Matt and Joelle were enjoying their day together, having a break from their study, when a disturbance caught their attention.
"What's going on?" Joelle asked.
"I have no idea..." Matt replied.
Both looked over. There was a large crowd of people moving.
"But I think we'd better get out of here."
"Agreed."
The two turned, looking for an exit, only to discover the police moving towards the crowd. Matt pulled Joelle back to the side of the building so not to be in the way.
"Riot!" he exclaimed.
"A riot?" Joelle repeated.
"The cops are in full riot gear - it must be."
"That sucks."
"Yep."
**********
Scott stepped into Xavier's office and turned on the TV.
"Scott?" Xavier inquired.
"There's something you should see."
He flipped it onto the news channel.
"And for those who have just joined us, there is a riot in progress at -" the reporter was saying
Scott didn't allow himself even a small smile at his good timing.
"Police are already on the scene. People are being warned to stay away from the area until further notice. According to Police Chief Henderson, the riot started went a group protesting the current Mutant rights proposal got out of hand."
Professor Xavier pursed his lips.
"We kinda knew this would happen when it got out," Scott said.
"We did. Same thing happened in England and Canada... and I recall saying I thought it would be even worse here. The USA is amongst the most vocal anti-mutant countries."
"But if the USA can change, no other country has an excuse."
"Indeed."
Scott was about to say something else, when he cut himself off:
"Say, isn't that Matt and Joelle?"
**********
Fortunately, Matt and Joelle were able to move past the police line and into safer territory. Unless you think being in a place filled with media vans, camera crews and reporters is 'safe' territory. Evidently someone noticed their arrival from behind the police lines and pulled them over.
"Mind talking to us?" the reporter asked.
Then, without much time to actually respond, the camera was on.
"I'm with a couple who just came from behind the police lines," he said to the camera, then turned to Matt and Joelle, "what's it like back there?"
"Very scary," Joelle replied. "Rather hairy."
Joelle could have groaned. Great, she was so freaked out by the situation, she was rhyming!
"We just saw that there was a riot going on and decided to get out quick," Matt put in quickly. "But it's a very violent crowd out there."
"The riot was started by a anti-mutant protest getting out of hand. What do you think of the current proposal?"
Matt's eyebrows raised.
"Is that what started it?" he replied. "Well, we're both for equal mutant rights."
He opted not to mention that they were mutants.
"And why's that?"
"Because the only difference between humans and mutants is one gene. That's also the difference between man and woman, black and white. This is a country where all people are supposed to be equal, and mutants are people too."
**********
"Wow," Scott mused, "I can't believe they actually put that comment on TV."
Xavier smiled.
"The media does have a bad habit of editing people's comments to suit their own agenda. Either they didn't have time to edit, Matt's words suited their agenda, or they just wanted to get public opinion up there regardless of what it was. I'm a little more concerned about Joelle's slip."
"I don't think anyone really noticed," Scott said. "I mean, we did, because we know what her power is, but I think the average person is going to be more concerned with Matt's words."
"It is not public opinion which concerns me. It is Joelle's ability to control her power."
"I really don't know why you're so concerned. It's only rhyming when she talks. It's not like she's going to hurt someone if she can't control it under stress."
Xavier was silent for a time.
"It could be that that's all it is," he said, "on the other hand, how can you be certain that Joelle's power is limited to talking in rhymes? Shannon's power seemed only to be talking in opposites, and yet..."
"What?" Scott asked.
"I don't think that she's aware of it yet," Xavier said slowly, "I have only been vaguely aware of it myself, but her power certainly extends further than her speech."
"How so?"
"One could say that she has a unique ability to turn things around? Give her a hard task and she makes it seem easy."
Scott's eyes widened.
"Because... for her it is easy?"
"Possibly."
"And you think that Joelle's power might extend the same why?"
"Possibly."
"But how could rhyming extend?"
"I'm not sure, Scott, but I'm not going to discount the possibility."