Episode 1.0
Strategy X
Conversations died quickly after they took off from Germany, some 4 hours ago. Everyone had a lot to think about and they did, with absent looks on their faces.
Fallen spent some time looking at her companions; Forge across the jet isle, who eventually grew tired of going over data stored in his device and just leaned back, staring at the ceiling. The inventor who changed her life and got caught up in the mess it created. And her beloved, Kurt who - for a moment - she thought she'd lose. But his memory was almost entirely restored now, and she could see that reflected in the way he'd look back at her occasionally before falling asleep halfway across the Atlantic Ocean.
Professor Xavier and Ororo Monroe, whose decision to give them the benefit of the doubt was something she didn't want to take for granted.
But most of the time, she just gazed through the wide, curved window above the jet's control panel.
The sky was consistently orange and yellow for so long it felt like this sunset would last forever, as they chased it across the ocean. Clouds were so far below them they looked like nothing more than a fluffy blanket stretched across the horizon. You couldn't feel the incredible speed inside the jet, and the swish of air was effectively muffled out by its exterior to further fabricate the hypnotic sense of hanging still in the open air.
"Were you a fan?"
The question snapped Fallen out of the daze, she turned her gaze to the woman who rotated her pilot's seat and locked it in the new position, facing her.
"A fan?" Fallen looked behind, relieved to confirm that the autopilot is clearly marked as active on the main screen.
The woman smiled at her with a hint of uneasiness. "Of the show about us."
"Oh" the girl shifted in her seat. "Maybe as a young child, and then I almost completely forgotŃ about it until Kurt came along. I did enjoy watching it then, if that counts for anything."
The woman's eyes shifted forward absently. "It makes me wonder how accurate and detailed it was."
"Not very much, Ms Monroe, I can tell you that already. The overall story was accurate I suppose, but the details were off" Fallen said. The woman gave her an inquiring look. "I talked to Kurt about it and he pointed some things out. Like how some powers weren't consistent throughout the series or they went far too easy on the gore parts. Or how they animated his father meeting him at the airport, looking completely different than he actually did, and, more inaccurately, being alive. He was dead for a few years by then."
Ororo nodded with a firm, but absent look on her face. Fallen fully related to that. She didn't know what to make of it either.
"...How much further before we arrive?" she asked faintly.
"We've already made it to the New York state airspace, we'll be touching down in a few minutes."
The woman rotated her seat again and re-entered manually controlled flight mode.
"When we do touch down, I would like the three of you to follow me to my office" Professor Xavier said from his second pilot's seat before turning his head to look at the new arrivals. "We have some routine paperwork to fill out, as well as applications to get you valid IDs and other necessary documents."
Fallen looked at her two companions but they didn't seem to question it. She suggested;
"I know we physically aged back but I'd be down if I - and Kurt if he wants - could have IDs that state we're of age."
The bald man turned to her directly. "I understand that giving up on all the perks of legal adulthood is difficult, but I think we'd all agree that neither of you look the part of an adult. You and I both could be in much trouble if someone starts to question your age and looks into your background, which I have yet to fabricate."
Fallen opened her mouth to object, but Kurt reached across the narrow aisle and grabbed a hold of her forearm. "We're thankful that you're ready to do that for us, Professor."
The girl looked at him, questioning why he would give up his liberties so easily, but quickly realized he was right. Without the Professor they wouldn't have the connections, funds and influence to obtain a credible set of documents. If those documents pushed back their legal freedoms a few years and left the man feeling more secure about his choice to do that for them, then so be it.
"...That means I'm going to need a legal guardian" she said slowly.
"And for all legal intents and purposes I will assume that role" the man told her. "Unless you have any other candidates whose ability to provide for you wouldn't be questioned in the court of law, should a need arrive."
Fallen swallowed tensely, but nodded her approval for the man's plan, although exerting this type of power over her brought back the same feeling that made her run away from home. She made a conscious effort to bite back on the old emotions that scratched at the surface.
"Everyone, buckle up" Ororo said and softly angled the jet down, toward the clouds.
For a moment everything outside the front window was bright white, then it turned into darkening gray and finally they broke through on the other side, where the sunset was over and night embraced the world.
Dark water spread below them, and a steep shore rose further in the front. Ororo lowered the craft no more than two or three dozen feet above the water and headed straight towards a waterfall on the side of a stone cliff. They slowed down significantly, but the crash would still be fatal. But even the 'first timers' seemed to know that won't happen.
She clicked a button and wheels extended under the craft. She clicked another and mechanisms built into the stone wall lifted a huge chunk of it up, revealing a metal tunnel big enough for the jet to slide in.
The wheels touched the metal surface smoothly, the entry sealed them in the darkness and she stirred the craft through the long, curved landing strip marked with a line of white, led light along the floor.
They slowed down until arriving in a big, open space and coming to a stop. The hangar's lights lit up automatically when they approached it, and they looked almost blinding compared to the dark tunnel.
The woman switched off all devices and the engines before unbuckling and getting up. Seeing her two companions do the same, Fallen also undid the belts that went over her shoulders and laps and got to her feet, her eyes carefully following everyone.
Kurt's fingers gently prying their way into her loose fist focused her attention back in one place. He smiled at her a little, like he wanted to ease the tickling anxiety in the back of her mind. He seemed to be much calmer himself, apparently having remembered enough of his lost memories to not feel like a stranger in this underground facility they just arrived in.
She smirked back at him briefly. "I'll be fine. Go get your stuff" she said just above a whisper.
He nodded and gave a small squeeze to her hand before walking to the second section of the jet where his suitcase was stored. Fallen looked back at Ororo who patiently waited for her to follow the others. With a deep breath, the girl headed towards the open ramp.
xXx
Professor Xavier's office was adequately grand, with a high ceiling, many bookcases built into ornate walls and a ridiculously large, red carpet that in and of itself probably cost a small fortune. The three of them were instructed to a sitting area to the left, by a fireplace, and Professor Xavier stirred his wheelchair behind his desk, that was directly in front of a ceiling-high window. He shortly joined them with a clipboard.
"In order to get you the necessary documents, I'm going to need all of you to provide some basic information to put in those documents" he said as he scribbled down additional questions on pre-prepared questionnaires . "I do understand that not all of the information can be true, so if you have any concerns let me know."
He attached his pen to the edge of the clipboard and handed it over to Forge, who was sitting the closest to him.
"There are also admission and health forms for the Institute that I will need filled out, but that can wait until your physical exams and evaluating. We'll take care of these tomorrow" the man looked at Ororo who entered the room with a bulky handheld device and gave her a small nod. "Meanwhile I will need each one of you to follow me to the desk so we can authorize you in the security system."
Kurt went first, and Fallen watched as Xavier digitalized the imprint of his palm and scanned his retinas, but then she was distracted by Forge handing her the clipboard.
She looked down at the questionnaire, burrowing her brows with confusion. By the time Xavier called her in for her scans she still had some answers missing.
She handed the clipboard to Kurt. "I'll finish it in a moment" she said low.
She sat down in front of the desk, her eyes trained on the man behind it as he worked on his computer. "Put your hand flat on this screen, please" he gestured to the device lying flat between them.
As she obeyed, she asked; "What year am I supposed to put as my birth year?"
The man glanced at her briefly. "I suppose you want to be in the same year of High School as Kurt?"
"...Unless high school can be avoided altogether…"
He gave her a look, but smirked with faint amusement.
"Yes, I'd like to be in the same year" she sighed.
"Very well. You can put down the same birth year as Kurt or a year later if you prefer. It won't affect what year you'll be admitted to."
"And my citizenship?"
"What citizenship did you have in your dimension?"
"Doesn't matter" she couldn't help but grimace. "I was waiting to apply for citizenship here."
The man nodded once. "You can consider your application approved. The process of getting new documents for someone who doesn't legally exist is easier to do locally. In fact it's Kurt's documents that will require most input since he just asked if he can have German citizenship, so he's going to need a visa on top of everything else."
Fallen's eyes drifted across the room to the boy leaning over his form.
"One last thing we need to agree on" the man's voice commanded her attention back. "If anyone raises questions about why you're here, we will tell them you are my relative who needed to be put under my legal guardianship."
"Anyone outside the Institute, that is?"
"Anyone other than myself and Ororo, unless I authorize somebody else, in which case you will be informed."
"You're willing to lie to your students?"
The man's brows shifted in a withheld grimace. "It's a delicate case" he reminded again. "We need to take precautions before having open-forum discussions about possibly knocking an entire reality off of its course."
The girl exhales deeply. This was going to be more hustle than initially anticipated. "So what's my fake story?"
xXx
Kurt pulled his suitcase behind him and looked around the familiar corridors with a content smile on his face. "It's been a while" he said as he hesitated for a moment at the end of the corridor before finding the light switch. Dark room in front of them was suddenly revealed to be what was undeniably the grand hall; a two-story, large room with indoor balcony ringing it's walls, floor-to-ceiling windows on one side and a large staircase on the other. A few cream-colored sculptures on marble stands stood against the brown, ornate walls making the place look a little like a lobby of a museum or a respectable library.
Wagner pulled his luggage closer to himself and teleported to the top of the sitars and waited for the other two to follow.
"That's just being lazy" Forge muttered.
"I can hear you!" Wagner warned. "And you don't have stuff to carry along, other than the transporter."
"We don't have property, hurray!" Forge faked a cheer playfully punching Wagner's arm as he walked past.
"You heard the Professor, you'll get to buy stuff tomorrow" the German led a few steps down the corridor and pointed his hand to an unmarked door. "There's your room, by the way."
"Okay. Let me have a look around and drop off the transporter there. It and I need a break, it had not been working out very well" he shook his head and headed for the door.
As the only one familiar enough with the mansion to know which rooms are 1-3 in East Wing, Kurt was tasked with showing the other two to their assigned rooms, as well as giving Fallen a tour later on. He now turned to the girl and smiled.
"And that's you" he nodded at the door closer to them.
"Okay. Thanks."
"Go ahead and look around it. I'll drop off my stuff at my room, over here, and you can join me when you're done?" he made his way over to the next door.
"I will."
When Wagner disappeared into his new-old bedroom, she entered the one that she was assigned, already knowing it would feel wrong and lonely to have a wall between them. They shared every room since before they were together, most of them small and stripping them off anything remotely alike personal space. Having a space all for her own was new.
And what a space it was. The room was spacious, with a big bed, wooden furniture, tall ceiling and a balcony with a large, glass door and a thick curtain to cover it for the night. She expected the grandeur of this place, and still found it hard to imagine how she's going to occupy this space on her own.
All she had to start filling it with was the small music player and wired earbuds tangled inside her pocket. She placed it on the nightstand.
"Consider me moved in, I suppose."
She left and went to the cracked door to the right of her room. Kurt was assembling his belongings into three piles on top of his own bed.
Fallen watched him for a moment before making her presence known. "You went for German citizenship after all, huh?" she seated herself at the foot of the bed.
"Ja" he smiled. "I did grow up there and German is my first language so it made sense. And I feel like my mom would be glad to hear that I share that with her, even though we don't share blood. I considered going for her last name, too, but I'm too used to mine. And if this citizenship will ever cause me any issues staying in the U.S. all I have to do is to convince you to marry me" he blew her a theatrical kiss before swiftly disappearing through the gaping door with toiletries to put in the shared bathroom.
Forge appeared in the doorway just a moment later; "I hear Kurt's memories are restored well enough that his proposal game is peaking" he chuckled.
"But clearly not well enough to remember what I think about marriages."
"Or that's why he evacuates himself before you can argue against it" he pointed a finger-gun at her.
"Or that" she responded with the same gesture.
"Anyway, I'm starving. We need to grab some food."
"Do I hear my name?" Kurt came back. "Food?"
"Yeah. Hey, why do you not teleport around like you do?" Forge asked.
"I'm not so sure about how good my skills are" Wagner shook his head. "I probably remember how to do it with more precision than I physically could at this age."
"You'll have an opportunity to test yourself soon enough during the evaluation training."
xXx
Being on top of the stairs they could already see a warm light pouring out into the main hall, and sounds of a conversation between two voices. Fallen couldn't recognize them but by the look on Kurt's face it was clear he knew exactly who it was. He sped up for a few steps before almost stopping and turning to the other two hesitantly.
"I almost forgot they don't know who I am anymore" he whispered.
"You'll be fine, man" Forge squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.
"Attitute is everything" Fallen said before hesitating, "you did remember enough to know what I mean, right?"
The boy nodded slightly and turned back to the doorway. He braced himself and put a smile on his face before stepping into the kitchen, closely followed by the other two.
"Hello" he waved his hand briefly.
Sitting at the table were two tall, lean teens who looked to be between 17 and 19. Between the bright red hair of the girl and the ruby sunglasses worn by the boy, Fallen didn't even need to guess who they were, despite seeing them for the first time. Summers and Grey. They fell quiet as their faces turned to the newcomers, especially eyeing Wagner for a lingering second. Redhead girl was the first to get up and smile.
"You must be Kurt" she met him halfway and extended her hand.
"Ja. Yes, that's me" doing his best not to be awkward he grinned and shook her hand.
"It's nice to meet you, I'm Jean" she said. "And this is Scott" she gestured towards the brunette boy who also got up.
"Welcome to the Institute, Kurt" he also shook the newcomer's hand. "I see you've got company?"
"Ah. Yes" Wagner stepped to the side and gestured to the other two. "These are Fallen and Forge."
"I knew you'd be coming, but I didn't know you'd bring your friends with you" Scott said.
"Did you come to drop Kurt off?" Jean asked as they also shook hands.
"Actually, we're here to stay" Fallen smirked.
Jean and Scott looked at each other with slight confusion. "So, that means…"
"I know what you're going to ask" Forge extended his arm and did a quick show of morphing it into its biomechanic version and moving a few individual segments before morphing it back. "That's why I go by Forge, though I came up with this nickname as a child and I admit it's not very accurate for what I actually do. But I like to create stuff with this so that's why."
Scott nodded. "So what's your real name?"
"Jonathon Silvercloud" Forge replied simply. "But it sounds far too serious to suit me."
Jean turned her attention to Fallen and smiled at the shorter girl. "How about you?"
"My formal name's Blake" she said. 'For all of the last twenty minutes' she added in her thoughts. "Blake Harris."
"And what's your power, Blake?" Scott asked.
"I'd prefer it if you just called me Fallen" she corrected, buying herself a moment to make the upcoming lie sound believable. "And I don't have any powers. Your Professor is my uncle and he's taking custody of me."
Scott's brow arched. "That's something new. He didn't mention anything."
"Yeah, well. It all happened quite suddenly."
"But you all know each other, right?" Summers asked. "And Professor Xavier brought you all in at once. How-"
"So no one is going to ask me about my powers?" Kurt stepped in, theatrically offended. "Being blue isn't all I've got, you know?"
It worked, both Scott and Jean turned their faces towards him questioningly.
Wagner grinned at them and- *BAMF*- *BAMF* - he reappeared behind them, same wide grin on his face. "I teleport" he reported happily.
"That will come in handy for sure" Scott was impressed and clearly eager to utilize his teammates abilities in the future.
"Sure. But it did get me in a lot of trouble before I got a hold of it" Wagner chuckled.
"I imagine" Summers nodded. "Especially since my powers are out of control entirely."
"What can you do?" Kurt sat down at the dining table, giving Fallen a brief smile as he effectively detoured the conversation from the odd circumstances of how they all arrived here.
Everyone followed suit, joining him at the table as Scott explained how he can shoot powerful blasts from his eyes that are neutralized by the special, ruby sunglasses he always wears.
"Just at the end of this week I got in trouble because I wanted to help a guy. Todd, he's a shady type and stinks big time, but I think he's a mutant, too. He was stealing cash during a football game and some jocks from our school tried to rough him up-"
"Duncan's not a jock" Jean frowned at him. "He makes some bad choices, but he's not a jock."
"I think you're just saying that because you're dating him" Summers responded in a dry tone. Grey scoffed and turned her face away from him, but didn't say anything more. Scott continued; "I tried to step in and ended up blasting my rays straight into propane containers" he tapped the side of his sunglasses. "It blew up. It's a miracle nobody got seriously hurt, but I gave everyone a scare and Professor Xavier needed to alter some memories so they don't ask too many questions about how that happened."
"I have the power of telekinesis, but I'm also a telepath" Jean's face softened. "And when my telepathy first started getting too strong I couldn't block out anyone's thoughts. I was so messed up from hearing everything, from everyone, all the time. If Professor Xavier hadn't stepped in when he did I think I would have ended up clinically insane."
"How's it now?" Fallen asked.
"It got much better and I've been working on it with the Professor since I got here in February" Grey smiled. "Now I almost never hear or feel anything without meaning to, or without someone directing a certain thought at me."
xXx
"It's safe to say it went better than the last time" Kurt said as he pulled out a clean t-shirt from his new wardrobe and threw it at Fallen.
She smirked as she caught it. "It's not surprising."
"What do you mean?" he asked as he grabbed comfortable stuff to sleep in for himself.
"Last time you were this mysterious, surreal character who wouldn't talk to them at first. You must have been quite intimidating with that floor-length cloak and huge hood covering the entirety of your face. I'm sure it's easier to feel comfortable around a smiley blue elf than it is around a dementor wannabe."
"Looking back at it I can see why that didn't help" he chuckled.
Time taught him that the way he presents to other people can often turn around how they respond to him. He had this long period of approaching everyone like he expects them to be scared or otherwise react poorly, and in time tried to consciously reprogram himself to start approaching them like he expects them to like him. Maybe it didn't eradicate all prejudice but it definitely limited it a lot.
He smiled, more and more eager to see what else can change for him this time around.
"I'll take a shower and go to sleep" he decided, throwing fresh clothes over his shoulder and heading for the doorway where Fallen stood.
"I'll see you tomorrow, then" the brunette said.
He smiled back at her and hesitated for a moment. He then looked away sheepishly and was about to pass by her when she grabbed his wrist to stop him. As he lifted his eyes their faces were inches apart.
"I know you remember enough not to be this shy" she said above the whisper.
A small quiver brought the corner of his lip up in an innocent smirk. He leaned in for a brief kiss and inhaled deeply once he pulled back. "Goodnight, Fall" he said.
"Goodnight" she shook her head with a smile as he headed towards the bathroom door. "And thanks for the t-shirt."
Kurt turned his head to her with a wide grin before disappearing into the bathroom.
Fallen sighed, a smile still on her lips. She closed the door of the boy's room and headed to her own with the makeshift PJs in her hand. She previously asked for instructions on how to get to the laundry room, so she could finally clean her only set of clothes. Tomorrow, when she goes to get enough stuff to live comfortably - as they were told they would do - she didn't want to parade around her new town with grass and dirt stains on her jeans.
She stepped out onto her new balcony with music playing on her earphones - a trinket from the future, brought in her pocket along with a small music player. Her eyes were cast on the beautiful landscape outside the window and the sky that was bright with stars, where she could see it between clouds. The balcony was hanging above the backyard - with a pool, tennis court and lots of open space that ends abruptly with a scarp, and beyond it - what seemed like endless, black water sparkling in the darkness. She could now fully understand why Kurt said he could spend hours on his balcony at the Institute and just stare, thinking too much for his own good. Initially she was going to wait until he leaves the bathroom and go for a shower or a bath, and then just rest. She should sleep off all the emotions of those last three days.
She couldn't even imagine laying down and trying to sleep.
It was years since she last had a bed all to herself, and it didn't feel right. She wondered if it's the same for Kurt or if having that temporary memory loss made it any easier. All she knew for sure is that she's exhausted to the point of being irrationally irritable and what energy she had left was invested in acting rational. On the first night she passed out with exhaustion at the break of dawn and still ended up waking up slightly over 2 hours later. Following night she mostly watched over Kurt and only fell asleep after he remembered her enough to welcome her into his bed. Tonight she was alone again, but wanted to at least try to get better sleep before facing another day.
She needed a way to sooth her mind and stop running on adrenaline, but just listening to music made her even more riled up, thinking and overthinking and rethinking every single detail of this bizarre situation and every step of the way leading up to it. All the years. All the science. All the emotions. She felt like a newborn baby who's yet to find a place in this world, but unlike a baby she came with a lot of baggage, all the while still being fully insignificant to this new reality.
Eventually she needed to stop herself and turn off the music, get up and go to the bathroom. It was about time she had a good scrub, and maybe it would clear her head as well.
She turned on the tap and water and as it poured, she stripped her worn out jean pants, white tank top and underwear, relieved to be without them. They did not fit her the same way they used to before coming here. She looked at what she could see of her naked body in the mirror hanging above the sink. Her breasts were a size smaller, her stomach and arms weren't toned anymore, remains of what she could only describe as baby fat still there as well as making her face a tad more round. The changes weren't groundbreaking, but very clear to the critical eyes of someone who's very particular about the way they present. There were a few less pounds of muscle and a few more pounds of fat on her than what she was used to seeing these last few years. Even her hair was much shorter than she used to have it before coming here, now falling around three inches below her shoulders. She definitely aged back physically, just like the other two. A few years less under her belt.
A hint of sadness pinched her heart, because that meant she was once again physically a legal minor, by law not allowed full autonomy over her life. Something she fought fiercely to get before coming of age. Having already turned a legal adult before coming here was liberating, and now no longer the case.
She shifted, her gaze trailing the parts of her back and arms that were covered with tattoos that marked her journey out of that dark place her childhood and adolescence were. The tattoos were now gone, and she wondered if their meaning still rang true, or if her freedom was to be restricted once again.
A part of her that operated on pure instinct almost wanted to run instead of placing her future in the hands of a man who is little more than a complete stranger. Will he just treat her as a rebellious teen who needs to be put in their place? Or will he be able to look past the aged-back physique and treat her as the adult that she is?
Either way she would be legally dependent on him. The thought was disturbing to say the least.
But she was determined to try making the best of it, because Kurt needed to get some of his old life back. Otherwise abandoning the life they built in her dimension would be pure waste.
She shot one last look towards her reflection, both hopeful and unsure.
"Ah shit, here I go again" she whispered before breaking eye contact with her old self and turning towards the bathtub.
+04.09.1995, Monday+
Following day she woke up to a soft knocking on the wooden door. She sat up, quickly shaking off the sleepiness and confusion.
"Come in!" she called.
The door opened and a smiling woman's face appeared behind it.
"Good Morning" she said.
"Morning, Ms Monroe" Fallen ushered a brief smile.
"I brought your clothes from the laundry room so you don't have to pick it up in the state of undress" the woman chuckled and carried a pile of folded clothing over to the bed.
Fallen looked down at an oversized t-shirt she borrowed from Kurt to not sleep completely naked and she smirked. "Modesty was never my thing so I would've fetched it myself. But thank you very much either way. I'm not feeling very confident about whether I'd find my way to and back from the laundry room again."
"I'm sure you'll learn your way around here very quickly. In fact, do you know how to make it to the underground infirmary?"
The brunette shook her head. "Ma'am, all I know about this place is what Kurt told me, the show itself wasn't very descriptive with the mansion's layout."
"I see…"
She could see the intrigue behind Ororo's blue eyes. Clearly learning anything new about the extent or lack of details Fallen knew from the caricature of their life depicted in the cartoon piqued her interest.
"In this case just follow Kurt and Forge and all of you can come in together."
"Come in?"
"For your medical exam. Nothing unusual, we just need your basic vitals on record and also measurements for your uniforms" the woman's smile was very reassuring. "Say, I'll see you there in 20 minutes? I need you to be pre-breakfast for blood samples."
Fallen responded with a single nod.
Once Monroe left the girl rubbed her eyes and took a moment.
Coming to her senses quickly saved her ass more than once in the past, but no wake up was this bizarre. No wake up was in a huge mansion, leave alone one for superhumans in a completely different dimension.
She was also experiencing a mild migraine that felt like, if anything, a reminder that she's still very much a limited human despite the supernatural circumstances. She took a deep breath looking at the high ceiling and exhaled slowly.
"Evaluating training will be fun" she said with a grimace and threw her duvet aside to get dressed. The clothes she arrived in were now soft and smelled fresh, but she definitely needed to get more than one set by the end of the day.
As she was getting dressed she caught a glimpse of her reflection in a mirror at the vanity table. She pulled her shirt fully down and approached it.
The lack of her signature makeup and her air-dried, therefore naturally curly hair really highlighted the lacking years in her age. The young teen looking back at her felt like a memory she didn't want to remember.
She grimaced and left the room, heading right and past the stairway leading down into the main hall. Keeping track of the doors she tried to remember what Kurt said about how bedrooms are assigned.
She stopped in front of the door to her right and knocked.
"Yes, come in" she heard from the inside and congratulated herself on winding up at the correct door.
She entered. The redhead was at her desk with some school books in front of her.
"Oh, Fallen. Hello" she smiled at her.
The brunette smiled back, trying to be polite despite too much going on to be genuinely cheerful. "Morning, Jean. I was just wondering if there's any chance you'd have a hair straightener I could borrow? I'm yet to get one."
Grey chuckled but shook her head. "I'm sorry to disappoint you but no, I don't have one. I don't think Ms Monroe would either."
"Shit" the girl muttered. "Okay, how about some hair elastic I could borrow to tame this mess?" she pointed to her unruly hair. "I'm yet to buy anything for myself."
"That I can do" she smiled and went over to her own vanity table. She grabbed two elastics and handed them to the new girl. "Why do you not have anything of your own though?"
Fallen swallowed and smirked awkwardly. "Let's just say I lost it all abruptly."
Jean's face became a little more serious, like she thought she touched on some sensitive matter.
"Alright… Let me know if you need anything else, okay?"
"Sure. Thanks" ready to get out of the awkwardness, the brunette gave the taller girl one last smile and headed back to her room, her hands already gathering her hair in the back.
She crashed into Kurt and Forge at the door of her bedroom.
"Here you are!" Wagner called.
"We need to go to the infirmary for a medical checkup" Forge said.
"I know. I was only gone for 2 minutes" she rolled her eyes at them with a smirk. "And good morning to you, too."
xXx
Fallen found the way the infirmary was set up very interesting. At one point of walking along the metal, white-light lit futuristic corridors of the undergrounds they turned left, onto another corridor that looked like it didn't even belong in the same building. The Chinese-inspired wooden designs and sitting area made it feel cozy, in a way a waiting room at a holistic doctor's office might be. From there, through a glass door, they entered a sterile looking room with a few hospital beds and surprisingly - windows.
Fallen squinted in confusion before they came into better view and she could tell there are apparently some light panels behind the glass to give the illusion of daylight.
"It's so that recovering patients don't feel the fact that we're underground" Kurt explained. "It can make some people feel sicker."
She nodded and turned her attention to Ororo who waited for them at a desk in the back of the room.
"Who's first?" she asked.
Kurt was volunteered by the other two, the woman noted all of his vitals, weight and height, before grabbing everything necessary to take blood samples.
"Sorry, I know fur's not making it easy to find the right spot" the boy chuckled apologetically at the look of frustration on the woman's face as she kept running her finger over the inner side of his elbow, trying to see to the skin below.
She lifted her eyes to him and looked like she hesitated for a moment before responding; "It doesn't help that I've only drawn blood twice before this either."
Seeing the immediate doubt on the boy's face she tried to brush it off with a smile and a chuckle. "Professor Xavier put me in charge of doing the initial health exams, but other than a short training I only needed to do this on the two students we have so far. But don't worry, I've got it" she smiled, positioning the needle against his inner elbow.
Wagner grimaced with discomfort as she pierced his skin.
"When we're done with all of this I'm going to need your families' health history" the woman said addressing all three of them. "I know it might not be possible for all of you."
"The only biological family I met is my mother, but I don't know about her health" Wagner said. "I know she's a mutant and probably a little psychotic if that helps."
"I left my family early and didn't care to get any updates on their health" Fallen shrugged. "All I remember is some allergies, diabetes, addictions and a whole lot of cases of stupid asshole-ness."
"It's diabetes and dementia for me, but there might be some more records to pull if necessary" Forge sighed. "Unfortunately I don't have anyone to ask because my last living relative hardly remembers her own name on a good day."
The woman nodded and as soon as she was done with Kurt's blood sample she noted down everything they said. 'Alright. Who's next?"
After collecting all they could regarding their health, came the tedious process of measuring every length and width of their bodies for the custom uniforms that they would wear during training and any sort of widely understood missions. Nearly two hours passed by the time they left the infirmary and headed for the due breakfast.
"Man, I'm starving" Forge groaned as he scoured the cabinets to find food.
"Goodmorning" Professor Xavier smiled at them from the doorway. They all welcomed him while settling down to eat. "As we discussed yesterday, you will need to buy yourself all things necessary to settle in, especially you two" the man nodded to Fallen and Forge. "For the rest of your time at the Institute you will be provided a monthly allowance like the rest of my students, but for this occasion you get an off-record budget."
Xavier pulled a silver credit card from the inner pocket of his jacket and placed it on the table between them.
"There is no limit on it, albeit I trust that you will not consider buying yourself a car or diamonds an immediate necessity" the man smiled at them with amusement. "As for everything you will need for school, it will be provided for you. Unless you want specific notebooks, pens or other equipment, then you can grab it with the rest of your shopping."
"When are we going to start the school?" Kurt asked and stuffed his face full of a sandwich.
"I'm going to see your future principal about it later today, then I'll get back to you" Xavier informed. "Scott and Jean are already at school, so if you want a ride to the mall you would have to ask Ororo."
"We can walk, it's twenty minutes away or so. What do you think?" Wagner turned to his companions. They nodded.
"Very well" Professor turned towards the door. "We already sent your measurements to the people providing me with combat uniforms for students, they should be done within 24 hours. So prepare to have your evaluation training tomorrow before noon."
"Professor?" Kurt stopped the man. "My inducer's still not working."
The man nodded. "Yes, a new one is currently updating software. Come pick it up before you leave."
"A new one?" Wagner raised his eyebrows. "Why didn't you just send this old one back to be fixed instead? I know it's expensive."
"I've looked into it, but yours has a newer version number. No money is worth answering the questions of how I got my hands on technology they haven't yet produced. Mr Stark is privy to a lot of information on what's going on behind our walls, however there are certain limits and the story of the three of you is one of them. And I had a new one developed for you since our meeting last year, you reached out before I could bring it to you."
"Give me the old one later on" Forge said once the man finally left. "Maybe I can repurpose it or even fix it and you'll have a backup."
xXx
Professor Xavier pushed one of the buttons on the console to switch off the startling alarm that blared shortly after the clocks struck noon. The Institute fell into silence again and the large screen in front of the man displayed a map of their town. He zoomed in on the location of the red dot until he was left with a satellite view of the Bayville High School.
He felt a tingling in the back of his head, specifically like Scott was trying to communicate with him, but there was no telepathic message sent his way.
He switched over to the command center and information pulled from all available sources was collected onto the screen. That's when his private line rang.
The man smirked with amusement and pushed the proper button on the console built into the armrest of his wheelchair.
"Hello, Scott" he said.
*Man, Professor, you know it always weirds me out when you do that* said voice on the speakers.
"Sorry" Xavier pushed a button above his keyboard and a circular compartment opened on his left hand side. "What are you calling about?"
*One of the students, he's- uh, kind of like us* by the bustling it sounded like Summers was looking around, probably to make sure no one was listening. Public payphones, especially at school, had little privacy to offer.
"Yes, Todd Tolensky."
*You know him?*
The man turned his eyes from the name on his screen to the helmet that fit perfectly into the previously opened compartment. He pulled it out and over his head, making sure the wires connecting it to the computer remain intact.
"Cerebro just got a reading. He must be using his powers openly now."
*Anyway, he's not the kind of guy I'd really want to share a room with. I mean, to put it bluntly he's got the personal hygiene of a dead pig.*
"We cannot turn our backs on anyone, Scott. You know that."
*Yeah, I know. So, should I bring him in?*
"No need, Scott. I'll speak with you later."
He hung up and focused his thoughts on Ororo, whom he found in the glasshouse.
*Storm?*
*Yes, Professor?*
*I wonder if you could audition someone for me? Come see me in the office.*
A few minutes later Monroe gazed above the man at the incomplete profile displayed on the screen. "Should I go and see if he actually has any powers?"
"No need, he'll come to us soon."
"What?"
"I felt the intention when I was trying to read him with Cerebro."
"Why is he coming here?"
"I don't know."
"Do you want to ask about him when they come back?"
The man knew that the implied 'they' are the three of his new students, who probably do know more about this new, potential recruit than his system can pull. The idea to ask about information on everything every step of the way and be a step ahead of surprises was tempting, but maybe a little extreme.
"I don't think there's a need for that. If we're going to act like he could be a threat to our future we'll be a hair away from slipping into constant paranoia."
xXx
Fallen looked critically at items she sorted into piles on top of her bed.
"Alright, I got another shirt, a second pair of pants, one skirt, workout stuff and something to wear to sleep, a bunch of underwear, flip-flops to wear around the Institute instead of my boots and everything I need to keep myself clean and presentable" she listed out loud. "And a bag for school stuff. I think that'll do for now, what do you think?"
Kurt, who was busy claiming the first page of her new notebook for a sketch of his own, nodded in agreement. "You can get more after we get regular allowance, but as far as necessities go I think it'll do."
"How much allowance do we get anyway?" the brunette picked up the few new clothing items to put them in her new, empty drawers. "Because I wanted to get a hair straightener, but I didn't feel like I should write it off as an immediate necessity."
"A hundred dollars, monthly" Wagner smiled and flipped the notebook around to show her a sketch depicting her facing the viewer, with him leaning in to give her a peck on the cheek. He smiled proudly at her.
She shook her head with a smile. "So now if I carry this around for sketching and someone sees the opening page, they will immediately know I'm taken, huh?"
At first Kurt looked bashful, but quickly the expression turned into a wide grin. "Precisely."
"Awesome" she ruffled his hair. "Give me a moment to do my makeup, and then can you help me carry the toileters to the bathroom? And then we can get Forge and go to dinner."
"You should come to our training later today" Jean said cheerfully as she telepathically replaced a bowl of mashed potatoes in its place. "See what to expect."
Fallen gave a sideways glance to Kurt and Forge who knew exactly what to expect. Then she smiled at the redhead. "That sounds great."
"There's a control room where you can have a good view of everything that's going on" Scott turned his face to Ororo. "What do you think, Ms Monroe? I'm sure it'll make it less overwhelming than going straight into a Danger Room session."
"I think it's a brilliant idea, Scott" the woman looked at the three new students with a small, involuntary smile. Pretending they are just dumbfounded newbies was already turning into an inside joke.
"I have called your future high school" Professor picked up. "You will be able to start from next week. You will have to pick your classes for this semester by Thursday this week. Scott, Jean, could either of you pick up the necessary forms when you're at school tomorrow?"
"Of course" Grey nodded.
With Scott and Jean in the room, Fallen didn't want to ask, but she assumed that it probably means their new documents should be taken care of by the end of the week, too. Soon, she would officially, legally exist in this new dimension.
"You can use the rest of the week to adjust to your new living arrangement and start your training" Ororo said reassuringly. "And like Scott and Jean suggested, you're more than welcome to start by watching their training. Do all three of you want me to let you know when I'll be heading to the control room?"
Of course they all agreed, even if the concept of those trainings was novelty only for one of them.
"It's good to keep up the appearances" Monroe said once she was alone with the three of them. "If Professor decided to keep your origins a secret, then it's going to take a lot of playing your knowledge down to convince others."
"Do you think Professor's right for making us hide it?" Forge asked as they arrived at the elevator.
Kurt was quicker to push the right buttons, earning a brief look from Ororo. She was clearly getting used to them being a step ahead of what she would usually need to show new arrivals.
"It doesn't matter if I agree with him" she said. "It's his school and his decision."
"But you sound like you'd make a different decision" Silvercloud noted.
The woman just gave him a sideways glance, but didn't either agree or deny.
The elevator door opened into the same futuristic corridor they walked when returning from the hangar. Fallen could tell that she's the only one who needs to follow rather than just knows where she's going as they made it across to another elevator and descended into a circular room. It was roughly a hundred square feet surrounded by glass walls that angled away from the floor to allow a better view. The room was equipped with a multitude of large control panels and multiple screens.
While Kurt and Forge engaged in chatter about some memories relating to this place, Fallen approached one of the glass walls to look at what's behind it. The control room seemed to sit like an upside-down dome in the middle of the ceiling of a larger dome-shaped room. Its walls were made out of metal panels of various shapes and sizes, and four of which curved out of the wall and towards the control room.
The only way in that she could see was a metal door that slid open, and Scott and Jean walked through them. They were both wearing their skin-tight fighting uniforms; mostly black, however Scott's had an 'X' shaped yellow design over his chest and back, while Jean had a green shaped upside-down triangle stretching across the front and back.
"Are you ready?" Ororo asked, leaning to a microphone. "I'm launching the simulation."
For the next fifteen minutes they watched Jean and Scott move around the circular room as it produced various cannons, sinkholes, traps and other obstacles trying to take them down.
Then Ororo shifted and for a moment her eyes darted around absently.
"Professor wants me upstairs" she turned to Kurt. "You know how to operate this system?"
Wagner nodded.
"Good" she nodded. "They should be perfectly fine, but shut it down if anything goes wrong. I'll be back before they're done" she squeezed the boy's shoulder reassuringly on her way to the elevator.
xXx
[[I got real supa powers and I'll display 'em
I leap without pause an all ov'a, Ma-yan
Far from handsome, so I don't play cute
Use mah tongue ta grab things and spits gray goop
I'mma freshmen, got beef wit the X-Men
If X-Marks the spot then I'mma e-X d'em
I trip on Mystique for protendin' ta be
One of the X-Men while I'm the Enemy
S'all good, yo! See I know
Some things ya gotta undastand about Toad]]
Todd stopped singing his made-up song once he arrived outside of what they probably thought to be a high, safe fence. He looked at the huge mansion sitting at the end of the long, dark driveway.
"Easy."
With just one leap he was on the other side of the fence, for now hidden with the trees that grew as far as he could see to one side. He continued towards the building, but only a dozen feet further he was shocked by something suddenly zooming just above his head. Looking left, he saw smoke lifting from a spot on a tree. Looking right, he saw what looked like a weapon on a robotic arm sticking from the ground.
A light lit in the eye of the gun and in the last moment he realized it's a wise thing to duck. He heard it fire again, missing him by a foot. He then realized the weapon can easily rotate and adjust to his position, so before any other thought popped into his head, he ran - or rather, escaped in long leaps.
But then he noticed another one of them. And just as he was distracted with it, a lightning bolt struck so close to him he jumped in absolute shock.
"What the heck!" he yelled, changing his direction and making sure his jumps are as crazy as his thoughts at the moment, so that neither the oddly recurring lightning strikes or the cannons won't be able to take the aim.
A bolt struck right in front of him and he somersaulted backwards with a high-pitched scream of shock. Then he sped up even more, zig-zagging his way to the front entrance.
He bolted towards the glass door of the building as if his life depended on it. And at the moment, honestly, he believed that it just might be the case.
Door being actually open caught him so off guard, that when he lunged at it and it just opened he fell inside and rolled on the floor. Immediately he lept back onto his feet, expecting literally everything, but finding the place empty and quiet. The hall he was in was huge, with big stairs going up and red carpet and statues and stuff rich people want to have just to prove they're rich. Todd couldn't think of any other reason, it's not like you can have fun with the statues.
*Welcome to my home, Mr Tolensky* a voice made him jump and hold onto one of the statues with a yelp. He quickly recovered, getting back onto his feet like nothing ever happened.
"Yo, who said it?" he asked. "Show yo'self!"
"It was me, Mr Tolensky."
Todd turned around quickly to see a bald man wheeling in his chair out of one of the corridors.
"My name is Charles Xavier, and I'm glad to see you at my school."
The teen frowned.
The bald man chuckled at his confusion. "Don't worry, nobody's going to fire any more lasers at you. I saw more than enough. You're indeed very talented, Mr Tolensky."
"I am what?" he asked first off, then it clicked. "I mean YEAH, 'course I am hella talented" he proudly wanted to rest against the nearby statue like the badass he clearly is, but the statue slid off the edge and fell to the floor, shattering loudly. Todd jumped back, eyes wide, but quickly stood straight like nothing happened and put hands behind his back, wondering whether he should also whistle and pretend he didn't do it. Seemed to work in the kid movies.
Bald guy looked down at the shattered statue, but didn't say anything. He looked back up to Todd. "Since you're already here, I'd like to talk to you in my office, if that's alright, Mr Tolensky?"
"Uh... e... yeah, sure, can't hurt to talk" Todd shrugged awkwardly and followed the rich man through another expensive-looking corridor and into his obnoxiously big office. Not exactly the kind of welcoming he expected after literally burgling in and being shot at, but fine, at least he may gather some information Mystique wanted.
Now, the bald man - she told him about this dude. He's a mind reader or some creepy shit like that.
"So what's this place? What're you doin' here? Who's livin' here?" he kept asking questions as he leapt from one side of the wheelchair to the other.
"Don't worry, Mr Tolensky, I'll answer all your questions" Xavier said as he guided him to a sitting area. "But before I do, I'd like to ask a question of my own."
Todd stopped looking around and looked at the man. "Ye?"
"What brought you here?"
The teen looked around quickly searching for an excuse. If he tells Mystique sent him he'll be kicked right out. So he tried it another way. "I've seen what the goggle guy can do. Summers, right?"
"So you thought maybe we help people like Scott, and we can help you" Xavier speculated. For a mind reader he bought it all too easily, no?
"Dunno" Todd shrugged. "Came just lookin' for answers."
The man smiled gently. "Then you came to the right place. You, Mr Tolensky, and all students at this school are especially gifted. What we do here is help those gifted people understand and maintain control over their abilities. Find the best use for them."
'Gifted'. That's a new way to call it, Todd never heard anyone refer to his abnormalities as gifts. Usually it was referred to in terms of sickness, curse or dysfunction, and even though he knew the benefits of owning it, it was the first time he saw someone else who found it something other than a disease. It made him feel something, but he couldn't put a finger to what this feeling is.
"So what, yo' wanna use mah supa'powers?" he asked as he fell back onto a sofa and rested one leg against the coffee table.
"If you cared to join us you could use it to help people and someday, when the world will acknowledge the existence of us, mutants, our team will try to maintain peace between humans and mutants."
Todd gave him a critical look. "That's what yo're workin' on? Peace on Earth an' stuff?"
"Peace between the two species is our main objective, yes."
"Tsst" Todd rolled his eyes. "Good luck with that."
Xavier gave him a questioning look, still gentle, slightly curious. Tolensky got up and put his hands in the pockets of his uniform.
"Look man, that sounds all rainbows, but world is ugly an' cruel, for ones like us especially. It ain't gonna change. If you're right and there's more mutants like us, once the world will hear about us the shit will hit the fan an' it won't be pretty" he said as he walked around slowly, slightly hunched, kicking the ground for no particular reason.
Tolensky walked up to the window and saw a man on a motorcycle heading up the long driveway. He finished his thought:
"You can have those fancy walls an' bring every freak inside, but you can't change shit outside this stupid fence."
"You have every reason to doubt I can" Xavier agreed. Todd looked back at him. "But let me show you something before you decide if you really want to say no to my offer."
xXx
"Woah" Todd was turning around on his own to look at the entire room. It was like entering a huge ball made of steel, with just one piece of catwalk floor leading you to the middle of it and nowhere else. "Wicked!"
"Welcome to the chamber of Cerebro, Mr Tolensky" Xavier said.
"Woah man, tell me you can play video games here!"
Charles chuckled slightly. "No, I believe our Simulator would be a better device for that kind of entertainment."
"Simulator?" he echoed. That sounds crazy fun.
The man drove himself to the midsection of the round chamber where a control panel was available. "You're one of very few people who get to see this place. It's the heart of the device that helps me find gifted teens like you and my students. I hope to show you something" as he said it, he put on a funky looking metal hat that made him look like an alien. Todd was just thinking of a comment to make about it, when he was startled by sudden blackout, or at least what he thought was a blackout.
Everything went completely dark for a moment, but then it lit up with many many little lights, and after a moment Todd noticed that they create shapes of the continents. It was like they sat at the inside of a shiny Earth, with all lands marked with lights all around them.
"These are all people on Earth" the bald man said. "And here" he stopped for a moment, and most of the lights went down, leaving only a fraction of them, delicately marking the lands. "These are the people with confirmed gen X and other measurable mutations."
"There's... hella many of 'em" Todd said, turning around his own.
"Not all of them are mutants the way you and I are" he said and images of people started floating through the air around them, creating the illusion of floating through a sea of ghosts. They seemed like some kind of monochromatic holograms displaying the supposed mutants. "A lot of them have abilities they won't even notice, minor ones. Some mutations and developments aren't caused by gen X, but by other natural changes in their DNA or by radiation. For now I am finding those whose powers affect their everyday life and who might want my help. I want to offer them housing, training and support. In return they are to help me achieve the dream you said is beyond our reach. But with a good team I believe we can change the minds of many people who will grow to support us in our mission."
Everything went dark again, then lit up and the hologram was gone from the steel walls. The man took off the funky hat and turned his chair to Todd.
"Our dream is to create a world safe for all those mutants and humans, so neither one would feel threatened or harassed. I would be honored if you chose to stand by our side."
Todd stared back at the man. He would be honored to have him at his side? Now the man went over his head. Something is sticky about the entire situation, they're going to brainwash him or something. No way.
"I assure you we're not going to do that" Xavier said.
"Wait, what?! Get outta my head man!" Tolensky leapt back to the doorway.
"Excuse me, after using Cerebro's chamber I easily catch loud thoughts, and yours certainly were" the man said calmly.
"Not cool!"
"I'm really sorry about the invasion. But I hope I got my point across."
Todd frowned. "What point?"
"That we're not alone in this search for peace" Xavier explained.
"I saw there's many mutants, not many supporters, yo" Todd turned around and pressed every button at the side of the door until it popped it open. "You wanna play a hero, have fun, to me this quest for peace is bullshit. I'm outta here" he got to the elevator and stared at the numbers. "Which-"
"Press number one."
"NOW I'm outta here" Todd said as he pressed the number.
The quiet when he was alone in the elevator made him realize just then how hard his heart is pounding. He waited for a moment, annoyed with the sound of his own breathing, and finally the door slid open. He made his way back the way he came. For a moment he lost himself, turning the wrong way perhaps, but then he found the right corridor with that obnoxiously expensive main hall at the end.
Before he reached it, a man walked in from the opposite direction; he was short but muscular, a real box of raw meat you could say. There was a growl in the man's throat. Todd felt uneasy, but it was nothing compared to when he heard a sound- like a sword being drawn- and then noticed blades extending from the man's hand.
"The fuck-" he stopped in his tracks, abandoning the idea of leaping past the man and leaving. Now he wanted to find a different route out, one that doesn't include getting past him. But as he turned around he saw the bald man in a wheelchair at the other end of the corridor.
"Who's this stinky bub?" the man with claws asked hoarsely.
"It's alright. Let him leave."
Todd hesitantly looked back at the man to see the blades disappear into his hands without a trace. The man still glared at him but stepped aside, leaving him an open way to go.
And the boy didn't need more encouragement. He hurried, hopping past the man, out of the mansion, and this time no laser gun was there to interrupt him as he left the Institute's grounds.
xXx
"What happened at the high school?" the man asked when they were already in Xavier's office. "I saw an article about some explosion this weekend."
"Scott's powers got out of control, he said he was trying to protect the boy you saw earlier from bullies and his glasses came off as they jumped him. A string of unfortunate incidents, I suppose" Charles explained looking out his window.
"Any chances somebody figures?" the man rested back against the Professor's desk.
"They already closed the case, they found it most plausible that there was a leakage of propane bottles."
"I assume you had something to do with that convenient conclusion" the man said before falling quiet for a lingering moment. Then he pulled the toothpick he was biting out of his mouth and said; "I can smell a few new kids."
Charles nodded. "Three at once."
"Ya weren't slacking off, Chuck. 'Ro's with them right now?"
Charles nodded again. "They're watching Jean and Scott's training. They'll have their own first one tomorrow."
The man scoffed with bitter amusement. "Gotta see how that goes" he pulled away from the desk and headed for the door. Just as he was about to leave, he heard the Professor's voice behind him;
"Logan."
The man turned his head.
"Welcome home" Xavier smiled.
There was a reminiscence of a smile on Wolverine's face as he responded with a single nod.
xXx
"Alright, that's it for today" Monroe announced on the microphone before turning to the three 'newbies' in the control room. "You can go, too. Get some rest before your run in the Danger Room tomorrow."
Once they were gone, the woman took time to reset the system, saving necessary footage and running the routine diagnostics. Her thoughts were only scattered when the door slid open, and she thought maybe the new guys came back, but as she turned her face she saw somebody else. A rough looking man was resting back against the side of the elevator, with arms crossed and an almost amused look on his face.
"Logan!" she turned around surprised.
"'Ro" he nodded with a smirk.
"It's good to see you back" she smiled and proceeded to shut down the system. "When did you arrive?"
"Just got here."
To be continued in part 2...