Disclaimer: I don't claim to own Professor Xavier or the Danger Room. Though sometimes I wish I owned the Danger Room, 'cause it's cool.

A/N: Okay, I had the hardest time writing this chapter. It just took a while to start. Then I was reading Prevention and saw something that made me laugh, and there was my beginning! Enjoy. And review - always review. And I'm sorry, I'm still having formatting issues. Stupid computer.

Chapter 9 – Seabird

After lunch on Monday, Chris, Eve and Willow were on one of the Rec. Room couches. Chris was sitting on one end, Willow on the other, and Eve was sprawled out on top of them, her head on Chris's armrest and her feet on Willow's lap. Chris had his book open and was ignoring the television in favor of reading it, and Willow was flicking her eyes back and forth between the TV and the magazine that she had found.

"Hey Chris," said Eve, looking up at him and ignoring the Pampers commercial, "can you please get your book off my boob? It's kinda uncomfortable." She grinned at him, and he lifted his book a few inches. "Thanks." She relaxed and closed her eyes. "I wonder when we're going to have to go back to school."

At the other end of the couch, Willow shrugged. "I don't know." She flipped a few pages of the magazine. When she saw the two-page ad in front of her, she stared at it blankly for a few seconds, looking from the words to the pictures, then burst into a fit of giggles.

Both Chris and Eve looked over at her. "What?" Chris said, slightly annoyed at the interruption to his reading. Willow didn't look at him, but handed the open magazine to Eve. She held it up, and looked at it just as Willow had before snorting with laughter and handing it up to Chris. He read it over, then shook his head. "Is there a limit to stupidity?" he asked no one in particular, passing the magazine back to Willow and returning to his book.

"I used to think there was," Eve said, handing the magazine to Willow, "but I have to say that I don't think there is."

Willow shook her head, still giggling. "Who would buy these things?"

"Apparently somebodydoes. I can't say I've ever met a dog that felt embarrassed about not having balls, but hey, I haven't met all the dogs in the world." She burst out laughing again.

"Hey guys!" Lynette said speedily, leaning over the back of the couch. She looked at Eve, then at Willow, both still laughing. "What's so funny?"

Chris looked away from his book for a moment. "Silicone testicle implants for dogs," he said in an annoyed tone. Then he went back to his book.

"That's…weird," Lynette said. "Okay then." She turned and walked away. "I'll see you guys later."

"See ya!" Eve called, waving over the back of the couch. Then she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. "Okay. Calm. I am calm."

Chris looked down at her. "Good." Then he returned to reading. At this rate, he would never finish this chapter.

He had barely been reading for five minutes when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He turned around and glared at them. "What?" he snarled. Eve shifted on the couch to stare up at him, but he ignored it. The boy standing behind the couch took a step back. "The Professor wants to see you," he said quickly. Then he turned and skittered away.

Chris sighed. "I have to get up," he told Eve. She nodded and pulled herself up far enough to let him stand. He set his book down on her stomach and trudged off towards the Professor's office. Probably another stupid "and how does that make you feel" session.

"Please sit down, Christopher," Professor Xavier said as he entered the office. Chris sat down in his usual chair and jerked his questioningly at Clarise, who was seated in another chair.

The Professor smiled. "Clarise is here because she will be your team leader."

"Team leader?" Chris said, mystified. "What?"

Clarise smiled at him. "I want you to join the X-Kids," she said. "We're the junior X-Men," she said when she saw his confused look. "I would have asked you to join earlier, but you were recovering from your injuries."

"Um…okay," Chris said. "I'll join if you want me to."

Clarise beamed. "That's cool! We're going down to the basement to have a practice at one o'clock. You can meet the team then."

"I already know the team," he said. "Theresa – " He stopped, and swallowed, then carried on. "Theresa and I were always hanging around with the team."

"And you'll need a codename," Clarise said. "We'll have to think one up for you."

He shrugged. "Sure."

"Cool!" Clarise said. "I'll see you later!" She bounced up out of her chair and strolled out the door. At a nod from Professor Xavier, Chris pushed himself up and followed her out the door.

"So, guys, we need a code name!" Clarise smiled. "Any ideas?"

Lynette's hand shot up. "How about Sparrow?" she said excitedly.

Chris raised his eyebrows. "No. I'm not a friggin'…songbird. If you're going to name me after a bird, make it a cool one like Eagle or something."

Eve shook her head. "No, you're not an eagle. You're not fierce." She frowned. "How about Kite?"

"Hmm. Doesn't sound very…I don't know. There seems to be something wrong with it."

"Jaeger," Andrew said suddenly. Everybody turned to stare at him. "A seabird."

Chris shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

Clarise clapped her hands. "Okay then! Let's get going, team!"

Eve grinned. "I hope we don't have another first-day mess-up." There was a moment of silence, and her smile faded. Then they all trooped after Clarise into the Danger Room.

"Chris, behind you!"

Hearing Lynette, Chris whirled around, wings and arms tight to his body. He saw the shape of a gunman out of the corner of his eye and stretched his wings and arms out to his left, bludgeoning his opponent. He kicked out with his right leg as he continued spinning, knocking him over. For a moment, Chris felt like he would overbalance, but his wings spread, and he pulled himself back upright. Reaching down, he kicked the gun out of the man's hand. From the groaning sounds, he wouldn't be getting up for a while – he probably had a cracked rib, Chris thought with relish.

"Chris, where did you learn to fight like that?" Clarise asked him, walking up to him in human form after the simulation. "You were amazing." She smiled a little, in an almost sad way. "It must run in the family." Then she walked off towards the girls locker room.

"Andrew," Chris said while he was changing back into his normal clothes, "what happened during Theresa's first practice?"

Across the room, Andrew turned and looked at him in that unblinking way of his. "We got the wrong simulation – a very hard simulation. She wrestled a gun away from a robot with her telekinesis and won the fight for us." He closed his locker door, gazing at Chris thoughtfully. "You know, you're quite a bit like her." Then he turned around and strolled out of the locker room, leaving Chris staring after him.