DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything that you would recognize, including X-men: Evolution and anything related to it.
CHAPTER 1: Bring me to life
I was hiding behind a trashcan, that wasn't what I was supposed to be doing tonight. I was supposed to be at my best friend Chelsea's house for a sleepover with our friend Sarah. But we had to go to 7-11 for snacks. If only we stayed at home like I wanted.
We wouldn't have witnessed a shooting.
We wouldn't have had to run.
And I wouldn't be cowering behind a trashcan in a dead end ally.
The sound of footsteps were coming closer to me, I only hoped he didn't see me. But the footsteps kept coming closer and closer until I could hear him breathe over me. I backed up slowly until my back hit the chain link fence that prevented any escape.
I began to cry, begging for mercy as he came closer with his gun. I shut my eyes, aware my life was over. And it went with a bang.
There was a feeling of nothingness. A short time where everything was dark and I couldn't feel anything anymore, not my surroundings, not pain, just nothing.
Then it all came back in a single moment. I heard the small sound of metal hitting concrete and saw the back of the man that shot me. My eyes went red.
Within a second I had him by his throat against a wall. Now that I could see his face I saw that he was only a couple years older than me. Still a boy, who made some really bad decisions early in life. Probably thought they were better than his already shitty life.
He was scared, I could feel him shaking. The gun he still held was pressed into my side. Not for long. The gun floated out of his grip, up to my eye level then crumpled up and was tossed toward the fence.
"Please… don't hurt me…" He cried. It just made me even angrier.
"Why should I give you mercy when you gave me none?" I couldn't recognize my own voice. It was like I someone else, and the real me was sitting on the sidelines unable stop this imposter. I felt dangerously close to killing him, but I really didn't want that. I managed to restrain the urge "I'm going to do you a favor and give you a second chance, so if you wake up I hope you begin to rethink your life."
I threw him at the chain link fence, effectively knocking him out. Fire burned at the tips of my fingers and I flicked it at the ground allowing the ally to catch fire. Then I turned around and walked down the street. The sound of sirens were heading in my direction.
I don't know who I am anymore.
"Darcy!" Chelsea screamed as she ran to hug me.
"We were so worried about you!" Sydney cried, joining the hug.
"What happened?" Chelsea questioned. "We ran away but you weren't with us." I didn't have the heart to tell her that no one was with anybody. We all ran in different directions.
"I hid behind a trashcan in an ally, he didn't even see me." I lied, I felt like I had to. What would they think if they knew what I did? They might think it was cool… but they also might think I was a freak or a monster.
KNOCK KNOCK
"Who are you?" I opened the door to a bald man in a wheel chair. "And how did you get up here?" I inquired as I remembered that we lived upstairs.
"I am Professor Charles Xavier, and I am a mutant, like you." The thing is, he didn't say that out loud.
"Please, come in." I gestured inside.
"Darcy, I'm home!" My mom called 20 minutes later, "Who is that? Darcy, what did I say about opening the door to strangers?" She was mad at me.
"Not to unless you or dad is here, but mom this is Professor Xavier, he can help me."
"What are you talking about? What do you need help with? What's wrong sweetie?" Her voice softened for that last part.
"I haven't told you anything about it before, but I'm a mutant." I looked her straight in the eye, practically begging her to believe me. It didn't work; she just started pointing fingers at the Professor.
"Who do you think you are? Coming here and thinking you can trick my daughter into believing any stupid bull you want! Well your little scam isn't going to work because she has a mother to tell her what's right and what's wrong!"
"MOM! STOP!" I yelled holding her back, because frankly she looked like she was going to paralyze the rest of the man. "I didn't tell you before because I know how you get, but the other day when I spent the night at Chelsea's we went out. And I got shot, right between my eyes."
"What?" My mother's whisper was so quiet; she may not have said anything at all.
"I died mom. I died."
"Of course not, honey, if you died I wouldn't be talking right now. I'd be too busy crying."
"But I did mom. Then I came back seconds later, gained super strength, crumpled a gun like a sheet of paper with my mind, and started a fire without a lighter." She just laughed at me. Maybe I am just crazy, and the good professor here is just going to take me to the loony bin.
"This isn't a joke Mrs. Powers; your daughter isn't the only one to exhibit special abilities. There is nothing to worry about, it isn't a disease, and there is nothing wrong with your daughter. This is just evolution taking its course."
"I don't believe this." My mom buried her face in her hands, a typical sign that she is getting fed up with this.
"Then I'll show you. Then you'll have to believe." I insisted. Walking from the living room to behind the kitchen counter seemed like the farthest thing in the world, when in reality it was just a couple steps. I gingerly picked up a sharp knife from the drawer. Hoping my body could heal something other than a bullet wound, I ignored my mother's pleas, and placed the sharp end of the knife between my thumb and forefinger.
Then I shouted in pain as blood pooled out of the fresh cut I made. I brought it to the sink to wash off, and before my mom could even get to me it was already healed. There wasn't even a scar left to remember.
"How?" Again she was practically inaudible.
"This is what we've been trying to tell you mom. I'm not normal, I'm a mutant, and I have superpowers. Isn't it great?" I exclaimed.
"I- I don't know…" She almost stumbled under the weight of this revelation.
"Mrs. Powers, Darcy is an exceptionally talented young woman and I have extended an invitation for her to stay at my school for the gifted."
"And where exactly is this school?"
"Bayville, New York." I could see that my mom was calculating the distance. Then finally…
"No."
"What? Mom why?" I whined.
"Because it's too far away and I still don't trust him."
"Understandable, but you and your husband are free to see the institute for yourselves. And of course, I will take care of the transportation."
"See mom? No worries, come on, at least look at it, I really want to go."
"You really want to leave?" She sounded kind of sad. Like it was her that I wanted to get away from, no I just wanted to get out of El Cajon. I nodded as my answer; she was going to make me cry I just know it. "Fine, I'll talk to your father about it."
"Yay! Thank you so much mom." Then I hugged her, giving way to a very touching moment.
"This place is awesome!" I exclaimed, hovering above the Professor's mansion in his own jet. My parents looked a little more than worried the whole trip, especially when we started to land on a basketball court.
"Now, Ms. Munroe, do you always land the jet here?" My father was an awkward man, and looked particularly uncomfortable talking to Ororo Munroe, or as I'll know her, Storm.
"No, we usually land it underground." My dad didn't ask any more questions.
"Isn't it beautiful?" I was in awe of this place, the estate was so big and green, the house was like a dream, and the students were so… interesting. Not even ten minutes in and I've already seen a boy crash into a brick wall like a cannonball, a girl walk through the front door, and then there was Kurt…
"Hallo!" I thought my parents were going to faint when the blue demon boy with the spiked tail appeared in a puff of smoke. "I am-"
"Kurt Wagner, from Germany, right?"
"Ja! How did you know?"
"I don't know, I've just been knowing things lately."
"Is zat your power? To know?"
"No, I don't think so." I told him, a smile on my lips. I wish I knew what my power was, it would be so much easier to try and use it, but it's so confusing.
"Like, are you done bothering them Kurt?" The girl who walked through the door came in again, this time through the wall. "Hey, I'm-"
"Katherine Pryde, but you prefer Kitty, or Shadowcat. Nice intangibility by the way."
"So is that, like, what it's called?" She briefly looked back to the wall that she just phased through. "And like, how did you know my name?"
"Vell, I sink it's her power." Kurt chimed in, just as the professor came in.
"Ah, Kurt, Kitty, why don't you show Darcy around, while I speak with her parents."
They showed me around the outside first. To the basketball court that was now devoid of any jet, to the swimming pool, to tennis court, to the little forest they had going on in the back. Kurt said that they sometimes trained in these areas. When I asked what kind of training, Kitty explained that it varied between self-control, defense, or rescue training.
Then I was given a tour of the inside, through the foyer, to the kitchen and dining room, to the living room, and the door to the professor's office. I got to see the nurse-like room, where I would be going if I was ever injured. I told them that I didn't see that happening. Of course they didn't understand until Kurt realized it was a part of my power.
"So you're also a healer, like Logan." Kurt commented.
"I guess…. Who's Logan?"
"Shouldn't you like already know? You knew my name before I told you?" Kitty seemed confused, as well as Kurt…. If only I had a normal power like them.
"Yeah, but I didn't know your names before I met you, it just came to me when I saw you." I awaited the look of understanding from them….
"Anyways…" Kitty interjected in the ensuing silence.
Kitty showed me to where I would be staying, which was with Rogue. Although Rogue wasn't there at the moment, Kitty told me all about her….
"And that's how she, like totally, switched sides. Oh and Rogue doesn't like being touched."
"Because of her power?" I asked.
"Fer shur. Oh my God, could you like just imagine life not being able to touch anybody?"
"Yea, it wouldn't be very pleasant." we moved on, Kitty showing me her room which was right next door and inviting me to come over if I ever need help or just wanted to talk.
Kurt generously pointed out were his room was, I presumed that he meant to give me the same offer.
Then we went downstairs and things got interesting…
"This is the Danger Room." Kitty motioned to the very empty metal room.
"What's so dangerous about it?" I inspected it closely but I still couldn't see anything too odd other than the control center above us.
"Like, that's why Kurt's up there with Mr. McCoy. Oh my God you're going to seriously freak." Ok, I was confused. And not just because I didn't know Mr. McCoy yet. Next there was a rumbling noise and the floor began to move, turning into a desert landscape.
"Ok yeah," I nodded, "You're right, I'm freaking." Kitty just laughed at me. "But, I still don't see what's so dangerous about this place." It didn't take long before I realized I was sinking. Glancing to Kitty I saw that she was sinking too. And angry.
"Kurt! You're gonna like get my clothes dirty!" This time I laughed.
"Vell, Vee needed to confince her somehow."
"I'm still not convinced Kurt!" I yelled up at him. I wasn't scared of quicksand; long as you don't struggle you're fine.
Then a red laser beam shot between me and Kitty.
"Kurt!" We both yelled at the same time.
"Don't point fingers at me it vas Hank." Kurt defended.
"Mom, this place is great, can I please stay? Pretty please?" I begged when I went back to see my parents in the professor's office.
"Well, I don't know honey, your father and I just aren't sure about this." My mother had that look on her face. The look of an over protective parent.
"It's just that we don't think this is the safest of places, with that training program and all." Ah, dad's can be so stupid sometimes. He's lying to me, he might not admit it, but I know that's not the real reason.
"But dad, I need to train to learn how to use my powers. So I can learn more about them, control them, and use them. As a mutant I know I'm not going to have a normal life, and I need to be able to use my powers for self defense. Plus, I could be a hero!"
"Darcy, we just don't think this is right for you." My dad said.
"No, you don't think this is right for you! All my life you guys have encouraged me to do whatever I want. But you know what? I just think you guys thought that I'd never actually do it, that I wouldn't leave. But I've always dreamed of this kind of opportunity, and now you're not supporting me when I really need it." I was upset, they could see that. Were they really going to say 'No, you can't stay here'?
"Maybe we could let her stay David." My mother suggested.
"What? Melissa are you crazy? Think of the danger she could be in!" My father was getting angry. He always over works himself when he gets angry, it's not good, it raises his blood pressure. My mom turned to whisper in his ear.
"I am. I'm also thinking about how much she'll hate us if we don't let her stay."
That night I had dinner at Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters. I met all the mutants: Scott, Jean, Spyke, Ray, Bobby, Sam, Amara, Rahne, Roberto, Jamie, and I officially met Rogue, Logan, and Beast. This was different. I've never been around this many people that I've had something in common with. I could talk to them so easily, the only one I didn't talk to was Rogue.
She seemed so standoffish. I guess it's just something that came with her powers; not being able to get near people physically makes it hard to get close emotionally. But I know that we'll end up being best friends.
