AU: What if Wolverine never met Xavier or the X-Men? What if Lance never met the Brotherhood or Mystique? Prologue.
Henriette Jones Junior High
Deerfield, Illinois
Aspiring guitarist Lance Alvers never expected to be scouted, much less chosen to be the lead guitarist in the Henriette Graduation Prom during this lifetime. and, despite Lance's considerably arrogant and conceited nature, he was extremely grateful for this opportunity.
However, due to his subsequent excitement, he never noticed the apparent smirks on his fellow peer's faces when he accepted, nor did he realize the bad omen befalling onto him. Of course, he simply shown his thanks, waved, and ran to his fifth period class.
Although slight, everyone's treatment of Lance had been growing increasingly gentler throughout the week, previously being bullied and mistreated.
Apparently, according to his newly instated friends, 'she' was going to appear at the Prom night through his buddies' requests all too eagerly. That 'she' being Katherine Pryde, a student from a different school at Laker's Middle, and his current crush.
(Thus, here we are, four hours and thirty-six minutes after the incident)
He checked his watch, "7:34", he was completely thrilled. His solo will begin during the last five minutes of the Prom night, in which Louise, a new friend of his, promised it would be stuck in everyone's memories for the rest of their lives and a chance to impress Katherine.
He fiddled with his thumbs, obviously nervous from the upcoming event and his debut. He had his doubts of why everyone was being so kind to him, but he could only feel grateful for their apparent generosity and the chance to dazzle Katherine with his music, a song dedicated to her.
He tapped his foot against the mahogany floorings his school purchased from the few recent fundraisers and donations, the flooring in question gleaming brightly in the stellar lights.
"Hey," Louise nudged, "time to get up there?"
Lance smiled back, "Thanks, Louise, couldn't't have done this without you."
All his hatred had been sapped away because of his new found friendships, convincing himself that his hatred to them could easily vanish and it did. Now he was living happily in Henriette Jones, in his dream world.
Lance strummed a few chords on his guitar, "Man..."
"Nervous?" Louise asked.
"Yeah... I wonder if they'll like it?"
"I'm sure they will," Louise smirked, "now," she pushed, "get up and do your stuff!"
"I appreciate it," Lance replied, "for everything."
Lance approached the curtains, the spotlight shining brightly upon him and he took a deep breath as everyone stared expectantly at him.
Lance moved to grab the audience, skimming them for Katherine and suddenly someone whispered, "Sorry dude, she didn't want to come..."
Lance just sighed, hiding his disappointment, "Thanks, though."
His soft, anxious voice came quiveringly loud out the microphone, "U-ummm... Well, I just.. W-well,... thank you so much!" he finally rasped out.
Then he waved his arms around maniacally, eyes wide, "I-I mean for everything! Thanks for putting me on stage and giving me such an opportunity."
He plucked his guitar off his back, attached by a few straps and clipped his microphone on the collar of his shirt., "I'll dedicate this composition for all of you."
Lance glanced down at the guitar, then hearing a few giggles from the crowd.
Mystified, he flashed up to see the students chatter wildly to each other and point on top of Lance, curious, he looked up.
The sight was heart-wrenching. The brunette hadn't expected this. Then again, the signs wereapparent. On top was a roller, the ones teachers used to roll down a world map and point meter sticks at and identify countries.
There was one difference though, in front of that was not a map, but a picture of a photo shopped Lance, naked in all his glory and looking whorishly to the crowd.
Lance felt his eyes widen, tears starting to sting up in his eyes. Sure, it wasn't like he hadn't expected it, although happy, it would have been simply idiotic to be able to bluntly remain ignorant to the many hints dropping around here and there.
This scene reminded him of Carrie except, in his opinion, much worse.
He glanced at the crowd once more, then noticing Katherine, his crush. She was ridiculing the picture with her friends, stepping out the bleachers... Lance felt anger well up inside him, she had known about it.
And, spontaneously, at that moment, Lance felt all his misery swell up into a furious fire, anger, hatred... revenge. Louise, behind him, pushed him, colliding with the roller right as it landed.
"Loser," Louise chuckled, "You're so stupid, aren't you?"
Louise stared down at Lance's fallen form, "I mean, who do you think you are? Jesus? Anyhow, I mean, really, how do you expect we became oh so kind to you so suddenly? Are you just retarded or what?" She mocked.
Lance felt tears streamed down his reddened face.
"Wooww," she drawled, "Seriously? Are you a cry-baby? I've gotta tell Martha and Danny this."
Lance then realized, his face wasn't red because of his tears.
As Louise texted her friends, she never noticed Lance crawl out of the roller, or notice that no one could see them.
Lance realized, it was pure, raw anger.
And it happened.
Lance quickly wrapped a hand around Louise's throat, his tears running dry as Louise started to choke, gasping desperately for air.
As his hand tightened the stage began to shake, slowly at first, before it became a full-fledged earthquake. The other students ran as the school began to collapse, rubble and debris creating an avalanche, trapping the students inside as Louise dropped dead.
Suddenly, almost as fast as it started, the earthquake stopped and the students stopped panicking.
The most unexpected happened at that very moment.
A trio of claws, perhaps scythes, clawed its way through the rock trapping the students, and, as it was doing the job, vanished.
The students hadn't questioned the phenomena and had all but stampeded through the entrance, each child shoving and pushing their way through the crowded doorway.
Once again, ignorant of the very person who had walked in the building, a muscular figure with his muscles bulging out horrifyingly wearing a bloodied kimono.
He stopped and stared at the picture.
"What the..." he simply shook his head. Children these days.
He slashed the roller and looked inside, picking his foot in to make sure for any traps and reluctantly crawled in the opening. There inside was a brunette, six foot tall, and laying across a corpse.
The man sniffed the air, and the boy, using his last remaining strength grabbed his leg.
"W-w-w-ho... are...y...ou?" he questioned.
"Not very polite asking me my name, bub. Introduce ya'self first," he chastised, "proper manners, kid."
The boy winced, "Ho...w's... that... pro...p...er... mann...ers?" the boy contemplated for a second, "Lan..ce...Al..v..ers." Lance rasped, painfully.
"James Howlett," the man replied, looking around, "looks like you really leveled this place, bub."
"I..." and Lance fell unconscious, his hand collapsing against the mahogany with a dull thud.
James picked the boy up, placing Lance's hand on his shoulder and carrying the boy's body on his back.
Terrakinesis... Xavier and Mystique will sure want this one... Hmff... I can't wait to see their faces when they see him. James smirked and looked over his shoulder.
Lance was sleeping soundly on his back. This guy will be a nice accomplice.
James carried the boy outside, over to his crimson motorcycle. He glanced around, the police sirens appeared to be edging closer to the scene. He twisted the handles and the engine started.
-
"As the students of Henriette Jones prepare to graduate into a nearby school, Deerfield High School, their annual prom is interrupted by a minor earthquake. Scientists are now researching this phenomenon, affecting only a 4x10 perimeter outside the prom building area. This mystifies the top Geologists of Illinois and requires more time and funds.
One student, one 'Lance Alvers', is currently missing during the incident. No student reports any knowledge of his current whereabouts. Several have become delusional, stating that metal claws pierced through a large piece of debris. There is no sign of such incident concerning the records processed.
One deceased, revealed as Louise Higgins, is shown to have suffocated to death. Forensic Scientists are currently trying to identify the culprit. Many traces have diminished beyond recognition, firstly presumed as a victim of a heart attack from the shock of the situation, the time lapse has rotted most significant evidence.
Thirteen students are enigmatically injured."