Disclaimer: I do not own X-men evolution or anything to do with it.
One
The sun glinted on the polished black metal of the sleek jaguar purring along the road, much like the cat it had got its name from. Inside was a haven of brushed aluminium, black velvet and leather. Two white gloved hands expertly welded the steering wheel, turning it and adjusting the gear stick with as much grace as a ballet dancer. The uniformed chauffeur turned his head to speak into the small microphone mounted in between the two front seats.
"Are you comfortable in there, miss?"
"Yeah, thanks." The voice betrayed none of the frantic thoughts running through the passengers head, but the drumming fingers on the leather armrest gave away this cool customer and her real thoughts. Her chauffeur could not see his passenger through the black tinted screen separating the front and back seats of the car, but he heard the out-of time drumming and turned back to the road. It was long and wide, with no bends or turns, and the golden sun shone down on the dusty tarmac, casting up small heat waves into the atmosphere. Sweat glistened on the chauffeur's clean forehead. He could have taken his hands off the wheel and gone to sleep, but he knew that was more than his jobs worth. All he had to do was get this young teen to 'The Xavier Institute' and leave, and then he would get his money. Who would pay that much to deliver one kid? He had thought briefly before accepting the job. Her parents must want to get rid of her bad. Maybe she's disgraced them or something. Maybe this 'Xavier Institute is really a hostel where she'll 'disappear'… But after looking up the Xavier institute on the internet and seeing that it was all it claimed to be, a board-house for gifted children, his mind was soon put to rest. But he couldn't forget the disgusted edge to her parents' voices as they gave him his instructions.
"We don't care how long it takes you to get her to the damn institute when you're in America. But we both want her out of England by tonight. The quicker the better." It had not been his place to inquire why, but it was obvious that there was something in this teen that revolted her parents so much they were willing to pay anything to get her out of their sight.
Well, it's not like they don't have enough money to. He thought. Imagine! Never in his days of chauffeuring had he ever served the likes of such celebrities: Georgina Flower (the most prized catwalk model and head of the highly successful Flower Cosmetics) and Adrian Passion, (the billionaire oil tycoon), the most famous married couple to step into the limelight! Such honour!
The sight of two high, iron gates shocked the chauffeur out of his memories. As he drove the car elegantly infront of the gates, the intercom buzzed into action.
"Yes?"
"I am with Ms Ab-"
"Of course. Please, come in." The chauffeur gasped as the gates rolled open. A magnificent white building lay down the long and curving driveway. "Welcome to the Xavier institute."
"Kurt, get away from the window. Professor Xavier will see you and get…ideas." The blue furred, slightly demonic-looking teen stuck his blue tongue out at Kitty, who rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her magazine.
"A car's pulling up!" Kurt's heavily accented German voice rang out through the Rest and Recreation room like a foghorn.
"It's probably the new kid." Logan growled, spearing an apple with his metal claws.
Kurt turned to the small table beside him where a pair of binoculars lay. His three fingered hands adjusted the dials quickly and soon a close-up of the black car outside came into focus.
"What can you see, Kurt?" Kitty asked. Kurt didn't reply. Suitcases were being loaded out of the boot by a man in a smart uniform. They were old and battered, but there were dozens of stickers all over them.
"The door's opening!" Kurt almost yelled in excitement.
"What's she called, anyway?" A slow drawl broke the after shock of Kurt's exclamation. Rogue waited for someone to answer her question, and when no-one did she collapsed on the sofa next to Evan.
"Charles didn't say." Logan finally answered, through a mouthful of apple.
"Hey, Kurt, can you see anything yet?" Kitty asked. She was immediately shushed by Kurt, and Evan, overcome by curiosity, got up and walked around to the window which Kurt was staring out of. A pair of feet emerged from the car door, cased in bright yellow sneakers. Tattered, holey jeans followed, with a studded belt slung around the hips. White sleeveless top topped with a grey and red baseball jacket, a single amber necklace around the neck. And then finally, finally, the new girl turned away from looking into the car to face the institute.
"Is she pretty?" Jean asked, looking up from her chess game with Scott.
Kurt stared through the binoculars at the new student of the Xavier Institute. Hair the colour of ripe oranges hung down and draped over her shoulders; bright eyes stared up at wonder at the institute, and a smile played around the full and curved lips. A scatter of freckles around the nose and a small swish of eyeliner around the eyes completed the image. Jean repeated her question, now completely ignorant to chess. Suddenly, a 'bamf' sound and a brimstone stench answered all questions.
"Yeah, she's pretty." Scott sighed.
"Welcome to the Xavier Institute." The new girl turned to see a neatly suited, bald man wheel up from the open doors. At first he looked sombre and serious, but he smiled, and warmth flooded into Abigail's heart. A spark lit up his brown eyes as she smiled as wide as her mouth would let her. The figure of Charles Xavier moved further towards her, and behind him a beautiful African woman dressed in a long, flowing skirt and a white embroidered top emerged, her white hair brushed back from her face and fluttering slightly in the warm breeze. Her gentle smile gave out an immense aura of peace and serenity, and it soon stretched as the new students face lit up and her smile erupted into a grin of gratitude.
"On the contrary, thanks for letting me come! I just hope I'll be happy here -" The last of her sentence was slightly edged with a fringe of almost mournful hope.
"I'm sure you will. Your gifts will not be mocked here. Now, how about we meet your fellow students?" Charles turned his wheelchair swiftly around and then felt himself smile at the commotion going on behind him.
"No, really, I can take them. Honestly."
"No, miss, I can. I refuse to let you take them."
"Look, I don't like treating people like a servant. Give me them, I'll take them. Honestly." Ororo smiled at their new arrivals feisty and independent demeanour, one she learned to respect within a small amount of time. Her white hair curled around her shoulders as the breeze blew up suddenly.
"No, miss, I-"
"JUST LET GO OF MY DAMNED SUITCASES!" Charles turned his head to see the uniformed chauffeur jump back as the teen girl grabbed her suitcases with surprising strength and agility and jumped up the steps before he could do anything about it. Charles smiled, and as the doors opened he saw Ororo look fondly upon her. She was swinging the bags at her sides, with an easy grin plastered on her face as she looked around the opening foyer with wonder in her eyes. She was ideal.
"Where's Kurt gone?" Evan asked as he saw the professor wheel into the foyer.
"Dunno. But he'll miss the first appearance of the newbie if he doesn't arrive soon." Rogue drawled, turning her head to look at the opening doors.
"Students, this is the newest addition to the institute." Charles said, moving in and facing his pupils. Ororo came in, and looked over her shoulder. No-one followed.
"Come in, child. They won't bite!" She smiled, stepping back.
"Mr. Logan might." Kitty muttered, grinning to herself.
"Pupils," Charles said, smiling as he saw out of the corner of his eye a bright yellow sneaker edge its way into the room, "Meet Abigail Passion-Flower." Then she was in the room, one hand crossed behind her back and the other making the well-known peace sign.
"Um…hi. " There was a small silence as everyone stared at her and drank in her well worn but expensive clothes, her boyish frame and above all, her stunning ginger hair. Suddenly a loud 'bamf' broke the silence like a bomb exploding. A familiar blue teen appeared in a puff of smoke right next to Abigail.
"Welcome, fraulien! I am Kurt Wagner, here to show you around your new home!" Kurt's face was barely a couple of inches away from Abigail's. The shocked look on her face soon passed away to an amused one, although Kitty thought she saw an undertone of uneasiness.
"Erm, h-hi there, furry blue dude." She stuttered, but then her bright green eyes stared as Kurt brought a fresh rose up to hand to her with a look of unbounded triumph on his face.
"A welcome gift, for you." He said softly, grinning. Abigail couldn't help but notice the fangs.
"Wow…thanks!" She took it and stroked the soft yellow petals, gazing absent-mindedly around the room. Rogue smiled at her; Kitty waved and grinned; Evan gave her the thumbs-up, and even Logan came close to smiling - but then he just nodded. Scott and Jean came over and in turn shook her hand.
"Welcome. I'm Scott, this is Jean. We're the eldest students here." Scott's easy grin made Abigail look on him like an older brother, and when Jean stepped forward to greet her Abigail's smile stretched even further.
"Hi. You'll be very happy here, don't worry! If you ever have any trouble with anything, don't be afraid to come to talk to me about it." Jean clasped Abigail's hand, and for a moment Abigail looked like she would never let go. Then she squeezed it and dropped her hand to her side, stuffing it in her pocket.
"Thank you." She blurted out, but her voice was soft, gentle. "Everyone's so nice!" Abigail's voice rang out through the room, her smile radiant. Her shoulders heaved slightly, and she switched her suitcases to the opposite hands as she had done twice before. Kurt saw this, and jumped at the chance to help.
"Here, fraulien, let me help. I'll show you to your room!" And before Abigail could protest Kurt had taken both her suitcases from her and started to walk with a spring in his step towards the staircase.
"Look, I'm no kid. I can handle my own luggage. Hey! Careful with that handle! I'll take one…Kurt, give it here…" Abigail's voice gradually grew fainter she jogged up the steps beside Kurt, who seemed delighted to be the centre of her attention -or at least, holding the bags that were. The eyes of the people in the R&R room followed her.
"I like her." Rogue said, breaking the silence.
"Same. She so…like, cool, you know? I can feel that she's reliable. I like that!" Kitty added, fanning herself with her glossy magazine.
"Did you see those stickers on her suitcase? The British Skateboarders League -gold member! She's got to have a skateboard!" Evan raved, his hands flying above his head.
"Yeah, she seems nice enough. She's already taken a shine to Scott!" Jean laughed, nudging Scott in the ribs, who went slightly pink. Logan stabbed the apple core with a claw and threw it expertly into the bin. He glanced at Professor Xavier's face. They both seemed to converse silently.
"She'll be fine, Charles. Just make sure elf there doesn't annoy her. I wouldn't like to see her angry." His voice rumbled around the room like an angry volcano. Charles nodded.
"I agree. But we can't keep her powers bounded forever. It sounds like she had enough of that in Britain. She'll need extensive training." Logan nodded.
"Yeah. With gifts like that, who wouldn't?"
"This is your room, fraulien."
"Quit calling me that-oh my…" Abigail gazed round her room in wonder. It was filled with perfectly normal things: a bed in one corner, a desk below a painting, a wardrobe by the window, and a couple of pictures…to some it may seem like a perfectly average room. But it was the amount of space in between that seemed to awe Abigail.
"It's so big…"She marvelled, looking up at the high ceiling and turning round to get a full look at her surroundings. Kurt smiled and put her cases gently down by her wardrobe.
"You know, Abigail, in Germany we have a custom for thanking someone…" Abigail turned to face him, a look of inquiring innocence on her face.
"Yeah? What is it?" She stared as Kurt walked up in front of her and leaned forward, his eyes closed and his lips puckered. For a second there was a silence. Then-
"Out." Kurt opened his eyes to see Abigail's face set hard. Her eyes were narrowed into black slits, and her lips were pursed. Kurt did notice, however, the pink tinge that had come to her cheeks.
"Was? It's only a harmless kiss…"
"OUT! NOW!" Kurt tried not to grin as Abigail pushed him towards the doors and shoved him out. As the door slammed behind him he let an impish grin spread all over his blue furry face. Then he danced downstairs and was greeting by the laughs of his fellow boarders.
"You tried to, didn't you?"
"Stupid elf!"
Abigail faintly heard the sounds of laughed and smiled to herself. She gazed back out of the window, surveying the acres of beautiful grounds the Institute commanded. It was so serene…Abigail never thought she would see any countryside that was more in harmony with its surroundings than the countryside of England. But here in America, in Bayville, there were so many trees and open land that it was as if Nature had welcomed man into its land, and man, in return, had respected their boundaries of industry and left whole acres of ground untouched. She pondered over her surroundings as she unpacked her clothes and possessions, opening each drawer of the desk and filling it up untidily. Within an hour she had unpacked and had turned her attention back to the window.
She was soon jerked out of her thoughts by someone calling her name.
"Abigail! Tea-time!" She heard laughter and commotion from downstairs. Soon other voices joined the first and soon it seemed that everyone was yelling her name, beckoning her downstairs, welcoming her to her new home. Abigail grinned as she heard one voice rise above the rest, with a distinct German accent.
"Coming!" She bellowed back, and looked over the grounds once more before turning to go and join her new family.
On entering the dining room, lead by a beautiful African woman Abigail soon learned to called Ororo (or Storm); Abigail soon learned that everyone seemed to ignore the rules about misusing their powers. A brunette called Kitty reached through Rogue, a moody rebel, to get to the butter. Evan was spearing his food in a kebab-style way with one of his spikes protruding from his hand, and Kurt was teleporting all about the room to collect the food he wished. Abigail looked up at Ororo.
"I thought-" She began, but Ororo's smile stopped her.
"As long as they don't harm anything or anyone, no-one will mind. You just have to be careful that no-one outside the institute sees you or them using their…gifts." Abigail nodded. She of all people understood that. Ororo gently steered her to the one free seat inbetween Kurt and Rogue and then went to sit down opposite her. Abigail quickly helped herself to some sandwiches before Kurt took any, and settled back in her seat to eat. Soon everyone had joined her after the platters on the table had been cleared.
"So, Abigail," Kitty said through a mouthful of lettuce. "What got you here?" Abigail looked up to see everyone looking at her.
"Um…" She swallowed. "A- a car?" She went red when everyone laughed, cursing her stupidity.
"I think what Kitty is trying to ask is what makes you different from other people? Have you got a talent which brought you here?" Jean asked with a gentle smile, cutting a piece of meat delicately with her knife and fork. Abigail glanced at Ororo, who had, even in the few minutes they had known each other, become an almost mother-like figure to her. She nodded. Abigail brought her hand up, palm facing up to the ceiling. To anyone who didn't have the insight of those with the x-gene, it merely looked like a gesture. But almost everyone in the room was quick to note how the flames of the candles seemed to bend towards Abigail's hand, how the water in the jug ever so slightly shifted towards her- and how the branches outside seemed to bend towards the windows.
"Has someone got a window open? There's a draft coming through." Kitty asked, a wisp of her hair getting caught infront of her face. It was Abigail who answered.
"Believe me, no window is open." It took a few moments for Kitty to catch up with everyone else.
"Oh!" She gasped, looking at the candles, the water in her glass, and then the branches outside. As Abigail followed her gaze the rose bush bloomed new roses, and a vine snaked its way up a tree. "Oh!" Kitty looked back at Abigail.
"Your eyes…they aren't usually that colour, are they?" Rogue stared into the slightly yellow depths of Abigail's eyes. Then she blinked, and the new boarder's eyes were back to being a bright shade of green, the breeze had gone, and the water sloshed back into place.
"Abigail has the valuable talent to control the four ancient elements: Air, Water, Fire and Earth." Charles Xavier's voice rang out through the room.
"Cool." Evan grinned. "Must be helpful when you don't want to do sports." Abigail shook her head.
"I don't normally do rain, if that's what you're saying. It takes a lot out of me. But yeah-" She grinned. "It's helped me in more encounters than I care to mention." Logan noticed the slight waver in her voice as she spoke. Something told him that her 'gifts' had helped her quite recently. And from the way she seemed to be more alert than even him, Logan soon realised that her latest encounter hadn't been one of an ordinary kind.
"After tea, Abigail, would you kindly report to me? I'll get you suited up and then we'll have to see how your gifts work out." Ororo said, her voice calm and soothing.
"How my gifts work out?" A look of confusion passed over Abigail's face.
"You're going to be put in the danger room. Ow!" It was the first time Kurt spoke since the beginning of the meal. Kitty kicked him under the table at his careless use of words.
"The danger room?!" Abigail exclaimed, wildly looking at Ororo. "What the heck is that?" She didn't like the sound of it at all. She briefly remembered her home…this danger room sounded all too familiar.
"The danger room is a training facility. You'll be perfectly safe, Abigail. We'll just put up dummies and such to see how you manipulate the elements to your own advantage." The professor said, setting down his cutlery. Abigail glanced at Kurt, who smiled. Instead of re-assuring Abigail, this only made her more cautious. But then Logan, sitting across from her, caught her eye. His face was giving away no emotion, but in his eyes Abigail found a small shred of trust.
"Well, if you say so…" Abigail mumbled, lowering herself back into her chair, shrugging. She jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Ororo smiled down at her.
"There's no time like the present." Abigail stared for a second, but then got up and followed her out of the dining room, but not before glancing over her shoulder at her fellow boarders. Kurt gave her the thumbs up, along with Evan. Kitty smiled reassuringly. Rogue was the only one who didn't turn round. Abigail smiled back at Kitty and pulled the door shut behind her, but it was a long time before her footsteps stopped echoing around the room.