Logan sighed and ran his fingers through his black hair. With all the stress he carried on his back, his only way to combat it was smoking. Not the healthiest choice, but nonetheless relaxing. Besides, he had far too much time to live and would never ruin his lungs. He reached into his pocket for a cigarette when a voice echoed through his head.
"Logan," it was the Professor, "Your presence is requested. Please come to my office. Oh, and leave your cigarette outside." With that, Xavier's voice was gone. Grumbling, Logan got up and threw his unlit cigarette on the ground.
Logan was a mutant, like Xavier and many others. But Logan was unlike the others in many ways. He had regenerating capabilities so there was no way to tell his age. He did look 25 but he knew he was much older. Because of his capabilities, he had been implanted with adamantium claws and his bones were laced with the same material. He was very sought after, in some ways. He had been developed to fight so whichever side he chose was most likely the victorious one. He couldn't remember anything about himself because the fact he had been experimented on. Still, he knew he would rather fight for Xavier's cause.
He met no one on his way to Xavier's office and rightly so. Everyone was in class. He reached the door, which was covered in wood as if in a vain attempt to keep it hidden. Logan snorted. He didn't miss those sorts of things. His animal instincts always clued him in on his surroundings.
He had to duck to go through the doorway because even though he was only 5'9", the doorway was a mere 5'5". An odd door, indeed. He stepped into the office and saw the rest of the X-Men standing within.
"You're late," Scott Summers scoffed. Logan flipped him off with his middle claw, a favorite gesture of his. He turned to see Xavier raise an eyebrow at him and Logan retracted his claw.
"Sorry Professor," Logan apologized.
"It's alright, Logan. Now, I have called you all here to inform you that I have found potential students using Cerebro," Xavier stated.
"More than one?" Storm asked suddenly. Xavier nodded.
"They both live in Colorado and are actually best friends," he informed them, "and I need a group to go get them." There was silence. Obtaining new students wasn't a very fun job.
"No volunteers?" Xavier asked surprised, "Well, I'll have to make the group. Storm why don't you go with Scott and Logan?" Storm and Logan nodded but Scott looked displeased. Still, he didn't complain and together the group left the room.
"This will be interesting," Xavier smiled. Beast, Colossus, and Jean left the room.
***
COLORADO
Lightning flashed overhead followed quickly by thunder. A storm was coming and not just a rainstorm. Two girls sat in a room at 11:00 p.m. One had dark brown hair with red streaks and equally brown eyes. The other had reddish brown hair with emerald green eyes. The first was Raven; 20, the latter was Kaylee; 19, two best friends. They sat watching the TV intently.
"Mutants are surfacing throughout the world and are quickly forced back into hiding," the reporter was saying.
"Wouldn't it be great to be a mutant?" Raven asked. Kaylee looked at her.
"How so?"
"Well, imagine how close you would be to all the other mutants you knew. It would be like a sorority," Raven smiled. Kaylee sat for a moment, thinking.
"You're right. For once, everyone would understand you and you would feel accepted." Raven nodded. Lightning flashed again outside, lighting the room. An odd shape in the corner caught Kaylee's eye. She tugged on Raven's shirt.
"What's that?" Kaylee whispered. Raven turned to see the shape reform into a blue woman. The woman smiled an almost friendly smile.
"I'm Mystique and I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," she said.
"Yeah, you're in my room. One might think you could hear our conversation," Raven retorted, a bit frightened.
"How I got in here doesn't matter, but what does is the fact that you two are mutants. You are what Magneto calls, Class 2. You have no known powers but a code for them. All you need is a small dose of radiation for those powers to actively function properly with your bodies," Mystique explained.
"Wait, wait...what now?" Raven asked. Kaylee nodded to show that she had no understanding, either.
"You are potential mutants and I'm here to make you mutants," Mystique informed them. Kaylee turned to Raven.
"Well, she is blue," Kaylee said quietly.
"Oh? And your mother taught you to trust blue people?" Raven giggled.
"No, I'm saying that maybe she really is a mutant," Kaylee hissed.
"Let's have her prove it," Raven whispered. They turned toward Mystique.
"Can you prove to us that you are a mutant yourself?" Raven asked. Mystique nodded. Her body began to reshape herself into another person. Not just any person, but Raven. Then, with a wave of blue-green scales, she became Kaylee.
"Well! I'm convinced," Raven said rubbing her hands together.
"When do we leave?" Kaylee asked.
"Now, if you'd like," said Mystique, mimicking Kaylee's voice. The group walked out of the apartment. Raven locked the door and they started down the stairs. Outside, a black Mercedes sat with only a driver inside. The girls got in the car and Kaylee glanced into the mirror. The face she saw in the driver's seat was that of a young man's but with silver hair and shocking blue eyes.
"This is Quicksilver, Magneto's son," Mystique explained. Kaylee and Raven smiled politely. Then they were off at well over the speed limit.
"Pietro, slow down. They aren't mutants yet," Mystique scolded. Quicksilver reluctantly brought the car down to 50 mph, just 5 mph over the speed limit. The girls took a hint, though, and fastened their seatbelts.
***
THE XAVIER INSTITUTE FOR GIFTED CHILDREN
"X-Men," Xavier's voice rang through the groups heads, "There is going to be a delay. You three will still have a mission, but for now you will have to wait."
"Why?" Logan asked. First he hadn't had a smoke in hours, he was forced to go get some new mutants and now he was going to have to wait. Three things that Logan hated. He was quite angry by now.
"Patience Logan, I'm sure you'll thank me one day," Xavier said soothingly.
"Yeah, and you may not enjoy it," Logan hissed under his breath.
"Don't think I didn't hear that," Xavier warned.
"Sorry, Professor," Logan mumbled. His temper was something he could never control.
***
AN UNDISCLOSED COAST
(Use your imagination)
Raven and Kaylee sat in the back of the car looking at the endless expanse of water in front of them. Mystique and Quicksilver where talking in the front. It was only 3:00 a.m. and still very dark but they could see the shining surface of the water ahead of them.
"I could cross it but the chances of me being able to find The Savage Island in this lighting is highly unlikely," Quicksilver was saying.
"You've lived there your entire life and you can't find?" Mystique asked angrily, "I could find my birthplace with my eyes blindfolded, at midnight, with only one leg, without..."
"Okay! I get it!" Quicksilver growled, "Well, I can't and you sure as hell can't either."
"We'll just have to wait until dawn," Mystique sighed.
"Fine," Quicksilver murmured. He took the keys from the ignition and got out of the car. He slammed the door behind him and started down towards the shore. Kaylee glanced at Raven and then unbuckled her seatbelt. Raven grabbed Kaylee's arm.
"You're not leaving me!" Raven hissed.
"Then come with me. I want to talk to uh, Quicksilver," she whispered back. Raven sighed and unbelted herself.
"Where are you two going?" Mystique asked, turning in her seat.
"Um, long trips...gotta go," Raven whined unconvincingly. Mystique bought it, though. The pair got out of the car and headed towards the shoreline.
Quicksilver sat by the water, gazing into the inky blackness. He sighed. Kaylee laid a hand on Quicksilver's shoulder and he flinched under her touch.
"Um, Kaylee, I wasn't lying to Mystique. I'll be right back." Raven turned and headed down the beach.
"You okay?" Kaylee asked, sitting down next to Quicksilver. He sighed again.
"What is okay?" He asked.
"Oh? We have a philosopher," Kaylee laughed. Quicksilver nodded.
"I suppose. It's just that...everyone seems to think I can't do anything. Then I go and prove it to them. My father wants to disown me and Mystique would care less. Even my sister never thought well of me." Kaylee was silent and then,
"I'm sorry." Quicksilver buried his face in his arms. Silent sobs shook his body. Kaylee wrapped her arm around him.
Here she was, being compassionate for someone she didn't even know, but it still didn't feel wrong. Slowly, Kaylee leaned in and planted a soft kiss on Quicksilver's head. He looked up at her.
"Uh, I... I better go, here comes Raven," Kaylee whispered, standing up. Quicksilver got to his feet and took hold of Kaylee's hand. Kaylee looked at him confused.
"Thank you," he murmured and hugged Kaylee gently. He released her and started walking in the opposite direction down the beach.
"Hmm, what do we have here?" Raven asked, amused.
"Nothing," Kaylee answered flatly.
"Oh, come on. I'm your best friend and I know what that was," Raven replied.
"What was it, then?"
"You made Pietro or Quicksilver, whatever, feel better, but you didn't do just that. Whether you wanted to or not, you got Quicksilver to fall for you." Kaylee sighed. Raven missed nothing.
"Ah! I was right," Raven said, pleased.
"So what if you were," Kaylee laughed. She shoved Raven and ran towards the car.
"Oh, get back here! Now you're gonna get it!" Raven took off after Kaylee. Quicksilver sighed. He was out of earshot but could see Kaylee and Raven. He really just wanted to see Kaylee, though.
"Logan," it was the Professor, "Your presence is requested. Please come to my office. Oh, and leave your cigarette outside." With that, Xavier's voice was gone. Grumbling, Logan got up and threw his unlit cigarette on the ground.
Logan was a mutant, like Xavier and many others. But Logan was unlike the others in many ways. He had regenerating capabilities so there was no way to tell his age. He did look 25 but he knew he was much older. Because of his capabilities, he had been implanted with adamantium claws and his bones were laced with the same material. He was very sought after, in some ways. He had been developed to fight so whichever side he chose was most likely the victorious one. He couldn't remember anything about himself because the fact he had been experimented on. Still, he knew he would rather fight for Xavier's cause.
He met no one on his way to Xavier's office and rightly so. Everyone was in class. He reached the door, which was covered in wood as if in a vain attempt to keep it hidden. Logan snorted. He didn't miss those sorts of things. His animal instincts always clued him in on his surroundings.
He had to duck to go through the doorway because even though he was only 5'9", the doorway was a mere 5'5". An odd door, indeed. He stepped into the office and saw the rest of the X-Men standing within.
"You're late," Scott Summers scoffed. Logan flipped him off with his middle claw, a favorite gesture of his. He turned to see Xavier raise an eyebrow at him and Logan retracted his claw.
"Sorry Professor," Logan apologized.
"It's alright, Logan. Now, I have called you all here to inform you that I have found potential students using Cerebro," Xavier stated.
"More than one?" Storm asked suddenly. Xavier nodded.
"They both live in Colorado and are actually best friends," he informed them, "and I need a group to go get them." There was silence. Obtaining new students wasn't a very fun job.
"No volunteers?" Xavier asked surprised, "Well, I'll have to make the group. Storm why don't you go with Scott and Logan?" Storm and Logan nodded but Scott looked displeased. Still, he didn't complain and together the group left the room.
"This will be interesting," Xavier smiled. Beast, Colossus, and Jean left the room.
***
COLORADO
Lightning flashed overhead followed quickly by thunder. A storm was coming and not just a rainstorm. Two girls sat in a room at 11:00 p.m. One had dark brown hair with red streaks and equally brown eyes. The other had reddish brown hair with emerald green eyes. The first was Raven; 20, the latter was Kaylee; 19, two best friends. They sat watching the TV intently.
"Mutants are surfacing throughout the world and are quickly forced back into hiding," the reporter was saying.
"Wouldn't it be great to be a mutant?" Raven asked. Kaylee looked at her.
"How so?"
"Well, imagine how close you would be to all the other mutants you knew. It would be like a sorority," Raven smiled. Kaylee sat for a moment, thinking.
"You're right. For once, everyone would understand you and you would feel accepted." Raven nodded. Lightning flashed again outside, lighting the room. An odd shape in the corner caught Kaylee's eye. She tugged on Raven's shirt.
"What's that?" Kaylee whispered. Raven turned to see the shape reform into a blue woman. The woman smiled an almost friendly smile.
"I'm Mystique and I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," she said.
"Yeah, you're in my room. One might think you could hear our conversation," Raven retorted, a bit frightened.
"How I got in here doesn't matter, but what does is the fact that you two are mutants. You are what Magneto calls, Class 2. You have no known powers but a code for them. All you need is a small dose of radiation for those powers to actively function properly with your bodies," Mystique explained.
"Wait, wait...what now?" Raven asked. Kaylee nodded to show that she had no understanding, either.
"You are potential mutants and I'm here to make you mutants," Mystique informed them. Kaylee turned to Raven.
"Well, she is blue," Kaylee said quietly.
"Oh? And your mother taught you to trust blue people?" Raven giggled.
"No, I'm saying that maybe she really is a mutant," Kaylee hissed.
"Let's have her prove it," Raven whispered. They turned toward Mystique.
"Can you prove to us that you are a mutant yourself?" Raven asked. Mystique nodded. Her body began to reshape herself into another person. Not just any person, but Raven. Then, with a wave of blue-green scales, she became Kaylee.
"Well! I'm convinced," Raven said rubbing her hands together.
"When do we leave?" Kaylee asked.
"Now, if you'd like," said Mystique, mimicking Kaylee's voice. The group walked out of the apartment. Raven locked the door and they started down the stairs. Outside, a black Mercedes sat with only a driver inside. The girls got in the car and Kaylee glanced into the mirror. The face she saw in the driver's seat was that of a young man's but with silver hair and shocking blue eyes.
"This is Quicksilver, Magneto's son," Mystique explained. Kaylee and Raven smiled politely. Then they were off at well over the speed limit.
"Pietro, slow down. They aren't mutants yet," Mystique scolded. Quicksilver reluctantly brought the car down to 50 mph, just 5 mph over the speed limit. The girls took a hint, though, and fastened their seatbelts.
***
THE XAVIER INSTITUTE FOR GIFTED CHILDREN
"X-Men," Xavier's voice rang through the groups heads, "There is going to be a delay. You three will still have a mission, but for now you will have to wait."
"Why?" Logan asked. First he hadn't had a smoke in hours, he was forced to go get some new mutants and now he was going to have to wait. Three things that Logan hated. He was quite angry by now.
"Patience Logan, I'm sure you'll thank me one day," Xavier said soothingly.
"Yeah, and you may not enjoy it," Logan hissed under his breath.
"Don't think I didn't hear that," Xavier warned.
"Sorry, Professor," Logan mumbled. His temper was something he could never control.
***
AN UNDISCLOSED COAST
(Use your imagination)
Raven and Kaylee sat in the back of the car looking at the endless expanse of water in front of them. Mystique and Quicksilver where talking in the front. It was only 3:00 a.m. and still very dark but they could see the shining surface of the water ahead of them.
"I could cross it but the chances of me being able to find The Savage Island in this lighting is highly unlikely," Quicksilver was saying.
"You've lived there your entire life and you can't find?" Mystique asked angrily, "I could find my birthplace with my eyes blindfolded, at midnight, with only one leg, without..."
"Okay! I get it!" Quicksilver growled, "Well, I can't and you sure as hell can't either."
"We'll just have to wait until dawn," Mystique sighed.
"Fine," Quicksilver murmured. He took the keys from the ignition and got out of the car. He slammed the door behind him and started down towards the shore. Kaylee glanced at Raven and then unbuckled her seatbelt. Raven grabbed Kaylee's arm.
"You're not leaving me!" Raven hissed.
"Then come with me. I want to talk to uh, Quicksilver," she whispered back. Raven sighed and unbelted herself.
"Where are you two going?" Mystique asked, turning in her seat.
"Um, long trips...gotta go," Raven whined unconvincingly. Mystique bought it, though. The pair got out of the car and headed towards the shoreline.
Quicksilver sat by the water, gazing into the inky blackness. He sighed. Kaylee laid a hand on Quicksilver's shoulder and he flinched under her touch.
"Um, Kaylee, I wasn't lying to Mystique. I'll be right back." Raven turned and headed down the beach.
"You okay?" Kaylee asked, sitting down next to Quicksilver. He sighed again.
"What is okay?" He asked.
"Oh? We have a philosopher," Kaylee laughed. Quicksilver nodded.
"I suppose. It's just that...everyone seems to think I can't do anything. Then I go and prove it to them. My father wants to disown me and Mystique would care less. Even my sister never thought well of me." Kaylee was silent and then,
"I'm sorry." Quicksilver buried his face in his arms. Silent sobs shook his body. Kaylee wrapped her arm around him.
Here she was, being compassionate for someone she didn't even know, but it still didn't feel wrong. Slowly, Kaylee leaned in and planted a soft kiss on Quicksilver's head. He looked up at her.
"Uh, I... I better go, here comes Raven," Kaylee whispered, standing up. Quicksilver got to his feet and took hold of Kaylee's hand. Kaylee looked at him confused.
"Thank you," he murmured and hugged Kaylee gently. He released her and started walking in the opposite direction down the beach.
"Hmm, what do we have here?" Raven asked, amused.
"Nothing," Kaylee answered flatly.
"Oh, come on. I'm your best friend and I know what that was," Raven replied.
"What was it, then?"
"You made Pietro or Quicksilver, whatever, feel better, but you didn't do just that. Whether you wanted to or not, you got Quicksilver to fall for you." Kaylee sighed. Raven missed nothing.
"Ah! I was right," Raven said, pleased.
"So what if you were," Kaylee laughed. She shoved Raven and ran towards the car.
"Oh, get back here! Now you're gonna get it!" Raven took off after Kaylee. Quicksilver sighed. He was out of earshot but could see Kaylee and Raven. He really just wanted to see Kaylee, though.