Two years have passed. Gigi is now 14 and Miller is 16.
Gigi bounced into Miller's room after knocking. He was curled up on his bed, reading for class and his roommate was nowhere to be seen.
"Guess what?" she asked as she pounced him. They wrestled for a moment and he came out on top as usual. He flicked a pigtail and then bounded off the bed to turn off his music. He was tall like his mother and was beginning to put on muscle over his elegant bones.
"What?"
"I've got a name!" she sang.
"Cool. Who are you then?"
"Well, Aunt Jean says I form links with people and you say that my pigtails make me look like a cat, so how about Lynx, spelled l-y-n-x?"
He nodded. "That works."
"Trisha and Mary came up with their names last night when I did—don't worry, I just told them that I had one. You're the first person I've told. Trisha's Shadow and Mary is Flashpoint."
"Well, those certainly fit them don't they, Lynx?"
She grinned and pulled him from the room. "Come on, I wanna go run."
They always took runs around the grounds together. He let her pull him along, all the while wondering what the hell he was going to call himself.
That afternoon found Miller squaring off against Conduit in the Danger Room. Conduit was Cyclops's son and an ass just like his father. As they fought, he taunted Miller.
"So you're always with Lynx, Miller, what you like her or something?"
Miller ignored him.
"When are you gonna get a real name? I mean, Miller isn't exactly X-men worthy is it?"
Miller still didn't react and the fight continued.
"Wait, I've got it! You should be Animal. After all, you are one, just like your father."
Miller charged Conduit and clenched his fists, pure rage coursing through his veins. Out of nowhere, bone claws leapt from his hands.
His scream echoed through the Danger Room and, via the sound system, the observation room, as he fell to his knees. Lynx was on her feet and running before Professor Summers had even halted the program. Blood was coursing down Miller's arms as she entered the room. Conduit had retreated, obviously scared and helpless at what to do. She pulled off her gloves as she approached.
Over the last couple years, Lynx had learned to use her powers. Miller was always willing to let her touch him.
"M, its Lynx. Its okay, M, I'm here and your dad and Aunt Jean are on their way. You need to calm down." She knelt in front of him and reached out, wrapping her hands around his forearms.
Pain coursed through her and she gasped. She concentrated, battling the pain down. She thought of that temple in Japan that Miller liked to show her. The screams stopped as he began to calm down.
That's it.
You can talk to me? His voice was full of pain.
Yeah, I've been practicing with Aunt Jean.
Cool.
She smiled and continued to send him calming images. Once he was calm enough they pulled on the claws together, retracting them into his arms. She helped him to his feet and towards the door with his arm slung over her shoulder and hers around his waist. She heard his name and smiled.
That's a good name, M.
They passed the still scared Conduit. Prick.
Lynx laughed before turning to face the other mutant. "His name," she proclaimed loudly, "is Raptor."
Gigi bounced into Miller's room after knocking. He was curled up on his bed, reading for class and his roommate was nowhere to be seen.
"Guess what?" she asked as she pounced him. They wrestled for a moment and he came out on top as usual. He flicked a pigtail and then bounded off the bed to turn off his music. He was tall like his mother and was beginning to put on muscle over his elegant bones.
"What?"
"I've got a name!" she sang.
"Cool. Who are you then?"
"Well, Aunt Jean says I form links with people and you say that my pigtails make me look like a cat, so how about Lynx, spelled l-y-n-x?"
He nodded. "That works."
"Trisha and Mary came up with their names last night when I did—don't worry, I just told them that I had one. You're the first person I've told. Trisha's Shadow and Mary is Flashpoint."
"Well, those certainly fit them don't they, Lynx?"
She grinned and pulled him from the room. "Come on, I wanna go run."
They always took runs around the grounds together. He let her pull him along, all the while wondering what the hell he was going to call himself.
That afternoon found Miller squaring off against Conduit in the Danger Room. Conduit was Cyclops's son and an ass just like his father. As they fought, he taunted Miller.
"So you're always with Lynx, Miller, what you like her or something?"
Miller ignored him.
"When are you gonna get a real name? I mean, Miller isn't exactly X-men worthy is it?"
Miller still didn't react and the fight continued.
"Wait, I've got it! You should be Animal. After all, you are one, just like your father."
Miller charged Conduit and clenched his fists, pure rage coursing through his veins. Out of nowhere, bone claws leapt from his hands.
His scream echoed through the Danger Room and, via the sound system, the observation room, as he fell to his knees. Lynx was on her feet and running before Professor Summers had even halted the program. Blood was coursing down Miller's arms as she entered the room. Conduit had retreated, obviously scared and helpless at what to do. She pulled off her gloves as she approached.
Over the last couple years, Lynx had learned to use her powers. Miller was always willing to let her touch him.
"M, its Lynx. Its okay, M, I'm here and your dad and Aunt Jean are on their way. You need to calm down." She knelt in front of him and reached out, wrapping her hands around his forearms.
Pain coursed through her and she gasped. She concentrated, battling the pain down. She thought of that temple in Japan that Miller liked to show her. The screams stopped as he began to calm down.
That's it.
You can talk to me? His voice was full of pain.
Yeah, I've been practicing with Aunt Jean.
Cool.
She smiled and continued to send him calming images. Once he was calm enough they pulled on the claws together, retracting them into his arms. She helped him to his feet and towards the door with his arm slung over her shoulder and hers around his waist. She heard his name and smiled.
That's a good name, M.
They passed the still scared Conduit. Prick.
Lynx laughed before turning to face the other mutant. "His name," she proclaimed loudly, "is Raptor."