A/N: This one is also dedicated to Cloudy-TheNightMareQueen for being my first and only reviewer. The story is pretty light-hearted and fun right now, but trust me, it gets DARK later.
I thought about the day as I prepared to go to sleep. Sure enough, Laura had utterly destroyed me. I didn't get a single hit in and if I didn't have a healing factor I would have been in too much pain to move. I had spent the rest of the day watching movies, talking, and fooling around with the other students. This isn't a bad place... was my last conscious thought.
"Congratulations X-29. You have completed the training." I was in tank of fluid with needles all over my body. "Begin the procedure." I sat there wondering what he meant. Nothing happened. Then, all of a sudden I was in the most excruciating pain imaginable. I tried to scream but no sound came out.
"Hey, come on you're fine, wake up." My eyes shot open to see Bobby leaning over me looking worried. What the hell was that? X-29? What the fuck is happening to me? "Bobby, I'm fine. Just a nightmare." He laughed mirthlessly. "Just a nightmare? You were crying and making a horrible noise. It sounded like you were dying." Before I could come up with a lie Logan and Laura burst into the room. "What the hell are you two doing in here?" Logan growled. "It sounded like somebody was being murdered. Just a nightmare." I mumbled. "Well next time keep it to yourself ok, kid? That's why you're such a great guy Logan. You're so understanding." I deadpanned. Logan just growled and walked out with Laura right behind him. I turned to Bobby to see him grinning. "First Laura and now Logan? You really do have a death wish. They can butcher me in the morning. I'm gonna sleep now." Bobby looked worried but didn't say anything. I drifted off to sleep which was thankfully free of nightmares.
The rest of the week passed in the same way. We had DR sessions every other morning. I excelled at hand-to-hand combat, beating everyone except Rogue and Laura. Due to my lack of any power other than healing, I was horrible when powers were allowed in sparring. My healing seemed to make Laura think I didn't feel pain. She had just finished destroying me in a hand-to-hand combat session and I was lying on the ground cupping my dislocated shoulder. "Goddamn this hurts. You know we're just training right? No need to take it so -ahhhh- seriously. I do not see the problem. Your shoulder has already healed. I heal fine. Problem is it hurts like a bitch until I've healed. Wouldn't you rather suffer some discomfort now then be killed in battle because you lacked the proper training?" Before I could ask her how exactly a dislocated shoulder would help me during battle Logan yelled at us over the intercom. "Psycho, Squirt, what the hell are you two doing? Get back to training before I assign you both extra DR sessions."
August 28th came all too soon. I woke up that morning to my beeping alarm. I threw on black pants and a dark green shirt then rushed downstairs. Everyone else seemed to be in similar states of disarray with the exceptions of Scott and Jean who appeared to be perfectly ready. As everyone rushed about the kitchen grabbing cereal or PopTarts, Scott informed us we had exactly two minutes to get into the car or we would be walking. Kurt laughed as we all scrambled to get ready. "What's so funny fuzzball?" I snapped as I began trying to stuff everything I could grab into my backpack. "Vhy in such a rush, Matt?" He asked as he began teleporting around to grab all his stuff. By some miracle I wasn't the last one in the car. Kitty phased straight through the door seconds after me and fell into the seat between me and Kurt. As soon she began grabbing for her seatbelt Scott threw the car into reverse and began the drive to school. On the way there Kitty and Kurt began the briefing on how to survive at Bayville High. "Rule number vun: Principal Kelly hates mutants," Kurt began. "Totally. Just, like, don't use your powers and try to stay away from him." Kitty added. "Two: any mischief at all will always be blamed on us. No exceptions." Everything after that was pretty standard. No fighting, no drugs, etc. We arrived at the school with two minutes to spare and as I ran off to my math class Bobby called, "Good luck. You'll need it." And on that cheery note I began my first day at Bayville High.
My first two periods (math and history) went fine. I ran into the first anti-mutant teacher in my third period, English. The look the teacher gave me upon entering was enough to arouse my suspicions. Sure enough, during the class she kept glaring at me. Thankfully she didn't do anything besides glare. My fourth period was gym which, after Wolverine's training from hell, felt like a nice walk along the beach. After gym we had 45 minutes for lunch.
I was sitting at a table with the other Institute students when they came over. Four huge guys wearing the uniform for the football team sneered at us and asked. "Well, looks like we got a new mutie this year. Hey, mutie, I don't think we put you through the initiation process yet." This is gonna be fun. "What're your powers, mutie? My powers give me the ability to be witty, clever, and good-looking all at the same time." My friends began laughing at this and the jock and his friends began cracking their knuckles. "Looks like we got a mouthy one boys. Why don't we put him through the mutie initiation process? Sorry buddy I don't swing that way." This seemed to really piss him off and just made my friends laugh harder. "What the fuck did you just say freak? Hey, come on man, I don't mean to be insulting to Adrian, Antonio, and Jorge over here but the matching uniforms were kind of a dead giveaway. I mean, I'm sure they enjoy going through your 'initiation process' with you under the bleachers, but I'm straight dude. So thanks, but no thanks." My friends were crying with laughter at this point and the jock was ready to punch me in the face. So I let him. WHAM My head snapped backwards. I was on the ground, and I heard gasping and screaming. Man can he throw a punch. I got up off the floor painfully to see the jock cradling his wrist. It was bent at an unnatural angle and he was yelling in pain. My head had already healed so I was just grinning at him. He looked at me, screamed "FREAK!" and ran off with his friends close behind. Kurt and Kitty were laughing, Rogue looked grumpy as usual, and Scott looked at me. I had the irritating feeling he was about to berate me, and was not disappointed. "What the hell are you doing? You broke the guy's hand. I'm sorry, but what was I supposed to do? Grab a matching uniform and get ready for the 'initiation process'? Seriously, though," I added at the look he gave me, "I'm not just going to let them beat the hell out of me whenever they want. Considering what I could have done to them I think they were lucky to get off with just a broken wrist." Scott looked like he was about to argue but Jean interrupted him. "Guys, come on. just drop it. Sure he didn't make the best choice, but he did show restraint." Scott looked like he disagreed -or just doesn't like people arguing with him- but he let it go.
My final two periods, science and computer programming, passed without incident. I exited my sixth period classroom and walked back to my locker. Kurt was busy stuffing his books back into the locker next to mine. "Do people usually treat mutants like that?" I asked. He sighed and responded, "Some of zem do. Most restrict zemselves to angry glances or muttered insults, but zere are some who try to hurt us." Well that's pretty depressing.
We walked back to Scott's car and piled in in time to hear Kitty squealing something about a guy named Lance sharing sixth period with her. "Who's Lance? A member of ze Brotherhood." Kurt responded immediately. Kitty glared at him. "What's the Brotherhood?" I asked. Everyone in the car immediately turned and stared at me incredulously. "You're serious?" Kurt asked. "Yeah... Oh, vow. Someone should have explained zis to you. Ze Brotherhood is a gang of mutants. Zey like to cause trouble and especially enjoy messing with us. Are they an actual threat? Vell, now zat you mention it, not really. Zey're more of a joke zan a threat most of ze time. Most of the time? Zey actually managed to beat us and tear up a mall vunce. But zat's zeir only success." Only one victory? But they keep trying? Are they stupid? Or just pathetic? "So Kitty is dating a member of the faction that's constantly attacking you..." Kitty began glaring. "He's not like, bad you guys just won't give him a chance. They won't give the guy assaulting them a chance... shocker." Kurt tried to hide his smile and I swear Kitty began smoking at the ears. "God, like, I'd thought you'd be more understanding. He does this stuff because he didn't like, have a home for years. Like someone we know..." She said, looking at me. "You think that's an excuse? I never attacked anyone. Especially not people who showed me kindness," I snapped. Kitty looked shocked at my harsh reply. It seemed to make Kurt uneasy too. Why does the thought of my not having a home piss me off? No, it's not that. It's the thought of living on the streets for those years... We arrived at the mansion and I left to start my homework. What kind of sick person assigns an essay on the first day?
More A/N: What kind of sick person DOES assign a three page paper on the first day? My English teacher did that to me. So far, he hasn't gotten any better.