Author's Note - Merci beaucoup to all of you that reviewed! A few review replies are at the end of this chapter, since I don't trust my e-mail to work for replies there. This is yet another fill-in sort of chapter, but guess who's coming back in the next one? (grins evilly) Thank you again for reviewing!

Chapter Two - Introductions Galore

Turning around to face the room, Rika was somewhat happy to see that it was plain and simple. A twin-size bed, clean sheets included, two pillows. The walls were painted some sort of cream color. There was a single window on the far wall that the bed was up against. No curtains hung over them at the moment, and Rika threw her backpack on the bed and looked outside. It looked like she was looking out the side of the school.

"I can take this." She whispered, opening the window to the light breeze. Since she could never go swimming, (electricity and all), Rika had grown to enjoy the wind. When others started to complain that it was too cold, she reveled in the late fall weather.

Leaving the door open, she opened her backpack, then tipped it upside down.

Four sets of clothes fell out, along with an extra pair of tennis shoes. Along with that, a photo-album, and finally Rika's favorite purse. She may have been a mutant, but she still acted like a normal teenager...most of the time.

Opening the front pocket, she withdrew a small wad of money. When she had been traveling, one thing she had been able to do was fix computers for cash. It was easy, since Rika could usually pinpoint the problem within seconds with her currents.

The other item in the last pouch was a tennis ball. Instead of the normal yellow-green, it was a light, sky blue. A gift from her younger sister, whom Rika had trusted with the secret of her powers. She had gone out of the state to find the set of three tennis balls. Rika had only brought one with her.

A single tear, unwelcome and sudden, ran down her cheek. Her younger sister had been the only one she could trust with her secret. It hadn't ended up working, after her neighbors had found out, but still, that hadn't been her sister's fault at all.

"I'll never forget the hope you gave me." Rika whispered, gripping the tennis ball firmly in her hand as she let her frustration of the last year and a half out on it. Another tear fell down her cheek.

"You okay?"

Rika practically jumped a foot in the air, eyes laced with yellow for half a second at the unfamiliar and obvious masculine voice. Taking a breath, she turned to face whoever had snuck up on her. And then her breath caught in her throat again.

The young man before her had to be the most startling...okay hot, that she had ever laid eyes on. Bright blue eyes, and slightly untidy blond hair that shouldn't have been natural for anybody.

Realizing that she was staring, Rika blinked several times in quick succession, glancing at the tennis ball in her hand.

"Yes." She replied, delighted to find that, despite the sensitive mood she was in, her voice didn't quaver. Though she knew that it was probably obvious that she had been upset, Rika brushed her damp cheeks with her free hand.

"Sorry." She added, seeing that he was still standing there, looking as if he had just happened to pass her open door while walking down the hall.

"You looked on the brink of crying, there." He said simply, regarding her with his blue eyes. Rika followed his gaze to the small pile of belongings on her bed. Tossing the tennis ball into the pile, Rika shut the window before turning back around. He was still there.

"Ya, I'm a new student." She supplied. "My name's Rika, Semele. I really was fine, just a slight moment of homesickness." She smiled slightly for emphasis.

"I still get homesick, too. I've only been here a little over a week. My name's Warren Worthington...the third."

"Worthington?" Rika finished, cutting him off. "Like..."

And then he cut her off.

"The man that came up with the cure."

There was an awkard silence, and Rika thought it would be an opportune moment for Kitty to come back. It was getting late by now, and Rika had no idea if there even was a curfue or anything like that here. And she hated uncomfortable situations.

"It's nice to meet you." Warren finally offered, stepping into the room and offering a hand.

"Ditto." Rika replied.

Before she had touched his hand, she caught sight of the huge white wings on his back as he stepped forward. The shirt he was wearing was obviously cut a certain way so that the wings were outside. She was startled, not paying attention, and felt his hand jerk away just as they were touching.

Rika grimaced. She hadn't been paying attention, she had been distracted. And she had felt the pulse of electricity that had escaped her fingertips and probably shocked Warren.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" Her voice was sincere, worried. That was all she needed, to scare people here, too.

"No, I was just startled. It was just a shock." He looked around the room, probably wondering how that had happened since there was no carpet or anything that could have produced the static.

"Now you know part of why I came here." Rika mused, happy that startling him was all that she had done. "It is nice to meet you, really." She added,still in a good mood since he hadn't acted overly disturbed. She took his hand, which was still outstretched part way. Warren smiled absently, returning the gesture as they had intended the first time.

Hearing footsteps down the hall, he ducked back outside. Rika tilted her head to one side as she caught Kitty's voice drifting down the hall.

"...and I see she's met Angel."

Katherine poked her head inside the room as Warren sidestepped to let her through. "Didn't get very far, did you?" She teased, indicating the pile on the bed. "Rika, I'm sure you're hungry, but we've already had dinner. I've got people for you to meet, and then you can get something to eat."

With a dramatic sigh, Rika stepped into the hall to meet whoever Kitty had brought. She smiled sweetly to the group before her. There were three. A girl probably only a year younger than her with an odd white streak in her hair, a handsome boy with dirty blond hair and blue eyes standing next to her. The last was a dark-haired, muscular man that Rika easily identified as being from somewhere other than America.

"This is Rika, guys. She's the newest arrival here, unless someone else has showed up in the last two hours. Rika, this is Rogue, Bobby, and Peter." Kitty said, naming off the names as each one of them nodded.

"I think you're the first one since Alcatraz to come in that's close to our age." Bobby said after a minute.

Rika only nodded, smiling slightly. She was aware that everyone was looking at her. Her thoughts wandered to what their codenames were. Rogue was obviously the girl's in the first place. She wouldn't try to guess what the two boy's were. Actually, she realized with a glance at Warren, who was shifting his feet a little uncomfortably next to Kitty, Angel was the only one among them with a visible mutation.

It had suddenly ocurred to her that Warren could certainly fly with those powerful-looking wings on his back when Rogue finally broke the silence.

"Are you hungry?" She suggested, taking Bobby's hand in hers at the same time. By the smile that lit up his face, Rika decided that they were a couple.

"Sounds great." She replied, turning to Kitty and winking, since they had planned on eating anyways.

whoever put "hiya!" - Yes, that is exactly how I felt after watching X3 regarding Angel. I thought his part would be much like Nightcrawler's and was disappointed. Oh well, he'll be in the next one! haha. And Rika's powers may only be very slimly like Jubilee's, as Rika's is more actual electricity currents than blowing thing up with energy.

touchnotthecat - DUDE! I've been reading your "Nine Lives" fic, and it rocks! Now I'll start reviewing it, too. lolz. And Pyro happens to be my...second favorite. (mwahahaha)

Lauren - You know what, no one had ever even asked if I wanted a beta-reader! Therefore I find this very amusing. If you're online enough, I'd consider it. E-mail me if you still want.