Chapter Two
Rebellion
* * *
Danel and Amera quickly became friends with the other recruits and the X-Men team, but Khadrim seemed to be one to stay out of the crowd for fear of hurting someone. He stayed back, intimidating any of the other recruits. Except one.
Aykra was a tall brunette beauty with telekinesis, the ability to control fire, and telepathy. She was also withdrawn like Khadrim, and was attracted to him in a way she couldn't describe. Of all the others, she went over and talked to Khadrim. "I'm Aykra." She didn't smile when she spoke, just sat next to him. He displayed no emotion. "You remind me of someone." Khadrim glanced at her through one eye. She had on her own accord chosen to speak to him. If anything happened, he wouldn't be held responsible. "Myself."
Khadrim let a crooked grin cross his face. "I'm Khadrim."
* * *
Amera made sure she woke up before anyone else the next morning. She crept downstairs, making sure not to step on the creaky board she had found during the tour the day before. (Wait… a creaking board in a brand new $1 million or so mansion?) Sneaking into the dining hall, she blew air into the small rubber whoopie cushion she held in her hand, the set it in a random chair. When she saw on her watch that the sun would be rising then, she hurried to the girls' bathroom upstairs to get the shower first.
At the table later, Amera made sure that Danel or herself didn't sit in the whoopied seat. Scott sat down in his usual chair just as Kurt ported into the room. He grabbed about five muffins from the middle of the table just as the noise that every one is so familiar with resounded through the hall. Amera smiled, but that wasn't where she had put her whoopie cushion. Kurt was laughing hysterically, and that obviously meant that he had set Scott's whoopie. He sat down, still laughing, and the same refreshing sound repeated itself. Amera stifled a laugh, then Kurt started giggling. They looked at each other and both burst out laughing. They slapped high fives across the table, but stopped laughing when Logan gave them a look that could turn you to stone. He was the meanest instructor at the school, and add the fact that he had adamantium claws that shoot from his knuckles and you'd be a terrified student too. "Elf!" He glared at Kurt then shifted his gaze to Amera. "Blue."
Scot was totally ticked when he stood from his seat and grabbed a Pop Tart. He started to the door. "Kurt, if you want a ride to school, I am leaving now. Amera, Danel, would you like a ride? I'll wait for you, but not for Kurt." He and Jean left the room and headed to the garage. Amera smiled and looked at Danel and they shoved some Pop Tarts in their backpacks and ran after Scott. Kurt had two muffins in each hand and one in his mouth when he bamfed to his room. He grabbed his bag and ported to the car just before they left the grounds. He was in the back seat between Amera and Danel, and he was grinning like a fool. "Kurt!" Scott pulled to a stop before exiting the gate. "Image inducer!"
Kurt stopped grinning and he pushed a button on his watch. A hologram appeared over his entire body, and he appeared as a black haired, brown eyed, fair skinned teenage boy. If he wasn't cute before, he sure was now!
Upon reaching the school, Amera and Danel had to go to the principal's office, where Khadrim and Aykra just came out together. Kurt led them there, and told them where to meet for lunch. "Ve eat at the second table from the left in the cafeteria down the hall, and some of us vill be outside the gym doors. I'll be inside today. Okay?"
"Thanks Kurt. See you at lunch!" Amera smiled as they entered the principal's office.
"Hello girls," Principal Kelley said as they both sat in the chairs on the opposite side of the desk. He had short brown hair and thick rimmed glasses, and he wore a gray business suit. He extended his hand to the girls to shake hands, which Amera accepted, but Danel hesitated before doing so. He handed them schedules, and they switched them around since they were backwards. "I hope you enjoy your first day girls." They both stood and headed to the door. "And thank you for getting Mr. Wagner here in time to get to first hour for once."
"No prob, sir." Amera went out to the hall closing the door behind her. She began the search for the first hour class. "Huh, Room 204." She saw a sign on the wall that had posted on it the directions to different numbered hallways. "Okay, my class is this way. Where's your first class?"
Danel glanced at her schedule. "Room 502."
Danel recognized Rogue and Ray Crisp as she entered her Geometry class. She showed the teacher, Mr. Gardener, her schedule and she was seated in front of Rogue. She hoped she'd be able to keep her grades up after the transfer from Agua Fria in Arizona. It was the last quarter after all.
* * *
Khadrim was the first person to ever outclass Kitty Pryde in Trigonometry. Kitty was an Indiana born Valley Girl with a brown ponytail and blue eyes who could walk through walls. She attended the institute along with Khadrim and was a part of the X-Team. Khadrim couldn't stand her.
"I don't know how you could, like, beat me in Trig!" she complained as she wrote on the white board. Luckily for them, they had a free hour, other wise they would have been in deep sludge for dueling in class. He closed and set down his marker a full thirty seconds before Kitty was finished working the same problem. Kitty growled, seeing his correct answer, and threw her marker to the trey, then pouted to her seat. Scott and Jean Grey, a red headed Junior and telekinetic mutant, laughed as Khadrim returned to his seat.
* * *
Amera's Public Speaking class was jam packed, so she was seated at the back table with Kurt. Exactly where Mr. Woodward couldn't see them playing cards. A note was passed to her from a few seats in front of her, but she couldn't tell from whom. After their game of Speed was over, she opened the note which had been quickly put together. It read: Wanna play against me? ~Pietro. Amera passed the note to Kurt, hoping he would point out the note sender. Kurt read it then set it on the desk and shook his head. Amera mouthed the word "why" and Kurt pointed to a boy with hair the same platinum white that Khadrim had. He sat about four seats ahead of Amera, and he turned back and grinned at her. Making sure the teacher didn't notice, he ran to the back of the class in practically a second, and with the mentality of normal teens, no one noticed the slight breeze that blew by everyone. Pietro sat in between Kurt and Amera, causing Kurt to get really pissed. They played a round of Speed, which Pietro won, and she challenged him again. She was almost as fast as he was! She beat him in thirty seconds flat. "What! You can't beat me! Argh!" Pietro yelled, then he glanced around the room. Everyone was staring at them and the teacher was coming back.
Mr. Woodward saw the cards sprawled across the table and within seconds, the two held detention slips in their hands. "Report to room 302 at 3:00 sharp." He then returned to the front of the class to continue his lecture. "Maximoff! Your assigned seat!"
* * *
"You can't be friends vith someone like that, Amera," Kurt said, walking to second hour with Amera.
"And why not?" Amera said, carrying one textbook in her arms. "He seems nice to me."
"He's a member of the Brotherhood. Didn't Professor Xavier varn you about dealing vith them?"
Amera had been told about them. She was upset that Pietro was a part of it. "So what if he is?" She stopped outside their next class. "I bet I could get him to join us."
Kurt stared at her. "You're on."
* * *
Amera had stayed for her detention with Pietro, but unfortunately, they weren't allowed to speak at all. Pietro had left as soon as they were let out, so she began her four-mile walk back to the institute. She hit the street just as a teenage bike gang went by. One stopped next to her and took off his helmet. Pietro looked at Amera and smiled. "Take ya home?"
Amera looked at his bike and smiled. "Yeah, sure." She looked over at the other bikers as they began to turn around to catch up with Pietro. She smiled, liking this rebellious group. Plus, she needed someone to ride her bike with. "Take me home, and I'll get my bike."
Pietro's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "You have a bike!?"
Amera raised an eyebrow and glared into his icy blue eyes and brought her face up to his. "If you don't want me to ride with you guys…"
Pietro smiled nervously. "Uh, no, I didn't mean…" He began to blush as she kissed his cheek and jumped on the bike behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He swallowed hard and looked over at his friends who were obviously making sexual remarks. "Where do you live?"
Amera got nervous because her answer could try their friendship. "Um, it's a big house, you can't miss it…"
"Well, where is…" he trailed off. "Uh, is it a big huge mansion with a large wall and a locked gate?"
"Uh, yeah…"
"Damn." Pietro muttered under his breath then turned to see Amera through one eye. "Xavier Institute, huh? Alright, but don't expect me to go in… I'll wait at the gate."
A few minutes later, they reached the gate of the institute. She unlocked the gate by confirmation and ran through the institute and out the back door. She literally ran into Logan. Rogue and Kurt had just finished a training session and were headed inside. Rogue went in as Logan stopped the running teen. "I'm sorry, Logan. Gotta go!"
"Where'd ya think you're goin', Blue?"
Amera got a stern look on her face and glared at Logan. "What's with the third degree?" She pushed past Logan. "I'm goin' out with a friend, alright?" She walked into the garage to get her bike, then went to meet Pietro back at the gate.
Logan turned to go inside, but Kurt held him back by the arm. "Squirrel, d'you want that tail removed or do ya like it where God put it?"
Kurt glared at Logan and didn't let go. "She's leaving with Pietro."
Logan pulled his arm away. "Elf, she's a big girl. She can take care of herself."
* * *
Khadrim may have been quiet and non-social, but he did have (somewhat of) a life. He sat playing Tekken 4 in his bedroom and lost his concentration, getting his butt whooped when a motorcycle started up outside. Having to start over, the title screen came up again. His door was open, and Bobby, the iceman of the institute, walked by and saw Khadrim… with a powered up PlayStation? "Dude! Who knew you played video games!" Bobby said, walking in.
Khadrim looked at Bobby through one eye. "You're saying I don't have a life?"
"Er…" Bobby grinned nervously. He changed the subject. "Can I play against ya?"
Khadrim was surprised that someone would want to hang out with him. He thought for sure no one would ever… His childhood memories came back , children in China teasing him, just because he was different. Then he thought of Aykra, who had befriended him despite his differences. "Yes?" he said in response to Bobby's question.
"Alright!" He turned and yelled down the hall way, "Hey, Ray! Sam! Roberto! Come on!"
Rebellion
* * *
Danel and Amera quickly became friends with the other recruits and the X-Men team, but Khadrim seemed to be one to stay out of the crowd for fear of hurting someone. He stayed back, intimidating any of the other recruits. Except one.
Aykra was a tall brunette beauty with telekinesis, the ability to control fire, and telepathy. She was also withdrawn like Khadrim, and was attracted to him in a way she couldn't describe. Of all the others, she went over and talked to Khadrim. "I'm Aykra." She didn't smile when she spoke, just sat next to him. He displayed no emotion. "You remind me of someone." Khadrim glanced at her through one eye. She had on her own accord chosen to speak to him. If anything happened, he wouldn't be held responsible. "Myself."
Khadrim let a crooked grin cross his face. "I'm Khadrim."
* * *
Amera made sure she woke up before anyone else the next morning. She crept downstairs, making sure not to step on the creaky board she had found during the tour the day before. (Wait… a creaking board in a brand new $1 million or so mansion?) Sneaking into the dining hall, she blew air into the small rubber whoopie cushion she held in her hand, the set it in a random chair. When she saw on her watch that the sun would be rising then, she hurried to the girls' bathroom upstairs to get the shower first.
At the table later, Amera made sure that Danel or herself didn't sit in the whoopied seat. Scott sat down in his usual chair just as Kurt ported into the room. He grabbed about five muffins from the middle of the table just as the noise that every one is so familiar with resounded through the hall. Amera smiled, but that wasn't where she had put her whoopie cushion. Kurt was laughing hysterically, and that obviously meant that he had set Scott's whoopie. He sat down, still laughing, and the same refreshing sound repeated itself. Amera stifled a laugh, then Kurt started giggling. They looked at each other and both burst out laughing. They slapped high fives across the table, but stopped laughing when Logan gave them a look that could turn you to stone. He was the meanest instructor at the school, and add the fact that he had adamantium claws that shoot from his knuckles and you'd be a terrified student too. "Elf!" He glared at Kurt then shifted his gaze to Amera. "Blue."
Scot was totally ticked when he stood from his seat and grabbed a Pop Tart. He started to the door. "Kurt, if you want a ride to school, I am leaving now. Amera, Danel, would you like a ride? I'll wait for you, but not for Kurt." He and Jean left the room and headed to the garage. Amera smiled and looked at Danel and they shoved some Pop Tarts in their backpacks and ran after Scott. Kurt had two muffins in each hand and one in his mouth when he bamfed to his room. He grabbed his bag and ported to the car just before they left the grounds. He was in the back seat between Amera and Danel, and he was grinning like a fool. "Kurt!" Scott pulled to a stop before exiting the gate. "Image inducer!"
Kurt stopped grinning and he pushed a button on his watch. A hologram appeared over his entire body, and he appeared as a black haired, brown eyed, fair skinned teenage boy. If he wasn't cute before, he sure was now!
Upon reaching the school, Amera and Danel had to go to the principal's office, where Khadrim and Aykra just came out together. Kurt led them there, and told them where to meet for lunch. "Ve eat at the second table from the left in the cafeteria down the hall, and some of us vill be outside the gym doors. I'll be inside today. Okay?"
"Thanks Kurt. See you at lunch!" Amera smiled as they entered the principal's office.
"Hello girls," Principal Kelley said as they both sat in the chairs on the opposite side of the desk. He had short brown hair and thick rimmed glasses, and he wore a gray business suit. He extended his hand to the girls to shake hands, which Amera accepted, but Danel hesitated before doing so. He handed them schedules, and they switched them around since they were backwards. "I hope you enjoy your first day girls." They both stood and headed to the door. "And thank you for getting Mr. Wagner here in time to get to first hour for once."
"No prob, sir." Amera went out to the hall closing the door behind her. She began the search for the first hour class. "Huh, Room 204." She saw a sign on the wall that had posted on it the directions to different numbered hallways. "Okay, my class is this way. Where's your first class?"
Danel glanced at her schedule. "Room 502."
Danel recognized Rogue and Ray Crisp as she entered her Geometry class. She showed the teacher, Mr. Gardener, her schedule and she was seated in front of Rogue. She hoped she'd be able to keep her grades up after the transfer from Agua Fria in Arizona. It was the last quarter after all.
* * *
Khadrim was the first person to ever outclass Kitty Pryde in Trigonometry. Kitty was an Indiana born Valley Girl with a brown ponytail and blue eyes who could walk through walls. She attended the institute along with Khadrim and was a part of the X-Team. Khadrim couldn't stand her.
"I don't know how you could, like, beat me in Trig!" she complained as she wrote on the white board. Luckily for them, they had a free hour, other wise they would have been in deep sludge for dueling in class. He closed and set down his marker a full thirty seconds before Kitty was finished working the same problem. Kitty growled, seeing his correct answer, and threw her marker to the trey, then pouted to her seat. Scott and Jean Grey, a red headed Junior and telekinetic mutant, laughed as Khadrim returned to his seat.
* * *
Amera's Public Speaking class was jam packed, so she was seated at the back table with Kurt. Exactly where Mr. Woodward couldn't see them playing cards. A note was passed to her from a few seats in front of her, but she couldn't tell from whom. After their game of Speed was over, she opened the note which had been quickly put together. It read: Wanna play against me? ~Pietro. Amera passed the note to Kurt, hoping he would point out the note sender. Kurt read it then set it on the desk and shook his head. Amera mouthed the word "why" and Kurt pointed to a boy with hair the same platinum white that Khadrim had. He sat about four seats ahead of Amera, and he turned back and grinned at her. Making sure the teacher didn't notice, he ran to the back of the class in practically a second, and with the mentality of normal teens, no one noticed the slight breeze that blew by everyone. Pietro sat in between Kurt and Amera, causing Kurt to get really pissed. They played a round of Speed, which Pietro won, and she challenged him again. She was almost as fast as he was! She beat him in thirty seconds flat. "What! You can't beat me! Argh!" Pietro yelled, then he glanced around the room. Everyone was staring at them and the teacher was coming back.
Mr. Woodward saw the cards sprawled across the table and within seconds, the two held detention slips in their hands. "Report to room 302 at 3:00 sharp." He then returned to the front of the class to continue his lecture. "Maximoff! Your assigned seat!"
* * *
"You can't be friends vith someone like that, Amera," Kurt said, walking to second hour with Amera.
"And why not?" Amera said, carrying one textbook in her arms. "He seems nice to me."
"He's a member of the Brotherhood. Didn't Professor Xavier varn you about dealing vith them?"
Amera had been told about them. She was upset that Pietro was a part of it. "So what if he is?" She stopped outside their next class. "I bet I could get him to join us."
Kurt stared at her. "You're on."
* * *
Amera had stayed for her detention with Pietro, but unfortunately, they weren't allowed to speak at all. Pietro had left as soon as they were let out, so she began her four-mile walk back to the institute. She hit the street just as a teenage bike gang went by. One stopped next to her and took off his helmet. Pietro looked at Amera and smiled. "Take ya home?"
Amera looked at his bike and smiled. "Yeah, sure." She looked over at the other bikers as they began to turn around to catch up with Pietro. She smiled, liking this rebellious group. Plus, she needed someone to ride her bike with. "Take me home, and I'll get my bike."
Pietro's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "You have a bike!?"
Amera raised an eyebrow and glared into his icy blue eyes and brought her face up to his. "If you don't want me to ride with you guys…"
Pietro smiled nervously. "Uh, no, I didn't mean…" He began to blush as she kissed his cheek and jumped on the bike behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He swallowed hard and looked over at his friends who were obviously making sexual remarks. "Where do you live?"
Amera got nervous because her answer could try their friendship. "Um, it's a big house, you can't miss it…"
"Well, where is…" he trailed off. "Uh, is it a big huge mansion with a large wall and a locked gate?"
"Uh, yeah…"
"Damn." Pietro muttered under his breath then turned to see Amera through one eye. "Xavier Institute, huh? Alright, but don't expect me to go in… I'll wait at the gate."
A few minutes later, they reached the gate of the institute. She unlocked the gate by confirmation and ran through the institute and out the back door. She literally ran into Logan. Rogue and Kurt had just finished a training session and were headed inside. Rogue went in as Logan stopped the running teen. "I'm sorry, Logan. Gotta go!"
"Where'd ya think you're goin', Blue?"
Amera got a stern look on her face and glared at Logan. "What's with the third degree?" She pushed past Logan. "I'm goin' out with a friend, alright?" She walked into the garage to get her bike, then went to meet Pietro back at the gate.
Logan turned to go inside, but Kurt held him back by the arm. "Squirrel, d'you want that tail removed or do ya like it where God put it?"
Kurt glared at Logan and didn't let go. "She's leaving with Pietro."
Logan pulled his arm away. "Elf, she's a big girl. She can take care of herself."
* * *
Khadrim may have been quiet and non-social, but he did have (somewhat of) a life. He sat playing Tekken 4 in his bedroom and lost his concentration, getting his butt whooped when a motorcycle started up outside. Having to start over, the title screen came up again. His door was open, and Bobby, the iceman of the institute, walked by and saw Khadrim… with a powered up PlayStation? "Dude! Who knew you played video games!" Bobby said, walking in.
Khadrim looked at Bobby through one eye. "You're saying I don't have a life?"
"Er…" Bobby grinned nervously. He changed the subject. "Can I play against ya?"
Khadrim was surprised that someone would want to hang out with him. He thought for sure no one would ever… His childhood memories came back , children in China teasing him, just because he was different. Then he thought of Aykra, who had befriended him despite his differences. "Yes?" he said in response to Bobby's question.
"Alright!" He turned and yelled down the hall way, "Hey, Ray! Sam! Roberto! Come on!"