Disclaimer - I don't own any of the X-men, blahblah, I think you all know the drill by now. The only thing I do own is Rika Semele, and this basic plot and its conflicts.
Author's Note - Okay, here we go. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update. I'm thinking once a week, maybe more since school is winding down. This takes place after X3! Only a few days, actually. I will answer a few reviews at the beginning of each chapter. Enjoy!
Summary - As the world recovers from the fight at Alcatraz, so do the students at the Xavier Institute. New students arrive, but emotions are still on the edge. Bobby wonders about Rogue, Kitty wonders about Bobby, Rogue questions her decisions, and Warren's just trying to fit in. Then rumors start to fly about how permanant the cure is, and an old classmate comes back, and people aren't happy. One thing's for sure: in a time like this, trust flies on fragile wings.
Chapter One - Unsure Arrival
The sky was just starting to darken, the sun disappearing slowly into the west. A lone figure made her way slowly up to the Institute, walking as if she had no purpose or reason for being so close to the place, when it was exactly the opposite. The eighteen year old wore dark blue jeans and worn red sneakers. Even wearing an orange tank top, she seemed oblivious to the chilled breeze. She stopped for a moment, gazing at the windows with dark brown eyes that glinted with curiosity, and what appeared to be a hint apprehension.
Rika Semele shifted her feet as she stood, at the same time tightening the ponytail that held back her caramel-highlighted, naturally dark brown hair. How could she not be apprehensive? After being in no prolonged or close human contact for almost two years, besides traveling, how did one just walk into a place like this?
Then again, ever since the battle at Alcatraz that had taken place a few mere days before, the Xavier Institute had probably received many new mutants that were coming out of hiding.
"This could actually prove quire hilarious." Rika said to herself, taking a few steps, more confident now, in the direction of the front door.
After being chased out of her neighborhood in Ohio, across the country, she may as well not be afraid of walking in on this place at this hour.
Her feet carried her to the door, and she found her fingers hovering over the doorknob. Deciding to amuse herself to stop her mind from reeling with the new place, she focused on her fingertips.
Rika's dark brown eyes became laced with yellow as visible static electricity traced its way from her fingers and two the doorknob. There was a moment of silence, and then the knob turned, and the door swung open.
The teenager smiled to herself, flexing her fingers as she shifted the backpack that was slung over her right shoulder. Stepping inside, she was startled by the mere size of what appeared to be the lobby. How on Earth was she supposed to find anything here? Let alone someone that could help her get enrolled...or whatever they did here.
Turning to her right, she followed a broad hallway, and was shocked to find it opening up into another large lobby. There were two tables, a bunch of couches, chairs, a few other games, a huge TV...
And it was occupied. Several kids, all looking younger than her, looked up from a cartoon of some sort. Across the room, two older kids looked up from their game of pool.
Not wanting to catch attention so soon, Rika turned on her heel and made her way back to the first room. Of course, she had been spotted anyways.
"Can I help you?" A feminine voice sounded behind her.
Looking over her shoulder, Rika's gaze fell on a shorter girl with brown hair and brown eyes. She looked to be young, or at least younger than Rika herself.
"Erm...sure." Rika replied rather lamely.
She had been hoping to avoid contact with the other students until she had gotten her bearings around the school. By the looks of the two rooms she had seen, she'd need a map to get around the place.
"Are you new?" The girl asked, her brown eyes glinting with curiosity now. "We've been getting a lot of new faces, and I don't recognize you."
"You guessed right." Rika said, shifting her feet. "Could you help me find one of your teachers...or something?"
"Yep. This way." And with that the girl was running up the stairs.
Rika followed, though at a walk. She wanted to take in the details. She didn't like the prospect of having to ask people for directions more often than needed. Not paying attention, she almost ran into the other girl. She had stopped on a landing a few stairs from the top.
"I'm Kitty, by the way. Katherine, really." She introduced herself. "You'll like it here, everyone does..." She trailed off. "Or...most do, rather."
"Rika Semele." Came Rika's immediate response. She figured that this had something to do with a rather rescent event, but decided not to ask.
"Awesome."
They were soon at the next level of the school. It was obvious that there was at least two more. Once again Rika found herself wondering how she would remember to get everywhere. They walked down several more hallways, all lined with doors, before Katherine stopped in front of a door that was already open. It was obviously an office of some sort.
"New student." Kitty said, leading Rika into the room.
A woman with short silver-colored hair and alert eyes looked up from a stack of papers. After a brief glance at Rika, she got up and offered a hand.
"The Institute is open to any mutant who needs help." She greeted cheefully. "Your can call me Ororo, or Storm, as most students here prefer."
"Pleased to meet you, ma'am." Rika replied. She somehow thought that, as professional as this woman was acting, she had a slight temper. She could here it in her voice. Judging by her Codename, they had at least one thing in common.
"Her name's Rika Semele." Kitty added behind them. Rika mentally chided herself for not giving her name in the first place.
"Well, Rika. I would normally give you a tour myself, but I have way too many papers to catch up on." Storm said, picking up the pen she had been holding when Rika and Kitty had first walked in. "Kitty can show you around, and get you a room. I believe the one next to hers is open, in fact. I come find you later."
"It is!" Kitty affirmed. "Common." With that, they stepped out into the hallway again, Kitty shutting the door to the office as they left.
"The girl's hallway is this way." Katherine provided. Rika took the time to keep pace with the girl this time, instead of just following.
"You're the first one around my age that's come since the incident." Kitty added after they turned a corner. "When you want, later, I can introduce you to my friends."
"Sure." Was Rika's soft reply. She had given up on the idea of not being identified as 'the new student' almost as soon as Kitty had intercepted her.
"Here you go." Kitty said after they had gone up another flight of stairs, opening a door as soon as they turned another corner. "This is your new room. I'm next door." She pointed down the hall, where it split in two. "To the left down there is the guy's hall, and the right leads you downstairs again."
"Thanks, Kitty." Rika offered, this time letting emotion show through her voice. "I really appreciate you showing me around."
"No problem. What are your powers, anyway?" Kitty replied. It was a simple question, one that Rika was not used to hearing.
"Let's just say that my nervous system generates too much electrical current." Rika replied.
Kitty gave her a curious look. Rika almost laughed. That little piece had been one of her sister's theories about her powers. The answer had been automatic.
"Basically, I can control electrical currents."
Kitty smiled this time, totally unsurprised at the news. "Sweet. In case you're wondering, I can walk through walls." Rika guessed that she had seen too many different powers to be surprised.
Rika smirked, looking over her shoulder and into the room behind her.
"Why don't you get situated. I'll come back in a little!" Katherine suggested.
After Rika's brief nod, the other girl was gone, literally disappearing as she walked into the wall across the hall from Rika's room.
Rika herself finally let out a short laugh.
Author's Note #2 - I know, a little lame, but this was mainly to introduce Rika and establish a time period and such. Please Review!