One other thing: On my TV, Kitty's eyes look gray sometimes, and blue other times, so I'm saying her eyes are blue-gray. Sam's eyes are blue, I think; Ray's are green (according to X-Treme Measures); and Amara's are brown. If my facts are wrong, e-mail me so I can fix it. Oh, and I don't write Rogue's, Sam's, or Kurt's accents very well, so aside from a few words here and there, and a few other select phrases, I'll be writing them in plain English; just pretend they sound the way they do on the show. Feedback is greatly appreciated.
Disclaimer: I don't own, except for Relay and Aqualung (no, I didn't get his name from Jethro Tull; I named him because he can breathe underwater and the name sounded cool); they belong to me. Here're their vital stats:
Name: Shannon "Shan" Montgomery
Codename: Relay
Age: 18
Physical Description: 5'7"; shoulder-length black hair with platinum
blonde streaks, dark blue eyes, pale skin
Power: Ability to transfer all or part of a power from one mutant
to another. (Only works on other mutants.)
Name: Leo Forsythe
Codename: Aqualung
Age: 18
Physical Description: 6'; red spiky hair, light green eyes, fair
skin, medium build
Power: Ability to breathe underwater (using gills, which can be
sealed to breathe on land)
Rating: For this part, PG-13. As for the rest of the story,
I don't know yet.
Static
© 2004, By: Ash Carroll
The alarm went off at six-thirty sharp. The petite brunette groaned tiredly and a hand phased through her pink flowered comforter, fumbling for the off switch. Unable to find it, she phased her hand through the appliance, shorting it out, before pulling her hand back down through the covers. It was third alarm clock she'd killed this month.
The room was blissfully silent for twenty whole seconds before a pounding on the door was followed by a voice calling out in thickly accented German. "Rogue! Keety! Vake up or ve'll be late for school!"
The brunette groaned again. "Like, we're up!" she yelled through the door as her roommate shouted something very un-ladylike.
The southern redhead with the white stripe through her bangs blew a few loose strands of hair out of her green eyes. "Ah swear, one of these days Ah'm gonna kick his blue furry ass so far outta town he won't be able to 'port back."
Kitty sighed and phased herself through the covers and out of bed, gathering up her clothes for the day. "Like, we'd better get moving."
"Yeah," Rogue agreed with a scowl as she gathered up her own clothes, "'fore Logan decides 'ta come wake us up."
Fifteen minutes later, after grabbing a quick shower and pulling off the fastest clothing change in history, both girls came racing down the stairs. They sprinted through the kitchen and out to the garage, Kitty grabbing Rogue's arm and phasing them both into the backseat of Jean's SUV.
The tall redhead gave them a cursory glance in the rearview mirror. "Well, now that we're all here..."
She pulled the vehicle out of the garage, heading for the front gates. An abrupt cough sounded from the seat next to Kitty. She turned, meeting Ray's forest green eyes.
"If I'd known the ride was gonna get this personal, I'd have worn my good jeans."
She looked down and blushed crimson. Her arm was phased through his lap, way too close to his...
"Um, Kitty?" Ray waved his hand in front of her face, fingers snapping.
She shook her head, startled, and hastily phased her arm out of his thigh, still blushing a bright red. "Uh.... sorry."
The spikey-haired teen smirked. "Don't apologize; it made my morning."
Kitty rolled her eyes, arms folded across her chest. "You're, like, such a pig."
Ray made an oinking noise and the petite brunette scowled, but a grin was tugging at the corners of her mouth.
She looked over at Amara. "So, are you, like, ready for the History test?"
The Nova Roman princess sighed. "As ready as I'm going to get. History as a subject isn't so bad, but that Mrs. Farnsworth is a real..."
"Bitch?" Rogue offered.
Jean gave her a scolding look from the rearview. The white-banged redhead shrugged and ignored her.
"Works for me," Sam agreed, and Amara nodded.
"Well, look on the bright side," Jean chirped, "only a few more weeks until Spring Break."
"Easy for her to say," Ray muttered, rolling his eyes at Kitty, "she's done with school."
~*~*~* *~*~*~
Shannon Montgomery sat at the console, eyes glued to the computer screens surveilling the grounds around the Institute. The Professor was using some of the older students to help out with the monitoring, and it just so happened that it was her turn. It was boring work, no matter which duty shift you pulled; the defenses were top notch and the Institute pretty much monitored itself, but it was necessary to have someone at the controls just in case.
Soft footfalls echoed behind her. "Ah, Shannon," Beast greeted her with a breakfast tray, "good morning."
"'Morning," she called back, eyes still scanning the screen.
He placed a croissant in front of her, then passed her a mug of coffee. "How are we?"
"So far, so good," she replied, ripping off a piece of pastry and washing it down with a swallow of the dark, steaming brew. "When does the Professor get back?"
"He, Storm, and Cyclops expect to be home in time for dinner. And they're bringing a new recruit."
"Did they give you any details?"
"Nothing specific, but I expect they'll make a full introduction tonight."
Shannon nodded and turned her attentions back to the computer screen, proceeding to finish her breakfast as the two of them continued their monitoring in silence.
~*~*~* *~*~*~
Amara gave a plaintive sigh as she opened her locker and placed her History book on the shelf.
"How was the test?"
She turned at the sound of Sam's soft Southern drawl and sighed again. "Oh, fine, considering I probably just failed it."
"You? Nah." He smiled. "Ya don't give yerself enough credit; Ah'm sure ya did great."
She blushed a delicate shade of pink and managed a small smile in return, shrugging her shoulders. "At any rate, there's nothing I can do about it now."
"That's the spirit. Now, how 'bout some lunch?"
"Yeah," she agreed, "I guess I could eat."
Sam swung her locker door closed. "C'mon, or all the good tables'll be gone, and it's our turn to save the seats."
They headed to the courtyard and grabbed their usual table, chatting about the science homework until the others showed up. Kurt, Bobby, and Rogue were first, followed closely by Kitty and Ray.
The spikey-haired teen plunked his books down on the table and sank into the seat next to Kitty. "Okay, everyone who failed the History test, raise their hand."
Amara's went up, but Sam pulled it down. "Ya did not."
Kitty rolled her eyes. "Like, stop being so melodramatic, Ray; it wasn't that bad. Besides, I'll bet you did, like, totally great on it."
"Ja," Kurt added, "like the last test you thought you failed."
"Ya mean the one where he scored better'n everyone else?" Rogue queried dryly.
Ray tossed up his hands in defeat. "Okay, okay, I get it."
"So when is the Professor supposed to come back?" Bobby asked, deciding a change of subject was in order.
"I heard Mr. McCoy and Storm talking yesterday," Kitty volunteered, "she said they're supposed to be back by dinner tonight."
Rogue sent her roommate a knowing look. "Ya heard them talkin'?"
Kurt laughed. "Ja, vhile she vas eavesdropping."
Kitty folded her arms across her chest. "Like, sure, tease me. But I know something we're not supposed to."
"What's that?" Amara wondered.
The brunette gave a triumphant smile. "They're bringing a new recruit."
"Guy or girl," Sam queried.
"Storm didn't say, but I bet we get a full introduction at dinner."
Bobby slurped down the last of his soda. "Well, if it's a girl, I hope she's hot."
Rogue rolled her eyes. "You would."
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" the ice-controlling mutant demanded.
"You're a walking hormone?" Amara suggested, checking her watch. "Come on, girls, we'd better get going or we'll be late for class."
"Us too," Kurt agreed as the group split off.
"Well, I hope the new recruit's a guy," Ray opined, switching the books in his locker.
Bobby and Kurt eyed him curiously. "Why?" they wondered.
"Maybe we can finally compete with the girls in the Danger Room without having our asses handed to us on a platter."
"Hate ta' tell ya, Ray," Sam replied, "but we're up against the former Bayville Sirens; it's gonna take a lot more than that."
~*~*~* *~*~*~
The rest of the school day dragged on at a snail's pace, and then it was time for a couple of hours' worth of homework and a Danger Room training session before dinner.
Amara backflipped over the spinning saw and turned, shooting out a projectile with a ball of flame. "Sam, look out!"
True to his codename, the blond teen cannonballed out of the way, sailing right over the princess' head. Picking himself up with a grin, he ran toward Amara and threw an arm around her, propelling them out of reach of one of the metal arms snaking across the room.
She looked up at him as they landed, panting from exertion. "Thanks."
He gave her a shy smile. "'Welcome."
On the other side of the room, a wall panel opened and a gun peeked out, shooting lasers. Bobby and Rogue flipped out of the way, then the Iceman turned and froze the panel shut.
"Nice one," the redhead commented, ducking under a metal arm.
"Thanks," Bobby replied, icing the base of the arm so it couldn't move. He grinned. "That should chill you out."
Rogue rolled her eyes at the hellacious pun and flipped over a spinning wheel. Boys.
"Hey, uh, guys? A little help here?"
They turned to see Ray stuck in the middle of the room, trapped by a whirlwind of saw-toothed flying discs. He shot two that were headed for his face, and ducked out of the way of a third, but a fourth shot past him and grazed his arm, leaving a three-inch-long gash.
He hissed in pain and grabbed at his arm. "Shit!"
"Logan!" Kitty yelled at the control room, "you've gotta shut it down! Ray's in trouble!"
"I can't," the Wolverine replied with a frustrated growl, "you guys're gonna hafta help'im!"
"Aw man," Sam whistled, "where's Nightcrawler when ya need'im?"
"Helpin' Beast with somethin'," Rogue replied.
"What do we do?" Bobby asked.
"Like, get yourselves out of here," Kitty told them, "I can handle this." She turned to the spikey-haired teen. "Hold on, Ray!"
She got a running start, sommersaulting over a wheel, and phased through a metal arm to land prone at his feet. Wrapping her arms around his knees, she phased them both through the discs, just as one headed toward his thighs.
He whistled. "Damn, that was too close."
She scowled, and shook her head, pulling herself to her feet. "Like, what's wrong with this thing? It's not supposed to do this!"
"Look out!" He shot out a disc aiming for the back of her head. "Maybe it's possessed."
"Like, by who? Lawnmower Man?"
He shot two more. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this up. We've gotta get out of here. Now."
Kitty nodded. "All right, here comes a break." She grabbed his good hand, lacing their fingers for a better grip. "One...two...jump for it!"
They sommersaulted through the air, with Kitty phasing them through the flying discs, a metal arm and a spinning saw, and hit the ground running. She phased them through the doors and into the corridor, where they stood panting, trying to catch their breath.
"Are you guys okay?" Amara asked as the others gathered around them.
Still panting too hard to speak, Kitty nodded and closed her eyes, leaning against the cool metal wall.
"I almost got killed," Ray replied sarcastically, "but I'm just dandy." He turned to Kitty. "Thanks for saving my ass back there."
"Like, don't...mention it," she gasped out between breaths.
Heavy footfalls pounded through the corridor and Logan came skidding to a stop before them. "You kids okay?"
"We are now," Rogue answered, "how come the sequence wouldn't shut down?"
Logan's fists clenched. "Computer malfunction. Danger Room's off-limits until Beast takes a look."
"All right!" Bobby exclaimed, "no more early morning training sessions!"
Logan glared, growling at him, and Iceman changed his tune.
"Uh, I mean, no more early morning training sessions," he repeated timidly, as the Wolverine walked away, "whatever will we do?"
"Well, Ah don't know about you guys," Sam said, "but Ah'm starvin'."
Amara snorted. "When aren't you?"
He grinned. "Hey, Ah'm a growin' mutant, Ah need mah strength."
Rogue eyed Ray's arm warily. "You should get to the Infirmary and let Beast take a look at that." Kitty and Amara nodded in agreement.
The spikey-haired teen shrugged and waved off their concern. "It's just a scratch; looks worse than it feels."
"Yeah, but you might, like, need stitches," Kitty said, her breathing finally back to normal. "At least let him clean it up so it doesn't, like, get infected."
"All right," he relented, "if it'll make you guys happy."
"We'll all go together," Rogue said, and everyone but Sam nodded in agreement.
"What about dinner," he lamented as his stomach let out a rather loud growl.
Amara rolled her eyes. "You'll live."
~*~*~* *~*~*~
As it turned out, Ray did need stitches, and everyone agreed that Beast should check Kitty over, too, just in case. The blue fuzzy doctor completed his examinations and sent the group on their way. They arrived in the dining room, only about thirty minutes late.
The Professor looked up from his place at the head of the table. "Here are our six missing members now." He glanced at Ray as the spikey-haired teen slid into the chair next to the one Kitty had just taken. "The arm is all right, I trust?"
He nodded. "Some stitches, but that's all."
Xavier nodded back. "Good." He introduced the six of them, then gestured to the person in the chair to his left. "I'd like to introduce our newest student, Leo Forsythe. I know I can count on all of you to make him feel welcome."
A chorus of 'hey's and 'what's up's greeted him, and Jaime, the youngest and ever curious, spoke up.
"What's your mutation?"
"Jaime," Ororo chided, "there is a proper place, time, and way to ask such questions."
The boy bowed his head, but the newest recruit smiled. "It's all right, I don't mind. I was born with gills, like a fish."
Now Jaime was even more curious. "Then how do you breathe on land?"
"I can seal and unseal them when I need to."
Jaime grinned. "Awesome."
The meal continued amid enthusiastic chatter as the students took turns asking their questions.
~*~*~* *~*~*~
The night air was the perfect temperature; cool on her bare arms, but not chilly. Dinner had finished hours ago, and she'd left the hustle and bustle of the mansion behind, content to take her usual moonlit walk around the Institute's grounds, since Scott and Jean were taking their shift monitoring the computers.
She passed through Ororo's garden, the air thick and floral, and detoured past the tennis courts coming around the side of the pool. It was her favorite place to go at night, when the moonlight on the water made it look like liquid silver. Pulling one of the loungers over, she settled herself onto it, leaning back to gaze up at the full moon and twinkling stars.
It was one of the things she liked most about living at the Institute. The skies were never this clear in Vegas; too much light pollution from the Strip. You could see the stars if you drove out into the desert a ways, or up to Lake Mead, but you had to get pretty far away, especially with the bright blue beam shooting up from the apex of the Luxor's pyramid. Here, all she had to do was take a walk.
She sighed contentedly, picking out a few of her favorite constellations, and stretched out against the chaise. She was beginning to doze off when she heard it, the sound of water as someone came up out of the pool. Startled, she jumped up out of the lounge chair and tried to turn around and face the intruder, but in her haste only succeeded in tripping over the bottom of the chair, tumbling face first into the pool.
She came up sputtering, and treaded water with her legs as she smoothed back the mass of sopping, platinum-streaked dark hair from her face. He was tall; about six feet, with spiky hair. The moonlight fell across him, and she could just see the outline of the gills in his neck. She recognized him as the new recruit Xavier and the others had brought back. L-something. Luke...Larry...Lee...Leo! That was it.
She glared up at him. "Do you always sneak up on people like that?"
He shrugged. "Hey, I was here first. So if you wanna play it that way, you were the one who snuck up on me. I'm Leo, by the way, but I guess people around here can call me Aqualung. And you are..."
"Leaving."
Growling in a manner not unlike Wolverine, she made her way to the ladder and pulled herself up, wringing out her hair and clothes as best she could. She could feel his eyes as they drifted across her form, and she could only be thankful that she'd chosen a red bra to match her shirt when she'd dressed that morning. She wasn't so lucky choosing her pants, however. While the white cropped-legs had been baggy enough to conceal her matching red thong, they were now dripping wet and see-through, sticking to her in all the wrong places. But she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of showing her embarrassment.
She tossed her head and glowered at him. "Do you have an eye problem or something?"
"Just admiring the view." He grinned. "You still haven't told me your name."
She scowled. "What makes you think I'm going to?"
"Now is that any way to welcome me?"
She thought for a minute, then stepped in front of him with a saccharine smile. "You're right. I'm Shannon, my codename is Relay."
She grinned, sapphire eyes sparkling with mischief as she leaned in slowly until they were about two or three inches apart, then shoved with both hands, propelling him into the pool with a splash.
"Welcome to the Institute."
~*~*~* *~*~*~
The days passed, and the students found themselves at the end of another week. Scott, Jean, Kurt, and Rogue had left hours ago on a mission with the Professor, and Logan and Storm had gone out soon after to pick up supplies, while Beast and Shannon took up the surveillance of the Institute grounds, training Leo to assist. Kitty didn't envy Beast's job in the least, what with the way the two older students had been sniping at each other since the water breather's first day at the mansion.
No, she decided she'd gotten the better deal by far, being left in charge of the New Recruits. It was a lazy Friday night, and the group of them were gathered in the mansion's Rec Room, engaged in various activities to pass the time. Amara and Sam were watching Lord of the Rings for the fifty-fifth time, Bobby was engrossed in his Game Boy, and Jaime was having a Yu-Gi-Oh duel with one of his multiples. On the other side of the room, Kitty and Ray were having a ping-pong war.
"Oh yeah," the brunette challenged, slamming her paddle against the white plastic ball, "take that!"
Ray blocked it easily, volleying it back across the net with a smug grin. "You were saying?"
Kitty returned the serve, taking advantage of the fact that his guard was down, and stuck out her tongue when Berserker missed, a grin pulling her lips upward. "You heard me."
He pursed his lips into a half-scowl then shrugged. "If you gotta lose, lose to a hot chick."
She planted her hands on her hips. "Like, excuse me?"
"A hot woman," he amended. "Better?"
"Much," she agreed, placing her paddle on the table before going over to join Amara and Sam.
"Ooh, I love this part," the fire mutant was saying as the elf shot an arrow from the other side of a cavern, hitting an orc square between the eyes.
"Me too," Kitty agreed, "like, I just love Legolas."
Ray looked over at Sam before turning back to the girls. "He's not so hot."
"Yeah," Sam agreed, "what're we? Chopped liver?"
"Humph," Kitty replied, folding her arms across her chest with an indignant turn of her head, "Bet you couldn't make that shot."
Ray snorted. "Wouldn't need to. I'd fry his ass with a lightning bolt."
The girls opened their mouths to reply, but closed them as lower levels of the mansion rumbled, signaling the mission's return. Moments later, Nightcrawler teleported in, blue hair disheveled and a wild look in his eyes.
Kitty eyed him carefully. "Kurt, like, what's wrong?"
"Zhere vas an accident, on zie mission," he explained, "Jean's
hurt, and it looks bad."
To Be Continued.............................................