Shades of Gray
By Skye Dragon
Disclaimer: I think you know this.
Author's note: ::Stares at reviews with awe:: Wow, people LIKE my story. How awesome! Um, I have something to tell you wonderful people who read this story. I personally am rather disappointed with this chapter. I'll tell you why. I am leaving tomorrow to go out of state with my family, and the place where I'm going, there are no computers (cruel, no?). And when I come back it'll be the last week of school and the last week of school is total chaos around my school. So I won't be able to work on my story for a little over a week and a half. So I wanted to get this posted before I left, but I wasn't done but I decided to post what I had anyway. So this chapter is depressingly short and lacking of detail, but once I start back up again, I'll be out of school and, since I have no social life, I'll have plenty of time to make it better. So just bare with me though this chapter. Oh, the wonderful Morwen O'Conner has been Beta-reading this for me so many thanks go out to her! Oh and review please! You have no idea how much it means to me. Thanks!
Chapter 2: Failing Tests, and Making Discoveries
". . . so if the hypotenuse is forty-five centimeters long and other little angle is thirty-two degrees then . . . um . . ."
Kurt bit down on the eraser of his pencil. Geometry was definitely NOT his favorite subject. A sigh escaped his lips as he tapped the pencil against the paper. His oddly colored eyes trailed to the window, watching a small songbird as it hopped from one branch to another, it's beautiful song following it.
The German teenager got up from his desk then and opened the window. (Balcony?) A slight breeze came by then, playing with his dark blue hair. He stopped to brush a piece of it back behind one of his pointed ears. The breeze was cool, and felt good on his fur. It was certainty a tempting distraction from his homework. To slip outside, take a walk, he could 'port and no one would ever know . . .
"Hmm . . . "
Kurt was saved just in time from the distraction by Evan suddenly throwing open the door. Kurt was so startled that he actually 'ported up to the chandelier.
"Evan! You scared me." The fuzzy mutant exclaimed as he jumped back down to the ground.
Evan blinked. "Sorry, Xavier's back," Evan informed the fuzzy one, "He's got another mutant with him, in case you wanted to know . . ." Evan shrugged, then slipped back out the door before Kurt could get another word out.
Kurt watched him go. A new mutant? His amber eyes turned back to the papers of math he'd previously been suffering through. He was sure he'd meet this new person sooner or later, and he really did need to finish his homework, but a new person at the mansion . . . Curiosity getting the best of him (and because he really didn't want to do his homework), Kurt followed.
Scott looked curiously at the young man stretched out on his back on a cot. They were in an unoccupied room, and it was Xavier, Ororo, Jean, and himself present. The new teenager was unconscious on the bed. His face was turned away from Scott, his dark brown hair an unwashed mess. The tattered remains of his shirt had been disposed of, and now much of his chest and side was covered in gauze. The ripped blue-jean shorts had also been removed, and replaced by a pair of Scott's old shorts. They were still a size or so too big in the waist, but then, starved as the guy was, anything would probably be too big in the waist. He certainly was a poor sight.
Evan suddenly appeared at the door, peering in curiously. A half-second later Kurt also appeared in a puff of sulfur.
"Oh, vow. Vhat happened to him?" Kurt promptly asked upon seeing the vastness of the injures.
"He thought we wanted to harm him and ran." Xavier sounded quiet downcast. "He ran into an anti-mutant gang. Logan chased them away."
"But," Evan started, "The dude looks like he hasn't eaten in forever!"
"He was living on the streets, Evan, what do you expect?" Jean responded, her own voice sounding rather solemn.
Evan blinked, looking at her, then fell silent.
"So what is his mutation?" Scott questioned after a brief pause.
"Invisibility, apparently." Xavier answered.
Another lull in the conversation.
Finally Ororo turned to the 'kids'. "Come on now, there's nothing to do here. And you all have school in the morning." This was met by the expected moans and groans, but the teens followed her advice and left. Xavier remained behind and Ororo came back in after making sure the others were headed back to their rooms.
"You're really worried about this one." Ororo observed, her comment directed to the founder of 'Xavier school for gifted children'. "Why?"
"He ran from us," Xavier remarked quietly. He turned and looked at her. "He won't know where he is when he wakes up." A pause. "He didn't want us to help him."
Ororo cocked her head to the side, a reassuring smile on her lips. "Charles, I'm sure he'll be fine. He was afraid of you because he didn't know who you were. Once he understands, I think he'll want to stay here. I mean, after living on the street like he was, who wouldn't be glad to have a roof over their heads and food to eat?"
Xavier wasn't looking at her, but Ororo knew he had heard her. "I hope so." Was his only response.
After a moment, when Xavier still didn't say anything, Ororo added, "I can stay with him. Sit with him while he sleeps, so he won't wake up alone . . . if you would like me to."
Xavier turned to her and nodded. "Yes, I think that would be good. But he may not wake up until tomorrow evening."
"I'll still wait." Ororo decided.
Xavier nodded to her. "Thank you. Good night." He maneuvered his wheelchair so that he was leaving the room.
"Good night, Charles."
The next day went on as usual, only without Ororo. There was still the usual chaos that came with breakfast, and then the rush to get to school on time. And then later, when the mansion was empty save for Xavier, Logan, Ororo, and the new mutant, things continued normally-or, as normal as things get around the Xavier mansion, anyway-with everyone doing their own thing. At school too, despite the fact that they were mutants, hiding from others, and the fact that the principal was one of their arch-enemies, life for the X-men also went on with the usual dullness. And at 3:15, P.M. all the X-men were back home from a long day at school.
"This literature is, like, killer!" Kitty exclaimed in frustration, dumping her book bag on the floor.
"You think zhat is bad, I just know I failed my Geometry test, today." Kurt sighed.
"Well, that's not a surprise, considering you, like, turned in your homework only half done!" Kitty announced.
"So? I didn't understand it! It vas hard!" Kurt stated. It was hard to tell by the look on his hologram-induced face if he was serious or not.
"I just bet!" Kitty told him.
"So, has that Darien guy woken up yet?" Scott asked with interest, ignoring Kurt and Kitty's fussing.
"No, he's still out of it, but I did learn about his mutation." Xavier answered. "It seems Darien has an extra gland at the base of his skull. This gland can secrete a substance from his pores. I've code-named the substance 'quicksilver' (QS)."
"Quicksilver?" Evan raised an eyebrow, no doubt thinking of his long time rival.
"Yes, but I called it that because of what it does." The professor went on, "You see, this QS can actually bend light."
"Bend light?" Kurt looked doubtful. "Zhat's how he does the whole . . . invisible . . . zhing?"
Xavier nodded. "Yes, anything that is covered in this substance will become invisible to the naked eye. But it is invisible not because you see through it, but rather, because you see around it."
"So this dude can become invisible? Cool." Evan commented.
"But there is more to it than that, Evan." Xavier informed him. "I have reason to believe that Darien has very little control over when the QS comes out."
"I know how that feels . . ." Scott mumbled, then louder he asked, "So when does it come out, then?"
"It appears to be triggered by his emotions. When Logan and I first encountered him, his anger brought out the QS."
"So whenever zis guy gets mad he vill vanish?"
Xavier nodded, then seemed slightly hesitant. "That is what I think. We'll know more when he actually wakes up."
By Skye Dragon
Disclaimer: I think you know this.
Author's note: ::Stares at reviews with awe:: Wow, people LIKE my story. How awesome! Um, I have something to tell you wonderful people who read this story. I personally am rather disappointed with this chapter. I'll tell you why. I am leaving tomorrow to go out of state with my family, and the place where I'm going, there are no computers (cruel, no?). And when I come back it'll be the last week of school and the last week of school is total chaos around my school. So I won't be able to work on my story for a little over a week and a half. So I wanted to get this posted before I left, but I wasn't done but I decided to post what I had anyway. So this chapter is depressingly short and lacking of detail, but once I start back up again, I'll be out of school and, since I have no social life, I'll have plenty of time to make it better. So just bare with me though this chapter. Oh, the wonderful Morwen O'Conner has been Beta-reading this for me so many thanks go out to her! Oh and review please! You have no idea how much it means to me. Thanks!
Chapter 2: Failing Tests, and Making Discoveries
". . . so if the hypotenuse is forty-five centimeters long and other little angle is thirty-two degrees then . . . um . . ."
Kurt bit down on the eraser of his pencil. Geometry was definitely NOT his favorite subject. A sigh escaped his lips as he tapped the pencil against the paper. His oddly colored eyes trailed to the window, watching a small songbird as it hopped from one branch to another, it's beautiful song following it.
The German teenager got up from his desk then and opened the window. (Balcony?) A slight breeze came by then, playing with his dark blue hair. He stopped to brush a piece of it back behind one of his pointed ears. The breeze was cool, and felt good on his fur. It was certainty a tempting distraction from his homework. To slip outside, take a walk, he could 'port and no one would ever know . . .
"Hmm . . . "
Kurt was saved just in time from the distraction by Evan suddenly throwing open the door. Kurt was so startled that he actually 'ported up to the chandelier.
"Evan! You scared me." The fuzzy mutant exclaimed as he jumped back down to the ground.
Evan blinked. "Sorry, Xavier's back," Evan informed the fuzzy one, "He's got another mutant with him, in case you wanted to know . . ." Evan shrugged, then slipped back out the door before Kurt could get another word out.
Kurt watched him go. A new mutant? His amber eyes turned back to the papers of math he'd previously been suffering through. He was sure he'd meet this new person sooner or later, and he really did need to finish his homework, but a new person at the mansion . . . Curiosity getting the best of him (and because he really didn't want to do his homework), Kurt followed.
Scott looked curiously at the young man stretched out on his back on a cot. They were in an unoccupied room, and it was Xavier, Ororo, Jean, and himself present. The new teenager was unconscious on the bed. His face was turned away from Scott, his dark brown hair an unwashed mess. The tattered remains of his shirt had been disposed of, and now much of his chest and side was covered in gauze. The ripped blue-jean shorts had also been removed, and replaced by a pair of Scott's old shorts. They were still a size or so too big in the waist, but then, starved as the guy was, anything would probably be too big in the waist. He certainly was a poor sight.
Evan suddenly appeared at the door, peering in curiously. A half-second later Kurt also appeared in a puff of sulfur.
"Oh, vow. Vhat happened to him?" Kurt promptly asked upon seeing the vastness of the injures.
"He thought we wanted to harm him and ran." Xavier sounded quiet downcast. "He ran into an anti-mutant gang. Logan chased them away."
"But," Evan started, "The dude looks like he hasn't eaten in forever!"
"He was living on the streets, Evan, what do you expect?" Jean responded, her own voice sounding rather solemn.
Evan blinked, looking at her, then fell silent.
"So what is his mutation?" Scott questioned after a brief pause.
"Invisibility, apparently." Xavier answered.
Another lull in the conversation.
Finally Ororo turned to the 'kids'. "Come on now, there's nothing to do here. And you all have school in the morning." This was met by the expected moans and groans, but the teens followed her advice and left. Xavier remained behind and Ororo came back in after making sure the others were headed back to their rooms.
"You're really worried about this one." Ororo observed, her comment directed to the founder of 'Xavier school for gifted children'. "Why?"
"He ran from us," Xavier remarked quietly. He turned and looked at her. "He won't know where he is when he wakes up." A pause. "He didn't want us to help him."
Ororo cocked her head to the side, a reassuring smile on her lips. "Charles, I'm sure he'll be fine. He was afraid of you because he didn't know who you were. Once he understands, I think he'll want to stay here. I mean, after living on the street like he was, who wouldn't be glad to have a roof over their heads and food to eat?"
Xavier wasn't looking at her, but Ororo knew he had heard her. "I hope so." Was his only response.
After a moment, when Xavier still didn't say anything, Ororo added, "I can stay with him. Sit with him while he sleeps, so he won't wake up alone . . . if you would like me to."
Xavier turned to her and nodded. "Yes, I think that would be good. But he may not wake up until tomorrow evening."
"I'll still wait." Ororo decided.
Xavier nodded to her. "Thank you. Good night." He maneuvered his wheelchair so that he was leaving the room.
"Good night, Charles."
The next day went on as usual, only without Ororo. There was still the usual chaos that came with breakfast, and then the rush to get to school on time. And then later, when the mansion was empty save for Xavier, Logan, Ororo, and the new mutant, things continued normally-or, as normal as things get around the Xavier mansion, anyway-with everyone doing their own thing. At school too, despite the fact that they were mutants, hiding from others, and the fact that the principal was one of their arch-enemies, life for the X-men also went on with the usual dullness. And at 3:15, P.M. all the X-men were back home from a long day at school.
"This literature is, like, killer!" Kitty exclaimed in frustration, dumping her book bag on the floor.
"You think zhat is bad, I just know I failed my Geometry test, today." Kurt sighed.
"Well, that's not a surprise, considering you, like, turned in your homework only half done!" Kitty announced.
"So? I didn't understand it! It vas hard!" Kurt stated. It was hard to tell by the look on his hologram-induced face if he was serious or not.
"I just bet!" Kitty told him.
"So, has that Darien guy woken up yet?" Scott asked with interest, ignoring Kurt and Kitty's fussing.
"No, he's still out of it, but I did learn about his mutation." Xavier answered. "It seems Darien has an extra gland at the base of his skull. This gland can secrete a substance from his pores. I've code-named the substance 'quicksilver' (QS)."
"Quicksilver?" Evan raised an eyebrow, no doubt thinking of his long time rival.
"Yes, but I called it that because of what it does." The professor went on, "You see, this QS can actually bend light."
"Bend light?" Kurt looked doubtful. "Zhat's how he does the whole . . . invisible . . . zhing?"
Xavier nodded. "Yes, anything that is covered in this substance will become invisible to the naked eye. But it is invisible not because you see through it, but rather, because you see around it."
"So this dude can become invisible? Cool." Evan commented.
"But there is more to it than that, Evan." Xavier informed him. "I have reason to believe that Darien has very little control over when the QS comes out."
"I know how that feels . . ." Scott mumbled, then louder he asked, "So when does it come out, then?"
"It appears to be triggered by his emotions. When Logan and I first encountered him, his anger brought out the QS."
"So whenever zis guy gets mad he vill vanish?"
Xavier nodded, then seemed slightly hesitant. "That is what I think. We'll know more when he actually wakes up."
