X-plain yourself (X-Men 2 - Spanking fanfiction)

– Artie! Not here…

It was about the millionth time Storm, commonly known as Ororo Munroe, had to scold Arthur Maddicks that day. She had sensed something was off since earlier in the morning, while they were all having breakfast and getting ready for their school trip of the week: a visit to the one and only Natural History Museum.

Everybody had to go; it was well known among mutants that “no one should be left behind”, except in case of illness, but Artie was bad at faking it and, truth be told, not a single day could possibly be catalogued as “fun” when annoying teenagers were hell-bent on bullying you.

As every other school trip day, everybody was expected to be on their best behavior, not only because that was “the polite thing to do”, but because by not doing so, they would be exposing the mutant community to the outside world, risking the lives of every child living within the safe limits of Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.

Artie retracted his deep-blue forked tongue and quickly turned back to the group, not without giving Storm a “she started it” look first. The alabaster-haired woman glanced at the blonde human girl who was passing by and decided she was not worth the risk. She discretely gave Artie a warning look and proceeded with her explanation.

– What you gonna do about it, lizard boy? Lick her face? –an awfully familiar voice silently teased from behind the boy.–

– Leave me alone, Pyromaniac –Art whisper-yelled, equally trying to annoy the heck out of the mutant teenager.–

– Owww…wittle boy is angwy –John (also known as Pyro) said, pouting, obviously trying to provoke the younger one into doing something that got him into bigger trouble.–

The teenager left the exhibition, followed by his mutant friends.

– But Miss Munroe, aren’t we mutants? –little Jones asked the elder.–

– Yes, but mutants are only people with extra active genes –she patiently answered.–

– Jeans? –the youngster looked down at his own jeans.–

– We’re still here… –Ororo reminded her ward with a small smile and continued the lesson–. And while human evolution is still occurring to this day, it’s believed that modern medicine and technological advances may have actually slowed down its progress.

Artie heavily sighed while his mind trailed off. He was normally a well-behaved boy, and he liked Storm’s classes, but every time they went out on school trips, the older ones teased him because his powers were not “visible enough”, so they basically implied that the only thing he could do was stick his tongue out at anyone who annoyed him. He felt like a weirdo among weirdoes. Mutant compared to humans, but not strange enough to be considered outstanding when put next to the other kids at the X-Mansion.

And he wanted to prove them wrong.

For once, he tried being “normal”, “sociable”. He smiled at that blonde girl while she was eating an ice-cream because he thought that would be nice, perhaps that way he would seem “normal”. But the gesture backfired because, well, Murphy’s Law sucks, and the girl stuck her tongue out at him. And so did he. The only difference was that he got scolded and the girl did not...and he had a tongue almost as twice as long any other kid's, plus, his was almost pitch-black.

Artie was getting as bored as a mushroom with chickenpox, so he decided to surreptitiously follow Pyro and his gang to the cafeteria, where people seemed to be minding their own business. He peered around a huge pot with a plant in it and then he saw her…that crazy blonde girl was sitting at a table with a girl about her age and an older woman, perhaps her mom or her aunt. And she still had the vanilla cone in her hand.

Suddenly, the voices of two unknown teenagers pierced the air, forcing the little boy to turn his head that way. Unsurprisingly, Pyro had started one of his famous scenes. He was confidently sitting at a table with Rogue and Bobby until one of the intruders snatched his favorite lighter from his hand. Instinctively, he stood up and tried to retrieve it, but seeing his intentions frustrated, he recurred to his powers…publicly. He didn’t even have to move a finger, literally. He just winked playfully at his aggressor and BOOM, the annoying teenager’s jacket was partially on fire and he was on the floor trying to put it out. Chaos came out of nowhere, and lots of people noticed, screaming as an immediate response to the apparently threatening situation. That’s when Bobby stepped in and counterattacked the growing fire with ice crystals. The stranger was astonished, still lying on the floor, panting.

That was the perfect moment for Artie to launch his master attack. Taking advantage of the mass confusion, he discretely approached the tables and intended to spit on the blonde girl’s ice-cream cone from a three-meter distance, failing and accidentally staining the napkin in front of the girl with a few drops of a blue-ish sticky liquid, which he couldn’t appreciate because he had to hide, and appeared to be saliva. In that exact split second, the other mutants were entering the cafeteria lead by the elders: Jean, Scott and Storm, who arrived just in time to catch her young student attempting quite a dangerous, public act of rudeness. The weather witch rushed toward the table were the blonde girl was sitting and quickly grabbed the stained napkin.

And then everything and everyone froze. Not literally, though, they were all momentarily paralyzed. Every single living being in the museum. Human statues. Real life mannequins. Only the mutants could still move freely.

– Bobby, what did you do?

– I didn’t do this –he defended himself.–

– No…I did –came a deeper voice, a split second before his owner entered the area.–

Xavier.

– And the next time you feel like showing off, don’t –he admonished Pyro.–

The tension was ironically cut off by the breaking news on a TV screen, announcing a recent attack to the White House, interruption during which Artie, Jubilee and other mutants took advantage to rejoin the group without being spotted by their elders, or so they thought.

– I think it’s time to leave, professor –Scott finally stated.–

– I think you’re right.

Back at the X-Mansion, Xavier was having a private meeting with his three successors and former students to deliberate what measures they should take next to ensure the wellbeing of the mutant community. However, the thoughts racing through Ororo Munroe’s head were far from that office, and Charles Xavier knew it.

– Act as you consider fit. As will I. I trusted you once with the lives of these young students, and that has not changed one bit ever since –the professor assured her with a gentle tone in his voice before leaving the room when the meeting came to an end.–

Storm sighed and lightly smiled to herself. Xavier knew her too well, she couldn’t fool him even if she wanted to.

– Artie.

– Hm? –the boy distractedly inquired, looking away from the TV show he was watching with Jones.–

– Come with me, please –the woman asked in a neutral voice.–

The nine-year-old tried his best not to look nervous and stood up to follow her teacher and surrogate mother to the office Xavier had assigned her when she started teaching mutants. She closed and locked the door as soon as they were both inside.

– Take a seat –she gestured toward one of the chairs across from her place in front of the wooden desk.–

Silent as he always was, the boy obeyed and sat down, ignoring the fact that his feet hardly even touched the floor.

– Explain yourself, young man.

– She started it –he replied, thinking about that moment in which Storm had first told him not to stick his tongue out while being in “human” public spaces.–

– Not that, Artie –she enigmatically said and pulled out a white object from a small plastic bag. A napkin with a dark sticky substance that made the piece of paper look as if it was burnt–. This. And do not try to talk yourself out of this conversation, I was close enough to watch your every move, even though John masked the moment well –Storm stated matter-of-factly and placed the napkin on the desk, in front of the child, then folding her arms, expectantly.–

– But…but how do you know that was me?! –the boy’s eyes widened–. It´s burnt.

At this, the woman slightly curved the edges of her lips in a subtle smile.

– After dinner, professor Grey analyzed the sample on this napkin. Looks like you’ve got a new derivate power, Art.

– A new der…huh? –he innocently inquired, involuntarily tilting his head like a curious puppy.–

– A power that manifests only in stressful situations and is linked to your mutation –Ororo explained, relaxing her body posture only to let her student know that she was not mad at him for something that he did not even know or intended to use against anybody.–

– But that’s not my fault, Miss Munroe!

– Certainly it is not, child. It is not someone’s “fault” that you are special. I did not call you to my office specifically because of this, you know what we believe in this school about our talents, don’t you?

Artie sighed and recited the precept he had learned by heart since his first day at the mansion:

– That they are blessings and they are part of what makes us unique, and we should never be ashamed of that.

– Exactly –the woman nodded in approval–. However, I expressly ask all of you not to show your powers in public whenever we are surrounded by humans or in crowded places. Why is that?

– B-Because it could put us in danger since not all humans are tolerant towards mutants?

– Very well –she stood up and calmly walked around the desk, lending out a hand to invite the minor to stand up as well–. Today it could have happened, and it would have been awful, Arthur. I warned you once, yet you disobeyed me.

– But…but, Miss Munroe, she started it and you only scolded me! That ain’t fair! –the boy blurted out in protest, now understanding where all that talk was heading to.–

– Artie, listen to me –she patiently ordered as she sat down on the couch located at the back wall of the room and placed the little boy in front of her, reassuringly holding both of his hands now–. You know the rules. That girl is none of my business, my job is to care for you and the other mutant kids. I am not punishing you because of the tongue-sticking, I gave you a fair warning. I am going to spank you because you disobeyed and kept acting out after that. You walked away from the group in a public space, you were going to spit on someone else’s food! That would have been enough to expose us all –she paused for her words to sink in, watching their effect as the boy looked down in shame, silently.–

– Sorry…

– You can apologize after we’re done, sweetheart –she conceded, allowing herself to use that particular term of endearment, since the situation required it, as if often did when it came to taking care of the children’s behavior. It wasn´t the first time she’d had to deal with Artie’s attitude this way, but she knew him well enough to know how to soothe him down and avoid nervousness creeping into the kid’s hyperactive mind.–

Since the dark-haired boy set foot in that enormous house for the first time, when he was about three or four years old, he had been quite timid at times, but under the correct guidance he began demonstrating certain fondness toward his two strongest role models: Ororo and Jean. As soon as they discovered the youngster’s fascination for natural science, an instant bond was made. Arthur struggled in the past when receiving attention from adults because of his painful background, however, both women had eventually made it into his world. He learned from them that there will always be at least a bunch of people who will not judge or attack us for who we are, that not all kinds of attention have to be negative or violent. He understood that they could help him get to know himself better and discover his powers in safe surroundings. He looked up to them and saw them as teachers, confidents, friends, and caregivers. But he also learned from them that actions have consequences. And those consequences could be the equivalent of utter DEEP trouble when speaking of those two particular maternal figures, as he saw them.

Without further thinking, the boy sighed and positioned himself lying down across the elder’s lap, grabbing one of the cushions he found near his head. He knew by first-hand experience what could happen if he did not do as he was told in that situation. The white-haired woman proceeded to lower his pajama bottoms and underwear, gave a few seconds for both of them to take a deep breath, and started soundly spanking the boy’s butt cheeks, alternating between them both.

– I am doing this to teach you that sometimes irrational behavior can lead to results we cannot even imagine, Arthur. You did not know about your derivate power, and that is okay, but if you let yourself be carried by impulses, you can end up hurting not only yourself, but all those who you care for. Like today. I can’t imagine what would have happened if somebody saw you spitting abrasive saliva in the direction of a little girl.

Artie sunk his head between his shoulders as he understood what she meant. That would’ve lead to “normal” people noticing how much of a “threat” the mutant community was, they could have launched an investigation and, in the worst case scenario, the school could be closed, the teachers fired or sent to jail, and all of the kids could have ended up at a horrible psychiatric facility. He was still young to bring any implement on him, but that didn’t mean the spanking hurt less, not at all. He was lucky to be one of the small kids and to have incurred in a “minor infraction” this time, but whatever the case was, Ororo always took her student’s discipline very seriously and did not stop until she was certain she had delivered a crystal clear message.

The young one started kicking his bare little feet and his breathing became uneven before they even reached fifty, even though Storm was holding back a little bit. What was so dreadful about her as a disciplinarian, is that she did not lecture while delivering a spanking, she just spanked and went on for what seemed like ages until she knew it was the moment to stop and, unfortunately, that moment did not always come when the pupil in question started pleading for mercy or promising to behave.

And so did Artie confirm, for at least the tenth time, on this day.

– Ow! I’m sorry, Miss Munroe, please! It won’t happen again –he grunted, starting to clench his fists.–

He obtained no response. He hated bad moments because of this; whenever he was doing something he liked and wanted time to freeze, it seemed to go by faster; and whenever he wanted time to rush by because of the unpleasantness of an experience, it would mock him deliberately and take turtle steps.

Since his kicking did not stop, Storm found herself in the need to pin down his legs using one of her own, yet she did not abandon her task. She continued to administer sharp, searing smacks without pauses…until the kid shot his hand back and tried to protect his already reddened bottom, which only caused her caretaker to grab said hand and pin it against his lower back with a calm sigh.

– Ouch! It HURTS! –he managed to exclaim, stating the obvious–. I’m sorry, professor Storm, I really am! I didn’t mean to expose any mutants or disobey you!

Still no reply came back to his ears until a few minutes further into the punishment, when the little boy finally gave in and went limp, releasing soft, teary sobs, which Storm registered and gradually started to lower her pace, allowing the kid to breathe a little bit more freely.

– I will never walk away from the group again –Artie confessed, fighting against the lump in his throat.–

Ororo eventually came to a full stop, released her grip, and simply started rubbing circles into the boy’s back, encouraging him to cry it all out and letting him know that it was all over. A couple of minutes later, Storm helped him get dressed up, gathered him into her arms and leaned back on the couch, gently cuddling him.

– I am very proud of you, Artie. You took your punishment bravely… –she whispered and kissed his forehead–. Now it’s all forgiven.

The boy yawned, lulled by her soothing voice, and sank deeper into the hug, craving the comfort after such an intense episode, thus his tutor slowly began to rock him back and forth until he fell asleep. Then, smiling at the sight, his mentor stood up and carefully carried him to his bed, tucking him in as the loving mother she was when it came to those children for whom she’d risk her life no matter what.

– Hmmm… Miss Munroe? –Art sheepishly asked in a soft voice.–

– Yes? –she stopped just before turning the lights off and approached the minor, stroking his hair.–

– John exposed us too… I know, I know…”don’t be a tattletale”, but it’s true –he admitted–. And Bobby, but he did it only to help…don’t be mad at him –he mumbled, half pouting.–

That melted Ororo’s heart. That was her good boy. Artie, the kid who hardly ever wanted to harm someone; honest, kind, and considerate.

– Shh… –the woman silently chuckled, trying not to wind him up again, so he could sleep as he needed–. He’s been taken care of –she assured her ward, kissing the top of his head–. Now it’s time to sleep, tomorrow we will explore further into your new power. Sweet dreams, my child…

And with that, he peacefully drifted off into deep slumber, dreaming of flying lizards and monkeys, as he liked.

The next morning, Artie had a bit of a hard time sitting down at the breakfast table, but not as hard a time as he was having trying to contain his laughter watching John equally struggling to remain well-seated. He curiously looked at the far end of the giant table, where the teachers sat, and caught a glimpse of a smile playing on professor Xavier’s lips before he took a sip from his cup of coffee.

******************************************************************************************* 

This work was originally posted on March 19th, 2021. I own none of the credits, I just love the characters too much and wanted to do this, I hope somebody enjoys it. Feedback is enormously appreciated! 

This fictional story is rated "Mature" because of the spanking scene, even though it is not something sexual. I would also like to state that in real life I do not approve of any physical punishment against any living being.