A Tale of Mischief and Mutants

Mary G̶y̶r̶i̶c̶h̶

—-Mary—-

I sit down and on the curb and I cry. My parents had just found out my secret. I'm a mutant. I slipped up and they saw, they saw the demonic horns that grew from my head. I had tried everything to get rid of them when they grew in. I painfully cut them off with garden shears and hid the wounds beneath my thick red hair but they always grew back in.

I had settled on wearing a beanie or hat of some sort at all times. I messed up and they saw them. They aren't even the worst part of all this, I start fires. I don't mean to it just happens. When I'm upset things just seem to spontaneously combust.

luckily up till now I had been able to explain them away as I accidentally left a candle burning or I left the heater running but now they know the truth. They told me they never want to see me again.

They were furious and threw me, a fifteen year old, out of my home with nothing but what I had on me at the time. Luckily I had my gym bag containing a change of clothes, my wallet (which has a debit card with about a thousand dollars on it from my job at Joe's Pizza), and an after school snack. 

I don't know what to do I feel utterly hopeless at my situation. It's not safe to walk the streets of New York alone. Not for a girl my age. 'What am I going to do when it gets dark?'I could pay for a hotel room but my money will run out and my income from my job at Joe's isn't enough to pay rent anywhere in New York.

I get up and find my feet have carried me to the mall I wander my way into the arcade. I just need to be around people. I don't feel safe alone. I find a dark corner with some chairs typically used by people watching their friends play the games. My tears start up again. I sit for a while with my anxiety and grief.

Suddenly my attention is caught by something, there's a commotion as one of the games seems to be destroyed by a blast of some sort. An Asian girl in her twenties wearing a bright yellow jacket groans over the smoking machine.

"Awww not again!"

Her friend a short girl who's about the same age, looks at the brightly clothed girl with her striking green eyes. This girl has long raven hair, and an all black outfit. She laughs slightly.

"I don't get why you insist on going to the arcade anyway Jubes. We're in the third decade of the twenty first century!"

"Because it's fun Laura!"

"Oh yeah it'll be a real fucking blast when he makes you pay for yet another machine."

The store manager suddenly notices the broken machine and rushes over.

"Hey you! Do you know how much that game costs?!"

'Jubes' glances at her friend they exchange a look. The girl responds.

"Yeah, a quarter."

The girl pushes the pink sunglasses that had been resting on her head over her eyes. 'Laura' laughs at this and the two girls make a mad dash out of the store. I suddenly feel the urge to follow. That machine didn't just break down. From what I overheard it was as if the girl caused it somehow.

I was scared to death of mutants a feeling fostered by my parents. But now I am a mutant and I need help. If I'm right these two girls seem like my best shot at even a chance at help. I quickly run past the angry store owner and follow them out of the store.

——————————————————————

I eventually catch up with them, now shopping inside a clothing store. I don't know what to say. I just watch them, trying to think of something. I loose sight of them momentarily then sense someone behind me. I spin around and find the green eyes of the girl called Laura looking back at me.

"Alright kid, you wanna tell us why you're following us?"

I'm suddenly very scared and regret my decision to follow them. I don't even know what they could do to me if they were mutants. I must look as scared as I feel because her face softens as she takes in my features likely noticing my tear stained cheeks. She speaks again her voice less harsh.

"Are you ok?"

I can't help it. I'm not ok everything I've ever known has just been stripped from me, I shake my head the tears spill out again. The brightly dressed girl comes up to me and puts a hand on my shoulder.

"Do you need help?"

I nod though I'm scared of them they're my best chance at help. It's not like I can go to the police, I'd likely end up in M.R.D. custody if I did that. The green eyed girl motions for me to follow her.

"Come on, I know a place we can go to talk."

—————————————————————

We go to a secluded waiting area of the mall and sit down. The green eyed girl speaks first.

"Why did you follow us?"

I sigh.

"I'm... I'm a mutant. I just got kicked out of my house. I saw what happened in the arcade and I couldn't think of anything else to do."

The green eyed girl looks at me with sympathy.

"What's your name?"

"Mary."

I can't tell her my last name. Who knows what they'd do if they knew my father was Henry Gyrich a man I know has caused mutants suffering. The green eyed girl looks at me as if detecting I'm hiding something.

"Mary...?"

I've been caught. I shake a little in fear for what they'll do and look at the floor.

"Mary Gyrich."

I'm my peripheral vision I see them exchange a surprised glance. Then they do something unexpected by me. They continue talking to me as if it doesn't matter to them.

"I'm Laura Kinney and this is Jubilant Lee but everyone calls her Jubilee."

Jubilee nods then speaks.

"You followed the right people we're X-men."

'X-men'?! I had heard my father speak about how dangerous those people were so many times. Warning me to stay away if I ever ran into any of their members. I must look scared again. Laura attempts to console me.

"What they say about us isn't true. We can help you, give you somewhere to stay. I know you don't really know us but we can take you somewhere safe right now... if you want. "

Before my abilities manifested I would have ran upon hearing such an offer but these girls seemed the opposite of what my father claimed any mutants to be like. I nod. Both girls give me a kind smile. Jubilee nods back.

"We'll bring you there."