A/N.   I can't stand writing like it's all happening. From now on, I'm writing in past tense. I would say I'm sorry, but I'm not. So, onward…

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            When I awoke, I was in a bed. A very uncomfortable bed made of metal, with thin blankets. I sat up and looked around. The walls were stone, with no window. There was a television on one wall, with a straight-backed, hideous couch on the wall across from it. There was also a table with two chairs, and a bookshelf with only a few books on it. There were also two doors, metal of course, on opposite walls. One was open to show a bathroom, and another was closed. I got up and looked in the bathroom. Sparsely furnished, it had clothes on the only counter, neatly furnished. To my surprise and happiness, there was also a hairbrush. I looked at the tub next. It had shampoo, conditioner, soap, and a razor. Perfect!

I took a shower, dressed in the clothes left for me, brushed my hair, and nodded in satisfaction at my reflection. The clothes I can hardly describe, but I will try. The pants were leather, and laced up the outside of the legs. My shirt was made of the softest cloth I'd ever felt. It had patterns of blue roses with silver stems all along the arms, with a single one without a stem in the middle of my chest. It had a pattern around the neck and bottom and sleeve cuffs of three silver lines intertwined in a complex pattern. My shoes were black, high heeled, perfectly polished, and felt like I could run all day in them regardless of adding an inch to my height. The clothes felt like they were made for me.

Thus dressed and comfortable, I looked at the books on the shelf. Dictionary, almanac, thesaurus, nothing good… I thought. I looked around yet again, and noticed a note on the table that I could've sworn hadn't been there before. Frowning, I read it.

Miss Elwood,

When you are ready, please come to my office. It is one floor down. To get there, go down the stairs at the end of your hall and the door will be open. See you soon…

~Eric Lensherr

I raised my eyebrows and thought does he really think I'm that slow? One floor down was good enough… I put the note in my pocket with some difficulty, it being skintight, and followed his instructions exactly. Once I got down the stairs, sure enough, a door was open somewhat down the hall. I went to it slowly and quietly, trying to listen while not looking suspicious if anyone were to look at me. I heard quiet voices, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. I shrugged and entered.

I looked around Mr. Lensherr's office, seeing a room made completely of metal. There were five balls clacking on the table, but there was nothing holding them up. Show-off, I thought. I walked in further, looking at the side of the room that the door was covering. There was the same cloaked figure, with the hood. I looked at her, then at Magneto. I dipped my head to the side a little, to show respect.

"Good morning Miss Elwood, I trust you had a good morning."

"Yes, thank you Mr. Lensherr."

"Excellent. Now, to business. This is Mystique. She was speaking to you under a false name for the protection of both of you. Mystique?"

Mystique stood up, taking off the hood and long coat. Under it she was…blue! With scales! She was beautiful. She had yellow eyes and red hair, slicked back with gel. I smiled at her. She did not smile back, but only nodded. How rude! I turned my eyes back to Magneto.

He said, "I must go with Mystique soon. You will not be alone. You will help Toad take care of Sabertooth while we are gone. Mystique and I are going on a mission with people who must not know that either of them are alive. We will be back in a few days. Try to learn the layout of this base. Come with us to meet your companions."

Bossy, isn't he! I thought. "Why does this Sabertooth need care?" I asked.

"He broke his back a few months ago. He can walk, but it pains him. So, he will need help for another month or two. Ah, here we are!" he added. He then gestured to a door. "Now we must leave." I opened the door. Magneto stepped inside, I followed, and he said to the room in general, "Farewell!" Then he walked out, closing the door behind him.

I blinked, looking around. There was a very ugly man in a bed, propped up by pillows, watching TV. He had apparently taken no notice when Magneto left. There was also a man slouched in a chair, looking at me. From his skin coloring, I assumed this was Toad. He was looking at me like I was the most beautiful girl in the world. Feeling a little uneasy under his unblinking gaze, I walked across the room and asked him where I could find some food. He shook himself mentally and got up.

"This way," he said. "You want anything?" he asked Sabertooth. The man just shook his head a bit. "Alright. Come then, Miss-?"

"Elwood," I said. "Suzan Elwood."

"Yeah. I'm Toad. This way."

As we walked out of the room and started down the hall, I asked him, "Toad? What's your original name?"

"Mortimer." He said simply.

I nodded. "How do you tell the doors apart? Do you just have to memorize where things are?"

He smiled. "Here, stand in front of that door for a second."

I did so. A thought popped into my head: Vegetable Storage. My eyes widened. "Oh." I said.

He smiled. "Yes, after a while you do memorize them though. What's your gift?"

It was my turn to smile. "I hate to brag, but - no. That's not true. I love to brag. Watch." I took the note Magneto had left me out of my pocket, squatted on the floor, and concentrated on it. He squatted in front of me and watched with unfeigned interest. After a few seconds, it started to morph into an apple. After about five minutes it was done, and I handed it to him for inspection, very proud of my handiwork. His fingers brushed mine and he quickly looked down at it, first to look away, then to examine the apple itself. He looked at it from all directions, and then bit into it. When he finished the bite, he looked up at me in wonder. "Amazing!" he said, and I smirked proudly. "But, why do you want to go to the kitchen if you can create your own food?"

"Because," I said. "I don't have enough material for a full meal, and I want to learn the layout of this place. Also, doing this is kind of tiring, especially complex things. So, let's go." I stood up abruptly, and he stood also.

I looked at him surreptitiously as we walked. His skin was strange, but not as ugly as I had first thought. His features were very handsome also, and I thought I might be developing a crush on him. I walked a bit closer to him, and our hands brushed. I quickly apologized, but I was already starting to analyze the skin sample I got from him. - mutant - twenty-five - strong - I got other things also, too many to name. He looked at me, probably wondering at my sudden silence, or the fact that I had fallen behind.

"Suzan? You okay?" he asked in his cute British accent.

"Yeah. Fine." I said distantly, staring through him, concentrating on finding out everything about him I could from his DNA, so that if I ever needed to know, then I could just go to that file in my memory and find it. I had almost completely convinced myself of that, when I looked at him again. I smiled, and then mentally smacked myself in the head. Stop it! I haven't even known him for fifteen minutes yet! "What would the room I woke up in make me think from the outside?" I asked, to cover up my sudden interest in staring at him. " 'The room you woke up in'?"

"Just 'Suzan's room'" he smiled back at me.

"You mean I have to stay in that room? Do you think Magneto would mind if I change it a bit?" I asked hopefully.

"I don't think so. Go ahead. Oh, here it is." He said, stopping in front of a door. "By the way, this was the first door I memorized." He added as an aside.

I smiled again, and again he looked at me like I was a goddess. I looked at the door, and sure enough, the thought of a kitchen popped into my head.

He opened the door and we both stepped in. As he closed the door, I looked around the fourth room of the day. I had a feeling it wouldn't be the last. I walked over to the refrigerators and opened the first one of three. I started at the sound of Toad's voice.

"The middle one has meats, and the right one fruits and vegetables. Get whatever you want, I already ate."

I nodded. I had opened the one with dairy products. He got me a glass, and startled me again when he gave it to me. "Stop it! Make a little noise when you walk, okay? Oh, I'm sorry for shouting…" I said, looking at him sorrowfully.

"It's okay," he said quickly. "There are grain products in those cupboards. Here, let me show you." He said as I started over to him. He ran a hand along the wall, and it opened. I raised my eyebrows.

"Do you have Cream-Of-Wheat?"

He nodded and handed me the package. He then sat at the table and watched me as I cooked it, telling me where things were when I asked. In a few minutes I was done cooking, and I sat across from him to eat. He just looked at me the whole time, but this time it was less uncomfortable. When I was done, I stood up, holding my bowl and spoon and looking around for a sink or dishwasher. He scuffed his shoe on the floor to get my attention, and took the bowl from me. His fingers ran across mine again, and this time I was sure it wasn't an accident. He looked even more uncomfortable this time, so I didn't call attention to it. I watched him as he went across the room and pushed on a counter. The top of it slid into the wall, revealing a featureless hole. He put the bowl with the spoon next to it inside the hole, and tapped the wall above it. The lid slid back and a rumbling noise started. He leaned back a little and waited. I had an idea as the noise continued…

I started to sneak up on him as he waited, apparently lost in thought. The noise stopped just as I got up to him, and the top got sucked back into the wall. He took the bowl and spoon out, completely clean. He turned around and walked right into me. He leaned back, looking very startled. "Now you know how it feels!" I smirked at him.

He blinked. I smiled a genuine smile at him and said, "Want to watch me change my room?"

He said, "Yeah, okay."

We walked backed to my new room in silence, and more that once I caught him looking at me. I didn't say anything about it though. I got the feeling he had probably had a lot of rejection, because most people would not like the way he looked. I was very grateful that he hadn't asked me to take off my glasses yet. I didn't want him to see my zombie-eyes until he got to know me; I'd had a lot of rejection because of them too.