Here's the disclaimer part. All the X-men characters are Marvel's, sue me and I'll be forced to sell my beloved used-tissue collection which would break my heart! David, Alex and Danny are mine, if you want to use them then go right ahead. Please, please, please review! Cheers
Part 4
"It is!"
It is not!"
"It is!"
"I'm telling you, Robert, that 'ProV' is not a word you can legitimately use when playing scrabble." Hank McCoy retorted.
Bobby gave his best puppy-dog look, "But I haven't got any other words, AND" He exclaimed, "If I used that I'd get lotsa points and you wouldn't feel so bad about beating me by over two hundred points!"
Hank sighed, "That would constitute an infraction of the rules my walking popsicle of a pal, and there will be none of that while I'm within flattening distance of your Twinkie collection."
Bobby pulled his face into a mock-pained expression, "You wouldn't dare!" He turned to the other player, " David," he pleaded, "What do you think?"
"What?" David said innocently, wrenched from the safety of concentrating on his scrabble board, he looked up at the two and held his hands up in surrender, "Hey, don't look at me mate, you dig your own grave with this one," he joked.
It had been a couple of days since his sudden appearance at the X-men's headquarters and he finally felt like he was starting to fit in. The rest of the team had gradually introduced themselves to him, some with more success than others he thought, and seemed very welcoming but he still only really felt comfortable around Bobby and Hank. The first evening meal he went to had been an experience in itself. When he had initially met them individually, he couldn't see how such a seemingly random assemblage of characters and personalities could possibly function as a team, but that evening proved otherwise. Sure they were different but they had grown into a tight-knit family of friends, one which he wasn't sure he could carve his own little niche into.
The dinner turned out to be a large affair with a good many people attending, David sat near to one of the ends and began to feel a little uncomfortable around so many new faces. He replied to any questions that were asked of him but was too nervous to really carry on any conversations . It would have stayed like that had Bobby not been 'thoughtful' enough to include him in the proceedings of the meal by freezing his drink, when he was just about to take a sip. That made everyone act nervously until David had broken the silence by laughing and sending a carefully concealed raw egg, that Hank had given him - for that very reason - before the meal had begun, the Iceman's way. It turned out that most had kept something hidden and a food fight ensued that helped break the tension just that little more.
Now he, Hank and Bobby were killing time until the final results of the analysis on his powers was ready to look at. The testing had taken longer than he cared for, the smell of antiseptic and the sight of sterilised rooms reminded him of the hospital he had left his best friend in and had to go outdoors for a while, claiming a need for a breath of fresh air. He had discussed the recent events in his life with the Professor, but everyone else had given him time to get used to being in the mansion, which had made it a lot easier. Especially after being poked and prodded around all over the place with Hank occasionally muttering, "Hmm, interesting, " or other doctor-like phrases.
It had been the second part of the testing that he had enjoyed. After a day spent cooped up in the lab with Hank, he was greeted by a number of the X-men, including Xavier, and was ushered into a room that had never been shown to him before.
***
"This," The Professor said, gesturing with his left arm, "Is what we like to call the Danger room."
"The Danger room?" David replied, sounding a little uncertain. He looked around, it seemed to be all but empty, with four bare, metal, walls except for a rectangular window at the top of one of them that seemed to house all manner of electronic equipment. "Sounds…….good! Um, when do we go to the Safety room?"
A chuckle could be heard coming from the trio of Wolverine, Gambit and Iceman, while Cyclops and the lady called Storm gave out a long-suffering sigh and crossed their arms
The Professor continued unfazed, "The tests will be at different stages, firstly we will see what you are able to do with your powers, then we will put you up against some people and see how you fare."
"Some of these people?" David asked, indicating the others in the room, "Hey Prof, I'm pretty certain I've got some kind of, um, offensive ability but isn't that a little bit like taking a lamb to the slaughter?"
Xavier caught David's eyes with a knowing glance, "We will see David, but before that we have to gauge your power levels and abilities on your own. We will be watching and controlling the environment from the room above." He said, indicating the window David and noticed earlier.
"And from there you'll be able to create, holograms of anything or anyone that you want?" David asked, Xavier nodded. "Wow, so this place is like some, holodeck, bloody hell!"
The others filed out of the room and David was left on his own, suddenly the room seemed to shimmer and he found himself in the middle of an open grassland with no walls evidently apparent.
"Woah, that's trippy."
He heard a voice come from, what felt like all around, "Now, " Xavier began, "Just try to activate your powers."
"Um, ookay, um, how do I do that exactly?"
"Just concentrate," The voice said, "And try to find a source of energy within you and then draw upon it in an as controlled manner as possible."
"Right, gotcha, that easy huh?"
"Just close your eyes and try to relax David, it's perfectly safe, you won't hurt anyone."
David paused and hung his head, memory's of the night he killed Sam came flooding back, the guilt that he had had over the death of someone - no matter how deranged he had become - by his own hands was, and will be, an emotional crutch he will be haunted with for the rest of his life. Slowly, he nodded to the voice, relaxed, and closed his eyes.
The world around him seemed to disappear, as he drew further and further into himself David felt something tug at him. He began to make out a ball of energy that hovered below him, just out of reach. He began to stretch to it and found the energy slither into his open-palmed hand. The energy built up and he felt the same sensations as he did in the restaurant. Keeping his concentration on the ball, he opened his eyes to see small streaks of lightening run up and down his body, gradually moving faster and faster until he was bathed in an iridescent glow. As he drew in the last of the energy the glow faded to show a translucent body, clearly David in appearance but more defined, as if he were made out of solid air.
David looked down on his new body and gasped, " Now that," He said in a more monotone voice, "Is bloody weird."
"Quite," Came the voice,
Gambit, Wolverine and Iceman sat at the back of the operations room, watching the situation unfold.
"Wow, tres cool non?"
"Yer right Gumbo, that's a pretty impressive stunt, transforming his whole body into, what the hell is that anyway?"
"What do you mean?" Iceman asked, "I transform my whole body into ice, ice is cool, isn't it?" He added hopefully.
"Non mon ami ice is cold, now dis" Gambit replied, pointing to the man below them, "Dis, is cool."
"Remy, Logan, please remain quiet." The Professor spoke over his shoulder. Turning his attention back to the events below him. "Now, David, lets see what you can do."
David gritted his teeth and concentrated on performing the same feat that had dealt with Sam only five days ago. There was something wrong, no matter what he tried he couldn't seem to do anything. "Um, Prof? I don't seem to be able to do anything, can you create some kind of target for me?"
"Hold on," Suddenly a number of human shaped figures appeared as if out of nowhere and gradually advanced towards David.
"Right, come on then you bloody idiots, it's time to be smashed by 'Bizarre Air Boy', " He quipped, then concentrated on the nearest figure. Imagining a block of energy like a battering-ram streaking towards his opponent, he tried to push it out of his chest and suddenly realised that it had worked. The intended victim of the attack was hurled through the air before landing roughly over a hundred feet away.
David grinned, "Now that, I like!" He exclaimed while finishing off the other attackers in the same way. "Hey, give us a few more Prof, " He yelled up to the window, "I could get into this!"
Up in the observation room, Wolverine tried to hold in a chuckle while the rest watched in startled silence as David proceeded to destroy wave after wave of attackers below them. "Gotta hand it to the kid," He joked, "He knows how ta enjoy himself!"
"Don't be too quick to judge," Cyclops interrupted as he began typing on the console in front of him, "Let's see how he fares at the higher levels and some added weaponry."
As David finished off the last of characters, the entire room shifted again into a desolate urban wasteland. The place was filled with high rise buildings, some of which had fallen on their sides, leaving chunks of concrete strewn around and becoming obstacles in his path. David glanced around, mapping out the place in his head while trying to keep watch for enemies. Suddenly there was an explosion too the right of him and he was knocked onto the floor, the sound of gunshots could be heard hitting the beam of concrete that lay in front of him.
David looked around, no obvious ways of getting round to them, but why not just go through them? He thought and an idea struck him. Turning to face the pillar in front of him, David imagined his hands morphing into two flat appendages, he slid them under the concrete and tried to lift it. It was surprisingly light and, while the bullets ricocheted off of it, he stood up facing the gunmen, concentrated on the block and a created another battering-ram from his chest that sent the pillar flying in the direction of the attackers.
"Goddess."
"Wow."
"Mon dieu, " gasped Gambit, "Dis boy be powerful non?"
"We'll see" Cyclops said, "Wolverine, Gambit, get in there."
The two exchanged a smirking glance and, after Logan had stubbed out his cigar, they exited the observation room.
***
He'd had his arse handed to him when the others came in to 'play' but he had learnt a lot about his powers. Most importantly of all, he had been able to construct a conscious trigger which would allow him to control the manifestation of his abilities. Now all that was between him and a nice looking chair in the lounge was the final results.
"Come on Hank, I can't take all the waiting." David said impatiently, he hopped onto one of the tables and began to twiddle his thumbs.
"All in good time David," Came the reply, "I've just got a few more details to attend to and then I will give you all the information you require."
His impatience rising, David began to look around the room, other than the Beast and himself, Xavier and, Um, Scott, that's it, were there to hear the final results and he still felt pretty uncomfortable around those two. Cyclops seemed to be a bit detached from the rest of the group, although his wife was a hottie, he had hardly seen him with anything remotely resembling a smile on his face and was perturbed by this apparent lack of emotion. The same could be said for the Professor, The perils of leadership He thought.
"Well, that's it, lets begin " Hank said, pulling some notes from the printer and turning to face the other three. "Basically David you have the ability to turn your body into some form of living force-field, this means, as well as being nigh-on invulnerable, you also have a host of offensive and defensive options at your disposal. We have already witnessed your battering-ram, as you so eloquently put it, and your ability to morph parts of your body but these are only a glimpse of your true capabilities. Even at this stage of your development you are quite a powerful mutant but you have the potential to go even further."
David stared, dumbfounded, at Hank. He never thought that his 'gift' would amount to much but to hear talk of being truly powerful, well, it's enough to blow anyone's mind.
Good? Alright? Absolute bollocks? Let me know!