Perfect Synergy

"Imagination has brought mankind through the dark ages to its present state of civilization. Imagination led Columbus to discover America. Imagination led Franklin to discover electricity." - L. Frank Baum

Moira McTaggert. The uptight brunette who exposed mutants to the CIA. I had never met her before that, but Raven mentioned her in passing once or twice. From what I heard she was nice enough but had a flaming temper when needed. I don't know what it was, I just didn't get along with her. She reminded me a bit of my aunt Agnes. Ugh, I'm shivering just thinking about her. At that point in time she had her hands on her hips and was flanked by her henchmen. Erik and Charles. And they looked disappointed. Truly and utterly disappointed. I looked to my fellow recruits. Angel had lowered to the ground, Hank had dropped from the light fixture, and Darwin had returned to his normal regular fleshy form. We were completely silent aside from Sean who was having a hard time containing a high induced laughter. Alex quickly delivered a blow to his gut with his elbow to shut him up, which was moderately successful. I turned back to the two older men and the older woman in front of us, ready for the onslaught.

"Who destroyed the statue?" Moira asked with one hand on her hip and the other pointing back to said desecrated statue. Technically she was pointing to a pair of bronze shoes. The look on her face was practically screaming "I did not sign up for the shit. If these kids need a babysitter I'm sending them all home". In my defense, I was only sixteen at the time. In her defense I don't think I've changed at all and I'm seventeen now. Touche Moira.

"I-it was Alex." A nervous voice that could only belong to Hank tattled from behind me. I turned to give Hank a, 'really?' look and in the process I saw Alex give him a, 'what the hell, man!' gesture with his arms while Sean was sort of just, 'whaaaaat? Where was I when that happened?'

Let's just say I had to seriously fight the impulse to smack my forehead with my palm.

I had to fight the urge again when Raven said, "No, Havok, you have to call him Havok, that's his name now." I don't know why she felt the need to talk. Was she misinterpreting their facial expressions for gas? "And we were thinking..." She continued while pointing at Charles. "You should be Professor X, and you should be Magneto." She said turning her finger towards Erik.

Raven, please shut up. I pled silently.

Back out in the courtyard, Erik scoffed. "Exceptional." He then exited stage left followed by a very pissed Moira. Leaving us alone with Charles who looked, as I said, disappointed.

"I expect more from you." He said, looking directly at his sister.

Man, is he harsh on her or what? Soon after he also followed Erik out of the courtyard, leaving us alone once more. We were all silent for a while. No one moved, not even Sean. Out of the corner of my eye I watched my blonde friend lift a shaky hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. I turned towards her, she was fighting back tears.

I've never been all that great when it came to comforting people. Especially when the comforting involved another girl. I just- I didn't connect with them. I played rugby and wrestled in the mud. I didn't fret over my hair nor did I swoon over Elvis. I also wasn't as easily affected by words as other girls seemed to be. But Raven was a friend. A cheery girl that enjoyed being with friends and laughing that loud laugh that she had. Trying to cheer her up was the least I could do.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and gave them a squeeze. "You okay?" I asked her quietly.

Her eyes, full of tears, looked up at me and she nodded briskly. "Yeah. I should- I should be fine." She spoke quietly, fearing her voice would betray her. It caused my heart to lurch. I reached down and grabbed her hand, lifting it up and pressing my chapped lips against her skin.

"I think you're pretty." I offered with a playful grin and wide puppy dog brown eyes, hoping my compliment would ease the tension.

She smiled up at me, a little in disbelief, as if saying, "how could such a simple phrase make me feel better?" I guess I'm a little better at comforting than I gave myself credit for. I felt the negative energy start to leave her, mission accomplished. Raven gathered herself and said to the rest of us, "I think I'm going to call it a night."

"Me too." Hank interjected, coming up to Raven's left and offering his arm like a little gentlemen.

So he likes Raven. Huh. I thought to myself, removing myself from her and giving a small goodbye wave. As Hank helped her through the broken window frame she did the same, mouthing a 'thank you' before heading across the lawn and straight for, shockingly, another pair of swinging doors. If you thought this was going to be a tragedy about my life, you'll be sadly disappointed. It's really me seeking revenge against those doors.

"I think we're going to bed too." Darwin said, motioning to him and Angel. Their expressions were somber but the energy the were exuding was anything but. Angel wrapped her hand in his and they headed in the same direction Hank and Raven had just seconds before. They didn't even give me time to comment on them leaving together. That dampened my mood even more, even though it had improved considerably with my success in cheering up Raven. I turned towards the two boys who stayed behind. Sean seemed to have come down considerably as he had his hands shoved into his pockets and he was toeing miscellaneous pieces of rubble. On the other hand, Alex, who was looking everywhere except for the statue we so thoroughly trashed, was moving towards the furniture they had relocated.

"So, just us, then?" I asked before plopping down on the sofa Alex had just moved.

He gave me an exasperated look before he nudged Sean and motioned for them to reclaim their chairs. Once seated Alex let out an exhausted sigh. "Guess so."

For a few minutes, nothing was said. We were still a little weary about the altercation with Moira and Charles. Charles was always a total charmer whenever I talked to him. He'd never even implied that he had anything but pleasant emotions lurking around in his cranium. I assume he had come off to the others in a similar fashion because they seemed just as riveted. Another minute or so passed and the silence was sort of getting on my nerves. Guess it was time something was said.

"Is Charles always like that towards Raven?" I asked no one in particular, picking out some dirt from underneath my frayed nails.

"Like what?" Alex asked in return while buttoning and unbuttoning the cuff of his shirt. Sean was too busy playing with his unruly hair to give his opinion.

"Like he's a disapproving father? Sort of reminds me of an abusive relationship." I explained.

Alex shrugged. "From what I've seen they're thick as thieves. Guess it was just his older brother coming through." He then began to pick something out of his teeth, what it could be I had no idea. Hadn't seen him eat a damn thing since I arrived.

"I guess..." I muttered. Man, was I glad my brothers never acted that way towards me. Not that I'd let them. Still the whole experience had left me rather edgy. In summation: I needed a cigarette bad. I stood up and smacked the top of my thighs. "I'm going to have a smoke." I said before heading towards the door.

As I came around the couch Alex grabbed hold of my wrist. "You have smokes? How?" He asked in a tone of disbelief, like it was the most impossible thing in the world for me to have a pack.

"I, uhh, put them in my bag and brought them here?" I said with the most 'duh' tone I could muster.

"Charles took all of mine, why didn't he take yours?" Alex asked in a slightly irritated voice. Boy needed a light, too.

"I have secret compartments in my bags specifically for stuff like this. You're not supposed to smoke when you're still in school." I explained while tapping my foot impatiently. Alex needs to let me go before I snap from the lack of nicotine, rip his arm off, and beat him to death with it!

"But didn't he read your mind to find out where they were?" He continued. Boy just wasn't giving up.

I sighed. "I can block Charles out by encompassing my head with an electrical field. If he tries to breach my mind he'll get a major migraine."

What I said was true. I had tried it on the plane. I could feel Charles peering into my mind so I got a bit upset. Then, my powers sort of protected me. Next thing I knew, Charles was howling in pain. I honestly thought I had electrocuted him. Turns out I could keep telepaths from pilfering through my empty skull by concentrating my powers. Handy trick.

"Well... can I have a few?" Alex asked as nicely as he possibly could. Which was sad, since he didn't ask nicely at all.

I groaned. Why am I such a giving person. I walked over to my bag, rummaged through it, grabbed one of two packs, and tossed it to Alex. "Keep 'em." I said as he caught it with ease.

As much as it pained me to give my babies away it just wasn't fair that I had the only pack. I wasn't the only smoker on the planet. Besides, I had another. The blonde looked at me as if I was a God amongst men. I rolled my eyes, swung my bag over my shoulder, and before Alex had a chance to thank me I pushed my way through the swinging doors to find a roof access. As I wandered back into the circle atrium I could feel my skin start to tingle. If I didn't have a puff soon I might have just started electrocuting the unlucky passerby. Frantically, I looked around. My eyes settling on the first door I saw that wasn't either a bathroom or an exit and heading right for it.

After a few wrong turns and about three dozen swinging doors I found myself in front of a door that read 'Roof Access'. Sweet heaven on Earth. I said a silent prayer to the Lord above before I yanked the door open, not wasting any more time, and took the stairs leading up to the roof two at a time. Once I was at the last step I grabbed my last remaining pack and zippo from my bag and pushed open the door that separated me from the roof. The breeze that hit me made me feel alive: it was so brisk and soothing. I couldn't help closing my eyes and basking in the beauty of a perfect summer night. My black hair tousled around my head when a gust of wind hit me, rousing a gleeful giggle out of me.

This is what it truly felt like to be be able to experience such a childish joy for such a natural thing.

Maybe it was the change in atmosphere or the comforting air around me but I didn't feel jumpy anymore. I still wanted to smoke a cigarette though I didn't want to waste a whole stick until I was really stressing. I gave it some thought and eventually compromised by just smoking a bit of one and saving the rest for a time it was truly needed. I pulled one out of the carton, placed it between my lips, and tried to light it despite the wind. My callused hand was cupped around the end of my light to help keep a flame. After four or five flicks I was able to light the thin white paper. I puffed a bit, to make sure that the embers remained, and I inhaled deeply. Even though I didn't need the smoke to calm me down I still liked the taste. Sue me. I exhaled the smoke through my nose and shivered from the feeling. Should've been a crime to enjoy something so much.

"Aren't those bad for you?"

I turned quickly to see Hank standing near the door with his hands in his pockets. That's when I felt my smoke start to fall out of my mouth. Even quicker than when I turned around I grabbed the cigarette before it had a chance to hit the ground and I threw my fist into the air.

"Ha! Take that mutant agenda!" I yelled at the sky. Looking back at Hank I could tell that he was very confused by my sudden outburst. Of course I was going to explain. "I'm not crazy, it's just ever since Charles hunted me down mutants have been in the mindset to destroy my chances at smoking. I dropped it when I met Charles, I choked on the smoke when I met Raven, Alex just took my other pack, and here you are trying to scare me into dropping another one! You mutants are cruel, I don't have that many left!"

Hank chuckled slightly at my frantic explanation. "I'm sorry." He muttered before walking over to the edge of the roof. I took another drag from my cigarette before putting it out on the underside of my shoe and tucking it behind my ear. Curious as to what the free-climbing mutant was doing, I followed him over. He was looking down at the CIA trying to repair all the damage we had caused not an hour ago. They were carrying new jumbo sized windows to replace the ones we had broken and they were carting the remains of the statue off to wherever bronze statues went to die. Maybe the director needed some new shoes.

I looked at Hank out of the corner of my eye, remembering that he was only 20 and working for one of the most secretive agencies in the country. "How did you get mixed up with the CIA anyway?" I asked in a light attempt to make conversation while still keeping this curious cat in line.

"I came here after I got my doctorate." He started. "The agency has a habit of keeping track of people who graduate early, people who are applying for their masters and PhD's, and people who are attending Ivy League schools. I was a combination of all three so they sent Agent Black to observe my final presentation. He saw one of my machines, saw that it worked magnificently and thought I'd make a great addition to the agency." He said rather smoothly. Meanwhile I was sort of distracted by the amount of information he had just given me. I had never heard so many words come out of his mouth at any given time, up until that point. It was always one word responses or short sentences when need be.

"You graduated Ivy League early? Where'd you go?" I asked once I got my head back to the right place.

"Harvard."

My jaw dropped. The mousy boy standing next to me had gone to Harvard? And had graduated early?! Holy mother of hell! Either this boy was a flippin' genius or had a crap ton of money. No matter which, I was practically in the presence of royalty. Understandably, my jaw was on the ground. Upon realizing that I quickly pulled it back into a presentable position. I then asked in a shaky tone, as if afraid of the answer, "What year did you graduate?"

He gave me an uneasy look. "1957."

Yup. He was a mother fucking genius. "Jesus shit, Hank! You were fifteen! When I was fifteen I was smoking cigarettes and stealing cars! You're making me look like a bad apple! Not that I'm not but that's besides the point!" I joked with a playful shove to his shoulder. He gave me a slight smile before looking out past the tree line into the distance. I was going to leave it at that but there was something I was itching to know. "Why do you seem more comfortable now?"

He smiled. Like he was waiting for me to ask that. "I guess you guys have all had your hard times with your mutations. It makes me feel less insecure about my own. Besides I'm much better when I'm not surrounded by a group of people."

I let out a laugh. "Psshh, I would've loved to have your mutation as a kid. Would've saved me from falling out of a lot of trees, therefore a lot of sprained ankles and wrists, and probably would've saved me from my tyrannical brothers. They were why I was climbing so many trees in the first place." I stretched my arms over my head, I had to admit by that point I was getting pretty tired. Still, I wanted to talk to Hank some more. He wasn't like any other guy I'd met before so that's why I kept forcing my eyelids open.

"It was hard to get normal shoes." He admitted. "Still is. I have to get about five sizes larger than any average guy my age has to just to accommodate for my mutation." Hank said with a sad tone to his voice. Clearly he was still very insecure about his feet. It's not like I just expected him to meet all of us and suddenly feel like a superstar, I just- I wanted him to feel confident.

I clapped him on the shoulder. "You should see me going through a store, then. I can't touch anything metal, nothing at all. It's already a huge risk that all I wear is jeans and denim jackets. I can't even carry change on me. If metal brushes my skin and I don't have my powers in check the metal will get conducted and I'll possibly burn my clothes or other people. Or even cause a chain of electrical shocks to the other conductive substances around." I laughed as I said this though it was one of my few insecurities. I held the power to harm several people and just the slightest thing could set me off.

"Wow." Hank exclaimed. "That must be scary, holding that sort of power inside of you." He said with a sad look to his face.

"We've all got this sort of power inside of us. Strength isn't just measured in energy blasts and electrical bursts." I said with a smile. And that's true. He was definitely strong, and definitely carried unmentionable power within him. Looking back, he was much more powerful than I ever was.

His eyes connected with mine just then, thanking me silently. Then his eyes cast downward, returned back up to my face then jumped back down to my chest region, guess something peaked his interest. "Are you injured?" He asked pointing to the ace bandages around my breasts.

Well, a girl can dream I guess.

I laughed. "No no no no. They're just wrapped to keep them out of my way. It helps when I'm running." I gave him a devious smirk. He blushed, of course, the first mention of my breasts and he's suddenly a freaking tomato. I rolled my eyes. "Come on, Hank. It's just a piece of my anatomy. No need to get all bashful." I gave him a playful nudge.

He still looked uneasy, a typical thing with Hank, but underneath it I could definitely see that something was on his mind. I nudged his side a couple of times which got me a laugh. Was he ticklish? Something I would definitely explore later.

"You want to ask me something. Spill." I said harshly. Well you know what they say, whoever they are. You never accomplish anything by being subtle.

"I was, well... I was wondering... c-can you conjure lightning?"

The sudden question about my powers caught me off guard. Was there anything in his freakishly large cranium besides mutations and boobs? I don't think he even thought about the latter! I sighed inwardly and outwardly. "Possibly. I've never tried..." I paused. "Weeeell, that's a lie. I tried once before but I don't think I prepped myself enough because it didn't work very well."

He gave me a confused look. "You have to prep?"

"It's sort of like training to run a marathon." I started. "You don't want to run the whole ten miles on your first try unless you like the feeling of shin splints and torn ligaments. You want to start out with one, and gradually increase your distance every day. It's the same sort of conundrum with my powers. If I try to create all of the raw power a lightning strike delivers, I'll probably pass out. But, unlike training for a marathon, not that I'd even have to do that because I can run circles around Emil Zátopek any day of the week, I don't need to wait days. I can ease into it a lot faster. Especially if I relocate more electricity than I conjure." I explained as best I could. By the look on Hank's face I could tell that he at least partially understood what I was trying to say. They say the best explanation is a demonstration.

Again, whoever they are.

Guess I would have to show him. I rolled my shoulders and shook out my hands. As an after thought I also pulled up my hair. I reached out in front of me and concentrated. I could feel the electricity beginning to pull away from their sources and then trying to make their way into my body. Little by little I was being filled with the addictive substance. I looked at Hank, with yellow eyes by then, to deliver a warning. "You might want to take a few steps back until you're about... 500 miles that way. Y'know, give or take a state." I said while motioning to the area behind me.

He obliged as he swallowed past a lump threatening to form in his throat. He returned to the door that led back down into the base. I then allowed every drop of electricity to flow into me. Never, in all my life, had I harboured so much energy. Sparks with enough energy to kill a man were jumping off my skin. Good thing Hank was a good distance away from me. Once I was sure I had all the energy I could gather I opened my palm to the sky and unleashed all of it. A bolt of lightning seemingly shot up towards the sky. What an unnatural sight. I smiled up at what I had done and then looked back down at the darkness below me.

'Shit.'

I couldn't just let the base be completely without power. And I was dreading what I was going to have to do next. While it cost me no physical energy to relocate electricity, using my own did. Guess I should've thought that through more. As I should do in the hopes that it'll deter any future idiocy. I began charging my own power to return to the base. Since I previously had the needed amount in my body it didn't take long to charge it back up again. Doesn't mean that letting it all go wasn't going to feel like someone sucked the life out of me. Then I ground my teeth together and I let the electricity out, sending it back to the building I had stolen it from in the first place.

After I was completely and utterly discharged I looked back to Hank while fighting off a crippling lethargy. I gave him a thumbs up and a really tired grin. Upon closer inspection I could see that he was absolutely radiant. "That..." He laughed. "That was... amazing!" He ran up to me and looked as if he was going to hug me, but he thought better of himself, the over-analyzing adorable nerd, and coughed into his raised hand. "I-I should be getting to bed." He mumbled, clearly embarrassed by his outburst.

"It is getting pretty late." I agreed. Ten minutes ago I would've tried to make him stay. But it was getting real difficult to even stand up straight. Every time I started to sway I kindly asked my muscles to cut it out. Remain strong! My eyes fluttered a bit then to see Hank's back as he headed for the door. He pulled it open and before disappearing out of sight he waved shyly at me. I raised my hand to wave back but it ended up being more of a lift and fall. With a clunk I suddenly found myself alone, cold, and completely exhausted. Though I was already cold and exhausted.

I looked at my watch, just past midnight. I yawned loudly. I'm sure no one would mind of I took a nap on the roof. Perhaps I fell, perhaps I actually lowered myself, but suddenly I found myself on the gravel that covered the roof. I gave a content sigh before drifting off into nothingness.