Title: Struck by Lightning
Author: Miasen
Pairing: Angel/OC, with mentions of many other pairing.
Rating: M for violence, swearing, sexual content, death—everything really.
Disclaimer: The X-Men characters all belong to Marvel, and I'm only borrowing them for the moment. All the OCs belong to me though.
A/N: This story takes place some time after X3: The Last Stand, introduces several OCs as well as characters we known from the comic books. It is a story of love, of finding your place in the world, of surviving. My main character is the OC Ana Manning, but I tell the story in the POV of several canon characters as well. I hope you'll enjoy reading it, and please, leave a review with your comments. If you hate it, well, then that's okay, just say that (and maybe add why). If you like it, then please say so. Point out whatever you feel like, I want to know what you think! After all, the readers and their opinion do matter very much. I need to know what I do right or wrong to know how to be better. Yeah, and I think adding an A/N this painfully long is a bad way to kick this off, so just… read and enjoy!
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING
Chapter One: Starting a New Life
It was a cool day in the very beginning of autumn when Ana Manning came walking up to the great mansion that was her only hope. The day it had been revealed that she was a mutant had been the very day her parents tossed her out of the house. They refused to have anything more to do with her, and it as only by pure luck that Ana had found help when she needed it. She'd been told of this place: Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters. It was supposedly a haven for mutants like her, a place where they could be safe from the persecution of the world. She only hoped that they would take her in, because if they didn't she had no idea what she should do.
As she walked up the path that led towards the main entrance she slowly lifted her head and took in the full view of the place. It was marvellous. A great mansion surrounded by a beautiful garden. It looked old, but well kept, and it truly looked like a haven.
In the distance Ana could hear kids laughing, but as she looked around she couldn't see anyone. It wasn't until she closed in on the entrance that she saw the first glimpse of the people living here. The doors swung open to reveal two people. One looked like a man in his thirties. He had large sideburns and looked muscular beneath the leather jacket he was wearing. The other person was a beautiful woman with dark skin and white hair. The couple was discussing something in raised voices and Ana stopped her approach of the mansion, not wanting to disturb them.
"Are you really going to run off again, Logan? Now that we need you the most with Xavier and Scott and Jean gone?" The woman looked at the man Ana now presumed was Logan.
"I'm sorry, Storm, but I have to go. There is still so much I don't know about my past, and I need to know." The man turned around and without another word walked away. The woman that Ana guessed went by the name Storm—however strange a name that was—was left behind, staring after the man. The look on her face was not one of anger, but one of resignation, like she had known this was going to happen all along. Slowly she shook her head and let her gaze drift over the grounds, and soon she noticed Ana standing on the middle of the pathway. A small smile spread on her lips.
"Hi there!" she called to Ana and waved, motioning for her to come over to her. Ana hitched her bag securely onto her shoulder and tied her jacket more firmly around her waist before setting off towards the entrance of the building. As she came close she stopped and dropped her gaze to the ground.
"So, what's your name then? I haven't seen you before," Storm asked, and Ana heard nothing but kindness in her voice.
"I'm Ana Manning," she said, and her voice sounded so feeble and trailed away into the air. The pain of the last weeks soon reduced her to tears and she couldn't say anything else. Storm stepped over to her and laid a hand protectively around her shoulder before she walked her into the mansion and to the kitchen. She put the still crying Ana in a chair and fetched a bottle of Pepsi for her which Ana took and cradled in her hands.
For some reason Ana couldn't help but to trust this woman, she sensed nothing but kindness from her, and soon she found herself spilling her guts, telling her about the pain that was her life. She told her about her parents chucking her out of the house, about being a mutant, about needing somewhere safe to stay. Storm listened in silence, and as Ana finished her tale she comforted her with assurances that she was more than welcome to stay at the mansion. For the first time since she got her powers Ana felt safe.
Storm soon followed her up to the dorms and showed Ana what would be her room. It wasn't big, but in Ana's eyes it was perfect. For eighteen years she'd lived in a crappy room in a crappy house in an even crappier neighbourhood, so this was heaven compared.
Storm handed her a stack of bed sheets and towels that she'd picked up from a closet in the hallway and left to let Ana get settled alone. Ana dropped her bag on the floor next to the bed and after taking a look around her room she went back into the hallway. She really wanted to know more about this place, and what better way but to explore a little? The mansion was as beautiful inside as it had been from the outside. Dark wood and valuable decorations.
As she turned a corner she almost bumped into another girl which was walking in the opposite direction. She was surprised and embarrassed, but managed to stutter out an apology. The girl just laughed it away and beamed. "It's really no problem, it's not like it would cause any harm. I'm Kitty by the way!"
Ana didn't know what to say, so she just stood in silence and frowned slightly. When Kitty noticed the look on Ana's face she laughed again and lifted her arm. "Look," she said and suddenly pushed it into the wall. It disappeared up to her elbow. Ana's eyes widened, and she couldn't do anything but gawk. She hadn't met many mutants yet and was a little throw back. But she guessed that she'd just have to get used to it if she was to live here.
Kitty pulled her hand out of the wall and held it up to show that it was just as it had been before she's pushed it through the wall. "It's called phasing, I can pass through solid objects if I like," Kitty explained. "But I'm no ghost," she quickly added and again held out her hand, this time knocking on the wall, not going through it at all.
Then the nearest door to where they were standing suddenly burst open and a guy popped his head out. "What the hell have I said about coming in without knocking, Kitty? I got a door for Gods sake." His voice trailed off as he saw Ana standing there as well. Ana saw a pair of beautiful blue eyes and blonde hair before she locked her gaze to the tips of he shoes. Then he stepped into the hallway and Ana shyly cast another glance at him. She had to bite her lips not to say anything stupid. He looked like a normal guy: average height, well toned body, jeans and a white t-shirt. But there was one thing that was not normal about him, a pair of wings that protruded from his back. They were snow-white, with long feathers, and even though he held them tucked close to his back Ana could see how big they were, nearly reaching the floor. Ana had never seen anything quite as marvellous before.
She quickly pulled her gaze away, she didn't want to be caught staring at him like some freak. Her long, dark hair fell over her face and covered it as she looked down. She didn't dare to look up at him, not until he spoke to her.
"I'm Warren," he said, but before Ana could introduce herself Kitty shot in a comment about how he went under the name Angel. Ana mumbled her name, and then had to repeat it because he hadn't heard her. She felt her cheeks growing red as she blushed. Her introduction was followed by an awkward silence that Kitty in the end broke.
"So, Ana, since you are here and all you have to be a mutant as well right? What are your powers? I mean, I've already shown you mine, and Angel's are quite easy to figure out," she said with a grin. Warren glared at her for a moment, but then looked towards Ana.
Ana didn't say anything, her powers could explain themselves. She lifted a hand in front of her face and closed her eyes. A sparkling sound could be heard and then small bolts of electricity trailed around her hand. She concentrated a little harder and the sparks increased in intensity and soon engulfed her entire hand. With a snap of her fingers the sparks vanished. As she opened her eyes she could see Kitty gawking at her, and a weird feeling of pride rose inside.
"Awesome! Can you do anything else?" Kitty asked. Ana smiled at her and while surfing on a wave of sudden boldness she again lifted her hand, this time pointing it at Kitty's face. A small bolt of electricity shot from the tip of her index finger and hit Kitty straight on the nose. It wouldn't hurt anymore than the sting of a mosquito but Kitty still jumped in surprise and rubbed her nose furiously. Then she laughed again. Warren looked at Kitty and lifted an eyebrow.
"That's what you get from asking stupid questions," he said before he smiled at Ana. "So, do you have any nickname as well? All of us do. I'm Angel, and Kitty here," he pointed towards her, "goes by the name Shadowcat. This week at least. She keeps changing it."
"Hey! I've only changed it a couple of times. And I'm sticking with Shadowcat now." She stuck her tongue out and Ana couldn't help but to grin. The fact that they hadn't run away or thrown her out yet was a great improvement from what had happened the other times someone had figured out that she was a mutant. "But enough about me, do you have a nickname?" Kitty said and Ana just shook her head. She hadn't even considered the idea before, but come to think of it she liked the idea. A name that was all hers and showed her new self.
Warren frowned slightly for a few seconds, lost in thoughts. Then his face brightened and he smiled. It seemed like he had found the answer to what he had been thinking about.
"What about Lightning?" he said and Ana smiled softly at him. She liked the sound of that name. It fit her perfectly.
"Yeah, I like that. Thanks." Her voice grew stronger even as she was talking. She liked both the other mutants instantly, and found it surprising that she trusted the already. But it was just something about this place, it was so friendly and there didn't seem to be a mean bone in any of the people she'd met her. It was the first time she'd only been around people who were like her, different. And Kitty was just so happy it was contagious, and Warren…Warren just seemed great.
She lifted her gaze once more to look at him. He met her eyes and she instantly looked down again. She had never been very outgoing, and had always been considered to be shy. Which she was. She had never had any real friends back in her hometown, and was surprised how fast she'd met two friendly faces so early on here. She was used to the stuck-up cheerleaders and jocks that never even cast a glance at her. And, not to forget, the bullies that had made her life a living hell. Now she felt welcome for the first time in her life. She lowered her guard more and more by the minute and she loved it.
Later that evening Kitty showed her around the mansion. Ana saw the classrooms and all the great spots to hang out. The last stop of the tour had been the sublevels of the mansion with the infirmary and the Danger Room. Ana would have never believed that a school like this would have high-tech sublevels beneath it, but she couldn't wait to have a go at the Danger Room. Warren had gone back to his room, but she had met several of the other mutants, amongst them Bobby aka Iceman and Marie, formerly known as Rogue. She still couldn't fully comprehend how friendly they all were and almost expected to wake up anytime soon, but she didn't. She felt utterly happy, and when she finally went to bed she fell asleep with a big grin on her face.
The next weeks went by in a blur. She attended classes and worked on her skills in controlling her powers in the Danger Room. After a while Logan, or Wolverine as she learned was his other name, came back to the school and he participated a great deal in tutoring her in the danger Room. She was in a constant state of awe of the other mutants and their powers. She got to know many of them, but it was Kitty she considered her best friends. She used to hang out with her in the evenings, often accompanied by Bobby and Marie and Peter, who also went by the name Colossus. And of course Warren. He often joined their little group as well, and although she didn't talk too much with him she soon counted him as one of her friends as well. He was kind and always smiling, and just looking at him made her all gooey inside. She'd developed quite the little crush on him, but hid it well. That he wanted to be friends with her she could understand, but there was no way he'd ever like her in any other way, so it was best just to hide her feelings and keep the friendship. She was happy just to have that. She'd never had friendships like this, she was used to people only talking to her to call her names and push her around. She'd always been small of stature, and when she was shy as well, it made her the perfect target for their bullying. At least until that fateful day when her powers first came forth.
It had been a couple of weeks before she came to the Institute and it had been a dreary day at the end of summer. It was in-between periods at school, and she had been sitting by her desk, doodling on one of her school books. The worst bully in class, Marc Garrison, suddenly towered up before her. She tried her best to make herself even smaller than she was and kept her eyes on the book. She hoped he'd just forget about her and find someone else to pick on.
Suddenly Marc grabbed the book and flung it into the wall on the other side of the classroom. Most of the class burst out into laughter and Ana could feel her cheeks grown red. She didn't lift her head and just stared at the spot the book had been laying on seconds earlier.
Marc grabbed hold of her hair and lifted her face so she faced him. He was quite fat, and his eyes were dark and droopy.
There was something about him that frightened Ana, she was afraid of what he would do to her. He wasn't known for his calm temper, and was far from stable. Ana lowered her icy-blue eyes, trying not to look at him. He tugged harder on her hair, and Ana's eyes filled with tears, both from pain and terror. He started calling her all kinds of terrible names before he finally pushed her back in her seat. In doing that he pulled out a small tuft of her long hair.
Ana cried freely now. None of her classmates bothered to help her; several of them were actually cheering Marc on. The rest was either afraid to stand up against Marc, or just plain didn't care. Marc smiled and raised his hands as in triumph when he heard the cheering. When some of the onlookers actually started applauding Ana felt anger building up inside of her, pushing her tears and fears away. She could not stand this harassing another second. It had finally gone too far. She could feel her body heating up inside and before she even could think about what was happening to her a lightning bolt shot from her hands towards Marc. It hit him in the back and he yelped with sudden pain. The electricity had burned a hole right through his shirt and seared the skin beneath. Ana looked down on her hands in surprise. She couldn't quite fathom what had just happened. Several of Marc's friends rushed over to him to help him. He was burnt, but not badly.
Ana could soon feel several pairs of accusing eyes directed at her. Then somebody cried "Mutant" and the others soon joined in on the mantra. They were pointing at her, and Ana felt utter terror, both because of the classmates, and from her own powers. She'd had no idea she was a mutant, never before had there been anything that might point in that direction, but now this happened…
She turned away and ran out of the classroom, never to return. When she came home after running all the way she was met in the doorway by her parents. Her mother had red-brimmed eyes and her father had crossed his arms and had a stern look upon his face. They had obviously heard what happened in school. The teachers had probably called them when they had finally come into the classroom finding the crying Marc on the floor. She had no doubt the classmates had told a very different story than what was really the case. She could not see how they would have ever mentioned what Marc had done. He was too much of a bully and no one would rat him out.
She looked up at her parents. Her mother had started sobbing again, and it was her father that spoke. "You are not our daughter anymore; mutants are a foul abomination that we will not be associated with. Pack your bag and leave." Ana knew that she had no choice. Her parents had never hided their hatred towards the mutant race. She fell to her knees crying. Her father looked at her with nothing but disgust in his eyes.
"Get off our lawn, mutant scum, you have thirty minutes to get out of here." His voice had a feel of repulse to it. He grabbed his wife around her shoulders and they retreated into the living room. Ana slowly rose and knew she had nothing else to do except leave. She didn't use more than twenty minutes packing her bag, she didn't own much. She left without even looking at her parents.
She hadn't known where to go as she didn't really have any family or friends to go to. In the end she took the bus into the big city. She spent a couple of weeks living on the street. She hid the fact that she was a mutant, taking care she didn't get to upset, fearing that she would electrocute someone if she got too emotional. Only in the darkness of the night, hidden in deserted alleys did she dare to try out her new powers.
One Friday morning she was sitting in the local shelter, eating the soup she had gotten there. Behind her two middle-aged men sat, talking so loud she couldn't help but to overhear them. "It's true, I tell you! I saw a man, and he was climbing on the walls! And he was freaking green all over!" One of the men, a toothless guy sporting a dirty red beard spoke to the other, a skinny bald one.
"He was climbing straight up the wall! I tell you, I don't trust these mutant people at all. Superpowers and all…" The man seemed quite enthusiastic. His voice was raised and his arms kept flying about, almost knocking down the other guy as he gesticulated.
"Well, Karl, not all mutants are bad are they? I met this one gal one time, and she was quite friendly. She gave me ten bucks just to tell her if I had seen a man with a tail around. She said she was going to take him to this school for mutants or something. Xavier's school or something. Said she was going to help him. It's not like I had seen him, but she still gave me the money, nice lady she was." The bald man was nodding while he spoke. Behind him Ana had stopped eating. She held her spoon midair and her mouth was slightly open. A school for mutants? She noted the name Xavier on a napkin and stuffed it in her pocket. She was intent on finding out more of this school. It could just be the talk of two crazy old hobos, but if there was even an ounce of truth in it she needed to know.
Over the next days she walked around on alert, looking for someone who was a mutant or otherwise knew of the school. It didn't take long till she overheard someone mentioning it again. This time it was a young boy talking to his friend.
"My brother is a superhero! He's like Superman! He goes to a school for superheroes too!" Ana understood that the young boy's brother had to be a mutant and followed the boys to a house in the edge of the city. She looked at the two boys as the friend said goodbye and ventured off. The one with the mutant brother walked up to the house and went indoors. Ana stood by the gate and looked up at the house. It was a yellow painted one with a small garden in front. Children's toys littered the garden and it looked homey.
But the important thing: inside there had to be someone who knew of the school! She slowly walked up the path to the door and then up the stairs that led to the front door and rang the doorbell. From inside she could hear children's feet running to the door, and then it slid open to reveal the small face of the boy she had followed. She asked for his mother. The boy turned around and called for her, and it didn't take long till a woman in her late thirties arrived. She had short blonde hair, and looked just like mothers should. Ana tried to explain what she was doing here, but her voice soon faltered and she burst out in tears. The woman pulled the small teenager close to her, hugging her.
When Ana regained control of herself she managed to explain what she was doing here. The woman looked at Ana with a serious look. She couldn't understand how a mother and father could do that to their own child. When she had learned about her son's powers she had supported him. When the now late Xavier had come to their house to tell about his school she had been the one that was really excited, and she encouraged him to go. Now there was another mutant who needed her help, and she felt so sorry for the girl. She decided to help her, so she let her stay for dinner and the night. The next day she gave Ana the address of the institute, and money for the bus.
The bus took several hours, but for Ana it seemed to take days. She couldn't seem to sit still, and squirmed so badly in her seat that the woman next to her kept sending her ugly glances and in the end stood up and found another seat. Ana couldn't care less. When she finally reached the bus stop that was the end of her trip she jumped out of her seat and out of the bus. She only had her small bag with her; right now it was all she owned in the world. She looked down on the piece of paper in her hand. In curly handwriting a single address was written on it: 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, Westchester County, New York. The woman had given it to her when she waved her off. Ana lifted her gaze and looked around. It was a deserted stop, and no one else had left the bus here. Ana knew roughly where to go, so she hitched her bag to her shoulder and started off towards the school.