Attention: Generation X and their villains, as well as any other mutant mentioned in this story, is property of Marvel Comics. The character Richard Cale is named after family relations. Any other reference to anything copyrighted is a chance happening.

Truth Be Told

Chapter 1: Tragedy

I. Yvette

It was a cold January day at the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. This was typical for the time of year, as Yvette had come to learn during her time at the school. It made her time there a bit difficult, when she used to live out in the Biosphere. That had changed last month, when she finally gained some control over her powers, and was also given a genuine room in the dorms. The cause of that change, however, had become as cold as the winter air, and she didn't know why.

It was that concern she had that led to her being outside the room of the newest student to the school, Richard Cale. After they had met, and the team had defeated Emplate, their relationship developed, and she was always glad to be around him. In fact, he hadn't started this change until a little after Christmas. Something about those events had sent the boy she loved into a sharp downward spiral. If fact, she and Monet had followed him one day, and saw him doing something that had made her heart stop.

Now she looked in from the door, worrying about the guy she loved. He had gone from happy to depressed, and she knew why. Two events happened since he arrived, and each had dealt a terrible blow to his psyche, which Emma Frost had warned her about when she sensed the change in him. She was glad about that when it came to the event that scared her most.

Right now, she saw he was looking at a photo that she had seem him looking at from time to time. Each time she saw him look at it, she saw a tear come to his eye. She understood why, but she had a feeling he needed to talk more about it, and he wasn't doing so. She didn't know what to do to help him, which bothered her since he had done so much for her. She knew Emma had a thought on what might help, and had made plans for it to happen today.

Yvette was so deep in her thoughts that she hadn't even heard a figure approach her, and she was slightly startled when a voice softly said, "Has there been any change, Yvette?" She turned and saw Emma had arrived. She knew why Emma was being on the quiet side, since they didn't want to spook Richard in his delicate state.

She looked at Emma with one eye, trying to keep the other on Richard while she answered the question. "No, Emma." She let out a sigh, and then continued. "I can't even begin to approach him." She then shivered as she voiced part of one of her biggest fears. "I've never seen him like this before. It worries me."

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she felt a bit of comfort from the action. "It's alright, Yvette. None of us have seen him like this." The use of her given first name made her feel better. It was something most of them were doing once they found it out. It was another thing she had to thank Richard for. Emma had started using it just after Emplate's attack. Right now, it was an extra comfort given all that was going on. She then heard Emma continue speaking. "You must remember what Richard has been through. Part of him feels remorse for the events. From the short time he's been here, we know he doesn't like taking those actions."

Yvette nodded in understanding, but it still didn't fully explain why she and Monet had caught Richard going where he was going. He was literally committing suicide, or an equivalent of it. She shook her head as she spoke. "That doesn't give him the excuse for trying to turn himself over to Emplate. He knows I wouldn't let him do that, and he knows what that monster did to me."

To her surprise, she heard Monet respond to her statement. "That could be why he tried to sneak away, Penny." Yvette glanced at Monet, hoping to communicate with the glance that Monet didn't have the right to call her that. There were only two people allowed to call her that, one being Richard, and the other being the person she thought of as her 'sister', Jubilee. Since Monet was Emplate's brother, she didn't think the Algerian girl had the right to use that nickname.

If Monet caught the meaning of the glance, it didn't stop her from speaking. "He didn't know we were following him, but I think he was secretly hoping we were." The next words Monet spoke, however, caused the girl some embarassment, as if it struck close to home for her as well. "I think that something he said came back to haunt him."

This revelation made Yvette want to find out what it was, and how Monet seemed connected to it. She wasn't even in shock when she said the word at the same time Emma said it. "What?"

If it were possible, Yvette would have sworn Monet was blushing at the moment, as if admitting this was an additional embarrassment. "He said to me once that 'The truth can surface in ugly ways.' He faced the ugliest truth in his family not too long ago."

Yvette wanted to yell at Monet for saying that. How could she have said such a thing. Yes, what Richard faced was ugly, but it wasn't like he knew about it. She knew about Emplate, and never told the school that he was her brother.

Before she could yell, though, Emma interjected, like she knew what was about to happen. "Yes, but that does not take into account the events that happened over Christmas break. We don't know the full details about them, but from what I was able to gather, Richard feels guilty about what happened to Sean's cousin." Yvette had figured that was part of it all, and she didn't know much about the man.

She took that moment as an opportunity to find out more, and even cool down. She had noticed that her hands were stating to turn into their clawed form for when her powers were active. "Emma, what's the story between Sean and his cousin? I'm still unsure of it all."

She noticed a look in Emma's eyes, which told her that she was grateful that Yvette had been smart enough to know what was needed to diffuse the situation. To be honest, part of her knew better than to antagonize Monet, but she still was unsure when it came to her former captor's sister.

Emma then answered the question. "The long answer would have to be covered another time, but the short answer is that they basically had the same relationship that Monet and her brother have. Tom became a mutant terrorist, and from what Sean gathered, had somehow developed the ability to control plants." Yvette had shivered when she heard how the relationship was similar to the family relationship between Monet and Emplate, but she still didn't fully understand, and she had been here when Tom had shown up.

She was about to ask another question when she heard footsteps heading towards them. She glanced in the direction they were coming from, and saw both Jubilation Lee and Everett Thomas coming towards them. As the girl she viewed as a sister got nearer, she heard her address Emma. "Emma, Jean and Scott are here." Yvette wasn't surprised by this news. Emma had told her that calling the two X-Men up to the school was the best way they had for helping Richard now. It had been a decision made by both Emma and Sean.

Yvette looked into her boyfriend's room again, knowing that the first step was going to be discussing all the event that led up to this, and Richard wasn't in any mental state to be left alone right now. She looked over at Richard again, but asked Emma, "Do you want me to keep an eye on him, Emma, until you need me?"

She wasn't surprised when she heard Everett answer the question. "I'm going to keep an eye on him. I don't really have any information to contribute to what caused his state." She turned to face him, and saw him smile as he let his mutant aura become visible. "Besides, if he does sneak away, I can track him." Yvette was relieved to hear that. It seemed everything had been thought of at the moment. Now, however, was the more nerve racking moment. She was going to meet Scott and Jean Summers, the two who were presently in charge of the X-Men, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous about that. Still, she walked with the group that headed over to the main building on the school's campus.

II. Sean

Sean Cassidy was only a bit relieved when Scoot and Jean had arrived. Both he and Emma had hoped that the two X-Men were the best hope for trying to get Richard out of the depression the lad was in. It had literally caused an emotional barrier that almost seemed like a real one, keeping people from getting to close. Even Yvette couldn't get close to him, especially with what had happened a week ago. That was tragic because the two were in love. During the short time the two had been together, Sean would have sworn he was looking at a younger version of Jean and Scott in those two.

Once they reached the room where Emma had suggested they all gathered, Jean asked the question that Sean figured was on the minds of the couple. "Sean, what seems to be the problem? You were a bit vague when you contacted us, but insisted it was important." In the wake of Onslaught, Emma had figured just saying it was important would get the X-Men to send help over as soon as possible, and she had been right.

Sean, however, waited until almost everyone arrived in the room. He didn't want to wait too long, since everyone that was being assembled each had information to share. He was also certain that the whole situation would be overwhelming if just one person gave all the details, and not many people were around for both incidents that contributed to Richard's current mental state.

Once everyone sat down, Sean looked over everyone before addressing Scott and Jean. Jean, who was one of the best telepaths on the planet, wasn't about to go through their minds without permission, and preferred speaking when it came to sorting out psychological problems. It was something, Sean felt, Emma could take lessons on. "Well, Jean, Scott, it's regarding our new student, Richard Cale."

To Sean's surprise, it was Scott who reacted first. It was true that he first mentioned the new student to Scott when Richard had first contacted him. "Wait. Wasn't that the one you called us about? Asking if he contacted us first?" For a moment, Sean thought he could sense an extra bit of concern in Scott's voice, as if the tactical leader of the X-Men seemed to be jumping to an incorrect conclusion.

Sean raised his hand in a placating gesture, determined to calm Scott's fears. "Yes, but I assure you that it is nae what you think." Once he saw Scott relax, he continued. "Recently, he has closed himself off from everyone, including Yvette." When he mentioned her, he motioned to her at the table. When she stood and nodded, he noticed a look of confusion on the X-men's faces. He added as she sat back down, smoothing her blue dress, an item she had first worn on the day Richard recovered, "Ye may know her better as Penance."

That little revelation took both by surprise, but Jean more so. She spent a minute staring Yvette before saying, "What happened to cause this change? It's amazing." She then glanced over at him, "Was this the new student's doing?"

He was about to answer when Emma spoke. "Yes, Jean. Richard has the mutant ability to fully mimic a mutant he is close to. Shortly after his arrival, he formed a connection with Yvette, which has caused Yvette to become the person you see now. She has better control over her powers, as well as budding psychic abilities. In fact, until recently, she and Richard have been inseparable."

Sean watched the two take that information in. It was evident that they now realized how much of an impact that the new student had made, and why their help was needed. Now came the question Sean knew would be coming. "What happened?"

Sean figured now was the time to get to the heart of the matter. He sighed, knowing that they would be starting in soon, so he started by stating what happened during the Christmas break. "Well, during Christmas, we had some unexpected company. My cousin, Black Tom, had been on the school grounds. There was only five students left at the school at the time, and it had been Richard who had discovered Tom's presence."

At that moment, Sean saw Scott shake his head, as if the spectacled X-Men was having a hard time wrapping his head around what he heard. "Wait a second. How could this new student manage that? Does his power really work like that?"

Sean nodded in the affirmative. "Aye, that it does. He takes on the ability of the mutant he is closest to when he is in a neutral state. When I picked him up at the airport, his power detected Emplate when the blighter was out of synch with our world. He can even use that mutant's ability again them if he chooses."

He noticed that Jubilation was about to say something, but then the girl must have thought about what she was going to say. He then noticed Monet looked like she was about to say something. He glanced at her, and she said, "I did see Richard manage to use my brother's ability against him, in some sort of way. It was how we managed to turn the tide during his latest attack."

Sean noticed that both Jean and Scott were coming to realize the extent of Richard's powers. Sean said at that moment, "Those are some of the benefits to his ability, in addition to communicating with Penance. This lad's power could put any mutant detection method to shame. Of course, we also run the risk of him being transformed into a second Emplate, or even worse."

He could tell that Jean was starting to put things together, but she didn't know the full story. She could only guess on how events start to play out. "So Richard stumbled on to Tom's presence, but Tom was unaware that he had been found out."

Sean nodded. "That he did." Sean knew the sequence of events that happened next, and knew now that it was the start of a drastic decline for the new student. He then leaned forward, resting his closed hands on the table. "And that's when everything went crazy. We will all tell you what had happened, as best as we can remember." He then started relaying the very event that started it all off.

Author's note

If you have been following my stuff, you know that I have been working on rewriting The Cale Storyline. This is the first chapter of the second story, Truth Be Told. I had divided it into nine chapters, and for this story, they were relatively short. That means these chapters won't take as long as the ones for the last story.

From the Author

From now on, I'll have a blog you can check out to see how things are progressing. You can find the link in my profile.