[AN: Just so anyone who reads knows, this is pretty much Alternate Universe, actually closer to how I thought it should have been if Kurt and Kitty were students at the mansion, and it sort evolved with the story. I'm sorry it's so short, that just seemed to be the place to cut it, and if it's a bit choppy, that's just because everything happens so quickly while they get Kerri squared away. I tried to set it up well, but if you have questions, feel free to ask them, I'm always happy to explain something. Here's the first chapter, I hope you enjoy!
Also; I do not own any of the X Men or franchises, only the plot line and character Kerri. I also made the cover art. Using colored pencils, copy paper, and a scanner. Anyway, refer back to above.]
At Charles Xavier's school for gifted youngsters/ institute for higher learning, all of the staff except Ororo sat in the office, awaiting the reason they'd been called.
Professor Xavier explained to them; "Storm is bringing back a new mutant. As far as we can tell she's got some sort of empathic psi abilities. She can use empathic psi waves to trick your mind into believing you see something, and the illusion becomes solid. She may also have a small ability of mind reading. She was hiding as a cat, living in an ally. We found her when she turned into what was described as "a large sci-fi type monster", after two boys were attacking her "helpless cat" form. Does anyone have any questions?"
Scott was the first to ask; "How old is she? And are there any repercussions of the mutation that we should be aware of?"
Professor Xavier nodded his head in approval of his question. "She has taken a completely human looking form, though I don't think that's her true form. I'm fairly certain that she's hit puberty, as she has developed her powers, but I'm unsure of her real age. She hasn't been very talkative yet."
Logan scoffed, "Why don't we just put her in interrogation for a bit."
"Because we're the good guys, remember, Logan?" Scott told him with an edge in his voice. "Tight ass." Logan gruffed.
"Guys," Jean cut into the fight that was going to start up. Again. "We're all on the same side."
"And remember, Logan, you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar." Dr. McCoy chuckled from the corner.
Logan grunted in reply, "Whatever you say, bub."
"Is everyone ready to meet her?" Professor Xavier asked as everyone settled.
"Oui, let's meet the cherie." Remy said from the wall he was leaning against.
"Remy, remember that student-teacher relations are not allowed-"
Scott was cut off from speech by Remy; "It's just an endearment, mon ami."
"Tight ass." Logan gruffed again re situating himself in the chair he was sitting in.
"Bring her in, Ororo." The professor said in the final silence.
Ororo stepped through the door as it all stared expectantly.
Finally Ororo pushed a small body from behind her legs.
"That's her? She's the one who won't talk? Just take away her teddy bear." Logan burst out, looking the girl up and down. She only appeared six or seven with long, dark strawberry-blond hair hanging all around her face, which was completely neutral, wearing baggy clothes.
"I don't have a teddy bear." her voice came out like icy metal.
"This is Kerri. That's all she'd give me on the way here. She's very guarded, Charles." Ororo finished quietly to only him.
"It's ok Ororo. She'll find a way to fit in. We all do." He comforted.
"How old are you?" Scott asked leaning down a little, trying to "get on her level".
"How old do I look." she cast out, annoyed inside.
"It's ok, little girl, we're the good guys." He tried again.
"I'm not a little girl." Her voice was again like a winter in a steel mill.
"I like this girl." Logan laughed at the look on Scott's face at the "little girl's" answer.
Kerri was in the danger room with Jean and the Professor.
"Don't worry, we just want to see how your powers are, and what you're capable of." He told Kerri reassuringly and nodded to Jean.
Kerri felt something like a sudden migraine throb. She looked at Xavier, "Stay out of my head."
Jean made a confused noise and Kerri looked at her. "It's you." she caught on, "So tell me, what is your biggest fear?" Jean looked at her worriedly, distractedly. Her eyes caught on Kerri's, trapped in the blue-green pools of the seemingly seven year old.
A phantom wind started blowing, Kerri's hair flowed out behind her growing fire red. She grew taller seeming to always have been that tall some how, she began floating a foot above the ground with a fiery aura billowing behind her.
Jean was horrified, "No, no you can't be here! Phoenix, no!" She fell to her knees.
"I'm so glad you believe." came the voice from the figure Jean was staring at. It was wrong though.
Professor Xavier watched in awe as Jean regained her senses. "It's not you. You're still Kerri, how did you get in my head?!"
The transformation was far less smooth this time, sudden really. So sudden that Kerri fell to the ground from the foot above it she had been floating. "Ow." she said as she got up.
"How did you get in my head?!" Jean yelled again.
"I didn't get in your head stupid, you tried to get in mine. Stay out." Kerri told her with a voice that had more menace than a seven year old's should.
"I don't think she knows she did, Jean."
"How can she though? I've trained so hard."
Professor Xavier tried to console Jean as Kerri rubbed her leg and arm and muttered in the background; "Don't worry about me... I'm fine."
Up in the viewing booth Logan again said, "I like this girl."
Scott just stared at her. He'd seen Mimic turn into other people before, but he'd have to see them. Phoenix had been gone for a long time. How did she do it?
Back in professor Xavier's office Kerri sat in a chair facing his desk.
"So Kerri, let's get you enrolled in school. What is the last year you attended?"
"The last grade I went to was 10th. Last year." She said.
Xavier took a second to answer, "But I thought you were living in the ally for a year?"
"I was. I still went to school. Didn't go at the start of this year due to the things that happened last year. Missed the last month or so last year too."
"Your mutation manifesting?" Xavier confirmed. Kerri nodded.
"What happened?" He asked.
"Mumph," was her reply.
"I only want to know so I can help you gain control over it. You can look into my mind to be sure if you wish." He offered.
"I can't do that, why do you keep saying that I am?" She exasperated.
"Maybe you don't realize you're doing it. You asked Jean what her biggest fear is, then turned into it. How could you tell?" He pushed her to the solution.
"I didn't. That's just something I say to freak them out. Really I just get an idea of what I want to look like to scare them, then I, kinda..." She paused thinking of the right words, "internally pressurize and push to make myself feel like I look like that. Then I do."
"I see. So you're in 11th grade?" He redirected to the earlier subject, thinking that she both knew a great deal and very little about how her power worked.
She nodded, and he just looked at her, waiting. "Oh, the body," she guessed, "I turned seventeen this summer." He looked at her. She told him her birthday so fluidly he knew it was true.
"Ok, so 11th grade it is. We'll have to have you take some placement tests so we can put you in the appropriate classes." Kerri nodded. "Since it's Saturday today, and tomorrow's Sunday, would you like to do the tests today, or tomorrow? I know it's getting kind of late." Xavier tried to give her some control to make her more at ease.
"Can I do them in the library?"
"Library?" The Professor smiled after a second as he noticed the sly information gathering, "Yes the library is a fine place here. Do you like to read?"
"You could say that I'm versed in the moderns as well as the classics, although I mostly read fantasy, and I know how to wander my way around a lexicon, and I do use a few of them."
Xavier nodded at the sudden influx of knowledge about her, even though it was nothing personal. "And do you feel like disclosing your last name now? Or your real appearance?"
"No. I'll take the tests today. You can call me whatever. Smith. Or Smithy if you like." Kerri smiled, at the seemingly inside joke.
They walked to the library and the Professor got her set up.
He was pleased that when she saw Dr McCoy she looked at him curiously only after he started talking instead of before.
He was watching from a distance as she took the tests. It had been a few hours and she had gone through them at a steady pace and still had about fifteen minuites left when she closed the last book and laid her head on the table looking bored.
'Hank, why don't you try to engage her, she likes reading.' Xavier thought to him.
Dr. McCoy walked up to Kerri, "Are you done?" Kerri nodded. "Are you sure you don't want to double check them?"
"I already double checked all of them." She turned her head to look at him. "Standardized tests are boring. The last one was more interesting though."
Dr McCoy chuckled. "You want to go find a good book to read? Tell me what kind you like?" He said after she nodded.
"Horror."
"Mmm, Ann Rice or Steven King?"
"They're both good hit or miss, but I prefer the movies." Kerri told him, still laying her head on the table.
"Ah, well why don't you come with me then, and we'll find you a good horror book to become engrossed in." Kerri got up and followed him down the isles.
Professor Xavier reviewed Kerri's tests and found that she had an above college reading level, and that she was at a level about a year and a half ahead of her grade. He'd let her be in the 11th grade if she wanted to be, if that's where she was comfortable. It was almost the second trimester anyway.