---Syaoran---

Syaoran watched the trees fly by him in the window through the Limo's window.

After meeting with the elders and hearing specifics, he was sent straight off to America in

record time. Accompanying him was Eva Hiachi, a powerful seventeen year old sorceress

with exceptional teleporting abilities and accuracy, a deadly combination with her

magical throwing knives. He looked over at his associate.

"So who are we staying with again?" He eyed the stern looking blond woman,

who was typing in her laptop. The girl looked up, brushing a stray lock out of he face

before responding:

"according to the Elders, we're staying with an old ally, Professor Xavier. He is a

minor ally with little to no influence in china, but is respected for his power here in

America." Li thought about this information again, before asking,

"And we still have no idea what type of powers he has, Eva?" She sighed deeply,

pushing her glasses, which were sliding down the bridge of her nose back up, before

responding.

"No idea." She smirked, adding on, "even the elder's minds slip, though they

won't admit it. Now that our New York post has been taken out, we have no choice but to

ask shelter from some obscure, half-forgotten ally who we haven't seen in half a

century." She emitted a short laugh, "And we have no idea what he can do!" She shook

her head in annoyance. "Well, it's no matter- I mean, you are recognized as one of he

most powerful sorcerers in Asia, after all. If your title and power doesn't impress the man

to giving us a place to stay, we can always rent a hotel."

They both smirked at this thought- the Elders would have a fit if they heard that

their leader and top knives mistress were staying at an undignified place such as a hotel.

They both looked up as they pulled up to see stately mansion set atop a hill past elaborate

gates.

The limo driver was about to get out and press the intercom asking for entrance,

when the gates opened by themselves. They continued through, stopping at the front

entrance. Li and Eva got out of the car and got a better look at their surroundings. Li paid

the driver, and they walked up the front steps of the mansion and rang the bell. The two

waited a minute before hearing a loud scuffling on the other side of the door. It was

opened quickly to reveal a girl with blue eyes and hair put up in a short ponytail, wearing

pink. The girl stared at them blankly, mumbling something that distinctly sounded like

"not the pizza boy", before perking up and saying, "Um, hello. Are you looking for

someone here?"

"Yes," Li answered, his voice courteous yet commanding. "I'm here to speak to

professor Xavier."

"You wanna speak to the professor?" She said, questioningly, as he heard the

brunette mentally ask herself, (or so he thought) 'Should I let them come in?'

Li was hard put to hide his surprise when he heard the girl's unspoken question

answered immediately by another powerful mind. 'Yes, please do invite them in. Show

them to the living room. I will meet with them shortly.'

Eva, who had not seemed to pickup on the mental conversation (she had never

had a talent for psychic power), smiled politely as the girl invited them in and walked

ahead of them, leading them to what he'd bet his life on would be the living room.

"If you'd just wait here a moment," The girl pointed cheerily into a doorway, "I'll

get the professor for you in a moment." She then smiled brightly and practically skipped

away.

Eva was about to immediately comply with the said instructions when Li caught

her arm. "Eva, did you hear the conversation outside?" The blonde looked at him

questioningly.

"Of course I did, I-" She was cut off by Li

"No, not that conversation- that girl mentally discussed with someone whether or

not to let us in." Eva looked startled.

"You-you're sure?"

"Dead positive." She nodded, immediately accepting what he had said. Li was

known for his equally excellent skills at mental and physical magic- it was what made

him such a good fighter and leader. "We have to guard our minds." Li bit his lip,

contemplating. "And be careful of what you say here, too. I'd rather not that the professor

knows more about us than he needs to." With that, they prepared to enter the room,

slightly more wary of the inhabitants.

Li and Eva walked inside the room o find that they were not alone- on the

contrary there were at least four others in the room. Li looked around cautiously at the

group. Sitting on the couch was a red headed girl and a brown haired guy wearing shades.

The red head and shades boy looked at the two with mild interest as he felt 'someone'

gently probing his mind. He slammed down his mental barriers, causing the red head to

jump a little in shock. He then relayed to her, 'stay out'.

The girl was so surprised she quickly left the room, followed by the young man

sitting next to her. Shades looked at him suspiciously before following after her. Once

they left, he took notice of everyone else in the room. Eva was talking to a dark skinned

boy with yellow blond hair.

"...Yeah, so welcome to the mansion," he said kindly. "You guys, uh,

are...special too?" Eva, who didn't know how to answer this, looked at Li.

"...You could call it that..." Li responded, not knowing what to say. A girl with

dark brown hair, deep tan skin and dark brown eyes walked up to the boy they were

talking to.

"You guys the new recruits?" she asked politely, her big brown eyes appraising

the tall Chinese boy.

"No," Eva answered, finally feeling like she understood how this place was run.

Instead of counting on family bloodlines like everyone did in Asia, they recruited new

people in their group, or whatever type of organization this was. She quickly and quietly

relayed this information to Li, who sent her a mental thanks.

"so what're you doing here?" she asked inquisitively

"Asking for a favor." The way Li said that left no room for questions.

"Oh. Well, good luck guys, but I gotta get started on my homework. See ya later."

He waved goodbye as he walked off. The girl smiled warmly, and added on, "me too.

Hope I see you two again soon." She followed the blond boy's path out of the room.

The room had emptied by now, leaving the two sorcerers standing uncomfortably

alone. He was just beginning to get an inkling of suspicion that the other people were

mentally told to leave the room, when a man in a wheel chair rolled in.

"Hello, I am Professor Charles Xavier," he said serenely, extending a hand. "I

understand you have some business with me?"

Li and Eva shook hands with the elderly gentleman and told him their names

before Li answered his question. "Yes, I am inquisitive to find out whether the Li family

still has your allegiance."

The Professor looked startled. "The Li Clan? I have not heard from them for

around twenty years, since Li Ryuuren came to this establishment. Since then, none of

your Clan has tried to contact my group of mutants and myself." 'So that's what they

are,' Syaoran thought quietly to himself, careful to keep the thought from becoming

projected. It seemed that Xavier was a telepath.

" Are two you ambassadors for him?"

Eva looked a little bit uncomfortable about explaining Syaoran's father's death,

but she surprisingly didn't have to. "Professor, Li Ryuuren died years ago in battle. I'm

sorry nobody informed you of his death." Syaoran said, trying to keep his expression

emotionless. Eva thought he pulled it off well, other than the fact that he held his breathe

a little afterwards.

The professor looked disheartened by this news. "That's really too bad. He was a

good man, from what I saw when I met him. He was really trying to do good in this

world." He sighed, then looked up. "Well then, who has succeeded in his place?"

"I have, sir." The professor looked even more thoroughly startled. The last time

Ryuuren had come for a visit, he brought along his young son, a three year- old boy with

tousled chocolate colored hair and big brown eyes. He had changed so much he barely

recognized the boy, but the same features he remembered of the child then were still

apparent now.

"...You're Ryuuren's son..." It was more of a statement than a question. Li

nodded. "Hm. I met you once, when you were little; Your father seemed to bring you

everywhere with him."

"Only as long as his trips held no danger and he had a large company. He was

always careful." Syaoran didn't know why he was telling this complete stranger so many

things about him. Yes, he might have known his father, but now was not the time to go

relive old memories, especially with this new, foreboding evil arising.

"But that is beside the point. I came here asking if you still held our allegiance."

The Professor nodded.

"Yes, I do."

"Well, in that case, I'd like to ask you a favor." The Professor stayed silent,

waiting to hear the proposition. "Recently, our New York magical defense post was taken

down by persons unknown. All five sorcerers residing in the area were killed at the same

time, signaling a new evil force growing here, in America." He paused, to let the severity

of his words sink in, and then continued. " Eva and myself were sent here to investigate

this new evil, and as our post has been taken out, we have nowhere to stay." He then

stopped talking, not wanting to invite himself over. The Elders had no tact; they thought

as long as the Ally was not strong, you could walk all over them. Li, however, was

taught, partly by his mother, partly by a young, innocent card captor, to treat everyone

with courtesy; so if the tables turned, he'd have friends there to help him, not new

enemies.

"Well, while you're here, I would love it if you would stay here with my team. I

don't think they even know that sorcerers exist. It would be a pleasant change." Li

bowed, thanking Xavier.

"I'll send someone in to show you your rooms, and later, I will formally introduce

the whole team to you two." He smiled mildly. "oh, yes, and one more thing: I expect

you to participate in all team events here, and highest in priority is the danger Room."

"What exactly is...This danger room?" Eva said, interestedly.

"A simulator that prepares my students and gives them a place to work on their

abilities."

Li smirked. "fighting practice" He said bluntly. The professor nodded. "good, I

needed a way to keep my abilities sharp. Don't worry, we'll be there."

"well, it's good that we have that settled. Your Danger room outfits will be put in

your room as soon as they are finished." A knock came at the door. "Come in, Rogue."

A girl with reddish-brown hair with white stripes in the front and emerald green

eyes, which achingly reminded Li of Sakura, walked in. "Rogue, I would like you to meet

Eva Hiachi and Syaoran Li, two new recruits. Please, would you show them to their new

rooms?" The girl looked at them with a keen, assessing eye, before she nodded to the

Professor and greeted them.

"'Lo, mah name's Rogue, nice ta meet yah." She shook gloved hands with them.

"jus' follow me an' ah'll show ya to yer rooms." She led the way.

"So, Syaoran, Eva, where ya from?" she asked conversationally.

"He's from China," Eva said, "And I'm Hungarian, even though we're related."

That statement caught the girl by surprise.

"Yer related?"

"rather distantly, yes. He's my twice removed second cousin, or something like

that. Why, do we seem so much different?" Rogue laughed.

"Nah, it's just half the mansion's already pegged you two as a couple." Eva and

Syaoran both laughed nervously at that statement.

"No, we're not dating, and how fast does news travel in this place?" Eva asked,

incredulous. "We only got here a half an hour ago..."

Rogue laughed again at this, before answering her, "too fast." She then pointed into a

room. "Eva, yer sharin' a room with Jean," Rogue said, as she pointed into a tidy room

obviously kept by a prep. "You'll probably meet Jean soon. She's a red head with dark

green eyes."

For the first time, Li spoke. "She's a telepath?" rogue looked at him

questioningly, before answering, " No, telekinetic. Though she has telepathic powers to

boot. Why'd ja ask?" Li frowned, slightly, before answering.

"I saw her earlier. She tried to sneak into my head." Rogue's jaw dropped at this.

"She what?" the girl said, stunned. Then, she made a wry grin, and said mostly to

herself," I didn't know that she could break a rule." She then focused back on the two

recruits before her.

"Well, she ain't allowed to do that, and if you find her sneaking into anyone's

head again, don't hesitate to tell the professor. We'ah not supposed to abuse our powahs

like that." She paused for a second. "Which reminds me, what powahs do ya two have?"

Again, the two new students felt a little uncomfortable. "Well, you see, it's a little

hard to explain..."

"ah understand." Rogue said, kindly. "don' worry, round here, everyoe's

different" She smiled and started leading them to Li's room.

"Rogue, I was just wondering, what's your power?" asked Eva. The southern

girl's laid back demeanor died to be replaced with a cold and brooding one.

"Mah powah is your powah, yer memories, your life force," she answered rather

cryptically. "all I need to get all that is one touch." She looked sadly down at her gloved

hands.

"You can't control your powers?" Li said, sympathetically. She nodded, tight

lipped. Syaoran could relate.

When He was fifteen, his powers had begun sky rocketing, growing at exceptional

rates. With all the new energy, Sayoran had a hard time controlling his magic. To

compensate for all the new energy, his body began releasing some of it in the form of

fire, ice, and lightning. Anybody who went within ten feet of him was in danger; anyone

who dared to touch him was spending the night with the healers.

It took him three full months for his body to become used to the magic, three

months that he'd never forget. Even if Li was rather unsociable, he still needed company

every once and a while, someone to have a good sparring match with, or play a game of

chess. With his powers acting as a barrier, he couldn't do any of those things, and had for

a long time afterwards, hated his magical abilities.

"Don't worry," He said comfortingly, surprising both Eva and Rogue. "You'll

learn to control them." Rogue smiled earnestly, before quietly chuckling.

"An I thought that fer a second that you were emotionless." Eva laughed dryly.

"Yes, well, he tries his best to hide that he's human, but he's really one big softy,"

she said, poking him. Syaoran gave Eva his best death glare, a thing he hadn't done in

years. Eva surprised him by hiding behind rogue, who was looking at him with

admiration.

"An' I thought that I was the only one who could pull that off," She said, biting

her lip trying to hold back her laughter. Eva, very uncharacteristically, full heartedly

laughed.

'maybe it was a good thing we got out of the house, away from all the formalities

and responsibilities we have there.' Li thought to himself. He felt a genuine smile from

on his lips. It was too stressful, living there. Yes, it was definitely a good thing.