A/N: Alright, so I figured I'd start out with the insane amount of powers that Iman has. Don't know if anyone likes it or not, but nonetheless, I am going to be finishing this part and then I'm going to be moving on. There are some characters that will be more involved and others that will have only a few minor parts. Don't know which will be what or who will be who but in the end, I think I know what I'm doing. I know I'm going to include more of Gage during this arc out of the sheer point of him having little of him in the story thus far. Don't worry, the other New Recruits (and Irah) will be seen more of as well so don't worry! ^_^
The Cave
"Who's Iman," the male asked, kneeling down in front of Gage and that's when Gage noticed the difference. This guy had almond shaped eyes and was slightly shorter than Iman. "My name is Minamoto, a Sandclaw."
"Sandclaw?" Gage expressed confusion and curiosity. "What's a Sandclaw?"
"A Sandclaw is a Human Mutant subgroup that are capable of turning into well, you saw it, right?"
"Giant brown bangle tiger with blue strikes, saber-like fangs and lots of claws," Gage said and Minamoto nodded. "Not all Sandclaws have saber-like fangs. Well, we all get them when our form is fully mature but only a few get fully mature forms. I'm one of the mature Sandclaws."
"Like that guy that wanted to eat me," Gage said and Minamoto nodded.
"Yeah, that was Beau, he's kinda feisty when he's hungry," Minamoto stated, "guy's been having odd cravings too...must be sympathy cravings or something because his sister's pregnant."
"Why do Sandclaws have very few mature members," Gage asked curiously, "I know someone who can turn into a Sandclaw but he doesn't have the saber-like fangs."
"How old is he," Minamoto asked.
"Seventeen...maybe eighteen," Gage replied and Minamoto nodded to himself.
"That's who I smell on you," Minamoto stated. "Sandclaws can smell other Sandclaws on other people no matter how well someone washed themselves. He doesn't smell mature either. Wonder why..."
"He says his powers are tied to his religion," Gage stated.
"That's something all Sandclaws have in common," Minamoto stated. "Our powers are tied to one religion or another. I'm a worshiper of Anubis while my mate is highly devout Catholic."
Xavier Institute
"That's odd," Xavier said, removing the Cerebro helmet from his head, "I can sense those powers again." Xavier put the helmet back on and looked at the panels before him. "Cerebro, isolate those powers."
"Powers, isolated," Cerebro stated.
"Scan their locations," Xavier stated.
"Locations, scanned," she replied.
"How many locations?"
"Seven," came her response.
"Where?"
"Nagasaki and Hiroshima Japan. The Rhineland. Afghanistan. North Korea. East Ukraine. Northern Pennsylvania-Southern New York."
"These powers are in those areas but dotted amongst different locations," Xavier said to himself. "Why are these powers so popular in those areas?"
"Something the problem," Logan asked, making himself known to the Professor.
"Yes," the Professor replied, without turning around. "I sense identical powers with slight variations between mutants who possess those powers."
"What's the power?" Logan looked at the images on the screen.
"It's easier if I show you," Xavier replied and be brought up an image of Iman transforming into his feline form and then he zeroed in on a mutant in North Korea who had desert sand brown skin, soft brown hair and bright blue eyes. He had the natural almond shaped eyes of his country of origin but that was the only thing that designated him as his national background. Logan's jaw dropped and the cigar fell from his mouth. "The only differences between their powers is that Iman has telepathy and telekinesis and this one has wings in his human form as well as the ability to speak with animals."
"Let me guess," Logan said, kneeling down and grabbing his cigar without looking away from the screen, "his ability to speak with animals don't work when he's in his alternate form."
"Just like his wings are absorbed into his second form," Xavier said, "while Iman's telepathy and telekinesis doesn't work when he's in his feline form."
"Why does this one have sabers for teeth and Iman doesn't?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Xavier replied, "it seems that not all of them have those saber fangs."
The Cave
"Another thing we all have in common is some sort of long-distance transportation method in our human forms," Minamoto stated. "I have teleportation where as Beau has telekinesis to help him fly. I know of some who have wings and can fly without teleportation or wings and there's this one Sandclaw who's capable of something she calls flash jumping." Gage expressed confusion. "She suddenly appears in another location just as she vanishes from the location she was in and there's a split second flash." Gage nodded his head as if he understood.
"It's like you're an entirely new species," Gage stated, "but how does Iman not know this?"
"He must have awoken just recently," Minamoto replied, "a year after one's transformation, we begin feeling lonely and search for others of our kind. It's kind of akin to looking for long lost relatives. We can be born to either humans or mutants but we all consider ourselves a different race from our parental races of human and mutant."
"Who came up with the name?"
"Well, in the United States, we call ourselves Sandclaws," Minamoto stated, "our range is from Northern Pennsylvania to Southern New York. In Japan they're called Tsumesuna. The Rhineland have them called Klauesable. In North Korea we're called Molaebaltob and East Ukraine call us pisokkihotʹ. We're found in Afghanistan as well and we're called Alrmlmkhlb"
"Why Sandclaw?"
"Honestly, I don't know," came a different reply, a female. She waddled into Gage's view and he could tell she was heavily pregnant. She had matching hair, skin and eyes as Minamoto and had the same physique. Roughly five ten in height and well muscled. She smiled. "Hello, cutey, what's you're name?"
"Gage," came his reply.
"It's nice to meet you," she said, squatting, "where are you from?"
"California," he replied.
"You're awfully far from your home," she stated. "Do you need help getting back?"
"N...no," Gage replied, "I'm supposed to be here."
"He's a healing mutant," Minamoto stated, "I saw him heal a wound on himself before Beau attacked him...I of course intervened."
"That's good," the female replied. She then looked at Gage, "Beau's been having odd cravings recently. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Amir."
Xavier Institute
"It might be possible that they all share the same heritage," Xavier stated. After a short period of time, he halted. "The areas of Japan, North Korea and the Ukraine all have radioactivity. Afghanistan and the Rhineland area both have had heavy war in their areas, Afghanistan only quite recently...put how does Northern Pennsylvania and Southern New York work into the mix?"
"Maybe you're thinking too hard, Chuck," Logan stated, "it could all be a coincidence."
"There is no such thing as a coincidence when it comes to mutations," Xavier stated, looking at Logan, "there never has."
"How about that two different eye color mutation, there isn't much use for that," Logan stated. Xavier had to admit that Logan was right. There was no use for such a mutation but still, something about this intrigued him.
"Best way to explain it is the melting pot thing," Logan stated. "A lot of people coming together, one had to of had that mutation in them and then it spread to all those other people."
"I suppose you're right," Xavier stated.
"Or like Iman, their parents moved from those locations and moved to that area," Logan said.
"Yes, that is possible," Xavier said with a nod.
"Then stop fretting," Logan said and he left the room.
The Cave
"...so pretty much we're an introduced species," Amir said. Gage was sitting now and his stomach suddenly made a sound and he jumped, not knowing what it had been.
"Don't worry," she stated, "that was just your belly telling you that you're hungry." Gage looked at his stomach and then at her. "You're hungry." Gage nodded. "Don't worry, Minamoto went to get dinner."
"That was almost an hour ago," Gage stated.
"It takes fifteen minutes to get to the closest city," she stated, "though, it is taking him longer than usual..." She looked towards the mouth of the cave before looking back at Gage. "I'll go look for him, you stay here." Gage nodded and she transformed into a mature Sandclaw and bounded out of the cave leaving Gage to ponder everything he had been told.
"They've been nice to me," he said to the darkness, "but I'm cold and scared. What should I do..."
"I think you should ask for a blanket," a male voice answered from the darkness. Gage jumped and looked around. "Who...who's there?"
"I'm sorry about earlier...I wasn't myself..."
"Are you...Beau?"
"Yes," Beau replied, still hiding in the darkness. "I'm sorry."
"It...it's alright," Gage replied, viewing through the darkness to find him, "where are you? Can you come closer?"
"No," he replied, "you find me hideous."
"What do you mean?" Gage looked through the darkness and then saw moving out of the corner of his eyes and he turned his head just in time to see a flash of brown fur and then the flicking of a tail.
"I'm a mutant amongst mutants," came Beau's reply, "I have no human form." He stepped into Gage's view who's eyes widened immediately. Beau was shorter in height but had the same build as Minamoto and Amir but there was a major difference between him and the other two. He had thick, platinum-white hair covering his entire body with bright pink stripes that matched his eyes exactly. His bare hands and feet were pale white and he had two tails. His fingernails were slightly extended and he had small fangs poking out from between his lips. He was wearing a white tee shirt and black cargo shorts. When he figured Gage had a long enough look, Beau pulled back into the shadows. Gage had to guess that Beau was roughly the same age as himself.
"AHH!" Gage suddenly screamed in severe pain and he clutched his stomach.
"Ah! W...What's wrong!" Beau was immediately next to Gage and placed a hand on him but quickly recoiled hissing in pain. "You...you're burning up!" When the pain finally faded, Gage was laying on the ground exhausted but no longer hungry and his external body temperature went back to it's usual temperature. Beau placed a hand on Gage who looked up at him. "Are you alright?" Gage nodded and he rolled up into a ball. Beau backed up deeper into the darkness and laid down in a cat-like manner and watched Gage cry himself softly to sleep.
A/N: I don't know what I'm doing at this point right now but I do know what's going to be happening...sorta. I'm positive about how I'm going to end this Sandclaws story arc but not sure how to get to that point from this one exactly. Anyways, you'll be waiting for the next installment but not sure for how long you'll have to wait. Thanks for being patient.