Chapter 2: The X-Impulse

Ethan walk up as he felt something move. He looked to the side and saw what it was. Jean had jumped down in his bed and try to go to sleep. She looked at him and smile as she went to sleep. He smiled back to her, remember all the time as kids when the never wanted to sleep without the other by their side. Now they mostly had their rooms at each side of the house and it wasn't often one of them made it to the other. However, when it happens it was most if the other had have a nightmare of something. Ethan went back to sleep and the next time he waked up Jean was already up and stared at him.

"Hey." he whispered tried.

"Good morning." she responded. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Better, sorry for yesterday."

"No problem." she said. "We should just be more careful with how fast the 'doors' can get open again." he nodded and closed his eyes. "Hey, it won't be for every, wait until we are older, you will have control then."

"We must hope." he responded not opening his eyes. She moved closer and held his hand under the blanket.

"I promise whatever happens, I will be there for you." she told him. "Like when I first close your doors." he opened his eyes and saw into hers as the memory came back to him.

He had been training with his fire control and try to mix it with water manipulation. His father hadn't been home and he was all alone except for Jean who he knew was sleeping upstairs in the study room his father had let them have. Scott was with Storm and Logan was not back. He had lost control and somehow Jean had felt it and awaken. She had run down and found him at the floor screaming as the fire was all around him and the water he used to train with was flying all around. She had walk over to him and try to make him concentrate on his name, who he was and who she was like Charles had told her to do when they had done this before. The different was what they hadn't been alone and now it was like a much stronger wall between them. Jean who cried and got panic kiss him and she had found that way into his mind, stuck in a hallway with doors, lucky she had read about the mind being all closed doors in a book and understood the doors wasn't supposed to be open, not all of them in the same time. So, she had started closing them one by one and later it became lockers to keep them close long. Their first kiss had been the same dayshe had givenhim a promise.

The alarm was of and Ethan and Jean move to listen as Charles spoke thought the sound mic.

"Jean, Ethan the Blackbird in one hour, dress normal but take your suit with." he said and the alarm silent. Ethan and Jean both look at each other as they wonder what it could be. They didn't move for a moment but in the end, Jean walk back to her room and Ethan walk up to dress. He took the normal dark blue jeans but a black t-shirt and black jeans jacket over. The sun was shining so he picked a pair sunglasses with him and when he was finish he walk down to the lower floor under the mansion. He walked to where his suit was hanging. It was just a pair of black jeans and a t-shirt. It had fingerless gloves and boots in the same color. A jacket in leather in case it became cold. All black except the yellow gray X's over the belt around the jeans and over the jacket when you snapped it. Ethan had also a pair of sunglasses with black glass so no one would see his eyes and risk exposing his identity more as he had his hair back came when he was suited up.

"Ready?" Charles ask as both Jean and Ethan had placed their suit in the hanger and taken their seat in the Blackbird. Jean sat in the front beside the Professor and Ethan with his sunglasses on sat behind her.

"Where are we going?" Ethan ask. Charles heard his attitude all different and figure Jean had lock some doors. He could also count that it was fewer days since last time it took for the doors to open. He, however, didn't comment it and start the Blackbird.

"We are going to Deerfield." he answer. "Cerebro found two new mutants using their powers."

"You mean two in the same spot at the same time?" Ethan ask.

"No, one had been active some longer than this new one." Charles answer. "We have Kitty Pryde and Lance Alvers." the jet started and lifted. Ethan look out through the window and Jean broke the silent after a while.

"Why is it just me and Ethan?" she ask Charles. "Why not all of us?"

"Because you are the one who can connect with this girl, Jean." Charles answer. "I don't want to leave Ethan behind and he might be able to help you."

"I hope so, but what will we do with the other kid?"

"Lance, let me deal with him. You two just concentrate on Kitty and her parents."

"Remember, you're a model of whatwe're offering them. No pressure." Ethan thought to her and had a smile on his face. She sighed.

"Shut up, you are going to help me." Jean told him and he went silent, but he still had a smile on his face.

Ethan and Jean stood behind his father as the door open and a man and a woman appeared at the door. Ethan could feel their fear as their eyes told him everything.

"Mr. and Mrs. Pryde?" Charles ask the people at the door and they nodded. "I'm here because I would like to talk about your daughter, Kitty Pryde."

"What are you talking about?" the woman ask. "How do you know Kitty?" the woman was quite much nervous.

"Might we come in for a moment?" Jean ask friendly. "We will answer all your questions."

"Excuse me Miss, but you can talk to us out here." the man said and took a step forward to stand in front of his wife. Ethan took the step as a threat ready to attack and took a step to stand in front of Jean, bus she stop him and took his hand to hold him back.

"He is just over protecting of his family."

"Yeah, and I am over mine." that shocked Jean. Ethan had never described her as family of the others in their team. It made her smile and squeal his hand.

"Very well, I think you two know your daughter, Kitty, is going through an unusual… transformation." Charles told the parents. "We simple want to help her through it, why don't you tell us about last night?" that made the parents tenser and they look at each other before the man turn to them again. Ethan ready if he was to attack or do anything.

"Last night is none of your business!" he yelled and pointed at Charles. Ethan took the movement and get a grip of the man's arm. The man look angry at him and pull back. "Please, just leave us alone or I will call the cops." the man backed and pull his wife with him before shouting the door in front of Ethan.

"Great," he muttered and turn to his father. "We could just have called instead and get hanged up on instead." Charles sigh and shook his head. He looked at Jean who look at his son. It would be harder than he thought and maybe Ethan wasn't the best to take with him, but it was too late to change that. He son had to learn how to act friendlier. "Can we go home now?"

"No, we are not done here." his father told him. "Jean, take Ethan with you. You will have to make direct contact with Kitty at her school."

"Dad, why am I here?"

"First off, you need to become friendlier and use to have new people around you. Second, if anything would happen your ability with Illusion could get use and third, I don't want you out of my sight without Jean if something would happen to you."

"Guess she has become my babysitter now then."

"Have I not been that since we were kids?" Jean asked him. "I made you a promise and I will keep it as much as I know you will keep yours. Come on now, it isn't far to the school." Jean took his arm and start to drag him with her. "We will call when we find her, Professor."

"Do so, I will take care of some other stuff." he told them and Ethan was stuck with Jean alone.

"So, what are you going to tell her?" Ethan ask as they walk over the parking line and to the back side of the school there they had seen people having sports. "She might not listen to her as her parents did."

"I don't know, I have never try to recruit someone before." Jean responded. "What do you do?" Ethan look at her like if to see if she was series. She was.

"You don't want to ask me for help." he told her.

"Yes, I do, now tell me how you got Scott to the team." Ethan shook his head but answer her.

"I made him see what I wanted him to." he answer. "Or what my father wanted him to see. I show him our home, a world filled with peace their humans could live together with mutants and a further there he had control." Jean look at him, fascinated.

"Why didn't you do that on me when we meet?"

"Would you tag along because I show you a further which you would understand was my mind powers to manipulate illusions?"

"Guess not, but won't it work with Kitty?"

"Look, I am not the hole talk-with-people-kind, but I do know different people need different things to motivate them to do what they need to. Scott needed hope. You needed the true feeling of safety and trust, not illusions about possibilities. I might not have planned to even help you as a kid, but whatever happens you have me by your side." Jean smile and nodded to him.

"Do you know why Kurt join and how we will get Kitty to join us?"

"I have a guess Kurt joined us because my father showed him that he would not stand out with us. And Kitty, I haven't meet her but what I have seen from her parents… she is afraid, Jean and fear can make people do things they don't want to so when you talk to her be careful. I would believe she need someone to look up to, someone she knows believe in her." Ethan stop in his tracks and look around. Jean notice his change in face as she stopped as well.

"What's wrong?" she asked him thought mind.

"Someone is using their powers."

"Kitty?"

"No, don't you feel it? The ground was shaking." Jean and Ethan look at each other as they start to walk again. They reach the back of the school to see a girl running and jumping, but when it looks like she was going to come far it was like the ground shake again and sand shot her back and she feel underneath the sand.

"What was that?" Jean ask and another girl came running, she didn't look where she run and bump into Jean before taking off again. Jean look at the girl running as Ethan look up to the school ruff. "Who was she?"

"I would believe that was Kitty, a Mutant."

"I'm going after her."

"I will check another thing, you will be fine, right?" Jean nodded at him and they split up. Ethan found Lance sneaking around down from the ruff and Ethan stop him as he was on his way to go in to where the girl and Jean had.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked. "You shouldn't stand in my way."

"Like I see it, you are in my and my friend's way."

"You mean the red hair?" he asked and had a smirk on his face. "You look like you know what I can do, so back of or I might hurt you!"

"You could try." Lance first thought to use his powers but instead he made an attack on Ethan who dug and roll to the side. "I thought you wanted to show off."

"You don't know me, and it would only be a waste of time to use my powers on you."

At the same time, Jean was talking to Kitty. She had just show her appearance and walk up to the stage.

"You don't know anything, and neither does that creepy guy out there!"

"Who? You mean Lance?" Jean lean against the table at the stage. "Forget about him, this is about you. You and your amazing new gift." Kitty took away the mask she was holding from her face and meet look down at it. She then looked up and faced the girl in front of her, who she would though could be a snob or something.

"I don't have a gift," she screamed, but the greatest come out as a whisper, "just a curse."

"Only if you let it be." Jean said soft. "I would like to help you understand it and together we-" Kitty cut her off.

"Look! I don't want any of this. It like already hard enough to be normal, you know!"

"Kitty," Jean said and sigh, "I want you just to watch me for a second, please?" Kitty didn't respond or look at her, but when she later looked up like to tell Jean she would let her show her Jean stood straight and use her mind and hand to move the mask from Kitty's hand and hang it back on the wall. Kitty become all shock and look at Jean in shock and fear.

"How did you-"

"The same way you can pass through walls." Jean answer and lay a hand on kitty to show her she was a friend. "Just like you, I woke up on day and had this power. And trust me, I hated it too until my friend came with his father and showed me others could have it worse than me and that I had nothing to fear as my friend since then has stand by my side."

"I-" Kitty said, not knowing what to say, "I don't believe you!" she pulled Jean away from her. "This is a trick."

"No," Jean said and continued almost in a whisper, a bit afraid about that would happen if she told her, "You do believe me, I know because that's my other ability," she paused and look at Kitty. "I can read your thoughts." Kitty gasped and backed.

"No, stay out of my head!" She turned and run away though the back door. Jean took a step to follow but was stop as someone pull her arm.

"Lance!" Ethan came in after him as he let go of Jean but didn't care.

"A piece of advice red, I'm the only friend she will need so you and your boyfriend can stay away." she pull Jean to the side and Ethan stood in his way. "Are you going to want to fight me again? This time with powers?"

"If you think you can handle me with powers as you thought you could fight me I can let you try again, but this time I will not let you go after when you beg me to stop-" Ethan threatened, not liking how Lance had treated Jean and call her red.

"Ethan," Jean told him off. "Let him go."

"You two are just loses, I will be the one teaching that girl so you two stay away and mind your own business." Ethan look at him disliking but let him past. He then looked at Jean who walk over to him.

"Think that was smart enough?"

"Kitty seems to be a nice girl, Ethan. She will know what's right and what's wrong." Jean told him. "We should call your father." Ethan nodded and they walk out to a bench, there Jean took up her phone and call Charles. She told him about how Lance was reaching Kitty and that they hadn't much of a progress.

"Jean." Ethan said and pointed to a wall further away. She looked at the direction just as she saw Kitty walk thought and Lance running away to the entrance. "She is breaking into the office."

"Professor, Kitty is breaking into the office with Lance."

"You two suite up and meet me and her parents outside." Jean hang up and they made their way to the Blackbird to change.

Ethan and Jean meet up with Charles outside the school minutes later and the Pryde came running asking what was happening and where Kitty was.

"Kitty broke into the office."

"What? She has never done something like this before."

"She must be affected or trick by Lance." Charles said and turn to Jean and Ethan. "You two go with them, I will catch up." Ethan and Jean nodded as they run after the Prydes to the school. Just as they enter the school office Lance had a hand around Kitty's wrist and hold her tight.

"Let go of my daughter!" Mr. Pryde yelled and run over to him, but Lance made a book shelter fall over him.

"No, stop!" Kitty scream and try to get away from Lance hold.

"They are just going to confuse you, Kitty." Lance told her and start to walk, dragging her with him.

"Lance! Let her go!" Ethan yelled as Jean help her father get the book shelter away.

"We are out of her."

"Kitty, please!" her mother call.

"No, let go of me!" Lance didn't listen and made a hole through the wall.

"Kitty, I'm sorry!" her father told her as his wife helped him up. "I push you to this and I didn't mean it to happen. I'm still learning, I'm as scared as you are." Kitty seem to hesitate.

"Daddy?"

"Forget about them!" Lance said. "I'm bringing this place down." the building start to shake and Ethan use his powers to hold it up as Jean use hers to make a shield around them.

"You call your gift a curse," Jean said.

"If you go with him I guarantee it will be." Ethan finish, knowing how Lance would be.

"Please, honey, listen to them." he mother cry. Her father yell he loved her and that made kitty yell and use her powers to get loose from Lance hold. She run to them and Lance become angry.

"Jean cover them!" Ethan scream and run over to meet Kitty half way as rocks fall when he let go of the building. Lance run away as the hole school fall.

"Kitty!" he parents call as Jean call after Ethan. Underneath the rooks, Ethan was above the girl and held the rocks away with his body as a shield over her. He hadn't got the chance to use his powers and did what came to his mind. Take the hit.

"Oh god!" the girl panicked.

"Kitty, listen to me." Ethan said thought the pain. "I'm fine, okay, I'm fine." he told her to calm her down. "You will have to use your powers to get out from here."

"What about you?" she asked him.

"I will be fine if you get out of here, go to your parents and Jean and take them with you."

"You her friend she was talking about, aren't you?" she asked him. "The one helping her understand her powers."

"Kitty, listen. I'm not that good with talking to people and for most of the time I don't care about anyone, but that's my powers. I can't feel something just like that because most of my feelings control my powers. I am strong and have gift people might dream of, but different from you and Jean, I do not have control so I can't use it as I wish with full power." he took a breath. "You will have to get out, take your parents who loves you and Jean with you. I will be fine, but I do not want to hurt any of you in the progress, understood?" she nodded.

"Why can't I take you with me out?"

"My powers makes me unaffected by other powers." he told her. "I won't go through rock even if you try to make me intangibility, I can't teleport if you had that power and wanted me to go with. My body is like a shield, stopping me from do more than I already can."

"Okay, I will hurry up." she told him and try to concentrate to go crawl out, but couldn't. "I can't!" she yelled.

"Yes, you can." Ethan told her. "You father and mother believe in you. Jean believe in you, I have hope you can do the impossible." Kitty listen to his words before she closed her eyes and made her way through the rocks. She reached her parents and Jean under a shield.

"Ethan?"

"He says he's fine but need us to get out before he does anything." Kitty told her, understanding the look in her eyes meant she really care for him. "Hold onto me, I will take us out."

Charles waited outside the collapsed building and suddenly Kitty came out with her parents and Jean behind her. Right thought a wall. Charles notice directly someone was missing and drove over to them.

"Jean, where is Ethan?"

"He is fine, Professor." Jean told him. "I have contact with him."

"You what?" Kitty ask.

"Jean and my son, Ethan, is quite good friends." Charles told her as Jean walk back to the building and help Ethan rube some blocks, they were contacting thought mind so she wouldn't remove the wrong rock and make everything collapse more. "Since they were kid they have an amazing bod you could say." Kitty looked to there Jean was, working with a rock and suddenly more moved.

"What's his powers?"

"He is a manipulator you could say." Charles answer as he watched Jean and Ethan remove rocks. Ethan using Jean's eyes to see with rock to move. "He can manipulate your mind to see what he wants, feel and believe it's true. He can go so deep so he can read your mind, but it takes a lot of effort and he can detect others with gift."

"How is he helping Jean move rocks?"

"He controls some elements too. Can set his hands at fire in fight, make the temperature rise, shoot ice from his hands, make a shield of earth and sometimes fly."

"Wow." Kitty said and her parents look more scared.

"It might sound cool but it's not." Charles told her. "He's mind is a big labyrinth making it hard for him to control himself and sometimes it can make him lose himself."

"Should he not get help with that?"

"He already does." Charles said and he saw Jean move over and help Ethan to stand. They walk over to them and Kitty out of happiness hug him.

"Thanks god you are okay!"

"Yeah, just don't cross me." Jean smile and knew Kitty might be able to help her with Ethan and watch over him. She was also happy that this might mean they had finally get one more girl to the institute.