Chapter 8: Keiko's Awakening
Xavier Institute, Bayville New York
After getting the test results of Keiko's blood, Hank ran to the elevator with the test results in hand. He waited anxiously, because he needed to tell the young girl what he found out. It was a surprised, but a wonderful surprise…
Keiko, after meeting the Institute's new guest, was in the recreation room, watching Yusuke and Kuwabara play ping pong. So far, Yusuke was dominating, like he always did when he was facing Kuwabara on a game. She then looked to the right, to see Scott and Jean walking into the room. Scott was trying to cheer her up, since she was still down about trusting Duncan.
"I can't believe he was such a jerk…" Jean muttered, then she looked over at Scott, "And he even tried to kill you, viewing you as competition for me…I feel like such an idiot!"
"Jean, it's not your fault, Duncan was a jerk, and you are too good for him," Scott told her, and he got an idea, "Since we have a free day tomorrow, how about I take you out for a movie, between friends, so you can forget about that jerk who tried to beat me up?"
Jean smiled, "I would like that. Thanks for being there for me, Scott."
"Not a problem," Scott told her, "What are friends for anyway?"
Kuwabara then roared, catching everyone's attention. He slammed his fists down onto the ping pong table.
"Damn Kuwabara, that's five to zero. Want another game?" Yusuke asked, with a huge grin on his face.
Kuwabara muttered something unintelligible, "Nah, Urameshi, I'm going to play another game…"
"Alright…" Yusuke said slyly, and then he went over to Keiko, "Want to do a doubles match with me?"
"Doubles match who are you thinking of playing?" Keiko asked as she got out of her seat.
"I was thinking Jean and Scott…" Yusuke replied, getting their attention, and then he smirked, "You're not afraid, are you?"
"No way!" Scott replied defiantly, "You up for this Jean?"
"Sure," Jean replied, and then she and Scott went to grab their paddles.
The match was fierce. Yusuke was surprised on how good Keiko was, and was also surprised that Jean and Scott were doing so well. The game was going to go for 20 points, and whoever got that score won first. The ball kept going back and forth, Yusuke leapt for it and missed by Keiko got it. Jean sent it back, and Yusuke caught it this time and Scott barely got to it in time to send it back. The exchange lasted for about two minutes, with Jean hitting it past Yusuke, and Keiko missed the ball too. The score was now 0-1.
"Your serve," Scott said grinning, and Yusuke mumbled something under his breath.
"Yeah yeah…" he grumbled, and then sent the ball in motion again.
The next exchange began, with Yusuke and Keiko being equally matched against Scott and Jean again. The more heated the match became, the more fun the couples were having. It took two whole hours for the game to conclude. Keiko sent the ball past Jean and Scott, scoring her and Yusuke's final point, and the score was 20-19, that evenly matched.
Panting hard, Yusuke looked up to Scott, "You…play good…man…even better than…Kuwabara…"
"Hey!" Kuwabara yelled from the other side of the recreational room.
"Thanks…" Scott replied, and he shook Yusuke's hand, "You're not…so bad yourself…"
"Thanks man…" Yusuke then turned to Keiko, "Keiko, you were awesome, how come you never told me you were so good at this?"
"You…never asked," Keiko replied simply, "I went with my friends to plenty of arcades back home, AFTER school."
"Let me guess, Yusuke used to skip school a lot just to go to the arcade, right?" Jean asked, and Keiko nodded.
"Yeah, well, Sarayashiki was a sucky school," Yusuke told Jean, "I mean, all the teachers except for Mr. Takanaka and a few others, were as corrupt as politicians."
Keiko sighed, "That part is true, Mr. Takanaka was a good teacher and principal, but the other teachers were bad. I tried to ignore it, and when I was elected class representative I thought I could change things, but I didn't and things got worse for Yusuke and Kuwabara."
"Iwamoto and Akashi got fired though, now the school's better off, but it is good to be away from there," Yusuke said cheerfully, "So, up for another game?"
"Nah, not right now at least," Scott replied, and then Beast entered the room, "Mr. McCoy?"
"I've been looking all over for you, Keiko. I got the results of your blood test," Hank told them, "You'll be very surprised. So please, come with me."
Keiko nodded, and she followed him to the elevator, "What did you find out about me?"
"You'll find out when we get down to the lab," Hank told her, as the elevator glided silently down to the basement.
Beast led Keiko into his lab. There were beakers, Bunsen burners, test tubes and more scattered around the lab. There was also a super computer with an electron microscope and also an old fashioned chalkboard on the other side of the room. The computer was printing out something.
"Now, this is what I have to show you Keiko," Hank told her, pointing to the strand of code on the screen of his computer, "This, the top code, is a normal human strand of DNA."
Keiko nodded, and Beast continued, "The bottom is your DNA."
Keiko nodded again, and Beast finished, "Now look how similar your DNA is to the middle code. That is mutant DNA and the strand is activated. Yours however, hasn't been activated yet, and we don't know what power you might have."
"Is there anyway for you to determine what it might be?" Keiko asked, and Hank shook his head.
"We'll just have to wait for your powers to develop," Hank told her, and saw the sad look in her eye and then put up another window on the monitor, "But, the data shows that your powers might be coming very soon."
Keiko smiled a bit at that, since she now had a place at the Institute and it wouldn't feel weird being the only normal human in a place full of mutants and a fox demon. She thought once her powers developed, she could probably help Yusuke out on his missions with the X-Men and assignments from Spirit World.
"You may go now Keiko, and the Professor already knows that your gift might show up very soon, so we will all be ready," Hank told her, "Genkai seemed to like that your powers will be developing, so watch out."
"Right, thanks Mr. McCoy," Keiko then went out of his lab, and back up to the foyer of the mansion.
She had a lot to think about, so she went up into her room for a while. She passed Rogue's room, and noticed that she was spending some 'me' time too. She had noticed that Kurama had taken a liking to her, and it was a mutual infatuation.
After a few hours of just reading and resting, Keiko walked out of her room, and looked at the clock. It was 6:00 PM, an hour dinner, and she started to go down the stairs when she saw Yusuke, Scott, and Kuwabara heading up.
"Hey guys, what's up?" Keiko asked, looking at them.
"I am getting my DS," Yusuke told her, "Scott wants to see me beat Super Mario 64x4."
"I've always been a fan for the classic Nintendo 64 games," Scott replied, "Oh; Storm put your dinner into the microwave, Keiko. What did Beast want to talk to you about?"
"Well, I have a dormant X-Gene," Keiko replied, surprising the boys.
"That's great Keiko!" Yusuke gushed, "Now you don't have to be the 'damsel in distress' anymore!"
Keiko scowled, clenched her fist, "YUSUKE YOU JERK!"
Yusuke went, "Huh?" before Keiko slapped him hard on the face, making him loose his balance on the stairs and fall down all of them.
Scott and Kuwabara stepped back and let Keiko walk down the stairs, still steaming from Yusuke's damsel comment. Yusuke had crashed into potted plant, and was knocked out. It looked like there were two vortexes in place of his eyes, and his mouth was agape and there was an imprint of Keiko's hand on his cheek.
'Damn you, Yusuke, I am not always a damsel…' Keiko thought as she went into the kitchen and grabbed her dinner.
She noticed Kurama sitting out on the porch. After eating, she decided to keep her friend company, but he had already left. She sighed, then went into the living room and saw Yusuke clutching his face with an ice pack on it.
"Hey…Keiko…" Yusuke grumbled, his cheek still throbbing from Keiko's slap.
"Sorry about that Yusuke, but I hate to be called a damsel in distress," Keiko told him, and he shrugged and grimaced.
"Well, I hate to tell you Keiko, you are one most of the time," Yusuke told her, "I was only trying to make a joke out of it, try to get you to laugh…"
He then pulled off the ice pack, "…then you do this to me, hit me harder than Toguro did…"
"Sorry Yusuke," Keiko said to him, and he shrugged then laughed.
"It's okay, really, but boy, if we had you on our team during the Dark Tournament, you could have knocked some sense into Toguro!" Yusuke ranted, trying to cheer Keiko up, "Hey now, come on, you have to admit you slapping Toguro silly would be funny."
Keiko then smirked, the stifled a laugh, "Thanks Yusuke, I needed that."
"And hey, you're going to be getting your powers soon, make sure you run away fast when Genkai finds out," Yusuke continued to joke, and his throbbing cheek stopped, and he took the ice patch off, "I'll always be there for you, know that, right?"
"Yes, I do," Keiko nodded, and let Yusuke put his arm around her.
Kuwabara, Evan, Roberto, and Ray walked into the room, and noticed Keiko resting her head on Yusuke's shoulder. The four boys chuckled, and started to push Yusuke off the couch, and he collapsed, along with Keiko.
"HEY! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!" Yusuke yelled angrily, and noticed the other guys chuckling, "Hey, don't make me plow your faces into the dirt!"
"Yeah, yeah, Yusuke, but we needed space to play four player on the PS2," Evan said, and he saw Yusuke clenching his fists.
"We were having a moment here…" Yusuke said to them, grinding his teeth angrily.
"Of course, that is why we had to end it," Ray told Yusuke, who started to get a look on his face.
"Now…you don't want me to get mad, do you?" Yusuke threatened, and he started cracking his knuckles, "Because I have been looking for some axes to grind…"
"Come on, Yusuke, lets go," Keiko urged, and he looked back at her, "Please?"
Yusuke shrugged, "Okay, besides I have some homework to do…"
Yusuke and Keiko then walked out of the room, leaving the guys to their game.
MONDAY, BAYVILLE NEW YORK
It was time to go back to school for the week, and no one was looking forward to it. In three months though, it would be Christmas time, and the break. However, there was Halloween coming up next month and then the month after there was something called Thanksgiving.
Keiko, Yusuke, Kurama, Kuwabara, Evan, and Kitty got a ride from Ororo, who drove the van to school while Kurt and Rogue snagged a ride with Scott and Jean. When they arrived at Bayville High, Keiko started not feeling well.
"Hey Keiko you feeling alright?" Yusuke asked, looking over to her.
"Uh, yeah, Yusuke…let's just go in," Keiko replied, and she gave a weak smile.
Yusuke nodded slowly, and they all filed out of the van. Ororo said her goodbye, and drove off. Yusuke continued to notice Keiko's sudden weariness and was concerned for her. She had been his best friend ever since they were little kids, and they were becoming even more than friends. Keiko even allowed him to come back to life, so he still owed her for that.
It started to rain, and they hurried into the school. Keiko was still not feeling well, but she kept trying to look okay. She was making it through third period fine, but when she looked down to her hand….
"Ah!" she screamed quietly, looking at her hand, which was now see through, and she put it back into her pocket, "Uh, can I go to the bathroom please?"
"Yes you may, Keiko," the teacher replied, and she hurried out of the classroom.
"Hey, Yusuke," Kurt yelled quietly, and Yusuke continued to watch Keiko run out of the room, "Is Keiko feeling well today?"
"She was, but during second period I thought she was getting over it," Yusuke replied, as the teacher got up and started writing on the black board, and he started to take notes.
"I hope she's okay," Kitty added, looking at Yusuke's serious face, "But like, I am sure she is."
In the girl's bathroom, Keiko was splashing water on her face. Her hand, the left one had reappeared. She was freaked out, but remembered what Hank had told her, that she had the X-Gene, and was wondering if this was part of her mutation. She took a deep breath, and walked out of the bathroom, leaving some Goth girls to walk in, and they weren't Risty or Rogue.
She returned to class, still shaken up.
"Hey, Keiko, you okay?" Yusuke asked as she sat back down, and looked onto her desk, "Maybe you should go to the nurse, you've been looking sick since this morning."
"No, Yusuke, I'm fine," Keiko replied weakly, "You don't have to worry about me…"
"But I will worry, Keiko," Yusuke said seriously, and then he put his hand on her forehead, "You're burning up!"
"Yusuke, is there something wrong?" the teacher asked, looking back from the board.
"It's Keiko, she needs to go to the nurse," Yusuke replied, and Keiko's eyes closed and she fainted on the desk.
Yusuke, Kitty, and Kurt rushed over to her, and took her into the nurse's office. They were excused from class to wait for their friend, and Jean, Scott, Kurama, Kuwabara, Evan, and Amara all were called into the nurse's office to check up on their friend.
"What is wrong with her?" Yusuke asked the nurse, "And don't lie to me! What is wrong with her?"
"I am not sure, Yusuke," the nurse replied, taking the thermometer out of Keiko's mouth, "She does have a fever of 102 degrees though, she has to be taken home."
"I'll do it," Scott volunteered, "I have a car, and I can take her back to the Institute."
"I'll come with you," Jean also volunteered.
"I am coming too," Yusuke said quietly, and looked at Keiko's feverish face, "I just hope she will be okay."
After going to the office to get early dismissal, Jean, Yusuke, and Scott took the still unconscious Keiko to his car in the parking lot. It was pouring out, and Scott put up the top to his convertible. Scott drove back to the Institute as quickly as he could, and he called the Professor to tell them that they were coming.
"Are you sure it's serious Scott?" Charles asked over the phone, and he wheeled himself up to the window in his office to see it was pouring.
"Yes, she collapsed in class, and the nurse said she had a fever of 102," Scott replied, keeping his eye on the road and when he stopped at a red light, he checked back on Keiko, "Yusuke has put a damp cloth on her forehead to try to take the fever down."
"Alright Scott, I'll get Hank ready," Charles said as he hung up the phone, and got a serious look on his face, and Genkai walked into the room, "Hello, Genkai."
"Charles, what's wrong?" Genkai asked, and looked at the look on his face.
"Keiko is sick, and it may be due to her latent powers," Charles replied, "Let's hope it isn't due to that."
"She may have just gotten the flu, Charles," Genkai told him hopefully, because she had to admit she liked Keiko, since she was the only person besides her to keep Yusuke in line.
"I hope so, since it has been going around lately," Charles replied, and he felt Scott driving up into the Institute.
The Professor and Beast rushed out to get Keiko, and Yusuke followed them into the medical room. Scott and Jean were going to wait to see what was wrong, since they were excused from school for the rest of the day like Yusuke was.
The rain slowed down during the day and stopped when school was dismissed. Keiko was sleeping peacefully in the medical room on one of the beds. Yusuke had dosed off waiting for Keiko to wake up, and Beast woke him up.
"Oh, hey, Hank," Yusuke yawned, "What's up?"
"The Professor wants to see you, don't worry, Keiko just has a cold," Hank replied, and Yusuke nodded and followed Hank out of the medical room.
. The reason why Yusuke had been called up to see the Professor was because a girl who had blue hair who looked to be 16, wearing a pink kimono and riding an oar arrived. It was Botan, sent from Spirit World to Bayville.
"Sorry, I got lost," Botan said bashfully, "I am use to flying around the Japan area, and couldn't find where Bayville was."
"So, does Koenma have another crappy case for me?" Yusuke asked as he leaned against the wall in Xavier's office.
"You still haven't told me who you are, young lady," Charles said sternly, "You said your name was Botan, but you still haven't explained what you do or how you know Koenma."
"She's the pilot of the River Styx," Genkai said as she walked into the room, "And nice to see you again Botan."
"Pilot of the River Styx?" Charles asked kind of perplexed
"I'm basically the grim reaper," Botan explained, and threw her hand back and laughed, "You should have seen Yusuke's face the first time I told him that! 'You're supposed to be a skeleton in a dark cape!' he told me!"
Yusuke grumbled under his breath and placed his hand over his face in embarrassment.
"Well, that'll be all for now," Charles said, then turned to Yusuke, "And, being Spirit Detective is your job, and I won't stop you from going on cases."
"Thanks," Yusuke said, "So Botan, how long you staying here for?"
"A while, I am your assistant remember?" Botan replied, "Where's Keiko by the way? I heard she came here too."
"She's…sick," Yusuke replied, "But don't worry, Hank said she only has a cold."
"That's good," Botan gave a sigh of relief that her best mortal friend was okay, "So, who can I hang around with?"
"You could hang around with this girl named Kitty, last I saw she was getting a snack in the kitchen," Genkai replied, and then smiled, "You two have similar personalities."
"Okay," Botan then waved goodbye, and went started walking out the door, "Uh, where's the kitchen?"
A few hours passed since Botan arrived, and Keiko slept peacefully. Her eyes fluttered open, and she got up. She looked at her hand, which had reappeared, and then it disappeared again! She started to panic, and she looked to her right hand, which vanished before her eyes. Her eyes widened as she kept thinking of her body disappearing, and she cried out as her whole body vanished, clothes and all!
Her scream was accompanied by a violent shaking and spirit aura surrounding her. This caught everyone's attention, and they ran down into basement since that was where the medical area was.
"Keiko? Where's Keiko?" Yusuke asked nervously, looking around the room.
"I'm right here, Yusuke!" Keiko cried out, catching Yusuke's attention but he couldn't see her.
"Damn it, where is she?" Kuwabara asked, as they continued looking around the room/
Jean then put her hand on her temple, and closed her eyes, 'Keiko, where are you?'
'I'm right here, Jean!' Keiko thought, as she ran towards her friends, "Please! I need help!"
'Keiko, calm yourself,' Charles said, since he could feel her in the room, 'Your powers have just been awakened, that is why you are invisible.'
'So calm down,' Genkai told her in a warm voice, 'This is new for you, you're not the one to have the powers in this group, but now you do, so you have to deal with it.'
'I…I don't know how, how do I make myself visible again?' Keiko asked, and the ground started shaking around her again as her nervousness grew, and then she saw Yusuke still calling out for her, "Yusuke…"
'Yusuke, can you hear me?' Jean asked, telepathically contacting the Spirit Detective.
'Yes, what is it Jean!' Yusuke replied, throwing up one of the hospital bed.
'Keiko's still in the room, but her powers have awakened,' Jean replied, catching Yusuke's attention, 'She is invisible, but you may be able to find her using your spiritual awareness.'
Yusuke sighed, then closed his eyes, 'I hope you're right, Jean.'
Yusuke then felt the spiritual energies that were in the room. He first felt Kurama's, who was the strongest next to the Professor's. Then he felt Logan's and Kuwabara's, and Logan couldn't pick up Keiko with his nose. He then felt Jean's, Genkai's, Scott's, Rogue's, and Kitty's spirit power in the room. He was starting to get even more worried and impatient, then he felt her, he felt Keiko in the room.
Yusuke then ran over to her. She was in the other side of the room, cowering in fetal position, with tears streaming down her face. She looked up and saw Yusuke, who was actually looking right at her.
"Yusuke!" she cried, and leapt for him.
He caught her, and hugged her, "It's okay Keiko, I'm here now, you just have to calm down."
Keiko nodded, and kept crying into his chest, and her body started slowly becoming visible again.
"Remember, I'll always be there for you, and you were never a damsel in distress," Yusuke comforted her, rubbing her back.
"Whoa, is it just me or am I seeing Keiko appearing in Yusuke's arms?" Kitty asked, looking over to them.
"That must be her power, invisibility," Kurama said, as Keiko became fully visible again.
"Thank you, Yusuke, thank you…" Keiko sobbed, as she looked at her body again, and noticed she could see herself.
Yusuke smiled, and continued to comfort her. After a few moments, they got back onto their feet, and Keiko noticed she was feeling better now. Yusuke remembered she was sick, and put his hand on her forehead.
"Hey, you're feeling a lot better now, Keiko," Yusuke said, and she smiled up at him.
To be continued…
There you have it, Keiko's mutant powers are invisibility and minor earthquakes, just not on the scale of Lance's. I hope you liked this chapter and please read and review, I put a lot of thought into it.