The robot followed the line of the field to the source. Rowen. It shot again. This time hitting her straight in the chest before she had time to react. She felt her self flying off her feet and hitting a nearby wall. She stared in the direction she had come for a second as she laid on the floor, and watched her twin run towards her. Then her eyes drifted shut.
XxXxXxXxXxX
Rowen could feel her body absorbing the energy she had been shot with. She could feel her self-getting stronger. Her eyes flew open. The blue lightning streak through the center glowed eerily. She got to her feet and walked determinedly towards the robot that had tried to hurt her and her brother.
"Limbo stop. Rowen. ROWEN! PLEASE STOP." As Josh yelled after her, Rowen felt her self get stronger. She rose in to the air and threw a ball of energy she had created in her hands at the head of the robot. It turned back round to face her and tried to shoot again. This time Rowen was ready. She created a force field.
How am I doing this? What is it that I'm doing? Why couldn't I have listened to josh and not got involved? Look at all the energy crackling in the air. It's making me feel alive. So strong.
A whirring noise redirected Rowens thoughts back to the situation at hand. The robot had opened a shield at its chest and exposed several more canons. It had also exposed it's wiring. Rowen grinned and threw another ball of energy at the guns before it shot at her.
I hope that works and doesn't just make it stronger.
At the same time as her energy hit, a ball of ice, flame, lightning and several cards also struck the same place. Smoke started to pour our of the cavity in the chest of the robot. Guessing what was coming next Rowen flew back to her brother and shoved him to the ground creating a field around them both, just as the explosion hit them.
As the smoke cleared figured emerged towards the twins. Now on their feet josh pulled his sister behind him.
"Thank you for your help young lady. From that look on you is face I'm guessing you are wanting to know what is going on?"
Rowen nodded and shoved her shades back on her face feeling very self-conscious about all of the eyes on her.
You're not joking mate. What the hell am I?
"You are a mutant Rowen was it?"
"How did you know what I was going to ask?"
"Because I also am I mutant. I'm telepathic. Which means I can read you're thoughts."
"YOU CAN WHAT! STAY OUR OF MY HEAD"
A storm started to break over the group.
"Well that is interesting. Ororo would you mind?"
Rowen watched as a young African woman with white blond hair flew in to the air and raised her hands to the forming clouds.
"Storm can control the weather. And from what I saw of you're powers and the reading I received from you it seems that you can effect the electricity in the air. Using it to fly, and create fields for protection. Also the energy that you were fighting with seemed to come from with in you. I would like it if you were to accompany me back to the institute where I live along with other people like us. And Mr. LeBeau will you put that cigarette out now. You have been told about smoking while you are on missions."
Rowen looked up at the young man who had caught her attention earlier. He smiled sheepishly and dropped a lit cigarette to the floor.
"Row's not going anywhere without me."
"That's quite alright young man. I would not dream of taking your twin away from you. It is obvious that you care about each other greatly."
"That's because I'm all she has."
XxXxXxXxXxX
Xavier's Institute for gifted children
"So what are these test the professor is doing on Josh?" Rowen was walking down the corridor of the Xavier institute for the gifted with a young Red headed women by the name of Jean Grey.
"Don't worry Rowen…"
"Call me Limbo."
"Erm well ok. They are just to see if he has any powers. As you are twins he most likely does. Anyway why Limbo?"
"Josh." Rowen face broke in to a smile. "I have this theory that all life is, is a series of trials to determine whether we go to heaven or hell. We are only here until we have finished all business we have to attend to. We live in Limbo waiting to die."
"God that's so depressing."
"Yeah well I'm that sort of person." The smile faded from Rowen's face as she remembered how she got that way.
"…And this is the Rec room." Jean brought her back to her thoughts.
The rec room was filled with people. Rowen recognized most of them from the mission earlier. Her eyes scanned and fell on the boy who had caught her attention.
"Jean, who's that? The Lad with the cards."
"That's Remy LeBeau. He's the resident ladies man."
He's cute. Wish I could get to know him. But why would he want to get to know somebody like me.
Suddenly pain exploded in Rowen's head. She shut her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose.
Great why do I have to get a head ache now.
Then almost as soon as it had come on it went. She opened her eyes again. This time she could see a fuzzy aura of light around Jeans body.
"I wonder if she is ok?"
Rowen answered jeans questions. "I'm fine."
"Eh I didn't ask you anything."
"Yeah you did. You asked if I was ok."
"No I didn't. I just thought it. Hey you don't think you are telepathic too are you?"
"No I think it's more to do with being able to see your aura. I think I'm reading it."
"It would make sense. Being able to read a persons energy. So what does it look like?"
"It's a redy orange colour. Same as your hair." Rowen looked backing to the Rec room. "That Remy's is a magenta sort of colour. That lad playing table tennis has one a blue sort of colour. Wow."
"What?"
"The lass with the white streaked fringe. It's strange. It's emerald green, but around her head it's like a rainbow of colours."
"That's rogue. She has the ability to absorb peoples energy." Jean paused a minute. "The prof wants us back."
"Well it seems that you too have the X gene Josh, but as it hasn't presented any problems yet I do not see the reason why you can't carry on living as you do. But you have a choice to make Rowen. You can either go home and carry on living as before, or you can stay here and learn to control your powers."
Rowen didn't even think about it.
"I would like to stay."
Josh looked shocked. "Row, Don't be stupid. You're coming home with me."
"No, Josh. I have nothing to go home for. I'm not popular like you."
"But what about school and the prom. And graduation."
"What about them. I wasn't planning on going anyway."
"It is possible for Rowen to finish her studies here."
XxXxXxXxXxX
Back in Salem, Massachusetts.
"ROWEN YOU ARE NOT TO GO WITH THOSE PEOPLE."
"IT'S BETTER THAN BEING HERE. THEY GENUINLY WANT TO HELP ME LEARN."
"AND HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU LITTLE WITCH?"
A smile crept across Rowens face. "Because as you put it mother. I'm a witch. I can read their energies. That's how I know. Just as I can know that you want nothing more to get rid of me. And these people don't care what I look like. To them I'm normal."
"You will never be normal."
Stay calm. God her aura is so black.
"I don't care. I don't need to be normal. I just want to be me." Rowen picked her bag up and turned to walk out of the door. Mr. Logan, one of the institutes teachers had driven her back and was waiting in the car along with Jean and Remy who had offered to go for the ride so Rowen didn't end up on her own.
"Bye Josh." She gave her brother a hug. As she let go Rowen felt herself being grabbed by the hair.
"You are not going anywhere my girl. Josh go upstairs. NOW"