I do not own X-Men Evolution or Tokyo Ghoul. They belong to their respective owners. I only own the OC I created.
Enjoy!
"How about Snake? That sounds cool."
"I guess. But does it really... 'pop'? It kinda sounds basic" Eli said before taking another bite of his burger. "By the way, do you know why Jean the professor left early this morning? They seemed to be in a hurry."
"I'm not sure. I think they might have found a new mutant."
"Really? Is it just me, or does it feel like they keep finding more and more mutants since I showed up? Scott told me that he and Jean were the only ones for years before the professor picked me up."
"Hm. It does seem a little weird. Maybe the X-Gen was just waiting until now to show up inside of people."
"Maybe," Eli said as he finished his breakfast burger and tossed the wrapper into a nearby garbage can. He then pulled a second one outside of his hoodie. Something that Kurt could only gawk at.
"How can you eat two of them like that? I love these things, but I can only eat one."
Eli just shrugged. "It's got meat, so I won't have any trouble keeping it down. And like you said," Eli took a bite and swallowed, "it's delicious."
Kurt could only shake his head as he saw Eli does his work on the burger. Maybe it would be best to change the topic to something other than food.
"So how are things with Logan? Didn't the professor say that the two would be working together closely?"
"About that," Eli muttered as he finished his second breakfast. Thankfully (or unfortunately for Eli), he didn't have a third one. "I haven't even talked to him yet. I don't know what this 'tutorship' is supposed to be, but we haven't even met for anything yet."
"Really? Why is that?"
"I have no idea. It almost feels like her avoiding talking to me for some reason. I don't know if I did something or if he doesn't want to do it. But we haven't discussed anything yet."
"That's weird. Are you going to do anything about it?"
Eli had to think over that one.
"I don't know. I still don't know why the professor wants me to train with him. And I don't really think I'm missing out on anything by not working with him."
"I don't know Eli. The professor said that the two of you would benefit from learning from one another. And the professor seems like he would know what he is talking about."
"I guess," Eli admitted. "Why don't we talk about this later? I'd rather not spend the entire school day wondering in my head if I should ask the guy with claws to mentor me."
"Alright. I suppose we should- Ah crap!"
Eli moved back a bit. "What is it?"
"There's only ten minutes until the first period!"
Eli's eyes widened as he looked at his own watch. "We spent too much time talking. Come on!"
The two of them ran towards the school. It did not occur to them until later that they could have saved energy by having Kurt teleport them to the building.
A regret they share.
Xavier Institute...
"Tell me again Chuck. Why do you want me to talk to this kid? And why have me train him?"
"I believe you are the best person for the job Logan. I would not have asked you to come if I believed otherwise."
Logan was struggling to hold his phone between his ear and his shoulder while also cleaning his motorcycle. But he managed to make it work.
"I know this is not the sort of training you are used to partaking in Logan, but..."
"Chuck, I have done one-on-one teaching before. I know how to do it. That isn't the issue. The problem is that don't do it anymore. I thought we both understood that."
"I understand that you do not wish to do it. But perhaps this could be an opportunity for both of you."
"An opportunity? For what? And what do you mean or both of us."
"For you, it would be a chance to relearn the old skills," Charles said. "I know you don't think you can do this properly Logan. And I am certain that Mr. Alcazar is someone you will get used to. I think you can help each other."
"What makes you so sure Chuck?"
"Call it faith Logan."
Logan snorted. Faith wasn't something that he tried to bank it. It didn't always work out for him.
"And what about the kid? You said we'd both benefit. What does he get out of it?"
"For one, a greater sense of control over his power," Charles explained. "Out of all the people I know, you are the one who is constantly working to keep yourself and your inhibitions in check."
"Ok. And?" Logan asked, not knowing what point Charles was trying to make.
"From what I can gather, I believe Eli's tendrils are a physical manifestation of his instincts. The first time they appeared, they have done so to protect him from bullies. And since then, they have appeared only in the presence of danger. And Eli himself admits that they act with a mind of their own."
"And you think I can help him keep those things under control?"
"Possibly. At the very least, I think you have the best chance of helping him," Charles said. "As for the second reason. I believe that your guidance may be beneficial to him."
"Excuse me?"
"It is not my place to say much about this. Eli likes to keep his personal information to himself. Much like yourself in fact. Just know that he has not grown up with many role models in his life. I think you might be the one who can help him best."
"Role model? Chuck, are you ok? No flight sickness or anything?"
"I am quite healthy, Logan. And my mind is very much alright."
"Then why do you think I could be a role model? Least of all for this kid?"
"Again, I shouldn't give too much information on this. This information is private for Eli. Just know that unlike the rest of the students we have right now, Eli has faced the fact that life will often disappoint firsthand. It's an experience that you both share in common."
Logan frowned when he swallowed Charles's point. He wasn't wrong.
"Ororo and I do not share the same sort of cynicism that you and Eli have. I believe that this similarity could help you both in working together."
"You're placing a lot of bets on belief Charles."
The older mutant sighed. He knew he wasn't going to win, not against Xavier.
"I'll think about it, Charles. Right now I..."
Logan stopped talking when a scent entered his nose. It was a scent he was familiar with. A scent that he hated with his entire being.
"Logan?"
"I'll call you back Charles. I got business to take care of."
"Logan, I-"
Logan hung up the phone and walked outside the mansion. The scent was close, but it was also moving further away. It was a smell like old grease and aged soil. And there was a hint of dried blood that was always there. And the closer he got, the more pungent the scent became.
Logan growled. He knew who it was.
"Sabertooth."
He was nearby. Which meant that everyone was in danger. With the professor and Jean gone, that meant the danger was only heightened. So Logan slipped into his orange-and-blue uniform before turning on his clean bike. He wasn't going to let his home get ransacked by some overgrown hillbilly with a cat fetish.
"Do you guys think the professor has any plans for us today?"
"Probably not. He is on leave with Jean to Deerfield. They said they might not be back until tomorrow," Scott explained.
"Deerfield?" Eli asked aloud. "That's close to where I'm from."
"Really? Where are you from?" Kurt asked.
"South Lawndale. If you drove, it would probably be an hour away."
"That's all in Chicago, right?" Kurt asked Eli. When Eli nodded, Kurt smiled. "Is it really the Windy City? Or is it just a nickname?"
"It's... an accurate nickname," Eli said. "You should be there in the fall. It gets..."
*VROOOOMMMMM!*
Eli stopped talking when a motorcycle suddenly rocketed past them. A shorter man riding a blue bike made his way towards what looked to be the city.
"Was that Logan?"
"Looked like it," Scott said. "And it looks like he's going to fight someone."
"Should we follow him?"
At Kurt's question, all three of them knew their answer. The professor and Jean wouldn't be back until probably tomorrow. And they had no plans for the rest of the day.
"We using your car?" Eli asked Scott.
"It's more inconspicuous than the X-Van. Let's go."
"Are you sure we are following the right trail?"
Scott frowned when he looked at Kurt.
"In case you haven't noticed, Logan has a head start on us. We're lucky to even know the general direction he went in."
Which was true. With how far ahead of them Logan had been, they had to partially guess which way he was going. And they could only follow Logan because his bike started to leave black streaks on the street.
"Ah man, we lost him!"
Eli frowned when he saw a shadow forming above Scott and Kurt. That's when he looked up and got worried.
"Well, I think something found us."
Someone's motorcycle was falling off the roof of the building. it wasn't Logan's. But it was still coming down toward Scott's car.
"You guys might want to get out of here," Eli said as he quickly jumped out of the car and made some distance. Kurt used his teleportation to move himself and Scott away from the ensuing wreck as well.
"Aw, man! My Car!"
Eli felt bad for Scott. He really did. The car was- had been very nice. But he had another concern on his mind.
"Is anyone else concerned as to why a motorcycle just fell out of the sky?"
Both Scott and Kurt shared a look. "Logan is fighting someone."
"So do we help him?"
Scott nodded. "Our uniforms are in the trunk."
To prove his point, Scott opened the back of his car to reveal all three X-adorned costumes. Eli was going to question why Scott had them with him, of how he had gotten them into the car so quickly, but he decided against it. They had other things to worry about.
"Suit up. I don't know who Logan is fighting, but this might be dangerous. So get ready."
"I didn't know you listened to any of that philosophy mumbo jumbo."
"Man he is ugly," Eli said about the man pinning Logan to the wall with a car. With a long mane of dirty blonde hair, sharp yellow teeth bared in a smile, along with skin and clothes that hadn't looked washed in weeks, he wasn't exactly photogenic. Not that anyone cared about that.
Least of all Scott.
"Hey ugly! I got your destiny right here!"
Turning the dial on his visor, Scott sent an optic blast directly at the scruffy blonde. The blast hit him square in the chest and sent him flying towards one of the columns. The force of the impact was enough o keep him down.
And it gave Logan time to push the car away from himself.
"What are you three doing here?! This isn't your fight."
"He's fighting an X-Man. He fights one, he fights all," Kurt said before disappearing. He reappeared moments later, right above the man. The plan had been to drop on him and keep him down. But the man was much too durable for Kurt to hurt him. Especially after he got back up.
"Ah!" Kurt exclaimed as he was thrown to the ground. The man was now making his way to Kurt, his claws out.
"Kurt!"
Eli allowed the heated feeling to course through his spine. Once his tendrils were out, he let them know what to do.
"I don't know who the hairy guy is, but don't let him hurt Kurt."
The tendrils responded accordingly. They blasted their way towards the enemy, wrapping themselves around his body. Once their lock on his was solid, they lifted him off of the ground.
"Ugh! What are these things? Someone had better let me go!"
"If you insist," Eli responded. He had the tendrils reel back before tossing the man towards the nearest car. His back smashed against it as the glass mirrors shattered. There were small lines of blood decorating the car door now.
"Had enough Buffalo Bill?" Eli had the tendrils slither close to him. If the blonde savage wanted to attack him, he would have to get through the rattling appendages.
But the man didn't seem concerned by that. He just stood back up and cracked his neck. He looked more annoyed than hurt.
"I came here to beat up one runt. If I have to fight four of them today, then All The Better!"
He was about to leap forward at everyone when Logan intercepted him. He tackled the larger man in the stomach. The two of them landed inside an open elevator. Logan popped out his claws, intent on stabbing his attacker. But he wouldn't get the chance, because the man responded by kicking Logan out of the window.
Right as it was closing.
"AGH! Get back here!"
Logan tore right through the elevator door. His claws cut through the metal like paper. But the elevator was already going down the shaft. Even so, the voice could be heard.
"Another time Wolverine!"
Eli walked up next to Logan. "We could try to run downstairs. If we hurry might catch up to whoever that was."
But rather than consider Eli's suggestion, Logan just turned around and frowned at all three of them. Eli had to admit, the mask on his face made his face look more intimidating than he usually was. Something he didn't even think was possible.
"I don't remember asking any of you to follow me. And you shouldn't have done it. Sabertooth is someone who could hurt all three of you bad."
"Hurt us? Come on Logan, you saw what happened. We were beating him!"
"You knocked him down a bit, but he's like me. He keeps getting back up until he wins. He wouldn't stop until he had his claws on all of your throats."
Logan shook his head, both in disappointment and relief that it didn't happen.
"But Logan, we..."
"I don't fight your battles," Logan interrupted Scott, "so don't fight mine."
Logan immediately walked away from the trio. He didn't stop to acknowledge them again.
"Ah, he loves us. You can tell, right?" Kurt asked.
"Yeah. I can definitely feel the love," Scott responded sardonically.
Eli was about to add his own cynicism when he realized something. A problem he wasn't anyone else had thought of. His tendrils retracted into his back when the thought hit him.
"Does anyone know how we're getting back to the mansion? Cause I don't feel like walking all the way there."
Hours Later...
It turns out that walking miles towards one's house during the late afternoon can make someone's legs pretty tired. And Eli still had things to do at the mansion. Like laundry.
Eli was just about done washing his clothes when he heard the knock at the doorway.
"Logan?" Eli questioned. "What's wrong? Is this about earlier?"
"No. Well, partially. I'm here to tell you that the professor got a new student. He wants everyone in the main hall to greet her."
"So we got a girl now? That's nice, keeping things diverse."
"We got a fuzzy blue elf before her. That's not diverse for you?" Logan asked rhetorically. "Before you go, there's something else. I'm going to need you to wake up extra early tomorrow. You and I have work to do."
Eli frowned. "Work? What kind of work?"
"The professor wants me to train you. It's about time I did what he asked me to do. Don't keep me waiting tomorrow."
Logan left before Eli could get another word in. Which didn't give Eli much time to get his own thoughts in. He was cool with meeting him for a lesson, even if he wasn't a morning person. Still, it was something the professor said he wanted, so he might as well give it a try and see how it went.
It now seemed like tomorrow was going to be Eli's first lesson with the Wolverine. He wondered how that would go.
This is where I will be stopping for now. The next chapter will focus on Eli and Logan starting to train together. Working together will be a way for Eli to learn more about his powers, since his tendrils are only the obvious part. And since Eli has never had a positive male role model in his life, they are probably going to get on each other's nerves more often than not. I'm looking forward to that.
Also, I have a few suggestions for Eli's codename. One of them is Redtail, which I am leaning towards. The other options I have been presented with include Snatch, Grip, and just Tendril.
For the next chapter, we will see Eli have his first experience in trying out recruitment. Let's see how well he does in that regard.
One last thing. It seems that, based on the reviews I got for the last chapter, Laura will be Eli's love interest for this story. But like I said before, I probably won't have Kitty going out with Lance, just because I never really liked him. I'll go more into detail on that at a later date.
Anyway, please leave reviews, tell me what you think, and I will see you all next time.
Bye!