* In the opening chapters of this story we meet Griffin, a mysterious girl
who has enrolled at Professor X's school, and during a training exercise
with the other students, demolishes the entire program within minutes. In
haste, Griffin runs away before anyone can catch her. *
** To my knowledge Griffin, a.k.a. Kerrigan Evans, is of my own creation. **
Part III- Lookout Point
" What happened?" Charles Xavier asked patiently as he came into the room.
" Well, we were just having a little late practice, and." Torch answered uneasily as scratched the back of his head
" I invited Griffin to join us," Scott added, " she took off at the end of the program and we haven't seen her anywhere."
" Something happened, Professor," Jean finally put in, " she started and finished the entire program, we weren't even given a chance, she just destroyed everything. Then she was overcome with, well what I sensed as sadness and disappointment and she disappeared and ran away."
" She disappeared and ran away?" Professor Xavier repeated.
" Yeah," they all said in unison.
" Then we should find her," Xavier concluded simply, " Storm, I would like you to wait while I use Cerebro. While the rest of you go to bed."
The four of the students turned around dejectedly and went to their beds. Xavier's wheelchair glided him out of the Danger Room and took him to Cerebro at the end of the hallway. He entered and Storm followed behind him, but rather then follow him inside, she turned and leaned against a wall and crossed her arms. She waited patiently for several minutes before the Professor emerged.
" She's been moving quite a bit, at an amazing speed." He remarked, " She's at Lookout Point, but be careful Storm, though I'm sure she will not hurt you, she's very cautious now. If she gets scared, she'll run again."
" I will Professor," she said and with that she left. She went into the garage and picked up the keys to her silver vintage corvette. The door opened and she drove out onto the dark road.
Griffin was balled up on the thick branches of a tree overlooking the quiet point, the glittering city below. Surprisingly, there were no teenagers out at the Point, especially for it being a Saturday night. But that was what she had been looking for, quiet.
There were tears in her eyes again, but knowing she didn't have to hold them back anymore she allowed them to fall down cheeks. She could still hear the faint echo of the metal clattering to the floor, and she was still hot from the explosion of the machines. How much money had she cost the Professor? It was something that had just crossed her mind. She wasn't destroying their property anymore; this was one man's institute. Could he afford the damage she had just caused? She shouldn't be here. She was going to be trouble for the people who only wanted to help her. She should run away again.
Then she heard a guttural sound in her ears, the sound of a car coming down the road. She turned her head in the direction the sound was coming from, and with her advanced vision searched the darkness. The car stopped close by, but because of the tree cover she couldn't see where it. She heard footsteps on the ground, softly breaking the twigs and leaves that had fallen.
" Griffin, are you there." Storm softly called out.
Her voice was tender and worried, not annoyed or angry. She searched around, not knowing that she was in fact in the trees behind her. " Griffin, are you here?"
" How did you know where I was?" Griffin asked. Storm turned and searched the dark trees.
" The Professor was worried about you, he wanted to find you and make sure you were alright."
" He should have known that I would be alright," Griffin answered, with more bitterness then she had intended, " I'm better off out here anyway."
Storm could sympathize with Griffin more then the girl could realize, " Come back, Griffin, there's nothing t be afraid of, or embarrassed, or sorry about. You did nothing wrong."
" I destroyed that room," Griffin said in a broken voice.
" It wasn't real," Storm replied, giving up her search of the trees, she stared in the direction she thought the voice was coming from. " Nothing in that room was as it seems, holograms really."
" Holograms?" Griffin repeated, it made her feel a little bit better, but she still had a gut wrenching feeling tearing at her stomach.
" I cannot imagine all the things that you've been put through," Storm said softly, "I don't think any of us can. But we understand the stress and the pressure. You can run as far away as you want, and no one will follow if that's how you want it. But you will always have a home at the school and people there will understand you."
Slowly Griffin crept out of the tree and landed with almost catlike grace on the ground. She straightened and looked at Storm. She smiled at the girl, who offered a small smile in return. Storm was amazed at how unassuming the girl was, she was athletically fit, but nothing would have given anyone the idea that she was such a powerful mutant. Storm looked into the girl's powerful violet eyes and found not submission and surrender, but rather a renewed energy and fire.
** To my knowledge Griffin, a.k.a. Kerrigan Evans, is of my own creation. **
Part III- Lookout Point
" What happened?" Charles Xavier asked patiently as he came into the room.
" Well, we were just having a little late practice, and." Torch answered uneasily as scratched the back of his head
" I invited Griffin to join us," Scott added, " she took off at the end of the program and we haven't seen her anywhere."
" Something happened, Professor," Jean finally put in, " she started and finished the entire program, we weren't even given a chance, she just destroyed everything. Then she was overcome with, well what I sensed as sadness and disappointment and she disappeared and ran away."
" She disappeared and ran away?" Professor Xavier repeated.
" Yeah," they all said in unison.
" Then we should find her," Xavier concluded simply, " Storm, I would like you to wait while I use Cerebro. While the rest of you go to bed."
The four of the students turned around dejectedly and went to their beds. Xavier's wheelchair glided him out of the Danger Room and took him to Cerebro at the end of the hallway. He entered and Storm followed behind him, but rather then follow him inside, she turned and leaned against a wall and crossed her arms. She waited patiently for several minutes before the Professor emerged.
" She's been moving quite a bit, at an amazing speed." He remarked, " She's at Lookout Point, but be careful Storm, though I'm sure she will not hurt you, she's very cautious now. If she gets scared, she'll run again."
" I will Professor," she said and with that she left. She went into the garage and picked up the keys to her silver vintage corvette. The door opened and she drove out onto the dark road.
Griffin was balled up on the thick branches of a tree overlooking the quiet point, the glittering city below. Surprisingly, there were no teenagers out at the Point, especially for it being a Saturday night. But that was what she had been looking for, quiet.
There were tears in her eyes again, but knowing she didn't have to hold them back anymore she allowed them to fall down cheeks. She could still hear the faint echo of the metal clattering to the floor, and she was still hot from the explosion of the machines. How much money had she cost the Professor? It was something that had just crossed her mind. She wasn't destroying their property anymore; this was one man's institute. Could he afford the damage she had just caused? She shouldn't be here. She was going to be trouble for the people who only wanted to help her. She should run away again.
Then she heard a guttural sound in her ears, the sound of a car coming down the road. She turned her head in the direction the sound was coming from, and with her advanced vision searched the darkness. The car stopped close by, but because of the tree cover she couldn't see where it. She heard footsteps on the ground, softly breaking the twigs and leaves that had fallen.
" Griffin, are you there." Storm softly called out.
Her voice was tender and worried, not annoyed or angry. She searched around, not knowing that she was in fact in the trees behind her. " Griffin, are you here?"
" How did you know where I was?" Griffin asked. Storm turned and searched the dark trees.
" The Professor was worried about you, he wanted to find you and make sure you were alright."
" He should have known that I would be alright," Griffin answered, with more bitterness then she had intended, " I'm better off out here anyway."
Storm could sympathize with Griffin more then the girl could realize, " Come back, Griffin, there's nothing t be afraid of, or embarrassed, or sorry about. You did nothing wrong."
" I destroyed that room," Griffin said in a broken voice.
" It wasn't real," Storm replied, giving up her search of the trees, she stared in the direction she thought the voice was coming from. " Nothing in that room was as it seems, holograms really."
" Holograms?" Griffin repeated, it made her feel a little bit better, but she still had a gut wrenching feeling tearing at her stomach.
" I cannot imagine all the things that you've been put through," Storm said softly, "I don't think any of us can. But we understand the stress and the pressure. You can run as far away as you want, and no one will follow if that's how you want it. But you will always have a home at the school and people there will understand you."
Slowly Griffin crept out of the tree and landed with almost catlike grace on the ground. She straightened and looked at Storm. She smiled at the girl, who offered a small smile in return. Storm was amazed at how unassuming the girl was, she was athletically fit, but nothing would have given anyone the idea that she was such a powerful mutant. Storm looked into the girl's powerful violet eyes and found not submission and surrender, but rather a renewed energy and fire.