1Chapter Five
I sat at the table in the kitchen to eat lunch by myself. The plate that Kurt had set aside for me was still warm in the oven. My mouth started watering with hunger before I even peeled the tin foil away.
"Heard you broke up with your little faerie." Logan pushed open the kitchen door, and pulled a can of soda from the fridge. "Hope it wasn't something I did."
"You know it was something you did." I turned in my chair. "But it wasn't all you, so don't let your already overinflated ego get much bigger. I don't think the world could handle it."
He smirked, sitting down next to me.
"And Warren is not a faerie."
"Okay." He nodded. "Does this mean you're on the market again?"
"I'm a person, Logan...not a slab of beef. Girls don't go 'on the market', they shop at them."
"Okay, so I'm the slab of beef?" He asked. The smirk on his lips was to much. I shook my head.
"You're insufferable."
"But you love it, don't you."
"Yea...I do." I nodded.
"I heard you talked to the Professor."
"I didn't realize how fast news got around here."
Logan shrugged, "I guess you found out he already knew about us."
"Yea." I nodded. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised, you are the reason it got out the first time."
"Hey now...that was Scott's fault, and you know it."
"No...you told Jean, who told Scott...so okay, it's Jean's fault."
Logan took a swig from the can of soda. I could tell he felt uncomfortable.
"You really want a beer don't you?" I asked.
"You know it." He nodded. "The worst part about being a teacher."
I smirked, "I don't like guys that drink anyway." I smiled.
"Good to know." He nodded. "Any other dirty habits I should drop?"
"Smoking, totally."
"Consider it abolished from my habits."
"The cigar industry hates you." I smiled.
"I can live with that."
There were only three days left before school started up again. I had already waded through the accumulated homework, and was relaxing my days away...mostly with Danger Room exercises (many deemed my numerous powers as an unfair advantage, though Logan still told me my indecisiveness was going to lead to be an issue), and I had been on a ground mission since saving Jessika.
Professor Xavier was also studying the extent of my new metallic-control powers. He also studied my other powers to great lengths as well, and after days of moving different objects, with different powers, morphing to different powers, teleporting, and testing each and every power in my body known to me... He could only to come to one conclusion.
"When you absorb a person's power, you absorb it, fully matured. You can do anything, Joanna, with any of your powers. You have them to their full strength, and danger...but how you keep them in check...I do not know. These powers should consume you, but there is something that strains them, so to speak."
I sat in his office, thinking about it, "So there is nothing with my powers that I can't do? They're 'all there'?"
"In layman terms, yes." Professor Xavier nodded. "You mind knows how to control them. Magneto once had a machine that advanced mutants to this level, but it was destroyed in an explosion...the chances of you coming in contact with the machine are unlikely. It could be yet another power of yours."
"Okay, so...for example, when I took Kurt's power, I took it to an extent where I can literally teleport anywhere I want, no matter what the distance, with little to no danger of being trapped in a wall, or being captured in a solid object?"
"Your power is so great, it would push you away from the object...so yes, you could."
"And when I absorbed the power from Jessika...she couldn't control it...her premonitions just happened...but I could actually...call a premonition?"
"Yes, I think if you tried you'd find that you could...by touching an object, or a person...it would be like your telepathic ability."
"What about this shape shifting power?"
"You can become anyone you want to be, do anything you ever wished to do."
"Anyone?"
"Anyone."
Currently, I was sitting in the Rec room with my friends, excluding Warren who was still recuperating after the blow I had bestowed to his ego. I was shopping online with Kitty's computer, trying to find the perfect new uniform. Ordinarily I would have just ordered a new jacket from our supplier, but I decided I needed something a little more interesting, and suitable to my powers.
"Finding anything useful?" Rogue asked, taking the seat beside me. "Please tell me you aren't considering that." She was referring to the skin tight, purple body suit that currently filled my screen. "Please, please, please..."
"No...Even I wouldn't wear that." I clicked the back button, and began scrolling down the page. "I want basic black...purple only looks good on old woman with red hats."
Finally I decided on something similar to what I had before. It was a thin, bullet proof body suit with a black jacket, decorated with a solid red, encircled X on the back. The belt was yellow, clasping together with another solid red, encircled X. The boots were knee-hi black lace ups.
"Now that is a uniform." Rogue voiced her approval of my choice.
"Thanks. I'm so glad you value my good sense." I told her, and returned the laptop to Kitty. "It should be here in two-to-three days, tops."
Later that night, Rogue and I were hanging out in our room. Rogue was reading a book for class while I opted for a tabloid covering mutant gossip. The incident with Jessika had been noticed by someone, though it was obvious that they didn't have the whole story. It was actually quite humourous the way they tried to portray the family of the little girl. They said that they had in depth coverage... I was tempted to sue for false advertisement. The least they could do is give me some good publicity.
Logan knocked once before opening the door, "Hey Kid, you busy?"
"Depends on what you want me for." I told him, looking up from the artical.
"A quick mission. It shouldn't be more then an hour or so. We've gotta go pick up somebody from the airport."
"Who?" I asked, getting out of bed, already going for my uniform.
"And old friend of the Professors, they call him Beast. His name is Hank McCoy. He's a big shot physicist or something like that."
"Count me in." I shrugged. "I meet you in five."
"You really gonna go with him?" Rogue asked after I had changed and was pulling on my jacket.
"Yea, why not? It's just to the airport...what could happen?"
"Well you're going to be alone with him for an awfully long time." Rogue raised an eyebrow. "You sure you want to do that?"
"How am I going to learn anything, Rogue, if I don't put myself into situations?" I asked her. "Just relax. I'll be fine."
It was then that the shock of a premonition flashed across me. It was different this time. It was color. Magneto was there. It flashed by so quickly I couldn't be sure.
"What is it?" Rogue asked.
"I just had another premonition." I pulled on my jacket, rushing out of the room. "Tell the Professor, I think Magneto is going to be at the airport. Keep your communicator on."
I told Logan as soon as I buckled into the car.
"You sure you're up to this?" He asked me, pulling away from the school. "If Magneto is there, he won't be alone."
"I told Rogue to alert the Professor. If he's there, we can get in touch with the others."
"You're one hell of a brave little girl, Sundry."
"Thanks."
Hank McCoy seemed normal enough when we met him at the airport. I'm sure that Logan and I stood out against the crowd, but it was always better to be safe then sorry.
"You must be Joanna. The Professor has told me so much about you." He shook my gloved hand. "And of course, Logan. It's a pleasure to meet you as well."
"If you don't mind, Mr. McCoy, I think the sooner we get going, the better." Logan started to lead him out of the airport, toting one of his bags. "We've got suspicions that a certain metal-head is going to be showing up pretty soon."
"Excuse me?" Hank asked. "Magneto? Why?"
"He's after her." Logan motioned towards me. "Luckily there's a few things he doesn't quite know about her yet."
The crash through the ceiling of the airport was to be expected, but it didn't stop me from jumping and flipping around. Magneto was using his power to levitate.
"Like what, Wolverine?" He inquired. "I think there are actually a few more things I know about the girl, that Xavier doesn't, but please...fill me in." A motion of his hand sent Logan flying. That damn adamantium.
"Leave him alone." I used my own power to bring him to my level. "What do you want?"
"I thought I made that obvious...I want you to join the Brotherhood of Mutants. Your unique abilities would give us an advantage over those who would move to destroy us, as a race."
"Look, I don't want no trouble." The large table behind him lifted silently, moving stealthily towards him. It wasn't until it was to late that he noticed. It crashed into him, sending him flying, pinning him into the wall. "In case you haven't noticed, buddy, I've already chosen my side in the matter, and you ain't touching this."
"No matter." Magneto pushed the table back, sending me flying. Beast caught me, transformed into a large blue monster. "I can easily manipulate you to do anything I please, young one."
"Don't try to take over things you can't control." I said, the fury enveloping my hands, green plasma blasts forming. No clue where they came from, but I was glad for them. They struck him in the chest, sending him flying.
Then I noticed the chaos in the airport.
"C'mon, lets go." I led the two men out of the airport, back towards the car.
"What the hell was that, kid?" Logan asked, running beside me, Beast close behind.
"I have no idea. Where are the keys?"
"Right here." Logan flipped them to me, and I flicked all of the doors of the car open, and started the car before we were all even inside. The doors clicked shut again, and we were off.
"Is it always this exciting?" Hank asked. "Or am I just lucky?"
"It's always exciting when Sundry's around." Logan reached for his seatbelt. "You might want to buckle in, McCoy."
"I see." He nodded, as he was thrown haphazardly across the car.
"Sorry about that." I shifted into sixth. "Prepare for take off, boys...Lets really test these powers."
"What are you...Oh." Logan's grip tightened as the car lifted off the ground. "That's why you took the back route."
A trip that would ordinarily have taken forty minutes took five. I shifted the car down, "This is gonna hurt." I warned Logan and Hank, and brought the car down with only a slight shudder.
"Please tell me that we're never going to do that again." Logan took my hand.
"Well, that was fun." Hank was the first out of the car, glad to be back on the ground. "A truly thrilling experience..."
"Sorry about that landing." I unbuckled my seatbelt, and turned to Logan. "Are you alright? You look kinda pale."
"Oh, I'm fine...I think I'd rather not test out those powers of yours without prior supervision though, just for future reference.
"C' mon, lets go tell the Professor about Magneto."
Hank accompanied us to Professor Xavier's office. Logan knocked once on the open door.
"I'm glad to see you're back. What happened." He asked, looking up. "You didn't call, so I trust all was well?"
"Not exactly." I took a seat in front of his desk. "Magneto showed up, but I think I took care of him...well enough anyway."
"She made plasma blasts, Professor." Logan cut in. "Just so you know."
"Another little power..." He nodded. "What else?"
"I made the car fly..." I shrugged. "I figured it was faster then trying to drive."
"That was very dangerous...you could have been seen...but under the circumstances, I commend you for your fast thinking."
"Thank you, Professor."
"Now, about Magneto...did he say anything."
"He said something about joining his Brotherhood of Mutants, and that he had ways of manipulating me to do what he wanted. Brainwashing or something."
The Professor thought about it, "I think it's best if you stay in the manor, Sundry...for safety's sake."