"Practice Practice Practice!"
Ardelle sat at the dinner table along with all the new friends that had invited her to sit with them. Sarah sat next to a girl with black hair and red stripes going through it, although she wasn't dressed in the same manner as Sarah, she sure gave off a vibe that they were both alike.
"Oh, Ardelle, this is my sister, Kiely." Sarah introduced when she noticed Ardelle looking back and forth from them. "She has basically the same power, only hers is over moonlight."
Ardelle sent a small grin towards Kiely. "That's cool." She said, to which Kiely sent her back a half grin and then continued eating.
"Oh!" Rouge dropped her fork, having it land on the plate with quite a loud clank, and started waving frantically at her open mouth. "Dang it Chris!" She said as she reached and grabbed Bobby's glass if milk and took several gulps.
"Hey!" Bobby said, shocked. He watched as Rouge drained half his glass. "Are you done?" He asked as she set it back down.
"I'm sorry Bobby, but –Chris! Don't ever do that again!" She shot a dagger glance at the boy, who was having a good laugh with John. Sarah hid a smile and shoved another piece of chicken into her mouth, and quickly covered it with her hand in order to prevent us from seeing the food in her mouth as she giggled.
"That was classical Marie. Just classic. Oh, I wish we could have gotten that on tape." The boy called Chris said, taking the time to wipe a tear that had formed from his eye as he looked down to John, who was now sitting back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest still having a good chuckle.
"John and Chris are fire buddies." Kiely took the time to explain as she loaded her fork up with another leaf of lettuce. "Well, kinda. Chris can only make something hotter, where as John can control the fire." She shoved the salad into her mouth. "They could be quite a mean team if you think about it. Chris can make something so hot that it combusts, and then John could control it. They did that once." She set her fork down on her plate and took a sip of her water.
"Did they? On what?" Ardelle asked, truly curious. Ardelle looked to John, who was watching her with an amused expression.
"We were all out having a little picnic kind of thing and Chris decided it would be funny to set our blanket on fire. John controlled it from there and made it into a man. Of course the fire was spreading and Bobby had to put it out." Sarah piped in.
"Yes, they're quite annoying when they do things like that too." Rouge put in. The group had a few moments of giggles spread through them.
They all became quiet when a shadow came behind Ardelle. She turned and looked to see Professor Gray standing behind her. "Ardelle, if I might speak with you before I leave?" She asked. Ardelle nodded silently and slid the chair back. She looked to the new friends she had made with a puzzled expression. They all watched as she left, just as confused as she.
* * *
"Ardelle," Professor Gray started as she closed the large oak door to the room they had first met in. "What exactly is your power?" She asked. Ardelle blinked.
"Well, when someone uses a mental power—psychic power against me, I am somehow able to adapt to it, and keep it as though it were my own." Ardelle explained.
"Interesting. And, what powers have you acquired so far?" She asked.
"Um, I can levitate some things, and I am able to look through someone's memories." She said. "I got the memories one from Professor X." She tried to hide a small smile that had been creeping up upon her as she spoke.
"Really?" Mrs. Gray inquired. "Well then, can you look through my memories then?" Ardelle shrugged, a little unsure on what the Professor was getting at. "Try it." She instructed.
Ardelle blinked, confused, but she concentrated as she was supposed to, and focused her mind on the red headed woman standing before her. Ardelle guided her mind in through the eyes of Jean Gray in front of her and let her mind travel through the folds of her brain, picking up several images through the way. The first was Jean, walking through a park on a rainy day, clouds overcast leaving no chance of sunshine. Second was Jean standing on a porch to a house—her house, as a large black plain came and landing before her cul-de-sac. Her hand rested on the blue pillar next to the steps used to hold up the roof of their porch. Her feet quickly made their way down the white stairs and across the street as she pulled a white knapsack on over her shoulder. Lastly there was Jean, standing in the hall of the school, looking over her new school schedule. From behind a hand reached out and tapped her shoulder. She turned quickly, and then smiled when she saw the brown-haired boy with red sunglasses looking at her.
Another image began to show through, Jean putting on a black uniform with an X on the left shoulder, but the image failed and faded quickly. Ardelle's mind was violently forced back into her own body. "Ow!" She said, hand coming to grip her temple. A splitting headache came to, throbbing through her temples.
"Nicely done Ardelle. I was actually surprised how quickly you began." She said. "But you weren't able to hold it for very long before I placed up my shield." She smiled.
"A shield?" Ardelle asked, lowering her hand, as her headache had managed to slow and diminish.
"Yes, to prevent people from entering our thoughts. If you're correct about your power, you may be able to block me from entering your mind, just as I was able to you." Jean explained. "Care to try?" She asked. Ardelle nodded, becoming excited. Jean Gray lowered her head a little, concentrating through Ardelle's eyes.
Ardelle blinked rather unsure what she was going to do. She could feel Jean running through her head, miles a minute, much faster then she had been able to do to Mrs. Gray. She worked on building her wall, a see through wall that blocked Gray from entering her mind any closer. She could feel Jean becoming slower, her mind not buzzing through Ardelle's memories.
'I don't want her in my head. These are my memories.' Ardelle thought to herself. She could feel the adrenaline start to build up in her mind. 'Get out Gray. Get out!' She finally screamed, and felt her mind lurch forward, shoving out Jean Gray so violently that the Professors head snapped back.
Ardelle was panting from the excitement, and also a little anger. "That was very good Ardelle." Jean congratulated the blond across the room. "A very strong pulse came. It's just a shame that you built it up so slowly."
"What did you see while in my mind?" Ardelle asked, subconsciously becoming afraid.
"Many things. Usually you at school and talking with your friends—" Ardelle could feel the mouse running through her mind once again. She placed the wall up quickly as possible, rather then going brick upon brick she threw a boulder in the way. She harshly pitched her mind forward once again and threw out the Professor.
"Much better done." Jean praised. Ardelle smiled. "I want you to learn something else. It's a shield." She said. Ardelle nodded, she was eager to learn something new. Something more then she all ready had. But what else could there have been? Telekinetic, memory searching, walls and shields… what else? "Pick up that pen on the table mentally, and throw it at me."
"Are you sure?" Ardelle asked. The professor nodded. Ardelle focused on the black pen that sat over a piece of stripped paper on the same desk she had sat at before while filling out her classes. Making it levitate she threw it quickly to the red head across the room, aiming straight for Mrs. Gray's throat.
Jean held up her hand quickly, and it looked as though the pen struck her hand, but a visible ripple in the air told Ardelle that it wasn't what happened. The pen bounced off and fell onto the floor. "Now, I'm going to do it to you, and I want you to place a shield up." Ardelle blinked, a little worried.
"What if I can't get it up in time?" She asked.
"Don't worry. I'll stop it before it can hit you. Okay?" Jean clarified. Ardelle nodded. She knew the professor wouldn't let anything happen to her. Especially if she was the one that did it. She watched as Jean brought up the pen easily, and sent it firing through towards Ardelle's heart.
It cut through the air quickly. 'Wait Ardelle. Wait for the right moment…' Ardelle instructed herself. She watched as the pen continued to approach her. 'Now!' She told herself. She began to raise her hand, but all too slowly. 'No…' Ardelle continued to raise her hand. 'No!'
Everything Mrs. Gray had told Ardelle about not letting her get injured flew from her mind. 'Oh god!' Ardelle thought. 'If the pen hits me it could go straight into my heart!' She frantically threw her mind out to stop the pen that was descending upon her quickly. It stopped suddenly, as thought it had smashed into a piece of glass. Ardelle was panting, terrified.
"Nicely done Ardelle. Calm yourself. You stopped it." Mrs. Gray said, briskly walking over to the blond, who was frozen, small beads of sweat coming to on her forehead. Jean took Ardelle's face in her hands and look at her. "Are you all right?" She asked. Ardelle pried her eyes from the floor and looked into the serene, welcoming eyes before her. She forced herself to nod, her movement rigid and uncanny.
"You did well." Jean said, waiting for Ardelle's breathing to slow. "Breath Ardelle. You're fine. Just relax." She instructed. Ardelle tried to listen, and her mind slowed, and the thoughts of what could have happened to her diminished. She looked to Jean Gray before her, calm and poise making itself within her. She could feel her muscles relax and her spine became less established. "Good."
A knocking on the door startled both the Professor and Ardelle. "Jean? It's nearly time to go. The Professor wants us to suit up." A voice called through.
"I'll be right down!" Jean called out. She turned to Ardelle. "We'll practice more when I get back, all right? Until then just wait for me. If you want to get more accustomed to the power don't work with the shield. I would concentrate more towards your telekinesis. All right?" Mrs. Gray suggested. Ardelle nodded. "Good girl." She stood and opened the door. "Come on." She said. Ardelle stood up and walked through the door.
"Thank you Mrs. Gray." She said.
"Get back to your friends. They're still in the cafeteria." Jean directed.
"Thanks again!" Ardelle waved as she ran down the hall. She was still a little uncomfortable with what had happened only a few moments ago, but she was well enough.
* * *
Ardelle found the kids enjoying their dessert. After they had all finished they made their way back up to the small room with all the pillows, where they spent more time and learned more about eachother.
"Okay, Sarah. When did you first discover your powers?" Chris asked.
"Umm." She took time to think. "I believe that it was when some of the men came to get me and Keily. I used the suns energy to make a wall to prevent their bullets from coming and getting us."
"Cool." Bobby nodded. "What about you Ardelle?" He looked to the girl holding her knees to her chest.
"I… I don't actually remember." She blinked and shook her head with her brow furred. "I remember I was shopping one day ... There were policmen after that and they took me—" She cut herself off and placed a hand on her temple, a splitting headache had come to her.
'Just let me—' A male voice came to and said. The allyway was dark, the only thing there was a streetlight that would flicker every once in a while. The sky was overcast, clouds making themselves at home and blocking out the stars. The street was completely diserted, and only two windows of the appartment across the way shown light. A dreary rain had begun to fall upon the city. 'Get off me!' her voice rang out."Ow." She flinched as the image faided.
"What?" Rouge asked. "Is something wrong?"
Ardelle shook her head. "I—I don't really know." Ardelle admitted. "Do you guys know if Professor Gray has left yet?" She asked, looking to them.
"About a half hour ago." John said. Ardelle nodded as she looked to the ground and lowered her hand.
"Do you want me to take you up to your room?" Rouge inquired.
"No, I'm fine." Ardelle said.
"Are you sure hun?" Sarah asked. Ardelle nodded. "What about you Bobby? When did you first discover?" She changed the subject.
"We were out camping. My parents taken my brother and had gone to the nearest store to get the things we would need for dinner. It started to pour down rain, and the campsite next to us was struck by lightning. So, I wanted to help and I put the fire out by freezing it." He said. "The professor found me when we got back home. He came to pick me up in their jet, and I told my parents that it was a Collage Prep school." He explained.
"Wow." John said. "I wish my parents were that easy." He clicked his lighter. Sarah looked to Rouge who shrugged.
"Well, they're not really. But I'm sure the professor helped." Bobby said.
A sudden knocking came to the door. "Hey, out of there kids. The Professor and I are leaving soon." A voice came through. 'Scott Summers. Cyclops.' Ardelle thought to herself. His image swelled into her mind from when she had taken memories from both Jean Gray and Professor Xavier.
"Yes sir." Chris said as he bagan to stand, followed quickly by the rest of the mutants in the room. "Guess we'd better get outa here." He said, and removed the chain lock.
They all filed out of the room, saying good night to one another. "I'll show you to the room. You're sharing with me." Sarah said.
"Thanks." Ardelle said easily, and was lead down the hallway to their sleeping dorm.
