"Someone call an ambulance! Bobby froze his girlfriend!" A voice yells from within the school. Soon I'm surrounded by red and blue lights, too stunned to think to get out of the way. I look to the frozen figures of Victor and Judy.
"I'm so sorry." I whisper, unheard over the wailing of sirens.
"Freeze... Er I mean don't move and put your hands in the air." A cop orders me. He's pointing a gun at my chest. I do as he says, noticing the other policemen around me out of their cars.
For a moment no one moves. Then a frantic woman with straight black hair in a pencil skirt braid through the police blockade. "He killed him!" She screams, throwing herself on an officer.
"Ma'am you have to stay back." He says calmly.
"No! That freak killed my son. That's punishable by death. I'm a lawyer, I would know." She turns to the crowd that has gathered around us.
"Look what his kind has done to our school. It was only a matter of time before they committed a murder. Now we must carry out justice." She grabs the gun from the police officer without much resistance and points it at my head. To my horror the officer doesn't do anything to stop her.
Desperate, I search the sea of faces for a friendly one. But all I see are looks of hatred and fear from people I've known for most of my life and even strangers. Finally my eyes settle on my mother's and we lock gazes. I plead with her to speak out against her son's execution, but she finally averts her gaze to the ground. I look to my dad and brother, but they don't even have the courage to look in my direction.
Exhausted and defeated, I obey wordlessly when Mrs. Kim orders me to kneel before everyone. Everything slowly fading into white noise. I squeeze my eyes shut preparing for the crack bullet impacting my skull. Breaking the mind numbing silence. The gun is never cocked.
"You can open your eyes now Mr. Drake, its all right." A soothing masculine voice tells me. Confused, I slit my eyes open to see the officer's gun still pointed at my head, but Mrs. Kim stone still behind it. And so is everyone else. Faces are set in twisted emotions of anger.
Movement from my right causes me to look over. A man in a wheel chair approaches with a much larger man in a blue jump suit with a yellow x across his chest pushing him and Kitty at his side. The man has a head of dark brown hair, but he seems aged behind his years and his hair shows signs of greying. My first instinct is to grab Kitty and make a run for it.
"There's no reason to be afraid. My name is Dr. Charles Xavier, but you can call me Professor and we're here to help you." The voice says again. But I can't tell from whom it came from since all of their mouths are closed. Then I realize that one of them said it in my head.
"You're mutants." I say.
"Yes we are." The man in the wheel chair replies. "And Kitty here has explained to me your situation. We are here to help if you let us. I have a school, an institution if you will, for gifted youngsters as yourself to experience higher learning that will better enable you to control your abilities. And in turn you can help us, the x-men, bring peace between mutant kind and the humans.
"Or you may stay here and face whatever misguided judgement these people choose bestow on you. It's your choice."
I look between Charles, Kitty and the big man and the still raging crowd. Then my eyes wander over to Judy and Victor. A question weighing down my thoughts. "Did I-?"
"No, you did not kill them Bobby, I can still detect brain activity. You are no murderer. However, that fact alone will not convince them to change their hostility. I do have influence in the judicial system and can help you out if-"
"I'll do it." I look to Kitty and she gives me a tight smile.
Charles grins as well, sticking out his hand for a shake and I take it. The big man pats me on the back. "Excellent." He turns to the bigger man. "Hank prepare our ride, we're heading head home."
**
The ride to Charles' place was awkward. Kitty and I sat in the back while Charles sat in the passenger seat with Hank at the wheel. The whole time Kitty glared anxiously at Hank as if they had some sort of history.
A few times Charles attempted to ask questions, but he got no more than one word answers from us. Eventually he gave up with conversation and we recede back to tense silence.
After a long car ride we finally arrive at Charles' house, or more accurately, mansion. I lean my head to the side of the window as I take in the vast property and notice Kitty do the same. Huge metal gates swing open as Hank drives in. There's a sign covered in ivy and tarp at the entrance under construction.
The mansion is huge. With two tennis courts, a basketball court, gardens and acres of land beyond what I can see. There is no one else but us here, causing the area to have an air of serenity and appear like a safe haven. Kitty and I exchange a glance of astonishment.
The car pulls up at the circular drive way. Standing at the front door is a guy in a tight, black which shows off his muscles and a long, black cape cascading off his shoulders. Strangely, he has a black mask with tiny ears sticking out of the top of his head, causing him to look cat like. He stands with his hands behind his back waiting. Even though I can't see his eyes I can feel his impatience boring into me, causing me to look away.
"Alright children welcome to my home I hope you can make yourselves comfortable while Hank and I sort out some legal issues." Charles says. Hank gets out of the car.
"Who's that?" I say, meaning the tall and brooding character st the front.
Charles rubs his temples. "Oh yes. We have a visitor. Let me introduce you to his majesty Prince T'Challa of Wakanda, heir to the throne and soon to be Black Panther." Hank helps him out of the car and then opens the door for us to get out too. Kitty tentatively steps out, unsure of the critical gaze of the prince. I subconsciously step slightly in front of her protectively.
"Good afternoon Your Majesty," the professor begins, but he's cut off the dark serious tone of the Black Panther.
"Is this your plan Professor? Pubescent teens? If I knew you were going to insult me, I would have been on my way to the Massachusetts Academy by now." I almost cringe at the harshness in his tone, though Charles seems unfazed.
"If your kingdom is facing the kind of danger I think it is, then you're going to need our help. And theirs. We have discussed this already. They're not much younger than you are, why don't you help them by training? It'll help speed up the process." Charles says wheeling himself into his home. Leaving a fuming prince behind him.
T'Challa says nothing. He takes a deep breath and walks away from the mansion.
"6am sharp." He says in a heavy African accent. Kitty I just look at eachother and nod. He doesn't slow down and enters a black car that was waiting for him. Soon it disappears out of the driveway.
"That was- " I start.
"Dramatic." Kitty says. Then I chuckle and she does too, hardly suppressing her huge grin.
Although I am glad that you two are getting a long, we have a quite a lot to get through today. I suggest you come inside. Hank wants to see you first, just for some small tests while I sort out the paperwork.
"C'mon." Kitty says grabbing my arm. I smile, but then the pain and memory of today suddenly hits me and I hesitate.
"Are you okay?" She asks worry etched in her features.
I shrug it off. "Yeah I'm fine."
She doesn't look convinced. "You didn't kill them you know. You're not who they say they are." She says.
I nod. "I know." I reply quietly, trying not to let my voice crack.
She cocks her head and looks at me with her intense green eyes. "Okay, well talk to me if you need to okay?"
"Okay." Then an idea comes to me to change the subject.
"You know the professor never specified where Hank was and I bet his mansion's huge. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if we took the scenic route through the back."
"Bobby!" Kitty protests.
"Beat ya there." Then I race a head. Leading her to where I though I saw a pool, with every intention of pushing her in.
Finally this chapter is donezo! Sorry it took so long to update just needed to make sure I was plotting it the way I wanted to.
Anyway I think it's at least 7/8 as good as the last one, but what do you think? And what did you think of T'Challa being a worried teenager/young adult?
Till next time!
- Ivy