White Raven
Home?
Summer walked along the lavishly decorated halls of the school. Ocaisonally a student would peek out of a doorway, or look up from homework. Kurt walked next to her, and she could feel his eyes watching her face.
"We call this insitution Xavier's school for gifted children." said the man in the wheelchair."We help young mutants learn their powers. In cases like yours, we protect those who's powers could be dangerous."
Summer suddenly her first encounter with Magneto. Had her ball of energy ever stopped? Or did it keep shooting through walls?
"Why don't you come and sit down?" said the man in the wheelchair, when Kurt opened a large door into a comfortable looking room. Summer walked in, and sat in a couch. Kurt sat next to her, and the woman stood at the door.
"Now for introductions. I am Charles Xaivier, this is Storm, and the young man your sitting next to is Kurt Wagner." Xavier made a steeple with his fingers. "The man back there was Logan, or Wolverine. And of course Bobby and Rouge. Please, try to relax. No harm is going to come to you."
Summer realized her hands were shaking with the want to cast a bubble of protection around her. She clasped them in her lap, but didn't ebb her powers.
"Summer, the man who kidnapped you, Magneto, is trying to destroy the human race, and let Mutants rule. He dosen't beleive we can live together." Xavier began. "He wanted to use you as one of his pawns, to help him acomplish this terrible thing. I know you think we are the bad men, but we are actaully those who try to save the innocent, and protect the human race."
Summer looked up at his light blue eyes. There was wisdom there, and sadness, but also... love. Love for those he cared about. His eyes were so different from Magneto's.
So far Summer had been silent, concentating and letting no emotion show on her face. Kurt was beginning to feel uncomfortable.
"Your not going to let me leave, are you?" asked Summer suddenly.
"You can leave whenever you like, but know this: this is the safest place on the planet for you. There are many powerful people seeking your life right now." Xavier searched her face, but she felt no probe on her mind.
Suddenly the door opened quickly. Wolverine stepped in quickly, with anger in his face. A glance from Xavier made him stop in surprise. Summer could almost see the conversation flying through the air into each others thoughts.
Wolverine scowled and thought, "She couldn've really hurt someone. She should know that."
"No," thought Xavier. "She dosen't trust anyone yet. Be patient. You've no idea what she can do."
Wolverine went and stood next to the windows, and looked out. Summer felt that somehow she had been saved a lecture.
Xavier turned back to Summer. "If you plan on staying here, we have classes during normal school hours. I'll have a scheduale brought to your room. You'll also have training with your powers."
Summer thought about it a moment. "I guess I have no choice. But, if anything bad happens, I'm out of here."
Xavier nodded. "Of course. Normally, we would have you a share a room, but no rooms are available. So you'll be staying by yourself in an extra teachers room. Kurt, take Summer to her room. After that, show her around. And check on Bobby and Rouge."
Kurt nodded and stood. Storm opened the door, and they both walked out.
Summer admitted to herself she was a little unnerved by Kurts apearence. He had only three fingers, with thick yellow nails. His skin was ink-blue. His eyes were yellow, and he had a tail.
"I think you're going to like it here, Summer." said Kurt. "We get to do a lot of things mutants never get to do."
"What's your power, Kurt?" Summer asked. Since she was a mutant, she might as well learn about others.
"Remember at the mall? I can teleport." Kurt answered.
Thinking of the mall suddenly reminded her of Pyro. "John!" she stopped, "Where did they take him?"
"Most likely they had to let him go. He would only cause trouble, and Magneto would try to get him back. Although, after losing you he's probably afraid of what Magneto will do to him." Kurt replied.
Summer nodded, and continued walking, though she was now deep in thought. She liked John, he had been kind to her when she was confused. But what if he just did that because she seemed to be unique? And he definetly had some issues.
Kurt showed Summer her room, and it seemed to have been recently occupied.
"Kurt, did someone live here before?" Summer asked, picking up abook on the dresser.
Kurt nodded. "A great lady.We lost her...and she died saving us." His voice trembled only slightly.
Summer looked at him with interest, but he seemed absorbed in examining a painting.
"Come on," he cleared his throat."Let's look at the rest of the mansion." Kurt said, opening the door for her.
Kurt showed her everything,from the kitchens to the basketball court. Summer had to admit, this was a lot better than Magneto's lair.
After the library, Kurt glanced at his watch. "It's time for mutant training. This is only for the mutants with more control over their powers. Come and watch, it'll be fun." Kurt smiled slyly, and Summer got the idea that he wanted to show off for her.
"Ok." replied Summer. Kurt smiled, showing his pointy canines. He took her to an elevator, which led deep into bowels of the school.
"How far down are we?" asked Summer, as she watched the number reach level twenty below the basement.
Kurt shrugged.
The door dinged open, and Summer was surprised to see Wolverine and another man teaching students her age in a large gym. Storm was also there, taking students aside and helping them.
Summer watched as a girl fought a boy, in advanced martial arts. The girl suddenly disapeared into the floor. The boy, confused, changed into the color of the wall. Suddenly a hand reached up from the ground, grabbing an invisable ankle. The boy fell straight on his back, and the girl jumped out of the ground, laughing.
"Bobby! Rouge! Are you okay?" yelled Kurt to the two. Bobby was in the middle of making an ice sculpture. Rouge was sitting and laughing at the ridiculous face.
"Kurt! We were about to go find you." said Bobby when they walked up tohim.No surprise, Summer began to feel uncomfortable. After all, she had knocked these two cold.
"So," said Rouge, "Your staying."
"Um, yes." said Summer. "Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I panicked, and I wasconfused."
"It's fine." said Bobby, "We dont' blame you, we did a crappy job trying to rescue you. We are probably going to get a few months of punishment."
"All the same, thanks. I think I'm finally with the good guys." said Summer, reaching out her hand. Bobby shook it.
"Summer? Wolverine wants to see you. We decided now would be a good time to test some things with your powers." said Storm. Storm brought her over to Wolverine, who looked at her with only slight interest.
"Here's the deal. Your power is classified as energy concentration. Jubilee, here, canalso do that. Lets see ifyou can hit the target withenough force to turn the light on."A girl withdark hair and eyes stood on the line. The target was across the room,and she held out her hands, preparing. Suddenly, many multi-colored sparks burst from her hands like fireworks, blackening the tarket. The light flashed on.
Summer went and stood on the line, glancing at the taget. Her eye-hand cordination was very good, and she knew she could aim well enough. It was just a matter of notblasting through the wall.
She glanced at Kurt, Bobby and Rouge.Summer smiled mischeviously, time to show these people what she could do.
Summer opened her palm,casually.A ball of golden light emerged. She suddenly noticed thelargeroomwas silent.She heard a younger boy whisper, "Is that it?"
Another ball emerged from her other hand. She concetrated a bit more, and it got smaller. She made several, all the size of a marble.
Then she held out her hand, palm toward the target, her little lights hovering peacefully.She squinted the tiniest bit.
The lights shot out of her palm faster than the eye could follow. At the last minute,just after they hit the target, she brought them back. The light flashed on and cracked. Smoking holes in the target made everyone laugh. It was in the shape of a smiley-face.
Wolverine looked at Storm and whistled.
"Don't get to conceited." he said. "But that's impressive for someone who just found their powers."
Kurt put his hand on Summer's shoulder. "Lets try something else." he said, smiling.
That night, as Summer lay in bed, feeling herself become sleepier, she thought over the day.Stormhad taken her into the lab andtook some tests. Then she fitted her for a suit. This reminded Summer of how Mystique haddone the same, and how she had pricked her finger, taking her blood. She toldStorm and shehad been alarmed, but she tried to not show it. Summer wondered why. The tests came back, showing that Summer was healthy, except for a small spiderbite she got in Magneto's lair. It also showed that she was hungry.So they sent her to the kitchens for dinner. So far as Summer could tell, she was excepted by everyone. She talked and laughed, and was intoduced to many people her same age. Some girls of her same size offered her some clothes until they could get her some.
At the end of dinner, though, Summer noticed a group whispering together, looking unhappy. She was sure she heard the words, "special" and"unfair" She hoped kids weren't actaully jealous of her.
After that, they walkedout on the grounds. Summer continued to play with her powers, makingone the size of a basketball and making a three pointer. She discovered she could change the texter to one of rubber,like a basketball. It even bounced. She tried catching things in force fields, like bugs and water from the swimmingpool and ponds.
Summer felt her self drifting off to sleep, and just as she was about to closeher eyes, she felt the ground shake with an explosion. She threw off the covers and went out into the hall. She felt smoke bite her throat. Covering her mouth, she ran down thehall to where it seemed to be coming from.
Around a corner and the fire seemed to burst in front of her eyes. John was there, setting a room on fire.
"John, stop!" screamed Summer. But he didn't hear her, the fire in his eyes consumed everything.
Summer heard the faintcries of Kurt, Bobby and Rouge in the room. They were screaming for help. There was also a smaller voice,thevoice of achild.
Summer felt it, just at her fingertips. The power to help them,was just behond her reach. Suddenly it came to her, and she looked at her hand: It was glowing golden.
But the power faded, she lost the ability. She screamed in fear as golden light drained out of her fingertips. Suddenly the roof collapsed on the room.
"Summer!"
"Summer!"
"Summer!" Summer woke up to Kurt shaking her shoulder, fear in his eyes. Wolverine came in, switching on the light.
"Whats going on here?" he demanded.
Summer covered her eyes at the sudden light. She looked around the room, and saw red balls of energy whizzing angerily around the ceiling. As Summer slowly gained conciousness, they stopped, and went out.
"I heard crashes, and came in to check on Summer. She was attacking the room in her sleep, and I woke her." said Kurt.
"I-I was having a bad dream." said Summer. She was shaking uncontrollably.
Wolverine sighed. "We have problems like this a lot. Some Mutants can't control their powers when they sleep. Sleep with the light on or something." he said, clearly exhausted. He left and stumbled back to bed.
"You going to be okay?" asked Kurt.
"Yeah." said Summer. "I'm fine. Go back to bed."
Kurt nodded.
"Kurt?" asked Summer.
"Yeah?"
"Did... did my hand glow when you came in?"
"I don't think so." he answered, puzzled.
"Ok. I was just wondering."
"Night."
"Night."
Summer lay in her bed, wondering if she what she did in her dream was real. She felt that it was immensly significant, but she couldn't place how. Eventually, she rolled over and went to sleep.
Next Chapter: A New Weapon