Thanks to everyone that followed and fav'd. Cheshire, not to worry Kara already has plenty of adults looking out for her and glad you liked my surprise additions. In this AU you never know who might show up ... Raven (Teen Titans) and Mako & Bolin (Korra) are just the start ; ) Welcome back Canuckle! I can't say this is x-men evo but no denying I get a lot of influence from the show ... it is one of my favorites. As for Fury ... well it would have to be something/one pretty special for him to insert himself and Kara is certainly that special and that's all I'll say for now.
"You really don't have to sit here." Raven muttered over her coffee, the pair sitting in one of the tables tucked into a corner of the massive kitchen near the windows. Kara had been heading outside with a plate filled with basically every breakfast meat the mansion offered but had come up short when Raven had made a sharp left turn to the corner. Considering her options, the pantheress followed and took a seat opposite Raven, facing the rest of the room.
"You're gonna get marked if you stay." Raven grumbled again.
"Don't mark. Heal too fast." Kara responded matter of fact as she speared a sausage, tail swishing in anticipation.
"Thats' not," Raven rubbed her forehead as she took a breath ... this girl really didn't get school dynamics, "they'll think you're with me." Kara looked away from her sausage and around her seat clearly confused.
"I am sitting with you." Kara really didn't get what Raven talked about half the time. Besides who could complain with this much food!
"I mean they'll mark you as a freak. Even at Xavier's. You want friends don't you?" Raven shot back harshly but Kara sensed something else in the girl's voice… and although she appeared calmly to sip her coffee… Kara knew Raven was… bothered… about something… With a chuff, the panthress abandoned her sausage for a moment.
"We share a room. You shared music. And books. We're friends." Kara tossed out, Raven's typically stoic guard dropping for a moment as she just stared at Kara. That however was quickly covered as the slate-blue haired teen spotted incoming.
"Hey Kara!" Kitty had clearly been looking for her newest housemate and had come running over once she'd located the feline.
"I couldn't find you last night after we all came inside. Where did you end up rooming with? We couldn't figure it out." Kitty asked brightly, the bouncy brunette a ray of sunshine even this early. Which of course was a nightmare for -
"Raven." Kara nodded across from her, Kitty taking a small step back at the hooded Raven as if just seeing her for the first time.
"Oh - that - wow OK. That - that's… that's really neat," Kitty's bright demeanor shading slightly, "good - good morning Raven."
Raven gave the smallest of waves without looking up from her coffee and toast. Kitty's energy was honestly more caffeinated than what was in her cup and she put it down with a grimace.
"We're all gonna go grab breakfast do - do you wanna come Kara?" Kitty asked doing her best to not look like she wasn't looking over at Raven who simply leaned back in her chair expectantly.
"Have breakfast. You can sit." Kara absently used her tail to point at the seat next to her but Kitty shook her head a little too quickly.
"No no ... that's OK. But ummm ... here Professor Ororo wanted me to give you this." Kitty handed over a folded piece of paper which Kara took and quickly studied.
"It's your class schedule," Kitty's explained, her smile returning, "it looks like we share a bunch of classes. So I'll see you later and show you where to go - oh you can sit next to me! OK?" Kitty beamed as she quickly returned to a table near the center of the room with Rogue, Warren, Bolin, Mako, and Magik.
Kara just shook her head, ears upturned in anticipation… Finally… FINALLY. She was starving-
"Let me see that." and Kara just huffed a little as the piece of paper levitated out of her hands. Fine, she had tried being patient. Now she was just going to just eat with her hands.
Raven did her best not to roll her eyes as her roommate dug into her meal with full gusto. The older girl frowned, as a hand went up to cup her mouth. Wait… This… This didn't make sense.
"Hey Kara-" and the panthress looked up with her cheeks full, a piece of bacon still hanging out.
"Mmph?"
"Are you like… really good at math or something?" Raven questioned.
"Math?" Kara didn't find this nearly as interesting as her food.
"Yeah like… Geometry, physics…"
Kara just cocked her head while Raven rubbed her temples.
"You have any favorite books? Y'know apart from the ones Ororo gave you." and Kara shrugged.
"Haven't read them, never had my own books before."
"Huh." and Raven took one more look at the piece of paper, her eyes scrunched up in a way that made Kara a bit uneasy.
"Is there something wrong with my classes?" from what Kara understood classes were just like training. But for your brain. Which was kind of interesting but there was just a tsk from Raven slid the paper back .
"Yeah you should, Ororo is a real stickler for homework. Might want to get started on those book."
In fact, the discussion of Kara's class schedule had gone on earlier that morning after Hank and Ororo had gone in circles trying to figure out what the young feral's test had shown.
"She's clearly had some form of schooling. She tested years above her age for math and even chemistry. Her problem solving too seems very advanced." Hank mused as he reviewed the answers, most without any kind of calculations aside from a few shorthand scribbles.
"Are you sure Hank? Because - well I'm not certain she's ever had any form of regular education. A cell ... the president ... history ... she - she didn't know that the earth rotated around the sun! Her reading level is - well it definitely needs work." Ororo put the results down, concern clear in her tone.
They'd had children come in before who had been neglected. Abandoned. Abused. But Kara had clearly had some type of investment placed on her development but what was lacking was frankly shocking to the storm goddess.
"A puzzle to be sure." Hank muttered mostly to himself as he reached over for the rest of the feline's results. He knew they painted a picture ... he just wasn't sure of what yet.
"For now let's place her best we can. Bobby's math classes should be perfect. I'm certain your morning english will be fine ... best to place her among friends. She can lean on them there ..." and the rest of the classes Hank put together in a few more minutes but Ororo felt there was more to learn ... and staring at one of the pages Ororo noticed a dogeared corner bent over had been drawn on.
Letting Hank continue speaking, Ororo turned the page over and smiled. It was the library from what must have been Kara's point of view. The details were a bit rough but the depth and shading was very well done. Ororo couldn't help but chuckle a little ... so the girl was an artist. She knew it.
"What that Storm?" Hank picked his head up as he was finishing up.
"Nothing, just be sure to place her in the art block after classes." Ororo's tone brighter at finding something fun for the new feral to do.
"Pretty sure I didn' order cajun. So get out." Logan growled as he leaned over the control console for the Danger Room.
"Pretty sure we got a training block right now ol man." Remy sauntered up behind Logan, his usual smirk firmly in place.
"Forget it Remy, we all know Logan wants to see us dead, I bet that's why he keeps forgetting." Jason snarked, a smirk to match his best friend's as he came to stand on Logan's other side who growled.
"Oh sorry, PROFESSOR LOGAN SIR."
"You both need more trainin' than you can fit in one hour." Logan muttered as he changed the view below.
"Now you can' be speakin' bout us," Gambit replied easily, "my friend here been trainin' for ... how long again?"
"Not long enough." Logan could never seem to get away from these two.
Ever since he'd been on the team to save Remy's ass out of that Assassins Guild turf war in those damn swamps the kid had been fond of following him around. Hustlin' him at pool. Doin his best to bug every female at Xavier's from student to teacher.
Jason had shown up a few months later - alone - claiming to be a few hundred years old even though he looked barely 14. Whatever he'd told Chuck had been convincing enough though most at Xavier's thought he was full of shit ... and attitude.
"A dozen lifetimes. The blessing of linear regeneration." Jason snarked.
"Funny, you'd think living a dozen lifetimes you wouldn't have such shit for brains." Logan grumbled but Jason smirked.
"Nah, it's more that I can enjoy having shit for brains. Trust me, this luxury I'm not giving up."
Logan just growled as the two boys continued to snark off.
"I don't hide any booze in here so you two can just wait for me to be done ... outside." Logan wanted to finish with this though so far it had been a waste of time.
"Oh wait, you mean this booze?" Jason asked pulling a bottle of whiskey from his jacket, pretending to examine it.
"Or this one?" Remy grinned back presenting two more from his own trench coat.
"God damn it you two! JASON... I don' care how old you think you are. YOU can't steal from my stash." Logan swiped the bottle midair, earning a faux pout from Jason who had tried tossing the bottle to Remy who was more focused on what Wolverine had been working on.
"You plannin' on robbin' a bank granmoun?" Logan and Jason stopped arguing about the bottles as they both looked at Remy, Logan with confusion and Jason with clear interest. They loved trying to poke their noses in Logan's business. It was almost as much fun as hassling Scott.
"What you talkin' bout swamp rat?" Logan came to stand next to Remy, hand on his hip, eyes focused.
"This," Remy gestured at the floorplan laid out from a birdseye view in the Danger Room, "whatever you tryin' to steal. Security looks good but ... ol' Remy here can show you how to get it done."
"Your robbin' skills are off kid. This was a jail. Not a bank." Logan muttered but Jason had seen enough and shook his head.
"Nah, that's definitely a bank. I was ... well, let's say a part-time criminal in 18th century France and even I can tell. Like look, see the one way in and out ... that single corridor... Even the security defense is clearly to keep someone out not in." Jason explained. "Any idiot can figure that out."
Logan leaned over the console as the two teens began to argue the best way to rob the place but he didn't hear them.
He'd assumed Kara had been down in that hole to keep her from escaping. It hadn't occurred to him that she'd been kept down there to keep someone else from findin' her.
"If you two morons want to shut the hell up for once," Logan grumbled as he easily stole back the other bottle of booze as he turned, "Then the next two hours it's all yours."
"Two hours? We only got the Danger Room for one!?" but by then Logan had already walked out having set the two teens for a training program he reserved for detention. After all ... the punks had raided him.
Kara's first day of classes were not what she had expected. At least not like any training she'd had before.
It turned out she was just supposed to sit there. The first hour of class that had been fine. It was only when she found out there were five more hours that she suspected this was actually some kind of torture resistance training.
"You're supposed to sit there and listen." Kitty tried explaining as she followed to their next class. "Not just sit there and stare out the window."
Kara tried that and it did make things a little better. Dr. McCoy taught the science classes and turned out she was good at those. Well most of those.
"I don't see why I need to know what planets are." Kara grumbled as they left class.
"Why you should - because everyone knows that stuff! I grew up in the sticks and even I know that. It's important." Rogue explained while Bolin and Kurt nodded in agreement.
Kara didn't see how any of this stuff was useful. Knowing what combined to make an acid strong enough to eat through concrete was useful. She didn't see how knowing that the sun was the center of the 'universe' would help determine which rifle wouldn't jam and fire best long-distance in a storm. Eventually they got a break which resulted in most of the group quickly eating lunch and then enjoying the fall sun. Kara watched as the group headed towards the woods and split into teams to play a game ... Kitty and Mako were named 'captain' and Kitty quickly called 'dibs' on her. Whatever that meant.
Illyana quickly explained the rules and for once Kara understood what was going on. It was a simple extraction exercise.
"Try capture the flag mutant style. We each get a turn protecting and attacking. No one's gettin' past us!" Bolin emphasized his point by thrusting his fist in the air as a large chunk of earth followed suit. Kara's tail gave an amused flick.
Like everything else at Xavier's, the exercise - "game!" Kurt reminded her as he ran off with the other team- wasn't what she had expected. It appeared the primary purpose was ... well to have fun. It seemed everyone wanted to win but not hurt each other. Weird but OK.
The panthress rolled her shoulders, cracked her neck, and got to work.
Kara actually managed to steal the flag first, securing a point for her team. Most of the other students didn't seem to think looking up was very important so Kara had simply stuck to the trees and dropped down behind Illyana for the flag.
The next round on defense she'd attempted the same strategy though this time Kurt had appeared with a could of brimstone and a grin and suddenly Kara found herself outside the forest altogether. With a growl she'd dived back in but the other team had already scored.
Kara snarled, now more determined then ever to grab that stupid flag, this time speeding on all fours, smoothly rolling into a new direction whenever a hint of brimstone hit her, effectively outmaneuvering everyone of the field but came up short when she heard Kitty scream.
Mako had seen Kitty phasing through the trees and in an attempt to stop her threw a wall of fire in her path. Kitty had been so focused on winning and waving it in Rogue's face that she never saw the inferno before suddenly it was right in front of her. Backpedaling, Mako tossed out another fire blast, effectively trapping Kitty.
"Sorry Kit-Kat but no way you're getting - WOAH!"
"Kara stop!"
Mako wasn't sure what hit him but he certainly felt like he got hit face first by a truck. He felt himself tumble a few feet and if that wasn't bad enough, another hit to his chest, followed by a crash to his back and suddenly, instead of crashing to the ground, he found himself standing.
Well almost standing ... because slowly opening his eyes and tilting his down slightly Mako realized that he had crashed into a tree and it was Kara's clawed foot pinning him to said tree. Instinctively he tried to bend some fire to scare Kara away, but a low growl made it clear she wasn't having any of it.
Narrowing his eyes, Mako worked to keep calm. For once his classes with Logan and Scott seeming to stick.
"Oh my god ...KARA what are you doing?!" Ilyana yelled but the panthress didn't move, in fact, she shoved her foot harder into Mako's chest, not to mention inching up towards his neck.
"Hurt Kitty." was all she snarled out, her eyes still intensely focused on the older boy. Kara didn't think Logan would let her kill anyone and stay but she didn't remember himtelling her she couldn't maim anyone.
"HEY! Let my brother go!" and the normally friendly Bolin suddenly looked very threatening as all the rocks - not to mention a huge chunk of the ground - around him started levitating. But Kara didn't flinch as he hurled it in her direction, his assault only stopping mid-flight when Mako gave a small signal for Bolin to stand down.
"Whoa its OK bro, I got this," and with an uneasy smile, he turned back to the growling panthress.
"Hey Kara? I'm sorry I attacked Kitty - I was just messing around honest! We were all just playing the game. So - uh ... Could you maybe get off me now? Gettin' lil hard to breath."
By now, the whole group had gathered around the two of them with Kitty desperately trying to diffuse the tension.
"Kara he was being stupid, like really stupid, but he wasn't going to hurt me I swear! See I'm totally fine!"
"Lying." and Kara's eyes narrowed. "Can hear heartbeat. You're lying. You were scared." and Kitty looked at her friends for help while Rogue subtly went to remove her glove only to stop when Jean suddenly came running into the clearing.
Jean had been just pulling into Xavier's when she'd felt that amount of emotions coming out of the forest. A quick scan of the area had her running to the scene and from the looks of it, just in the nick of time.
"What is going on here?! Kara let Mako go immediately." Jean's tone filled with as much authority as the red headed teen could muster.
"No." Kara hadn't even bothered turning at Jean's arrival but Jean had seen enough.
"I said ... now." And with a burst the group could actually see Kara's claws drew lines in the dirt as she was psychically pulled away from Mako who let out a huge breath of air as he fell to a knee.
"Mako are you alright?" Jean moved to rush over but Mako held up a hand.
"I'm fine Jean. We… We were just messing around." Mako managed out before grinning at her as if nothing happened, a facade quickly ruined by Bolin who came racing over to check on his brother.
"OH MY GOD MAKO, I thought she was going to KILL you for a second." the younger boy wailed as he wrapped his arms around his big brother whose confident grin turned into a sheepish apologetic smile. Jean narrowed her eyes, content Mako would live… she turned her attention to the still growling panther who kept her eyes on the recovering firebender.
"Kara…" and Jean didn't get the girl's attention until she stepped in front of her.
"What happened? Why - you can't attack another student!" but Kara only crossed her arms, those furious golden eyes clearly conveying exactly what she thought to Jean. The senior student sighed before trying again, gentler this time.
"Look I know you're new here, but there are rules. Rules that you broke. So can you tell me what happened?"
Jean wasn't sure what happened but she sensed a sharp change in Kara, her intense focus and anger at Mako suddenly shifting to a defensive anxiety towards - towards her.
Kara took a small step back as she seemingly braced herself to answer, a hand going to her shoulder, but was seemingly cutoff as the whole group quickly started yelling about what had happened, that is until Mako stepped in.
"It was my fault. I - I went too far. Kara was just protecting Kitty." That got everyone to shut up, Kara raising an eyebrow as her tail fell around her.
"Kitty is that true?" Jean's tone made it clear she assumed Mako was for some reason covering for the dark feral but Kitty was quick to respond.
"It is! Well mostly ..." Kitty shot Mako a quick look, "I don't think Mako was trying to hurt anyone. But Kara was just trying to protect me. Honest!"
There was a pause before Jean took a breath as she clearly weighed things out.
"Well alright if that's the story you all want to stick to," Giving the entire group a look, clearly inviting anyone to come out and say otherwise, Jean let out a resigned sigh as her hair neatly fell back into place, "everyone back inside. You all have classes right?"
Jean gave the group a final look before heading back to the mansion. Kara watched her go until she was out of sight, her tail giving a relieved flick as she rolled her shoulders. That had been close.
Kara let out a breath and turned to finish the game but saw that everyone had already started wandering back inside.
"We're not finishing the ex- the game?" Kara asked Ilyana, who didn't quite stop as she answered.
"N - no Kara. I think we're done with games today."
Kara looked around and without anything else to do shrugged and walked deeper into the forest. She wasn't ready to head back in quite yet.