Chapter 2: Free Will

After Wolverine had shown Corey to his room where he had dropped off his backpack and duffle bag, the big man had more or less dragged him down to Storm's office. After Professor Xavier's demise she had become the headmistress of the school and had also taken over the placement of new students as well as the instruction into their powers.

It was pretty obvious that Corey did not want to go to Miss Monroe's office, but Logan really didn't care. He was still broken up by killing Jean, however necessary it may have been, and the teen's violent assault had almost sent him over the edge. Although he did not blame the child for not being able to control his powers, he still derived a certain pleasure in causing the child even a little bit of pain after being beaten by him.

Why did I come here? Corey despaired silently as Wolverine strode down the hallway, wishing his powers had not chosen then to help him out. Although he could bring them to bear if given the time, what happened when he actually released them often had nothing to do with his intentions. He would have preferred to just have his powers bound, if that was possible, but he doubted that was going to happen.

"Mr. Aldred!" a strong female voice called through the wooden door. "Please come in."

Well, here it goes, he thought, sighing inwardly. He tried to compose himself, not wishing to let his nervousness show to his new headmistress. However, as he reached for the handle the door exploded into a fine powder, covering everything inside it with saw-dust.

He glanced inside at the woman, trying to read her expression. He sensed that it would have been impossible even if she hadn't been covered in sawdust and metal shavings.

Sighing at his inability to control his powers, Corey stepped through the door and sat in the chair facing the woman. Although his eyes were cast downward he had no trouble imagining the expression of anger which was surely forming on her face.

"Well," Mrs. Monroe said, a small laugh escaping her. Corey looked up and was surprised to see that she was not angry, but rather amused. "I have to say, not many new students are capable of doing that when they first come to the school. Your telekinesis is rather impressive," she continued, indicating a laptop on the desk that showed his picture as a way of explaining how she now knew what his powers were.

"I…," Corey began to respond, but Mrs. Monroe cut him off.

"Didn't mean to do it?" she supplied kindly, smiling at him. "It's okay; most students cannot control their powers when they come to the school. I'm just glad you blew up a door instead of a person."

She stood up and brushed saw-dust out of her hair and off of her business suit. Once she had removed the majority of the saw-dust she sat down again, ready to continue the meeting. "Now," she said, pulling out a folder, "here is your class schedule, information about the school, your Danger Room schedule and who'll you be rooming with. And," she paused, looking uncomfortable, "I have a proposal for you."

"If it requires me to use my powers, then the answer is no!" Corey said angrily, standing up. "Like I told that Wolverine guy, my powers are almost totally uncontrollable. The only thing I can manage to do is to use my sixth sense, and I can't even get that to work right half of the time."

"Sit down and stop that nonsense," Mrs. Monroe replied, not unkindly. "Very few powers are uncontrollable. I used to believe that mine were uncontrollable and I now have complete mastery over them. You'd be surprised what you can do given time and the proper guidance."

Corey stayed standing, uncertain what he should do. He had been using his sixth sense to test how truthful she was. It seemed that she was telling the truth, and for some reason he could not identify he was inclined to trust her. Slowly, still not entirely sure if he wanted to use his powers despite her reassurance that he would learn to control them, he sat down.

"Now, do you know who the X-Men are?" she asked kindly, not letting her happiness at convincing him she was trustworthy. When he shook his head no, she answered. "The X-Men are a team of mutants devoted to stopping other mutants from hurting humans and to fostering better relations with humans. And I would like you to join that team."

Her confession left Corey dumbfounded. Join a team dedicated to making life better for humans and mutants, he thought. He had heard about the X-Men. Everyone had, after the attack on Alcatraz and after the failure of the Cure. It's an honor to be asked to join them, but what can I bring to the team that they don't already have.

"I can tell what you're thinking," Mrs. Monroe interrupted his reflections. "Why do you want me to join the team? What can I do for the X-Men that they can't already do themselves? Why ask me when there are thousands of other telekinetics? The answer is simple," she replied, ready to answer all of the questions he had not voiced, "I would like you on the X-Men because you do not hate humans, as many mutants do. You do not blame them for the failure of the Cure. You are a good person, and a powerful mutant. You are exactly what the team needs."

"But, I can't control my powers yet," Corey countered desperately, a sudden fear clutching his heart. What am I afraid of? he asked himself. The Danger Room and now this. Am I channeling someone or something else, or is it just my own irrational feelings? Or is it something else altogether?

"Right now you can't control your powers," she corrected. She gave no hint of the annoyance and anxiety that was blooming within her at his stubborn refusal to accept that he would learn to control your powers. "Please, join the X-Men?" she asked, almost pleaded, one last time.

"Fine," he answered after several minutes, still unsure if he was making the right decision. But now he had chosen a path, and the fear that had arisen in him disappeared as suddenly as it had come. He felt good, almost happy, to have a home and to be part of a team.

Mrs. Monroe walked around the desk and put a hand on his shoulder, silently thanking him. Then she picked up his bag, and with a slight gesture indicated that he should follow her.

She led him through a twisting maze of hallways that his bewildered and exhausted mind would not allow him to remember or unravel. At long last she opened a door and gestured him inside.

"This is your room," she informed him as he collapsed on the nearest bed.

He didn't hear her though. The events of the day overwhelmed him. Arriving at the manor, attacking Wolverine, being asked to join the X-Men. He didn't even here Mrs. Monroe close the door, his mind already within the solace of sleep.