Wolf: I hope the last chapter wasn't as bad (in whatever mistakes occurred from the first chapter). I'm a perfectionist when it comes to spelling, grammar, and accuracy. This chapter will hopefully shed some light for anyone who may have some questions. If you'd like a picture of what Allyce looks like, please feel free to go to , and look up HamatoRage. My avatar comes pretty close in her description.
Logan: Aren't you forgetting something, Wolf?
Kurt: crosses his arms over his chest Ja, Wolf! Don't forget what you promised to do!
Wolf: slaps forehead I was getting to that, guys! turns to the readers I've had a complaint about mistakes in my first chapter that really hurt my feelings...
Bobby: You read the reviews?
Wolf: slaps Bobby over the head Of course I do! I just delete the bad ones! turns back to the readers I was always taught to believe that if you don't have anything to say, then don't say anything at all. I'd rather have people not review my story than send me negative feedback. It's rude and discouraging to others, and I don't acknowledge anyone who sends them. So if you don't have anything nice to say when you're reviewing my stories, then don't even bother sending anything my way.
Wolf: Turns to Emma Will you be so kind as to do the honors this time, Lady Emma?
Emma: Sighs if I must... turns to the readers The Paper Wolf doesn't own Wolverine and the X-Men or anything else that may be connected to the Marvel universe. If you try to sue her, I will personally wipe everyone's mind clean of any creativity.
Wolf: T.T You're just as bad as Logan.
Emma: smiles sweetly at Wolf I try my best, Wolf.
Wolf: I'd like to take this time to thank all the people who are kind enough to review my chapters! It's nice to know that someone is out there reading my story! So, thanks, xxSidekickxx! You're the best!
Wolf: Anyway, please read and review and by the by... my adorable little brother would like to add something as well, so without further ado... Here's Corey!
Corey: *Smiles innocently at the readers* Corey is awesome !
Wolf: Oo0 That was what you wanted to say?
Corey: Yup!
Wolf: Anyway, enjoy your stay in Zero Tolerance!
Chapter Three: Get Through This
What could I say,
to get through to you?
They've taken away everything from me!
I tried to see the good in life,
but good things are hard to find!
There's a part of me that hit the ground!
It's already over...
December 8th
Beast had been correct when he told Kurt that Allyce would get better within the week. Nightcrawler had been released the next day, but had visited the poor girl from time to time to make sure she was okay. He hoped she wouldn't freak out like other girls at the institute before the explosion that sent them in chaos.
Beast would occasionally accompany the elf to check Allyce's progress. He did check up on her as a doctor, and was surprised to see that Allyce was healing just as well as he had predicted. He thanked Logan's blood for the speedy recovery. If Logan hadn't given Allyce blood, he feared that she wouldn't survive the night. He was still amazed that she was even alive when they brought her back. Emma even offered to bring Allyce out of her unconscious state, but Beast had strongly advised against it; saying that it'd be cruel to wake her then when they had just finished patching her wounds.
Right now, Kurt was on his way to pay Allyce a visit when he bumped into Bobby and Kitty. The two had been on their way down to the Danger Room, and asked if he was going to see Allyce. Kurt smiled at them and told that he was.
"You're always going to see her, Kurt." Kitty said in a teasing tone; giving Kurt a playful smile that made him slightly uncomfortable.
"Do I detect a hint of a crush forming here?" Bobby asked in playful tone; smiling slyly at Kurt, as he folded his arms over his chest.
Kurt gave the two younger X-Men a slight smile. "Vell, I don' see you two going to see her." He countered, "Besides, she's all alone now. It vas clear no one vants her in zat town."
Kitty's teasing smile faded and fell. She remembered the terrible way Allyce was treated, and hoped that she wouldn't have to see that again. "It's horrible how those people treated her, but what's done is done. Emma said that there were a lot of people who hated us for being what we are." She said in a sad tone; looking down at the ground. "I'm just glad you got to her in time."
"I'd like to go back to that town and give those idiots a piece of my mind!" Bobby said in a spiteful tone; glaring angrily at the floor as he rolled his hands into fists. "It's not fair how they treated her!"
Kurt nodded to the girl, and placed a hand on both Bobby and Kitty's shoulders. "Don't vorry too much about it, you two. Ve all have our demons to deal vith." He said in a brotherly tone; trying to perk the two up. "Some more zen others."
Kitty gave Kurt a small smile, and looked over at Bobby. "We should be going before Logan changes our settings." She told the Drake beside her.
Bobby perked up and looked over at Kurt. "Let us know if there's any change, okay?" He asked in a more calmed tone; relaxing his arms with a strained sigh.
Kurt gave the two a kind smile, and waved to them, as they made their way towards the Danger Room. "Have fun, you two!" He called out before he ducked into the medical room; dodging any remarks he might have received from the two.
Once he was inside, he found Allyce lying on the bed with her head turned completely to the side. Beast had already beat Kurt inside, and had doing his periodically check ups on Allyce's progress. Beast had been sitting on a stool; changing her bandages.
"I was beginning to wonder when you'd come down here to see Allyce." Beast spoke up in a friendly tone; not bothering to look up to know if it was actually Kurt. He could tell by the scent of brimstone that clung to his body and his normally silent entrances when the door slid open.
"I vas talking to Bobby and Kitty on my way in." Kurt explained in a lazy tone; joining Beast at the bed. "So, how is she doing today?" He asked in a slightly concerned tone.
"She's doing as well as can be expected. Her wounds are still healing, which is slightly confusing because Wolverine heals much faster than she is." Beast replied in a bothered tone; not looking up at Kurt.
Kurt chuckled at Beast's reply, and looked down at Allyce's sleeping form. "Zat vood be because she is not Logan." He answered in a reasoning tone.
Kurt smiled down at Allyce, and touched her hand. No sooner had he made contact with her, Allyce's cat eyes opened; glowing red. She sat up straight on the bed; her eyes leaving a trail of red as she sat up in a simple robotic motion.
At first, the two gentlemen didn't know how to react. They had seen many strange things in their time as X-Men, but they had never seen anything like what Allyce just did. Beast was the first to recover from his shock at seeing Allyce awaken, and was the first to speak.
"Well, it's good to see you're actually awake, Miss L'Orange." He said in a pleased tone; giving Allyce a slight smile. "I wasn't expecting you up for about a few more days. Given your current condition."
Allyce looked over at the two blue men, and looked at them with hollow eyes once the red lights in them had dimmed. She looked around the room, and tried to figure out where she was.
"... wha-what happened?" She asked in a quiet tone; placing a sluggish hand over half of her face. "Where am I?"
Kurt smiled weakly at the girl, and placed a gentle hand on Allyce's shoulder; causing her to look up at him with lost eyes. "You are safe here, Allyce." He said in a gentle tone; trying to give her a warm smile.
"To be more accurate," Beast spoke up in a knowing tone, "You're at the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. You're currently in our hospital wing after you've had an – unfortunate accident with the people in your neighborhood."
Allyce didn't look anyone in the eye, and drew her knees into her chest; wrapping her arms around them to keep them in place. "Why would you help me?" She asked in a soulless tone; burying her face in her knees. "No one has ever shown me any ounce of kindness for such a long time. Why would anyone start now?"
I will dedicate,
and sacrifice my everything,
for just a second's worth!
Before my story's ending!
And I wish I could know,
if the choices that I make,
Won't end up all for nothing!
Kurt looked over at Beast with worried eyes; not knowing what to say to help her feel better. He looked down at the girl, and sat down on the bed near where her legs should be.
"Zat is vat ve do." Kurt replied in a soothing tone, as he placed a caring hand over her own. "Ve help people like us."
Allyce lifted her eyes to meet Kurt's soft smile, and looked back down at her knees. She would have said something, but Emma and Logan came into the room with passive looks on their faces that soon turned into pleasant smiles upon seeing Allyce awake.
"Ah, you're finally awake." Emma said in a motherly tone; giving Allyce a warm smile, as she made her way over towards the girl.
Allyce looked up at the woman entering the room with an amazed look on her face. "I know you... from somewhere." She said in stunned tone; not taking her eyes off the woman coming towards her.
Emma smiled uneasily at Allyce and took her place across from Kurt. "That's probably because I was inside your mind when you first arrived."
Allyce tilted her head to the side, and gave Emma a confused look. Emma did her best to hold back a chuckle, and kept her smile in place.
"I have telepathy." Emma said in a friendly tone. "I can read minds as well as enter them." She explained, "You wouldn't stay calm long enough for Hank to treat you, so I entered your mind to keep you calm long enough for him to help you."
Beast gave Emma a weary smile at the woman and turned his attention back to Allyce with a comforting smile. "Well, I don't deserve all the credit," he said in a modest tone; rubbing the back of his neck, "if it wasn't for both Emma's telepathy, and a transfusion from Logan over there, I wouldn't have been able to do anything for you."
Show me what it's for!
Make me understand it!
I've been crawling in the dark,
looking for the answers!
Is there something more,
than what I've been handed?
I've been crawling in the dark,
looking for the answer!
Allyce looked over at the man in question, and then gave them a weak smile. "Thanks for... well, everything, I guess..." She said in an unsure tone; not looking anyone in the eyes. "It's... nice to know that there are still some good people left in the world. Too bad it took me ten years to actually find them."
Emma looked at the men in the room, and saw them giving the girl a questioning look. She looked back down at the girl before and placed a hand on hers; causing her to flinch at the simple touch. She quickly withdrew her hand, and gave Allyce a worried smile.
"You really haven't been shown much kindness in your time, have you, Allyce?" The woman asked in a preoccupied tone; giving Allyce her full attention.
Allyce's eyes began to glow an evil red color, and turned them on the woman beside her. "Don't ever..." She said in a low tone that even Logan had to strain his ears to hear her. "Don't you ever call me that name again!" She growled in a hateful tone. "That girl died a long time ago, and she's never coming back! Those people I grew up with and trusted with my very life had made sure of that!"
The ones around Allyce looked back at her with shock and sympathy in their eyes. Emma watched tears start to fall from Allyce's eyes, and gently placed her hand on Allyce's shoulder.
"But your name is so beautiful." Kurt said in a concerned tone; feeling his own heart break at the sight of Allyce's tears.
Emma placed a gentle hand on Allyce's shoulder, and smiled warmly at the girl. "What would you like to be called then? Surely you already have a name in mind." Emma said in a reasoning tone; offering Allyce a small smile.
Allyce looked up at Emma for a moment and looked straight ahead. "Ray and I were twins." She whispered in a chocked sob; letting her tears become more angry. "We were a duo. We didn't need to have any friends because we always had each others back... but he's gone now... so I'll be "Zero"."
'Zat is the grave that had zat writing on it.' Kurt thought to himself; remembering the bloody writing on it. (Wolf: "Here lies someone who died of a broken heart". See ch.2 for ref.)
Logan sighed and placed a fatherly hand on Allyce's shoulder; causing her to look up at him. "I think it's a good name. It suits you." He said in an agreeing tone; giving the newly named "Zero" a fatherly smile.
Help me carry on!
assure me it's okay to,
use my heart and not my eyes!
And navigate the darkness...
Will the ending be,
ever coming suddenly?
Will I ever get to see,
the ending to my story?
After a few moments of silence, Zero's stomach made a weak growling sound, and she held her hands more tightly around her knees in an attempt to quiet it. But the sound didn't go unnoticed, and caused Beast and the others to either chuckle or smile at the girl on the bed.
"It sounds like your stomach needs some attention!" Beast said in a hearty tone; trying to hold in his laugh. "Let's get you a change of clothes, and we'll talk about getting food into you."
Zero looked down at herself, and noticed that she was topless with bandages covering her chest and stomach. She still had her jeans on, but they were ripped beyond repair. Needless to say that she looked like a mummy wrapped up in bandages like she was. She gasped and tried to hide herself from everyone in the room. Emma giggled at the girl and rested a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, Zero," she told her in a gentle tone, "the only ones who saw anything were us. The other children were waiting outside when we were fixing you up."
"Zey even pulled ze curtain to keep me from looking." Kurt said with a lazy smile; causing Zero to blush and look down at her knees.
"And besides, I'm a doctor. I've seen people naked lots of times in my day!" Beast reasoned in a fatherly tone. "Nothing happened to you from the time you were here."
Zero relaxed her tiny frame and blushed even more; still looking down at her knees. She was going to say something, but her stomach let out another growl; getting more urgent than before.
"I'll get you something to eat!" Kurt said in a pleasing tone; getting ready to leave the room.
Zero looked over at the others with a panicked expression on her face. "You don't have to do that!" She said in protest; trying to get up from her place on the bed.
"YOU'RE not going anywhere, young lady!" Beast said in a firm tone; holding her in place with a furry hand on her shoulder.
Show me what it's for!
Make my understand it!
I've been crawling in the dark,
looking for the answers!
Is there something more,
than what I've been handed?
I've been crawling in the dark,
looking for the answer!
Zero looked up at the doctor with a skeptical glare. "I've made it through worse than this. And besides, the sooner I can get up and moving around, the sooner I feel better." She said in a warning tone; giving them a green flag.
"Does it have anything to do with that accident that happened ten years ago?" Emma asked in a patient tone; giving Zero her attention and causing her to shoot a glare at her.
Zero gave Emma a darkened glare. "You have no idea what I've been through!" She roared in an unrealistic voice; completely changing her voice from the broken one she woke up with.
She then folded her arms over her chest, and looked away with a childish sneer. "Telling me that I can't get up and walk around. Please! I've been through a windshield and into heavy traffic." She said in a bitter tone; looking over at Beast with a flat gaze. "I've been out and skating on the ice in less than a month after a knee – replacement surgery and only two weeks after a hip surgery. I think I can handle simply walking around!"
Beast sighed and gave up on keeping Zero in bed, and went over to a closet across the room. "If you're so Hell – bent on moving around," he said in a scolding tone; pulling out a pair of crutches, (AN: Think of the ones with the arm bracers, not the regular ones!) "At least use these to get around."
Zero sighed and relaxed on the bed. "At least it's not a wheelchair." She said in a defeated tone. "I can't stand those! My butt hurts after a few minutes of sitting in those!" She said in a pleased tone; causing everyone to laugh.
"Well, I guess being a figure-skater tends to make you a little restless." Beast said in a hearty tone; causing the others the either smile or grin at the two arguing mutants. "Promise you won't overdo things and rest whenever you DO sit down."
Zero saluted Beast, and took the crutches from him; standing up on wobbly legs. Emma helped her slip her arms through the arm braces, and held her hand on her back as Zero leaned on them; trying to adjust her weight on the metal legs provided for her.
"I can handle this..." She said in a firm tone as she looked up at the group watching her take a step backwards; getting ready to move away from the others to try out the crutches.
"I'll take you to ze kitchen if you want." Kurt offered in an honest tone; walking over towards her; extending his hand out to the her and the other towards the door.
Zero looked over towards the others as if she were asking for permission to leave. Beast and Logan chuckled and gave her a grin.
"Why don't you give Slim here a tour of the mansion while you're at it, Kurt?" Logan said in a smug tone; earning a nudge to the side from the blue beast beside him.
"Just remember what I said, and I won't keep you down here." Beast called out in a fatherly tone; waving the two off, as he went to cleaning up the mess he made at the bed when he was checking up on the girl. (Before she woke up, he was checking her blood pressure, changing her bandages, ect.)
"Just don't eat too much all at once!" Emma said in a motherly tone; calling out after the two.
"And for goodness sake, Kurt, give her something healthy and come back down here in a little while so I can check your wounds!" Beast added in a warning tone; watching Kurt give him two thumbs up before he guided Zero put the sliding doors.
"She sure has a lot of problems, don't she?" Logan said in a defeated tone; shaking his head with a tired sigh.
"She's been through a lot. I would be surprised if she didn't have any problems." Emma said in motherly tone; watching the door slide close after the two left.
"It takes time for wounds like that to heal. We just have to be patient with her, and hope for the best." Beast reasoned in a knowing tone; placing his tools back into their rightful places.
"I'm going to give the others a head's up about Zero." Logan said in a final tone; walking towards the door. "I don't want to have Kitty mad at me for not letting them know Zero is awake."
Beast chuckled and waved to Logan. "At it's you and not me!"
"Have fun with that, Logan." Emma said in a teasing tone; giving him a sly smile; making him growl and stalk out the door.
So when and how will I know?
How much further do I have to go?
And how much longer till I finally know?
Because I'm looking and I just can't see,
what's in front of me!
In front of me!
The duo made their way slowly down the hall, until Kurt knew they were no longer being watched. Once he made sure of that, he teleported them to the kitchen, and stepped away from Zero; watching her closely.
"I think I left my stomach back in that hall..." She groaned in a weakened tone; rubbing her stomach slightly with one hand; shifting the balance on one crutch as she did so.
Kurt smiled sadly at the girl, and helped her over towards the chair. "You'll get used to it, Zero." He cooed in a gentle tone; giving her a small smile, "I vas vanting to save us time." He explained; walking over towards the cupboard. "Now, vat vood you like to eat today?" He asked in a polite tone.
"I'm not a picky eater, sir." Zero said in an unsure tone; looking out the window. "Anything is fine."
Kurt chocked back a laugh, and looked over his shoulder at Zero. "I've neva been one for formalities, Zero." He said in a friendly tone; giving Zero his best smile. "You can just call me Kurt."
Zero looked back at Kurt, and gave him a smile of her own; holding her hands up in the air in surrender. "I can't help my family was big on manners." She said in a spiritless tone; looking back down at her hands on the table. "I guess that's about the only good thing mom's taught me."
Kurt looked down on the floor in front of him, and gripped the counter with his hands. He blinked away a few sympathetic tears, and looked back at the girl with a careless smile. "Vell, it's all in ze past now, Zero. Ve are your family now!" He replied in a happy tone.
Zero looked over at Kurt with shock in her eyes. She looked down at her hands again, and her eyes began to hollow out and glowed a dim red color. "That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me in a long time." She whispered in a quiet tone; not looking to meet Kurt's eyes. "Thank you, Kurt."
Kurt had finished making their soup, and took the bowls over towards the table. "Vell, if you decide to stay here vith us, then you'll hear a lot of zings like zat all ze time!" He said in a mighty tone; sitting across from her with his own bowl.
Zero looked around the kitchen and thought about her options. Where would she go if she decided to leave? Her only family had tried to kill her, as well as the people she grew up with that town. She already knew what would happen if she went out on her own. She knew by the way MRD went after her, that she wouldn't make it a day on her own. And these people who saved her have been so kind to her. Why would she want to leave?
Show me what it's for!
Make me understand it!
I've been crawling in the dark,
looking for the answer!
Is there something more,
than what I've been handed?
I've been crawling in the dark,
looking for the answer!
"You... you really don't mind me staying here, do you, Kurt?" Zero asked in a quiet tone; looking up at him with a surprised look on her face.
Kurt laughed and shook his head at her. "I voodn't have jumped into ze river to save you if I didn't vant you here." He told her in a smooth tone; giving her a playful wink.
Zero looked back down at her soup, and smiled down at the food provided for her. "It does feel safe and warm here... If it's not a problem to anyone else, I'd like to stay."
Kurt chocked on his food and gave Zero a shocked look. "Ve vant you here, Zero." He told her in a caring tone; reaching over the table, and lacing his hand over hers. "I vant you here."
"I think that's the first time in ten years someone has actually told me they wanted me." She said more to herself than to Kurt. She looked up at Kurt with a soft smile; feeling his sincerity through her powers; knowing he was telling the truth. "Thanks again, Kurt."
"Zat is vat I'm here for!" He told her in a happy tone; giving her his best smile. "Besides, ve are a family here and ve help our own!"
It wasn't long before Kitty walked into the kitchen with Bobby in tow. They found the two sitting at the table, and were slightly surprised to see Zero sitting down with them. They also found a pair of crutches propped up against the table beside her.
"You're already up and about?" Bobby asked in a shocked tone; rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things. "I would've milked it for another week or two!"
Kitty glared at the ice maker, and slapped him in the back of his head. "It's good to see you're up and moving around, Allyce. I was really worried about you." She said in a sisterly tone; giving Zero a warm smile. She however, became worried when she saw Zero glaring darkly at her, and took a step back. "Did I say something wrong?" She asked in a worried tone; looking from Zero to Kurt.
Kurt cleared his throat, and extended his hand towards Zero. "Her name is Zero now, Kitty. So from now on, she will go by zat name."
"I won't answer to Allyce anymore as of today." Zero said in a quiet tone; looking down at her bowl of soup.
"I'm sorry, Al- uh- Zero." Kitty said in an apologetic tone; taking a seat next to her.
Zero sighed, and pushed the bowl away. "I'm the one who should've been sorry. You didn't know what was going on, and I was completely rude." She said in a sad tone; looking up at Kitty was a sad smile. "Some guest I am, huh?"
Kitty smiled, and placed a hand on Zero's shoulder. "Don't worry about that, Zero." She told her in a forgiving tone.
"It happens to the best of us. And it's scary just imagining what you've been through!" Bobby said in a childish tone; his temper flaring up slightly at the thought of seeing Zero when they first saw her at her hometown. "And being out on your own has got to mess with you."
Kitty and Kurt sent a warning glare towards Bobby, and making him sit down quickly beside Kitty.
"You're not helping, Bobby." Kitty said in a warning tone; turning back to Zero with a soft smile. "So, how do you like it here at the institute so far, Zero?" She asked in a sisterly tone.
Zero smiled over at the girl beside her. "I haven't seen a whole lot of this place because someone had to poof us up here." She said in a playful tone; sending a mock glare at Kurt and making him 'meep' and duck his head low in shame.
Kitty shook her head at Kurt, and looked back over at Zero with a friendly smile. "Well, if you're up to it," she started in an offering tone, "I can show you around, or at least the way to your room."
"I would be so grateful! Thank you so much!" Zero said in a pleasant tone; pushing herself up from her seat. She made a move to grab her bowl, but Kurt stopped her by snatching it up before she could touch it.
"I vill take care of ze dishes, Zero." He told her in a firm tone but his smile betrayed him. "You just go have a look around. I vill join you two later."
Zero smiled at Kurt, and nodded. Kitty helped her get into her crutches, and guided her out of the kitchen with an excited smile; leaving the two to talk amongst themselves.
"... and by the way," Kitty said once they made it up the stairs, "I'm Kitty."
Zero nodded at Kitty, and made her way down the hall; allowing Kitty to hold her back in case she should fall. "So, what are your powers, Kitty?" She asked in a curious tone; looking at Kitty from the corner of her while trying to keep from bumping into anything that may be in her way.
"I can phase through solid objects." Kitty answered in a proud tone; helping the other girl turn a corner. "And you're an empath, aren't you? That means you feel other people's emotions, right?" She asked in a polite tone.
Zero shrugged her shoulders, and gave Kitty a smirk. "I feel other people's emotions like they're my own." She replied in an honest tone; moving on down the hall. "I can feel the curiosity and excitement coming off you as plain as day. It's like third grade all over again and I'm the shiny new toy."
Kitty blushed at that comment, and rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry about that, Zero. Besides, Emma and Ororo, I'm the only girl here since the explosion. It's nice to have another girl around my age to talk to." She paused for a moment before she decided to ask her another question. "Emma told me you had another power, is that true?"
Zero shrugged her shoulder. "I don't know for sure, but I think I can control paper. But I'm not very good at it. I first found out about that one when my mom tried to stab me with a kitchen knife. There were some bills and papers on the counter in my old kitchen that flew up, but when she came at me again, they didn't protect me."
"I saw the blood in your house when we went to find you." Kitty said in a sad tone; looking down at her feet as they walked down the hall. "I'm sorry that had to happen to you, Zero. I wish I could've been there sooner."
Zero smiled weakly over at Kitty, and looked back up in front of her. "It's alright, Kitty. You didn't know." She said in a soothing tone; letting Kitty know that she understood her.
Kitty gave Zero her best smile, and looked around the hall. She was surprised when they made it to the dorm rooms. She looked back at Zero with a bright smile. "And here we are! This is your new room!" She said in a happy tone; guiding Zero to turn around. "See? We went down that one hall and took this turn. Your room is with us younger people."
She pointed to the door right next to the one that she said was Zero's. "There's my room." She said in a proud tone, and pointed down the hall. "Kurt's room is the second door on the left and Bobby's is right across from his."
Zero nodded and memorized the room patterns, and looked back at Kitty with a curious look. "And where is everyone else's rooms?"
Kitty waved her off. "Well, Logan's room is the last door on the right. I wouldn't go in there in the dead of night. He gets mean when he's woken up. Emma's room is the one that separates the students' dorms and the teachers'. Hank's room is next to hers. But he's normally down in the lab or hospital wing. Ororo's room id next to Scott's room. Their rooms are the ones next to Emma's room. They're all normally out and about until it's time to go to bed. So, you'll hardly find them in their rooms."
"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Kitty." Zero told her in a polite tone; giving Kitty a slight nod.
Kitty leaned forward, and opened the door; letting Zero go in first. "Well, here's your new room, Zero." She said in a mature tone as she walked in after Zero was away from the door way. "I helped decorate the room when she told us to get you. If you don't like it; then I'll help you redecorate."
The room was much larger than her old room used to be. It's main colors were cranberry red and stoned gray. The carpet was the cranberry red with matching curtains. The bedding was the gray color and was a normal size. Not too big like a Queen size, but just big enough for her and maybe an extra person. There was a cherry wood desk beside the door with a dresser on the wall to its right. The closet was open and Zero could see that it was a fair sized walk-in closet that was placed across from the bed. The room was completed with a black beanbag chair that was sitting on a gray rug in front of a tall, narrow bookcase.
Zero's old room was the attic. She had a small bed, a cupboard for a closet, and a small dresser. She had all the requirements for her room, so it wasn't like she was treated poorly when it came to her needs. It was just so cramped compared to her new room.
"This room is nice the way it is, Kitty..." Zero said in a quiet tone; looking around at her room. "Thank you."
Just as Kitty walked over towards the bed, Kurt teleported into the room with a happy smile. "So, how do you like your new room, Zero?" He asked in a brotherly tone; his tail swishing back and forth.
Zero moved slightly within the room, and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were no longer the duo eyes she once believed were her best feature, and were the red, pupil-less eyes. She already knew she still had her claws and fangs. Her bottom lip was still sore when she accidentally sliced it at the rink. She sighed and looked down at her feet; her bangs hiding her eyes from view.
Kitty looked over at Kurt, and saw him shrug his shoulders, and went over towards the closet, and pulled out her army bag. She held it up for Zero to see. "I saw this when we were heading back through the cemetery after we found you." She said in a gentle tone, giving the new girl a sweet smile. "I didn't look through it or anything. I can't explain it, but I just knew it was yours, so I picked it up and put it in here for you."
Zero smiled gratefully at Kitty and made a move towards her. "Oh, thank you for picking it up, Kitty! I thought that I'd never see it again!" She said in a happy tone; taking the bag from Kitty, and moving over towards the bed.
Kitty and Kurt sat on either side of Zero, and watched her open her bag; looking to make sure she didn't lose anything. "I promise I didn't look in your bag and I didn't take anything from it." She said in a pleading tone; hoping Zero believed her.
Zero pulled her head out of her bag and gave Kitty a shocked look. "It's nothing against you, Kitty," she said in a reassuring tone, "I just wanted to make sure that I didn't lose anything while I was running into the cemetery."
Kitty relaxed her tension, and looked over how Zero kept the bag close to her. "You're very protective since you found you still had that bag. What's in it that's so important to you?"
"Vat are you hiding?" Kurt asked in a sly tone; giving Zero a playful smirk.
Zero laughed politely at the girl beside her, and pushed her bag back slightly. "I just brought a few changes of clothes, and some of my personal things." She answered in a quiet tone. "That, and this was my brother's bag. So, it means worlds to me in itself."
Kurt tilted his head to the side, and looked over at Zero's shaking hands. "Your broza must have meant a lot to you." He stated as a matter of fact.
Zero nodded eagerly at the blue demon, and pulled out a picture frame from her bag. "Well, we were twins. We were always together." She said as she held up the for the two to see.
The picture was of the two posing in front of a skating rink. They were back to back with their heads turned towards the camera. They both looked to be small children – about eight or nine. They had arrogant smirks on their faces, and gave the camera a thumbs up. Kitty noticed how much alike they were. They both wore black and red windbreaker outfits, and even had the same thick black glasses! Since Zero's hair was shorter, and wasn't as "developed" as she was now, it was difficult to tell them apart!
"Vow!" Kurt said in an amazed tone; looking at the photo. "You two looked so much alike! It's hard telling you two apart!"
"Is he a mutant, too?" Kitty asked in an excited tone; looking over at Zero with impressed eyes. "What's his power?"
Zero moved her arm over Kurt's head, and placed it on the bed behind her. "He died in a ar accident 10 years ago. We were only 9 when it happened. He was D.O.A. …" She replied in a hurting tone; looking down at her knees; her bangs once again hiding her eyes. "In more was than one, apart of me had died with him."
"That's why you changed your name." Kitty asked in a sad tone. "And who could blame you. I'd do the same thing, too if I was in your position."
Kurt looked over at the girls beside him, and placed his hand over Zero's. "It must be hard for you."
Zero blushed and shook her head at the two sad mutants on either side of her; leaning back on her arms "Don't get me wrong, you two, it was pretty bad for a while. I couldn't even hold my head for the longest time, but I've had to learn that the world doesn't stop if one person is gone."
"But still..." Kitty said in an unsure tone; looking over at Kurt for help.
Zero smiled and placed a hand on Kitty's shoulder. "Kitty, please don't feel sorry for me. I've moved on, so there's no reason to feel bad. I won't lie to you: There are times when I just wanted to give up, but it's knowing that there are still kind people left in this world that keeps me going. As long as there are good people like all of you in this world; then it can't be so bad."
Kitty sniffed and wiped her tears dry; giving Zero a bright smile. "When you put it like that..." She trailed off. "How about we give you a tour? We have a great library downstairs." She offered in a friendly tone; her good mood coming back.
Zero smiled happily, and got her crutches back into place. "Now I know I'm staying!" She said excitedly; moving backwards so she could turn around. She looked over at Kurt with a happy smile on her face. "Are you coming, too, Kurt?"
Kurt smiled brightly at the girl and got up to his feet; joining the two girls. "I'll have us down zere in no time!" He said confidently at the two; placing his hand on their shoulders.
Zero moved away from Kurt's hand, and gave them a stubborn look. "Can't we wait to do that when I'm fully healed? I almost lost my lunch the first time you did that."
Kurt let out a happy laugh, and let go of Kitty's shoulder. He moved back and teleported over towards the door. "I figured as much." He said in a playful tone; opening the door for the two ladies to leave.
Kitty gave Kurt a sly smirk before she turned over at the girl behind her. "Don't worry, Zero, it gets better as you go along." She said in a reasoning tone; walking out the door to catch up with Kurt.
'Maybe things really will get better from here on out?' Zero thought to herself as she turned to look back at the discarded photo frame on the bed. She gave the picture a brave smile, and hurried on out the door; hurrying as much as she could to catch up with the two waiting for her at the other side of the hall. 'There's only one way to find out...'
Smile until you stop...
Wolf: Okay, that was REALLY hard to pick a song for... Sorry if it doesn't really match the chapter. It was an old song by Hoobastank. The song was called, "Crawling in The Dark". I thought it would fit more towards the end of the chapter.
Kurt: It really took her a long time to find a song this time.
Wolf: At least I'm trying! You're not helping me out at all! Emma was more supportive than you were!
Kurt: runs away laughing
Emma: Let's move along, shall we?
Wolf: sighs and rolls eyes I'll try to have the other chapter posted as soon as humanly possible. I actually don't have anything wrote. I was making the story up as I went all along. So it takes lots of time and effort. Unlike some people who have chapters already wrote and waiting to be posted. This was short notice and comes and goes.
Kitty: She also needs ideas, so if anyone has any, please feel free to PM her!
Wolf: I was supposed to say all that!
Kitty: You're too slow! pushes wolf out of the way please read and review and remember: Smile until you stop.
Everyone: Happy readings!