I'm so sorry this took so long! I don't know what I've been doing… This is an edited version that I like much better- if you like it better too, thank Sandshrew777. He's a wonderful beta reader.

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Chapter 2

By morning, life continued as usual at the Xavier Institution. The premises, enclosed with a rather lovely gate, lay pristine and manicured. A stillness presided over the surrounding woods, peaceful in the soft light. Yet, within the school's walls, one room echoed with shouts of encouragement, anger, frustration, and hatred towards Wolverine. The Danger Room was in session, but only for a moment longer.

Stalking down the hallway, a thoroughly annoyed Logan sheathed his claws, growling in warning at Roberto and Ray as they passed him and shoved through their classmates in their rush to food. The cacophony of hungry students pushing their way through the mansion echoed off the walls, thundering down to the kitchen.

Off in the kitchen, Charles Xavier glanced up from his coffee to the still serene Storm at the approach of the teenage mob.

"I must check on Cerebro, Ororo," the telepath spoke calmly, calm face concealing his increasing headache, "No one's been in there yet today."

"Did you find anything about Magneto, yet?" She intoned, savoring the quiet while it lasted a scant minute longer. "Or does he still obscure his whereabouts?"

"Unfortunately…" Charles sighed, gesturing vaguely towards the rest of the mansion. "But Jean and Forge have been upgrading Cerebro, so perhaps we'll have luck."

And the teenagers piled into the room, yelling to each other in their jumble to reach the cabinets and refrigerator. Glancing over their heads, Logan glanced at the psychic.

"Go ahead, Charles," Wolverine growled, "I'll keep the runts out of trouble."

Bobby picked that moment to ice Roberto, unintentionally sending him into Ray. The resulting scuffle produced instantaneous yells, electric flares, flames, ice, and a multitude of frightened Jamies. Glancing back at them, Wolverine stalked over to break it up while Ororo rushed to comfort the scattering of Multiples.

'I hate Saturdays' crossed the feral's mind more than he'd care to admit.

Charles was, coincidently, halfway to Cerebro.

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"Ororo, Jean, we have a new mutant." The telepathic call reached both girls, Ororo in the midst of maintaining order in the kitchen and Jean in the middle of her homework.

"Sam, you come, as well." Surprise spilt across the New Mutant's face, while he received more than one dirty look from his teammates.

As Sam remained motionless, Wolverine stepped forward, steering the startled boy to Ororo. Smiling at him, the weather-witch gestured for him to follow her.

Reaching Cerebro, Sam joined the telepaths with an interesting mix of excitement and nerves. Ororo smiled at him, beckoning him towards the screen Jean and Charles occupied themselves with. Charles highlighted sections of a screen full of data, electronically flinging them onto a separate window. Jean spoke beside him, reading the mess of letters, apparently oblivious to the other two's entrance.

Pausing, Sam tilted his head to see the contents of the separate window.

New Mutant: Data Added

Name: Zane Darkwood

Address: 560 Pine Drive

Memphis, TN

Guardians: N/A

Age: 14

Education: N/A

Powers: Telepathic Empathy

Uncertain, Sam glanced at Ororo, began to speak, hesitated, and finally whispered to her, "This is the new mutant? I thought they usually got their powers later."

"Usually, but it can vary." Ororo turned her gaze to Charles, "Do you want us to approach Zane, now, or should we observe him first?"

Nodding, Charles hesitated, "Approach, but be cautious. It's strange that we can't find anymore information on him… I've received strange thoughts from him, as well... I don't believe he's dangerous, but he might startle. Empathy is a mutation I've never encountered. I'm not certain what he can do with it."

Jean looked at him uneasily, "Would it be better if we brought Scott? Everything I'm getting from Zane is… well, strange. I don't know if my powers will work if he does startle… Or if he loses control…"

"That's why there are three of you. It should be alright, and Logan will accompany you to Memphis and stay close while you meet Zane. But, I don't want to upset him, and I believe that Logan or Scott might make him nervous."

That was it. Sam bit his lip, glancing from one adult to the next as they moved to the X-Jet, Logan already in the pilot's chair. For a moment, the Southern boy hesitated.

Touching his shoulder gently, Ororo murmured, "It'll be alright. We'll be right there with you. Charles wouldn't be sending us if he believed that Zane was dangerous. He just needs help controlling his powers, like everyone else here."

Somehow, that wasn't as comforting as she'd intended. Sam fought off shudders the whole way to Tennessee, much to Ororo and Jean's concern.

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Back in Apartment 560, Zane kicked his blanket off, blinking blearily at the sunlight trickling into his room. Remnants of dreams flooded his mind, rippling each time his eyes moved. His lethargy didn't budge until an image settled, one of a huge man with gleaming claws settled, sitting outside his window.

Yelping, the boy jerked to his feet, wide eyes fixed on the glass. Nothing was there but the same view of a not-so-clean street he saw every morning. With a shudder, he collapsed back on his bed, planning on sleeping the rest of the day, exhausted from these bizarre images that haunted him, the visions that he mistook for honest sight.

Forcing his breathing to slow, his eyes closed, body relaxed, mind stilled. Almost asleep, he could not control what he saw…

'Fired? I hate that man! Late, I know, but what was I supposed to do?' An irate woman, the same from Zane's vision the night before, gestured to her unusual body, 'Go to work covered in blue scales?' She stilled, leaning against the wall by the window, gaze unsure. 'What'll I do now?'

Zane's eyes jerked open again. His disaster of a flat greeted him, as always, sans blue woman. With a groan, the empath rolled over, half-smothering himself in his pillow.

She smirked, half-listening to an armored man standing in her doorway. 'Master of Magnetism? Why not?'

Zane whimpered softly, unable to rid his mind of her or the dark thoughts she had, the dark deeds the man planned she'd do...

'Assassination? For the good of mutant-kind? More like for his own power, but the blood, the pain, the fear… This'll be fun.' As she walked out the door, a phrase lingered in the back of her mind. 'Never again. I'll never have to come to this dump again.'

Silent, solitary, Zane dissolved into tears with a murderess's voice ringing his ears. What kind of insanity made him see such things, to imagine crimes he'd never thought of before, to feel someone else's hatred and anger and greed?

'A new mutant? I'll see to it immediately, Magneto.' Momentarily imageless, the words sounds muffled before a fuzzy scene displayed before Zane's eyes, one of the woman, a little older, but not by much, and the same armored man floating by the metal of his clothes. Behind them, others moved, one massive and calm, one huge and furious, one slim and laughing, one lithe and cunning.

Biting his tongue till he tasted blood, Zane forced the image from his mind. Eye open, gazing blankly at the ceiling, Zane didn't move for hours, until a knock on his door convinced him to stir.

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Standing outside a dilapidated apartment complex, the X-Men paused to check their coordinates.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Sam asked softly, "It looks deserted."

Jean nodded, "I sense someone inside. I think it's him."

With that, she strode forward, determined and cheerful with Ororo at her side, Sam at her heels, and Logan lingering by the stairwell.

Stopping at 560, she knocked on the door, lightly searching for thought. Despite the affirmative presence, there was no answer. She knocked again. Faint stirring inside.

"Hang on a minute! I'll be right there!"

Within, Zane swayed on his feet, struggling to think of something besides blood on blue hands or screams before strange men. Another blurry image, one of a white-haired girl flying in the midst of a monsoon greeted him.

Annoyed with himself, trembling, he opened the door to see the X-Men.

"Did you want something?" he mumbled moodily.

Before him, standing uncertainly outside the doorway, Sam glanced to Ororo for advice, but she stood erect, facing the unfriendly boy in the doorway.

"Yes," Jean spoke, "We're from Xavier's Institute. My name's Jean Grey. This is Ororo Monroe and Sam Guthrie." She gestured to the two beside her, Ororo nodding and Sam attempting a smile. "Are you Zane Darkwood?"

"Yeh, but somehow I missed what you want, Miss Grey." Zane sighed.

Still smiling, Jean's thoughts began to drift, 'Not very friendly…'

But, Ororo stepped forward first. "We'd like you to consider joining us. We're mutants, and so are you. Xavier's Institute is a place for young mutants to learn to control their powers."

The ultimatum issued, the trio of X-Men watched to see the empath's response. For a moment, dead silence surrounded them.

'That's not a good sign…' Jean forced her smile to stay put while Sam began to fidget behind her. Thankfully Ororo seemed unfazed.

"Mutants…" Disbelief scrawled itself across Zane's face. Jean rehearsed comforting and convincing words in her head, mostly along the lines of 'he's just confused,' 'it's never easy to accept,' and 'Logan's right outside.'

Zane locked eyes with Jean, suddenly struggling with an uncertainty that didn't feel like his own. "Powers? Like there's a reason I keep seeing things that aren't there, and it's not 'cause I'm crazy?"

At that, Jean relaxed. 'He's not that different- nothing to worry about.'

"We know what you're going through." Jean smiled encouragingly, "It's always hard when your powers emerge. Mine's a mix of telepathy and telekinesis. I kept hearing everyone's thoughts, and it scared me until Professor Xavier told me why it was happening. Then, he taught me to control my powers."

"Do you know what mine's supposed to be, then? 'Drive-user-insane' powers? There isn't anybody here when I see things. I've never seen these people before, and here I am getting their monologues in my head."

Nodding, Ororo spoke, "We believe you're an empath." Zane watched her uncertainly, glancing at Jean and Sam, observing the apparently confident redhead and the uncomfortable boy. But, his gaze jerked back to Storm as she continued. "An empath is someone who feels others' emotions as his own. Since no one's nearby when you feel their emotions could just mean that you have a large range."

"Right…" Zane's eyes narrowed uncomfortably, "What are your powers, then?"

"I can manipulate aspects of the weather." Simple and honest, like all of her answers had been.

"And, I, well," Sam stopped, nervously unsure if he'd messed up or not. Curious, Zane glanced at him. Swallowing, Sam continued, "I kind of fly?"

"Kind of fly?"

Their eyes met. A nod. The boys looked at each other for a moment.

Then, Zane grinned. "Alright. So, we're mutants, and we have different powers. And, there's a range of experience."

'Now he thinks I'm an idiot!' Sam scolded himself, shifting his weight awkwardly to distract himself. 'And in front of Storm and Jean, too… At least Ray and Roberto didn't hear that…'

Ignoring Sam's embarrassment, while Zane looked to Ororo, "And you want me to go with you to Xavier's Institute?"

"Yes." A hint of something entered the boy's cobalt eyes, but Ororo continued, "Charles Xavier began the Institute specifically to help young mutants."

"I don't want to go."

Ororo paused, surprised at his blatant refusal. Jean looked at him. 'How could we…' her thoughts began. Still behind her, Sam shifted awkwardly, looking at his feet.

Then, Ororo spoke, "That's alright. You don't have to. But, the offer stands. I can give you our number if you ever need us for something, whether or not you join us. That's entirely up to you."

Zane accepted a business card, his eyes friendly once more, skimming from person to person. "I may take you up on that. Crowds just aren't my thing. But, all of you seem like nice people. Really nice." He met their eyes, a sincere smile at last touching his face. "I just… Too many people." He shook his head, looking away.

"Well," Jean smiled, "We'll be in contact. The Institute is open to all mutants, and you don't have to worry about anything. The offer will definitely stay open for as long as you like."

"I'll remember that." Zane matched her smile and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder to steer her out the door. For a moment, he paused, eyes open, almost wide, as he stared blankly at the wall. But, it passed with scarcely a shudder and the X-Men found themselves ushered out.

Still smiling, still open, still a little surprised, the trio of X-Men left Zane to himself, meeting an alert Logan just outside the apartment complex.

Muttering to himself, Zane closed his eyes, "Like I could hurt them… Like I would." He shook his head, "Paranoid, Wolverine." Still, vague images of his three guests in danger haunted his mind, coupled with a dangerous man's determination to protect them. "Like I'd even think of most of that… What are they involved in?"