Xaviers!

Trev sat alone at a table in the XUB, tablet set up in front of him with a stack of books next to it. A large mug of coffee in hand. Ostensibly he was doing homework while he waited for Natalie to join him. He was actually trying to calm his nerves about meeting with an attractive girl with caffeine (because stimulants totally calm you down) while bullshitting in his email inbox. One item in particular caught his attention—a note from his childhood best friend Darren titled simply “Guess Who—you aren’t going to believe this!”

He tapped on it, taking a sip of his coffee as he started to read.

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 Dude.
Sorry for the clickbait headline. Hope life at Mutant U is treating you well. Gearing up for finals here, and I’m probably fucked in at least two classes. Probably should stop being too hungover to get to my 8a.m. lecture.  Anyhow….
Remember how your “one true love” kicked your ass to the pavement, told you never to talk to her again,  and called you gene trash in front of like a quarter of the school after you taught her boyfriend how to fly?

“Fucking prick,” Trev murmured into his coffee.

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Get a load of this.
UIC STUDENT ARRESTED; 3 IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER HALLOWEEN BARROOM BRAWL

November 1

Stephanie Kaltiera, 19, was charged with five counts of aggravated assault, one count of attempted manslaughter, failure to register as a mutant, possession of a fake ID, underage drinking, and indecent exposure after a domestic dispute at Drum & Monkey on the 1400 block of Taylor turned violent last night. Eyewitnesses say Kaltiera and boyfriend Jake Burton, 21, were arguing when Burton shoved Kaltiera to the ground. Shortly thereafter, there was panic as Kaltiera apparently transformed into what by all accounts appeared to be a werewolf and mauled Burton and several other onlookers. Kaltiera fled the scene and was found naked in Millennium Park several hours later.


Trev nearly choked on his coffee as he read the article and watched the accompanying grainy surveillance video in the article.

“Wow. Ain't that some shit?” He murmured to himself as he forwarded the email to Sam’s school account.

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Sam,
Found this amusing after our talk the other day. Guess there's always a chance she’a a teep too. LOL
-Trev


After what seems like an inauspicious amount of time, Natalie wanders over to the table. "Got started without me?" She gestures at the coffee mug.

"To be fair, I got started at lunch, because I almost fell asleep in calculus, so this is more like my third cup of the day," Trev joked, smiling broadly as Natalie approached. "I do need another though, so...what can I get you?"

"I'll have what you're having," she says, as if there's going to be some significance attached to what he's having.

"May switch it up from straight coffee and do a mocha this time, so two mochas, coming right up," he smiled, rising, flipping his tablet onto its cover and stacking it on top of his books, and walking over to the barista.

He returned a few moments later with two steaming mugs in hand.

"Cheers," he said raising his glass for a toast when he was seated again.

"Cheers," she says in response, blowing on the coffee a bit before sipping it. "Not a bad choice," she comments.

"Never opposed to mixing dessert with caffeine," he joked, trying to keep his nerves in check.

"Thanks again for fixing my machine. I didn't know video games could look as pretty as they do now."

"My pleasure. Always nice to be able to do what you're good at."

"So what else do you do around here besides have coffee with strange dudes whose computers you've saved?" he joked.

"X-men reserve. Campus IT work. Nothing particularly exciting."

"There's nothing dull about X-team work, even in the reserve," Trev chuckled. "Ms. Kinney yelling alone in one training debrief is more excitement than most people get in a whole month."

"I've lost 30 pounds since she told me she'd cut me open to pull out the lazy herself. I *think* she was kidding."

"I wouldn't count on that," Natalie says with a laugh, "I'm just lucky my power only has a narrow set of applications."

"I mean, sure it might not be directly useful in a fight but for a larger mission? Indispensable. You can only shoot, scream, punch, or claw your way through so much, no matter what Ms. Kinney says."

"For things like getting Will back, sure, though," she shakes her head like there's some bad memories, "I need work harder on how much and how long I can use them. My powers I mean."

"Well, I can always buy more gadgets and hope that they're broken," Trev joked.

It had sounded better in his head.

"Where are you from originally?" he after a sip of his drink.

"Cardiff," she says, "My mum's still there. Tried going to a proper university, but it didn't work out." She might be a little bitter.

"I thought about it for a minute too," Trev replied. "My buddy wanted me to room with him at University of Illinois. I applied, even got in, but ultimately I figured word would get out I was a mutant and I'd get shit from a lot of drunk college kids."

Trev sipped his coffee with a half grin. "Now I am a drunk college kid, legally, here."

"I went and was doing fine, but someone I confided in outed me to the administration and they used what I can do to kick me out for cheating."

"that's bullshit. Hopefully karma bites them in the ass."

"It does occasionally at least. My friend just sent me a news article from last month and my former best friend who called me gene trash and asked me never to come near her again after she found out what I was apparently found out she was a mutant in the most spectacular way possible."

"A lot of people do. I bet she's scared now."

"I sure as hell was. One moment I was getting punched in the face by a 6'4" jock, next thing I knew he was flying into the school trophy case and everyone was covering their ears."

"Might be a good time to mend fences." She sips at her coffee, "What's her name?"

"Stephanie," he replied, looking down at the coffee cup in his hands in thought for a moment, "you're probably right. Maybe I will. X-Corp has a lot of resources."

"How'd you realize you were a mutant?"

"Started hearing things. Voices... sounds that no one else heard... Mum thought I was mentally ill at first. Lots and lots of doctors."

"Oh man, that must have been scary," Trev replied.

"...does technology have personality?" he asked after a beat.

"Not really? I mean, any personality it seems to have is just me interpreting its behavior. Usually when I hear things, I'm hearing communications of one sort or another."

"Well, I suppose that's comforting, at least. I've called various pieces of tech some pretty hurtful shit before," he chuckled.

"On the other hand, I don't go out of my way to be mean to it or anything."

"I mean...I...I don't do that either. But the Danger Room and I don't always get along," he said, fumbling a bit, trying to still act casual.

"Oh, that thing is an absolute nightmare. I have no idea how it works and that spooks me."

"Alright," he grinned, "I thought I was the only one. If someone who talks to machines can't even figure out some of the things that thing does, I feel way better."

"It's like being in a foreign country without knowing the language. I only go in there for trading stuff I can't do outside it."

"It's a really cool place, and really the only way to safely learn how to fly but....man...no idea how it works or thinks."

"Maybe one day when I'm more comfortable with what I can do, I'll try to figure it out, but I'm nowhere near there yet."

"Did you find out about your powers late?" he asked.

"No, but sound waves or human minds or the nature of the elements don't get more complicated. Devices constantly get more complicated and I constantly have to learn new ways to do the same things."

"Oh wow....yeah. I never really thought about that. You're not going to get any rest unless there's like a zombie apocalypse." he joked.

"I will likely go insane if that happens. I don't like not having technology around."

"Well I'd probably join you," he smirked, nodding to his phone and tablet sitting on the table, hefting his wrist adorned with a smart watch, and looking to his slightly open bag out of which stuck a laptop. "Basically my whole life is electronic."