The New Mutant

All rights to the X-Men are reserved to Stan Lee and Marvel.

Chapter 2: Pane

After Ororo let me in on the events of Jean's demise, I was left speechless. I was also left with no choice but to agree to help her. The only reason I didn't go The Mansion in the first place is because I wanted something normal and after having that, at least for a while, I was happy to try something new.

It's not like it worked anyways.

I was also happy to see Bobby Drake, who I'd met when the X-Men came to recruit me years ago. I'd formed a fast friendship with him and he was now the Math/Accounting teacher at the mutant high school.

He proudly boasted about besting St. John Allerdyce, or Pyro in the battle against the Brotherhood.

Somehow I saw that friendship ending when I first learned about it.

As we came upon the school, I was shocked when I saw how big it was. I'd seen pictures but I'd never actually seen it up close. As we passed overhead, I saw that there were several graves below. I frowned at the sight and pulled myself back into the Blackbird.

"We're here." Bobby said happily.

As I settled in, I was shocked by room. It was the nicest room I'd ever been in and I had to call my mother to tell her about it. She was worried initially but relented after I told her how Ororo had found me. She told me to be careful and to call her when I knew more.

I agreed and hung up, turning to the door to see a kid standing there. She had to be about fifteen with Asian features and a strong sense of…I'm not sure.

"Hello." I said quickly, "I'm Pane Richards. You're?"

"Xi'an Coy Manh." She squeaked.

"Xi'an? Well, it's nice to meet you, I think. I am meeting you and not some clone or something, right?"

She shook her head.

I extended my hand, "Then it is nice to meet you." I smiled, shaking her hand.

"All the other kids are talking about you." She said sheepishly, "They're debating which powers you'll have."

"I'm betting it's something cool." A very handsome boy said as he entered with another girl, this one's skin looked to be made of some sort of metal or liquid…Mercury?

"I'm Julian," The boy said, "And this is Cessily…or Mercury."

"Pane," I nodded, "And to answer your question, I control the weather, to a degree."

"Like Storm?" Xi'An asked.

"Yeah, like that." I nodded.

"Something's wrong." Julian said out of nowhere.

"What?" I asked.

"Something is wrong. People are here."

"I should go and meet them then." I said quickly.

I walked past them and met Ororo walking. She looked worried as we walked and we only stopped when the front door burst open, sizzling for some reason, and a man stood there wearing a brown duster and a grey and black bodysuit. I looked to Ororo and back at the man. He had shaggy hair and his eyes were strange…black and red.

"Hello, chere." He said addressing Ororo, I think. He twirled a staff and smirked, "I hear ya got something Gambit be needin."

"And exactly what do I have?" Ororo asked, "And how did you get into our school?"

"Easily, fo a thief." He said as his staff stopped twirling, "Gambit be thinking it's him." He said pointing the

"Him? As in…" Ororo began.

"Me?" I asked, "Who are you? You're Gambit?"

As I finished my question, a huge hairy man with a multitude of guns, another large man with a harpoon, a woman with green hair and a man with white hair. They were staring at us menacingly as I noticed a girl appear from the floor beside me. Also, a giant metal man followed by a furry man I knew to be Hank Mccoy and a few others that I didn't know.

The woman with green hair raised her hand at us, causing me to drop to the ground, along with the rest of the X-Men. It was intense, like screaming in my head with no sound. I felt as if I was going to throw up and could barely keep my head raised.

As I raised my head for the last time, I saw a blue blur appear in front of the woman and knock her hand away. There was a puff of black smoke as the blue blur disappeared and appeared again, kicking her backwards!

Gambit pulled a deck of cards from his pocket and they lit with energy as he tossed them over to us. I used an air current to move in front of us as the card exploded against it, sending us flying backwards!

As I looked up from my position, the war had erupted before my very eyes. The students were ushered away as the X-Men jumped into action. I was too shocked to move which is probably I didn't see the large harpoon coming my way! A huge, cold figure stood in front of me and the harpoon bounced off it. I looked up in awe as the figure turned and winked at me.

While he was turned to me, the large man from which the harpoon originated punched him, knocking him away. Electricity crackled around my fingertips as I pushed my hand forward causing him to fly away! Without trying very hard, I levitated into the sky, hanging there as my hands began sending electricity everywhere!

I have control issues. Always have.

"Retreat!" A voice called.

My head snapped to Gambit, who headed for the door. I quickly nodded to him, causing him to fly forward in the wall. As the others retreated, Ororo made her way to me.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"Yes." I nodded. I looked over to Bobby, "Thank you."

"Why did I sense telekinesis?" Kitty asked.

I sighed, "My power is projection." I frowned, "I'm just really good at elements." I said walking over to Gambit, "Am I the only one shocked that I was just attacked."

"Yeah, what was that?" Bobby asked, standing next to me.

"The Marauders." Ororo frowned, looking back.

We followed her gaze to a green young man standing at the edge of the stairs, looking quite terrified.

"Who are the Marauders?" I asked.

The X-Men traded terrified looks. I looked between them.

"They're a group of really bad mutants that work for…well…" Kitty explained.

"We don't know who they work for." Ororo said quickly.

"I think," Beast said hopping over to Gambit, "We'll just about find out."