Scott is physically unable to stop seeing red.
It doesn’t bother him like it used to, but it’s still almost somewhere on the back of his mind. He can barely remember colours like blue or green, and anything else is only slightly more memorable. His mutation is more of a hindrance than an advantage, even though he’s sucked further into the fighting lifestyle of the X-Men team every time they go out to fight one of Magneto’s goons.
He misses the full colour spectrum, though, and that’s why when the strange, literal other-wordly version of Kitty asks, “Who wants to take the risk?” he is the one to respond, in full knowledge of the potential danger he’s putting himself in.
It can’t be that bad, right? Everyone knows that most mutants are still kids, right?
Other-Kitty walks behind him, cautious and more nervous than he’s seen her in her entire time here. Her hands are shaking when she reaches up with the collar, and Scott does his best not to flinch when it’s settled around his neck.
The first sign that something’s off is how bad it’s chafing. Two sensors are digging into the side of his neck, and the top is pressing uncomfortably into his chin. And this is before the thing is even actually activated.
“I need you to confirm,” Other-Kitty says, and all of her bravado has faded away, and for the thousandth time Scott wonders where her existence diverged from their Kitty’s, “That you consent to having this collar activated, and will not blame me for any physical damage or trauma that it may cause.”
“I’ll be fine,” Scott responds, hoping that he projects confidence, even though he’s starting to get seriously unnerved by the way she’s acting.
Other-Kitty sucks in a shuddering breath, and there’s a beep as she inputs the code into the back of the collar. She only enters one number, pauses, and then activates it.
Immediately, the thing tightens, and Scott chokes. He tenses his hands on the table in preparation, but nothing happens.
It’s… fine?
Hesitantly, he grabs his glasses, preparing to see if his powers have actually been disabled.
And then pain like he’s never felt before explodes through his entire body.
He screams so loudly that it only takes a few seconds for his throat to feel raw, and his hands rise up to claw at the collar. His glasses fall out of his hands and onto the floor, but it’s a distant footnote when he falls to the floor, too. There’s frantic movement around him, but it’s so hard to register, because his entire world is suddenly pain, pain, pain, and god, he needs to get it off—
Then everything drops. His eyes close without him thinking about it, as if willed by another force entirely. He drops like a ragdoll onto the ground, and doesn’t stir until he feels a hesitant hand on his shoulder.
When he opens his eyes, his red-tinted glasses are back on his head, and Jean is leaning over him, looking concerned. “What happened?”
Scott fights his brain for words, but his throat feels raw and the fog that either Jean or the Professor has placed on his mind is still making it hard to focus.
“The design can get more humane,” Kitty’s voice says, and she sounds like she’s panicking. However, when Scott looks up, he remembers Other-Kitty, and finds her to be the one currently speaking. “But there are some sadistic fucks who are going to be satisfied with that design, and I am not apologising for my language on that one, thank you very much. You lot are the only mutant role models that exist in this universe, and so if you don’t want this to be your future, you’re going to have to go out there and remind them about how many human rights violations are being committed against you. There are still going to be misconceptions about you when you’re 90 and, let’s be honest, probably already long dead, and it’s up to you how harmful those are.”
With that piece said, the girl walks swiftly away from Scott and Jean, and collapses into her chair. She’s not at all subtle about curling in on herself, placing her head in her hands and starting to tremble.
Scott picks the collar off the ground, and stares at it for a good ten seconds. Then, he drops it, tilts his glasses slightly askew, and fries the thing swiftly into a mound of metal.
“Kitty’s right,” he finally says. “I don’t want anyone else to have to deal with anything like that. Especially random mutants who have nothing to do with us and our fight with Magneto.”
“I can’t believe we were even asked to test it,” Kurt says, and his voice sounds oddly dull.
Scott finally picks himself up off the ground, and though he doesn’t need it, he allows Jean to be his crutch until he’s back in his chair.
“I do,” Kitty responds, and her voice is cold. “They probably knew exactly what it was when they sent it, too.”
“Do you kids need to take a breather?” Storm asks, sounding alarmed. She’s aiming the question at all of them, but her eyes are trained all the way across the table, where Kurt has moved to lean into Kitty’s side, Other-Kitty is starting to gasp softly, and between the three of them, Rogue is shaking in silent anger.
“That sounds like a good idea,” Jean says before any of them can even try and deny it. Not that Scott feels up to continuing the conversation without at least taking a few moments to lie down and digest his thoughts. “Can we continue this tomorrow morning?”
Other-Kitty gasps, then abruptly phases through her chair. Several people startle, and Kitty looks over with concern in her eyes. She sends a look over at Kurt, who responds by vanishing and reappearing at Jean’s side instead. Jean looks uncomfortable for a few seconds before relaxing, but allows Kurt to take the comfort he seems to need. Kitty sighs, then falls through her chair as well.
After that, the rest of the meeting group begins to break apart. Logan storms out of the doors, quickly followed by Rouge. Scott stands up, but then hesitates after a few steps.
He wants to know what the adults are thinking, because he knows some sort of conversation is going on based on the looks Storm and the Professor are shooting at each other.
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” Scott pipes up hesitantly.
The Professor nods in acknowledgement, and Storm says, “I don’t think that we’re the ones who need to hear that the most.”
Scott thinks of the eerie seriousness that had washed over Other-Kitty, and wonders what he’s even supposed to say.
I’m sorry you had to live through that sounds like a good start, at least.