Chapter 2: First Impressions
"Goodbye Mom, Daddy," Kitty said in tears as she hugged her parents for the last time. Rebecca Pryde gave only a stifled sob as she held her daughter, while Alexander put on a brave face.
"You'll be all right, sweetheart," he assured her. "You're in good hands."
Kitty managed to smile, and picked up the several bags she would be taking with her to the Institute. The girl gave one last wave to her parents; and preparing to board the sleek X-Jet, her eyes caught sight of Lance Alvers.
He was leaning against the jet nonchalantly, his eyes closed and deep in thought. He was not exactly looking forward to the trip, and had no desire at the moment to be cooped up with the other two passengers. The bald guy was all right, but judging from the dirty looks Red threw his way, she hadn't forgotten their confrontation in the drama room.
"Lance?"
He glanced up, surprised by the sound of her voice. "Yeah?"
"Were you waiting for me?" There was a faint blush to her cheeks, and, not for the first time, he realized how pretty she was. He could feel his cool exterior begin to melt.
"You got me." He threw up his hands in mock defeat, which earned him a smile. He had to admit, it was partly true.
Kitty noticed the battered duffle bag at the boy's feet. "Oh, is that all you're bringing?" she inquired innocently.
Swinging it over his shoulder, Lance nodded. "I'm a light packer, unlike some people I could mention." He eyed Kitty's many bags.
"Well, we are going to stay at the Institute for the rest of the school year."
Lance opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by Jean Grey.
"All right you two, time to go." She knew the words had come out a little too harsh, but she couldn't help herself. Jean didn't like the way Lance was bonding with Kitty. She was a nice girl, and in Jean's mind, the rock-tumbler was far from trustworthy. Bottling up her displeasure, the redhead composed herself as the two boarded the jet, belongings in tow. She pretended not to notice Lance taking hold of Kitty's larger, more troublesome bags.
The Professor was at the controls, getting ready for takeoff. The three younger mutants strapped themselves in as the engines roared to life. The gates of the hangar opened, and they were clear to leave.
"We're ready to go, Professor." Jean said coolly. With that, the jet sped up and smoothly lifted up into the air, leaving the small suburb of Northbrook behind.
The Prydes watched the X-Jet until it was nothing more than a dark dot in the sky. Rebecca grasped her husband's hand as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"My little kitten," she whispered. "Did we really do the right thing, Alexander?"
She waited for a reply, but received none. Instead, she felt his hand slip out of hers. The sorrowful mother turned around, only to see her husband slowly walking away from her, his head held low.
* * *
A grimacing Lance clutched the armrests of his seat as the X-Jet picked up speed. Do they have to go this fast?! he wondered. The boy's stomach was doing cartwheels, and he could feel the school cafeteria's hamburger special coming back to haunt him. As soon as it was safe, he hastily unbuckled his seatbelt and rushed for the restroom.
Kitty, on the other hand, was enjoying the flight. She had found the sudden rush of speed to be exhilarating, just like a roller coaster. Her feelings of excitement were dampened however, when she saw her fellow mutant stumble weakly towards the lavatory with his arms around his abdomen. The restroom doors slammed shut, and she made out a muffled groan, then the sounds of him being sick.
Worried by the painful sounds, Kitty left her seat and knocked on the door. "Lance?" she called. No answer. She knocked again, more firmly that time. Again, there was no response.
Lance was hovering above the sink, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead. He was startled when he glanced up in the mirror and saw Kitty suddenly appear through the door.
"Are you all right?"
Touched by her concern, he smiled weakly. "Yeah. I'm juuuust peachy." He gave her thumbs up, just as the jet hit some turbulence. The boy's expression turned green and he bolted for the toilet, where he promptly threw up.
Kitty winced sympathetically, and did the only thing she could do. She held back his hair.
* * *
The mutant known as Scott Summers was lying in bed, recovering from the day's earlier physics midterm, when he heard a knock on the door.
"Come in," he said, his voice slightly muffled by the pillow covering his head.
"Hello Scott," Ororo Munroe said as she entered.
The boy quickly sat up, and grinned at the instructor. "Oh hi, Ororo. What's up?"
"I've just been contacted by Professor Xavier, and he informed me that he and Jean will be back shortly with two new recruits."
"Two new recruits?" Scott echoed in amazement. "Who are they?"
Her lips curled into a smile. "Mr. Summers, I'm afraid I know as much about them as you do. Be sure to let Kurt know, if you see him."
"Sure. No problem," Scott's voice was distant as she shut the door behind her. Falling back down on the bed, he let out a sigh, murmuring, "The Institute will be filled up in no time… "
* * *
The flight to Bayville went by remarkably fast. Kitty and Lance were now strapped back in their seats, since his stomach was now free of food. Lance still felt a little queasy, but more than anything, he was embarrassed. Kitty noticed his downtrodden expression.
"Feeling any better?"
"I guess so," he replied glumly.
"Hey, don't feel bad. I mean, like, lots of people get airsick."
"Well, it wouldn't be so bad if this stupid jet weren't so damn fast," Lance mumbled under his breath.
Kitty chuckled. "Is this your first time flying?"
"So what if it is?" he said defensively.
"Don't worry. It'll be our little secret, okay?" Once again, Lance was confronted with the sight of her smiling face. Her eyes were a deep and abiding blue.
"All right," he returned the smile, "Thanks."
"We're approaching the Institute," Professor Xavier informed them.
Kitty looked out the window, and saw a beautiful mansion alone in the countryside. "Is that it?" she asked excitedly.
"It sure is," Jean answered with a note of pride. The X-Jet began to slow down, and two hangar doors at the Institute opened.
"Wow," Kitty whispered, stunned. Lance let out a relieved sigh as the jet landed safely.
Meanwhile, the other four members of Xavier's school were in the hangar, eagerly awaiting their arrival.
"So, vhat do you zink ze two new mutants vill be like?" Kurt, still in his holo-watch form, inquired.
"Honestly, I have no idea," Scott replied with a shrug.
"Vell, I vouldn't mind if zey vere two hot babes!"
His cycloptic friend didn't join in his laughter, for he was far too busy watching Jean exit the jet. She had only been gone a day, but Scott had missed her presence terribly.
Following Jean and the Professor was a new girl.
"All right!" the German cheered, his prediction seemingly coming true. She was pretty and petite, maybe a little younger than him, with long brown hair tied in a ponytail. In blue jeans and a pink sweater, she was the physical embodiment of cuteness. Kurt's heart beat like a drum.
The second new recruit wasn't nearly as attractive in Kurt's eyes, due to the fact he was male. He was tall and disheveled, clothed in a black t-shirt and ripped jeans. He definitely didn't look too thrilled to be there.
The two new recruits stood next to each other as Xavier wheeled over to his colleagues and students.
"Welcome back, Charles," said Ororo. Logan nodded in acknowledgement.
"It's good to be back," Xavier replied. "Ororo, Logan, Scott and Kurt, I'd like you to meet Kitty Pryde and Lance Alvers. Kitty has the power to walk through walls, while Lance can create earthquakes."
"Welcome to the Xavier Institute," Ororo greeted them with a broad, warming smile.
"It's nice to meet you," replied a suddenly shy Kitty.
"Hallo!" a smiling boy appeared out of nowhere and enthusiastically shook her hand. He looked normal enough, but when she held his hand she knew something was amiss.
His fingers feel odd, she thought, and…fuzzy?
Lance found himself facing a tall boy his age. He was wearing sunglasses, which he thought was weird since the hangar was so poorly lit.
"Hey there." The boy grinned and held out his hand. "I'm Scott."
Raising an eyebrow, he looked the preppy young man over. Unimpressed, he shook his hand roughly.
"Lance," was all he said before brushing past him. Scott watched the gruff rock-tumbler walk away, a frown darkening his handsome face.
* * *
Not much later, the two new mutants were treated to their first dinner at the Institute. Finishing off her caesar salad, Kitty glanced at the seven others seated at the table.
"So, like, everyone here is a mutant?" she asked tentatively, wincing a bit as she said the last word.
"Indeed we are, Kitty," the Professor answered. "We are all alike, though we have different abilities."
"Like what?" Lance, who was sitting next to her, wondered the same thing.
"I have the gift of telepathy, which allows me to read minds."
"So do I," Jean spoke up, "though I have the added bonus of telekinesis." To emphasize her point, she mentally lifted her glass of water to her lips and drank.
Next to her sat the lovely dark-skinned woman, Ororo, and she replied next. "Well, I can control and manipulate the weather." As if on cue, a loud clap of thunder could be heard overhead. Ororo smiled knowingly.
Wow, Kitty and Lance thought in unison. Their eyes then moved to the rough older man sitting across from Ororo. With a low grunt, Logan unsheathed a long metallic claw from the back of his hand, and cut himself a piece of rump roast.
A man of few words, Lance thought wryly, I should probably make a mental note to not get on his bad side.
Then there was the boy with the shades. Scott. With an uncomfortable smile, he ran his hands through his reddish-brown hair. "I'd give a demonstration, but I don't think the Professor would appreciate the damage."
"What?"
"Powerful force beams shoot from his eyes," Jean answered for him.
Lance threw her a penetrating glare. I asked him, not you, he was careful not to say out loud. He and the redhead shared a moment of mutual dislike.
Unaware of Lance and Jean's staring contest, Kitty turned to the bright-eyed boy in baggy pants. "What can you do?"
Kurt smirked. This was his chance to really impress her. "Vatch zis!" he cried as he vanished in a cloud of sulfurous smoke. Kitty gasped, and an instant later he reappeared, dangling from the chandelier like an acrobat. He gave her a wink and disappeared again, only to re-materialize back at his seat, where he bowed theatrically.
"Don't be a show-off, elf," Logan scolded as he slapped Kurt on the back. He meekly fell back in his chair.
"Sorry sir," he mumbled, face red.
Kitty stifled a laugh. She could get used to living there.
* * *
The Brotherhood of Bayville Boarding House was one of the town's oldest and most cherished buildings. Upon hearing its name and seeing the place for the first time, Mystique bought it up in a flash. Let it never be said she didn't have a flair for the dramatic. All of the building's prestige and the appropriateness of its title were wasted on one Todd Tolensky however.
The frog-faced young man was home alone, watching the tube in the home's spacious den. Todd discovered a mosquito and was about to have a snack when the front door suddenly flew open, revealing the angry form of Raven Darkholme. The boy cried out in surprise and fell back down on the couch as his principal and guardian stormed by. The furious look on her face made him afraid that she found out he had skipped school again. He sighed in relief as she stalked up the stairs, ignoring him completely.
Todd wiped his brow. Whew, that is one bad lady.
Raven slammed the door to her room shut. Once inside her master suite, she let out a frustrated growl and morphed back into her true form. Picking up her phone, Mystique dialed a number she knew by heart.
* * *
In a modest home in rural Mississippi, a phone rang. Its owner answered, not at all surprised at who was on the other line.
"Hello, Raven. I know why you're calling."
"No doubt you do, Irene," Mystique's voice was a low growl, "What happened?"
Irene rubbed her temple and sat down. "I see probabilities, not the preordained. I told you the girl would side with Xavier, but the boy's fate was much more clouded."
"You assured me he would be mine."
The blind woman sighed. Raven could be so difficult. "I assured nothing! I could only guess what side he'd choose with the clues given to me. In any event, he will be very important in times to come."
"So then you've had more visions regarding him and the rest of the X-Men?" Mystique inquired with a feral purr. "Tell me more."
Just then, Irene heard the sounds of someone coming in the front door.
"I'm home!" a feminine voice colored with a Southern accent called.
"I can't talk anymore right now," the woman whispered harshly before hanging up and greeting her young charge. "How was your day?"
"Fine, I guess," the pretty goth replied airily. "Who was on the phone?"
"No one, dear," Irene answered with a heavy heart, "No one at all."
* * *
It was evening at the Xavier Institute. The Professor was taking his newest students on a private tour of the mansion, showing them the grounds, their rooms, and the many facilities that would be available to them. Kitty was in a perpetual state of awe, and even Lance had to admit he was impressed. The Institute was a far cry from the orphanage he spent half his childhood in.
"And I'll make arrangements at the local high school for you two to attend classes," Xavier explained as he led them down a hall.
"Wait a minute," Lance interrupted, "I thought this place was a school."
"At Bayville High you and Kitty will be able to interact with your human peers and carry on a normal social life. You are teenagers, after all," the elder mutant said matter-of-factly. "My Institute is about teaching you how to obtain control of your mutant powers."
The three of them were now down a long corridor, facing a huge door. Kitty and Lance exchanged questioning looks as the professor put his palm on a scanner that automatically opened the next corridor. The door revealed a long metallic passageway that was right out of a science fiction film. The stunned pair followed Xavier as he led them down into a small control room that resembled an observation booth. It was filled with various controls and gadgets whose purpose the teens could barely fathom.
"What is all this?" Kitty murmured. She gazed out the wraparound windows down at some sort of arena. At that precise moment a pair of gates opened, revealing five familiar figures. She immediately recognized Jean due to her full mane of bright red hair. The girl had traded in her khakis for a tight black bodysuit with a streak of green down her form. Scott was next to her, wearing another black bodysuit with a loud yellow X across his chest. His shades were replaced with a yellow and red visor. Ororo stood tall and regal in dark purple spandex with white gloves and a long, flowing cape. Logan's face was covered by feral orange and black mask, but Kitty identified him by his muscular, intimidating build. Lastly, there was a boy who had the same facial features and long black hair as Kurt, but otherwise looked very different. His skin was covered in blue fur, and he had three elongated fingers on each hand. As if that wasn't weird enough, he also had a long prehensile tail that whipped behind him as he walked.
"Holy--!" Lance's voice trailed off as he looked down at the bizarre scene. "What's going on? Why are they dressed up like it's Halloween?"
"Just watch," Xavier said, his face unreadable.
Suddenly, the arena changed. No longer an empty stadium, a holographic image turned it into a rugged jungle terrain. The five mutants assembled into a unit, and proceeded to march through the foreign environment as if in search of something. Then, out of nowhere, a swarm of poison darts aimed directly at them cut through the air. Acting fast, Jean threw out her arm and the barbs stopped in midair. Unfortunately, there was more coming.
"Teams Alpha, Beta, split up!" Ororo shouted as she flew into the air. Team Beta obeyed her instructions as Kurt grabbed Scott and bamfed out of harm's way, while Jean telekinetically stopped more darts. Logan, the other half of Team Alpha, followed the weather witch's lead. Ororo used her powers to form a mighty gust of wind that blasted through the heavy green foliage, exposing three dart-blowing robots. The metallic trio then fired a volley of deadly looking saw blades at the two. Logan unsheathed his claws, and sliced through the blades with lightening-quick reflexes. Ororo then took charge and destroyed the robots with a powerful burst of lightening from her hands.
Meanwhile, Team Beta was charging through the wilderness towards their goal. Whenever un unseen attacker fired a volley of blades at them, Scott would either blast them away with his optic beams, or Jean would stop them dead before they could do any damage. Just then, they broke through a clearing and saw a plateau on which rested a vial of red liquid. The object of their quest was being guarded by a troupe of more robots.
"Nightcrawler, go!" Scott shouted Kurt's codename as he began firing at the robots.
"Right!" the blue boy nodded. Kurt teleported onto the plateau as Scott's beams protected him by making short work of the machines. He then snatched the vial and with a sulfurous bamf he was back at Scott's side. The vial had been retrieved; mission accomplished. The teens high-fived each other as the hologram faded.
"Great teamwork, everyone," Xavier congratulated them over the speakers. He then turned his eye towards his new recruits. "Well?" he asked expectantly.
"That's what you meant by gaining control of our abilities?" Lance scowled.
"Yes, in a manner of speaking."
"I don't remember dressing up in tights and playing VR games being part of the package here."
"I assure you that this is all necessary," Xavier said calmly. "Why don't we go and talk to your teammates?"
"Whatever," Lance scoffed as the Professor led the way. Trailing behind the wheelchair-bound man, the boy gently nudged Kitty.
He whispered into her ear, "What do you think of all this?"
"I don't know what to think," she answered honestly. "This is all so unreal. But that whole setup down there with the holograms and the robots was totally freaky."
"Tell me about it."
The three then entered the arena, where they were reunited with the other members of the Institute. Jean was beaming. "Did you like the demonstration?" she asked with a saccharine smile.
"Pff. You wish," Lance muttered under his breath just loud enough for her to hear. A shadow passed over Jean's face, but she quickly brushed it off.
Kitty gave a tired sigh. She had so many questions, and now she wanted answers. "Professor, can you please explain what's going on? Like, what's the deal with all of this?"
In a calm, fatherly voice, Xavier began to explain. "Mutants have existed for many, many years now, but the public remains unaware of them. I believe that humanity is not ready to know about us yet; after all, people fear what they do not understand. There are many who would persecute us and harm us simply for what we are, and unfortunately, there are just as many mutants who would do the same to them. But someday soon mutants will be exposed, and we are preparing for that day. Where we're standing right now is called the Danger Room, and here we utilize the latest technology to help us train and hone our powers."
Lance took a step forward, crossing his arms over his chest. "Who's 'we?'"
Xavier's wheelchair turned, and he faced the five costumed mutants. He identified them all. "Jean Grey. Cyclops. Storm. Wolverine. Nightcrawler." His gaze then returned to Lance and Kitty.
"We are the X-Men."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
To Be Continued…* * * * * * * * * * * *