A/N: I am so sorry everyone for this long delay. But I was getting resituated and getting used to a new job but have no fear I had a break through in my writers block so without further ado…
Ch 6
In the early afternoon students walked through the halls of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters at least until they came to the hall outside the Professor's office. There they watched the newest recruit pace in furious circles. Most of the students looked on in fear of the woman's powers. A strong wind blew at her clothes but none of the other students felt even a breeze. Her blood red eyes cast an eerie glow on her face and with her fangs extended over her bottom lip creating both a frightening and beautiful sight.
The hall was for once almost completely silent except for the click of her heels on the marbled floor, the soft tinkling of bells that none of the students could see and a few students brave enough to whisper amongst themselves. At least until the doors to the Professor's office swung open and Ororo appeared.
"We are ready for you Ms. Muhn." Looking at the large group of students in the hall Ororo raised a brow. "Don't all of you have homework and chores? Or do I need to assign you more?"
Autumn and Ororo shared a small smile as the students fled. Walking into the office ahead of Ororo, Autumn took the seat indicated. Sitting she studied the other X-Men gathered around. Logan and Remy were standing off to the side while Rogue, Beast, Ororo and the Professor were all seated. Autumn meet the Professor's gazed evenly.
"Ms. Muhn I hope that you are well. I know that you are probably wondering why we were meeting?" Charles smiled at Autumn. "We were discussing you joining our team and finding a place for you at the Institute."
Charles leaned onto the desk looking Autumn directly in the eye. "We have decided that we would be love for you to join us but there are things that we need to discuss with you first."
Blowing out the breath she had been holding Autumn leaned back in her seat and looked each of the X-Men in the eye. Measuring their acceptance with her powers of empathy, from what she could tell what the Professor said was true of them all. They each were giving the feeling of welcome, even Logan. Nodding to herself Autumn stood and began to pace.
"I would be honored to join you. Honestly I'm tired of hiding who and what I am but I fear that what I tell you next will resend my welcome. Know that I have tried very had to control myself but like all people I have slipped up and let the monster break free of her cage." Autumn stopped and looked at them all again. Each member looked at her in understanding.
"As I told Logan, Rogue and Remy my powers manifested as a child. When my emotions would get the best of me my eyes would bleed red and glow and my fangs would sprout, never fully retracting. This angered my foster parents greatly they called me Demon Spawn and Monster. I always thought that was my name, I was never called anything else."
Autumn heard the group's collective gasp of outrage at this. Without realizing it her pacing sped up as she continued.
"When I was about twelve something happened to make it all boil over. It started out as any other day, getting smacked awake and cook a breakfast I wasn't aloud to eat, then start my daily chores. I don't remember what I did to start the beating. Maybe I was too slow from hunger or too clumsy from a previous beating. I don't remember. All that I do remember was that this one was the worst by far. I was in the kitchen leaning against the sink so I wouldn't pass out from the lashes and suddenly my foster father grabbed a knife spun me around and stabbed me."
Stopping her pacing Autumn absent mindedly touched a small silvery scare over her heart. She could suddenly feel all of their anger and sorrow, as well as her own, at what had happened so long ago. Pushing it down she started to pace again.
"The full extend of my mutation kicked in. When he stabbed me maybe it was instinct or self preservation but it triggering my mutation. I'm not sure but something happened and a voice told me how to stop the pain. As I watched the blood pour down my chest I snapped. My eyes bleed red and my mouth was full of fangs. I reached for the blood on my chest and a dagger formed."
Looking down at her hands Autumn felt the dagger there again. Shaking her head she banished the memory and continued her story.
"I stabbed him, the man who had abused me my whole life and when I did I felt empowered. I don't know how many times I stabbed him but I kept stabbing and I didn't stop until I knew he wouldn't move again." Looking at the X-Men she paused. "That was when I noticed all the blood. Now blood had always smelled as sweet and addictive as chocolate to me and the sight of it had always excited me. Without knowing it I began to feed and I drank all that life giving blood until there was nothing left of that monster but and empty husk."
Autumn didn't pay attention to the X-Men as she paced not wanting to see the disappointment and fear in their eyes. What she missed was the understanding, justification and sympathy in their gazes.
"I don't really what happen after that. I think I may have gone into shock or blacked out, but when I came to I was in their room and that witch of a foster mother was dead on the floor. I did notice all my wounds both from the beating and the stab wound where completely healed."
As she turned the X-Men were able to make out hundreds of small silver scars across her back that were exposed by her rose red halter top. Her long coal black hair was in a high braid the swung against her back in time with her steps. To their amazement they saw a spider web pattern in the small scars that was both beautiful and terrifying.
"Soon after I woke I knew that I had to run. A neighbor had heard the witch scream and had reported it to the sheriff. The whole town was after me. For the years I was on the run as a murderer."
Autumn flopped down in her seat mumbling all the while. No one but Logan and Beast with their sensitive hearing could make out what she said. To say that they were shocked was an understatement.
"Yeah I was the bad guy, the murderer. I was a child just trying to protect myself. They were the golden parents even though I was beaten everyday and nearly starved to death."
Autumn's empathic power was going crazy from all the hatred, sorrow and sadness radiating from everyone. Her eyes had gone blood red from having to relive the past yet again and the wind that had whispered in the hall was almost a full blown hurricane in the office, thanks to Ororo and Autumn's powers. Charles could tell that everyone needed a break from the story and looked at the clock on his desk realizing that three hours had passed while Autumn told them her story.
"Everyone I think it would be best if we took a small break." Charles looked to each of the people in the room and saw that they all agreed. "How about we meet here again about an hour after dinner? That should give everyone a chance to calm down and eat."
As one everyone began to stand or move for the door. When Autumn passed through the threshold she bolted for her room needing a break from all the emotions. The X-Men heard her door slam a few seconds later. Knowing that they all needed a chance to calm down they all headed for their own directions.
Rogue headed to her room and cried for Autumn not knowing why but feeling a strong connection to the woman. Logan and Remy headed to the gym to burn off their collective negative energy on each other. Charles, Ororo and Beast stayed in the office. All of them were overwhelmed by what they had learned from and about the newest member of the team.
Dinner was an unusually quiet affair. The dinning room was normally very loud with the children talking, fighting and laughing throughout the whole meal but tonight they could all sense that tonight was a night to just sit and eat with minimum chatter. While the adults could tell that the children were being very considerate none of them could muster up the ability to change the atmosphere of the room.
They all saw that Autumn was absent from the room and they could all had the inkling that when they returned to the Professor's office that the rest of her tale was going to just as bad if not worse than what they had already learned about her past.