Xavier's Mansion was a very peculiar place. It had housed many strange beings that harboured abilities that could create and destroy. Dangerous it may be to keep people as such, the great Professor X has a way to train them and push them to the good side.
It was a haven, a home. Children were free to laugh and play, and the young men and women mingled with no limits as opposed to the outside world. It was where no harm could be placed upon them in all their fragility for they have the X-Men to act as their guardians. The kids breathe easy knowing this.
"And then it was the Spanish explorer Magellan who searched for the Moluccas islands, or otherwise known as the Spice Islands," Miss Monroe continued.
The classroom was quiet, listening attentively to their teacher. All of the students were mutants. Some had pink skin and some had quills for hair. One boy was blue all over. He had a tail like the devil. Some called him the Nightcrawler. There wasn't anything unusual inside the room though as it was all normal to their perceptions.
Then the bell rang.
"Alright, class dismissed." She said as she gathered her books. "Have a good weekend."
The mansion was a place to live in, to be educated, and to be accepted. Mutants have had a long history of being persecuted by most political officials, fanatical organizations, and individuals with agendas. Some of the regular people were rather intrigued though but the zealous and curious had other opinions about them. Nonetheless were mutants been a hot topic to those who know of their presence in the face of the earth.
Ororo entered the wide festooned corridors of the mansion towards the faculty room. A swift cool breeze from the windows enters the halls and so she could do nothing but smile at nature's greeting. Abruptly she encountered Scott. She wasn't surprised though for of course the mansion is where both of them of live.
"Morning Scott." She greeted with a smile.
"Morning to you too." His smile almost reached his red-tinted visors. "Seen the news lately?" His expression changed immediately.
"No. Why?"
"Oslo is in chaos. People with swords dressed liked Vikings are burning the streets." He said with much worry but with a tinge of happiness. "I don't think they're ordinary gangsters and thugs though."
"Yes, they may not be."
They walked and continued their conversation.
"I informed the professor about this."
"You want to intervene?" She said with a brow raised. "Scott, we've been hiding-"
"For too long." He interrupted as slicked his hair backwards. "For too long, Ororo."
"For a reason, Scott."
Ororo, like other mutants, was afraid to be judged, to be hated, and to be feared. It was alright for her race to be canned occasionally as urban legends but to be seen as real was not too her liking. Scott however was more than eager to prove to the world that they are genuine beings and that they are people too. The Cyclops was a little uncharacteristic, hence, since he was always brooding and quiet at times.
"A greater part of the public now knows mutant exists. The media made them hate us," he continues his argument, "If we show up then they'll know that there are those that are to be trusted."
President Ellis had confirmed, in the past year, the existence of mutants and inhumans and their differences and although they had appeared numerous times throughout history, they were all regarded as hoaxes before. Chaos stirred worldwide and mistrust against each race was soon found.
There was some sort of evolutionary war. Mutants didn't like inhumans as much as some humans mistrusted mutants. Dissolved terrigen found in fish oil was deadly to them as it deteriorates some parts of their body and negates their powers temporarily or sometimes permanently.
Mutants with physical aberrations in the early 60s were dismissed only as freaks or disabled and the media displayed them only as people with genetic abnormalities. There was an explosion of ideas about them before. The mutant Beast could walk around fine before for mutants like him were "cooler" back then. Some even took pictures with him thinking he was Sasquatch or the Bigfoot.
"I'm afraid of what they might do. You saw what they are capable of in the news, Scott." Ororo dreaded as she remembered seeing hate groups shooting at mutants; mutants that were noticeable in appearance.
"You're an X-Men. Storm is you're codename. You're mother nature itself!" He reminded. "You have nothing to fear." Scott assured her, having a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We are heroes, not villains like the media portrays us."
"But, Scott..." Ororo stopped walking for a moment.
Ororo was young, only twenty-three years of age. When she was but an adolescent, she was thought by the best teachers in numerous and varied arts. But the young aren't as bold. Ororo was still naïve and afraid of the outside world and of herself.
"Charles' vision is for peaceful synchronicity of humans and mutants" Scott said. "Showing that not all mutants are bad is good."
"I'm still not sure." She said. "I still need time to think. It's still risky."
"So be it. But please decide within the next thirty minutes."
"A little pressuring but sure."
Scott opened the door and gestured chivalrously at Ororo for her to enter. Inside the room were the other teachers: Elisa LaBelle who teaches French, Spanish and communication arts, Jean Grey who teaches control over mutations and general science, and Sean Cassidy who teaches mathematics and calculus. Both of them took their sits and all of them began their idle chatter about the matter and deciding whether they should help with the growing problem in Oslo.
The faculty filled with noise as they tried to convince Ororo. It needed to be a team decision. It was what Professor Xavier taught them; for of course how could mutants live with men if mutants are divided? Unity was the great mentor's idea. Unity for their kind and the others. His charisma and wit was what made him worthy to follow.
The room had a gradual crescendo of voice. Elisa was silent for she was not and had not ever wanted to be an X-Man. The blonde haired lady continued to sip her coffee thinking of the other people with her. Elisa was also a mutant though, a mutant with the power to know what mutation a mutant harbours and imitate a weaker version of it. She was very useful to the X-Men and to Charles himself. She was willing to help them in any way she can except for combat. All of them proved to be formidable in battle but Elisa knew she was not.
"Elisa, you've been awfully quiet." Sean noticed. "What's your opinion about this?"
Scott, Jean and Ororo fell mute. "Well..." she spoke. "Making the people see that mutants can be noble wouldn't hurt."
Eyes all on her, she then continued. "The X-Men has done good things ever since the group was found. Why not continue to do so? Make them see that we can be trusted."
Ororo nodded once she realized that she wouldn't win in this scuffle. Sean and Scott was happy to have Elisa on their side. Jean was still a wee bit reluctant however. She too was afraid. However, she believes in her team's abilities.
"You're always looking for a way to skip your classes." Jean chuckled as she pinched Scott's right cheek.
"Classes are only up to twelve today anyways, Jean. It wouldn't hurt if we dismissed them." He said as he stood. "I'll go to the professor and inform him of our agenda. Gather the others."
Scott took over as the leader when Professor Xavier became too old to be out in the field. They had an agreement though; they would only do missions either approved by all the team members or ordered by the professor himself.
The X-Men had become quite large now. They had Scott and Alex, Jean, Ororo, Logan, Sean and Piotr. Their fellowship was good for some of them knew each other since they were young, still being trained by the professor. The younger X-Men today were Bobby, Sam, Kitty, Rogue, and Kurt. They were the next generation. Although somehow juvenile and reckless, they were dedicated to the cause.
Jean walked through the hallway and entered a concealed elevator behind a large portrait painting. When the elevator doors opened, a metallic corridor can be seen. Each door had a circular shape harbouring the letter x as its design.
She went inside a room where the rest of the X-Men were in. Inside was Logan, Piotr and Alex, the Wolverine, Colossus and Havok respectively. Logan and Piotr were sparring in hand to hand while Alex was watching them.
"Gear up boys, we're heading to Oslo." She said as she grabbed her own equipment; a white leather suit with a pink, green, and black accents running through each side of the turtle neck to the side of the boot.
"About time." Logan said.
"Finally!" Alex exclaimed. "It's been weeks since we've had a taste of real action."
The three men went from idle to busy as they prepare their equipment for the upcoming debacle.
"Chuck's too protective of his X-Men." Logan asserted as he wore his gloves. "It's been two months since our last battle. Slim's the leader now and we still wait for a go signal."
"Can't you just trust him Logan?" Piotr said while putting on his gear.
"I trust him, but I think that he should also trust us a little bit more."
"Wow," Alex remarked as he wore his navy headgear. "For the first time, I think I agree with you."
Then they heard a voice. A distinct speech entering in their minds, echoing. It was they're professor calling them from their heads; 'To me, my X-Men.'