CHAPTER 5

The mansion in front of them was huge. Its old brick structure was covered in snaking vines, giving it an almost medieval appearance. A large 'X' was emblazoned in the centre of the towering metal gates separating them from the massive building.

"This is the Institute?" Alex asked, sceptical. Remy nodded. After the Adoption, they had decided that nothing had changed between them, and that Alex would be played off as a long-lost younger brother. As long as there were no blood tests, their story was believable – enforced by the fact that they look similar and had mental shields.

"Push de button, cheri," encouraged Remy. Reluctantly, Harry did. Almost immediately, a cultured voice answered via an intercom.

"What is your business here?" it asked.

"Gambit be allowed ta visit an old home, eh? Won't yo' let us in?" Remy responded, slipping behind a mask that was reserved for others. He'd told Alex to try and mask his accent. Alex had succeeded in speaking convincing Canadian, and used all the French words that Remy did out of habit, but couldn't quite get the Cajun twang to it.

There was a sigh.

"I'll be there in a moment, Gambit."

"I'll be waitin', Hank." The intercom shut off with a crackle.

"Where's the Professor?" asked Alex. Remy shrugged.

"Probably waitin' in his office ta talk ta us, if he hasn' changed."

"You didn't tell me you'd brought a guest, Gambit," scolded the cultured voice from the other side of the fence. Alex was surprised to find a tall, apelike man covered in blue fur to be its owner. He'd have thought it belonged to someone more like Professor Xavier.

"Jus' Gambit's li'l brot'er, Hank," he answered nonchalantly, "he be needin' help wit' his new powers."

'Hanks' eyes roved over Alex, seeming to judge the truth of the statement.

"So this isn't a social call like you made it out to be?" asked 'Hank', eyes looking disapproving. Remy shrugged.

"Didn' want de kiddies hangin' around de intercom ta hear dat dere be a new student yet," he said, "we gotta talk ta Professor X first."

"Fine," huffed the blue man… beast, opening the gates and leading them in.

Alex's strange eyes grew wider as he took in the antique, yet modern interior. It was clearly an old building, although the technology in it told of frequent updates. Alex made a mental note not to practice his magic in here. It took moments to arrive at the correct door.

"There professor's in here," directed 'Hank', "he's expecting you, Gambit, and an explanation."

"O' course," Gambit answered dutifully, "Gambit be explainin' everyt'in' ta de professor."

With that, they entered the office, Alex anxious and Remy with an extra bounce in his step.

"Hello, Remy," greeted a smooth, deep, calming voice, "how have you been?"

A bald man sat in an electric wheelchair, wheels also emblazoned with an 'X', at a dark, wooden desk. His aristocratic face was kindly and full of knowledge. His eyes held a certain depth to them that instantly made Alex wary; Remy had warned him that the man was the most powerful telepath in America, possibly the world. He had been told by Psylocke – a telepath they had met whilst traveling here – that he had shields like Remy's, as though his thoughts were surrounded by a wall of static, but that didn't reassure him.

"Dis be Remy's li'l brot'er, Alexandre Remy Lebeau," answered Remy, "an' he jus' recently come inta his mutant powers. Remy unsure o' what he can do, so he t'ought he betta bring him ta yo', Professo'."

"A wise choice, Remy," the bald man turned to Alex, "I am Charles Xavier, Headmaster of this school. I am the world's foremost mutant representative, and the world's most accomplished telepath. I notice that you have very distinctive eyes, much like your brother's; maybe you also have a kinetics-based ability?" he mused. Alex took note of the fact that he didn't say that he was the most 'powerful', just the most 'accomplished'.

Did that mean that there was a mutant somewhere that the Professor knew who was more powerful with less skill? The thought worried him.

"Perhaps," Alex answered vaguely; he knew that he produced a large – shockingly so – amount of energy. It was enough that, if he ate enough high calorie foods, he could forgo sleep for longer than was probably healthy with no adverse side-effects.

"The best way to discover this would be in the Danger Room, I think," the Professor suggested after staring into nothing for a few moments. Alex had a feeling he had been trying to slip into his mind. "How do you feel about this, Remy?" he asked the other mutant, who shrugged.

"Gambit be fine wit' dat, as long as no harm comes ta him," he answered protectively. Xavier nodded.

"Of course," he said passively, "right this way, please."

Following the man as he rolled through the halls in his motorised wheel chair drew them a lot of attention. Several students greeted Remy with hesitance, but some others said hello quite enthusiastically. All Remy did was smile as they continued.

Down the lift and to the left, Harry discovered an observation area looking down upon a metal room.

"This is the Danger Room, Alexandre," the Professor introduced, "just do what feels natural to you, and your mutation should make itself obvious."

"Ok," Alex answered, "and please, Professor, call me Alex."

"Of course, Alex; if you would please enter the Room?" the Professor asked as he opened a door into another elevator. Stepping through, Alex waited as it descended, and then stepped out into the room.

"I'm going to start it on an easy simulation," came the Professor's voice over the intercom, "are you ready?"

Alex nodded, giving a thumbs-up, and the simulation started.

Immediately, lasers and gunshots began firing in a random pattern. Dodging like they were spells, Alex looked for their sources. Finding a rapid-fire machine-gun embedded in the wall, Alex began to move towards it, searching himself for something he could use to disable it. A sharp burn told him that one of the beams had brushed his shoulder. Hissing, he put a hand over it, only to find the burn healed. Looking astonished, he shook it off for later consideration.

Not knowing why, he focused the constant thrum of energy – of power – in his body lately on his hand and aimed them towards the gun. He was certainly surprised when a beam of energy – looking surprisingly similar to the energy Remy used – flew from his palms and blasted the gun to pieces. He continued to do this until everything firing at him was no longer functioning.

"Well done, Alex," commented the Professor, "there's really not much that you need to be taught."

"Thank you, Professor," he mumbled, blushing slightly because he'd forgotten his watchers. Making his way to the door he had entered through, he found it open and waiting. Stepping inside, he waited patiently as the elevator rose.

As soon as he got out, he was crushed in a hug and inspected.

"Remy be seein' yo' get hit wit' de beam. Yo' ok, cheri?" asked a somewhat frantic Remy. Alex snickered at the mother-henning.

"I'm fine, Remy," Alex assured him, "it healed almost immediately." The Professor's sculpted eyebrows rose.

"Self-regenerative secondary mutation?" he murmured to himself, "how extraordinary. I would probably class you as a high-range alpha level mutant – like Remy and myself – unless a tertiary ability emerges; you would then be a definite omega."

He seemed to be mostly talking to himself, although Alex could see that Remy was taking it in. His eyebrows rose past his fringe.

"Dere be such a t'ing as a t'ird ability, Professo'?" he asked, surprised. The Professor seemed to come out of a daydream.

"Yes," he stated, "there have been about less than ten recorded cases of this in the past, most of which occurred in the past decade. Although your mind is shielded, Alex, I can feel that you are very powerful and have a tight leash on that power. I am sure you will do great things."

Alex resisted the urge to snort. That was not the first time someone had said that to him, he thought, as he remembered back, to his first year at Hogwarts and Ollivander's comment.

"Remy be givin' him de grand tour?" asked his 'brother'. He really did think of Remy as a cool older brother, although he was technically his father.

"Of course; if you would follow Remy, he will show you around," the Professor began to wheel away as he spoke, beckoning them to follow, "I will gather the students and staff into the War Room for introductions in an hour. Is that acceptable?"

Alex giggled quietly at the similarities between the Professor and the goblins from earlier whilst Remy agreed.