Julius felt his feet lift off the ground, and all the colors blend together around him. The next thing he knew he was in water. He opened his eyes, and found out he was looking a t little, red fish, and the bottom of a fountain. He lifted his head above the water, coughing it up. He stood, his feet touching the bottom, and ran his head through his wet, black hair, slightly dazed. He took a glance around and noticed he was back at the institute. Wearily, he climbed out, dripping wet and cold. It was nearly dark he realized before moving another step. As he walked, he thought about what he seen, and what he did.
Julius snuck in through the front door. The foyer was quiet, and empty. He started to walk down the hallway, hoping non one missed him.
"Hello, Julius," a voice said behind him. He turned around, startled, water slightly dripping from his hair, and the hem of his shirt. Pyro was leaning against the wall with his light in his hand.
"Pyro," Julius replied, sticking his hands in his pockets. He took two steps backward. All he could remember was Bobby's advice: 'Stay away from him.' He started to shiver, from either the fact that he was wet, or he was afraid. He couldn't tell.
"Where were you?" He started to flick his lighter, making that annoying 'click, click' again.
"Why do you want to know?"
"Because I asked. Do the others know you left school grounds without telling anyone?" Julius looked around. Where was he going with this?
"Technically, I told some one." Bobby. He turned around and started to continue his walk down the hallway.
"You're gonna be trouble, Timefield." Julius stopped. Timefield? It was a stupid name from somewhere. His journal. He slowly turned around.
"What did you call me?"
"You know what I called you." Pyro held up a small leather book. "You want it?"
"Give me that!"
"Wait…wait." He opened it, and flicked his light on. "Page one. Torment."
"Pyro…"
"I watched her sleep…"
"Pyro!" Both of them looked around. Scott stood there, staring at Pyro. He flicked the book towards Julius then walked away. Julius turned bright red and picked it up. He looked at Scott, who sighed.
"Thanks," Julius said.
"He hates you."
"I know."
"And another thing…why are you wet?"
Julius stopped breathing for a second. Busted.
Riley shrugged. She didn't know what to do, or what to say about how she was able to control her powers. She really didn't know how, or really the fact that she didn't control them. "I just think."
"What do you think about?" Jean asked.
"I don't know. I think about something that I'm angry with, which…gives me fire." She pulled her finger, and looked away. She realized she never thought about how. "If I think about something like a…flower I get water. Everything else is…"
"Unpredictable?"
"Yeah, exactly what I was going to say. How did you know that? Lucky guess?"
"Not exactly."
Riley looked up. "You mean you can…"
Jean nodded, slightly. "Exactly."
She looked at her hands then noticed a strange feeling in her head. She looked around. "I'm sorry. I just…Julius is back, isn't he?" She said quietly then looked back up at Jean, for some kind of hopeful response.
"Let's not say anything about it, okay?"
Riley smiled, and nodded. "It'll be too weird, like it already is. It's not like I have a psychic bond to him, or anything…right?"
"From what you told me, you do. It's a little strange at first, but you'll get used to it."
"Really? How come I didn't know about this before?"
"It became stronger when you met him. You really didn't realize it until…"
"I thought about him?"
"Right."
Riley nodded then sat back. "So, who's your bonding partner?"
"You've met Scott Summers, haven't you?"
Riley nodded. "Wow. I didn't know being a mutant was…"
"Not as complicated as you thought, but still is in a way?"
Riley stared at her for a moment.
"That time, it was your facial expression."
Riley smiled again. "I could get used to this."
Aaeden laid on his bed thinking. He wasn't so sure how this whole thing was going to play out. He couldn't go back to his parents, or they wouldn't be happy at all. They would try to get him arrested after all for being a possible threat. He probably shouldn't anyhow. This absorbing business was getting way out of control. The other mutants seemed happy. The same paper airplane flew by him forty five times, and his roommates were showing off their weird abilities to each other, including the boy with the lizard tongue. He was kind of worried what would happen if they went in public…
He sat up. It was no use lying down. That's when he noticed his legs were sinking in the bed. He blinked wondering, then realized he was falling through bed. "Oh, no."
Julius walked down the hallway, both clutching his book and looking out for Pyro at the same time. At least Scott promised he wouldn't tell anyone where he went, even though he slightly doubted that Professor Xavier would never find out. Suddenly something fell in front of him, or rather someone. He stopped and looked down, up, and then down again. "Did you just fall through the ceiling?"
Aaeden groaned then looked up at Julius. He nodded then started to sink down into the floor again. Julius looked around.
"Um, I could use some help here!"
Julius tried pulling him up, but he wouldn't budge. Actually he was just hurting him.
Julius kept looking around. "Uh, stay right there! I'll be back." He ran the other direction then turned left. That's when he bumped into Kitty.
"Kitty!"
"Oh, hey Julius."
He grabbed her wrist, and quickly led her to Aaeden.
"Hey, Julius, what's going on?" She stopped when she saw Aaeden, half sunken through the floor.
She grinned then disappeared under the floor.
Aaeden sighed. The next thing he knew he was being lifted out of the floor. Once he was out he started to breathe slowly, making sure he didn't fall through the floor again. Kitty came up laughing at him.
Aaeden groaned. "How is that frecking funny?"
"That happened to me, once. Except that it was in the middle of the night. You're lucky, Aaeden."
Julius looked at Aaeden. "Is your name Aaeden Malenkov?"
Aaeden nodded, trying to think where he's met him before. They've never met in their lives.
"And you are?"
"Julius Copewood. Sorry if I …took a while. I slow at things…especially trying to figure out why you were…sinking through the floor. Then, I realized you could walk through walls, like Kitty…"
He frowned. He did realize Kitty and Aaeden could both walk through walls. "How do you do that, Aaeden?"
"I absorb abilities," he replied wearily. "I know, strange isn't it? I probably just absorbed yours, too, but I don't want to find out. I really don't."
I know it's not much, but I'll get to some more action sequences sooner or later. Since they're still in their early stages I don't want to go too fast. This is showing how they're dealing with their ablilities that they can't control. Keep watching out for more!
bkwrm
