Players:
Summary: The final scene of punishment giving
Date: December 31, 2009
Lying to a Telepath
Rating: PG
Xavier Mansion - Danger Room
A product of Shi'ar technology, the room generates apparently solid, realistic imagery by manipulation high-resolution force fields and holograms. The walls and floor appear as a steel room until a program is turned on. Overhanging the room in the center is a control Room managing the room's mechanisms to oversee the exercise while ensuring the subject's safety.
New Year's Eve Morning, Addison is hovering in the Danger Room. His legs are crossed in a lotus position as he waits. He sent a mental call to Topher, telling him to come down to the Danger Room for a brief meeting. There's a mild aura of flame around his body.
Topher enters the room, his head is throbbing, its been that way since the insedent with Dallas, he pretty worried about why hes been called there, he thinks Dallas has reported him, "Hello, you wanted to see me?"
"Yes, I did." Addison says as he mentally reaches out to close the door behind Topher. He runs a hand through his hair and steels his own shields to make sure they can't be broken into. "We need to set you up with a few training schedules. Apparently, I'm the only telepath around at the moment." He explains. "And, we need to discuss some ethics issues."
Topher gulps now sure that hes in trouble, "Oh a training schedual cool, err ethics?", when the door shuts he really gets worried, he doesnt trust teachers.
"Yes. Ethics. What happened the other day?" Addison asks. He doesn't look like he's going to do anything, he's just asking for the moment. "You. July. Dallas. Tell me your point of view of what happened." Yup. No mincing words. It takes too much time.
Topher sighs, "Well we were in the weight room and Dallas was talking about compitition, he then said everyone here is a stoned out slacker, we then argued and he brought up when he saw me collapse outside the mall, i see that as a weak moment for me i dont like my weak moments to be used against me, he said that i couldn't beat him at anything cos im so useless i cant even go to the mall without collapsing, so i lost it, i wanted something to use against him so i read his mind", he sighs again, "I know i shouldn't have done it but i lost my temper".
"No, you shouldn't have. Reading minds is a very problematic thing with telepaths like us. We CAN'T just break into other people's thoughts to use them as a weapon. Doing that makes us bullies. Have you seen what happens to a world when telepaths take over?" Addison asks, simply. "do you remember the invasion last year?"
Addison looks at the danger room control center, and suddenly everything around them changes. Holograms appear. Buildings are rubble. People are starving in the streets. Overlooking them, six figures. One of them is Addison himself. Another four of them look like people who have pictures on walls around the campus. All linking hands and crushing everything around them. One of them speaks, and they all open their mouths. A different voice comes out. "You fools, you dare to defy the Shadow King? Your world will be used to CRUSH the one that imprisoned me."
Addison… the real one points. "That happens. He controlled us. We controlled the world. We invaded your world to take over." Fortunately, for the moment, there are no minds that Topher can hear or even feel.
Topher smiles at the silence in his head, "I'm no where near that powerful, and that was the only time i've ever read a mind on purpose, i was mad, he did stuff too", he looks at Addison, realising his ditrust of teachers here is correct, "I would never do something like that".
"I wouldn't either. Were it not for being mentally controlled by a superior mind." Addison says frankly. "I had to rip my own personality out of the head he placed it in. But don't you see? By taking the information out of his head… secrets that he didn't want to reveal, you DID do that to HIS world. You took something HE wanted private and used it as a weapon against him. And no, he didn't do anything to you until you did that to him. Before that, it was words. Nothing but words. You let words control your actions. What you did… is horrible, and against EVERYTHING this school stands for."
Topher struggles to keep his tone polite, "Like i said i've never done anything like that before, and with all due respect what he did was just as bad as what i did, with the amount of people in my head, words are all i have".
"Incorrect. He attacked you AFTER you got into his head. You stole his secret and made it public." Addison says with a glare. "You used something that should never have been used that way as a weapon. Whether you've done it before or not doesn't matter. If it's done again in this school, outside of protecting yourself from someone already attacking you, you will be under severe punishment and possible expulsion. Accidental reading is one thing. And I can tell when it's accidental. I can't always keep thoughts out of my head. But… what he did was NOT just as bad as what you did. What you did was take a piece of his private self and show it to others. What would you do, if I were to take your life history and show it to people? Everyone has pieces they don't want others to see." Addison asks, looking over the teenager. "But as it is, I won't do that. Because it's NOT ethical."
Topher has officaly lost his temper, "I've told you im sorry, and he provoked me, he used something im ashamed of as a weapon against me, it wont happen again, but feel free to kick me out anyway".
"We're not throwing you out. We're giving you anothjer chance. You WILL go through punishment. You will also be required to take extra classes. On Monday and Friday, you will take extra Ethics classes with Mr. Erikson. You will take extra mental classes with myself on Tuesday and Thursday. And for a month, you will muck out the stables twice a day." Addison says succinctly. "And you are also grounded to the school campus for two weeks." He adds on.
Topher clenches his fist, "What about him? is he being punished?" he smerks, "Sorry, cant do the stables, horsehair allegy", he does not like being ordered around by his teachers.
"Don't lie to a stronger telepath, child. It's demeaning. You WILL muck the stables. And what happens to Dallas is none of your business. He asked me NOT to do anything to you. But you broke rules that you agreed to when you came to this school. You will follow your punishment, or you will leave. It's entirely your call." Addison says simply. "Your actions. Your consequences."
Topher is now shaking with anger, "DO NOT CALL ME A CHILD", he takes a deep breath to calm himself down, hes not going to let this teacher puch him, "Fine i'll do it, now can i go?".
"Then stop acting like one." Addison says, point blank. "And, with outbursts like this, you're also going to be spending an hour a week with Dr. Parker-Mayfair. Apparently, you have anger issues that need to be worked out with a psychologist." He waves a hand to the door. "You can leave. And do not tell a person what you pulled out of Dallas's mind. He's not going to tell anyone. July's not going to tell anyone. And neither are you, until he's ready to deal with his own inner demons. Is that clear?"
Topher starts walking towards the door, "Yes that is very clear, but i will not be seeing a shrink", he sighs, "I just want the powers gone".
"You will see Dr. Parker-Mayfair. You have anger issues. It's not your choice to make. And the powers… they never leave. You just need to learn control." Addison states simply. "Have a nice evening."
Topher turns back to look at Addison, "I do not have anger issues, i have teacher issues", he smerks, "Dont you need my parents permission to make me see a shrink?"
"No. When you are sent off to boarding school, the school has in loco parentis. The school is your parent while they're not here. If you want to complain to them, go ahead, but Mr. Summers can easily explain exactly how you invaded another person's mind, stole their darkest secret, and showed it to the school, causing him great embarassment and personal shame. Do you think they'd be proud of you?" Addison asks, tilting his head.
Topher shakes his head, "I didn't show the school, July was the only one there, and i only said enough to let him know i know, i didnt show it to anyone", he leans against the wall, "Even if you make me go see a shrink, you cant make me talk to him".
"No, we can't force you to talk to him. But if you show no improvement, or no way of getting better, you'll be removed from the school. After all, if you're not able to normalize and fit in with society because you CHOOSE to stand out, then we shall wash our hands of you." Addison says, opening the door behind you. "Oh, and the 'shrink' as you call him is also your squad instructor. So, you'll have to talk to him, or not participate in your squad meetings. And not participating… well… participation is required." He says with a bright smile. "It's a mandatory school activity. Have a nice night." And with that, he pushes Topher out the door mentally, not giving him a chance to respond.
Topher shouts at the door as hes pushed through it, "THIS IS WHY YOU PEOPLE CANT BE TRUSTED!!!!"
