I awoke this morning to the sound of the X-jet arriving back. Remembering that the Professor said, I hurried down to the mansions sub-basement. I heard from the hangar someone yelling in an heavy british accent. "HEY! LET ME GO YOU BLOODY GITS!
As I entered the hangar alongside the Professor and the other X-men, I saw Beast say to a green skinned mutant who was wearing handcuffs, being held by the arms by Cyclops and Jean Grey, "I don't see what you're complaining about, Mr. Toynbee. We could have just left you to the mercy of HAARP Security."
At that moment a long frog like tounge zapped out of Toynbees mouth straight at Beast. The tounge was caught in midair by Wolverine who pressed his claws against it. Wolverine said, "That was a bad move Toad. Do it again, and I'll cut it off, Understand?" As Toad nodded in fear, Wolverine let go.
I whispered to Bobby who was nursing a badly burned arm, "Is that a member of the Brotherhood?"
He replied, "Yeah, though they treat him like a court jester."
Professor Xavier asked Toad what they wanted at the Brotherhood wanted at the HAARP facility, and Toad said, "Just some location on the computers. Mystique seemed desperate to get it."
As much as I didn't want anything to do with the Brotherhood I stepped forward. Cyclops tried to stop me but a gesture from the professor stopped him, I said "Now what do your friends want with me?"
He tried to feign ignorance, but I responded by summoning a small ball of volcanic flame and holding it close to his face. He quickly said, "All I know, luv is that one of our scientists told Mystique that you could work 'the machine' too. I don't know what machine."
Professor Xavier said, "I think that's all were going to get. Take him to the brig." Before they took him away there was one thing I have been wanting to say to a member of the Brotherhood for awhile now.
I ran up to Toad and said to him trying my best to be intimidating, "Tell your friends if you see them again that if anyone of them touches my parents again the way Blob did when we met, I will find them, and they will answer for it. Understand?"
Toad shrugged and said, "Don't be such a baby, luv. They are only humans!" A that I summoned another fire ball, and he quickly said, "Never mind! I got it! No messing with your folks!"
As the X-men led Toad away I helped Bobby with his injury, "So what happened to you?"
Bobby said, "Pyro. You met him in New York, the guy with the flamethrowers? Basic Pyrokinetic. I would have done better except the security there mistook us for the enemy. To them we were just more mutants. A common problem for us." I asked him if anything else happened and he replied, "Just that we overheard Toad tell Mystique that he was afraid that the government might send Setinels to stop them." When I asked what Sentinels were he said, "Government built mutant-hunting robots. But the government shut that program down years ago."
I replied, "I don't know Bobby. Nick Fury told Professor Xavier about this anti-mutant bigot named General Kincaid who is gaining power in the government."
Bobby was visibly concerned by this and asked, "Do you think he could start the program up again?"
We were then inturrupted by Wolverine who said, "Hey kids, Flirt on your own time. Pebbles (which was apparently Wolverines new nickname for me), It's time to measure your power in the danger room.
After being fit with a training suit, I was explained the rules. I was to fight these human-like robots as a test to measure the extent of my powers. I was amazed at the realism of the danger room. It reminded me of the holodeck on the episodes of Star Trek which my uncle made me watch. After taking down around fifteen of these robots, I decided to concentrate harder to see if I could increase the amount of fire I produced, and something amazing happened. At first it seemed as I was on fire, but it turns out I have the power to turn myself into a being of walking volcanic rock. I really just wrote that didn't I?
To disconcert me even more, the moment I relaxed and I returned to normal I looked at the observation window to see Professor Xavier and all male X-men suddenly avert their eyes. Not a second later, I realized why. The training outfit I wore was now just a pile of cinders at my feet. I was totally naked.
A few moments after fitting me with a special suit made to withstand fire and intense heat, I started again. Then the most disconcerting event of the day happened. After taking down a few more dozen robots, I heard Cyclops say the safeties are failing, and about fifteen robots materialized at once and closed in on me. I realized that the danger room had malfunctioned and I might die, and at that moment, Allison Crestmere, walking bomb, went off again. Things fell to black, and reality crept in to reveal that the danger room was in ruins.
I had to stop. I went into the breifing room and crumpled into a chair in fear. I asked myself, Was this what I was really capable of? So far it was ridiculously lucky that no one got hurt when I went off. So easily it could have been different.
Professor Xavier came up to men and said, "Allison, I know you are afraid of yourself right now. I was afraid too when my power first surfaced, and the X-men are all afraid of themselves sometime too."
Rogue sat down next to me and said in her usual southern drawl, "Sugar, let me tell you, the first boy I ever kissed is probably still in a coma, but unlike me you might be able to learn how to properly control your power."
Professor Xavier said, "Yes and Rogue is not the only one. Cyclops will forever be a prisoner to his visor, and.." At that point he looked to Dr. Grey and he stopped himself.
Dr. Grey hung her head and said, "It's allright Professor. When I over exert my powers, my dark personality arises. We work every way to train myself to supress it. And you can train you to supress your power too."
Professor Xavier continued, "Yes, as soon as the Danger room is fixed I would like you to try again."
I said, "I might destroy the danger room again."
Wolverine said, "Pebbles, if I apologized for every time I destroyed the danger room it would be the only word out of my mouth."
I still vehemetly refused, and the Professor told me to take my time, when a beeping from the communication panel caught the attention from everyone in the room. The computer displayed, "INCOMING COMMUNICATION FROM: GAMBIT"
I asked about Gambit, and the Professor said, "When we came to get you, we left two X-men you haven't met yet, Remy Lebeau and Elizabeth Braddock, to try to meet with some of our contacts. Gambit is Remy Lebeau."
As soon as Wolverine activated the comm panel, he asked, "What's up, Cajun?"
A thick male southern voice came out of the comm, "I had heard that the Morlocks were mixin' demselves up with some nasty business. Thought I'd check it out. Now dey coming for me! Could use some help here! N'est pas?"
Rogue replied, seeming both extremly worried and angry, "What have you gotten yourself into this time, you sneak thief?"
Gambit replied, "Ah, my cheri, I really tried to be subtle. You know ole Gambit never try to get in big trouble."
Rogue replied sarcastically, "Yeah right."
The Professor then took the comm and said, "We will send help. He then turned on the PA and said, "X-men report to the briefing room." After turning off the PA he dismissed me.
I've learned from some other students that Gambit was raised by the New Orleans criminal organization known as the guild of Thieves and that his power involves charging objects with kinetic energy, and that the Morlocks are a society of New York sewer dwelling mutants.
I close this diary entry with a reflection. When did my life get to the point where in the span of one day, I find out I can set myself on fire, I end up stark naked in front of my friends, my friends go off to face off against sewer dwelling mutants, and I still haven't listed the most disconcerting event of my day. I still am filled with fear about my powers. What if I never learn to control them?
I hope things get better.
Later,
Allison