My mouth fell open as he began to roll his sleeves up to show the bandaged arms before pulling his collar down to show where his neck had been slashed.
“She was not herself…she was nothing human, not even close to an animal but something far worse. I fear the only thing that might have been able to stop her or make it worse is a werewolf,” he said as students began to stir. “I am not here to blame her but to warn you of something much bigger at play here. There are…”
Xavier paused as he looked around before lowering his head briefly.
“There are students here that are natural born predators and others who are simply born of magic…innocent, pure magic,spells, abilities, and intellect. There are some of us here learning how to channel our energy for good, to help those in need and to better our society as we move forward. Then there are those who are naturally violent with their true selves lying dormant. Maggie Grey showed me that those of predatory ancestry like herself are a danger to those like me.”
Students began to talk at once as he raised his hand in the air in surrender to silence the chatter.
“I am not accusing anyone of anything but there have been other attacks. A woman named Sedia has been sexually assaulted. They took advantage of the fact that the only thing magical about her is her mind. There is a student who got into a fight with another, and even a student was almost drowned by a few tyrant sirens that have been bullying him for weeks now.”
A screen from a projector suddenly appeared behind him as the lights dimmed. Xavier stepped to the side as we watched footage of Wilhelmina Holmes feeding on a student that was screaming for her life.
“They are beneath us,” she said with blood gushing through her teeth as she smiled at the camera. “They are nothing but food to us…a life source for us. We only survive if they don’t.”
I took a deep swallow as it showed her picking apart the body while others slowly drained the student with the uniform being so obviously Drew Collins.
“This…is what they think of us,” Xavier pointed. “This is what Maggie thought of me that morning. This…is what she really is…”
The footage showed the white church that was being restored while someone spoke to the camera.
“I know someone that was there that day,” the man said. His eyes were full of fear when he spoke. “It was unlike anything you’d ever seen before. Time shifted…She was able to control those around her and the wolves responded to her like some…some queen. She was their moon,” he stuttered. “She was their moon, their life source. She’s unlike any First Family we’d ever seen before. Her eyes were red, her fangs were long…she became God in that church and exposed our world to those above… Everyone thinks Dr. Holmes is the threat, no…It’s not her. It’s that granddaughter. It’s Maggie Grey that is the threat.”
The clip showed the remnants of the white church, completely destroyed as they walked over split wood and broken chairs scattered all over the ground. Only the single door stood behind the destroyed structure as they looked around. You could tell by the way they were quiet and how late it was that they weren’t supposed to be there.
“They have this blocked off,” someone whispered from behind the camera. “I’m going to expose why they won’t let anyone near the church…This is what that inbreed freak did…”
A hand slowly reached for the door handle as everyone became quiet, on the edge of their seat. It was something new to the student body, including us. Maggie never spoke about the funeral, and we never truly asked. Yet when he turned the knob, he slowly pulled the door open to the church and you could hear the gasps from students behind me. It showed another night sky with buildings, the sound of cars, and music. It was only then you saw the screen jolt as someone let out a gasp when two cats slipped out of the door and took off into the night.
“She has permanently exposed our world,” he whispered, still trying to catch his breath from the jump scare. The clip went off as Xavier came back to the podium to face a petrified student body. Dr. Joy Vaughn was shaking her head with a frown, disturbed by it all and playing up to the role of a scared dean.
“Drew Collins,” Xavier started. “We have a problem, and I think it's time we address it. I…Xavier Martin would like to start a movement that guarantees our safety, protects our students, and continues to push our education forward. The Underground does not need to be run by those who take advantage. The true magic of our people starts from here.” He touched his chest with the palm of his hand before tightening up to a fist. “Let’s continue to keep it from outsiders and those who mean us no good so that we always have control. “Thank you.”
He stepped back as a few students stood up to clap before the rest followed. Some continued to sit down while others talked over the applause, unsure of what to think.
“Maggie Grey,” Dr. Joy Vaughn said as she stood up at the podium. “Like the rest of her family will be arrested the moment she finds herself back at the Grounds. Not only is she wanted for this violent attack, but she has also taken a student as well. A student that was here under an emergency asylum. A student by the name of Danielle Jackson. It is believed Danielle was forced to go against her free will for fear of Maggie Grey reacting violently towards her. It has officially been reported so anyone that has any information regarding this matter, please come see me. Those who are found withholding or helping hide these fugitives will be removed. That is all.”
Everyone began to get up as Harvey leaned in close to me.
“If the girl was taken by Maggie, why did she refer to her as a fugitive?” He asked with his eyes cutting towards me. He grabbed his things while I carefully picked up my tote with Quan inside.
“What the hell is going on?” Isis asked as we began to move. Everyone was trying to talk to Xavier as they crowded around the stage. Harvey led me out, keeping me in front of him as we pushed our way through the double doors until we were outside on the Grounds waiting on Asha.
“Okay, what the fuck do we do?” Asha blurted out as we stood off to the side, away from the auditorium. “Huh? What the fuck? You know Maggie would never–––”
“I know she wouldn’t,” I cut in.
“They don’t give a damn about that,” Quan said as he hung outside of the tote bag. “The damage to her reputation is already done, which is what he wanted.”
“Exactly,” Harvey said. “Can’t worry about where they are…need to worry about what you’re gonna do when she gets back and what she’s gonna come back to.”
“We can’t let people think she’s some sort of freaking monster!” Isis demanded.
“I mean I can deadass fight,” Asha said with a shrug as she pressed her hands together. “I can fight anyone that has something to say.”
“Oh, violence with violence, that’s good, did you think of that all on your own?” Quan snapped angrily. “No you cannot fight everybody dumbass.”
“I mean so then what?!” She fussed with her arms out. “I don’t like them playing with her like this!”
