Cipher's Elegy
By Cypher
Chapter Two: First Morning
"KURT!"
"Damnit, Nightcrawler!"
"You fuzzy little son of a-"
"I'm gonna skin you for a rug!"
Douglas groaned and pulled a pillow over his head, trying to muffle the crashes and screams plaguing the institute. At dinner the night before he had overheard some of the, as Scott had put it, New Mutants warning him of Kurt's wake-up drills. Being warned, Douglas set up his own little deal. Being a night owl, Douglas agreed to turn off his light at a reasonable hour, which according to Kurt was before midnight, in exchange for being left out of Kurt's morning antics.
"NIGHTCRAWLER!"
Unfortunately, Douglas had failed to factor in the noise Kurt's morning routine would cause. Throwing a bleary glare at his alarm clock, he grumbled. Six. Damn it. I'm never going to get back to sleep at this hour. Growling, he threw his pillow off his bed and sat up, rubbing his eyes. Note to self, buy ear plugs.
A flash of light and the smell of sulfur alerted him to the fact that his roommate was hiding momentarily in their room. _Good morning._
_You could've warned me you made so much noise._ He liked Kurt, but it was way too early for anyone to have a smile that big on their face. Throwing back the covers, Douglas grabbed his robe. While at home he could wander in his green boxers and white tank top, he was pretty sure here they required students to be a little more discreet. _Why do you do this every morning?_
_Gets them up on time. Besides, it's fun!_ Kurt's tail swung lazily behind him as he grinned like a Cheshire cat. _You know, you could join me on a prank._
_And get my ass kicked by those guys? No thanks._ Snatching his toiletries from the dresser, he tied his robe shut and headed for the door. _I'm heading for the shower. Could you...?_
_Distract them? No problem._ In another flash of light, the blue mutant was gone.
Sighing, Douglas opened his door and stepped out into the hall, heading for the shared bathroom. A stream of curses in what he now recognized as Logan's voice reached his ears. That could be more than he could handle.
Giving in to a yawn, he failed to notice a certain chocolate haired girl exit through the bathroom door. With a small grunt from both parties, the two teenage mutants went down.
"I'm, like, so sorry."
Douglas' heart beat a little faster as he heard the voice. The night before he had been swamped by most of the New Mutants that he hadn't had a chance to talk with the one named Kitty Pryde. A nervous laugh escaped his throat. "We, ah, have to stop meeting like this." Rubbing the back of his head, he got up and offered a hand to the girl.
Kitty smiled and took it, using the leverage to pull herself up. "Yeah." She could feel her cheeks flush lightly under his gaze. Go ahead, talk to him. "So, um, I'm Kitty."
"Yeah, I know." Douglas rubbed his arm. "I'm Douglas." He focused on a niche in the wood.
"I know, too." Kitty brushed her hair back and stared at a stain in the floor that was of sudden interest.
Both teenagers stood there in nervous silence, each just glancing at each other from the corners of their eyes, but studiously avoiding directly looking at the other. Kitty's cheeks had yet to return to their normal color, and Douglas' ears were a distinct red.
Kitty finally broke the silence. "So, um, are you, like, doing anything this weekend?" She pulled on her ear for a second.
Douglas shook his head. "Nein--I mean, no."
"Well, there's this, like, movie I wanted to see, and I was wondering if, like, you wanted to go." She gave him an uncertain smile.
Douglas, on his part, felt his heart leap into his throat. Sure, since his time with Jonah he had grown more social, but no girl had ever asked him out before. And here, this girl he just met, a girl he would sell every copy of his Ancient Civilizations and World Cultures Encyclopedia set to even get a glance out of, was asking him out. It took all of his control not to hyperventilate on the spot. Noticing her smile begin to fade, he concentrated on getting his voice back and, though he knew his voice cracked, was able to get out a meek, "yes."
Kitty's smile became a bit more solid. "Great. I'll, like, talk to you about the details later, kay?"
"O-okay." Calm down, calm down. If you have a coronary you can't go out with her. He unsteadily finished his trip to the bathroom door and entered the tiled room. Closing and locking the door, he leaned against the wooden structure and slid down to the ground, trying to get his breathing under control. She asked me out...a girl, much less a girl I actually like, asked me out. Oh wow...oh God, what am I gonna wear? What'm I gonna say? Oh God...what've I gotten myself into?
~*()*~
Kitty watched Douglas retreat to the bathroom, and struggled, unsuccessfully, to hide her grin. He looks good in green. Poor guy. He was so nervous he didn't even notice his robe was open. She walked towards her room, ignoring the pissed Bobby standing watch for a certain blue elf. I guess no one's ever asked him out before. I haven't seen a reaction like that since, well, since someone asked ME out. Phasing through her door, she waved at her roommate.
Rouge, though a victim of Kurt's morning wake up call, usually stopped short of chasing the fuzzy mutant. She did call him every name in the book, and give him withering glares at the breakfast table, but otherwise, she remained in her room, getting dressed. Right now she was tying her shoe, barely glancing at Kitty. "How come you're not chasing the fuzz ball now that you're showered?"
"Cause I've, like, got better things on my mind." Setting her toiletries down, she looked through the shared closet. "Like planning for my date Saturday."
That got Rouge's attention. "Date? With who?"
Kitty grinned and pulled out a pair of jeans. "The new cutie rooming with Kurt. Douglas. Though he's like, totally nervous about it. I think I'm the first girl to ever ask him out. Or he really like, likes me." She held up a pink shirt, then a white one. Decisions, decisions.
"You're going out with Kurt's roommate? Are you sure that's smart?" Rouge finished with her shoe and sat up, resting her gloved hands on the edge of the mattress. "I mean, with how Kurt feels..."
"How Kurt feels?" Kitty decided on the pink one and gave Rouge a curious glance. "How he feels about what?"
Is she that dense? Just about everyone in the institute knew Kurt had feelings for Kitty. Granted, he hid them behind bad jokes and obnoxious flirting, but they were still there. Having absorbed some of his memories and feelings, Rouge knew exactly how Kurt felt about Kitty, and had a pretty good idea as to how he'd react to her going out with Douglas. But it's not my place to tell her. "He just..." Rouge searched for the right words, wanting to hint at the truth, but not totally reveal it.
She didn't get the chance to continue, however, as someone knocked on their door. "Rouge? Kitty? Training session in ten minutes. Wolverine wants to test out Douglas."
Kitty sighed at Scott's announcement and went back to her closet, searching for her X-Men uniform. "Figures. Poor guy, he just got here and he's, like, gonna be worked to death."
Rouge rolled her eyes and grabbed her outfit.
~*()*~
Douglas tugged at the fabric on his chest. His uniform, like the other New Mutants', was generic in design. A black turtleneck with two X's encased in a circle of red on the shoulders, a belt with an X for a buckle, and black pants. All in all, he felt like a misplaced Power Ranger. "You guys actually WEAR this out in public?"
Bobby Drake, the teen who introduced himself as Iceman to Douglas, shrugged and strapped on his boots. "They're comfy, and it's not like you don't have any flexibility or anything. Besides," he grinned as his body, and the clothes he was wearing, turned white as they froze over, "you can customize it to fit your power."
"Maybe your power." Douglas grunted as he tried to get the boot on. Damn it to hell! I TOLD the Professor not to buy my shoes! I wear an extra wide! "My powers are purely mental. I mean, what do I need training for?" He gave up and grabbed his regular sneakers.
Bobby crossed his arms. "Ever heard of the Brotherhood?"
Douglas paused for a minute. He had heard of them, something about there being four guys fighting against the X-Men. With his power, though, Douglas assumed he'd never actually get to meet them, much less fight them in a battle. "Yeah, but come on. What am I gonna do against a guy who can create earthquakes? Or that one that's like the Flash, what's his name?"
"Quicksilver." Bobby shook his head. "You'll face them at some point. They may be weak now, but when they strike, they'll go after everyone, and that includes you." He uncrossed his arms.
"Figures. Pick on the bookworm." Finishing with the laces, Douglas stood up and looked himself over. "Okay, I'll give you it IS comfortable."
"Told ya. Now come on. You don't want to keep Wolverine waiting." Bobby walked towards the Danger Room.
Douglas quickly followed, not wanting to upset the man he feared the most at the Institute.
Already inside the Danger Room, Rouge was watching Nightcrawler grumble on the floor. He shouldn't have tried to wake Logan up. She had heard from Kitty, and Lord knows how she found out, that Kurt was going to be washing the X-Van as well as participating in an extra training session today.
Kurt did smile a little as Douglas walked in, though, trying to give the new mutant an encouraging look. "Hey, good luck, ja?"
"I'm gonna need it." Douglas rubbed his shoulder. "You know, maybe I should ask if we can postpone this. It's not like I'm ready to fight."
"Naw, you'll do fine. And we'll all be here to cheer you on." Kurt waved around at the assembly of the X-Men and the New Mutants.
Douglas' cheeks flared when he caught Kitty smiling and waving at him. Great. I'm gonna look like an idiot in front of the girl that just asked me out. Feeling, rather than seeing Bobby leave his side, Douglas steeled himself and walked towards the center of the room, where the one instructor that still scared him was waiting. He stopped a few feet away, too intimidated to even look at the man.
Logan sized up the new kid. Brains over brawn, kid. That's what I'm here to teach you. Xavier had instructed Logan to go easy on the recruit due to his limited power, but Logan had a feeling this kid could hold his own if forced to.
Kitty cupped her hands around her mouth. "Go on, Douglas! Just watch out for his claws!"
Logan hid the smile that threatened to come out when he noticed Douglas's blush get brighter. So the kid has a thing for half-pint.
Claws? He's got claws too? Oh God, first being asked out, now this. Between a coronary and being hacked to death. And it's not even seven yet. Douglas rubbed the back of his head. He really had no clue what to do. Sure, he worked out, and Jonah had gotten him enrolled in a couple self-defense courses, but he couldn't take on a full fledged mutant. Especially one with claws.
"The rules are simple, kid. No dirty hits. This is just to see how rusted your skills are."
"What skills? I'm a translator, not a fighter." Douglas frowned. He knew he shouldn't have watched that Star Trek marathon before coming here. "I can't take you on."
"First rule of fightin', kid, don't let the enemy know your weaknesses." Logan crouched slightly and raised his arms. "And how can you charge when you can't see me?"
"I'd rather not look, okay? And I'm not one to charge. I just...defend myself." Douglas tapped his toe on the metal floor.
"Charles, are you sure this is the right time?" Ororo watched Douglas, dubbed Cipher, continue to look at the ground. Undoubtedly, as most new recruits were, he was intimidated by Logan. At least the others had their powers to boost their confidence in the first fight.
"Douglas needs to learn that while his powers aren't offensive, he can still contribute to a fight as well as any X-Men." Xavier glanced at the controls around him, wondering if he should change the scenery to make Douglas more comfortable. No. The others didn't get that cushion. He folded his hands together, somewhat wishing he could be down in the Danger Room rather than the observation deck. He must have some skills, though. He's still managing to block me. It didn't take a telepath to read how frightened Douglas was at this altercation, however.
"Just charge me already." Logan was beginning to get impatient. The New Mutants had begun cheering Douglas on, some telling him to just get through it, and others telling him to mop the floor with the instructor. The X-Men, for their part, had remained mostly silent. Nightcrawler had joined in the cheering once or twice, but had been silenced by Scott resting a hand on his shoulder.
Letting out a heave of a sigh, Douglas accepted his fate and charged forward. Well, charged might be too active a word. He more or less sauntered over, raising his hands in more of a surrendering gesture than an attacking one. Just get it over with, like they're saying.
"Don't think you're getting out of it that easy, kid." Logan lunged forward, keeping his claws sheathed but his fist aiming for Douglas' head.
Self-defense instinct took over, and Douglas ducked and rolled away an instant before Logan landed. Unfortunately, he failed to get up quickly enough and Logan was able to get over and toss him back towards the center of the room. Douglas rolled with his landing and got into a crouch slowly. He could register Logan approaching again, but was pretty sure he couldn't roll out of the way in time to avoid the next blow. Hoping to protect his face, he threw up his arms and clenched his eyes shut. How the hell am I supposed to fight him? He's bigger, stronger, and he's got powers. Real powers. I'm just a...a...a brainiac.
"I'm just a brainiac and you're a black belt! How am I supposed to defend against you?" Douglas sniffed and wiped his nose. Here he was, thirteen, and he was crying.
"Doug, really." Jonah knelt by him and rubbed his head. "Remember your power. You're a translator, but that doesn't just work with books and computers. Think of things as a language and your brain will do the rest for you. Even something as complex as martial arts." His red eyes looked over the slim form. "Come on, let's try it again."
"No! I can't do it, Jonah! I just can't! I'm...I'm not like you! I'm not that powerful." Douglas hugged himself and looked down.
Jonah wrapped his arms around him and pulled him into a hug, soothing the younger boy with a slow rub. "One day, you will be, Doug. You're right, I'm pushing you too hard, too fast. Tomorrow we'll work on...on math. Using your power to work on math. Okay?"
"O-okay." Douglas sniffed again.
"Let's go get some ice cream."
Douglas nodded and rubbed his eyes again, the tears finally slowing down.
"You aren't powerful enough right now, but you will be one day. I promise."
Douglas' eyes snapped open. Of course. I'm such an IDIOT! At the time, Douglas was too young and his powers were too underdeveloped to pick up fighting as a language. But now...I'm older, smarter...what am I cowering for? I can do this. I CAN do this! He threw his arms aside and ducked again as Wolverine sailed by.
Unfortunately, the elder mutant was expecting this tactic and snagged Douglas' foot.
Shit.
Logan used his weight to counter Douglas' and threw him across the room. "Fight back!"
Douglas nodded briefly, and he twisted his body to land somewhat on his feet. Somewhat. GAH! I know I felt something pop that time. He rubbed his thigh. Focus. Focus, damn it! His mind went over all the moves Logan had used, and he stood, moving his feet to keep himself distanced from his instructor. Think...think...agh! It's not enough information! Grinding his teeth, Douglas knew what he had to do, and he hated it.
Logan blinked as the younger teen suddenly threw himself towards him. His sensitive ears picked up the New Mutants cheering the move, but he drowned out the noise and caught the first fist that came flying. "So, you finally decided to fight back, eh?"
"Hell yeah." Douglas growled and threw his full body weight into Logan's chest, throwing the elder mutant off balance for a second. Get him fighting. Close combat is the only way. He felt Wolverine's hand pass by his head in an attempt to hit him. I can do this. I can do this! Just focus! Concentrate!
Up in the observation deck, Xavier raised his eyebrow. Interesting move.
"What's he thinking? Attacking Wolverine like that won't help matters." Ororo looked out at the gathered students. The X-Men were obviously surprised by the maneuver, while the New Mutants were pumping their fists in the air and yelling out various hits for Douglas to use. "Professor?"
"I don't know what he's thinking. However," he noticed a smirk forming on the new mutant's face, "I think we're about to find out."
Got you now. Douglas' mind finally clicked and constructed what could best be described as a martial arts pyramid. From the few moves Wolverine had been using, his mind had extrapolated and expanded derivations that could be formed using similar techniques. In his minds eye, the base of the structure revealed to him some basic techniques. Each level of derivation the techniques got more and more complex, until the peak had a move so utterly complicated and most likely physically impossible that Douglas simply ignored it. He just needed something basic, something to throw this man off kilter. Jonah, if you could see me now.
As Logan threw another punch, Douglas grabbed his wrist and leaned forward, grinning. "Dahjaj'oh quq jaj daq hegh."
Logan's face twisted as he tried to comprehend what the new mutant had said. Then, without warning, a knee connected with his gut, followed by a foot hitting his shin. Before he knew it he felt two hands on his arm, flipping him over and slamming him on his back. Letting out a pained growl, he looked up into the panting, red face of Douglas Ramsey.
Douglas continued breathing hard, gathering back his breath. He let go of Logan's arm and stumbled back, staring. He had been arrogant enough to assume he could show off some skill. However, it was obvious that he had barely harmed the elder mutant. On top of that, his foot was throbbing from where it'd connected with Logan's shin. It also felt like he had pulled something in his shoulder lifting that much weight off the ground. Before he could stop himself, he had fallen down and started swearing in French, Latin, and, according to Kurt's surprised face, German.
Logan, for his part, got up and walked over. Obviously, he had underestimated the kid, though he could use more work. "You okay, kid?"
"That hurt! What the hell have you got in that body?! Metal?!" Douglas rubbed his foot, feeling it begin to swell.
Scott, having walked over after Douglas went down, coughed. "Actually, uh, yeah. Logan's skeleton is made out of adamantium."
"Adamantium?! You mean I just kicked a man with adamantium shins?! Jesus I'm lucky nothing's broken!" He yelped as Scott touched his shoulder. "He weighs a ton, too! I know I pulled something!" Douglas grumbled and went back to swearing, though this time more softly.
"Elf, get the translator down to the infirmary. Then get to work."
Nodding, Kurt touched the back of Douglas' neck and the two of them vanished in a flash of light and black smoke.
Logan looked at the New Mutants. "As for you, two laps, then hit the showers." With that, the feral mutant left, heading for the observatory.
Scott shook his head and left with Jean and Evan, muttering about new recruits and showing off.
Kitty was grinning, resting against the wall. "That was, like, so cool."
Rouge shrugged. In all honesty, she was surprised at Douglas' last minute assault, but he was still a bit of a wimp. He's definitely not a fighter.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm gonna, like, see if he wants company." Kitty phased through the floor, leaving Rouge on her own.
Rouge shook her head. "I hope he never has to cover my back..."
~*()*~
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Author's Prattle: First off, words with "_blah_" around them, indicate German. I didn't feel like translating, and since it was a long conversation, it made more sense. Also, what Douglas said to Wolverine was "Today is a good day to die" in Klingon. As he said, he shouldn't have watched that Star Trek Marathon. Okay, I couldn't resist putting it in. Sue me.
For those purists who are reading, yes I've upgraded Cipher's abilities. Why? Well, if all he could do was translate and communicate with computers, that basically makes him a living translator program from the internet. This does not mean he can learn things immediately. As seen, while he may understand the martial art moves, he can't do them immediately (even the simple ones he pulled muscles). For another example, he could read music, but give him a flute, and he wouldn't be able to play it. I've extrapolated his powers, but not amplified them.
Yes, that was a flashback of when Cipher was younger. Cute, ne? Also, I hope I conveyed the teenage nervousness of Cipher responding to Kitty's request realistically. Having never been asked out myself, I just had to wing it. Let's see....hmm...oh, Kurt's wake up routine. I know a lot of authors have used it. It seems like something Kurt would do, ne? Sorry if I mimicked someone out there, but you have to admit, it's kinda a common fandom assumption.
For those of you wondering (cause I know some of you are), this is NOT a self-insert fic. Hardly. Cipher IS a Marvel character. Yes, my penname is similar, but that's where our similarities end. I am not blond, blue-eyed, nor am I good with language (dear lord, if you heard how I butchered French and Latin, not to mention--oh wait, biology is Latin too).
Disclaimers. Let's see...don't own X-Men Evolution or its characters or settings. I don't own Star Trek, the Klingon language, Power Rangers (sorry for the pun, but you have to admit, the similarities are striking). If there IS an Ancient Civilizations and World Cultures Encyclopedia out there, I don't own that either. I DO own Jonah, but that's it.
Well, as always, Reviews are welcome, but the main thing is that you enjoyed it! Until next time!