By Saturnian Blonde
Standard Questionably Useful Disclaimer: Marvel owns all rights to characters, names, etc. No profit is being made from use of anything. Yet.
Rating: PG-13
Comments: well, I really got out all I wanted to say last author's rant in the previous chapter. Coolness.
Chapter FOURLondon walked into the room, dropping her bags and setting down a box on the empty bed.
"So this is my room?" She asked Remy, who leaned on the door jam.
"So how'd de Prof' convince y' t' stay?"
"What is the only think that would?"
"He payin' you dat much?"
"Money is the oil that moves the world… or something like that…" She sighed and walked around the room, opening the window to let a slight breeze into the room.
"Y' also get a roommate." She groaned and flopped down on the bed.
"He never told me that. I assume it's a girl, right? I figure you don't get the whole co-ed thing happening here in the rooms, right? Nah, that would make Remy all too happy…or perhaps there's some chick? Could that be the reason you grin like an idiot every fifteen minutes?"
"Et qu'est ce que ça veut dire?" He asked indignantly.
"It means that you're a player, shugah." A voice said from behind him. London sat up as Remy moved out of the way to see a Goth girl holding her own box of things. She stepped into the room and looked around. "Well, it's certainly bigger than mah ol' room." She looked through an adjoining door. "An' we get our own bathroom!? Hallelujah!"
London suddenly recognized the girl as one of the people she'd seen while captured by Trask. The one with the feisty temper and the one… oh, what was her power again? She never heard what it was, but something struck her as odd when she saw the gloves she wore. The girl turned back to her and looked her over. "Well, Echo, ya look better than the last time ah saw ya."
"Same to you..." She said, unsure of what to say. Rogue supplied her name, as a nagging curiosity to ask her what her powers were kept reasserting itself in her mind, but she decided against it. After all, if she wants to tell me, let her say it herself.
"So, yah can talk, after all! Never said much before."
"Well, Remy'll leave y' two lovely ladies t' unpack." Simultaneously, two pillows were thrown at his head, barely missing and hitting the closed door.
"Ah, swear, ah'll kill him one of these days…" London grinned wickedly.
"I think we'll get along just fine."
"Yah know… ah never got ta thank yah for helpin' us get out of there… and fer what yah did for Fred.,," Memories clouded her head for a minute as she relived the pain.
"Don't worry about it. It's their own fault that they pissed me off."
"What exactly did yah do ta them?"
"Well… it was, what, months ago… I'm sure most of them are out of their coma's by now." She looked doubtful, but shrugged it off. "I hope they're okay… Oh well. I ain't gonna miss them anytime soon, so what the hey…"
"So?" London paused as she realized she didn't really answer her question. Damn, she'll pry it out of me, too.
"It's weird… during this one – test – they took off the collar, and I used my powers in an instant, for something that I could use to get out. When they put it back on, it only blocked my ability to change myself, not to actually use anything… and when the time was right, I just used my powers again. Put a thought into their minds and make them fall unconscious."
"That's kinda vague, yah know… what is yah power?"
"Without the long technical mumbo-jumbo that I doubt you'd understand anyways… I'm sort of like a mimic. I take other's appearances and powers."
"Like a shapeshifter?" Rogue was instantly on guard.
"No, not really… they change around their atoms, I actually change my DNA." She moved to unpacking her stuff. Rogue was silent for a time as she unpacked her own, tacking up posters on the walls.
"So you change yah DNA? Does it stay that way, or do yah change back to yourself after a time?"
"No, it stays that way. I don't know what my original DNA is anymore. Hell, I don't know what colour my hair or eyes are… or if I'm this height, damn I'd wish to be taller." Rogue smiled inwardly at the way she talked. Her accent wasn't all that unlike an American, but she could tell it was different, they way she pronounced things and word phrasing.
Her mind set working on ideas as the two girls unpacked the rest of their stuff. London had less, so the rest of the time they spent helping Rogue move her stuff from her and Kitty's room, where a new mutant was moving in. Some other valley girl, and Rogue, as she found out, was only too happy to have a change of vocabulary from the non-cessing ramblings of 'like'.
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"There is no way in hell I'm going to school again!"
Charles Xavier was going through the portfolio of documents that London had given him. Canadian Passports, social insurance numbers, numerous identification documents that he had asked for, to facilitate the joining of his school. He was sure half of them were false, but he said nothing. She had very little information about herself to go on, that he was surprised that she had managed so well with so little.
He was in the middle of telling her most of the rules of the house and what was expected, as well as going through the contract agreements for their business transactions, when she came across one small problem.
"All my students are required to go to the local high school, or study here exclusively. Unless there is some other logical reason why you won't attend, such as-"
"I've already graduated." She pulled out the last pages in her documents, a high school diploma and Honorary Masters Degree from a university.
"St. Francis Xavier University?"
"Ironic, ain't it? I've already got all that stuff, who says I should go to school?"
"And you graduated in one year?"
"I'm gifted."
"What was your field of study?"
"Genetics. With a Minor in Biochemistry."
"Well, upon verification of this, I will agree to let you avoid school. However, it would be beneficial if you could be around people your own age in a social environment…"
"Isn't that what I do here?" He chuckled, when she realized she was only teasing him.
"There is one position I know of that could be useful to you, and will put you in a school environment without you being a student."
"Fine, if I must."
"I also know of a mutant who has a similar power to your own; if she is willing, she may be able to help you with your physical transformations." She visibly went three shades paler, and he heard her gulp.
"That would be—great, thanks." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes, and it quickly disappeared. "How much longer is this going to take?"
"Trust me, this is only to get all the formalities out of the way."He continued to peruse through the documents, when something caught his eye. "What's this?" He said, holding up a small license card. She shrugged nonchalantly.
"Some people in Canada are legally entitled to possess medicinal 'alternative treatments.' "
"A license to carry marijuana? And you need this why?"
"When I was having problems with my powers, I went to doctors, the stupid hosers thought it was terminal cancer. All they could do was ease the pain, so they prescribed marijuana."
"I don't allow it on school grounds."
"It's not on school grounds."
"You're lying."
"No I'm not… technically, it's four meters past your property lines, carefully hidden." He chuckled, but remained serious.
"I won't allow it to be a threat to the other students."
"I don't use the stuff half the time; Sheesh, it's not like I'm some chronic druggie or anything. And I know enough not to give it to anyone, since one, it is illegal, and two, do you think me stupid enough to give it to any of the kids around this place? Honestly, they're on crack, they don't need any pot added to the mix.."
"I won't protect you if Logan finds it either." She recoiled and went white.
"I'll get rid of it." She said quickly.
"That's what I thought."
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"Vhy does she not have to go to school?" Kurt asked as they piled into Scott's car. The convertible pulled away from the school, heading to Bayville High.
"Because she's already graduated, that's why!"
"Then vhy doesn't she go to college, like Scott or Jean?"
"Because she's also already been there, and graduated." Rogue answered.
"I do not think dat's right… She's only 19, are you sure?"
"Apparently the Professor had her write an exam to prove it, and verified it with her schools and universities." They finally pulled into the parking lot.
"Then why is she here – and talking to Ms. Darkholme?" Evan asked. They all looked over to see London standing by the doors, talking to Mystique in disguise as the principal.
"I don't know. Has she been warned of her, or of the Brotherhood for that matter?" Scott asked.
"I don't know. I mean, she can't be doing something that the Professor doesn't know about, right?"
"Well, ask her. We've gotta go, or we'll be late for classes." Scott and Jean pulled away, leaving the others walking towards the school.
"I vonder about her…" Kurt mumbled suspiciously as they approached, and Rogue elbowed him.
"She ain't all that bad, shugah… no more than me, anyways…"
"London!" She turned at her name to see Kitty and the others. A small smile appeared to them before it disappeared. "What's up? We thought you didn't, like, haveta go to school?"
"I'm not a student, but Professor Xavier still thought I should be in a school environment, to get to know some kids around my own age, too. So I'm now an assistant teacher… I think. Something like that."
"You're our teacher?" Evan choked out, and Kurt made a face.
"Hardly. But hey, at least this is only a half day thing. So how the hell does this timetable work?" Rogue explained it to her as they walked inside, and the girls departed, showing her to the Biology labs.
"This'll be really veird… her, a teacher… in a position ov authority und respect… unable to have any pranks pulled upon her, because she knows vhere we sleep…" Kurt looked wistful as the idea of prank-immunity crushed him.
"No sweat, fuzzy-man, I mean there's still the brotherhood, right?" Evan looked down the hall, where Pietro was flirting with some senior. A wicked grin crossed both of their faces.
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Bobby was amazed at how calm and collected London looked when she entered the classroom. Only her eyes gave away any clue to her nervousness, darting around the classroom, looking over the students. Her eyes fell on him and he gave a small smile, which she returned with something akin to gratitude.
"Alright, listen up." The biology teacher, Mr. Epps, a bald, aged man with a beer belly and a mean look on his face entered the room. "This is Sikorba, she's the assistant teacher for the rest of the year. She'll be teaching half the classes during the week, listen to her, don't give her any bull, I'll be back by lunch." He added to her in passing as he picked up his jacked and left the classroom. All composure she held left when the door shut, her staring after him with wide eyes and shocked expression. She turned slowly back to the class.
"Is he always like that?" Most students nodded. "Asshole." The class grinned. "Right then… um, lets face it, I haven't taught before, but at least I understand the stuff I'm supposed to teach you. You can put away your text books, you won't need them for my classes, since they're full of shit anyways." A girl in the back raised her hand.
"What are we supposed to call you?"
"Right., I guess we may as well go over proper introductions, since Mr. I've-got-a-stick-up-my-ass didn't really care to give them. My name's London. Last name's Sikorba. I'll respond to anything; 'hey you', 'what's your name', I don't really care. One insult and you're out of here, though, so keep it clean. London or Ms. S is fine… just don't let the other teachers know about it.
"Right then, I hear you're supposed to be learning about Genetics? Start out easy, take out a piece of paper and write everything you know about the subject."
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"I hate him," London said as she slid down into the empty seat at their table.
"Who?" Kitty asked around a bite of an apple.
"That Epps. I can't believe he is a teacher, he's been teaching everything wrong! GRR! How did I ever let Xavier talk me into this stupid teaching thing??" London dropped her head to the table, leaving it there.
"He is easily the most hated teacher in the school, I'll give you that. Besides the principal." Bobby agreed.
"I dunno, I thought she was okay. A little stiff…"
"Wait till she finds out who you hang with. She isn't very amiable to us, because we're X-men--"
"More like X-geeks." They turned to see Pietro and the rest of the Brotherhood standing behind them, Quicksilver with his usual smirk plastered to his face.
"What, yah couldn't come up with anything bettah than that?" Rogue groaned, hardly looking up from her book. London, however, did look at them. Pietro ignored the comment, noticing the new girl. Mystique hadn't told them that the X-men had a new member.
"SO you've got another runt to the litter, eh?" Pietro looked her over, eyes criticizing her body. He turned to Lance with a smirk, "I thought you said she was thin."
"HEY!" Both Rogue and Bobby pushed away from the table. Kurt looked to London, who was quiet, eyes closed, head down. A shimmer on her neck took Kurt's attention to her skin; She had changed something.
"You ready to start a fight, Maximoff?" Evan challenged, stepping up to him. Lance and Toad closed in on them. Fred stood a little ways off, looking at London with something akin to respect in his eyes.
"With you?" Pietro scoffed, zooming around Evan. "I'd much rather get to know your little friend here," he said. London looked him in the eye, her face as impassive as she could keep it. He just leered down at her.
"So what's your power, eh? These geeks only hang out with freaks like themselves. What makes you one of them?" He ran a finger up her neck, tracing her veins. "Maybe this?"
Something changed in her eyes as she froze when he touched her. Her veins shimmered again.
[You should leave me alone.] The voice echoed around him, breaking his gaze on her as his eyes unfocused.
"Nah, I should leave you alone. You're not worth my time." He agreed, and he backed off from her, leaving their table. The rest of the Brotherhood confusedly following, casting quizzical glances after him.
"How did you do dat?" Kurt asked, placing his hand on her shoulder. The small trance she seemed to be in shattered, and she looked up at him.
[I made him follow it.] The same voice said around them, and London sat heavily down at the table, rubbing her forehead.
"Just leave her be, she's in sing-song mode." Rogue said, sitting back down. London laughed lightly, her echoes allowing them to feel her amusement at the small comment. She concentrated, and the shimmering once again changed something in her.
"Sorry," she said, wincing at the sound. She leaned against her hand, still holding her head.
"You okay?" Bobby asked. "Sometimes Pietro can be a pain. We should have warned you earlier."
"Nah, t's all good. It's just a headache."
"We should keep you around more if you can get rid of him that easily…" Evan said, throwing an empty carton of milk in a trash can.
"You wouldn't keep me around if I didn't?" London looked hurt. Evan balked, but she just laughed.
"Kidding. Anyways, you better get back to class, you don't wanna be late."
"What about you?"
"Oh, I only have to help in the morning Biology and Chemistry classes. LeBeau's s'posed to pick me up and take me back to the hideout." The warning bell rang, and they got up and left. London waited for Remy to show up, wincing painfully as another wave of nausea hit her.
No one noticed Pietro staring at her from across the courtyard.
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Hmmm….. I dunno about this chapter… tell me what you think, because I may just rework it….