Meriweather, Georgia, United States of America
Leo Sloane eyed the crossbar that sat at the end of the football field, his dark skin soaked with perspiration beneath his sweatpants and tank top, the florescent glare of the floodlights half blinding him. Taking a deep breath, Leo placed the football down on the ground before taking a few steps backwards to take a kick.
"Oh, look, the groundskeeper forgot to take the trailer trash off the field.” A sneering voice stated, causing Leo to miss the angle of the kick, sending the ball rolling end over end across the field. Not even turning around, Leo heard three pairs of feet shuffle behind him as the students in football journals formed a loose semi-circle around him.
“I made the team, Richard; Coach said I could train late.” Leo stated as the largest of those behind him took a step forward. “I have every right to be here.”
“My Daddy told me people like you don’t have rights, that people like you should stay in your own schools, your own parks, and your own churches and leave our spaces alone!” Richard growled as he stood behind Leo, looming head and shoulders over him. “Go back to your own place!” He added before pushing Leo to the ground, his cronies moving in hesitantly, looking at Richard, and then down at Leo before all three of the bullies began aiming kicks at their fallen victim.
Pain radiating through his body Leo entered a fetal position, his hair and body burning far more than it should from the beating. Opening his eyes, the bright light burning more intensely than they had, Leo grabbed Richard’s foot and threw him backwards, the bully hitting the ground back first. As Richard collapsed, his cronies took a horrified look at who they had been bullying as he stood up.
“It’s a mutie!” One of the thugs gulped as the second bully swung at Leo, the flow striking the enhanced muscles of their former victim. Looking down at him, Leo grabbed the thug and threw him away, the bully flying a good nine feet across the field. Turning to the second bully, Leo saw him put his hands up, backing away, before dashing for the bleachers. Looking down at Richard, Leo saw him slip a knife out of his sweat trousers and lunge at him, only for the blade to snap on contact with his skin.
“F*****g mutant scum!” Richard spat as Leo grabbed him before lifting the bigot up to eye level, his golden irises burning with almost predatory intent. “My father will hear about this!” He snarled seconds before Leo threw him away, taking a step back from what he had done and looking down at his hands, his skin now a golden-brown color.
“What have I done?” Leo asked as he backed away from the two men lying on the floor. “What…”
“Run mutant, I’m going to kill you!” Richard yelled as Leo ran to the exit of the football field. “Your kind is ruining America! Both your kinds!”
**
Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, Westchester
The pale-skinned woman dressed in a red blouse and black trousers, her crimson hair drifting as if held in an invisible current, stared up at the holographic globe she sat in the center of, a few pinpricks of light present on the simulated continents. Floating under her own power, cables stabbed into her spine and neck, she twisted to scan the existing motes of light. Focusing in on the American deep south, she spotted a new pinprick of light appear, a worried smile spreading across her face.
"Cerebro, send profile data to the professor and end the search." The woman ordered, lighting darting away from the cables as they detached from her body. “A new mutant has been born, and we need to get to them first.”
**
Undisclosed Location
Walking into the darkened room, the man dressed in blue, a quiver of harpoons slung over his shoulder, stopped and bowed towards the darkness, the slight red glow of two eyes the only illumination in the chamber.
“Sir, we have picked up a new signal; a new mutant has received their power.” The man stated as the figure clad in darkness leaned forward slightly.
“Is that so? Deploy the hunter Harpoon; mutant birth is so rare and precious.” The figure in the darkness hissed. “Have them brought here; I haven’t fed on a mutant in years.” Harpoon nodded, got to his feet, and turned to leave, only for the figure in the darkness to clear its throat. “Do not fail me, Harpoon, or you will be the one to slake my thirst.”
**
Harlem, New York City
The pool cue slammed down onto the helmet of the mountain of a man, snapping from the impact. Looking at his broken pool cue, the figure dressed in black with a pool ball-inspired helmet darted away from the swipe his target retaliated with, evading the attack. Leaving himself open, the monstrous figure dressed in red, with crimson bands snaking up his arm and a massive domed helmet, strode towards his attacker, just as a salvo of exploding diamonds stabbed into his arm, staggering him.
"8-Ball, bring out the heavy artillery!” The second attacker, a woman dressed in a purple bodysuit with a silver domino mask, ordered as a slight buzzing sound radiated from the massive man’s belt pouches.
“Got it, babe!” 8-Ball replied as he removed a pair of pool balls printed with a ‘6’ on the spot before throwing them at their target. “Got to say Diamondback, when we stumbled across the Juggernaut, I was hoping things would go differently.” He added as the pool balls detonated, showering the Juggernaut with caustic acid.
“Keep going; he’s not unbeatable.” Diamondback replied as Juggernaut removed a massive mobile phone from his pouches. Leaping onto his back, she slammed two of her diamonds into Juggernaut’s helmet, trying to slice through the armor, only to be shaken off. Raising the phone to his ear, the Juggernaut accepted the call before reaching out with his free hand and catching the next pool ball projectile throw at him, the ball detonating and flame erupting up his arm.
“Yeah, I hear you.” Juggernaut grunted as he ducked under a strike from Diamondback, backhanding her into a parked car. “I see, you want him brought to you?” He asked as he began walking away from 8-Ball and Diamondback. “I’ll see you at the drop-off point; yes, he’s as good as yours.” He grumbled before ending the call, just as 8-Ball retrieved the remains of his pool cue, just in time for his opponent to grab him and slam him headfirst into a fire hydrant.
“You got lucky punks; don’t let me ever see you again!” He warned his attackers before dropping into a sprinter’s start before running southwards towards his new target.
**
Meriweather, Georgia, United States of America
Leo slipped into the public bathroom, the scant illumination of the room doing little to impede his progress, almost as if he could see in the near-complete darkness. Looking at his reflection in one of the mirrors, Leo got a first look at what he had become. The change in skin color, while initially the first change he had noticed, was not the most drastic, as Leo now had to stoop to see his face in the mirror. His hair had grown longer into a dark mane that reached down to his shoulders and his eyes. His eyes were no longer human, looking like something you would see in a big cat.
“What’s happened to me?” Leo gasped as he looked at what he had become. “How did this happen to me?”
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