Coming Home
Thanks to the Misfits' teleportation device the X-Men were soon home. Hank was helping Alison settle in her room. "God I feel so weak," She sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror. "I'm nearly 19 and I already look like I'm going on 30!"
"You've been through quite a lot," Hank told her. "And you need to get those drugs out of your system."
"Not again…" Alison whined as light started leaking from her fingertips.
"I'm afraid that's a side effect from the drugs in your system," Hank told her as he took her hands. "Just take a deep breath and calm down. There, the glowing is lessening already."
"How did I let myself get this way?" Alison began to sob. "How could I have been so stupid?"
"It'll be all right Alison," Hank patted her hand. "We'll get through this."
"You must really think I'm an idiot don't you?" Alison asked.
"No," Hank told her. "You've been through a terrible ordeal. Right now the only thing you should worry about is getting better."
"Getting better…it never gets better. Only worse…"
"Don't say that!" Hank held her face.
"But it's true!" Alison told him. "Being a mutant has cost me everything…my family, my friends, my career and what's left of my self respect!"
"Listen to me," Hank told her. "I was doped up in that arena. I could have killed you but you didn't let me. And you refused to kill me, which proves that you are stronger than this! I know what it's like to lose everything because you're a mutant. I didn't always look like this you know? Less than two years ago I was more or less normal. But I depended on a drug to keep my mutation at bay. Somehow I built up a tolerance to it and needed to take more and more in stronger and stronger doses. I couldn't live without it. I was desperate. I would work for hours into the night trying to create a better stronger formula. But in the end I couldn't keep up and it nearly destroyed me. I lost my job as a teacher and I ended up as a fugitive for a while. It was a nightmare. So you see Alison, I do know what you're going through."
"I had no idea…" Alison looked at him.
"In a way I'm envious of you," Hank told her. "At least you don't have to worry about shedding and becoming an animal."
"But I did Hank…" She shuddered. "In the arena…all the fighting…I liked it! The thrill of it all…It took over my whole personality. Every sense of decency I had was gone. All I wanted to do was fight and win."
"But you overcame it," Hank told her.
"But I still feel like it's there…" She sighed.
"I know the feeling," Hank said. "But you can control it. I can help you. We can help you here."
"I do feel safer here," Alison sighed. "Away from everything and everyone. That's why I retreated to the Arena. It felt like the whole world was against me. I wasn't safe to be myself anywhere but there. But I wasn't myself there. Not really. Everything I thought I knew was a lie."
"Think of this as a new beginning," Hank told her. "A place to start over and reinvent yourself. When I changed I thought the world had ended. I thought my days of teaching were behind me forever. But it wasn't. Here I realized my dream of teaching but in a different way. And I feel like I finally figured out my place and can put my powers to a good use. You can find your own way here. Just give it time."
"Well I guess I've got plenty of that," Alison sighed. "Hank…Thanks for putting up with me."
"I'm happy to do so," Hank told her. "Anything for a friend."
"Funny, I've only known you a short time but I feel a connection with you and the others. More than I've felt with Alex and the Arena. Why is that?"
"Flynn was using his tricks. It was all an illusion. This is the real thing."
"It does feel real now," Alison smiled. "Like I've finally come home."
"You are home Alison," Hank smiled back.
Meanwhile downstairs Kitty fidgeted with the top of the milk bottle. "Damnit!" She swore after it spilled a little. "Damnit! Damnit! Damnit!"
"Kitty are you okay?" Jean asked.
"No I'm not okay!" Kitty huffed. "I'm not!"
"It's about that fight in the Arena isn't it?" Jean asked.
"Jean…people died in that fight!" Kitty shuddered. "I almost died! It was bad enough seeing Spears but that…"
"I know," Jean sighed. "It freaks me out too."
"Freaked is putting it mildly," Kitty shuddered again. "I keep seeing that guy with the horn running through me and…If I hadn't phased…God I know this is sick of me to say it but I was relieved when that other guy was killed instead of me! I was just so scared I just wanted to survive."
"Yeah," Jean put her hand on her shoulder. "I mean we've always known that our lives are dangerous but lately it's really hit home how dangerous."
"You know what really makes me sick?" Kitty said. "People were watching us! Watching them kill each other nearly all the time and enjoying it! They were getting off at the expense of some mutant's pain and suffering! This isn't like any real sport or anything…How can people do that?"
"I wish I could tell you I knew but I don't," Jean sighed. "When that mob attacked me at the college…All I could feel was their hate and their anger. Like hurting others made them feel superior. And all I wanted to do was hurt them back."
"Whoa, you losing your temper?" Kitty looked at her.
"Hard to believe I know," Jean smirked. "Princess Perfect having a meltdown. All the time I try to control myself to set an example, but what good does it really do?"
"We do look up to you and Scott," Kitty admitted. "Sometimes. You just need to learn to relax a little."
"Relax," Jean laughed. "If only. But you know what happens if I lose control."
"Nobody's telling you to lose control," Kitty said. "Just lighten up a little. Don't expect yourself to be perfect 24/7. Nobody here believes you're really perfect anyway."
"Oh that makes me feel better!" Jean rolled her eyes. "I guess you're right. Hey, who's supposed to be counseling who here?"
"Well at least I don't feel like I'm the only one going crazy," Kitty sighed. "Or has a temper."
"Yeah oh I forgot!" Jean groaned. "There's a new student moving in today!"
"New student?" Kitty asked.
"Hey there," Danielle walked in. "What's taking so long?"
"Sorry," Jean apologized. "We were talking and got caught up on stuff."
"Danielle!" Kitty squealed as she hugged her friend. "Boy am I glad to see you! You're finally staying here now?"
"Looks like it," Danielle grinned. "You don't mind if I room with you do you?"
"Are you kidding!" Kitty laughed. "Let's go move your stuff in." They went off to the main foyer and picked up her bags. "When did you get in?"
"Just now. You guys just get back?"
"Yeah from Hollywood," Kitty told her as she helped with her bags. "Had a bit of an adventure there that kinda got a bit hairy. Well a lot hairy."
"Is that who I think it is?" Danielle gasped as she looked out the window. Hank had carried Alison outside for some fresh air and had her rest on the patio. Her hands were still glowing slightly.
"The Dazzler yeah," Kitty nodded. "She's staying here for now."
"What happened to her? She looks so sick…"
"It's a long story…" Kitty sighed. "And not a very pretty one."
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Xavier and Logan were walking down the hallway. "We knew this was a reality Logan. With the recent wave of anti-mutant hostility it's only natural that we accept more students," Xavier said. "And that these students might have problems they can't deal with on their own."
"Three troubled girls coming in at the same time," Logan shook his head. "We've all got our work cut out for us Charles."
"Yes but I believe things are not as dire as they seem," Xavier told him. "Danielle and Kitty have a strong bond. And she's already made friends with several of the girls here. Jean will be working with her on her telepathic abilities once a day and I will counsel her twice a week. In time she will be a great asset to the team."
"What about Dazzler?" Logan asked as they looked outside. Hank was talking to Alison on the patio.
"It will take time for her to get over what Flynn did to her," Xavier said. "Both physically and emotionally. But I think Mr. McCoy is already doing wonders for her on both levels."
"Yeah but he's really grown attached to her pretty fast," Logan told him.
"Most of the female students here have grown attached to you," Xavier said.
"Yeah but they didn't fall in love with me," Logan pointed out.
"Well actually…" Xavier chuckled. "Some of them have a little crush on you."
"Oh just what I needed to hear…" Logan growled.
"I don't think Hank is going to take advantage of Ms. Blaire," Xavier said. "Give him some credit."
"I do, it's once she gets better we're gonna have problems with that," Logan said. "But to be honest the one I'm really worried about is X23. And not just for personal reasons."
"Yes it's going to be a long time to undo all the damage Hydra did to her," Xavier sighed. "If ever. I think for now it might be best that she has limited contact with the other students. At least until she can understand and control her emotions better."
"I think I should train her separately at first," Logan said. "Obviously her fighting skills are as good as the main team. Maybe even better."
"It's her socializing skills that concern me," Xavier frowned. "Maybe we should assign her to the New Mutants when she's able to handle her emotions?"
"She might take that as an insult you know," Logan warned. "She's extremely proud of how well she fights. Can't say I blame her, it's all she has."
"That's the heart of the problem. She needs something to hold onto," Xavier said. "Some kind of family bond that will help her see through her pain. She's confused, unstable and very alone. Positive emotions need to be introduced to her gradually."
"I don't know what to do," Logan admitted. "But I'm all she's got."
"That's not exactly true," Xavier told him. "She's a part of our family now. We just have to teach her that somehow."
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X23 inspected the room she had been shown into. "This is where I will sleep?" She looked around. It was much larger and luxurious than anything she had been accustomed to. Of course she had spent most of her life in a small cell.
"Yeah I hope you don't mind not having a room-mate and all," Rogue told her.
"It is more than acceptable," X23 looked around. She looked at Rogue. "Why don't you hate me?"
"What? Because of you attacking us and cleaning our clocks that one time?" Rogue asked. "We heard about what those jerks at Hydra did to ya. You weren't exactly in your right mind. I know the feeling."
"I remember your file," X23 spoke. "Hydra gave me a photographic memory. You were forced to fight against your friends."
"Yeah," Rogue answered softly. "Yeah I was."
"And they still accept you here? Even though such a possibility could happen again?"
"The same could be said of any of us," Rogue told her. "I just have extremely bad luck. You really don't know what it's like to have a friend don't you?"
"Hydra did not encourage such things as friendship, compassion…" Her face took on a mask of rage. Her claws shot out. She looked at them. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to lose control."
"Look I know better than anybody what it's like to be robbed of a normal life," Rogue told her. "But the fact is you can't change the past. Lord knows I've done more than my share of moping and feeling sorry for myself. But I'm getting over it."
"How?" X23 looked at her. "How do you 'get over it'?"
"Well basically I had to have my butt kicked to realize that there were people around me who cared about me," Rogue explained. "People who actually thought I was worth more as a person than as a weapon. I'm learning to deal with it. You can to. Just don't make the same mistake I did. Don't push 'em all away thinking that's the best way you can protect 'em. Give them a chance. Okay some of 'em are annoying as hell but they've got their hearts in the right place."
"You understand what it means to be alone don't you?" X23 asked her as she retracted her claws. "More than anyone here."
Rogue sighed. "We were both used as weapons by people we thought cared about us."
"I had no such delusions," X23 told her. "Maybe it's better that way. Not to feel anything at all."
"Yeah but that's no way to live," Rogue sighed. "Even if you try to act like nothing gets to you…it just does. Listen to me talking. Talk about the blind leading the blind."
"The what?"
"It's an expression. Means you shouldn't get advice from someone who's bigger basket case than you. No offense."
"Since you are also a 'basket case' as I am, none taken," X23 made a slight grin. She then frowned. "What will happen to me here?"
"Well Logan and the Professor will help you as best they can," Rogue told her. "It really ain't so bad here. Despite how crowded it can get."
"That's for sure," Jubilee walked up with some clothes. "Hey Sis, I got you some clothes you can borrow until we get you some new stuff."
"Sis?" X23 looked at her.
"Well Logan is my guardian now," Jubilee shrugged. "And you're his kid so that kind of makes us sisters, more or less."
"Logan is my genetic donor, not my father," X23 informed her.
"Same difference," Rogue told her. "Believe me you could have gotten your DNA from a lot worse sources. I should know."
"Yeah he's pretty cool, once you get past all the growling," Jubilee handed her the clothes. "These should fit you for now."
"What kind of battle outfit is this?" X23 held up a white and blue pajama top and shorts set.
"Those are pajamas," Jubilee told her. X23 stared at her. "You know…For sleeping in? They're nice. Don Kenny."
"These are his?" X23 looked at her.
"No that's the name of the company that makes 'em," Rogue told her.
"You know nothing about fashion don't you?" Jubilee blinked. "Oh girl we have a lot of work to do."
"Now hold on here!" Rogue quickly stepped in. "She just got here! The last thing she needs is a rushed session of Fashion 101!"
"There is never a bad time for fashion," Jubilee sniffed. "But you do have a point. She needs to know what's what around here. You know the 411."
"Huh?" X23 looked at her as if she had suddenly grown two heads.
"Information," Jubilee told her. "Take Logan for example. He gets way to into training sessions. Totally obsessed with them. He's not happy until everyone collapses from exhaustion!"
"Yeah he's tough but he's pretty fair," Rogue told her. "He's the one guy around here I feel the most comfortable talking too."
"Yeah deep down he's really a sweetie," Jubilee told him. "Despite his little nicknames for us…"
"Nicknames?" X23 asked.
"Yeah he calls everyone around here something," Rogue told her. "He calls me Stripes cause of my hair, Jubilee is Firecracker. Sometimes he even calls the Professor Chuck."
"Chuck?" X23 raised an eyebrow. "He doesn't like being called that?"
"He hates it," Jubilee grinned. "Course Tabitha got him back. She calls him Badger!"
"She's just as bad at nicknames as he is," Rogue groaned.
X23 started to snicker. "Badger…" She began to laugh. "Badger…"
"It is kind of funny isn't it?" Jubilee snickered.
"Well we shouldn't…badger Logan about it," Rogue chuckled. This caused them all to laugh.
"What is so blasted funny?" Logan growled as he and Xavier walked in.
"Nothing…Badger…" X23 laughed. The three girls laughed wildly.
"Note to self…" Logan groaned as he put his hand to his face. "Kill Boom Boom. Very…very…slowly."
"It's good to see you're settling in," Xavier smiled at X23. "Girls why don't you go get our new student something to eat and show her around the mansion. If you're up to it."
X23 nodded. "Thank you." She got up with the girls. "Bye Badger…" All three laughed and ran off.
"Oh yeah…She'll fit in here…" Logan grunted.
"I think we've just found a solution," Xavier smiled. "Those three seem to be hitting it off quite well. Perhaps…" He then stopped.
"What?" Logan asked. He looked out the window and saw a SHIELD helicopter landing on the lawn. "Oh great…"