Show & Tell (New Mutants 1.2: Chapter 3)
Title: Show & Tell (The New Mutants 1.2: Chapter 3)
Author: kanedax
Rating: PG
Spoilers: X3, Previous Chapters
Summary: Sean explains his job
Notes: Original chapter can be found here.
I don't own these characters. They belong to Marvel, Disney, and 20th Century Fox.
The Life of Brian / Previous Chapters / Party Time
“Let’s not beat around the bush. Everyone knows why you’re here.”
Sean Cassidy's voice, with its thick Irish accent, echoed through the expansive room, covered from floor to ceiling with some unknown metal. The professor paced back and forth, the green and yellow sweater set from yesterday replaced by a dark green leather uniform, gold trim running along the arms.
“Dr. MacTaggert can teach you science," he said, his eyes passing over Lucas Bishop, Arthur Centino, Alison Blaire, Remy LeBeau, and Jimmy Cameron. "Professor Frost can teach English, history, and philosophy. Mr. Forge can teach you how to build an engine from scratch. But those things are taught in every other school, every other college, in the country. They’re the fringe benefits to your true purpose. I am your real purpose.”
He paused for dramatic effect. His face was serious, but his eyes shone with a glimmer of excitement.
This isn’t the dope who was sitting in front of us yesterday, Lucas thought, the one who Theresa was embarrassed to be related to. And it goes beyond the new outfit.
This guy’s got an edge to him.
“Mutants.” The word rang through the huge room. “I’m a mutant. Professor Frost and Mr. Forge are mutants. Mr. Drake and Miss Pryde are mutants,” he said, motioning to the two teenagers behind him, one sitting, the other leaning against the back wall, both dressed in black leather uniforms similar to his own. "You are a mutant.”
Cassidy placed his hands behind his back. Two large pieces of lightweight green fabric, attached to his arms and sides like wings, flapped gently as he moved.
“There are many, many of us in the world,” Cassidy said. “Honestly, it's a number that's growing faster than we can count them. There are more than most would believe. More than many would want to believe. The general public was given a glimpse of our numbers when The Cure was released. Hundreds of mutants lined up lined up that day. Those seeking a cure were just a fraction of our total population.
“Mutation can take on many forms," he continued, pacing back and forth across the steel floor. "For every mutant who can control metal, turn into rock, or blast a hole through a battleship, there are literally a hundred whose mutation is nothing more than a sixth toe, a little webbing on the hands, or the ability to make rainbows come out of their fingertips.”
“That’d make one hell of a bar trick,” Arthur said, drawing the laughter of the group.
“The truth of the matter is,” Cassidy continued with a smirk, “that most mutants are Class 1 and Class 2. They don’t need our direct assistance, as their mutations are minor enough where they can easily get by in the world without any special training or education. They're not a danger to themselves or others. You, however, are different. Your powers were registered by Cerebro as Class 3 or better. Your potential is high. And, honestly, the risk to yourself or others is just as high. Just as real.
“That’s where I come in.”
Sean removed a small device from his belt and pressed a few buttons. Jimmy and Alison jumped in their seats as a brick wall appeared out of thin air next to him.
“This is the Danger Room,” Cassidy explained. “It serves two purposes. The first is as a training room for the X-Men, the group of former students and faculty, like Bobby and Kitty back there, who do the whole world-saving bit. If you choose to stay on after you graduate, there may be a place for you in their ranks. But the second function is far more important. This is the room where you will train. And I don’t mean ‘train’ as in fighting big, nasty robots. I mean ‘train’ as in focusing your power, harnessing your power, and ultimately controlling it.
“After that happens," he said, leaning against the wall as if it were solid as the real thing, "when you feel, and we feel, that you can use your powers responsibly, you can decide what’s next. Stick around. Help out the school and the students who come after you. Possibly join the X-Men. Or just head out the front gate and live your life. Mutations can take on many forms, and can also serve purposes beyond fighting the Big Evil.”
He paused, smiling.
“Take mine, for instance,” he said. The words didn't leave his mouth so much as boom out, as though he were speaking into a megaphone turned up to its highest level. It was so loud, in fact, that all five of the students jumped in their chairs, covering their ears.
“My mutant ability to control my voice,” he continued, now returned to normal volume, “has a multitude of uses. I can increase the volume. Perfect for lecture halls, football commentary, or talking in really loud pubs.
“Or throw it…” his lips said, with voice coming from behind them, the far end of the room. “Fun for ventriloquist acts. Lower the pitch...”
He again opened his mouth. No one could hear anything coming from it. However, within a few moments, everyone in the room was reaching for their suddenly rumbling abdomen. The feeling just as quickly left them, however, as soon as he closed his mouth.
“That one’s good for crowd control,” he said, almost giggling in spite of himself. “Nothing’ll stop a riot quite like some fun intestinal problems."
"Never do that again," Alison growled, her hands still clenching her stomach. Lucas knew how she felt. He thought he had been a split second away from filling his pants.
"Finally," said Sean, ignoring the students mumblings, "there’s this…”
Cassidy opened his mouth again, and the room was filled with a high-pitched squeal. He threw his arms out, and slowly lifted off the ground, the cloth under his arms flapping with some unfelt wind.
“Vibrating air molecules,” his voice announced to the room, his mouth never moving. His head turned towards the brick wall, and the students threw their arms up to shield themselves from the sudden explosion. Fragments of red stone faded into thin air before they could slam into the metal wall or the mutants' flesh.
Cassidy glided gently to the ground, and the wailing ceased.
“One of the first lessons you will learn at Xavier Academy,” he said, adjusting his "wings" with a flap of his arms, "is that no one here should be ashamed of their powers. You need to accept that you're a mutant, and everyone else here also needs to accept that. Acceptance starts with knowledge, which starts with education. Everyone here is a mutant, everyone has their own powers. So let's teach each other, and teach ourselves, what we can do.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he announced, motioning for the students to stand and follow him out of the room, "lads and lassies, if you will all follow me, we will begin our first lesson:
“Show and Tell.”
The Life of Brian / Previous Chapters / Party Time
Author: kanedax
Rating: PG
Spoilers: X3, Previous Chapters
Summary: Sean explains his job
Notes: Original chapter can be found here.
I don't own these characters. They belong to Marvel, Disney, and 20th Century Fox.
The Life of Brian / Previous Chapters / Party Time
“Let’s not beat around the bush. Everyone knows why you’re here.”
Sean Cassidy's voice, with its thick Irish accent, echoed through the expansive room, covered from floor to ceiling with some unknown metal. The professor paced back and forth, the green and yellow sweater set from yesterday replaced by a dark green leather uniform, gold trim running along the arms.
“Dr. MacTaggert can teach you science," he said, his eyes passing over Lucas Bishop, Arthur Centino, Alison Blaire, Remy LeBeau, and Jimmy Cameron. "Professor Frost can teach English, history, and philosophy. Mr. Forge can teach you how to build an engine from scratch. But those things are taught in every other school, every other college, in the country. They’re the fringe benefits to your true purpose. I am your real purpose.”
He paused for dramatic effect. His face was serious, but his eyes shone with a glimmer of excitement.
This isn’t the dope who was sitting in front of us yesterday, Lucas thought, the one who Theresa was embarrassed to be related to. And it goes beyond the new outfit.
This guy’s got an edge to him.
“Mutants.” The word rang through the huge room. “I’m a mutant. Professor Frost and Mr. Forge are mutants. Mr. Drake and Miss Pryde are mutants,” he said, motioning to the two teenagers behind him, one sitting, the other leaning against the back wall, both dressed in black leather uniforms similar to his own. "You are a mutant.”
Cassidy placed his hands behind his back. Two large pieces of lightweight green fabric, attached to his arms and sides like wings, flapped gently as he moved.
“There are many, many of us in the world,” Cassidy said. “Honestly, it's a number that's growing faster than we can count them. There are more than most would believe. More than many would want to believe. The general public was given a glimpse of our numbers when The Cure was released. Hundreds of mutants lined up lined up that day. Those seeking a cure were just a fraction of our total population.
“Mutation can take on many forms," he continued, pacing back and forth across the steel floor. "For every mutant who can control metal, turn into rock, or blast a hole through a battleship, there are literally a hundred whose mutation is nothing more than a sixth toe, a little webbing on the hands, or the ability to make rainbows come out of their fingertips.”
“That’d make one hell of a bar trick,” Arthur said, drawing the laughter of the group.
“The truth of the matter is,” Cassidy continued with a smirk, “that most mutants are Class 1 and Class 2. They don’t need our direct assistance, as their mutations are minor enough where they can easily get by in the world without any special training or education. They're not a danger to themselves or others. You, however, are different. Your powers were registered by Cerebro as Class 3 or better. Your potential is high. And, honestly, the risk to yourself or others is just as high. Just as real.
“That’s where I come in.”
Sean removed a small device from his belt and pressed a few buttons. Jimmy and Alison jumped in their seats as a brick wall appeared out of thin air next to him.
“This is the Danger Room,” Cassidy explained. “It serves two purposes. The first is as a training room for the X-Men, the group of former students and faculty, like Bobby and Kitty back there, who do the whole world-saving bit. If you choose to stay on after you graduate, there may be a place for you in their ranks. But the second function is far more important. This is the room where you will train. And I don’t mean ‘train’ as in fighting big, nasty robots. I mean ‘train’ as in focusing your power, harnessing your power, and ultimately controlling it.
“After that happens," he said, leaning against the wall as if it were solid as the real thing, "when you feel, and we feel, that you can use your powers responsibly, you can decide what’s next. Stick around. Help out the school and the students who come after you. Possibly join the X-Men. Or just head out the front gate and live your life. Mutations can take on many forms, and can also serve purposes beyond fighting the Big Evil.”
He paused, smiling.
“Take mine, for instance,” he said. The words didn't leave his mouth so much as boom out, as though he were speaking into a megaphone turned up to its highest level. It was so loud, in fact, that all five of the students jumped in their chairs, covering their ears.
“My mutant ability to control my voice,” he continued, now returned to normal volume, “has a multitude of uses. I can increase the volume. Perfect for lecture halls, football commentary, or talking in really loud pubs.
“Or throw it…” his lips said, with voice coming from behind them, the far end of the room. “Fun for ventriloquist acts. Lower the pitch...”
He again opened his mouth. No one could hear anything coming from it. However, within a few moments, everyone in the room was reaching for their suddenly rumbling abdomen. The feeling just as quickly left them, however, as soon as he closed his mouth.
“That one’s good for crowd control,” he said, almost giggling in spite of himself. “Nothing’ll stop a riot quite like some fun intestinal problems."
"Never do that again," Alison growled, her hands still clenching her stomach. Lucas knew how she felt. He thought he had been a split second away from filling his pants.
"Finally," said Sean, ignoring the students mumblings, "there’s this…”
Cassidy opened his mouth again, and the room was filled with a high-pitched squeal. He threw his arms out, and slowly lifted off the ground, the cloth under his arms flapping with some unfelt wind.
“Vibrating air molecules,” his voice announced to the room, his mouth never moving. His head turned towards the brick wall, and the students threw their arms up to shield themselves from the sudden explosion. Fragments of red stone faded into thin air before they could slam into the metal wall or the mutants' flesh.
Cassidy glided gently to the ground, and the wailing ceased.
“One of the first lessons you will learn at Xavier Academy,” he said, adjusting his "wings" with a flap of his arms, "is that no one here should be ashamed of their powers. You need to accept that you're a mutant, and everyone else here also needs to accept that. Acceptance starts with knowledge, which starts with education. Everyone here is a mutant, everyone has their own powers. So let's teach each other, and teach ourselves, what we can do.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he announced, motioning for the students to stand and follow him out of the room, "lads and lassies, if you will all follow me, we will begin our first lesson:
“Show and Tell.”
The Life of Brian / Previous Chapters / Party Time