Murdersphere Mosaic [ManXMan] [BoyXBoy]

Chapter 5 Part 4 About Last Night...

I spy a small department store on the way and I cross the street and duck inside. Perez takes up a lounging position nearby.

I buy a pair of black yoga pants, a matching black long-sleeved t-shirt, and a black, unadorned skull cap. I also buy a backpack. I change into those clothes, stuffing old ones away. After finding another route home on the pad, I check myself: sunglasses on, hat down tight, shoulder's hunched, I exit and veer right at the first corner.

I do not see him follow me, and I board a bus without incident.

My disguise works, at least against the green equivalent of a Pinkerton.

Now that's a weird reference. I think, but then conceding that it is not too far off. The Guardsmen could do the kind of dirty work overtly that the NYPD would not want to be libel for and since the Guardsmen are capable of standing against super powered threats, the NYPD and the Public would be fine spending public funds to retain their services.

I from the window, I watch four Guardsmen fly overhead in formation, identities, gender-even, hidden by their helmets and armor.

They pass into range and I touch their minds. They are looking for me, trying to pick up the trail from where their man lost me. They do not know why they have been asked to follow me, but that is the order. "Follow him."

Then why did that other guy try to steal my folio? These four do not know and are not aware of my earlier contact. Perez, however, did know my would be thief.

I tried to keep my expression neutral while on the bus, but using telepathy without getting caught using telepathy is hard.

A shadow passes over the street, and the Guardsmen suddenly get very agitated. A sleek, dark-colored craft with rear mounted, forward swept wings cruises overhead at low speed. The X-Men were in the city. 

In their thoughts, I watch their disposition shift. Despite their pseudo-jurisdiction over mutant affairs, the Guardsmen had a standing policy. Unless the X-Men are disturbing the peace, or  interfering with the elected council in Mutant Town, do not interfere with the X-Men.

I feel a gentle telepathic knock. "Can we talk?" The mental voice is male diffident, concerned but wary, and the source is well out of my range.

I take hold of the proffered mental contact. "How can I help you?" There we go... stay nice and professional.

"My name is Professor Charles Xavier and I am a mutant." The telepathic voice says. "We registered a psionic disturbance last night during the blackout and we traced it to you. And now the Guardsmen are after you."

"They just have orders to follow me." I reply.

"Their superiors know you are a telepath." He says. "They are sending their greenest members to keep track of you and eventually a situation will be arranged where federal authorities can arrest you."

I have to clamp my hands over my mouth to keep from emitting a frustrated scream, but I manage to think. "Why? I've done nothing wrong?"

"You have Latverian citizenship." He says. "That is prominent in their minds. They believe that you caused the blackout and encouraged the riots in Mutant Town."

"So, it's a lynch mob and a witch hunt with nothing to go on but an coincidence of immigration?" I reply.

"More or less, I am afraid." Xavier says. "We would like to avoid a violent incident. We, me and my students, would like to help you."

"How?" I ask.

"Come with us and we will go to SHIELD." He says. "I have already made arrangements to speak with one of the sub-directors if I can get you to come in and talk. That is all."