Disclaimer: Same as previous chapters.
Chapter 13
As John made sure Buffy's final pay check would be given to her Andrew was doing his best to explain about the institute and what she might be doing with them, if she decided to stay with them.
John came back brushing his hands and said, "Good news, the fat piece of crap told me that we get to keep the check and she gets her tips for the rest of the week."
"Oh wow!" Buffy said, "How did that work out?"
Andrew and Bart looked at her former boss and he had a black eye, Andrew said, "Fine but we're going to have to leave like right now before the police show up."
"Sure," Buffy said looking at John, who gave a smirk back towards her boss, and she winced at his black eye and added, "Definitely leave, like right now."
John nodded and saw Bart disappear and groaned, "What did the brat do this time?"
Bart reappeared and said, "He's not calling anyone; I cut the wires to the phone," and laughed a bit as the guy tried to phone.
Andrew shook his head as they left, 'This is going to be interesting,' he thought.
Buffy got in the car and muttered, "It's going to be a bit of a tight fit, isn't it?"
"Umm, yeah," Andrew said, "If you want you can sit in the front seat next to John, that way you won't be crushed by me, Bobby or Bart."
She thanked him and got next to John and smiled slightly at him; this felt nice as she wanted to desperately believe that these guys could help her.
"So," Buffy said, "You guys are from Sunnydale? Do you guys know Xander Harris or Willow Rosenberg?"
John nodded and said, "I know Xander and Willow but I didn't run in the same crowd as they did but we knew of each other."
Buffy smiled slightly and said, "They are, or were, my best friends when I left Sunnydale, I'm not sure about what they think of me now."
Andrew sighed as her pain was becoming lesser now that she was talking about it but it was still sharp and fresh and he felt bad for her, he ended up snuggling closer to Bobby and basked in the good feelings coming from Bobby.
"So, you're all mutants?" Buffy said smiling
"Yeah, 'cept for the brat back there," John said, "He's more of an enhanced human but the rest of us are mutants."
"Cool," Buffy said, "What are your powers?"
"Umm," Bobby said, "I can control and generate ice, which I'm getting better at, Andrew, who's next to me, if you haven't guessed yet is an Empath; he can sense emotions."
Bart glared at John and said, "I'm not a brat, I'd like think of myself as the coolest guy in here."
"No," John said, "You're the fastest guy in here. The coolest, technically, is Drake."
Buffy looked at Andrew, her face was a bit pale, and said, "Emotions huh?" Andrew nodded and she winced and said, "Sorry, it can't be good for you spending this much time close to me."
"It's alright," Andrew said as he snuggled closer to Bobby, "I've been with worst feelings, you're just hurting right now and maybe you'll feel better soon."
During the weeklong trip Buffy was learning more and more about the place where she was going and she was actually getting excited, maybe she wouldn't feel like such a outcast there and she was personally glad that she wouldn't have to stay in the same room as they were as she heard the good natured arguing going on in there.
As they drove up to the gate and got in Buffy remarked on how beautiful the campus was and nearly gasped; they had a pool and it was beautiful. As the car stopped she saw a man with red glasses come out, he looked at John and said excitedly, "You didn't smash it, thank you god!"
John shrugged and said, "Thanks, I guess, but we didn't have the time."
"Come on," Andrew said as he grabbed Buffy's hand, "The Professor said that he wanted to meet you as soon as we got in."
Andrew led her through a beautifully decorated place to an office and said, "Professor Xavier, we're here."
"Come in Andrew," Buffy heard a warm voice say, as they walked in Buffy saw a man in a wheelchair roll over to her.
"Hello Ms Summers," he said gently, "I am Professor Charles Xavier and I'm glad to meet you."
"Umm, hello," Buffy said as Charles smiled at her and bade her to sit down.
"Ms Summers, I'm happy to meet you," Charles said, "You've piqued my interest for quite a bit and I hear that you were wanted for murder?" Buffy began to stammer a denial when Charles held his hand up and said, "No, don't be worried, consider this place a haven for yourself."
"Really?" Buffy said almost hopeful.
"Yes Ms Summers," Charles said, "And besides, I'm a telepath and I know the truth about you."
Andrew smiled at her while Buffy thanked him and added, "Thanks, for not deciding that I'm automatically guilty."
"Please Ms Summers," Charles said, "Could you explain to us why you weren't in Sunnydale? I promise, nothing said outside this room would be repeated to anyone."
Buffy looked at Andrew and Charles and instincts told her to trust them as they wouldn't care about her past and decided to tell them what happened the night she left and they both listened patiently.
Charles looked at her and said, "To have to face your mother throwing you out and having to kill your first love in the same night; no one could expect you to want to stay after that much pain, you have my utmost sympathy."
Andrew nodded and said, "Umm, I'll catch up with you later Buffy, I gotta talk to the others about Bart."
He ran outside as the pain that Buffy was feeling was a bit too much for him to try to deal with but a bit of it seemed to leave when she started to talk about herself.
Ororo saw Andrew and said, "Andrew, welcome home."
"Hi Ms Munroe," Andrew said as she smiled at him.
"We're hoping to meet Bart soon," Ororo said, "He's been running around exploring the place, he seems to be incredibly happy to be here and Scott wants to see how fast he can be."
Andrew nodded and said, "Yeah, I'll find him Ms Munroe," as he walked off to go looking for Bart and John.
He eventually found them in the kitchen as Bart was looking in the fridge for something to eat when he pulled out a block of cheese and John was watching him with an amused look.
"Hey Andrew," John said, "He's been here five minutes and Pete's already plotting his untimely demise."
"What did he to do to Peter?" Andrew asked, surprised that his new friend could've gotten in so much trouble already.
Bart turned a bit red in the face and John said, "Pete found him speeding around and looking at everything, he also nearly destroyed some of Pete's paintings."
Andrew winced and said, "It's alright, Pete will forgive you. Just try not to be so hyper all the time; you don't have to move so fast."
"Yeah, I guess but," Bart said, "I'm always on the move and it's hard for me to slow down."
Charles rode in and said, "Mr Allen, slowing down shouldn't be a chore and you have a lot of potential. I'd like to see the limits of your speed."
"Sure, I guess so," Bart said as the Professor took him to the Danger Room, followed by Andrew and John."
"I want to see how fast the kid is too," John said with a smirk, "Bet he's not that fast."
As they stopped by the medical bay Andrew saw Hank there, he launched himself and hugged Hank and said, "I missed you."
"Indeed," Hank said, "And I missed you as well Mr Wells," he nodded at John, who shrugged, and thought, 'The more things change the more they stay the same.' "And I was informed your abilities, most intriguing. I wonder if the mutant gene is strong in your family."
Bart looked a bit freaked at the blue guy but thought, 'If Andrew did that to him then he must be a good guy.'
Hank hopped towards him and said, "Mister Allen, could you please put these on yourself, they shall measure your speed and heart rate."
"Oh, um, sure," Bart said as he took his shirt off.
Charles smiled at Bart and said, "We won't hurt you, I promise, Mr Allen."
"I know, just kind of off right now," Bart said as he stuck the sensors on himself and walked towards the room they told him to go in.
As he walked into the Danger Room Bart whistled, impressed by the sheer amount of money that had to go into this, he heard the Professor say, "Bart, please go slowly at first."
Bart began to run slowly or at least for him. Hank looked impressed as Bart's speed was 175 miles per hour and he was told to take it slow.
"Go a bit faster," Hank called over the intercom as Bart began to speed up. Hank and Charles looked incredibly impressed as his speed was over a thousand mph now.
'Hmm,' Bart smirked, 'Time to give them a real show,' as he sped up to his personal limit, he heard Hank choke a bit as the sensor's couldn't even determine how fast he was going.
John looked at the computer and said, "Is he moving faster than the Enterprise now?"
Hank nodded, "Indeed Mr Allerdyce, Mr Allen's speed is truly remarkable as is the energy he is currently generating, and it is unlike anything I have ever seen before. I believe he might have no limits to his speed and in fact the only limit might be himself."
Andrew watched the red blur with amazement, he heard Charles say, "That is enough Bart."
Bart stopped running and pumped his fist and yelled, "I told you John that I am the fastest man alive, nobody's gonna beat me in a race."
John nodded and whispered to Andrew, "I wonder if his speed affects all things in his life?" and smirked when Bart gave him a mock glare as he left the room.
Charles smiled at Bart and said, "Allow me to congratulate you Bart; you are indeed the fastest human I've seen."
Bart grinned and said, "Thanks, so is it alright if I stay here?"
"Of course," Charles said, "You would be most welcome here for as long as you want but there will be rules but we shall discuss them later."
"Sure," Bart said as he grinned at John, who simply smirked at him.
Andrew looked at Charles and said, "What about Buffy? Are you going to test her out too?"
Hank nodded and said, "Indeed, Miss Summers is another unique case. I am unsure about how powerful she is but we shall test her."
Buffy came into the gym and smiled as she saw Andrew and Charles, though looked a bit afraid of Hank.
"Ah, Ms Summers," he said, "Allow me to introduce myself: I'm Hank McCoy and please don't be upset by my appearance, I assure you that I am quite harmless to you though I do look quite beastly, hence my moniker: the Beast."
"It's alright, it's just that anything that looked like you usually tries to kill me," Buffy said sheepishly.
"Indeed," Hank said, "Please be at ease around me and you are more polite than most people."
As they tested her Hank found that Buffy could easily outperform Olympic gymnasts and weightlifters most impressively, her agility was almost as good as his own and she seemed to have a natural fighting skill.
Charles nodded and said, "Impressive Ms Summers, I would like to have you stay here with us too, you would be most welcome."
"Even if I'm not a mutant?" Buffy said with a small voice.
"Yes," Charles said with certainty, "Though you will be studying with us, is that alright? And Andrew and I will help you, if you want, with coping with your pain, just don't expect miracles as it won't go away over night but we will deal with it together, I promise."
Buffy began to smile and say, "Thank you Mr Xavier, I'll stay but I suppose I'll have to deal with that murder accusation one day."
"Hmm," Charles said, "I shall be looking into it for you Ms Summers," as he gestured towards Jean and said, "Please show Ms Summers to her room."
Jean smiled and said, "Yes Professor," she looked at Buffy and said, "Summers? Any relation to Scott Summers?"
Buffy shrugged and said, "Maybe."
Andrew smiled and went to follow her when Charles said, "Andrew, your Uncle and his family are coming over in a couple of weeks, I believe, to make sure that I'm alright to take care of you."
TBC
Poll question: Is there any pairings you want for Buffy? I have ideas for John but I will take any suggestions. Will the Xavier Institute be good for Buffy?
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