Author Note: So glad you guys like this story- so far the outline I have for it is about 26 chapters long plus the epilogue so this is gonna be some fic. And I'm also happy so many people got the Mulan reference.
Please review! Reviews make my day a lot more happy!
~CWA

Chapter 13:

Danny:

After just a weekend at the place, I felt I belonged. For the first time, I actually felt like I belonged somewhere. I was always a bit out of place with Gear- don't get me wrong, I loved her and all, but there was always something tense in the air between us because she knew what I was. Here, people assumed I was a mutant like them. It was so convincing that for a moment, I forgot I wasn't a mutant and the reality of it set in- I was just a ghost that was tricking them, acting human, acting alive.

I sighed deeply. The people here were so nice- I desperately wished I was just a mutant and not a ghost, not…dead… Though I did realize something, I was pretty sure Gear was wrong to have suspicions of this place. They were nice and didn't seem evil- unless you counted how Kurt and I prank people. Gear is wrong, this is a good place… Man, she won't be happy that she was wrong.

I walked downstairs and ran into Kitty- literally. She fell on the ground,

"Hey! Like watch where you're going!"

"Sorry Kitty," I said with a wince as I reached down to help her up.

She looked mildly surprised that it was me. She sheepishly took my hand and I hoisted her back to her feet.

"Like hey! What's up, Danny? Kurt said you joined up, but like, I wasn't sure… So what's your power?"

A few mutants nearby (I was pretty sure one was named Sam and another was Julibee but I wasn't too sure since I was still learning names) stopped momentarily. They looked at me with curiosity. I sheepishly rubbed the back of my neck. If Gear had told me that it was rare to have more than two powers, I would have kept my mouth shut. Still, there was no turning back now.

"I have a few," I admitted sheepishly.

"Woah dude," Kurt said as he appeared next to me, "Really?"

"Yeah, aside from flight, I can do this."

I turned invisible and then reappeared. The other mutants were smiling and giving me a thumbs up. I took that as encouragement to continue.

"And I can this."

I put my arm through Kurt. He shivered,

"Creepy man."

"Like hey, I can do that too," Kitty said cheerfully.

"Last but not least," I said dramatically as I took my arm out o Kurt.

I lit up an ectoblast in my hands. Kurt whistled, as did a few others. I extinguished the ectoblast and bowed jokingly.

"That's cool man, but it's nothing compared to the fuzzy man," Kurt said as he messed with his watch.

I watched curiously and then just like that- Kurt wasn't Kurt anymore. Well, he didn't look like Kurt- there was resemblance, sure, but he was blue, fuzzy, and looked a bit like some sort of creature. I jumped slightly. They all laughed. but the laughter stopped as the Professor's thoughts entered my mind.

"Kurt, Jean, Danny, Rogue, and Scott to the Training Area."

"Ah man, bummer," Kurt whined, "Come on man, I'll sure you vhere it is."

Confused, I followed Kurt as he lead me down the hall.

"Training area," I asked.

"Vah," Kurt said, "It is for training our powers and team work too."

"Oh I guess that makes sense," I scratched at the back of my head.

Kurt turned to me,

"And you really don't mind that I look like this."

Kurt motioned towards his fuzzy self. Realizing that he probably got a lot of negative feedback because of his appearance, I patted his back with a laugh,

"Dude, trust me, you could be a ten foot tall lizard-like man and I would still know you're the same Kurt. Now, you do know that I will still tease you mercilessly though, right?"

Kurt grinned,

"Wouldn't expect anything less."

I entered the training room after I got dressed in what the Professor gave me. I pinched at the skin-tight material annoyingly. I can't believe I once wore something this tight. When I saw everyone else, I was a bit relived that I wasn't the only one who had to wear it. Kurt gave me a thumbs up,

"Looks awesome, man!"

I smiled and gave a thumbs up back as I joined them at the edge of the odd-technology filled room. In a way, it almost reminded me of Gear's lab- almost. It was still a lot different. For one, it lacked Gear's flare and all her gadgets. For two, there was a viewing station up above. When I looked closely, I saw Professor X with Logan and Storm watching us. Professor X nodded at us before his voice came over the speakers,

"This is an obstacle course. All of you must get through it for it to be successful. Good luck."

I wondered why he said good luck, an obstacle course sounded easy enough. Judging by Kurt's expression of pure horror, I then assumed it wasn't going to be a normal obstacle course. When the steel walls started to appear, along with robot-like things and lasers, I knew it was not a normal obstacle course. What are they trying to do? Get us killed?

"Scott," Jean said as she used her powers to block a laser.

"I got it," Scott said and he pressed a button on his glasses, releasing a laser that struck the structure that was shooting.

A bit lost at what to do, I just started to head through the obstacle course. I flew past the others,

"I'll make a path!"

It was easy to get through the walls and just phase through the lasers. I shot ectoblasts at every laser shooting structure I could as I flew. I shot one giant ectoblast behind me to destroy the walls. It took me less than two minutes to not only reach the end, but clear it so the others could as well. Kurt grinned,

"Wicked sweet!"

"Yeah," Rogue said, but her face wasn't nearly as amused.

Then I noticed a laser shooter that I missed as it aimed towards Kurt.

"Kurt, look out!"

He poofed to another location as I shot a blast at the structure. I smiled,

"I may have missed one!"

"Good job," Scott said as he nodded and I beamed.

That night, I called Gear to report. Kurt was fast asleep and I was out on the balcony (with the doors closed) so I assumed it was safe enough. She answered the phone after the tenth ring.

"Hey Danny dude, how's living the mutant life?"

"Good," I smiled, "Gear these guys are actually pretty cool- I mean, is there a possibility that you were wrong?"

"Hey! I take offense to that and if I wasn't multitasking at the moment, I may be upset. Look dude, I'm glad you're fitting in, really, but the place is just… I never said they were bad, ya know? I said that I needed to make sure that they weren't. I was 100 perfect sure they weren't and I don't want any kid, teen, or adult going there with the hope of a brighter future only to be tortured or used as a weapon."

"Gear sometimes I worry about you."

"Good, someone has to. Now, look, you can stay there as long as you like if you want- not going to force you back anytime or force you to stay. But give it at least a month or two before we know for sure whether or not they're the right guys, the good guys."

"Yeah, I guess I get it… I just really like it here… Well, I'll see you tomorrow at school."

"…Yeah about that…"

I groaned,

"What?"

"I won't be there. I dropped out."

"You what!?"

"No need to yell! Geesh what is it with you and yelling? Look, I have too many things to do. I can get my degree easily enough without going to school. Alright? Just call me every week at least because I don't think we'll see each other that often since I am always working."

"Okay," I finally said, "…I guess I understand."

"Thanks Double D. Remember to floss and wash behind your ears!"

"GEAR!"

I heard her laugh,

"Kidding Danny dude, I'm not your mom. Geesh."

She hung up and I couldn't help but feel a bit abandoned. I mean, I loved the mansion and my new friends, but Gear was practically my older sister. Yet, she dropped me off here with a mission like she couldn't wait to get rid of me… I hoped that wasn't the case.