Chapter 1: New Beginning
By J.D. K'ller
"Logan," Storm called, striding down the hallway towards him, "we have a new student waiting in the Danger Room. Would you mind going down there and finding out what his powers are?"
"Listen, Storm," he replied angrily, using the name she used when on a mission, "how many times have I told you, I am not babysitting some little kids just 'cause you don't feel like it."
"Logan!" she retaliated angrily, "Get down to the Danger Room and find out what the kid's powers and limits are. And, by the way," she continued as he opened his mouth to argue further, "if one of the new kids blows you up, you can heal from it. I can't, so deal with it!" Saying what she had to say, she stormed off, aggravated by yet another conversation with the stubborn man.
"Women!" Logan said under his breathe, awed once again by her fury. All she had to do was ask nicely, he thought, heading towards the elevator that would take him to the Danger Room.
XXX
"Alright kid," Logan said loudly as he entered the Danger Room. Before entering he had taken off his outer shirt, watch and wallet. He figured there was no sense in inviting the new mutants to destroy what few valuables he had. "Name, age and a demonstration of powers," he said just as loudly, addressing the teenage boy standing with his clasped in front of him in the center of the Danger Room.
"My name is Corey Aldred. I'm fifteen. And I'm telling you, just like I told that woman, I won't tell you my powers," he said, crossing his heavily freckled arms across his chest.
"And why won't you tell me your powers, kid?" Logan said, hoping to get a rise out of the boy.
"Because they're completely uncontrollable," he responded coolly, glaring at the older man. "I came here to seek protection from being a mutant, not to learn how to control my powers. I want to forget they exist completely. If you believe I came he for any other reason you are sorely mistaken."
"Well," Logan began, taken aback by his complete and utter denial of his powers. He knew that the boy could not deny his powers, and that he had to learn to control them, but that would never happen if he denied they existed. Suddenly, he had an idea, although it would probably involve a great deal of pain on his part.
"Fine, if you don't want to talk about your powers that's fine with me. If you'll just follow me, I'll show you to your dorm room," Logan said gently, heading towards the door of the Danger Room.
As he approached the door he suddenly spun around, his adamantium claws springing out as he leaped on the boy. Then, before he knew it, he was plastered against the observation window of the Danger Room, staring down at Corey's orange-brown hair. The door opened and closed behind Corey of its own accord and Logan could feel the plexiglass behind him buckling under the sudden pressure.
Then, just as suddenly as the force had begun, it ended. Logan was dumped unceremoniously on the ground, shocked by his sudden release. Carefully he struggled to his feet and looked at Corey with a look of shock and amazement. Corey was tall and thin, and didn't look as if he would have such a potent ability.
"Wow," Logan said out loud, letting his amazement and happiness show, "a telekinetic. Kid, I underestimated you, that attack of yours packs a punch."
"I wasn't trying to attack you," Corey mumbled so quietly that Logan had to strain to hear him. "I wasn't trying to attack you. I was trying to create a barrier," he said just as quietly, looking at his feet.
"Oh," Logan said, surprised at the boys honesty. "Well, the school is here to help you learn to control your abilities. At least that's what they tell me."
"I don't think they'll be able to help me, not with the things I can do," Corey said sadly, continuing to look at the floor. "The last time I tried to learn to control my powers I…nearly blew up the house. That's why my parents sent me here."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. If I had a dollar for every kid who came to this school with that same story I wouldn't need a job. So, before I show you to your room, do you have any other tricks up your sleeve?"
"Wait, you don't want to kick me out. Even though I pretty much just swatted you against that window like a bug?" Corey asked questioningly, daring a quick glance at the big man.
"Listen, I've been done worse. So, do you do anything else or are you a one-trick pony?" he asked jeeringly, trying to maintain some semblance of masculinity.
"Well, aside from the telekinesis I can do some pyrokinesis and cryokinesis. I also have like a sixth sense. It's kinda like a fusion of undeveloped precognition and telepathy. Or maybe empathy is a better word for it," Corey answered quickly, enlivened by the knowledge that this was not like the other places his parents had sent him to.
"You know, I think I liked it better when you weren't so talkative. Listen, just follow me to your dorm and then go to Miss. Monroe's office tomorrow morning to get your class schedule and to find out when you can come to the Danger Room for training," Logan said gruffly, heading out the door.
Corey stayed behind for just a second and looked at the place he was going to call home. He stretched out his senses, using his sixth sense to get a better sense of everything. He felt all of the people, and how happy they were.
Just feeling their feelings of belonging and happiness comforted him. But just as new and unfamiliar as the comfort of others like him was something else, cloying and dark that seemed to cling to everything.
It was momentarily disorienting, the strange paradox of comfort and fear, and for a second Corey's head spun. Then he heard Logan call his name, and he shook off the strange sensation as his own fear. But as he took another look into what Logan called the Danger Room, he wasn't sure that what he felt was just himself.
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