Here it is, the first chapter. Hope I introduced well, and please review so I know how I did. I tried to introduce a good amount of characters, minor and lead, so you all don't have to wait to see your OC pop up.
Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men Evolution, many of the characters and OCs, no other recognizable merchandise, blah, blah, blah, you all know the drill, I'm not making any money.
Chapter 1 – New Beginnings
The girl slid gracefully from the car, her skirt bunching around her legs. She lifted her head to peer around the vast expanse of the grounds. A long stone pathway wound like a snake before her, twisting around a majestic fountain to the doors of a beautiful, many-windowed mansion. Surrounding the great building were soft green lawns, and small woods. The leaves rustled, not yet fallen so early in the autumn. The clean scent coming from the bay curled around her and loosened the tightened muscles in her back and neck, releasing some of the pent up tension.
The girl was jerked from her reverie with the harsh bray of the car horn, signaling the departure of her parents. They had said their goodbyes in the car. The nervous girl straightened the beads adorning her sari, trying to restrain the squeak of fear that was threatening to burst from her lungs.
"Easy, Dalaja. It is perfectly alright, you will be fine," the girl chanted repeatedly in her head. Clearing her throat and summoning her courage, she hoisted the two suitcases that lay at her feet and strode toward the mansion. She was getting a nasty tremulous feeling deep in her stomach which she was well familiar with. She shut her eyes again, feeling the moisture beginning to pool on her brow, dampening her dark locks. "Keep it together, don't let it get to you," she willed silently, praying her mutation didn't leave her an evaporating puddle in the blazing sun on her very first day here.
Her head tilted upward to gaze up at her new home. She let the sun soak into her tan skin and reflect for a moment off her shockingly blue eyes, unnatural for her nationality. Suddenly, a voice behind her spoke up.
"Hi. It's nice to see that I'm not the only one walking up to this place. I was so scared this morning I couldn't eat my waffles." Dalaja turned to meet, well not really meet, she had to look down slightly to meet the light hazel eyes of the angel blonde girl that had come up behind her silently. She was very petite with a still child-like face. White-gold curls bounced around her freckled cheeks and a shy smile graced her lips.
Dalaja was silent for a moment. She was not used to being approached in a friendly manner by anyone, ever since she had moved to this country from India. There was an awkward silence.
"Well, uh, hi again, my name is Bridget." The blonde stuttered out, blushing a brilliant pink to match her tank top, and sticking out a hand with pink and black painted fingernails.
Dalaja realized the girl was sincere, and she also felt an inkling of amusement and liking towards the small girl. She grinned at Bridget and took her hand for the offered shake. "Dalaja Mantri," she stated, "it's nice to meet you as well." Bridget smiled, flashing pearl-white teeth.
"I like your name. Mind if I call you Dala?" Dalaja didn't mind, thinking she was really going to like this girl. "Come on, we might as well go in. Now or never." Bridget linked her arm through Dala's and led her up the stone steps to the doors of the mansion.
Once in the grand foyer, both girls stopped for a moment to gape in awe. The plush red carpet spread out around them. Several doorways opened into hallways leading away, and a marble staircase led up to the second floor of the mansion. Several chandeliers hung from the ceiling glowing with golden light. A couple plush-looking chairs lined near the walls and house plants added an air of freshness and greenery to the glamorous surroundings. Bridget and Dala both marveled at the fact that this was now their home.
A voice called to them, and they both turned to see a beautiful woman with silver-white hair gliding toward them. Literally gliding towards them, her feet drifting six inches off the ground. They gawped as the queenlike woman touched down to the floor, her electric blue eyes appraising the two girls with a friendly air accompanying a warm smile.
"More new recruits. Welcome to Xavier's Institue for Gifted Youngsters. I am Ororo Munroe, but you can call me Storm. Now please, come this way children. The others are congregating on the rear lawn, we should join them." Storm turned and strode away back down the hallway she had entered from. Dala and Bridget looked at each other, and with grins of mounting excitement, they scampered after Storm down the hallway.
On the second floor of the mansion, a man peered from the window of his office. His brown eyes beneath his deep brows sparkled with warmth as he observed the growing mass on the lawn below him. A new year was beginning, Professor Charles Xavier thought. That summer all hope had almost been lost with the ascension of the immortal mutant Apocalypse. Then he had nearly believed that all that they stood for, and even the world they lived for was doomed. Now, four months later, hope and livelihood were restored. The New Mutants had graduated to the full status of x-men, and new recruits were coming in almost constantly.
The professor looked down on the crowd of teenaged mutants. He could see the entirely new faces, and also spotted those who had joined during the summer. He could also see the tall and muscled figure of Piotr Rasputin, the former Acolyte of Magneto. After the Apocalypse fiasco, Magneto had retreated from his mutant superiority campaign and had yet to reappear. His group had disbanded: the Australian Pyro now lived with the Brotherhood, Sabertooth had vanished almost immediately, and Colossus, after freeing his family from Magneto's clutches, had joined the x-men. As for the fourth and last of the Acolytes, the Professor could see the young man skulking in the shadows bordering the north forest, red eyes gleaming faintly in the dusky shade. Gambit had only arrived two weeks previously, a tatty rucksack on the back of his motorbike. His reasons for joining the X-Men were still foggy, which Scott and Logan found reason enough to tail the theif almost 24/7, waiting for whatever stunt they were sure he would pull. The professor sincerely hoped that both Gambit and Colossus would earn the trust of their teammates with time.
There was a sudden and rather violent rap on his office door. The professor turned his gaze away from the window. "Come in please." He telepathically answered the knocker.
The door swung open revealing a short but well-muscled man with blue-black hair with sideburns, and a rather dark expression.
"Ah, Logan. What can I do for you?"
"Just droppin' in to say we're almost ready to start Chuck." Logan padded over to peer out the window as well. He let out a weary sigh, exasperation accompanying the sigh as a deep rumble in his chest. "Even more of 'em. Soon I won't even be able to get a beer without tripping over some rampaging kid."
The professor smiled. He knew Logan liked to put on the irritated loner façade, but the man's good heart betrayed the gruff outward appearance.
"Ya know Chuck, I still think it was a mistake to let the kids choose their own uniforms this year. The little ladies'll all end up dressin' like hookers, and the others are headed straight for that moronic Matrix-trench coat look. It's bad enough Gumbo wears the thing, we don't need ten more kids prancin' around in 'em. I swear, I see one pair of heels in my Danger Room, those same heels will be runnin' the wearer all around Bayville for two days."
"Don't worry Logan, we'll make sure their uniforms are appropriate for their training. And we must try to have a positive outlook for this coming year. Remember that only a few months ago, we weren't even sure this year would ever come." Logan nodded in silent agreement.
"Well then," the professor declared. "Let us go down to meet the new students."
The alarm on the clock beeped insistently, seemingly trying its hardest to wake the late sleeper in the bed next to it. A pale white arm slithered out from beneath the covers, groped for a moment on the bedside table, then smashed the snooze button to silence. The covers twitched, and a rumpled head of auburn hair with white bangs lifted zombie-like from the mess of blankets. Grey-green eyes blinked for a moment, then flew wide at the bright sunlight streaming into the room.
"Ah man! Ah can't believe that ah slept in, taday of all days." Rogue leapt from the bed, propelling herself toward her closet. She ripped out a dark green long sleeve, black jeans, her boots, and her standard leather gloves. Also grabbing the necessary undergarments and toiletries, she flew into the bathroom and into the shower, not even waiting for the warm water. As she huffed and shivered under the cold blast she furiosly repremanded herself for being late.
"Ah musta been so out of it last naght that I fagat to set the darn alarm. Ah knew ah shouldn't a stayed up so late with Kitty. It's all Kitty's fault," the girl thought bitterly, and certainly not truthfully. "The girl's such a dang chatterbox she kept me up."
Half an hour and a hasty hair and makeup job later, Rogue was hastening down towards the backyard. She could already hear the rumbling of many voices. Rogue finished yanking on her left glove as she rounded the corner…slamming into someone, rather hard.
"Ahm sorreh, wasn't lookin' where ah…" her mouth clamped shut once more when her green eyes met the crimson and black ones before her.
"Bonjour cherie," Gambit flashed her his most charming grin. "It been a long time, non?
Rogue stared, silent. When she had returned the previous night from college for a holiday, Kitty had filled her in on the current goings-on in the Institute. She had told Rogue of the strange development with the recruitment of two former Acolytes, but Rogue hadn't seen either of them, until now. She silently cursed her luck that she should meet Gambit first. The last time they had seen each other, Gambit had kidnapped her and led her for a merry lark in New Orleans involving rival crime gangs, motorboat chases, and infiltrating highly guarded mansions to rescue his hostage father. They had parted in rather murky relations, where he had given her his lucky card, the Queen of Hearts, and departed, without a word from him since.
"Hello Gambit," she stepped away from him hastily, the close proximity between them making her severly uncomfortable. However, he stepped forward, maintaining the small space between them.
"Remy happy to see you chere," he declared, the devilish smirk still on his face. "Allow him to accompany the belle femme outside." He grasped her gloved hand and lifted it to his lips. Normally, it would appear gentlemanly, but Rogue could see the cheeky glint in his demon eyes. She pulled her hand away.
"Actually, ah was just lookin' fer Kitty. I maght see ya'll later," she replied as casually as she could in the situation and strode away down the hall before he could reply, but she could feel his gaze hot on the back of her neck. She was unnerved by his greeting. They had never officially been friends, but they had confided in one another on some deep problems each had the former spring. She couldn't figure where that placed them in relation to one another, but his bold greeting after so long a time was certainly not what she had expected or wanted. She unconciously noted to herself to avoid him as long as possible.
"Rogue!" An excited voice hailed her from the entry hall. Rogue descended the grand stairway to see Kitty waiting for her, her perky ponytail bobbing and her brilliant blue eyes sparkling.
Shadowcat rushed forward, seized Rogue's hand and pulled her roughly along behind her.
"Geez Rogue, I was waiting for, like, ever for you to get here already. They're about to start. I'm so like excited right now, I can't believe how many people came. You have to see." She towed Rogue out of the french doors leading to the lawn out back, and Rogue was taken aback at the amount of people there. She could see two girls, one in traditional Indian garb and the other a curly blonde, tailing Storm. Near the gazebo where the professor would greet them was a group of boys. One was a well-muscled boy with blond hair to his shoulders, another was a small pale boy with black hair and grey eyes, and the third was a Japanese with white hair. An Israeli girl walked past them, using sign language in an attempt to talk to a tall Russian boy who clearly had no clue what she was trying to communicate. The girl soon became frustrated and her hands crossed over her chest in an obvious sulk, the only thing the Russian was able to comprehend.
"Ya'll were raght Kitty, ah didn't thank so many people would be here." Rogue stared around. She saw familiar faces as well. Scott and Jean stood beside the professor, as proud as new parents at the outcome of new students, their hands linked together surreptitiously. Beast weaved through the students, greeting them kindly. There was a sudden, loud BAMF as Rogue's stepbrother Kurt Wagner a.k.a Nightcrawler teleported right in front of them. Kitty and Rogue jumped back, coughing and glaring icy daggers at Kurt.
"Rogue, mein schwester, I've missed you!" Kurt smiled, revealing the fangs of his incisors.
"It's good ta see ya too Kurt." Rogue stopped as she saw the professor beckoning them over. All the original X-Men gathered around him, including the New Mutants who had become full X-Men after the defeat of Apocalypse. The new students began to settle in the chairs that had been placed in rows before the gazebo.
"Well my X-Men," the professor announced proudly. "It's time to start."
The blonde boy that Rogue had seen eagerly sat nervously in his seat, his foot bouncing up and down with nervous energy. The warm sun beat on the back of his neck as Alexander Rogers glanced around at the faces that surrounded him on every side. He licked his lips, feeling the hot tingle at the tips of his fingers from the caloric energy that was building inside him in response to his tension. He clenched his fists.
"Hey, are you all right? You look right about ready to fall off your seat." Alex turned towards the heavily British voice. He had met the young man earlier, but had already forgotten his name. He had shaggy red hair that drooped over his face, nearly obscuring his green eyes, which showed mild concern. Alex fought to recall the name. Len…Larry, no, Lyle. He remembered now: Lyle Griffiths. He answered Lyle's question hastily.
"Yeah, just kinda jittery that's all." The British boy simply nodded, and turned back to the gazebo. The professor and his original students were gathering there. Suddenly, there was a creaking of chairs and a few annoyed grunts, and a small blonde girl with a pulsating aura of mischief radiating from her so strongly that Alex leaned backwards in his chair, gripping his wallet protectively in his jeans pocket, popped in front of them.
"Hey, mind if I crash here? The only other seats are up in the very front." The girl pointed to the empty seat to Alex's left. He shook his head, and the girl flopped down casually, as she turned almost immediatley to engage him in conversation.
"My name's Peyton. What's yours?" she began with no prelude.
"Uh, Alex, Alex Rogers." He replied faintly.
"And I'm Lyle," Lyle leaned around Alex to introduce herself. The girl shot him a withering glare that was surprisingly intimidating on her pixie face.
"I remember you. You cut us off on the drive here, you hothead. And your car sucks, you should put that junky thing out of its misery." She sniffed in an aloof manner. Lyle wasn't bothered, merely leaning back and chuckling.
"Shhh, guys, I think the professor is about to speak." Alex hushed the two on either side of him as the professor came forward in his chair, apparently about to begin. Without warning, the air in the yard grew noticeably colder, and a shadow seemed to fall on the lawn. Alex shivered, looking up for the cloud that was blocking the sun, but there were none for miles. Confused, he heard the creaking of many chairs and he turned to gawk along with everyone else at the latecomer. His mouth dropped slightly.
The girl that had just arrived approached the gathering, utterly unconcerned by the many eyes watching her. Her skin, which was as white as new fallen snow, gleamed faintly in the dimmed sun. Long black hair fell to her waist in waves and loose curls, some of which were tinted also with white. She wore black skinny jeans, black flats, and a black off-the-shoulder tee shirt, and a crystal pendant choker hung at her neck. Her face was shapely, but completely devoid of all emotion except for a cold appraisal of the scene before her. Alex was most startled by her wide eyes. Every time she moved they changed color, like a tumbling kalaidascope. The eyes roamed the crowd for an empty seat, finding one at the very front. They flashed violet as she drifted toward it and settled in gracefully, her ankles crossed and hands folded primly in her lap. She nodded to the professor in respect and maybe apology. He returned it, then wheeled forward to address the crowd as if the dramatic entrance hadn't occurred.
Alex leaned forward in his seat, anticipation once again twisting his stomach. He could feel Lyle and Peyton shifting in their chairs as well.
"A warm welcome to all of you, to the Xavier Institute. I am Professor Charles Xavier as many of you will know. I cannot say how proud and gratified I am to see so many new faces here this year. You all have a unique gift of sorts, special in their own ways, that the world is not ready to accept yet." There was a murmer of subdued agreement. "Here, you will learn to control those talents, so that one day the world will welcome you with warmth and acceptance. Now, some of you wonder what it is we do here exactly." He motioned his X-Men forward.
"These are my students that have passed through the training and have graduated to the status of X-Men. We strive to maintain peace between mutants and humans, and to promote the ideal that both can live side by side without hostility. Here, you will learn to not only control your abilities, but to harness them to protect mankind. The years ahead of us will be difficult, with prejudice and suspicion as many of you have already experienced. While you are here we will prepare you to face that world courageously and correctly."
He motioned once again to the X-Men. "My x-men will help to train you, although they will still be training alongside you. They will help you become adjusted to life here and the training you will undergo."
"Now, to other business. The local high school does accept mutant students, but if anyone would prefer to take their academic education here at the institute instead of in the mainstream, there is a sign-up sheet that shows you would prefer classes here. Your special training will take place here, and you will live here through the year, with the exception of holidays, when you can return home if you wish for the break. The dorms that you will dwell in are located on the second and third floors. Due to the large amount of students, some of the rooms will be crowded until we finish the renovations we have planned to extend the living space. Today you may tour the mansion and grounds, get settled in your dorms, and become acquainted with your fellow students. Tomorrow, you will receive your training outfits, at request, and your codenames. Classes will begin Monday afternoon. Thank you, and you are dimissed."
There was a rumble as the students rose from their seats and began to drift apart, some towards the mansion, and others to explore the grounds.
"Come on, Alex." Lyle stood and stretched. "How 'bout you and I find a bunk to crash our stuff at 'fore all the good rooms are taken."
"Sure." Alex grabbed his bag from beside his feet and followed the red haired boy across the lawn.
Suddenly Lyle raised his voice in a yell towards two other boys across the lawn. "Hey! You lot wanna come find a dorm?" Alex was taken aback by Lyle's forwardness, but the other two guys shrugged their shoulders and walked towards them. One was a well-muscled teen with many piercings and mud-brown hair styled in a faux hawk. His skin also had a strange sheen to it, like he had just taken a dip in the large pool across the yard. The other was a shorter and skinnier boy, with a goofy grin plastered on his sharp face. His strange hair, a mix of bright blonde, red, and black fell in his face and around his bright brown eyes. He also had strange skin markings: a weird charcoal mask around his eyes, kind of like a raccoon, shaped almost like the shadows of bird wings.
Lyle turned to Alex. "I met these to goons earlier. The one with the guns and fawk is Xavier James Carter, call him Xavier or Carter, and the weasel with his hair on fire is Patrick Lydenburg. Boys, this is Alex Rogers."
"Watch your mouth Brit." Xavier smirked at Lyle's mash up word for his hair style and the humorous similarity it bore to another word. "Hey Alex. Let's go find that dorm." They headed for the mansion.
Alex found himself walking next to Patrick, who looked about 14, who was also lugging two large bags on his rather scrawny shoulders.
"Whatcha got in that?" Alex asked, pointing to the second smaller, but bulky bag. Patrick threw him a look that spoke volumes of evil and mischief.
"Oh, just a few toys I couldn't stand to leave at home." He waggled his eyebrows knowingly. Alex sighed.
"Crap, I'm rooming with a joker." He ran through the summers that he had spent at camp, reminding himself of all the places he would have to check for shaving cream, water buckets, whoopee cushions, electronic buzzers, and several other nasty surprises he was sure were coming his way.
By 7 o' clock, the boys had staked a large room at the end of the boys' hallway, explored the grounds and the majority of the mansion, and had met a good amount of the new students. They currently sat talking to a group of them in the rec room. Alex looked around, recalling their names. A group of girls sat on the leather couch across from him and his roomates. He remembered their names were Amy Cleveland, Inara Richardson, Allison Deinos, and Aquamarine Brown. Two of the older guys were there as well, a Russian named Nikolai and a guy with a heavy Jersey accent named Marshall. Off in the corner were some girls he hadn't met yet: an Indian, a small blonde curlycue, and another blonde with snow white angel wings folded daintily over her back. A cold chill touched the back of his neck, and he turned slightly to see the girl who had made such an entrance earlier ghosting into the room and heading straight for the bookshelves, without so much as a glance at the others in the room.
They talked until it was time for dinner. There was a large jostling crowd, making it difficult for Alex to eat or move anywhere. He was glad they would be extending the mansion soon; he was already feeling claustrophobic. Once everyone had eaten, groups were seperated among the older X-Men , and they split up. Alex ended up with his roomies and a few other guys trailing the young man named Scott Summers.
"Okay," Scott said as they were led up the stairs towards the boys' dorms. "This, as you know, is the boys' hallway. There are two bathrooms, and some of the larger bedrooms have personal bathrooms in them. You are not allowed into the girls' wing after eight." A collective groan was heard. "Lights out is at nine on school nights, and ten thirty on weekends. Breakfast is at eight thirty tomorrow, where you'll begin receiving your codenames and uniforms, if they're ready. I'd suggest you all hit your rooms and unpack, since you won't have much time tomorrow." Scott then left them to their own devices. Alex, Patrick, Xavier, and Lyle headed to their room. It was the shnazziest room any of them had ever stayed in, and they gave it their full appreciation by throwing all their stuff on the floor, digging out the snacks each had stashed in their bags, and turning on the TV. They took turns with the shower, then hopped about goofing around and watching an old sci-fi movie they had found.
As Alex sat on his bed munching chips and gazing out the french doors of their balcony towards the sunset over the bay, he began to feel a warmth. Almost as if he were home.
Yay! I finished my first chapter! Hope you like it, and please review! I tried to get a lot of the character in, and don't worry, the new brotherhood members are coming in the next chapter. Hope you liked it!