Disclaimer: Marvel and the X-men aren't mine. Beth is, please, please ask before using her. Thanks!
Archive: Please. Please ask first.
CHAPTER EIGHT
"Do you mean to say this is all your luggage?" asked Storm, frowning at the one bag.
"The other case got lost in customs. Remy said we had to return tomorrow to see if they had it."
"Alright. For the time being you may borrow some clothes from the other residents," said Storm, picking up the case and carrying it down to where Logan was waiting in a car. She put the small case in the boot and got into the passenger seat, and Beth got in the back.
"So, kid, tell us about yourself," said Logan in an attempt to make conversation.
"I…There's nothing much to tell. Remy found me in a freak storm in New Orleans. I don't know how long I was there, but when I woke up I couldn't remember anything about myself. I think I was a dancer, before…I seem to know a lot about ballet."
"And martial arts," added Logan. "What you did back there wasn't by accident. How long have you been trainin'?"
"A year…no, less. I haven't been living with Remy for long, and he didn't train me through most of my pregnancy."
Logan swerved to miss a car, regained control of the wheel and looked up. "What did you say?"
"When he found me I was two months pregnant. I don't know who the father was. The baby was born dead," Beth added simply.
"I am so sorry, child," lamented Storm. "It must have been terrible, for the both of you."
Beth laughed. "We aren't in that type of relationship. He saved my life, and he is my trainer, my protector, but I know that he loves Rogue." She sighed wistfully and looked out the car window. "You know, he still keeps this light green scarf of hers…" to quietly she added to herself "I just hope she doesn't hurt him."
Logan, with his enhanced hearing, heard her, and frowned. Whatever it was, she felt more than plain affection for him.
"Okay," said Storm, changing the subject. "I might as well tell you the rules. Lights are off at eleven, unless stated otherwise or given special permission. Breakfast is at seven thirty. The first class begins at eight thirty…Seeing as it's vacation time we only have two courses; Self Defense and Finer Arts. The underground levels, such as the hangar and the medical lab, are off limits. We do not permit fighting, unless it is in self-defense class…so what you did to Warren would have earned you a demerit…I will excuse you on the grounds that you were not aware of the rules. We all split the chores equally, such as cooking, cleaning, watering the plants, fixing the cars and such things. On Saturdays all the students have the day off, but we advise you all to have caution, and you must be back before midnight."
Beth nodded. "I think I can manage that."
"Sure you can," smirked Logan. "That includes no sudden need to avenge yaself on the poor Angel."
"I was not avenging myself, I was avenging Remy's name. Besides, he deserved it," she pouted, leaning back in the seat and crossing her arms.
"Huh, no doubt."
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
Her legs hurt and she was lost in a maze of traffic, sidewalks, faces and bodies, all pushing for first place, trying to get to work, or to a meeting.
She wasn't even crying as she ran. But she was getting tired, and with each second one thing was getting clearer and clearer.
She needed to see Remy.
She had been under the impression that Justin had loved her, but he had "loved" every other of his female patients with the same intensity, it seemed. It all made sense now…Tugging on a pair of gloves she mingled with the crowds, losing herself in a stampede of feet.
She pulled her hair out of its holder and let the familiar white streaks fall into her eyes. It felt so natural this way. For the first time in a long while, she felt protected.
It was time to go to New Orleans.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
"This will be your room," explained Storm, setting the bag down she smiled.
Beth was standing in a well-spaced room with beige wallpaper and burnt orange curtains. There were a few selective pieces of polished wood furniture, which included a desk with a comfortable chair, a dresser and a large chest of drawers. It had a private bathroom that was decorated in pale blues and pinks and a good view of the surrounding woods.
"I hope that you decide to partake in the regular school activities," said Storm. "Of course, it is not an obligation, and I understand if you feel pressured by the other students."
"No, of course not," said Beth.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
"She is like, so human," muttered Jubilee, looking up from a bowl of cereal at Beth, who was chopping up a fruit-salad.
"And thin as a stick," added Jean, buttering some toast. "So, besides making sure that she gets enough nutrients, I hope that you will all take it upon yourselves to befriend her."
Jubilee smirked. "Okay, Miss Grey. I have a feeling that she might feel a little left behind in some of the…"extracurricular activities."
Jean smiled secretively. "Oh, well, Jubilation, I guess you will have to help her along then, and make sure that Logan does not accidentally kill her." 'What I really mean,' she added to herself. 'Is that they do not kill each other.'
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
Beth had come down stairs freshly showered and wearing a pair of comfortable track-suit pants, courtesy of Kitty Pryde, and a plain red, but nice-fitting T-shirt, a part of one of Jean's old training costumes.
Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and she had on the sneakers that she had been wearing the day before.
When she gathered with several other students in front of a large, metal door, she noticed that everyone was wearing very strange clothes.
Jubilation Lee looked very surprised to see her. "So, you're gonna be trying out for the Danger Room?" the Asian girl asked, popping a piece of pink gum.
Beth nodded. "I think so."
She found herself sizing up her opponents, measuring their weight and height mentally. She remembered everything that Storm had told her about them the day before.
She already knew Wolverine, and that although he was short, stocky and strong, as well as being fast, he was not all that flexible, but his metal claws would well enough make up for any of her tricks.
Kitty Pryde could simply phase out of any situation, but when it came down to hand-to-hand combat she looked more like a dancer than a karate expert. Like Beth herself she had added flexibility and a secret strength contained in her muscles, developed through hours of training.
Cyclops was pretty strong, well-muscled underneath his conservative costume, and he was good at strategies and ordering people about. But he wasn't lethal.
Jean Grey had surprisingly amazing physique, and with the ability to telekinetically transport, as well as protect herself, she was almost invulnerable.
And Angel. Well, he had very strong wings, seemingly would be able to fly very well and was quite a good fighter. He was strong, sleek and fast, rather in the style of Remy.
There was also Storm. She could fly, she was well-trained, surprisingly cunning, but at the same time she was severely claustrophobic, as she had confided.
Beth herself realized that her main advantage would be that several of the X-men considered her to be an innocent, harmless beginner, who had just happened to receive some training. She smiled to herself. Despite her gentle character and overall good-nature she was more dangerous than she appeared at first. The X-men were about to find out.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
"The mission is to dispose of the enemy and seek a necklace made out of green beads," said Cyclops. "There'll be two teams. Jubilee, Warren, Beth and Jean in one, Wolverine, Kitty, Storm and me in the other…where is Nightcrawler?"
There was a sudden BAMF! that sounded near by, and although she wasn't the least surprised she emitted a lady-like yelp. Her eyes widened slightly at the strange monster that stood before her.
He had yellow eyes, a body covered completely with dark blue fur, a very flexible spine and a tail.
"I am so sorry, Beth. This is Kurt Wagner, another member of the X-men. I believe I failed to mention him, my apologies," said Storm.
Beth nodded. "Th-that's okay. Umm, nice to meet you."
Kurt nodded, smiling shyly.
Warren growled slightly at her "Get a move on. You aren't fooling anyone with your acting."
She raised an eyebrow. "My, my are we in a bad mood today." She reached up and touched his bruised chin. "Why, does that still hurt?" she asked with mock surprise.
Jean had joined them, and was propelling them all towards the center of the large room known only as the Danger Room.
"Alright, Beth. We will be starting a sequence called 'Gymnastic Jungle.' It is based mainly on a training gym, with rings and mats and other things. It is, however, not as simple as it looks. The sequence will appear around us now. Don't be frightened, they're only holograms. Now, I hope that you stay within this group. We will protect you from any attacks. Also, the other team has been advised not to hurt you, but knowing Wolverine," the redheaded woman frowned. "It would be best if you stayed close."
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
"Beth?" Jean sounded worried as she scanned the area for the human girl. She had been increasingly edgy about letting Beth take part in the mock-mission, but Storm had just smiled and brushed her fears off with a secretive look.
"Beth, please, where are you?" she attempted once again to scan the area, but she hit on some shields, so strong that they caused her telepathy to boomerang back into her own mental realm. She shrieked and dropped down onto one knee, clutching her head.
Immediately she found Scott reaching out with his mind protectively as he sensed her pain. /Hey, you know the rules. Now get back to your team. I can't find Beth, her shields are extremely strong. Almost as much as Remy's were./
She sensed his mental nod as he quickly shimmied up a pole and onto a platform, from there quickly jumping down onto a pool of mats and through a maze of bars that crisscrossed the room.
Before he could reach the platforms up ahead he was confronted by Angel, who stepped into his path, blocking his way. Sighing, Cyclops prepared for a "mock-battle" part of the training. He only hoped that Beth was alright.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
"Beth?" Jubilee whirled around, trying to find the human girl. "Great, everyone's gonna kill me, and it's all your fault. Well, at least I tried," she grumbled to herself, jumping down a plastic tunnel that slid down into a type of pit with mats covering the floor. There was a passage to one side and she took it, heading out to a room filled with rocks and ridges on the walls. High up there was a slim bridge that spread across to yet another level of platforms, and where she presumed the necklace was.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
"Here, wolfie, wolf. I think we have some business to sort out," said a sleek voice close to Wolverine.
He spun around quickly, and all six claws slowly burst out of his knuckles.
"I don't like you," he said. Somehow, it didn't sound childish of him. He really did not feel good about Beth.
"You've had more training than a year with the Cajun," he stated simply, as he circled her in a predatory circle.
Her eyes narrowed. He noticed that they looked cold and harsh, like steel. Or adamantium. There was nothing weak about her thin body as she paced in the circle that he had drawn around her with carefully controlled steps.
Some very deep, gut instinct was telling him to lunge at her, rip her throat out, smash her to smithereens. Common sense told him to just prove to her that he was the superior fighter, and that in the future she could not harm his loved ones while he was in the way.
Abandoning any pretense of civility, they flexed their rippling muscles and both lunged at the same time, meeting each other half-way, adamantium claws and adamantium staff clashing with a metallic ring, as they pounced and attacked like hungry wolves.
A.N: Hehe, another chapter up. I have finished two chapters of A Cut of Cajun. I'd really like it if you'd check those out. Thanks! And tell me if you like Beth's darker side. I'm sorry if you don't, I'm just letting the naughty muse in my head run free :-)