Title: I'm Standing On The Bridge
By: Kaede Kinkade
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Disclaimer: Make it simple I don't own any of the X-Men, those are all creation's of Stan 'the man' Lee. Any who I only own Kali.
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Rating: PG-13
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Author's Note: Just to let you know this is an original character fan fiction, I'm well aware some of you hate original characters…and if you do, don't read this. My original character is the center of this story. Though, I hope she doesn't turn into a Mary-Sue. So please read and review! Thanks.
Note: / = telepathic conversation/
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Prologue: It's a Damn Cold Night
January, 25 2003
She moved with the grace and finesse of a feline, her slender body disappearing into shadows the occasional glint of the sword she carried would be seen as she stepped past a street light. It was the middle of winter, snow covering the city like a blanket, but this girl had no coat on…she barely wore anything at all to keep warm.
For a few moments time she stood outside of a door to an old apartment building, waiting. She hid her presence against the crumbling bricks of the building, the all black she wore hiding her in the shadows. The girl's breathing was silent and steady as ice blue hues watched a man exit the building. This man seemed happy, he was smiling, and humming a slight uplifting tune as he removed latex gloves from his large hands.
The girl quietly followed him, the city streets were all but deserted the occasional car honking or people speaking in the distance were the only sounds other then the heavy footsteps of the man she was following that she could hear.
This girl was stealthy, the best at what she does and only at the tender age of seventeen. She shouldn't be out this late at night following the portly man that was in front of her, no. Instead she should be doing what every other seventeen year old would be doing on a Tuesday night, gushing over the phone to friends about the latest crush, maybe studying for a test, or watching a movie and eating pizza.
But this girl was anything but a normal seventeen year old. She was a mutant, a child of the atom with the X factor in her blood giving her unique powers. It was her power that brought her into this position, she could hear the dead. Sometimes when someone dies they get stuck in a sort of limbo when they can't move on.
This girl hears the dead trapped in the limbo. For the most part, they want to be there sometimes they help her and teach her things she would have never known…but some, those who were murdered their violent and they won't move on until they are avenged. That's where this young girl comes in, she avenges their murders so they can move on and stop torturing her with their images and pain from their death.
So that's what led her to follow this man, an extremely dangerous man even though he didn't look like he would hurt a fly. He was chubby and waddled slightly, this man reminded the girl of John Goodman she gave a slight smile at the thought before stepping out of the shadows behind him and giving a slight whistle holding her large sword over one shoulder, now in complete light of the streetlights she looked slightly older then seventeen, her pale skin shown out against the black cloths that adorned her body. The slight breeze made her dark orange hair hang slightly messily around her face, but she didn't care.
The man looked behind him and let out a slight gasp of surprise, but held his ground…what could this little girl do? And she was little, his brown eyes roamed over her body she was no taller then five foot five and looked like she hadn't ate in weeks. He gave a queer smile, something that looked unnatural on his face. Who did this little girl think she was? He'd show her a thing or two about sneaking up on people like that. Then she spoke, her voice was soft and clear like a melody but carried a sharpness about it.
"Mr. Bill Wilson of Dallas Texas…what brings you all the way to New York? Perhaps it's all the money you get as a contract killer…no one would suspect little old you. I mean look at you, you're the type of guy that looks like he should be in a bar having a good time with his friends. Not killing people in cold blood. Let me ask you one question, how do you plea of this…guilty or innocent?"
He was shocked she knew so much about him, his name…where he was born…and what he did for a living. But Mr. Bill Wilson stood his ground and his hand slipped behind him for his gun he kept with him at all times. He gave a cocky smile,
"Innocent of course young lady, I think you have the wrong…man." He stated whipping out his gun and firing off a shot even before he finished his sentence.
She knew this was going to happen, the dead warned her and in a split second her large broadsword was taken up and deflected the bullet that would have hit her in the head. She gave a slight 'tsk…tsk…tsk' noise before raising her sword and throwing it at him, the large silver blade embedding itself in his chest. He made a slight scream but it was cut off as he fell towards the sidewalk ground. The girl blinked for a moment adjusting herself as the man's voice found it's way into her head, but not for long…he didn't stay in limbo for long. None of the killers really did.
She simply shook her head as she headed towards the body to pull out her broadsword. Why did they always have to try and kill her? A booted foot rested on the dead man's side as she tugged at her sword out of his body. The blood dripped off the sword for a moment splattering on her black worn jeans but then suddenly the blood was gone, the silver of the sword was now swirling with red before turning back to it's normal color. Her sword had absorbed the blood, but this was nothing new to her.
She lifted the sword over her shoulder to rest before walking away from the dead contract killer, she whistled a simple tune as she faded into the shadows. Her work for that night was done, and the dead inside her head had quieted down.
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January 26, 2003
Headlines:
Vigilante strikes again! Fifteenth killing this month of a convicted killer.
Professor Charles F. Xavier shook his head sadly glancing at the news reports as he confirmed a new mutant with Cerebra's files. The killing's took place in the exact locations of the new mutants readings. A frown was painted across his face as he tried to understand why a seventeen year old girl would be such a vicious murderer. It seemed he would have to pay her a visit and judge for himself…but it was best to have someone on hand with him…just incase she got a little to kill happy.
/Logan please report to my office as soon as possible./ he called out telepathically, this would definitely be interesting.
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The apartment wasn't in the best part of the city, that was for sure, Logan slowed the X Van to a stop in front of an old building that looked as though it should be condemned.
"Yer sure this is the place Chuck?" He questioned his friend and mentor as his dark eyes glanced out from under the cowboy hat he wore towards the apartment complex they just parked next to. The bald professor nodded as Logan helped him out of the car. This was definitely the place, at least what Cerebra listed as the girls last known place of residence.
The girl they were looking for was Kali Stevens, originally from Los Vegas, her apparent mutant ability was to hear the dead…or so the readings from Cerebra said. Charles gave Logan his best reassuring grin before speaking as they entered the old apartment building, the kind where you just walk in…there was no door man, no buzzer, no lobby…just stairs. Thankfully there were elevators, while in the elevator which creaked at the slightest movement Charles started to explain why they were here to Logan, who was only explained the basics before hand.
"This girl is very aggressive, the chances of her wanting our help with her powers is very slim…" Charles started, only to be interrupted by Logan who currently leaned on the back wall of the elevator.
"Then why are we out here Chuck?"
"Because of all the recent killings…"
"The one's of all those murderer's and rapists?"
"Yes, those killings, all in the same manor… clean cut of a sword…"
"But what does this little girl have to do about it?"
"Everything…"
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Kali groaned slightly as she heard the loud rapping at her apartment door, well at least the knocking didn't come with someone yelling 'police'! That was always a plus, she slipped off the mattress and onto a pile of cloths next to the bed. Her head was throbbing as if she had a major hangover, a pale hand groped for her watch that was set on a box serving as a nightstand next to her bed. It was a little after noon,
"Hold yer horses!" She shouted out as she stood, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She wore the same exact cloths she went out in that night, her black jeans luckily hid the bloody spots well. She stumbled towards the door, her bare feet stepping over newspaper clippings and file folders on her way towards the door.
Kali twisted the doorknob and let the creaking door open to reveal a crippled bald man in a wheelchair and a wannabe cowboy. She yawned and leaned against the door,
"What do you want?" She questioned itching at her dark orange hair which was very much a mess. The bald man was the first to speak,
"We just wish to talk to you about a few things, would it be okay if we came in?" He questioned in an authority type tone that really couldn't be refused. Kali tilted her head and listened to limbo for a moment…these were good guys. She nodded and stood back away from the door letting them enter the danger zone she called her home.
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Logan took a seat on a well worn crimson sofa that sat in the middle of a small living room. There was a television in one corner that was on a twenty-four hour news channel the mute button activated, it wasn't a tidy place somehow it reminded Logan of his usual hangout's before meeting Chuck, who currently sat next to the sofa in his wheelchair.
Their were books all over the place, old books whose pages were yellowing and the writing was fading. Some sat cluttered on a coffee table that was placed in front of the sofa, file folders were labeled with large untidy writing, some open to see police like reports. Newspaper clippings were the most abundant, laying on the floor, taped to the walls, over the coffee table, heck Logan was pretty sure he was even sitting on some.
Kali sat opposite of the sofa in an overstuffed black chair, Logan could smell the blood on her, there was a lot of different smells in her small apartment, mostly blood…but not the same blood different blood from different people. He could also smell vanilla…vanilla and blood…
Chuck was asking the girl a lot of questions, for the most part Logan tuned it out just sitting there like some sort of body guard, Kali speaking caused Logan to step out of his trance.
"You want me…to go to this boarding house oh excuse me…boarding mansion to learn how to control my powers?" She questioned with a snort and raised brows .
"Yes, you'll be with other teens your age, in a safe environment…if you don't like it…you can come back here, no strings attached."
Kali seemed to contemplate this, she tilted her head towards one side for a moment before leaning forward and clasping her hands together as if thinking really hard. Logan glanced at Chuck, Chuck glanced at the girl.
"Why me?" She finally asked, her remarkably bright blue eyes glanced from both Logan to Chuck as if this was some kind of set up.
"Because your only seventeen child, you kill killer's for a living, you live alone here with no family…I'm offering you this because I believe my school can help you in the long run…" Chuck explained to the girl as best as possible.
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Kali didn't say anything at first, instead she just leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs and raising a pale hand to her chin in a thoughtful position. The only reason she really was thinking about excepting his offer was the fact that this guy Xavier could help her control her powers better, maybe make it so she didn't have to kill to make the dead shut up…well that and the fact she was going to be kicked out of her apartment soon due to the fact of her not paying rent.
It seemed like a great idea, perfect almost…then someone was rapidly knocking at the door.
"Kali! Kali open up! I need your help!"
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Charles watched as Kali shot up from her chair as fast as humanly possible when a man's voice echoed into the apartment, She in fact almost leapt over him to get to the door. Logan growled slightly flaring his nostrils apparently he smelled something he didn't like.
Kali walked back into the living room helping a bloody mess of a man as best as possible, he wore an old wrinkled suit that was covered in blood on one shoulder. The moment she set him down on the chair she seemed to have forgot about the other two men in the room as she disappeared through a doorway.
The man's brown eyes glanced from Charles to Logan, a raised brow as he tried to fight off his pain.
"Who the hell are you?" He questioned out of breath as Kali walked back in with a few towels and medical supplies. Kali glanced over her shoulder towards Charles and Logan for a moment as she started to unbutton the mans dress shirt,
"They're from a school, Frank…" She started to explain to the man named Frank, "Why are you hurt Frank? Did you not learn from the last time Frank?" Apparently she was using his name in every sentence to obviously piss off the man and it did seem to be working. While speaking to him she worked on wiping away the blood on his shoulder with a wet cloth, causing him to gasp out in pain…Kali smirked at that.
"It's not my fault this time, the guy came out of no where…besides it's just a graze. That's why I came here instead of the hospital…" He explained still glancing towards Charles and Logan.
"No you come here for the same reasons I go to you…we can't handle hospital's…to many people die there Frank…Do you know who the guy was?" She questioned while pouring peroxide into the cloth, not really paying attention to the two from the school now.
"Just some guy who kidnapped his kid…luckily I got the kid back…" He stated with a wince as she rubbed the peroxide soaked cloth over the wound. Kali rolled her eyes leaving the cloth to sit their for a moment as she pulled a roll of white gauze out of a small box.
"Luckily you didn't get yourself killed…Jesus, Frank you can't do these cases like this by yourself…next time take your partner with you. At least the odds of you getting hurt goes down fifty percent."
Kali spoke while removing the already bloody peroxide cloth, Charles assumed the man should get stitches for his wound, but he didn't speak his mind. They wouldn't listen, he already knew this…but he was curious to find out more about this Frank fellow.
Kali tenderly rubbed some antibiotic cream over the wound causing Frank to mumble something under his breath about Kali being sadistic, causing her to laugh under her breath. Once she was done with that she wiped her pale cream covered hands on a towel before wrapping his shoulder with the gauze she took out of the box already, then securing it with a piece of tape before taking the mess she made back into what Charles assumed to be her room due to the fact when the door swung open he could see a bed.
Kali walked back out with a white dress shirt for Frank, and Charles was sure he didn't want to know why she had a dress shirt that would fit Frank in her room. It was already to hard for him to think of her as a seventeen year old.
Finally as Frank was buttoning up the clean shirt as best as he could Kali explained who he was to both the forgotten Charles and Logan.
"This, is Frank Taylor…private investigator with the uncanny ability to see the dead…but no he isn't a mutant…" She started off seeing the looks on their faces, "He had a bit of a brush with death…so now he can see the dead…"
While Kali explained this Frank stood with a slight smile to extend his hand to both Charles and Logan, it seemed he wasn't so rude as they first thought.
"It's nice to meet you, sorry about earlier…ya know you tend not to be yourself when you've been shot…" He told both of them before sitting back down again in the chair Kali originally sat in, instead of making a big deal about him being in her chair like most other teen's her age she just sat next to Logan on the sofa, but not to close.
"Completely understandable…but as I was saying before Kali…I think this school would be helpful to you…" Charles started only to be interrupted by Frank who was leaning forward in the chair he sat in.
"What kind of school is this?" He questioned causing another explanation of how the school helped young mutants control their powers while learning to be functioning members of society, causing Frank to laugh and snort something about Kali never being able to function with society. In the end the final question was asked.
"So, what do you think about joining the school Kali?" Charles questioned turning towards Kali, looking past Logan who had yet to say a word.
"One moment please…" She stated getting up, walking over to Frank and pulling him up with her then leading the both of them into the bedroom.
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Logan's dark hues watched as the girl disappeared into her room with the man that smelled like death. The moment the man walked in he could smell it all over him, but it was probably just the fact that the man could see the dead. He could also finally place the other smell's he smelt in the apartment and all over her…it was the man. And he was a man, Frank looked to be in his early thirties…definitely not someone a seventeen year old should be seeing in the way Logan knew she was seeing him. He glanced over towards Chuck who had a thoughtful expression painted over his normally unreadable face.
"What are ya thinking Chuck?" Logan asked with his gruff voice tipping his cowboy hat up with his index finger.
"I'm just wondering how she will fit in with the other's if she chooses the school."
"I know what ya mean…it's like she's…"
"Older then seventeen…yes I noticed that too…but it no doubt has to do with her ability to hear the dead of all ages. Not to mention she's been alone most of her life."
"What'cha' mean Chuck?" Logan questioned sending a glance towards the door for a moment.
"According to Cerebra's files Kali's parent's died when she was ten, she had no other family so with the money left to her she found her way to here after running away from child services. She's been pretty much alone ever since…"
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Frank sat down on Kali's bed, which like always was unmade…not that he minded, his was like that most of the time as well. In front of him the seventeen year old girl paced while running her hands through her dark orange hair. It never bothered the thirty two year old Frank that Kali was only fifteen when he met her, nor did it bother him that he was so much older then her. Half the time, Kali acted like she was older then himself.
But the thought of her going to this school…being so far away from him…he didn't like that thought at all. She needed to learn how to control her powers though, he could see it in her eyes that her mutant ability was killing her, tearing her sanity apart. He bit his bottom lip slightly as he stood up and wrapped his arms around her, stopping Kali from pacing.
"You should go to the school." He stated, his deep voice betraying the fact that he was unsure about what he just said.
"W…what?"
"Hey, I'm not crazy about the idea of being away from you either Kal." He started, using the nickname he gave to her when he first met her, "But, it's a good idea…you know that, and you know you can trust this Xavier fellow…so do I…the dead like them. Just go there and check it out, your going to loose your apartment soon anyway. I mean after you got fired…"
"Hey! I didn't get fired…I quit…stupid job…I never liked flipping burger's anyway." She stated with half a smirk burying her head in his chest, Frank being nearly a head taller then her.
"Well yeah, anyway just go there…if you absolutely hate it you come back and move in with me…come on Kal, you know you need to learn how to control those damn voices."
She was silent, so he was silent, not trying to explain his point anymore as he embraced her in the middle of the room. Finally, she looked up at him, her ice blue hues locking with his puppy dog brown eyes. She bit at her bottom lip for a moment before speaking in a calm, soft voice.
"Fine…I'll go…but if I hate it…"
"You'll come back and move in with me…" He finished for her before leaning down and meeting his lips with her's with a soft kiss.
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Charles looked up as Kali's bedroom door finally opened, Frank leading Kali out holding one of her pale hands, she took a moment to glance from Logan to Charles then did that a few more times before actually speaking.
"I've decided that I will give your school a chance…but if I don't like it I'm leaving…"
Charles nodded with a smile, and glanced towards Logan who was also smiling under the brim of his cowboy hat.
/Knew you'd talk her into it Chuck…/
/Well, that was the easy part…/ Charles stated back telepathically before giving a nod to Kali and Frank.
"Well then, how's it sound that we come back tomorrow then, so that you have time to get your thing's together and finish up anything you have to do."
Kali nodded and within a few minutes Charles and Logan were out her door after saying their goodbyes to both Kali and Frank.
It sure would be interesting once she came to the school…no doubt.
Prologue, complete. [January, 29th]
Thank-you for reading so far, here is a quick little note. Frank Taylor isn't mine, nope he wasn't created by me…Frank Taylor is from the short lived UPN series Haunted. He will probably be seen in two other chapters.
Please review.