X-Men: Not Your Father's X-Men

by Dylan Wolf

This story had now been concluded and will not be continued due to lack of interest and other demands on the writer's time. To the handful who did follow it, thank you for your patronage.

1. Gathering

Not Your Father's X-Men

Chapter One: Gathering

Sonya had seen better days. It was an unseasonably cold night for Manhattan in August. As she stepped out of the subway, she pulled the hood of her jacket tighter, making sure not to upset the sunglasses she was required to wear almost constantly. Hands in pockets and shoulders slumped against the wind; she made her way up Broadway, hugging the buildings as much as possible.

The man on the corner was a predator. He could smell desperation from a mile away and was drawn to it. He scanned the crowd and homed in on the small, thin girl. Not even he knew for certain what drew his attention. Maybe it was the way she glanced longingly at the windows of restaurants she passed, but tried to pretend she wasn't starving. Maybe it was the way her clothes didn't quite fit, but still looked good on her small frame. Whatever it was he identified his target and moved in for the kill

"Hey, little lady." He gave her his best smile. "What's a beautiful thing like you doing out on a night like this?"

She knew better. "Not talking to you that's for sure."

As she stepped around him, he grabbed her arm. "Hey, no call for being hostile. Let me buy you something to eat. We can talk. Maybe be friends. We could be good for each other."

Sonya turned and kneed the man in the groin with all her strength. "I said no."

He fell to his knees. "Bitch!"

She left, but less than a block later, she realized he was following her and gaining ground. She broke into a run, but he kept up and continued to get closer. She could hear his curses and threats now. Then he caught her and shoved her into an alleyway.

"We could have done this nice, little girl," he threatened as she staggered away from him. "Now, we're going to do it hard and mean. No one does that to me."

Then he made the biggest mistake of his life. He slapped her, knocking her sunglasses off kilter. The ruby red blast of force hit him like a freight train. He flew across the street and through the window of a store.

Shutting her eyes tightly, as store's alarms went off like a claxon, Sonya fumbled to extricate her sunglasses from her hood and get them back into place. She had to get away before people spotted her. Too late.

"What was that?"

"What hit him?"

"It was her."

"She's some kind of mutie."

"Get her. Get the freak."

The next hour was insane. She ran and ran. People chased her. Police were called. Federal authorities set up a cordon around the area. They were closing in. She'd never been more terrified in her life.

Then everything suddenly became incredibly calm. She turned a corner and almost trampled a woman sitting peacefully in a wheelchair.

"Easy, child." The woman actually smiled. "It's okay. You're safe now."

Sonya stumbled back a couple steps. "Who are you?"

The woman remained abnormally calm. "My name is Dr. Moira Xavier, Sonya. I detected your trouble and came to help."

Sonya looked around, expecting to see police or feds closing in, but they were alone. "How do you know my name?"

"I know a great deal about you, really. Sonya Summers; orphan and ward of the court; you're sixteen and ran away from your last group home two months ago after a man there tried to rape you. You've been on the street ever since. You had to start wearing those glasses because they were the only thing that stopped your headaches. Then the beams started. Now the ruby quartz in the lenses is the only thing that can contain them. I can help you."

As afraid as she was, Sonya started getting mad. "How the hell do you know all that about me? Who told you? You with the feds or something?"

"Or something," the woman responded. "I'm not with the feds. I'm a mutant, much like you. In my case, I can read minds."

I run a school where I try to help young people like you learn how to control your powers. The woman's voice bounced around Sonya's head. It's safe and warm and dry; and I can offer you something to eat and a soft bed to sleep in. I'll make sure that no one ever tries to take advantage of you again.

There was a pause. "By the way, I know you're concerned about the man you hit. You needn't worry. He's alive and no worse for wear than he deserves. If you'd like, my car is driving around the block. Here it comes now. I can get you out of this dragnet and then you can decide what to do from there."

A black stretch SUV pulled up and a ramp rolled out to give the chair access. Moira entered the van, leaving Sonya with a hard decision. In the end, she climbed inside. She figured it couldn't get her in any more trouble than she was already in. She climbed in and took a seat as close to the door as she could get. Then the ramp folded and the door closed automatically and the car pulled into the street.

The driver was a red headed woman in western garb. The only other person in the van was a Hispanic man in the front with her.

"Sonya," Dr. Xavier said, "I'd like to introduce you to Rose and Dr. Carlos Reyes. They're friends of mine. Carlos helps me run the school. Rose, take us out of the area, then find somewhere to get our young friend something to eat. We have a two hour drive ahead and she apparently hasn't eaten in a few days."

"You got it, Prof," the woman identified as Rose responded in a deep voice that resonated in the car. "We got a roadblock up ahead."

Moira nodded calmly, which kept Sonya from panicking. "Just drive up. I'll deal with it."

When the police approached them, Moira rolled the window down and addressed the officer quietly. "No one in this vehicle resembles the person you're looking for, Officer Calloway. You can let us pass."

Not even blinking, the cop turned to his team. "Let 'em through. They're clean."

Moira rolled the window up again and turned up the heater. The warmth felt so good that Sonya started to relax in spite of herself. Then they pulled in to a Hardees and passed a bag with several cheeseburgers and orders of fries back.

"Easy," Moira admonished her gently when she started to wolf the food down. "No need to rush. You'll make yourself sick. Take your time. No one is going to take it away."

As Sonya started to eat a little more slowly, Moira reached into the car's refrigerator and handed her a bottle of water. "Something to wash it down with."

By the time they left Manhattan, the warmth of the car, the food in her stomach and the exhaustion of the aftermath of her most recent bout of terror all collided. Sonya quietly fell asleep. Moira smiled gently and moved a lock of brown hair that had fallen across the girl's face back behind her ear.

"She the one you been looking for?" Rose asked without taking her eyes off the rain swept road.

"One of many," Moira informed her friend. "As are you. In fact, there are a great many people who will have a role to play in this conflict."

Sonya slept until they arrived at the mansion outside Salem Center that was Moira's ancestral home. She woke up as the car drove over the speed bump at the front gate.

"Welcome back," Moira greeted her. "You must be extremely tired. We've arrived at the Xavier Academy; also my home. I hope that in time you'll come to consider it home as well."

"What time is it?" Sonya asked as she looked around with some concern. "How long did I sleep?"

"You slept for about two hours," Carlos told her as they pulled up the drive and the house came into view. "It's almost nine pm. Are you hungry? Dinner is over, but I'm sure we can find you something appetizing in the kitchen."

"Just tired." She tried not to be in awe of the mansion as they exited the car and climbed the front steps.

"Understandable," Moira responded. "Carlos, will you take her to one of the open rooms and get her set up. I'll see you in the morning, Sonya. We can speak further then."

As Sonya accompanied Dr. Reyes, Moira took an elevator down to the complex beneath the mansion. The decor down here was as high-tech as the decor upstairs was Victorian. Through a pair of doors that opened automatically, she entered one of the many futuristic labs.

"Hannah?" Moira called out.

"Back here, Professor," the deep, but feminine voice responded. "Good to see you're back. Was your trip successful?"

"It was." Moira moved into the section where Hannah McCoy was working. "Sonya Summers has been safely brought into the fold. You'll have a chance to meet her in the morning."

Hannah nodded as she hung from the ceiling. She put down the chemicals she was mixing and flipped down to the floor. She was a large framed woman with definitely feline features and covered in black fur.

"Forge called while you were out," Hannah told her friend. "She's decided to join us. She stressed that she had no intention of becoming a superhero, but would give us access to her mechanical acumen teaching skills for as long as we need it."

"She'll be an asset to the school." Moira nodded. "Like you, me and Dr. Reyes, not everyone is equipped for field work."

"I am a little concerned, however," Hannah admitted. "That gives us four non-combatants and only two potential heroes."

Moira smiled. "That will change. I've spoken to John Gray's parents. John will be returning tomorrow. There are several others I expect to contact in the next week. Now that the school has officially opened, I can assure you that we'll have more than enough students to keep us busy. As for the field team, that will come together in time. Rose is the only confirmed member now, but that will change. I believe Sonya and John will want to join. They're young, but quite powerful. With training, they'll be a force to be reckoned with."

"I feel guilty for not joining them," Hannah admitted.

"Don't," Moira insisted. "We each have our role to play. Yours will be no less important. Yes, your powers would be a valuable asset in the field, but I agree that your mind is your greatest weapon. Your research will enable us help many less fortunate mutants who have mutations that are more a burden than a boon. Not everyone has the mindset for the task facing the X-Men."

Upstairs, Dr. Reyes took Sonya to a room that was bigger than some of the apartments she'd lived in. "I'm afraid it's pretty basic; bed, dresser, bureau, desk, nightstand. If you decide to stay with us, we can help you personalize it. There's a bathroom. You have it to yourself for now, but depending on how many students we wind up with, you may have to share it and the room with a roommate. There are some clothes in the closet and dresser. We didn't know your size, so we stocked a range. Keep what you want; someone will pick up the rest later."

Sonya nodded silently, but felt driven to say something. "Dr. Xavier said you were a mutant as well. What are your powers?"

"I have a personal force shield. It's mostly reflexive." He exhibited it for her. "It's pretty malleable. I'm even learning to use it offensively, but I'm not much of a fighter. I'm a medical doctor."

He left her with that and closed the door behind him. She looked around her. This place was too good to be real. She was waiting for the other shoe to drop. It was her experience that there was always another shoe. No one ever did anything for nothing; not for her, at least.

Oh, well, she thought, might as well ride it for all its worth while I can.

She took a chair and leaned it against the door, jamming it under the door knob. It wouldn't stop anyone determined to get in, but it would give her a few seconds warning if someone did. She checked out the dresser and closet and was pleased to find an assortment of clothes that fit her. She chose a robe and a pair of pajamas.

In the bathroom, she checked for cameras and finding none turned the bath faucets on, added some bath salts she found on the counter and eventually got undressed. As she did so, she pulled a ceramic knife from a sheath in the small of her back and placed it on the edge of the tub in easy reach if she needed it.

Easing into the tub, she let the hot water and bath salts work their magic. She'd made due with public bathrooms and the occasional shower at a shelter or something for months. An actual bath without someone pounding on the door telling her to hurry up was an opportunity not to be missed or wasted. Just the chance to be truly clean was worth any risk she might be taking in her opinion.

Nearly an hour later, after the longest and most decadent bath she'd ever taken, she returned to the bedroom still drying her hair and sat down to test the bed. It was as soft and comfortable as she imagined; and it was so large; a queen at least. She pulled the covers back, slid her knife under her pillow, closed her eyes, put her glasses on the nightstand and eased into the cushions. She was asleep in seconds.

John Thomas Gray, JT to his friends, was a good looking, all-American, red headed, green eyed boy. He had a good physique for a sixteen year old, but wasn't a jock. He was smarter than most kids his age and wanted to become a doctor, but didn't make enough of a deal about it to be called a brain. He could read minds and move things with telekinesis. Other than that, though, he was just a wonderfully average kid about to enter his junior year of high school.

He woke up that morning in his bed in his parents' home in Annandale-on-the-Hudson, New York. It was like any other day, except it wasn't like any other day. This was the day he left to finish his schooling at the Xavier Academy. John first met Dr. Xavier several years earlier after the death of his best friend triggered his mutant powers. She taught him how to control his telepathic abilities and helped him access his telekinetic powers. She also told him about her dream and offered him a chance to take part in it.

His parents were scientists and would both be at work by now. They'd said their farewells the night before. A cab had been arranged to pick him up and drive him to the school. It was even pre-paid for. He had two hours to shower, eat and do any last minute packing before it was due. It was time to leave childhood behind and take his first steps into the big world.

At the mansion, Sonya slept late and they let her. When she did get up, she put on some clothes, secured her knife and headed down to find something to eat. She followed her nose to a small dining room off the main kitchen. Dr. Xavier, Dr. Reyes and the mysterious Rose were all there. So was a black furred cat-woman, who was making breakfast. Sonya did a double take on the woman, but didn't let it throw her. She'd read somewhere about how some mutants looked different.

"Good morning, Sonya," Xavier greeted her. "You already know everyone here except Dr. McCoy, who volunteered to play chef this morning. You're in for a treat. Hannah makes some of the best French toast I've ever tasted. She has a secret ingredient she absolutely refuses to share with anyone."

The cat-lady laughed deeply. "It's an old family secret passed down from mother to daughter for generations. My mother swore me to secrecy on her dying bed."

"Yeah, right." Rose smirked. "You told me both of your parents are alive and well, and living in Kansas."

"Oh, my stars and garters." Hannah huffed. "Of course they are, but that doesn't make for as good of a story."

"I could tell you the secret ingredient right now," Rose threatened playfully.

"You do," Hannah countered, "and I'll leave the biggest hairball you've ever seen in the center of your bed."

When Rose declined to continue the repartee, Hannah handed Sonya a plate of steaming French toast that smelled divine. She mumbled her thanks, then took it to a seat at the large table some distance from the others and began to eat.

Moira noted the behavior, but let it pass for the moment and spoke to Rose. "I need you to return to Manhattan and pick up two more students."

Rose nodded. "Where?"

Moira shook her head. "They're currently being held at Manhattan's 7th Precinct. They were picked up together on charges of automobile theft. We'll need to secure their release before INS claims the young man, as he's in the country illegally. Actually, his father was American, but he's declined to tell the police that fact."

"Sounds like a winner." Rose laughed.

"Appearances can be deceiving." Moira smiled enigmatically. "This is particularly true when dealing with people like T'Challa Monroe. He's been many things in his short life; an orphan, a Cairo street urchin, a pick pocket, a thief, a vagabond, even a deity. He's also the person responsible for the peculiar weather we had last night. He's rather mad at himself for getting caught and letting his emotions get away from him."

She dabbed some syrup from her mouth. "His companion is one Rita LeBeau. They met when T'Challa landed in New Orleans. They've been travelling together ever since. I've been using Cerebro to watch over them and gently steering them towards us. Before you leave, I'll give you papers granting the school custody of both of them and releasing them to you. Talk to them first. Tell them about the dream and offer them a chance to take part. I spoke with T'Challa mentally before he left Africa."

Rose nodded. "So I'm just to close the deal, then. No problem. I'll take the Mustang and be back before dinner."

Moira seemed agreeable and turned her attention to Sonya. "Did you sleep well, Miss Summers?"

Sonya had been listening so intently to the conversation that she almost jumped at the mention of her name, then blushed. "Great."

"Excellent. After breakfast, if you wouldn't mind, would you meet me in my office? I'd like to discuss your future and tell you more about the school and what I'm trying to do here."

Sonya nodded. "Cool. I'll be there."

Moira smiled and pulled out from the table. "It's the door off the foyer on the left. You can't miss it. My name's on it. I'll see you in fifteen minutes, then?"

After Xavier left, Carlos got up. "You'll need a full physical if you decide to stay. As school physician, I usually do them; with the assistance of Dr. McCoy, of course. If you'd rather, however, she's more than capable of doing it herself. It's up to you. The Professor will probably bring you down after your talk. Plenty of time to decide then."

A few minutes after Carlos left, Hannah made her departure as well, leaving Sonya alone with Rose, who seemed to be in no particular hurry to get started.

"So," Sonya asked when she could no longer contain her curiosity. "What's your story? Seems Dr. Xavier has a thing for strays."

Rose frowned. "You could say that. She's a good lady; a believer with enough charisma to draw others to her cause. As for who I am, I don't know. I don't have much of a memory before Xavier found me up in Canada. What I do remember gives me nightmares. The Prof thinks I was part of some kind of covert ops organization. I'm not sure, but I got the skills to back it up. I think my name's Rose, but that's only because it feels right and not from any memory."

Sonya shrugged. "So what do you do? What powers do you have?"

"A regular little Nancy Drew with all the questions, aren't you?" Rose laughed harshly. "I heal . . . fast. My senses are enhanced; particularly my sense of smell. Somewhere along the line, someone laced my skeleton with some miracle metal called adamantium."

At that point, she popped the claws on her left hand. "Claws are unbreakable and sharp enough to cut through just about anything."

Rose finished her coffee, grabbed a beer from the refrigerator, popped the top and headed towards the door to the outside. "Time for you to head over and have that talk with the Prof. Me, I have a couple more strays to pick up. Take it easy."

Sonya took her dishes to the sink, quickly rinsed them and put them in the dishwasher, then headed into the foyer to find Dr. Xavier's office. As advertised, it was easy to find. The door even opened on its own when she knocked.

"Come in, Sonya." Moira sat behind a large desk with a panorama window behind her, showing the back yard and pool. "Please close the door behind you and have a seat."

She complied, sitting down across the desk from the woman and sitting uncomfortably on the edge of the seat.

Moira smiled bemusedly. "Relax, my dear. I'm not going to bite."

Sonya hadn't realized she was holding her breath and made a conscious effort to relax. She didn't know why she was so nervous, but she sensed this meeting was going to be an important event in her life.

"I had your last school send me your transcripts," Moira began. "I should tell you I'm impressed. A lot of children in your situation struggle in school, but you've maintained a 3.5 GPA. That's quite an accomplishment."

Sonya shrugged. "I always liked school. It got me out of the house and away from whoever was supposed to be keeping me."

Moira nodded. "I'd like to offer you a full scholarship at my school. With your permission, I'd also like to become your legal guardian. You're a very strong young woman; independent and driven, but compassionate and possessing a well-developed sense of right and wrong."

Sonya frowned. "What's in it for you? I don't mean to be rude after you've been so nice, but I've never met anyone who did anything for anyone that didn't benefit themselves."

Moira's smile became a little sad. "I have a dream; one that I believe you could share and help make a reality. I dream of a world where humans and mutants can live together in peace; a world where things like what happened last night are only unpleasant memories; a world where children like you can grow up without having to hide what they are; where they can live free from fear."

She paused. "In addition to this school, I'm forming a team to protect mutants, battle those who would abuse them or abuse baseline humans in their name and serve as an example of what mutants are capable of if given a chance."

Despite herself, Sonya found the Professor's appeal extremely convincing. It wasn't so much what she said as the compassion and sincerity with which she said it. People who believed this strongly in anything were rare; practically nonexistent in Sonya's experience.

Moira wasn't quite finished. "Sadly, there are people out there on both sides who will fight us. There are mutants who have been so hurt by baselines that all they are capable of feeling towards them is abject hatred. There are other mutants who believe that mutant-kind is the Cro-Magnon to the baselines' Neanderthal and seek to dominate humanity and rule the world. There's also an old saying that man fears what he doesn't understand and what man fears he destroys. This is sadly true for a lot of non-mutants out there. They don't understand us. We scare them; terrify them, even. There are also those who simply hate anyone who is not like them. This type of benighted soul has been with us since the dawn of time."

Sonya had run into many examples of the kinds of people Moira was describing. She knew firsthand how destructive they could be.

"Someone has to be willing to step into the breach," Dr. Xavier continued. "Someone has to be willing to risk it all in order to protect the innocents regardless of their genetic origins. Someone has to be willing to serve as an example for others to follow. It won't be easy. Many will consider us criminals and even terrorists without cause. Some of us may even be called on to sacrifice their lives; become martyrs. Most people are unlikely to accept us, much less love us. In time, however, I believe that with the right people setting the right example, this can change."

She paused one last time as Sonya sat in rapt silence. "What say you, Sonya Summers? Is this something you can believe in? Is this a dream you can embrace? Are you ready to believe you can change the world?"

Sonya didn't say anything for several moments, but when she did, it was with determination. "Ma'am, I don't know if this is a dream, a daydream or a pipedream, but I've lived on the streets and seen what happens to mutants out there. Someone has to do something. Guess what I'm saying is; I'm in."

Moira smiled and nodded. "Excellent. I'll take care of the paperwork. For now, however, we need to get you a full physical. We have equipment beneath this mansion that was specifically designed to treat and care for mutants. I'm concerned with your sketchy memories of your childhood before you became a ward of the court and with your inability to control your eye beams. Both suggest some kind of early head trauma. If that's the case, it's possible that we can find a way to reverse it."

The Professor rolled her power chair out from behind the desk. "Follow me, if you will."

With Sonya following quietly, Xavier entered the nearby elevator and they descended. The change of décor was shocking to Sonya. She felt like she'd stepped onto the set of a science fiction movie. She almost delayed long enough in the elevator after the Professor moved out that the doors started closing before she shook herself from her daze.

Secretly smiling at the girl's reaction, Dr. Xavier led her to the medical bay. "There's a hospital gown in the small room over there. Please remove all of your clothes and put it on, then come out. Many of the devices in here use magnetic resonance imaging, so you can't have anything metallic on your person. That means you'll have to leave your knife behind. I hope that won't be a problem."

Sonya considered, then did something she never thought she'd be capable of. She took the knife from her belt and handed it to Xavier.

"It's ceramic, but I don't think I'll be needing it anymore. I kept it more so I could defend myself without using my powers, anyway."

Xavier understood what a measure of trust this took for Sonya to do and was humbled by it. "No, child. You won't need it again . . . ever."

When Sonya emerged dressed only in the gown, Dr. Reyes and Dr. McCoy were both waiting with Xavier. She blushed a little self-consciously and tried to find something to do with her hands; finally deciding to cross them over her chest. If the adults noticed her discomfort, they tactfully ignored it. Their professional response definitely helped her relax.

Realizing that given her history, Sonya might not be comfortable with a man, Carlos deliberately held back and let Moira and Hannah do all the hands on parts of the examination. Through it all, they treated her like an adult; explained everything they were doing and why, and answered any questions she had. She had her fair share of questions. By the time they got to the gynecological exam, she'd relaxed enough that she didn't balk even a bit.

By the time she returned dressed in her street clothes after the exam, the three doctors were reviewing the results. Dr. McCoy gestured her over.

"Let me show you what we found." An MRI image of Sonya's head was up on the display. "The Professor was right. You suffered a major head trauma at some point in the past. There's some scarring and we believe that's the cause of your inability to control your eye beams."

She didn't see anything different about the part of the brain they indicated, but nodded. "Can you fix it?"

"We believe so," Carlos said. "It will require surgery and any surgery involving the brain is risky, but we have the best tools in the world in this complex."

"Will you be doing the surgery?"

"No." He shook his head. "There's a doctor in Scotland. His name is Brian MacTaggart. In addition to being an expert on mutant genetics, he's one of the best neurosurgeons in the world. I doubt there's anyone better at the procedure we're suggesting."

"Brian is an old friend," Moira added. "He's been a part of the Mutant Underground from the beginning. I'll call him, send him your test results and get him to fly out to do the surgery."

"What's the Mutant Underground?" Sonya asked.

"It's a network of concerned people who work to help mutants in trouble." Moira explained. "Most of them are baselines and many are the parents, relatives or friends of mutants; many of whom were killed by the prejudice of others. They serve as my eyes and ears in the world at large, and are often more reliable than Cerebro in locating young mutants coming into their powers."

Sonya remembered hearing that term before. "What's Cerebro? You mentioned it at breakfast earlier."

Moira smiled. "Cerebro is a computer that enhances the powers of a telepath, enabling them to scan the globe and identify the unique mental signatures of other mutants; particularly ones just starting to manifest their abilities. It's designed to work specifically with my unique powers, but it will work almost as well with any telepath."

"Cool," was all Sonya could think to say.

"There's another option you need to think long and hard about." Dr. Xavier's entire affect changed. "If the surgery doesn't work, I have an ability that might. It's unpredictable . . . as Hannah can testify."

Hannah smiled. "I told you long ago, Professor, I don't blame you for what happened to me. I was the one who tried to experiment on myself. If you hadn't helped stabilize me, I'd have continued to mutate uncontrollably."

"What's this ability?" Sonya asked.

"I can enhance the mutations of another mutant." Xavier's distaste for using this ability was obvious. "Optimize them. The problem is there's no way to predict, much less control, the outcome. I could turn you into . . . ."

"A monster?" Hannah smiled.

Moira turned to her friend with a sad smile of her own. "Never that. You could never be that."

Sonya understood and found it actually refreshing to realize that Dr. Moira Xavier wasn't infallible. "If the surgery fails, we'll consider it. If I came out looking as cool as Dr. McCoy, I could live with it."

It was just past noon when Rose entered the 7th Precinct. She presented her forged credentials, then waited. Eventually she was escorted to an interrogation room where the two teenagers were waiting. T'Challa Monroe was a tall, muscular young black man with straight white hair and clear blue eyes. Rita LeBeau was a cocky brunette with red eyes she must have passed off as contacts, who fiddled constantly with a deck of cards."

"Name's Rose," she introduced herself as she took a seat once they were alone. "Xavier sent me."

"About time," Rita interjected cynically. "We was startin' t' t'ink we might haveta break outta here on our own."

"Stealin' that car didn't help," Rose countered.

Rita laughed. "We di'nt steal it, ma'amselle. We jus' borrow it a bit is all."

Rose wasn't impressed. "I'm guessin' ya both know the score. There's a war goin' on 'tween mutants an' humans. We're th' kids in th' middle tryin' t' keep innocents from gettin' hurt. Xavier thinks men an' mutants can learn to live together. Me, I ain't so sure, but I'm willin' t' give her dream a shot. It's a sight better 'n anything else out there. Question is, you in or you out?"

T'Challa nodded. "I came to this country all the way from Africa with your Professor in my head. I'm in."

Rita laughed. "Where he goes, I go. We a team, non?"

Rose got up. "The charges against you have been dropped . . . this time. The police don't like it, but the guy whose car you took is refusin' t' press charges. Seems Xavier had a li'l talk with him. Monroe, 'til we get th' problems with y'r nationality straightened out, y'r an exchange student. Since y'r both only sixteen, y'r officially wards o' th' school. Try t' look embarrassed an' contrite when we leave. Y'r both s'posed t' be in big trouble when we get back home."

Both kids played their roles. Rita went overboard, of course; bawling her eyes out with apologies. Rose rolled her eyes and barely resisted the urge to hurl. The Cajun bad girl wasn't exactly starting off on the best foot.

Back at the mansion, the cab carrying John dropped him off. As it drove away, he looked up at the venerable manor with some butterflies in his stomach. He'd been here before; many times, actually. This time was different. This time he was coming to stay.

Seeing the Professor had come out to greet him, John smiled. He looked the smallish brunette with him over quickly, without being too obvious. She was cute enough. With a little effort, she could be downright gorgeous.

He quickly kissed Moira on the cheek, then turned to Sonya, bowed and kissed her hand. "John Gray, at your service; JT to my friends."

Sonya blushed. "Sonya . . . Sonya Summers."

She'd run into a lot of boys like John. Most of them never paid much attention to her. Then again, she hadn't wanted them to. Part of her survival mechanism included being as anonymous and unremarkable as possible. There was something different about this one, though. He seemed to be genuinely nice; even chivalrous. She realized this was a boy she could be comfortable with and that terrified her more than when she first discovered her powers.

"Please come inside." Moira tried hard not to casually intrude into her students' thoughts, but it was difficult where teenage hormones were involved. "Lunch awaits us."

John nodded, then turned back to his bags at the foot of the stairs. He concentrated for a moment. Suddenly, they floated up and followed him.

Over lunch, Moira filled the two students in on her plans for the school. "At the moment, we'll be starting with five students. That will change as I discover more young mutants. I don't intend all my students to become members of the team I'm calling the X-Men; both because it can mean Xavier's men and because you all have extra-normal abilities. Most of the children who come here will be here simply to learn to control their abilities and to protect them from those who would want to control or harm them. At least at first, the team will consist of the five of you."

He turned to Sonya. "John, is a telekinetic and a telepath. He's chosen the codename or call-sign, Phoenix, after the mythical bird. Given your abilities, Sonya, I was thinking Marvel Girl. Your eye beams are a most marvelous power."

Sonya grimaced. "I guess you could have come up with a lot worse options, like Cyclops or something."

John smiled, which completely blew her detached teenager act. "I think Marvel Girl fits you."

"Rose has chosen the name Lynx." Moira continued. "For purposes of field communication, I'll be using the name, Sage. Dr. McCoy will be Hellcat and Dr. Reyes will be Blockade. A Cheyenne engineer, Antoinette 'Toni' Stark, will be joining us in a few days. She prefers to be called Forge. For reasons of their own, the three of them have decided their best roles are as support. For the most part, they consider themselves scientists, not heroes. As for the other two, young Mr. Monroe will be called Storm and Miss LeBeau already uses the nom de guerre, Rogue."

She finished her meal and wiped her mouth demurely "For the most part, courses will be taken independent study. You will meet with various instructors once or twice a week and we're all always available if you need help, but I want to stress responsibility and personal initiative in my students. You'll need both in this world."

"I'm guessing that Underwater Basket Weaving won't be on the curriculum," Sonya quipped, trying to sound witty and convinced she failed miserably.

"I'm afraid not." Moira smirked. "For the most part, you'll be taking college caliber courses. Both of you, like a statistically larger number of mutants, are highly intelligent. As a teacher, my job will be to help you develop the potential you have. Coursework will be difficult and I will be pushing you every inch of the way, but I'll also be there to give you as much help as you need to be a success. Any questions?"

Sonya only had one. "When do we start?"

Moira smiled, appreciating the girl's enthusiasm. "Classes will start Monday morning. You'll each be issued a laptop that has access to the mansion's mainframe. All your textbooks will be available in digital form on both the laptops and on the desktops in your rooms; as well as the computers in the library and other places around the mansion. If like me, you prefer actually having a book in your hands to reading off a screen; physical texts will be made available as well."

John had some questions of his own. "What about training?"

"Let me introduce you to the Danger Room." Moira led them down to the monitor room overlooking a warehouse sized chamber. "Using automation, realistic holograms and force fields, we can duplicate any environment, situation or threat imaginable."

As Moira moved to the console and began flipping through programmed environments, John whistled. "Professor, I've been training with you for almost three years and you never brought me down here. Why?"

Moira shrugged. "It wasn't required, John. Your training until now has mainly been to help you control your telepathy. The Danger Room wasn't required for that and your telekinetic powers are a recent development. Besides, the Danger Room is a combat simulator. Until now, I wasn't training you to fight. The fact is; most of the students at this school won't need to be put through it. We have facilities above ground to handle the training they'll need to learn control of, responsibility for, and proper use of their powers."

"I'm not sure how useful I'll be in a fight if I can't control my powers," Sonya noted. "I know we're working on that, but what if it doesn't work?"

Moira had thought of that. "I asked Hannah to look into that. Until you're able to control your powers on your own, you need something to contain and when needed focus your beams. I envision a visor utilizing the same ruby quartz that is in your glasses."

Sonya quirked her nose. "That's something else I've been wondering about. Why is this quartz stuff the only thing that can contain my beams?"

"Actually," Dr. Xavier informed her student, "ruby quartz is a misnomer for what's in your glasses. The crystal in your lenses is actually a silicate with microscopic grains of a metal called vibranium in it. The red coloring is simply a refraction of light caused by the interaction of the crystal and the metal."

Sonya brightened. "I remember hearing about vibranium in Chemistry class. The teacher said it's extremely rare; only found in a single deposit somewhere in Africa. It's supposed to be able to absorb and dampen massive amounts of energy. I never knew it was in my lenses."

Moira nodded approvingly. "The crystal comes from the nation of Wakanda. It's actually a byproduct of the mine. The quantity of vibranium in the crystal is minimal and not worth the cost of extraction. The crystal is not without its uses, however. I'd be interested in knowing how the people who gave you those sunglasses got their hands on it."

"I don't know," Sonya admitted. "Three years ago, I started getting these terrible headaches. They took me to a lot of doctors, but no one could figure out what was happening. Then this ophthalmologist contacted the hospital working on me. I never met her, but they told me she heard about my case and offered to help. They said she developed these special lenses. When I put them on, the headaches started to lessen, then went away completely. When the beams started last year, the glasses were the only things that could contain them."

She shrugged. "I think her name was Dr. Essex, or something. I don't know why, but I never really wondered that much about her. I was just happy to finally find something that worked and get rid of the headaches."

"Interesting," Xavier mused. "That's something I'd like to look more deeply into for certain. It's not a concern for today, though."

A few hours later, the Professor had left John and Sonya to get to know each other. Sonya was a little nervous at first, but once she relaxed, John discovered to his delight that the girl was fearless. He liked that trait a lot. For Sonya's part, John was the first decent guy to pay much attention to her. Most guys, if they even acknowledged her existence just wanted to get in her pants. That wasn't going to happen, so they quickly lost interest. If they didn't, that's what she carried a knife for.

Shortly before Rose returned with T'Challa and Rita, Xavier reappeared. "Change of plans. A mutant I've been watching in Germany is in trouble. As soon as the others return, we'll be flying to Europe. I spoke with Dr. MacTaggart, Sonya. He's had a chance to look over your tests and agrees that he should be able to help you. Since we're going to be in the area, we'll see about taking care of your problem there. He has pretty much the same equipment in his lab as we have here. I'll drop you; Dr. McCoy and Dr. Reyes off on the way, then return with our newest student, Krista Wagner."

Sonya blanched slightly. "Will I need to have my head shaved?"

"Hardly," Moira assured her. "The procedure can be done laparoscopically, using micro-tools and lasers; and will require only the smallest of incisions. Brian is an expert with this sort of procedure. You needn't worry."

Sonya relaxed visibly and the Professor turned to John. "I'll be taking you and the others with me. You shouldn't be called on to use your powers, but it should be good experience for you."

Ten minutes later, John and Sonya were looking at the magnificent black jet in awe. T'Challa and Rita were there as well and just as awestruck. Introductions were over and it was time to board the jet and take off.

"This is so cool," Sonya said, then realized she was being repetitive and corrected herself. "Incredible."

"Both," John agreed.

"Magnifique." Rita found a seat and belted herself in.

Dr. McCoy sat in the pilot chair. The Professor rolled her chair into position at the co-pilot position and locked in. Dr. Reyes was seated in the back where an emergency med-bay was set up.

"If anyone has a problem with air sickness?" He asked calmly, "see me for some Dramamine."

Sonya had never been on a plane before, but she wasn't about to make a point of it. John, who was sitting across the aisle from her, turned and smiled a smile that was at once sympathetic and supportive. It should have enraged her, but for some reason it encouraged her and helped her relax. What was it about this guy that cut through all her defenses like they were butter in the hot sun? He told her that not only did he not read people's minds without permission; he worked very hard to protect himself from accidentally picking up stray thoughts. Could she trust him?

The flight across the Atlantic was made at supersonic speed, although you couldn't tell it inside the cabin. Not even the vertical takeoff from the mansion and landing on the isolated Muir Island off the stormy coast of Scotland was felt by the passengers. Dr. MacTaggart, a brunette of medium height and build was waiting for them on the landing pad. A boy of about twelve with reddish brown hair stood beside him.

"Moira," MacTaggart greeted his old friend as they disembarked. "T'is good t' be seein' ya again."

Moira shook the man's hand affectionately. "Unfortunately, I can't stay. We need to get to Germany as quickly as possible. There's a young lady there who is in a lot of trouble."

She paused, then turned to Sonya. "This is my student and ward, Sonya Summers. She's the young lady we spoke about. Hannah and Carlos will be staying to assist you. The rest of us will return as quickly as possible once we've rescued our newest student."

That was pretty much it. Xavier and the others returned to the plane, leaving Sonya behind and quickly lifted. In seconds they were lost in the roiling clouds that almost always covered the rock with pretensions of being an island.

"Let's get ye inside then, lass." MacTaggart steered Sonya and the others to a jeep, then drove them to a pleasant looking house that seemed incongruous against the backdrop of the extremely high tech lab complex behind it. "We'll be gettin' t' work right off an' lookin' inside that wee head o' yours. See if we can't figure out an' fix what's been causin' y'r control problems."

Suddenly, MacTaggart realized he wasn't being a very good host. "Ach. Where are me manners? This handsome young man is my ward, Renn Sinclair. He's recently come into my custody."

The boy, who was dressed very simply, nodded shyly. "Nice t' meet ya."

They stopped in the house long enough for some warm cider to ward off the Scottish chill, then the three doctors took Sonya out the back door of the house and down a short hall to the massive Muir Island Research Facility.

Sonya was awestruck again, but at least she was starting to get used to the sensation. "This place is incredible. Do you and Renn live here alone?"

"Nay, lass," MacTaggart assured her. "We have a small staff. They're all spendin' th' weekend on th' mainland."

In record time, Sonya was prepped for surgery. Seconds after Dr. McCoy injected her with a sedative, she was sound asleep. Hannah then laid Sonya gently face down on the operating table. A padded circle cradled her face. Her hair was tied in a bun and covered with a cap to keep the area at the base of her skull where they would be making the incision and drilling the hole that would give the micro-tools access to her brain.

Once Dr. McCoy completed the prep, Dr. Reyes and Dr. MacTaggart took over and she moved to a seat off to the side where she could keep a close eye on the displays monitoring Sonya's condition. With luck, the whole procedure would only take a few hours.

Even as the operation was beginning off the coast of Scotland, in Germany, near the foot of the Bavarian Alps, Krista Wagner was running for her life. Earlier that day, she'd managed to evade the citizens of the small village where she was trapped and hide out in a barn. Once night fell, she continued to wait a while longer, hoping to let them fall asleep before slipping out to make good her escape. She underestimated their determination.

Now, near exhaustion and too tired to teleport, she struggled to stay one step ahead of the torches and shouts that followed her. Suddenly, her path was blocked by another mob of villagers. She was trapped. It would soon be over.

The locals thought a demon had been loosed in their midst. Three children had disappeared, only to be found ritualistically mutilated and in the midst of a pentagram that had been painted with their own blood. When they spotted Krista nearby, they assumed she was the demon they'd been looking for. It was an understandable mistake for these rural, isolated and superstitious people to make. In the circus, where she had worked as a trapeze artist, her stage name had been the Demoness. She looked the part; blue black hair and fur, pointed ears, yellow eyes, fangs, two fingers and a thumb on each hand, a prehensile tail; even two toes and a heal toe on each foot. That appearance was now about to get her killed.

Gathering the last of her strength, Krista leaped to the roof of a nearby house. It was her last hope, but it was dashed. Someone saw her jump and the villagers surrounded the house and set it ablaze with their torches. That was it. Krista knew she was dead. Help wouldn't get there in time, but she wasn't going down without a fight.

Leaping from the roof, she dove into the midst of the crowd; kicking, punching, biting and giving it everything she had. If she was going to die tonight, they would at least remember they'd been in a fight. Then, suddenly, everything stopped. They had her down and were about to drive a stake through her chest of all things when suddenly they froze; their eyes going blank.

"Vas?" She wriggled free of the frozen hands gripping her and stood up.

Hello, Krista.Xavier's voice appeared in her head.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Krista limped her way through the crowd, smiling wryly. "You certainly like to cut things close, Frau Professor."

"My apologies," Xavier said as she and the students stepped out of the tree line. "We came as quickly as we could and just arrived. Are you well?"

"I am now." She smiled.

"I have an offer for you, Krista," Xavier began as T'Challa summoned a storm that drenched the fire before it could get out of hand. "I run a school in New York in the United States; a school for mutants like all of us. It's a place where you can live and flourish without having to worry about a mob attacking you like they did tonight. I'd like to offer you a full scholarship to attend there."

"How could I not accept such an offer?"

"Good." Moira shook the young woman's hand. "Our plane is in a clearing back there. Is there anything you want to take with you?"

"Nein." Krista shook her head sadly. "I left everything behind when I left the circus. I had a dispute with the new management and decided it was best I not stay to pack."

Moira nodded as they walked through the woods and entered the clearing. "We'll take care of getting you some new clothes and anything else you need when we return to the school."

Rose frowned. "We just gonna leave those idiots t' wake up none the worse for wear?"

Moira turned to her. "What would you have us do, Rose; kill them? No, we accomplished what we came here to do. Leave them to their ignorance."

Rose nodded curtly and boarded the jet. "Y'r a lot more forgivin' n' I am, Professor. I'd be inclined t' at least embarrass 'em a bit; leave 'em with somethin' t' remember us."

Xavier almost smiled. "I won't deny that the temptation isn't strong, Rose, but in this instance, this is for the best. You can't argue with blind ignorance. It's a debate you'll never win. Since these people no longer pose a threat, let's leave them to return to their rural existence."

When Sonya awoke as the sun was rising over Muir Island, she looked around to find Dr. Xavier reading quietly next to her bed. "How'd the rescue go?"

Moira looked up and smiled. "Well. We arrived just in time. It could have ended very badly otherwise. How do you feel?"

"Woozy."

"Understandable." Moira adjusted her chair to a standing configuration, poured a glass of water and helped Sonya drink it. "Dr. MacTaggart tells me the operation was uneventful. How much of a success it was, we'll have to see. Let's get some food into you, then we'll put it to the test."

The others were all waiting in the house when Xavier and Sonya emerged from the research complex. Breakfast was served, although it was more a late dinner for most of them. The only sign that she'd just been through an operation was a small bandage on the back of Sonya's neck.

Dr. MacTaggart and Renn joined them at the table and Brian had a surprise for Moira. "Th' boy an' I 'ave spoken, an' I'd like ye t' take Renn t' New York wit' ye. Ye know th' lad's a mutant an' a shapeshifter. I could see t' his trainin' easy enough, but this isolated rock t'is no place f'r a boy t' be growin' up an' there be issues on th' mainland f'r him."

"What do you say, Renn?" Xavier asked.

"Ah'd rather stay here," the boy responded shyly, but honestly, "but Da says it'll do me good t' be wit' other kids who're like me. Ah aim t' do him proud."

MacTaggart placed a gentle hand on the boy's head. "Ye already have, lad. Ye already have. Ah couldn' be more proud o' ya if ya was my own."

Moira nodded. "You'll be a few years younger than the rest of the students, Renn, but that will change soon enough as more students arrive."

Brian had one more request. "I'll be askin' ye not t' start trainin' th' lad f'r y'r team yet, Moira."

Moira understood. "Of course. Renn is only twelve and far too young to be involved in what is basically a war. There will be plenty of time later for him to decide whether or not he wants to become a hero."

If Renn minded adults talking about him in front of his face, he hid it well.

"Welcome to the family, Renn," JT offered. "It'll be good to have another guy around. Storm and I were starting to feel a bit outnumbered."

"And dis is a bad t'ing?" Rita smirked playfully. "T'ink of it like a target rich environment."

"There is that," he had to admit.

Outside after the meal, it was time to see how well the surgery worked. Sonya stood with her back to the house and lab complex, facing an outcrop of rock.

"Relax," Moira admonished her gently. "Just close your eyes and remove the glasses. Will yourself not to fire. Don't worry if it fails at first. It may take some training to get it right. This is just a first test."

She nodded and complied. When she opened her eyes, nothing happened. It was the first time in almost two years that Sonya looked at the world without having it filtered through red lenses. She was jubilant, but the second she lost focus, a powerful blast from her eyes turned the outcropping into dust.

"Rats." She quickly put the glasses back on.

"No," Xavier assured her proudly. "You did excellently. You controlled the beam with just focused will. It's a marvelous start. We'll need to do further tests once we get back to the school, but I'm very pleased."