Author's Intro |
Generation X Cale Storyline Disclaimer |
Attention: Generation X and their villains, as well as any other mutant mentioned in this story, is property of Marvel Comics. The character Richard Cale is named after family relations. Any other reference to anything copyrighted is a chance happening.
====================================================
X-Knights: The First Month
Previous Entry | Darkness Reborn |
Chapter 2: New Class, New Problems
Everett Thomas looked out at the company he and his wife had. They were co-workers that, over the five years, became good friends with them. At least once a month, they got together to visit and talk. His wife, Jubilation, was in the kitchen getting some snacks together. As she was doing that, he heard John say, “Hey Everett, how did you and Jubilation start working for the company?”
He took a moment to think, and then said, “It was sort of odd. The job offer came from Richard Cale Jr. Sort of a graduation gift.”
He then hear Tina gasp as she said, “You mean the owner of the company gave you a job. How did you manage to meet him?”
He listened as Jubilation shouted from the kitchen, “We went to school with him. He’s a real nice guy. We even know his wife.” He turned to see her walk out of the kitchen with a tray full of snacks. She then put down the tray, and sat down next to him, saying, “You should have known them. They were very optimistic. You should have seen how happy they were when they found out she was pregnant the first time.” He remembered that day as well. However, he wasn’t about to tell them everything about it.
It was then he heard John say, “I bet they were ecstatic. Speaking of that, Everett, when are you and Ms. Vice-President going to have a family. You two have been married for three years now.”
He glanced over and saw Jubilation blushing. He had to admit that she worked hard to get to the point she was at. It took her four years to show everyone the leadership qualities he knew she had. He also knew she was ready to have children. Every once in a while, she would hint she wanted to have children. He smiled at her and said, “Maybe it will happen some day soon. I just hope that once it happens, our child will grow up in a more receptive world.”
He saw the others in the room nod in agreement. Everyone at Paladin Technologies was enlightened enough to know that mutants and humans were equivalent. In fact, it was due to companies like Paladin Technologies that some of the countries started to change. He then heard Tina say, “Hey, does anyone hear a phone ringing?”
He saw Jubilation’s eyes go wide, and he saw them close. “I thought I told everyone not to bother me tonight. Can’t the Vice-President get a night off?” He watched her storm off to her private office. He hoped that who ever was calling had their insurance paid up, because his wife was mad, and when she was mad, sometimes people got hurt.
Jubilation Thomas was upset. She had told everyone not to bother her tonight, and now, someone had the nerve to call her on the vid phone. It had to be one of the other executives. Four years of hard work put her in the high position, and also gave her a few aggravations. Now, all she wanted was a quiet night with her husband, especially after their company left. Once she was in her private office, she walked over to the vid phone, pushed the button and said, “Alright, this had better be important, or you are going to be sorry you bothered me when I didn’t want to be bothered.”
She hadn’t looked directly at the screen until she heard a familiar voice with a British accent say, “I’m sorry if it’s an inconvenience to you, ‘Sis’. However, it’s is late night here, so it’s more inconvenient to us.” She did a double take when she saw the familiar redhead on the screen.
She took a moment to regain her composure as she said, “Oh my God, ‘Penny’, is that you?” She turned around and shouted out the door, “Ev, it’s Yvette. She’s calling from England.” She then turned back to the screen and said, “’Penny’, how are you and Richard doing, and everyone else?”
She saw Yvette smile, but she could also see the smile was a bit forced. Something had happened over in England. She also knew Yvette was trying to hide it, especially when Yvette said, “We are all fine, just had a bit of a shake up here. However, Richard and I would appreciate if you two would come to England. We’ll pay for the trip, but we need you two here right now.”
Now she was getting worried. She had seen Yvette shook up before, but she also knew that what had her shook up before could not be the cause this time. She was also surprised when she heard Everett behind her say, “What’s up, Yvette?”
She watch as Yvette looked back at someone and then turned back to the vid phone. “I’ll tell you about it when you get here, but it is important you get here. Look at it as a chance for you two to stay in a romantic country setting. I’m sure you two need the chance away from the company.” She saw Yvette smile at that.
She turned to Everett and said, “Do you think a trip to England would do us good?”
She saw him smile and said, “I think it would do you worlds of good. You need a vacation. Besides, your nerves are almost frazzled. If you didn’t have such control over your powers, you would have paffed the vid phone.”
Jubilation nodded in agreement. She then turned to Yvette and said, “Alright, we’ll get on the next flight tomorrow. We both still have our passports. Are you calling any others in?”
She watched as Yvette nodded and said, “Yes, we will. Think of it as a small class reunion.” She smiled at the thought of seeing some of the Generation X members again.
She then heard Everett say, “We’ll be there. Just tell Darrett not to give me a bear hug like he did at the wedding.” She knew what Everett had meant. At their wedding, Darrett and Clarice had come to attend, while Richard and Yvette had stayed in England. She then head him say, “I’ll tell our company the news. I’m sure they’ll understand why we have to leave. Heck, I bet they’ll be excited as all get out.”
She watched him leave and said, “Alright Yvette, we’ll be there. Talk to you soon.” She then hung up the vid phone. No doubt Richard and Yvette would have the company jet fly them out. She then got up and looked out the window in her office. She looked out at the night sky and said, “I hope what ever has you worked up, Yvette, isn’t the start of something bad.
***************************************************
Monet St. Croix was sitting in the castle’s foyer when the phone rang. She had almost been lost in reading about some of Gabe’s research in the area of Vampires. Not long ago, she and Gabe had to fight off a cult of Vampire. This had been a follow up to something he did in France, but it was still dangerous. However, her search into Vampire lore was her way of trying to find out what her brother truly was. Ever since Richard Cale sent him away five years ago, she was trying to find out what he was. Now, the phone had interrupted that search. It was late at night, and she knew Gabe would be awake. She reached over and picked up the phone, answering in her best German, “Guten Abend.”
She almost dropped the phone when she heard a familiar voice say, “Good evening to you as well, Monet.” It was Yvette. It had been months since she last spoke with any of her old school friends, however Richard and Yvette had managed to stay in touch.
She sat down in the chair next to the phone and said, “Yvette, why are you calling? Do you need me to get Gabe?” She was well aware that if Richard and Yvette were calling this late at night, they needed Gabe’s help on something.
Monet was almost shocked when Yvette said, “We don’t need Gabe here, Monet. We need you to come to England. Richard and I will pay for the trip if you agree to come out. As for why, I can only tell you when you get here. Will you come?”
She thought about it long and hard until she answered. “I’ll come to England, Yvette. When I hang up, I’ll tell Gabe. I will see you in a few days.” She hung up the phone and headed up the stairs, and straight to Gabe’s study. She was excited about heading to England, but something in her made her feel nervous. What had happened in England to make them call her?
She knocked on the door, and waited until she heard Gabe say, “Enter.” When She entered, she saw Gabe look up and say, “Monet, what’s up, and who was on the phone?”
She stood just inside the door, and said, “It was Yvette, Gabe. She asked me to come to England. I told her that I would. I should be gone only for a few days. I don’t know why she called, but she said she’d tell me when I got there.”
She watched Gabe lean back with a look of thought on his face. She felt nervous about this, especially when he said, “Alright, however, I think you should take those books over there with you. I think they might help in your private research. Tell Rich and Yvette that I wish them well.”
She nodded and said, “Yes, sir. Hopefully this visit won’t take long.” She walked over and grabbed the books he specified. She looked at them and said, “I might not have time to look over all of them by the time I get back.”
She was almost startled when Gabe said, “I think you’ll have time to go over all the books. In fact, I think they will be very important.” She didn’t like the sound of that, and it made her worry. She wasn’t worried about what Gabe had said, but was worried about what Yvette hadn’t said. With that in her mind, she left the room and headed to her room to pack.
*******************************
Yvette sighed and turned to face Richard, who was now laying on the bed, holding a towel to his head. It pained her to see him doing that. She had thought their worries about Emplate were all over, and now she found out she was wrong. The monster had returned. He had started by terrorizing her son, and then feasting on her husband. She looked over at him and said, “I called in Everett, Jubilee and Monet. I still think we should have told them over the phone.”
She watched as her husband propped himself up and said, “I don’t want to start a panic. Besides, if Emplate is heading the ‘Rippers’, telling any one of our friends that way might lead to someone telling Xavier. The X-Men might make this seem like a war is starting. We must wait to tell everyone. Also, we must get the first students here first. Did you call King Edmund II?”
She nodded and said, “Yes, and he faxed a list of mutants to us. You know, when he first suggested the school, there were countless volunteers. Look at all these names. There is Tasha Lewis, a psychic, There is Amy Johnson, who can throw her voice from a mile away. The list goes on and on.”
She saw Richard look at her and said, “I think we’ve met Miss Johnson. She hangs around with Kevin Mitchell. Is he on the list?” When she nodded, Richard said, “I knew he was a mutant. I think we should start with getting them in. You and Darrett can bring them here, while Clarice and I fetch young James. Also, hun, you may not want to wear white for a while.”
She looked at him, puzzled, and said, “Why do you say that?” Most of her casual clothes were of the lighter colors. She didn’t want to have to change her wardrobe, especially because of one person.
Richard looked at her and said, “Young James can manipulate water. He has sprayed a lot of the women at the palace with his water gun. I even hate to say it, but he wants to spray Clarice. Personally, I think it’s because of her skin color.” Yvette knew what her husband was talking about. One of Clarice’s most noticeable traits was that her mutation had made her skin lavender in color.
She then noticed that Grimore had entered the room and realized that there was one other thing they had to address. As Grimore leapt to the bed, she said, “There is one other thing we have to address. How do we explain Grimore? He’s stays quiet when others are around, but we are talking about people being here all the time.” She watched as Grimore’s ears perked up. She knew he was aware that he had become the center of the conversation. She then glanced at him, as did Richard, and waited for him to respond.
Grimore looked at Yvette, and then at Richard, before he finally said, “I take it you are trying to figure out how to explain my talking to the six incoming students. Don’t worry. I will address the issue personally.” He saw a look of utter shock cross his masters’ faces. He knew they thought it was a very bad idea.
He watched as Richard looked at him and said, “Grimore, do you remember the shock on everyone’s faces when they found out you talked? If Marius hadn’t made the order in the first place, we wouldn’t have this to worry about.”
Grimore jumped over to the desk and said, “What’s done is done. Right now, you have to be ready for your six incoming students. I think that their finding out that a cat can talk is the least of their worries.”
He looked over at Yvette as she said, “Wait a minute, Grimore. Did you just say six students? We only have an idea about four of them. Do you have some information that we should know?”
Grimore just looked at her and said, “I won’t lie to you two. You will have a total of six students to start. Three boys and three girls. I’m sure that as time passes, you will see other students, as well as other problems. In fact, I suggest you get one more person here, especially to keep things balanced.”
He watched as Richard started to stand up. His master looked at him and said, “Grimore, do you have a suggestion in mind, or are you going to keep it as cryptic as you usually keep things?”
Grimore stood up and said, “Let me just say that the Rippers and Emplate aren’t the only problems we will encounter. Remember, there is another sibling in the one family.” He watched as Richard got up and headed for the phone. He watched Yvette run to his side, but knew who Richard was calling. The one person that had helped him over five years ago. That would be their eighth teacher for the school.
****************************************
Darrett drove the car out of the grounds of the castle and to the home of Kevin Mitchel. It was one of the two local kids that had shown interest in a mutant school. He had met the boy a few times, when Yvette had to go to town to run errands, or just get out of the castle. Yvette was the only one of them who didn’t have a license to drive. At least he knew it would be a short trip. As he drove, he heard Yvette say, “Darrett, do you honestly think the school will be a good idea? I don’t want to think we are getting into more that we can handle.”
He looked in the rear view mirror at her and said, “I’m not the only one who thinks this is a good idea. Grimore also said it’s a good idea. We can handle it. Remember, we were taught by Emma and Sean. We were taught Xavier’s dream, even though we don’t want anything to do with him. We will teach these kids right. Plus, we’ve met these two. It’s not like we don’t know them.” He watched as Yvette smiled with that thought.
He had to admit, the thought that they knew three of the students helped. However, the calls for the others hit a stand still. Before they left, he and Yvette we calling, while Richard and Clarice went to get the Prince. The calls they had made seemed to have been a waste. While there were optimists, some of the old fears of announcing one’s a mutant still were around. Even when Richard publicly announced that everyone was mutants in his group, the people excepted them, but there were other people who had tried to lash out. Even in the small town that the castle was part of had a small group of anti-mutant people. Luckily, Kevin Mitchel’s family wasn’t one of those people. In fact, they had invited Yvette over with great zeal. As they pulled up to the house, he heard Yvette say, “Well, Darrett, here we are. I hope they aren’t too stunned. I don’t think everyone gets a visit from a noblewoman.”
He quickly got out of the car, and went round to open the door for her. When she got out of the car, he closed the door and fell into step, one step behind her. As they approached the front door, he noticed that Mrs. Mitchel had opened the door and said, “Lady Cale, please come in. Kevin has been awaiting your arrival. I was surprised that you knew my son.”
He followed Yvette in and heard her say, “Mrs. Mitchel. You don’t have to treat me like I’m royalty. You may call me by my first name, Yvette. I sometimes don’t feel comfortable being called Lady Cale.”
He watches as the woman nodded, and said, “Alright, La...Yvette. My name is Joan. Kevin told me all about the idea of him being at a mutant school. He’s heard so much about Charles Xavier, and his schools. Is Professor Xavier going to be involved with this one?”
He watched as Yvette looked trouble by the words, and he decided to say something. “Mrs. Mitchel, the school will follow Xavier’s dream, but due to something that happened a few years ago, Xavier will not be involved with the school.”
He was startled when he heard a young voice say, “If Lord Cale is running this school, they won’t need Professor Xavier. I just can’t wait to get there. How many students are there going to be there?”
He watched as Yvette smiled and said, “So far, we have three confirmed, you, and two others. Are you all ready to go?”
Darrett watched as Kevin pointed up the steps and said, “I have three suitcases ready to go. I just need to get the other two down.” He watched as Kevin was about to turn around and walk up to get the other two suitcases.
He turned to Yvette and said, “Think I should offer him some help, Yvette?” He watched as she smiled and nodded. He then said, “Hey, Kevin, maybe you should stay down here, let someone else do the leg work.” Almost instantly, the form of one of his more familiar summons, Henry Stauf, appeared. He saw Kevin’s eyes light up as he said to Henry, “Henry, can you get Kevin’s suitcases. We need to get home and start getting people settled in.” He saw Henry nod and head up the steps.
He then turned to face Kevin, just as the boy said, “That is too cool.” At that point, he knew the school was what Kevin Mitchel wanted. He just hoped he hadn’t surprise Kevin’s mother too much.
Kevin looked in awe as he saw the man ascend the steps. He knew the man was from a game, but he wasn’t a big game fan. He did love to read books, and the man fit the description he read in his book. Before he could say anything, he heard his mother say, “Where did he come from?”
He was almost shocked when Lady Cale said, “Sorry that startled you. Darrett has the ability to conjure up figures to help him out. It has been a very useful ability for him. Sort of like having a helping hand always available.” Inwardly, he wondered how Lord and Lady Cale met their bodyguards. He knew that when the Cales returned to England, they returned with both bodyguards, who had to be mutants.
He looked at Darrett and said, “Pardon me for asking, but was that Henry Stauf? I only ask because I read the book. Do you summon video game characters?” He wondered if that was his power, but he also had a feeling that it wasn’t that simple.
He watched as Lady Cale stood up and said, “His power isn’t that simple, Kevin. However, at the school, you’ll learn about your ability and others out there. We do have one other person to pick up. If you are ready to go, we will pick up your friend, Amy.”
Kevin felt his eyes light up with joy. “You mean Amy Johnson. I forgot she and I signed up together.” He then noticed his mother had a smile on her face. He looked over at her and said, “Mom, don’t give me that look. We are just friends.”
He saw his mother smile even more as she said, “Now, now, Kevin. A mother knows when two people are in love. In fact, I think even Yvette here sees it.” He wasn’t going to admit to his mother that he was in love with Amy, but he then saw Lady Cale nod in agreement.
He just looked at Lady Cale and said, “Can we go, Lady Cale?” He was starting to get uncomfortable about the whole scene.
He watched as she nodded and said, “Of course, and you don’t have to address me as Lady Cale all the time. Follow me and Darrett to the car, and we will head to Amy’s house.” He nodded and ran out the door.
As they all headed to the car, he heard his mother shout, “Take care, son. I know you’ll be happy at the school.” He knew he would be with Amy there, but he didn’t want his mother to know that.
As they got into the car, he heard Lady Cale say, “Kevin, cherish your family. You never know when you will be without them. Take it from someone who knows.” He also noticed the car was now moving. As they moved, he found it odd for Lady Cale to say that, although, no one knew her background. It had been one of the mysteries of the Cale family to endure the years. How did all the Lady Cales, past and current, get selected? He had studied the Cale’s since he first met Lady Cale. The only thing he had ever discovered about her was that her maiden name was Cassidy.
He was almost lost in that thought when he realized they had arrived at Amy’s house. He looked out the window of the car as he heard Darrett say, “Shall we head in, or should we announce we are here first?”
Kevin took that as a cue. He rolled down the window and shouted out, “Hey Amy, are you home?” He looked back in the car and saw the look on both of their faces. Apparently, they weren’t expecting the shout. He just smiled and said, “Did you even look into our powers?”
He was pleasantly surprised when he saw the shocked look as he heard Amy’s voice say, “Kevin, how are you? Were you asked to join the school as well?” He knew how they heard it. It sounded like it came from the car itself. He also wondered when they would ask about his power, since they now knew her power.
Amy had looked out of her window when she heard Kevin yell up to her. Kevin was one of her best friends. In fact, she had a crush on him. When she heard him yell, and saw where he was, she responded. Soon, she heard Kevin yell up, “I’m going to the new school, did you want to come to?”
She smiled and said out to the car, “Of course. I spoke to Lady Cale, herself. I can’t wait to get there. In fact, I’m all packed and ready to go.” She walked over and grabbed two suitcases. She then said, “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
In a moment, she heard Kevin shout, “All right, but you should have seen their faces. They weren’t aware of your power, or at least how it worked.” She smiled at that. When she wrote down her power, all she wrote down was that she could throw her voice. It wasn’t an accurate description of her power, but it was true. She could manipulate her voice so it would sound like it was coming from anywhere. It was good, especially when she was trying to avoid people. Now, she was going to learn more about her powers, and about others like her. As she headed down the steps, she knew that going to the school was the right thing. Her parents had wanted to even send her to America to attend the Xavier school, but she didn’t want to leave England.
As she descended the stairs, she heard her mother say, “Is Lady Cale here to take you to the school?”
She reached the bottom of the stairs and said, “Yes, Mum. I’m heading out now. I thought it would save them some time, especially since Kevin is with them.” She then noticed her father had looked up from his paper. Her father was a business owner, a small business, but it allowed him more days off than normal. Her father didn’t approve of her knowing Kevin, but he didn’t try to stop her either.
She heard her father then say, “Lady Cale is allowing him to join the school.” When she nodded, she heard her father say, “Alright, then I’ll let you give it a try, but if you get into any trouble, and he’s the cause, I’m pulling you out of that school in a heartbeat. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but I have problems feeling he’s not a trouble maker. You remember what he did to some of the dishes.”
Quickly, she defended her friend as she said, “He didn’t mean to change the fine china into water. You had made him nervous. Plus, if he learns to control his power, he won’t do that again. Would that be acceptable to you?” She watched him nod. She then said, “Then let’s hope this school helps him, like I’m sure it will help me. Alright, Father.” She and her father had clashed a few times, but the outcome came out in his favor most times.
She smiled when she heard her father say, “Alright, but I expect to hear from Lord Cale in a week’s time. I want to know he’s keeping things from getting out of hand. I also wish to speak with him personally, not his wife, nor his bodyguards. Is that understood?” She nodded, but at least it was a win for her. She then headed out the door. Deep down, she hoped her father would not make her leave the school. She also hoped her father would some day respect her relationship with Kevin, especially since deep down she loved him.
****************************************
Clarice stepped out of the car at the same time Richard did. She was surprised that he had pulled out his Homburg for this, but she was aware of why he was wearing it. The bite Emplate gave him was deep, and it would take days for it to heal, even with the hyper healing that he and Yvette had. As they approached the palace, she heard Richard say, “Clarice, I’m going to go speak with King Edmund II. I want you to find Prince James. Just be careful, you know how he is with that water gun of his.”
She then understood his words. As bodyguard, she tended to wear a woman’s suit. It also meant she wore a white blouse, a dark white that wasn’t transparent like most other white blouses. She was also aware that the prince had been staring at her. She knew he wouldn’t try to strike when she was with Richard or in the presence of the King, but now she was going in search of him. She looked at Richard and said, “You know he’s going to try and shoot me with that water gun. He sees me as a walking target. He shoots all the women. It’s so childish.”
As they entered the palace, she heard Richard say, “He’s a teenager. Plus, if he had seen you from six years ago, he wouldn’t need the water gun. I do believe it was after the trip to Japan that you changed your outfit.” She nodded in agreement. Back then, she was a refugee from another timeline, one where she fought every day of her life. Now, she had a husband, a daughter, a home, and a job. She also dressed very conservatively.
She nodded and said, “You’re right, but I still think he’s too childish. I hope you also warned Yvette about him. Better yet, maybe I should warn him about her. She might cut off his arm if he shoots her with his water gun.”
She watched as Richard nodded and then headed of to see the King. As he walked off, he said, “I think you better do that. Last thing we want is for the Prince to lose an arm.” With that in mind, she started to search for the Prince. She was tempted to blink from room to room, but decided against it. She could blink from room to room, and wind up invading someone’s privacy. She had to wait until she got a sign that he was somewhere in the castle.
As she walked down the hall, she heard the sound of one of the ladies yelping in surprise. She had heard the sound often enough to know what had happened. She rounded a corner to see one of the maids, soaking wet. It meant one thing. The Prince was in the area. As she started to search the area, she shouted, “Prince James, where are you?” As she said those words, she wondered if she shouldn’t have announced her presence.
Prince James moved from hiding spot to hiding spot in the large room. He looked on the room at the lady he had just shot with his water gun. He had to admit he was getting tired of shooting the hired help. Many looked the other way because he was the Prince, while others just looked at it like a harmless adolescent prank. He considered it more of improving his powers. Now he had the chance to get the target he’d been aiming for. He waited until he heard Clarice say, “Prince James, I know you are in here. You better step forward before I really have to hunt you down.”
He smiled at that thought. She’d walk right into his line of fire. Ever since he saw Lord Richard Cale’s bodyguard, he had decided he had to shoot her with his water gun. He figured she was a mutant, in fact, her lavender skin gave that fact away. He could even tell she had a nice figure. The only time he never saw her with Cale was when she had to take a six month break. During that time, he had met her husband, Darrett. Part of him envied Darrett, for having married Clarice, but that part of him would be pacified soon. He moved to another spot and said, “I’m up here, Ms. Clarice.”
He looked towards the stairway that lead to the balcony he was hiding on, and saw her start to head up. As she came up the steps, he heard her say, “You better not have that water gun ready, or you’ll be sorry.” He almost giggled at that. He knew she wouldn’t dare strike him. He was the Prince, and she was just a subject. He also didn’t know what her power was, but he knew his power. Once the water was in the air, he could make it strike her.
He then saw Clarice reach the top of the steps, and he smiled as she turned to face him. He quickly stood up and aimed his water gun right at her. He smiled as he said, “You’re the only lady here I haven’t hit, Ms. Clarice. I think it’s finally your turn.” He watched as she stopped and stood her ground. He thought that was very brave of her, especially as he fired the water gun. He watched as the water flew straight at her, but at the last second turned right around in the air and hit him instead of her. As he recovered from the strike, he simply said, “What happened?”
He was surprised when he was turned around and was face to face with his father. He also saw Lord Cale standing next to him, with a slight grin on his face. He then heard his father say, “I see you’ve been up to your usual mischief, son. It’s a good thing we found you before you made Ms. Clarice upset.” He wasn’t sure why, but he had a feeling what happened was linked to Lord Cale. He was also aware that his father had something important to tell him.
Richard Cale looked down at the Prince, who was obviously surprised that his little water trick had been stopped. He had a feeling that the Prince was going to try to soak Clarice, and had planned to stop it. He stood behind the Prince the whole time Clarice was heading up to find him. In fact, he had used the Prince’s water control powers against him. Richard smiled and said, “You know, Prince James, you should not use your powers to cause mischief. It is those kinds of things that cause fear and mistrust. In fact, that is why I’m starting a school for mutants. Your father has even suggested that you join the school.”
He watched as the Prince looked at him and said, “Would you be teaching me how to use my powers?” He nodded and the Prince started to smile. He then said, “Will there be other mutants like me there?”
Richard nodded and said, “Yes, there will be other mutants there, however they won’t have the same power you have. Not all mutants have the same power. As you are aware, my ability is to fully mimic other mutants, and I even have my wife’s ability as well. Also, not only will I be teaching you, but so will my wife, Ms. Clarice and Mr. Darrett. How does that sound?”
He watched as the Prince nodded in agreement and said, “I’ll go get ready, Lord Cale. I’m looking forward to the school.” He watched as the Prince ran off to where ever his room was. Richard had never been to the Prince’s room, and he preferred to keep it that way.
When the Prince was out of ear shot, he heard King Edmund II say, “I’m glad you reconsidered. I must admit I am puzzled why you decided to rush things. Did something happen last night that made you want to get this started.” Richard just nodded and he heard the King say, “Is it something you can tell me about?”
Richard just shook his head and said, “Not really, sire. However, I started thinking about my own children, and maybe this will also be good for them.” It wasn’t a total lie. He really didn’t want to tell the King about Emplate, especially with his fears about Prince James falling into the hands of the ‘Rippers’.
“Well, whatever it was, I’m glad it made you decide to open a school. This will hopefully benefit many people out there. I also hope that whatever happened to your head heals soon.” Richard was surprised at the King’s comment.
Richard looked over at the King and said, “Sire, how do you know something happened to my head?”
He was startled when the King said, “Lord Cale, after all these years, I know you never wear a Homburg, unless it’s a special occasion. Besides, even when you do wear it, you prefer to take it off as soon as possible. That tells me that you are a bit embarrassed by it. I trust it will be better soon. At the rate you are moving, your classes will start Monday, which is two days from now.”
Richard looked at the king and said, “Don’t worry, Sire. By then, we will have a few more students, and a few more extra teachers.” He then turned to Clarice and said, “Clarice, why don’t you go get the car ready. I think it would be best if you drive back.” He watched as she nodded and headed out to the car. Now all he had to do was wait for Prince James to arrive.
****************************************
Grimore sat in the corner as all the members of the Cale household met with the incoming students. Right now, there were only three of them, but he knew there would be more. He sat quietly as Richard said, “Right now, there are only a few of us here, and since all of us are mutants, I want you all to state your name, and your power. We will start with the students, and then each of the teachers. Tomorrow, more will be arriving, so we will got through this again.”
He watched as the one local boy stepped forward and said, “My name is Kevin Mitchel. I have the power to alter items to be made up of something entirely different.” He saw Kevin demonstrated it by picking up a stick and changing it into something that smelled like chicken. He padded over to Kevin, and Kevin gave him the stick. When he bit into it, it indeed was chicken. He then heard Kevin say, “As you can tell, Lord Cale, I can even change non food items into food.”
He then heard the girl say, “My name is Amy Johnson. I have the power to project my voice from an alternate location. Just to demonstrate.” He looked up, and soon he heard from the next room, “As you can tell, it sounds like my voice is coming from the next room, however, you see me standing in front of you. I can even make it happen in locations a great distance away.” When the voice stopped, he padded over to the door to the next room, and saw that it was indeed empty. He then heard Amy say, “By the way, Lord Cale, my father wants a call from you after a week.”
He watched as Richard nodded in acknowledgement, and then he heard the Prince speak. “Well, I’m Prince Henry. I have the ability to manipulate water. I could redirect water to head any direction.” Grimore looked at the Prince, wondering if he was about to do something, but nothing happened. Then he realized that there was no water in the room.
Soon, he heard Darrett say, “Well, My name is Darrett Xavier Thomas. My power is to summon villainous characters that will serve me. Kevin has seen my power in effect.” He saw the boy nod. It must have been a surprise to him.
He then heard Clarice say, “I’m Clarice Ferguson Thomas. My power is to teleport, or create teleportation portals. It has come in very handy in the past.” He watched as she disappeared from sight and reappeared behind the students and said, “Sort of easy to sneak up on people this way.” He watched as all three of the kids jumped.
Next, he heard Yvette say, “My name is Yvette Cassidy Cale. As students, you may call me Yvette. I’d prefer for you to call me Mrs. Cale, in public, but if there is a function, you may call me Lady Cale then. As for my powers, I can make my skin so tense, it is capable of cutting the hardest metal. I also have advanced healing abilities, and psionics.” He knew Yvette wouldn’t demonstrate her power, mainly due to the fact that her current outfit wouldn’t survive such a change.
He then heard Richard say, “As you know, I am Richard Cale Jr. My powers are to fully mimic a mutant, and gain their abilities and persona. I also permanently have Yvette’s powers. Also, I’d like to introduce you all to three others, and share a very special secret with all of you. First, I’d like to introduce you to Richard Cale III and Ashley Cale. They are Yvette and my children. I’d also like to introduce you to Coleen Thomas, Darrett and Clarice’s little girl.” He watched as the three little children entered the room.
Once the children were all present, he heard Kevin say, “I think I saw your children before, sir, but what’s this secret.”
He watched as Richard looked at him, and saw everyone in turn look at him. Grimore walked to the center of the room, and looked at the new students. He knew this would be a shock, but it had to be done. He sat down and said, “Hello all, I’m Grimore, the family cat. As you can already tell, there is more to me than meets the eye.” He watched as all the kids looked at him in shock. It was exactly the reaction he was expecting. He also saw a sense of awe on their faces. Over all, he knew they’d like the fact he could talk. It would be a good start for this new school.
He then heard Richard say, “I think it’s official. Welcome to the Cale Institute.” That was what he knew would be the start of a new school.
Next Chapter | Old Friends, Old Foes |
Future Chapters and Stories |
Library Page | RichGenX's Library - X Knights 1 - The First Month |
Log in to comment