Hello again, everyone! So, quick little disclaimer to keep people off my tail...I don't own any aspect of this story except for what I make up! I, most unfortunately, don't own Kurt Wagner. :( Or any of the X-Men. D: I know, bummer, right? But, we must give credit where credit is due, and in this case, props go to Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and the other creators of the magical world of X-Men! Well, enjoy, everyone!
Chapter 2
Danielle collapsed onto her bed, exhausted. The last two and a half hours had been...insightful. Kitty had talked almost nonstop once she became comfortable around Piotr. Something told Danielle she hadn't seen just the "necessities"; she'd felt as if the tour would never come to an end. Kitty had shown her the courtyard, the gymnasium, the recreation room, the front yard, the classrooms, and every bathroom on every floor. On her way back to her room, she met the boy in the next room over, Robert Drake. He was a very charming boy, vivacious and talkative. He had pulled Danielle into a conversation that had lasted a good forty-five minutes, only letting her go once she said that she wished to take a nap before dinner, as the plane ride had made her tired.
She rolled over so she lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling. The day had been so full of excitement that she hadn't had much time to ponder how far away from home she was. She rolled again so she was on her hands and knees and slowly climbed to the foot of the bed. Her guitar case was lying on its side next to her bags and she slipped her hand into an outside pocket, withdrawing a folded map. She sat back and slowly unfolded the paper, spreading it out before her. A large black line stretched across the Atlantic Ocean, connecting France to New York City. She frowned at it, reaching over the map to her guitar case again and withdrawing a ruler. She pressed it to the line and measured the length in centimeters. She then compared the length to the legend and her frown deepened. She found it incredible that she'd travelled nearly six thousand kilometers in such a short period of time.
A knock on her door startled her and she quickly stuttered,
"C-come in." The door opened and a golden blonde walked into the room. Under heavy eye makeup and long blonde bangs were two bright, baby blue eyes. Her golden locks were fanned out behind her ears, giving her a spiky halo. Her red lips were pulled into a wide grin and she strode in boldly, sitting down heavily on her bed next to her.
"Hey, what's up? You the new girl?" Danielle smiled and extended her hand.
"That would be me. I'm Danielle. Qui êtes-vous?"
"Uh…I don't know what that meant, but I'm Boom-Boom."
"…Boom-Boom?" The blonde laughed.
"My codename. My real name's Tabitha Smith."
"Oh, how lovely. Tabitha is a beautiful name." The blonde blushed.
"You really think so?" Danielle nodded.
"So, is this a courtesy visit?" she asked.
"Well, I thought I should come and say my hellos. After all, you're new. Really new, if the rumors are right."
"Yes, I would probably say I am 'really new'."
"You're from France, right? How much English do you know?"
"Oh, I am quite fluent in it, I like to think."
"Seems like it. You seem to understand everything I'm saying."
"Well, I am sure there are a few terms that I do not understand," Danielle said. "Terms used in…oh, what's the term…slang?" Tabitha blinked, looking surprised.
"Do you know text talk?" Danielle uttered a shaky laugh.
"T-text talk?" Now the blonde laughed.
"I take that as a no."
"I am afraid not. What is…text talk?"
"It's things people use when they text. You know, on a cell phone."
"I've never owned one," Danielle said. Tabitha gaped at her.
"You've never owned a cell phone? Come on, you've got to be as old as me. How old are you?"
"Seventeen."
"And you've never owned a cell phone? Jeez." Again, Danielle simply shrugged, not thinking much of it. "Well, what're you doing all by yourself?"
"Just resting. It has been a long day for me."
"Yeah, no kidding," Tabitha said. She pulled a slender packet from her back pocket and pulled out a foil-wrapped rectangle. "Gum?"
"Oh, no thank you." She shrugged and unwrapped the candy, putting it on her pink tongue and pulling it into her mouth.
"So what's with the map?" she asked, her words thicker. She pointed to the paper on Danielle's bed and she replied,
"Oh, I was merely wondering how far I travelled."
"Oh yeah? How far?"
"Approximately…five thousand, eight hundred kilometers, give or take." Tabitha arched an eyebrow at her and after a moment's pause said,
"Cool." Danielle smiled and refolded the map, tucking it back into her guitar case. Tabitha noticed and said, "Oh-em-gee, no way! You play?"
"Oh, um, yes, I do," she said, her hands hesitating over the case.
"What do you play?" the blonde asked excitedly, flopping forward so she was lying on her stomach, her head propped up in her hands.
"L-lots of things," Danielle said. "I started playing classical music, as it is one of the more difficult to play, then I moved on to jazz, because there is a plethora of sheet music for it…"
"A-a what? A plethora?" Tabitha repeated, confused. Giggling, Danielle said,
"An excess or abundance of."
"Oh. Well damn, looks like you speak better English than me."
"Oh, I doubt that."
"Will you play something for me?" Tabitha asked. "I love guitars, they're so awesome."
"Um, sure." Her nibble fingers unzipped the case and pulled the parlor-style acoustic guitar out, placing it on her knee. "What would you like to hear?"
"Eh, anything," she replied. Danielle checked the tuning then began playing a simple string of chords. Once she felt comfortable, she began playing the beginning of Musette in D Major. Tabitha listened intently, swaying back and forth slowly. The familiarity of playing, along with the ease she saw on Tabitha's face, made Danielle smile. It was almost like being home. Usually she played with her mother, who enjoyed playing viola and piano. The baby grand piano in their parlor had been a gift from an old friend of her mothers. They had gone to a musical conservatory together, and he had gone on to be a famous conductor. The thought of her mother, sitting on the leather seat while her slim fingers danced on the ivory and ebony keys, brought tears to her eyes but she fought them back. Another knock on her door brought Danielle out of her reverie. She stopped playing and called,
"Come in." The door opened and Kitty walked in, closely followed by Piotr. She raised an eyebrow at the blonde on Danielle's bed.
"Boy, make yourself at home anywhere, don't you, Tabitha?" The blonde smirked and stretched out on the bed.
"Yep. Don't blame me though, blame Dani."
"Dani?" Kitty repeated, sounding incredulous.
"Yeah, Danielle's kinda long, don't you think?" Tabitha said, looking up at Danielle. "Besides, everyone could use a nickname. I thought I'd be the first to do it."
"Dani, hm?" Danielle asked, giving Tabitha a smile. The blonde suddenly looked sheepish.
"I-I mean, if that's cool with you." She laughed.
"Yes, of course it is." Tabitha brightened back up and Kitty said,
"Well, Danielle, we're going down to dinner now, and wanted to know if you want to join us."
"That sounds lovely, thank you," Danielle said, replacing her guitar in its case. She stood and turned to Tabitha. "Are you going to join us as well, Miss Tabitha?" The blonde gave her an odd look.
"Miss? The only people who call me MISS are teachers, and that's usually when I'm in trouble." Danielle snickered.
"My apologies. Are you going to join us, Tabitha?" The blonde hopped up and started toward the door.
"Yeah, let's go get some food. I'm starving." Danielle followed her out and shut the door behind them. The four started down the hall, but stopped when a voice called,
"Hey, you guys going to dinner?" They spun around and saw Robert poking his head out of his door. Tabitha and Kitty rolled their eyes, but Danielle said,
"Yes, sir, care to join us?"
"Sure! Gimme just a second…" He disappeared and showed up a moment later, tugging on his left shoe. He jogged up to them and the group started off.
Danielle woke up the next morning bright and early; the sun had barely begun to rise and cast a gentle, warming glow over the front lawn. She dressed and went downstairs, heading for the cafeteria. It didn't seem that anyone else in the mansion was awake; all was silent as she descended the stairs. She walked into the cafeteria and jumped; there were two people sitting by a window. The first, a woman in her late teens or early twenties, had short brunette hair that fell to her shoulders, complimented by snow white bangs. She held a cup of steaming liquid in gloved hands, raising it to her full lips, which moved as she spoke. She was dressed in what looked like a uniform, mostly form-fitting black material with flat soled leather boots.
The other, a man in his early to mid-twenties, had on a large, dark overcoat that would go past his knees when he stood. He too had a cup, though it was far smaller. He was probably drinking espresso, while she chose coffee or warm tea. He had on a hat and his back was to her, obscuring her view of him. She took a step back, to leave the room, but the girl spotted her and muttered something to the man. He turned in his seat and the two took her in.
"Well, bon matin, mademoiselle," the man said in a thickly Cajun accent. Danielle stared at him, feeling a small rush of relief. There was someone else in the school that spoke French? Cajun French, true enough, but French all the same.
"Bon matin, monsieur. Peux-moi accompagnez-vous?" The man seemed surprised as well, but smiled warmly and gestured to the seats around them.
"Of course, cher. It would be a pleasure." She slowly approached them, feeling oddly comfortable. The man seemed to be the friendly type, and the woman gave her a small smile when she reached the table.
"Ah can't seem to place you," the woman said and it was only a small surprise that she had a southern accent as well. "Are you new here?" Names from yesterday afternoon came to Danielle's mind and she said,
"Are you Rogue?" Now it was the older woman's turn to be surprised.
"Ah-Ah am."
"Miss Grey mentioned you yesterday afternoon. Professor Xavier asked all the X-Men into his office upon my arrival. Oh, I'm terribly sorry." Danielle extended her hand. "D-Danielle Bellamy. Yes, I'm a new student. Professor Xavier flew to my home yesterday and brought me here."
"From your accent…you must be French," the man remarked, sipping the dark liquid in his cup and staring up at her. She was startled slightly by his eyes; they were black with blood red irises. "De real deal, too."
"Y-yes Sir. Born and raised in the Loire Valley," Danielle replied. "A-are you…Mr. Remy?"
"Dat I am, cher." He took the hand she offered and kissed the back of it lightly. "Our allemand ami went to bed right after we got here."
"I-I hope I am not interrupting," Danielle said, looking between them.
"Oh, not at all," Rogue said. "We were just having a drink. We mainly slept on the way back, so we've decided to stay awake for the day. Kurt, though, he stayed awake. He said he couldn't sleep."
"S-so, you two are X-Men, hm?" Danielle asked. The two nodded. "May I ask what kind of mission you were on?"
"Oh, just de regular," Remy answered, swirling his espresso lazily. "Dere were a few zealous anti-mutant groups rioting in Mexico. Professor X asked us to go stop dem before it got out of hand and someone got hurt."
"I see…" she said, staring down at her hands, resting on her lap. "Does that happen often?"
"Nah," he said, nonchalant. "Most of dem groups are too scared to try. Dey have seen de results of rioting and angering mutants."
"That…sounds like a relief," she said and both nodded.
"Ah don't like having to fight normal people," Rogue said, staring down into her cup. "It makes me feel guilty. They have no defense."
"Yeah, well, some of dem deserve it," Remy said, frowning. "Dey can be just as cruel as us." Rogue shrugged and took a sip of her drink.
"I-if you don't mind me asking," Danielle said and they focused their attention on her. "W-what are your powers?" Remy chuckled.
"Not at all, cher. I have de power to change de kinetic energy in the objects I touch, making dem explosive. For instance…" He reached into his pocket and withdrew a playing card.
"Remy, perhaps this isn't the place for a demonstration," Rogue interrupted. "Ah've seen the damage you can do to these tables." Remy rolled his eyes and stood.
"Fine, my love. Would it ease your worries if I tossed it out de window?" Rogue shrugged and he slid open the window the trio sat beside. He turned to Danielle. "Observe." He held the card between his index and middle fingers. She saw violent sparks erupt on the card before he tossed it outside, shutting the window and watching the card. Danielle followed the card with her eyes, watching as it fluttered to the ground. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, before her eyes, the card exploded, sending a small, basketball-sized puff of smoke into the air.
"Wow," Danielle said. The smoke cleared and she saw the large patch of charred grass that remained. "That is amazing."
"You should see my cher's gift," the Cajun said, sitting back down and winking at Rogue.
"Mine is nothing to celebrate," Rogue muttered before taking a drink.
"Why not?" Danielle asked. "It doesn't hurt you, does it?" Rogue chuckled.
"You're sweet. No, mah gift doesn't hurt me. It hurts other people."
"Cher, that's what almost ALL our powers can do," Remy protested, reaching forward and taking her gloved hand. Danielle noticed the difference in their hands and she said,
"Is it why you wear gloves?" Rogue looked up at her, surprised.
"Wow. Ah'm surprised you noticed. Most people don't. Yes, it is why Ah wear gloves. When Ah touch people, my powers take their memories, if they're a mutant, their gift, and, essentially, their life force. If Ah stay in contact with someone for too long, they'll die."
"W-well…It cannot be all bad," Danielle said, smiling weakly. "There must be some upside to it."
"I guess," Rogue said. "It helps the X-Men."
"Ah, dere you go, cher," Remy said, giving her a sly smirk over his coffee cup.
"Would you two like breakfast?" Danielle asked, standing.
"Ah, dat sounds lovely," Remy said. "Please."
"S-sure," Rogue agreed and Danielle started toward the kitchen.
"How does crepes and sausage sound?" she asked over her shoulder.
"Delectable," Remy called and she escaped into the kitchen.
After breakfast, Danielle walked in the direction of Professor Xavier's office, feeling jittery. After seventeen years of finding things out through trial-and-error, she was wary of having a teacher. What if her powers weren't as under-control as she thought? What if she injured him? She reached the professor's doors and hesitated, her thoughts urging her to turn around.
'It's alright, Danielle,' the professor's voice urged in her mind. 'There's nothing to fear.' She took a deep, soothing breath, steadied her trembling hand, and grasped the doorknob, twisting it. The door slid open smoothly and she entered the room. He sat behind his desk and gave her a warm smile as she shut the door.
"Good morning, Danielle."
"G-good morning, Professor," she stuttered.
"You're early. Excellent. Are you ready to begin?"
"Um…Professor?"
"Yes Danielle?"
"A…are you sure this is safe? I don't want to cause you harm." He smiled.
"You'll be fine, Danielle. In fact, what I wish to explore today is your force-field abilities, perhaps delving into ways to use it defensively. Shall we?" He rolled past her and she opened the door. "Thank you." He led her down several hallways, coming upon a large metal door. He pressed his hand to the scanner on the wall and the door slid apart, revealing an enormous, semi-circle room, constructed completely of shiny metal.
"Mon Dieu," she breathed. "This is amazing, Professor."
"Thank you, Danielle. This is the Danger Room. We use this as a training area for the team, and it serves as practice for our younger students." He turned to her. "Now, I asked Logan-"
"You called?" Logan walked in, the door shutting behind him. His shoulders were hunched and his hands were buried in his pockets.
"Ah, Logan," Professor Xavier said, turning to him. "Wonderful. Now, Danielle, I've asked for Logan to assist us in your training." She threw a worried glance at the tall man and Logan gave her a slight smile.
"Don't worry, Kid, I ain't gonna hurt ya." She returned the smile and Xavier said,
"Good. Let's get started." He moved away slightly and said, "Danielle, you are able to catch things in midair with your force fields, correct?"
"Yes, Sir."
"What is your weight limit?"
"Um…I am not sure, Sir. The most I have ever tried have been books and newspapers."
"I see. I'd like to try adding weight, if that's alright."
"Of course." The Professor turned to Logan.
"Logan, I'd like for you to jump into the air for me, please. Danielle, I'd like you to catch him before he hits the ground."
"A-are you sure, Professor? W-what if I can't catch him?"
"Then he will land on his feet," Professor Xavier said, smiling amiably. "Relax, Danielle. No one in this room is in danger. I know you're new, and I will start out very simple." She nodded and said,
"Alright. Ready when you are, Mr. Logan." Logan nodded and jumped, shooting over six feet in the air. Danielle shot out her hands and created a force field around him, as she had to the other objects she'd caught before. He started to come down and suddenly stopped, trapped inside the orb of the force field. Her face brightened. "I did it!"
"Very good, Danielle," Xavier praised. "Now, can you set him down?" She guided Logan down to the ground slowly, being cautious. Once his feet were firmly on the ground she took the shield away.
"Not bad, Squirt," he growled, looking impressed. Danielle blushed, still slightly proud of herself. Her prowess with her powers was a boost to her confidence.
"Shall we continue?" Xavier asked. She nodded, now eager to continue. "Now, since you're well adjusted to using it to grab other items, I'd like you to try using your powers to levitate yourself." She bit her lip and shut her eyes.
'Focus, focus,' she thought. Following a similar method to how she'd caught Logan, she jumped up and threw a force field around herself. She started to come down, then felt something solid beneath her feet. Slowly, tentatively, she slid her eyes open, only to find herself hovering several inches above the floor.
"Ha ha! Professor, I'm doing it!"
"Very well done, Danielle. Now try raising yourself higher into the air." She nodded and concentrated, but found herself unable to push upwards.
"I…I cannot do it, Professor. I am sorry."
"Relax, Danielle. Perhaps, instead of using an orb, you could make it a smaller force field. Try to create a force field that instead surrounds your body only." Danielle bit her lip, but focused on accomplishing what the professor suggested. She slowly shrank the force field, and as it reached her skin she felt it bend to conform to her curves. Once it completely encased her, she thought back to the mechanics of making the objects levitate and pushed off the ground. At first the sensation frightened her; she'd never floated before. "Excellent. You assimilate experience and knowledge very quickly. This will make our training sessions very productive."
"Have you ever used your powers in a fight before, Kid?" Logan asked as she came down.
"N-no Sir," she replied. "I've never needed to."
"Maybe it'd be a good thing to test," he remarked and she flinched very slightly.
"Logan," Xavier said sharply. "Let's not put too much pressure on her. Please, remember her situation." Logan growled and said,
"Right." The door to the Danger Room opened and Kitty walked in, followed by Jean and Scott. All three were dressed in black uniforms of varying degrees of style. Scott's was all black with yellow boots, gloves, shoulder pads, belt, and a large yellow X across his chest. Jean's had a thick green stripe running down the length of her torso and concluding at the apex of her legs. Kitty's outfit was of a similar design, though her stripe was violet and she wore yellow gloves, belt, and boots. The inside of her collar was also a bright yellow.
"Ah, Jean, Scott, Kitty," Xavier said. "Thank you for coming."
"What do you need, Professor?" Jean asked.
"I'd like it if you three could work with Danielle for a little while. Jean, she could use your help on levitation. Kitty, your phasing powers are the closest to her powers of invisibility; I thought you two could experiment on them together, perhaps performing both at once. Scott, you should introduce her to some hand-to-hand combat."
"Yes Sir," he replied.
"Okay, Professor!" Kitty said enthusiastically, grinning at Danielle.
"Jean, she's already been working on some levitation; would you like to go first?" the professor asked, gesturing to Danielle.
"It's up to her, Professor," the red-head replied. "Well, Danielle?"
"I do not see a problem with that," she replied and Jean stepped forward.
"Well, how much do you know?" she asked.
"N-not much," Danielle replied. "I can levitate a little, but I just learned how and it takes me several seconds to get off the ground."
"Okay, let's work on that first."
Four long, tiring hours elapsed and at about noon the quartet adjourned for lunch. Danielle went first to the bathroom with a set of clothes and showered, grateful for the way the hot water relaxed her strained muscles. Each training session had been more rigorous than the last, Scott's being the worse by far. She'd never thrown a punch before then, and it had been the most difficult part of the training. The others hadn't required causing one another physical pain, fortunately.
She left the bathroom half an hour later and went down to the cafeteria. She found Tabitha, Bobby, and a girl she didn't recognize sitting together. Tabitha caught sight of her and jumped up.
"HEY! DANI!" Danielle blushed, but grinned and walked over to sit with them.
"H-hello everyone," she said bashfully.
"Hey Dani!" Bobby said. "What's up?"
"Um…" She glanced upward. "The…the ceiling?" The trio laughed.
"It's slang for how's it going?"
"Oh!" she exclaimed, her cheeks heating up. "I-I'm sorry."
"Don't sweat it," he replied, smiling up at her and patting the seat next to him. "Come on, sit down." She took the seat he offered and Tabitha gestured to the girl sitting at her side. She had rich brown hair and beautiful, smooth cocoa skin.
"Dani, this is Amara. Amara, this is Dani, the new girl." Amara smiled and waved.
"Pleased to meet you, Dani."
"Enchanté, mademoiselle," Danielle replied.
"You're French?" she asked.
"Yes ma'am," Danielle said.
"Wow! That's so cool! When did you get here?"
"Yesterday afternoon." Danielle smiled slightly. Hopefully the introduction phase would pass soon. The foursome continued chatting through lunch, after which Danielle retired to her room. She collapsed upon her bed, allowing her heavy eyelids to fall. She couldn't remember the last time she'd pushed her powers so far. Danielle knew her abilities made her mother uncomfortable, so she'd refrained from using them for the most part. Yes, the day had been exhausting, but she smiled as she thought of all that she was learning. She was impressed with herself; the thought that she could learn to levitate had never crossed her mind before.
'Danielle.' Professor Xavier's voice rang through her head and she sat upright.
'Yes Sir?'
'Would you meet me in my office, please? I have something for you.'
'Yes Sir.' Danielle slid off her bed, left her bedroom, and walked briskly toward Professor Xavier's office. She rapped lightly on his office door and he called,
"Come in, Danielle." She pushed the wooden door open and found the Professor and the beautiful African-American woman from earlier, Ororo Monroe. Xavier smiled at her as she shut the door and said, "Thank you for coming, Danielle. We have something for you." He gestured to a plain white box atop his desk and Danielle stepped forward. After a slight pause, she put her hands on either side of the lid and lifted, feeling it slide up easily. She set the lid aside and stared down at the neatly folded black uniform within.
"This is your uniform, Danielle. It is specially designed for your training and, once you become an X-Man, your missions. This way you won't have to ruin any clothes," Ororo explained as Danielle stared at it in awe.
"C'est…Uh, th-this is wonderful, Professor. Thank you."
"You're welcome, Danielle. Now, I seem to be depriving you of some much-needed rest, so you are dismissed," he said with another of his charismatic smiles. She bowed politely and left the room, returning to her own and collapsing again on the bed, where she proceeded to sink into a deep sleep, which carried her through dinner and into the night.
Upon waking the next morning, she dressed and went downstairs. There was no one in the cafeteria, but she took it upon herself to make muffins for her new friends. An hour later and she was finished, with three dozen muffins neatly stacked on aluminum cooling racks she'd found. She took two and walked into the cafeteria, sitting down to watch the early morning as she ate. Remy walked in five minutes later and she smiled.
"Bon matin, monsieur. There are muffins in the kitchen." He gave her a charming smile.
"Well, aren't you just a darling?" She blushed and he walked into the kitchen. He returned with his breakfast and a steaming cup of coffee, taking up the seat across from her. They ate together in silence, enjoying the serenity of the morning, and once Danielle was finished she excused herself and left. She pondered how to spend the time until training, but this was taken care of as Kitty phased through the floor, dropping down right in front of her.
"Oh, hey! Good morning!" she said, unusually bubbly for so early in the morning. "Hey, you know what we should do today?"
"U-um, what?" Danielle asked, still startled.
"We should visit Dr. McCoy! You haven't met him yet, and you should get a physical done so he has you on file."
"A-a physical?" Danielle stuttered.
"Yeah. You know what those are, right?"
"Um…n-no, not exactly."
"Oh. Well, he just runs a few tests to make sure you're healthy. You've never been properly inspected for any effects your mutant powers may have on you, so you should visit him today and make sure you're alright."
"That makes sense. Will you show me where the infirmary is?"
"Yeah, sure." A loud grumbling arose and Kitty put a hand over her stomach. "After breakfast, though. I'm starving!" Danielle nodded and followed Kitty back to the kitchen, where she spotted the batch of muffins Danielle had made. "Hey, muffins!"
"I made them when I woke up. I hope you like them."
"You made these? That's so nice," Kitty said, grabbing one of the pastries from its basket. She then hopped onto the counter, swinging her legs back and forth as she ate. "These are really good, Dani. You're a great cook."
"Thank you." Once Kitty was finished with her breakfast, the two headed for the office of Hank McCoy. He was hunched over a microscope upon their arrival, so deeply engrossed in his activities that he didn't even realize he had visitors until Kitty said,
"Hey Mr. McCoy!" The enormous man then turned and smiled down at them.
"Well hello there. I wasn't expecting visitors. How are you this morning, Kitty?"
"Fine, and you?" she replied.
"I'm doing very well. And…Danielle, isn't it?"
"Y-yes, Sir," she answered. "G-good morning, sir." He chuckled.
"Good morning to you, too. Can I help you ladies with anything?"
"Danielle needs a physical done," Kitty answered. "She's never been to a doctor who's known about her abilities before."
"I see. Then yes, you're certainly overdue for a check-up." He patted the hospital bed next to him. "Have a seat, Danielle. Don't worry Kitty; I can take it from here. Doctor-patient confidentiality rules still apply, you know."
"Okay. I'll see you later, Danielle!" Kitty said, waving as she left. Danielle managed a feeble wave in reply before the brunette disappeared.
Danielle left the office two hours later. The doctor had been very thorough, and had offered theories on ways her powers functioned and methods she could test in learning better control over them. Her mind was so crammed with information that she simply wandered about the school, mulling over what he'd said. Eventually, she ended up out on the front lawn. Other students were running about, enjoying a little free time before their classes began; some were already in class. A few of them were covertly experimenting with their powers unassisted; others that were already well-acquainted with their abilities were showing off their talents. Danielle's attention was drawn to the myriad of powers and people, and her already full mind began to feel cramped. There was so much to experience in the world; she'd thought her studies at home would have prepared her for anything.
Her eyes were suddenly drawn to the roof; a thin object waving back and forth had caught her attention. Danielle looked harder at the roof and she realized the object waving back and forth was a tail. She sighed, troubled.
'Oh dear…there is a cat up there…' she thought. She didn't want to levitate the poor thing down to her, for fear of accidentally dropping it, but she couldn't just LEAVE it up there. Perhaps it wouldn't be able to come down. Making up her mind, she gently pushed off of the ground and levitated up to the roof. She touched down a few meters away and looked at it. It was a sleeping brown and black tabby. She took a step toward it and held out her hand.
"Ici, petit chat," she cooed. "Ici, petit-" One of its eyes slid open and it stared at her irritably.
"Look, lady, I don't speak French," it said. Danielle felt as if she'd gotten hit over the head, disoriented and stunned. The cat could TALK. She took a step back out of shock and, to her horror, stepped right off the roof.
"Ohhh-!" The cat sprang up.
"Hey, be-!" She fell backwards and plummeted toward the ground. She was nearing the ground at a terrifying rate and she shut her eyes tightly, bracing herself for pain.
She heard a sound - one that could only be described as 'bamf' –and the scent of brimstone filled her nose. Arms caught her about the waist with another 'bamf' the rushing wind was gone. She felt as if she were everywhere, yet nowhere at the same time. The next thing she knew, there was solid ground beneath her knees and she felt very dizzy.
'Oh God…what just happened?'
"Mon Dieu…c'est le fin pour moi…" she muttered. Where was the pain of her bones shattering? Where was the blood, filling her throat and mouth so she couldn't breathe? A soft, purr-like chuckle invaded her ears and the arms still around her squeezed gently.
"It's alright, fraulein. You can open your eyes." The voice was handsomely German and startlingly attractive. The scent of brimstone lingered in the air about them. "Fraulein?" She opened her eyes and saw that there was green grass under her.
"Je…Je ne suis pas morte?" she said quietly, stunned. Another chuckle.
"I'm afraid I don't speak French." She spun around and found herself staring into a pair of beautiful blue eyes. Her cheeks flushed at his close proximity and she stuttered,
"M-mon sauveur." He grinned and she saw that his canines were particularly sharp and lengthy.
"I apologize for startling you, if I did. Zhere vasn't much time for zhinking everyzhing out." She nodded quickly, then gasped.
"Oh, mon Dieu, êtes-vous bien?" He laughed.
"I'm afraid I still don't understand."
"U-um, are you alright? I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"Not at all," he replied. He stood and she took the rest of him in. He was, without a doubt, the most beautiful person she'd ever seen. His indigo hair fell to his shoulders and framed his pale face. He wore a long-sleeved, burgundy t-shirt with a tan button-up over it. Almost olive colored baggy pants and khaki shoes completed the ensemble. She got to her feet and her eyes returned to his face; she noticed that he had a rather cute smile… "So, fraulein, is your name as pretty as your face?" She turned bright red and held out her hand.
"S-sorry. Danielle Bellamy."
"Pleased to meet you, Danielle," he said, taking her offered hand and kissing it sweetly. "I'm Kurt Vagner."
"Enchanté, monsieur," she said with a bashful smile. Kurt…that was a nice name. "Thank you so much for saving me."
"My pleasure. So, is roof-valking a hobby of yours?" he asked, looking up at the roof. She turned red and turned her gaze to her feet.
"N-no sir...there was a talking cat up there." A moment of silence, then he laughed.
"I can imagine your surprise vhen he talked. He zhrew me off zhe first time, too." Danielle looked up at him.
"You know him? I am not crazy?" He snickered, running a hand threw his hair.
"Not at all, fraulein. How did you get up zhere, anyvay?"
"I-I flew."
"Zhen vhy did you not catch yourself?" he asked, his eyebrows knitting together. She found it incredibly adorable.
"It is…a new trick. In order to do it, I have to really concentrate," she replied.
"Ahh, I see." He stretched and said, "Vell, all zhis hero vork has made me hungry." He held his arm out toward her and gave her a charming smile. "Care to join me for lunch, fraulein?" She took it, looping her arm with his and smiling.
"I would love to."