As Lance left school, he sighed. The other kids were running around, shouting to each other about nothing. They pushed past him in the crowded corridor, otherwise completely ignoring his entire existence. He sometimes wondered what they'd do if they knew mutants existed. The kids and the teachers were all the same – they underestimated him. To them, he was just another teen in a large school. They didn't know what he, Lance Alvers, could do.
Life hadn't been particularly kind to Lance. Even to him, his past as a series of failed attempts to make people understand that he was worth knowing. His father had given up on him quite early on, returning to his home town in Greece to start an entire new family.
Still, Lance had been okay. He started working hard in school, so that he could look after his mother when he grew up. His grand plan was unsuccessful however. When his report came back, he found that, no matter how hard he tried, his scores were no more than average. After that, he gave up on school. There were other, better ways to get on in the world.
So, he started to learn the guitar. As a rock star, people would respect him for his musicality and love him for his dangerous stage persona. He would have expensive cars, large houses and girls queueing to catch a glimpse of him. He wrote songs that expressed his inner torment: songs filled with angst and anger at the world. He found himself caught up with the poetry of it all; the romance. Once he felt he was good enough, he set about trying to find a band. After a few weeks of asking, he abandoned it. No one wanted to join a band with Lance, a misguided misfit, whose songs were both terrifyingly violent and disturbingly sentimental.
But Lance was strong, he'd find another way to survive. However, nature intervened and, aged twelve, his powers surfaced. After the initial shock, Lance was ecstatic. Finally, after all he'd done, he had a skill, a talent, something to make his mom proud of him. He was mistaken. Lance's power terrified her and although she didn't disown him, their relationship was never the same again. She was still living in the valleys somewhere. He had her address somewhere but recently, he hadn't bothered trying phone her or visit her.
Despite everything, Lance was still hopeful. Maybe with the Brotherhood he'd make a name for himself. Maybe he wouldn't be a failure for his whole life.
