Disclaimer: X-Men is a trademark of Marvel Comics. I do not claim to own any of the characters or settings used below. However, the original characters Jerry, Andrew and Sheila Tyson, and Matthew Tyson a.k.a. "Geist" belong to me.

Chapter Three: A Tour of Campus

Kitty was starting to sweat as the sun beat down on the mansion in the hills of upstate New York. Her tanned back glistened in the sunshine and she was just starting to fall asleep when a cold chill swept over her. Without even looking up she swatted at the air. "That's not funny, Bobby, stop!" The chill lingered and goose bumps began to cover her skin. She glanced up and saw the fog surrounding her. Before she could say anything she heard Matthew's voice behind her.

"So, you have a boyfriend, huh? That would have been nice to know at the start. Why didn't you tell me?"

Kitty turned to face him, but all she saw was more fog. She tied the back of her bikini back on and sat up. "Matthew, don't do this. Can't we just talk normally?"

"Not until you tell me the truth."

"Okay, I admit it. I like you. I just didn't want Pete to know, he can have such a temper at times, especially about things like this. He is so protective of me."

Matthew appeared out of nowhere and sat on the grass, letting the fog fade and the sunshine return. A soft breeze blew through his spiky hair. "Tell me about it. I've already had a little talk with him."

Kitty looked shocked and scooted towards Matthew a little bit. "Are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"Nah, I'm fine. It wasn't for a lack of trying on his part though. It could have been quite a painful experience had it not been for my abilities."

"Well that's good. I would have really felt bad if you had gotten hurt over me when you didn't do anything wrong."

Matthew smiled and replied, "So you like me, huh? I'm not going to lie to you, I'm interested as well. How is this going to work out? Am I going to end up being 'The Other Guy'?"

Kitty smiled as well now. "I'm not sure exactly. I'm going to need some time to think things over. Can I get back with you on that?"

"Of course you can, Kitty. I'm going to take a walk around the grounds, maybe shoot some hoops. I think I saw a court whenever I was flown in."

"Yeah, you did. That's actually where the X-Jet comes out of whenever we go on missions. I will come find you when I'm done thinking."

"Okay, see you in a bit."

Matthew stood up and walked away, and Kitty laid back down in the sunshine. Matthew turned around just before he was out of earshot and added, "Oh, and by the way, the sweaty glistening look works well for you." He couldn't tell if it was the sun beginning to burn her or if she blushed, but whatever it was, he smiled as he turned around and walked away, enjoying the warm sunny morning.

Logan groaned as the sunshine hit his face. It's morning already, he thought as he growled and turned over. The morning sunshine beat down onto his bare back for a few minutes before his eyes snapped open. "Well it seems I'm not going back to sleep this morning," he said quietly to himself. He sat up slowly, turned back toward the sunlight, squinted, and peered out of the open window. The new kid they picked up last night, Matthew, was down on the lawn walking alone. I do believe it's time Matthew had a scare. Payback's a bitch. Logan quietly opened his window, eased his way out, and jumped for the lawn and Matthew. The fall was longer than he expected, the wind seemed to be rushing by him forever. The boy's reflexes seemed to be quicker than he thought because before he could even land he was suspended in the air just a few feet above the ground. Matthew looked up at him with a smile on his face.

"Well hello Logan, I trust your morning has been well?"

"It was alright until now. I had actually intended to pay you back for last night, but it seems there is no surprising you. Can you put me down please?"

Matthew lowered Logan to the ground, still smiling. "My vision might not be perfect in daylight but you would be surprised of how aware I am of everything."

"Is that another one of your abilities?"

"Not a mutant one, I had to learn my awareness. I trained myself to watch for the smallest movements and listen for the smallest sounds. That's how I knew y'all were coming last night. Well that and you didn't exactly make a quiet entrance."

Logan smirked a bit. "Is there anything you can't do?"

"Well I suck at football," Matthew replied with a laugh. He lifted a few small rocks and spun then around just above his palm as he talked. "I'm just not built for it, you know?"

"Yeah but you couldn't exactly be tackled, could you?"

"You're right on that part, I couldn't. But that would be cheating. What fun would that be?"

Logan shrugged and began to walk. Matthew followed along beside him. He looked down at Logan's hands then back at him. "How did you get the claws?"

"A long time ago some scientists performed hazardous experiments on me to try to turn me into some kind of ultimate killing machine. They covered my entire skeleton with adamantium. If it weren't for my healing abilities I would have been killed right then and there. The experiments cost me a fair amount of bone marrow as well, so really my abilities are the only thing keeping me alive even now. That's why I try to stay away from Jimmy, whose abilities are to negate other the powers of other mutants who are close to him. He could kill me if he got close to me long enough."

"Wow, that's quite a story. Your healing abilities must be really strong if you could survive that kind of surgery."

"You have no idea. They are also what are keeping me looking so young. I'm not even sure how long ago those experiments were done to me. So what's your story? You mentioned last night you had been alone since your house blew up. How did that happen?"

Matthew looked down as he said what he said next, the subject obviously still painful. "The neighbors were having a barbeque and a stray ember from the fire hit the exact point in the fuel line on the propane tank behind our house where it was weakest. I was in my room reading when I heard the first little bit of the explosion; it was just enough notice for me to use my abilities. I phased right through the floor to try to save my parents too, I landed right in front of them but I just wasn't fast enough," tears rolled down his face at this point, "I watched them die, Logan. Their bodies flash burned and broke as the house exploded. I-I wish I could have been faster, I-I wish I could have saved them. I miss them so much."

Matthew was holding back sobs at his point. I think this is the first time he has told that story out loud, Logan thought.

"Well why didn't you go live with other members of your family?"

"I knew they would look at me differently, because my powers saved me and because I hadn't been able to save my parents. I decided it was probably better to just live alone, where I wouldn't bother anyone."

"You had been alone all this time? That had to have been hard on you. You're just a kid."

Matthew looked up at this point, and cracked just a little bit of a smile. "Well I wasn't completely alone. My friend Jerry came by all the time to keep me company. He helped me feel better about everything, worked with me to control and hone my abilities. If I had been as good with my abilities then as I am now, I know I would have been able to save them."

By this time they had done almost an entire lap around the mansion and by some strange twist of luck they were right in front of the basketball courts. Logan pulled out a cigar and turned to Matthew with a slight smile on his face. "Listen kid, if anyone understands loss it's me. It's been great talking to you, and if you have proved anything to me today it's that you're made of tougher shit than most fifteen year olds. Meet me down on sub-basement one at half past three. You will know you're in the right place when you get there. Right now though, I'm going to go grab some lunch. Don't be late." He lit the cigar as he walked away towards the back door of the mansion.

Matthew turned towards the courts where there was only one other person was out there. Despite it being bright outside and there was next to no shade, shadows seemed to be drawn to this guy. He was taller than Matthew, dressed in a trench coat, gloves, boots, jeans and what seemed to be a t-shirt underneath the coat. He had dark hair, most of it covered his eyes, but when he looked up in Matthew's direction he thought he saw a bit of a flash of red. He was playing with a deck of cards, floating them around and making them disappear. Matthew considered going over there, but decided against it. This guy looked a bit dangerous. And from the looks of him Matthew knew he would be seeing him later. The subbasements of the mansion were the levels where the X-Men trained, and this guy looked like he had merited an invite down there this afternoon as well.

Matthew was glad he made the decision he did because out of the corner of his eye he caught movement that turned out to be Kitty, still dressed in her bikini, but with a towel around her waist. The guy with the cards looked up again, let his eyes linger for just a moment, and then turned his attention back to his cards. Kitty smiled as she approached, which Matthew hoped meant she had good news. As she walked up Matthew admired her, her long brown hair with pink streaks falling over her freshly tanned shoulders and chest, almost all the way down to her perfectly flat stomach. She laughed as she got closer.

"Jeez Matthew, can you stare a little harder?"

"I'm sorry, you're just so distracting," he replied.

"Distracting from what?"

"My standing around time," said Matthew, grinning.

Kitty laughed. She put her hands on her hips. "What have you been doing all this time?"

"I've been talking to Logan. We were just sharing stories from the past."

"I see. Well I have good news; I'm going to end things with Pete. He is just too controlling recently, and I would rather be with you; you seem like much more of a free spirit. However though I think we should keep things between us very low key for the moment. Things could get very bad if Pete saw us together too soon."

"I agree. I told him earlier I wasn't trying to steal his girlfriend, which I wasn't; things just sort of happened like this. I'm happy though, this is awesome," said Matthew with a smile. He then added, "Oh, before I forget; what's the deal with this subbasement thing? Logan told me to meet him down there at half past three."

Kitty smiled. "This is going to be fun. You got invited to our first danger room session since Alcatraz. To tell you the truth I had forgotten about that. I need to go start getting ready. I will see you then, ok?"

"Alright, I will see you then."

Kitty seemed to want Matthew to stare, because she switched her hips back and forth as she walked away. The guy with the cards looked up and stared for a bit too, then looked in Matthew's direction. Matthew flipped a wave bye then vanished. The guy didn't seem to care much as he turned his attention back to the cards. Matthew walked along and through the back of the mansion to grab something to eat, then up to the second floor to grab his things. Walking down the increasingly crowded hall Matthew began to feel like he actually belonged. Here, he was normal; here, he wasn't a freak who couldn't save his own family. The walk seemed longer than he remembered from last night, but he finally made it to what would become his room. Since he hadn't moved in just yet, he decided it was probably better to knock first. Just after he did he heard movement from within and a girl answered the door. She was gorgeous, with brown hair that was tinted slightly red, and two long blonde streaks at the front of her bangs. Her big, green eyes looked him over for a moment before saying in an accent a bit more southern than his own, "Bobby is this the guy you were talking about?"

From inside Matthew heard Bobby's voice say, "His eyes glowing?"

"Yeah they are," she replied, and then she added to him, "They are beautiful, by the way."

Matthew smiled. "Thanks. Can I come in?"

She kind of chuckled and opened the door. "Sorry, I didn't mean to leave you standing in the hallway like that. I'm Marie, but everyone around here calls me Rogue. And you're Matthew, right? Bobby told me all he knew about you, which isn't a whole lot. I swear as far as I know you have as many secrets as Logan does. Pretty much all I know is that you're talented and that you're a fan of scare tactics."

"Yeah that's pretty much all I want to share. My past isn't exactly pretty. You will just have to get to know me if you want to know me; I want to start fresh."

"Well alright then, I can understand that. The other bed is just over here. I'm going to let you know now, I'm in here a lot, but you shouldn't let that discourage you from coming in for anything. Just if you see something on the door be sure to knock first."

Matthew laughed. "Alright, that's fine by me. Kitty told me you went to one of those cure clinics. Was it really that bad having your abilities?"

"Well they weren't so bad if you didn't mind having no human contact, ever. I couldn't touch anyone without hurting them."

"Wow, I had no idea, I'm sorry," said Matthew as he put his stuff under his bed—his stuff being an extra pair of shoes—and sat down on top of it. He then turned to Bobby, who was lying on top of the bed with Rogue who had now moved up next to him to snuggle. "So are you going to this 'Danger Room' thing at three thirty?"

"You know it man; where would the X-Men be without Iceman?"

Rogue slapped Bobby on the chest. "You have quite an ego on you lately, mister. What's your deal?"

"All I know is that after Alcatraz I feel a ton stronger. Taking down Pyro—he's down the hall now by the way Matt—was such a rush. And I know the team needs me, we all need one another. That's the whole point of a team. If one part doesn't need the rest then what's the point of a team?"

"Okay, you have a point there. But still, you should try being less arrogant. You need them as much as they need you, and you know it."

Bobby looked Rogue in the eyes and kissed her. "You're right, baby."

Matthew rolled his eyes. He was contemplating what to do with the little bit of time he had before the session in the Danger Room when there was a knock at the door. Matthew got up and answered it; Ororo was standing there in a black leather jumpsuit.

"Just the person I wanted to see," she said, throwing something yellow at Matthew. "These are your training clothes. It's Teflon-coated Under-Armor. I suggest you get ready, and soon," she then turned to Bobby. "Suit up and be downstairs in fifteen. We need you there early." She turned around and walked out the door.

Matthew looked at the both of them, confused. "That didn't quite seem like the same person I met last night," he said.

"We know," they both replied at once. Bobby stepped forward towards his closet and reached for his leathers. "Storm gets like that over training. In normal life she is just about as nice as she can be, but when it comes to X-Men business she is as serious as a drill sergeant."

"I see," replied Matthew, sliding off his t-shirt and sliding on the spandex-like training shirt. He moved around in it to find out that it moved well with him and fit his form perfectly. Rogue let a look linger a little too long before looking back to Bobby. He didn't seem to notice Rogue's stare as he kept getting dressed. He zipped up the suit, which was black leather with blue accents on it, almost but not quite as form fitting as Matthew's.

"Well I should get going downstairs. Do you remember the way down there Matt?"

"If all else fails I can just phase down a level. How long do I have?"

"On second thought, maybe you should come with me. You might end up getting lost, and being late is not an option. Come on, let's get going."

Bobby kissed Rogue goodbye and she lay down on the bed and waved bye to Matthew. Bobby jogged down the hallway towards the lift and pressed the button to call it up to the second floor. Matthew looked Bobby over then looked down at himself.

"How come you get the cool leather uniform and I have this thing?"

"I get to wear this because I'm not a newbie, Matthew. You will understand once we are in there why you're wearing that."

"Oh, okay," said Matthew, looking skeptical. The doors opened and he and Bobby stepped inside.

"I'm serious Matthew; the training uniform has a purpose. So stop looking at me like I'm crazy."

"Oh no, I believe you," replied Matthew, smirking a little bit, "it just feels a little silly wearing something so tight and yellow."

"Trust me, I know. I had to wear it too at one point. You really get over it and get used to it pretty quickly once training starts."

The lift slowed to a stop and the doors opened into a much different environment. Chrome steel lined the walls and floor, the footsteps of the two boys echoed as they walked down the hall towards the voices that were slowly getting louder. They turned a corner and there, at the end of the hallway, was a door more imposing than most bank vault doors. There were six people in that hallway as Bobby and Matthew walked up, all talking to one another. Kitty was still on Pete's arm; she must not have told him yet. Matthew caught her eye and she slipped him a little smile and a wink that Pete didn't seem to notice. Both she and Pete were in a leather uniform similar to Bobby's, but Kitty's had pink accents and it was a great deal more revealing. Her pants were a skin tight low-rise hip hugger, and her top seemed to be little more than a bolero jacket over a sports bra. Matthew let eyes linger a bit too long because he saw Kitty blush and Pete tighten a fist. Pete had already activated his powers; organic steel covered him from head to toe. If it weren't for the black leather of his uniform he could have blended right into the walls and floor. Matthew noticed that the others were in the same uniform he was. The guy from the basketball courts was off to the side, now only with a couple of cards. He saw Matthew and nodded his head; Matthew flicked him one as well. The other three Matthew didn't know, but figured he would before this was all over.

Bobby looked around and did sort of a count with his head. "Okay, I think we are all here. Let's get this thing going, shall we?"