Logan growled in frustration. He had located the abandoned military base that Xavier had found for him. In fact, he had spent the last three days searching it but to no avail. He had yet to locate anything that would tell him anything about his past. In frustration he reached out and swept the top three boxes off of a nearby pile. In doing so he revealed a filing cabinet hidden behind the boxes.
Logan pulled on the drawers to find them locked. A problem he quickly remedied by extending his claws and opening the top drawer his way. He quickly browsed through the folders in the top drawer finding nothing interesting. He went through the second drawer the same way and in the back of the third drawer a title on a folder caught his attention. The folder was labeled: Project Wolverine.
He pulled the folder from the drawer and started going though the contents. Most of the contents were all scientific notes and comments about the experiment, which while it was something was not what Logan was craving inside to find. In the back of the folder he found a manila envelope. Putting the folder and other papers on top of the cabinet he opened the folder and pulled out its contents. In them he found some letters, addressed to Logan, most of which were penned in a small neat script by someone called Becky. A few were in a bigger childish script. Who were these people? His family? The name sure didn't sound familiar.
He started to put the letters back in the envelope planning to read them more thoroughly later when he noticed something left in the envelope. Taking it out he found a picture of him with a small boy sitting on his shoulders. Turning it over he found the words, I love you dad. The little boy then must be his son. A son he didn't remember.
He flipped the picture back over looking at it. Something about the little boy looked familiar. Reminded of someone he had met but he couldn't quite think of who, at least not at first, but then it came to him. It couldn't be, he thought to himself. It just couldn't.
He put the picture in the top pocket of his jacket and then stuffed the letters in the manilla envelope. Putting the envelope and other files into his pack, he started to make his way out of the facility. He was convinced that he had found everything he would find about his past here. Logan had no more idea of who he was then when he came into the base but at least now he had some starting points. A name and a picture to trace his son.
A son, it was a strange concept to him, having spent so many years as a loner. Still, after meeting Marie, he had to admit it was nice caring about someone other than himself. Would he be able to have that kind of relationship with this son. If it was who he thought it was, he wasn't sure but he was determined to find out. First though he had to be sure. Had to know for sure that the boy in the picture was the same person he knew and not just someone who looked similar.
Out in the snowy wilderness, he got on board the borrowed motorcycle and started it up. The sound of the engine echoed through the quietness of the wilderness. Putting it in gear he left his past behind and headed back toward the future. His future. The only place he had ever found people willing to help him.
Rubbing his temples, Scott Summers walked into the classroom where his students would be arriving shortly. Through the window he could see the blue sedan driving down the drive way. His thoughts drifted to one of the occupants inside the sedan, Jean Grey. He and Jean had broken up, over a month ago but he still cared about her. The break up had been her doing. She had told him that they weren't right for each other and claimed there was no one else but that she just didn't love him anymore. He had his doubts. Everything was fine up until Logan had come into there lives. Since the break up Jean had drifted further and further away from everyone in the mansion, even the professor. But she seemed happier. Maybe this, Xavier's school for the gifted and the X-men , weren't right for Jean. She had never quiet seemed completely part of what was going on in the mansion. She served as their doctor but other than that she tried to distance herself from things going on. She never taught classes, except to help out once in awhile, rarely went on missions, and never had chosen a code name.
Voices out in the hall brought Scott out of his musings. The students were all headed to their respective classes and as Scott walked toward his desk, John, Bobby, and Rogue walked into the classroom whispering amongst themselves. Behind them other kids filed in by themselves or in small groups. He gave them a few minutes to get settled and finish up conversations and then called the class to attention.
"Okay class, over the weekend you were suppose to read chapters 1, 2, and 3 of Great Expectations and write a one page reaction to the chapters. Do I have a volunteer to read their paper to get our discussion started." Scott looked around the class but no hands went up to volunteer which surprised he because he usually had at least one or two volunteers and so he had yet to collect or check to see who had written the paper or not. He could usually tell who hadn't written down anything or read by who participated in the class discussions. He could see looks passing between the students. Scott had a feeling very few of his students had done their assignment over the weekend.
"Okay, everyone pass in their papers," Scott told them.
There were groans from throughout the classroom and after a few minutes four papers had found their way to him. He glanced at the names on the papers, Rogue, Kitty, Emma, and Peter. "So I guess the rest of you figured that you could skip the assignment and slide through class today," Scott said letting his gaze fall across the classroom. " You know, I've never collected these papers because I trust you all to do the work. I know from time to time one or two of you may not complete the assignment because of some reason or another but almost the entire class. This is completely unacceptable. I have you write these reactions to get you thinking about the book, to help you realize what you don't really understand about the book. They're a tool to help you not a punishment."
Scott looked around the classroom. Most of the kids were looking at the walls or the desk in front of him. He hoped his words were sinking in.
"How many of you actually read the whole assignment?" Scott asked. He watched as only one other hand besides the four that had written the papers went up. The fifth hand that went up was Bobby Drake's.
"Why didn't you write a paper, Bobby?"
" I put it off reading until last night and didn't have time. I started writing but only have about a quarter of a page," he admitted.
"I'd like you to turn that in please," Scott said. "As for the rest of you," he continued as he waited for Bobby's partial assignment, "did any of you read at least one of the chapters?"
Four more hands went up. Scott took a deep breath and walked over to the window. With the headaches, ones that were more intense than he had in the last few years, that he had been having for the last week or so he didn't need this frustration.
All the students were quiet. None of them, except for Rogue, had ever seen Scott close to losing his calm manner. After a couple of minutes he turned back to the class. "I'm not wasting my time discussing something that most of you didn't read. Those of you who did your assignment, if you have questions or would like to discuss things with me are welcome to stay, Bobby that includes you. The rest of you are dismissed. You're to have up through chapter five read by tomorrow and there will be a test on the first five chapters tomorrow. Class dismissed."
He waited while most of the students filed out of the classroom. When only Rouge, Kurt, Kitty, Bobby and Emma were left Scott spoke again. "It's a nice day outside, why don't we all go out in the garden and have our discussion. I'll answer any questions you have and help you get ready for the test."
The six of them all headed outside. Once in the garden they all lounged in a circle on the grass and discussed the book. After discussing it for awhile Scott started asking them questions, some of which he planned on using on the test the next day.
"Okay, any last questions," Scott asked them as the class period came to an end. All of them shook their heads. "Okay, so you'll all have two more chapters to read tonight. I recommend reading them early so that if there is anything you would like to ask me about you will have the opportunity to do so."
"Could we have a study group tonight," Rouge asked? "Like maybe at eight-thirty or so."
"If you're willing to have everything read by that time then sure I'm willing to hold a study group for you all. Is everyone interested," Scott asked? When everyone nodded Scott said, "okay, I'll see you at eight-thirty in the classroom then."
He stood up and started walking to the mansion. As he did, he noticed an unfamiliar car parked in front of the mansion. On the steps he met up with Ororo who was coming outside.
"There you are. The professor sent me to find you. Hank and Alexis are back with a new student."
Falling in step with Ororo, the two headed toward the mansion.
"Are you okay, Scott," Ororo asked noticing the drawn look to his face.
"I'm fine," Scott told her forcing a smile, despite the headache. He wasn't going to concern anyone else with them. He had been living with headaches ever since his mutant powers had developed. Granted they hadn't been this bad since his powers first developed but he kept telling himself it was just the stress of the last month and nothing else.
Charles Xavier sat in his office filling in Hank, other wise know as Beast, and Alexis, or Artemis, on what had been going on in the time that they had been gone. Hank, and Alexis, while part of the X-men team, had spent the last year and a half away from the mansion. They provided intelligence on Magneto and other mutants like him who were against humanity, intelligence on what was going on outside of the mansion, and kept a look out for other mutants who were lost and alone who may need somewhere to go, who might want to join the cause.
Like Scott, Jean , and Ororo, Hank and Alexis had been with Xavier since the beginning.
Hank was a genius and though not a natural mutant had found his place amongst the X-men. Hank McCoy was a brilliant doctor and bio-chemist. A laboratory accident caused his mutation and ever since he had enhanced strength and agility and when he lost his temper the unfortunate side affect of a body covered in blue fur. Hank had come to live with Xavier at the mansion shortly after the accident when people started to fear and shun him because of his unnatural mutation. In fact he had helped Xavier start the school for gifted youngsters.
Alexis Diablo had come to the school a couple of months before Ororo Munroe had. Her mutant abilities included enhanced strength, agility, eye sight. She had always felt different from everyone else, even her own family. She had dropped out school at the age of fifteen and got in with a gang living on the Chicago streets, her mutant abilities allowing her to stay hidden when she wanted, avoiding the police, and allowed her to strike out at those who threatened her without them ever knowing what hit them. The perfect warrior.
Her unique trait was the ability to absorb another's pain at will. Her ability to control her powers allowed normal person to person contact.
Charles was just finishing recounting their last encounter with Magneto when Scott and Ororo came in. "Ah, I see you've found him, " Xavier said to Ororo. "Both of you, have a seat. I want to tell you both about the new student that Hank and Alexis have brought with him and about some restructuring of the way things are around here. Alexis, why don't you tell us about our new student."
"Hank and I came across him down in New Orleans, hiding on the streets. He goes by Remy, what his last name is or anything about his past he has yet to tell either of us. He is able to take the potential energy of an object into kinetic energy. He has no idea how he does it right now which makes him a little dangerous to be around. The effects of his powers are random at this point." Alexis told them.
"I'll work on him with the control," Xavier said. "In the meantime though we need to try and keep him from hurting himself or hurting others."
As he nodded in agreement Scott thought to himself that he at least had one thing in common with the kid. Before he met the professor he had no way of controlling his powers. He lived in fear of accidently hurting someone by just opening his eyes.
"Scott, Ororo as I think you are both aware, Jean has not been happy here at the school. In fact she is currently looking for employment elsewhere and when she finds something plans on leaving. That is why I have asked Hank and Alexis to quit doing the field work they have been doing and take up residence here at the school. Hank will take Jean's place as our doctor and Alexis will help the two of you with seeing to the education of the students and also be part of our fighting team."
"But what about the information they bring in for us. Isn't that going to hurt us in our fight against mutants like Magneto," Ororo commented.
"Yes, we will be losing some of our intelligence reports but I think right now its more important to regroup and have all of our people together here at the mansion. Since his escape two weeks ago Magneto has been quiet but he's planning something. As talented as you and Scott are, you two can't fight him alone."
"What about training, Rogue also," Scott said. "I know she's still a little young but she's expressed interest in it to me on several occasions and I believe she knows what the consequences of her decision to be an X-man."
"She expressed her wish to start training to me too," Storm said.
"Perhaps we should, " Xavier said. "She is young but as we've seen Magneto doesn't care about the age of his victim's. If he thinks he can use someone he will go after them. Are there any of the other students whom either of you think may be ready to make that decision and start their training."
"Bobby Drake comes to mind," Scott said. "He's seems to be more interested in what Storm and I have been doing lately than his school work. I think Peter would be ready too. He's been with us quite awhile now."
"Kitty Pryde and Jubilee have also seem to have become fascinated with what I've been doing as an X-man. They hang around after class asking me questions."
"I think I'll have a conversation with these four then. Scott and Alexis, if I decide the time is right to start training them then I'd like the two of you to work together in training them. I'll of course be there to guide you but I think its time for me to step back in that aspect."
"Sure professor," they both said.
"I think that about covers everything for now" Xavier said.
All four of them stood up and left Xavier's office. Out in the hallway Ororo hugged both Hank and Alexis saying, "Its great that you two are back. I've missed you both."
"It will be nice to actually be in the same place for more than two nights," Hank told her. "Being on the move all the time gets tiri..."
The sound of a crash interrupted their conversation. All four of them sprinted toward the recreational room from which the sound had come from. When they reached the recreation room pieces of what use to be a lamp on the floor. Several students were standing around the room looking at the broken lamp, including the new kid Remy. All of them were staring at the broken lamp on the floor.
"What happened," Scott demanded coming to a stop just inside the doorway.
"It was an accident," Remy said quickly. "I just went to turn it on, honest."
"It's okay, Remy," Alexis said stepping around Scott and going to him. "Accidents happen to everyone," She told him as she put an arm around his shoulders.
Seeing that everything was under control Scott left the room and headed upstairs to his bedroom. His head was pounding and among other things he had a spur of the moment test to prepare along with the study group tonight.
Scott sat down at his desk and started preparing the test. As he worked the pounding in his head just seemed to get louder and louder. After awhile he gave up trying to work and laid down on his bed wishing the pain would go away.