Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men, who, coincidentially, belong to Marvel.
A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed! Also, I will probably be switching this story to the "X-Men: Misfits" category, which I had not realized existed. Just to let anyone who's interested in following this story know.
And I have to say, I did NOT like Beast's redesign in the manga. Not at all. So I picture him as drawn by John Cassaday, because I think that John is one of the best, if not the best X-Men artist where Beast's character illustration in concerned. I don't even care that John's Beast is not manga-style. See Beast's entry on Wikipedia for an illustration.
The views and opinions expressed in the story content do not correlate with the views and opinions of Artemis's Liege.
Why had she even gotten out of the car in the first place? She should've just stuck it out and remained in the car; it was better than actually going through with this ludicrous idea. Anna couldn't prevent herself from wondering what she was thinking as she heard the limousine start its engine and pull away, leaving her to her unlucky fate at Xavier's Academy.
This was an all-around terrible scenario. Her aunt Raven had withdrawn her from the Virginian boarding school, exclusively for girls, that she had attended since she was eight, and dropped her off at a place where not only she didn't know anyone, but was mostly populated by boys.
Ugh. Degenerates.
She paused before mounting the steps to meet the two people who were waiting for her, presumably teachers. As much as she wanted to turn and watch the car until it faded into the distance, she knew that such a melancholic display would cement her in the teachers' minds as a lost, homesick, little girl. They would look at her with pity on their faces; they would assume she needed support and guidance in order to find her way at Xavier's Academy.
Anna didn't want anyone showing her the way, unless it was the way to get the hell away from here.
Inwardly steeling herself for the inevitable interaction with adult authority figures, Anna slowly but regally ascended the stone steps that led to the building, silently cursing whatever sick, twisted person had designed the skirt of her uniform.
When she realized the direction of her train of thought, she immediately rerouted to focus on how to establish her reputation at this school, so everyone would know that she was Anna Marie Keller, a name synonymous with the terms 'cold-hearted' and 'self-centered.' She had her priorities, after all.
There was no way she was going to let herself be viewed as some random sex object for the male students. She was going to show the staff and student body that she might have been alone, but she could do just fine (and better) without anyone there to help her.
But that meant she would actually have to pretend to care about the happenings of Xavier's Academy, a façade that would hardly be worth the effort.
Damn.
Simply put, Anna knew she didn't belong at Xavier's Academy, mutant or not. From what Raven had told her, this was some sort of place for mutants to learn to use their powers for the benefit of others. To control their powers so humans would learn that mutants were trustworthy people, not villainous monsters.
But why did it always have to be about other people? For once in her life, why couldn't it be about her?
But maybe Raven has a point, a nasty voice whispered inside her head. After all, if you had been able to control your abilities, Carol Danvers wouldn't be comatose, now would she?
A scowl descended onto Anna's features the moment before she realized the two teachers waiting for her had been watching her the entire time.
Well, wonderful. No better time to make a reputation for herself as a reckless delinquent than her first introduction to the teaching staff. Anna stood and stared at them challengingly, not moving.
The two teachers exchanged a glance, and walked over to Anna to close the gap between them. Careful not to allow her scowl to dissipate, Anna studied the both of them.
The first was a statuesque, African American woman, perhaps in her early to mid-twenties. Her hair was white as freshly fallen snow, and was cut into a spiky mohawk that exposed the front three-fourths of her scalp, with the remaining portion of her long tresses covering the lower part of her head and falling down her back.
The woman was dressed as if she had just parked her motorcycle after a night out at the bar; she wore skintight, dark jeans with a cropped, red tank top and a black, leather vest, accompanied by a belt with an 'X' etched into the metal of the large, round buckle.
The second teacher was equal to the woman in height, but it was difficult to determine their gender, as they were covered in blue fur. Their footwear of choice gave no indication of their gender, as they wore no shoes, probably due to their large, clawed feet.
Anna assumed that the teacher was male, if only because the suit he wore had pants and a tie, and his feline features appeared masculine, as did the pince-nez reposing over alert, yellow eyes. He had a broad, muscular build, but his overall appearance was somewhat reminiscent of a cat.
During their approach, Anna refused to take her eyes away from them, unwilling to display shyness or discomfort. Their expressions, she noted, were constructed to seem welcoming, but not overly friendly.
"Anna Keller?" The woman extended her hand, meeting Anna's eyes with a surprisingly blue gaze that complemented her striking features.
"Well, if I'm not her, then the police are going be after me for stealing her identity," Anna replied coolly.
Faint bemusement flashed across the woman's face, but she quickly recovered. "Welcome to Xavier's Academy for Gifted Youngsters, Anna."
"Anna Marie, if you please." Outside of family, only those exceptionally close to her referred to her as simply 'Anna.'
She could see some tension in the woman's shoulders, now, and she took the time to internally congratulate herself. Upsetting these people was almost too easy. Maybe she would have some fun here.
"It's nice to meet you, Anna Marie." The woman smiled, and Anna was mildly impressed that she managed to appear sincere in spite of her annoyance. "I am Ms. Munroe, and I teach environmental science here at the Institute." Munroe offered her hand to Anna.
Refusing to even glance down at the extended hand that Munroe intended for her to shake, Anna kept her cold gaze locked on to hers. For a moment, Munroe merely searchingly studied Anna's face before she withdrew her hand. Inwardly, Anna smirked, reveling in her juvenile snub and ignoring the twinge of guilt she felt at her own immaturity.
Anna 1, Munroe 0.
Munroe fell back, and the other teacher stepped forward.
"And I am Dr. Henry McCoy, teacher of mathematics," he said. "Believe me when I say that I am delighted to make your acquaintance, Anna Marie." He offered her a friendly smile that consisted of sharp canines, but it was so genuine and friendly that Anna was tempted to smile in return. However, she could only wonder why someone with a doctorate would waste their time as a mere schoolteacher.
Luckily for her, he seemed to have gotten the message from her interaction with Munroe, and did not proffer a handshake.
"Your luggage has already been delivered to your room," Munroe informed her. "We will show you to the headmaster's office."
"Why not?" Anna said carelessly.
"This way, then." McCoy gestured with his arm, and the three of them began to walk towards to the building. The teachers positioned themselves so Munroe was on her right and McCoy was on her left, forcibly bringing the image of prison guards flanking convicts to mind.
The trio entered the building through the immense, oak doors, walking into an open, lobby-like area. The gleaming, white walls stood out in contrast to the dark, mahogany accents and ceiling, and a tall, stone fountain with a wide, shallow pool of water underneath it burbled gently in the center of the room. Lofty, sizeable windows with Persian blue, silk curtains were perched high on the walls to allow a considerable amount of sunlight into the building, and thus eliminated the need for bright lights. This, combined with the simple décor, created a serene and calming atmosphere.
Munroe led them over to the right side of the room, her high-heeled boots click-clacking on the ivory and cobalt, marble tiles. A thick, plush carpet lined the floor where a dark-skinned, pretty young woman sat working at ornamental, carved desk.
"Good afternoon, Monet," Munroe greeted the woman.
"Ms. Munroe and Dr. McCoy." The woman smiled at them both. Although it might just have been her anxiety, Anna thought the smile had an element of wiliness hidden beneath its geniality. Her gaze shifted to Anna. "And this must be our newest student."
"Hello," Anna said, doing her best to convey her bad attitude in a single word, and in her opinion, succeeding.
"Hello Anna," the woman said. "I am Monet St. Croix."
"It's Anna Marie, and I never introduced myself."
The woman's smile grew wider. "You don't need to."
Anna studied her for several moments, wondering how this woman could possibly know her name, and an awkward silence fell.
McCoy cleared his throat. "Monet, if you don't mind, could you give Anna her timetable, I.D. card, and a copy of the student handbook, please?"
Monet rose and walked over to a filing cabinet, pulled open a drawer, and removed a piece of paper. Anna watched the woman closely, but was interrupted by Munroe.
"Once you have your copy of the handbook, you'd do well to read the rules, especially those pertaining to the dress code." Munroe cast a disdainful glance at Anna's legs, clad in black leggings patterned with thin, silver crisscrosses down the front. She didn't seem to like the mid-calf, black boots lined with silver buckles on the outer sides any better. "I'm not going to give you a detention on your first day, but next time I will not go so easy on you."
"Lucky me," Anna returned tonelessly.
Munroe sent a sharp look in her direction, but Monet cut off any response from the woman.
"Here is your schedule for classes, and your student handbook. This handbook contains the school rules and policies." Monet held out a miniature, bound book and a single sheet of paper, displaying immaculate, manicured fingernails with French tips.
Anna was reminded of her own adorned cuticles, and grimaced as she realized the dark purple polish was beginning to chip away. She had painted her nails when she was with . . . when she was with . . .
She frowned as she accepted the objects from Monet, trying to remember. When had she painted her fingernails? Certainly not while at Madame DuPont's Preparatory School for Girls. Students hadn't been permitted to wear cosmetics at all there; the nuns had ascertained with a practically obsessive vigilance that no one wore even jewelry unless it was a symbol of the Catholic religion. So when . . . ?
"Anna Marie is supposed to meet with the headmaster," Munroe informed Monet. "Is he free right now?"
There was a momentary pause as Monet assumed an expression of concentration. Perplexed, Anna glanced questioningly from Munroe to McCoy. What was Monet doing?
The bright smile returned to Monet's face. "Yes. Anna, the headmaster is waiting for you in his office." She indicated a carved, mahogany door a few feet to the left of her desk.
"I would greatly prefer if you addressed me as 'Anna Marie,'" Anna replied stonily.
"Just go," Munroe ordered, gesticulating to the door with a pointed finger.
Smirking at the woman's irritation, Anna turned on her heel and strode to the door, all the while preparing herself to meet the man who she was supposed to admire and respect during her time at this wretched school.
Yeah, right. As if that's ever going to happen.
Without fanfare, she yanked open the door, entered, and closed it behind her, shutting Monet, McCoy and Munroe out, but isolating herself inside in the process.
Any constructive criticism would be appreciated. Reviews are always nice, too.
And yeah, if it seems Anna- oh, excuse me, Anna Marie is acting somewhat immature, it's the situation that really bothers her. More on that in the next few chapters.