Rebirthing
Tell me when I'm gonna live again
Tell me when I'm gonna breathe you in
Tell me when I'm gonna feel inside
Tell me when I'm gonna feel alive…
---Skillet, Rebirthing
The night that hung above upstate New York was a cloudless quarter moon, lighting up the silent woods. Then the creak of a heavy door rang out—a sewer-like hatch appearing out of the ground. Stealthily, a figure dressed in black slipped out, looked around, and produced an object out of nowhere to prop the door.
The wraith stole out no more than a hundred feet to a secluded pond, much bigger than the fountain at the school. A whisper glided across the clear surface, and the opaqueness of ice replaced the water's sheen. The figure smiled, albeit half-heartedly, with anticipation.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Yup, there he is. Third time this week," Scott Summers confirmed. He was pointing to a dot on the newly-installed GPS screen. Since Stryker's raid on Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, it was thought best to have additional protection; the system was configured to differentiate between those with and without the mutant gene. "Any thoughts on he feels he has to sneak out?"
"Well, heartbreak has interesting effects on one's thoughts and feelings, don't you think?" replied the Professor.
Scott couldn't meet his friend and mentor's eyes. "I know, I know. But you know how much Jean meant to me."
"Yes, I do. I also know how much Rogue meant to Bobby, even with her powers. To find out she'd taken the Cure was devastating for him. So he escapes."
"To go ice skating?"
"If that's what makes him feel free. Give him time to work through his feelings, and—"
A second high-pitched beep chimed in, heralding another dot. A mutant, heading straight for Bobby.
"I got 'im," said Scott. Within a minute and a half, he was climbing out of the hatch in the woods and sprinting for the pond. Bobby was just chipping the icy blades off his shoes. He was astounded to see Scott.
"Look, I can explain—"
"No time," Scott interrupted. "We've got company."
On cue, rustling in the bushes about twenty feet away reached their ears. The pair froze. A figure burst into view as it staggered up the hill towards them. It was a teenage girl.
She was wearing dirty jeans, a t-shirt, and jean jacket. Her face, streaked with dirt, sported several abrasions and a nasty gash just below her hairline. Exhaustion and fear were etched in her whole body. But what got Bobby the most was her eyes—they were pale purple.
Both Scott and Bobby sprang forward as the girl collapsed. She must have been walking for hours to end up in the condition she was in. Scott took her easily in his arms.
Miraculously, Bobby's prop was still lodged in the hatch when they reached it.
"What do you suppose happened to 'er?" Bobby asked once they were safely in the tunnel back to school.
"Don't know," panted Scott. "Could've been any number of things. We won't find out until she's in better shape. Just in case, though, I think we ought to suspend these little night trips for awhile."
"What? Why?"
"Safety. What if she was followed here? I'm only talking about a few days, maybe a couple weeks at the most. Humor me."
Silence reigned until they reached the medical bay, where Professor X and Dr. McCoy were waiting for them. Both looked concerned.
"It's just exhaustion, I think," Scott explained. "She's a mutant; that's why she was trying to make her way here. I don't know if anyone was following, though."
"I see," said Dr. McCoy. "Well, I think I can take it from here. If you'll just set her there…" He gestured to the nearest table. Scott complied silently. In the proper light now, the girl reminded him sharply of Jean. Her hair was reddish-brown, darker than Jean's fiery red, but there was definitely the mystic quality that characterized telepaths. Then there was the girl's eyes—bright lavender that Scott could imagine sparkling with energy, if they were open.
"Scott?"
He snapped back to reality, realizing that the Professor was watching him. The chair-bound man's expression was kind.
"Get some sleep, Scott. I'm sure the details will wait until morning. You too, Bobby."
Bobby glanced up with a deer-in-the-headlights look. Clearly, he'd been hoping to escape notice for a little while longer. On the table, the girl stirred.
"There will be no questions tonight," Professor X said firmly. "Now, if you please." His eyes gestured towards the door, but this time, there was a mental prod as well.
"He's right, Bobby. There's nothing more we can do. Professor, Hank." Scott nodded to each, and then led the way to the door.
Bobby followed without a word, but his thoughts refused to leave the girl for the rest of the night. Who was she, and what was her story?
The next day was Saturday, which meant that nothing really moved within the school until after noon. For Bobby, however, this Saturday was different.
He made it as far as the lower level before he even checked for noises or movement. Nothing. Quickly and silently, he made his way toward the medical bay.
She was still there. Apart from the bandage on her head and an IV, she looked alright. She'd curled up into a ball under the blanket, fast asleep. Bobby walked slowly into the room. He made it within five feet of the table when her eyes flew open. His body froze of its own accord.
"What do you want?" she said in a low voice.
"I—I just came to see if you were okay," Bobby answered nervously. He realized she was holding him where he was. "We found you in the woods last night, and brought you here. You're safe now."
Recognition dawned in her eyes. Still guarded, she released him and sat up. "Where is 'here,' exactly?"
"It's a school. A safe place for young mutants. Kids like you…and me."
"You're a mutant?"
Bobby reached out to a cup of water that had been set out. The water froze instantly. The girl's eyes grew wide.
"Cool," she breathed. Then she giggled. "In more ways than one, I guess."
"Well, that trick you just pulled was pretty cool, too," countered Bobby.
"That? That was nothing," the girl shrugged. "I'm used to self-defense and disguise, like this." She blinked; suddenly her eyes were greenish-hazel, perfectly normal-looking. "Most people freak out at the sight of purple eyes."
"So you can change your appearance at will, too?"
The girl laughed. "No, although sometimes I wish. It's an illusion. I'm making you think you see hazel eyes, like a visual Jedi mind trick." Except it works on everyone around me."
"Even cooler," said Bobby. "But you don't have to worry about hiding anything here. Like I said, you're safe."
"Yes, I can assure you of that," a deeper voice chimed in. Bobby spun around, and felt the girl's guard fly up again. The Professor stopped.
"Impressive," he said calmly. "Although, like young Mr. Drake here, I mean you no harm. My name is Professor Charles Xavier. I run this School for Gifted Youngsters."
"And I'm Bobby," Bobby added quickly.
"Here we provide a safe environment for children of all ages to learn to manage and control their mutant powers," the Professor explained. "I see you've mastered quite a bit already. Few students do so on their own. What's your name?"
For the first time, the girl looked confused. She stared hard at the floor for several seconds. "I…I don't know."