Xaviers!

Chase was just staring at the punching bag, unable to get angry despite his best efforts. Professor Rede had told him exactly what he he had hoped wouldn't be true. There was no life for him to get back. Right then he wasn't angry, or even sad. He just felt hollow.

[open]

One of the other punching bags moved under seemingly it's own momentum, and a wince accompanied it.

Chase was startled out of his immediate reverie and only barely resisted the urge to prepare for a fight as he turned to look.

"That you Basil?"

"Chase?" Replied a familiar voice sounding just as surprised. There was the sound of shifting feet followed by a sigh. No body though.

"Yes, it's me."

After a moment, Basil's under suit appeared out of thin air. The way his right hand was swaying, it seemed he had punched the bag and hurt himself, now trying to shake it off.

"How... long have you been there?" he asked, not registering the mutual surprise.

"Not that long. Came to do a little exercise in hopes to improve my mood. Suppose I got over zealous."

"Not helping is it? The punching bags aren't exactly supposed to win," he said. There is the merest hint of resentment in his tone.

"Lots of things that aren't supposed to happen in life happen anyways. One musters on." Basil had a similarly negative emotion to his own tone. Not resentment, because he had nothing to be resentful over.

Resignation.

"You shouldn't just give up accept things. Nothing good comes of it."

Basil remained silent for an awkwardly long time. " Sorry. Easier said than done I suppose. Let's not dwell on my minor life grievances.

Why are you here? Don't superheroes in training use the Danger Room?"

"Exercise helps me clear my head. Usually anyway," he said, sighing.

"Have something on your mind?" Basil asked.

"Professor Rede... No, it's nothing I should burden you with," he said. He tried to hide it, but the pain was obvious.

"You can tell me Chase. It's not a burden. We're mates right?"

He gave Basil a long, thoughtful look.

"My parents, the only family I even had... they're... dead."

Basil stood quietly his arms slack against his sides. Without words or a face, if was difficult to tell where the boy's head might be.

Then he outstretched his arms in the international signal for bro-hugs.

Chase looked vaguely confused by the gesture, as one might be when they knew what a hug was but literally couldn't remember ever being hugged.

"Well. This is sufficiently awkward." Basil said, standing there looking like he was begging for a hug.

But instead of giving up he made it even more awkward intentionally, walking stiff limbed like a penguin towards Chase with his arms still open.

Chase looked mildly amused despite his misery, and didn't shy away.

Eventually the waddle ended, and Basil's semi-visible arms ended up around Chase. Basil was just a bit taller than Chase, but that made it easier for Basil to avoid headbutting the other young man. He gave him a tight squeeze before easing up on him. Chase could feel something soft that must have been Basil's hair against the side of his face. Chase would feel Basil's hand pat him lightly on the back once or twice before he let up, though he wouldn't let go of Chase until Chase pulled away again himself.

"I'm sorry Chase. I don't have anything good to say that will make up for your parents being gone, because there isn't anything to say that will make that kind of pain go away."

Chase did pull away, turning his head to hide the tears that threatened to well up.

"...thanks..." he said awkwardly.

Thankfully for Chase if he did start blubbering, it didn't seem Basil was going to judge him.

Mainly because Basil was already doing it himself and made a loud snuffling sound as he was wiping his eyes on his sleeve, where tears left a wet stain behind. Afterwards he shrugged.

"You're welcome. I guess. I'm sorry I can't be more helpful to you. I know you were excited to find out about your life, it's just not the sort of thing you expect to hear at your age." His voice was wobbly now, having gotten a bit too emotional.

"Sorry. I get a little overwhelmed at sad things sometimes." He admitted.

"I..." he said, sniffing, "Shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. I knew... I knew I might be the only survivor."

"I just..." he continued, letting out a single sob, "...thought if I made it, maybe they did..."

Basil wasn't overly familiar with what got Chase in this situation, he'd been assuming an accident what with the amnesia. This definitely didn't seem like the time to ask. Basil fell into a cross legged sitting position on the floor while he thought of something to say.

"Good parents will give their lives for their children. I don't know what happened that lead to their demise and your survival, but I think that if it happened again the outcome would have been the same. They must have loved you very much, because you're still here."

"Sometimes I wish I wasn't."

"I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't understand that sentiment, but that isn't an option.

If you had a son, would you want him to give up on life because things had gone to shit?"

"Gone to shit is an understatement Basil. Right now I'm an under educated nobody with no family, no money, and one friend, and I'm still better off than I've been in years. I don't really want to give up, I just can't see where I'm going."

"No one knows where they are going. People only think that they do, or pretend to so they can seem as if they have a leg up on others.

I have a family and money and an education and where am I? Where has that landed me?

Same place you are. In the gymnasium at a uni for freaks like us."

He sighed, pity-spiral losing some momentum.

"You shouldn't describe yourself like that. You aren't some monster to be feared," he said, noticeably not including himself in the statement.

"My problems aren't the focus of this conversation." Basil replied, as per usual dodging talking about his 'condition'.

"The point is even without all those things you're still here. And you've still got just as good a shot as any of us of pulling yourself out of this.

In some instances, maybe better. Especially if whatever power you possess can be applied to help others."

"That's what I want. To use my abilities to help people instead of..." he answered, shutting up quick.

Wonderfully naive Basil's mind didn't even dabble with the notion that the next few words might have been 'hurting them'.

"Then that is what you should focus on. I wager it would make your parents proud to know you were doing the right things with your gifts."

He looked profoundly ashamed for a moment before nodding.

"You're right. I don't know if they're still somewhere watching over me, but I need to make them proud."

"I like to think that they are." Basil stated in a warm tone. "Buuut I wouldn't take my word as gospel. I'm terrible at religion." He added with an awkward laugh.

"Yeah, me too. But at least I choose friends well," he smiled weakly.

"Yea well, you lucked out. I am amazing. And I make good tea. Everyone says so." Sarcasm. Of course.

"Isn't making bad tea illegal here?" he joked. That was a better sign than any.

"No, but not offering to get tea for everyone when you get up for tea is a cardinal sin. Also applies to pints."

"You guys really take your beverages seriously."

" The sharing of consumables is a social ritual passed down through the ages.

Ours just ruins our kidneys a bit quicker than some." He replied in good humour.