Before this chapter, I must address the fans.
shadowcatfan89 - I basically based the character off myself and that's how I created him.
tillarone - First off, I think if it's the timeline where Apocalypse gets whupped, yes that's the timeline you're speaking of. Second, I just gave my character a power that I thought was cool.
whylime - Can't say I've heard of Eatman, but he sounds cool. And you'll see what happened in J.T.'s past that made him the way he is. I'd tell you now, but I just don't trust you with that delicate information...yet.
Chapter 5: School Daze
J.T., Rouge, Kurt and Kitty got in J.T.'s convertible. After a twenty-minute ride, everyone finally got to school.
"So what's with the school baseball team?" J.T. asked.
"The worst in the state. The team hasn't won a game since Scott and Jean came here," Rouge replied.
Just then, some mutant-hating students came driving by in a truck, three guys in the trucks with paintball guns. They unloaded approximately 50 paintballs, hitting all of the mutants with red paint, fooling them into thinking they had been shot!
"We're going to die! We're going to..." Kurt shouted frantically.
"Relax, O spastic one. It's paint," said J.T.
"What?" Kurt asked.
Kurt checked his 'wounds' and saw that it was paint and not blood!
"What a rotten prank," Kitty fumed.
"Get outta here, you mutant freaks," said one of the kids in the truck.
"Yeah, and take that mutant-lover with you," said another of the kids.
The truck sped off.
"Punks. Is everyone this charming?" J.T. asked sarcastically.
"For the most part," Kurt replied.
"Well, I'm sure Principal Kelly will be facinated by this little yarn," said J.T. "I'll check you guys later."
J.T. headed over to the principal's office, but along the way, he met up with a familiar cajun.
"Well, well, well. Didn't think I'd see you up in these parts," he said.
"Well, well. If it isn't old Remy LeBleau. The Ragin' Cajun. I thought I'd seen the last of you when we met up back in Raleigh. You remember Raleigh, don't you Remy?" J.T. asked.
The guy walked out of the shade and it was none other than Gambit.
"It's been a while, mon ami," said Remy.
"Too long buddy. You go here?" J.T. asked.
"No. I wanted to ask you something. I know dis guy named Magneto. Said he can help with you powers," said Remy.
"Thanks, but no thanks. First of all, I'm a little surprised you know I have powers. Second, I'm doing something about that," J.T. replied.
"Personally, I was a little surprised when I heard you had de X-Gene. Hey, if you wanna find me, jus' use dis," said Remy.
Gambit tossed a small communicator at J.T. He caught it and put it in his pocket.
"Well, see ya," said Remy.
Gambit walked off. J.T. went about his way. Over in the prinicpal's office, J.T. had finally gotten there.
"So you're the new one at the Xavier Institue?" Principal Kelly asked.
"I am," J.T. replied.
"I'll be honest. I don't like the fact mutants are among us. I'd prefer it better you go back where you came from and we never met. But that is not the case," said Principal Kelly.
"The U.S. got over equal rights for black people, they'll get over equal rights for mutants," said J.T.
"Are you trying to get me aggravated?" Kelly asked.
"No, I'm just saying that mutants have as much right to human rights as normal people do," J.T. replied. "But just think about humans. By changing their bodies with body armor and weaponry, they become much stronger than normal, do they not?"
"What're you getting at?" Kelly asked.
"Hear me out. Without weapons and such, humans are quite weak. Think of the hedgehog. It changes its shape when it is threatened, does it not?" J.T. asked.
"Well, yes, it's only natural," Kelly replied.
"And the pill bug and chameleon. Can they not change their appearance to blend in with their surroundings?" J.T. asked.
"Well, yes," Kelly replied.
"Based with these facts, do you really find mutants so strange?" J.T. asked.
"Well, this is a very fascinating theory, sir. Perhaps if you were to present this to a higher rank than a school principal, you could change something," Kelly replied.
"Well anyway, I believe you had something for me?" J.T. asked.
"Oh, yes, your schedule. Here," Kelly replied as he handed J.T. his schedule.
"All right. I'll be going now. Good day, sir," said J.T.
J.T. walked out and headed to his first class. As he left, he saw Blob, Avalance and Toad waiting to see the principal.
"Hey Toad, isn't that the guy?" Freddy whispered.
"Yeah, that's gotta be him. Looks just like the picture," Todd whispered back.
"What are you guys talking about?" Lance asked.
"That Gambit guy wants us to get this guy on our side," said Freddy.
"Yeah, the guy's got this mutation. He turns his hands into weapons," Todd added.
"Cool," said Lance.
J.T. walked aimlessly towards his first class, getting hopelessly lost along the way.
"Damn it. Can't make heads or tails of this map," said J.T. "Let's see, Room 246, Room 246."
J.T. turned around, only to find the room he was looking for was right behind him!
"Shoot me. Just shoot me," he said.
He walked in to see that Kitty and Kurt were in the same class!
"Hey J.T.! Come on, over here," Kurt shouted.
"Well this is cool. At least I'm not alone," said J.T.
Just then, the teacher walked in. Soon afterwards, the bell rang.
"Hm, it appears we have a new student. Stand up and introduce yourself," the teacher commanded.
"Very well," said J.T. "My name is J.T. and that's all you need to know."
"Okay. Now then, we'll continue on page..." said the teacher.
The day continued much like that, but with constant insults about being mutants and J.T. being a mutant lover, nobody knowing J.T. was a mutant. Back at the Xavier Institute, Professor Xavier was expecting the worst. Just then, Wolverine walked in.
"Something wrong, Chuck?" Wovlerine asked.
"I just know that Magneto is going to be after J.T. His powers are incredibly dangerous, and that would naturally attract Magneto," Professor Xavier replied.
"Maybe I should keep an eye on him," said Wolverine.
"No. I think that if we allow Magneto to get close then attack, we'll have him right where we want him," said Professor Xavier.
"Maybe," said Wolverine. "But it also might put all of us at risk."
At the end of the day, J.T. and the other mutants gathered by J.T.'s car.
"Man, how do you guys put up with all the insults all day? I felt like I wanted to belt one of those guys in the mouth by lunch," J.T. asked.
"It's hard, but you learn to live with it," said Kitty.
"Yeah," said J.T.
"Hey, I found something you might like," said Rouge.
Rouge took out a flyer for people to join the school baseball team.
"Oh I am so there," said J.T.
J.T. dashed off towards the baseball field, since the tryouts were that day!
"Come on, we've got to follow him! He's our ride home," said Kurt.
So everyone followed. Down at the baseball field, tryouts were going less than stellar for some of the people.
"What the hell is the matter with you! You bunch of wimps! I'm surrounded by incompetence," said the coach.
Just then, J.T. walked out onto the field.
"Hey, am I too late to try out?" J.T. asked.
"No, you're not. What do you want to try out for?" the coach asked.
"Just give me a stick," said J.T.
The coach pulled out a metal baseball bat and put it in J.T.'s hand.
"Hey, wait, I asked for a stick, not a pole. Come on, where's the lumber?" J.T. asked.
"Well you're the first student to ever ask for a wood bat. Here," the coach replied as he handed J.T. a wooden bat.
J.T. walked up to the plate.
"Come on, serve it right over the dish," said J.T.
The pitcher threw the ball directly over the plate. J.T. swatted the ball as far as it could possibly go, over the center field wall and into the street!
"Holy hell! Do that again," said the coach.
Another pitch directly over the plate, this time J.T. drove it over the right field wall and it hit someone's car, setting off the alarm!
"Whoops," said J.T.
"That's okay. That's why they have insurance. Now one more," said the coach.
The third time, the pitch was just off the plate. J.T. hit it and nailed the coach in the head with it! The coach spun in a 360 and fell to the ground!
"Oh shit! Coach, coach say something! Come on, wake up," said J.T.
"I haven't been hit that hard since I got beaned in the minors. Boy, you'd better say you'll be on the team as my designated hitter," said the coach.
"Well, sure. I thought for a second I wasn't on the team," said J.T. in disbelief.
"No! The thing is, I like getting beaned," said the coach. "Be here tomorrow at 3:15 sharp!"
"Yes sir," J.T. exclaimed.
J.T. headed off the field. Barely before he could get out of the field, he was immediately bobmarded with questions from his fellow mutants.
"So? How'd it go?" Kitty asked.
"Congratulate me, for I am now officially a jock," said J.T.
"Cool! Way to go," Kurt exclaimed.
"Come on, let's go home," said J.T.
Everyone jumped in J.T.'s car, dropped the hood and headed home. There, the whole house was abuzz with J.T. making the baseball team. However, the celebration was cut short when J.T. was called down to train.
"Now, try morphing your hands into an ax," said Professor Xavier down in the danger room.
Sure enough, J.T. morphed his hand into an ax. However, it quickly morphed back into his hand.
"Hm, try anything else," said Professor Xavier.
J.T. tightened his focus and right hand turned into a katana! His focus slipped, but it still maintained its form!
"Hey, I think I've got this one down," said J.T.
"Good. Now try attacking the test robots," said Professor Xavier.
J.T. leaped at the robot and quickly sliced it to small pieces of scrap metal. His movements were flashy, but they were strong and quick.
"Very good. I think you're getting the hang of this," said Professor Xavier.
"Heh, just call me the Iron Chef when I slice and dice," said J.T. cockily.
"I don't know about Iron Chef, but how about Slash?" Professor Xavier asked.
"Hey, that's pretty cool. It has a good ring to it too," said J.T.
Just then, Rouge walked into the Danger Room.
"J.T., what're you doin' down here? There's a party upstairs for y'all, and you ain't there," she said.
"Be right up," said J.T.
"Go ahead," said Professor Xavier.
"I'll just train harder later," said J.T.
"Very well," said Professor Xavier.
Professor Xavier shook his head with a smile and rolled back upstairs and joined the mutants.