Disclaimer: I still don't X-Men: Evolution. So don't bother suing me.

Chapter 5

The Danger Room

The kitchen was in shambles. Everywhere Brian looked he could see scattered debris: broken chair legs, a shattered toaster, shards of glass and metal. Overhead, a light bulb flickered weakly, its faint light unable to keep the darkness at bay. Through the gloom, Brian could make out the shape of a crumpled form lying on the dirty linoleum.

Cautiously, Brian made his way to the form. Kneeling, he could see that it was the beaten, bloody corpse of his father. Every fiber of his being told him to look away, but he found that he could not. His father's face, bloody and bruised though it was, was frozen in a cruel sneer. The dead man's eyes seemed fixed on something behind Brian. Against his better judgment, Brian looked.

Behind him were two more battered bodies. One was clearly a woman. Though her features were marred with bruises, there was no mistaking his mother's eyes. Beside her lay the body of a young boy. If not for the unnatural paleness of his skin and the dark, hand-shaped marks around his slender neck, he could have been alive. Brian had never seen Danny look so fragile. From behind, a dark laughter rang through his ears.

"I raised you real good, boy," his father's voice taunted. "You've done something even I could never do. Well done." Brian looked down at his hands and gasped; they were covered in blood. He looked back at Danny's body, desperately hoping that he'd be alive, that he'd be fine.

But the boy still lay there, dead. Then slowly, horribly, Danny's eyes opened. Brian could hear several dry pops as the boy turned to look at him. As their eyes met, Danny spoke in a rasping voice: "Brian!"

…

Brian sat up with a start. He was lying in a strange bed in a strange room, his body covered in a cold sweat. His eyes darted around the unfamiliar room as he tried to gather his bearings. The room was fairly large, with enough space to fit two beds and two dressers comfortably. One bed was bare, covered only by a set of white sheets. The rest of the room was similarly sparse, as if nobody actually lived within its walls. One wall had a double door that appeared to lead out onto a balcony of some sort. Sunlight was pouring in from the large windows.

As his breathing began to slow, a wave of recollection swept over him. He was in his new room at the Xavier Institute. Everything was bare because he had left all of his belongings at home. The other bed…it was for Danny when he arrived, the Professor had told him. Danny. Brian shuddered at the memory of his dream.

Brian heaved himself out of bed with a sigh. Lying around in bed wasn't going to help him forget the horrible images. Besides, he realized that he was starving. Finding the clothes he had worn the day before, Brian dressed and entered the large hallway outside his room.

The empty hallway was easily eight feet wide and seemed to go on forever in both directions. A hallway this large was clearly meant to facilitate the smooth movement of several students, but without them it just seemed lonely. Brian looked left, then right, unsure of where to go. He suddenly regretted not finishing the tour with Jamie the night before; he had no idea where the bathroom was.

After several wrong turns, Brian finally found the facilities. After washing up, he made his way down one of the giant staircases in the foyer. The feeling of emptiness that he felt upstairs only grew as he made his way into the entranceway. Where the heck was everyone? And more importantly, where the heck was the kitchen?

By the time he finally found the kitchen, his stomach was growling loudly. He opened the fridge to find it ridiculously well stocked. Clearly, this was a house full of teenagers, and the adults knew it all too well. Every shelf was packed with food: bread, veggies, six kinds of lunch meat, blocks and single slices of cheese, soda, even a watermelon. Deciding that a ham sandwich sounded good, Brian pulled out the essential ingredients.

"Hey Brian!"

Brian nearly leapt out of his skin at the sound of the voice behind him. He wheeled about and found himself face-to-face with a grinning Jamie. "Jeez, Jamie, you almost gave me a heart attack. Didn't your mom ever teach you not to sneak up on people?"

"Yeah. It's still fun, though," the boy giggled. Brian glared at him for a moment, then grinned and shook his head. He remembered when he had been that age; startling his mom in the kitchen had been a favorite pastime of his, even if it had landed him in his room repeatedly. As a matter of fact, Danny was about at that stage too, always trying to give his big brother a start. Danny…

"Brian, you okay?" asked Jamie. The boy's face was full of sudden concern.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking. Since I've got the fridge open, do you want anything?"

Jamie seemed to consider his options. "Yeah, could you grab the turkey?" Brian nodded and pulled out another package of lunch meat. "You sure are up late," Jamie noted as the two boys prepared their food.

"Really? I haven't seen a single clock since I woke up."

"Yeah, it's almost noon."

"Must be the jet lag. Besides, I was pretty exhausted last night," Brian replied, putting the finishing touches on his sandwich. "Speaking of the time, shouldn't you be at school?"

"I don't go to school. Dr. McCoy tutors me here at the Institute," Jamie replied, closing the bag of sliced turkey. "The Professor doesn't want me going back to school until I can get my powers under control."

Brian raised a brow. "Why?" he asked as Jamie began putting the food back into the fridge. As the younger boy opened the meat drawer, the baggy of turkey slipped from his hands. After bending over to pick it up, he straightened, only to bump his head lightly on the open drawer. Brian did a double take as three identical Jamies appeared out of thin air and began milling about the kitchen. "Oh," Brian said quietly.

"Sometimes it's a real hassle," said the original Jamie, motioning to the duplicates. "All it takes is a little bump and bam! There's eight of me running around. I guess it wouldn't be so bad if I could control when they come out, or which ones come out."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't really understand it all, but the Professor says that each of my Dupes is supposed to be part of my personality. That one," he said, pointing to a copy that had busied itself with cleaning the kitchen. "That one's either my helpful side or the part of me that likes to be clean. I think that one's my ego," Jamie pointed to the copy preening itself in front of a mirror.

"What part of you is that one supposed to be?" Brian asked. The last copy had turned on a boom-box that had been lying near the sink, and was now dancing wildly to the music.

"I have no idea," Jamie replied flatly. After a few minutes, the song ended, and the duplicate turned off the radio. The original Jamie waved his hand, and the three copies vanished. The two boys ate in silence for a few moments, until the large blue form of Dr. Hank McCoy joined them.

"Ah, Brian, so good of you to join us in the land of the living," Beast said with a grin. Brian had to admit that the previous night, he had found Dr. McCoy to be rather intimidating. However, the more he listened to him, the more he seemed like a blue, fuzzy version of one of his favorite teachers.

"Good morning to you too," Brian replied without looking up. Beast glanced at his watch.

"It's 11:59."

"Still technically the morning."

"You're right, I suppose. In any case, there are a few things that I need to discuss with you, Brian," said Beast as he pulled out a small notepad. "First and foremost, the Professor has asked Ororo to take you down to the mall as soon as you're done eating."

"Really? What for?" Brian asked.

"Well, seeing as your personal effects haven't arrived yet, you're going clothes shopping."

"Fun," Brian sighed.

"After you get back, the Professor would like to have a word with you in his office, though depending on how long your excursion to the mall takes, you may have to do that after your DR session this afternoon."

"What?" Jamie asked heatedly. "He's got a DR session already?" Brian raised a brow.

"Ok, I think I missed something important for this conversation. What's a 'DR Session?'"

"DR stands for 'Danger Room,'" Beast replied calmly. "Downstairs we have a highly advanced training room where students can test their powers and work on teamwork."

"You mean most of the students," Jamie replied sullenly. "I've been here almost six months and I haven't gotten to do one. It's not like I don't know anything about it! I've probably spent as much time learning about it as Scott!"

"Jamie, I know you want to train like the older students, but you know that the Professor—" Beast began.

"Thinks I'm too young," Jamie finished. His sandwich seemingly forgotten, the younger boy stared morosely at his plate.

"Tell you what, Jamie," Brian said, patting the younger boy on the shoulder. "How about you give me that tour of the mansion when I get back? Then you can tell me all about the Danger Room so that I don't mess up on my first try."

Jamie seemed to ponder this for a moment, then grinned. "Deal."

…

The next three hours seemed to just fly by for Brian. Clothes shopping with Miss Monroe ("Please, call me Ororo," she would chide him with a smile) had gone far more smoothly than he had expected. For the most part, she had stayed out of his way and let him shop as he pleased. Not that he really had any trouble finding clothes; just about any combination of jeans and a t shirt would be fine by him. Several times during their trip, Ororo would gently remind him that if he wanted to get something nice he would be able to. However, Brian refused to spend more than he would if he had gone shopping with his mother, so the most expensive thing he returned with was a $20 pair of jeans.

The pair arrived back at the Institute at 2:30 to find a very exited Jamie waiting for them. The younger boy had grabbed Brian around the wrist and started with the tour almost before Brian had gotten out of the van. Though Jamie's tour could best be described as a whirlwind, he still managed to fit in more information than Kitty had the previous evening. While some of the highlights were somewhat pointless ("That's where Rahne left a dead bird as a present for Mr. Logan,") Brian was sure that several would prove useful in the days and weeks ahead ("That's Bobby's favorite place to drop ice water on people,").

By the time Jamie had finished showing Brian the Institute, the other students had begun to arrive back from school. While the others unloaded their things and discussed their days, Jamie took the opportunity to take Brian down to the lower levels, giving him a crash course in Danger Room 101 along the way.

"The thing to remember about the flame-throwers is that they're only accurate to about twenty-five feet," Jamie explained calmly as the elevator reached the basement level.

"Good to know, " Brian gulped, the color having long since left his face. What kind of nut-house was this?

"Don't worry," Jamie replied reassuringly. "You probably won't be doing anything that hard on your first time. When Lance was here for a little while, the hardest thing they did was target practice."

"Lance?"

"Yeah, he's one of the older kids from the Brotherhood, I think."

"That certainly clears things up," Brian replied. If Jamie caught the edge of sarcasm in his voice, he didn't show it.

"Scott doesn't really like him," Jamie continued. Suddenly a downright evil smirk crossed the young boy's face. "Kitty, though, she's got a crush on him!" he whispered, as if he were discussing matters of national security.

The two boys entered the locker room to find Beast waiting for them. Beast showed Brian to his locker and handed him his new uniform. The outfit was the same as the one that Jamie was currently putting on: a black jumpsuit with a red and black "X" logo on each shoulder, a gold belt bearing the same symbol, gold gloves and gold boots.

"I can't believe you guys actually go outside in these things," Brian muttered as he finished donning his gloves.

"You get used to them," Jamie replied with a shrug. "Besides, they could be worse." Brian merely arched a brow. Just then, Scott walked past in full uniform. His getup looked a lot like the ones Brian and Jamie wore, save for the rather large gold X across the chest and back. Jamie looked back at Brian, and the two boys tried valiantly to stifle their laughter.

…

"Ok, people, listen up," Scott said as he paced in front of the gathered students. "I know you were all looking forward with a session with Logan today," there was a burst of restrained laughter, "but seeing as we have a new student today, we're going to be doing something a bit easier."

"Yes" Brian heard one of the girls (Jubilee?) exclaim. "You're my new hero, Brian," the lanky farm boy Sam clapped Brian on the shoulder.

"Alright, that's enough," Scott chided from the front. "Today we're going to be doing an obstacle course. Beast," Scott looked up to the observation bubble high above. "Could you load Obstacle Course 45 for us?"

"Coming right up, Cyclops," came Beast's disembodied, digitally amplified voice. A moment later, the floor opened up and several metal structures rose into place. Soon the Danger Room was dominated by a series of ramps, beams, and walls that Brian was sure had come straight from some sadistic Japanese game show. Looking around, he could tell that most of the other students were similarly intimidated.

"Impressive, huh?" Scott asked, motioning to the course. "I know it looks tough, but it can be done. Ok, Kurt, why don't you show them how it's done? And no teleporting!" Scott added quickly.

Brian watched as Kurt, the blue-furred demonic-looking boy mounted the course. First was a pit with several staggered, sloped platforms that Kurt cleared with a series of well-timed jumps. Next was a balance beam with a trio of suspended medicine balls that would swing across from time to time. Third was another pit, this one bridged by a series of rotating platforms. After this came a long slope with a tube suspended above it. Kurt had to wrap his arms and legs around the tube and hang on as it rolled down the slope. Last was a flat area covered with squares arranged in a grid. Apparently, only a few of the squares were safe to stand on, as the others would give way or reveal another hazard—such as the dodgeball cannon that Kurt managed to barely avoid.

One by one, the students tackled the course. The ever-enthusiastic Bobby was up first, and he managed to clear the obstacles with little difficulty. Jubilee was next, but she was unable to hang on to the rolling tube and fell to her elimination. Sam didn't fare much better, as he managed to fall off the rotating platforms. By the time Ray stepped up to the plate, only Rahne and Roberto had managed to clear the course. Ray managed the course effortlessly, even topping Rahne's time, which had thus far been the fastest.

"Top that, newbie," Ray smirked as he returned to the group of students. Brian glared in response.

"Ok, Brian, you're up," called Scott. With a gulp, Brian made his way to the starting line. He closed his eyes and took a calming breath, letting his muscles loosen up. It was just like P.E., he told himself. P.E. for people with superpowers. P.E. with pits and dodgeball cannons. And Scott called this stuff easy?

"On your mark! Get set! Go!"

Brian's eyes shot open as he took off with a run. The staggered platforms were up first, but he found that they were simple to pass as long as he kept his momentum going. The balance beam was next, and this too turned out to be easier than expected; the medicine balls swept by in a wave, giving ample time to cross after they swung by. The rotating platforms were slightly more difficult, as each spun at a different speed. He momentarily faltered on the last platform before regaining his balance.

Next up was the one obstacle that had eliminated more students than any other: the "log roll," as Bobby had dubbed it. Brian tentatively reached his hand around the tube, and was somewhat relieved to find a pair of hand grips on the underside. After carefully wrapping his arms and legs around the device, he pushed off. He instantly found himself disoriented as the tube rolled down the slope. Suddenly, he felt his grip slipping. Panicking, he grasped as tight as he could, barely noticing the familiar tensing sensation of power flowing through his body. With a start, he realized that the tube had stopped spinning, and that he had reached the bottom of the slope.

Now all that was left was the grid. Brian eyed it cautiously. From what he saw when the others had crossed it, he guessed that there was only one safe sequence of squares. What was more, the safe path seemed to change each time someone attempted to cross. It was completely random. Which meant that standing there and planning was a waste of time.

Brian exploded into motion, going for the middle of the three squares first. The square lit up, but nothing happened. He continued down the middle. This time, the square lit up briefly before giving way. Expecting this, Brian shifted his weight to the right, hoping against hope that the right square was safe. He landed with a thud, and the square lit up and held firm. He let out a sigh of relief that was quickly extinguished; on either side of the grid, cannons loaded with dodgeballs began to rise from the floor.

Scrambling to his feet, he continued on the right path. The first square in front of him held fast, but the second gave way, forcing him back into the center. This too held firm, but Brian was too busy dodging the flying red balls to notice. He tried the left track next. The tile held firm, but he was forced to duck when he caught a flash of red in the corner of his eye. No sooner had he done so than a hard red ball flew just inches over his head—right into the other cannon. Brian watched as the other cannon came flying off its base. A smile crossed his lips.

By now the functioning cannon had adjusted its aim and fired another projectile. Brian squared his shoulders set his feet as the hard rubber ball slammed into his abdomen. The force of the impact caused him to slide back a few inches, but he remained on his feet. Feeling the static and power flow through him once more, he threw the ball back at its source and watched as the cannon broke into several pieces. Brian was vaguely aware of the chorus of whoops and cheers coming from the gathered students, and he was certain he could hear someone asking "Can he do that?" But none of that mattered; there were only three spaces left to go. He took the center track, and once again it held firm. Next he went left, and the floor lit up. Just one more space.

As if on cue, a sheet of metal shot up from the floor, blocking his path. Before Brian could react, two more shot up from either side and another from behind. With a deafening thud, a final panel slammed shut above him. Brian was completely trapped.

"No!" he yelled, his voice echoing within his small metal prison. "No! Dammit! DAMMIT!" With a guttural roar of frustration, he slammed the forward wall with both hands. To his utter surprise, the metal wall dented, and blue tendrils of electricity danced across its surface. Brian had been so angry that he had not felt the rush of power at all. Smirking to himself, he slammed against the wall again, and again and again. On the sixth try, the wall gave a final creak, then fell forward.

Brian took a moment to admire his handiwork. The steel panel was almost unrecognizable, its surface covered in dents and even a few cracks. What was more, the section that had been the top now lay across the finish line. Brian could bypass the final section completely. Smiling, he made his way towards the end of the course.

Then it hit him, an unbelievably sharp pain in his chest, followed by numbness of his left arm. He gasped for breath and brought his right hand to his heart. The fire in his chest was spreading now, covering his entire left side. His vision began to blur and he stumbled. The last thing he saw was the floor racing to meet him. Then there was only darkness.