Sadly I do not own any of the X-Men except for Steam and this story which is a figment of my imagination.
Sorry about the delay in posting and the shortness of this chapter. I promise to have the next chapter up soon and that it will be longer.
Chapter 4
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Dear Charles,
If you are reading this then it means the worst has happened. I am sorry for my behavior over the last few years. There is no excuse for it.
Now, with this letter, I ask you to set aside our differences and to do one last favor for me. In my will I have named you as the guardian of my daughter, Elizabeth Hanson, until she comes of age. Please look after her, guide her, and teach her the things I never could.
With Blessings,
Robbie Hanson
Steam scanned the letter again. Tears prickled in her eyes as she read the familiar handwriting. She bit her lip to keep them from falling and staining the paper.
"When?" Her voice was hoarse; she cleared it and tried again. "When did he die?"
"A few weeks ago. He died in his sleep from a heart attack." Charles gave Steam a few minutes to process this information.
"Your parents and I were once good friends. It is because of the relationship that we once had that I agreed to become your legal guardian, and as your legal guardian, I have enrolled you here at Xavier's."
Steam's head shot up, the letter dropping onto Charles' desk. "Is that why you sent Logan to find me? You wanted to drag me back here and keep me prisoner? I do not need your help and I do not need your school."
She whirled around and stalked from the room, letting the study door slam shut behind her. Once out in the hallway she glanced around, she really needed a cigarette now.
Steam wandered around for a while, exploring the school and looking for an out of the way place to smoke.
Apparently Xavier's office, the dining hall, a huge living and rec room, and dozens of classrooms of various types made up the first floor. A huge library took up half of the right wing by itself.
Finally, just off of the library, Steam found a set of French doors leading to a small stone patio.
Steam closed her eyes as she stepped out onto the patio. It was still fairly cool for a spring morning, but the air felt clean and the sunshine was warm.
She fumbled in the hip pocket of Rogue's shorts and pulled out her pack of cigarettes. She shook one out and lit it with a snap of her fingers. With a relieved sigh she exhaled her first drag of smoke.
"Neat trick. Mind showing me how you do it?"
Steam slowly turned and leaned against the stone railing surrounding the patio. "John isn't it?" She cocked her head, a tiny smile playing along her lips.
"Steam, not Fire, isn't it?"
John swaggered over and leaned against the railing, facing Steam. "Nasty habit that is. Mind if I have one?"
Steam held out the pack for him, watching as he selected one and held to his lips. "Can I get a light?" He asked with a smirk.
Steam set the pack down and snapped her fingers under the end of his cigarette and lit it.
John puffed on his cigarette for a moment or two, blowing the smoke out of the side of his mouth and away from Steam.
"Well you're obviously a pyro, but why Steam? Are you an aquatic too?"
Steam shrugged and inhaled from her cigarette, holding the smoke inside of her before releasing it into the air. "I can produce small flames and have control over them as long as I am touching them. Once I release them…. My main power lies within steam. I can produce it, control it, form missiles out of it. I have never been burned."
John leaned in closer as Steam was talking. He studied her, his smirk still playing along his lips. "I guess I'll just have to be careful and not get burned myself." He leaned in a little closer, his face only inches from hers.
Steam held her breath, narrowing her eyes. She was not too worried about him, she knew she could handle him. But what did worry her was that his eyes were blank to her. She could not see his intensions, his thoughts, nothing.
"Thanks for the smoke…" John whispered before drawing away. He puffed one last time on the cigarette, and held it up for Steam to see the brightly burning ember on the tip. Suddenly the tip burst into flame and just as suddenly the flames were gone.
John smiled at her and tossed the cigarette butt over the wall. "See ya around." And with that he left, letting himself back into the mansion.
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Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. Once again I apologize about the delay. I promise to have another chapter up within a week.
Please read and review
Kiss, Ginger