Hello all! I hope you've enjoyed this journey with Halle as much as I have. This is my favorite story with her by far and I'm so excited to share it! Feel free to review and/or favorite!

I never thought I would be here. I guess I always told myself that I could keep it under control; bundle it up inside so no one would ever know. And I guess I almost believed it too. After seven years of keeping it under control, I almost forgot about it in a way. I could control it and almost thrived off of the energy it gave me every day. But then I met Loki and my controlled, planned out life was turned upside-down. He showed me worlds beyond what I could fathom, which added to the fact that I feel head over heels in love with him. There was I time I thought I would follow him to the ends of the earth, that I could see a broken man through his dangerous exterior.

Then, even that sense of security as taken away from me. I met a man named Steve Rodgers and was pulled head first into the Avengers Initiative, even though everyone warned me against it. I heard word of the dark path Loki now traveled and thought I could be the voice of reason. But he was beyond saving, and I didn't realize it until too late. Steve and Natasha all tried to warn me about him, but I didn't listen until he killed my mentor and close friend, Phil Coulson. At that point I joined forces with the Avengers to bring Loki to justice.

But that as only the beginning of my troubles. Steve and I were helping free civilians from the streets of New York when we were both captured by the invading alien army. I lost control and used my mutation, the one I had kept buried for so long, to free Steve and I. I didn't think much of it at the time, half because I figured I saved our lives and half because I was unconscious. While I was knocked out from the impact, I had a dream that I saw Loki one more time and he apologized for everything he did.

At least, Fury told me it was a dream. It seemed pretty real to me.

But anyways, Steve snitched to Fury about my mutation while I was unconscious. Well, not quite snitched exactly. It must have been really freaky for a guy frozen in ice for so many years to see someone control water the way they did. Fury told me in the nicest of terms that I was no longer a welcome agent of S.H.E.I.L.D. and that I was being moved to a school for people like me. For mutants.

So here I am, lugging my brown suitcase through the flowery gates which lead to the large mansion Fury said I would now be calling home. As I passed through the large oak doors, I was overwhelmed by the sounds of children's chatter and gossip. I looked around in search of a person who was at least over eighteen and questioned Fury's reason for sending me here.

Halle.

I gasped and whipped my head around, trying to find the owner of the whispering voice. No one paid any attention to my befuddlement.

I've been expecting you Miss. Rhodes.

"Who's there?" I said, confusing a group of gossiping teenage girls.

No need to be afraid, calmed the voice in my head. To meet me in person I suggest you enter the first door on your left.

"I must be out of my mind," I muttered, lugging my heavy suitcase down the hallway. I cautiously opened the solid door and peaked inside.

"Welcome Halle," said a man behind a desk and I immediately recognized him as the voice in my head.

"You...were...my head...voices," I spit out.

"It's perfectly normal for you to be confused, but I assure you you're safe here," said the man in a way so reassuring it made me want to sit down and spill my guts.

"Who are you?" I asked, slowly.

"My name is Professor Charles Xavier, and that man sulking in the shadows is Logan."

I whipped my head around and tried to hide my surprise when I noticed the tall, burly man leaned against the wall. As I met his gaze, he lifted and eyebrow and gave me a look-over. I turned away in disgust.

"How were you speaking in my head?" I asked.

Professor Xavier raised his almost beady eyes to meet mine. His bald head and overall old guy aura reminded me of my way he spoke was soft and slow, "because I am just like you."

I resisted the urge to glance back at Logan. "You're a mutant?"

Professor Xavier nodded. I'm a telepath, which means I can read peoples thoughts and speak in their minds.

I twisted my fingers nervously. "I can manipulate water," I confessed. The professor raised an eyebrow, as if challenging me. I took a deep breath and raised my hand. This was officially the first time I had actually tried to use my mutation. I felt great to finally release the tension I came to bury whenever I was around water, which was basically all the time. I furrowed my brow and slowly lifted my fingers, and the water from the professors glass began to float towards me. I played with the water around my fingers and set it back down in Professor Xavier's glass. I swear I heard Logan scoff.

"I can't create it," I explained. "But I can work with it whenever water's present."

"You will no doubt make a valuable addition to the team," said the Professor in awe.

"Um, a team?"

He smiled, but offered no explanation. "You're going to fit right in here, Miss Rhodes. I'll have Logan show you to your room."

I gladly thanked the professor, even thought this interaction only left me with more questions. I turned to grab my suitcase when I realized it wasn't where I left it.

"Don't worry about it," said a gruff voice, which I noticed belonged to Logan. He was already halfway up the stairs with my suitcase.

I smiled. "Oh, so you do talk?"

"Only when there's something to say," he replied in a flat tone. With that conversation shut down, I turned my focus to observing my surroundings. I noticed that Logan's clothes and sideburns made him look like he just jumped out of the 1970s, and that his gruff silence lead me to believe he was the bad-boy type I always seemed to be attracted to. But Logan wasn't the only one who caught my eye. A teenage couple passed by us, one a girl with an oval face and dark hair that was complimented by a white streak where bangs would usually be, and the other was a boy with frosted tips and a turtleneck. His icy blue eyes darted around nervously, as if his girlfriend gave him anxiety.

I was busy looking in on a class being taught by a large man with steel skin, when Logan coughed and drew my attention to my room.

"Thank you," I said, surveying the room.

"Hey," said Logan. "If you ever want someone to show you around, teach you the ropes, just give me a call."

Surprised by his politeness, I smiled and responded, "I would like that."

Logan paused at the door frame. "I understand what you're going through. People like us gotta stick together."

As he left, I began to unpack. As I finished putting my shirts away in a dresser, I heard a boisterous voice from the hallway. I looked up to see a petite African-American woman with spiky hair standing in the doorway.

She smiled and revealed a row of dazzling white teeth. "So you're the fresh meat?"

"I...erm...well," I stammered.

"Ah, lay off her Swirl," said a deep voice from behind the woman.

The woman, who was presumably Swirl, frowned, "You never let me have any fun."

The owner of the deep voice pushed past the woman and offered me his hand. "I'm Franklin Raymond Portistelli III, but you can call me Ray."

I took his hand and shook it. "I'm Halle Rhodes. But everyone calls me Rhodie"

"Welcome to Professor X's, Rhodie," smiled Ray. He was a big man with shaggy blonde hair, bulging muscles, and a large pair of sunglasses. He might be intimidating if he didn't remind me of Steve.

"I'm Lizbet Andrews," said the woman. "Call me that and I'll slice your head off."

Ray seemed to notice my look of surprise and added, "just call her Swirl."

"Great to meet you guys," I said. And I added tentatively, "ask you guys mutants too?" Both Swirl and Ray erupted into fits of laughter.

In between gasps, Swirl asked, "why do you think we're even hear sweetheart?"

A little insulted by their mockery, I turned my back to the doubled-over duo and finished unpacking.

"Hey, can you guys not fool around for once?" asked a stern voice. Swirl and Ray immediately stopped laughing. I turned and caught Logan's eye. "You've got combat training in fifteen minutes." As the two scurried out, Logan added, "you too, Rhodie." I forced a smile and followed Logan through the hallway.