Ace of Hearts
By Kanshisha Tenshi
Disclaimer: You don't really think I own X-Men: Evolution, do you? The only characters I own are Nega, Neutra, and Repro; and, of course, I own the plot. I'm lazy, so I won't be posting disclaimers in every chapter. The only disclaimer's I'll add are the ones containing new characters in the plot. (By the way, I know this isn't what happens after "Self-Possessed," but that's the joy of fanfiction.) =)
This story takes place a few months after "Self-Possessed," near the end of summer. It's a week before school starts back up. Enjoy, and please review!
~[ 3 ]~
Scott Summers opened the newly-remade mansion's doorway with a yawn. It was nearing the end of his vacation away from school and the last thing he wanted was someone interrupting his sleep. He had spent plenty of quality time with his brother the previous week and was catching up on his dozing when three short, abrupt knocks woke him up. Sighing, he had been the first to reach the entryway.
What he saw there surprised him. There were two people standing outside the door, each looking solemn despite their presumably young appearances.
"Um...can I help you?" he asked, shaking away the shocked expression he was sure had covered his face.
"We're looking for Professor Xavier," one of them--a girl--said.
"What do you want with the Professor?" Scott asked, becoming a bit wary. After all, it wasn't every day--not now, especially--that a mutant came forward looking for training.
"We'll take that up with him, if you don't mind. May we see him?" The girl caught sight of a figure approaching the door--Wolverine.
"Is there a problem?" Logan asked gruffly.
"No, no problem," the girl replied coolly. "My companions and I were just looking for Professor Xavier."
"'Companions'?" Logan questioned doubtfully. "I only see one other--" Then the third person stepped in front of the door, coming from the right. "I'll see if the Professor is up to it," he said warily.
~[ 3 ]~
Professor Xavier looked at the three teenagers standing before him, his arms resting in his lap. Slowly, he nodded his head.
"We've recently rebuilt the institution," he explained. "After all of the news coverage and propaganda, I doubted anyone would dare come forward with their mutant abilities." He paused. "You three are very brave individuals. I think, with proper training, you could be fine additions to our team."
The three new students grinned shyly at him, glancing at each other occasionally.
"However, I need to know what your powers are."
The first girl, the one who had spoken to Scott, stepped forward. Xavier found he was surprised despite himself. She looked like an exact opposite of Rogue, with tan skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair with black bangs. She stood at the same height as Rogue, and he assumed she was the same age.
"My name's Lauren," she said softly. "I prefer to go by Neutra. This is Repro." She indicated the lone male figure, who seemed to tower above the two girls. He was of medium build, and had his arms crossed. With light brown hair and brown eyes, there seemed nothing remarkable about him.
"What kind of names are Neutra and Repro?" Logan asked irritably.
"We took them from our powers," she snapped back at him.
"And what are your powers?" Scott questioned from behind.
"I was getting to that. I have the power to negate other powers. The effect only lasts for a while, though. Repro can produce extra limbs when he needs to." To demonstrate, the boy known as Repro began shaking, and within seconds had sprouted his own pair of black, feathery wings. Scott stared. "He can reproduce himself or something else," Neutra finished, grinning.
"And your friend?" inquired the professor.
"Her name's Nega. She claims to have the same ability as I do, but I have yet to see it." She glanced suspiciously at Nega.
Reading the girl's mind, Xavier discovered Lauren's inner doubts:
Something isn't right about Nega. We just picked her up on our way here. She seemed pretty anxious to get into the institution...
~[ 3 ]~
This isn't fair, thought a sleepy Rogue. Not only do we have another three students t' take care o', but Ah've gotta share mah room with one o' 'em. Thank Gawd the professor had the foresight t' pay for extra rooms an' bathrooms. But why mah room? Ah've already got a roommate! This one's prob'ly worse than Kitty is. Ah hate mah life. At least it ain't as big a surprise as it will be t' Kitty when she an' the girls get back.
~[ 3 ]~
Jean, Kitty, Amara, and Ororo had gone to the beach for the last week of freedom. Ororo had gone as a chaperone, and, knowing teenage girls at the beach, they would need her. Kitty had tried to convince Rogue to come with, but, naturally, the loner had refused.
"Oh, come on, Rogue! This is, like, going to be awesome!"
"Not a chance."
"But...it's the beach! You could, like, used a tan, Rogue. And besides, all the totally gorgeous guys are going to be there..."
"Now why would Ah wanna go for guys, Kitty?" she asked bitterly. "Ya'll know Ah can' touch. No point in meh goin'." Kitty sighed, resigned, and the four girls had left for five days of glorious fun, sun and boys.
~[ 3 ]~
Lauren was in the middle of unpacking her belongings when the door opened and shut silently. She turned her head slightly to look; it was just Rogue, coming back from dropping Kitty's things off somewhere. The whole roommate-plan had been redone since the three new students' arrivals.
"So Ah take ya'll must be Lauren?"
"And you must be Rogue."
"That's what they call meh," she confirmed.
"Yeah, well, I go by Neutra, if you don't mind."
"Neutra? We're gonna have to do better than that if ya wanna be part of the X-Men." There was a long silence.
"So what's with these walls?" Lauren finally asked. "I hate the color white..."
"Meh, too. Ah'd rather have 'em painted black."
"Sounds good. Want to?"
"Ah doubt the professor'd let us."
"Who cares? He won't be sleeping in here." Rogue grinned at her new roommate.
Maybe this won' be so bad after all...
~[ 3 ]~
Author's Notes: I'm tired of typing for now, so that's the end of the first chapter. Review, please, but be merciful! This is my first X-Men anything fic so I may not do too well on their dialect and stuff. The little dividers ~[ 3 ]~ are supposed to be shaped like a card with a heart in it. If I could I'd fit a sideways 'a' in it so you would know it's the Ace of Hearts card. Eventually this should become a romance between Rogue and Gambit, but I have to let it build first. Let me know what you think!
