Public Relations
*Jean, that man is staring at you.*
*Thank you for pointing that out to me, Scott, I hadn't noticed.*
*Are you being sarcastic? It's kind of hard to tell.*
Jean tried to swallow her laughter, but it slipped through. The man
gave her a funny look.
"So what are you kids doing at this conference?" the man asked,
trying to make polite conversation. They had been stuck in the
elevator for about three minutes, but already it felt like hours.
Scott pulled at the collar of his dress shirt nervously. At least
Storm isn't here, he thought to himself. She would not do well in this
small space. According to the workmen who Scott had talked to on the
emergency telephone, it could be hours before they got out. They were
stuck between floors and something was wrong with the cables.
"We're here to hear the debates on mutant rights and registration,"
Jean answered with a smile.
"For our school paper," Scott added hastily. He had spotted a pin on
the man's jacket and suddenly the only thing he could think of was
getting out of the elevator…now.
Jean shot Scott an annoyed look, *are you ashamed of the fact that
we're mutants?* Jean thought in astonishment.
Scott didn't bother to answer, but instead thought *Jean, look at the
pin that man is wearing.*
Jean looked. On the man's jacket was a large white button with the
initials FOH printed in large black letters.
Jean gave out a small gasp. The friends of humanity. The professor
had told his students all about them. They were an anti-mutant group
who Logan had dubbed the KKK of the new millennium. Jean tried to
maintain a clam exterior as she remembered reading about some of their
`peaceful' demonstrations.
Scott glanced over at Jean. His heart ached at the look on her face.
It was a mixture of fear and embarrassment that made him realize the
man had been projecting his thoughts. And with the way he had been
staring at Jean's legs, Scott had a feeling what those thoughts were.
*Jean, let's play a game* Scott thought, hoping to get her mind off
the man's thoughts.
*Ok, what game?*
*How about funny thoughts?*
Jean smiled, that was one of her favorites. She and Scott had been
playing that game since they met. *Ok, here's one for you* Jean sent
Scott a mental image of Logan in a tutu.
Scott bit his lip and struggled to regain his composure. The first
one to laugh out loud lost and Scott was determined not to lose. He
looked over at Jean and shook his head, *Nice try, but you're not
getting me that easily*
Jean gave him a dazzling smile that took his breath away. She then
promptly crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him.
A choke of laughter escaped before Scott could stop it.
"I win," Jean announced smugly, completely forgetting about the man
staring at them.
"No way," Scott said as he crossed his arms, "That was against the
rules, you're a cheater."
Jean turned her back to him, "You're just a sore loser."
"Well if those are the new rules, then I guess this is allowed,"
Scott reached out to her sides and began to tickle her through the
black fabric of her dress.
Jean's knees weakened and she collapsed into a fit of giggles. Scott
knew all of her most ticklish places. *Not the back, Scott, not the
back* she thought as she felt her hands graze over the bare skin of
her back.
"Yes, the back," Scott answered as he tickled her relentlessly.
Jean laughed breathlessly and turned to face him, her face lit up
with pure happiness. Suddenly, she stopped. Her face paled, making the
smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose stand out. She
looked away from his eyes nervously and fixed her gaze on the floor.
Scott glanced at the man. He was staring again, his eyes half-closed
slits. Scott placed a protective arm around Jean's waste and tried to
pull her in close. *Jean, what's wrong?*
Jean just shook her head and pushed away. She looked ill. She backed
into the corner of the elevator and continued to stare at the floor,
tears were beginning to form in her eyes.
*What is he thinking? Jean, what is he thinking?* Scott thought, but
he got no response. Jean had shut off their link. She doesn't want me
to see what he is thinking, Scott realized in horror. It's THAT bad.
Jean blinked back tears as the images rushed into her head. "So what
do they look like, mutants I mean," she asked in a harsh voice.
*Jean, what are you doing? What is he thinking?*
Jean didn't respond.
"Did you see the one who came to the conference? Dr. McCoy," the man
said with a bitter laugh. "You can't miss him, he's the huge blue
beast man."
"So are all mutants like that?"
"Like what?" the man straightened and asked.
"Ugly," Jean responded in a flat voice.
Scott could only stare in amazement. What the hell was this guy
projecting to her that mad her this upset? *Where are you going with
this, Jean? Don't get him angry*
The man reached into his coat pocket and removed a pamphlet. He held
it out, "Here, take a look at this. It's one of our informational
pamphlets," he smiled at Jean, happy that she had taken an interest in
him.
Scott reached out and took the pamphlet. "Thanks," Scott said as he
circled an arm around Jean's waste.
The man just blinked, he wasn't impressed at all.
Scott scanned the pamphlet. The cover had a picture of a typical
American family. Nice house, white picket fence, two kids a dog.
Hell, he thought with a smirk, this could be Jean's family. "The
Friends of Humanity" was written across the front in green script
letters. Scott flipped through and found a section titled "Facts on
mutants." He held it open, allowing Jean to see as well. All mutants,
especially males, are prone to violence. The females, in a drive to
pass on the mutant gene, are very promiscuous, becoming sexually
active at as young as thirteen. They are dangerous and criminal, ugly
and evil. But the Friends of Humanity are here to save us all.
"There's an address in there if you want to become a member," the man
pointed out proudly.
Scott was having a very difficult time controlling his anger. He knew
Jean was as well, and this was the one thing that kept him cool.
Having lived with Jean for so many years, he knew full well what was
possible if she were to lose her temper.
Suddenly Scott found images entering his head. It was Hank, running
through the woods with somebody slung over his shoulder. It looked
like Hank, but not really. The beast in the image was not the
cultured, intelligent, witty man he had come to know and love. He was
a monster. Sharp teeth, dark eyes, violent sudden movements. As the
scene progressed, Scott saw the man from the elevator running after
Hank. Hank tossed the person he was carrying onto the floor and turned
to face his pursuer. It was then that Scott realized the person Hank
had been carrying was Jean. She was crying hysterically, her clothes
were shredded about her body leaving her virtually unclothed from the
waist up, bruises and cuts covered her face and arms. The man
approached Hank and, after performing a series of physically
impossible moves, he had knocked the beast unconscious. He then lifted
Jean up into his arms; she buried her face into his chest and hugged
him fiercely. He kissed her on top of the head and whispered to her.
The image stopped as Jean raised her face to meet his.
*Sorry, Slim, you can't see the rest of the show without parental
guidance, but I think you get the general idea,* Jean commented dryly.
*God, Jean, I'm sorry,*
*Sorry?*
*Yeah, I'm sorry that you have to put up with this shit.*
*Scott Summers, did you just swear?*
Scott rolled his eyes, Jean was the master at subtly changing the
topic.
*I'm serious, Jean*
"So, where you kids from anyway?" the man asked with a pleasant
smile.
"We go to school in New York," Jean answered him.
The man's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "Wow, and you came all the
way out to L.A. just for this conference?"
Jean nodded.
The man gave a low whistle. "Well, I hope we get out of this elevator
sometime soon so you can actually see it. I hear that beast man
brought along a couple of mutant kids with him too."
"Really, have you seen them?" Scott asked.
"No, but if they're anything like the good doctor I'm sure you won't
be able to miss them," he laughed.
Scott just gave the man a fake smile.
"Thank the Lord my kids aren't freaks," the man said with a nod.
Jean's eyes widened and Scott knew the man was projecting again.
Scott looked nervously at her, he didn't know how much more she could
take.
A silent tear slipped down Jean's face. Scott gave a ragged sigh,
enough, he decided. "Stop it." Scott said quietly.
The man stared at him for a second, "Uh, are you talking to me?"
"Yes, stop it."
*Scott, it's not worth it, just let it go*
*No Jean, if we let it go things will never change*
"Stop what?" the man asked slowly.
"Dr. McCoy is a good man, he would never hurt anybody like that."
The man just gave him a confused look.
Scott gritted his teeth, suddenly overcome with anger, "She's sixteen
years old," Scott said in a controlled rage as he nodded to Jean.
"She's sixteen years old and that is statutory rape. You don't even
deserve to think about her you fucking bastard."
"Scott!" Jean said in surprise as she pulled at his arm.
A slow look of realization spread across the man's face. It was
quickly replaced by a look of rage. "You freak! You've been going into
my mind, you're a fucking mutie!" the man roared and lunged for Scott.
He took a swing at Scott's face, which Scott managed to dodge. The
man's hand grazed against Scott's glasses and knocked them off.
A blast of red fired upward from Scott's open eyes. It broke through
the top of the elevator and continued upward. He snapped his eyes shut
just a fraction of a second too late.
Jean watched in horror as Scott blindly searched for his glasses. She
tried to freeze the man, but she couldn't concentrate and the man was
too strong, too fast. He was moving toward Scott again.
"No!" Jean shouted as she put her shoulder down and tackled the man.
He slammed against the side of the elevator. The whole elevator shook.
He was stunned momentarily, but he quickly got to his feet to shove
Jean aside and move for Scott again. Jean was thrown into the corner.
"I read your mind!" Jean cried out in a panic. The man turned to face
her. "I'm the mutant, I'm the one who read your mind!" *Scott hold out
your hand*
*Jean, what are you doing?!* Scott thought as he stopped searching
for his glasses.
As the man closed in on her, Jean concentrated on guiding Scott's
glasses into his open hands. Momentarily defenseless, Jean was lifted
off the ground. The man picked her up and slammed her violently
against the wall of the elevator. The whole elevator shook and there
was a lurch. The elevator dropped a few feet then stopped.
Scott regained his balance and quickly slipped on his glasses. He
watched in horror as the man slammed Jean's head against the elevator
wall. He released her and she slid down into a heap.
Scott let lose an angry cry and ripped his glasses off, looking
directly at the man's back. The force of the blast pushed the man
forward against the wall. He was instantly knocked unconscious and
fell beside Jean.
There was a creaking sound and suddenly Scott felt his stomach drop.
The elevator had come loose from the cables and had begun to plunge
down the shaft. Jean screamed as they fell. She snapped her eyes shut
and concentrated on stopping the elevator. Gradually, the elevator
began to slow and eventually it stopped.
Jean knelt on the floor, hands pressed to her head, eyes tightly
shut. "I don't know how much longer I can hold it," Jean managed to
say, sweat beaded on her forehead.
Scott nodded. He turned to the elevator door. "If there's anybody out
there, move away from the door!" Scott shouted as he lifted up his
glasses praying that there was nobody there. The doors blasted open.
Scott turned to help Jean up. He placed a gentle hand on her head and
drew it back as he felt sticky blood matted in her hair. He lifted up
his hand and stared at it.
Jean opened her eyes and looked at him. "Scott, you've got to get him
out of here," Jean glanced at the man who was just barely gaining
consciousness.
"No way! You first, I'm getting you out first. Stand up, Jean," he
commanded as he pulled on her arm.
"Scott! Take him, I can't hold it!"
"No! Get up!" He yelled at her with a mixture of fear and anger in
his voice.
The man was still woozy, but he opened his eyes and listened to the
argument.
"Save him, Scott! Civilians first, get him out of here. You're an X
man and so am I, I can hold it a little longer, just go!" Jean closed
her eyes again, suddenly drained after spending so much energy
speaking. She was having a hard time staying conscious.
"Jean, we're on the fourth floor, if you fall from here…" Scott
pleaded with her.
"Go!" Jean shouted and in a momentary burst of energy shoved Scott
back with a telekinetic push.
Scott stumbled back amazed at the strength of the push. Furious, he
bent down and began to drag the man out of the elevator. He had gotten
him out, both of them standing outside the elevator. He looked back in
and began to hurry back to help Jean. Scott watched helplessly as Jean
screamed and collapsed to the floor.
"Jean!" he yelled as he watched the elevator drop. "No!" he screamed
as he heard the elevator crash into the basement floor.
The man struggled to sit up. He stared at the empty elevator shaft.
Scott tightened his jaw, tears slipping down his cheeks. He ran to
the stairwell and flew down the stairs to the basement.
The man stumbled up and, not knowing what to do followed after the
boy.
Scott burst through the door and looked wildly around for the
elevator. "No," he whispered harshly as he saw the crashed elevator.
Jean was in there somewhere. *Jean!* he thought desperately. There was
no response. "Jean!" He yelled as he began ripping debris away.
The man came down the stairwell and watched as the boy in the glasses
frantically pulled the remains of the elevator out of the way. But he
wasn't strong enough, he couldn't move the huge pieces. The man ran
over to help.
Scott looked up and saw him approaching. He shoved the man out of the
way. "Get the fuck out of here!" he screamed.
"I…I want to help," the man pleaded.
"Go get Dr. McCoy," Scott said in a shaky voice as he ran a trembling
hand through his hair.
"Who?"
"The big blue beast," Scott barked at him.
The man jumped and took off in search of the doctor.
Scott turned back to the remains of the elevator. He sunk to his
knees, unable to move any more of the large pieces. "Why'd you do it
Jean?" he cried. "He should have been the one we left, he doesn't
deserve to live. It's his fault!" Scott screamed and began to lift a
large chunk of cement from the pile. His muscles felt as if they were
bursting. With one last cry he heaved the tremendous block off. He
sunk back to his knees exhausted.
"Scott!" Hank ran in and looked at the remains of the elevator, "Good
heavens," he whispered.
Scott looked up as Beast rushed over and began heaving the large
pieces of metal away. "Jean!" Beast called as he put all his strength
into moving the debris. Tears had begun to slip down his cheeks.
The man watched the scene in disbelief. He cringed away from the
Beast as the creature frantically ripped at the remains of the
elevator.
There was a flash of red. Hank doubled his pace. "Jean!" She lay
unconscious, half covered in debris. "I don't want to move her, her
neck could be broken." He didn't even want to entertain the
possibility that she could be dead.
There was a creaking noise and dust filled the air as the remains
shifted and resettled. "We have to get her out now," Scott urged.
"I must concur," Beast said hesitatingly. He reached down and lifted
off the last of the wreckage and hoisted her up into his arms. He was
overjoyed to feel he slow rise and fall of her chest as he pressed her
to him. "Thank God," he smiled as he lifted her out. "Scott, go call
an ambulance," Beast told him.
Scott didn't even hesitate, he raced up the stairwell.
The man watched from the corner he had been standing in.
"Jean?" Beast asked gently.
Jean's brow furrowed and her eyes fluttered open, "Dr. McCoy?" she
asked in a slow voice. She coughed weakly, spitting up blood. "My head
hurts," she whispered as she shut her eyes in pain. "And my leg," she
gritted her teeth and gasped, "it feels broken."
"Just be still, my dear, help will arrive soon enough," Beast smiled
and hugged her carefully. He didn't want to alarm her, but he could
tell that she had broken some ribs and that there was probably some
very serious internal bleeding. "What happened?" he asked quietly.
Jean felt dizzy; she made an effort to speak but was caught in a fit
of coughing. Instead, she played the scene out for Hank, sending it
directly to his mind. She left out the part of what the man had been
thinking.
Beast's eyes widened in disbelief. How could this man have attacked
children? His eyes narrowed his children.
Jean smiled weakly and placed her arms around his neck. "I guess this
means I'll be off the cheerleading squad for a while."
"Don't make such premature conjectures, my dear," he said brightly,
wanting her to hope for the best.
The man stepped forward, anxious to know if there was something he
could do. He could scarcely believe the scene before him. The huge
blue beast holding the young girl tenderly in his arms.
Jean caught sight of the man. She buried her face in Beast's chest
and shuddered. "Make him go away," she said quietly.
The man hesitated.
Beast glared at him. He bared his teeth slightly and took a step
forward.
The man trembled and backed off slowly.
Beast stared at him as he carried Jean toward the stairwell.
"Monster," Beast growled to the man as he walked past.
Beast hurried up the stairs and outside to where Scott was waiting
for the ambulance.
"Dr. McCoy," Jean started, "I'm sorry I wasn't able to hold the
elevator longer. Tell Scott I'm sorry…" Jean lost consciousness mid-
sentence.
"Jean?" Beast shook her gently. "Jean, wake up. Jean, you need to
stay conscious, you have a concussion," Beast urged.
Scott trotted over to them, his brow furrowed in worry. "I called the
ambulance, but they might take a while. There was a ten car pile up,
they said they would get here as soon as they could."
Beast nodded. "I am going to go back inside and endeavor to obtain
some emergency medical supplies. Do you think you can hold her? I
would rather not lay her on the sidewalk I do believe she would kill
me if I dirtied her dress."
Scott smiled wryly at the comment. Beast transferred her to Scott's
waiting arms. Scott was a little surprised at how heavy she was. Wow,
he thought to himself, I'm glad she wasn't conscious to hear that
thought. He was exhausted from the energy he had expended lifting off
the rubble. His arm felt like it was on fire, he was pretty sure he
had torn some muscles. He watched Beast dash away. Scott shifted from
foot to foot, uneasy with the realization that he could not hold her
for much longer. "Dammnit, Jean. Why'd you have to be so tall?"
It'd been about twenty minutes and Beast had still not returned.
Scott's arms were beginning to feel like lead. He shifted Jean again.
"You really need to lose some weight, Jean," Scott mumbled.
Jean's eyes slowly opened. She scowled at him. "Scott Summers I
certainly do not need to lose any weight."
Scott's face lit up in surprise and happiness. He looked down at her
angry face and smiled.
"Just because you're a ninety eight pound weakling does not mean that
I am overweight. And furthermore-"
Jean didn't get a furthermore. Scott laughed and pulled her to him
closely. He kissed her on the forehead and smiled. "That was a very
stupid thing you did, Red. You ever do that to me again, I'll kick
your butt."
Jean snorted, "As if you could, Slim."
"Watch what you say, I may drop you," he grinned at her. He was
shaking a bit, trying to cover his relief with a smile.
"I'll hold her, if you need some help," the man from the elevator was
approaching slowly. He knew he was not wanted, yet at the same time,
he knew he should be there.
Scott glared at him, a somewhat ineffective gesture due to the dark
glasses he was forced to wear. "I think you've done enough," Scott
said.
"I…I'm sorry," he said slowly.
Scott remained silent. *Scott, talk to him.* Scott heard in his head.
He looked down at Jean's face. Her blue green eyes stared up at him.
"What's your name?" Scott asked impulsively. Jean was always talking
to him about building better relations between mutants and humans, she
was a true follower of the professor's dream. Not that he wasn't, but
he was a little more cynical. What Scott had always loved about Jean
was her optimism. Her innocence, her compassion, her capacity to hope,
her smile, her laugh, her humor, her freckles, her passion, her
courage, just her…Scott's thoughts trailed on.
*I heard that, lover boy* Jean laughed in his head.
He smiled down at her. *Good*
"Gregory. Gregory Heinbach," the man answered.
"I'm Scott Summers," Scott said as he stepped toward the man. "And
this is Jean Grey," Scott said quietly as he nodded down at the girl
in his arms.
Jean smiled, "Hello," she said softly.
The man nodded dumbly.
"We're mutants," Scott said.
Jean stared at the FOH button that was pinned to Gregory's jacket.
He followed her gaze and blushed as he looked down at the button. He
quickly removed it and held it in his hand for a moment. He held it in
his hand, staring at the large block letters, thinking about what the
FOH had taught him.
Mutants were violent. But it was he who threw the first punch.
Mutant women were sluts. He blushed. They were his thoughts, not hers.
Mutants are ugly. The two young people who stood before him were
certainly not ugly. And thought the beast was far from normal
looking, he was not ugly. The way he had held the girl to him and
cried for her so tenderly amazed Gregory. No, the beast certainly
wasn't the monster. It was he who had been the monster.
He looked up to find Scott and Jean watching him quietly. He sighed as
he looked at Jean. Her long red hair was matted with blood and dirt. Her dress was ripped and stained with dark patches of blood. Her pale
face was dotted with red specks of blood; a bruise formed oh her
cheekbone. But she was smiling.
He tossed the button away. It clattered against the street and split
in two.