tushanshu | 10° VIDEO

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10° VIDEO

[There's a pause before Johnny's face appears on the screen, bent over to press the buttons. Once he confirms that the screen is on, he straightens and makes sure he's in frame, wearing very basic clothes.]

Aw, Reed. You shouldn't have! It's a little small, but I admit, I like what you've done with the place.

[He waits a beat, as if Reed might actually respond.]

There are two obvious possibilities for why I'm here. One, the Emperor is a crazed fan who abducted me to find out if The Torch is really as hot as they say he is – I am, by the way – or, two, I'm actually dead, they're lying to me, and I have a motorcycle and a pile of women waiting for me somewhere.

[A split-second pause.] I'll tell you what. If it's the first option? You can come find me. If it's the second, let me know and I'll come find you. Until then? This Fire Sector is like home, sweet home.

Johnny out.

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[Victor arches a brow.</small.] Listen to what? And we did fight back when him and his goons showed up on our island and tried to kill us all. But they ran for it when they realized that their fake hero act would be ruined if they started killing us on live TV. I am too. It's been so bad for so long...we've really needed better.

Why didn't you fight when they tried to send you to the island in the first place? [He clarifies. The coffee machine behind him beeps and Johnny starts with surprise. Then he turns and grabs a mug, listening as he pours himself some.]

We went voluntarily. If Osborn and his villain goons were going to manipulate the law to their advantage to screw us over...we went where he couldn't do it.

That's your problem. [He returns the coffee pot and turns around again, mug in hand. Johnny immediately takes a sip, then uses the mug to vaguely point at him.]

It's easier for people to treat you poorly when they forget you exist or when you aren't human. You have to show them who you are for them to care.

[Victor shakes his head.]

Staying wasn't a fight we could win. We made sure people knew about it all though. The raising of the island out of the ocean and the big fight that followed were all broadcast on national TV.

So what happened? Where were you before you got here?

[Victor takes a deep breath.]

Well...things went well enough. We go away from Osborn and his nutjob crew. Eventually things imploded for him and the country started getting better. We all stayed on the island, made it the mutant nation. The same stuff that attacked us everywhere else attacked us there.

Eventually it came down to an argument between two of the people in charge about how my class was being treated as cannon fodder. And after an attack by a giant robot designed specifically to hunt and kill mutants, the whole place split. Half stayed, and half of us went back to Westchester county to start up a school for mutants. That's where I was before I ended up here on the turtle.

Your class? [Johnny looks confused. It's a lot to take in given where he comes from, where their own abilities were met with fear at first but then quickly accepted. Even Ben has his own following.] And who was in charge of the school?

Before we ended up in San Francisco, we were at a school. The Xavier Institute. A school for mutants.

The headmaster and headmistress were Scott Summers and Emma Frost. Otherwise known as Cyclops and the White Queen.

How many of you were there? Mutants.

[He takes a sip of his coffee, but he's definitely more interested in Victor than his drink now.]

[Victor falls silent for a few moments. Looking down, he frowns deeply.]

Originally there were thousands of us. Even more. We were...thriving. Then M-Day happened and...the estimates were that there were about 300 mutants left with only about 198 being known.

I'm sorry.

[And he means it. Johnny's quiet for a few seconds, still watching Victor.]

At least you're here now. There has to be something here that can help.

Thanks.

[Victor shakes his head a little.]

I really doubt there's anything here on the turtle that could help fix that problem back home. New mutants are finally starting to emerge but it's slow going.

We'll find people who can train you.

[Johnny's fairly out of his element here, but he wants to help and he offers all he can think of as an inadequate way to do what he can.]

[Vic arches both brows at that.]

Train me in what, exactly? I'm not turning down a chance to learn or get better but I'm not some rookie or newbie.

Train you in diplomacy or camouflage or.. I don't know.

[Johnny throws his free hand up in the air in frustration. He sets his coffee mug aside and leans back on the counter as he watches Victor.]

I have no idea. But we'll figure out someway to help you before you go back, so you can help them.

[Victor smiles a bit.]

I'm pretty good in both of those, actually.

Thanks, though. It's good to hear that someone wants to help out.

Who wouldn't want to help?

[It's a genuine question, to some extent. Johnny asks it without thinking, even though he knows the answer. People like Victor. The average populace. There are too many who wouldn't care. He might not have, if it had happened before the space station. Sue would have.]

Let's...just say that my class' history with the older X-men and them helping hasn't always been the best.

Are any of them here?

Just one from my world I think.

Who?

[Johnny straightens from the counter, ready to kick some ass and take some names.]

Nightcrawler. Thankfully he was one of the good ones at least.

[That.. might be just the tiniest bit of disappointment.]

Oh. That's good then.

[Johnny retrieves his coffee and goes back to sipping at it, clearly grumpy now.]

Thanks again for the coffee.

[He quirks a brow at the disappointment but he doesn't comment on it.]

Don't mention it. I'm happy to help out.

10° VIDEO

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