The Brotherhood of Mutants

Leaning back into his chair, Esau brought the cup of coffee to his lips, taking a large gulp of the contents inside. Across from him, Raven Darkholme looked around at the coffee house, most people sitting with headphones in their ears or engaged in conversations of their own. Despite how full it was, there was one thing she could always count upon and that was people's ignorance of what was happening right under their noses.

The number of times her young group of Mutants had fought Charles Xaviers X-Men and no one was aware of it was proof. There was only so much that she as the Headmistress of the school could cover up, and how many people Charles Xavier could mind wipe before it attracted attention.

Places like these made excellent places to hold conversations because more often than not, everyone was here for the same reason. To relax, have a chat and not have to deal with nosy, eavesdropping people that had no understanding of boundaries. That was not to say there wasn't those that didn't eavesdrop, because there was, but they were far and few between.

And she could quite easily spot the telltale signs of someone who was listening in on conversations.

"So, you didn't answer my question, did that Xavier guy send you to succeed where he failed miserably?" Esau asked, a frown on his face as he placed his cup back on the table. "If so, I'll save you the trouble. I'm not interested in the slightest."

"I'm not here for Charles Xavier and his X-Men," Raven responded, pleased that while Charles had gotten to him first, the recruitment had failed. Though it was a strange thing that Charles had failed, he was often very good at knowing what to say to get people to trust him Not to mention he could read the minds of those he spoke to, find their weak spots and use them to his advantage if need be.

There was a reason why she had little success since moving to Bayville in recruiting Mutants. Her charter of the Brotherhood was the smallest out of all of them and while possessing some powerful young Mutants, they were outnumbered by Charles Xavier's own X-Men and outmatched by their more powerful members as well.

While not knowing what power Esau had, she had only known he was a Mutant by following Charles and Logan after they left their mansion, she needed the extra numbers all the same. Even if it was something as underwhelming as Toad's power, it would be enough to at least equal things out a little more. Not to mention that judging from his record, he at the very least knew how to fight and had the mentality for it.

That alone was more than most of the Brotherhood or X-Men had.

"Then what are you here for?"

"I'm here because I'm part of a group opposed to Charles Xavier and the X-Men, mostly because of our differing ideals on how to handle the Mutant problem." Esau frowned, recognising this as another pitch to join a team. "We are a much larger organisation, filled with Mutants that don't believe in coexistence, but with domination."

"Look, I'm not interested in any of this shit," Esau replied. "I don't care about the whole mutie problem. I don't even know what my power is, or how you people seem to think I am one. So, thank you for giving me the pleasure of your company, but no thank you."

"Are you going to keep doing what you usually do, Esau?" That made him pause just as he was about to rise to his feet.

Slowly he sat back down in his chair, looking at Raven questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"I mean how you constantly react rather than act." She answered easily. "Every fight you've ever had, you never once started it. Like today, it was the young man who knocked into you. The boxers you've fought that started off the fights. The football team that started the fight that led to you putting them all in the hospital. It even took you being bullied, your plight ignored by your parents and your teachers that led to you fighting for yourself."

Esau's frown twisted into a scowl, fist-clenching tightly. "You got a point to all this?"

"Aren't you tired of always just reacting to events that take place around you?" She questioned. "Haven't you ever wanted to just take control of your own destiny? To be the one acting and never reacting?"

"...Like I said," Esau continued. "Thanks, but no thanks."

Rising to his feet, Esau went to leave only for a card to be slipped into his hand. "If you ever change your mind, contact Bayville High School." Not saying anything in response, Esau just left the coffee shop, shoving the card into his pocket.

-X- Line Break -X-

Pushing open the door to his home, Esau leaned over and switched on the light, only to moments later have to duck when a bottle was thrown at him. The glass shattered against the wall, peppering the back of his neck, alcohol soaking him slightly.

"Turn the fucking light off!" His father shouted, Esau quickly doing so, head bowed as to not meet his father's gaze. There was no follow up, just curses and his father going on a tirade about him. It was nothing he hadn't heard before, the same curses and thoughts that his father never kept to himself about him.

Looking around the dark home, Esau frowned heavily, silently and carefully moving across the room to his bedroom. Only to pause when he heard the grunts and groans coming from inside, his hand freezing as it hovered over the door handle.

Once again, it was like he never existed in his own home. No one seemingly cared that it was late in the evening or that he had been arrested. Then again, no one had answered when he called home, nor did they come to see him, not that they ever did.

It was only as Esau was heading towards the door, meaning to leave his home, that he paused. 'Haven't you ever wanted to just take control of your own destiny? To be the one acting and never reacting?' Raven's words rang in his mind once more, turning back to look into the dark room. He could barely make out the form of his father, nothing more than a black shadow that moved across the room looking for another bottle.

His frown deepened even further.

Switching on the lights once more, Esau opened the door and closed it behind him. He could hear his father raging about this, but at this point, Esau was just beyond the point of caring. Just a dull ringing inside his head as he walked down the corridor of the apartment building.

Pulling out his phone, Esau used the number he had been given by Raven to call Bayville. "Esau, you called sooner than I expected." Raven's voice sounded down the other end. "Have you finally made a decision?"

"I still don't care about the whole Mutie issue. But you're right, I'm tired of reacting and not acting." Esau said, one hand clenching into a fist. "Though I want one thing before I agree to join your group."

"Which is?"

"I want to fight Logan."