Disclaimer- I don't own the X-Men. They belong to Marvel Comics.
Mutant High Episode 4- "Showdown"
Chapter 1
You noticed a girl like Ororo Munroe for many reasons.
Ororo didn't look like other students. She had friends like Rogue, with multicolored hair, and Remy, pierced in shocking places. Ororo wasn't like them, though—she didn't try and draw attention.
She was tall, not just for a girl, built wiry without much definition. Her bone structure was sharp and evident, and her steely eyes contrasted startlingly against her African complexion. Her face was framed by cloud like hair—stark white, voluminous and curly, just like her mothers. Just to see her walking down the hall, you could tell there was nobody at Westchester High who looked quite like Ororo.
It wasn't just her appearance that set her apart, though. Ororo was tough, intelligent, and driven. A top performer in every class she took. She was bright and active—if she had an opinion, she'd share it, and more often than not, she had a strong opinion to share.
Sometimes, Ororo would look at herself and wonder, deep down, who wouldn't want to be like her. She knew it was conceited, and as such, she never shared these thoughts with anyone. But it was only because she knew it was wrong that she felt shame. She was proud of who she was, and as an opinionated woman, she'd never think that was wrong.
Even with her confidence, though, there were some days where Ororo would look at herself and wish she were someone else. There were days she wanted to dye her hair, days she wanted to shrink a couple of inches, gain a couple of pounds, and not be watched by strange eyes whenever she entered a room. There were days she wished she wished she was American and rich by birth, where she wouldn't be required to succeed, where she wouldn't need to try, and where she'd never feel pressure to be strong. There were days she wished to be immune from ignorance and hate, when she wondered what it would be like to be white, or male.
Days where she wished she had never been a mutant.
One such day was in the middle of March. Ororo was sprawled on the floor of the Channel 8 Newsroom, soaked in sweat and rainwater. The battle above seemed to rage in slow motion. A blast of ice soared overhead, colliding with an airborne camera stand. Strange voices sobbed in fear. Familiar voices yelled for reinforcement. They needed Ororo.
I wouldn't be here if I weren't a mutant, she thought.
The day had begun as innocuously as any other. Diligent note-taking had accompanied each of her classes. She'd spent lunch with Jean and Remy, enjoying a lukewarm bagel and insipid conversation. More classes and more notes, and then the punctuation of her day—Mutant club. As punctuation, Ororo liked to think it was an exclamation point.
In the sloping forest behind Dr. Xavier's property, the six members of the mutant club had gathered for a game of capture the flag. Though most would agree that capture the flag is a simple game, it developed a new layer of complexity when played by mutants allowed the use of their abilities.
Ororo held herself to a tree, using it for both support and cover as she peered into the distance. Not far ahead was the tattered ribbon that was used to mark the boundary between the teams. Their exercise was a battle of the sexes. Rogue waited far behind Ororo, steadfastly watching the flag. Jean had already gone ahead. An explosion in the distance signaled to Ororo that she was engaged in combat, most likely with either Remy or Scott.
Ororo's eyes glazed with white as fog spilled from around her. The area was enveloped in thick, grey mist. Whoever was approaching would reveal themselves soon.
As she had expected, a red wave of light cut through the cloud. Ororo pulled the winds beneath her and rose into the sky, easily maneuvering away from Scott's attack. The wind rattled the branches of the tree. She was giving away her position. She landed somewhat clumsily within the tree's branches, and stopped the wind. Within a couple of seconds, another laser ripped through the air, cutting the space between the trees where Ororo had just been floating. She was lucky. She peered down from the tree, trying to make out Scott's location. The fog hindered her vision, but she could still make out the stark red of the dividing line. The rules of the game meant that if she crossed the line, she was in their territory. If he crossed the line, he'd be in hers. Ororo knew Scott was a competent strategist. Both would try and take the other down with projectiles, instead of risking crossing the line and getting tagged out. Ororo could keep the fog up and continue the game of cat and mouse—or she could speed things up.
She jumped from the tree and threw her arms out. The air whipped beneath her and she caught herself in the updraft, soaring forward. The fog swirled and thinned, dissipating from sight. As the fog cleared, Scott set his sights on her. Ororo extended an arm, clouds pouring from between her fingers. Like a pirate's ship, lined with broadside cannons, the cloud exploded, throwing fist-sized hailstones directly at Scott. Her barrage was relentless, and Scott had no choice but to react. His shots became focused on hers, each of beams firing rapidly to strike down the hailstones. The assault pushed him backwards, but it wasn't what she wanted. She drew her arms back, pulling the wind toward herself. The sudden change in weather caught Scott off guard, and he gasped as the gust knocked him face forward into the dirt. The wind pulled him further, and her rolled clumsily over the dividing line. Ororo swiftly descended, and she tapped him on the shoulder.
"You're out, Scott," she murmured to him.
At that very moment, Bobby came sprinting from behind her, holding her teams' flag as he flew over the line.
With the game completed, Ororo now sat by Dr. Xavier's backyard pool with Remy and Jean, waiting for Scott and Rogue to return. It was taking Scott a bit of time to chisel Rogue out of her semi-frozen state, which she was none too thrilled about. Bobby had been sure to make himself scarce before she was completely thawed. Ororo assumed he had probably locked himself in the restroom and would not reappear until he felt he was safe.
Given Rogue's temper, she figured he could be in there for a very long time.
Meanwhile, Remy was sulking quietly, none too pleased that Jean had nearly bested him in combat before Bobby had ended the match. Ororo was still playing things over in her head. Had it been a lack of defense on their part? Or was it a matter of who had been positioned where?
"It's just a game," Jean said as she sat down next to Ororo.
"You should be telling that to him," Ororo responded, gesturing to Remy.
"He'll be fine, he's a big puss anyway." Jean paused to sip her water bottle. She offered the bottle to Ororo when she was done. She declined, shaking her head.
At that moment, Scott began to return from the woods, trailed ever so slightly by a very cold and irritated looking Rogue.
"Where's Bobby?" She barked aggressively.
"Where do you think he is?" Remy asked in response. Rogue shrugged.
"Hiding, I suppose. I'll get him later when he least expects it."
Rogue took a seat next to Remy, and the backyard quickly erupted into small talk. Jean stood up to chat with Scott and the others. Ororo stared into the distance.
Moments like these always made her feel awkward at the mutant clubs. This was a moment where she wasn't quite comfortable being herself. The conversation was witty, casual, and friendly. Not at all Ororo's scene.
Furthermore, all she could think about was that her team had lost. It was a stupid game, just like Jean had said, but she couldn't let it go.
Come inside, everyone. The voice in her head interrupted her thoughts. Dr. Xavier was calling them. Ororo stood as the other four headed inside.
She stared into the woods where they had fought, grass beginning to arise amongst the remaining fallen leaves. In the sky above, dark, heavy clouds loped together. Ororo focused her energy and felt her powers awaken. The clouds dispersed, as if they had simply been hosed out of the sky. Everything felt warmer already. But Ororo was still not content. She sighed heavily before she walked back into the danger room, closing the sliding door behind her.