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[Today is a good day for serious business, apparently. There's a certain something he's been putting off for a while, and after one-too-many dreams interrupting his sleep, he's had enough: this morning when Billy wakes up, the first thing he does is jot out a note in the journal-]

[Private to Ben Grimm]

Hey, would it be okay if I swung by to ask you a few things?

[He'll work through his morning routine until he gets a response, after which he'll go for a visit and get a hell of a lot more than he bargained for.

After that, his mood for the day is drastically altered; he'll skip out on school, trying to sort out his feelings on the matter. Tommy's still AWOL, and he's trying not to worry Teddy, but what he's just been told has really got him thinking- about people, and heroes, and the unfairness of mankind in general. And eventually he'll just go ahead and return to his journal for it. He's kind of in over his head here.]

[Open to All]

I know Luceti's full of heroes- seems kind of a standard trait for most of us, for whatever reason. Back on my world, super-humans aren't that uncommon, and in general they're revered for everything they do for the world. Some of them were born that way, and some of them are from other planets, and some were altered to get their powers, and some have a lot of talent or skill instead of powers. But they're all considered to be super heroes. There's bad guys, too- just as diverse and unique as the heroes they fight. People fear them and celebrate their defeat.

There's another group, though... humans who got their powers because of evolution. It's much more natural, in a lot of ways. Some are heroes, some are villains. Some are just trying to get by without becoming one or the other. But regular humans fear them, and hate them for it, even if they save the world just as much as the heroes they love. They're called criminals or monsters, no matter how innocent they might be.

[He hesitates- it's probably obvious to some, what he's talking about, and he's not sure if he should lock it from the mutant population, or apologize, or something, but it relates to them even if it's not by name. Hiding it wouldn't be right.

In the end he just leaves it be.]

...Sorry for the ramble. But it's not fair, and... I just can't understand why. Why hate one and love the other, when they're basically the same?

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[And now Billy's getting a concerned look from across the table.]

You might come back. [Skipping meals, ordering light--whatever it is that's on Billy's mind, it definitely has wormed it's way in deep. She glances down at the menu before she sighs.]

Promise me you'll have something substantial for dinner. You need to take care of yourself, Billy.

What? Oh- no, I'm fine! [Hastily he waves his hand dismissively, realizing only then how he must sound.] Honest, I usually eat just fine. I'm not exactly a big guy, you know? I don't have to eat that much.

[It's sort of a vague half-truth, since he can probably eat about as much as any growing teenager, but he's scrawny enough to get away with only nibbling here and there once in a while. He's had plenty of days in the past where appetite was his enemy, after all.]

Just blame teenage angst and don't sweat it, okay? Even if I wanted to try and starve myself, Teddy wouldn't let me get away with it.

[She’s almost willing to believe that no, he doesn’t really need to eat a lot—almost. Except it isn’t just that Billy’s not hungry, which he himself admits. Calling it teenage angst doesn’t really do anything to relieve Pepper’s concern. Pretty much the opposite, in fact.]

Something’s bothering you so much that you don’t want to eat, and I’m not supposed to sweat it. [Okay, yes, Billy has Teddy to watch out for him too, but still.] You do realize that’s not going to happen, right?

[Well, now he's kicking himself for even mentioning it. Great.]

Uh... okay. Remember way back when we were talking about the SRA, and supers, and the war, and you said you didn't want to hear the nitty-gritty details? And I can't blame you for that. But this is kind of the grittiest of nitty-gritty.

[He's trying to respect her wishes here and not stress her out, but it's difficult to pull off when she's concerned and asking questions. He just isn't sure where to draw the line.]

I'm not going to hurt or starve myself for it, I just... need some time to work through it.

I do remember that. [It's a conversation they had in this very same restaurant, in fact, while splitting a plate of french fries.] I also remember saying that if you did need to talk, I would listen--and getting you to promise me you'd keep that in mind.

[Meaning her concern for him trumps her desire for ignorance. So while she appreciates the consideration, she'd much rather Billy vent his thoughts if it helps him. So Pepper meets his gaze, deciding to prompt him a little.]

You were talking about people with powers. Mutants, right? Like the X-men.

[Mmph. Well. If she says it's fair game, he'll talk... but he's keeping an eye out for discomfort. There's no reason he has to blab about everything when it's upsetting.]

Yeah... mutants are the ones where it's genetic. Something you're born with. The ones that most people just... hate. Even when they're fighting alongside heroes like Cap.

[It's still difficult to grasp, even after all the very sound, logical responses he'd gotten. Logic doesn't mean much when you're the one taking the abuse.]

It doesn’t make any sense, does it? Except that to people without those abilities, seeing what others can do is probably very frightening. It doesn’t matter that they’re heroes or that they’re saving people. People just think about what could happen, and then they start being afraid.

I can understand that- there's definitely good reason to be afraid of people with powers. We screw up sometimes, and our fights cause destruction all over the world, even while we're trying to save it.

[He thinks of Stamford, and then he has to force himself not to think of Stamford, because that's a whole different can of worms that he knows he can't talk about with Pepper.]

But this? It's like- back home, Tony Stark is the official spokesmen for super heroes, for the Avengers especially. And the public loves him. They cheer for his speeches and sign off on his rules. They know that he keeps them safe. Back when the Avengers were a full team, before the war, it was the same with Cap.

[He leans back in his seat, pausing for a moment, because he's really not sure how to phrase what he's trying to convey without making it sound too horrible. And then he finally speaks when he realizes there isn't a way to do that.]

Something happened to the mutants back home, not that long ago- something awful. A lot of them died. Something like that's always happening to the mutants. You watch the news and people are allowed to say, on national TV, that thank god! The mutant abomination is finally being wiped out. And society's okay with that.

[Except Pepper's already had her crash course; she remembers being told about Stamford and what followed by Sue Richards. In a way, that helps her understand just how much worse the mutants have it, when Billy talks about even a simple thing like news announcements.]

That's--god, that's horrible. [Pepper shakes her head at the utterly abhorrent behavior that's accepted as commonplace.] Society in general has a lot of shortcomings, but--I am so sorry that's happening, Billy.

[He's thinking more about the aftermath - the war, the Cube, their super-prison - all of which he fully considers to be off-limits. It has little enough to do with the mutants, anyway.]

I'd like to say it's okay, but... we both know it's not. But it's not like you're a part of it, either.

Definitely not like you are, no. [Pepper presses her lips together, thinking about some of the aftermath of the Manhattan invasion, and even before, with what Hammer did to Tony's armor. How easily could that fear manifest if the public learned about mutants there?

But this isn't about Pepper's world, and she knows Billy won't be comforted by hearing that same fate is very possible in another universe.]

There are groups trying to change that, aren't there? The X-men exist in your world, and I think Sue mentioned that the Superhero Registration Act was ruled unconstitutional in regards to mutants. That's something?

...Yeah. I guess the government finally figured out that the mutants have suffered enough. It's... kind of like the Native reservations back home. There's about two hundred mutants living in a single area that's more or less protected. [Or guarded, you could also say- since there are sentinels keeping an eye on things.] Outside of that, mutants have to fend for themselves. Or stick with their parents, like me.

Oh. [Pepper can't imagine that "protected" means anything other than guarded, even if Billy leaves that part unsaid. It reminds her too much of historical mistakes that have been made with minorities, and that makes is nearly impossible to say anything positive.]

I wish I knew what to tell you. You already know it can take a very long time for people to accept others who are different, I'm sure.

[His response is something of a bittersweet smile.]

Believe me, I know. Rogue once said I was a walking hate crime.

[It was their most tactful of shared moments.]

...Wow. [Pepper winces at the description.] That's definitely a way of putting it.

I can't really say that she's wrong.

[And he's been called much worse than that.]

Well, no. It's just very blunt.

[Despite the fact that Billy has been called worse, or that Pepper is certain Rogue didn't say it maliciously.

Or that it's entirely true.]

You'll prove them wrong, though.

[That earns her a lopsided smile and a slight shrug.]

Well, I've learned to duck and cover, and if push comes to shove, there's always magic.

That’s…not quite what I meant. [Oh Billy. Pepper hates that you’ve had to learn those lessons.]

People are going to see that you’re a good person, a hero, and that’s going to make them change how they think. Probably not huge crowds all at once, but it’ll still be a start.

[He knows what she's trying to say - and that it's serious and sincere - but... pfft.]

Miss Potts, are you trying to tell me that there's life after high school?

[He can't help himself.]

[Wow Billy. Here Pepper is trying to offer comfort and hope, and this how he replies?

Clearly he's been spending too much time with Tony.]

Believe it or not. [It makes her grin anyway.] Even after thirty, but only after you figure out how to navigate with your walker.

[Or that's just why they sort of get along.]

Don't talk to me about thirty- that's almost twice my age, it feels like worlds away. I think I'll just stop time at 21 and look young forever- that sounds like a good idea, right?

[True.

Also? Pepper is absolutely hiding her face behind her hands and groaning at "almost twice my age." Thank you, Billy, for pointing that out.]

Right. A great idea. You do that.

[Well.

At least he's never said she's old enough to be his mom? (Even though she probably is.)]

Relax, I promise I'm only joking. Besides I'd get kicked out of the Young Avengers if I did that- we all made a promise not to mess with time travel.

[No, but he's made the comparison, and don't think she's forgotten that.

Onto more important things, though. Like time travel.] You know, the fact that you actually have to make promises like that is a bit frightening.

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