Disclaimer: X-Men: Evolution is property of Marvel Comics and as such I do not own it. I am merely a fan showing my love of the show by writing fan fiction about it. Certain original characters are mine, and they will be identified at the end of each chapter.
Timeline: This takes place after the last aired episode. No clue what its name is.
Note: Regular names are given when they are not in costume. When in costume, they go by their costumed name. Meaning Scott Summers in costume is Cyclops. Jean Grey, however, remains Jean Grey. In the comics she is known as Phoenix or Marvel Girl, but she has yet to be called Marvel Girl on X-Men: Evolution and she has yet to take the Phoenix Force as well. And Rogue is just Rogue, no matter what, though I do know her real first name. At least, the one given to her in the movies. Dunno if it's the same for the comics or the cartoon.
-
Bayville, the Xavier Institute-
Charles Xavier removes the helmet that connected him to Cerebro. He had just detected a massive upsurge of psionic power from somewhere in the southern US. It was massive, even more than he had detected when he had first found Jean. He hadn't been able to locate the identity of the new mutant, but such a massive explosion of psionic power would draw the attention of the media. And it wouldn't be pretty, either. He set Cerebro to scanning the headlines of all of the newspapers and the new channels, as well as the emergency channels of the police and medical facilities for that area.
What was worse was that a lot of people would be against this new mutant. With power like that, they would be afraid and people in general usually tried to destroy what they were afraid of. Psionics were the most feared next to those with extreme physical mutations. Being able to mess around with a persons mind was a psychic no-no to most, though there were some who didn't care. If they were going to do this new mutant any good, they were going to have to find him, and fast.
Reaching out with his mind, the powerful telepath contacts members of his covert ops team, the X-Men. He sends for the best ones for this particular job.
Scott Summers, aka Cyclops. He was capable of firing ruby red energy blasts from his eyes. Due to an injury sustained when he was younger he was incapable of controlling his power, so he was forced to wear a pair of special shades, or a specially made visor, to keep the beams from destroying everything in his direct line of sight. He was second in command of the X-Men, answering only to Professor Xavier himself. H e had recently graduated but due to time lost when mutants were banned from the school she was being forced to repeat a semester.
Kurt Wagner, aka Nightcrawler. He had phenomenal agility and his strength was belied by his size. He was a teleporter, capable of shifting his being into a different dimension temporarily. Upon exit, he would be wherever he wanted to go, within a certain distance. He also had a lean figure, which was surprising for as much as he ate. It was theorized that his high metabolism came from using so much energy teleporting. He was a junior in high school.
Jean Grey, simply known as Jean. She was a promising psionic, with incredible telekinetic potential. Her abilities with telepathy were good, but her real power was with her telekinesis. She had recently graduated but due to time lost when mutants were banned from the school she was being forced to repeat a semester.
Rogue was known only by that name. She possessed an uncontrolled parasitic power that relied on the touch. Whenever she would have skin-to-skin contact with someone, she absorbed some of their energy. Memories, impressions, if they were a mutant she temporarily absorbed their powers. The longer she held contact, the longer the absorption lasted on the surface. She kept the impressions within the recesses of her mind. She was a senior in high school.
The last person he summoned was Logan, also known as the Wolverine. He was almost a living weapon. An accelerated healing factor combined with a skeletal structure laced with adamantium, the strongest known metal, made him virtually indestructible. He was an exceptional hand-to-hand combatant, one of the best in the world. A set of claws made from adamantium and enhanced senses completed him, making him an invaluable member of the X-Men. His true age and identity were still unknown.
These five would be the best suited to contacting this new mutant. Scott to talk to them if it was a boy. Jean to be the voice of reason and if it was a girl. Kurt in case they needed to hunt the new mutant down. Logan if they ran into trouble, to be the adult in charge, and to help track them. And Rogue to incapacitate them if they proved to be a danger to themselves and others. They were experienced, and would be able to work together flawlessly.
After calling them, Professor Xavier exits the Cerebro chamber, leaving the computer to keep up its search. He heads for briefing room where the X-Men he has selected for the mission will meet him. It isn't far, and he makes it there well before any of the selected X-Men, even Kurt. Of course, Kurt had been eating when he had been contacted, and very little got in the way of Kurt's metabolism. Only Logan was able to control him. Most of the X-Men looked up to Logan as a mentor every bit as much as they did Professor Xavier himself, though Kurt looked to him almost like an uncle. And he was like a much older brother to Kitty Pryde, a young Junior who had the ability to walk through solid matter.
The five selected mutants slowly dribble into the room. First Logan, then Kurt followed by his adopted sister Rogue. Finally Scott and Jean entered the room hand in hand. They had started dating shortly after the last battle with Apocalypse, and Professor Xavier himself was glad to see it. The two of them complemented each other, building upon the other's weaknesses so that they were negated, while making their strengths even stronger. With a smile, Professor Xavier welcomes the five X-Men into the room and tells them to sit.
"Professor, has Cerebro detected another mutant?" Jean asks.
"It has, but it was overloaded and I was unable to get an identity or an exact lock on their location," Professor Xavier replies, "there was an incredible surge of psionic power. The impressions I got moments later were even worse than those that I detected from you, Jean."
Jean's face goes white as chalk. Her psionic powers, namely her telepathy, had nearly crippled her mentally for life. At the age of ten, she had witnessed her best friend being hit by a car and dying. She had experienced her friend's thoughts firsthand through her telepathy, and from there she had been withdrawn and depressed. What made it even worse was that her telepathy was unable to be controlled and she heard all thoughts around her. She had withdrawn herself from others to offset her open telepathy until she met Professor Xavier and he helped her by erecting barriers in her mind until she was mature enough to control her powers properly.
"Professor, are you sure?" Jean asks weakly. Scott gives her hand a squeeze as a show of support. He knew what she had gone through. He had already been taken under Professor Xavier's legal custody for a year when Jean's powers had surfaced.
"I'm afraid so, Jean," Professor Xavier says sadly, "Jean, you remember how to place the shields to help this person, do you not?"
"I do, Professor," Jean says weakly, "when do we leave?"
"You will be leaving shortly," Professor Xavier says, "as soon as Cerebro detects anything in the news, I will forward it to you."
"Ah'm assuming ah'm going if we need ta take this guy down?" Rogue asks in her thick southern accent.
"Unfortunately, yes," Professor Xavier answers, "I wish I could go myself, but I am still needed here to help Cerebro locate this new mutant."
"Professor, were there any useful impressions?" Scott asks, "like where this new mutant is, their gender, anything?"
"Only one, Scott," Professor Xavier says, "they are close to your age."
"So the new mutant is a telepath, eh?" Logan asks after a moment of silence.
"A psionic would be more appropriate," Professor Xavier explains, "Cerebro detected various powerful telepathic and telekinetic powers. It is possible that this new mutant has powers that we will not be able to cope with."
"What do you mean, Professor?" Kurt asks.
"Kurt, there are infinite possibilities of mutant powers, but those that are the most unpredictable, the hardest to control, and the most devastating are those that are part of the mind," Professor Xavier explains, "psionics, such as myself and Jean, are dangerous if uncontrolled. You remember when Jean's powers took an unexpected boost. It was devastating. And from what I could gleam from Cerebro's records of the psionic burst, this new mutant has more potential than Ms. Grey."
"Professor, are ya saying that there is a powerful, untrained psionic out there?" Rogue asks fearfully. She still remembered what Jean's mind was like that day. She would never forget it, because it was now a part of her very being.
"I'm afraid so, Rogue," Professor Xavier says sadly, "we must find this new mutant fast. Their initial power was great enough to overload Cerebro's detection grid for psionics."
"Professor, shouldn't that be impossible?" Jean asks. Cerebro's psionic detection grid was the most fortified part of the entire system, especially when the Professor was hooked up to it.
"This mutant was experiencing many diverse emotions at the moment of the outbreak," Professor Xavier answers, "this enhanced the strength of the psionic blast."
"Professor, can you tell how much area the blast covered?" Jean asks.
"It covered a two hundred foot radius," Professor Xavier replies, "this is nearly unheard of in an inexperienced psionic."
Jean nods, not trusting herself to speak. Having such a person around would be very dangerous until they learned to control their powers. Hopefully, between the Professor and herself, they would be able to erect mind wards that would limit the new mutants' power while they were training their abilities.
"When do we leave?" Logan asks.
"As soon as possible," Professor Xavier says, "you will be going to the coastal plain area of Tennessee."
"Ah know that area," Rogue says, "ah paid a few visits there when ah was livin' with Irene. Nice area, friendly people outside of the major cities."
"Well, it won't be too bad," Logan says, "Kurt, you'll stay with the X-Jet. Your holo-emitter has been on the fritz again lately and we don't want to alarm the locals."
"Yes, Professor," Kurt says. He didn't mind that much. There were plenty of video games on the X-Jet.
"So the elf'll only be going out at night, and sticking to the shadows then?" Logan asks.
"Yes," Professor Xavier says, "you are dismissed. I will forward any information that Cerebro finds."
Logan nods and the five X-Men leave the briefing room and head for the hanger where the X-Jet was kept. It doesn't take them long to prep the jet to leave.
In transit-
"Hey Red, you picking up anything?" Logan asks. Jean was trying to locate the new psionic through her own powers.
"No, we're too far away," Jean sighs as she finally gives up for the moment, "I'll try again when we arrive."
"Incoming transmission," Kurt says, "it's the Professor."
"I read ya, Charles," Logan says.
"Cerebro has picked up an emergency medical signal from the area you are going to," Professor Xavier says, "twenty-three people were inducted to the emergency room of a hospital with signs of very little brain activity. Simultaneously, the police have a young man in custody, the only person at the scene who was not in the same condition."
"So that's our mutant?" Logan asks.
"I'm afraid so," Professor Xavier replies, "reports indicate that he is being detained because he is suspected of being a mutant. Apparently the local authorities are not very mutant friendly."
"So it looks like we got a problem on our hands," Logan remarks.
"I'm afraid so, Logan," Professor Xavier says, "the local authorities are not kindly disposed towards mutants. There are reports of several mutants being put to death in the local correction facilities, usually by prisoners though it is possible that the guards just turned a blind eye to it all."
"So we are possibly going into a very hostile environment," Logan says, "I guess we'll have to rescue to new mutant, huh? Whats his name?"
"Jesse Atalas," Professor Xavier answers, "17 years old, attends one of the three local high schools. Moderate student, shows great potential in his studies. Potential that he would reach by applying himself."
"Charles, we're gonna have some problems getting him out if the authorities are against mutants, be it official or unofficial," Logan says, "we may end up needing Kurt to teleport him out of wherever they are holding him."
"I hope it doesn't come to that," Professor Xavier says, "it will raise all sorts of problems. Any kind of prison break will, though perhaps I will be able to pull some strings. But first, scout things out. Find out the situation and go from there."
"Okay, Professor," Scott says, "we'll work this out. A mutant like Jesse, if it is Jesse, would be too dangerous to leave alone."
"Given the nature of his powers, it would be just as dangerous as Cain still being on the loose," Professor Xavier says gravely.
"We're gonna have to find him," Scott says, "its too dangerous leaving him out, loose like that. We'll have to get him and bring him back to the mansion."
"Yes, and if worse comes to worse we will have to put him on lockdown like we did to the Juggernaut," Jean says.
The rest of the flight goes fairly well, with more and more information coming in through Cerebro. By the time Scott lands the X-Jet in a rural area not far from where the incident with the new mutant took place, they have enough information to be fairly sure that Jesse was the new mutant. They activate the X-Jet's cloaking field and walk down the ramp as Logan unloads his motorcycle and Scott unloads the X-Van.
"We're not that far from where the incident took place, according to the police report," Scott says as he revs up his motorcycle, "Jean, you come with me. We'll check the victims in the hospital. Logan, you and Rogue check the scene of the incident."
"Of course, slim," Logan snorts as he gets on his motorcycle and revs it up, "lets go, Rogue."
Rogue nods and dons her helmet before climbing on the back of the motorcycle. Logan kicks the bike into gear and takes off.
Scott turns to Kurt. "Kurt, you stay here and monitor everything. Keep us all up to date on data from Cerebro and the Professor."
"Of course," Kurt replies, "good luck."
"This is where it happened?" Rogue asks. It was a small meeting hall. Judging from the reports, it had been rented out for a family reunion.
"Yeah, and there's a scent of fear in the air," Logan says after taking a sniff, "fear, horror. Whoever did this was horrified at what they had done."
"It must have been a horrible thing to witness, whatever it was," Rogue murmurs, "and to know that you were responsible for it."
Jean is walking out of the hospital, her emotions in turmoil. What she had seen had been beyond belief. Twenty-two people, several of them children who were at the oldest twelve, all reduced to a vegetable state. Their minds were wiped clean. They would have to completely start over; some of them were too old to try. One elderly woman had died in the process, her mind not able to take the strain. Her mind had completely shut down, and her body had not been able to take the strain.
The enormity of what happened finally caught up to Jean when she got inside the X-Van and she completely broke down crying. Scott rushes to comfort her, holding her gently until the sobs finally pass. His look of worry and sympathy soothes her as she finally tells him what she had found out.
"Its horrible, Scott," Jean murmurs, "I can feel the impressions of their last conscious moments. Imprints of a boy, either nephew or cousin, as the cause. Some of the younger children were teasing him, and his anger finally exploded, causing what happened. Scott, the boy at the police station is the one responsible, but he had no control over it. We have to get him out of there. He's a danger to everyone, including himself, until he can get his powers under control."
"We will help him, Jean," Scott promises, "the Professor can help him get his powers under control. He helped you get yours under control and he'll do the same for Jesse."
"So it is him?" Professor Xavier asks over the X-Jet's radio.
"I'm afraid so, Professor," Jean answers, "Scott and I passed by the police station, and I searched for a strong psychic presence. Professor, his power is not gigantic, but it is wild and untamed, enhanced by his emotions. I couldn't even determine where his powers lie. It may be a broad range of abilities that, while not strong individually, give strength to one another and make him appear to be more powerful."
"They moved him back to his home," Logan adds, "unfortunately, the closest family he has that isn't a vegetable is in Memphis, and that's only a cousin. He was taken from his mom when he was three and her older sister and her husband gained custody. The uncle died earlier this year. Aunt is one of the ones in the hospital. Kids basically all alone."
"So it would be best if he came with us," Kurt comments.
"Ah'm not so sure," Rogue says, "look at all that he's been through. He lost someone who we presume was a father figure earlier this year. Now he is responsible for losing the rest of his family. He'll need psychological help in addition to his training."
"We already knew that, Rogue," Jean says kindly, "it's recommended for anyone with some kind of psionic power, especially telepathy and astral projection. It's just that there has never been a recorded incident like this. There aren't really that many psionics in the world, and none of them as far as we know of had such a violent first experience with their powers. He caused pain with his."
"You shall have to pick him up," Professor Xavier tells them, "get him in the morning. He is no doubt in need of a good nights sleep."
next morning-
The next morning, at 8 am, at a small house in a rural area of the southern part of town, a teenage boy with dark brown hair and light green eyes wakes up, shivering. His mind was in turmoil. Flashes of memory not his own tormented him. Nightmares of seeing family fall to the floor, their eyes dull and almost lifeless.
Getting out bed of, still dressed in the clothes he had worn to the family reunion the day before, the teen walks into the bathroom and cleans up. He was fortunate that it was Sunday. He didn't feel like going to church. Not yet. His mind felt too jumbled. And he didn't feel safe around others anymore. He knew that somehow he was the cause of what happened to his family. And this meant that he couldn't be near anyone. He couldn't risk anyone else getting hurt because of him.
The young man fixes himself some breakfast, cold cereal with orange juice. He eats in silence, trying not to dwell on the events of the day before, and failing. He finishes, putting the dishes in the dishwasher. He heads back to his room and pulls out one of his books, sitting down to read, hoping that this would give him a focus to keep the flashes of what really only could be the memories of his family inside of his head.
It is almost ten o'clock when the phone rings. The young man picks it up, hoping that it is good news about his family.
"Jesse?" It was Locke, Jesse's best friend. He was four months younger than Jesse was, though he had been skipped a grade due to some home schooling when he was younger as well as some intense studying even after he had started attending the public school system.
"Hey Locke," Jesse says.
"Hey dude, you sound kinda raw," Locke's voice comes from the phone.
"I feel raw," Jesse replies.
"Why is that?" Locke asks.
"Well," Jesse begins, then proceeds to tell his best friend what had happened yesterday to the best of his abilities.
"Man Jesse, I hope things work out for you," Locke says, "hey, a van just pulled up in your driveway. Someone is getting out."
"What do they look like?" Jesse asks.
"One guy looks a bit gruff, he's older than the others. Another is a young woman, perhaps our age, with red hair. Last is a guy wearing red sunglasses, about like Kevin in build, my height perhaps. Hair is a lot like yours."
Outside, Logan, Scott, and Jean step out of the X-Van. The house seemed normal. You wouldn't know that an extremely powerful, untrained psionic resided within. Next door a young man was sitting on the front porch swing talking on the phone.
"He's talking to Jesse," Jean says, subtly indicating the teenager on the swing, "he's telling him about us."
"So he's forewarned about us," Logan says, "Jean?"
"Neither one knows what happened yesterday," Jean replies after focusing her telepathy, "though the one on the porch swing, Locke, I can't properly penetrate his mind."
"How is that possible?" Scott asks, "is he a mutant too?"
"No, I think it's a natural mental shield," Jean replies, "they're rare, but they occur every now and then. Its nothing to worry about."
"If you say so, Red," Logan says as he steps up to the front door and rings the doorbell.
"Locke, I'll call you later," Jesse promises, "I need to see what these people want."
"Talk to you later then," Locke replies. Jesse hangs up the phone and walks to the front door and opens it. He doesn't open the glass door out of caution.
"May I help you?"
"Jesse Atalas?" the adult asks. He was the oldest of them, and he obviously had a gruff demeanor. The other guy was closer to his own age, probably a senior in high school, as was the girl. The girl was looking at him curiously, yet with a tint of sadness in her eyes, and Jesse felt that she could read his thoughts. Jesse nods to answer the adult's question.
"May we come in?" the adult asks.
"Who are you?" Jesse demands.
"Don't worry, we're friends," the girl answers, "we just want to talk to you about what happened yesterday."
Jesse's eyes narrow. He didn't trust people easily, but the look of sincerity on the girls face makes up his mind. He unlocks the glass door and invites the three inside.
"Have a seat," Jesse says, "do any of you want a drink?"
Scott, Logan, and Jean sit on the couch, but decline drinks. Jesse leans against the door to the kitchen, looking at his three guests. "Talk."
"Quick and to the point, aren't ya bub?" the adult chuckles.
"I don't have time to waste," Jesse replies, "I'm worried about my family."
The girl gets a pained look on her face, but quickly covers it up. Jesse catches it, however.
"You know something," he says, "what do you know?"
"Yes, we do," the girl says, "my name is Jean Grey. This is Scott Summers," Scott waves his hand, "and this is Logan. Jesse, what do you know about mutants?"
Everything really hinged on this question and its answer. If Jesse hated mutants, then there was no telling what he would do.
Jesse blinks in surprise. "I don't know much, beyond what they say on the news, and that's rarely flattering. But I suppose there are good mutants and bad mutants. My friend Locke knows more about them. Says they fascinate him, and they also fascinate me, but I just let him do all the research and then we discuss it. Wait, are you saying that a mutant caused what happened to my family?"
Jean nods, afraid of what Jesse's reaction could be.
"And that," Jesse swallows, "I'm the mutant responsible? I'm responsible for whatever happened to my family?"
"Your what we call a psionic," Jean says, just loud enough for Jesse to hear her, "a mutant with various abilities that are directly linked to the mind. Telepathy or mind-to-mind talk, telekinesis or moving things with your mind, projecting your mind to other places through astral projection, the possibilities are almost limitless."
"And what did I do to my family?" Jesse as, moving over to a chair and sitting in it before his legs gave way.
"Mind erasure," Jean replies, "you wiped their minds clean of everything. There's nothing of their minds left."
"Meaning what, exactly?" Jesse asks, though he already knows.
"That your family is alive, but that's it," Logan says, "their minds are gone, forever."
Jesse blanches and lowers his head into his hands and sobs. Jean walks over to Jesse's side and hugs him, letting him vent his emotions in a safe way. At the same time, Jean slowly begins building a few crucial psionic barriers within Jesse's mind.
Jesse feels like something is tugging directly into his brain, and he pushes Jean away. "What are you doing! Did you just go into my mind!"
Jean blinks as she recovers, surprised that an untrained psionic had detected her putting up the barriers. "I was putting some barriers up in your mind, so you wouldn't accidentally use your powers. I'm a mutant as well, with powers similar to yours. I have telepathy, telekinesis, and a few other abilities."
Jesse nods in understanding. "Sorry. Please continue. I don't want to hurt anyone, intentionally or otherwise!"
Jean nods and places her hands on Jesse's temples, making more barriers. The sheer number of abilities he had was amazing! There were even a few that she had never encountered before! In all of the abilities she recognizes, Jean felt only slightly above average strength, though that would change with training. Jean finally finishes.
"Is it done?" Jesse asks, feeling Jean's presence leave his mind. Jean nods. "Thank you."
"It was my pleasure," Jean says, "you have a strong mind, Jesse. Those barriers will not hold up forever, and eventually the only barriers that could be strong enough to hold your powers in would be your own. You'll have to train."
"But where?" Jesse asks.
"We're from a school in Massachusetts that specializes in teaching mutants how to adapt to their new abilities," Scott offers, "we're taught how to use our abilities to their fullest, to use them to defend ourselves and others if we have to. And with the view a lot of people have of mutants, we need to be able to defend ourselves."
"What can you do?" Jesse asks curiously, "I know Jean has abilities like mine, but what can you do?"
"Well, I can't really show mine off because it can be used only for offence," Scott says, "and I have no control over it."
"He shoots energy beams out of his eyes," Jean explains, "his body absorbs sunlight during the day and converts it into energy that he emits as ruby-red blasts from his eyes. They're quite powerful, and have a lot of force behind them. He wears his glasses because he can't control his powers."
"Guess we're both stuck with the term 'Four-eyes'," Jesse chuckles, adjusting his own glasses. Scott nods in amusement. "What can you do, sir?"
Logan scowls at being called 'sir'. "First thing kid, don't call me sir, or mister. Call me Logan. I don't mind being shown respect, but we're equals as mutants."
"Logan has an accelerated healing factor that's quite powerful," Jean explains, "he's virtually immune to poison, he has senses as good as any animals, and he has a few other attributes."
Logan unsheathes his claws to demonstrate. "Made of adamantium, virtually indestructible. My whole skeleton's laced with it. Bullets hardly do any damage in a bony area."
"So you're an incredible fighting machine, I take it," Jesse speculates.
"He's the best among us," Scott says, "Logan is in charge of physical training. Jean and I help with various mental and control training, or learning teamwork. You'd likely work with Jean and Professor Xavier, the guy who runs the school, to control your abilities. The Professor is also a strong psionic."
"So I'd have to leave here if I went with you," Jesse says, "leave my home and my friends."
"I know it sounds bad," Jean begins, but Jesse raises a hand to stop her.
"I only have one real friend, and a few other acquaintances," Jesse says, "my family is now gone, though I do have a cousin in Memphis, but she would be unable to take me in. So I guess I may as well join you."
The three X-Men blink in surprise. No other new mutant had been so agreeable, except for Kurt, and he had obvious reasons. Then again, Jesse did have a major problem, and he probably knew the rumors about how the local law enforcement dealt with mutants.
"Can you give me a day or two to get everything in order?" Jesse asks.
"Of course," Logan replies, "we'll contact the Professor and he can arrange for your school papers to be transferred to Bayville High."
"Thanks," Jesse says, "it should be fairly simple to do. What all would I be able to bring with me? Can I bring my books? I love to read."
"Of course," Jean says, "we can give you as much time as you need."
"Thanks," Jesse says, "now, tell me more about the place that is going to be my new home."
one week later-
"There, all packed," Jesse mutters as he closes the last suitcase. He had filled three suitcases with clothes, another with his books, and the final suitcase with mementos of his family. His cousin Tracy had come up with her family and they had set things up so that the homes of his family would be taken care of. They had also arranged things for their grandmother's funeral. Jesse had nearly completely broken down when he found out that she had passed away.
After explaining everything to Tracy, Jesse was on his way to Bayville and the Xavier Institute. He didn't really want to leave, but he didn't want to risk living with the only real family he had left. He didn't want to risk destroying their minds like he had the rest of his family's.
"You take care, Jesse," Tracy says after giving him a goodbye hug outside. Jesse had met Rogue and Kurt, and he was more intrigued with Kurt's appearance than frightened. Rogue's power was the one that frightened him. Scott, well, he was able to joke with Scott about wearing glasses all the time. It was something Jesse knew about quite well. And neither one of them could get rid of their glasses. A small accident when Scott was younger damaged the part of his brain that could have eventually earned him complete control over his optic blasts, but as it was he could never gain full control. And Jesse had to wait a few years for his prescription to stabilize before he could get any kind of corrective surgery.
"Yeah dude, take care," Locke says. He and his family had been told what had happened, but they didn't have anything against mutants.
"I'll do my best," Jesse says, "no guarantee's."
"As usual, with you," Locke chuckles, "always getting into trouble."
"As I recall, you would just sit back and watch me get in trouble," Jesse says, "usually with her."
Jesse points at Locke's little sister Katie. The blonde girl, only a couple of years younger than either Jesse or Locke, scowls at Jesse. "You're the one who usually starts the trouble."
"Yeah yeah," Jesse shrugs, "listen, I'll try to write as often as possible."
Tracy's son and daughter, Barnes and Anna, run up to Jesse and give him goodbye hugs that Jesse returns. The two of them were his favorite cousins, and he would miss them. They didn't care that he was a mutant, luckily, but they were afraid of what he could do.
"I'll miss you two," Jesse says, "you two take care."
"We will," Anna promises. Barnes nods in agreement.
"Hey Jesse, we need to leave," Scott interrupts.
"Okay Scott," Jesse says as he picks up his travel bag containing some of his favorite books, "I guess I'm ready."
Jesse finishes loading up the X-Van with his luggage and the group takes off for the X-Jet.
"This is your transport back home?" Jesse asks incredulously when he gets a glimpse of the X-Jet.
"Impressive, isn't it?" Logan chuckles.
"I'll say," Jesse says, "that's a custom model of a military aircraft, the XR-71 Blackbird, isn't it?"
"You're familiar with it?" Scott asks, surprised.
"I had a small interest in military aircraft years ago," Jesse replies, "never really learned much, but a few facts stuck with me."
"Well, that's our ticket back to the mansion," Scott says, "Jean, Kurt, and Rogue probably already have the preflight check-up done. We just need to load up the X-Van and ourselves and we can be on our way."
After loading up the X-Van and Jesse's luggage, the group straps themselves in, Jesse's eyes darting every which way to take in everything he could.
"Ease up, kid, you'll be in here again," Logan assures the teen, "you've seen news reports on the X-Men, right?" At Jesse's nod he continues. "Well, we are the X-Men, and if you want to once your training has gone far enough you can join up. With your abilities, once they are fully explored and brought under control, could be a major help to mankind."
"I would definitely love to do that," Jesse says, "to make up for the damage they have already done."
"Good sentiment," Logan says as he takes control of the X-Jet and guides it into the air via its VTOL capabilities. Jesse sways slightly, looking a bit pale.
"Get airsick?" Rogue asks kindly.
"Actually, I've never flown before in my life," Jesse replies, "closest I've ever done is ride a roller coaster."
"Well, if you do get airsick, there are barf bags," Kurt says, "I used to get airsick, but not anymore."
"That's good to know," Jesse says, "so how long will this flight take us?"
"Several hours," Scott replies, "Bayville is pretty far from here."
Jesse nods. "Ah. So, can you tell me about the kind of training I'm expected to do?"
"Well, first we'll have to see what the full range of your abilities is," Jean replies, "luckily, since you've almost fully matured physically, your powers won't grow in strength that much, but new abilities may pop up with training or with age. The Professor has said that he hasn't developed any new abilities since he turned thirty. After we determine the full range of your powers we can train you to harness them. After that, its up to you."
Jesse nods. "So, can you tell about the other mutants where we're going?"
"Sure, what do you want to know?" Kurt asks jovially. Kurt, while his appearance was not frightening to Jesse, was amusing to the teen. His attitude reminded Jesse of a kid on a sugar high.
"Well, Kurt isn't it, you can tell me about the guys there," Jesse replies, "and if she will, Jean can tell me about the girls."
Kurt blinks. "Now that's an odd request."
"Its simple, really," Jesse replies, "I figured you would know everyone fairly well with your attitude, Kurt, but Jean would be able to give a better description of the girls. I definitely would not want to make any of them mad at me unintentionally. Especially not girls who are mutants. I wouldn't want to have to run for my life from a girl who can shoot fire or something from her hands because I insulted her unintentionally."
Kurt chuckles. "Um, there is a girl who can do that."
Jesse blinks. "Ooookay. My life has definitely gotten more interesting than I thought it had."
"The girls aren't so bad," Kurt says, "just don't cut in front of them getting to one of the bathrooms. Then you're asking for trouble."
Jesse chuckles. "Tell me more about the other guys."
"Well, first there's Bobby," Kurt begins, "he can control ice. He's a pretty fun kid, but gets into trouble a lot. Then there's Jamie. Any kind of bump to him creates a clone of him, and the harder the bump, the more clones he produces."
"Its quite hard getting the correct him for lessons because he has a habit of using his clones to do the work for him," Jean simply adds, "though it does cut his homework time down. Since each clone is a part of him, he knows what they know, and learns what they learn."
"That could be useful," Jesse says, "he could leave a clone at the Institute to train in other things while he goes to school like a normal kid."
"It also makes him excellent for spywork, though not as good as the elf," Logan adds, "he'd need to be trained first."
"What about the other guys?" Jesse asks.
"Well, then there's ray, also called Berserker," Kurt says, "his power is kinda wild, and so is he."
"Yeah, but he has nothing on Jubilee," Jean says, "she can create firework-like plasma energy from her hands. Great for parties, but she can also create a lot of damage if she wants to."
"Who names their child Jubilee?" Jesse asks.
"Her full name is Jubilation Lee," Rogue says. Jesse wrinkles his nose.
"Okay, she did herself a favor getting that nickname."
"Then there's Rahne," Jean continues, "we call her Wolfsbane. She can transform from a human to a wolf, and even hold on to a half-human, half wolf form that is excellent for combat."
"Now that sounds cool," Jesse says, "though I'll have to remember not to agitate her. I do not want to be bitten."
"She wouldn't bite you!" Kurt exclaims, "at least, you'd have to make her really, really mad to do that."
"And I have a rare knack for making girls of any age do just that: get extremely mad at me," Jesse says.
"I guess you're talking about that blonde girl?" Logan asks.
"Katie, Locke's little sister," Jesse frowns, "I honestly think she has it in for me."
Jean bites back a giggle. She hadn't meant to read Katie's mind, but the girl had been thinking so 'loud' that she couldn't help but 'overhear' how much Katie would miss Jesse. It sounded to Jean like Katie had a small crush on Jesse. Or at least liked him more than she let on.
"Then there's Kitty," Jean says, "she's a sweet girl. She can phase through solid matter. She's a junior now."
"She can walk through walls?" Jesse says, "that's a cool power. How did it first activate?"
"She fell through her bed on the second floor of her house all the way to the basement," Jean replies.
"She didn't get hurt, did she?" Jesse asks.
"She was more frightened than hurt," Jean answers.
"Kitty's real cool," Kurt pipes up, "a terrible cook, I'm afraid to say, but she's learning. And she's very tolerant. But when she does lose her temper, watch out!"
"I'd say that goes for all women," Jesse says, "I have yet to meet a woman whose temper did not scare me senseless."
"I agree with you there," Kurt says. Both boys were oblivious to the glares Jean and Rogue were giving them. Scott and Logan were doing their absolute best to conceal their snickers.
"And just what do ya mean by that?" Rogue demands.
Jesse eeps. "Well, I simply meant that I have a healthy fear of the female temper. That's why I try to be as polite as possible."
Both Rogue and Jean seem satisfied by his answer. Kurt and Jean continue to tell Jesse about the other residents of the Xavier Institute, as well as other prominent mutants they knew.
"You mean Warren Worthington the Third is a mutant?" Jesse asks, "he was the angel that was in the news last year?"
"Yep," Scott says, "Rogue and I went to find him. That was when we found out that Magneto was still alive."
"This Magneto, he's very dangerous, is he not?" Jesse asks.
"He's stuck on the idea that humans and mutants can't live together," Logan growls, "and he has his own team, and if push comes to shove he can recruit the Brotherhood to fight us as well."
"Yeah, but the X-Men still outnumber him," Kurt says, "but Magneto is still very powerful. He's very difficult to beat in a fight."
"What kind of power does he have?" Jesse asks.
"He controls magnetism," Scott says, "every aspect of magnetism is his to control should he exert the will to do so."
Jesse winces. "Such a power is incredibly strong. He can do a lot if he puts his mind to it. He could kill people instantly with the iron in their blood."
"I don't think he can exert so fine a control," Logan says, "or perhaps he does not wish to kill. He has no qualms about fighting, but I do not think he wants to kill anyone. Separate humans and mutants into their own societies, yes, but not kill anyone."
"So he wants mutants to live apart from humans?" Jesse asks, "and let me guess: he wants to have himself as the leader of the new nation of mutants. How stupid! People should be allowed to choose where they live and who they live with! Freedom of choice is our greatest gift."
"I agree with you there," Jean says.
"Are there any mutants who have mind control abilities?" Jesse asks. The atmosphere changes dramatically. "Um, did I say something wrong?"
"No, its just that we don't like thinking about him," Jean says, "Mesmero. He was a mutant used by Apocalypse to take control of mutants to help get free. He used most of the X-Men. Rogue. Myself. Kurt. Kitty. Ororo's nephew Evan. He used us without care."
"That is nasty," Jesse admits, "I sincerely hope that I do not meet him."
"Good luck," Logan says, "he always shows up when we least expect it."
The rest of the flight went off fairly decently. Jesse learned a fair bit about his fellow mutants, what it meant to be a mutant, and had even had a few meditative exercises explained to him to help him bring his powers under control.
"Hey kid, look out the window," Logan says. Jesse does so.
"Is that… Bayville?"
"Yep. Looks great, doesn't it?" Logan asks as he heads for the Xavier Institute's hanger.
"Is that the Institute?" Jesse asks when he spots the mansion.
"Yep, that's home," Scott says.
"Home," Jesse murmurs, "that'll take time."
Logan hears what Jesse said, but says nothing. He hadn't really had a home until Charles had invited him to come and teach at the mansion. To teach the new mutants how to defend themselves without using their powers. For some reason, he knew how, though he couldn't really remember everything. He could remember fighting in World War II. He could remember fighting alongside Captain America and several others. He even remembered seeing the young boy who would grow up to become Magneto. But he could not remember who he had originally been. And it was only thanks to the Professor that he could remember anything from before he had been taken by Weapon X.
As the X-Jet comes to a stop, Jesse puts away his book. He had actually found time to read a book cover to cover during the flight, despite all of the other conversation. He definitely loved to read. Walking down the ramp of the X-Jet, Jesse sees several people awaiting them. One is a bald man in a wheelchair, another is an attractive African-American woman with white hair, another was a blue furry man-like creature, and the last was a young teenage boy with long blonde hair who bore some resemblance to Scott. Jesse immediately recognized Professor Charles Xavier, Ororo Munroe or Storm, and Hank McCoy or Beast, but he did not recognize the last teen. Scott, however, did.
"Alex! You're here!" Scott rushes up and hugs his younger brother, who returns the hug enthusiastically.
"So, you went and got a new guy for the team?" Alex Summer asks.
"Well, maybe not for the team, but we're going to help him," Scott replies.
"Ah, Jesse, I am so glad that you could come," Professor Xavier says, "I am terribly sorry to hear of what happened to your family.
"Yeah, well, it couldn't be helped," Jesse says, a pained expression on his face, "I'm just glad that there is someone around to help me."
"We are here to help you," Professor Xavier says, "Mr. McCoy will show you to your room where you can get settled in."
Jesse nods. "When can I start training?"
"Well, we naturally will give you a few days to settle in before we even begin any type of training," Professor Xavier explains.
"Thank you," Jesse says, "what about schooling?"
"It will take some time before your papers are transferred from your old school," Professor Xavier says, "but we can have you completely enrolled in Bayville within ten days."
"Will I have more control by then?" Jesse asks.
"It will be hard to tell until we see what you can potentially do," Professor Xavier says, "but, you will hopefully have some rudimentary control. All it takes is focus."
"I have focus," Jesse says, "and a goal: to never let what happened happen again."
"An admirable goal," Professor Xavier says, "Dr. McCoy will show you to your room."
Jesse picks up two of his suitcases while Beast grabs the rest.
Jesse's room was spacious, but not more so than any of the other bedrooms in the mansion. Jesse was impressed with the luxury and was worried that he wouldn't fit in, but Beast assured him that he would. After setting the suitcases down, Jesse unpacks some clothes for the next few days. Afterwards, Beast takes Jesse on a quick tour of the mansion, showing him where the bathrooms and such were. After the tour, it was time for dinner. Beast suggested that he have dinner in his room and meet everyone first thing in the morning, but Jesse argued that he was not a morning person and he didn't want the first impression his fellow mutants got of him was being a grouch.
"Well, it won't be long until supper, so you can wash up quickly if you want," Beast says, "just don't get lost. I have to go help prepare the final touches of the meal."
"Kurt was right about you," Jesse says, "you may have an intimidating look, but you are perhaps the gentlest man I have ever met."
"Why, thank you," Beast beams. It wasn't often now that a stranger gave him such a complement, even one who was a fellow mutant. The two part ways and Jesse goes off to see if he could remember where the closest bathroom was. After finding it, he tries to find the dining room again, but can't. He beats a fist into his other palm in frustration.
"argh! Where is it!"
"Where is what?" a younger feminine voice asks from behind, "can I help you?"
Jesse turns around to see a brown-haired girl, perhaps the same age as Katie, meaning fifteen or sixteen, looking at him.
"Hey, are you the new student?" the girl asks, "um, Jesse?"
"That's me," Jesse replies, eyeing the girl when something clicks, "Kitty Pryde, right?"
The girl blinks. "Yes, how did you know? Are you telepathic?"
Jesse laughs. "Yes, but that's not how I know. I asked Kurt and Jean to tell me about the others here so I won't be completely uncomfortable around you all if I knew at least a bit about you, and what your capable of."
"That makes sense," Kitty says, "so, what are you trying to find?"
"The dining area," Jesse replies, "its dinner time, isn't it? And I wasn't able to get much more than an apple on the flight here."
"Yeah, the X-Jet doesn't have much in the way of food except for military rations and only Mr. Logan would eat them willingly. Or Kurt."
"Or me if I'm hungry enough," Jesse replies, "so, would you mind showing me the way? I'm lost."
"I'd be glad to," Kitty replies cheerily. Jesse chuckles inwardly. Kurt was right. Kitty was a cheerful young lady. Though Jesse felt that perky was a better description. And perky could wear thin on him, eventually.
The two make their way to the dining hall, where everyone else already was.
"Ah, I see you have met Kitty," Professor Xavier says.
"I got lost," Jesse says, a bit sheepish, "she was nice enough to show me how to get here. I have a poor sense of directions at times."
"Quite understandable," Professor Xavier says, "please, take a seat."
The dining table was filled with various foods, from mashed potatoes to baked ham. Many of Jesse's favorite foods, and some foods he now craved. He guessed those were from the parts of his family that he now carried within him. Filling his plate, Jesse noted that everyone seemed completely at ease with one another. They trusted each other. Jesse sincerely hoped that he would feel like that one day as well.
'Maybe it won't be so bad here after all,' Jesse thinks, his thought unknowingly strong enough for Jean and Professor Xavier to hear without trying. The two share a look and smile. Yes, perhaps things would work out after all.
-
This fic won't be that long, perhaps fifteen chapters that cover a full school year starting just a week or two before Halloween, but it is crucial. It's a set-up for the sequel. This story will set up the original characters, as well as facilitate the changes in the current team.
Also, Logan will be a bit of a mesh of everything I know about him, period. From the way he is in X-Men: Evolution, to the way he was in the other show and to the way he is in the comics. He's simply by far my favorite Marvel character, and is quite possibly my favorite comic character period, with his competition being Kyle Rayner the Green Lantern, the Spectacular Spider-Man, and the ever-classic Superman. I cannot decide which of those four I like the most.
And does anyone recall the name of the girl that was made from Logan's genes, the one with the claws in her hands and feet? If you know of a site with plenty of X-Men: Evolution info, namely various mutants that live in the Xavier Institute, their looks, and their powers I would greatly appreciate it. Just leave the link in your review or e-mail it to me.
Description of Jesse: 5' 9" tall, average build, unruly brown hair with silver-gray streaks that appeared after the psionic explosion, light green eyes, silver and gold toned wireframe glasses, wears plain clothes, similar to what you see Scott wearing on the show.
Description of Locke: 6' 1", lean build, dark brown hair, brown eyes, wears some name brand stuff occasionally.
Description of Katie: 5' 6", slender build, long honey blonde hair, light green eyes, wears normal clothes, usually in a soft yellow or pale pink, sometimes a baby blue.
Normally, at the end of each chapter in my stories I try to advertise a favorite story of mine that is in the same fandom as the story itself. Only problem is, I don't have any favorites in X-Men: Evolution fics. The only one I have ever found that I liked I lost the link to months ago. So instead, if you are a fan of the anime's Digimon or Dragon Ball Z, or the Harry Potter books, I encourage you to read my other works. Or look at my Favorite Stories for dozens of other great works of fan fiction or my Favorite Authors page for dozens of wonderfully talented authors.