Peter Rasputin sat down reading his biology book inside the study,
listening to Rogue and Bobby talking. He always felt odd inside the School
for Talented Youngsters. While he was the same age as Bobby, Rogue, and
John, he was very tall and built, towering even Professor Summers. He
looked at Jake, a boy in the sixth grade. Most of the young kids tended to
sit around him. He was admired. What more could be said? It came with
looking the way he did. He was a good-looking guy, his square jaw and spiky
brown hair attracting the attention of most of the girls.
Peter had received the offer of joining the school by Professor Xavier about two years ago. He had come to his parent's house and offered him a safe haven from his previous High School in Kansas. Saving his sister from an oncoming tractor had exposed his mutant ability to make his body become organic steel, and the South has not always been known to be a very tolerant place. He had not known that he had mutant powers, and the emotional and urgent need to save his sister had triggered the dormant ability.
Watching Rogue and Bobby, Peter thought of a funny idea and started drawing to distract himself from his thoughts. But the exposure, the nakedness of suddenly being a mutant, so despised and rejected, was still fresh in his memory. It saddened him, thinking back about his home and playing football with his peers. Granted, he was glad to have the school, which had turned out to be a true intellectual challenge, but he missed the rough housing of his former friends, and the late-night secret meetings between the team and the cheerleaders to go out and cause trouble.
At that moment, John entered the room and sat down on one of the couches. A few of the kids tensed up, although Rogue and Bobby ignored him. Peter threw him a nod, and John nodded back. He had just come from Professor Xavier's office. Peter could tell from John's look that it hadn't gone well. He had caused a scene at the museum, which would have blown up into a riot if the Professor hadn't stepped in. Xavier had frozen all the people in the museum in order to let the other mutant children leave before anyone could do anything. However, showing his power had worked two fold, as he embarrassed John by displaying his own mutant ability, serving as a warning for any other students who choose to step out of line. John lounged, playing with his famous lighter.
Peter sighed as he continued to draw. Suddenly, a short Asian girl plopped down next to him.
"Hey! Whatcha doin?" It was Jubilation Lee (though everyone nicknamed her Jubilee). Her parents had purposefully sought Professor Xavier in order to admit her to the school. Even among non-mutants parents, Xavier's school was prestigious.
"Shouldn't you be reading?"
"Taking a break. Biology isn't my subject."
"You know what you need? A good run through the car wash!" Peter looked at her. "To wake you up! We haven't chilled in the TV room for a while, and my hands are itching to play Alley Fighters! I demanded a rematch!" Peter smiled. Jubilee was completely different from him. She was a city girl, only a year younger than Peter, and had the most outrageous style of propped up hair and large loop earrings with plenty of make-up. She was one of the few girls besides Rogue who saw him as more of a "buddy".
"Sure. How about tonight?"
"Great! See ya there big man!" Jubilee got up and left, practically jumping across the study, and joining a group of girls who all giggled as they went down the hall. Peter finished the final details of his drawing. He looked over just in time to see Bobby looking deeply at Rogue.
"It won't hurt," he said.
Peter looked over to Jake who was doing math problems. "Hey, check this out." Jake took Peter's drawing. He stifled a laugh as he looked at a parody of Bobby getting the life sucked out of him by kissing Rogue. Satisfied, he put the drawing away, and went back to his Biology book.
###############################################################
"Peter!"
Peter looked up. Katherine Pryde stood at the doorway. He had almost finished Professor Monroe's assigned chapter. He didn't want to be interrupted when it was almost time for hoops with Bobby, John and the others. "What is it Kitty?"
"It's Logan! He's back!" Peter immediately got up and followed her, as did John. Logan had been a mutant that had stayed at the school for a time. He was an awesome mutant, having a healing factor that prevented him from suffering too much from injury, and knives that came out of his knuckles.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes! I already saw Rogue heading off to meet him."
Rogue and Logan were very close, after Logan had saved her various times from Magneto. Most of what he knew came from Bobby. Rogue didn't like talking about it, and the teachers kept most of the stuff that involved the X-Men to themselves. Still, Logan's return would be a change from the normally strict demeanor of the other teachers. It wasn't that Peter wanted to cause trouble, but sometimes the other Professors were a little bit too much like parents. Logan could be your friend.
Peter hurried down the hall, and watched Professor Monroe and Dr. Grey walk past. Kitty was at his side.
"Where are they going?" asked Peter. Kitty just shrugged.
"Hey Kitty, wait for me!" yelled another girl about Kitty's age. It was Theresa Rourke. She always tagged along with Kitty. They were the same age, so it was only natural that they'd be friends. John and Peter hurried ahead, and saw Logan in the main entranceway.
"Logan!"
"Well, if it isn't the big steel deal." The three guys shook hands, while Kitty and Theresa watched from the stairs. Logan looked up at Peter, who was taller than him. "How's it been? Scott still agitating everyone?"
"It's been alright. Glad to have you back."
"Yea," John interjected, " at least somebody else can make Daddy Xavier mad."
" I heard what happened. Couldn't help lighting the guy's shirt along with his cigarette, huh?"
"He was a jerk, and he deserved it."
Peter asked, "Did you find what you were looking for? Was there anyone you met while in the woods?"
Logan looked away, then, with his head down, "Nothing was there. A waste, if you ask me. At least Scott's motorcycle was a perk. But why the dull mood? Why are you girls up there? I don't bite. I just slash things." Theresa and Kitty giggled from the stairs, and ran off. "So, just so everyone knows, I will be your babysitter for tonight."
"Alright!" John cheered.
But Peter wasn't so quick. "Where are they going?"
"I don't know, something to do with the mutant that tried to assassinate the President. They're going off to investigate or whatever other Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew inclinations they have when something happens. Scott and Xavier are off to visit 'you-know-who'. I get to baby-sit."
"Hey Peter! John! Are you coming?" It was Bobby. They were about to play basketball. John hurried off. Peter looked back at Logan.
"Well, it's good to know you're here." Logan nodded in response. Running off, Peter couldn't help but be bothered. The X-Men didn't notice, but the news of the President almost being assassinated by a mutant had scared the students. They weren't naïve. People might decide to blame any mutant they found on the street. Suddenly, the mansion felt like a sanctuary. They'd be safe here, thought Peter. No one can bother them here, not at this school.
Peter had received the offer of joining the school by Professor Xavier about two years ago. He had come to his parent's house and offered him a safe haven from his previous High School in Kansas. Saving his sister from an oncoming tractor had exposed his mutant ability to make his body become organic steel, and the South has not always been known to be a very tolerant place. He had not known that he had mutant powers, and the emotional and urgent need to save his sister had triggered the dormant ability.
Watching Rogue and Bobby, Peter thought of a funny idea and started drawing to distract himself from his thoughts. But the exposure, the nakedness of suddenly being a mutant, so despised and rejected, was still fresh in his memory. It saddened him, thinking back about his home and playing football with his peers. Granted, he was glad to have the school, which had turned out to be a true intellectual challenge, but he missed the rough housing of his former friends, and the late-night secret meetings between the team and the cheerleaders to go out and cause trouble.
At that moment, John entered the room and sat down on one of the couches. A few of the kids tensed up, although Rogue and Bobby ignored him. Peter threw him a nod, and John nodded back. He had just come from Professor Xavier's office. Peter could tell from John's look that it hadn't gone well. He had caused a scene at the museum, which would have blown up into a riot if the Professor hadn't stepped in. Xavier had frozen all the people in the museum in order to let the other mutant children leave before anyone could do anything. However, showing his power had worked two fold, as he embarrassed John by displaying his own mutant ability, serving as a warning for any other students who choose to step out of line. John lounged, playing with his famous lighter.
Peter sighed as he continued to draw. Suddenly, a short Asian girl plopped down next to him.
"Hey! Whatcha doin?" It was Jubilation Lee (though everyone nicknamed her Jubilee). Her parents had purposefully sought Professor Xavier in order to admit her to the school. Even among non-mutants parents, Xavier's school was prestigious.
"Shouldn't you be reading?"
"Taking a break. Biology isn't my subject."
"You know what you need? A good run through the car wash!" Peter looked at her. "To wake you up! We haven't chilled in the TV room for a while, and my hands are itching to play Alley Fighters! I demanded a rematch!" Peter smiled. Jubilee was completely different from him. She was a city girl, only a year younger than Peter, and had the most outrageous style of propped up hair and large loop earrings with plenty of make-up. She was one of the few girls besides Rogue who saw him as more of a "buddy".
"Sure. How about tonight?"
"Great! See ya there big man!" Jubilee got up and left, practically jumping across the study, and joining a group of girls who all giggled as they went down the hall. Peter finished the final details of his drawing. He looked over just in time to see Bobby looking deeply at Rogue.
"It won't hurt," he said.
Peter looked over to Jake who was doing math problems. "Hey, check this out." Jake took Peter's drawing. He stifled a laugh as he looked at a parody of Bobby getting the life sucked out of him by kissing Rogue. Satisfied, he put the drawing away, and went back to his Biology book.
###############################################################
"Peter!"
Peter looked up. Katherine Pryde stood at the doorway. He had almost finished Professor Monroe's assigned chapter. He didn't want to be interrupted when it was almost time for hoops with Bobby, John and the others. "What is it Kitty?"
"It's Logan! He's back!" Peter immediately got up and followed her, as did John. Logan had been a mutant that had stayed at the school for a time. He was an awesome mutant, having a healing factor that prevented him from suffering too much from injury, and knives that came out of his knuckles.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes! I already saw Rogue heading off to meet him."
Rogue and Logan were very close, after Logan had saved her various times from Magneto. Most of what he knew came from Bobby. Rogue didn't like talking about it, and the teachers kept most of the stuff that involved the X-Men to themselves. Still, Logan's return would be a change from the normally strict demeanor of the other teachers. It wasn't that Peter wanted to cause trouble, but sometimes the other Professors were a little bit too much like parents. Logan could be your friend.
Peter hurried down the hall, and watched Professor Monroe and Dr. Grey walk past. Kitty was at his side.
"Where are they going?" asked Peter. Kitty just shrugged.
"Hey Kitty, wait for me!" yelled another girl about Kitty's age. It was Theresa Rourke. She always tagged along with Kitty. They were the same age, so it was only natural that they'd be friends. John and Peter hurried ahead, and saw Logan in the main entranceway.
"Logan!"
"Well, if it isn't the big steel deal." The three guys shook hands, while Kitty and Theresa watched from the stairs. Logan looked up at Peter, who was taller than him. "How's it been? Scott still agitating everyone?"
"It's been alright. Glad to have you back."
"Yea," John interjected, " at least somebody else can make Daddy Xavier mad."
" I heard what happened. Couldn't help lighting the guy's shirt along with his cigarette, huh?"
"He was a jerk, and he deserved it."
Peter asked, "Did you find what you were looking for? Was there anyone you met while in the woods?"
Logan looked away, then, with his head down, "Nothing was there. A waste, if you ask me. At least Scott's motorcycle was a perk. But why the dull mood? Why are you girls up there? I don't bite. I just slash things." Theresa and Kitty giggled from the stairs, and ran off. "So, just so everyone knows, I will be your babysitter for tonight."
"Alright!" John cheered.
But Peter wasn't so quick. "Where are they going?"
"I don't know, something to do with the mutant that tried to assassinate the President. They're going off to investigate or whatever other Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew inclinations they have when something happens. Scott and Xavier are off to visit 'you-know-who'. I get to baby-sit."
"Hey Peter! John! Are you coming?" It was Bobby. They were about to play basketball. John hurried off. Peter looked back at Logan.
"Well, it's good to know you're here." Logan nodded in response. Running off, Peter couldn't help but be bothered. The X-Men didn't notice, but the news of the President almost being assassinated by a mutant had scared the students. They weren't naïve. People might decide to blame any mutant they found on the street. Suddenly, the mansion felt like a sanctuary. They'd be safe here, thought Peter. No one can bother them here, not at this school.