Title: A Little Morlock's Storm

Author: Viral

Disclaimer: I do not own Storm, Leech, or the X-Men alike. This is fan fiction: a fan's version of expression in which he/she wishes to portray character(s) aside from the creator's original concepts and/or ideas.

Author's Note: Leech does not speak correct English, but I will try to make his words as clear as possible. This story also takes place... only a short while after Storm has assumed control over the Morlocks and has defeated Callisto. But, obviously in an alternate universe since Gambit is already on the team. This story, hopefully, will fulfill two fan fiction challenges in one blow.

Challenge 1: Write a story about a character hardly ever used by the comics OR in fanfiction. Any style, any kind, any way.

Challenge 2: Write about friendships -- and not the "X-Women all go out together kind," either. Link up people who you think would make good friends, or use people who are supposed to be friends but seldom have time to interact in the actual comics.

Characters Include: Leech and Storm
Cameos Include: Jean, Gambit, Cyclops, and Iceman

-=-=-=-

The sky was dark with stars glimmering like precious gems over the dark form of the Xavier's Institute. A small form made his way out from the trees of the forest that surrounded the old mansion, his entire shape black under the night sky. The only thing that made him visible was his fluorescent yellow eyes, which had no irises or pupils. His heart was racing fast and his breaths were clearly visible in the cold weather.

He slowly took a detailed look at the mansion as he stood still. He then begin to run fast once more as he prepared to make a daring attempt at jumping onto the top of the black-railed fence, which kept the mansion secluded from everything else. Building up strength in his small legs, the little green mutant made his last step while running before using his knees and muscle pressure to send him into the air. He latched his hands onto the top of the fence before finally flipping over the fence.

Immediately, inside the mansion, Scott Summers picked up the security system flaw. Looking onto the computer monitors, which silently blinked with red lights, he noticed the small figure moving forward. Scoffing at the disturbance, he walked back into the Dining Hall where he was before. "Ororo, it's your turn."

"Scott, you were already up!" Remy Lebeau said angrily, "Why should my Storm have to go do dat?"

"Remy, he is correct. It is most certainly my turn. Do not worry, it will not take me long to appropriately welcome our uninvited guest," Ororo said with a very light smile on her face as she stood from the table. She bent down and kissed Remy on the cheek before leaving the Dining Hall.

Ororo Munroe was dressed in a long, flowing white and silky-material gown as she walked out of the room. Her blue eyes complimented her silvery-white hair as it glistened under the lights of the Institute. His golden brown skin demanded attention as she made her way up the main staircase and onto the main balcony where she caught a glimpse of the small running intruder.

'Ororo,' Jean Grey said telepathically, 'Scott wants to know if you need the bright lights on to see your target better.'

'I am fine, Jean' Ororo answers back as the wind begins to carry her body towards the clouds, 'I appreciate your asking, but you must remember, my senses are slightly heightened. And I believe a stealth attack from the clouds will surely slow down my prey.'

Ororo closes her eyes as dark clouds began to cover the diamond sky and a harsh rain began to fall. She opened her eyes again, to see the small boy still running in the direction of the mansion. Not wishing to harm whomever it was, a lightning bolt immediately shot down from the sky and into the ground. The boy, being only a few feet from where the lightning bolt hit, hesitated to go forward, feeling the heat and his tattered clothing stick to his body. But eventually, he was back at his speed and running towards the mansion again.

"For a little one, he seems very courageous to try and get pass me," Ororo says to herself with her eyes exerting electrical energy and her hands extended in the air to balance her flight. A gust of cold wind sent the boy flying backwards and onto the ground as Ororo began to release the weight of air supporting her body and began to slowly lose altitude.

"Now, to find out who he is," she says as the rain stops and a whirlwind began to pick up the young boy and brought him towards her body. Suddenly, the boy dropped and she also began to lose altitude. "What is happening?!" she yelled as she fell and her hair whipped around in all directions. Headed for a detailed impact with the ground her body was suddenly supported by the muscular arms of Bobby Drake.

"Mommy not know how to use her powers," Bobby joked as he let her down.

"Robert, this is no time for joking," she said as she lifted her hands in the air, "I am unable to use my abilities."

"Me either," he said as he finally realized what was going on. "Freaky stuff, dude. Aren't you on a date with Remy, doubling with Jean and Scotty tonight?"

"Yes, I am supposed to be. But more pressing matters have occurred," she said as she suddenly sprints towards the mansion. Now she spoke to herself, "If the intruder thinks canceling my mutant abilities will stop me, he does not know I am a mistress of thieves. I will not be easily eluded."

When she reached the mansion, she listened for exterior movement and managed to hear someone on the balcony above. She grabbed a hold on the gas pole, which spread heat throughout the entire mansion through its ventilation system. She shimmied up gracefully until she reached the balcony, where she then jumped off and silently landed on the balcony. With removed heels, she ran on her toes inside the mansion.

'This would be much easier if it were possible for me to use my flight abilities,' Ororo thought to herself, but did not complain. If she had survived a childhood on the dangerous alleys of Cairo, she could most certainly capture the little child who was now scurrying down the halls of Xavier's Institute.

"Welcome," she said in a light tone, meant to scare whomever it was. The small, shadow-covered figure turned towards her. Yellow eyes were the only things that could be recognized as the boy blinked and, in a very quick motion, grabbed a pair of sneakers that he had prepared to steal before Ororo had approached the room.

He then looked towards the window and attempted to run out, but was stopped when Ororo's strong arms pulled his hooded sweatshirt and turned him around. Dragging him with her into the hallway, she finally could see his face with the bright fluorescent lights elegantly built into the ceiling. "Leech?"

"Ah!" the little green mutant screamed as he attempted to compass himself free from Ororo's grip. "Leech not want trouble from Storm-leader-of-Morlocks!"

"Leech, calm down," Ororo said. The fear he had of her was more than overwhelming. She and Leech had talked a lot since Callisto's defeat, but she never seemed able to get through to the little mutant who continuously remembered Ororo's fury. "I will not harm you, little one."

"Leech sorry! Leech not mean hurt to X-Men!" Leech continued to scream in hysterical fear. Ororo was becoming confused by his lack of education and irregular speech patterns.

"Leech, slow down," she released his sweatshirt but stood in his way so he could not run away. "Why are you here? Is there something wrong?"

"Leech need shoes. Leech feet cold and hurt," he said, hanging his head down low. Ororo expected tears to come out of his eyes, but before they did she reached down to his short body and pulled him close to her.

"Child, there is no need to steal. As leader of the Morlocks it is my obligation to make sure your needs are met. Next time, just come and ask me."

"Sorry," Leech said, stepping back a little bit from Ororo's hug, just enough to look up to her smiling face and to crack a smile of his own.

-=-=-

"Remy, I apologize for having to leave you like this, but the child really needs some sneakers to cover his feet," Ororo said with a sorrowful tone in her voice.

"Why do dis always happen to us, Stormy?" Remy said in an understanding yet annoyed approach in his voice.

"I do not know," she said as she bent down to kiss Remy on the cheek as he sat at the dinner table with Scott and Jean who had yet to finish their food in their nosey pursuit of Ororo's situation. Ororo stepped to the threshold of the Dining Hall and then turned back around, "And Remy, I advise you not to call me by that foolish name anymore."

-=-=-

"Where does Storm take Leech?" the little green mutant, resembling a live cucumber, asked as he looked out of the car windows. It had been the first time that he could remember, inside of an automobile.

"It is a building filled with stores, called a mall," Ororo said as she stopped at a red light. If only she could remember where to make the right turn, things would be fine. She looked down the unfamiliar roads, having only been to this particular mall twice before.

"Leech steal from stores?" he asked with absolute honesty in his voice.

"No, you will not steal. I shall pay for whatever you need," Ororo said as her foot released off the brake and began to put force on the gas pedal when the light turned green.

After a few more minutes of silent driving, except for Leech sneezing periodically, the two arrived in the mall parking lot. "There seems to be no close parks available to us," she says as she attempts to call a forceful wind to her aid. As the weather does not respond to her calling, she remembers how close she is to Leech. "Leech, can you close your dampening field as close as possible to yourself for a few seconds?"

"Leech try," he said as he closed his eyes tightly and Ororo felt her eyes turn into their cloudy white. Reaching out her hand slightly over the dashboard, the wind began to pick up outside. A car that was in the parking space she desired began to shake violently until the wind finally lifted it up and double-parked it in the middle of the road. Apparently, Ororo was not accustomed to American ways yet, either. She smiled with approval as she pulled into the empty parking space.

-=-=-

"Let us see what this store has to offer," Ororo said, holding Leech's scrawny green hand in her formed caramel hand. She gently walked inside of a sneaker store, finding men staring at her. This attention she liked. Her high heels demanded their ears to be focused as they heavily made their elegant steps across the floor. And despite the long gown that she was wearing, they all tried to sneak a peak at the size of her posterior when she walked pass them. Apparently, she had attracted their attention so much that they had yet to notice the little green mutant clinging to her.

"Come sit," she said to Leech with glamour in her eyes as she sat down on one of the leather-covered benches, supplied for trying on sneakers.

"Do you know what size you wear?" she said to the little green mutant as she pulled his legs up onto the leather bench as well and began to examine his bruised feet. Leech shook his head no and Ororo allowed him to put his feet back on the floor. "Well, first, we must figure that out."

"Need some help, ma'am," a young Latino said with a sparkle in his eyes as Ororo turned around to view him.

"Yes, actually I do," she said, gently grabbing his hand, which sent shivers down his spine. She lead him around the bench over to wear Leech was, simply moving her arm and dragging him lightly as she continued to sit there. "We are trying to figure out what size my little friend's feet are," Ororo said with a smile as she nodded her head to Leech.

Obviously, the Latin boy was not mutant-prejudiced, as he bent down and pulled out a metal tool, which could find the proper shoe size for a person just by moving the side handles until there was a snug measurement.

"He has some big pies, to be so little," the boy laughed as he finally found the size for Leech. He abruptly stopped his giggling when he noticed the frown on Ororo's face. Instead of frowning as well, Leech was humming and rocking his head back and forth, exhibiting his short attention span. "Roughly, a size 8 in men. You may want to get an 8.5 just in case though, mi reina Nubian."

Ororo hadn't noticed he had called her his 'Nubian queen', and much to his dismay. "Leech, come, let us find you something to keep your feet warm."

"Yay!" Leech said as he jumped up, disregarding the employee who was putting the foot-measuring tool back in its place. "Leech want black shoes!" he said with excitement as he pointed to a pair of black Timberland boots.

"Come, child, we shall try them on you."

-=-=-

After spending all night with the little green mutant, buying him clothing and footwear, she was aware of his exhaustion. "Now, Leech, you do understand that there is no need for you to steal. You shall come speak to me, next time?"

"Yes," he said, but was interrupted by his own yawn, "Yeeees. Leech come talk to Storm-leader-of-Morlocks next time."

Ororo chuckled at the long name and continued to drive. "'Storm' is fine."

"Okaaa..." his word drifted off as another yawn erupted from his throat and escaped from his mouth.

"Would you like to go back to the Morlock Tunnels tonight?" Ororo asked, hoping within herself to spend more time with him.

"No. Leech want to stay with Storm-leader-of-Morlocks until morning come."

Before Ororo could respond, she noticed the little green Morlock was sleep and chuckled. "I am your Storm, little Morlock."

-=-=-=-

Closing Notes: Bad writer's block on this one, eh? Hopefully I can dish out something a lot better in the near future.