「 The Professor & I 」VOLUME II

(186) Mutant Registration

"Expose themselves?" Kelly gloated arrogantly.

"What do mutants have to hide that makes them so afraid to identify themselves?" Kelly debated fiercely.

"I didn't say they were hiding," Jean retaliated but quieter, subtly suggesting her faltering conviction as Kelly found fault in her inaccurate choice of wordings and turned them against her.

"Let me show you what is being hidden. I have here a list of names of identified mutants living right here in the United States," Kelly announced proudly as he stood up and frantically waved around the multiple sets of legal documents in his hands.

"Senator Kelly..." Jean pleaded but was blatantly ignored as Kelly flipped through the folders and papers before him.

"A girl in lllinois who walks through walls. What's to stop her from walking into a bank vault? Or into the White House? Or into their houses?" Kelly scorned and the video instantly zoomed into his disgusted expression as I clenched my fists in an uncontrollable escalating rage that he wrongly accused our innocent little Kitty to be a ruthless thief.

"And there are even rumours of mutants so powerful that they can enter our minds and control our thoughts, taking away our God-given free will," Kelly remarked in resentment and my jaw dropped reflexively.

I could literally feel my blood that boiled before spontaneously withdrawing from my cheeks, rapidly paling them as I was engulfed in fear promoted by the intelligence Kelly possessed.

Charles, you have to get out of there, I begged anxiously.

I know. But I want to keep an eye on Erik. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine, Charles reassured and ceased our communications.

Damn you, Xavier, I hissed in my mind and sighed aloud, causing James to rub my arms and back in comfort, albeit to no significant alleviation of my annoyance.

"The American people deserve the right to decide whether they want their children to be in school with mutants. To be taught by mutants," Kelly emphasized firmly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the truth is that mutants are very real. And they are among us. We must know who they are, and, above all, we must know what they can do," Kelly reiterated, so compellingly his eyes seemed to flash yellow, an all too familiar one, for a moment when the screen abruptly blacked out.

"What the hell did you do that for?!" I scolded with a baffled face, spotting James returning the remote control to the coffee table.

"This is a waste of time, sweetie," James plainly claimed as he tenderly caressed my skull.

"You think this is a waste of time?" I questioned in an appalled tone.

"Isn't it? The Senate's obviously right. We need to know what they can do. These... Fr-" James justified and it was painful that I knew what he was going to spout next.

"Mutants," I quickly protested.

"They're called mutants, James," I insisted agonizingly.

"It doesn't matter what they're called. They're dangerous," James assumed and it was absurd how much his unanticipated and biased presumptions infuriated me.

"You don't even know them. How can you say that?" I examined expectantly, hoping to give him a chance to redeem himself but there was nothing but disappointment.

"That girl who can walk through walls, she could walk in right now and shoot us. The other one could mess with our minds and God knows what he'd do," James responded in a distraught manner but it seemed I was more disturbed by his unreasonable theories that only served to stab my heart.

"They could. It doesn't mean they would," I disputed softly, curbing every tear that threatened to burst through my eyes.

"As long as they learn to control their gifts-" I courteously conveyed but was denied before my point could be actually communicated.

"Gifts?! You think this is a gift?!" James repeated agitatedly and sprung up from his seat, angrily pointing towards the unpowered television as he glared down at me.

"I think mutants have been privileged with something that humans haven't," I rebutted as collectedly as I could manage but it only provoked James to grudgingly pace around my sitting room.

"Weren't you listening? Mutants just have one, one gene different from the humans that makes them an advanced species. And because of that one advanced DNA chain, they are expected to be feared, to be labeled like prisoners. Is that really fair?" I confronted politely but James remained distressingly silent and I hurriedly hoisted myself into my chair, swiftly rolling over to catch up with him.

"Mutants didn't ask to be mutants, James. They were not given a choice. Like I was not given a choice to be in this chair," I enlightened cordially as I tailed him and he finally paused.

James slowly spun around and crouched down, gazing at me compassionately as he brushed away my fringe, recognizing the sheer mention of my disability was possibly my last efforts of persuasion.

"If you can accept that I'm different, why can't you accept them?" I sought earnestly, taking his hands, but his kind expression vanished simultaneously as he towered before me again.

"Why are you comparing yourself to those freaks?! They're dangerous and you're not!" James reacted dramatically as he forcefully shook off my grasp.

"You think I'm not," I mocked and speedily wheeled off.

XXXXX

Good morning everyone! The movie scene is finally here. I hope you guys enjoyed the *sort of* plot twist. Be sure to vote/comment! 😘

Anyway, LOGAN is out today here! I hope to catch it on Saturday! 😍