CHAPTER 8
The breakfast room was crowded; everyone from the introductions yesterday was there, including the Professor and the woman named Emma. It was a crowded room.
"Go on," murmured Kurt as Alex froze in the doorway, "just grab ze food and retreat to ze corner." Alex did so very quickly; unfortunately for him, everyone wanted to speak to the new guy.
Particularly Logan.
"Wanna answer my questions yet, bub?" he asked, blocking off any exit Alex may have had. Keeping his head down, Alex dutifully ignored the quickly-angering feral. Everyone in the room had stopped what they were doing, waiting to see what would happen.
"Why're you here?" growled the Wolverine, towering over the small brunette.
"Leave my student alone, Logan," interrupted Emma, stepping forward and glaring steadily at him. He turned to her and snarled.
"This ain't none o' your business, Frost," he growled. She scoffed.
"He is my student," she stated, sounding somewhat pompous and very annoyed, "and he is frightened. Therefore, it is my business."
She stalked over, shoving the stout feral out of the way and kneeling in front of Alex.
"You ok, sweet?" she asked softly. Alex nodded, shuffling backwards a bit. Emma took the tiniest peek at what his mind looked like, but backed out immediately at the large amount of static she found blocking her.
She would not push any mutant containing that much raw energy.
"Thanks," he whispered softly, accent a very convincing Canadian. Emma nodded.
"If you need me, sweet, just call out for me and I'll hear," she said. There was something about this boy that brought out her long-thought-lost maternal instincts.
"T'anks fo' deterrin' de Wolverine, Frost," said Remy, suddenly next to Alex, "Gambit be very grateful."
"I will protect my students, Master Thief," she said snobbishly, "do not be surprised."
With a nod, Emma Frost went back to her breakfast.
"Yo' alright, cheri?" asked Remy when everyone had returned to their business. Alex nodded.
"Fine," he said, sounding better than he had looked mere minutes ago, "I just don't deal well with bullies."
"I know," muttered Remy, "but Logan ain' gonna stop 'til he gets answers, cheri."
Alex sighed.
"I know."
"I do apologise for that, Alex," said the cultured voice of the Professor, "Logan gets very defensive against unknowns. I hope you can forgive him and try to work with him?"
"Maybe I will and maybe I won't, Professor," said Alex defiantly, causing the Professor's face to fall, "it depends on if he changes or not."
"Logan is very stubborn," wheedled Xavier, "perhaps if you would tell him so that he understood why you don't match up?"
Alex growled, surprising everyone.
"No, sir," the word was said like an insult, "I will not disclose my secrets to a stranger who has done nothing but bully me. You remind me far too much of my old headmaster."
At this, Kurt scowled, surprising everyone even more. Kurt never scowled except when he lost a Danger Room challenge.
"Of course, Alexandre," the sudden use of his full name did not go unnoticed by Alex, "I understand and respect your wishes."
"Thank you, Professor Xavier," Alex answered, equally formal but far more frosty, "If I could continue my breakfast?"
"Of course, Alexandre," the Professor said, nodding as he wheeled away. Alex sneered at his receding back.
"Manipulative old fool," muttered Alex angrily as he attacked his bacon with renewed vigour, "why are they always trying to get to me? Why can't they go after each other and leave us normal people alone?"
Remy struggled to contain his laughter at the mumbled rant and Kurt just looked amused, his anger gone.
"Yo' alright, cheri?" asked the Cajun through his laughter. Alex glared, causing both of the attic-dwellers to burst into raucous giggles.
"Stupid adults and their stupid sense of humour," muttered the teen darkly.
"I'll have you know zat I am only twenty-seven!" exclaimed Kurt. Alex smirked.
"Therefore you are an ooooooold adult!" he taunted. The Nightcrawler sputtered indignantly whilst Remy laughed harder. Kitty and Rogue were giggling behind their hands and Bobby looked somewhat constipated in his attempt to not laugh.
Dr Grey, Summers and Logan did not look amused. Hank was blissfully unaware of the arguing trio and Storm was smiling slightly as she made her morning coffee.
"Gambit be findin' dis conversation very funny," he sputtered through his laughter. Alex looked amused.
"I'm assuming you're older than Kurt?" he asked, head tilted, eyes wide. He looked the perfect picture of innocence.
"Come now, cheri," Remy laughed, "yo' don' need ta know Remy's age; only one be needin' ta know dat is Remy."
Alex smirked again.
"Of course; only Remy needs to know that he's thirty two" he whispered so that only Kurt and Remy could hear him.
Remy spluttered.
"How did yo' find dat info'mation!" he yelped. Most of the X Men laughed, although Logan and the Professor raised an identical eyebrow.
"He knows the swamp rat's age?" asked a sceptical Logan. The Professor nodded pensively.
"It appears so," he answered, "and Remy didn't tell him, which means that the information is out there somewhere."
"The only problem with that is how we find it," muttered Logan grumpily.
Alex smirked at his glaring companion.
"I have my sources," he answered cryptically. Remy grumbled about annoying teenagers as everyone went back to their now-cold breakfasts for the second time that morning.
After breakfast was over, Alex decided that he wanted to explore the grounds. Dragging a reluctant Remy and a laughing Kurt, he ran all over the place. After half an hour of that, he got bored and initiated a game of hide-and-seek.
"You guys count to twenty and then come and find me!" he exclaimed excitedly, shoving them inside before running off.
Shrugging, the two twenty year olds counted and went to search. Kurt teleported to everywhere he could think of as a hiding place, searching cupboards, bedrooms, even the Danger Room.
Remy, on the other hand, tracked the kinetic energy that Alex leaked, and would continue to leak until he got better control.
Following the trail, he found himself at the edge of the forest, which surprised him. There were many wild animals – quite a few of them dangerous – hidden in the trees, and he had specifically warned Alex not to go in.
"Kurt!" he shouted. The German materialised next to him with that strange 'pfft' he made and a swirl of red.
"Ja?"
"He's in the forest," muttered the Cajun grumpily. Kurt's eyes narrowed.
"Vy vould he go in zere?" he wondered aloud.
Sudden giggles permeated the air.
"Are you gonna keep being worry-warts or a you gonna chase me?" asked Alex's voice from the shadows, his accent reverted to being British. Remy scowled.
"I told yo' not ta go in dere, Alex," he yelled into the darkness. A chuckle above their heads made them look up; there was Alex, sitting calmly on a branch just above their heads where – just minutes ago – there had definitely been no one.
"The creatures in he have nothing on the truck sized spiders and centaurs with anger-management issues in the Forest at Hogwarts," he laughed, "I like it in here."
Kurt laughed, making Remy glare at him.
"It seems zat you are fighting a lozing battle, Remy," laughed the blue mutant. Remy just scowled again.
"Jus' because yo' like it in dere don' mean yo' should be dere," he grumbled. Alex laughed again as he jumped down lightly from the tree.
"I can defend myself fine, père," he murmured as he pulled the worried Cajun into a hug, "a few wolves won't hurt me."
Remy suddenly stiffened.
"Yo' called me père," he muttered. Alex blushed.
"Yea," he mumbled, cheeks flushing brighter, "is that ok?" Remy smiled.
"When we're alone, cheri," he answered quietly. Kurt smiled softly; Alex had family now.
"Is everything alright here?" asked the familiar voice of Hank. All three spun around suddenly.
"Oui," answered Remy, "Alex be gettin' lost in de forest."
"Is he okay?" asked the other blue man worriedly. Kurt nodded.
"Ja, he iz fine."
"Good," nodded Hank, "the Professor would like to begin his training in the Danger Room as soon as possible after yesterday's outburst."
Alex scowled.
"I was provoked, you know," he growled, accent Canadian once again. Hank looked surprised.
"What provoked you? Logan assures that he didn't do anything," muttered the blue Beast.
"Miss Grey was trying to force her way into my head," snapped Alex. Hank's eyes locked with his for a moment before he turned and gestured for them to follow him inside.
"Yes, that would do it, I should think," he muttered as he led them inside, "mental attacks have been proven to bring out abilities before their time."
Following the blue man through the maze that was the mansion to the Danger Room took longer than Alex expected. Kurt had turned off at the hallway leading to the kitchen, saying he needed to 'restore ze energy he lost playing ze game'. Alex reckoned he just wanted a snack.
When they reached the Danger Room Observation/Control centre, they found Logan, the Professor and Emma Frost waiting for them.
"It's time to begin your training now, Alexandre," said the Professor as Emma gestured to the door leading down to the Room itself, "good luck."
SURPRISE A/N: wow... the Professor is turning out a bit more evil than I intended... oops... Also, I know that Gambit is actually only 23, but it fit my purposes better