#xmevent4

But there wasn’t a choice, was there? There’s always a choice. The words from an old professor rang in his head, echoing around as if torturing him. Not this time, he thought.

Technically, he could. He could stay inside with the students that weren’t confident in their powers, that weren’t caught outside.. But he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t just sit and wait. He thought of Brennan, of the first friend he’d ever had, the only friend he’d ever had being slaughtered out there while he sat inside like a coward. No, he had to do this. He had to fight. But god, he didn’t want to.The dark Force side of him, the Devour side of him, was dark and twisted. It was one stop short of evil. And having to wake it up? No, he didn’t want to.

But as Brennan flashed in his head again, he knew, he didn’t have a choice. Because it wasn’t just Brennan. It was ever student he’d ever taught, every teacher who had ever helped him. It was everyone who counted on him. Because he was a teacher now, and he had to act like it. He couldn’t be a scared student anymore.

He stepped way from the window, making his way through the crowd of students and down the steps, throwing his hoodie over his head as he did. His feet pounded down the stairs, echoing as they did. The sound filled his ears because focusing on that kept him from thinking about the damage he himself could do out there.  But he needed Devour. the school needed Devour. He just had to hope he wouldn’t hurt anyone in the process.

Blake Stygian threw open the door and went outside the building, his eyes falling on the battle. He could feel his adrenaline rising, his blood pounding. It was close and he knew it. The moment he started fighting it would be over, he’d lose all control. 

He let out a slow breath before reaching out and closing his fist. A foreign mutant attacking a fellow teacher was gripped by shadows that threw him clear over the mansion.

“What you’re about to see,” he told the person near him, glancing at them sideways, “it isn’t me.”

“Ah, a welcome to mutant high battle,” he said to himself in an amused tone. “Okay then.” His Brazilian accent was thick in his words as he tossed his backpack to the ground,muttering, “I’ll start out with a bang then.”

With a wild whoop, he threw his arms downwards and his body let the mutation kick in. His skin and clothes turned black, as if burning like charcoal. He launched himself into the air, flying over the battle. Being so new, bran new really, it was hard to tell who was friend and who was foe. But he could roughly figure it out.

When he saw someone struggling with a group of what he guessed was intruders, he threw himself to the ground, reaching out and burning several of the attackers. He threw a glance at the person behind him. “You okay?”

Bobby’s jaw dropped as he stared. “Ah, dude that’s just not fair,” he moaned. The man smirked at him before lifting his hand and shooting a spike out of his palm, spiraling right for Bobby’s heart. Bobby felt his body tense completely. That second of hesitation was going to cost him his life and he knew it.

But he felt his body thud to the ground, his bones screaming at the sudden impact. He groaned, pushing himself up just enough to see who had saved him. “Thanks,’ he rasped. “You know, this would be a damn good time to figure out the turning-into-a-giant-ice-man thing.”