Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men. But I do own the Warriors. So don't go using them without my permission! Ha!
Author's Note: Um... not much to say. I liked the fact that I got a review recently, and it's okay, I understand vacations, hopefully this will be a good chapter, if it isn't... well... then tell me. If it is, tell me. Oh, and sorry that it took me so long to get this chapter up.
Chapter 7: Hospitals and Professors
Joe, Rogue, and Scott were walking along the streets of New York City. It had gotten colder as the morning went on, and they had met some strange people who were in this group called the Warriors.
Rogue wondered what the professor would think about it all, and if Joe was going to check out the institute like he said he would at the party the night before. Right now that party seemed like it had been ages away, and they were walking in a silence that had been hanging around since they left Nathan's apartment.
Scott was more concerned with where they were going, but he too was thinking what the professor would think about it all, and if any of the kids from the group would come back to the institute with them. Perhaps that Jessica King would come, the professor could give her a holo-watch like he did Kurt, and she could attend a regular school.
Joe however knew where they were going, and was walking at a quickening pace, he wanted to get there and get back to the Hub before noon, like he told Thomas he would. Right now though it didn't look like they were going to make it back to the Hub in time.
"So Joe... Where are we going?" Rogue asked finally breaking the silence as they walked.
"County Hospital." Joe answered. "Did you guys hear about that angel character? The girl that he saved from the river is still in the hospital, word is she's alright, but they still kept her overnight, and it's a shame that anyone should have to spend Christmas in a hospital room."
Rogue nodded slowly, remembering that part of last night, Scott had comforted her when she was crying by putting his arm around her, and they were there when news came that she would be all right. "Yeah. So you're going to take her a present?" She asked.
"Yeah. Well kind of. This present is more for her parents than her, but I have a small toy in here of some kind for her." Joe answered as they turned yet another corner.
"So you have a present for her and her parents? How do you know her parents will be there?" Scott asked joining into this conversation for the first time.
"If it were your little daughter there in the hospital on Christmas morning, wouldn't you be there? Hundred bucks says that not only are they there, but they spent the night there with her." Joe said with a slight smirk.
"Yeah. That makes sense I guess." Scott nodded.
"So how much farther do we have to go? Ah'm starting to get tired." Rogue said as she put her hands in her pockets.
"Not too much farther, the hospital is at the end of the next block there." Joe said pointing up ahead.
Elsewhere
An old man covered with a heavy trench coat was walking out of the hospital building, he had been hoping to get one last chance to speak to someone, but that person wasn't to be found there. He was annoyed at his failure last night, beaten by two of Xavier's little pet projects, he spent Christmas Eve alone like usual.
As he walked out of the hospital's parking lot he began down the street, walking away from Rogue, Scott, and Joe because he hadn't seen them walking towards the hospital, when he heard something in an alley. Suddenly he found himself pushed into the alley, and surrounded by four teenagers, each standing in a fighting stance, with switchblades pulled out.
"Make it easy, hand over any money you've got, and that nice coat." One of them said with a smirk.
Magneto's eyes glowed with fury, as he was about to use his powers, and turn from an old man and easy pickings, to these boys' worst nightmare. But he never got the chance. Just after the one had finished speaking, this huge muscular man, slightly older than the rest of them, knocked him across the alley. "I should say something really intimidating and witty right now, but I don't feel like it, so how's about I just skip that part, and beat you all to a bloody pulp?" The man asked with a smirk just before the remaining three attempted to jump him.
The first found his knife pulled from his hand and tossed up onto the fire escape. The man himself found himself on the ground, being thrown down by the big guy. The second found himself kicked back into the opposite wall, past the old man. However, the third man had cut him with the knife across his collarbone almost, running diagonally from the left side of his chest to his left shoulder. A narrow and shallow wound, but it still hurt. The man soon afterwards found the big guy's right fist against his jaw, and he was down and out. The rest of his buddies had already taken off, and the old man was just standing there with a smirk.
"You're welcome." The big guy said as he breathed deep. "Now if you'll excuse me, I think I should go to the E.R. just over there and get this patched up." He said gesturing to his cut.
"Why should I thank you?" The old man asked referring to the big man's 'your welcome' comment. "I didn't need your help."
"You don't have to, it would just be polite. I only did what I could to make sure those guys didn't rob or kill you. I would have done that anyway, even if I had known you didn't need my help." He answered as he headed towards the mouth of the alley.
"But if I am in no danger why risk your life to help me?" The old man asked staying where he was.
"I wasn't risking my life. I knew I could beat them, and I knew I had something to fall back on if things got going for the worst. But even if I were risking my life, I would have done it because it was the right thing to do." The big man said as he turned around fully, and walked out of the alley. He turned to look back, but the old man was gone, disappeared from the dead end alley.
County Hospital
Joseph, Rogue, and Scott had made it into the hospital, and were approaching the room of the girl that they were there to visit when Joe spoke up again. "You two can come into the room if you want to, but if you don't want to, you can wait outside. It'll only be a quick drop off and then we'll leave."
"Ah think we'll come in with ya, just to see how it all pans out." Rogue answered for both of them, though Scott was more content with staying outside.
"Here we are." Joe said with a slight nod. "Come on." Joe tapped on the door lightly, and slid it open as he came in. The faces in the room were all turned towards him, the nurse, the parents, and even the little girl's. He held the red Santa sack up so they could see it. "Merry Christmas." He said with a slight smile as he dug into the bag. He first pulled out a small green package, and handed it to the girl.
"I'm afraid that you're not allowed in here." The nurse said with caution.
"I'll be gone in a second." Joe said as he walked over to the girl's parents.
"Hey, it's a china doll!" Exclaimed the girl in happiness. It was a beautifully crafted doll, it looked like an antique, and it was quite expensive in appearance, both of these gifts were from Mr. Kamesama, but they were titled. 'From: Nicholas'
The parent's smiled as Joe handed them a red package, tied with green ribbon. "Merry Christmas." He said with a nod. "Use this as best you can."
"Merry Christmas." The mother responded and turned to look at the husband who had the gift in his hands.
Clearly everyone in the room except for the girl playing with her new doll was half worried and half confused. But while the father began to open the gift Joe walked out of the room silently, pulling Rogue and Scott with him. They didn't talk until they were down the hall and around the corner. Joe swung the empty Santa sack in his hand as Scott spoke up. "So what did you get the parents?"
"The red box contains about... well I think Mr. Kamesama said it was around thirty-thousand dollars in cash." Joe answered; both Rogue and Scott were shocked.
"Are you serious?" Scott asked with the shock still evident in his voice.
"Oh yes. It's to help with the hospital bill, and make sure that girl's Christmas is still a happy one, that her dreams can still come true." Joe answered.
"That was so sweet of him, he looked so mean when I saw him." Rogue said remembering how the Asian man had glared at them when she first saw him at the party and Thomas was called over to them and away from Mr. Kamesama.
"Yeah well... He just did it mostly cause Thomas begged him enough." Joe said with a slight chuckle. "Hey, James! What the hell are you doing here?" Joe yelled over as they walked past the waiting room, surprising Rogue and Scott and making them look to their right where Joe was waiting in the triangle with a nurse applying a bandage to his cut, the cut running from the left side of his chest to his left shoulder.
"Got cut up saving some old geezer from getting mugged." James said shrugging and giving a wince as he did so.
"What? Where did that happen?" Rogue asked, obviously not realizing that this sort of thing happened to the Warriors all the time. And even before they joined the warriors, this is what happens in a city, you learn to deal.
"A few minutes ago over in the alley behind old man Fishman's." James said. "Don't worry about it, I'll be patched up and ready to go soon, it was only four little ones."
"Four?" Scott asked with a brow raised.
"Yeah, I got the drop on them though, so it wasn't so hard. Don't worry, I'll be out of here in a jiffy." James said as the nurse finished up. "Besides, you should worry about yourselves. Thomas bet me thirty bucks you weren't gonna make it back in time, and it looks like he's about to win." He smiled pointing to the clock on the wall, it was eleven forty, and they had twenty minutes left.
Joe smacked his forehead. "Aw man." He hung his head. "Hey James, any way I can borrow some cab fare?" He asked hopefully.
James laughed. "Sure, take the thirty there from my coat, it should get yeah there it's only a few blocks. Of course that's my bet money, so if you don't get there on time, it's your job to come up with Thomas' thirty bucks."
"Deal." Joe said with a laugh. "Come on, we got to hurry." Joe said to Scott and Rogue as he turned and almost ran out the front doors.
The three made it to the curb in front of the hospital quicker than Rogue thought was humanly possible. Joe flagged down a cabby by use of the same technique Scott had used the night before, standing in the street. Luckily this cab was empty. Joe gave the directions and sat on the window seat next to Rogue, with Scott on the other side of her. "We might make it." He said with a slightly relieved smile.
"We're not going to make it." Scott said as he sat back in his seat.
"We'll make it." Joe said reassuringly.
The cab ride was quickly over, as the Hub was only a few blocks from the hospital. Joe was the first out, he quickly paid the cabby as Rogue and Scott got out. After Rogue handed him the Santa sack the trio rushed into the Hub. There sat an old, bald guy in a wheelchair that Joe could only assume was this Professor Xavier, and next to him sat Thomas on the couch. "Did we make it?" He asked glancing to the wall clock. They had made it with a five-minute bumper.
"Barely." Thomas answered with a nod. "Professor Charles Xavier I'd like you to meet Joseph McKinley." Thomas said gesturing to the teen. "Joe, this is Professor Xavier. Joe's the one that has been running around with Scott and Rogue."
"It's a pleasure to meet you young man." Xavier said with a slight nod.
"It's nice to meet you too." Joe said with a return nod. "Rogue told me some stuff about your school and such."
Rogue gave a slight smile. "Yeah, Ah did. Professor you should see all the people they have here in this community." Rogue said as she walked up to him. "It's amazing."
"That I know." Xavier said with a slight smile. "Thomas here has just told me all about the members and such of the Warriors." He turned back to look at Thomas. "I was at first surprised that this was so overlooked by Cerebro. But seeing as the machine is currently damaged, there's nothing I can do to check how or why that happened."
Scott nodded. "I was wondering how that happened." He added in his two cents. "I guess we'll never know."
"I could tell you part of the reason." Thomas said with a slight smile. "After I first met Michael I began to work on a project of mine." He began. "Mike is the telepath that brought you to us you see." Rogue and Scott both nodded. "Well he was the second to join. A twelve-year-old boy, with uncontrollable powers, I did the best I could to calm him down and such and I began working on something to help him. Doing so I devised this." He took his finger and folded his right ear forward displaying what looked remarkably similar to the computer like replacements of Danielle's vocal cords. "It's a neuron scrambler, or in other words, a telepath blocker. It creates a field that scrambles any neuron waves or transmissions that enter it. Thus my mind is technically untouchable from Telepathy." He paused slightly. "I told Scott about it earlier this morning, it was the reason I was hesitant of meeting you Professor, I was afraid that you would not trust me."
Xavier nodded. "I will admit that it is indeed a strange thing. A remarkable device no doubt, but I believe that you made it with no intentions of harm or danger to others."
"Right. I was just trying to help out Mike, but I tested it on myself first." He said with a slight nod. "When I presented it to Michael, he turned it down, he wanted to use his abilities to help us locate others to bring into the community. Which he has done very well." Thomas said gesturing to the three teenagers who were still standing. "Now please sit." He said standing up. "Is there anything I can get you three to drink, or you professor? Some tea, coffee, eggnog, hot chocolate?"
"Ah'll take some hot chocolate." Rogue answered.
"And some tea sounds wonderful, thank you." Xavier answered as the three teenagers sat down.
"Coming right up. Anything for you Scott, Joe?" He asked as he started towards the back room.
"No thanks." Both Joe and Scott said at the same time. They gave each other a weird look and then turned their attention to the professor.
"Rogue told me about how the people boarding in your mansion are all mutants." Joe spoke up talking to Professor Xavier. "And how they attend the regular school nearby for their actual education, but you teach them how to protect themselves and use their powers?"
"That's correct." Xavier nodded with a slight smile to Rogue. "I do what I can to help others with their abilities."
"Do you think you could help me?" Joe asked holding up his gloved hands.
"Well that depends, what is your power?" Xavier asked with a brow slightly raised.
"Let's see... Thomas had a really scientific explanation for it... Ah yes... I absorb the bio-genetic data of other beings and replace it with my own for a set period of time." Joe said sounding rather proud of him self for having remembered it all. "In other words, if I touch someone, I become them. I get their looks, their voice, their powers, everything but their mind and stuff for about six hours. I can't change back to myself during that time, and I can't absorb anyone during that time, I have the other person's powers, not my own."
Xavier was impressed. "It seems that you and Rogue have quite a lot in common." Rogue nodded at that one and Xavier continued. "I can only say that given the chance I would try to help you develop your powers so that you could control them, and if I am unable to do that than I would do everything possible to help you cope with them."
Joe nodded, but remained silent. He wanted to control his powers, but he didn't want to just ditch the others here. There were all the other kids in the community that needed a place like Xavier's far more than he did. Suddenly Thomas came back in the room with a few of the drinks. Handing Rogue her hot chocolate, and the Professor his tea.
"Well I was going to keep it a surprise." He said with a slight smile and a twinkle in his eye from behind the heavily tinted sunglasses. "But the Professor and I were discussing something along the lines of an exchange program. You know that there are a lot of kids in this group that can't go to school. Jessica for example, you Joe for another, Nathan, and a few others, and I know that all of you could use some help with your abilities. So I'm actually working out an arrangement for you all to attend Xavier's Institute."
"Really?" Joe, Rogue, and Scott asked at the same time, and Thomas gave a slight chuckle.
"Really." Thomas said with a slight nod. "Now before we go into further detail discussing this. Do you want to go to Xavier's?"
"Yes!" Joe almost shouted. "I mean... If everyone else goes, I'll go."
Thomas laughed. "Of course. I'll tell you what. Go make some calls from my room. Gather all the teens. Oh, and you better get James King and Rebecca Davis in here too."
"Well James should be on his way here after he gets out of the emergency room, but I'll call everyone else." Joe said as he stood up and headed towards the back door.
"Hey wait a minute. James is in the E.R.? What happened?" Thomas asked with a brow raised.
"He got a little cut up saving some old guy from some muggers." Joe answered.
"Oh." Thomas replied and calmed back down. "He didn't use his powers did he?"
"Not if he got cut up." Joe said with a smile. "Now can I go and make those calls?"
"Yeah, yeah, go ahead." Thomas said, thinking to himself. Suddenly he remembered his guests, just moments after Joe had left. "Oh, I'm sorry about that. Sometimes I space out when I get to thinking." He said with an apologetic smile. "Now what were we talking about?"
Coming soon... Chapter 8: The Gathering