Fatal Attractions [Charles Xavier | Book One]

Chapter 3: Unacceptable Behavior

        After they discussed their choices of code names, the real party began to ignite. Music played through their now open room from the jukebox in the back, the tune echoing out into the courtyard through the opening where the window remained shattered.  But considering that Kat had rarely found many opportunities to have fun, she couldn't help but seize the change even though she knew they were bound to get in trouble for their rather blatant destruction of property.

        Kat found herself jumping without her shoes on the black leather furniture of their lounge, Raven bouncing and dancing along with her to the music. They laughed together, the others around them just as caught up in their fun as they were.  Hank hung from the light fixture by his feet, dangling upside down while Angel flew around him, herself laughing and dancing on thin air. Meanwhile, Darwin continued to show off how well he could protect himself by hardening his skin while Alex and Sean proceeded to hit him with various objects. Sean even managed to break a chair over his back and Darwin didn't even so much as flinch; he just kept insisting, "Harder!"  

        "Is it always this wild around here?"  Kat had to shout to Raven over the loud music and sounds around them.

        Raven smiled, a sparkle in her brown eyes that Kat could have sworn sparked yellow. "Only when you're with friends!"

        Friends. Kat had never had friends before, not really. Yet among Raven and the others, she could feel the bond. Whether it was bound by their similarities or differences, there was still a blind trust established among them. Because they were different. Together.

        Elated, Kat could only grin. "I've never had so much fun!"

        "Me neither!" And with that Raven jumped across to join Kat on her couch. Together, they collapsed into a fit of giggles, hysterical with their treasure of friendship.

        With all of the excitement around her, Kat believed for a moment that the fun might never end. But oh how wrong she was.

         There was almost an immediate change in the energy of the room, voices silenced around them. Kat didn't realize what had happened until she sat up and followed the gazes of her friends around her—toward the courtyard beyond the broken window where the statue still remained in half, its pieces scorched.

        Kat's ears flattened against her head when her eyes met with Moira MacTaggert's piercing stare, the agent standing between Charles and Erik with the shattered glass of the window beneath their polished shoes. Moira stood with her hands on her hips in an authoritative stance. Erik looked indifferent to the situation, while Charles simply looked . . . disappointed.

        Kat's tail curled to hide behind her back.

        "Who destroyed the statue!?" Moira snapped, her hand snapping to point for emphasis.

        "It was Alex," Hank was the first to confess, himself having returned to the ground as he stood the others.

        "No—Havok." Raven attempted to correct Hank.  "That's his name now." She looked ahead again, looking between the three outside. "And we were thinking that you could be Professor X," she said and she pointed to Charles before moving on to Erik.  "And you should be Magneto." But her enthusiasm was not shared, as their expressions read and Kat could sense. 

        Moira sighed and shook her head before walking off without a word.

        "Exceptional," Erik spoke in a dull, mocking tone before following after Moira, leaving Charles as the last remaining.  

        "I expect more from you." Charles's voice was hard as he spoke, his eyes even harder when they met Kat's. 

        Kat looked to Raven and could sense how she felt a different type of pain from Charles's words.

        It wasn't until after Charles walked away that Kat began to ponder what that might mean.