The Block

The doctor, who had introduced herself as Jean Gray ((let's just forget that she died!!)) Led me out of the infirmary and up to the main part of what I was told was a school for mutants. It sounded a lot like the Institution. She pointed out a kitchen, a T.V. room, and a recreation hall before she led me to a large office. I jumped when a large clock began to toll.

"I suggest you get against the wall." The guy with the funny hair, Logan, had been following us sullenly the whole time.

"Why?" My question was answered when a sea of students rushed out of the office and more still flooded down the stairs. Apparently class was out. I took Logan's advice and slid into the shadow realm. This would have been the perfect opportunity to escape this madhouse, but something inside told me to stay. When the mob of students passed I slid gracefully back into the light realm.

"That doesn't happen often, does it?" Jean had watched with fascination as I steeped back into the light realm.

"Every hour." This was from Logan, and by the sound of his voice he was just as resentful about children as I was. I learned later that he was just acting and actually loves the little headaches. Why? I have no clue, but at least he has a tender side.

"Come, in Jean." A soft voice came from the office, softer than I'd heard for a long while. Jean motioned for me to follow, and not that I liked following her around like a good little puppy, I came anyway.

"Ah, I see you've woken up." This came from the bald man sitting behind the desk, his attention directed at me. "Well, how do you like the school? Please have a seat."

I sat down in the chair he indicated and began to shift one of my picks. I'd lost a good percentage of them in the fight with Darlene, but it wasn't hard to get more. "It's fine. Listen, I don't know who you are, but I want an explanation before I begin to get seriously miffed." My choice of words got a stifled laugh form Logan, but I wasn't going to stay long enough for his opinion to matter much.

"Of course, no one likes to be left in the dark. My name is Professor Xavier, and this is my school. To the outside world we are a school for the gifted, but in reality we welcome in young mutants, and teach them to control their gifts. You've already met Jean Gray and Logan, but you should also meet their comrades." This whole speech had a practiced air to it. In fact, when he was done, several more people came in. "Meet Scott Summers, also know as Cyclops; Ororo Munroe, a.k.a. Storm; Kurt Wagner, a.k.a. Nightcrawler; Bobby Drake, a.k.a. Iceman; and Marie D'Ancanto, a.k.a. Rogue." The list of people was long, and I wasn't sure if I could remember them all, but just nodded to each in turn. The black guy (and I'm not being racist, his skin was a dark blue/black!) seemed to hide behind the chick with white hair, implying that he wasn't used to people reacting civilly to him, so I made a particular point of shaking his hand. He enjoyed it, being accepted on sight, and I have to say it was nice to meet someone who looked like I felt.

"Nice to meet you. Now, you didn't say what I was doing here, or how you even found me." Alright, I'm brisk, I'm rude, but life hadn't really taught me otherwise.

"We found you in front of a moving train." The guy with the red sunglasses was speaking. He looked like he could have been a boy scout earlier in life. Eww.

"Yeah, so? Am I supposed to be grateful or something?" Moving trains, big whoop.

"Yes, I imagine you would be." He was starting to sound pretty ticked off.

"Well, don't let your imagination run off with you, Cyclops." I put an extra helping of sarcasm in "Cyclops." Turning back to the Professor, I said, "Alright, you saved my life, big deal. Can I go know?"

"Do you really need my permission?" I had been expecting some sort of speech about staying on and helping save the world like you see in the movies, but he seemed like he knew what he was doing.

"No, I don't." I was about to turn back around when I remembered something. "Where'd my bow go?"

"Pardon?"

"My bow. It was with me when I was in the shadow realm, but I can't seem to locate it." Oops. I shouldn't have let that bit about the shadow realm slip, but my bow (archery, not like a hair bow) was really the only material possession I cared about.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Perhaps it was left in front of the train?" I could tell he was trying to help, but really he wasn't.

"I doubt it. I probably just left it in the shadow realm." Turning back to the group of mutants, I bid them all fond farewells. "Nice to meet you." Okay, so maybe not that fond. Before they could say anything I was back in the shadow realm.

I've talked a lot about the shadow realm, but you still probably don't know what it is. It's the colorless dimension that parallels our own, and only manifests it's presence with shadows in the light realm (our dimension). Hence the name. Because I don't have to obey the laws of physics I can cross between the two realms. Now, the shadow realm isn't like the light realm. For one, there's no ground. It's more like an ocean, and the further to the top you get, the closer to the light realm you are. That's when you're appearance in the light realm is lightest, but the further down you go, the darker you seem to get to those who are watching you're shadow in the light realm. Eventually you get so dark that human eyes can't tell your there; their brains just replace the dark spot with a memory of what was there previous to your shadow. I spend a lot of time in the shadow realm, but unfortunately, so does Darlene.

Speaking of whom, she just happened to be waiting for me as soon as I crossed over; my bow in her hands. In the shadow realm you can talk, but the words are faint and garbled, so often times shadow-travelers use telepathy. What do you want, Dee?

You blew your third chance, but I'll be lenient and ask you one more time.

I've said no before, what makes you think you'll be able to change my mind? It doesn't have to go down like this, you can still back out.

You'd like that, wouldn't you? No, dearest. I won't back down. She tossed my bow at me, or rather the shadow of my bow. I'll give you ten seconds before I activate the power block, so unless you want to spend the rest of your life as a shadow, I suggest you get back to the light realm.

Why are you doing this? I'd asked before, and every time I got the same answer. I don't know what made me think this time would be different.

I've told you. One…two…three…four… I didn't wait for her to get to five, I shot back into the light realm, and because I hadn't moved any further than two centimeters I shot back into the office where I had just said goodbye to the mutants.

Her voice still echoed in my head five…six…seven…eight…nine…ten. My brain pounded for a second, and then I felt a door go up between me and the part of me that controlled my powers. I probably looked like a moron clutching my head (I had a headache parallel to that of a semi attempting to drive through my temples) but at least I wasn't writhing in agony; yet. The pain distorted my hearing, but every now and then I could hear people asking what happened, and I'm pretty sure the youngest girl in the room (I think her name is Rogue) screamed.

When the pain died down I was aware that someone was trying to pry my hands of my head. My vision was blurry, but that didn't stop me from seeing the blood on my hands. I couldn't seem to put two and two together. Feeling rather stupid I asked, "Where did that come from?"

"Your head. You were grabbing yourself so hard that you began to bleed." The voice came from over my shoulder where Logan was sitting back on his feet. His hands had traces of blood on them, so I guessed he was the one who had tried to help me. Why? Hadn't I tried to beat him up just a few minutes ago?

"Are you alright?" The African-American woman with the white hair was the one who had spoken.

"I will be." I looked down at my hands and tried to wipe the blood of with a shadow. Crap. The block had worked, and I was stuck here. Bobby (his was the only face I could easily put a name on) handed me a wet washcloth. It was pretty cold, so I could guess where the nickname Iceman came from. "Thanks."

"No problem." He didn't move away, just keep watching me. Eventually he asked what everyone was thinking. "What happened?"

I sighed audibly before I began. "Darlene. She's a shadow-traveler just like me. We, ah, don't get along like we used to, and she finally followed through with her threats. She put up a power block in my mind."

"What's a power block?" Jean Gray asked this time.

Professor Xavier answered for me. "It separates the part of the mind that controls mutant abilities form the rest of the brain, rendering the victim helpless as a normal person. I should be able to remove it if you would allow me."

"I doubt it. Darlene, I mean The Mistress of Darkness, meant for this to be permanent and probably based it on something." I was getting blank stares all across the board. "When you focus your power through something, usually it's something that can be polished, they become magnified. She has a special magnifier, engineered for the sole purpose of enhancing her abilities. I don't know where it is, but I know the genetic make-up; I had one of my own. If I can somehow trace the genetic make-up of this device I should be able to break it and in turn render the block useless."

"How do you intend on finding it alone? And once you do find it, how will you get close enough to break it. If she knows you know about it, she's going to guard it heavily." The professor was questioning my plan, but he didn't sound critical. He sounded like he wanted to help.

"Umm, I'm not really sure. But I can guarantee that I won't figure it out standing here. Now, thank you very much for your help, but really, I need to be going." I turned around and found the black guy (once again not being racist. I think his name is Kurt) blocking my way.

"My dear, we can help you. But to help, we have to have your trust, a gift you have yet to give. I would like very much to see what you can really do with your powers, and to do that we must first remove the block." Professor Xavier spoke kindly to me, like he was attempting to pacify me. I can't say it didn't work, but I was still plenty wary. "Perhaps we could start with your name?"

I don't know what it was, if Professor Xavier was controlling my mind or not, but the sincere and true want to help shone in all of their eyes. Fine, I give up. "Alright, you win. My name is Angela Stryker Shadow."