Dreams and Sacrifices
by Contrail
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and events belong to Marvel. The rest are mine. This story was written in response to Indigo's 'The Fan Experience' challenge. Thanks go to Indigo for coming up with the title. Please ask before archiving.
I walked through the halls towards my locker, ignoring the odd looks and the whispers of 'mutie-lover' that followed me. Opening my locker to get out my books revealed my prize possessions, my rather unusual locker decorations - somewhat grainy photographs of the X-Men in action (well, they were cut out of magazines, but they were the best I could get...) The stares and the whispers and the photo all stemmed from the strange, rare thing I was... a fan of the X-Men.
I took out my bio book and my lunch, then slammed the locker shut. As I walked towards my AP Biology class, my thoughts wandered. I'm not sure exactly why I like the X-Men so much more than the Avengers or the Fantastic Four. Sure, those teams were cool, but I guess I could sympathize more with the outcast X-Men then with those lauded, revered heroes. I knew what being an outcast felt like, being the very shy, very smart, socially inept bookworm that I was. Admittedly, that's not quite the same as the hatred and fear mutants receive just for being them, but I guess I can understand what it must be like more than some.
Or it could be the romantic appeal of the do-gooding outlaw, like Robin Hood and his merry men. I know, the media paints them as dangerous terrorists, but I've read everything about them I could possibly get my hands on. (Okay, so I'm a bit obsessive. What do you expect from a fan?) As near as I can tell, they've almost always been fighting the bad guys who want to destroy things, not been the ones doing the destroying.
I arrive at my class and settle down to work. I need to get good grades in bio if I want to be a doctor that specializes in treating mutants or a geneticist like I dream of being. At least, that's what I dream of when I'm being realistic. Day dreams of discovering my wondrous mutant powers, of being begged to join the X-Men, of fitting into the team perfectly, once common, had been coming less and less so as I got older and still no earth- shatteringly powerful gifts manifested.
Bio ended and I headed to the cafeteria. I ignored the comments and looks again from the popular crowd as I made my way to the table in the back that everyone sat as far away from as possible... Everyone but me and the few others that sat there at the 'mutie' table. I didn't mind so much, it's not like I would've ever been able to sit with the in crowd anyhow.
"Hi, guys!" I said cheerfully, and received four friendly nods in return. I guess Jason must have been sick or something. I sat down next to David, one of the two obvious mutants at the table. He pushed some of his blue and purple calico-like hair out of his eyes with a hand that was covered in matching fur. He was really defensive when I first tried to befriend him, he's looked like this since he was a baby, but once I managed to convince him I really was serious about wanting to be his friend, he turned out to be a big sweetie. Sometimes I wonder if he likes me as more than a friend, but I'm too shy and worried about losing him as a friend to ask.
"Have you gotten the latest issue of the X-Men comic yet, Shelly? Do you think they'll really cancel it?" Nera asked. Her name was actually Nicole, but we all called her Nereid or Nera for short because she can breathe underwater. She brushed a stray lock of teal hair out of her oddly-formed, but still beautiful face.
I nodded. "Yeah, and I don't know. They've considered canceling it before, but the sales figures always came up enough for them not to. Still, I don't think it's ever been doing this badly before. I guess we wait and see."
Nicole nodded in response, and Trevor spoke up. "Even if they do cancel it, we'll always have our own little scribblings and speculations, right Shelly?" Trevor was the inobvious mutant at the table, being able to create small illusions for fun... It was also a very useful talent for getting back at the jocks and all when they became too much of a pain to put up with any more.
"Right. Sorry I haven't written much lately, but school work keeps me busy and I'd catch heck from my parents if I let my grades slip."
Khrista nodded with a wry smile. "I know what you mean about parents. They get so down on me for hanging out with you guys." Khrista was a norm like me, but all of us that weren't visibly mutants got tarred with the 'mutie-lover' brush for hanging around David and Nera anyhow. I still wished somewhat to be a mutant with some interesting or useful ability, even though I know how much mutants suffer because of it. Still, my body didn't seem to be interested in obliging me so I didn't dwell on it. The conversation turned to how exasperating parents can be at times, and thence onto sillier matters for the rest of the lunch break.
We all split up after lunch, and the rest of the day went by in somewhat boring fashion, school being what it is. When I got home, I turned on the TV so I could watch it for a little bit before starting on my homework. I did a double take when I saw what was on the screen. It was them, the X-Men, live! I watched, riveted to the spot as they fought demons in some weird jungle-filled place. When my parents got home, they started to yell at me for watching TV all this time, but their protests died when they saw what I was watching. They didn't exactly approve of my interest in the X-Men, but they knew that trying to pry me away from the TV would be a difficult and painful process.
Mom started fixing dinner, and Dad sat down with me to watching as the X-Men started taking on the head bad guy. I wasn't entirely clear on everything that was going on, but I knew that things weren't looking too good for the X-Men. I started praying for them to make it, and for a moment got my hopes up when the guy with a cybernetic leg (Anvil? Forge? Something like that...) said he could seal the evil guy away forever. But then he said that they needed to sacrifice their lives for the spell to work, and my heart sank.
I hoped against hope that things would stop, that they'd find another way to beat him, as the guy cast the spell. But there wasn't, and he finished the spell and they transformed into light, which was as beautiful as it was sad, and then the bad guy was sealed away and the tears that had been gathering in my eyes spilled over and down my face.
Beside me, Dad muttered, "Good riddance."
I whirled to face him and shouted, "How could you say that?! They gave their lives to save the world, and that's all you can say? I'm ashamed to have you for a father!!"
And with that I dashed up the stairs and into my room, ignoring Dad's shout of "Michelle!!", slamming the door behind me. I grab the pillows and bedsheets and toss them around the room, then flop onto my bed and start sobbing. I barely noticed the thin tentacles that I'd used to throw the pillows and that were now vanishing back into my wrists. My heroes were dead.