"People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built." – Eleanor Roosevelt
In the days following the disastrous battle at the Space Needle, many events occurred which ordinarily would have brought a smile to anyone's face. Given the present circumstances at Xavier's School for the Gifted, hardly anyone was finding a real reason to smile, despite all of the news that was pouring in – most good, some not.
The government was unwilling to acknowledge that "a rogue band of mutants" had infiltrated the Space Needle in time to prevent a dangerous mutant extremist from causing severe brain damage to the entire population of Washington state. However, they were perfectly happy to announce to the world at large that they had captured this mutant extremist, one Erik Lehnsherr, an elderly man who was reported to go by the code name of "Magneto." In the meantime, a special military team had been assigned to oversee the cleanup of the Space Needle; it would take careful attention to ensure that no traces of mutant activity were left behind in the shattered windows, impossibly bent and destroyed handrails, the roof that had been ripped completely off of the top of the tower, and of course – the immense holes that gaped through each ceiling and floor. They were still baffled as to how the building had apparently sustained extensive wind damage and corrosion from what one scientist called, "lasers that we can't even begin to reproduce – or fathom the strength of." This only added fuel to the on-going debate between Senators Fulwood and Radley, leading into what was sure to become a tempestuous election season.
Shaken by the tragedy of losing one of their oldest and dearest members, all of the X-Men, team members and new recruits alike, gathered one sunny afternoon to pay their respects to Cyclops. Most seated on the front lawn dabbed at their eyes if they were feeling particularly sentimental; others showed considerably less grief on the outside, like Logan, who stood off to the side, expressing his own emotion in the best way that he knew possible: cigarless and with a serious, if distant gaze.
"Scott Summers was one of my very first students, " Professor Xavier concluded, gravely. "He was a man of merit and moral who deemed that the best led life was one conducted with honor and unequaled valor. I watched him grow from a boy into the courageous, honorable man that became your field leader. Let us all carry on his devotion to honor and courage, for with neither, we shall never find the peace that we have so long sought."
Kimberly, sandwiched between Natalie and Jessica, dropped her gaze to her clasped hands as Xavier finished speaking, vision blurring as a few tears fell to her lap, unbidden. Despite the tumult of the past few weeks, or perhaps because of it, she had eventually come to a decision about her education. Neither Nat nor Jess are going to be particularly happy about this, she reasoned for the upteenth time, but it'll be for the best, I know it. Turning her attention to the people around her, she inwardly recoiled as she reflected again on those who had fought to give them a chance to enter the Needle and stop Magneto; Storm recovered fairly quickly from the shock, progressing steadily from a wheelchair to crutches. According to Beast, she'd be back on her feet by the end of the next week. Kurt, fortunately, had teleported out of the way of Magneto's crowbars in the nick of time, and was fine. Logan's healing factor had already worked its magic on the scrapes and slashes he endured while fighting Sabretooth, and Bobby, outside of still attempting to pry dried slime off of his uniform, was otherwise well.
"Kim?"
She turned, somewhat startled. "What, Jess?"
Her friend sighed softly. "It's over, Kim. Are you coming?"
The memorial had indeed drawn to a close; Kurt was standing with Natalie off to the side, talking quietly with her. Most of the younger mutants had already retreated back into the mansion, leaving the ones burgeoning on adulthood outdoors. Courage, she reminded herself, and stood, simply nodding and striking out across the lawn.
"Professor Xavier wanted you to come to his office, Kimberly, " Ororo called toward her as she passed the main recreational room.
"Thanks, " Kim replied with a wave, continuing on toward the main staircase. Whatever the professor wanted, it would have to wait. It could wait.
I have your letters.
She froze, one hand on the smooth, wooden railing, and slowly turned, heading across the hall toward his office.
"Yes, Professor?" she said pleasantly enough as she entered after knocking, closing the door behind her. "Storm said you wanted to see me."
Xavier regarded her calmly for a long moment from behind his desk, finally wheeling out in front of it. "Yes, I did. I have the letters of recommendation prepared for you to use at the institution of your choice. All that's left for you to do is to fill in the blank of the school's name." He studied her closely as he held them out to her and she took them. "I know that you weren't thoroughly prepared for a real battle situation, " he said quietly, after a few moments. "I know how shocked you are by it – how painful it has been. Loss of a team member is rare, but it is obviously devastating to us when it occurs." He closed his eyes briefly before reopening them. He could be patient. He knew that she would tell him when she was ready.
"Professor, " Kimberly began at last, "I'm going to send these to schools that are out-of-state. I think it would be – better for me to go away to college and try to progress through the next four years as closely as I would have without having come to your Institute as possible." She hesitated only momentarily, but her gaze and voice remained steady. "I guess I'm just at that time where I – need this period more to myself or I'll never figure out this whole – independence thing. "
"I understand, " he interrupted gently. She was, after all, still a child despite the training that she had begun to undergo in the past few months. "Go mail your letters and let me know when you have found a favorable reply. I expect it won't take long, as you performed admirably in your high school prior to coming here – and I haven't heard a single complaint yet from any of your instructors here."
With a muttered, "Thank you, " she began heading for the door.
I trust that you'll return when you're ready.
Shaking her head briskly as though ridding it of an irritant, she left.
"Mail's in, " Logan called as he strode through the front door several weeks later, carrying a few stacks of envelopes with him. Tossing them onto a table in the kitchen, he hastily stepped out of the way as an expectant group of people converged upon the bundles. There were both smiles and groans at getting "letters from home"; Bobby in particular frowned as he shoved the letter from his mother into a pocket. He'd deal with it later. Kimberly, meanwhile, quietly picked up a couple of long envelopes and disappeared into the library with them. Both were from colleges farther south that she had applied to, eager to receive a fully accredited degree from one after four more years of schooling. The first letter held tidings of disappointment. We regret to inform you that we cannot offer you a place in the upcoming class. Typical, she mused privately, wondering why she had even bothered applying to an Ivy League school. Even if she had applied to Harvard and been accepted, she probably would have been thrown out on the grounds of being a mutant – if they had discovered that, of course. Being a telepath made it much easier for her to live as normally as possible; she didn't exactly have blue fur or glowing, red eyes. The second letter held more favorable news: Brennan University had accepted her.
"There you are, Kim."
She glanced up at Nat and Jess, giving them both a weary smile. "Hey."
"What're you reading?" Natalie wondered immediately, reaching over to pluck one of the letters away from her. Her eyes widened as she scanned it. "You've been applying to colleges and you haven't told us?" She grimaced a little as she reached the bottom of the letter. "They rejected you."
"But this one accepted me, " the telepath replied softly, showing both of her friends the cheerful letter from Brennan. "I know it's a little ways away from here and I'll be gone for a while, but – I really want to go finish up my education, you know?"
"That's great, Kim, " Jessica said slowly, mustering up a smile for her friend. "We'll miss you like crazy, though."
"And you didn't tell us you were doing this, " Natalie accused again, making a face. "You'd better come visit often or I'm infiltrating your college."
"I'll come visit over breaks, " Kim promised at last, folding the letter neatly. "In the meantime, I need to inform Professor Xavier about my acceptance and prepare to leave the Institute. I'll need to withdraw from my classes in a timely manner as I won't be a student when I return."
I have already informed your instructors, Xavier told her calmly.When do you leave for orientation?
In a couple of weeks.
She could have sworn that he smiled through the mental link. You'll have a lot to do before then, I expect.
And she did. The next couple of weeks were filled with shopping and 'last' moments. Somehow, making the journey seemed an indelible part of her history. Once she began, she would not be able to look back – or go back. Everything was going to be different, her instincts informed her. But if she played her cards correctly, the differences would be good ones, with time. She spent her last few days reviewing move-in checklists, ensuring that she had everything to make her stay at Brennan a comfortable one, and buying a few textbooks off of Amazon. They would be waiting for her in her school mailbox once she arrived. Two days before she was scheduled to leave, Natalie cajoled her into taking a ride with her on the back of Scott's motorcycle. It was a miracle, she reflected later, that she didn't get whiplash from all of the twists and turns, but then again, she was never much of a daredevil.
"Cab's outside, " Logan reported as he shut the front door behind him. "Where is she?"
"Still moving some things downstairs, " Storm replied, walking out of the kitchen. "You could have volunteered your help."
He gave her a look as he leaned idly against the wall. "If she's got Shade, she's got all the help she needs."
Ororo laughed a little. "I see your point." The two X-Men were quiet for a long moment, chancing glances up the stairs as various thumps and shouts of, "Don't move that yet!" echoed down into the foyer. "She'll make an excellent field leader, someday."
Wolverine only grunted in reply, straightening as Jess and Nat made their way downstairs, one last container being conveyed between the two of them. "Is that the last of it? Her cab's waiting."
"Thankfully!" Natalie muttered. "She always packs everything but the kitchen sink, I swear!"
"Logan, I'm sure Kimberly would appreciate it if you would begin loading the cab with her belongings, " Xavier prompted, wheeling around from the hallway beyond the front staircase. "She has a long ride to Georgia."
"The jet would have been faster, " Nat pointed out reasonably. "She'd be a lot more comfortable on it, too."
"A cab is less conspicuous, " Kimberly retorted as she finally came downstairs, a large messenger bag and laptop bag slung over her shoulder. "I think they'll start to suspect something if I arrive on the X-Jet."
"I'm going to miss you, Kim, " Jess said quietly, darting a glance toward the doorway. "Your cab's here."
Kim regarded her friends for the longest moment, mouth finally lifting upward into a small smile. "I'll miss you guys, too. I'll only be a phone call or an e-mail away, you know that. Besides, I'll be back before you know it. Christmas is only four months away, after all."
"Four months is a long time, " Natalie pointed out soberly, gaze fiercely serious as she strode over to her bag-laden friend and threw her arms around her briefly. "Take care of yourself. And if anyone gives you flack, tell me and I'll come kick their butts."
She had to laugh despite the tears that were welling up in her eyes. "I'll keep that in mind. I'll see you again very soon."
Jessica's eyes were already suspiciously bright as she, too, hugged her friend for a long moment. Words were not needed; what more was there to say?
Taking a step back at last, Kim rearranged her belongings and took one last look around her, gaze flickering around the foyer and the people in it, finally coming to rest on Professor Xavier.
"Good luck, " he said simply, offering his hand to her. She shook it, releasing it after a moment to step over the threshold of the mansion.
"Got your stuff loaded, " Logan told her gruffly as she approached the cab. He surprised her by leaning over to open the door for her, nodding his farewell. "Take care of yourself, kid. World's a big place."
She managed a smile at that, sliding into the seat before he shut the door firmly behind her.
As the cab pulled away from the mansion, heading back down the long, tree-lined driveway that would, with time, become the road that would take her to the airport and to the next four years of her life, Kimberly kept her nose pressed to the window, waving anxiously at the crowd on the doorstep. As they vanished from view, she sank back into the plush upholstery, attempting to mentally prepare herself for what lay ahead. The future is always an uncertain thing, and nothing is ever completely set in stone. There are so many choices that one must make in life; what road to travel down next will always be one of them. She wasn't sure what the future held, nor was she aware of the disastrous turns that mutant politics would eventually take. She wasn't aware of the ongoing, epic struggle that would one day determine the fate of their world. What she was certain of, at the moment, was that she was traveling in the right direction.
Epilogue
Yawning widely, Kim rolled over and set her alarm. She'd have to be awake in time to attend her morning class – a fact that she almost resented, to tell the truth. She'd much rather attend a course online, were that an option, but Brennan University didn't offer any. Fortunately, they weren't exactly strict on their attendance policy, so if she happened to miss a class here or there – no one would really know about it, or even care. She'd finally gotten settled into a dormitory, but had met very few people thus far, mainly keeping to herself and tidying up her space while making it hers. Inwardly groaning at the thought of attending a biology course in the morning, she gradually fell into a fitful sleep.
She was in the middle of what appeared to be a well-furnished apartment, even though it was extremely crowded. Voices echoed around her on all sides, and she sank to the floor, pressing her hands to her ears in an effort to muffle them. She could hardly hear herself think!
" … mutant rabble … attempts on the man's life … investigation will be required … "
As they droned and buzzed on and on, she rocked back onto her heels, trying to stem the flow of voices. Then, as suddenly as they began, they vanished. The silence was almost painful, she noted, a stark contrast to the rolling, green hills that she suddenly found herself standing upon. A bell rang in the distance, the deep gong calling people to it. Perhaps it was a university or a monastery. She couldn't be certain which.
Suddenly, a winged form appeared in the sky above her, soaring down to land gracefully next to her. There was a bright flash; all she could discern through it were gleaming, aquiline eyes and immense, brown and white wings. Far off, she thought she heard loud peals of laughter that seemed to shake the ground that she was standing upon, but perhaps that was merely an illusion.
As the bell continued to ring, its tone changed to a mournful toll. Everything around her vanished, consumed by an immense, black cloud. As it drew closer, she began to run from it, instincts screaming and urging her on. She could hardly run fast enough. The cloud drew closer, roars echoing out of it as she felt it begin to pull her into its midst …
With a jolt, her eyes snapped open.
A/N: And, that's all for this one, folks! I'll have the first chapter of the sequel up hopefully by Thanksgiving or slightly afterward, depending on how school treats me in the coming weeks. To give y'all a preview of what's coming up, the second story is more politically oriented and the final story in the trilogy revolves around the Apocalypse saga. Until then!