Disclaimer: I don't own POTO, X-Men, The BFG, Harry Potter, or the Incredibles, and I don't have a muse, just a sibling who pokes me until I write another chapter.

CHAPTER 9: In which Erik's clothing problem is solved.

Professor X lost no time in getting Jazzy transferred to Mutant High. The only one sorry to see her go was Corrine, who soon realized that this was all to her advantage. Now she could fulfill her lifelong dream of glomping Kurt whenever she visited her friend. Unfortunately, Kurt has been missing since Chapter 4, so Corinne will have to wait.

Jazzy herself loved the new school. The classes were on a higher level, the teachers were interesting, she was going to learn how to make more shiny things, and she made a new friend. Almost instantly, in fact.

"Shandou!" Pixie bubbled the instant they all trouped off the plane.

Jazzy, not quite sure of what language to reply in, did a small bow. "Uh, hi?" she tried.

"I heard all about you!" Pixie squealed. "I can hear up to twenty miles away, don'tcha know. You're our new student from Massachusetts and you like Calculus and ice cream and—OOH, SHINY!"

"Do you like it?" Jazzy asked shyly, bringing out her bouncing ball of purple for Pixie to see. "I just made it. I'm not sure what to call it. My name's Jazzy, by the way."

"Do you think I could have one?" Pixie breathed, entranced by the SHINYness. "What? Oh! I'm Pixie," she added, nodding politely. "I'm sorry, I'm easily distracted."

"Well!" Professor X beamed. "It looks like we have the material for Jazzy's first lesson! Jazzy, I'd like you to try and make a 'shiny' on purpose. Scott and I will help you out, won't we, Scott? I thought so. Storm, you can go tell Logan we're home."

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Twenty minutes later, the two girls were trying to come up with names for Pixie's new shiny while Pixie gave Jazzy the grand tour.

"Here's one of the nicer bathrooms," Pixie narrated, waving her hand at a door. "It looks like something out of The BFG, you know, the book by Roald Dahl."

"What, the bathroom?"

"No! The shiny! It looks like one of the good dreams that the Big Friendly Giant caught, not the Golden Fizzwizard thingies or the Tronglehopper—Trugglehomper—Trogglehumper! There we go, gad, it's been ages since I read the book—I mean the normal dreams, you know?"

Jazzy read that last sentence again and realized that Pixie was comparing the new shiny to the blue-green, oval blobs that were the most prevalent dreams in the BFG's cave.

"OH! Yeah, you're right!" Jazzy exclaimed. "Are you going to call it 'Dream?'"

"No, I know! I'll her Glisten. That, by the way, was the door to the pool."

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Meanwhile, in the game room, Maidenhair and Krista were holding a frantic discussion in whispered voices.

"They're holding a Phantom marathon? They can't do that with Erik around! What if he saw? It could change the entire story!"

"I know! That's why Professor X asked us to find a way to keep Erik out of the way."

"HOW are we supposed to restrain a PHANTOM?"

At that moment, Erik walked into the room. Both girls looked up guiltily, but Erik was too preoccupied to notice. "Excuse me, Krista," he said in a slightly unnatural voice, all his silkiness buried under embarrassed hesitation. "I hate to bother, but you see... I need clothes."

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Jazzy's instructions had been very clear. She was to watch all of the Phantom movies ever made, except Phantom of the Paradise, which didn't really count. She was to think over the performance of the musical that she had seen last year. She was to contemplate the Kay version and deeply peruse the original novel and then, in short, design Erik's lair. Since Arik would use her image to transport Erik back in time, Jazzy's design would become the real thing. Jazzy's reaction to this great responsibility would make us all proud.

At 10:00 the following announcement was made over the P.A. system:

"Professor X and Erik have left the building! Storm is in charge. Now, we know she said that you have to stay in class, but after listening to the full original-cast soundtrack, she has changed her mind. All those interested in the Phantom marathon will be let into the TV room in half an hour. Please form five orderly lines, as attendance will be taken at the door. All of the non-phans are expected to report to Logan in the gym. Pajamas, pillows, and sleeping bags ARE allowed, but PLEASE don't bring any nail polish and remember to throw away all candy wrappers! Thank you!"

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"Is that... cheering?" Scott asked as they motored away from the school. "I thought I heard a noise coming from over by the school."

Krista and Maidenhair glanced at each other over Erik's head and tried to suppress giggles. Professor X gave them a scrutinizing look from his position in shotgun and then raised an eyebrow. The girls were relieved to see that he wasn't mad about the party.

"Why can't we just fly in?" Erik wanted to know. He tried not to sound whiny, but he did so very much want to go flying again.

"There's a force field around the entire complex," Scott replied. "That kind of technology is so cutting-edge that only a handful of people even know it exists." Scott was a technology nut. Boys and their toys. "I mean, the amount of energy to power this thing is huge! If she hadn't invested in the eco-friendly generator..."

"Scott, please watch the road," Professor X not-so-gently reminded him.

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After running through several phases of security, the four mutants and the Erik were greeted by the designer herself. She was wearing a business-like but stunning red and black outfit with swooping sleeves. She had short black hair and a large nose, upon which were perched glasses that would put Harry Potter to shame. She was very, very short, especially compared to Erik. She was Edna Mode.

"So nice to see you again, Xavier! What challenge have you brought me this time? I trust that the new leather suits are to your liking? Of course they are, oh, dahling, you flatter too much." She paused at an eye scanner, tapped a fingerprint reader and then announced, "Edna Mode" very clearly into a microphone. "Five guest mutants." A gun popped out of nowhere and leveled itself at Erik, who instinctively rolled out of the way and produced a throwing dagger. Professor X whispered to Edna. "Correction!" she said loudly into the mike. "Four mutants and one human." The gun looked at Erik and then neatly popped out of sight.

Edna led the slightly shaky group into a large atrium, where she sat down on the edge of an oversized chair and eagerly pulled out several sketchpads and pencils. "So? What have you brought for me?"

Professor X seemed to know the routine. "I'd like one outfit for a female light-bender," he began.

"Of course!" Edna cried, sketching frantically. "It must be streamlined. None of this bulky leather padding, no. Stealth! is by far the most important element!" She had a tendency to phrase everything like an inspirational speech. "Very modest, hood to prevent interference from the hair, flexible and breathable fabric." She produced a sketch.

"Wonderful, Edna, simply wonderful," Professor X said politely. He seemed to really mean it, too. He was not at all put off by her odd style of business. "Krista, you will need a special suit for training in. What do you want it to be like?"

Startled, Krista replied, "Well, I'm a water-breather, so just a nice suit like what they wear at the Olympics would be great. I have gills somewhere inside my neck, so it can't be too tight there, and I have a blowhole, but other than that..."

"Hah!" Edna interrupted. "I will put all of their little Olympic Speedos to shame! Sharkskin. Water flow. Amateurs! You, dahling, must wear this!" Krista was impressed by the rough sketch, even more so when she realized that Edna could actually invent the kind of specialized fabric the suit would require. Edna, however, snatched the sketch back for some revision. "Easy to take on and off, none of these zippers! Reinforcement around the knees to prevent muscle damage during the breaststroke! I'll need your measurements, of course, to place this blowhole, but first I must know if anything else is requested of me? Surely this cannot be it, Xavier."

"No, Edna. Erik, here," (Erik jerked slightly) "needs six complete outfits of formal men's wear circa the 1870's, two outfits of traditional Persian garb from the same date, and two capes."

"No capes!" Edna declared, viciously scratching out whatever she had been drawing. "Far too dangerous. You should know better, Xavier!"

"Please, Edna, he must have a cape," Krista said boldly. She made a head-jerking motion at Maidenhair, who pulled Erik aside, saying, "Erik, you also get to request a masquerade costume of your own design, so think of something..." Once they were out of earshot, Krista leaned forward and whispered, "He does not know it yet, and he cannot know, but he is the Phantom of the Opera!"

"Aha!" Edna cried. "A true challenge! Of course he must have a cape. It has been too long since I saw the musical. A friend of mine designed the costumes, you know. Brilliant, considering the time and lack of materials... (scribble scribble) she had to import all those beads herself, poor thing... (scribble) Here! Long black cloak with hood, waterproof, safety release on the clasp. For outdoors. And here! Long cape, jet black, medium weight, woven for resistance to blades, safety release on the clasp, which is adjustable for close quarters, especially if he is to be clambering about in the flies."

Maidenhair brought Erik back over. "I would like one more outfit," he said, his eyes lit with inspiration. "It must be red..."

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And we end it here. Suffice it to say, Erik has (without Maidenhair's help) dreamed up his Red Death outfit. Edna will also provide him with a pair of sexy Don Juan pants and two fedoras. Next chapter will be a blipic, in honor of Misty Breyer, but after that we will be able to see the results of Edna's hard work! I hope you all like it. I seriously need to go to bed now.