Chapter 10:

Malls and Ages

Back at the mansion

Ororo...

Storm had watched her all night to be sure nothing happened. She slept peacefully but Storm had noticed that she shifted in her sleep. Leopard, to half, human to cat. Storm looked to the window where the sun was beginning to shine, as it rose it began to shine on the blankets covering the brand new bed, she saw the form roll over and settle then shift to half-leopard and stretch and yawn. Then opening her eyes she stretched again like the cat she could become. Then sunlight made her brown fur turn golden and sparkle in little twinkles.

"Good morning, sunshine." Ororo said gently.

A small nod told me I was heard.

"Would you like to come down to breakfast?" She asked.

Another nod.

"Come down when your ready."

She was about to leave when she heard:

"Wait."

She stopped and turned.

"What is the year?"

"2011." I replied.

Lepra...

Nearly 3 years.

3 years.

I'd been frozen longer than I'd thought.

When they took me out they'd thought I was dead, but I had my uncle's (or was it cousin?) power to heal quickly.

I"M FIFTEEN SOMTHING YEARS OLD.

I'm alone except for Victor, and he doesn't count.

I don't remember anyone but mother, and she was probably captured, or killed by Sabertooth.

I was getting up to head down to breakfast-

several unknown but familiar images flashed before my eyes. People I knew but didn't. Feelings, I don't think I'd felt before race through me.

They stopped.

Leaving me breathing hard.

I never went to breakfast, or lunch.

By then I'd moved to the window seat.

A small knock on my door announced someone's arrival, I didn't care, I don't think I ever will. Whoever it was came in.

"How are you feeling today?"

A voice said. I shrugged, it didn't matter.

"I brought you something to eat."

I knew that. I could smell it, it was honey roasted ham and it smelledgood.

"Look, this smells so good I might not be able to hold myself back much longer, unless you eat it."

It's scent was enticing and even I couldn't hold back any longer without anything to eat all day. I shifted without thinking, eyes on the meat held by the blue creature that wore glasses. His eyes full of fear and the air filled with the stink of it.

The meat was still steaming.

The sound of the shattering plate filled my ears, as I grabbed the ham off the plate and smashed through my window as a leopard. Landing I rolled, but didn't stop, when I ended on my paws I sped into the forest toward my clearing.

When I got there, I climbed a tree to eat. Some of the birds, recognizing me, ate the seasoning that was on the ham. I slept a while after that just deep enough for me to forget what I now knew.

A few hours later

I'd dozed in the sun all day (still abit ashamed of my animalistic behavior) I was watching it set when I heard a small voice calling that familiar name.

"Zada! Zada! Please come out!"

Zada, I knew that name before I came here. But was it really mine? How would they know? Why did they even care?

"Hey."

I jumped about two feet in the air. When the heck did he get there?

"What've you been thinkin' about up here all day long?"

Silverclaws asked.

I wanted to just run, and go back to my home in the forest where I could go back to being the animal that didn't care about all that stuff in the past, but just focused on surviving and living each day, one by one.

"Everything and nothing." I answered.

"You gotta be more specific than that." he said.

"No I don't. You wouldn't understand any way." I retorted and jumped to the neighboring tree, and the next and the next till I was far away from that uncomfortable situation.

A week after this very short conversation, the Professor continued to give me help, food, shelter and what seemed like genuine care. But my instincts still told me something bad was gonna happen and I couldn't figure out what, perhaps it was only a warning of a coming flash flood.

I walked to the front door into the mansion. And shifted opened the door and shifted back. Shutting the door with a kick from my foot I surveyed the area. Quiet, everyone was in class. I was walking toward my room looking forward to a nap in the afternoon sun that came through my new window. I looked up hear voices, I wanted to hide, but fought the instinct it, was Kitty, Rouge and Jean. They didn't have classes cause they'd been here longer than anyone and no longer had extra classes.

"Hi, Zada. Wanna come with us to the mall?"

I shook my head, 'I hadn't been to a mall in years. I think.'

"In that case you'll have to come with us, it'll be fun." Jean said, evidently not noticing she'd read my mind.

I shifted, 'Maybe it would be fun.'

When we arrived I looked up at the huge building in front of me, the masses of people I could see, smell and hear all at the same time overwhelmed me. I began my shift to panther when a hand touched my shoulder.

"It'll be okay you got us, remember that." said Kitty.

I shifted back and stuck close to our group, and entered the mall.

We walked around I had no money and even if I did I wouldn't have spent any. Then we stopped at a place where Kitty was going to get a second piercing.

When it was over I wanted to leave but the others pestered me, saying that I'd look gorgeous with one, till I agreed to get a piercing. I sat down in the chair and trusted the others to choose a spot for the piercing. The woman came up to me with a thing that looked like a gun, I growled a warning.

'It's okay, that is just the thing that does the piercing' Jean whispered to my mind.

I relaxed.

"Alright on the count of 3; 1..2..CCCCKCHICK!"

I yowled at the pain that rang throughout my ear, and eardrum, I hadn't thought of how loud it would be. As my claws began to expose themselves everything began to go red. The animal in me screaming I'd been tricked, violated in some way, and then a new source of intrusion entered my mind, I looked around and saw Jean with her hand to her head her eyes shut in concentration. I wouldn't have it. I put up shields I didn't know I had around my mind as she tried to do something to me. My Leopard side was demanding for me to finish her while she still tried to get in to my head. Roaring I obeyed, my claws extended I raked her arm, going up at the end of my strike just hitting her temple hard enough to knock her out. Just as I turned around Rouge had me in a bear hug I tried to injure her in some way but it wouldn't happen, so I shifted to slip out of her arms, once I was free, I was running. Swerving in and out, between, and underneath people, so many people. I saw the doors, I smelled the fresh, open air, I sprinted through the doors to freedom. And ran through the parking lot, headed for the nearest group of trees.

Kitty, Rouge, and Jean...

"Jean what just happened?" asked Rogue breathlessly

"I'm not sure exactly, but there was somebody else, some one who knew what to do, and how each and every one of us would react." Jean answered.

"Well, then we should go after her. Come on." said Kitty heading for the door.

Rogue grabbed Kitty's shoulder.

"I think you two should go tell the professor, while I follow her." and with that Rogue flew out of the mall, dropping Jean and Kitty in the car and flying toward where Jean had said Zada had gone.