Chapter seven is up! In this chapter, I really want to get into the new characters formally. In you submitted an OC, he/she will be featured in this chapter. Enjoy!

Nikolai Dmitriev blinked awake as warm, golden sunlight leaked through the shades and trickled onto his face. He shifted, turning his face away from the early morning sun.

What time is it? He reached wearily for the alarm clock on his nightstand.

Seven o'clock. He replaced the clock and stretched, pulling himself completely out of his slumber. He swung his legs over the edge of his bed and stood up, letting the warm morning sun splash across his face and chest. He stretched again, relieving the tension in his shoulders. Looking to the bed across the room, he a tuft of short, wavy light brown hair poking out of the top of the comforter that belonged to his roommate, Mason Blake, who was still asleep. Nikolai always liked to be the first one up in the morning, and having a roommate who slept as heavily as Mason helped.

He made his way for the door, grabbing his toothbrush, toothpaste, and a towel on the way out. He quietly closed the door of his room and padded down the hallway to the bathroom that was at the end of the hall of the boys' wing. He brushed his teeth and washed his face, chuckling at how ridiculous he looked. His wild black hair was poking up in sleepy tufts, he looked like he had been electrocuted. He ran a hand through his hair and turned on the shower. Nikolai liked steaming hot showers, so he let it heat up for a few minutes. After a thick cloud of steam hung in the air, Nikolai undressed and stepped in, relaxing as the hot water crashed against his skin, flattening his crazy black hair down. Aaahh... Nikolai Sasha Dmitriev was always in the mood for steamy showers.

Feeling refreshed after his shower, Nikolai, who was wrapped in his towel, walked, dripping back to his room. Mason was still asleep. Nikolai checked the time: Seven thirty. He dressed and brushed his wet hair. Not being able to think of something better to do before breakfast at eight, he decided to make his bed. But as he got closer, he decided against it, seeing how tangled the sheets had become and decided instead to explore his new home instead.

He exited his room again and walked down the hallway. After about fifteen meters, the hallway branched off to the girls' wing, and a large staircase swept down to the second level of the mansion. Nikolai continued down to the ground floor, where he decided he would check out the rec room. Maybe they had punching bags. He walked through the front lobby and had just passed the large glass windows when he thought he saw someone outside. He turned back and looked, there was no mistake: A girl, dressed in dark brown and green, wearing a green scarf wrapped around her head, was walking through the grass. The morning sun bounced off of her and the grass surrounding her, making her look like a brilliant, shimmering green and brown fish slipping through green waves in a sea of grass.

I remember her from orientation, what's her name? Mandira. What is she doing out there at this time in the morning? Nikolai pondered. He obviously wasn't the only one who liked to be up early. He was going to go outside and ask her what she was doing, but decided against it. He turned and hurried out of the room, hoping against logic he could find the rec room in this enormous mansion before breakfast.

…...

The boy rolled over and immediately groaned in pain. He sat up gingerly, cradling his broken arm with his right hand. He'd been in bed in the infirmary since yesterday, but Mr. McCoy said he could get out of bed today. He rubbed his eyes and slowly, painfully, maneuvered his body so that his legs were hanging over the edge of his bed. Using his good arm, he pushed himself up so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed. He rocked back, then thrust his shoulders forward, the momentum carrying him onto his feet. He noticed he was still wearing the same pajamas he had been wearing when he had first broken his arm at the Brotherhood house.

That's a good thing, he thought. I'd hate to have someone change my clothes, especially while I'm asleep. He walked on unsteady feet toward the exit, when Mr. McCoy walked in.

"Ah, already up, I see." he greeted him with a smile. "I was just coming to check on you." The boy noticed that the Professor had entered the room behind Beast.

"Good morning." The Professor smiled. The boy tensed. He had learned not trust telepaths, and Charles Francis Xavier was no exception. "I just came with Hank to see your condition. How are you feeling this morning?"

"I'm fine, thanks." the boy answered warily. The Professor nodded. There was a long, awkward silence.

"Well!" Hank said cheerfully. "I think I'll...go see how breakfast is coming along." He volunteered.

"You do that." The Professor turned as Hank walked out, leaving him alone with the boy. He turned back toward him.

"So, what do you plan on doing, now that you're better?" he asked.

"I don't know, maybe go back to Minnesota." came the slightly sarcastic answer. The Professor closed his eyes and sighed. The boy stepped back.

"I'm not going to read your mind, I assure you." The Professor looked slightly amused at his reaction. The boy did not relax. With telepaths, you never could.

"You know, you could always stay here." The Professor went on. He hoped that the boy could overcome his distrust and see the benefits the Institute was offering. "Sixteen new students arrived yesterday, so I'm sure you'd fit right in."

"And I'd do that because..."

"Here, we give all mutants a chance to be free from oppression they might face elsewhere. We teach them to control their powers, and how to use them to help people."

"I already have control over my gifts." the boy countered. But inside, he was trying to convince himself he didn't need these people.

"All the more reason it would be beneficial for you." Professor X replied. "Besides, there's always more to learn."

The boy was silent. He had no home, and further mastery of his mutant abilities was tempting. But there were two telepaths living in the house. But he liked Beast enough, he reasoned, and the woman with white hair who controlled lightning seemed okay.

"Well..." he started, avoiding the Professor's gaze. He couldn't reveal his true emotions. "I guess I could give the Institute a try. Just don't read my mind." The boy wanted to put that out there, plain and simple.

"Agreed." The Professor nodded. The boy was just paranoid, and neither he nor Jean would read someone's mind unless it was absolutely necessary.

I guess I should put his promise to the test, the boy thought. Egghead! He mentally leered at the Professor. His expression didn't change. The boy relaxed slightly, but he still had to be on guard.

"But there is one problem." The Professor said. "You need to tell us what we should call you."

The boy wasn't ready to tell him his real name. It was one of the few things he remembered after the mental blocks had been put in place, and he wasn't ready to hand it over to a telepath.

"It doesn't have to be your real name." The Professor said hurriedly. "Rogue has been a student here for over a year, and we only refer to her by her codename. You're welcome to use one, too."

The boy thought for a minute. "I think I can come up with a few..."

…...

"Mason! Get up! Time for breakfast!"

Mason Colton Blake groaned. He did not want to get up. He hated getting out of bed, but now, his roommate, Nikolai, was shouting and shaking him like a bloody drill sergeant.

"Do I have to?" he mumbled. He hoped, against all reason, that Nikolai would go away and he would never have to get up.

"Yes, you have to." Nikolai replied. He raised his fist, which became surrounded in a crackling, goldish glow. "I can do it for you, if you prefer."

"No, no, I'm getting up." Mason groaned again and reluctantly pushed the puffy white comforter back. He sat up, scratching light brown hair sleepily.

"Come on, my friend." Nikolai said. "Your taking too long."

"Ugh." Mason groaned. He climbed out of bed, and stumbled out of his room and into the bathroom, wondering how he would ever get used to his insane Russian roommate. How Nikolai liked getting up so early, Mason would never understand.

…...

Mason walked into the dining room, rubbing his eyes. Most of the younger students, as well as Scott and Kurt, were already sitting around the large table helping themselves to the array of food. After hastily washing up and throwing some clothes on, Mason hoped breakfast could wake him up. He plopped into a chair between Yukiko and Nikolai, who smirked.

"Finally managed to drag yourself down, eh?" he asked playfully, helping himself to a large portion of sausages. Mason didn't answer. He poured himself a glass of orange juice and took a slice of toast. He had just started to spread butter on one side when the Professor entered the room, with a young boy following him. The boy had an athletic build, with thick, black hair that fell in his eyes, caramel-colored skin, and dark, narrow, serious eyes.

"May I have your attention, please." The Professor started. "I'd like you all to welcome someone." He gestured to the boy, who was wearing a large cast on his left arm.

"This is Elementro. He is our newest recruit, and, as soon as his arm heals, he will be formally admitted into the team. Scott, Kurt, please show him around. And after breakfast, Scott will hand out the new roster, and Storm will give you all your uniforms." With that, the Professor turned and left, leaving the boy standing at the head of the table. Mason noticed he looked extremely uncomfortable. It was a feeling Mason knew well, and it was etched all over Elementro's face. Mason grabbed a chair and pulled it up in between himself and Yukiko.

"Here's an open seat." he called. Elementro looked relieved not to be standing in the spotlight, and hurried to the open seat.

"Thanks." he muttered quietly to Mason.

"No problem." Mason returned quietly. "I'm Mason Blake. What's your name?"

"Elementro." came the quiet, slightly curt response. He poured himself a glass of water. Mason wanted to ask his real name, but he could tell that he wanted it to be left at Elementro, and Mason respected that. Elementro kind of reminded Mason of himself: quiet, thoughtful, a little aloof. And maybe, he thought, they might become friends.

…...

Esme Silk grinned as she watched as her plate moonwalked into the sink, with her fork and spoon leap-frogging after it, plunging into the soapy water. She was the last student to finish breakfast, and now she was supposed to go pick up the roster and her new uniform. She hoped her uniform was cool, with no pink or frills. She was secretly hoping for a cool, dark purple to match the highlights in her short, blond hair. She walked out of the kitchen and through the front lobby into the living room, where the other new students were gathered around a large table, reading the roster and inspecting their new uniforms. There was a stack of papers on a smaller coffee table, so she grabbed the one on the top. On it was a list of all the inhabitants of the Xavier Institute, starting with the Professor and Storm and ending with the newest recruits. She had already learned all the older students' names and codenames, so she focused on the less familiar names:

Alex Victran: Roulette

Cassandra Sykes: Camo

Enrique Hernando: Mimic

Esme Silk: Anime

Holly Storm: Portalle

Ivana Fox: Aquila

Kavin Redstone: Mecha

Mandira Singh: Rockflame

Mason Blake: Blackout

Nikolai Dmitriev: Tik Tok

Orlando Reznov: Shaman

Roxaya Harding: Mezmeress

Paul Keller: Medicade

Scarlett Hamilton: Prana

Sean Blais: Bioray

Yokiku Yamada: Mirage

Esme nodded to herself. These were her new teammates. She walked over to the table where Storm was handing out uniforms. Storm looked through the boxes and pulled out a white box labeled: Anime

"Here you go." she handed it to her. "Hope you like it." Esme pulled it out. The whole thing was black, and it had dark purple shoulder and knee pads.

Yes!

Just then, Wolverine walked into the room.

"Hope ya like your new uniforms, cause they're about to be put to good use." He smirked as everyone turned to him. "Get ready for your first session in the Danger Room."

"What's the Danger Room?" someone called. Logan smiled maliciously, showing his canines. There was something in his voice that made Esme nervous.

"Yer about to find out..."

Hoped you liked the way I portrayed your OC! Stay tuned and review!