Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the characters that I create.
For a while I thought I was the only one. The only one that had 'a gift'. I don't remember at what moment I realized I was different than the other kids. I think it was the time I nearly burned down the place trying to light the candles myself. It seems ordinary, but how many kids do you know that can light a candle just by touching it? I didn't understand how I did that. I mean I understood the concept of fire and how it burned I just didn't understand how it could be coming out of me. After that day I was looked at differently. Like I was something that shouldn't exist. My childhood from that day on was filled with odd looks and cold stares. I wasn't like everyone else and they all hated me for it. Everyone except my family. They stood by me. Told me that they would find someone to help me. Sticking by your family no matter what was a concept highly used in my family. They didn't hate me. They didn't see me as a curse. They only saw me. Even though they promised my they would stand by me I know that I needed to leave for a while. I didn't want to hurt them. I didn't have control. I don't know if it's possible for me. I'm gifted. For a while I thought I was the only one.
Life wasn't easy. She knew that much. More so for the mutants…like her. Her mutation was nothing short of ironic and sometimes downright cruel…just like others. She had powers that cancelled each other out, yet she had no control over them. The severity of her mutation made it hard to have a normal childhood. Her family had to move often to avoid the hateful shouts of neighbors and townspeople. She had heard the same shouts all before, but what could she do, leave and hope that her powers remained hidden from the outside world.
Getting off the elevator and walking down the hallway towards her hotel room, Vanessa thought about all that had brought her here to this location. The mob. Their shouts. The shard remains of her previous home. She had no intention of going back. No, it was only forwards for her. Sure she had to put as much space between her and her family. Only to protect them from a world that wasn't too accepting of what others before referred to as 'her kind'. She was the source of the problem so she decided to distance herself from them.
A note on her door causes a sigh to escape her lips as she rips it off the door. Opening it she finds a short written paragraph by her previous employer asking her to return to the 'company'.
'Not in a million years' she says to herself. 'Not ever again.'
She still had deep emotional scars from the previous employment that hadn't healed yet. Vanessa wasn't willing to reopen nearly healed wounds. She had to leave …again. She moved a lot, but they still tracked her down.
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Monday morning came, much to the dismay of the students at the institute. The weekend was over and everyone had to go back to work, school or whatever. The students went about their business, which consisted of fighting over the last biscuit, and then realizing whom the cook was that morning proceeded to dare each other to eat the inedible monster-like biscuit.
"I'll give you five dollars to eat it." Bobby says tossing it to Jamie.
"Make it ten." Jamie replies.
"I'll give ya twenty!" Another yells from across the room
"Come on its not, like, that bad." Logan walks in the room.
"What's for breakfast, half pint?"
"Eggs, bacon, and my special biscuits." Logan nods and grabs a plate of food before exiting the room.
"See he likes the food."
"Yeah, but he can heal himself, we can't." says Jamie still holding the biscuit in his hand. Kitty pouts.
All of a sudden the biscuit is engulfed in flames. Jamie drops the flaming biscuit to the floor and stomps out the flames.
"Now you guys have nothing to fight over," says a voice from the doorway.
In the doorway stood a girl around 20 years old. She tucked a loose strand of reddish brown hair behind her ear as she spoke. Her hand came to rest at her side. The black jumpsuit she wore seemed to hug every curve of her body, which most of the males in the room had already noticed.
Her outfit was complete with a set of matching black gloves. The right glove had fire-like designs on it while the other glove had various designs in blue.
"Hey what was that for?" Jamie says still waving the hand that was temporarily burned by the flame.
"Just trying to end the argument." The girl says with a shrug. A small fame flickers over her index finger before it disappears.
"Like who are you anyway. Are you new to the institute?"
"I'm Vanessa. I just got here." Kitty walks up to her. A small duffle bag is on the floor near Vanessa's feet.
"Nice to meet you, Vanessa." Kitty says holding out her hand.
"Same here, Kitty." Kitty is surprised to say the least that Vanessa would know her name.
"How did ya…?"
"Know? I know quite a bit." Vanessa smiles picking up her bag.
"You read my mind?"
"No not exactly. I tell you later. But now I need to see the professor."
"I can, like, show you where his office is at." Leads her down the hall. Jamie still clutches his slightly burned hand.
"Aw come on Jamie it ain't that bad." Bobby says giving him a swift pat on the back.
"Ouch that hurts."
"So are you going to be a student?" Kitty asks as they make their way to the office. "No you look too old to be a student. Not that you're old or anything. Teacher maybe?"
"Actually I don't know." Vanessa says smiling "I just came to see if Professor Xavier could help me control my power."
"I didn't seem like you didn't have, like, control back there. What's your power anyway if it isn't already obvious?"
"I can control fire or rather trying to control it." Vanessa says as a ball of fire appears in her right hand. "I can also manipulate water… sometimes ice."
"Wow! That's like…"
"Cool?" Vanessa says causing Kitty to laugh.
"We're, like, here," Kitty says pointing to the door a few feet in front of them.
"Come in the door is open." The professor says telepathically.
"Can never get used to that." Kitty says shaking her head.
"I'll see you later, Kitty." With that Vanessa opens the door and walks in.
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Living Room
"Ah hear there's a new student," says Rogue from a couch at the end of the room. The book in Rogue's hands was long forgotten.
"I think she's a new teacher sure seems old enough." Says Kitty.
"And hot." Adds Jamie, which gets eye rolls from everyone in the room.
"You don't got a chance, Jamie," Bobby says.
"And you do?" asks Jamie.
"Better than you," Bobby says straightening his clothes.
"You're room will be this way, my child." Storm motions up the stairs and proceeds to show Vanessa the way to her room. Bobby and Jamie scramble to their feet. They head towards the door, but instead they fall over each other and end up on the floor.
"Oh yeah boys that'll get her attention," comments Rogue.
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"I'm sure you are all aware of the arrival of our newest resident Ms. Vanessa Crux. Please stand, Vanessa." The professor says formally introducing her at dinner.
"I'm also aware of all your questions and will put them to rest by telling you all that we have asked Ms. Crux to teach our new gardening class. I hope you all we make Ms. Crux feel welcome here. And if any of you are interested in joining her class please speak to me after dinner in my office."
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It had been several hours since Vanessa's arrival and subsequent introduction to all of the mansion's residents at dinner. Having just unpacked what little belongings she brought with her, Vanessa makes her way to the balcony outside her bedroom window and sits on the balcony's railing with her feet dangling over the edge.
"Ain't that dangerous?" A gruff voice asks.
The voice startles Vanessa causing her to nearly fall over the edge before she regains her balance.
"It is when someone startles you." Vanessa says turning her head and body to face the person that the voice belonged to.
"Sorry 'bout that. The name's Logan."
"The one that showed up late." Vanessa says recognizing him immediately when he walks out of the shadows.
"Yeah."
Vanessa adjusts her gloves.
"So is this customary."
"What?"
"To scare the new residents on their first night here."
"Just call me the welcoming committee." Logan says with a smirk. "So what's your power, kid?"
"Kid?" Vanessa asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah kid"
Vanessa snaps her fingers and a ball of fire appears on the palm of her gloved hand.
"Impressive."
She smiles and lifts her other hand. A gush of water shoots out of her palm to put out the flame.
"Now that's just showing off. How 'bout you show those powers of yours in the danger room."
"Danger room? What's the danger room?"
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The next day
"Ah don't believe this! Ya did what?"
"Come on its, like, just one class." Kitty pleads.
"Yeah, but gardening?"
"I couldn't find anything else, Rogue. Since you, like, took your sweet time looking for an after school activity. This was all that was left. Plus it could be good for you to get out in the sun for a while. You look totally pale and stuff." Rogue glares at Kitty. "So that's a yes?"
"Fahne!" Rogue storms off, leaving Kitty jumping up and down because she had won an argument with Rogue.
"Don't forget it, like, starts in a few minutes!" Shouting to Rogue's retreating figure.
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"Hello everyone! I'm glad that so much of you decided to join my class." Veronica says to everyone. Jamie and Bobby are sitting in front, hanging on to every word Vanessa says.
"My name is, if you don't already know, Vanessa Crux."
Jamie's hand shoots up to ask a question.
"Yes, Jamie."
"Can I do anything for extra credit?"
The class rolls their eyes. Vanessa smiles.
"Not at this time, Jamie, but there will be plenty of opportunities for extra credit."
"Now getting back to what we're going to do today. Today we will go over the rules." Vanessa says which is followed by groans from the class. "Trust me its important that everyone knows the rules to avoid any accidents."
She waits a while before continuing. "Very well lets get started. First it is very important that we know what we are working with. We have the gloves." Showing them a pair.
"We wear them to avoid splinters and various other things from getting on our hands. Something of the things we will work with may react badly when in contact with our bare skin."
"Not a problem for the Rogue over there. Seeing as her skin is poison enough as it is." A kid says receiving a glare from Rogue.
"At least its my excuse for people not wanting to touching meh, whats yours?" replies Rogue.
"That's enough Jeremy. One more word out of you and it's to Professor Xavier's office."
Jeremy nods and sinks back into his chair. Vanessa hands the students a handout of the rules.
"Now Ms. Pride would you like to read the rest of the rules for the class."
"Sure."
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Mystique enters the room with the mission at hand clear in her mind. She waste no time in disposing of the unconscious security guards in an empty closet. Knocking them out was a drastic change from killing them without a second thought. Maybe she was going soft.
She scoffs at the idea.
Raven Darkhome is never soft.
She continues through the room and stops at a dusty gray file cabinet. Mystique thumbs through the files in the cabinet until her fingers reach a particular folder. She opens the file.
File No. 3285
Vanessa Crux
Powers – Water Manipulation
Info: Donated to the program by willing relative at 4 years old
Current Whereabouts: Unknown, possibly kidnapped by mutant rebel known as Mystique
Notes: Various tests were done on child, but no visible results have been noted at this time. Lab work will continue next week.
Mystique closes the file and slams the cabinet shut. She leaves the room with the file clenched tightly in her hands.
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That's all for now. Please review. Tell me what you think
