Disclaimer: *shock* I still don't own X-men Evolution!
Enjoy this! And review, please.
Jean and Scott didn't exactly live near, so we spent a lot of meals and rest stops getting to know one another.
It was during one of these rest stops (in a McDonalds, which is unimportant, but of course I'd never eaten there.) that they started to tell me all about the others in the mansion.
"First, there's Professor Xavier, who runs and pays for the institute. He's in a wheelchair, has the ability to read minds, and things like that," Jean began. "Then there's Ororo, one of the other teachers and caretakers. She's very motherly, so there's no reason that you shouldn't get along with her."
Scott picked up the conversation. "As for the students, there's Evan, whose Ororo's nephew. He's the typical skateboarder. Rouge is kind of independent and to herself, but she's pretty nice if you get to know her. Kitty is a bit preppy, but she's okay. And Kurt…" Scott and Jean gave one another small smiles.
"You'll like Kurt." Jean finished.
I was a bit curious as to why I would like Kurt, but I let it drop.
"Is that everyone?" I asked them.
"Well…" Jean said hesitantly, "There is Logan. He's… very independent. You actually might want to watch yourself around him. He's not a bad guy, deep, deep underneath."
"Hmm." Then I looked at Scott and noticed he'd been studying me thoughtfully. "Something wrong?"
"Well, no," Scott said, "It's just that… you look very familiar, somehow. I don't know why, but…" He trailed off.
I shrugged. "When you met me, I was… not wearing a watch. I look just like I did, but without some attributes, which would make me look identical, rather then familiar."
"Well, that never happened with Kurt."
So that's why they thought I would like Kurt. He was apparently not normal either. "Yeah, well, maybe you'd known him longer than you've known me." This time it was Jean's turn to be caught studying me. "Yes?"
Jean smiled. "You don't sound like you were raised on the street. You've got quite a vocabulary when you choose to use it."
I smirked. "Thanks. I was home schooled, and then self-taught."
She looked startled. "Quite the go-getter, huh?"
I smiled, and rose to throw away my trash, like the others had when they had finished. "I pride myself on learning things quickly. Shall we go?"
Actually the ride home was more-or-less uneventful (except for a fun near-death experience, which left Scott embarrassed, Jean in hysterical laughter, and me completely furious with Scott for the next half-hour. That was when Jean started driving, to my relief.), so let's skip to when we actually got to the mansion.
I would've expected someone to be outside as a welcoming committee (even a friend of Jean or Scott, I wasn't expecting much for myself), but then again, no one knew when we were coming.
So, the first person I got to meet was Logan.
From what Jean and Scott had told me, I knew it was Logan just by looking at him. No wheelchair, no fur or watch, and built more like a boxer than a skateboarder.
I hopped off the bike and slowly extended my hand. "Hi, names Leo. You must be Logan."
Logan glared at me for a few seconds, then took my hand and shook it. "That's right." He glanced around. "Where's One-Eye and Jeannie?"
I didn't need an explanation. "Parking the car."
"Ah." He turned his attention to the bike. "What type of ride is this?"
I couldn't help myself. "It's a Harlaha."
He shot me an odd look and I hurried on. "That is, it's a Harley and a Yamaha. I took parts of both and made this. A friend called it the Harlaha, and I guess it stuck."
Logan looked startled. "Ya tellin' me you built this entire thing from the ground up? That's pretty impressive, Junior."
I quickly noticed I had just gained a new nickname.
"Yeah. The transmission isn't as smooth as I'd like it to be though."
Logan nodded. "Let's take a look."
A few minutes later, the two of us were leaning over the bike, Logan giving me a lecture on why I should've used the Yamaha's transmission rather than the Harley's. I was wishing I could take notes.
"Y'see, Junior," Logan was saying, "the Yamaha hookup here was a good idea. And, yeah, I would've used the Harley transmission under normal circumstances, but this hookup and this transmission are offsetting each other."
"So I should switch to Yamaha?"
"No, kid, I'm saying ya should switch the hookup, and stick with Yamaha, but get a later model."
"Right!"
That was when Jean and Scott showed up.
Scott looked startled. "I knew you looked familiar. You two look a lot alike."
Surprised, I glanced at Logan. We kind of had the same sharp chin, and I could see the eyes, but otherwise…
I glanced at Scott. "I think you're still dizzy from the three-sixty stunt you pulled earlier." I told him.
Scott blushed furiously, Jean giggled, and Logan chuckled softly. Then Logan turned to me. "Ya know, I heard you were of the furry variety."
"Oh, yeah. Guess I'd better show my true colors," and I flipped of my watch.
Logan gave me a small half-smirk, which looked disturbingly familiar. Then I shook myself. Scott was getting to me.
"Go get 'em, Junior," he said.
I smiled and wheeled the Harlaha toward the garage. Then I took my first real look at the house.
Or rather, the mansion.
"Wow."
I couldn't say anything else for a while.
Jean showed up behind me. "Not bad, huh."
"Not bad?" I squeaked. Yes, I squeaked. I'm not ashamed to admit it.
Jean smiled. "Put away your motorcycle. Then we'll give you the tour."
I did. We went inside.
"Alright," Jean started, "now, let's start on the ground floor. We might as well see the rec room. It's the place we all meet when there's something going on that we need to discuss."
She opened the door and walked through, me on her heels. In the rec room, there were a few couches and chairs sitting around like, I assumed, in any other home. I was already starting to feel at home. There was already someone there, a girl with red hair with a long white stripe through her hair, wearing a black bodice (or whatever you call those things) under a clear green shirt. She was also wearing legging and a skirt, and gloves. She stood up in surprise when we entered.
"Hey, Rouge," said Jean, "this is Leo. He'll be coming to the school."
"Hi," I said, extending my hand. She shrank back a little, to my surprise.
"Is something wrong? I don't bite."
Rouge shook her head. "No, Ah just… Ah can't touch people."
Jean turned to me. "Her mutant powers draw life force from whoever she touches."
"Jeez," I commented, "That really bites."
Rouge smiled slowly. "Yeah."
I extended my hand again. "I'll be careful," I promised. We shook slowly, and I smiled.
"There," I said, "That wasn't so bad, was it?"
Rouge laughed. "Oh, ah like ya, Leo."
Jean interrupted. "Where should we go next?"
Rouge grinned. "Ya getting' the tour?"
"Yeah." I turned to Jean, who looked like she was concentrating on something else. "Jean?"
Jean snapped out of it. "Sorry, just talking to the professor. Duty calls. I don't know when I can finish showing you around…"
Rouge jumped in. "Ah'll take care of it."
Jean smiled. It occurred to me how smiley everyone was around here. Myself included, actually.
"Thanks Rouge. You guys have fun."
After she left, Rouge turned to me. "Now, where has Jean taken ya?"
"Here."
Almost an hour later, I had seen nearly the entire house. Rouge was leading me upstairs.
"Now ya need to see two more rooms. One of which is your room."
At the top of the stairs were two halls, one to the left and one to the right. Without hesitation, she headed to the right.
"The girls rooms are to the left, guys rooms to the right." She told me. "There are five bedrooms in each hall, for the students. Logan, Ororo, and the Professor sleep downstairs." She came to a door, put her hand on the doorknob, and stopped.
"Ah think ya'll like your room, Leo," she said, and opened the door.
I was in shock.
It was huge!
"Did I get the bedroom of honor or something?" I asked.
"Nope. Mine's bigger."
"I'd be jealous if I wasn't having to struggle to see the walls."
Rouge laughed. "Your bathroom is over there."
"I get my own bathroom?!"
"Yeah. Now, for the last part of the tour, ya need to go to be tested."
"Tested?"
"Yeah." She grinned. "Ah gotta take ya to the Danger Room."