For those of you that don't know what a Lladro is, it is a very expensive ceramic figurine designed by an artist in Spain. I once broke the trunk off an elephant Lladro when I was three, but that's a different story all together.
The Old, the New, and the Newer
Ten days before Bayville High opened for the school year, the students of Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters reopened. One reason was so that all the X-Men could get back into the swing of things. The second was so that those who were new could adjust before classes started.
"Keetty!" Kitty heard Kurt call from the bottom of the stairs as she helped Rebecca lug her huge chest up the stairs. With a bamph! Kitty found herself in a tight hug and unable to keep her hold on the chest. She quickly phased herself and Kurt as the heavy oak chest began sliding down the stairs.
"Oh my God," Rebecca shrieked, running after her chest through the still phased Kitty and Kurt. "I hope nothing broke." Rebecca threw open the top and began digging around, listing the things that all looked good. "Ha, even my Lladro is totally unharmed."
"Who brought a Lladro?" Jean Grey's voice called through the halls. She was spending her last week before Syracuse opened at the Institute to visit her friends and help the new mutants to get situated.
"Jean!" Kurt called and teleported to hug her. "Ah, two and a half months avay vas too long. Rogue!"
"Don'cha dare hug me, Elf," Rogue said, holding out a hand. "Plus, don'cha need to get your stuff up to your room?"
"Right!" Kurt teleported to his bags and grabbed them. He then teleported to his room.
"It looks like someone hasn't used his powers in a while," Scott said walking into the room. "Jean, want to go with me to the airport to pick up Cannonball?"
"Sure, Scott," Jean floated herself down to the landing as Kitty and Rebecca were trying again to lug her chest up the stairs.
"Um, can we use your SUV, because he's got two siblings with him."
"How many new mutants do ve haf zis year?" Kurt asked teleporting back into the room.
"Uh…" Scott began counting in his head. "Wait, this might take a second. There's Arwen… and…"
"Do you want to count Jubilee again?" Logan asked walking into the room. "Let me get that, Half-Pint." He grabbed her end of the chest and lifted it with almost ease."
"Jubilee's back?" Ray asked as he was coming back down the stairs.
"Seven," Scott answered Kurt's question.
"Please tell me some of them are males," Bobby said after just walking into the mansion.
"Two, Bobby," Rogue said walking down the stairs once Logan had finished getting the chest. "One's Jamie's age and one, well a year older."
"At least there's no new competition for the girls," Ray reasoned.
"Don't be so sure about that," the voice of Evan came through the doors. He was holding a duffle in one arm and a skateboard in the other.
"I'm glad you've returned, Evan," Ororo said coming into the front room. "Well, why is everyone just standing around for? I'm sure you all have bags to carry to your rooms. Those of you who don't know who you're rooming with, please see me."
Everyone began moving about again, and soon, the mansion was bustling with excited students just ready to get started. After several hours, everyone heard the voice of Xavier in his or her head. Please, everyone, suit up and report to the back yard.
"What, training?" Bobby complained. "But we've barely just gotten here."
"Gotta do it," Sam shrugged. "I just don't want to get shown up by my siblings."
Once the last of the students arrived in the back yard, Xavier wheeled out. "I'm glad to see you all here. I just thought that we should all get accustomed to one another and learn everyone else's powers. I think I'll start with your instructors. As you all know, I am Professor Xavier. I am a telepath. To my right, stands Ms. Munroe, also known as Storm. Ororo, please demonstrate and explain your powers."
"This is going to be good," Bobby remarked to Sam and Ray. He then went to use Jamie as a leaning post. Kitty, realized Bobby's plan so she lightly touched Jamie so Bobby phased through and crashed to the ground. All the mutants who were around the institute before started to laugh.
"It's not funny," Bobby said. "I could have gotten hurt, Kitty."
Kitty made a sad face and asked in a babying voice, "I'm sorry. Would your bumped elbow like a kiss?"
Bobby smiled widely. "I think my bumped lips do, too."
"Then ask someone who's not in a relationship," Kitty said turning back to the professor.
"Uh, what?" A few people turned to look at Kitty.
"It's not Alvers," Scott began in a low voice. "Is it?"
"First off, his name is Lance," Kitty said. "And second, why do you care?"
Several of the X-Men groaned. "He's Avalanche," Scott snapped. "He's part of the Brotherhood."
"He is not any more," Kitty said. "He's much better than he used to be, Scott."
"Doubt it," Evan murmured to Kurt next to him.
"Vhere haf I heard zat before?" Kurt asked sarcastically.
Xavier lightly coughed, so everyone returned his or her attention to him. Finally, Storm brought a light rain and wind, along with a single flash of lightning. And, so, one by one, each of the instructors and students began showing off their powers, until finally, they arrived at the new students.
"Let's start with Miss Rose Trelin," Xavier nodded to Rose. "Or, the Green Thumb."
"Uh, right," Rose said stepping forward. The dark blue outfit made her look almost anorexic thin, aside from the fact that she was basically a bottomless pit when she ate. Her hair shone much more red in the sun than in other light and it was tied up in a high ponytail. "I basically can control plants." She then concentrated on the grass, which grew several feet instantly.
"I am not mowing the lawn," Logan said looking at the grass.
"No problem," Rose said. The next second, all the grass shrank down back to a perfect lawn.
"Thank you, Rose," the professor nodded to her. "How about Arwen Westbrook goes next. She will also be known as Muse."
"I'd rather not," Arwen said. "At least, not out in the open." She had not spent much time outside, so she was comparatively pale to everyone's summer tan and her dark brown hair contrasted she skin nicely.
"Aw, come on, Arwen," Rogue said. "Ah've seen you control your powers."
Arwen sighed. "Can anyone do beet box? I don't have any music with me."
"Sure," Evan smiled. He began a little beat. Arwen then began creating little blasts on the heavy beats.
"It's basically the ability to manipulate what's around and create things through the use of music."
"Who shall go next? Ah, Rebecca Stein? Also known as Clover."
"I just have substantially good luck," Rebecca said. The dark blue outfit hugged her every last curve, which she had more than any of the other girls. She definitely felt the eyes of the boys on her. "Oh, and I can give others bad luck."
"How about you show us," Bobby said with a smirk.
"Fine," Rebecca said. She waved her hand at him.
"That's it?" Bobby asked. He began laughing, but when he tried to bend forward laughing, the back of his pants ripped. When the rip was heard, everyone began to laugh.
"Today's just not your day," Ray remarked to the blushing Bobby.
"I'd like Megan Gwynn to go next," the Professor said, nodding to a short girl standing sort of shyly near the front. "She will also be known as Pixie."
Megan, who had pink hair falling on her shoulders and was sporting brightly colored and shining wings, jumped into the air and flew around a little. A little bit of sparkling gold dust fell beneath her. She then landed and smiled. "I just fly and have pixie dust, really," she said with a Scottish accent.
"Thank you, Megan. Hector Mendoza, or Wraith, could you please go next."
Hector, who was just Jamie's height, though a little thinner, stepped forward. He had short black hair and tanned skin, having been born and raised in Puerto Rico. Several of the X-Men recognized an image inducer on his wrist similar to Kurt's. He turned it off, showing how his skin was transparent. He rolled up his sleeves so they could all see it was more than his face. They were still able to see his outline, but looking through him, images were distorted. "It's just transparent skin," he said turning the image inducer back on.
"Who shall be next? Sam, why don't you introduce your two siblings to everyone?"
Sam sighed. "Paige, Jay, this is everyone. Everyone, Paige and Jay."
Paige rolled her eyes and tucked some light brown hair behind her ear. "I guess I'll go. I can shed my skin and take on a new form." With that, some of her skin fell off and she had taken on the form of her older brother. "Ta da!" She then shed her skin to look like her normal self again.
"I've taken to calling her Husk," Sam said.
"As in a corn husk?" Kitty asked.
"Only someone from Kentucky," Bobby chuckled.
"And this is Jay," Paige said, pushing her younger brother forward. He, like Paige, had light brown hair that was a little short than Sam's, but a lot thinner.
Jay sighed. "I have wings, see." He turned around and flapped his wings a few times.
"And…" Paige and Sam said in unison.
"And I heal quickly."
"As in Logan quickly," Sam clarified.
Professor Xavier nodded. "You all have about an hour before dinner to finish unpacking or whatever you may be up to. Please, no pranking quite so early in the year," Professor Xavier looked in the direction of Bobby, Sam, Jubilee, and Tabby as he said this.
"I'm going to make a quick phone call," Kitty said, rushing into the mansion again, wanting to talk to Lance.
"Is she really going out with him again?" Scott asked Rebecca, knowing that the two girls had been together all summer.
"Well, they are infatuated with one another," Rebecca reasoned. "I have to move my car out of the front driveway now that I've gotten everything out of it. Can someone show me where to park?"
"Let me," Bobby smiled throwing an arm around her shoulders. "So, you're Kitty's friend, are you? You have got to give me some insight into that girl's mind."
"That girl is gonna to be making midnight phone calls again," Rogue complained to Jean about Kitty dating Lance again. "Ah don't know if Ah'll be able to handle it."
"I can't see it lasting too long," Jean replied. "I mean, how many times have they started and stopped dating?"
Unfortunately for the X-Men, Magneto had been recruiting all summer as well, and mostly without Xavier becoming aware of efforts. After Tip and Duke, another boy, by the name of Nicholas Arnold, had moved into the Brotherhood house. Nick had the ability to generate radioactive energy at high levels and could basically turn his body into a nuke if he wanted to, which was why he had adopted the alter ego as Nuclear. And, aside from Colossus, who had hidden his family rather well and hung around New York mostly, sometimes dropping by the Xavier Institute, Magneto had all his Acolytes still, in addition to the support of a woman named Emma Frost who ran the Hell Fire Club, and Legion. However, due to his helmet, neither Emma Frost nor Legion knew what his true plan was. He had even managed to convince several of the Morlocks to join his side providing them with a large estate where they could live above ground without people fearing them.
"Why are there seven popped bags of popcorn in the cabinet?" Tip called out from the kitchen as she opened the cabinet.
"Someone bumped me from behind as I was getting myself a bag," Nick yelled back from the couch. "They popped on their own."
"Because you can't control your powers," Tip snapped. "If I get cancer, I'm sending you my medical bills."
Nick rolled his vivid green eyes and continued to channel surf. "Not like you try to control your powers," he mumbled under his breath.
"Hey, Mystique, what's for dinner?" Tip called up the stairs. "I'm starving and there's nothing to eat."
Mystique exited her bedroom and crossed her arms. "I went shopping yesterday, Tip," she said barely keeping her voice from a yell.
"Yeah, but you didn't get anything good," Tip snorted. "Plus, Nick nuked half the food already." Tip smiled sweetly. "Please?"
Mystique growled. "Pietro, take Tip to a store so she can buy something that she feels will suit her needs."
"Gladly," Pietro said, somewhat mesmerized my Tip for the most part. He took the keys to the silver Civic they had been provided and led Tip out to the car. Tip giggled and winked at Nick.
Pietro drove to the nearest grocery store and parked next to a brand new blue Audi that looked like it came with all the accessories. For a moment, Pietro considered hotwiring the car, but then realized how pissed Mystique would be if he did. He followed Tip into the store.
"How do you know if something is Kosher or not?" Bobby asked Rebecca as she looked over several different types of cookies.
"It has a symbol," Rebecca said, showing him the symbol on a box of crackers she had already grabbed. "Or it will say Kosher. Remember, you're the one who volunteered to come here with me, remember?"
"Yeah, but you didn't tell me you were such a picky eater," Bobby said. "I seriously thought we'd be here for like, one minute."
"I'm not picky," Rebecca snapped. "I'm religious." She grabbed a package, quickly made sure it was Kosher, then threw it in the basket and began toward the front.
However, Bobby caught sight of something from the corner of his eye. "Ah, shit, Pietro's here."
"Who?" Rebecca asked turning to look where Bobby was glancing. "Him! He kidnapped me this summer! I feel like showing him a piece of my mind."
"Oh no you don't," Bobby grabbed her arm. "Not in here at least… unless…"
"You mean throw a little bad luck his way?" Rebecca asked.
"Exactly," Bobby said with a smile. Rebecca smiled evilly and stood one aisle over from Pietro. When he was looking at the fruits with some blonde girl in a ultra-mini Hollister skirt, Rebecca stood hidden behind a table of watermelons and threw as much bad luck at him as she could. She then ducked away and quickly bought her food. Just as she was handed her receipt, a loud crash was heard followed by a yell and what sounded like a body smashing a watermelon. It turned out that Pietro had put a hand on the watermelon table and the whole thing collapsed. Then, he jumped and landed right on one of the few unbroken watermelon with his butt. Rebecca and Bobby had to lean on each other to keep from falling over as they laughed. That's when Pietro spotted them.
He zipped in front of them. "I should have known that an X-Geek had something to do with that," Pietro said staring Bobby in the eyes.
"I didn't do a thing," Bobby said, still laughing.
Pietro was about to counter him, when he recognized Rebecca. "Why are you hanging out with this X-Geek… unless you're one too!"
"Turns out that way, Speedy," Rebecca said. "Now, we have to get going, so if you could move your watermelon dripping ass because we don't want to cause trouble."
"What are you going to do about it if I do want trouble?" Pietro asked.
"Just try and touch me," Rebecca said, stepping out of his reach. He tried to super speed again, but tripped on a loose tile and went flying into an umbrella display. "Let's get moving, Bobby." They climbed into her blue Audi, and backed out of the space just in time to keep her car from getting hit by a runaway cart. It hit the Civic next to her.
The dinner table was one of almost complete and utter chaos. Four Jamies were seated in various seats annoying Evan, Kurt, and Rogue who were the last three to arrive because they no longer had anywhere to sit. Rebecca was questioning whether every last piece of food was Kosher or not. Kitty was on her cell phone, ignoring Scott's demands that she hang up on 'Alvers.' Bobby was secretly freezing people's drinks when they weren't looking at him. The three Guthrie siblings were constantly bickering over something. Mostly, Sam kept complaining that his siblings were even looking at him. Rahne wanted to know exactly why the bathrooms had been remodeled since she had last seen them. Jubilee, Tabby, and Amara were gossiping about which boys they thought got hotter over the summer and who needed to buff up. And, of course, the food was questionable. After all, the Beast and Storm were doing all the cooking and there were twenty-six mouths to feed, so they were mass cooking everything.
"Are you sure you don't want any milk, Rebecca?" Ray asked holding up the milk jug. "It makes the bones strong."
"I'm eating chicken," Rebecca snapped. "It wouldn't be Kosher."
"I don't really understand the Kosher thing," Ray said.
"Meat and dairy cannot be eaten during the same meal," Kitty said, finally hanging up her phone when Lance told her he had to get to work. "Jewish tradition."
"Vell you don't haf to vorry about zat," Kurt said, finally kicking one of the Jamies out of a seat. "You're a vegetarian, Keety."
"I don't keep Kosher either," Kitty said. She looked at Arwen. "How about you?"
"I'm the one who stocked the fridge with Ham and Cheddar Lunchables," Arwen said with a laugh. "Take your best guess."
"That breaks, like, every law of Kosher," Rebecca cringed. "Are you sure you're Jewish?"
"Just slightly," Arwen said. "By descent. My mom is, my grandparents on her side. My dad was born and raised Catholic."
"So, did you have a big bar mitzvah and everything?" Bobby asked Rebecca as he slyly froze her water.
"Bat Mitzvah," Rebecca said. "I'm a girl, and yes I did. Kitty too."
"So, did you get a lot of money and presents?" Bobby looked suddenly more interested.
"Oh yeah," Rebecca said. "A complete wardrobe change, and I still had a little left over, which my parents made me put into a bank."
"What do you know," Evan said quietly to Kurt. "A couple of JAPs."
"Something tells me zey aren't Japanese, Evan," Kurt replied.
Evan rolled his eyes. "JAP is Jewish American Princess. You know what a JAP is, right Ray."
"Got a few of them right here," Ray replied.
Jean sent a stern look down the table. "Evan, you should be setting an example for the others. Not calling people Japs."
"You don't even know was a JAP is, Jean" Evan said.
"It's a Jewish American Princess," Kurt informed her.
Evan dropped his head into his hand. "You're not supposed to tell her."
"Gee, thanks," Rebecca screwed up her nose.
"He's just joking," Kitty assured her friend. "You were just joking, right Evan?"
"Of course," Evan held his hands up defensively. "I wouldn't purposely hurt you."
"Something tells me that we're going to need a bigger kitchen," Dr. McCoy said to the Professor. "We can't have this every meal. I say we let them feed themselves."
"I do believe you might be correct, Hank," the Professor replied. "What was the company that did the bathrooms? We might be able to get a discount."