Winds Of Change
“A season is set for everything, a time for every experience under heaven: A time for being born and a time for dying, A time for planting and a time for uprooting the planted.”
“And so we enter the season of grief, as we honour and remember the lives of Charles Francis Xavier and Jean Elaine Grey-Summer. We remember them as teachers, lovers, parental figures, heroes… X-men. We honour them by continuing to fight for their dream, for mutants and humans to live in harmony. “ said Kurt aka Nightcrawler finishing his speech.
In front of him not one dry eye, students new and old alike all reunited for the double funeral held behind the school. Ororo aka Storm looked around her, Scott's seat empty. He had decided to sit this one out. A shame she thought but grief takes different forms. She was far from alone though next to her were the academy alumni, Warren aka Angel, Bobby aka Iceman, Alison aka Dazzler and tons of her current students. At least two out of the five four og X-men had made it. The ceremony took an end with people coming over to the two graves and leaving flowers.
Ororo walked to the graves shakingly, her usually so statuesque and regal. She had lost her best friend and confidant and her adoptive father in the space of only two months. All thanks to the Phoenix. The worst thing to happen to the X-men she thought to herself. She took her strength and put the two bouquets on top of the already huge piles. The sky darkened and rain started to pour. Kurt looked back at her, Ororo standing in the middle of the two graves rain pouring down her long white hair. The guest went inside to hide from the rain, Kurt walking towards Storm, reached a handout. She took it and they walked back inside together. Storm lifted her head to show strength. She had to, people were going to look at her for answers now. Charles had put her in charge of the school and Scott in charge of the team.
The blue devil and the African Goddess walked hand in hand as the swarm of paparazzi took pictures of them. The paparazzi had been as respectful as possible for the duration of the ceremony, staying on the other side of the gate only taking pictures from time to time but all their patience had run out. They shot the door shielding them from the wave of flashes. Lightning struck, thunder roared, and the flowers next to the graves became drenched. As Kurt said there is a time for everything, and right now was the time for privacy as they grieve as a family.
Seeing red had a double meaning for Scott. His mutation granted him the ability to generate a red-coloured beam that came out of his eyes. However, he was seeing red for another reason, simply said, rage.
The X-men leader was angry, at himself, at god, at the universe. He had lost his mentor, the man who shaped him, who thought and gave him everything in life.
And Jean, his everything…
Inside the danger room, the widower let his built-up emotions out. Blasting every target without his usual precision. His attacks were messy, emotional, and personal. He shouted as his beam grew in severity. He destroyed the target in front of him, his beam now attacking the wall. Sensors singing their alarm indicating that he’s causing damage to the machine, leaving a burning smell. He ignored this, needing to get this rage out of his system.
He finally stopped, the intense demonstration of power had exhausted him. He fell to his knees and tears followed.
Upstairs Warren, Ororo, Kurt, Bobby, and Dazzler were all gathered in the kitchen. Remembering the dead by sharing tells of them. Bobby making everyone laugh as he recounts when the Professor caught him using his credit card to buy gay porn.
“There is nothing to be ashamed about your sexuality young man I would just prefer if you used your own money to do such things…” Said Bobby imitating the way Charles spoked.
“I can’t believe you did this” Acclaimed the blonde mutant pop star known to the world as Dazzler.
“Please this is nothing compared to the mission in Vancouver.” Said Warren teasing Bobby.
“What mission?”
“Nothing worth retelling” Retaliated Iceman shutting down the conversation.
Ororo expressed her gratitude for their presence. They took turns catching up with each other. Warren was living in L.A. finishing his master’s degree sharing his apartment with Bobby. Dazzler was nomade, travelling around the world, living the superstar life. She had become a real beacon of hope for the mutant cause. With her work, and the numerous achievements of the X-men being a mutant was starting to become more and more acceptable. In certain age groups, it was even considered “cool”. But cool was the last word any of them would have used to describe what it was like living as a mutant…
Katherine Pryde was a fifteen-year-old high schooler, living with her parents in Worcester, Massachusetts. She dreamt of working at Stark Industries or Oscorp, to develop new technologies. She had a passion for mechanics and a natural talent for working machines. At age seven she had already built a functional car for her Barbies. Needless to say, she had the potential to do some great things in her life, but she felt like she was wasting her life right now.
She was in math class, advanced calculus. She had already been upped to a senior thanks to her grades but that didn’t stop her teacher from torturing her. Torture was a strong word, but Kate was even stronger-minded. Her teacher had ordered that she stop answering questions because the rest of the class wasn’t participating which frustrated her. The teacher asked her question for the third time with no one answering. Kate was raising her hands, doing so against her teacher's will. Her teacher finally gave in tired of waiting. The fifteen-year-old genius gave the correct solution.
The rang bell, and the students ran out of the class. Kate took her time as she always did, she didn’t fit with the rest of her scholars. She was seemed as uppity, a smart ass. Others calling her Kitty, which she hated. This was done to humble her, to show her that she was still just a kid like the rest of them no matter what her IQ said. She walked to her locker as a group of students laughed looking at her. She searched for the reason for their laughter only to find the terrific truth. Her locker had been defaced, and written in dark brown letters were the words “Shut Up Jew!”
Her face turned red, the students continued to laugh at her. She felt the air becoming hotter and thicker. She was having difficulty breathing, she dropped to the floor, her books and supplies spilling all around. She tried to take a deep and calm breath but the teasing made it impossible. She stopped breathing and SWOOSH!
Her body phased through the floor, and she fell on the other story. Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at her. Fear inhabiting their eyes. She has just shown the secret that she had been hiding for now over a year. She was a mutant! She ran away phasing through the wall and running outside.
Without a powerful telepath to control the cerebro, the X-men had to wait to learn the news of a mutant sighting like everyone, through the media and internet. They were three hours late to the whole media frenzy. Cops and press surrounded the Pryde residence. The BlackBird, the X-men high tech plane had to land in a nearby field because of the lack of space thanks to the vans of journalists and police cars occupying the streets. The media attention turned to them as Storm, Nightcrawler, Iceman and Angel walked towards the house in full costume. The two og members had joined them since Scott was in no state for a mission.
They were both bombarded by questions. “What’s going to be her code name? What are her powers? Will she replace Jean on the team? Where is Cyclops?” They ignored them and walked to the police. Storm talked to the police and they let them through. Iceman, Angel and Nightcrawler stayed back just in case.
Ororo knocked on the door and Kate’s parents opened the door. She presented herself as a principal of Xavier’s School For Gifted Youngsters she started her usual speech about Kate being a mutant, and the protection and education the school will grant her only for the mother to cut her off.
“Thank you we already know of you and frankly you’re not the best option for our Kitty.”
Storm taken back questioned them. “Best option?”
“My dear did you really think you were the only mutant school” said a blonde woman walking up the steps.
“Emma Frost, I’m with the Massachusetts Academy. Nice to meet you.” Said the woman as she reached her hand to shake Ororo’s.
Ororo was in pure shock… Another school for mutants?
“Oh, I know what you think. How can this be? Well, times are turning, and you were bound to have competitors. You out of everyone shouldn’t be moved by winds of change.” She said with an arrogant smirk.