Chapter 3
Chief is sitting up with a thin arm over his midriff. His fingers idly brush his flesh, not in awe of his toned physique, but in dissatisfaction at an apparent loss in muscle tone.
He stops as the adult mutants enter the room.
Eric greets the young man and registers the suspicious way Chief's shoulders tighten even as he responds with a level, “Hallo.” [“Hello.”]
Eric pulls over the unused chair from the writing desk in the corner and settles in it confidently. Charles stops his chair beside him.
“I thought we might speak in English today,” Eric announces.
The young mutant immediately grimaces. “Wofür?” [“What for?”]
Eric thins his lips in an authorative smile. “Because Charles here does not fully understand German, and it is rude.”
“You vould prefer I eensult heem to eez face?” Chief asks challengingly. He uses an accent that was entirely absent during his clandestine conversation with his peers.
Charles smiles indulgently and gestures with his palms outwards. “I have a thick skin, don't worry.”
“You won't insult him at all,” Eric states sternly. Charles touches Eric's wrist gently, but Chief merely rolls his eyes and leans back.
“Vat do you vant?” the young mutant asks.
“Do you know where you are?” Eric asks.
Chief raises a brow. “Nei-” He sighs. “No,” he corrects himself gruffly.
Eric gives a small nod of acknowledgement to thank the young mutant for trying to be polite. “Charles here runs a school… and a refuge, I suppose, for… young people such as yourself.”
“I haff no need of either,” Chief states bluntly.
“Charles explained to me that you and some others were found in some rather dire circumstances,” Eric continues regardless.
Chief sighs and crosses his arms over his mottled chest. “And vhat does theez haff to do viff you?”
The adults exchange glances. “Eric has similar interests,” Charles explains smoothly. “He's here helping me for the moment.”
“Looks like that Magneto guy on thee eenternet,” Chief mutters dismissively.
Eric freezes momentarily.
“What do you think of him?” Charles asks carefully. “Magneto?”
Chief shrugs. “Von less peerson eeksperimenting on mutant kids,” he declares, giving Charles a pointedly suspicious look.
“Charles is not going to experiment on you,” Eric declares.
Chief curls his lips. “Then vhy can't ve leave?”
“Where would you go?” Eric points out.
Chief leans forwards agressively. “Anyvhere! Avay from heere. Avay from thoze who vould do us harm.”
“No one here means you harm,” Charles insists.
“Vords mean nothing,” Chief states with a frown. He turns away. “Either leet us go or leave us alone. Ve vant nothing from anyvon but our freedom.”
Eric lifts his chin. “You speak for the others?”
Chief looks frustrated. “Who vouldn't vant their freedom after vhat ve haff vent
through?”
Eric presses his lips together. Charles massages his own temples.
“We've managed to track down your friend Remiel's background,” Charles says quietly. “We're ascertaining whether he has anything to go back to.”
Chief is quiet for a beat. “What's that to me?” he sneers, his accent softening a little. “He eez not my friend.”
Eric and Charles take note and exchange subtle glances. Charles presses, “Although you haven't shared your name with us, we've came up with a few possible leads on who you are. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say the most likely match was Floyd-”
Chief flinches tellingly. “Vhy – must – you – keep -talking?” he growls. “Please will you just go?”
“We're trying to help you, Floyd,” Charles soothes.
Floyd chuckles and drops his accent. “If you were as good at digging into people as you think you are, you'd have found out why I don't go by that name anymore.”
Charles blinks and leans forward.
Floyd stands. “Get out,” he growls, “before I ask Remy to show you first hand what his mutation can do.”
Eric gets out of his chair and stands defensively at Charles' knee. Eric's strong chest rises and he opens his mouth to retort.
Charles touches Eric gently. “Relax.” He inclines his head towards Floyd. “I can see it would be for the best if we gave each other some time. Please be assured we are trying to help.”
Charles leads Eric towards the door. Floyd says nothing, merely glowering at them from the edge of his bed.
“You're too nice, Charles,” Eric grumbles once in the hallway. “You cannot just let that little brat threaten you...”
“Eric,” the other mutant intones, “we both know that young man has suffered greatly, as have the others. It's only natural that he acts so defensively. You've displayed that trait yourself many a time.”
Eric makes a noise of displeasure but reluctantly nods his acquiescence. After a beat he turns and looks at Charles somberly. “What is Remiel's mutation anyway?”
Charles drops his gaze for a moment. “I haven't seen it first hand, but what we salvaged from the… that place, and various files about him in existence elsewhere… He can hurt people. His mutation causes him to hurt people very, very badly if he uses it.”
“He seemed so...” Eric trails off.
“The videos and transcriptions suggest the boy didn't want to use his abilities. Naturally their impact on others upset him. But various types found out what Remiel could do, and chose to find ways they could use his mutation to their own purposes,” Charles explains softly.
“Which is why we shouldn't let this sort of thing go unpunished,” Eric protests. “If that kid didn't want to use his powers then… We have seen the sort of methods of persuasion he likely faced.”
“Eric… It wasn't just humans who were running the conversion camp,” Charles sighs.
Eric looks disgusted. “Perhaps we should simply wipe us all from this Godforsaken planet and be done with it.”
“Eric.” Charles reaches for the other mutant's hand and squeezes it. “The world is not all evil. There are examples of its good here every day.”
“And look who you let into it,” Eric states quietly. “That Floyd boy threatened you. With harm. And you let me walk about your halls-”
“Eric,” Charles intones. “Breathe. There's plenty of good in everyone if we can only persuade it out. People react badly when they're scared. They come around.”
Eric's lips twitch. “Are you trying to indoctrinate me again, Charles?”
The other mutant laughs throatily. “Is it working for once?”