LOG: Manuel and Scott - Final Interview

[x-empath.livejournal.com]

Scott calls Manuel into his office to discuss the situation with Tommy. The conversation goes downhill from there, and Scott finally admits Manuel is a lost cause.



Manuel didn't want to be here, didn't want to be undergoing all of this, but he was still relatively determined to wrap things up at Xavier's in as smooth a manner as he possibly could. So here he was, about to get ass-reamed for something-or-another. He could tell that much just from Scott's mood. And why, all of a sudden, did his face hurt? Very disconcerting. He knocked on the door precisely at their appointed time, no sooner, no later.

"Come in," Scott called, skimming through a file on his computer. Manuel's file, actually. It wasn't as if he didn't know every word in it, but he'd felt the need for a review. "Sit down," he said, looking up at Manuel. "Actually, close the door behind you, first. We don't need eavesdroppers."

Manuel closed the door and then draped himself across Scott's couch. Might as well assume the position for this latest bollocking. His eyes flashed red as he arranged himself, and then he smiled. "We won't be having any eavesdroppers. I've set up a little something around your door. People won't want to come near it."

Scott raised an eyebrow, but let it go. All things considered, he reasoned, this was a fairly harmless use of Manuel's powers. Especially in comparison to what they were here to discuss.

"Tommy Jones tried to kill himself this weekend," Scott finally said, bluntly. He had debated about telling Manuel what had happened, but had come to the conclusion that it was necessary. Otherwise, how was Manuel to know just how much damage he'd done?

"Did he succeed?" Manuel asked lightly.

"No. We can thank Jean for that. Telekinesis is very handy when a traumatized and still recuperating young man is attempting to apply a razor to his wrists." Scott's words were precise, calm but forceful.

"Down, not across. I know. Seen it done a hundred times." he said casually. Really, this conversation was beginning to get tiresome. "He's still alive, so there's no harm done."

"There's no harm done. You made a major contribution to driving him to that point, and there's no harm done." Scott leaned back in his chair, regarding Manuel coolly with his one eye. "Or was that your intention?"

Manuel looked right at Scott and smiled. "Enlightenment is never easy." he said. "Boy tried to take the easy way out, to hear you tell it, rather than face his demons head-on. I gave him clarity. If he chose to waste it, that's his problem, not mine."

"Do you want to finish your education here, Manuel?" The change of subject was measured, Scott's voice utterly uninflected.

Manuel nodded. "A week or so to go before I officially graduate." he said calmly. "But if you decide to withhold my diploma, I'll accept it with good grace. With my gifts, I can make millions just by taking a walk down the right street."

"Bear with me for a minute while I paint you a mental picture," Scott said, wondering why he wasn't more angry. Had he already written Manuel off, and was just trying to minimize the damage? "You walk out of here, after promising me that while you're still attending classes, you will refrain from actively using your powers on any of your fellow students. You get your diploma as scheduled. Things are easier."

"Or," Scott went on, just as calmly, "I expel you, right here and now. You accept it with good grace. You head out in the world, misuse your gifts, and six months, a year, two years down the road, I lead a team of X-Men to take you down. Or maybe I'll just let Nathan do it, and tell him to take the other two leather-wearing types who are also completely immune to your powers. I'm sure he'd probably get a kick out of that." Scott tilted his head at Manuel. "Which scenario do you prefer?"

"You spin an interesting tale." he said. "Brave words for a one-eyed man who can't even fight his own battles, having to rely on mercenaries and criminals." he said. "However, I'll take the soft road this time and behave. For the next week or so. Then you and I, and I and this place, are done. I've lost too much here, even discounting what I've gained."

Scott clicked the file closed. "Keep in mind," he said, almost casually, "that when you're finished here, if you chose to target anyone here... anyone, that second scenario is just as probable." He remembered, suddenly, all of the driving lessons, the lessons and that discussion in the coffeeshop after Jean's return, and sighed. "Let it be finished," he said more quietly, "if it's going to be finished. You didn't learn enough, Manuel. Not from Charles, not from the Askani."

"Oh, I learned plenty. Just not what you thought you were teaching. I learned that might makes right, and the strong bully the weak. I learned that opening yourself, making yourself weak, will be punished. I learned these lessons well." he said with dripping contempt.

Lost cause. In Scott's mind, the words dropped like pennies into dark, still water. "You didn't learn anything," Scott said, a bit wearily. "You just did the same thing to Tommy that you did to Lorna over a year ago. You're repeating your mistakes. And you proved that boy, with his stupid, bigoted ideas right. Congratulations. You're a monster."

"A monster? Because I gave him a _gift_?" he said incredulously. "Most people can work for their entire lives and _never_ see that kind of clarity in their lives." he said strongly. "I let him see who he truly was. Lorna? Pfft. Self-defense." he said. "But I grow tired of this, tired of always having the worst possible interpretation assigned to everything I do. "And have you listened to yourself? Who's the monster here, me or the man who's threatening to use his own private paramilitary strikeforce to swat someone he doesn't care for?"

"If you go out into the world and hurt people with your powers, yes," Scott said steadily. "You missed that distinction. Like you miss most of them. And I'm afraid that I don't have a lot of faith that you can go out there and not hurt people, since you're unwilling to admit it when you've done it here." Scott shook his head. "There's always a justification, isn't there? Always an excuse for yourself. You have never taken responsibility for your actions unless you were in one of your depressive phases and wanted to use it to flagellate yourself."

"Monster." he said, standing up from the couch. "Before you throw that label around, try looking in the mirror. And know this: I _will_ defend myself if attacked. I will not hesitate and I will not show mercy."

"And know this," Scott said, "while we're being overdramatic. We will never 'attack' you unprovoked. Nothing would make me happier than to see you prove me entirely wrong and go on to lead a productive, at least moderately fulfilling life." It was the pure and absolute truth, but he doubted Manuel would believe it. Far too gone into the self-delusion.

Manuel heh'ed as he felt Scott's sincerity. "You might believe this, but your actions give lie to the words. And while I'm here, do I talk to you or Charles if I want to have a staff member disciplined?"

"Me. What's the problem?"

"Check the journals. I know that so long as it was my word against his that I would never be believed, but he admits it! Publically! See the responses to Ms Munroe's thread. He admits to abusing me physically to make his instructional points." he said. "Now, I know that you'll just laugh this off or tell me I'm being melodramatic but I wanted to just point it out. Sets a bad example. Might want to mention it in the brochure if corporal punishment is part of the curriculum. "The Xavier Institute - come to get control over your mutant powers, stay for the beatings from the staff!" Should be a big hit with the new students, don't you think?"

"Tell me," Scott said, oddly glad suddenly that he'd skimmed back through the file, "is he yanking your chain, or referring to the unarmed combat sessions you had last summer? Or maybe he's making reference to the incident with Askani after you assaulted him? Although that's probably not it," Scott said.

"I don't care if he's yanking my chain or not! I'm yanking _back_." he said indignantly. "Oh, what does it fucking matter? You'll do nothing, of course. I'm just a failure to you, and Nathan is a valued member of your private army. Not to mention being married to your geneticist." he said with disgust. "Priviledge and power triumph over law. Remember those lessons you mentioned?"

"I fully intend to ask him what the hell happened to his sense of humor," Scott said, although he suspected very strongly he knew the answer already. "I suspect I'll get an answer to that about the same time you give me a logical reason for your lack of a sense of proportion. Are you even listening to yourself?" Scott asked more sharply, a little heat in his voice for the first time in the conversation. "You came in here because you drove a boy to suicide with careless use of your powers. And suddenly, this is all about the nebulous offenses done committed against you."

Manuel threw his hands up. "And you WONDER why I won't play within the system! It's rigged! And if I weren't leaving you'd throw me back in the collar to make me conform. To shut up, be silent, to do what you want!" he shouted. "I have HAD ENOUGH! You have my word - not a single action that could be construed as an assault on any of my fellow students until the term ends. Then I am gone, and good riddence to you _all_."

Scott closed his eye for a moment, breathing deeply until the telltale itch passed. "The Great Empath," he said, rising from his chair. "A sloppy, impulsive amateur. You could have done so much good with your power. I saw that, Manuel. You helped me, and I saw it. But you refused to learn from your mistakes," he gritted out. "You refused to grow up. You were fourteen years old emotionally when you came to us, and any progress you made since, you threw away."

"Every time I extended a helping hand, someone bit it." he spat back. "When I was insane, I defended myself as best I could. When I moved beyond that, I was abused. Tripped, shoved into chairs, denied my freedom to go where I wished. Chained like a dog with a device to deny me my birthright. My father assassinated by one or more staff members, with no intention of seeking justice. Forget it. You won't understand. You can't. I waste my time and yours. If I may be permitted to go, or would you prefer to beat me before I go?"

Scott closed his eye as the itch came back. "Go," he said. "But just remember, Manuel... however much you want the world to make sense to you, it won't. You don't live in your version of the world, and you never will."

"Be careful when you say that. I do have it on good authority that I will rule the world in my lifetime." he said with a black, bitter laugh before letting himself out of Scott's office. He had to get out, and he had to get out _now_. It wasn't safe for him here anymore, and it was very clear he wasn't wanted. He went from a standstill to a dead run in a half-dozen steps.