Change in the Wind
Posted on Fri Jan 21st, 2022 @ 12:02am by Levi Rousseau & Charles Xavier
1,068 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
Episode 1: X-Odus
Location: X-Mansion
Timeline: July 23, 1990
It had been more than a day since the harrowing mission to the Roxxon facility where the new team had rescued Levi. The outcome was bittersweet for Professor Xavier. While they had freed a captive from cruel and inhumane experimentation, they had lost a friend in Iris.
The Professor refused to think of her as dead. However, even chalking her up as missing did not help much, not when his First Class remained MIA as well. How many more young mutants would be lost to the struggle for peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants?
All Xavier could do was sigh. The feelers he had put out came back negative. No satellite telemetry, no Cerebro scan, no law enforcement BOLO had turned up any sign of Iris. It was as if she simply vanished from the face of the Earth. And, given the nature of her mutant ability, that thought haunted the Professor. If somehow her power to avoid observation had been amplified to its ultimate potential, which would have been far beyond her ability to control, there was no telling where she might be. The real possibility that Iris could be standing right in front of Xavier and he might never know it sent a chill down his spine.
There was, however, good news. Levi no longer required medical care. A severe case of dehydration and a bit of testing left him weak, but a couple of days' recuperation seemed to have set him right. It felt good to have a small win.
Setting his dossiers aside, Xavier wheeled out from his desk and rolled his wheelchair toward his office door. It would be good to have a formal introduction with Levi that didn't involve medical exams and grief-ridden half greetings.
Levi Rousseau was sitting on the edge of a lounge chair on the pool deck watching a beach ball float lazily in the pool. He was wearing a black t-shirt with the Xavier school logo on the chest, a pair of denim shorts, and tennis shoes, none of which belonged to him but had been thoughtfully supplied with a bunch of other necessities in the room he'd slept in last night. It was Monday and most everyone seemed to be occupied elsewhere at that time, either in class or whatever else they did here. He wasn't entirely sure what to make of the place, the people, or what he'd experienced. He seemed lost in thought about what he was going to do next.
A breeze kicked up suddenly and pushed the beach ball across the surface of the pristine, turquoise-colored water.
"Hello, Mr. Rosseau," said a solemn voice that nonetheless carried a hint of mirth. "May I call you Levi?"
Levi noticeably tensed at the unexpected break in silence. He hopped up to his feet, spun around, and took in the man using a wheelchair as his brows knitted a bit. "Yeah... yes. You're in charge here," it was more of a realization than a question.
"This is my home," Charles corrected by way of a subtle reframing of the situation. "I am Charles Xavier, and you are in my School for Gifted Youngsters. I trust you have made yourself at home as well?"
"I.. I guess so," Levi wasn't entirely sure it was possible to feel at home anywhere anymore. He crossed his arms and his glance flitted across the expansive grounds behind the mansion. With Xavier's team he'd made it out of Roxxon, but there had been a dark shadow on the situation. He couldn't help but feel it was his fault. "I'm sorry you lost one of your... uh, people, the other day. I appreciate what they did, but... I wish they hadn't."
Xavier shook his head emphatically. "Iris was proud to wear the title of X-Man. We don't know that she's gone, just lost. I will scour the earth until I find her or evidence of her demise. Until then, you should focus on the reason you are here." On saying that, the Professor turned silent, allowing the point to hang in the air, drawing out the question it begged.
"Which is what?" Levi questioned simply.
"You mean you don't know?" asked the Professor with a teasing glint in his eye.
Levi's gaze swept across the pool as he turned partially away from Charles and considered the unspoken for a moment. He wanted to trust Charles and the X-Men, they had saved him after all, but his instincts were begging him to run. Violence, bravado, attention -- he somehow doubted these people flew under the radar. Still, he felt he owed them something. "I can't say it would be a good fit," he said, honestly, "but I'm willing to wait and see."
"Life is what we make of it," Xavier said. "It is not merely the sum of our experiences. What we choose to do with what we are given is the difference between living out a dream or a nightmare." He paused for effect, then added, "You cannot wait indefinitely. The time will come for you to decide who you want to be, and you will make it even if passively. My goal is to ensure my students have the personal agency to actively decide their fates."
A light breeze tousled Levi's hair as he considered the professor's advice for a long moment. He finally nodded in consent. "You're right. Roxxon tried to take that choice away from me and I don't want that to happen again. I don't want to see what happen to anyone."
Xavier steepled his fingers below his chin. "Roxxon conducted a great evil, but there are forces at work in this world even greater than them. Or any corporation for that matter. Our battle is against ideas, Levi. We must combat them with good ideas, and to do that we must find ways to demonstrate them. A good idea which fails practical tests is no better than an evil one. That is the truth for which this school stands. And that is the stand to which I invite you to make."
It clicked for him and he understood what was needed. Levi looked directly at the professor and gave a singular nod. "I'm ready to take that stand, Professor. When do we get started?"
"You might not realize it," said the Professor, "but we already have. Welcome to the team."
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