Disclaimer; I do not own X-Men, Marvel does, so don't dog me for anything.
P.s. I own a bucket full of ice water.
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I tried to figure out who I was for years, but I could never figure it out. There were numerous people who tried to tell me exactly who I was. No one would ever tell me I had powers that could change my life forever.
When I was twelve my mother and father left me in the care of my aunt who I'm later found out was psycho. She took good care of me for a while, until I turned thirteen and learned to rebel.
I'd done the cool little thing to do and snuck out to hang out with my best friends at the time and pierced my ear on my own, but that was just the start. When things got really crazy I ended up with one of my best friends whom we properly called Angel. And I mean I ended up with her.
That's what really drove my aunt over the edge. Me and my Angel. It was just a phase, but it's the one that changed my life forever.
Aunt Maggie stood over me, having just struck me across the cheek and was rambling on about reading the bible, when I stopped her with a slap to her own cheek. She'd never been violent to me before and I'd never been violent at all, just angry.
She screamed at me further, only then debouching that my parents had really died and I was lucky enough that she took pity on me.
That drove me insane and I blacked out. Suddenly I saw things from above. My body was disfigured slightly, muscles larger than ever really. My normally pitch black hair was now blazing red and my usually green eyes were solid cyan blue. It was crazy. I took my hand against her and she flew into a wall. I tried to stop, but I had no control.
When I snapped out of it, I was standing over her with my hands, or as they now looked, claws, dripping with blood.
I was freaked out so bad I took off and left town, which wasn't hard in nowhere Iowa. I'd managed to pack my bags and just leave. I didn't want to be blamed for her death, but I would be two years later. They convicted me and sent me to a mental institute up in northern Pen state. And that's where I sit to this day.
Lucky me, I just had my nineteenth birthday and had figured out exactly who I was; A loser psycho with no hope of surviving life.
Suddenly the door to my room opened and I was released from my bindings as a man in a wheel chair appeared in the door way. He excused the guard from his post, assuring there was no reason for him to worry and asking him to shut the door on the way out.
What I could gather is that this man was old, old enough to be my grandfather. But something about him seemed to confuse me. He looked from the shut door to me and smiled gently, lacing his fingers in his lap.
"I assume you're Miss Rayne." His voice was so kind compared to the others I's heard. Yet only after this did I realize he hadn't opened his mouth.
"What are you?" I asked, my voice cracked from little use over the years, even I'd forgotten that it could sound so docile.
"My name is Charles Xavier. I'm just like you, Kaida; A mutant. And I've come to make you a simple offer." He finally told me.
I could only imagine what he was going to offer me. Maybe a swift and painless euthanasia? Most likely not, but it was a better option than being here. His expression turned cold a little but he continued to speak to me just as he had.
"I own a school, a safe house for mutants where they can harness their powers and become well trained. I'm offering you a room there, free of charge. The only thing I require will be a demonstration of your power once we arrive." He stated, looking around the room before looking back at me.
I thought about it for a few seconds and then nodded my head, before looking at him with a grudging look.
"Sir, I've nothing to take with me. No clothing, no nothing." I whispered, looking down from his eyes to the floor.
"We'll find you something Kaida, I'm quite sure of that." He chuckled before he nodded to me. "Let us take our leave then my dear."
I followed him out and into a rather old looking car and sat beside him quietly all the way to a huge school in Manhattan. What a long drive that was, no lie. He made pleasant conversations only to ask about my powers a little before we arrived. He wanted to know the first time I used them.
"It was four years ago. I ended up having to fight against my aunt. She had struck me down and I lost it when she began talking poorly of my mother. I lost it and blacked out and went on a rampage... I really don't know what you'll think about it sir." I muttered, looking at him out from under my hair.
He nodded, obviously taking it all in and then turned to me. "So how do we get you to demonstrate? It seems that you have to be under severe pressure to transform. And I'm well aware of the fears of changing, trust me my dear."
I just nodded and looked out the window in time to spot a rather large castle looking house. Outside the gate was a plank that said "Xavier's School for Gifted and Talented Youngsters." I hardly thought I was a youngster, but it really didn't matter now. I was here and the next order of business was to show him just who I was.
As we walked in many kids and adults past me; I was introduced to Ororo, Logan, Kitty, Kurt, and more. The ones that really stood out to me were Jubilee, Bobby, Xi'an, and Josh. Bobby seemed to breathe as if he was out in the cold and Josh had a strange golden glow to him.
Logan was accompanying us back to what Xavier called the hologram room, a place where I was to show them my powers. I didn't want to show them, but it's the agreement I was now held to. Logan seemed to scope me out until we entered the room. Then I noticed the professor was outside and looking through a glass pane.
"You and Logan are going to spar, Kaida. He'll go easy on you since you've no power to use at the moment. Hopefully with this we'll figure out a way to help you control it." Xavier's voice rang loud through the room.
Logan took a stance and I blinked a few times. He was going to have to hurt me to bring out the monster in me. And just as I began to prepare myself, Logan lunged and I did everything I could to dodge and roll away from him. But he was on me before I could dodge once more. I did everything I could to push him off, but it was like pushing a boulder from my body.
He raised a huge fist and in a panic I let myself black out and become angry. I found myself watching from above shortly after that and that's when I began trying to rule the beast I'd just released from my soul. I worked hard to climb back into my own body and only then was I able to see with the cyan eyes I'd had nightmares about for years. I stopped the swinging of my arms and stood there, gawking at Logan.
His body was so mangled beneath me and I was so scared, I was afraid I'd done horrible damage, but the more I looked at him, the more I saw the wounds healing themselves. I looked at my own body and saw the claw scrapes and holes in my torso. It didn't hurt, but I knew it was there. Then I looked at my hands and saw claws protruding from between my knuckles.
Logan sat up and looked at me in bewilderment. He popped a few joints and then stood up, looking me over. I tried to move, but it's like the beast didn't want to.
Slowly, a man walked into the holo-room and looked me over. As he did, I noticed the wings that laid at rest on his back. I tilted my head as much as I could and tried to say "who are you?" but I never achieved more than a growl.
I attempted to move again and did a little, bringing my arms up across my chest, so I could better look at the claws protruding. As I did, I heard what sounded like a sword being drawn and my eyes quickly jumped to Logan who was looking at his claws which looked just like mine. I watched how he pulled them in and did the same, watching my own disappear.
Xavier wheeled himself into the room and right up to me and the beast. He seemed to be making notes and Logan was looking at my stomach.
"Professor you might want Warren and Josh to take a look at her. She'll probably feel it when she changes back." He looked at me for a second and then added, "If she does."
I grunted at his comment before looking at the Professor. He looked to me and then nodded a little bit. I kept watching him and Warren as they looked me over and mumbled to each other. Only to groan as my body began to change back into the girl the beast overtook.
I clenched my stomach with my hands and groaned again, falling to my knees as I did. The pain was excruciating and almost made me pass out. Right as I felt like I was going to puke from the pain, the golden boy, Josh, walked into the room and over to me, placing his hands over where Logan had got me while defending himself. Slowly, the wounds healed and everything felt somewhat normal again. He went to heal the other wounds, but I held my hand out and smiled some at him.
"I'd rather heal those on my own, thanks." I kind of muttered, before looking up at Warren and asking him, "Do you think we can tend to these?"
The professor laughed lightly and nodded to Warren who led me out of the room and down the hall into what seemed to be a medical ward. I sat down on a cold table and Warren walked over to me, wrapping my arms and torso with bandages.
"You're pretty tough. I've never known anyone to take down Logan and not go down themselves." He told me, his voice almost as gentle as the professors.
"I didn't know I could go up against anyone period. I didn't even know I could stop myself when the beast is out. It usually takes over until the other person is dead..." I whispered.
We spent a little while conversing before deciding I should go eat since my blood sugar was a little lower than normal. So I thanked Warren for his kindness and walked out of the room and back the way I had been led. I walked into the kitchen and looked around, only to look in the fridge for something to eat.
I ended up cooking for myself and Kitty, whom I'd gotten to know since she smelled steak sizzling. I asked her about other mutants here, and even herself. It was nice to finally get answers for questions.
"So how many mutants are here?" I finally asked, looking from the steak to Kitty as I plated it with some mashed potatoes along with some peas and carrots.
"Well there are plenty of kids. I mean there's me, Bobby, Josh, Jubilee, Kurt, Xi'an, Sam, Rogue, James, and plenty more. And then there's Logan, Jean, Scott, Ororo, Poitr, and plenty of adults to teach the students here. It's just a real great place to be if you don't fit in anywhere else."
We both sat down and ate our steak, talking to each other and getting to know each other. We told our back stories and out first run in with our powers. We talked about the other kids and then Logan walked up as we were washing our dishes.
"I'm supposed to show you your room and Jean's going to meet us there and take you out shopping." He muttered, looking at me with an almost angry look.
I nodded and followed him without any other words and just kept my mouth shut until we got to my room which was across the room from Josh, and in the middle of Bobby and Rogue's rooms. It seemed like I would be just fine there.
Jean walked up to me smiling and held out her hand. As I shook it, she dismissed Logan and we walked down and to the garage where we got in what she said was Scott's car and took off toward town. It was odd being out with someone I hadn't met, but it was kind of nice, in that I could make a brand new impression.
We bought some simple clothes and some more elaborate ones before heading back, it was a short trip, but I was exhausted and without the meds the institution usually gave me, I was so worn out.
After I got in, I stopped outside and looked around, watching things and people, before I headed into my room and hung up my clothes, looking over them all as if re-evaluating them. That's when I saw Josh walk into his room, his head hanging down just a little. I walked over to him rather slowly, and stopped about half way across the hall.
"Josh." I called, looking to him, hoping he would turn around, and it took him a minute, but he did. I sighed out just a little, "Thank you for helping me earlier..."
He looked at me with a bit of an amused look and nodded, with a small smile. His face was golden, and his eyes were my colour green, his hair was shaggy, but it was still so nicely kept. He walked over and stood in front of me, making me feel like a midget.
I shook his hand and then bid him goodnight, but I couldn't sleep. Not since I knew my beast could control me. I walked down to the holo-room and stood there. I looked around, wondering how on earth I was going to do this. So I looked around and noticed Logan in the door way.
Was he always following me? Oh well. He could end up a great use now. He was the only one I really felt comfortable around.
"You're going to push yourself too far kid." He grunted at me, walking over and stopping in front of me with his arms crossed. "What do you want to accomplish?"
I just looked at him with the "are you serious" face and rolled my eyes a little. We looked at each other for a minute or two before I crossed my arms and shrugged.
"I want to be able to do what you people do. Fight with a knowledge of your powers. Everyone here has such good control and my beast can control me. It's not right and it's not fair." I rambled, looking at him for his thoughts.
He said nothing, but took a sparring stance and waited for me to do the same. After I did, he charged and I let myself black out. Only a few seconds after did I regain control and dodge out from under him. I stood, the beast at my control. My arms felt heavy, yet I knew I could control them, and the same could be said same for my legs.
He lunged at me again and I growled at him, lunging back and meeting him mid-way, only to knock him back and onto the floor, where I pinned him rather quickly. He struggled and managed to throw me off before I could even raise my own fist to attack. He stood a few feet away and I rose back onto my own feet, staring him down.
We sparred most of the night, and around four am it seemed like it was time for me to hit the sack or else feel the wrath of no sleep at all. So I went ahead and told Logan I'd see him the next night for some more practice. Yet that morning, as I began to drift to sleep, I couldn't help but feel like something was going to go wrong.