Disclaimer:Tired of claiming they're not mine when, deep down, they are! Mwahahaha! I shall cuddle Sabretooth to death. And by cuddle... I mean do naughty things to? (:
Story Notes: This story originally ignored X2 and X3, but that's changed. Many of the events in X2 will be acknowledge and followed to some extent. Also, it should be noted that X-Men Origins will be acknowledged in some way, shape or form.
Normalcy is Overrated: She never asked to be different. She was pretty complacent being normal. The day that changed her whole life changed. Being a mutant definitely isn't all it's cracked up to be. OC alert!
Normalcy is Overrated
Chapter Twelve
"As I'm sure you're all already aware, Thanksgiving is next week."
A chorus of cheers and whoops rang out through the Blackbird even as I leaned across the aisle to give Jubilee a quick high-five. There was nothing quite like the prospect of an actual break to bring a group of individuals together in celebration. In fact, it was rare that the group of us got along, unless in the Danger Room. And, even then, it wasn't always pretty.
"I'm sure you're all wondering exactly why we rescheduled this weekend's training session and asked you to meet in the hangar. How long would you estimate we've been in the air, Iceman?" Cyclops prompted, arms crossed over his chest as he braced his legs carefully, so that the turbulence wouldn't' send him toppling over.
Curious, I glanced over my shoulder in Bobby's direction. He sat next to Rogue in the very back row of seats, his icy blue eyes widened as he stared at Cyclops in surprise. "I, uh. I guess about an hour?" he murmured as he ran his fingers through his gelled back hair.
"An hour?" Cyclops repeated, slowly turning his back and sitting down in the co-pilot's seat even as Storm began to maneuver the jet downwards. "There is a huge difference between sixty minutes in a craft that is capable of nearly breaking the sound barrier and seventy-five minutes. If I were to tell you what direction we've been traveling, and at what speed, what good would the wrong amount of time do you?"
The cabin, previously boisterous and light-hearted, grew deathly silent as we glanced at one another uneasily. John shifted beside me, casting me a smirk as he continued playing with his ever-present lighter. "Someone's got more than his fair share of a stick up his ass today," he muttered lowly, so that only I could hear.
Normally, John's comments would make me giggle, snort even. Instead, I shifted uneasily in my seat and stared down at my booted feet. When practice had been canceled, I had thought that we were getting a day off. Instead, word had been passed around to dress sensibly for a day outdoors. "Is this sort of thing normal, St. John?" I murmured, brushing a stray strand of hair out of my eyes. "Impromptu field trips in a private jet seems a bit much."
In response, he shrugged his shoulders and shifted his attention to the back of the seat in front of us. When he wasn't in the mood for conversation, John Allerdyce was as irritable as an old lady one number away from a coverall at church bingo. Instead of bothering him any further, I shifted in my seat and stared resolutely at the back of Cyclops' head.
What seemed like hours later, but was only really twenty or so minutes, we landed and both Storm and Cyclops rose from their seats and wandered toward the ramp in the back of the jet. Nervously, I tugged at my seat's restraints, unstrapping them and raising uneasily to my feet to follow Pete and the others down the ramp.
When I first exited the ramp, the first thing that struck me as strange was the lack of noise. Sure, the jet itself was humming quietly (a little too quietly for a huge piece of technology), and the others were murmuring and kicking bits of gravel and loose rock. But, overall, it was quieter than I could remember the world being in a very long time. It felt easier to breathe; the air smelled cleaner and felt cool as it rushed through me.
"Like, I'm not liking the looks of this," Kitty muttered under her breath as she phased through Jubilee in order to see around Peter's back. "Logan and Dr. Grey are here."
Uneasiness curled itself into a ball in my gut as Cyclops and Storm motioned us forward, grouping us around a large stack of boxes and crates that were covered with a tarp. Logan loitered nearby, his ever-present flannel standing out in the wooded surroundings more so than the leather uniforms that Storm and Cyclops wore, and almost nearly as much as the very businesslike pantsuit that Dr. Grey wore.
"This weekend, you will be forgoing your usual Danger Room practice in order to participate in a little exercise we've fondly nicknamed X-Survival," Cyclops' voice boomed, causing me to look around the densely forested area round us. "There is only so much that we can teach you in the classrooms, on the mats, and even in the Danger Room. That is why you're all here."
It seemed to be Storm's queue to take over, as she stepped forward with a warm and comforting smile upon her lips. "A great many of you have seen things in this world that are terrible. Some of you have lived on the streets, learned to survive. We are here today because the world is not always a beautiful place. There will likely always be those that seek to persecute us, to hold us down. It is not fair; in fact, it's not even remotely fair." Lithely, she moved around the large stack of crates and boxes, her arms folded delicately over her chest. "As I'm sure many of you are aware, before I came to the Xavier Institute, I lived as a petty thief on the streets of Cairo. I also lived many years as a goddess, bringing water and therefore life and prosperity to many areas."
"I didn't realize you were like a thief back then and stuff," Jubilee offered, looking slightly sheepish.
Instead of reprimanding the girl for interrupting, Storm nodded and let her eyes trail over all of us, one by one. "Charles Xavier's dream is to bring peace between mutants and non-mutants, something that may not happen in our lifetime, maybe not even in your children's lifetime. But, that does not mean that we shall simply roll over. The Institute," she paused and slowly began to pull the dark tarp backwards, "is a place that acts as a sanctuary to mutants, children in particular. We've always told you that so long as you are on the grounds, inside of the gates, you remain under our care."
Logan stepped forward slowly, his gait lazy and exaggerated. An unlit cigar clenched between his fingers and one hand shoved into his too-tight jeans pocket, he looked about as entertained as I felt. "Chuck asked me to put together a little obstacle course o' sorts that would challenge the group of you, show ya exactly how tough it can be out here in the real world. I got to planning, and that got me to thinking." Cyclops snorted loudly, awarding himself a growl from the Wolverine followed by the good old one-fingered salute. "As I was sayin'... It got me to thinking, and I realized that there just ain't no way to really show ya than to actually show ya. That's why you're all here." One hand on his hip, he nudged the crate nearest him with the tip of his aged boot. "The ten of you are going to find your way to a destination a good eighteen mile hike from here. On foot."
The whining and complaining started immediately. I stood there, stunned as Logan slipped the cigar back into his mouth and motioned for Storm to remove the tarp completely. My gaze faltered from Logan's form to the vast array of gear that was spread out before him. Curiously, I slipped forward while the others continued whining and crouched next to a pack that had my name taped to the front, opening it and peering in cautiously.
"We've discussed the matter at large, and we've already divided you into two groups." The sound of papers rustling drew my attention to where Cyclops stood, surrounded by my classmates. "We've provided supplies of every sort, as well as sustenance. You will be given compasses, flashlights, as well as a map of the surrounding area."
"This some sort've prank? Sounds like a dang ol' television show t' me," Sam Guthrie piped up, his southern drawl causing a few to groan.
Still, he did have a point. "Let me get this straight," I began, rifling through the supplies that had been packed carefully in the pack. "You're sending us on our merry way? Alone? A group of mostly minors trekking through the wilderness? Wow, that's some lazy teaching there."
Apparently, that craw just didn't sit well with Cyclops, who rounded on me quickly. "You'll be given forty-eight hours to reach us- roughly two full nights and two and a half days. But, I stress that we will be watching. The Professor and Jean will alternate, each standing guard over Cerebro. In addition, Colossus, Wolverine, and Storm will remain here. Storm will wait at the finish line, so to speak, and Wolverine and Colossus will be moving along with either group. They will act as guardians only, offering no advice or reprimand. In essence, they will be there to ensure that you remain safe."
"Trust me, kid," Logan grunted as he swiveled a cold gaze toward where Cyclops stood, surrounded by confused teenagers. "This is something you all need. Nothing like a good slap of reality in the face to get everything in focus."
"Not only are we hoping that this exercise will give you a dose of reality, but we are also hoping that it will reinforce the lessons that we have struggled to teach you," Dr. Grey added, her voice a smooth as silk. Irritated me sometimes how the woman could look so smooth and pampered despite the slightly chilly temperature and occasional gusts of wind. "We anticipate that teamwork will really come into play, as will leadership and the like. Of course, it is not mandatory."
"Count me the hell out then!" Tabitha Smith, fondly called Boom-Boom, announced as she nudged Amara out of the way with an elbow to the side. "I'd much rather spend my weekend at the mall, thank you very much."
Grinning, Cyclops tilted his head to the side ever so slightly. "However, there is one minor stipulation to not attending this weekend's survival exercise. Those that choose not to attend will be required to dock a minimum of fifty hours of work for the Professor. You wouldn't believe how dirty the Blackbird can get sometimes. And, if that doesn't suit your needs, a simple fifty hours with Wolverine in the Danger Room can do the trick." He paused, glancing around as if to gauge our reactions. "So, anyone for the alternative assignment?"
A number of long minutes passed in relative quiet before Tabitha released a grunt of frustration and stomped forward, her knee-high boots sinking in the damp grass. Her arms crossed over her scantily-covered chest, she looked annoyed as can be. "Fine. Whatever. Let's just get this crap over with."
Shaking his head, Cyclops glanced down at the clipboard in his hands, slightly stubbled jaw obviously fighting the urge to smirk. "The two groups are as follows," he began, causing me to release a sigh as I rocked back on my haunches. "Bobby, Kitty, Roberto, Jubilation, and Theresa will be in the first group, and the rest of you will be in the other. Understood?"
This weekend is going to suck, I decided as I looked around at my teammates.
A/N: Not only are we seeing a lot of new characters, but we're embarking on a trip through the wilderness? What on Earth has the world come to? (: