By the way Magneto talked about him, Lisa had pictured Charles Xavier as a muscle-bound weightlifter or eight feet tall. Why was this rather frail bald-headed man such a threat to someone with powers as strong as Magneto's? To Lisa, Xavier didn't look like he could hurt a fly. She furrowed her brow and tried to push her amazement from her mind.

"Yes, I am cripple." He answered her silent question. "We shall talk later. Right now, please sit down and buckle the safety belt." Xavier's voice echoed in Lisa's mind. She did as instructed.

He smiled at her and then turned toward the front of the plane. "We must hurry. They are coming."

A beautiful dark woman with white hair nodded and flipped a switch on the console in front of her. The slight humming of the engines grew louder. Lisa's gaze moved from the lady to the gentleman in front of her and back toward the glass above the flight panel. The raindrops hit the glass with large radiating splashes. Lisa could hear the drumming of the rain over the quiet jet. She saw the gray sky in front of them and the green slopes in the distance. They were levitating! She gasped. Never had she been on a plane that went straight up upon take off.

The jet lunged forward, and Lisa's heart sank to her stomach. They proceeded forward only a few feet, but then the plane stopped and levitated once again. It quivered slightly from side to side.

"What's wrong?" the pilot asked.

"Magneto," Xavier said.

The young woman pushed and buttons and pulled levers on the flight panel. Lisa strained to look toward the ground below them.

Lisa closed her eyes, and the plane quivered once more. Then it shot straight forward.

"How did we get away?" the dark woman asked.

"Lisa helped us," Xavier smiled. He turned toward Lisa. "Thank you."

Lisa simply nodded. Her head hurt too badly to speak.

Xavier motioned toward the front of the plane. "This is Storm."

Storm smiled toward Lisa. "Welcome aboard."

What a strange name, Lisa thought.

"That isn't her real name." Xavier's voice echoed in Lisa's mind. "But she prefers her X-Men name."

X-Men? Lisa's eyes grew wide. X-Men were the ones that saved the mutants from the Cerebro attack the other day. You are the X-Men?

"Yes. How are you feeling?"

My head hurts, and I'm hungry. Why do you ask me that? You already know how I feel, don't you?

Xavier smiled. "When we arrive home, we will take care of you."

Where is home?

"I run a school for gifted children in New York."

School? For gifted children? You mean mutants, don't you? You are from the school I heard about. I have often wondered if you could help me.

"You are a little old for school, don't you think?" Xavier's eyes twinkled.

Lisa smiled slightly. I don't need school. I just need help.

"Help with what?"

Controlling my power.

"You control your power very well as far as I can tell."

Well, maybe not controlling my power. Maybe it's more like controlling my temper.

Xavier chuckled and glanced toward Storm. "You are going to fit in fine."