Disclaimer: Nate & Monet belong to Marvel Entertainment Group.
Choosing Sides: X-Man Epic Interlude
“Nathan? Are you in here?” she asked, glancing into the room. She spotted him standing in front of the window, gazing out at the mountains. For the first time, Monet St. Croix realized that Nathan Grey wasn’t what he seemed. On the outside, he was witty, often having a tough guy persona. But in rare moments like these, she saw what he really was inside: human.
All the students at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters were mutants, though they had been taught that mutants were only humans with special talents. Despite this, the world still hated and feared them as if they were demon spawn. Monet could have cared less what humans thought of her; she was proud to be a mutant. Nate, on the other hand, often hid his powers, so that he could fit in among them. Monet thought this was foolish, because Nate was one of the most powerful mutants alive. He would never reach his full potential if he never used his gifts. She often thought of Nate as a child in a teenager's body, afraid to try out a new toy that seemed too complex for him. But she had an inner respect for Nate, as did the rest of the Gen X.
“Was there something you wanted, M?” Nate asked, not moving an inch.
Monet stepped inside the room and closed the door behind her. “I wanted--no, needed--to talk to you about something.”
“I’m listening,” Nate stated, retaining his impassive gaze.
Monet sat down on the long red couch and looked up at Nate’s back. “Nathan, would you mind looking at me? I’d like to at least have the impression that you're paying attention.”
He slowly turned, his blue eyes locking on her brown ones. Nate often went out of his way to ignore the other members of the team, especially M. But he was not blind; he had noticed how incredibly beautiful she was. Unfortunately, M knew it, and sometimes flaunted the fact. She would purposely fling her long, black hair, make her sensuous lips extra pouty, or even let her tongue make a surprise appearance when Nate was around. He noted all of these acts, but never let them affect him. To give in and react would be submitting, and Nate was, if nothing else, stubborn.
Monet knew better than to get right to the point with Nate. If she beat around the bush, occasionally accompanying her words with a hair fling or a pout, he would be more likely to listen to her. “I wanted to ask you about your decision at the government facility yesterday.” She saw a slight grimace appear on his face, and it was quickly replaced by a smirk.
“You and everyone else here. I’m beginning to wonder why you people made me the leader of this group. All you’ve done is doubted me from the start, and I’m sick of it.”
“Well, your decision to pull back was quite questionable. All of us were fully capable of going further into the facility. It was you, and you alone, who argued that we should retreat. I myself would like to know why.” Then, she added with a little smirk of her own, “Feel free to sit down, Nathan. I won’t bite...unless you want me to.” Monet patted the spot on the couch next to her.
Nate could hear the alarms going off in his head. This was a blatant challenge to him, one that he would almost instantly respond to. Ignoring her last comment, Nate forced himself to sit down. He could tell that M was surprised by this, and smiled to himself. “I did what I felt was right, M. You and everyone else there knew that Jubilee was injured, and rather than risk all our lives by depending on her less than 100% performance, I decided to pull back. Jubilee’s still down in the infirmary with a cracked rib, broken arm, and a head wound. I seriously doubt she would’ve survived another assault.”
“Be that as it may, I believe that the team could’ve handled the rest of the journey. The X-Men, X-Force, and Excalibur came out of the same situation with but a few scratches. We may not be the X-Men, but we are going to be one day. I think we could fare just as well.” Monet stared at his face searching for a sign of anger, or even a hint of submission. She found none.
“I see your point, M, but it’s over now. For all you know, I may have very well saved Jubilee’s life. Because if she had died, and the rest of us made it out, you would all blame me for her death, and try to replace me as leader. I don’t care what anyone says; I did the right thing, and I won’t discuss the matter any further.” He met her steely gaze with one of his own.
His determination didn’t surprise Monet at all, but his tone did. “You speak as if you are some master, and I was your slave. You control no one here, Nathan. Remember that.”
“Then I suggest, Monet,” Nate said, “that you remember who leads this team. If you have a problem with the way I do that, just say so.”
Monet said nothing, and Nate figured their conversation was over. He got up to leave, but Monet’s hand grasped his arm tightly and pulled him back. “Nathan, there’s something else I want to talk to you about.”
“Go ahead,” he replied. “I want to talk about...us.”
Nate arched an eyebrow. “What about ‘us,’ M?”
“I’ve noticed how you shield yourself from me and the others. You have nothing to fear from us. We’re your friends.” Then she asked, looking straight at him, “Don’t you trust us?”
Quickly turning away from her, Nate simply said, “No. Why should I? What reason do I have to trust any of you?”
“Nathan,” she said, placing a hand on his arm, “this team is a family. Everyone is important. If you can’t trust us, who can you trust?”
Nate glanced at her hand and replied, “I trust no one, not even myself. I used to trust my instincts, but they’ve failed me as well. You forget, some of us aren’t blessed with instant knowledge like yourself.”
Monet smiled a bit. “You sound jealous.”
Nate shrugged. “Who wouldn’t? You’re practically perfect in every way. You’re smart, strong, talented, and beautiful.”
“So, you think I’m beautiful?” Monet asked, moving closer to him.
If Nate saw this, he chose not to mention it. “It’s not like I can’t notice it, the way you act when I’m around.”
“Whatever do you mean?” she asked.
At this point, Nate got up from the couch. “Look, M, we both know what’s going on here, so don’t play dumb.”
Monet stood up and glared at him. “Fine, Nathan. I’ll get to the point. Why do you hate me so?”
Nate replied, “I don’t hate you, I just don’t like you.”
“Then why don’t you like me?”
Nate thought for a moment. “Do you want me to like you, M? Because it sure seems that way.”
Try as she might, Monet could only think of one answer. “Yes, I do. Ever since I first met you, I’ve been impressed by your silent dignity, your code of honor, and your view of the world. So I wanted you to accept me as your friend, at the least.”
Nate smiled as he realized M had never behaved this way before. “Surely my opinion of you doesn’t matter that much.”
Monet grabbed his arms and almost shouted, “Yes, it does!” She quickly let go, realizing she might have just broken both of his arms.
"Relax, M," he said with a grin. "Even your strength couldn't break through my telekinetic shield." Nate walked over to the window and gazed down at the Biosphere. "Tell me something, M. Have you ever had a boyfriend?"
Monet smiled as he turned back to her. "Are you suggesting that you'd like to fill that position, Nathan?"
He shrugged and ran a hand through his reddish-brown hair. "Depends. Would you have me if I wanted to?"
To Monet's credit, she hid the blush that came to her light brown cheeks. But to a telepath of Nate's stature, she might as well have screamed her consent to him.
Nate strolled over to the couch, never taking his eyes off her. Monet shifted uneasily under his watch, wondering if she had made a mistake by coming here. As he came closer, every muscle in her body tensed. He reached into his loose-fitting jacket, and slowly pulled his hand out. Monet expected to see some sort of camera, so that he might capture her moment of total embarrassment on film. She even closed her eyes tight, so that she wouldn't have to see it. But the flash of light never came, and after a few seconds, she opened her eyes.
He had patiently waited for her to see his gift, and his patience was well rewarded when she saw the long-stemmed rose, glowing with an almost radiant crimson aura. Nate gently took her hand and placed the rose there, wishing he really did have a camera for this moment.
"Not bad for a kid in a teen's body, huh, M?" said the quiet voice in her head. "Face it, the guy's perfect for you! Just ask him. He'll say yes. He has to!"
But before Monet could recover from her initial shock, Nate leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Maybe someday, M, you'll understand why I do the things I do," he whispered in her ear. "Until then, keep this to remind you that you can't dance on the line between friendship and true love for too long. When you finally decide which side you'd rather be on, I'll be waiting." He kissed her again, gently on the cheek, before walking out the door. So Nate left Monet with a single tear on her face, and the realization that he was right. She stared at the rose a long time after he had gone, wondering which side she'd choose in the end.
The End
I'm considering writing a sequel to this that fits into the entire series. If you want it to happen, tell me!