1964-05-17 - Heat Wave
Summary: The Professor was attending a rally, but complications arise…
Related: 'None'
Theme Song: Foreigner, Hot Blooded
firestar xavier 


"It's a lovely afternoon in New York, folks. The smog isn't even noticeable, and Robert Wagner is at the stands, campaigning for his second term as Mayor of the Big Apple," announces John Lindsay as he gets into his role. A broadcaster and former congressman himself, he sometimes enjoys a day in the park, so long as it brings him into the news. "The crowd is pretty thick, standing room only out there, but he's shaking hands of all his loyal constituents. We'll see if we can't get a word, but right now it looks pretty packed up there."

With people thick and heavy, the hot dog vendors are the only people who're really having a good day. It's muggy and hot, and the people have come to see one of the events of the hour. Their mayor actually stooping to talk to them, maybe even answer some of their burning questions about the city. There is a bit of an aura of tension about the crowd, with the superheros of the city conspicuously absent.

On one side, there is a rather nice area with groups from local high schools who've been brought to learn something about the world. One of them even brought out their female students, but the preparatory school is known to push politics rather hard, so it's not drawing any undue stares.

*

Charles really dislikes politics, in general, but there comes a time when one must grease the wheels. Particularly when it's the mayor of New York, and one that has made some contraversial moves. However, currently Charles is having a heated discussion with a particularly obstinate aide of the mayor, as he's apparently having trouble remembering that simply using his mutant powers to clear a path isn't the ethical approach…

*

The crowd is huge, for the time. Huge, and temperamental, but nobody's really in the violent mood yet. There are thoughts in that direction, most of them directed at the man on the podium himself, but directed thoughts are easy. When someone is nearly shouting their thoughts in Xavier's direction, it's almost impossible to keep from knowing. Luckily the worst he's heard is a child that desperately needed the toilet, who was particularly blunt about the issue.

"I understand your point, Doctor," the aide says as he takes notes, mostly doodles since he's already made up his mind. "The thing is, it's just not in the budget. We need to keep those groups settled so we can afford to use the funds for important things." kill him now.

The thought at the end almost seemed to come from the aide, but that's quickly dismissed. Entirely the wrong flavour, and it's gone just as quickly. Almost like Xavier was only catching the edge of it.

*

Charles says, "Look, you're only wasting money with these useless raids, so why not just…" He pauses, narrowing his eyes, then immediately turns away from the aide, placing his fingers to his temple as he concentrates, scanning the crowd quickly for that thought of murder, trying to find the source as he frowns…

*

The rather annoying aide keeps talking, making things even louder if it's possible. He seems to be surprised that Charles would turn away from him, and he's finally paying attention. Indignation is the main emotion, though he's really not important to the situation otherwise, and his words are even less so.

In the crowd, things seem fairly calm. Charles has no real major issue right away, since things just aren't meshing with what he heard. Literally nobody is thinking about killing the mayor, the stupid aide, or even himself. Nobody is thinking that direction at all in any kind of killing manner, it's confusing. And the thought pattern wasn't familiar either.

There is a few kids in the high school who're being a bit noisy but all their thoughts are in another direction, particularly one redheaded young lady whose thoughts are so chaotic they're basically nonsense. No guns visible.

Then Charles picks up another thought, the girl arguing with herself over some moral decision, he'd have to push deeper to learn more but it's not aimed at the Mayor.

*

Normally the Professor doesn't get this invasive with someone's mind… but, considering that he heard that murderous thought clearly, and there's only one person who has chaotic enough thought patterns to /do/ it. Well, there's only one alternative. And with that, he delves into the girl's mind, seeing what the moral decisions are that she's grappling with as he moves in her general direction.

*

The Mayor isn't the target. That's why Charles wasn't hearing it right away. No, the girl's mind is on other things, other people, and she's so upset that she's literally clearing a space around her. Which is odd, since she's not actually doing anything.

~I have to do it, he's the one. The guy on the microphone,~ Charles gets an image of the former congressman, far away from his location. Lindsay, the easier target. No bodyguards, no reason to think he'd be the target of an assassin. And yet, it seems he is.

But in her mind, the girl is in turmoil. ~Why do I have to? I can't do this, I just want to go home. Nobody should burn like that, not even to protect all of us, it's wrong! Wrong, wrong..~ She has a hand raised in front of her body and the air around he is shimmering with heat, but oddly none of the students are reacting save to give her space. …a quick check, and it's clear. They all are there to give her cover so she can…
FMicrowave the man from sixty paces, apparently? They're all scared of her, too.

*

Charles blinks in surprise, sensing the thoughts, and then he speaks, right into the girl's mind, "You don't have to do this. You still have a choice." And with that, a projection of Charles stands in front of Firestar… or at least, she sees the mental image. No one else does, as Charles is communicating directly with her.

Charles smiles a bit sadly, "You won't protect anyone if you kill him. You'll only prove their fears are right."

*

The girl literally jumps a bit, causing the kids around her to make a bit more space. They're expecting something dramatic to happen, and are so tense that any small thing could make them bolt. The girl, however, widens her eyes and stares at the man, literally crying as she holds out her hand. "I can't," she says out loud, having no idea what's going on, but her thoughts say far more. ~I can't let my teachers down. They've told me what he's doing, how he needs to be stopped. The laws, how he's going to kill the mutants..so soon!~

But there's also the horrible image of someone being microwaved to death, clear in her mind. She knows what her powers will do to a human and his petrified by the thought of harming any living being. Lowering her hand, slowly, but the air around her is still apparently quite…quite hot.

*

The projection of Charles walks forward, not fazed by the heat as he looks at the girl, "If you kill him, the law will pass, and more mutants will die. Is that what you want?" The man shakes his head, giving the girl a sad look, "The only way to win is to not kill him. This is not an end, but the beginning of something terrible, but only if you go through with it."

*

Another strange thing; Charles has never heard of the law she's thinking of. Also, the man himself has no power to do any such thing, the girl's thoughts make no sense. He's a broadcaster now, his days of political power are far behind him. But the girl thinks that he's more, a lot more. Lies? Programming? Anything is possible, and this 'Prep School' bears watching.

The white-haired girl with the yellow blouse behind her kicks Angelica in the butt, saying in a hissing voice, "Do it already! People are starting to look!" The kids are starting to wonder about aborting, since they aren't there to get arrested. No, they're there to get Angelica back home afterward.

Angelica, that's her name, Angelica Jones. She raises her hand again, then lowers it, then whirls and stares at the girl, eyes blazing. LITERALLY. She gets the space she needs, then turns back and aims her right arm at John Lindsay, but looks past Charles and thinks, ~Can't be the way, can't be right," as people in the crowd start actually turning to look. The heat is rising, and it's getting notice. And Angelica looks at Charles, not at Lindsay, and slowly nods.

~Who…are you?~"

*

Charles nods a bit, "You can call me the Professor." He then smiles, "And you made the right decision, Angelica Jones." He then pauses, looking… well, not terribly impressive, save for his dignity, which just exudes from him, even though he's barely over five and a half feet tall, wearing a very well tailored English suit. "Do you need a way out?"

*

Angelica gives her head a little shake, which her fellow students react to by assuming that the operation is a bust. They look particularly annoyed, and the chaperones (who apparently have no idea what's going on) start bundling them toward the bus. Nice bus, carpeting and everything.

~No, I won't run away when things go wrong. That's what cowards do, Professor. My teachers are good people…we just need to talk.~ She blinks, and the air around her suddenly cools and her shoulders are grabbed, as she's manhandled toward the bus by students. She looks back, smiling with exhaustion, as if the whole situation had been a big deal, for her. "I'm okay, really," she says out loud, though it's probably aimed at everyone involved.

*

The Professor nods, walking along unnoticed by the handlers and other 'students', as he says in Angelica's mind, "Well, I think you're better now, but if you do need to speak… just think about me, and I'll try to reach you." Though, if there's any sort of psychic blockers or screens at this school, that might make it hard. But of course, that's what Cerebro is for, especially since he has the measure of her mind.

*

The girl, young lady really, holds out her hand. A small flame appears in it, then vanishes as she's bundled into the bus which is waiting anxiously to leave the premises. Literally the instant the girl is in the bus, however, her mind vanishes. They're not only blocking the school, they put effort into their vehicles! She gets one thought out before her mind fades, though, and the door closes behind her with a slam.

~Angelica~ Apparently unaware how psychics work, or how to do more than that, she's kept in the middle seat and as the bus drives off, she's not even visible. Red hair, fiery spirit, but a hint of thanks is in the air.

And then she's gone. Nobody hurt, save for the aide who is ready to give concessions on the gay rights debate if Charles will simply SPEAK to him! He's so upset, he's almost ready to have a heart attack, and oddly musky in his cologne.

*

Charles blinks a bit, then turns back towards the aide, "Well, yes, just stop the raids, I don't think there's any need for those, don't you? After all, it isn't like there won't be visitors in the closet as well, during the Fair?" He smiles a bit, and pats the aide on the shoulder, showing a bit of cheer that he doesn't feel, "And give my thanks to the Mayor for rethinking his stance on this. I won't forget this." And neither will his bank account, is the unspoken word. Charles is an idealist, but he's far from naive, though now his mind is focusing on that blank spot where the van is, and that mysterious girl that seems to be an assassin against her will.

*

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