Name: Danielle Annette Bellamy (Danielle means 'God is my judge'; Annette means 'full of grace'; Bellamy is perhaps a different spelling of 'belle amie' which is 'beautiful friend' in French. Everything about her name is French, and you shall find out why…)
Age: 18
Powers: As of now, she can become invisible through the bending of the light around her, and she can bend the magnetic forces around things to make them float. As of later? You'll see!
Physical Appearance: (Illustration to ensue! ) Light brown hair, bright blue eyes, 5'7"
Nationality: French born; travels with Professor Xavier to the United States (See? Told you there was a reason her name is French…)
Hi there! Well, as you can see, this is my Kurt Wagner fanfiction! So, quick disclaimer: I don't own any aspect of this story except for what I make up! All creative rights for X-Men - its characters, locations, descriptions, etc. - belong to Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and all affiliated writers/artists. :3 So, without further ado...
-The New Girl- A Kurt Wagner Story
-Okay, Story Start!- Chapter 1
Professor Charles Xavier rolled out of the sleek Blackbird, taking in the bright sunshine of the October afternoon in the Loire Valley. He was closely followed by Ororo Munroe and Scott Summers. They took in the majestic sight of the mansion that stood before them. Charles started rolling down the ramp, and once the other two noticed, they followed.
"You didn't tell us they were so rich," Ororo said softly, marveling at the wall-kept yard and clean bricks of the front walkway.
"My apologies, Storm. Yes, Miss Bellamy is indeed quite wealthy," Charles said.
"Miss?" Scott repeated. "Aren't we here for her daughter?"
"Yes, Scott, we are. Miss Bellamy is not and never has been married. In fact, she took a vow of chastity early in life."
"Then is the girl adopted, Professor?" Ororo questioned. Charles smiled at them.
"All in good time, you two. For now, let us keep our focus on the task at hand."
"Yes Sir," they replied in unison, falling dutifully silent. Charles continued to lead the way up the path and at the door they were met with two large men in suits.
"I am Charles Xavier. Mademoiselle Bellamy is expecting me," Charles said simply. The two men nodded and one opened the door for them.
"Welcome Sir," he said and Charles politely inclined his head as he rolled past. Ororo and Scott followed behind, muttering thanks to the guards as well. The foyer was spacious and elegant, and before them was an enormous marble staircase, splitting to go two different ways at the top. There were two large openings at either side of the room; one led to a dining room, the other to a parlor. They stood alone for a minute or two, then the sound of high heels caught their attention. A woman in her early forties descended the staircase. Her light brown hair was twisted in a braid that hung over one shoulder and she was very finely dressed. Bright blue eyes studied them, calm and confidant. Once she reached the bottom, she approached them and extended her hand to Charles.
"Charles," she said in a cool, French-accented voice. "Bonjour." Charles took the woman's hand and kissed it lightly.
"Always a pleasure, Mademoiselle Renée." A small smile passed over her face before she took in the two standing near him.
"Vos guardes du corps?" she asked and Charles laughed lightly.
"You could say that. Mademoiselle, these are two of my teachers, and part of my X-Men team. Ororo Munroe-" Mademoiselle Bellamy extended her hand, which Ororo took, and said,
"Enchanté."
"And Scott Summers," Charles finished, gesturing to the man at his side. Renée shook his hand as well, and once introductions were concluded, she said,
"I take it you would like to see her?"
"Indeed I would," Charles said, smiling. Renée nodded once and turned toward the staircase. There was a small woman in a maid's outfit standing near the top.
"Allez et prélevez Danielle."
"Oui, mademoiselle," the maid replied and hurried off. Renée gestured to the parlor.
"Shall we?" She led them into the large room and seated herself on one of the velour armchairs. "Asseyez-vous, s'il vous plait." Ororo and Scott politely took seats on either side of Charles's wheelchair and Mademoiselle Renée said, "Care for anything to drink?"
"No, thank you," Ororo answered, while Scott merely shook his head. Renée nodded and the four lapsed into a silence.
'How long is this going to take, Professor?' Scott thought.
'Relax, Scott. I'm sure this won't take long at all,' Charles replied reassuringly, knowing exactly where the young man's thoughts were.
"Maman?" A clear, smooth voice broke the silence and they turned in its direction. "Maman, où êtes-vous?"
"Le salon," Mademoiselle Renée called in reply. A girl of her late teens walked in, causing Scott and Ororo to do double-takes. She looked exactly like Mademoiselle Renée, only twenty years younger. The girl eyed the strangers curiously before setting her eyes upon her mother.
"Oui, Maman?"
"Danielle, c'est l'homme que j'ai parlé de." Danielle spun around to look at Charles. Her almost electric blue eyes were wide and she stuttered,
"I-Il est ici maintenant?"
"C'est une problème?" her mother asked, giving her daughter a sharp look.
"…Non. Ce n'est pas une problème," she replied after a slight pause. She smiled and bowed to Charles. "Hello Sir. My name is Danielle. Pleased to meet you." Charles rolled forward some in his wheelchair and extended his slender hand.
"Hello Danielle. I am Professor Charles Xavier. I'm pleased to meet you as well."
"Danielle," her mother said. "Have you gotten ready?"
"Oui, Maman," she replied, looking slightly saddened.
'Don't be afraid, Danielle.' She turned to Charles, startled.
'Qua? Je peux…'
'Hear my thoughts. As I can hear yours. This is MY gift.' Danielle's broad eyes, twinkling with intrigue, slowly revolved to stare at the two others.
'And…they…?'
'Have different gifts.'
'And…there are more? À votre école?'
'Oh yes. Many more. If you don't mind me asking, Danielle, what is YOUR gift?'
'I…I'm not entirely sure.'
'Will you show me?' Her eyes darted to her mother.
'…I'm not sure if my mother will let me. She doesn't like me using it in front of people.'
'I'm sure I'm an exception,' Charles said with a reassuring smile. She nodded slowly and took a few steps back. She shut her eyes and then…she was gone. Ororo and Scott jumped up, as neither had been expecting her to vanish to suddenly.
"Professor-!" Ororo said, but Charles held up his hand, smiling.
"I see. Or, rather-" He chuckled. "I DON'T."
"That's not all, either," Danielle's voice said timidly.
"Show me," Charles said. The group heard footsteps, then Danielle appeared by the coffee table. There was a newspaper neatly folded on it and she picked the paper up before walking over and handing it to Charles.
"Throw this across the room," she said. He tossed the paper and she reached her hand out. The paper stopped in midair and after a second's hesitation began floating back to her. She took it back into her hands and replaced it on the table. Her cheeks were red and she didn't meet Charles's eyes when she said, "There you have it."
"Impressive," Charles said kindly. "You've managed this much without a proper teacher." She turned a deeper shade of red.
"So you'll teach her, Charles?" Mademoiselle Renée asked.
"Of course," he replied, turning to her.
"Good," she said, looking pleased. "I know no better instructor than you."
"You flatter me," he said.
"When will we leave?" Scott asked.
"As soon as she is ready," Charles replied, turning to the girl.
"My things are already packed, Sir," she muttered. "I'll just go and fetch them." She strode briskly out of the room and disappeared up the staircase. The two X-Men stood.
"I'll go and get the Blackbird ready, Professor," Scott said.
"Very well, Scott." He bowed to Mademoiselle Renée, then left the room. Danielle returned downstairs less than five minutes later, a small suitcase in each hand and a guitar case strapped to her back. Charles smiled. "Ready?"
"Yes Sir," she answered. Ororo walked to the door and opened it for the Professor. After he was out, she left, waiting for the girl. Danielle turned to her mother, who was still seated in the parlor. She swallowed. "Au revoir, Maman."
"Au revoir, Danielle." Danielle felt a sharp tug at her heart, but ignored it as she followed the X-Men out into the sun, shutting the door and leaving behind everything she'd ever known.
Danielle stared up at the sleek jet in awe. She'd never seen such a marvelous aircraft. Professor Xavier chuckled and began rolling up the ramp.
"Come, Danielle." She obeyed and climbed up the incline behind her new teacher. Ororo brought up the rear and once she saw that Professor Xavier and Danielle were safely strapped in, she took the spot next to Scott. Charles noticed Danielle's sallow cheeks. "Afraid of flying?"
"No Sir. I'm simply afraid of what lies ahead for me now," she replied quietly, her sad gaze on the window. The jet took off and Danielle's stomach gave an uncomfortable clench as she watched the only placed she'd called home become farther and farther away.
'Tell me about your fears,' Charles coaxed telepathically. She hesitated, then slowly began.
'I've never gone anywhere outside of my mother's estate. I've never met anyone but the few people that work there or have visited. I've lived such a solitary, sheltered life, Sir. I know nothing of the rest of France, let alone the world, except for what I have studied.'
'Don't worry, Danielle. The students at my school are very hospitable; you'll make friends and fit in very quickly.' She flashed him a small smile.
'Thank you, Professor.' Her gaze was drawn back to the window and she stared out at the clouds as they soared through the lower atmosphere. After two long hours, Ororo left the cockpit and took the seat in front of Danielle.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, noticing the girl's pale face. Danielle forced a smile.
"I'm fine. Thank you." She shifted slightly in her seat and leaned toward Ororo. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't know your name." Ororo laughed and offered her hand.
"Ororo Munroe." Danielle shook her hand and asked,
"Are you a teacher at the school?"
"I am."
"Um…what is your gift?" Ororo smiled and shot a glance out the window.
"I can control the weather."
"You can?" Danielle asked, her sapphire orbs dancing. Ororo nodded. "What kind of weather? Just rain and sun, or tornados and hurricanes, too?"
"Anything I'd like," the dark-skinned beauty replied.
"Incroyable," Danielle breathed, looking impressed. Ororo blushed slightly.
"May I ask you a question?" she asked.
"Oh, of course," the girl replied.
"This may be too personal, but…where is your father?"
"Oh. I don't have one," Danielle replied.
"Divorce?" Ororo asked, looking sympathetic.
"No ma'am. I've never had one."
"But," Ororo started, slightly confused, "that's quite impossible…"
"I'm not just Renée Bellamy's daughter, Miss Munroe. I'm her CLONE." Ororo's jaw dropped.
"I-I wasn't aware that human cloning had been attempted," she said, stunned. Danielle simply shrugged and said,
"Well, I suppose I am living proof that it's been attempted, and is very much a success. I am sure you and Monsieur…"
"Scott Summers," Ororo said quickly.
"Monsieur Summers noticed how greatly I resemble my mother. Well…that explains it."
"Indeed it does," Ororo murmured, thinking deeply. Needless to say, she was greatly awed. Not only had this girl managed to teach herself to use some of her powers at will, but she was also the first human clone that she knew of. Thus far she only knew of simple animal clones: dogs, cats, sheep, rats. She hadn't given thought to human replication.
"Professor, we are now halfway across the Atlantic Ocean, and our projected arrival time is still six p.m.," Scott called back.
"Thank you, Scott," Professor Xavier answered.
"Danielle, if you are a clone of your mother, how is it you are a mutant and she isn't?" Ororo inquired, leaning forward in her seat.
"I am not sure. I have the same two sets of chromosomes as my mother does, but I suppose through some genetic quirk the gene suppressing her abilities is not suppressing mine." She turned to Professor Xavier. "Professor?" He turned to her.
"Yes?"
"What sorts of things should I expect at your school?"
"You will meet people with all sorts of gifts. There are people who can walk through walls, who can manipulate the water in the air to form solid ice, who can see into other's minds, who can move objects telekinetically, and who can heal very rapidly. Some are gifted with super-strength. There are a few who can change form, and those whose natural form is very unlike anything human. Some can control their powers; others can't. You will meet people you agree with, and people you don't." She nodded to show her understanding and Professor Xavier could see the true, deep interest she held for this knowledge; it was reflected in her eyes.
"What sorts of things will I learn?" she prompted.
"We teach as many regular subjects as we can, going all the way into college level courses. Some of my students come to the school at rather young ages; others in their late teens come seeking refuge from parents and society, for most mutations arise at puberty. Along with basic education, my X-Men can help you further your control over your powers, and perhaps help you discover things about them that you didn't know."
"Do you think there is greater potential in my power, Sir?" she asked, looking down at her fingers as she slowly faded them in and out of visibility.
"It's quite possible. With your abilities as they are, you may be able to learn how to do many more things, possibly including flight and offensive capabilities." She nodded slowly, continuing to watch her fingers. He chuckled. "The fact that you are able to concentrate your invisibility to one small section of your body implies that you have great control, even if you don't realize it." A small, triumphant smile possessed her lips and she inquired,
"Do you think it will take long for me to learn more?"
"I don't think so," he replied. She leaned back in her chair, her eyes once again drawn to the window. The last half of their journey passed by slowly and finally Scott called back,
"We're about twenty miles outside of the school, Professor."
"Excellent, Scott." Ororo stood and walked back to the cockpit, taking her original place. Danielle suddenly felt her original anxiety creep back up. She was going to be placed in a completely foreign environment, where people may or may not accept her. What if she didn't fit in with anyone? She looked out the window and saw, to her amazement, enormous skyscrapers.
"Oh là là!" she cried. Professor Xavier chuckled.
"I forgot; you've never seen a city before."
"It's…huge!" she said.
"And it's not even one of our largest," Professor Xavier stated.
"Is your school within the city limits?" she asked.
"No. Not everyone shares a tolerance for the mutant population, and it is my responsibility to protect my students and faculty." She nodded slowly, feeling a new anxiety. What if her powers got her into trouble with normal people? The city slowly became replaced with seemingly endless green forest and Scott called,
"Fifteen minutes, max, Professor."
"No rush," Professor Xavier replied. Scott shot Danielle a glance.
"You alright?" She nodded and he gave her a slight smile before returning his gaze forward. His bright red sunglasses caught her attention for the first time, and she wondered if they had something to do with his mutation.
'They do,' Professor Xavier said in response to her unasked question. 'Scott is able to shoot beams of electromagnetic energy from his eyes. They have tremendous concussive force and in order to stop himself from destroying everything he looks at, he is forced to wear ruby quartz glasses at all times. During battle, he uses a visor, also of ruby quartz.'
'I see…' she said. 'Does it hurt?'
'Not to my knowledge.' Suddenly the trees outside gave out and she gaped at the enormous mansion in the distance.
"That's your school?" she asked.
"It is. Danielle, welcome to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters."
She could see a handful of people running about on the lawn in front of the school and a few scattered groups lounging about. Scott flew the jet over them and slowly eased it down into a hangar. As they exited the plane, she noticed several other modes of transportation; motorcycles, sports cars, even some more militaristic vehicles. She followed Professor Xavier as he rolled down the ramp and he turned back to look at Ororo and Scott. "Ororo, would you be so kind as to go to the lab and tell Hank that we've returned and that I would like you two in my office shortly?"
"Yes Professor," she said and exited the room, giving Danielle a smile as she walked by.
"Scott, I would like you to go and relieve Jean of her duties and to give her the same message. Please gather the rest of the team as well."
"Yes Sir," he said and also left. Professor Xavier then turned to Danielle.
"Shall we?" She nodded and followed him out. The school, she found, seemed even larger on the inside, and had she not lived in a mansion of her own for eighteen years, she would have had difficulty keeping track. He led her into a large room furnished with dark, glossy wood.
"This is my office, Danielle. My doors are always open to my students, and you are free to come and go as you need."
"Thank you, Sir."
"There are rules here, of course, but they are mostly simple courtesies that I expect my students to revere. I'm sure you will have no problem following them. For now, I'd like you to meet my X-Men." She spun on her heel to look at him.
"W-why?"
"They will be your teachers and your greatest aids during your stay. They are also the ones who take charge of the school, should I be called away on business. Since you are eighteen, once you've been properly trained, I would also be delighted if you joined them."
"What do they do?" she asked.
"My X-Men are like my ambassadors to society. They help people who can't help themselves, and protect the city from threats both human and mutant. You see, just as there are humans who like us and don't, there are mutants that have views that conflict with ours."
"Are there any that I should be aware of, Sir?" she asked. His face took on a grim expression.
"Magneto is one of the most powerful and dangerous mutants I know, and he is also one of the X-Men's greatest enemies. He believes that the only way humans and mutants can coexist is if mutants dominate. He thinks that humans are dangerous and are planning on oppressing mutants, as they have oppressed many other minorities."
"…Are they?" she asked.
"I certainly hope not. And I don't believe so." She nodded, her fingers fidgeting with the handle of her suitcase nervously. The door to the office swung open and a muscular, wild-looking man walked in. His dark hair was sticking up at odd angles and sideburns extended nearly to his jaw. His eyes were dark and focused on her unflinchingly. She was sorely tempted to vanish, just so she could escape the wildman's eyes. "Danielle, this is Logan. Logan, this is Danielle Bellamy, our new student." The man – Logan – had shifted his eyes to Professor Xavier when he'd spoken, and he now nodded, returning his gaze to her. He stuck out his hand.
"Wolverine." She returned the gesture and they shook hands.
"E-enchanté, Monsieur." A thick eyebrow shot up.
"You're French?" She nodded quickly.
"Y-yes Sir." He turned back to the Professor.
"Storm will be back with Hank in a minute. Met up with her in the hall."
"Thank you, Logan. Come, you two, have a seat." Logan sat down comfortably in one of the armchairs in front of the desk; Danielle was a bit more hesitant, shifting her weight slightly and eyeing the chair. "They're perfectly safe, I assure you," the professor said, giving her a calm smile. She blushed profusely before sinking into the chair beside her.
"S-sorry Sir."
"No need to apologize, Danielle." The large doors swung open again and Scott walked in, followed by a lovely redheaded woman and a brunette girl, not much older than Danielle. The girl caught sight of her and hurried over, grinning brightly.
"Hi! My name's Kitty. Welcome to Xavier's!"
"Th-thank you. I-I'm Danielle." The redhead strode over and held out her hand.
"Nice to meet you, Danielle. I'm Jean Grey." Danielle took her outstretched hand shyly.
"Enchanté, mademoiselle." Jean smiled, her emerald green eyes sparkling. Danielle found a strange comfort in those eyes and she wondered if Jean's power was to control emotions. Jean laughed.
"Actually, dear, I'm telepathic." Danielle jumped and her blush reddened.
"O-oh. I-I'm sorry-"
"Don't be. I'm not," Jean said simply, her smile never faltering. She walked over to Scott and sat down next to him. "Oh, and Professor?" He looked up at Jean. "Kurt, Rogue, and Remy are on an assignment at the moment. They won't be back until tomorrow afternoon or so."
"Ah, I see. Thank you, Jean." She nodded and at that moment the doors opened once more. Ororo entered gracefully, but the hulking blue mass behind her caused Danielle to shoot out of her seat.
She didn't scream. She didn't want to risk angering him. The large, hairy…person that entered was by far the strangest thing she'd encountered yet. He was very tall, completely covered in deep, navy blue fur. However, that wasn't the detail that struck her as the strangest. No, what struck her as the most out-of-the-ordinary was the fact that he was wearing a lab coat and glasses. He stared at her for a moment before smiling.
"I'm sorry if my appearance frightens you. It must be a lot to handle after living the way you did." She took a deep breath; it could talk, and was in fact incredibly articulate and mild-mannered.
"N-no, I'm sorry. I apologize if I upset or insulted you in any way-" The large man-beast laughed and it surprised her. It was so light-hearted and gentle.
"No offense, my dear, but it will take more than the startling of a new student to offend me. Much more." She smiled and took a step toward him.
"Enchanté, Monsieur. I'm Danielle Bellamy." He took her hand warmly, totally encasing her hand with his enormous one.
"Doctor Hank McCoy. I'm the resident doctor here at the school."
"Do you specify in mutant related genetics?" she asked.
"I do, though I am quite familiar with other fields of medicine."
"Well, I wanted you all to become acquainted with Danielle," the professor said. "After all, she is our newest student, and the most unfamiliar with our school. She will need assistance in getting settled and I know no better people to help her than all of you."
"I'll take her to her room, Professor," Kitty volunteered.
"That's very kind of you, Kitty," the professor said. "I think there is an empty bedroom on the third floor, right next to Bobby's room."
"Yes Sir."
"Once she is settled in, would you be so kind as to give her a tour of the house? Just a basic tour would suffice for now; she needs to be aware of where the essentials are."
"Okey dokey, Professor X," Kitty replied, pouncing lightly off the seat she perched on. She walked over to Danielle. "Are we dismissed, Professor?"
"Yes, you two are." He smiled at Danielle once more as she gathered her things and followed the peppy brunette out of the room. Once the door shut he turned to his remaining X-Men. "I will be placing Danielle almost exclusively in your care. She has managed to teach herself impressive control over her powers already, and she has no need for regular lessons at the present time. I will be designating a few of you to help her with certain aspects of her abilities, if you don't mind."
"Not at all, Professor," Scott said, taking Jean's hand. "I was surprised by how much she already knows. There are a few things that I am concerned about, though."
"Yes, Professor," Jean added, sitting up straighter, her eyes focused. "She worries me."
"How so, Jean?" he asked.
"She seems extremely uncertain and uncomfortable in her surroundings. I'm worried how such a drastic change will affect her."
"She is a brilliant girl, Jean. I'm not worried for her." Jean smiled.
Danielle followed Kitty up two flights of stairs, listening to her talk the whole way.
"You're going to love it here. Like, everyone is so nice. Professor X makes sure of it. And the teachers are great. You're going to learn so much. How old are you? Like, seventeen, right? You're about my age; you've got to be. I mean, I can't imagine you being as old as Jean and Scott. Rogue's going to like having another younger girl around. She doesn't connect with many people, but she seems to have an easier time of it when the person's younger. Explains why she hangs out with Gambit and Kurt so much." She turned to Danielle. "So what's your power?" Danielle gaped at her a moment, not processing the fact that the chatty girl had asked her a question.
"Oh, I-I can…levitate things, et I can…um…t-turn invisible…"
"Really? That's so cool!" Kitty cried and Danielle blushed.
"Y-you really think so?" Kitty nodded.
"Yeah. I wish I could go invisible sometimes. But then, all I have to do is sink into the floor."
"S-sink-?" Danielle repeated, confused. Kitty laughed.
"I can altar the vibratory rates of the atoms in my body, making it so I can phase through matter. For instance-" She dropped through the floor, vanishing from Danielle's sight. Danielle gaped at the place Kitty had phased through and stooped, touching it. The carpet was solid, and as far as she could tell, it was no trick or illusion. A few seconds later and Kitty reappeared, phasing through the floor a few feet down the hall. She threw her arms in the air dramatically. "Ta da!" To both their surprises, Danielle laughed. This brought a wide smile to Kitty's face.
"C'est incroyable, Kitty. Vraiment." The expression on Kitty's face made Danielle laugh again before she said, "Sorry. It's incredible, Kitty. Really. Besides the professor and Miss Grey, I think you're the only person whose powers I've actually experienced."
"Well, the others have powers that aren't too…useful around the house," she said, starting down the hallway again. "Scott's powers destroy everything, Storm's powers are only good outside, and Logan's…his claws can be of use at times, but his healing factor isn't much help if he doesn't have injuries…unless he's drinking, of course."
"Claws? H-healing factor?" Danielle asked.
"Yeah. I'll explain in a moment; for now, here's your bedroom!" She opened the door to her left and stood back, allowing Danielle to go first. Danielle walked past her and her jaw dropped. It wasn't nearly as lavish as her room back home, but it was very charming. The décor was tasteful and cheery, with pleasant, well-kept furniture. She smiled and spun around, taking in all four corners. "Like it?"
"C'est – I mean, it's great."
"Is it hard speaking English?" she asked. "I mean, without going back to French."
"It is a bit," Danielle admitted, setting her bags down on the floor by the foot of the bed. "I'm fluent in four languages, but as I have lived in France my entire life, and it's the language my mother speaks most of the time, it is, naturally, the one I am most comfortable speaking. I will, on occasion, revert back to it if I am not paying attention."
"I only know one language," Kitty said. "English. I mean, Piotr has taught me a little Russian, but I don't speak it fluently."
"Qui-est Piotr?" Danielle asked.
"Who is he?" Kitty prompted and Danielle nodded. "He's a friend of mine. He's really cute, and very sweet. He's one of those shy guys; comes from a humble family."
"I see," Danielle said, smiling. She turned to her guide. "Where to now?" Kitty grinned and gestured out of the room. "Shall we?" The two set off and Kitty began to talk again. "Well, I suppose I should get to telling you about Xavier's now. As you know, this is a school entirely for mutants. We have some human visitors on occasion, but only visitors. Rules are pretty simple: treat everyone with respect, especially teachers and members of the X-Men team, keep your room relatively clean, no defacement of school property, no excessive or irresponsible use of your powers, stuff like that. Just rules you would have to follow in school."
"Well, I wouldn't know. I've never been to one." Kitty wheeled to stare at her.
"NEVER?" Danielle shook her head.
"No ma'am. I was homeschooled."
"Ohhh," Kitty said. "Was it nice?"
"It was," Danielle said, feeling another twinge of grief. Kitty noticed how silent she'd fallen and glanced at her.
"Are you okay?"
"Y-yes…this is just the farthest I've ever been from home. I've never had any friends, I've never known anyone – before now, I've never even been off my mother's estate."
"Wow. Must have really sucked, living such a secluded life," Kitty said.
"Not really," Danielle said. "It was just me, my mother, and the people who work in the house. I mean, I suppose if I'd known anything about the outside world, I might have missed it, but I didn't."
"I-I didn't mean to, like, offend you or anything," Kitty said quickly.
"Oh, no, Miss Kitty, I wasn't offended," Danielle replied, smiling. "I was merely explaining."
"Well, let's go on downstairs and-"
"Ah, Katherine." A soft, heavily Russian voice grabbed the attention of both girls and Kitty blushed, turning to look down the hall. Danielle followed her gaze and jumped hard. A massive, dark-haired man approached them, a gentle smile on his lips. His gaze was primarily focused on Kitty, but his dark eyes drifted to Danielle once he was close. "Who is your friend?" She hesitated for a moment before saying,
"U-um, Piotr, this is Danielle, our new student. Danielle, this is Piotr, or Colossus." Danielle extended her hand.
"B-bonjour, monsieur." The giant took her hand in both of his.
"It's a pleasure, Danielle. You are French?"
"Y-yes Sir. And you are the Russian Kitty spoke of?" He smiled.
"I know of no one else. What part of France do you hail from, little one?"
"The Loire Valley," she replied. "It's a more rural section of the country."
"I was born and raised on a collective farm in Siberia," he said. Danielle laughed.
"Doesn't get much more rural than that."
"I was just showing Danielle around," Kitty said, twirling a lock of brunette hair around her finger nervously. "I just showed her to her new room and we were going to go downstairs…"
"That's very sweet of you, Katherine," Piotr said, beaming at her. Kitty blushed, a shy smile on her face.
"Care to join us?" Danielle asked politely. "What is the expression…'The more, the merrier'?" Piotr chuckled and said,
"That sounds lovely. Where are we off to?"
"Ground floor," Kitty replied. "I was going to show her the classrooms, the cafeteria, the game room, so on and so forth. Professor Xavier said she should know where the essentials are."
"That sounds like a good plan. Let's go." Danielle and Piotr began to walk in the direction of the staircase, but Kitty grabbed their arms. They turned and saw the mischievous smirk on her face.
"I know a quicker way." Danielle felt the strangest sensation in her feet and looked down. She was melting into the floor with Piotr and Kitty. She gasped, but the other two remained calm. Kitty gave her a reassuring squeeze and she tried to calm down. The three phased through the floor to the second, and again to the first. Once their feet touched the floor, Danielle felt herself become tangible and Kitty released them. Piotr smiled at her.
"Well done, little one." Kitty blushed, not meeting his eyes.
"Wow," Danielle murmured, touching her stomach and arms. "That was a very odd sensation." Kitty chuckled.
"You get used to it." She gestured for her to follow and began to lead the way through the halls. "Well, you already know where Professor X's office is, and since you were homeschooled I don't know how many regular classes you'll need to take." She led Danielle down a long hall and pointed at a set of double doors. "This is Storm's office. Most of the head X-Men have their own offices, since most of them teach classes. Logan doesn't have one, but the majority of his lessons take place in the gymnasium, the Danger Room, or the garage."
"Danger Room?" Danielle inquired.
"We'll save that for another time," the brunette replied, smiling. "It's a specialized training room in the more heavily guarded areas of the school." Danielle nodded and the trio continued on. They reached a wide set of double doors and Kitty said, "This is the cafeteria. It's open for use whenever you need it. Most people eat breakfast at eight or nine, lunch at noon, and dinner at six, if you prefer eating with a larger group." She paused, then laughed nervously. "I…I guess you wouldn't know if you like it." Danielle gave her a bashful smile, shrugging.
"Well, I will never know until I try it." Kitty nodded and said,
"Come on, lots more to see!"