Standing By The Bridge

Written By: Kaede Kinkade

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Disclaimer: I only own Kali, I'm just borrowing the X-Men for the time being…they're all locked up in my closet.

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Rating: PG-13

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Author's Note: Hmmm, well I'd just love to thank those of you that have reviewed, you have no idea how much that helps. With just one review, I started another chapter ^_^ so they really do help. And I'd love to hear some of your idea's about where you would like this story to go. Thank-you, and do review!

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Note: / = telepathic conversation /

* = The Dead's conversation *

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Chapter Two: What Dreams May Come

Kali felt like killing herself, like jumping from her new room's window. Why did she even agree to this? Currently her room-mate was no where to be seen, which probably was good. Her room-mate seemed to have a very obvious style, and that style was to keep her half of the room very neat. To Kali this was anything but good, Kali's style was if it fall's on the floor…it stays on the floor until she needed it.

It was a good way of life.

The moment that they had arrived at the school, Kali knew she had made a mistake. A big…huge…mistake. There were kid's every where, mostly getting in snowball fights or having fun with their powers.

These were, in Kali's eyes…normal kid's. Normal teen's doing the things that she should be doing. She stood outside the X-Van watching as Logan dismissed Scott to go and do whatever he wanted to do. Logan came up next to her, just standing there for a moment as she took it all in.

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Logan was amused at the look of horror on Kali's face, it reminded him slightly of him when he first came to the school. They both could handle killing people, but going to a place with a high population of teenage kid's…that was a different story. He clapped his hand on her shoulder bringing her forward.

"Someone will take care to bring yer bag's…er…boxes up to your room later…but for now…you get to meet the rest of the faculty."

"Joy." She stated to him with a slight flat look as they headed inside. Logan shook his head, she definitely wasn't a normal seventeen year old.

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Henry 'Hank' McCoy was currently in the rec room sitting on the large tan sofa and taking up a good portion of it, opposite to him was The Professor, who currently held a very thoughtful look on his face as the two men watched a newscast on the local killings.

"So you say, that the murderer of these criminal's is a seventeen year old mutant?" Hank asked yet again as he folded his large furry blue hands in his lap. Hank couldn't believe a seventeen year old could kill so many, he had been teaching teenager's a good part of his life. He never came across one that seemed homicidal the way this girl seemed.

"That is correct Henry. She is a very unique girl, and as hard as it is to believe…she is a killer…of killer's." As soon as The Professor finished that sentence of explanation, Logan strode into the room followed by Kali who didn't really care to look around.

Normally anyone who walked in would have been trying to grow more eyes just to look around the luxurious mansion…but Kali didn't, and The Professor had an idea that the dead were telling her all about this place.

Hank looked the small girl up and down, was The Professor correct about her? Was she a killer? She sure didn't look like it, but as Hank well knew looks could be deceiving. Kali seemed amused by him, perhaps it was the fact that he did indeed look like the cookie monster. She tilted her head down slightly, and smiled to herself. Well at least she was more polite then most of the other newcomers.

"Ah, Kali…it's good to see you again. And welcome to the school, this…" The professor started waving a hand towards Hank, "Is one of our teacher's here Mr. McCoy, unfortunately he is the only other one here at this current moment. Our resident weather goddess is helping her nephew with his new found powers…"

As the Professor explained that Kali took Hank's offered hand with a smile,

"Nice to meet ya." She stated with a melodic voice.

Maybe all killer's weren't insane, this Kali seemed perfectly normal…well normal enough.

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Kali was then led to a hall with many door's, some open revealing teen's doing mundane thing's like homework, or talking on the phone. Some just were open to show a mess of a room, finally Professor Xavier stopped at a door towards the end of the hall.

"You'll be sharing this room with another seventeen year old, Jean Grey, she's both a telepath and telekinetic."

And that's what led Kali to be sitting on a bare mattress with her eyes glued to the other side of the room. This sure was going to be interesting.

*Thing's are never as they seem…* A voice that was not her own interrupted her thoughts causing Kali to cringe…seems like the dead would be invading her mind tonight.

"So I've been told…" Kali stated back before getting up and opening the nearby box that said 'bedding' on one side in her large sloppy hand writing.

*This place isn't only a training facility for mutants…* Another voice stated with a slight trail of laughter behind it.

These were two voices that Kali was used to, they've been stuck inside limbo for as long as she had her powers…the voices were her dead parents.

"I don't care…" She sang song back at them while securing her hunter green sheet's on the twin bed as best as possible…they used to fit on a double, but now she would have to force them to fit on a twin. She sighed and shuddered slightly as the feeling that the voices brought retreated.

That's the way most of her life had been, even if her parent's were dead…they were still putting their two cent's in. For some reason they didn't leave limbo, ever since they found out that they could still talk to their daughter still…guide her…why leave limbo?

They weren't really her parent's though, she was adopted when she was three, but they were as close to a mother and father she would ever have. Sometimes, she was grateful that she still could hear them…while other's…she hated it.

The bed was made finally, although it wasn't as neat as Jean's and probably not as neat as other's at the school…she kind of had other thing's on her mind other then to make sure her bedding was neat.

Kali sat on the bed for a moment before allowing herself to fall completely back on the bed, turning her head to bury it into one of her pillows. It smelled like Frank, his aftershave, his shampoo, his sweat, Frank. A hefty sigh escaped from Kali's pale lips before sitting back up and glancing at her watch that was secured around her small wrist. She hadn't even been gone three hours and she had already begun missing Frank…that was just…sad.

She shook her head and gave a slight laugh as she spoke to herself, "You've totally lost it Kali…" And with that she got up and opened up the box filled with her books and files that Frank had so carefully packed for her. 'Might as well stay as organized as possible here…' Kali thought as she started placing her books onto the empty desk next to her bed.

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Jean had heard from Scott about the new girl, who Scott had explained was a little different. Jean had been alerted earlier that afternoon that the new girl would be her room-mate. At first she hated the idea, she was a senior…she should get her own room. That would be unfair of her to think like that though, a few of the other senior's had room-mate's too. She couldn't be the only one without.

She had spent the first part of the afternoon with Hank, moving her room around so that a new bed, a desk, and a dresser would all fit along with her stuff. It wasn't that hard, for the most part she used her powers. All the while wondering about the new girl.

Scott was nice in his explanation of the girl, but Jean knew what he thought of her. She wasn't going to let what he thought effect what she thought of the new girl though. Scott explained Kali simply,

"Well…she can hear the dead…she kill's killer's in her spare time…and is in a sexual relationship with a man who is about as old as Mr. McCoy."

Jean frowned at the last part, he didn't know if Kali was sexual with the older man…Scott just saw them kissing. Jean wanted to get along with this new girl though, after all if you didn't get a long with your room-mate it would be a tough living arrangement. So Jean smiled as she walked towards her door, shopping bag's in hand from going to the mall with Kitty and Rogue.

She knew the new girl was inside at that very moment, unpacking…Jean glanced around the hallway looking for some excuse not to go in at that moment. She didn't want to admit it, but she was slightly scared by this new girl.

"Tough cookies." Jean scolded herself with a grin, she had faced Magneto…she sure as heck could face her room-mate. With that she walked into the room.

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Kali was currently lining her books up in stacks on either side of her desk, keeping in mind to put the one's she didn't use much on the bottom of the stack's, and the one's she used constantly towards the top of the stacks. She had just got done with the second stack and was moving on to putting her files and nice little piles on her desk when someone opened the door and stepped in.

Her room-mate. Kali raised her brow's as she looked over the smiling red head who currently placed to shopping bag's on the ground before coming forward and holding out her hand.

"Hi, I'm Jean your room-mate. It's nice to finally meet you." She stated with a million dollar smile, causing Kali to cringe on the inside.

Kali sucked it up though, she was going to be living with the girl for Pete's sake…she had to at least be civil. She took the girl's offered hand with her own pale one,

"Hi, it's nice to meet you to Jean. I'm Kali…though I'm sure that you already know that." Kali stated with her best and most perky voice she could manage.

This was going to be hell.

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This was going to be great!

Jean was right, Scott had been totally wrong about Kali. She was nice, and sweet…but Kali did give off a vibe that made Jean think that Kali was older or something, it was strange…Jean wouldn't pay any attention about that. She was to busy helping Kali unpack. The sooner that Kali unpacked the sooner Jean could take her to meet the rest of the kid's at the school.

Jean currently was unpacking a box full of cloths that looked as though they had just been dropped inside the box.

"Jeez, these thing's look like they've been on the floor or in that box forever…" She stated while folding a pair of worn blue jeans and placing them carefully inside Kali's new dresser.

Kali laughed slightly as she started to open the last unopened box, labeled misc.

"Well, I never really had time to worry about how my cloths looked…" She stated tugging out a picture frame from the box. Jean smiled, watching as Kali carefully put the frame on her nightstand…it seemed like Kali wasn't as awful as Scott made her out to be.

"Who's that?" She asked while folding another article of clothing and placing it in the dresser before heading towards Kali to get a better look at the picture in the frame.

"That would be Frank…" Kali started while pulling out something else from the box.

Jean carefully picked up the frame to see a man laying on a sofa sleeping, the dark brown hair that looked like it was receding and the five o'clock shadow made Jean smile…yep he definitely was older then Kali.

"Is he your…." Jean started off as she set the picture frame back on the nightstand.

"Boyfriend?" Kali questioned, filling in the last word of Jean's sentence while she picked up a very large sword out of the box, causing the red head to give a slight gasp.

"Y…yeah, is he?"

"Yeah, Frank is my boyfriend so to speak…"

"Isn't he a little…"

"Old, yeah…I get that a lot…but…"

"You love him."

With Jean's last statement Kali nodded silently before placing the large sword she held against the wall before pulling out a small dagger from the box. Jean raised a brow slightly and gave a small gulp.

"What are those for?" She questioned, almost not wanting an answer. Kali was okay…well at least before okay…now sword holding Kali was frightening.

"What ya think there for?" Kali started, cringing slightly. Jean knew that Kali was regretting her slightly rude words as Kali bumbled to rephrase what they were for.

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"I'm sorry…I'm just a little on edge." Kali started shaking her head slightly. Why did she have to have a room-mate at all. Just the look that Jean had on her face alone, let Kali know that she was scared of her.

Kali sat on her bed, holding the dagger close to her in her lap for a moment, twisting it about as she tried to form the best phrasing to explain to jean what her weaponry was for.

Every second that went by Kali was wanting to jump out that damn window.

"Listen, I know that I'm not your run of the mill newbie…I can live with my powers…it's just…Frank thought this would help…so I came here. I know that you know I'm a killer…I don't kill for pleasure…or for fun…it's something I have to do…"

"You have to kill?" Jean interrupted, now sitting on a nearby desk chair.

"It's not like that…I mean you say it so bluntly…well here…let's think of it this way…you're a telepath right?"

Jean nodded, and Kali sighed slightly…hating this even more.

"Well, pretend the voices came and went as they pleased and you couldn't really shut them up…and one day they came into your head screaming…giving you visions of their death…the pain the felt…and asking you one question…will you kill the person that killed them?" By now Kali had pulled out a few throwing star's as well from the box and placed them on her nightstand.

"They ask you to kill?"

"Well…no…not really, it's more like torture my mind with their pain until I avenge their deaths…" Kali explained with a grim grin.

Jean just nodded slightly and for thirty minutes they finished unpacking her cloths and her weapons, until finally Jean spoke up again.

"Well…now that your unpacked, how about we go downstairs and introduce you to some people…besides dinner will be soon."

Kali just shrugged and let herself be led out of her room by Jean, a headache was enclosing in over her left temple and her eye twitched slightly listening to Jean talk about some of the residents…she was so…perky.

Hopefully it would get better before it got worse.

And much worse it would get in the weeks to come…Kali had no idea then how bad life could actually get.

Chapter Two, complete January, 30th.

Woo, I got five reviews so far! I'm sorry that this chapter was slightly lame…but I swear it will get better. But keep in mind this is going to be a looooooooooooong fan fiction. So I wanted to take some time to develop Kali's relationship with those around the mansion before the plot really takes off.

In the next chapter: What the hell is a Magneto? Fuzzy blue elf boy's shouldn't play tricks on a killer of killer's during the middle of the night, and late night talk's with Logan

I'd like to thank,

Pyromaniac: You were the first to review, and I'm super happy that you even reviewed again! I'm sorry that Kali didn't share a room with Rogue…but Rogue is with Kitty…and I wanted to torture Kali by having Jean as a roomie.

Darksensations: I'm happy you like it, I really am, and for the next chapter I'll take out the [--------] just for you…I didn't know that they were distracting. Thanks for reviewing twice as well!

And finally,

Goldylokz: Yeah, Frank is from the show Haunted ^_^