. How could she have gone so far off the deep end? All he did was shoot her.
The Australian was horrified at herself. So when the Prof called them down, she kept to the back and to herself. She even stayed away from Cam. Though he himself seemed to be dealing with something as well.
Cameron was standing at Xavier's right. In the past, in moments like these, Scott would've been to the Professor's right, his right-hand man. Cameron was usually at his left, or even at the back of the group. But with the original team leader cast out, Cameron had stepped up. He was glad that the kids were coming back safe. But in the quiet place, he was relieved they hadn't been here when the X-Team was off fighting. It hadn't been the first time Cameron had helped avoid a nuclear disaster, but it was the first time he was the one disarming it. His mind was playing the what-if games now.
Bliss noticed Big Blue and made her way to him.
"Hey, Doc, remember me? I hope you're feeling better. If you need anything, ask for Bliss, that's me."
Hank blinked at the blond girl. The back of his mind prickled annoyingly. “Yes, I think I do,” he said. “Vaguely. I will be forever grateful should at last some of my memory return.”
Bliss gave the confused furball a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"You're going to be okay. Just take your vitamins and get some rest."
"Thank you all for coming and so swiftly," the Professor began. "We only have a few moments before the junior students arrive and there was a bit I wanted to say before they do. Firstly, I wanted to commend you all as a group for the success of your undertakings. Each of you have earned the right to be called X-Men, from rescuing Hank and myself from the Purifiers to ensuring the safety of the others. I cannot be prouder."
Xavier paused to beam that pride at all of them in an unabashed grin.
"And that brings me to my request. Some of you are already aware that Tammy had to take her leave due to a family emergency. I don't want to see anyone falling through the cracks in this time of restructuring. I am going to ask for everyone to pursue a peer counseling relationship with one or more junior students. This isn't a requirement, hence my calling it a request. However, I believe that such a buddy system would go a long way toward building back the confidence that is shaken whenever our home comes under attack."
Looking back and forth between his X-Men, his joy bubbled over. "I trust you all to do what is right. Any questions?"
The last thing Jase needed, or wanted, right now was a shadow. But the Prof wanted a buddy system and so he would be a part of it. As far as a peer counselor though, he wasn't sure how well he would fill that spot. "I have a question. Will we pick the junior student or will one of the faculty members assign them?"
"This is a voluntary exercise," the Professor said carefully. "I don't wish to assign anything. Just... make yourselves available and see what may come of it."
Aurora was curious, to say the least, though she would feel more comfortable being paired with a student who had similar abilities to her own. No doubt she’d find out who had what abilities eventually.
Jade shook her head on reflex. She was definitely not taking on 'buddy'. She was still too shaken by what had happened, she still looked like a monster.
Cameron had quietly found his way next to Jade. He had seen signs in her behaviour since landing. Signs he recognised. He ever so gently bumped his shoulder against her to get her attention. As her eyes met his, he nodded to the exit. Cameron waited half a heartbeat before quietly walking towards the door, out of the room.
Jade followed after Cam, silently relieved at the interruption.
Bliss looked around to her teammates with a smile.
"It's like the Big Brother and Big Sister program, some of these kids have less than what we have. They just need a kind word and a friendly smile to let them know that the world hasn't collapsed again. No one's asking you to adopt anyone. I'll tell you something. You might find that helping them might help you too."
"Very well said." The Professor's eyes were aglow at her with pride. "Thank you, Bliss."
The roar of jet engines came from up the hangar tunnel. Before long, an aircraft was making a steep deceleration as it taxied into the hangar. After it came to a stop and the engines whined down to a soft ticking, the ramp lowered. It made contact with a soft clang, at which point a host of adolescents came flooding out.
"So. Many. Kids," said Jace. He didn't care who heard him. Just... So many. He waited and watched to see who they started gravitating to. Or who would go to them?
Aurora stood waiting to see if she could choose between the students, with there being so many it was difficult to pick a particular one until one young woman approached her.
“Excuse me...you’re Enigma, right?” The mousey blonde smiled. “I’m Kaylee, they call me Ember.”
“Ember, Nice codename!” Aurora smiled warmly. “Tell me more...” She motioned Kaylee onward as they stepped out of the way of the others who were still looking.
"I think I need some time," Ethan said, "I am still processing everything that went down. But I do like the idea."
Iris, too, glanced around. She was sure she didn’t count as a senior student since she wasn’t a student at all, but she was close enough that she figured if there weren’t enough older students, she would gladly step in.
Grace, a student younger than most at the tender age of 10, waved when she spotted the professor but seemed a bit lost as to where to go and what to do. She hoisted her backpack up on her shoulder and followed the group for lack of knowing what else to do in the moment.
Amongst the group of shorter students filing off the plane, Levi Rousseau stood out like a giant. He kept toward the back of the arrivals and made sure everyone was off the jet before he also deplaned. He hadn't been with the junior students the entire time but had escorted them on the uneventful trip back to New York. He glanced about at the familiar faces, feeling somewhat guilty that he had missed a couple of important events while he was away, but also feeling a mixture of relief at being put back on the front lines.
Once everyone had deplaned, a tall and lanky Irishman walked out. His hair askew from hours of wearing a headset but it did nothing to diminish his winning devil-may-care grin. "Oi, X-Men! Top o' the mornin' t' ye!"
Bobby had been edging around the sidelines, unsure of whether he even wanted to be here. But when he heard that Irish brogue, his eyes flew wide open just before his mouth. "Whoa! Hey, Sean!"
He ran up to the older man and almost threw his arms around him, but he quickly stopped and offered him a dap with his fist.
"C'mere, ye ol' lug!" Sean laughed and initiated the hug that Bobby had aborted. "Good t' see ye, m' boy. Ya're lookin' good, too. Roight strong an' everythin'!"
Bobby flushed a little under the praise. As many new friends as he'd been making, it was downright satisfying to see an old one. To get talked up on top of it was just an overload. "Thanks..." Bobby said meekly, choking back some emotion. "I've been better but it's still good to be back."
"Far sure," Sean noted the emotional frame shift but still kept his smile up. "We'll catch up befare I 'ead back to Muir Island but I gotta' talk to Charles fairst." He patted Bobby on the shoulder before moving onward.
Bliss had moved forward to greet the kids as they disembarked from the transport. The youngest kids seemed to gravitate to the blonde. These were the most sensitive, and the ones with whom she had played Candyland and hopscotch. She knelt down to give each one a hug or a high five.
"Where's Kevin?"
One of the girls pointed back into the plane.
"He was too shy...."
"Is that so?"
Bliss stood up and moved into the plane. After a bit, she emerged carrying a half-boy, half-squid. The mutant child's tentacles were wrapped around Bliss as she came down the ramp.
"I don't know what you're so worried about, Kevin. Everyone here is just like us. C'mon, I'll show you."
She headed back to the cluster of older students, chatting quietly with the skittish child.
"They won't bite..."
Connor rushed forward to help Bliss with the boy she was carrying. Hands outstretched, he nodded in a nonverbal offer to carry him.
Little Kevin saw Connor rushing towards him and he began to chitter excitedly, with his beak/mouth amalgam, a clear expression of fear. Bliss held out a cautionary palm to warn Connor.
"Kevin, this is my friend I was telling you about, remember? His name is Connor."
The child's chittering slowed with the reassurance. Bliss smiled and whispered into the boy's ear. The boy actually giggled, covering his mouth with one of his hands.
"Go on... " Bliss urged quietly to Kevin. The boy's tentacles slowly unraveled from Bliss and tentatively reached out to Connor.
The feel of the tentacles made Connor giggle so hard he almost stumbled. He scrunched his fingers at Bliss in a hand sign. "TICKLING," his device said.
The little boy relented and loosened his grip. He managed to speak at last, but his voice was difficult to understand because of his misshapen mouth.
"My name is Kevin. It is nice to meet you."
Bliss looked on with a sense of pride.
"My boys..."
"HELLO, KEVIN. WHY HAVE I NEVER SEEN YOU BEFORE? ARE YOU AQUATIC?" Connor was positively quizzical.
Kevin's little tentacles explored Connor's voice box with open curiosity. He struggled to get each word out but he finally got it out.
"I have to keep moist so that means either I'm in a tank of water or I have to wear a special suit that keeps my skin damp."
That made sense to Connor. Even though he was mobile, he often felt like a prisoner inside his own mind. If a special suit was all it took for Kevin to be free, then that was nothing but exciting. Connor hooted with glee and thumped his chest twice.
The last students off the jet were, of course, Max and his gang- which now included B. Being the eldest of eight, Max was used to looking out for everyone else and his attitude had rubbed off on his friends. When the jet was empty- luckily, Bliss had some along and convinced Kevin to leave- they finally made their way off and headed towards the mansion. “Looks like the littles found their people,” Max commented, spotting them with Bliss and Connor.
“That’s good,” agreed B. “I’m glad there’s someone to look after them.”
Peripheral vision was a tricky thing. On his way to greet Charles, out of the corner of his eye, Sean thought that he recognized another old friend. "Oi, Jean! Is it relly ye?! I cannae believe—"
Sean did a double take, realizing that the redhead young lady talking to the younger blonde girl was not actually Jean. "Blech! Beggin' yer pardon, miss. I mistook ye far someone else."
Aurora offered a smile. “That’s okay, it happens a lot around here. I’m Aurora Summers.”
"Aurora Summers?" At first, Sean repeated the name as if he had simply misheard. But then he recalled his last conversation with Scott. Student. Forbidden kiss. Deep Shiite. "Ye gotta be fookin' kiddin' me! Pardon me French, miss, but....holy fook!" Sean grasped his head with both hands. "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, when did that fookin' happen?!" He dropped his hands and shook his head. "Naver ye moind. None o' me business, that is."
Worry was clear on his fretful face. Sean grimaced as he thought, ~That ain't gonna fookin' last, will it?~
Aurora didn’t want to be rude, but she was starting to see that everyone was thinking the same thing. Was her relationship, and marriage to Scott really as doomed as everyone seemed to think? “Don’t worry about it, everyone seems to have the same opinion.” She shook her head her smile fading.
"Oh, lil' miss, don'tche worry yer pretty lil' head," Sean said, trying to be polite and reassuring. "I was just talkin' through me hat. Pay it no moind."
Aurora offered a nod of her head. “You’re very sweet Sean, thank you for trying to make me feel better.”
Meanwhile, Bobby sauntered up to Kaylee and gave her a wink. "Did you say 'Ember'? I can handle all the heat you got." He blew a stream of air over his finger gun, making a frosty wisp.
Kaylee couldn’t help but smile at Bobby. “Ohh I’m sure you could, but I wouldn’t want you to melt away in the heat.” She grinned a wry grin.
"I'm so cool it's hot," Bobby said, mirroring her grin with his own. "Maybe I could show you sometime."
Kaylee smiled a wry smile. “Maybe you could.”
“Really you two!” Aurora grinned as she turned to look at Bobby and Kaylee.
"I didn't know nothin'!" Bobby held up his hands in mock arrest. "Yet," he added with a mischievous waggle of his eyebrows.
Theo teleported into the room. He'd been alone in the library looking for something to read when he had fallen asleep. The commotion had awakened him and with disheveled hair, he teleported into the room barely missing Ethan who had taken a step to the side. "Sorry," he announced.
"Whoa!" Bobby exclaimed at the sight of Theo. "Where'd you come from?" His brow knitted in recollection. "You new or something?"
The young teen grinned widely. "Yeah, I am. I was a guest of the good Reverend Stryker. I just got here basically."
"Is there anybody that guy didn't kidnap?" Bobby shook his head. "Well, I guess welcome to Mutant High. I'm Bobby. That's Aurora and Kaylee."
Both Aurora and Kaylee offered smiles as they heard their names mentioned.
"Kidnapping, might not be the operative word where I'm concerned," Theo replied, "My parents gave me up to him. To cure me."
"No way!" Bobby exclaimed, totally incredulous. "Well, you're safe here. Usually..."
"Thanks for the welcome though, it's good to be here. And nice to meet you. I am Theo by the way."
“Nice to meet you, Theo,” Aurora offered a warmer smile.
Theo gave Aurora a smile in return. It reached his eyes but it was a shy one.
Jade stepped outside of the hangar, into the corridor, and let out a deep breath. She looked over at Cam with tired, wary eyes, still hidden behind the over-large sunnies. "I....thanks," she said to him.
"Beggin' yer pardon, Miss Jade..." Though they had met on Muir Island, Sean still didn't feel acquainted with Jade enough to drop the formalities. "... but I needa' moment wit' our boy Cameron 'ere."
Looking at Cam, Sean said, "If'n ye remembar our previous convarsation, then I can skip roight to t' chase. We got 'em."
"What?" Cameron had eyes only for Sean and his revelation. "Is he dead?"
"No..." Sean shook his head. "We just know where he is at t' moment but he woon't be there far long. Seat's still open for ye on the op, but ye gotta' come wit' me todeey." He gave an apologetic shrug. "Sorry 'bout t' short notice, but it's t' best I could do."
"Not a problem." Cameron was unblinking in his resolve. "I'll grab my gear and say my goodbyes."
Sean nodded at him. "Roight, then. Wheels up in 30," he said before letting the two of them resume their privacy.
Jade bit the inside of her cheek. So, five days of relative joy...and now he was off on god knows what secret adventure, without her. Without so much as a word. She understood there were many things he couldn't talk about...and that was fine. He could have at least said to her that something was happening he might have to disappear for. But no...nothing.
The Aussie steeled herself and extended her arms in between them, as a shield. "Whatever this is...go. We'll be fine. I'll keep an eye on them. Let us know when it's done," she said coolly, trying desperately to keep her watering eyes from spilling over, biting the inside of her lip.
"Goodbye, Jade." Whatever Cameron might have said was stilled by the sight of her emotion. This mission would be difficult enough without him losing focus on what he was leaving behind.
When the jet took off from the hangar, it was the end of an era.
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