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Generation X: Perspectives written by Z and Lady St. Croix
Angelo
I told him not to do it! I told him, I said, "Vato, you don’t gotta prove nuthin’ to him… hell, to any of us. Just cool down." Cool down, yeah, that’s what I told him, but he wouldn’t listen. Ev is like that sometimes, I guess. Maybe I am rubbing of on him after all! My hot-headedness has left me with my gray, distended butt in a sling a few times… I hope Everett’s okay.
It all started because of that game, that stupid game. Man, I hate Scrabble. I’m really gettin’ rusty at it, I guess, cuz I was down, like, 7 billion points. Paige was to my left, and I tried to make myself not look at her tiles, I really tried! I guess I’m just not a real good sport when the chips are down. Jubilee was to her left, makin’ that silly monkey-face she always makes when she’s thinkin’ too hard. And my main man Everett was to Jubes left (and my right), smokin’ us all in this game of chance and verbaledge… Wait, is that even a word?
Anyways, Ev was whippin’ us all real good when Jono came out of the kitchen. Now anybody else would be wondering what ol’ Mr. No-mouth would be doing in the kitchen, but I know! Y’see the kitchen is right next to the door of the den (oh excuse me, the "family room"), and in you stand at the ‘fridge and crane your head just right you can get a good, clear shot of whoever is sittin’ at the head of the table… Not that I’d be in there lookin’ at any of the chicas here, mind you, they’re all strictly pre-school… I’m just sayin’… But like, that’s were Paige was sittin’ and we all know that ol’ Chamber’s got the hots for her, but they been real weird to each other since she came back from seein’ her sick mama up in the hills… Not to mention the fact that he’s got a beef with Everett, ever since Ev synched with his bio-blast and showed us all a thing or three about Jono’s powers. I can’t blame him, though, y’know, a man’s got his pride.
Jono just kind of hovered there for a while, between the door and the big, long sofa, just tryin’ to look like he wasn’t lookin’ at Paige. He had been there maybe 30 seconds when Monet (who was paintin’ her all-too-perfect toenails on the aforementioned sofa) made the remark that would set this whole thing off.
"Well, Jonothon, have you come to play with the other children, or are you just here block the fire exit?"
"Bugger off, M," Jono said… or somethin’ English like that.
Now, had Emma not been jogging and Sean not been in his office this would have ended right there, but when the cat’s away the muties play!
"Maybe you’ve come to see your little gir…" Monet began, but was cut short by Jubilee.
"Ev’s really schoolin’ us right now," Jubes said, tryin’ to defuse the situation. "Isn’t that right, Paige?"
Paige didn’t speak… So I felt the need to. "Who’s got all the damn ‘t’s’, huh?"
"’E wouldn’t be winnin’ if ‘e wasn’t synchin’ with M’s super-intelligence!"
Man, when Jono psi-talks some trash you can feel it in the air around you. It feels dirty and slick like wet newspaper. Even Penance (who was watchin’ TV) and Gaia (who was watchin’ Penance watch TV) turned around in shock.
"Excuse me?" Ev said with borderline disgust.
"You ‘eard me," Jono replied.
"Man, I don’t know what your beef is lately, bud, but you need to chill out!"
"I’ll chill out when you stop snakin’ off all o’ ours powers without askin!"
Now, Ev is my ace, and Jono’s my boy too, and I’d never of figured them the type to get caught up in all of the drama… but funky things always seem to happen to Generation X! Jubes tried to ring the bell and send everyone back to their corners, but the boys wouldn’t have it.
"Your just sore cuz I showed you up with your powers, is that it?"
"Maybe it is… Or maybe it’s because some of us ‘ave wild, primordial powers that we ‘ave to bust our arses to learn to use, while others ‘ave no more than the ability to rip off…"
"I’ll have you know I spend a lot of time workin’ on my synching! In fact, just the other day me an’ Ange learned that I can synch with more than one mutant at a time if I try hard enough!"
"’S at so?"
"Yes it’s so, and I’ll prove it!"
Now that’s when I said, "Vato, you don’t gotta prove nuthin’ to him… hell, to any of us. Just cool down."
Y’see, I remember the time in question, and yeah, it was pretty cool… Synch an’ me an’ Jubes was in the gym and we was practicin’ our hero thing and Ev gets the bright idea to synch with us both. It worked, but it may’ve been a fluke. Ev synched with me and got my "stretchy skin", but when he got in synch with Jubilee he kinda lost it for a minute. Her fireworks were flyin’ from every part of his body, and we had to jump for cover. He held ‘em both for about a minute and then almost collapsed.
Unfortunately, by the time I had said my piece Ev had already started. The air hummed with life. All around Everett light bent and waved like steam off summer pavement. He caught Chamber’s bio-blast again (I guess to add insult to injury) and then he synched Paige’s ‘morph. Things looked real impressive at first as he peeled back the skin from his chest to reveal the glowing energy. Then it got real weird. He started levitating a few inches above the floor, and M’s eyes grew big as saucers when she realized he’d grabbed her powers too. Then his skin started to sag and stretch… and shred as it took on Penance’s diamond-hard look. Sparks flew from his fingers and he tried to smile. We could all tell he was in pain and Gaia screamed for him to stop before he got hurt. When he realized she was lookin’ he became even more intense. Man, romance makes you stupid. This was when Jubilee took off across the room and down the far hall. I guess she knew what was comin’.
The next few minutes were a blur. I just remember Sean stormin’ down from his office into the trashed de… er family room and pickin’ Ev up from the floor. Monet said something about calling Beast, and Sean sent Gaia to find Emma. Then he sent all of us to our rooms while he took Synch to the infirmary. He told us to sort through our stories… I suppose he’ll be around soon to interrogate us… God, I hope Ev’s okay!
Jubilee
I shouldn’t have bolted like that… I shouldn’t have run. I should have stayed there and talked to him. I mean, Everett is my bud, and ya don’t run out on a bud… I guess I was scared, scared and worried about Ev’s safety… I mean he is… special to me… I wasn’t running cuz I was scared, I guess, I was just goin’ to get Sean. I figured he would know what to do. Ev respects him. He listens to him. After all, Sean is the great Banshee; they have that whole male bonding/superhero/testosterone thingy goin’ for ‘em… Oh great, Jubilee, now you’re not just a coward, you’re a coward AND a tattletale!
If Jono hadn’t had such a stick up his butt about the whole him and Paige thing this never would’ve happened! I can, like, understand how tiny it makes him feel when Ev synchs with his powers and shows him up… He’s done the same to me a few times, too. Ev doesn’t mean any harm by it; it’s just how he is. Hey, if he hadn’t toasted that Phalanx drone with my "paffs" we might’ve never gotten out of THAT situation alive! He and Clarice really got us out o’ that jam… Oh, Clarice… it seems so long since I’ve even thought of her. It’s funny how people can be there one minute and gone the next; Blink, mom and dad… It kinda seems like the only person who really didn’t ever crap out on me is Logan. Wolvie, where are ya now? Where are ya when I really need ya? Oh, why the hell should he come runnin’ when I’ve got a prob? He lost his adamantium, and how did I support him? By runnin’ out on him, that’s how!
God, why did I even come here? My place is with him, with the X-men! This stupid school with it’s stupid classes, and its stupid Generation X… with it’s stupid Ev… and… Ange…and all of… the other stupid kids that are my stupid best friends… even when I’m bein’… stupid. Yeah, real mature, Jubilee, blame the people that love you for their own cruel fates and then push all of yer problems off on comin’ to the Academy! Comin’ here’s probably the smartest thing you’ve ever done, girly-girl…
Yeah, we all have our place here… just one big dysfunctional family; Sean and Emma: Papa Blowhard and Mama Mind-Witch, Paige and Monet as the two older sisters who are far too perfect for MY own good, Artie and Leech: my li’l baby bros, cute… in a really weird sort o’ way, Ange and Jono and Ev as the big brothers… and I don’t know WHAT to make of Penance, er, the twins… er, whatever… and don’t even get me started on Gaia! Wait! Ew… ew, ew, ew! Did I say Ev was my brother? Ew, gross, gross, gross… That would mean… ew… I’m gettin’ major wiggins here!
Ev… why’d ya do it? Was it to impress me… or… her? Yeah, that was it wasn’t it, Everett, you were tryin’ to impress Gaia, weren’t you? Well, I hope that you an’ li’l Miss Tied-To-a-Rock-for-Longer-Than You’ve-Been-Breathin’ are very happy together! She’s like 20 times yer age! You realize… Now, now, Jubilee, you’re projecting again… Whoa, I have been payin’ attention in Psych! Wonder why I got a 34 on that last quiz? Maybe it’s cuz my mind tends to wander… oh… yeah…
God, Jubilee, you are such a spaz! I guess I’m not as good at handlin’ a big ol’ crisis as I thought. It’s not for lack o’ practice, though… But, I guess that’s life. We all have to put up with the crap to get to the real cherry stuff. Who is it that said that thing about how into each life, a little rain must fall? Mental note: pay more attention in Lit! This school, these people… they’re all I’ve got now. Yeah, Logan’ll swing by and check on me in-between savin’ the world and shavin’ his back, but me an’ him an’ the X-men are the past… Gen X is the now.
We’ve shared a lot in the time we’ve been together; that whole Phalanx dealy, Bastion and OZT, that St. Croix family reunion… I’m still really fuzzy on that one though… I guess that’s what bein’ a family is about. It’s really easy to forget, but it’s simple… it’s joy and tears and laughter and fighting and making up and learnin’ how to use your in-born, untapped telepathic potential (well, maybe this one doesn’t apply to everyone) and hate and love… Ev… I… I… I am really worried about you… and… just… please be okay… Please!
Monet
Why must I again be punished under the ridiculous pretense that I was somehow involved simply because I was present at the time of this raucous exchange? Is that not guilt by association? Is that not what the forefathers of this backward country fought to alleviate by the foundation of what passes in this land for a judicial system? My role in all of this was minor, to say the least.
I was merely lounging, rather nonchalantly, on the sofa painting my nails and doing my best to ignore the idle chatter of my fellow students as they engaged in their own idle forms of entertainment. Everett, Angelo, Jubilation, and Paige were playing a board game (childish behavior, by any standards), while Gaia and my sis… ahem… Penance watched television. Jonothon had been in the kitchen, and judging from the sounds of his movement appeared to be reading something. After approximately 12 minutes later, Mr. Starsmore made his way into the family room, where the other students and I were enjoying our free time.
Jonothon, brooding as ever, resolved himself to stand in the doorway, halfway between my resting place and the game table around which the other children were seated. After he had tarried there for several minutes (I believe it was 2 and ½) I simply mentioned that he was creating a fire hazard and asked if he had not come to participate in the game that the others were playing. His response was, of course, crass and I, being a lady, dare not lower myself to repeat it. Now, given at this time that I was rather taken aback by his snide comment, I may have mentioned a subject that for some unknown reason remains taboo; the mutual attraction between he and Paige Guthrie.
I will give credit were credit is due and state that (for once) Jubilation and Angelo attempted to dilute the air of malice, rather than compound it… though I assure you that if it had come to blows between Chamber and I, I would have been more than capable of defending myself. Unfortunately, when asked to join the game, Jonothon simply re-routed his misplaced anger towards the Everett. Everett, whom had in the past "synched" with Jonothon’s powers with and without permission, and through various shameless displays of male aggression threatened Chambers tender male ego, responded with no less fire. It was at this time that things began to go horribly awry.
Jonothon accused Everett of synching with my superior intellect in a shameless ploy to win the game (which of course is preposterous, considering that Synch was only ahead by a meager 400 points and with my advanced vocabulary, he should have had a lead of at least twice that). Upset that his model status had been compromised by such accusations, Everett, too, lashed out. At approximately 2:48 PM the events began to unfold that truly led to Everett’s calamity.
Chamber made a biting remark belittling Synch’s genetically endowed synchronistic aura, and in response Synch questioned Chamber’s unfavorable demeanor as of late. This soon devolved to what would have surely become a game of one-upmanship, had disaster not befallen Everett. Everett, showing the slightest hint of a hidden braggart, announced to us all that he was well on his way to mastering his powers to a level at which he could synch with multiple targets simultaneously. Pressured to "prove it" by Jonothon, Everett began to concentrate. Several of the others protested, but Synch had already begun. In a fit of panic, Jubilation flew from the room only shortly before disaster struck.
One by one, Everett began to emulate our mutant abilities. Unfortunately, the power appeared to be more than the young man was prepared for and the resulting controlled implosion of force destroyed much of the family room and more than half of the kitchen. Though I escaped unscathed, my peers seem to be more than a bit shaken by the incident, and Everett himself has been confined to the infirmary for observation. In my opinion, the young man is fine, save, perhaps, a bruised ego… After all, he did have access to my superb physical attributes to protect him.
Penance
Sesame Street… We do not know how to get there, and yet they continually ask us. We would tell them of our confusion, but we seem to be unable to speak. No matter, we are sure they mean no harm. They are so brightly colored and (we are sure) so soft to the touch… much like the great blue man-creature that cares for us all when we feel ill. Well, he does not care for we two, for we are not soft to the touch, we are sharp and jagged and would surely pierce him, which is just as well, since we rarely feel ill. Perhaps he knows how to get to Sesame Street… We shall ask him after he finishes tending to the boy, the dark one with the pleasant eyes… and if we again find a voice.
Loud… The dark boy’s hurt was loud. We remember loud, loud sounds while we were learning about the number two from a strange lavender man. We liked two… we are two… We did not like the noise, but we dared not dig our way into quiet place, not through the soft floor of the sunny room, not again. We remember the last time we dug our way out of the sunny room, we were looking out of the big, big window and we decided to go to the warm outside, and we were in a rush… The handsome man, the tall one with the light, wavy hair said many words about that… words that we can not remember, but words that we know are not said by happy people at happy times, words that are not said on Sesame Street.
It is hard to remember words when we can not speak them, and even hard to hear them sometimes. The small girl, with the almond eyes and dark hair, we can hear her well, and even when we don’t know the words, we understand. Her voice is high and airy, and it bounces around in our head like a song. And Monet, we know her voice because it is ours… it was ours… She was bad, mean to the half-boy, the one that glows… she hurt his feelings… he is such a sad half-boy.
The half-boy and the book girl have much love, but they do not seem to know. We know. We know because we hear them sing about each other, sing with their voices and words and smiles, when no one else is around… except us… we are around. We hear. Monet poked fun at their much love, at their happy song… She is jealous because she has no love, she has no song… she is all alone. The book girl pretended not to hear, but the half-boy… he heard. He was mean to the dark boy… Mean travels… from one person to another, we have noticed this. The dark boy did not like the half-boy being mean to him, the half-boy and he are friends. The grey thing told them to not be mean, but they didn’t listen. The sing-song girl ran away… We think that she has love for the dark boy, and he for her, but he also has love for the new girl. She watches us sometimes, it makes us uncomfortable… She is hard to hear, and even hard to see… she is not of this world.
The dark boy did not like the mean, and he made the world wave… The world always waves when he uses his powers… we all have powers… we are special. It waved a lot. We became scared… we dug a hole to get away from the waving because it made us feel ill. The dark boy popped… mean will make you do bad things… like pop. We were scared and so were the others. We know because we could feel them. We only dug a hole because we were scared; it was only a small hole… We hope we do not get in trouble… We hope the dark boy is no longer ill… he has the most pleasant eyes.
Gaia
I know that I am new to this world, and there is much that I don’t understand, but since I joined up with this group, things have gotten steadily more complicated. It seems to me that the more you are around a group of people, and the more you come to rely on their affection and support, the easier it becomes to hurt them. Perhaps this is the family dynamic.
It began innocently enough; we were all enjoying some free time downstairs in the room that I can only assume was constructed with that purpose in mind. Monet was tending to some personal grooming while Angelo, Jubilee, Paige and Everett were engrossed in some manner of word game. Penance was once again viewing an educational television show, and I (unbeknownst to the others) was busy watching her. Penance is such an amazing creature! It is so hard for even me to fathom that somewhere, locked beneath those many spines and quills lies the minds of two eight-year-old girls. I believe that Penance and I have a sort of kinship… after all, I know what it is like to be trapped.
I have long admired the boys’ ability to get along with each other… Angelo and Jonothan seem to share a common bond and Everett, being the good and friendly person he is, gets along with everyone. Well, until recently, that is. I was quite surprised by Jonothan’s rude behavior (which Paige commented was not that unusual of a phenomenon), but I haven’t the heart to ask for an explanation for he has not once left the infirmary since Everett’s unfortunate accident. Everett’s behavior puzzles me also. From what the others have told me, Everett has always used extreme caution when using his abilities. I am not sure, but...When I was trying to talk some sense into Everett, he gave me the strangest look. I saw a fierce determination in his eyes. My warning went unheeded and he increased his efforts in an attempt to synch with all the mutants in his general proximity. Was this some sort of ploy to win my affection or am I simply imagining things? I’ve known for some time that Everett has harbored feelings for me that go beyond mere friendship, but what am I to tell the boy? While I enjoy his company, I have no desire to have a romantic relationship with him. I am unsure of how to tell Everett this for I fear I would only hurt his feelings and ruin our friendship. I owe Everett my freedom and for that I am forever in his debt.
Jono
Maybe it was just the fact that I actually GOT a letter that I found so shocking. Not havin’ much in the way o’ family ties I’m seldom even present for Angelo’s famous "mail calls." Since I cancelled that subscription to "Guitar World" th’ only thing I could possibly get m’ hands on is th’ junk mail, and Jubilee’s got that market cornered… Christ, that child gets excited over th’ strangest things!
I probably wouldn’t even have opened it had it not been for th’ lack o’ a return address… The upper left-hand corner was bare, save a small ink-smudge. Who th’ hell are you kiddin’, lad, you knew who that letter was from: the tiny, perfect scripting of yer name, th’ perfectly placed stamp, the friggin’ POST-MARK!!! Yeah, I knew it was from Paige, written in some love-sick fever amid th’ crush o’ borin’ farm life and a sick mum… I really didn’t want t’ open it, though. I knew full well that whatever was written within, in that same perfect script, was gonna sting.
It’s easy to talk about feelings when what passes for a voice to a freak like me is stolen by some powerful psychic backlash… It’s easy to be th’ big lover boy when th’ object o’ your affection is leavin’ and you can’t be sure when or if she’ll be back. It’s just hard to stand behind those kinds of feelings once they’ve been "voiced"… for me at least.
"Even though it may be weeks before I return to the Academy, know this, Jonothan Evan Starsmore: that you will spend your nights in my dreams, and your days in my heart."
Though I could quote that letter word-for-word from memory, it’s that last line that haunts me still. That, and the way she signed it: Forever Yours, Paige… "Forever mine," bleedin’ Hell! "Days in my heart"… days in my heart… And what’d you give her upon her return, boy-o? Bullocks, bullocks and not so much as a "Good day, Paige." You’d think a fellow who’d blown off his own torso wouldn’t be so scared of a girl and her feelings.
Had that letter come before she actually returned, or not even come at all, everyone would’ve been much better off… ‘Specially poor Ev. Way to go, Jono, in addition to alienatin’ th’ only girl who’d give a monster like you th’ time o’ day, you also show your arse around your friends and half-kill a guy who’s like a brother to you… Good show, old man, good show.
I remember it so clearly, how it happened, but I feel so removed from it now. Like when I had my accident… like it wasn’t really me there… like I was watchin’ the tele or something… Somebody else’s problem, somebody else’s pain. I’d gotten up from the kitchen table (where I’d foolishly gone to read my new-found treasure) and walked into the living room to discover that Everett was kicking everybody’s arse at scrabble. Jubilee was busy making faces, Angelo was peeking at Paige’s tiles (*ha* the fink!) and Paige...she was sorta pouting with those beautiful lips of hers and her reading glasses were just at the tip of her nose...I mean, it’s so weird! One minute she’s Miss Goodie-goodie, the next she’s grabbin’ your ass after having to much to drink! … Sorry, this is a bit off the subject...
So anyway, I was minding my own business when Monet, being SO proper and all, asks me, "Well, Mr. Starsmore , have you come to play with the other children, or are you just here to block the fire exit?"
Being no stranger to a quip, and since I was all but lookin’ for a fight I told her to piss off. Oh yeah, Starsmore, you really showed her!
"Maybe you’ve come to see your girl," she responded.
Now that got to me. This .... thing... between me and Paige isn’t any of her business. I tell you, this new M can push all the right buttons, but that’s no excuse for what happened next.
"Ev’s really schoolin’ us right now. Isn’t that right, Paige?", Jubilee asked.
Angelo just demanded to know who had all the damn "t’s".
Looking back on it, Ange and Lee were trying to cut me some slack and change the subject, but what did I go and do?
Being my usual sunny self said, "He wouldn’t be winnin’ if he wasn’t synchin’ with M’s super-intelligence!" Now THAT got everyone’s attention.
"Excuse me?" Ev asked sharply.
"You heard me."
Truly this wasn’t one of my finer moments. Ev is truly a class act, a real stand-up guy. The idea the he would be cheating at scrabble by synching with M is ridiculous, but remember who said it, now.
So Ev got ticked off and really called me on a couple o’ things. "Man, I don’t know what your beef is lately, bud, but you need to chill!"
I told him I’d "chill out" when he stopped snakin’ off all of our powers without askin’! It’s just so easy to take everything out on Ev. He’s just too nice for his own damn good! ...I’ve never had that problem...and for some reason, I took everything out on Synch. I mean everything! M’s snide remark, the fact that...You have to understand; the hole in my chest hasn't always been this big... I had to learn how to control my powers before they burned up the rest of my body and I lost a few chunks along the way...and then here comes Everett, who not only knows how to use my powers, but he can use them a hell of a lot better. It’s just so cruel! I can barely keep my powers in check and Ev... Life’s just cruel, I guess.
So anyway, Ev ranted about how hard he has to work with his powers and said to me, "In fact, just the other day me an’ Ange learned that I can synch with more than one mutant at a time if I try hard enough!"
"Is that so?"
"Yes it’s so, and I’ll prove it!"
I didn’t actually think he would synch with everybody, I thought he was just gloating, to be honest. Anyway, he started synching to everyone (me first, of course) and then things started to get hairy. Gaia tried to get him to cool down and stop, but what does he do?! He starts pushing himself even more and the situation becomes downright dangerous. What was he thinking!? Everett is usually so responsible...I can’t believe he pulled a stunt like that! ...Anyway, Jubilee ran down the hall to get Banshee I guess, and it’s like... everything ran in slow motion. Ev started screaming and then I felt it... the incredible strain he was under. The pain was starting to overwhelm him and he was starting to lose control, it was like something was tearing his body apart… Like it was on overload. At first I thought I was in pain and started to scream (well, sort of) right along with him, it was like I was set to explode...and then I realized... "SHITTIN’ HELL! EVERYBODY OUT, NOW!"
I don’t know if anyone heard me over the roar but we all ran out of the den as fast as we could and well...boom...and I felt everything... It was kinda like when my powers first manifested, only the explosion wasn’t as big... and there were no casualties... He held on for as long as he could. I figure I must’ve passed out because the next thing I remember was being in bed and Ms.Frost was there with a look on her face between concern and fury. She filled me in on what happened and told me that Ev was in the infirmary. She didn’t really speak on how Everett was doing, but I get the feeling that it’s serious. Jeez, you poor sod, what were you thinking?! Hell, what was I thinking? Maybe... If I had just kept my big mouth shut, metaphorically speaking, this wouldn’t have happened... If I hadn’t pushed him... I might be partly responsible for the life of one of the few friends I have...Why won’t Miss Frost look me in the eye when I ask about Synch?!
God...You and I... haven’t been under the best of terms ever since you played this horrible joke on me they call the x-factor, but if...by some miracle...Synch pulls through... Hell, I’ll build you as many churches as you want.
Paige
It all started (as the most horrible of predicaments often do) without the slightest warning. The guys and I were playing Scrabble when Jono, being his usual moody self, started an argument with Ev. In all fairness, before the argument started Monet was poking fun at my and Jono’s ... relationship... if you want to call it that... and that probably didn’t help his already sour mood. Anyway, what started out as a "Battle of the Egos" soon turned into a nightmare when Ev tried to prove himself by synching to everyone and pushed himself way beyond his limits. I’ve already been by the infirmary to check up on him twice today, but there’s still been no change in his condition. No better, no worse. I feel a little better now that Dr. McCoy is here, but if Ev doesn’t make any progress soon I’ll... we’ll worry ourselves gray! Just look at Skin! Oh, listen to yourself, Paige, you’re making bad jokes to cover up how worried you are… Is that any way for the future leader of the X-men to behave?
As if I wasn’t upset enough about Everett, I’m concerned about Jubilee also. I still can’t figure out why she shot out of the room like that. It’s just not like her to ignore a dangerous situation. Did she somehow know what was coming, or could she just not bear to see someone she cared about in such peril? She’s taking this really hard. It’s so obvious she’s into Synch, but he either doesn’t notice or is too chicken to tell her he wants to be with Gaia instead. Men! Why can’t they just make up their minds? Ugh!
I’m going to check on Ev after calculus… Jono’ll be there, no doubt. I haven’t said much to him lately because I honestly don’t feel like arguing, especially now. Why is it that every time a guy takes a step forward in a relationship, he immediately retreats? I mean, before I left for Kentucky, Jono made this big deal about how much he loves me and when I came back he brushed me off like some sort of… coward. What the heck?! We’re so I’ll-never-let-go-Jack in love, but when we finally express our feelings to each other he turns around and treats me like I’m some kind of leper... The way he’s been actin’ lately, not just to me, but to all of us…and now this thing with Synch… It’s like he’s someone else. It’s like he’s some sorta unfeeling thing… that I helped create. I think it had something to do with the letter I sent…
I sent it months ago, but (to my knowledge) it never arrived. I figured it’d been lost somewhere… mailed to Borneo of somethin’… compliments of the good ol’ reliable U.S. Mail. Part o’ me hoped that Jono’d receive that letter and somehow magically be able to admit his feelings openly again, and part of me just wished… prayed… that he would never see it. I wrote it amid a moment of real vulnerability during my time at home, and I guess that’s a side of me that I don’t know if I’m comfortable showin’ him now. I was feeling really down ‘cause Momma’s so sick and there was so much pressure pushin’ down on me to be the take-charge kinda gal I am… When deep down I really needed some emotional support. Ah didn’t want to burden Sam since he’s got problems of his own and Ah didn’t want the kids to see how worried Ah was, so Ah figured Ah’d write my dumplin’ a letter. Ah… ahem…I said some really serious things like how much I love him and how happy I was that we were finally together. I had assumed we could be open with each other now. You as--...um...jerk! I go to you for love and support and you chicken out on me!
I don’t know why, but Jono thinks I want to drag him into boring domestic bliss complete with white picket fences and a minivan full of rugrats. Just goes to show how little he knows me. Sorry "luv", but I have a world that fears and hates me to save, I don’t have time to play house with you.
***Sigh*** You’re obviously not ready for a relationship. Fine. It’s not like I’ll drag you to the chapel kicking and screaming, so don’t worry your pretty little head. Just don’t expect me to wait forever on you.
In the meantime, I have a teammate who’s in really bad shape and a bunch of others who are no doubt wrestling with their feelings just like I am. I suppose there’s no time for me to sit around worrying about my own hurt feelings… They need me. I’ve got to be strong… for Ev… for Jubilee… for Jono… for myself.
Everett
When I woke up… or should I say came to things were kinda fuzzy. All I remembered from the past several hours was a collection of muffled sounds and blurred images. Dr. McCoy seemed to think that that was nothing to worry about, and assured me things would correct themselves as soon as the initial shock of renewed consciousness wore off. As always, he was right. The strangest part was the more I remembered, the more I wished I’d simply been content to stay ignorant of the whole matter.
Once I’d finally got my bearings I began to piece the events together leading up to my… accident? It all started to come back to me about the time Beast approached me for a 3rd blood and tissue sample. It all started as a swirl of letters, and from those letters a word emerged… One word: exaggerate. That was the word I had laid down on the Scrabble board before whatever happened happened.
"‘Exaggerate’," I said, "using Skin’s ‘e’, Jubes’s ‘r’ and your ‘g’, Paige! With a double-letter score on my ‘g’ with a triple-word score times another triple-word score, plus 50 points for using all my tiles **again** comes to a grand total of… 221 points for the Synch-man!" Boy, I was feelin’ lucky!
Paige scribbled the scores down on a torn piece of loose-leaf paper and calculated the standings before exclaiming: "My Lord, Ev, that puts you 381 points ahead of me, 419 points ahead of Jubilee, and hmmmmmm let’s see… your beating Angelo by…"
"The game ain’t over, there chica," Skin spoke up, noticeably annoyed. Then, I think he muttered something under his breath in Spanish. I could only make out the word "Yatzee."
Monet glared at us. How dare we make such an ungodly racket while the princess was preparing for the ball! I looked up to see if Gaia was paying attention to me… like winning a game of Scrabble was really gonna be enough to get her to have feelings for me. But, as always her mind was somewhere else. On Penance, I believe.
I remember hearing a noise in the kitchen, and that’s when… when… Chamber walked in? Yeah, Jono came in… and he had something in his hand. It looked like a piece of ledger paper. I wanna say he was tucking it into the breast pocket of his jacket… Oh yeah, that’s it. He tucked it into his jacket and then he just stood there. He just kinda froze. I looked up to toss him a nod, but his eyes were fixed on the floor. It was like he was doin’ his best not to look at something… Something… or someone… Before I could give it another thought, Monet started in on him. Man, that girl’s as mean as she is pretty! She said something about him being in the way, or something. I got un-distracted when Jubilee cleared her throat. She was thinkin’ hard and starin’ at the game board. She had just gone to make her play when Monet again lashed at Jono. This time it was something about him and Paige, something she knew would push his buttons.
The next thing I remember, Jono was… was… talkin’ to me? About me? Yeah, but not like we normally talk, some other way. I only half heard him, but I could tell he was pissed. It was like he was mad… maybe not at me, but I was the target of his rage. He said I’d been spongin’ off of M’s powers, off of everyone’s!
I told him he needed to chill out… Which I suppose was the truth, especially at the time, but Jono’s got some stuff to deal with… issues I guess. His powers almost killed him, and I guess it’s pretty hard to see someone step in and play "part-timer" with your mutant ability… take all the fun and none of the fire. That was still no reason to accuse me of cheating, but Jono’s moody. I guess I was just on edge about the whole Gaia thing, and not in a mood to cut him his usual slack. **Hmph** maybe Starsmore and me have more in common than we thought. At any rate, we were both lookin’ for a fight. Jono implied that I didn’t actually have to work on my powers and I really let him have it.
"I’ll have you know I spend a lot of time workin’ on my synching! In fact, just the other day me an’ Ange learned that I can synch with more than one mutant at a time if I try hard enough!"
"Is that so?"
"Yes it’s so, and I’ll prove it!"
And I did too… sorta. It was pretty stupid of me, I guess. I mean, I had only tried it once, and that time didn’t exactly go the way I’d planned. I put my friends and myself in danger, and I should have known not to try it again… Especially when I was angry. I was being pigheaded, showing out. I don’t know why… Maybe it was to impress Gaia, or maybe just to prove to myself that my powers really are more than an open invitation to mock other mutant bio-signatures. All I know is that the guys tried to stop me, but I wouldn’t listen.
I had already started to synch with Jono when Skin told me that I didn’t have anything to prove, and I think I really tried to stop… I had… I had just opened myself up so wide that the flood of power wouldn’t stop. I felt my aura slide into unison with Chamber’s bio-blast, then with Paige’s ‘morphing abilities. That was all I had intended to do. I figured it’d look neat and that the skin-husking would keep my real flesh from searing. For a moment there, I almost thought I was in control… I thought that no amount of anger, or power, or circumstances could defeat the almighty Synch. I was the ruler of all I surveyed.
In truth, that feeling scared the Hell outta me. It must’ve been how Magneto felt the first time he realized that he could foil his Nazi captors with by turning their own weapons against them, the way Ms. Frost felt when she found that she could bend the minds of wealthy aristocrats to her whim… How Bastion must’ve felt when he came to know the power of the Prime Sentinels and there role in his campaign to exterminate all mutants.
I looked down into the faces of my friends as I drifted towards the heavens, bathed in their power, and I didn’t see one face fearful, even aware of my ascension to god-hood… Only the concern and love of my new family. Jubilee took off like a shot, fleeing I bet, not for fear of me, but for fear of my safety. Angelo and Gaia continued to scream at me to stop before I hurt myself. M and Paige sat motionless, while Penance dug her jagged body into the soft carpet… And even Jono, who moments before had treated me like his greatest enemy, looked at me with the eyes of a worried friend. That was when I lost it.
My body twisted with the force of primal energy as my skin sharpened, sagged and peeled back like old paint. My feet rose higher from the floor, and Chamber yelled for everybody to run. My world caved in on me. I felt white-hot pain tear through my insides… and then it was over. I was sure I was dead, the demi-god had been devoured by the very elements he commanded… the emperor had no clothes.
My stomach tells me it’s been about 6 hours since my ambition destroyed the den and almost everyone I care about, maybe 1 hour’s past since I woke up from la-la land. Way past dinner time, at any rate. Man, I’d love to walk outta here and go grab a sandwich from the kitchen… maybe an apple and a root beer, and go up to my room. There Ange and Jono and me could step out onto the roof (it’s the perfect place to watch the sun go down) and relax and talk about life, girls, music, whatever… until Monet flies up to disturbs our rap session… like she always does. That’s what we usually do on nights like these. Jonothon brings his guitar and Angelo smokes about half a pack of menthols, and we just talk… about what a boring day it’s been. But that’s not the case today. Today’s been different. And anyway, I don’t think my legs’d carry me that far just yet. I think I hear someone comin’ down the hallway, though… My money’s on Jono, he kinda drags his feet when he walks, it’s an unmistakable sound. We both know we’ve got some stuff to talk about… and maybe then I can have a sandwich. Then it’ll be time to hit the sack, and tomorrow’ll be just another day.
