The "Big Mutant On Campus" Series
By David D. Amaya

Part Seven "Evil Dreams Sweet Nightmares"
Chapter 13

Disclaimer: As always; the first step of the journey.


"…Then she goes 'But that whole chapter keeps knocking me out!' then M replies. 'Jubilación, every single chapter te lleva a hora de la siesta!' Muy cómico, Ev!"

"And as always she went 'Can't help it if all her classes are a slow trip on the snooze cruise, Ms. Perfect'!' Right?"

"Word for word, bro!"

"You know Ange, that Fed you guys got with you seems like a nice dude. Too bad Emma's gonna break him like-."

"Chinga tu madre!"

"Okay! Okay! Simmer down, homeboy! No need to get pissed!"

"Sorry, bro! I wasn't talking 'bout you, it's Lockheed! That pinche dragon jacked my smokes again! And my favorite Zippo lighter!"


"I told all the students, Kordel," Kitty informed the Secret Service agent. "Are you sure Emma is going to be testing them on photosynthesis? If you're wrong they'll hold it against you."

"I am as positive of this information being genuine as I can be," He looked up at his notes for his morning economics lecture. "I will ante my reputation on the authenticity of this intelligence, Miss. Pride. But, if for some reason I misheard Ms. Frost informing Mr. Worthington of the subject she intends to quiz the students on, I cannot offer the students any apology they will believe nor accept. I then must tally their response as another hazard of the teaching profession."

"What are you playing at by warning them, Kordel? If the Emma finds out you asked me to warn them, Well, it's your neck!"

"As I recall it was a merely a vicious rumor. More to the point, Miss. Pride, if that fleeting sentence grinded out by the gossip mill leads to an improvement of the class average on that test, it would be no one's fault but their own."

Kitty and Lockheed nodded their heads at the Federal Officer's logic. "There is one more thing though, Kordel. I told the new students about the death of the Hellions."

Kordel put down his notes. "I only learned of that incident by Sean's suggestion that I review certain mission logs. May I ask you to quantify which new students?"

"Alea, Jason, Nate, Stewart and Cyrus."

"Would you be so kind as to repeat what you imparted to the students that was not included in the official version, Miss. Pride?"


"Whoa, Nelly! That was one hell of a whopper, Lariat! Or at least it would have been if you were known for tellin' tall tales."

"I know, Charlie, but it is with this revelation I ask for a favor of you that I do not deserve."

"Trust me son, if anyone deserves a favor or two, it's you. So name it. What do ya need, Kordel?"

"To find out what, if any, the contingency strategy the Service has in place in the event of a Sentinel attack on Castle."

"This has you worried, doesn't it, Lariat?"

"To death itself, Charlie."

"I guess you don't want me to go through regular channels for this?"

"If I were to ask the Director, he would ask me why I need to know about something this extraordinary."

"I'll work on shaking the trees in the morning, but I got to let you go, Lariat. That tour bus we've been waitin' on finally arrived. Maverick!"He called out."Break out the baggage carts, we got company!"

"Thank you, Charlie. You have no idea what this means."

"Already forgetting that I'm a mutant, too, Lariat. I'll call you at the Academy if I find anything out right away. Have a good night, Kordel."

"Have a good evening, Charlie. Good Night."


A lone figure stands in the moon-lit mansion's atrium. A grandfather clock, which has kept time in the main hall of the house of Xavier since 1723, breaks the serenity of the moment as it begins playing Westminster Chimes.

After sixteen notes in the key of E-major fill the room, twelve hard strikes signal the midnight hour has made its appearance in the snow-capped Hudson River Valley. Then the community of Salem Center falls silent once more.

The figure sighs, though he isn't sure if that's a sign of fatigue or frustration. It is now ten seconds into Monday and sunrise is not for six more hours, but one guest of the grand mansion stares out of a window, a dozen different questions race through his head.

Jason Delano has just ended the most trying 12-hour period since… Well, he hates dwelling on a past he can't do anything about, especially when someone you'd do absolutely anything for, asks you to do absolutely nothing at all. So he has been standing in the darkness peering out to the uncertain night sky, wondering what the new day has in store for his classmates, his familia and himself. Then a soft voice calls out in the darkness, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Can't sleep, Jason?"

"I guess I ain't the only one." He turns to the voice, she is dressed for sleep draped in a soft pink robe, two tall glasses on a tray in her hands. "Does it usually get this weird around here, Ms. Summers?"

"It's the weather, Jason," Jean replied as she put the tray on a small table then took a seat on a sofa. "The snow keeps most of the troublemakers at bay until it thaws. Just wait until springtime, because when the calendar hits the middle of March, WATCH OUT!" With a warm grin she gestured for the Generation X student to join her at her side. "I hear Stewart's feeling better. How about the rest of you?"

"I'd be lying if I said I'm not still pissed," Jason sat down next to her. "And I already know it ain't healthy to lie to a telepath."

She gave him a warm smile. "I know how much you three were conflicted by Stewart's request, but I for one am proud of each of you, even if you are not feeling proud of yourselves. They say 'actions speaks louder than words.' But sometimes it's the actions you don't take that speaks loudest of all.

"And if you are upset about not being told of the Hellions, please don't be. That was the Professor's call. It wasn't because he felt you didn't deserve to know, he thought it best to wait until you all were better acclimated to the Academy first. He had planned for Sean to tell you all after Easter if no one else had said anything about it yet, but I'll make it a point to have him tell you guys of the Phalanx and anything else you need to know about the Academy."

She took a sip from one glass and handed the young mutant the other. "An old Grey-family cure for insomnia; warm milk, honey, and dash of freshly ground nutmeg powder. It works pretty fast, too."

The young man thanked her as he took the offered glass and had a drink. "This is good." He appraised. "Now what about our wager. You do have to admit that bet was made without the threat of duress! But I'm a big boy, I know when I've been beat. So, when do you want to burn off the hour I owe you? How about when Frost throws that pop quiz, that sounds like 60 minutes I don't really need!"

"What do you mean 'the hour,' Jason? You owe me five."

"Five! I only used one! And there was a perfectly good excuse for it!"

"Shall we review," she placed her glass back on the tray and sat up straight.

"Already trying to plunge into dangerous waters?" He replied. "Okay, let's review! But watch what memories you do dive into, no one can throw you a lifesaver at this hour. And I wouldn't want you to drown!"

Jean took another small sip and looked the brawler square in the eye. "I'm a big girl, Jason. I know how to swim!"

He stood up and stretched his arms, then his back, then sat back on the couch.

"Are you ready, Jason."

"Just a sec," He drained the contents of his glass and leaned back on the sofa, then belched loudly. "Sorry about that." He closed his eyes. "I'm ready, Ms. Summers."

"I'll just wait for you to wipe off that milk mustache, then we'll begin."


Suddenly, the prospective changed, both mutants were looking through the eyes of the young man from Los Angeles, standing in her office earlier in the afternoon.

"Jason, do you gamble?" she asked him.

"Only with my life." He replies truthfully.

"Well I'm going to place a wager with you; to see if you can go the rest of the day without any cuss words."

Who does Erica the Red believe she is, Editor-in-Chief of the Obscenity Police!? He thinks to himself. "I don't see any reason to try," he replies aloud. "but humor me, what are the stakes?"

"If you can go until midnight curse-free, we never speak another single word about any day before we met. But for each foul-word that comes from you, you owe me a full-hour session, in that chair! I ask you questions, you give me the truth! No excuses, no appeals, no complaints, and especially, no bull!"

Okay I remember that exchange Ms. Summers. I stopped the cussing after that.

Just making sure you remember our agreement, Jason, so let's begin!

The scene in Jason Delano's mind took him back to the Hanger Deck. Everyone just heard Jubilee's narration of the young Canadian's letter telling everyone Bobby Drake will be cleaning the entire mansion for the next 37 days. When all the others, save three young mutants exited, the young mutant's cousin grabbed a folding chair from the back row and began smashing it on the ground in frustration.

That should have been IceJerk!

Jason!

"CHORES!" Jason cried out, then joined Nathan and kicked several other chairs in dissatisfaction and disappointment. "That was a load of bullshit! He was put up to that!"

You really believed he was forced into that?

I wasn't the only one, sister!

And you would have tried to beat up Bobby?

Tried? Maybe, one day I'll tell you about Lt. Robinson, but you have to wait until the statute of limitation runs out in July.
Okay that's worth one hour. And that's the only outburst I made yesterday!

Are you sure, Jason?

The scene changed to earlier that day in the Hanger Bay, Professor Xavier was informing the whole group that Agent Nichols was going to be investigating the accident to Stewart.

"…And third, since I thrust this upon him suddenly with no guidelines for him to follow, I have made this concession; Since it is woefully apparent that the decision he is tasked to make will clearly disappoint many here this afternoon. Whatever decision he comes to, any course of action he may recommend, shall be the final word on this matter."

What the fuck!? He thought. Then turned to his girlfriend

NO JASON! You heard the Professor! She told him through a telepathic link. Agent Nichols doesn't know him any more than we do, and we found out he's a prick at the same time!

Wait a minute! I didn't say anything out loud! That doesn't count!

I didn't say you had to say any foul-words, I said 'for each foul-word that comes from you.'

WHAT!?

You only haggled what would happen if you won.

Why you sneaky, no good, conniving, mind-reading-!

Do you remember what happened after that?

But you heard him, Nathan pointed out through the link. 'That shall be the final word on this matter!'

But if YOU listened to him Nakanaela, that shall be the final 'word!'

Yea, Big Fella, Jason sent as he cracked his knuckles. We don't need words for the message we're gonna deliver!

If you can play around words, so can I! That's two hours down.

The scene changed again, now most of the GenX students were sprawled out in Jubilee's room, discussing Agent Nichols and if the judgment of a norm, who also is a federal officer, could be trusted in a matter concerning two mutant outlaws.

"Since this conversation was clearly about me," Special Agent Nichols stood in the doorway. "I will assume you know why I have disrupted your discussion."

"The Prof told us you got suckered into this inquisition," Jubilee replied. "So who ya wanna grill?"

"I would not refer to the inquiry as an inquisition, Jubes, but I do require the presence of Mr. Delano."

He ain't finished yet? "What do you need from me that you shouldn't have already figured out, Torquemada? You already talked to Yoink an' Nuff and the Big Fella's stuck in Xavier's office so he wouldn't tell us!"

JAY! Alea admonished,

This is a load of crap and you know it! He send back to her. Can't you jump in and see what he really wants?

No, the Professor is shielding his mind, and I wouldn't do it anyway, Jason! Just talk to him!

And where is the cussword in that exchange?

That colloquial term for poo.

In what country is that a cussword!?

This one for starters! That's three and now for the next one.

Again the scene changed, now he and Alea sitting on Stewart's bed in the MedLab's Recovery Room, sandwiching the Canadian as they were hearing his explanation for not allowing his loved ones to retaliate with violence against Bobby.

"But, he's a second-rate fuck-up!" Nathan interjected from the chair across from them. "Please tell us you didn't let him off the hook 'cause you were worried about what everyone else will think?"

"'S'inquiètent de ce que tout le monde va penser?'" his cousin repeated in French. "It didn't happen to them! So why does anyone else have an opinion on this!?"

"Because One-Time passed this on to you, so he didn't have to feel the heat from Cyclope and Frostbite-in-the-ass for lettin' 'em off scot-free."

"C'est ce que tout le monde pense? They all think Nichols was gonna let him off easy?"

"It's what we're thinking, Kewalaka."

Is that what you really were thinking, Jason?

I still think that! Wait!? Your busting me for Nathan calling your baby brother Bobby second-rate!

Try again wise guy!

Hey! Don't get mad at 'Lea, 'Kewalaka' is Hawaiian for 'Stewart.'

Once more for luck, Jason!

Are you mad at me for calling your man Cyclope? That's Spanish for Cyclops!

No! for calling Emma an... Well you could have said it a different way!

I'm not hearing anything that says that I was wrong!

That's okay we'll, discuss it in our fourth hour! And lastly…

Returning to Stewart's bedside, Alea is relaying the confrontation she just had with the White Queen. Nathan was the first to remark on the situation.

WHAT THE FUCK!? Jason thinks to himself.

"What a bitch on skates! She's not pissed because he got hurt, she's just pissed she isn't allowed to brain-fry Drake!"

"Not exactly guys," Alea explained. "but otherwise, yea, that's why she's pissed at Nichols-"

"And that's why we're pissed at her!" Jason added. "You know, I'd respect her for that if she wasn't so damn phony! 'I will not allow any of my students to be harmed!'" he mimicked. "The way everyone thinks she'll get hoodrat vicious if any of 'her students' get hurt, you'd be stupid enough to think she really gives the slightest damn!"

"No, it's when she does get street-rat crazy," Shadowcat replied as she phased through the MedLab to warm them about the next morning's pop quiz. "That's when you know she does care."


"Which she does, Jason," Jean tells him, now face to face. "And yes the stories about her are true. The Hellions meant more to her than just a tool of the Hellfire Club. And despite the attitude you've been witness to the last few weeks, she cares for all fourteen of you guys."

"Well, I've learned not to rely on anyone but those you place your unquestioned trust in. The first sign is that they have my unyielding respect. Now, guess how many people here have earned mine!"

"We'll table this for our first session, Jason, but for now you should get some sleep, you have a long ride ahead of you tomorrow," She stood up, and Jason followed her to his feet, as his mom had taught.

Before she reached for her tray she stopped and rummaged in her robe pocket. "Oh yea, one last thing." She tossed something at Jason, who caught it with his right hand. It was his switchblade, 'the Tyrfing Sword.' "Now, I would only ask that you try to use better language where you can, Jason."

"You have my word that I'll do my best, Ms. Summers. I can't promise anything more but my word is worth more than the ransom of kings."

"I know you are as good as your word, Jason. Your best is all anyone can ask of you." She replied, then the effects of her great-grandmother's insomnia remedy were evident as the young man yawned.

"See, I told you it works pretty fast." She gave him a warm grin. "Have a good night, Jason."

"Good night, Ms. Summers."

"Please, call me Jean."

"Okay. Have a pleasant evening, Jean."

As they left the moon-lit atrium, a grandfather clock struck four pitches of E Major; B, E, F , and G . Sound breaking the serenity of the mansion that the X-Men proudly call home. It is now fifteen minutes into Monday and the community of Salem Center falls silent once more.

Sunrise waits for six more hours and with it the promise, or curse, of a new day.


End of Part seven

Look for the next chapter of "the Big Mutant on Campus" Series;

"A Knight On The Town"

A Generation X/Batman Crossover!

Starting in January 2013!

?David D. Amaya 2012