Author's Notes: The whole disclaimer thing again; Marvel owns the characters I just borrowed'em and slapped'em into this little situation. Except for Al he belongs to me; and of course any other characters I introduce that are related to Al.
Perhaps I cut the first part off too soon; then again perhaps it merely tantalized your desire to learn more about the character, especially his little healing act. Anyway I hope any readers of this will enjoy and leave some reviews I am very interested in your honest opinions.
P.S I know there isn't much action scenes yet, but after all we can't have non-stop action it would interfere with the drama of the piece...
I awoke; for lack of a better descriptive term, to find myself in a very strange looking medical ward. And that's saying something for someone who's been aboard a Federation Starship and seen his fair share of sickbay; then again that was more orderly then this in some respects. I glanced to my left to find a bank of monitoring equipment; similar in vein to how the place was depicted in the X-Men movie actually, someone had apparently managed to figure out where the clasps were on my armor and it lay in a small pile near the corner of my bed side. My movements however were not pleasant; it felt like eighty-seven people were pounding at my brain with numerous hard labor devices, hammers, pickaxes, chisels. I sometimes hated being so thorough; but then again with a brain as technologically inclined as my own it was hard to keep from switching into logical mode at times. Apparently the room was empty; at least from what I could see of it, but the sudden shadow that fell over me alerted me to the fact that I was not alone; glancing up I saw the smiling visage of Hank McCoy also known as the Beast.
"This wayward soul is awake Professor." He called out in a surprisingly gentle sounding baritone.
"Thank you Hank." That same voice from inside my head acknowledged; the hum of an electric wheelchair was heard and Professor Charles Xavier rolled up to my right side an apologetic smile of greeting on his lips. "I must apologize for my rash actions Mister Rutherford; however Cerebro miss-classified you as Magneto when you activated your magnetic-like ability to levitate." He elaborated as Hank inserted a sharp needle into the back of my neck and injected some kind of fluid.
"To ease the headache." He explained at my confused look; I nodded regretting the action as thirty-two new attackers joined the previous eighty-seven and resumed pounding away, but the pain soon lessened. Talk about fast active medicines...
"You are quite the unique individual." Charles admitted moving across to the computers as he spoke; I followed him with my eyes not trusting to move just yet, experience told me that painkillers weren't very lasting when my Nanoprobes got their mandibles or whatever into them.
"Indeed." Hank chimed in. "It's not every day we encounter a mutant of your classification."
"I wouldn't imagine there were a lot of mechanically created mutants running around Manhattan." I quipped well naturedly.
"You would be correct in that assumption." The Professor admitted turning my way and shooting me a warm smile. "I understand you are in need of a place to stay." He continued; I regarded him mystified and his smile widened a little. "It was prominent in your mind when I mistakenly forced myself in." He elaborated.
"Yes, well I don't like to impose." I began slowly rising only to be forcibly returned to a restive pose by Hank.
"Not yet young man I'm afraid you're still attached, so to speak." He explained indicating the few wires leading from me to the diagnostic computer; at least that's what I thought it was, still I'd rather get off this annoyingly cold sterile metal table.
"Nonsense there would be no imposition." Xavier exclaimed resuming his line of thought. "Besides we must make up for what we inadvertently did, I insist that you remain here as our guest for as long as you see fit."
"This is all a little too good to be true." I muttered ignoring Beasts' protests and sitting up; a brief dizzy spell assailed me, but I shook it off quickly. "You'll forgive me if I seem a bit skeptical."
"It's only natural; truth be told I felt you should remain here because it would serve two purposes." Xavier explained moving over to look directly into my eyes. "First it would solve your little housing problem and second it would give us the opportunity to discuss things." He paused to look even deeper into my eyes with a knowing air about him, which struck me as very impossible I mean how deep can someone's eyes get when they're looking at you?
"I see." I began in a small whisper rising to my feet and clasping my hands behind my back. "It would be an honor to remain a guest of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters during my stay here." I accepted bowing as I spoke out of habit more than anything else.
"Then it's agreed; I've had Logan prepare a room for you and after Hank is finished you may go there to collect yourself." He stated with a broad smile before rolling towards the exit. "I look forward to our discussion."
"Well then Mister Rutherford." Hank began slapping his hands together with a jovial smile as he indicated that I should retake my seat; I complied briefly surprised to discover that I was taller then the X-Man, judging by what I could see he looked to be about five feet eleven inches, yep I'm definitely taller. "I must admit to some curiosity concerning that unique armor of yours." He added picking up a very straight-forward instrument and looking into my ear; I hadn't expected a regular physical from the resident doctor of the X-Men, but he was qualified after all.
"Ah yes my armor." I began with a grin. "Well it's a highly tactile and versatile metal filament; to be precise a metallic thread, which I versed with certain transformative properties coupled with thousands of microscopic circuits that when activated in armor form become a complete bank of sensors, defensive devices and slight strength enhancers." I continued growing laxer as I broached a subject I knew quite well. "The transmorphogenic properties of the metallic compound allow it to be stored quite conveniently in a simple wrist watch form; also when in this form it heals any and all damages sustained to the armor during combat situations." I elaborated as Hank moved from examining my ears, nose and eyes to checking my reflexes; I figured there must have been a particular reason for this physical so I really couldn't complain. "I have dubbed it Transmorphogenic Technologically Advanced Robotic Microscopic Organic Retrofitted Enhancementations or quite simply Trans-Tech Armor..." I trailed off getting a sheepish smile on my face and tried to ignore the bemused expression on Hanks' face. "I was kinda going for something big and important sounding when I came up with the name, plus I like the way it rolls off the tongue... Er the abbreviated form that is." I admitted sensing my face flushing with slight embarrassment.
"Ah yes we all do it sometimes." He countered in an attempt to make me feel more at easy. "Say Ah if you please." He added holding up a tongue depressor.
The Professor rolled into the small antechamber where an assortment of his students had gathered; Scott and Jean stood to the left of the small couch where Logan and Rogue were seated at opposite ends with Nightcrawler perched on the top of the central seating area. Logan was gritting his teeth in obvious frustration his admantium claws retracting and protracting every few moments.
"What did he say tah Hank?" Rogue wondered glancing into the other room via the two-way mirror.
"Sounded like a bunch of scientific limbo to me." Logan grumbled before turning to face the Professor. "Tell me you ain't seriously wanting that guy to stay here; he's nothin' but trouble if you ask me."
"Calm yourself Logan; Roma would not have sent him here if it wasn't important." Charles returned revealing that he knew the scope of what was happening, if not the reason.
"And that's another thing, every time we get involved with her we always wind up practically killin' ourselves." Logan growled his anger at a critical state.
"This is necessary; it's better to have him under observation here then out in the world doing God knows what." Xavier countered. "And I'd hate to think what were to happen if Magneto got his hands into him." He added.
"The Professor has a point Logan." Jean concurred trusting that her friendship with the lone wolf X-Man would make him calm down a little and see reason.
"I know Jeanie, but that doesn't mean I have to like it." He retorted glaring at the man in the next room as he began to return his armor to his person.
"Scott would you be gracious enough to lend him a few spare changes of clothes until he's had the chance to settle in and get his own?" The Professor asked.
"Of course Professor." Scott replied.
"I vonder vhat possible danger there could be here that Roma vould need to send someone so young." Kurt observed speaking in his usually thick German accent. "He doesn't strike me as very experienced." He added a hint of regret in his tone knowing that another of Gods' children had been called to defend the entire Omniversal balance was upsetting him.
"Ah don't know Sugah." Rogue chimed in. "But Ah think he's not as inexperienced as we're made tah believe."
"Indeed." Xavier agreed. "There is definitely something in his eyes that speaks of years beyond his experience." He elaborated. "But whatever may come his way I suspect he shall not be alone in his struggles; come let us partake of a light brunch perhaps he will join us and we can get to know him better." Rogue held back as the others left and eyed the man in question with deep intrigue; he was pleasant to look at after all; he stood roughly six feet four inches with dark brown hair and as he straightened his shirt while looking in the mirror she saw he had vivid blue eyes. His physique was very well built with a muscle tone that lent well to his look, but wasn't too noticeable. She shook herself from her suddenly strange thoughts and turned quickly vacating the room; it wouldn't do to harbor such thoughts when she met the man.
I was led through the mansion by Hank and couldn't help myself; I kept switching my perspective every five seconds taking the immaculate décor in, it certainly looked a lot more like the movie interpretation then anything else. But maybe that's because I was looking at reality and not some picture in a comic book or something; the door to my left opened suddenly and a young girl I didn't immediately recognize emerged stretching lavishly.
"Good morning Illyana." Hank greeted pausing momentarily to pick the girl up in a friendly hug.
"Morning Hank is Jubes' awake yet?" She asked in a slightly clipped Russian accent.
"I seem to recall seeing Kitty and her in the kitchen." He replied as I shifted in nervous impatience on my feet; this place must have a lot of people staying here... As opposed to the books when it was like a handful of people. Illyana looked at me shyly and brushed her hair from her face; I remembered belatedly that I seemed to intimidate people more now that I'd shaped up so to speak. And young girls had a tendency to feel something towards me; at least a lot of them did back in Xenas' world, which reminded me how shallow women could be sometimes... Ok time to lose this train of thought; I said to myself before offering a friendly smile of greeting and a hand to formally introduce myself.
"Allan Rutherford." I greeted using the name Roma had given me; I hate to admit this, but I preferred the more English sounding name even though I was Canadian I never did get to involved with my French heritage. It always seemed so difficult in school.
"Illyana Nikolievna Rasputin." She offered shyly; I mentally shoved the name away for future use along with a mental image of her face, which was framed by lengthy blonde hair and her height, which was five feet five inches. She looked to be about seventeen and I mentally cursed myself for not being a hard core X-Men fan so that I could place a sense of history with the name... Beast was easy he was a mainstay character after all, but Illyana escaped me.
"A pleasure to meet you." I quickly recovered from the obvious lapse into silence I'd undergone and turned back striding further down the corridor pretending to be examining the wood finished paneling along the wall.
"A new recruit?" Illyana whispered to Beast; though I still heard it since it was hard to reconfigure my audios to quit eavesdropping on whispered conversations, they were a lot sharper these days thanks to the nanoprobes and my mind often automatically focused on listening in, due in part tomy eagerness to absorb all kinds of knowledge most likely.
"Something like that, for the moment he is our guest." Hank replied before he moved to resume showing me to my new digs.
"Nice to meet you too." Illyana called out seemingly realizing she had not returned my compliment; with a small sigh I awaited Hanks' return and soon we were at the door to my own quarters. Although I guess I shouldn't call them that since this wasn't exactly a Starship, still old habits die hard. Hank gave me a brief description on how to get to the kitchen and dining area and then hastily departed; I filed the information away as I examined my room. It was quite large and fairly immaculate; the bed rested across from the door perpendicular to the center of the furniture arrangements, a long dresser rested to the right near what I assumed was a closet door a fine mirror resting atop it. To the left were the windows, which looked out upon the immaculate grounds. A small reading lamp rested next to an easy chair closest to the nearest window from the doorway and another doorway stood nearby, which led to a private restroom and shower. I sighed and eyed the few spare changes of clothing resting on the easy chair, which apparently wasn't made out of leather as I'd initially thought. The dark blue coloring had thrown me off; as I finished examining the garments a loud buzzing could be heard, I glanced over my shoulder at the bed to see it vanish in a strange flurry of light to be replaced by my regeneration bed. As Saturnyne had promised; with a slight sigh I headed into the private restroom to have a much desired shower after all I had been fighting a Demon Overlord before I was sent along my merry way and that arrogant bastard Q hadn't given me anytime to properly bid farewell to my friends in the Federation. My teeth ground as I recalled the precise events and a low growl could be made out; however it would not do to dwell on the past right this moment, time enough to worry about such things when I wasn't feeling both worn out and completely covered in dirt from head to toe.
To Be Continued