Disclaimer: All characters (except the ones you don't recognize, they're my little inventions), are trademark of Marvel Comics. I claim no part in them. I'm just using what they started with.
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Rogue walked into the mansion's dining room and stopped. She and the others had returned home briefly from their secret mission to search for Destiny's Diaries. They were tired and needed rest and healing, but they were also on their guard. The diaries had already driven her foster mother, Mystique, mad. All they needed was for Charles Xavier, the world's most powerful telepath to lose his sanity. Now Thunderbird, Beast, Storm, Gambit, Bishop, Sage, and herself were back at the mansion, pretending like nothing was amiss.
She walked over to the breakfast table and took a seat across from Storm. As she reached for a piece of toast, she could feel Ororo's liquid blue eyes boring into her skull. Rogue lifted her eyes to meet the stare as if to confirm the urgency of Storm's intent. At that moment, Professor Xavier walked into the room. He was their teacher, the surrogate father, their reason for being where they were.
He stopped at the head of the table and telepathically called for the attention of his students. "I have an announcement to make," he began. "Today, we may be bringing on a new faculty member to the school. I will introduce you to her after breakfast." And with that, Xavier took a cup of coffee from the table and left the room.
Rogue heard someone mutter from the other end of the table, "Wonder what dat was about?"
"Who knows Cajun, we'll find out after chow. Pass me those sausages, will ya Bishop?"
Rogue looked across the table to Storm and nodded. With that, they both rose from the table and walked towards the door.
"Where ya goin' Rogue? Haven't even touched a t'ing."
"Ah'm not very hungrt Remy. Storm and Ah are goin' to the danger room for some exercise."
"Alright, but it ain't good to train on an empty stomach," he said, tossing her an apple. He just winked and grinned and went back to a conversation he was having with Wolverine.
Storm raised her hand to knock on the professor's study door, but before she could make a sound, a disembodied voice said, "Enter."
Rogue followed behind Storm and noticed a tall, hooded figure by the fireplace. "Professor..." she began.
"Storm, Rogue," he interrupted, "I want you to meet Andrea Norwood. She came to us from Birmingham, England seeking employment with the Institute."
Storm extened her hand to the woman, "Ms. Norwood, it is a pleasure making your acquantance, and I would like to welcome you to the Xavier Institute."
"You control the weather, don't you?"
"Why, yes, but how did you know? Professor?"
"Andrea has the ability of perception. She can perceive a person's abilities before even learning their name. In a mutant's case, their powers. Think of it as a type of precognition."
"I see."
Andrea reached out to shake hands with Rogue, but she pulled away. "I don' bite, love."
"Rogue ahs the ability..."
"...To absorb a mu'ants powers and memories, correct?"
"Yes, but she wears gloves and protective clothing to prevent herself from harming others. Is there a problem Rogue?"
"That's what Ah wanted to talk to you about professor. Ah think...."
And at that moment Gambit stepped through the door. "Did mus' be our new hopeful, non?" He walked over to Andrea and bent over to kiss her hand and stopped. He looked over at Rogue. "I thought you was goin' to de Danger Room wit' Stormy?"
"Ah thought Ah'd see our new recruit before we went."
"I see, you tryin' to avoid ol' Gambit, dat's okay, he use to bein' avoided." He looked up at the cloaked face of the new mutant and grinned. "Maybe did one 'ere won' be so hard to get, non?"
"Gambit, that's enough," Xavier interjected. "Rogue, you came to tell me something?"
But right then, the rest of the X-men started to file in through the doors of the study, murmuring various conversations.
"It can wait."
"Very well then. X-men, I want you all to meet our newest recruit, Andrea Norwood, from England."
Wolverine stepped up to her and tried to peer at her face. "What's with the cloak darlin'? Afraid we'll toss ya out cuz you're uglier than Beast?"
"I take offense to that Logan. A number of women find my appearance very attractive."
Xavier held up his hand to tell the two friends to stop their bickering. "Andrea," he began, "you are in no danger here. Here appearances do not matter, only what is in the heart and mind."
The young woman undid the clasp of the cloak and pulled the hood back, allowing the mass of cloth to fall soundlessly to the floor. She reminded Logan immediately of Stacy X, but Andrea's features were much harsher and serpent like. She had amber skin and her body was clothed in a green jumpsuit. Her eyes were completely black, save for a yellow slit in the center of each. On the edge of her face and cascading across her shoulders were tiny, yellow scales. She had small ridges on her head, starting from her hairline and running down to the base of her skull. Between each ridge was a lock of light gray hair and each lock was gathered at the neck into a tight ponytail.
Xavier smiled at his students. They were dumbfounded. All but Rogue. She sat quietly off to the side in the shadows, eating an apple.
"As I have explained to Rogue and Storm," he began, "Andrea has the ability of perception. She can perceive a mutants powers and limitations. She is also trained in medicine and is looking to come onboard to help Beast as school doctor and to teach some first aid classes.
Rogue spoke up, "You're from England, right sugah?"
Andrea nodded.
"Then why not stay there? Ah hear they're a lot nicer t' mutants there."
Andrea looked up and stared hard at Rogue. "Because the opportunities presented to me here in the U.S. are far greater than if I had stayed in the U.K.," she snapped.
"X-corps," Rogue rebutted.
"I want to teach."
"Please, you two, that is enough," Xavier interrupted. "Andrea is perfectly welcome here at the school. I have reviewed her background and am prepared to offer her a job. I thought I would introduce her to the other teachers and, since you're visiting, Storm's team, first to break the ice. If there are no objections, I believe, Ms. Norwood, you can, as they say, set up shop in our med-bay."
The other X-men voiced their approvals. Xavier looked over to Rogue and raised an eyebrow.
"Why should Ah care? Ah'm on the field team, remember? It makes no difference to me who you hire. We're gonna be outta here in a few days anyway." With that, Rogue spun around and stomped out, stopping briefly to extend her claws to puncture the molding on the door.
The other X-men stared on in stunned silence.
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Okay, now that you've read you must review. Hop to it, quick, like a bunny! Things are gonna start gathering speed here soon. I still have one more character to introduce and then things'll definetely get yummy. And yes, there will be some high tension between Rogue and the good doctor. Umm, I'm also gonna try and start posting twice a week. Saturdays and Wednesdays, see how that goes. You guys tell me if you like the new schedule. It's just that things are getting kinda hectic and I don't know how much time I'll have to devote to this, but I'll try. I've got a lot of stuff written right now, but I'm just gonna give it to you a little at a time to give me time to write more. So gimme you're responses.
Quick facts from the actual books. Yes, Professor X can walk again, thanks to a Chinese mutant by the name of Xorn. He's basically a miniature sun with incredible healing abilities. Stacy X is reptilian mutant prostitute, able to control pheremones and the like. I hope that does it for now.
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Rogue walked into the mansion's dining room and stopped. She and the others had returned home briefly from their secret mission to search for Destiny's Diaries. They were tired and needed rest and healing, but they were also on their guard. The diaries had already driven her foster mother, Mystique, mad. All they needed was for Charles Xavier, the world's most powerful telepath to lose his sanity. Now Thunderbird, Beast, Storm, Gambit, Bishop, Sage, and herself were back at the mansion, pretending like nothing was amiss.
She walked over to the breakfast table and took a seat across from Storm. As she reached for a piece of toast, she could feel Ororo's liquid blue eyes boring into her skull. Rogue lifted her eyes to meet the stare as if to confirm the urgency of Storm's intent. At that moment, Professor Xavier walked into the room. He was their teacher, the surrogate father, their reason for being where they were.
He stopped at the head of the table and telepathically called for the attention of his students. "I have an announcement to make," he began. "Today, we may be bringing on a new faculty member to the school. I will introduce you to her after breakfast." And with that, Xavier took a cup of coffee from the table and left the room.
Rogue heard someone mutter from the other end of the table, "Wonder what dat was about?"
"Who knows Cajun, we'll find out after chow. Pass me those sausages, will ya Bishop?"
Rogue looked across the table to Storm and nodded. With that, they both rose from the table and walked towards the door.
"Where ya goin' Rogue? Haven't even touched a t'ing."
"Ah'm not very hungrt Remy. Storm and Ah are goin' to the danger room for some exercise."
"Alright, but it ain't good to train on an empty stomach," he said, tossing her an apple. He just winked and grinned and went back to a conversation he was having with Wolverine.
Storm raised her hand to knock on the professor's study door, but before she could make a sound, a disembodied voice said, "Enter."
Rogue followed behind Storm and noticed a tall, hooded figure by the fireplace. "Professor..." she began.
"Storm, Rogue," he interrupted, "I want you to meet Andrea Norwood. She came to us from Birmingham, England seeking employment with the Institute."
Storm extened her hand to the woman, "Ms. Norwood, it is a pleasure making your acquantance, and I would like to welcome you to the Xavier Institute."
"You control the weather, don't you?"
"Why, yes, but how did you know? Professor?"
"Andrea has the ability of perception. She can perceive a person's abilities before even learning their name. In a mutant's case, their powers. Think of it as a type of precognition."
"I see."
Andrea reached out to shake hands with Rogue, but she pulled away. "I don' bite, love."
"Rogue ahs the ability..."
"...To absorb a mu'ants powers and memories, correct?"
"Yes, but she wears gloves and protective clothing to prevent herself from harming others. Is there a problem Rogue?"
"That's what Ah wanted to talk to you about professor. Ah think...."
And at that moment Gambit stepped through the door. "Did mus' be our new hopeful, non?" He walked over to Andrea and bent over to kiss her hand and stopped. He looked over at Rogue. "I thought you was goin' to de Danger Room wit' Stormy?"
"Ah thought Ah'd see our new recruit before we went."
"I see, you tryin' to avoid ol' Gambit, dat's okay, he use to bein' avoided." He looked up at the cloaked face of the new mutant and grinned. "Maybe did one 'ere won' be so hard to get, non?"
"Gambit, that's enough," Xavier interjected. "Rogue, you came to tell me something?"
But right then, the rest of the X-men started to file in through the doors of the study, murmuring various conversations.
"It can wait."
"Very well then. X-men, I want you all to meet our newest recruit, Andrea Norwood, from England."
Wolverine stepped up to her and tried to peer at her face. "What's with the cloak darlin'? Afraid we'll toss ya out cuz you're uglier than Beast?"
"I take offense to that Logan. A number of women find my appearance very attractive."
Xavier held up his hand to tell the two friends to stop their bickering. "Andrea," he began, "you are in no danger here. Here appearances do not matter, only what is in the heart and mind."
The young woman undid the clasp of the cloak and pulled the hood back, allowing the mass of cloth to fall soundlessly to the floor. She reminded Logan immediately of Stacy X, but Andrea's features were much harsher and serpent like. She had amber skin and her body was clothed in a green jumpsuit. Her eyes were completely black, save for a yellow slit in the center of each. On the edge of her face and cascading across her shoulders were tiny, yellow scales. She had small ridges on her head, starting from her hairline and running down to the base of her skull. Between each ridge was a lock of light gray hair and each lock was gathered at the neck into a tight ponytail.
Xavier smiled at his students. They were dumbfounded. All but Rogue. She sat quietly off to the side in the shadows, eating an apple.
"As I have explained to Rogue and Storm," he began, "Andrea has the ability of perception. She can perceive a mutants powers and limitations. She is also trained in medicine and is looking to come onboard to help Beast as school doctor and to teach some first aid classes.
Rogue spoke up, "You're from England, right sugah?"
Andrea nodded.
"Then why not stay there? Ah hear they're a lot nicer t' mutants there."
Andrea looked up and stared hard at Rogue. "Because the opportunities presented to me here in the U.S. are far greater than if I had stayed in the U.K.," she snapped.
"X-corps," Rogue rebutted.
"I want to teach."
"Please, you two, that is enough," Xavier interrupted. "Andrea is perfectly welcome here at the school. I have reviewed her background and am prepared to offer her a job. I thought I would introduce her to the other teachers and, since you're visiting, Storm's team, first to break the ice. If there are no objections, I believe, Ms. Norwood, you can, as they say, set up shop in our med-bay."
The other X-men voiced their approvals. Xavier looked over to Rogue and raised an eyebrow.
"Why should Ah care? Ah'm on the field team, remember? It makes no difference to me who you hire. We're gonna be outta here in a few days anyway." With that, Rogue spun around and stomped out, stopping briefly to extend her claws to puncture the molding on the door.
The other X-men stared on in stunned silence.
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Okay, now that you've read you must review. Hop to it, quick, like a bunny! Things are gonna start gathering speed here soon. I still have one more character to introduce and then things'll definetely get yummy. And yes, there will be some high tension between Rogue and the good doctor. Umm, I'm also gonna try and start posting twice a week. Saturdays and Wednesdays, see how that goes. You guys tell me if you like the new schedule. It's just that things are getting kinda hectic and I don't know how much time I'll have to devote to this, but I'll try. I've got a lot of stuff written right now, but I'm just gonna give it to you a little at a time to give me time to write more. So gimme you're responses.
Quick facts from the actual books. Yes, Professor X can walk again, thanks to a Chinese mutant by the name of Xorn. He's basically a miniature sun with incredible healing abilities. Stacy X is reptilian mutant prostitute, able to control pheremones and the like. I hope that does it for now.