Chapter Four: Finding A Lost Soul
She was in so much pain,
but she never said a word...
Everyone wants,
to be in on the pressure...
And they're all waiting for the crash!
Will anyone try to save her?!
Thank you for reminding,
that best friends can't be trusted...
The following days were fairly easy for Dakota and the others. Kitty and Kurt were quite fun to be around, but Dakota kept to herself; only speaking when spoken to. All in all, the other teens would say she was very polite and quiet; never speaking against them, doing what she was told, and staying close to them when she was out and about with them.
The good professor had let it slip that Dakota wrote a series about living gargoyles. The male half of the students thought it was pretty cool that they had a story writer living with them, but everyone treated her like she was just an average teenager like they were. That was the best part apart about coming to the school for Dakota Prowler: normality.
Right now, Dakota was sitting on the beanbag chair in front of her bookcase. Ninja was lying on her bed; sound asleep and all stretched out. While Dakota had a little bit of free time, she had opened the doors leading out onto the balcony; typing away at the laptop. She was working on her newest book in her series.
After a few more minutes, she shut the laptop, and looked around; her duel eyes scanning her surroundings. She looked inside to see if Ninja was still asleep. She was sawing logs all stretched out on Dakota's bed. Good. That means she won't want to be held. She looked back out towards the landscape, and found Logan and Scott training. Over by the tree closest to the house, Rogue sat with a book in her hands. Most likely some kind of vampire book-or possibly a book from one of Dakota's published series. She found Jean sitting with Hank; watching Logan and Scott work up a sweat. She didn't see Evan, Kitty or Kurt anywhere, so her best bet is that they're probably somewhere else or they may even be somewhere inside the institute.
She tensed up when she heard a knock on the door. She turned around to see Ororo standing in the door way; smiling motherly at the girl.
...The first rock is thrown again...
"How come you're not outside with the rest of the children, Dakota?" The weather witch asked in a curious tone; watching Ninja sleep on the bed. "It's a shame to be cooped up inside on a day like this."
Dakota sighed, and laid the computer on the floor. She pushed herself up and picked up the laptop; placing it carefully on the foot of the bed so she wouldn't disturb the tiny kitten sleeping at her pillows.
"I've been working on my newest book, Miss Ororo. And besides," Dakota replied in a reasoning tone, "I'm with the others all day during school. I'm sure they don't want me around them 24/7."
"I don't think Kurt minds having you around." Ororo stated in a reasoning tone; offering Dakota a sweet smile. "I personally think he's grown rather fond of you if I do say so myself."
Dakota thought about what the African woman said, and looked out the window. She then turned back to the older woman with a faint smile. "Come to think of it," she started; turning her glance over at the awakened kitten yawning on her bed, "Ninja hasn't been outside in a while. Maybe some fresh Autumn air might do her some good."
"My thoughts exactly." Ororo said in a kind tone; reaching out to the kitten and scratching her chin. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some plants that need my attention."
A tiny red light flashed in Dakota's eyes and the papers sitting around her beanbag chair had sprung to life and began to lift up off the ground. Ororo turned around and saw a look on Dakota's face that somehow told her that she wanted to say something.
"Is there something else on your mind, Dakota?" The older woman asked in a pleasant tone; looking to Dakota.
Dakota looked down at the papers for a moment, and closed her eyes. All the papers that were fluttering around had fallen limp on the ground. She looked back up at Ororo with pleading eyes. "Actually, I was wondering about your plants, Miss Ororo." She told her in a quiet tone, as she fiddled with her fingers, "You wouldn't happen to have any flowers that I could possibly draw later on? I've been drawing books and people for so long, and I was wondering if I could try to draw some actual flowers for a change in pace."
Ororo smiled over at Dakota and gave her a single nod. "Of course, child." She said in a gentle tone; petting the kitten. "But I still think you should go outside and enjoy the nice weather before it gets too cold to do anything. The holidays are coming up and I don't want to see you in hospital wing for Christmas."
Dakota nodded happily and gave the woman a bright smile before she pulled herself up out of the chair; picking up her kitten as she went. "Come on, Ninja. You're coming with me." She told the kitten as it meowed upon getting picked up.
"I'll bring down a few of my plants for you later on." Ororo told the girl as she held the door open for her.
"That won't be necessary, Miss Ororo! I'll come find you after I bring Ninja back to my room!" She yelled as she made her way out the door and down the hall.
Ororo let out a soft chuckle and shook her head. She pulled her door shut, and made her way down the opposite end of the hall.
Dakota made her way outside, and looked around for a place to claim. She settled on a tree not too far from the front courtyard. It was a tree that was in plain sight, but looked like it was out of everyone's way. It wasn't very tall, and starting to get a little bare of leaves due to the upcoming winter. It was still a nice view to look it, and it reminded Dakota of the trees back home. When the sun hit those trees at just the right angle, it looked as if the trees had caught on fire. It was a real breathtaking sight.
Dakota had a pair of playing card decks stashed in her jacket pocket, and pulled one out; throwing it to the wind. Her eyes lit up with the same red as normal, and the cards had taken a life of their own. Her eyes began to glow a little brighter, and the cards took the form of a type of box. She narrowed her eyes at the box and flipped it over; making it more like a house.
Once it was finished, Dakota placed Ninja inside the box, and sat down at the base of the tree. She tested the grass littered leaves before she leaned back against the trunk; stretching her legs out and crossing her arms over her chest. She took in a deep breath, and let it out in a heavy sigh. She began shuffling her cards as she watched Ninja slowly venture out of the box; looking around like it was new to her. She smiled a tiny smile, and threw cards in front of the kitten; turning them into butterflies to entertain the baby cat.
Kurt had just finished his training with Evan and Kitty. Ororo and Xavier had them set up to test their newest obstacle course for Dakota's first training session. It was a simple run through: run, jump, duck, dodge. They would have to race through the course while trying to dodge whatever is thrown at them. Some objects will try to shoot her whereas others will try to shoot at her with paint balls.
The key to this session is for Dakota to use her powers. It was simply for gathering data on Dakota: how much control she has over her powers, how it effects her, and for how long. They haven't really given her any training sessions yet. Mostly because she was still getting used to everything and everyone. However with this test, Xavier will also learn how well Dakota will do with following orders, and how much confidence she has in herself.
...They're not gonna get us!...
Before Kurt went out to see how Logan and Scott's training was going, the professor had asked if he would run through the course with Dakota to help her along with the test. He was more than willing to run the course with his new friend, and knew she would be extremely grateful to the both of them for him running with her. It was a done deal: Later on today, Dakota would train with Kurt. Alone; and he couldn't be more happier to train with her.
"Can you believe it? I get to train vith Dakota!" Kurt said excitedly; jumping up and down with new found energy.
"This is gonna be so sweet, man!" Evan said in a pumped up tone; returning Kurt's excitement. "I can't wait to see what that girl can do!"
Kitty rolled her eyes at the two and folded her arms over her chest as she waited for the last of the equipment to vanish under the ground. "Like, I will totally never get why guys like to see girls fight. It totally makes no sense to me. It's just training."
"That's enough you three." Xavier said through the speaker. "Now, I want you all to rest up and meet back here in the observation room here shortly. Dakota could use all the support she can get for her first official training session."
Once the arrangements had been made, he quickly existed the danger room, and proceeded to find Dakota to tell her the good news. He first teleported to her room; only to find it empty of all life. He saw the sliding door open, and went out; hoping to see if she was out there. No luck. He then teleported to the kitchen, but still couldn't find her. He saw Ororo walking into the recreation room, and asked her where his friend was.
"I talked her into taking Ninja outside before I came here." She told him in a motherly tone. "She should be out there somewhere."
Kurt sighed and teleported away from the girl; heading outside. He found Hank and Jean sitting out on the porch, and asked where Dakota was.
Jean looked around for a moment. "She's over there by the tree." She told him with a sweet smile; pointing over towards the tree closest to the house.
"Ve are all needed down to ze danga room for Dakota's first training session." He told the two in an excited tone; giving them a happy smile. "And guess vhat? I'm gonna train vith her!"
Jean smiled happily at the blue elf and gave him a small nod. "That's great, Kurt! I'm really happy that you two are getting along."
Hank laughed happily at the happy-go-lucky teen. "So, what kind of training is Dakota going to do?" He asked the elf in a fatherly tone; clapping his hands together once and rubbing them together on impact.
...I want to keep going...
Kurt gave Hank a toothy smile. "Ve are going an obstacle course. Nozing special. Just gathering data." He explained in a reasoning tone. "I zink I am going to run ze course first to show her vhat it vill be like. Or maybe I am going to run vith her to help her through it!"
"When is it starting? I can't wait to see what kind of moves she's got." Scott said in an all for it tone; walking up to the group with a small smile on his face.
"Soon as I collect her! The Professor vants to get started ASAP!" Kurt answered in a readied tone; looking over at the tree to see Dakota playing with her cards.
"Sounds like a real blast." Logan said in a gruff tone as he made his way past the others.
Ororo looked over at Scott and raised a brow at the young man. "What was that all about?" She asked him with an amused look in her eyes.
Scott shrugged his shoulders and gave her an innocent smile. "He's mad at the professor for making Dakota's training exorcise and he's mad at me for beating his record."
Hank chuckled at Cyclops and folded his arms over his chest. "That sounds about right." He said in a friendly tone. "Not to change the subject, everyone," he added, "let's round up the others and head on down to the DR! I'm sure they'll all love to see what the mysterious Dakota Prowler is capable of!"
"Yeah, to probably see if they should stay away from her or not." Rogue said in a sarcastic tone; folding her arms over her chest with a slight pout. "Ah haven't seen 'er so much as make an GLARE! Ah don' dink she is as tough as people say."
"You'd be surprised, Rogue." Kurt said in a playful tone; giving his sister a wink before he looked over at Dakota; whom was now walking up to the group.
"Hey, Dakota," Scott said with a friendly wave, "better suit up. You and Kurt will be evaluated tonight."
Dakota tilted her head to the side, as she looked up at the oldest teen; causing him to chuckle. "It's basically a test to see how much control you have over your powers." He told her in a simple tone.
"And to see what you are capable of." Ororo said in a motherly tone. "Kurt will take you to your room so you can get ready."
Kurt smiled happily at Storm, and placed his hand on Dakota's shoulder. "Come on, Dakota! You're gonna love zis!" He said excitedly just before teleported off to her room.
Kurt had teleported them inside her room, he took a step back from her; giving her a smile. "Ta-Da!" He shouted happily as he spread his arms out slightly. "Hurry up and get dressed! I'll be outside waiting, so as zey say in America, "Shake a tail feather!"!" He said before he rushed out of the room; leaving his friend behind before she could launch something at him.
Dakota looked down at the kitten in her arms. "Stay away from him, Ninja," she told her; causing her to look up at her owner, "he's a bad influence."
And with that, Dakota placed Ninja on the bed, and moved over towards her closet to pull out her uniform. She stepped into her one-piece suit, and zipped it up the front. She strapped two card holders on the back of her belt and two more up front. She picked up her gray gloves, and placed them between her belt and her uniform. Once she was done in her closet, she then pulled the door shut to look into her mirror.
She made quick work of her hair; pulling the braid into a tight bun and leaving her bangs out to frame her face. She gave herself a quick once-over, before she made her way to the door; grabbing a pair of goggles that were hanging on a coat rack beside her door.
When the duo had finally arrived at the DR, the teleporter had teleported them directly inside; standing in the middle of the room.
...Something isn't right...
"Alright, Dakota," Xavier said through the intercom, "this is a simple level one obstacle course. All you have to do is run through it by any means necessary. Understood?"
Dakota nodded and pulled on her gloves; loosening up her limbs. She cracked her knuckles and neck, as she got into a position; getting ready to take off at the word.
Kurt got into his position, and looked over to see how nervous the paper witch was before he gave her a bright smile. "Zon't vorry, Kota," he told her in a reasoning tone as gave her a thumbs up, "I'll be her to protect you!"
Dakota looked over at Kurt with a surprised look, and missed Xavier calling out for them to go; stumbling a bit before she regained her feet and took off down the path; catching up to Kurt with ease.
"She's quick, I'll give her that." Logan said in an unimpressed tone as he folded his arms over his chest, and watched her run through the course; jumping away from the flying disks that went her way.
"I could so blow her out of the water in track." Kitty said in a cocky tone, as she looked over at the girl running around the room.
"Man, is this "Pick on the New Girl Day" or something?" Evan asked in a disbelieving tone, turning away from the team with a pout. "I think she's doing alright for not knowing anything about the DR."
"Hey, no one's picking on Dakota." Scott said in a controlling tone; speaking up for the others. "Let's just all settle down and see what she's got, okay?" Everyone nodded in reluctance and turned their attention back to the girl.
Dakota seemed to be fairing quite well so far, she was in fact quick, and made her way through the course with little trouble. She flipped and jumped to avoid getting hit by the lasers; using her cards to create a shield every so often.
She ended up getting separated from Kurt, and was boxed in by metal walls. She began to panic and ran up to one of the walls to test it. Once she figured out what the wall was, her eyes began to glow red again, and her cards shifted into a long sword. She narrowed her eyes, and got into a stance; moving her sword into a striking position. She charged at the wall and sliced through it; forming an 'X' to make her escape.
Her cards then went back into her holders, as she took off; continuing on with the course. "Come on, D. Keep going... you can do it... Let's go." She told herself as she ran.
Then, Dakota felt a sharp sting on her upper arm; causing her to lose balance and fall against the wall. She looked down at her arm, and noticed that the cause of her pain was due to a laser; smoke rolling faintly off the torn fabric.
She held onto her arm for a minute, and pushed herself up off the wall. She used her power to make the cards wrap around her burn. She then saw a puff of smoke, and saw Kurt standing before her.
"Come, Dakota! I zink zat machine vants to eat us!" He said as he grabbed her arm and teleported her awaky just in time for the machine in question to clamp down on the smoke he left behind.
They ended up teleporting all over the DR. Dakota had finally pulled her arm free and fell to her knees; panting and breathing heavily.
"Stop, Kurt! I lost my lunch two teleports back!" She cried out in exhaustion; holding onto her stomach.
"Ve have got to move, Dakota!" Kurt said in an urgent tone; pulling on her arm.
Dakota looked up at Kurt, and noticed a laser was pointed right at him from behind. Her eyes began to glow again, and she threw some cards at him; making them fly past his head and over towards the machine; slicing right through it and causing it to explode.
"Zanks, Engel!" The blue elf said happily as he took her hand and pulled her up...
...It's not a match you're in, it's much more like a brawl...
"Wow!" Evan said in a shocked tone; leaning on the panel, "That girl's got some moves!"
Jean and Kitty giggled at the window, and turned to look at the other teens. "It looks like Dakota might have a slight crush on Kurt!" Jean said in a chipper tone; taking a hold of Scott's hand.
"Too bad Kurt's already taken. They would've made a great couple." Hank said in a fatherly tone; giving the two mutants a teasing smile.
"Yeah, but it looks like Dakota has SOME control over her powers." Scott said in an analyzing tone; watching the girl strike another wall with her sword. "It's amazing that simple paper can do something like what she's making it do."
"I'd hate to see what it does if she ever got angry!" Jean said in a joking tone; winking over at Logan.
Logan smiled smugly at the redhead behind him, and pressed a button. "Let's see what kind of weaknesses she has." And just like that, he did the worst thing imaginable: He turned on the sprinklers.
The room below them began to drizzle water from the ceiling, causing Dakota's cards to fall limply to the floor. She narrowed her eyes at the wet paper, and looked up at the observation room; looking straight at the viewers. Even though she was still getting used to her power, and had some control over it, she was still weary of them.
Dakota looked down at her hands for a moment before she dug her nails deep into her palms. She looked around the room, and found Kurt jumping away from the machines' laser blasts. She gasped and looked up at the observation deck, and found everyone staring at her. She gasped and pulled out her last pack of cards, and her eyes began to glow brighter than before. She threw a few cards up and they came to life much like the last time. But this time, the cards shot straight through the machines that were shooting at Kurt; exploding on impact.
It went on like that going on two hours now, and Dakota's powers were starting to take their toll on her. Xavier noticed that she was slowing down and panting slightly whenever she'd stop running. She'd fall behind Kurt, and sprint to catch up with him. The good professor also noticed that she powers were draining her energy, as well. She looked like she couldn't last for too much longer, and would either pass out from using her powers too much, or it could even end up killing her. Either way, Dakota's powers were extensive, and he knew it.
"Alright you two." Xavier called out through the intercom, "that's enough exorcize for one day."
Dakota looked up at the observation room with a determined look in her eyes. "And quit now?" She asked out loud; showing arrogance and determination. "I'm... just starting... to... warm up..." She said in a breathy tone; looking on down the road.
Logan leaned on the control panel and pressed a red button. "You hear the man, squirt," he called out in a final tone, "don't make me turn the sprinklers back on."
Kurt teleported over towards Dakota, and placed a hand on her arm. "Come on, Dakota. Let's go get somezing to eat." He said in a reasoning tone; offering her a warm smile.
Dakota pulled her arm free, and staggered forward. "I'm not done yet!" She shouted in a stubborn tone; falling flat on her face.
"Hey, don't make us come down there!" Scott called out through the intercom. "I'll pull you out kicking and screaming if I have to!"
Kurt grabbed Dakota's arm, and teleported them both up to the others. Dakota fell to her knees and panted harshly; still out of breath. She soon recovered and got up on her feet; looking sheepishly around at the group with an embarrassed blush.
"You see there, Dakota? You could've seriously gotten hurt down there!" Scott lectured in a stern tone; placing his arms over his chest.
Dakota looked at Scott with shock on her face, as she tensed up, and shied away from the scolding teen. She opened her mouth to say something, but she couldn't make a single sound come past her lips. Jean looked over at the grown ups with a knowing look. She smiled sweetly down at the girl, and took a step in front of her; making the girl back up slightly.
"We're just worried about you, Dakota. It looks like your powers really take a lot out of you." The redhead said in a gentle tone, "I have the same problem."
"As we all, Dakota." Xavier piped up in a fatherly tone; giving his newest student a kind smile. "I understand your impatience had the best of you, but you shouldn't push yourself too hard. It puts a strain on your body and mind, and THAT could put anyone in danger."
"You really should learn when to quit, Dakota." Ororo spoke up in a motherly tone, "Like the Charles says, it's too dangerous for you to overwhelm yourself, as it is for all of us."
Dakota put her arms behind her back and looked away in shame. "I'm sorry." She whispered in a hushed tone; not looking anyone in the eye. "It won't happen again."
"Make sure it doesn't, squirt." Logan said in a gruff tone; giving Dakota a final look, "I'm used to seeing the others run away from me and the Danger Room, I don't really think I can handle actually dragging one out."
Kitty giggled and placed her hands on her hips. "You might have, like, a heart attack or something!" She said in a joking tone; causing the other kids to chuckle at her remark.
Xavier gave Logan a playful smile, and cleared his throat; getting the attention away from his old friend. "With all joking aside," he said in a fatherly tone; turning towards Dakota, "Dakota, I'd like to see you tomorrow afternoon so we can go over the data we recorded during your training session."
Dakota squeeked and nodded to the professor. He returned her nod with one of his own, and turning his eyes over towards the rest of his students.
"As for the rest of you, I'm well aware that you've all got school work to do, and you should probably get started on it before its due date." He instructed in a knowing tone; causing them all to moan and groan, as they all started to walk away.
Dakota looked over at the grown ups with a pleading look. Logan looked over at the girl, and sneered his nose up at her.
"You got something to say?" He asked in a rough tone; staring her down.
Dakota yelped and shook her head repeatedly. Ororo placed a loving hand on her back, and stepped up to her. "Logan's just being his usual grumpy self," she said in a teasing tone, "how about we got up to my personal garden, and I'll let you pick out some flowers like I promised?"
The light in Dakota's eyes came back, and she gave Ororo a happy nod. "I promise to be really careful with them!" She said in a tone that was just above a whisper.
Ororo smiled and excused them from the group, and left the room with Dakota following suit. The trio waited until they left before they started their conversation.
"That girl sure has a lot of spunky, I'll give her that." Logan said in a defeated tone; folding his arms over his chest.
Hank chuckled at the man before him he let out a troubled sigh. "That may be true, but I don't know if her body can support that much strain on her. At least for the time being."
Xavier nodded in agreement, and said, "I agree with you, Hank, but something tells me that Dakota is a special one."