Chapter 8: Lunchtime

It was about time for lunch. Zach makes his way to the first floor. When he entered the elevator, he pushed the button and he sauntered into the hallways. And as if by luck, he entered the kitchen.

It contained a French refrigerator with double doors, a large sink, wooden cabinets above it, and a kitchen island with several wooden stools placed in front of it. A coffee maker sat in the right corner near a black microwave. Zach proceeded to make his food… and then there they were.

His new companions. Bobby, Magik, Kitty, Warren and Jubilee. That moment was when time froze. His face was all too familiar to be missed. Smiles came from them and this led him to smile back.

They shouted and signaled him to come outside. Zach shook his head. He made another look at the kitchen as he made his exit.

"There he is!" Kitty called out. "Hey, Zach! Over here!"

Zach shivered as he walked over to the large roundtable. In his hands were two sandwiches, a pack of almonds, and a soda with zero sugar. He sat next to Bobby and Kitty, resulting in him sitting across from Jubilee, Warren, and Magik.

"So, Zach," Bobby said. "Tell us about first day so far. Do you like it here?"

"Umm-" Zach stammered for a moment and paused, taking a breath. "It's g-going fine. I-I really like the teachers here. Storm and Mr. Summers are really n-nice to me. Same with Dr. McCoy and Colossus.

"My brother is one hell of a guys," Magik said. "He's the reason why I'm in this joint."

"R-really? How?" Zach asked.

"Peter saved me from a runaway tractor, which would have killed me. At that point, he unlocked his mutation. He's the strongest guy I know. The professor handpicked him to be in his superhero group. I got kidnapped during a trip in New York but I was saved, thankfully. Piotr convinced them to let me stay."

"The professor?"

"The professor didn't hesitate to say yes." Magik answered.

"W-what did you mean by l-limbo?" Zach asked.

"I'm glad you asked." Magik said.

Magik stood up and her left arm turned to steel. She summoned a sword, bright with energy. It continued to glow as she swung it, opening what appeared to be portal.

In the portal was a different dimension where the sky was red and mountains stood all across the land. Down below was a large city, deep in rubble and debris.

Zach cleared his throat, muttering under his breath. "L-looks scary."

"Yeah, it can be - " Magik closed the portal, dematerializing her sword. "But I got used to it. And I can enter the astral plane but not for long. One thing I've learned was about what kinds of sorcerers that exist."

"M-more than one kind, you say?" Zach looked at her.

"Yes. You know D&D? Kind of like that. And I'm hearing rumors about some place called Mystic Arts taking place in New York. I wonder what else I'll do for the time being, but we'll see." Magik smirked.

"S-so that's why you're called Magik? Cool." Zach nodded.

"Thanks. My real name is Illyana, but I prefer Magik."

"Nice. Kitty?" Zach asked.

"I like to be called Shadowcat." Kitty said before smiling. "Be right back."

Kitty runs to grab a drink from the kitchen…. By phasing through the wall and comes back out with a glass of tea.

"Wow. You can walk through walls? That's amazing." Zach said.

"Any solid objects. The floors, roof, other objects and other people." Kitty explained.

"Heh. M-maybe you should use them to scare that pyromancer John sometime." Zach joked. Everyone laughs with him.

"Oh, I didn't even think about that. Next time we play sports or anything like that, I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind." Kitty shows a devious smile.

"Count me in." Magik laughed as she high fives Kitty.

Zach turned to Bobby and said, "What about you, Bobby? You said Iceman?"

Bobby stood away from his chair. "Simple at that. Watch this.

With one flourish of his hand, Bobby fired a ball of ice and froze all the water that poured from the fountain.

Zach arose from his chair and clapped for his friend, laughing to where his stomach rumbled.

"Now that is awesome!" he said. "I can definite see why now."

"Oh, that was nothing, " Bobby said. " can do more than that. I can make ice slides and my breath is very cold. Pretty much breathe ice. Sort of. Maybe I can turn myself into ice one day."

"Well, I give that a 10/10." Zach praised.

"Don't rank me too high. For the record, I'm glad to have you on the team."

"Speaking of the team, how did you come here?"

With one breath, a whiff of ice escaped Bobby's mouth. "Well, I had a date with a girl named Judy. And she was attacked by another guy. I was yelling for him to stop, but - " A steep flow of tears cascaded from his eyes and his hands shivered. "lost control, I... for some reason, ice escaped from my hand. Next thing, he was frozen in place, immobilized by the ice. He almost died. I almost killed him."

"I'm so sorry."

"There's nothing be sorry about. It was a difficult time after that. I almost got arrested. But soon enough, I heard about this school and I managed to convince my parents to let me attend. Luckily I wasn't on TV. I told them it was a prep school. My ex didn't say anything about it. Not a word."

The overwheming shadow of guilt loomed in Zach's mind. Why did he have to be so curious?

Why did he have to ask such an offensive question? His stomach twisted and twirled, leaving him unable to speak for a moment.

'I'm sorry," Zach said, "I shouldn't have asked. I-was trying to figure what brought you here. Please don't-"

Jubilee placed her hand on his shoulders, pulling him into a hug. Within a moment of silence, she said, "Shh, shh, shh. Listen to my voice. Just breathe, alright? It's okay. There's nothing to worry about."

"Please don't get mad."

"No, no, no." Bobby wiped his tears and gave Zach a smile. "Zach, listen. It's okay. I'm over it. My parents, they still love me. And I still love them all the same. It was my choice. Try not to overthink it. You're okay."

"When you were on the news," Warren said, "it was a surprise to see someone like us. But what Professor Xavier told us, what your aunt said, we believe every word. Nothing can change our minds about it."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Zach asked.

"You're not alone." Bobby morphed a ball of ice into the shape of the mansion. "This... this here, it's how I've met some of the best people in my life."

Warren took off his jacket and a pair of blinding white wings protruded from his back.

He said, "I left my home because my dad couldn't know. But after meeting everyone, I realized where my home truly was. When I graduate, I may see what I can do for the world."

"Me too," Kitty said. "We all went through it some way or another. We get it. Trust me."

Jubiliee's fingertips glow with particles of energy, expanding to her hands.

"That's a beautiful power - " Zach's hand shivered. "Quite, actually."

"Ms. Grey convinced me to join. That was when my life changed."

"When can I -when can I learn about your story?"

"Maybe another time. From how you look, you've had enough storytelling for today."

"'It's not exactly something I'm used to."

"Don't worry, Zach. Bobby, Magik, Kitty, Warren, they're my family. They all are. Since I lost Mom and Dad, this is the only family l've got left. Look at us for a moment. You have friends here. We're here to help each other. And you, despite your powers, despite everything, are one of a kind. You're one of us. You're still human. And nothing in the world change it."

Zach sobbed in Jubille's arms as the rest of the group joined to form a group hug. Bobby reminded Zach that things were going to get better from here. Being alone wasn't gonna be an option as long as he had a support system beside him. He has them for good help, and vice versa. Kitty gave him a kiss on the cheek, causing his cheeks to grow rosy.

"C'mon!" Warren said. "See if you could catch up.

"Hey! No fair!" Zach shouted as they chased after Warren, who chuckles at his head start.

He has the ability absorb the historical knowledge of and object and the ability to transfer knowledge to and from someone at will.

One person was rather eager to give it a go.

"So how do they work, exactly?" Magik asked

"Umm, let's see," Zach said. "Let me get something out of my backpack. It's a book on philosophy. Professor Xavier gave me this. Watch closely."

The moment his fingers touched the book, his body shook a little. He opened his eyes as flashes spiraled in his head.

"This book came from a library in New Jersey. The professor was the last person to grab it. it is the latest copy I saw the author. It's a man. I don't know his name though. And One night, he put the book on my shelf. That's it so far. Wasn't that much. But does anyone want to test this?"

"I do!" Jubilee said. "How does it work?"

"We'll grip one another's forearm... like so…

At a moment's notice, the two were transported to the visions that Zach had received moments ago. The book in the library was being placed in a black box.

Another vision showed Charles reading the book page by page one night. The final vision showed Charles entering his room, inserting the book into one of the bookshelves.

They were back outside the school. Jubilee's had widened and her jaw had practically dropped.

"Oh... my god. He's right. I saw everything he just told." Jubilee tells them.

Everyone looks on with interest. They have not seen anyone with that kind of power before. Zach knowing exactly where it came from is amazing. They wonder what else he can do.

When lunch ended, the clock started ticking. It was almost time for 6th period. Zach strode across the hall and his smile was as bright as the sun. Jubilee couldn't help but giggle and Warren would give her the occasional stare.

"How are you feeling now?" Warren asked.

"Better," Zach said.

"Good. Who do you have next?"

" I have psychology and philosophy to do. These subjects are gonna be a bit of a mountain, but I'll try to push."

"Ms. Grey and Professor Xavier, those are good classes. I wouldn't worry about that because Jubilee and I have that class too. And for Xavier, we're all gonna be there. So look out for that. It's gonna be fun."

"You guys go, I'll catch up. I, uh, gotta take care of something."

"Got it, man. We'll be on the lookout."

Warren and Jubilee swarmed Zach with a hug and waved at him as they trudged further down the hall. And there he was... Logan, smoking a cigar without any care about the rules. Something about him was…. Interesting.

So interesting that Zach walked over to him, causing the older man to stare into the distance before he faced the young boy.

"Hey, kid," Logan said, smirking. "You doing alright?"

"Yeah, I - " Zach clenched his jaw and his faint smile faded. " suppose. Wait, I -you're still here. That's a surprise."

""Yeah, well... the professor wanted to help me with a little bit of history... my history."

"I hope he's able to help you find what you're looking for. And I can say the same for me. I'm glad you've recovered."

"I've been through worse. Trust me, kid. I'm a survivor. This place isn't half bad, to be honest-except for the fact we're without beer."

Zach broke into a burst of laughter, saying, "What do you expect? We live in a school."

"Fair enough. Sorry about how I talked to ya. I was a bit of an asshole."

"It's alright. We did save each other's lives, no harm done. Now we're even. I mean, we're friends, right?"

"Yeah, I suppose so. And I don't keep track of score. I kinda don't see the point in it. Listen, kid Don't leave these geeks. They may be weird, especially with Cyclops being a dick... but these people are family. Not many people in this cruel world have. Not many people... can come close to understanding what you're going through. And this Xavier guy... I think he's one of them."

"I guess you're right. I do like it here so far. And I don't-" Zach cleared his throat and readiusted his posture. " don't want to let all this slip away. Not again."

"For me, way too many. When you've lived as long as I have, you tend to have too many regrets. You know, I may actually like this place a little more. Who knows? This school may suit me. Whatever you do. Logan extends his fist. "Don't hit it too hard."

Zach's fist connected eith Logan's, leading him to crack a smile. That cage match did bring it out of him, after all.

Zach said, "Thanks, Logan."

"No problem, kid. And remember, if anyone attempts to give you any grief..."

Logan raised his brow and three metal claws protruded from his knuckles. He gave Zach a slight nod and he did the same. He continued to traverse the hall, leaving him to his own racing thoughts.

On Genosha Island, the Brotherhood of Mutants, everyone continues working on their mysterious plan yet to be revealed. Emma and Toad are working while Sabretooth and Juggernauth spar with each other. Sabretooth charges towards him by running on all fours like a real saber tooth tiger. Juggernaut builds momentum and charges. Sabretooth smirks and jumps on Juggernauts back and sticks his long sabre claws into his arms and shoulders and scratches his lips. Juggernaut grunts in pain before he throws Sabretooth off of him. The two brute fighters fight in close combat. Juggernaut lands a strong punch across Sabretooth's face and kicks him away.

Sabretooth rolls backwards and lands in the sand. Thankfully for him, his bruises and cuts have healed within seconds, albeit slower than Wolverine's. Juggernaut charges in and throws both fists down onto him, only for Sabretooth to roll forward and drives his claws into Juggernaut's left thigh, sending him down to a knee before doing the same to his shoulder before grabbing his wounded arm and and throws him into a strong stone wall, breaking it. Sabretooth growls out of satisfaction as licks some of the blood off his hand.

"How I love the taste of bloody victory in the morning." Sabretooth smiled. "I cannot wait to sink these into Wolverine to get some of his blood."

"You are obsessed with that animal." Juggernaut said. "The boss always said that if you mess with the animal, the animal will go at you till there's nothing left."

"And just so happens that I am part animal and I am damn proud of it. Better than being a dumb brute." Sabretooth antagonized.

"You better watch it, furry punk. Be lucky that our boss doesn't want us to slit each other's throats." Juggernaut threatened. Sabretooth chuckles to himself. Apparently he loves to antagonize Juggernaut and piss him off. As he walks away, he looks down on two dog tags. One of them says Wolverine and Logan, and the other says Victor and Sabretooth.

"One day, I will find the answers, Wolverine. One day. Even if I have to eat your insides out." Sabretooth swears to it. He thinks about Wolverine nonstop. But how did they meet? What were they like before their mutation?

Elsewhere, Rogue is laying down in bed. She still thinks about what happened that day. Since touching Zach, she couldn't help but feel bad for hurting him. But there is more to it than meets the eye.

"Zach…." A voice was heard in Rogue's head. After closing her eyes, she hears and sees Zach's uncle as they spent time with each other before Zach's mutation was born.

"Zach…" Another voice said. This time, it belonged to his aunt Mary. She saw a sad, loveable voice on Mary's face the day the incident took place. And what was worse was that Zach was horrified when his uncle Eddie was injured and ran away from home.

Rogue tries to sleep but she continues to rock and turn to get comfortable. But then…. She sees a few other adults in her head.

"Mom? Dad?" A little boy said. She looks down, trying to recognize who he was. But when she looks up, she sees the same aunt and uncle from Zach's memories.

Rogue sees the little boy crying onto his uncle's leg as she turns around and sees a car leaving. Then the next thing she knows, she has a shocked and sad expression on her face as she began to think of something. Then looking back at the little boy being carried into the house by his aunt and uncle while crying. The front door opens and when the family enters, the door closes. Rogue intends to follow them and when she turns the clear doorknob on the house, she sees someone completely different. It wasn't the family she just saw. Instead, it was an overweight man with no hair, wears a red flannel, long pants and brown boots. He apparently sees Rogue and starts walking towards her with an angry expression on his face and cracking his knuckles.

Rogue wakes up and gasps for air. She finds herself in her room at the fortress. She sits up and looks down on the floor with confusion and sadness on her face. The man that charged at her. She seemed to have recognized him. But to what degree? And yet… she's feeling overwhelmed with guilt and fear. And seeing that boy in her dreams. Her heart is starting to have a feeling that it has not felt before.

Rogue gets dressed in her uniform and goes to look for Magneto and Mystique. She's hoping to get some advice and possibly something else. She begins to realize that she's feeling something she hasn't felt in a long time. Is it self-doubt? Is it anger? Or something else?

Magneto and Mystique talk with Destiny. She is currently looking up with her arms spread out, nearly making it look like she is meditating. After a few moments of silence, she returns to reality.

"Well? What did you see?" Mystique asked.

"It's going to happen this Friday afternoon after class. They're going to a mall in New York. In White Plains, the mall is called Westchester. He will be there." Destiny said.

"Good. And just in time for the U.S summit to begin over the course of the weekend. We want the entire world to watch as we demonstrate our powers and why the brethren deserve to be called homo superior." Magneto chuckles. Rogue walks in on them… and they both turn to look at her. "Dear, child. You seem unsettled. What is the problem?"

"It's just that….. I keep having these dreams. Since I touched that boy, I have been seeing his memories nonstop. And it keeps reminding me of the man I told you about. The one that tried to hurt me." Rogue sighs out of reluctance.

"Rogue. My daughter. Remember what I said before, that man is part of living proof on why the human race is evil. My own parents tried to murder me when I was younger. And if the man who tried to do the same to you hates you, then so does the rest of your family." Mystique tells Rogue.

Mystique clearly shows a look of hatred on her face. She closes her fists from just thinking about it. Her past led to her growing up to envy and resent humanity despite being close to Charles and led her to joining Magneto.

"Let us not dwell on the past, my darling. And the same goes for you, Rogue." Magneto places a hand on her shoulder. "If you do, anyone can see through you and exploit it as a weakness. Let the past die. Kill it if you have to. I buried mine to the ground like a treasure chest full of fool's gold."

Rogue sighs and nods in understanding. She misses her family, but she knows that she can't go back. Mystique took her in and it was her duty to be her adoptive mother. But this doesn't stop her adoptive daughter from feeling bad about the boy she has ran into and saw in her dreams lately.

"Your timing is just right, my daughter. We need you for something very important. Are you willing to help us?" Mystique asked. Rogue nods. She would do anything to please her mother.

Note: I thought this chapter would be a good breather. This is one of my favorites I have written because it was essential to Zach's character and forms a bond with his new friends and help demonstrate his powers more. And a couple of sidenotes, I really enjoy playing as Omni-Man in Mortal Kombat 1. I have got to watch the tv show. And I saw The Marvels last night. I thought it was fine despite its flaws. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.