Andie felt very alone in the world. She had walked from the Institute all the way to New Mexico while the rest of the world stood still. She hadn't seen sunrise or sunset, only the watery 6.30am morning sun for a period of time that she estimated to be almost one and a half months, if it were possible to measure paused time. She had survived by stealing food, and had taken her directions from a map she stole from a service station. She felt in her heart that now was the moment to let life move on. She reached into her mind and opened the stream of time just a little, watching the cars on the road move at snail's pace. She ducked out of the direct view of motorists, not wanting her sudden appearance to scare anyone or cause a crash. She let the time energy flow freely, and realised sadly that for Kurt, Charles and Ororo, it was still 6.30am, and she had only just left.
At that moment, back in Bayville, Charles and Ororo were shocked to see Andie vanish. Charles looked down at his desk and saw a small note, which he proceeded to read-
Charles,
Don't be afraid of me. I won't be messing with your lives again.
Andie
P.S. Thank you for a wonderful couple of days.
Strangely, the note didn't comfort Charles. Andie's ability to vanish simply deepened his wishes for her abilities to be better controlled, but he could feel the sadness in her note to him, and remembered how hard it could be as a young mutant, feared by all for your powers.
Meanwhile, Andie was strolling along the side of a highway leading into Santa Fe. Due to the time difference between Santa Fe and New York, it was only 4.30am in Andie's new location. There were quite a few cars on the road, and Andie wondered what kind of crazy person would drive so early in the morning. A sleek silver car pulled up a little ahead of her. She eyed it suspiciously, but kept walking, figured her mutation could save her if need be. As she got closer to the car, the front passenger window rolled down.
"Tell me" called a man's voice from inside the car, "What's the story with that silver hat." Andie just shrugged. She didn't particularly want to talk to strange men on the side of the road, even with her ability to defend herself.
"No, I really want to know" purred the man's voice.
"You'd laugh if I told you" said Andie weakly, trying hard to end the conversation. She shuffled along the side of the highway awkwardly, shocked to see the silver car keeping pace with her, despite the fact it's engine seemed to be off.
"Try me" said the man. She was now level with the passenger window and cold see inside the car. There was a girl sitting in the driver's seat, although she seemed to be asleep. The man with whom she had been speaking had his hands pressed flat against the dashboard of the car, a car which seemed to be moving without an engine. The man himself was of a mature age, but what really made Andie's eyes bulge out of her head was the metal helmet. Although clearly well made, it was quite close to the shape of the metal bowl Andie had moulded to fit her own head. Andie couldn't help it. She opened her mouth wide with shock and dropped her red bag on the side of the road. She ripped it open and tore through her belongings until she found her own metal bowl helmet.
The man in the car smiled as he saw the object in the girl's hands, and looked down at her scared blue eyes. She wondered if the man was a mutant. Did he know about telepaths? I knew I couldn't be the only one who thought the ability to invade people's minds was creepy, she thought.
"Can I have a look at your hat?" asked the man, in a sweet voice. Andie couldn't respond. She was still wondering what she should be doing in a situation like this. Should I "teleport" away? If he's a mutant, can he help me? Why on Earth did I choose to come to Santa Fe?, I've never been here before in my life, she thought. The man in the car rolled his eyes at her muteness. Andie felt the foil-lined sombrero on her head begin to lift up. She dropped her bowl-helmet and flattened the sombrero back down onto her head. She scowled at the man, who clearly possessed telekinetic powers of some kind, and quickly went to work packing her belongings into her red bag. At least now I know he's a mutant, she thought, but then again, all the strangest people seem to be.
I wonder what that says about me, she smirked.
"So tell me dear, tell me really, why the silver hats?" queried the older man.
"You know why" Andie spat, "it's to keep the telepaths out."
"Telepaths, plural, or one in particular, hmmm?" he asked her, as unfazed by her mention of mutants as she had hoped he would be.
"Just one well-meaning guy who was determined to read my mind" Andie said sadly.
"Charles" stated the man.
"How did you know?" Andie asked, fearing that perhaps this man was a telepath too, and that he had read her mind while he had lifted her hat. It would make sense.
"Charles is an old, old, friend of mine", the man smiled.
Andie was beginning to get the feeling that this conversation would die a long and awkward death. She didn't know what the man wanted, or why he'd stopped, or even what his name was.
"Why are we pulled over?" came a young male voice from the back seat of the car. Andie raised her eyebrows. She hadn't considered that there might be more people in the car.
"Yo, people, why we are stopped?" came the grumpy voice again. The back door of the car flew open with great speed, and out stepped a boy with silver hair. He looked about the same age as most of the kids at Xavier's. He looked at Andie, and was perplexed by her appearance. She looked rather peculiar with her boxer shorts, hiking boots, giant glittery sombrero and fluffy golden hair.
"Do we pick up hitchhikers now?" said the boy, clearly very confused.
"We do if they want a ride" said the older man, his eyes questioning her. The woman in the passenger's seat rolled over and gave Andie a withering look, before closing her eyes again.
"Don't wake me again" muttered the woman.
"In case you are wondering, dear, I am Magneto, and the charming lady next to me is the Scarlet Witch" announced the older man.
"I'm Quicksilver" added the boy, already back inside the car.
"Well then" said Andie, "I suppose I'm Comet, but I won't be needing a ride"
"Very well then, Comet, we will meet again. Soon." promised Magneto with a smile.
Well that was creepy, thought Andie.