Okay so this is my first X-Men so please be nice! So I don't own anything expect Niki Foxx... booyaaa! I know this chapter doesn't have much action but come on, it's the first chapter and I'm trying to introduce a new character. So basically this story starts before the first episode of X-Men Evolution and it's going to follow the series. So you'll recongize the story lines. Yeah another thing I don't own. So please enjoy!
She was lying on top of the covers. The motel hadn't had air conditioning for the past week. She reached over to the nightstand to grab a hair tie. Her dark brown hair fell beyond her shoulders, making the back of her neck all sweaty. The petite brunette stood up and bent over so her hair was hanging down. She tied it all up into a messy lop-sided bun. She flipped her upper body up right again and looked at herself in the mirror. Her orange soffee shorts made her skin seem more bronze then it normally was. She poked her abs and realized they weren't as toned as they use to be, she decided tonight she would do some sort of core workout. Her black sports bra was old looking and her side bangs covered one of her milk chocolate eyes completely.
"I really need to get a haircut." She mumbled to herself.
She sat back on the bed when she heard a knock on the door. The brunette padded her way to the door and opened it without bothering to look through the peephole. Standing on the other side of the door were two men. The bald one sat in a wheelchair, his hands laced together on his lap. The other man slightly frightened the petite brunette. He had broad shoulders and a toned chest.
"Hello Niki Foxx," The bald man said, "I'm Professor Charles Xavier. I run The Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters."
"Huh?" Niki mumbled, scratching the back of her head.
The scary one spoke this time, "A school for mutants." His voice was harsh.
"Oh that's me." Niki smiled, "Come on in."
Charles wheeled himself in while examining the room. The walls and ceiling were covered with burn marks and water stains. The other man was walking behind the Professor sniffing the air.
"Yeah the smell you smell is from Ned. He lives like on the other side of the motel." Niki said.
"You can smell that?" The scary dude asked.
"Yeah," Niki answered as if it was the dumbest question ever, "It's an extra gift my grandma always said. The entire animal like stuff. Like the great hearing, and sense of smell, and eye sight, and the reflexes, and so on. Like… scary dude!"
"It's Logan." He growled at her.
Niki took a step back, "Logan, I know you where the guy who "saved" me that day. I remember your scent."
Logan looked at the girl. She definitely had matured a lot since then. But that was the reason why he came when he found out it was the same girl from one year before. Looking around the crappy motel room he realized he should have done more. He should have tried to convince her parents to send her to the Institute, where she would be safe. But nope, he listened to what her father had told him and now here Logan was, staring at the same girl, but this time she was living in some crappy motel room.
"So how do you afford this place" Logan asked.
Niki just gave him a sly smile, "You know those games where you have to find a seed under a cup. Well with super hearing I can hear the seed and always get it right. So I work with this guy. He goes his normal speed, I guess the right one and everyone wants to try."
"Cause no one expects a girl that looks like you to be a hustler." Logan finished.
Niki nodded. She flopped down on the bed and turned her attention to the professor. He had been quiet the whole time. Niki figured he was thinking of ways to try and convince her to come to this Institute. As Niki thought about it, it didn't seem all that bad. Free food, free room, maybe he would help with her with her powers.
"Yes I would love to help you with your powers."
Niki jumped at the Professor's voice. She didn't expect him to answer her, but she figured he could read minds.
"As I looked around your room," Xavier continued, "I noticed you have burn marks and water stains all over the place. It seems you lack a certain ability of controlling your powers."
"Well…" Niki mumbled, but suddenly her face scrunched and she sneezed. Fire shot out of her left hand and water out of her right. Logan jumped out of the flames line of sight just in time. Charles just watched as a strong stream of water flew by his head.
Niki smiled sheepishly, "Okay, I don't have as good as control as I would like."
"It's okay," The Professor smiled warmly at her, "Everyone has trouble with their powers. Now can you show me how it should look?"
Niki nodded and held her hands palms facing up. She scrunched up her face and was concentrating hard on her hands. In her left palm a ragged flame sat in her palm. It shot out random flames and was much uncontrolled. In her right palm an unsteady stream of water floated around her hand. The water, however, was more controlled then the fire. Charles assumed that Niki had an easier time with water then she did with fire.
The Professor nodded, "Now how is your manipulating of fire and water?"
"Water's pretty easy," Niki smiled, but then her face became solemn, "Fire's tricky, probably because naturally it's unpredictable to begin with."
"Why don't you come and stay at the Institute? At the Institute we'll help you learn to control your powers and be a better mutant. You'll be safe there, I promise you." The Professor said. To Niki it sounded like he had recited that speech hundreds of times.
She began playing with her earrings. She had two holes on each ear and her left cartilage pierced.
"Look Professor," Niki started, "I was kicked out of my house when I was fourteen. You aren't going to get my parents to agree with this. My dad disowned me."
Charles wheeled forward toward Niki, "Niki we can work out a special arrangement. Since you've been taking care of yourself for the past year, I think you can make the decision."
Niki sighed. She looked around her motel room. It sucked. It was complete and utter crap. And then Niki looked at herself in the mirror again. The girl she saw in the mirror, it looked like her, but it wasn't the same Niki Foxx two years ago. The one whose eyes were always sparkling for some reason or another. She looked at Logan, almost like she was looking for reassurance from him. His arms were folded across his chest as he gave her a nod. She felt better now, a lot better.
"Alright, I'll go. I think it'll be best!" Niki finally said.
Xavier nodded, "Very well then. Very well."
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For the past month Niki had been training hard to learn how to control and improve her powers. The Professor even showed her that she could shoot ice beams from her right hand as well. As the month went on the flame that danced in Niki's left hand became more and more like a regular flame. It didn't splutter around or shoot out random burst of fire. Also the water that danced around her right hand became smoother. Now when Niki manipulated water it was easier and less of a struggle. Fire, however, still had its kinks. But Niki still had one problem. She still had a hard time keeping the fire and water in her hands. The Professor had been playing around with ideas to help her control it, until one day it all became clear.
That day Charles had been helping Niki learn how to create whirlpools in the pool. When Niki had finished she plopped down on a lounge chair and stared at the pool.
"I wish controlling the water and fire in my hands was as easy as manipulating it." She sighed.
"Niki," Xavier wheeled himself in front of her, "I've been thinking of ways to help you with that control. I think the best way is using my powers to help you out."
"Okay." Niki shrugged. She would try anything to get this under control.
Charles placed his hands on either side of Niki's head. "I need you to close your eyes and snap you fingers continuously." He said soothingly.
Niki relaxed and closed her eyes, snapping her fingers continuously. The Professor searched through Niki's head. He could feel that this was working, that Niki would finally have control, when a fire demon lunged at him in Niki's head. His head shot back and he opened his eyes to see Niki still sitting there eyes closed and snapping. Charles breathing was ragged. He knew what he saw and it explained what happened on that faithful day a year ago.
Niki opened her eyes and stared at the Professor. "Did it work?" She asked, her voice shaking slightly.
"Snap your fingers and find out."
Niki snapped her fingers and a flame appeared in her left hand and a stream of water danced around her right. She jumped up in excitement and shook her hands so the two elements would disappear.
"Thank you Prof! Thank you!" Niki was so excited, "I never felt like I was in control before! I have to show Logan!" She ran into the Institute a great skip in her step.
Charles turned his wheelchair and faced the pool. He decided that is was time to finally make Niki an honorary X-Man. Granted so far there was only Jean, Scott, Logan and Ororo, but Niki deserved it. She had worked so hard to get to where she was. And as Logan kept reminding him, Niki was one hell of a fighter.
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"So you ready for your first day at Bayville High School?" Scott Summers asked, fixing his reddish brown hair.
Niki scrunched her face, "Yeah school. Yippee."
Scott smiled at her and looked her up and down. He couldn't help it. To be blunt she was hot. She was wearing jeans with the ripped and worn style and a black v-neck belly shirt t-shirt. Niki gave Scott a questioning look. He'd been staring at her, and Niki was getting a little annoyed.
"Why don't you take a picture? It'll last longer." She teased him.
"Ha-ha. Funny."
Niki smiled brightly, "It's a gift!"
"Yeah okay," Scott rolled his eyes behind his ruby quartz glasses, "You're so funny that I don't know if I should give you a ride to school."
Niki's smiled turned into a sly one, "Well if you don't, I guess I could always…oh I dunno… melt your tires, maybe?"
"Oh you're good. Real good." Scott said.
Niki smiled again and Scott had to smile too. It was like her smile was contagious. Niki turned her back on Scott and made her way to the garage. Or at least that's where Scott assumed she was going.
"Scott?"
"Yeah Professor?" Scott said turning to face the owner of the mansion.
"I need you to keep an eye out on Niki." He said.
Scott raised an eyebrow, "No offense Professor, but I think Niki can take care of herself."
"No that's not it," Charles shook his head; "She can't lose her temper and get too angry. If that happens the fire in her…it may take over."
"Is that bad?"
The Professor nodded, "Disastrous."
"How will I know?" Scott asked.
Xavier thought back to the event that Logan had witness over a year ago involving Niki. He thought of everything that Logan had described to him. "First a few water pipes and fountains may burst. If there is any fire around it will explode. Then heat starts radiating off her arm and her eyes slowly start to turn red. To be honest I don't know what will happen next, and I rather never know."
"Understood Professor," Scott dropped his head, "I'll do whatever I can to keep that from happening to Niki."
"Very good. Now run along or you'll be late to school." The Professor said, forming a smile at the latter part of the sentence.
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Niki was sitting on her bed, a history book on her lap and a thin stream of water dancing around on the other side of her room. Her radio was blaring so she could drown out the noise of the youngsters running around the front yard. Niki sniffed the air and a familiar scent filled her nostrils.
"The door is open Logan!" She shouted.
Logan opened the door to see Niki with her nose in a book. "Whatcha working on bub?"
"History. But like seriously, who assigns homework on the first day of school?"
Logan rolled his eyes and leaned on the wall. He watched as Niki manipulated the tiny stream of water will reading her history book.
"Oh hey!" Niki looked up from her book, "You probably lived this! Maybe you can help me!"
Logan snorted, "Do your own work hot head."
"Fine," She sighed, "So why did you come knocking on my door?"
"I wanted to know how your first day of school was." Logan asked. He pulled the chair from her desk closer to her bed and sat on it.
Niki closed her book and looked at Logan; a smile on her face, "It was fine. I couldn't hear anyone say bad stuff about me. And walking in with Jean and Scott really help with my reputation. Oh and a lot of guys think I'm hot!"
Logan snarled at the last part. Over the past few months Logan had become protective of Niki. He wouldn't say he had taken on a father role; he was just protecting a girl who needed protection. Niki brought the stream of water she was playing with over to Logan and dropped it on his head.
Logan growled at her and Niki laughed. "Sorry," She said in between giggles, "Look, if a guy tries to mess with me I can take him." Logan opened his mouth but Niki continued, "And I don't need my powers."
Logan pushed Niki in the shoulder, with a small smile gracing his face. Niki laughed at Logan, trying to hide his sensitive side. He got up from his chair and put it back where it belonged. Or at least where Niki had left it.
"Dinner's at seven." He threw over his shoulder as he left Niki's room.
"Yeah I know." Niki said. When Logan left the doorway Niki snapped her right fingers and shot a quick spout of water at the door, causing it to close with a thud. She threw her history book on the floor and walked out to the little porch her room had. Niki leaned on the rail, starring at the water in front of her. A smile began to grace Niki's face as she realized that this was the place for her. That's this is where she belonged. And that these people, they were her new family and they would always be there for her. And Niki liked that. She liked that a lot.
So what do you think? Please review, they make my day! Oh and any spelling mistakes are my fault. I don't have a beta or whatever. Please review! It isn't that hard!