I'm REALLY sorry readers for taking so long to post! It's because I had a LOT of school work to do. (big emphasis on lot) I would also like to say that……right now I don't CARE if Iris acts like a Mary-Sue. If she is, to hell with that! I'm still writing this fanfic! This is my story, my world and my way of the highway and if none of you readers can take that, THEN BEAT IT!!! *points to the door, pauses, panting* I hope that I didn't scare any of you with that rant I just had. Don't let that stop you though from sending me reviews, criticising my fanfic! I'll rant for one to two chapters about it then start using it for advice. Now I shall start repeating the same old boring disclaimer; I do not own X-men: Evolution Warner Bros. and Marvel Comics does. I OWN IRIS AND A VILLAIN COMING UP SO BACK OFF. Oh and also another mysterious person that's coming up too. Read on fanfic readers.
"talking" = talking in a normal voice
//thinking// = character thinking
~telepathy~ = talking telepathically
I dedicate this chapter to reviewer "me" who sent me 2 funny reviews... She was also the person who gave me more ideas for the story. THANKS A BUNCH!!!
Chapter 4: Introductory
Iris suddenly woke up in the dark. Her eyes were still groggy from sleep and she wondered what had woken her up. Wanting to get back to sleep, she rolled over on her side and closed her eyes. Then something cold brushed her face, dropping her body temperature down by 20 degrees. Her eyes sprang back open and she gasped.
Transparent, misty eyes back into Iris's now-greyish eyes. Iris tried to scrambled back, but found she couldn't. Actually she couldn't even move a single muscle. Looking down, she found her entire body held down by thick vines that seemed to have crawled from underneath the bed.
"What's going on!" Iris asked the misty human-like form in confused anger. The form reached out and lightly placed a finger on Iris's lips, silencing her and dropping her temperature down another few hundred degrees. The misty form straightened up, definitely satisfied. Then its shape cleared up more, to reveal a feminine form with wispy long hair and wearing a long gown. The form knelt down until it was level with the bed and began whispering urgently.
"We know what you're thinking, that you believe you're going crazy." it hissed. "That the 'dreams' you're having are simply nightmares made out of your imagination. Well, they're not." Iris tried to yell for help, but the form seemed to have sealed her lips. It continued. "Those dreams are memories, transferred from a victim's mind. You are now to use those memories and help us. Ask Charles Xavier for help. Ask him to dig into your mind and discover your past. If you don't, then you'll have to bear the conscience of letting us down." Iris turned her face towards the female form, eyes clearly saying "Who's us might I ask?" The form chuckled harshly, then swept an arm at the area behind her. "That's the 'us' that I'm talking about." Iris's eyes widened.
Tons of pale human-like forms stood there sombrely. They lifted their hands in despair moaning randomly "Save us...save us....SAVE US!"
Iris flicked her eyes open. She sat up in bed, searching around her for any signs of misty forms. She nervously leaned over and checked underneath the bed for any vines that might've crawled out. Finding nothing, she plopped back onto the mattress.
//I'm losing it.// she thought sadly.
* * * * *
Iris walked out of the medical infirmary, no...actually sneaked out of the medical infirmary. She decided to take a look around the place before any of the X-men decided to come and wake her up. She found herself in an empty corridor, with other hallways leading from it. She picked a hallway randomly and started walking along it. Walking on, she discovered more corridors that led to more corridors. She swore a string of colourful expressions under her breath, wondering why on earth could she have let herself be taken into this maze so easily. Finally, she found a metal door that slid open automatically. In front of her was room that was richly furnished with a luxurious carpet and elegant carved walls and a polished staircase with a curved banister. Iris softly padded in as the door closed with a soft hiss. She was in the main entrance room of the Xavier Institute. The sunlight that cast softly on the floor indicated that it was early morning. Curiosity was plainly written all over her face as she wonderingly looked around. It was large and the ceiling was high compared to pictures of mansions she had seen. She must have been swept away by its massiveness for she wasn't aware of someone's presence until a gruff voice growled, "What are you doing out of bed?"
Iris gasped and nearly jumped in the air. Spinning around, she confronted a scowling Logan. "Just looking around. That's not against the rules here I suppose?" she responded sarcastically. Logan folded his arms and his scowl deepened at her.
"I wouldn't go sneaking around here if I were you. Someone might mistake you for a thief," he said.
"I wasn't sneaking around, I was just exploring." she retorted. Logan was about to snarl back a reply when Professor Xavier wheeled in. "That's enough Logan." the professor said calmly. Logan closed his mouth, but didn't let his unpleasant expression disappear. Xavier looked at Iris.
"You were looking for me I presume?" he questioned. Iris looked startled at him then nodded.
"What are you going to do with me?" she asked. Xavier raised his eyebrows.
"I am uncertain of what your meaning is Iris, for I will not do anything WITH you. But I do know that I would like to ask permission from your guardians to transfer you to this Institute. Then you would be able to hone your gifts of creating illusions here."
"They won't let you," Iris replied bluntly. "They'll want to keep me for the paycheque that the government sends to them monthly." Xavier's lips slightly curved. He held his hands together loosely in his lap.
"That does not mean you are not allowed to move in here," he said smilingly. Iris also allowed a smile drift onto her face. She stuck her hands in her pockets.
"Well...I'm not exactly sure if you want to move in with you guys," Iris said jokingly then hastily added after seeing the expression on Logan's face, "But to cut long story short, I will."
"I'm glad you will Iris," said Xavier, "since it is a Saturday, ask Scott and Kitty go to your residence and pick up your things. You may use the X-van."
"Sure thing professor," responded Iris before she sauntered off. Xavier watched as she left. He turned to Logan.
"She does seem to change her personalities quickly," he commented. "From a spitting cat to a humorous, relaxed child."
"There's just a scent I don't like about her," Logan said in low tones. "An odour that comes off as if she's got somethin' to hide." Xavier absently stroked his chin absent-mindedly.
"Yes...there's just these few things I can't understand about her," Xavier agreed.
* * * * *
Scott waited patiently in the car as Kitty and Iris both carried a small, light box in their cradled arms to the X-van. An angry Dill followed behind.
"Where do ya think ya goin' twerp!" he hollered. "I'm paid to take care of your worthless self ya know! Hey, come back here ya!" Iris ignored him as Kitty threw nervous glances at Dill.
"Do ya hear me! I said come back or I'll tan your hide!" threatened Dill waving his favourite cane. He grabbed Iris by the arm. Iris skilfully twisted out of his unprepared grasp, snatched his cane and cracked it against her raised knee, all with one hand. She threw down the broken pieces and turned to a surprised Dill.
"Never again will you hurt you," Iris said coldly with a ice-blue eyes. She turned on her heel and strode to the X-van. Dill's mouth opened and shut loosely like a fish and Kitty hurried quickly after the other girl. Scott turned, with no astonishment on his face, to Iris as she entered the vehicle.
"That's all you got?" he asked. Iris nodded. He turned around and started the engine, going back to the Xavier Institute.
* * * * *
Ororo led Iris to through a dimly lit hallway. They stopped in front of a door.
"This shall be your room," Ororo said calmly. "I hope you'll find it comfortable here." She left Iris with her two small boxes. Iris opened the door and immediately locked it before surveying the room. It was obviously much more BIGGER than the room she had had at her former foster home. In front of the expansive paned window that took up one whole wall, was a comfortable-looking queen-sized bed. There was a dresser next to the bed and a handsome desk with a computer on it. A large stereo filled one corner of the room. There was also a closet for clothes, not that Iris needed it for her pitiful amount of clothes would only fill up one drawer in the dresser. A few meters away from the bed were glass double doors leading to a balcony. Dropping her boxes on the bed, Iris stepped through the doors to check out her view. It was nice with lush hills and Bayville to be seen in the short distance. She closed the doors and walked to her bed. She unpacked a few garments, some textbooks from school and about 20 bucks she had saved over the years. All these she stored in her dresser. After all this, that was when Iris noticed a small, white cardboard box on her desk. She picked it up and opened it. Inside was her battlecostume. It was stretchy, a perfect navy blue with the X-men logo shoulder pads and belt. Tight elbow-high white gloves and fitting knee-high white boots accompanied the costume. After admiring it and wondering curiously of its purpose, she saw a piece of paper with writing at the bottom of the box. She read it out loud.
"Codename: Dreamcaster." As if on the cue, a rapid knocking was heard behind the door. She hurried towards it and opened it, unlocking with a click. Kurt was leaning casually against the doorway, without his image inducer and wearing his battlecostume.
"Scott says it's time for training," he sang out and pointed at the costume she had in hand. "Don't forget to put on your battlecostume." He winked before teleporting with a BAMF and a smell of brimstone.
"Oh yeah sure," Iris coughed before closing the door. She stood there for a second, not exactly understanding the message. She smacked her forehead. "Of course stupid! The professor had said he wanted to hone your powers." She quickly got changed.
* * * * *
After following Kitty and Evan to the Danger Room, she stared around her in wonder.
"Now this place rocks," she said in awe.
"It won't be when the session begins," grumbled Evan.
"Can you hear me?" Xavier asked from a speaker inside the audience chamber above the Danger Room. Ororo stood behind him.
"We're ready Professor," Scott said speaking for all of the X-men teenagers stationed below.
"Good, before we began I would like each and everyone of you to introduce yourself and your powers to Dreamcaster." said Xavier. Everyone immediately turned to Iris who felt as if the third degree was going to start.
"Scott Summers, I can shoot lasers from my eyes." said Scott who acted as the leader.
"I'm Jean Grey. I can read people's thoughts and move objects with my mind." the red-head said cheerfully.
"Rogue, absorb people's powers when they touch my skin." muttered Rogue. Iris blinked and wondered how that hadn't worked on herself when Rogue had touched her in the auditorium.
"Kurt Wagner, can teleport and move acrobatically." he grinned and demonstrated with an expert back-flip.
"Hi, I'm Kitty Pryde, I go through walls." giggled Kitty.
"Evan Daniels, shoot wooden spikes through the skin." the dark-skinned boy said
nonchalantly.
"Good, now that that's done we can begin." announced Xavier. "The program I am now initialising will be a group of enemy hologram mutants. I want all of you to focus on using your powers to defeat them. Ready?"
"Ready." the group below chorused.
"Computer, initiate Training Program Mutant 124," commanded Xavier. A buzzing noise buzzed for a second before the X-men started using their abilities. Chaos erupted around Iris who stood confusedly. While all the other mutants seemed to be fighting something, Iris saw nothing to fight against. Scott dashed pass her.
"Hurry up and use your powers!" he yelled, clearly being chased by something.
"What….?" Iris said bewildered then something hit her in the stomach. Hard.
"Ooof," she grunted. Lying on the ground looking up, she saw nothing. Something smashed into her again making her groan in pain. She found herself being lifted up by an invisible force then thrown against the Danger Room walls. She yelled out, "Someone, stop this program!"
Ororo hurriedly said the command. "Computer, halt Training Program Mutant 124." All the X-men stopped, rushing over to Iris. She did not look in a good shape. Her nose was bleeding, a trickle of blood ran from the side of her mouth and a bruise was colouring her cheek. Her eyes were a clouded blue of pain.
"What happened?" she asked with difficulty as a tooth was coming loose in her mouth. Shadowcat piped up.
"There was this like nasty-looking mutant attacking you. He had big hammer-like fists that were totally smashing you apart. And he had tentacles sprouting from his sides that grabbed you and totally threw you hard agai…Mmmph!" Cyclops had covered her mouth with a gloved hand.
"Uuuh…Shadowcat I think Dreamcaster gets the point," he said before letting her go. The professor and Ororo appeared next to Iris.
"Iris, besides creating illusions on people what other abilities do you have?" questioned Charles nervously.
"I can cloak myself in an illusion, disable any illusion, see through illusions...." at the last part Iris sputtered to a halt. All the X-men except Kurt looked grave.
"Vhat?" he asked curiously, scratching his head. Rogue hit him on the arm none too lightly.
"Holograms are illusions you idiot, so Dreamcaster couldn't fight against them." she hissed.
"Oh." said Kurt as comprehension dawned on him.
"Umm....I suggest that you go back to the infirmary to check your wounds." said Charles. "I believe Dr. McCoy there shall apply some medicine for you."
"Ok." mumbled Iris and limped out. Ororo questioned to nobody in particular.
"Now how shall she train without hurting anyone?"
* * * * *
"OWWW!!!" screamed Iris in pain. Dr. McCoy aka Beast (was a former teacher at Bayville High) had just was now in the process of taking out her tooth. Or was at least trying to.
"If you just sit down and relax, this would take faster." he said in a calming tone.
"Ha do ya ecec mah to relac! (translation: How do you expect me to relax)" replied Iris with her mouth struggling to stay open and trying at the same time to automatically close.
"Almost there...got it!" Dr. McCoy said triumphantly and held up a tooth in-between a pair of pincer-like instruments. Iris grabbed the closest container to her, in this case, a metal bowl. She spat blood and saliva into it leaving a disgustingly tangy taste in her mouth.
"Was that really necessary?" she asked with her head bent. Dr. McCoy dumped her ripped tooth into the garbage can before answering.
"Yes...unless you wanted it to just hang there on a millilitre of muscle." Beast replied. Iris scowled then noticed the a few kids peeking in at the doorway. (They were Jubilation, Magma, Iceman and Wolfsbane.)
"Get out of here!" Iris growled at them glaring. The young mutants escaped chuckling. Dr. McCoy approached Iris with a cotton swab and a bottle of liquid ointment. Evil humour danced in his blue eyes.
"Now, let's start disinfecting some of these cuts of yours...." he said pleasantly.
Fresh howls of pain emitted from the infirmary and resounded throughout the entire floor.
* * * * *
The X-men including Iris went back to school on Monday. They went off their separate ways for classes. Iris was stuck with walking with Kitty and Kurt through the hallways as they had the same first class. Kitty chatted on and on about petty things occurring around the school. Iris quickly grew bored that plainly showed through her drab, brown eyes. She fingered the bruise on her cheek that was now a sallow yellow. Even though two days had passed, Iris's minor injuries still smarted. She surveyed the hallway for something of interest when she noticed the Brotherhood of Mutants (Tabitha not present) hanging around a group of lockers. She glanced hastily away as she didn't want them to see her. Iris wasn't sure what their reaction might be in seeing her again. Unfortunately, they saw her.
"Hey you!" Lance's voice boomed out. Iris resisted the instinct to dash away and set her face to a poker expression.
//They won't do anything stupid in front of all these students.// she chided herself. She forcefully turned towards them.
"Yah...what is it?" she replied in a smart-alecky tone. Lance walked in front of her and stood in her way, unfazed.
"So, you joined these X-geeks I expect." he said, nodding in the direction of Kurt and Kitty who were stood in one spot.
"Yup...you got a problem with that?" Iris questioned. Lance nodded, smirking.
"Sure I've got a problem. Just like I've always had one with the X-geeks."
Kurt tried to interject. "Now vait a minute....."
Lance turned to Kurt and interrupted him "Be quiet blue-fur. This is in-between me and her." Kurt became silent. Lance turned back to Iris.
"You're a pretty powerful mutant. Doesn't make any sense to me why you hang out with these jerks. This is your final chance to come into the Brotherhood of Mutants."
Iris retorted without skipping a beat. "Not taken."
Lance's eyes widened subtly. He sneered at the Chinese girl before him. "How about this?" he sang out. He brought out her sketch pad. He dangled it like a prize before her stoic face.
"This belongs to you I bet." he gloated. He came closer until a millilitre away from Iris. "Is it something precious thing to your heart?"
"What's precious to my heart?" Iris asked, eyes a humorous turquoise. Lance looked at his hand which was now empty.
"What the...." he swore. He looked frantically around him. "I swear it was just here a few minutes ago."
"I think you need glasses." said Iris who bent down. She stood back up with her sketch pad cradled delicately between her fingers.
Lance's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How did you do that?"
Iris flipped through her sketch pad and replied without looking up, "Magic." Her eyes now a deep sky blue looked up at him. "It was child's play." Before Lance could say a word she sprinted down the hallway, slipping easily through the crowd of people. All the teenage mutants just stood there in the middle of the moving throng. Then the bell rung and as if in a daze they went to their first class.
Pietro had watched all of this with the rest of the Brotherhood. Seeing Iris, he felt no emotion, no passion unlike the time when he saw her drawing. All he felt in seeing her was indifference, as if she was an average girl, with a bit of resentment because of the bleeding nose she gave her. Pietro wondered what on earth could he have been thinking when he saw that drawing, a drawing of him in the most ridiculous and embarrassing position possible. He resolved to rip up the paper once he got home. Yet he felt a bit of a stirring in him whenever he thought of Iris, something that was trying to resurface, but was buried too deep.
//Am I going crazy?// he wondered.
Was it this chapter good? Personally, I don't think so but THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU READERS HAVE TO STOP READING MY FANFIC!!! Please continue going checking on it for updates and sending reviews. At the end...I think that I made Pietro too reflective as this doesn't seem to be his style. If you agree with me please tell me! Then I can work more on Pietro's personality. I forgot to say thanks to FukaiMori at the beginning. *turns to FukaiMori* So thanks FukaiMori for your review! Gave me more confidence to NOT change Iris the way she is. I'll properly thank you in the next chapter. *turns back to readers* My next chapter might take long to upload, maybe a few weeks. It's because of schoolwork so don't blame it on me! Blame it on the school system who had the great idea to make students bring work from school to work on at home. I'm wondering whether or not I should start on another fanfic since I haven't finished this one yet. Should I? Please send a reply! Ciao! Keep on checking on my fanfic!