The Once and Future Things

[marvel_boy]

One could learn a lot about the future from the past. That was what Topher was learning by observing the students at the Xavier Institute, watching new relationships echo old ones, noting how old family feuds still existed but took on new and bizarre forms, and seeing how people with similar powers eventually developed similar personalities. For example, the relationship that was developing between his cousin Rachel and Brooke Wyngarde amused and worried him, considering the history between the Wyngardes and the Greys. Plus there was the fact that Brooke tended to expel negative energy the way that most people expelled carbon dioxide. (Except for the ironically, ridiculously conveniently named Willow Woods. She'd actually developed some sort of plant-affinity and took in carbon dioxide and expelled oxygen. Handy to have around if you were ever trapped in a dark, dank room, he figured.) He'd actually spent a day shadowing Brooke, sucking in her energy before he realized that if he spent too much time with her, before soon, he would be knocked out and Animus would be set free.

( Given his family's history... )

He could do this. He could grow into being a strong, capable, dependable leader. He could learn from the past and bring the X-Men into a brighter future, if they already weren't by the time he was old enough and ready enough to lead. After all, he was learning from the past, and that was one of the best things anyone could do, right?

Violence Hits Home

[crawler_kid]

Though her schoolwork was sometimes putting more time constraints on her, Angel did rather enjoy her job.  Teaching gymnastics to tweens at a local gym was good work, and she was good at it, and it was good experience for when she became a teacher.  And, thankfully, very few kids or their parents had had much problem with her being a mutant.  Only one parent had pulled their kid.

Granted, it had been after trying to get her removed from her job, but her bosses had backed her up.  That had been a rather pleasant surprise, truthfully.  True, she did have to answer more than a few questions about how things like her hands or tail worked (and several about how long it took her to dry out after a shower), but that was all right.  Those questions were born from curiosity, not hate.

She stepped out onto the street and zipped her jacket a little higher.  True, with a coat of fur, she had more protection against the elements than most, but it was still rather chilly.  She checked her watch.  Aiden should be there in the alleged car in a few minutes.

As she walked down to the corner where Aiden was going to pick her up, she was faintly aware that people were coming up behind her.  She clutched her gym bag a little more tightly.  One didn't grown up with instructors like Logan and Auntie 'Ro around without developing extraordinarily good survival instincts.  Sounded like four... no.  Five.  Definitely five of them.  She spared a very brief glance over her shoulder to confirm her guess and found she was right.  All men, probably in their thirties or older.  Two of them were carrying baseball bats.  Judging by the lack of mitts, they probably weren't on their way to a pick-up ballgame.

( (cut for violence) )