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It was a surprisingly bright day. The sun was out for once. Shining so bright it was almost blinding. The green leaves vibrantly swaying in the cool breeze. It was a rare sight. So much so everyone in the town was out down the park or had gone to a beach. Soaking in the sun before it goes. The two brothers were no different. Their parents had given them a fiver to get an ice cream each from the local ice cream shop.
"What flavour you gonna get? I was thinking strawberry or maybe mint. Y dau yn wych* I dunno." Connor said to his brother who laughed at him in response.
The two kept walking in near silence trying to take in the rare bit of sunshine the town gets. Listening to the birds chirping above them, the kids playing make believe in the park and the adults discussing whatever was on their mind. The silence was nice, enjoyable. But Connor was never good at staying quiet for long. He was always talking, never able to sit still or shut up. His brother hated it. Always finding it annoying or too much. And he could tell his brother was enjoying the quiet of the walk. His face seeming more relaxed than it had in months.
He had been getting in trouble almost every day at school and at home for some reason. Before Rhys had rarely ever gotten in trouble. He had been well behaved. So much so their parents would always tell him to be more like Rhys when he did get in trouble. He might be young, but he wasn't thick. He'd seen Rhys doing something weird with his hands a few times and whenever he did, he'd end up in trouble.
As they reached the end of the park Connor finally spoke up. Assuming his brother was done taking in the peace and quiet. "Why do you keep getting in trouble? Ysgol uwchradd* can't be that bad can it?" Connor asked Rhys not expecting an actual answer from him.
Rhys hesitated for a split second before dragging him into a nearby alleyway. Connor didn’t understand why. Feeling more confusion than he had in years and Rhys had tried teaching him algebra last year. Rhys bought them to the far end of the alleyway. Making sure no one was around to hear.
"You cannot tell anyone I told you. Especially not mum or dad bydda nhw’n lladd fi ti’n deall*?" Rhys asked him. His eyes still darting around as if someone was nearby they just couldn’t seem them.
"I promise, nans life." Connor replied. Putting his hand over his heart. Trying to act as sincere as any nine year old can.
"I'm... a mutant." His brother explained. Clearly looking for a response of disgust or hatred. But instead he just got a look of confusion from his brother. Something he hadn’t even considered to be a response. A look of pure unfiltered shock appearing on his face.
Connor couldn't understand why. He'd never even seen the word. Let alone heard someone say it. But if Rhys of all people was getting in trouble for being it. It couldn’t be a good thing? But he did always get in trouble for dumb things. So maybe it wasn’t bad his parent just didn’t like it.
"Beth ydy hwnna golygu*?" He decided to ask but before Rhys could even think of an answer Connor notices a shift in his brothers’ stance. Shifting from one of shock to pure fear. Connor couldn't understand why. Until he felt a hand on his shoulder. One bigger, rougher and harder than his brothers. A hand squeezing his shoulder so hard it began to hurt. He looked up at his brother to see him paralysed in place and a man behind him.
"Ah' can tell ya what a mutie is. They're freaks of nature. Abominations that think they're better than us. An' they don't deserve nothing." A raspy voice explained. A very rude explanation at that. Connor couldn’t understand why the man said it. His brother wasn’t a freak or an abomination. He was the kindest, smartest and sweetest person he knew.
"My brothers not an abomination or a freak. He's cooler than you'll ever be." Connor exclaimed without thinking.
The man behind him just chuckled in response. Squeezing his shoulder just a little bit harder. Hard enough to leave a bruise. Connor tried turning around to retaliate but the way the man had positioned himself made it difficult. This made him begin to try think of a way to get away from these men. But every idea he came up with wouldn’t be possible. All of them included things he could only ever dream of doing like flying or controlling machines or having superspeed. Before he could come up with a suitable idea Rhys finally spoke up. Clearly having come up with a better plan then him.
"It was just a joke. Something I tell my brother from time to time to calm him down. He gets scared in new places and just loves superheroes." He tried to explain but then men weren't having it. They didn’t believe him. Both men scoffed at the explanation. Clearly thinking it’s the wildest thing in the world.
"Sure, mate and I'm the Queen of England. You're both coming with us. Mutie or not." The man behind Rhys explained before bringing out some weird collar. One neither child had seen before. Before either one of them could react, the taller man put a collar around his brother’s neck. Before the two men hit them over the head. Resulting in the two falling unconscious.
***
Connor was the first to wake. Taking in his surroundings straight away. It was difficult to see due to how dim the lights were. But there were still a few things he could make out. Like the silhouette of his brother, the ropes tying his hands together tightly and a concrete floor covered in cracks and a dirty green colour.
He couldn’t understand what was going on. Why did his brother saying he was a mutant a reason for then to get kidnapped? Why was being a mutant such a bad thing to men they'd never seen before?
The only sound he could hear was rusted metal clanging together. It reminded that way for what felt like hours to the young boy. Eventually the clanging was drowned out by the sound of heavy footsteps approaching. Ones he didn’t recognise. They couldn’t be the ones from the men before. Theirs were light and quiet. So much so neither of them recognises until the men were already too close.
His brother wasn't even awake yet. They had taken them because of his brother not him. Whatever they wanted he couldn't give them. He doesn't even know what they could want. He's just a kid he has nothing.
Before his thoughts could spiral anymore the footsteps came to a sudden stop. With that came a blinding light. The light so bright Connor had to close his eyes and open them again a few seconds later just to adjust.
When he reopened his eyes the light allowed him to see much more. He saw old factor machines closer to the rooms wall and his brother now was awake and beside him was a man in a weird looking mask a really weird one as well. The mask was mainly black but had red streaks in some places. It also had blacked out eyes that clearly weren’t originally blacked out. The last notable thing about the mask was the smile. It spread from one side of the mask to the other, with small tusks for teeth.
It looked horrifying to Connor but his brother didn't seem scared at all. He looked so brave compared to him. Connor was scared out of his mind by just being there. But his brother seemed like he thought nothing was out of the ordinary.
He couldn’t hear what the man was saying to his brother. But from the way the man was moving it couldn’t of been very nice. Connor watched as the two interacted. Too scared to even breath.
He watched the two talk, then argue, then talk again and then nothing. The man stopped whatever discussion the two were having. One second it was just the clanging and slight murmurs of talking and then a splash. Blood splattering all around his brother. The sight was horrific. Connor tried looking at his brother. Looking for any sign, he wasn’t dead. But instead, he was left seeing the light leaving his brother eyes and a massive hole in his chest with a spear sticking out of it.
The sight was too much. So much so he had to force himself to look away. Tears began bubbling up in his eyes. When all of a sudden, the clanging stopped. It didn’t get drowned out by another sound or the man with the mask. It just stopped.
Then a rattling began. Connor didn't dare look up. He didn't want to end up like his brother. Or worse. The rattling continued as the sound of footsteps began. The sound of people running. The sound of metal mixing with something.
The sound continued for minutes. The sound of rustling, of commotion continuing. Then a sound Connor knew. A sound that meant safety began to drown out the rattling and the commotion. The sound of sirens covering it all up.
Connor still didn't dare look up though. Not while someone untied his hands. He waited. Once his hands were free he moved to focus on them instead. He tired blocking out the world around him. All he could focus on was the sound of his brother dying. The look in his brothers’ eyes. The metal sticking out of his chest. It was all he could focus on.
He knew people were moving around him. He could hear the footsteps. He knew logically he was safe. He knew y heddlu* were here now. But he wasn’t thinking logically. He was too focused on what just happened. He could see flashes of the bright neon yellow moving around him.
***
By the time he came back to his senses he wasn’t in the building anymore. Instead he was sat on a bench nearby with a blanket wrapped over his shoulders and a police woman sitting beside him scribbling down on a small notepad. He tilted over slightly trying to look at what the woman was writing down. He placed his hand down on the bench. Using it to steady himself as he looked over the women’s shoulder. Not long after Connor leaned over the women stopped writing and looked over to the boy. Giving him a sweet smile before she begins talking to him.
“I’m sure todays been a lot for you but we need to know what happened here. Do you think you’re brave enough to tell us?” Connor turns his head away from the lady. Taking his time to think over her question. But just the though of the incident made him freeze up. He turns to look at the lady shaking his head to give her the answer. The women nods back. Turning to look at the scene in front of them. The police leading the men and women into police cars. An ambulance down by the entrance with paramedics looking over some of the criminals that were injured. Inside the building looked horrible. All the machines from before were moved around. Some on the floor, others looking as if they had been turned on recently.
There was also a stretcher with a white sheet over it. Connor knew what it was. The young boy knew it meant his brother hadn’t survived and he knew it was his fault. he was the one that asked his brother the question. He made his brother go into the ally. He was the reason they were taken by the two men. It was all his fault. Tears began falling down his face. His breath hitching. Everything that had happened today coming at him all in one go. He didn’t bother try wiping them away. All his energy was just gone. He just wanted his brother back. He wanted everything back to how it was. Before he ruined it all. Connor felt a hand rest on his shoulder. A firm but comforting grip. Nothing like the man earlier. But even so he flinched away. Curling in on himself. Trying to hide from the rest of the world.
***
The rest of the night went by in a blur. Truthfully the next few weeks did too. Connor felt lost. He felt like he was just there, existing. Not truly living like he had before. His parents had tried everything. But nothing was working. Connor was stuck in a limbo of sorts. He was still alive but it felt as if he had died the same night his brother had. What got Connor out of feeling the way he was something he never expected.
He was sitting on his carpet mindlessly moving some of his toys about. When it happened. Behind him he began to hear rattling. The same rattling he heard that night. He froze up. Every muscle in his body stiffened. He felt trapped again. His breathing quickened so much it started to hurt to breathe. Then he saw it. His town train moving towards him by itself. He let out a screech at the sight.
Seconds later his parents came running into the room. Heading straight towards him. Both of them kneeling down beside him and warping him in a hug. Connor leaned into the hug. Burying his face in his father’s chest. Making the shirt turn wet but his father didn’t seem to mind. The two adults waited for his breathing to even out a bit before asking him any questions.
“What’s wrong sweetie? Did something happen?” His mother asked as she released him from the hug. Allowing him the space to move and talk. But Connor still couldn’t bring himself to do that. Instead he pointed at the train that was still moving by itself. At seeing that his parents turned to look at each other. A mix between sadness and expectation littered their faces. Connor wasn’t sure why. But he didn’t dwell on it more focused on the moving train.
His father continued to hold him tightly as his mother pulled out her phone and left the room. The two stayed on the floor watching the train move. Connor didn’t want to move. He didn’t he kept his face buried in his father’s chest. A spot he felt safest. A spot he knew he would be ok. For now at least.
A few minutes later his mother came back. Sitting down in front of him instead of beside him like before. She sat there for a few moments looking at the boy’s father. she rested her hand on Connor’s shoulder. Clearly she had something to say but couldn’t or was struggling to bring it up. Something big she didn’t want to admit.
“Why don’t you try going to sleep sweetie. I’ve asked a man to come down tomorrow to try and help you. Can you do that for mummy?” His mum finally said. Giving him a sweet smile.
Connor nods his head in response. Staying in his father’s arms for a few more seconds before getting up and lying on his bed. His parents follow behind him. Moving his duvet over him and passing him one of his teddys. The small green dinosaur. It was one of his fluffier teddys with everything bar the spikes being the green fluff. Some bits weren’t as fluffy as others due to how long he’s had it but he didn’t mind. Connor holds onto it tightly burying his face into it. Both his parents gave him a kiss on the forehead. Something sweet they always did. The two then shut off the big light instead turning on his nightlight before leaving his room. Leaving the door slightly ajar for his comfort.
***
Connor was restless that night. Still plagued by nightmares of the night. He woke up a few times during the night but forced himself back to sleep every time. To him not being able to sleep through the night was somethings babies did and he wasn’t a baby. He was a big boy. By the time morning came he hadn’t had nearly enough sleep. An issue that has been present since that night. Though he was getting more sleep than he was closer to the night.
He got dressed quickly choosing out a simple shirt and a pair of shorts. Heading straight downstairs to the living room. He didn’t expect anything to be any different then normal. But to his surprise there was a man in a wheelchair and a woman with white hair beside the man. His parents seemed calm. His mother even pouring the three people a cup of tea. Connor went and sat beside his father. The spot far away enough from the new people.
“Ah so you’re Connor I’d presume? I am Professor X. This woman here is Storm or Ororo if you prefer. I’ve been made to believe that you may be a mutant. We understand that this may seem scary that’s why your mother called us. We would like you to come with us to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Here you’ll be able to learn to navigate life as a mutant.” The man, Professor X explained. But Connor was focused on one word. A word he’d only ever heard once. A word he never wanted to hear again. Mutant. His brother was the mutant not him. He was just a kid. He had no powers. He couldn’t have any powers.
“I’m not a mutant. I don’t have powers. Rhys did. I don’t.” Connor exclaimed. Getting up off his seat. Trying to seem taller. But that didn’t work. He still looked small to the people around him. He could tell and he didn’t like it.
“This may seem confusing but you are a mutant, child. The professor has this device that helps find mutants and it found you. Your mother also called us. She explained to us what happened last night with the train.” The lady, Ororo explained. She moved away from the man moving in front of Connor. She knelt down to his level as she spoke. Trying to seem comforting to him. Connor wouldn’t admit it but it did help.
“Connor sweetie, we think it’s best you go with them. What we did when we find out about your brother we reacted horribly. We let what happened happen. We won’t let that happen to you too. Please go with them.” His mother pleaded with him. The sadness heavy in her voice. Connor thought over it for a few moments. Looking between his parents and the other people. Before nodding his head. He didn’t want to leave his parents, but he also didn’t want to end up like his brother did. If his parents thought it could be good for him then maybe it would be. Maybe it would help him enough so he could help other children like his brother.