One Who Understand
Chapter 2
Meet the Outcasts
Rahne ran through the streets of her small Scottish town. She was trapped halfway between human and wolf and was being chased by an angry mob. The mob was being led by her foster father Reverand Craig. She got stuck in an alleyway and turned and saw the mob right on top of her.
"Hold the deamon down! We shall burn the foul beast out of the young girl!" the reverand shouted out as the torches were lowered to her fur. All Rahne could do was scream as she caught fire.
Rahne woke up with a scream, tangled up in her sheets. She shifted into her half form and ripped her sheets apart. She let out a howl and she felt a presence beside her. Lashing out she watches her claws go through the image of her roommate. The sight freaks her out enough that she shifts back to human. She collapses on to the floor crying as Logan and Professor X came rushing in. Her roommate, Danielle Moonstar, stood by and sighed.
"She had a nightmare again Professor. I could see it." Danielle said. She was a Cheyenne Indian whose mutation was the ability to create 3d images that were from her mind or anyone elses. It made her slightly psychic. In this case she saw Rahne's nightmare.
"I understand. Rahne would you like to come talk about it?" Xavier said. She shook her head and then looked at her destroyed bed and starts to tear up.
"Oh god Professor. I am so sorry. Please don't be mad at me." She said shaking. Professor X felt the fear coming off of her in an aura that was almost painful to feel. He knew about her past. Her foster father was a fire and brimstone reverand who believed that anything different was demonic. When his daughter became a mutant he thought she was possessed and gladly led the mob to kill or exorcise her. She luckly got a way but his teachings and actions stayed with her. Danielle stepped in.
"Rahne can sleep in my bed. I'll keep her safe tonight." She said pulling the small Scottish girl to her. Rahne laid her head against her and shivered. Prof. X nodded his head.
"That would be alright. I do want to see Rahne tomorrow and we'll see if we can't help her." he said as he and Logan left. Danielle and Rahne curled up in her bed and soon they fell asleep.
The next morning they went downstairs to eat. As they walked in they got some food and went to a lone table in the back. Danielle and Rahne sat down with a small Vietnamese girl named Xi'an Coy Manh, or Shan as she was called. As they joined her and started to eat another man walked up and sat down by Danielle. She smiled and kissed his cheek, which happened to be the only part of his face that she could. His name was Jonothon Starsmore but he was better known as Chamber around the school. Jono lived in England and had a good life until his mutant power literaly erupted from his body. The blast crippled his girlfriend and ripped his jaw and vocal cords out. He now can only speak by projecting his voice into people's minds. He came here and Danielle and him hit it off and started dating.
Hey everyone. How are you this morning? Jono asked as he voice sounded in their heads. They all smiled but Jono could see that Rahne's was forced. Before he could press any further the last member of their little group sat down. It was John and he sat right by Rahne. She, in turn, leaned against him like a sister to a brother. Their friendship was odd but over the past three months he had come to care about the little scottish girl and she liked the crazy aussie. John looked down at her.
"What's bothering you Rahne?" He said in a kind voice. She looked up at him.
"I'm tired. I had a bad dream last night and didn't sleep well after that." She said. He gave her a hug and looked at her.
"The same one you toll me about?" he asked. When she nodded he just hugged her again. "Anything I can do to help?"
"Come with me when I go talk to the professor. I don't want to do it alone." She said looking up at him. He just nodded and went back to eating. The others heard what she said and smiled to show her support. Rahne looked at her closest friends. They were all considered to be outcasts, mutants who either couldn't pass as normal or had less then spectacular powers. She didn't care although the New Mutants never let them forget that they were the third rung.
As they were eating Jason walked in and got his breakfast. He had a real restful sleep as he roommate never came in last night. Looking around he saw Rahne and walked over to her. He smiled and looked at everyone.
"May I sit here?" He asked. The first person to catch his eye was the brown haired man with the scarf on his face. Yellow energy crackled around it and he looked at him with blue eyes when he nodded. He sat beside the small asian girl and smiled at her. She smiled back before quickly looking away with a blush. Then he smiled to the indian girl sitting by the guy with the scarf. Finally he looks at Rahne and the blond beside her. His hair was spiked up and the tips were colored orange giving the apperance of fire. His blue eyes took everything in and he had a forced smile on his face. Rahne's bluegreen eyes were looking at him while a smile danced across her face.
Hello. I am Jono. He said with his mind. Jason was startled by that but then he relaxed.
"I am Jason. Pleasure to meet you." He said looking at the others. Danielle smiled and spoke next.
"I am Danielle and beside you is Shan. Her english isn't that great." She said as she explained why Shan didn't introduce herself. The truth was that Shan spoke outstanding english and french as well as vetiamese but she was also very shy and had a hard time talking to boys. Shan looked at Danielle with a small smile. Jason smiled at them both.
"Pleasure ladies. Now I already know Rahne but I don't know your name sir." he said to the other guy. John looked at him and then smiled.
"The name is St. John Allerdyce."
"You sainted yourself?" Jason asked.
"Well no one else was getting to it." he said with a smile. Jason chuckled and started to eat. His bowl and silverware were both others looked at him oddly about that, well everyone but Rahne who remembered his power. Jason looked at them.
"What is wrong?" He asked looking down to make sure he hadn't spilt milk on himself.
Plastic? Really? What are you five? Jono said with a little laugh. Jason looked at him and took the metal spoon out of his hand. Before Jono could react Jason put it in his mouth and bit it in half. He chewed the metal a little then spit it into a napkin.
"I absorb the aspectes of anything I touch except for plastic. That is why I use plastic dishes so I don't bite through my silverware." Jason said handing him back the bitten spoon. Rahne tried not to laugh but failed and Jason winked at her. Shan just watched wishing that wink was for her.
Meanwhile at the New Mutants table Angie went and sat down by Bobby. He smiled at her and introduced her to the others.
"Hey Angie. Guys this is Angie that girl I told you about. Angie this is the guys." Bobby said. The guys are actually three other guys and two girls. Beside Bobby on his left was a tall man with blond hair and a muscular build. On Bobby's right was a tall red head who wasn't very muscular but more lanky then anything else. Beside him was an asian girl wearing a yellow coat and sunglasses on her head. Beside Angie was a latino boy with strong features and beside him a latino girl with dark eyes. They all nodded and began to introduce themselves.
"My name is Ray." The boy on Bobby's left said. Next was the boy on Bobby's right.
"Name's Sam." He said in a thich southern accent.
"I'm Jubilee." The asian girl said.
"I am Roberto." The Brazilian boy said in a thick accent.
"And I am Mara." The last girl said in a hispanic accent. She had a royal air about her. Angie smiled and greeted them all. Next was the most asked question after their names, what their powers are.
"I take kinetic energy and turn it back on it's target doubled." Angie said. The others smiled and one by one told her their powers, except for Bobby who already met her.
"I can store bioeletrical energy and unleash it in powerful shots. It also super charges my adreal gland so I am also super strong. They call me Berzerker." Ray said.
"Ah can explode my lower half and fly like a cannonball. That's what they call me too." Sam said eating his eggs.
"I can, like, throw fireworks from my fingers." Jubilee said.
"I absorb the sunlight and use it to make me stronger, faster, able to fly, and shoot energy blasts." Roberto said.
"I can coat my body in lava and I have some control in tectonic pressure. I can also throw fireballs and in my altered form I am immune to fire." Mara said in her quiet and controlled voice. Angie smiled and soon they were talking about the local high school that she would be going to on Monday. It came out during the talks that the other new guy would not be going. Angie looked over her shoulder at Jason and shrugged.
"I guess with his powers he isn't safe to go there." She said. They looked at him and Roberto spoke up.
"His power may be odd but it is definitly a useful gift. I saw it in play yesterday." He said and goes back to eating. They all go back to talking about school as the eat. They finished eating and soon Rahne and John left for the professor's office. Rahne knocked on his door and he called them in. Rahne and John walk in and they both take a seat in the comfortable chairs in the room. Professor X looked at them both.
"Thank you for coming Rahne. John why are you here?" He asked. He already knew the answer but he like for people to voice what he knew so they didn't feel like he was reading their minds. See the problem for Charles was that his mind was always on. He heard surface thoughts as if they were spoken, no matter how hard he tried not too. Because of that he had gotten used to asking questions he already knew the answer to.
"Rahne asked me to come along. I could no more deny her then I could never have a lighter again." John said with a smile to Rahne. She grinned back and even Xavier chuckled. Yes John was insane and dangerious but it only happened when he was unfocused or near fire. If he was focused he could be scarely intellegent, as indicated by his writing carreer.
"Very well. So Rahne tell me about your nightmare."
"I was back home, my old home. The reverand was chasing me down and I was stuck in my half form. No matter what I did I couldn' t go full wolf or human. Suddenly I found myself trapt and he was behind me with a huge crowd. I couldn't speak, all I could do was whine and growl. Before I knew it I was being held down and the torches were coming closer. This time I wasn't saved as the fire touched me and my fur went up." Rahne said. As she told her story she started to cry and shake as the fear returned. John held her hand and tried to comfort her but she was still scared. Xavier literally watched it as a movie as she spoke. He heard the shouts of the mob and the smell of the smoke and burning fur.
"I can see why that scared you. What Reverand Craig did to you was horrific. I would like to ask something about the dream if you don't mind." Charles said. Rahne nodded and held John's hand.
"Of course." She said softly. Her bluegreen eyes met Charles's blue eyes and his soft smile.
"This won't be a long session I just want to talk about one thing today. Please know that this is not a magic wand. Talking to me will not stop these nightmares over night. To stop them we must get to the underlying problem. That is what we are going to start today. Now why do you think you were in your half form?"
"Because..." Rahne started as she looked down. She seemed to be holding back. John squeezed her hand to give her support. She took a deep breath and started over. "Because it is what proves I am a monster." She said and then looked down.
"What do you mean luv?" John asked her. She wouldn't raise her eyes to them.
"When I am a girl I have been called cute and as a wolf I am adorible or even beautiful but no one looks at my half form and thinks anything more then how much of a monster I am. No one is ever going to love me because of the monster inside of me." She said, the pain in her voice hard on both men. She stood up and walked to the door. "I am sorry Professor but I need to get to training." She said as she walked out. John looked at Xavier and sighed.
"So what do you think?" John asked.
"Honestly she needs a lot of work. Her foster father did a lot of damage to her selfimage and how she looks at the world. What she needs along with the sessions is someone that will love her just for her."
"I do love her like a sister but I do love her." John said looking back at the door, as if he could still see her. Charles shook his head.
"Not in that way. She loves you the same way but she wants someone to hold her and tell her she is beautiful." He said. John chuckled softly and leans his head back in the chair.
"None of these bloody boys is worthy of her." John said with an insane grin. Charles just shook his head and wondered what he would do to the first guy willing to court Rahne.
Meanwhile down in the staging area just outside of the danger room the recruits were suiting up. Each one was given a suit that helped manage their abilities. Jason's suit was designed to seal itself so only what he wanted would touch his skin. His outfit was jet black with a dark red x on the chest as a target so snipers would hit the most armored part of his suit, although bullets can't hurt him. He puts up his hood and the visor and a filter system lock into place. A tall man wearing a red visor walks in and all of the students quieted down.
"Ok first one up today is Shan." He said. Shan walked up in a blue outfit with a yellow torso. She looked at him.
"Yes Mr. Summers?" She said softly. While her voice did have an accent she spoke very properly.
"Your mission is to get across the compound and get some files out of the wall safe. You must take two others with you as back up but you are the leader in this one. One of your team mates may be a member of the X men but the other must be a recruit. So who do you want to work with you?" Summers asked after he explained the mission. Shan looked back at the group and then back to Summers.
"I would like Nightcrawler please." She said. Kurt popped over to her in a cloud of sulfer. He stood at about 5' 9" but he looked shorter as he was squating down. He had three fingers on each hand and three toes on his feet. He was covered in indigo fur with fangs, yellow eyes, and a prehensile tail. He smiled at her.
"Girls love the fuzzy one." He said in a german accent. Shan smiled at him and then looked at the other recruits. Her eyes landed on Jason and she swallowed hard before speaking.
"I would like Jason please." She said in a soft voice. Jason nods and walks over. Summers looked at them.
"Now prepare your for your mission. You have five minutes." He said as he walks away. Shan looked at Nightcrawler and Jason.
"Jason you will cause a distraction. Once the guards go to stop him Nightcrawler you and me will go to the office. You will teleport me there and I will possess the guy and get him to open the safe." Shan said as she laid out the plan. Jason looked at her.
"Possession?" Jason said. His voice was distorted and sounded dark and ominous with the filter on.
"Yes my mutant power is I can control anyone I can see for two minutes and make them do anything I wish." She explained. Jason nodded and gives the single that he is ready to go. He opened a section on his glove and touched the wall. He felt the power of the metal surge through his body and he smiled. He resealed his glove and waited for the door to open. When the door opened they saw a holographic compound with men walking around with large guns. Shan took a deep breath and waited. Jason ran forward and slammed into a tower with the force of a freight train. The tower cracked and fell over with a huge crash. The guards sounded the alarm and rushed to see the rather alien looking figure. Jason charged forward and started laughing in that odd voice as he crashed through walls and men. The men were actually robots and their lasers were set to a low setting so they were useless against Jason. Nightcrawler took his cue and teleported Shan to the far end of the compound.
Far above them in a hidden watch area Scott Summers, Jean Grey, and Logan were watching the events unfold. Jean turned to Scott.
"So what do you think of her choice?" She said looking down at the fighting. Jason picked up a guard and chucked him to the far end of the compound.
"Not who I would've picked but it seems to be working." Scott said.
"Oh who would you have picked?" Jean asked.
"Danielle. Her gift would make it easy to infeltrate the compound." he said. Logan chuckled and shook his head. Scott looked at him. "What you disagree?"
"Yeah. Did you forget that she needs time to make her images? There is too much danger of them being caught. By causing a distraction first all the focus is on Jason, who can obviously take it, so she can go get the files." Scott nodded as he started to understand. They looked down to watch the rest of the mission.
The man they needed was seating in a chair trying to direct the troops through cameras. Suddenly Shan's eyes glow and the man stops talking. Even though he was only a robot the computer was looking for the indicators that Shan was using her gifts. Once they appeared the robot acted like she wanted. He got up and opened the safe. He pulls out a bundle of papers and puts them out the window into Nightcrawler's waiting hands. Then he teleports them both away and once Shan is safe he teleported back to Jason and got him out of there. Summers walked up with a smile.
"Very well done. Good use of your powers you two." He said looking at Jason and Shan. Shan smiled and her and Jason moved out of the way of the next mission. Shan looked up at the taller boy as his goggles and filter drop down. He pulled his hood off and shook out his long red hair. He smiled down at her.
"So you can speak English." Jason said with a playful grin. Shan blushed and looked down. A gloved hand gently raised her face up to his. "I'm not mad just wondering why you didn't say anything earlier?" Shan just shakes her head and pulls away from him. Jason nods and looks up to watch what is going on as Shan starts to berate to herself in her head.
Why don't I just talk to him? He seems really nice and I have been staring at him all day. He smiled right at me and even touched me. I mean he had a glove on but that is because of his powers. God I hate being shy. He is right beside me and I can't even talk to him unless I have a mission.
Just then the door opened and Rahne walked in. She saw Jason and walked over to him. He smiled at her and moved closer to Shan so Rahne can stand next to him on the other side.
"So what did I miss?" Rahne said as she got beside him.
"Well Shan led a mission and I was with her. We passed with flying colors." Jason said. Rahne nodded and smiled at Shan.
"That is great. I told ya that you can be a leader." Rahne told her with a smile. Shan nodded but she just looked at Jason with a longing in her eyes. Rahne saw the look and smirked. She looked at Danielle and sent her a thought to her. Danielle didn't pick up on it but Jono did. He nodded and started talking to Danielle. She looked at him and then nodded with a grin. Rahne smiled and leaned back against the wall and giggles. They are going to help Shan get with Jason. But in her mind Rahne wonders why she feels bad about that.
A/N: Hello everyone. Angie will be more of the focus in the next chapter with the girls meddling to get Shan to talk to Jason. So I hope you all like it. Please Read and Review.