Chapter Three:

More Mutants

January 3

It was January 3. The day when all of the students who had left for the Holidays came back to the institute.

The living room of the mansion, which had been almost completely empty over the holidays, was now full of students, chattering and greeting each other happily.

Logan was sitting on the couch, waiting. He knew she was coming, and part of him had missed her, but part of him couldn't wait until summer, in which he would be rid of her again.

Rogue strolled up to him and grinned. "Waitin' for Keri?"

Logan sighed. "I suppose."

Out of nowhere, a small blur did a cartwheel, a round-off, a back hand spring and an arial backflip, and landed in Logan's lap. "Hi, Logan!" Said a young girl of eight-years-old with orange hair and green eyes.

Logan exhaled. "Hello, Keri."

I shall break away from this story for moment to give you some background information on Keri:

Keri Smith (no relation to Tabitha) was an eight-year-old girl who went by the code name "Dark Elf". Although she had lived in Germany from the ages of five to seven and spoke fluent German, she did not have an accent. How she came to live in the institute is a long story, but I can tell you here that her Mother was a personal friend of Charles Xavier, and her "Interview" involved a pad of sticky notes with dogs printed on them, a caffeine-rush, the playful misuse of her two mutant powers of turning invisible and going through walls, and biting Logan on the arm. She and Logan had been together since. Professor X's plan there was probably that Keri might be able to pull Logan out of his shell, and that Logan was the only one in the institute that could keep up with her.

He was probably right, as Keri proved to be quite a handful with her hyper-activity, love of gymnastics, her Teddy bear (or hitting people and things with it), and her habit of making snappy, wheels-off comments and quotes. Her hobbies included the above stated, wall-phasing fun with Kitty (who was her good friend, although she was quite close to Logan), hiding in laundry baskets/cupboards and jumping out people, and jumping off the side of the stairs or balconies and yelling, "CATCH ME WITH YOUR BRAIN, JEAN!"

But you will get better aquatinted with Keri if you see her action, and so we will get along with our story.

Keri looked up at him. "So, didja miss me?"

"Somewhat," Logan answered.

Keri grinned. "Awe, I missed you bunches, too!" She turned to Rogue, and her expression dulled slightly. "Hello, Rogue."

Rogue looked down at her. "Hello, Runt." As you can guess, "Runt" was Rogue's special nickname for Keri.

Kurt walked over to them. "And so it begins, ladies and gentlemen," He said, imitating a boxing referee, "Our main attraction! In zis corner, ze defending champion, with ze ability to steal ze powars of others, Rogue! And, in ze other corner, ze challenger, with ze powers to go through walls, and to camouflage herself, Keri Smith! Some say it is ze fight of ze century! Others say, it is just the stat of a new semester!"

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Great. Between the runt and mah so-called little brother, ah don't know how I'll survive without losin' mah mind."

Keri ignored Rogue's comment, and asked Kurt, "Is Kitty here yet?"

Kurt shook his head. "Sorry, no. I zink she's coming later today."

Keri sighed, and looked down at the ground. "Oh, now I'm sad." Abruptly, she snapped her head back up. "OK, I'm fine now."

"Hey, how do you zink I feel? I'm her boyfriend!" Kurt said indignantly.

Logan rolled his eyes. "Well, you're gonna be pretty sad come summer." He turned to Keri. "And would you mind gettin' outta my lap, Imp?" "Imp" was Logan's nickname for Keri.

She made a serious face. "Answer me this…are there any cookies left?"

Logan shook his head. "Sorry, kid. Rogue an' I ate 'em all."

"CURSE EVERYTHING!" Keri snarled.

Logan just shoved her off his lap.

***

After everyone had had dinner, Logan was hanging out in the kitchen while Kurt was telling Scott, Jean, and Rogue about his "adventures" in Germany over the holidays. "…And zo we realized zhat ze smell vas coming from ze attic! So, my Mom and me, ve crept up dere, and ve saw…animal poop!"

Jean let out a shriek. "EEW! ANIMAL POOP?!"

Kurt grinned. "Yah! It turns out zat a couple of squirrels had made a nest in our attic for ze winter! We were thinking about calling an exterminator, but last I heard, my Mom didn't have ze heart to kick 'em out into ze cold! So, ve're going to wait until spring."

"Yer Mom sounds pretty nice, Kurt," Rogue said.

"Yah. And my Dad's cool, too!" Kurt replied.

Scott looked around. "Hey, where's Keri? She loves squirrels, she ought to hear this!"

"Silence, please…I'm still trying to get the image of squirrel poop out of my brain!" Jean moaned.

"Sissy," Rogue muttered, only loud enough for Logan and herself to hear.

Logan chuckled.

Kurt happily continued his story: "Zat's pretty much the most interesting think zat happened vile I vas in Germany. I got ze best candy for Christmas, so I'd vest hide it from Keri…unless Logan's up for some exercise!"

Logan looked at him, "You can hide the candy, Elf, but I doubt it'll do any good…She's got a sixth sense, or somthin'…"

" Yah! Wait a minute, vhere is she?"

Scott groaned. "I just mentioned that! Wasn't anyone paying attention?!"

"…No," Everyone except Jean said at the same time.

"MY CANDY!" Kurt cried. In a cloud of white smoke, and the sound BAMPH!, Kurt disappeared. He reappeared a few seconds later, shaking his head. "False alarm. She didn't get in to ze candy. But vere could she be?"

"BOO!" A female voice yelled, and covered Kurt's eyes.

"YAAH!" Kurt screamed. Quickly, he ducked, and turned and looked at his "attacker". His frightened expression turned to a grin. "KITTY!"

Kitty smiled. "Hey, Kurt! Surprised ya, didn't I?" She turned to everyone else. "Like, hi, everyone! How's everyone been?"

Kurt looked around. "Kitty, do you know where Keri is?"

"Here!" Keri sang, walking through the wall.

"Vhere have you been?" Kurt asked.

Keri glared at him. "I was helping my friend get her stuff out of her car, unlike a certain German fuzz-ball! Honestly, what kind of a boyfriend are you?!"

Kitty giggled. "Oh, lay-off, Keri! I was, like, going to surprise him!"

Keri sighed, and rolled her eyes. "Whatever…Oh, by the way, Kurt? That German candy in your suitcase was really good!"

Kurt's jaw dropped. "But…But…I checked it! It vas undisturbed!"

Keri grinned mischievously. "Did you just look, or did you actually check to see if they weren't just wrappers with paper stuffed inside them?"

Kurt's eyes filled with rage. "KERI!"

She laughed nervously. "Hey, uh, cool it! I have some German candy, too! You can have some of mine! They're homemade! Yours were just from a company! It's OK!"

"I'M GONNA GET YOU!" Kurt yelled.

"YEEK!" Keri screamed. Abruptly, she turned invisible, and they all heard her run out of the room.

Kurt was ready to drop down on all fours and chase after her, but Kitty stopped him. "Hey! We didn't have time to talk. Doncha wanna give me a nice welcome?" She teased, mischievously running her fingers through his hair. "Or wouldja rather chase Keri?"

Kurt got the message. "Keri who?" He wrapped his arms around her, and then grinned at everyone. "'Bye." With that, he and Kitty BAMPHed away.

Jean smiled. "Aren't they cute together?"

Scott smiled, too. "And so much in love!"

"What a buncha crap," Logan said, in his usual fashion of not caring about what anyone else thought. He walked out of the kitchen, his hands in his pockets.

As he left, he heard Rogue call after him, "You said it!" But if he had seen her face, he would've probably noticed that it didn't seem to agree with him as much as her mouth did.

***

That night, Logan was going to meet Shaina, as usual. But he was hungry, so he wanted to eat a snack first.

When he walked in to the kitchen, he noted that Rogue, Kitty, Jean, and Keri were in there, playing a card game.

"Hi, Logan!" Keri greeted. "Wanna play with us?"

"No thanks, Imp. I'm going out."

Jean blinked. "This late?"

Logan turned to her. "It's only 8:30. By the way, do we have any rolls left over from dinner?"

"You meetin' that girl again?" Rogue asked suddenly.

Logan was surprised. When had he told Rogue about Shaina? He remembered mentioning a "weird girl with purplish-blue eyes" when she had asked what he had done on Christmas Eve, but how did she know that she was meeting her?

"Yea, I am…but how'd ya know?" He replied.

Rogue smiled slightly. "Ya just told me. Besides, on Christmas, when you left, ah asked Professor X where ya went, and he told it was to meet this woman…so ah assumed it was her, and that's where you've been goin' off to every night."

Kitty smirked. "Wow, Logan. Sounds to me like you've got yourself a secret girlfriend!"

Logan groaned. "Oh, come on! Ya know how I feel about that 'love' business! Besides, we play pool every night! That's all! I hardly even know the woman!"

Kitty tisked. "Whatever you say!"

Keri was watching without saying a word. Then, she calmly stood up, smoothed out her skirt, walked over to Logan, flopped down on the ground, grabbed his leg and yelled, "I WANNA MEET YOUR GIRLFRIEND!"

Logan tried to shake her off. "No. And she's not my girlfriend!"

"I DON'T CARE! I WANNA MEET…uh…what's her name?" Keri asked.

Logan sighed. "Shaina."

"Oh. As I was saying, I DON'T CARE! I WANNA MEET SHAINA!"

Logan wondered how to make her let go of his leg. "Sorry, Imp, but they don't allow minors in the bar."

Keri popped her head up and glared at him. "'Minor?' Is that what I am? Oh, am I one of seven weirdoes who whistle they work and dig up jewels?"

Logan rolled his eyes. " 'Minor.' 'Means you're under 18."

Keri thought for a minute, and then smiled. "Well, that's not a problem!" She turned invisible.

"No!" Logan snapped. "Am I gonna introduce her to an invisible girl?! She'd think I was crazy!"

"I can pick up things, and let her touch me! Being invisible doesn't keep me from being solid!" Keri argued, still invisible.

"NO!! AND THAT'S FINAL!" Logan snarled. He stalked out, but then poked his head back in. "And don't sit on the table!"

When Logan had left, Keri turned visible again, and she was indeed sitting on the table. "How'd he know?" She wondered out loud.

"Probably by the sound of your voice," Jean guessed.

"Grr…Badger's so mean!" Keri pouted.

"'Badger'?" Asked Kitty.

Keri glared at the wall. "I picked it up from Tabatha. It's my nickname for Logan when he's being STUPID…or MEAN!"

Rogue, who had been quiet this whole time, suddenly spoke up. "Wow, look the time! Ah think Ah'm just gonna go ta bed early! And Keri, Ah think you left yer Teddy Bear in mah room! Come an' get it!"

Keri blinked. "But Teddy's in my—"

"HE'S IN MAH ROOM!" Rogue interrupted, and grabbed Keri's arm. She then proceeded to drag her out of the kitchen.

She took them in to room that Rogue and Kitty shared, then she stopped, and closed the door.

Keri looked around. "Judging the lack of Teddy, or any visible plush in the room, I have a feeling that you have something to discuss with me."

Rogue ignored the fact that Keri had used large words to make herself sound important, and said, "D'ya really wanna meet Logan's girlfriend?"

Keri blinked. "Uh, yea!"

Rogue threw her hands in to the air. "Ah mean, it's yer right! After all, you're his ex!"

This was true. A few days after she had first arrived at the institute, Keri had announced that she was Logan's girlfriend. Everyone thought it was cute, and Logan put up with it because Scott assured him that, "She would grow out of it." And so she did, when a cute new boy came to her class.

Keri cupped her chin in her thumb and index finger. "True…and you have a right, because of your…well…" Her voice trailed off, and she smirked.

Rogue blushed slightly. "Yea…so, it's only fair for you an' ah to see this woman! So, ah suggest we go to the bar!"

Keri sighed. "Yea, I suppose that would work, except for three things: (1) How will we get there? (2) They don't let minors in to the bar, (3)What if Logan sees us?"

Rogue thought for a minute. "Well…Ah guess we could 'borrow' Scott's car, if ya know what ah mean…"

"Okay, and what about the other two?"

"Well," Rogue said, "Ah don't think they check ID when ya walk in, ah think that it's when ya actually order a drink. So, ah'll just sit in the corner, an' you can stay invisible. It'll work out!"

"And…if Logan sees us?"

"Well…you'll be invisible, and ah can wear a trench coat, sunglasses, and a hat…as far as scents go, ah suppose that if we both drown ourselves in perfume, than he won't recognize us…Whaddya say?"

Keri stared at the ground, her eyebrows a concentrated, straight line and her eyes narrowed. "OK! Let's do it!" She said suddenly.

Quickly, the two girls rounded up everything that they'd need. Now, all they needed to do was "borrow" Scott's car. They carefully crept through the hallways, and had just about to the garage, when they saw the shadow of Professor X coming around the corner.

"We must hide!" Keri whispered, and touched the back of Rogue's shirt. The two then turned invisible.

The Professor wheeled over, stopped, and looked at them. "Hello, Keri. Hello, Rogue."

"Curses…" Keri muttered, and the two turned visible again.

"Um, hai, Professor," Rogue said nervously.

The Professor smiled at them. "Good evening. But shouldn't you two be getting off to bed? You have school tomorrow, you know."

"We're just taking a little walk!" Keri replied.

The professor nodded. "Alright. It's nice to know that I can trust you two not to lie, and that you're not just going to sneak off to spy on Logan and his acquaintance…right?"

The two girls got the message.

Keri looked at him. "Heh, heh…so, you know about that?"

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Well, if he didn't before, then he does now."

The Professor smiled at them. "Actually, I already knew. I make a point not to pry, but you two think very loudly."

Rogue looked at her feet. "Sorry, Professor…"

Keri sighed. "Yea, I'm sorry, too."

"It's all right. We all make mistakes. But please keep in mind that what you were considering doing was dangerous, and illegal.

"Yes sir," The two girls chanted.

"Now, off to bed," He said. "We all have big days tomorrow. Good-night."

"Good-night,"

With that, the Professor wheeled away, leaving Keri and Rogue.

Keri groaned and shook her head. "Memo to self: never lie to a physic. Man, what a bummer! And I hate it when people say that it's OK and they forgive you, but then they stick you with a guilt trip!"

"Yea…" Rogue agreed, not really paying attention. What the Professor said made her nervous. She "thought loudly"? Did that mean that Jean could read her mind, too?

Did the Professor know her Secret?!

***

"Logan?" Shaina asked.

"Hmmm?" Logan responded, breaking out of his hunger-brought trance (He never ended up eating a snack).

"I just won!" She said.

"HUH?!" Logan gasped. "How the…what…I…"

She smirked. "Look at the table if you don't believe me!"

He looked down, and sure enough, Shaina had won. "So, I guess I owe you a drink, huh?" He groaned.

"That's correct. By-the-way, why is it that once again, we're the only ones in the bar?"

Logan looked around. "Well, there's a guy over there…" He was referring to a young man who was sitting at a table, muttering to himself.

"Yea…well, Logan, I'd really like my drink now."

Logan looked over at the bar. "The bartender's not there, and I have to uh…um…"

"You have to…?" Shaina prompted.

"…Use the toilet." Logan admitted.

Shaina sighed. "Go. You can by me my drink when the bartender's back."

Feeling as though he had lost his dignity, Logan went off to the restroom.

When he got back, the scene had changed. Shaina had apparently gone and sat down at the bar, and the two guys had decided to get friendly.

"Hi, Honey, how are ya?" One of them asked.

"I'm alright," She answered.

"What's a cute girl like you doin' in a place like this?" He asked.

"Waiting for my male acquaintance to get out of the john and buy me a drink."

"How's about I buy you a drink, sweetie?"

"I generally don't allow strangers to buy me stuff…or call me, 'Sweetie'."

"Well, if we got to know each other, then we wouldn't be strangers."

"Yea…that'd work, except for one thing…HIT THE ROAD, JACK!"

His smile faded. "Come on…I just wanted to get to know you!"

At this point, it dawned on Logan that Shaina might need his help…but something inside of him told him that she could handle herself…

"Yea, and I just told you to go away!" Shaina eyed an empty, glass bottle on the counter near her.

He seemed to read her mind, and snatched it up. "Mind if I hold this? Thanks!" He spat.

Shaina's eyes narrowed. "I warned you…" Slowly, she reached her hand out her hand, and pressed it to the bottle. Then, she concentrated. Long, bold cracks appeared on it.

The guy was surprised. "What the…?"

And then it shattered. With a loud crack, pieces of dark drown glass flew in all directions.

"YAAH!" He screamed. Logan could tell by look on his face that he was pretty thankful that he had been wearing gloves, saving him from the jagged shards.

Shaina stood up, an angered look in her face. "Ya know those really scary mutants that you see on TV? Well guess what?"

He backed away. "Hey, calm down…I'm leaving…"

"I'M ONE OF 'EM!" Shaina screeched, and she pressed her hand on the wall. Cracks appeared on it.

"Leave me alone!" He cried.

"Get away from me!" She hissed.

He ran out of the door, a terrified look on his face.

Logan was shocked. Shaina was a mutant?! He managed to regain his senses, and walked over to her.

"Logan!" She exclaimed.

He inhaled. "You think you know someone, and then they surprise you by being a mutant!"

Her jaw dropped, but she didn't say anything.