Wolf: This is an old X-Men story Evolution story that I had a few years ago. It's like a mirror image of Zero Tolerance. 2 Stubborn To Quit is the original version of Zero Tolerance. I'm 98% positive that you'll see a lot of similarities between the two, but I hope you'll enjoy this story as much as you do Zero Tolerance! I don't own XME or WATXM or any of their original characters – Marvel Comics owns all that. I just own the stories that are centered around them. Happy readings and remember: Smile until you stop.
Chapter One: The Storm
I was born a fighter...
I was born on a rainy day!
I will never be the same again!
I will keep on fighting,
until the day I die!
The day was mild and warm for Bayville, New York. Halloween was close and everyone in the city was getting ready for the creepy night. It was still a full month away, but people in town started putting up their decorations as early as the last week of September. The days seemed to grow shorter and the nights were colder; showing signs that winter wasn't too far behind. The leaves on the trees were starting to turn golden oranges and yellows with some bright red colors here and there; making the trees look like they were on fire when the sun would begin to set.
A yellow taxi pulled up front of the mansion; stopping just at the beginning of the turn around. The driver got out of the car, and opened the passenger's door before making his way to the trunk of the taxi.
The passenger was a teenaged girl that stood to be about 5'4'' with long dark red hair that was tied back into a tight braid that reached her hips. She had a gray jacket that pulled up over her head with sunglasses that was tinted metallic black and hid her eyes perfectly. The jacket was long enough to cover her knees when pulled all the way down. It's hard to tell just how big the girl actually is because the jacket she wore was larger than she was.
She held her head down and looked up at the entrance to the school, and saw a bald man in a wheelchair with a rough looking man and African American woman standing on either side of him; all three grown ups had polite smiles and friendly waves from the woman and older man.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Miss Prowler. My name is Professor Charles Xavier." The man in the wheelchair said in a fatherly tone; giving the girl a welcoming smile.
The girl gasped and lowered her head at the man. "It's nice to meet you, too, professor." The girl replied in a hollow tone. "Thank you for sending the taxi."
"It's no problem, Dakota." Ororo said in a gentle tone; reaching the girl near the taxi. She picked up two of the girl's bags, and smiled sweetly down at the girl before she made her way inside the mansion. "We enjoy helping children in all sense of the word. It's what we're here for."
Dakota gave Ororo a faint smile, as she bent down to pick up her remaining bags, but Logan was already there; picking up two suit cases and an old gray army bag. He turned to the girl with a firm look, as he stared down at the cat in the cat carrier.
"Don't worry about the cat, Logan." Xavier called out from his place on the top of the steps. "The cat is a part of the arrangements her foster mother made when I went and visited last time, remember, Dakota?" He asked in a fatherly tone; giving Dakota a warm smile.
Dakota looked down at her feet, and gave a slight nod, before picking up the duffel bag she had with her from inside the car. Ororo looked over at the girl for a moment before she exchanged glances at the professor and Logan. She brushed the thoughts and concerns off, and made her way into the large house.
"We'll give you the tour and discuss matters concerning your stay here, Dakota. Then we'll show you to the room." Xavier said in a formal tone; turning back towards the mansion. "Logan and Ororo will take your things up to your room."
And with that, the group went into the mansion and began their tour. The school seemed like something from a prep school. It was large and looked very welcoming. It was a place Dakota wasn't used to. She grew up in a place outside of Bayville and was very small compared to the institute. They showed Dakota the library, the kitchen, the dining hall, and the actual teaching area. All in all, the place she was going to call home for a while felt rather safe... well, more safer than she felt when she was back home.
The trio noticed that Dakota was very quiet whenever they spoke to her. Logan had brushed it off thinking that she was just nervous, and went on about the trip to her room; dropping off her bags before he went back to what he was doing before Dakota's arrival. Ororo would ask her a few friendly questions, but it took Dakota a few moments to answer, and thought for a minute that there was something wrong with her.
But it actually turned out that Ororo found hearing aids placed inside her ears. There wasn't anything wrong with her, she was only having problems hearing. And that aside, Ororo walked with the two towards the study.
It wasn't long until Jean, Kurt, and Scott arrived home from school, and had made their way upstairs. Kurt was complaining about having a major math assignment that he'd rather not want do, but Scott argued with his friend, and told him that it wasn't as bad as having an English essay that was due at the end of the week.
They were about to make their way past the study and up towards the library when the professor had called them. They all looked over at each other before they made their way inside; joining the trio.
"Children, I'd like you to meet Dakota Prowler." Xavier announced politely; giving Dakota a pleasant smile. "She arrived earlier today."
"Hey, Dakota. This is Jean and Kurt and I'm Scott." Scott said in a welcoming tone; offering his hand to Dakota. "How are you doing?"
Dakota kept her head low, and moved over towards the two grown ups. Kurt looked over at the girl with worry in his eyes. He looked over at the professor and Ororo, and back over at his friends with a slightly surprised look in his eyes.
"It's alright, Dakota." Ororo said in a motherly tone; giving the new girl a slight smile. "You're among friends here."
Dakota looked over at the trio once again, and placed her hand in Scott's. "...Hello..." She replied slowly; not looking up at anyone.
Scott looked down at Dakota's hand and saw several circular scars on the top of her hand. He gasped and looked up at the girl. He saw her shrink away from him, and looked over at the professor.
Xavier cleared his throat and smiled over at Scott. "I was just telling Dakota how I set up this school for gifted young people like herself. Gifts that aren't always as easily to hide as others. Take these three for example: Scott's eyes admit a powerful optic blast from each eye and Jean has telepathic capabilities."
Kurt teleported over at Dakota's side, and slung his arm around her shoulders. "And I can teleport anywhere within 2 miles!" He said excitedly; giving Dakota a happy smile.
Dakota jumped back and fell flat on the floor; knocking off her sunglasses in the process. She gasped and looked up at the others; revealing two different colored eyes that were full of fear and shock. Her left eye was a dark blue color that put the ocean behind the institute to shame, and the saddest funeral eye that was much lighter compared to her blue eye. Kurt gasped at the sight of her eyes, but smiled down at the girl and held out a hand for Dakota to take. Instead of taking his hand, she got up on her own, and made her way over towards Ororo.
"You'll have to forgive Kurt, Dakota." Ororo said in a polite tone; giving Dakota a smile, "He's a little friendly about making friends."
Dakota nodded and kept her head down low; giving them all a small nod. "... I'm sorry... I'm not used to having people be nice to me I guess..." She added quietly as she placed her sunglasses back on her nose.
"That's quite alright, Dakota." Xavier spoke up in a fatherly tone. "I'm sure you'll fit in well here."
"So, Dakota," Scott spoke up; trying his best to help Dakota feel welcome, "do you have a special gift that brought you here?"
Dakota gasped and looked up at the boy standing next to the professor, then turned her attention back to the grown ups. She was silent, but appeared to be asking for permission to do something. Xavier chuckled and looked up at Dakota with a bright smile.
"It's okay, Dakota." He said in a pleasing tone; coaxing Dakota to give the trio a demonstration. "I think it would be a better idea to show them your power rather than explain it to them." He added in a mature tone as he looked over at Ororo. "Would you please give Dakota some paper to use, Ororo?"
Ororo nodded and went over towards the printer that was placed beside the computer on the desk behind them. She handed it to Dakota, and Dakota looked down at the paper before she looked back up at the professor.
Xavier nodded to Dakota, and gave her a leading look. "Go on, Dakota. Just do something small." He urged in a patient tone; looking in the girl's eyes.
Dakota took a breath, and stared down at the paper in her hands. Her eyes began to glow red through her dark sunglasses and all of sudden, the paper in her hands began to come alive in her hands.
The paper began flying inside the space between her hands and took the form of a tiny ballerina. The paper ballerina began dancing slightly in her hand; twisting and twirling like a real ballerina would do. After a few seconds, the ballerina stopped and took a bow and fell back into her hands; becoming paper once again.
Jean gasped and held her hand to her lips in shock. "That's incredible, Dakota!" She said in an excited tone; giving Dakota a quiet clap of her hands.
"I've never seen powers like zat before! I'm totally impressed!" Kurt said in a happy tone; giving Dakota a toothy smile.
"That's quite an impressive power, Dakota. I can't wait to see what you can do when you really cut loose!" Scott said in a mature tone; giving Dakota a happy smile as he folded his arms over his chest.
Dakota tensed up a little, and moved over by the grown ups, and was about to place the paper back on the desk, but the older man stopped her.
"Why don't you keep the paper, Dakota?" He asked, "I hear you have an outstanding talent for art."
Dakota gasped and held the papers close to herself, and nodded her head slightly at the professor. "...Thanks, professor..." She whispered to the man.
Scott heard a tiny meow coming from one of the chairs, and looked over to see a tiny black calico kitten sitting in a cat carrier. He looked up at the grown ups and tilted his head at Dakota. "Is that your cat, Dakota?"
"She's really cute." Jean said in a polite tone; holding her knees so she could see the little kitten inside the carrier.
Dakota opened her mouth, but didn't reply. She just looked down at her hands, and shifted her weight on her legs.
Xavier looked up at Ororo before he turned to Scott with a smile. "Dakota was so attached to the cat that she wouldn't leave without it. She said that she has some rather... personal issues, and the cat seems to help her cope."
"As long as Dakota takes care of the cat on her own, she gets to keep the cat." Ororo added in a earthy tone; placing her hands on Dakota's shoulders from behind her. Dakota looked up at the fair skinned woman, and back at the other children.
"I hope no one here's allergic to cat hair." Scott said in a joking tone; making Kurt try his best to hide his snickering.
"Come on, Dakota," Xavier said in a mature tone, "Kurt and Scott have some homework they need to get started on. Why don't we go ahead and get you settled into your new room?"
Kurt groaned and slapped his head. "Zere is no hiding anything from you, is zere, professor?" He said in a joking German accent; causing Jean to giggle at the younger boy beside her.
Ororo slightly nudged Dakota towards the cat carrier. Dakota quickly picked up on what Ororo wanted her to do, and rushed over to pick up her things; hurrying over to the two adults. The trio were watching the other leave the professor's office, and waited until they were out of ear shot to begin speaking to the girl.
Kurt sighed and slouched his figure; letting his arms dangle in front of him. "I zink I scared her." He said in a disappointed tone; letting his head hang low in dismay.
Jean placed a hand on the elf's shoulder, and gave him a sweet smile. "She's probably just shy." She reasoned in a sisterly tone; trying to help her furry blue friend to cheer up. "Give her some time and she'll come around."
Scott chuckled and folded his arms over his chest. "I remember a certain blue elf acting just like Dakota was when he first came to the institute." He said in a joking tone; nudging the younger teenager in the side.
"An besides, you'll get to see her again at dinner. Then you'll get to know her better." Jean reasoned in a logical tone; taking her place between the two boys and slinging her arms over their necks. "Now, how about getting our homework done so we can have the weekend to ourselves?"
Kurt gave Jean a lop sided grin, and placed his arm over Jean's shoulder. "You sure know how to cheer a guy up, don't you?" He asked in a joking tone; causing the young adults to chuckle at his dry sense of humor.
"You got it, pal! Now, let's get to it!" Jean declared in a cheerful tone; pulling the two up towards the library to get started on their homework.
While the three were off in the library doing their homework, Dakota was looking around her new room with amazement and wonder. The room itself was larger than her old room, and more spacious compared to the attic that was her room.
The room was set to look just like a standard dorm room. It had a cherry wood desk sitting beside the door that was better than the teacher's desk she got at a yard sale a few years ago. The bed was a normal sized bed and had an simple dusty rose spreading. There was a body mirror on her closet doors and looked to be a fair sized walk in closet. The dresser was made out of the same cherry wood and had a small closet build into it. Beside the bed was an empty bookcase with a night stand beside it; complete with a lamp. There was a beanbag chair in front of the bookcase.
Dakota looked to the bed, and found all her other bags sitting on the bed. She stepped into her room and looked around at her surroundings. "Is this really my room?"
Xavier chuckled at the girl, and leaned his weight on his elbow. "Of, course it is, Dakota." He said in a gentle tone; making the girl look back at him. "You even have a balcony that has an excellent view of the city."
Ororo smiled warmly at the girl looking around the room. "We thought you'd like this room, Dakota. We thought it would fit well with you and your little roommate there." She said in a playful tone; hinting at the cat carrier in the girl's hand.
Dakota blushed and rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. "... I'm sorry about that." she said in a quiet tone, "my parents didn't want to keep the cat if I wasn't around to take care of her."
Xavier lifted a hand to stop Dakota from speaking further. "It's not a problem, Dakota. I understand the bond between a child and their pet. Just remember to hold up your end of the deal and there won't be any problems."
Dakota nodded, and placed the cat carrier on the floor; sitting down on her knees and opening the cage. "You'll be alright, little one." She whispered and allowed the cat to wonder around in the room.
The people in the room watched as the little kitten slowly start to walk out of the carrier, and looked around. It started to wonder around the professor's wheelchair, and then over towards the weather witch; rubbing its body up against her legs.
Ororo chuckled at the tiny feline and reached down to pick it up. "You're a cute little kitten, aren't you?" She asked the young cat as it nestled in Ororo's arms.
Dakota looked over at the woman and gave her a slight smile. "It looks like Shorty found a new friend." She whispered to her.
"I have a way with animals." Ororo replied with a playful smile.
Xavier looked over at the girl beside him, and saw her looking over at the kitten. "Well, it looks like you'll have some competition with more than just Ororo. If that little kitten is as friendly as it appears to be, then the other students will fall in love with her, too." He said in a light hearted tone; with a joking smile. "It looks like you'll do fine here, Dakota."
Dakota sighed, and looked down at her feet. "But what if no one likes me? I don't exactly fit in with the normal people." She said in a sad tone; not looking the professor in the eyes.
"Trust me, Dakota." The white haired woman said in a soothing tone. "I'm sure everyone will love having you around. You just have to give them a chance."
Dakota nodded and tried to give Ororo a smile. The professor placed a gentle hand on Dakota's hand; making her look up at him.
"I know you've had problems growing up with your powers, Dakota," he said in a warm tone, "but that's why you're here now. To learn how to control your powers and not let them control you."
After a few moments, Ororo placed the kitten down on the floor, and walked over towards the dresser; taking a package off the top.
"You'll be surprised what will happen if you put your heart into something." She said in a knowing tone, as she handed the package to the girl, and joined the professor at his side whom was now in the door way.
"That's a little welcoming present. I'm sure you'll find some use for it." Xavier announced in a polite tone; wheeling himself to face the door; "Dinner is at seven o'clock." He said just before he left.
Dakota watched the two leave, and looked down at the kitten; trying with all its might to get up on the bed. "Well, I guess this isn't so bad." She said in a blunt tone; helping the kitten on the bed. "Just don't do anything to get us into trouble, okay?" She said to the kitten; earning a meow from the tiny fur ball.
Dakota walked over towards the door and closed it; not taking her eyes off the package. She placed the package on the dresser; opening it to reveal a uniform...
A few hours later, Kurt was walking down the hall when he bumped into Rogue. He had just finished his homework, and was going to take his backpack to his room. Once he had dropped his backpack off, the siblings had turned to leave. Once they made it out into the hall, they were met by a little black calico kitten rushing up to them like a dog. The kitten made its way between the two and started playing with Kurt's tail.
"Hey! Stop playing vith my tail!" Kurt cried out in protect, as he tail swished back and forth in an attempt to keep it away from the playful kitten.
Rogue chuckled at the display before her, and reached down; picking up the kitten. "Ah guess that means it likes ya, Kurt." She said in a teasing tone; holding onto the struggling kitten.
Kurt was about to say something when he noticed the girl from before running down the hall towards them.
Rogue looked over at the girl and back at Kurt; noticing his tail swinging excitedly behind him. "Is this your kitten?" She asked in a curious tone; holding the kitten up to the girl.
The girl stopped in front of the two, and looked up at Rogue and back at Kurt. She opened her mouth, but didn't speak. "...yes... I'm umm... sorry if she caused you any trouble." She apologized in a pleading tone. "...She wasn't supposed to leave my room, but she got out before I could shut the door."
"Zat is alright. No harm done." Kurt said in a pleasant tone; giving Dakota a bright smile. He noticed her hood was down, and she no longer wore those sunglasses. "I like your hair, Dakota. You've got to tell how you get it to look like zat!"
Rogue looked up at her brother, and back at Dakota with surprise. "So, you're Dakota. I've heard a lot 'bout ya. I'm Rogue, Kurt's older sister." She said extending her hand out for Dakota to shake.
Dakota looked down at the other girl's hand, and took a sharp breath; shaking her hand. "... It's nice to meet you, too, Rogue." She said in a quiet tone.
"Ve vere going to ze dining hall for supper. Wanna come vith us?" Kurt offered in a cheerful tone; giving Dakota an arrogant smile. "I can have us down zere in seconds."
Dakota rubbed her elbow with an unsure look on her face. "Um, okay, but let me take Shorty back to my room." She said quietly, "I don't want to get in trouble my first day."
And as soon as the Southern Belle gave the kitten back to its proper owner, Dakota held the kitten close to her chest, and took off down the hall and into her room...
Smile until you stop...
Wolf: And there is my XME story. Not too bad, huh?
Rogue: Huffs and turns away It's the same thing as your other story. Only we're all teenagers.
Wolf: I warned everyone from the start that this story is a mirror image of the WATXM one.
Scott: At least I don't act like a jerk in this one.
Wolf: Nevermind the idiots, they won't go back to their villages. -.-
Everyone: Hey!
Wolf: Well, I hope everyone enjoyed the story! Please let me know if you have any ideas or any changes they'd like to see in the future. And remember to review! Positive feedback is welcomed, flamers will be sent to Logan in the Danger Room.