A/N: Tadaaaa! The next chapter! Huzzah! ( Don't ask where the huzzah came from. I just heard it somewhere.)

When I woke up, the first thing I saw was white. So I freaked because I thought they actually had taken me to a mental hospital. Then more of my surroundings came into focus, and I noticed three things. One, the walls weren't padded, two, no men in white coats were in my line of sight, and three, no one else was there. Sitting up, I noticed someone had placed me on what looked to be an exact replica of a hospital bed. I still had the clothes on from when I fainted, a long black T-shirt that said in white lettering "I was an A-student, then I came back to reality" and baggy black cargo pants, so I assumed whoever had me there didn't think whatever wound I had was too serious. Sighing deeply, I suddenly remembered why I had fainted in the first place.

I thought I had seen Wolverine, also known as Logan. But if it was just a figment of my imagination, why did it hurt when I elbowed him, it, whatever it was, in the stomach? Too many questions swirled around in my head, and I tried to take in my surroundings to clear my mind. The bed I was lying on had bleach white sheets that were tucked into the side, constricting my legs. The room itself wasn't that big, about ten by ten feet with looming silver steel walls that seemed to extend up to nowhere. I could make out a doorknob on the wall straight ahead of my bed. But to get to it, I would have to cross the steel(again) floor. These people really have a thing for steel, don't they?

Carefully, I untucked the sheets from their previous positions under the mattress. Hesitantly, swinging my feet so they dangled about two inches off the floor, I glanced around to see if there were any cameras. But then again, some cameras could be smaller than a pinhead. It would be futile to try and search for them. There could also be two-way mirrors, where they could see me but I couldn't see them. All kinds of possibilities rushed through my head, and I wanted to clear my thoughts for concentrating on how to get out of there.

Jumping to the floor, I got into a defensive pose, just in case the floor had a motion sensor in it. Seeing that nothing was going to attack me, for the time being anyway, I started for the door. Barely seeing the outline for my escape device, I reached for the knob. And immediately regretted it. As soon as my hand touched the metal knob, a loud hiss sounded. Jerking my hand away, I looked around, trying to see the source of the noise. Glancing at the small steel device on the door, I saw that it was steaming. Why, I had absolutely no idea. Then something in my mind triggered. Looking down, I noticed that my hand was dripping, again. And my clothes were still sopping wet. Wonder how come I didn't notice that in bed.

Staring at the bed, I saw a huge wet spot in the middle where I had been lying. Cringing for whoevers' turn it was to do the sheets, I turned back toward the door. Guessing that only the knob was heated, since my hand was dripping, the knob was steaming, and no part of the floor had started steaming yet, I kicked the huge silver contraption, and to my surprise, it collapsed.

"Cheap, steel looking plastic?" I murmured to myself as the once menacing looking door lay on the ground. Most things that look like steel are steel, but it looked like I had found a counterexample for that statement. I stuck my head out into the hall, which I found out two seconds later wasn't such a good idea. For now someone had pulled me completely out of my silver prison, put me in a choke hold, and put a fist up to my face that had three, glistening, adamantium claws coming out of the spots of skin near the knuckles. Give you one guess who that is, taunted my brain. Shut up, stupid brain. Never know when to keep your thoughts shut, do you?

"Thinkin' of escapin' there, Black?" he asked casually. I considered my options before answering.

"Well, technically yes, because I need to get back to reality, considering you're all cartoons." He, the figment of my imagination, growled.

"Do these," he pushed the spikes closer to my face, "look cartoonish to ya'?" Once again, I weighed my responses.

"No, but for all I know I could be in a virtual reality machine though I don't know anyone with that much money or that much time to spend on me but I'm just babbling now aren't I?" I finished after the grip on my throat tightened. Gulping as much as I could while I could hardly breathe, I looked up at Logan. His face was contorted into a smirk, content that he had shut me up for the time being.

"While you're here, ya' might want to rethink that little philosophy. Ya' know, where you and yer' people are the only real ones in the universe. Besides, Chuck wants to see ya'. I was only there to wait for you ta' wake up. Didn't think ya'd have that kind of reaction to me, faintin' an' all. Can't imagine what would have happened if ya had seen Elf." My eyes widened because I knew exactly who 'Elf' was. The grip on my throat disappeared, and I felt a new one tighten on my wrist. Looking me in the eye, he spoke slowly as if my IQ was lower than a third-grader's. "I'm gonna take ya' t' see Chuck ,'kay Black? But I'm keepin' a firm grip on yer' wrist here, so as ya don't try runnin'. I'll try not ta drag ya, but there's no guarantee, bub." By this time, my eyes were the widest they could go and my feet were trying to back up.

"No," I whispered. "You're lying. This isn't real. None of it's real. You're faking, and you're lying. This is fake. Let me go. I wanna go home. Let me go home, please. You're lying." I seemed to repeat 'you're lying' a lot. My brain told me that this just wasn't logical. Television shows couldn't just become real. I was convinced someone was playing a trick on me, fooling with my mind. "Leave me alone!" I screeched, tears coming to my eyes. A wall of scalding water came up behind Logan and soaked him, temporarily breaking his concentration, letting me out of his grip. I took the opportunity.

Dashing down the hallway, I had no sense of direction. All I knew was that I had to get away from whoever was doing this to me. Amazingly, no one else was around as I bolted away. Finally, the front door of the huge house came into view. Sighing with relief, I kept on running. Then something held me back. Not physically, but there was a voice in my mind.

I assure you that this is all real Crystal. Please, give us a chance to explain. We need to talk to you. Don't run. Not yet. Hear us out. Please.

I grasped my head in my hands and fell to the floor on my knees. This wasn't real. Voices in your head don't exist. Only crazy people hear voices. But I'm not crazy, am I? Crying out, "Get out of my head!" I started to sob into my hands. That was the last thing I remembered before passing out. I seemed to being lapsing into unconsciousness a lot lately.

~*~

The first coherent thought I had when I came to was, Well, at least all this passing out will give me decent rest. Then again, my captors will probably think me unstable now. Maybe they'll send me back to reality since my mind is so messed up. I tried to move, but found that my appendages were held down by steel shackles. Groaning, I muttered to myself,

"What is it with you people and steel? No iron, no, you've got to have steel. Boring if you ask me. Maybe in a different color, but no, it's got to be silver." Opening my eyes, I saw that I was on a bed, once again. But this time, a guy in a wheelchair who looked all too familiar resided at the foot of it. "Aaaaa----!" My scream was cut short by a hand on my mouth. Taking a chance and glancing up, the once again smirking face of real life Logan came into view.

"First of all, no one asked ya' so shut yer' hole. Second of all, I think ya' should listen t' the Professor here. Now I'm gonna take my hand off yer' mouth, so don't start screamin' 'cause it ain't gonna get ya' nowhere." I nodded and he removed his hand. Muttering to myself,

"What happened to 'Chuck', Badger?" I raised my head to look at the very real looking Charles Xavier. Logan shot me a dirty look and (Chuck, as I call him, picking it up from Logan) stared sternly at him. He grunted and looked away. Then Chuck turned to me and steepled his fingers.

"I apologize for Logan's behavior, as I don't think you have a very good opinion of us now." Thank you Captain Obvious. Oh wait, did you hear that? Forgot, you're a telepath. Sorry Chuck. Not! He gave me a stern look also but I just rolled my eyes. "As I was saying, this is all real. It might come as a shock to you because you have seen us portrayed as fictional characters on television. But I assure you, no one is trying to meddle with your mind. We don't usually take people by force, but we had no choice with you. You see Crystal, I read your mind at the lake the other night. I didn't want you to try and go off on your own for safety reasons. We want to help." As I was taking all this in, a thought went off in my head. If this was all real, then why did I see them as cartoons? Before I voiced this concern however, Chuck beat me to the punch.

"There are several different galaxies in the universe, some with slight differences and some with large differences. In your case, we are merely cartoons. But you are a mutant, Crystal. And since there is not nor will there ever be another Charles Xavier in your universe, we thought it best that we bring you here to help." I pondered this for a moment. They want to help, eh? Right, just like my parents want to join the Toilet Plunger Fan Club. Not happening. Seriously though, maybe they do want to help. After all, my parents could have personality changes and become TPFC members in no time. Let's see what they have to offer. Besides, if Badger there bugs me, I can always douse him with a tidal wave and leave the place. A mental picture of Logan getting pulled under by a riptide flashed through my head and I smiled. Smiling at Chuck, I said,

"All right Chu–, Professor X, let's see what you've got."

He smiled and the shackles holding me retracted. Sitting up, I swung my feet onto the floor and smirked at Logan.

"I have a feeling we're going to have some interesting times, you and me."

He grunted and I added under my breath,

"Badger," just loud enough so that he could hear it but Chuck couldn't. He snarled at me and I smirked at him while following Chuck who was wheeling out of the room. Of course, Chuck probably knew that I said it anyway. What was he going to do to stop me?

~*~

The first place we went was Chuck's office, supposively so he could explain where I was staying and all that introductory junk. He wheeled in with me and Logan lagging behind. (Hey, you don't know how fast that wheelchair can really go!) I closed the door. We sat down(or at least I sat down because Chuck was already sitting and Logan was leaning against a wall staring at the back of my head) and he started to explain some things.

"First of all Crystal," please call me Crys, "as you wish, Crys, I would advise you not to reveal anything you have seen happen to us for two reasons. Number one, it might not happen at all, or number two, it might happen later on and us knowing of it before hand could have disastrous results. Is this clear?"

I nodded and he continued.

"Second of all, while many of the other students have control over their gifts and can maintain a normal appearance, you cannot. Your emotions trigger the hydrokenesis to happen and without knowing it, you could seriously harm someone. This is why you must work on controlling your gift before going out into public."

I nodded again. Then I had a question.

"Why am I dripping?" I motioned a hand at the trail of water leading from the door to the puddle of H2O forming on the leather couch I was now sitting on. "Sorry about that."

He smiled.

"Quite alright, Crys. Your power obviously has to do with water, and you need to get the water from somewhere if you're not manipulating already existing water. So, your body takes water from your skin and turns it to liquid for use. To replace this, you take in water from the air. We're probably going to need humidifiers in every room until you get used to only drawing water from the air when you need it, such as in a battle simulation. Now I think if you can concentrate enough, you can put the water back into the air that you took and pull the water from the ground into yourself. Can you try? Just try and push, then pull. Does that sound easy enough?"

I shrugged and tried to concentrate. Closing my eyes, I imagined the water leaving me, then the water I could see coming back into me. I could hear only silence, and supposed that was to help me concentrate.

Cautiously, I opened my eyes and saw that the water previously taking up space on the couch was no longer there. I glanced toward the door and realized there was no water trail. Did I actually do it? Looking at Chuck, I started to speak, but he knew what I was going to ask.

"Yes, you did it, Crys. That was very good for your first time. But you must try not to let little things scare you or your body will lose control and you'll start 'dripping', as you put it. Now, do you think you are ready to meet the others?"

I looked down and shifted in my seat.

"Don't tell me that yer' afraid a' people now. The girl who can collapse steel doors with a single kick is a social outcast. Absalutely' wonderful."

I glared at Logan, then realized the meaning of his words. Going a shade paler, I managed to get out,

"You mean that wasn't just steel looking plastic?"

He shook his head.

"Nope, the only ones who can get through that without powers are you and me kid."

My eyes widened. Chuck decided to intervene.

"It seems that is a side effect to your gift, Crys. Because you can create tidal waves, that strength was transferred to you so you could control them. Now you must be more careful. I don't think you know your own strength anymore."

Nodding, I swallowed the lump that had been building in my throat. I tried to fake a smile, but failed miserably, so I simply said,

"What are we waiting for? Let's go."

Chuck nodded and went out first, followed by Logan. I got up on wobbly legs and trotted after them like some really freaked up dog. A dog that drips sometimes as a result of its hydrokenesis. Nice comparison, huh?

~*~