The Day After - For WearingtheStars

[helpdesk_hero]

He knows it the second he wakes up. Because there's this void in his head. Can't explain it, can only say it's wrong. As deeply wrong as anything has ever been in his life. Of course the only reason he even woke up was because of all of the shouting. The fear and the pain. And David swallows hard because he's reaching and there's nothing.

Which is what gets him grabbing at his jeans and a t-shirt, throwing himself out of the room, barely even acknowledging Josh as the gold-skinned idiot wakes up. No, his concern is the room across the hall. Is pushing past people so he can pound on it. Billy.

"Billy!" he shouts through the door. He should have fought harder when Emma found out they were dating. He shouldn't have let people change their rooms. He should be in there, knowing if Billy is feeling this same emptiness too.

An emptiness that can't just be David, because he thinks he just saw a girl that used to have purple skin and horns walk by. Without either of those.

"Billy, open up! Dammit, Jay, if you're in there, open the door, I need to see Billy."

Comments

[helpdesk_hero]

"Not like humans haven't been trying," David points out. There have been people going for extermination or 'curing' them. It's bad. "If I had to make a guess? On this kind of scale, that suddenly, with none of us knowing? Someone's either playing with time, or magic."

Or both?

[wearingthestars]

That prompts an almost guilty look on Billy's face, abruptly remembering his strange awakening, and worrying for a moment that maybe it's not a coincidence that whatever it was happened to him at the same time as all this?

"...You think they did it on purpose?"

[helpdesk_hero]

"Something like this?"

David frowns. Yeah, he has to think that this is on purpose.

"I wish I could say. If Doctor Strange was in here he could tell you, no doubt. But I don't know magic. I have to think there is some degree of intention involved."

Because this is an attack on mutant kind.

[wearingthestars]

Billy frowns, and seems...distracted, nodding faintly. "...Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

That anxious static returns, and he carefully releases David's hand.

[helpdesk_hero]

"Hey," David says, as Emma announces classes are cancelled until otherwise stated, "it's okay to be scared. This is scary. But if we know this is happening around the world, you should check in with your parents later."

David isn't ready to talk to his yet.

[wearingthestars]

"Yeah...yeah I know," Billy acknowledges, and he tries to ignore that gnawing feeling. It's David he should be worrying about.

"You wanna talk about it, or am I on distracting duty?"

[helpdesk_hero]

"You really don't have to do that, Billy."

But really, he wants to have that. Because he's... scared of what this means for him.

"You know my parents just want me to be normal."

They aren't mutant-phobes or haters. They're just... they just didn't get him and his powers. He probably would have had an easier time with them if he hadn't been able to pass for human, or at least had a power with a visual aspect.

[wearingthestars]

"I know." And he knows why David feels that's less serious, compared to the homes some of the kids are leaving behind to come here. But it still has to hurt, even if it comes from a well intentioned place. They want him to have the best possible outcome, the least hurt. The same justification parents might use when they wish that their child will be straight, or able bodied...'normal'.

"They love you. But it doesn't mean they're right."

[helpdesk_hero]

Their son had all the potential in the world in their eyes, and they hadn't realized how much of it was stolen from other minds. Their own included.

"Yeah, says the guy with perfect parents," David shrugs. "Seriously, I am starting to think the only bad things in your life are how your powers manifested and how that white-haired guy with the Young Avengers sorta looks like you. In a super blurry way."

Everyone knew there was a guy named 'Speed' with the Young Avengers, but no one was fully sure what the kid looked like. All David had was an impression of a jaw like Billy's, but between the goggles, the different hair color, and the way the guy tended to only be a blur on screens or vibrating to hide his face, it was hard to see much of him. Only reason David noticed even that is because he'd always been reminded a bit of Erik Lehnsherr when he really looked at Billy. Which was stupid, of course.

[wearingthestars]

Yeah. He knows he has no real right to speculate given how accepting his own parents have been. And it's hard to explain how that can be stressful in it's own way, how it's festered a sort of insecurity in him, that he'll never really be good enough to deserve what he has.

"What, Speed? How's that a bad thing? If I looked even a little bit like one of the Avengers that'd be pretty cool, wouldn't it? Or some kind of 'It Takes Two' scenario, where I've got a face twin out there?"

[helpdesk_hero]

“Really? It Takes Two? Couldn’t go with the Prince and the Pauper? Come on, Billy. You’re practically a shoe-in for the X-Men. Dani was talking about asking Ororo to come and give you extra lessons for your electricity and it’s still you wanting to be an Avenger, isn’t it?”

Aren’t they good enough?

[wearingthestars]

"What, I liked the Olsen twins," he defends, giving a small laugh. He looks a bit guilty then, and shrugs a shoulder, "No- I mean...yes I've always wanted that, but it's just...a stupid fantasy thing. I'm not sure I'd call myself a shoe-in, but of course I'd pick the X-Men."

[helpdesk_hero]

With the announcements over people start to trickle out, not that David shows any sign of wanting to move.

“Mutants are few and far between on Avengers teams. Better you stick to the X-Men. Not like the Avengers have anyone but the Maximoffs. Had, I guess.”

[wearingthestars]

"Notably some of the best Avengers they ever had," Billy adds with a teasing smirk, but he nods. "I'm not going anywhere, don't worry."

[helpdesk_hero]

Notably neither of whom was with the Avengers anymore.

“And here I thought you were a Cap fan.”

This is easier than thinking about what was happening. A lot easier.

[wearingthestars]

"I love Cap. But favourite all time Avenger...?" Billy pauses as though he really needs to consider. "Scarlet Witch. Maybe Thor."

It's definitely easier.

[helpdesk_hero]

"Alright then, so your favorite Avengers is a mutant. That's at least something."

A mutant that could never be with the X-Men because of her involvement with the Brotherhood. David sighs and closes his eyes.

"Is that why you have a cape in your closet?"

[wearingthestars]

"...You saw that?" Billy flushes and laughs. "...Yeah. Maybe. Half her, half Ororo. I like the cape aesthetic. It just...doesn't go with most of the X-uniforms."

[helpdesk_hero]

"No, the X-Men try too hard to seem alike. It makes us all a faceless mass in some ways."

Not that David has an opinion on how horrible that is for their cause.

[wearingthestars]

"I guess it's supposed to be part of the whole team thing. But maybe once some of younger kids start joining the main team-" Billy starts, and then he pauses, because if things stay as they are who knows if there will even be a team any more.

"...We should get out of here."

[helpdesk_hero]

Can there even be a team after this? Should there? But he supposes he really should go and do things. He's just... nervous though.

"Yeah. But where should we go?"

[wearingthestars]

"...You hungry?" Billy asks with a small smile, trying to think practically. Whatever's happened, they still need to eat.

"Then we could...go to the library. Or find somewhere to listen to music. Or...ditch this place completely, because whose really watching out for that right now?"

[helpdesk_hero]

"Didn't you hear Emma? They're definitely watching for it, Billy."

And the world may not be safe for them out there. He sighs and stands, though. Food sounds good. He's very hungry.

[wearingthestars]

Billy shrugs. They've got a lot on their plates, he's not sure they'd notice, but it's not like Billy's usually clamoring to break the rules. He just wants to try and take David's mind off everything.

"Come on. I'll make you something, and you can politely pretend it's not trash."

[helpdesk_hero]

"Yeah, that works," David agrees. Seeing as he's hardly a cook himself, there isn't much he can do about it. "Come on, show me your cereal powers."