Back by fan-demand...Cougar!
This fic is a sequel to "How I Joined the X-Men". You might be able to follow the plot without reading it, but it'd be MUCH easier if you did read it first (and reviews...) Anyway, Cougar and her team trained and learned at the Xavier's school in New York for three years. They were established as a sub team in Denver, Colorado, and have been there for two and a half more years, just having been deemed 'capable of housing students' a year ago.
Enjoy! Review.
Now That I'm an X-Man
Chapter 1
Sometimes you just have the feeling that you're being followed. Could be paranoia. But if one has the ability to virtually disappear , it's probably a fact. After ducking through my third alley, I decide to stay in the shadows. My mutation is an odd assortment. Cat eyes (with all the perks of night vision), teeth and claws; the ability to go unnoticed, which gives me partial imunity from psychics; and I can walk on snow. That last part isn't exactly helpful at this time.
My stalker rounds the corner casually. Stopping in his tracks, he gives a small sniff and looks directly at me.
"Yer gettin' better at that."
"Wolverine," I greet, a little surprised. "Maybe yer just gettin' worse." I step out of the shadows toward my old teacher.
"What're ya doin' out here? Mission?" he joins me, hands stuffed into his jacket pockets and we take to the street.
"Naw," I mimick his posture, but with out the coat. "I just had ta get outta the hotel before I punched Joseph. What about you? What're ya doin' in Denver?"
He gives a shrug, "Checkin' on my team."
I turn slightly to look up at him, "We graduated three years ago and have been posted here for two and a half. You've never come just ta 'check up on' us before, at least not alone. And we're not due for another evaluation for two more months."
He scowls at me, a familiar expression, "Yea? Maybe I had ta leave before I punched Summers."
"Heh," I smirk, "It's just a feral thing, right? Hating authority?"
"Naw, he's just a dick."
This really makes me laugh.
Wolverine turns to more sobering conversation, "So did ya go ta the funeral?"
"Yea. We all did. Pretty big service. I didn't see you there." We're talking about Jean Grey-Summer's funeral. Her most recent death had something to do with Logan, I know, and the Magneto threat. I'm not too sure. But while I was there, I did find out that Mr. Summers was apparently boinking the infamous Emma Frost. I'd never had to deal with the woman but on one occasion and we didn't much care for eachother. I'm a bitch. So is she. End of story.
"Wasn't there," he answers me. From his tone I know that it's all he'll say.
"Hey, you brought it up." He grunts at me and I continue, "So Frost is the new Headmistress, huh? How's that? More importantly, is there a dress code anymore?"
He replies with a short laugh and shakes his head, "Damn woman drives me nuts."
"Darn, wish I was there," I answer sarcastically as the hotel comes into view. The Denver Branch of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters (try saying that five times fast) has just recently opened up, publically. And publically, it's a private school for hand-chosen children. The no-duh part is that it houses the Beta X-Men team, four mutant teachers and currently twenty five mutant students. We're a merry bunch except when I want to punch our headmaster, Joseph Niles, in the head. He was also the team leader, by Xavier's choice. I would have chosen Amber, but no one asked for my opinion. We aren't as technologically advanced as our mother-school in New York, but we have a fairly large security system, a 'mini black bird' jet and a basic danger room. It doesn't have any of the holographic stuff, but there is lots of lazers and moving parts ready to crush someone.
When we get to the gate, I punch in my personal code. The pad flips open and I let it scan my hand. With a whirl of mechanics, the gate slides open. "You got a motel or ya gonna stay here?" I lead the X-Man up the impressive-enough steps to the front door and unlock it.
"Ya got a spare room?"
"Several," I then add, "Not that that's a request for more students."
"What? Ya can't handle the ones ya got?"
I shrug and head toward the rec room, where most of my team will be and some of the kids. "I only teach a few classes, but we got two new kids this week and Frost is recommending another to us next week. I'm not a teacher. I'm not even a team player. I just didn't have anything better ta do with my life."
The hot-pink skinned Amber comes into view, "That's not your resignation, is it?" She spares a glance toward Wolverine, then does a double-take, "Mr. Logan!" I grin as she gives him a hug, clearly to his discomfort.
"Amber," he greets stiffly from the hug.
"What're you doing here? I didn't here anything about an inspection. Are you here alone?" she peers over his shoulder.
"Just a visit."
With a frown, I realize that the place is WAY too quiet for 9:30 on a Friday night. "Where is everyone."
"Oh boy did you miss something," she shakes her head, sending her blue hair bobbing. "Not five minutes after you left," she turns to Wolverine, "You know one of our students, Brian? He can make pictures come to life," she turns back to me, "Well five minutes after you leave, Joseph's in the middle of lecturing him about pulling all those pranks--"
"I told Joseph it wasn't him," I cut her off, very annoyed. It was the reason why I'd left.
"I know, but who else could fill the girls locker room with mice, right?" She shakes her head again and continues, "Anyway, halfway through his lecture, Dani comes barelling into his office speaking a mile a minute and all we can understand is something about bats."
"Bats?" I ask. This is all very confusing.
"Yea. So we run out here and Ana's screaming cuz the whole entry way is full of bats. Apparently she's scared of the. And Conner is tyin to calm her down while geting all the students back in their class rooms and the teachers are opening up windows and doors. It was crazy.So that was proof that it wasn't Brian. And don't say I told you so either." Proof that we've been living together too long, I was just about to say that..."And now Joseph is addressing the whole school about it."
I roll my eyes and groan, "Is it his 'unacceptable behavior' speech?" Swear to God he stole it from Cyclops...
A bright smile, "Of Course!"
"'They in the gym?" I ask ungrammatically (see, they won't even let me SUBSTITUTE teach English class...like I really want to).
"Yea, and the rest of the team and the teachers too."
"Am I suppose ta go?" I grimace at the very thought.
"I was sent to fetch you when the gate told us you'd arrived." She's unsympathetic, curse her.
With a heavy sigh, I start toward the gymnasium. To Wolverine I add over my shoulder, "You can get settled in yer room if ya want. The kitchen hasn't moved. We don't have any beer."
"You kiddin' me? I wanna see this."
"I doubt it.." I reply emotionlessly.
With a bang, I push open the door and stride in, knowing full well that it annoys the hell outta Joseph when I arrive late into one of his assemblies. Ain't I a stinker?
"Nice of you to join us, Cougar." His gaze flashes to surprise when he see's Mr. Logan take a place on the wall next to the door.
I, myself, head toward the chairs behind him with the rest of my team. Passing by, I quietly say, "Look who I found."
"Uh, well," he falters, then regains his airs, "As I was saying, the entire student body will be up at 6:30 tomorrow for training. You'll be up at 6:30 on Sunday too, and every day after that until someone comes forward with either a confession or information. This behavior is unacceptable, people."
Great. You see, when he says that the student body will be up at 6:30, he means that the faculty, and me importantly, will be up at 6:00 to prepare to work the confessions out of them. Peachy.
"You're all excused. Curfew is moved up to 10 tonight. Be in your rooms by then or you'll be up at 5:30 with Cougar."
My eyebrows shoot up. Ooh, good one, punish the kids for the prank and me for the tardy. Well, I can't let him have the upper hand, can I? Loud enough for them to hear, I add, "You'll be cookin' me breakfast and I'm very meticulous 'bout my eggs."
As the kids clear out, Wolverine joins us up front. The rest of my team greets him warmly. The teachers are polite (if not still a little intimidated), but none of them really hae the kind of bond that my team has with him. Not to sound all mushy or anything, but we did train for three years with the guy.
"So," I sidle my way towards Joseph, "It wasn't Brian."
"No, Cougar, it wasn't," he answers me tightly
"So," I repeat myself, letting him know that I'm not saying, but clearly THINKING 'I told you so', "how do we figgure out who it was? We're not actually gonna wait for one of them ta fess up, are we?"
"Pfft," Ana laughs at me, "You just don't want to get up that early."
"Do YOU want me up that early?" I ask.
Bill, our science teacher puts in, "No one wants you up that early."
They were referring to my sunny disposition in the orning. It's so sunny that if they contradict that statement I'll strangle them with the nearest object. Sunny...
"No," Joseph answers my initial question, "No, I figured we could go over all thier files tonight to maybe get a clue."
Amber sighs, "All right, but if we gotta be up at six tomorrow, I'm not pulling an all nighter."
"Can I say it?" Devon, another one of our teachers asks excitedly. At a groan from everyone else, he announces in a booming voice, "To The Round Table!"
And off we all shuffle to the conference room, which contains an incredibly tacky round table.
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what do ya think? More teacher introductions will be next chapter, i think. I'm typing this when I got the time (which isnt much with work and classes and all that crap). anyway, R&R sorry for any typos, i have long fingernails and its hard to type right now...