Back to Gatefold#1 by A. Crute
August 2017 |
First Day…
Xavier Academy…
The giant old mansion had sat on the grounds of the Xavier estate since 1883, it had been passed through three generations of the Xavier family since Francis Xavier had brought his young wife to America from England and began to build his dream home using the fortune he had amassed.
The mansion sat upon acres and acres of fresh green land filled with fields and woods, a stream, lake and even a waterfall ran through the property as well as a cliff which looked out upon more lush green forest. It is on the strong bedrock of this cliff which the mansion’s foundations had been set.
The mansion had not changed much over the years, it looked older but still just as elegant and refined as the day it had been finished. Green ivy snaked up the three floors of the old house giving it’s face a very green colour while the white fountain shot water in all directions in front of the house.
Looking at the house you would merely think it was a fine mansion but you would be wrong. It’s unchanging face hid a secret, this was where the inheritor of the estate Charles Francis (named for his grandfather) Xavier had built one of the most hi-tech bases on the planet, the base of his operation to train his X-men.
Inside the mansion…
Charles Xavier sat at the table carefully examining the morning paper as he sipped at his tea. He was American but still couldn’t drink coffee, tea was his caffeinated drink of choice.
Charles Xavier was a bright but generally unremarkable child despite the tribulations he had went through which had left him orphaned. This was until the day his mutant gift made itself known to him.
He was a mutant with the power to delve into the minds of others and read or change their thoughts. These powers caused him many problems when they first emerged such as estrangement from his brother who could not deal with the powers Charles had. Voices and thoughts would enter Charles’s head which were not his own. He knew what people thought about him and he couldn’t help but glimpse the darkest recesses of their mind.
It was these experiences which set him on his path of world exploration. There have been stories for centuries about telepaths and psychics across the world and Charles had set off in search of another, in search of control. He travelled the world and met others like himself, others whom would be later classified as mutants.
He returned to his homestead with a new found vigour and became the pre-eminent expert on genetics and mutation (amongst other things). He however also through his travels and his studies knew that people would be resistant.
Mutants were the next stage of evolution a subspecies of humanity with powers beyond the comprehension of most ordinary men…many would not react to this news lightly. In the last few years since mutants became more public Charles Xavier had been shown to be correct.
He had however to set about preparing for this eventuality. He had used the fortune he was left and multiplied it many times on the stock market and began to stock up with the most advanced technology on earth. He had known that eventually battle lines would be drawn with man versus mutant and he would plant himself firmly in the centre offering another choice of peace and coexistence.
Every morning he sat at the table scanning the newspaper for news, any news of mutants, he had so far investigated several individuals hoping to find the mutant gene and of them he had found a small few but for each of those he had found more who did not have the elusive X-gene. It had taken him a week to get an audience with the Fantastic Four…dead end.
It had taken him little over a day to persuade General Ross to allow him whilst posing as a psychologist (posing is the wrong word as he did indeed hold a degree in psychology) to have access to the creature known as the Hulk. Xavier had even been forced to use a little psychic coercion in that case which he hated to have to do. The Green goliath however turned out to be a transformed human.
The so called Spider-man had been the most difficult for him to track down. Xavier hadn’t realised how hard it would be for a man in a wheelchair to keep track of a man who swings sixty feet above his head. He had finally succeeded by (when quite frustrated) mentally controlled him into a landing and then extracted the truth from him, he smirked when he thought a bite from a radioactive spider turned this child into a hero when logic dictates he should have died or at least lost an arm.
Xavier searched the world high and low for any signs of mutants and indeed in some cases he had succeeded. One case in particular.
Xavier took another sip of his tea and raised his head as he telepathically sensed his protégé heading down the stairs and turning towards the kitchen. The doors swung open and in walked a teenage who was about seventeen years old, he was about six feet tall and had a gangly walk of a boy who had not yet come into his own. Scott had been with Xavier for four months now and he had already begun to fill out much more then when Charles had found him in the hospice. He wore a large pair of blue pyjama trousers and a white T-shirt with a large blue X on that he wore for bed. His usual neat brown hair was dishevelled as he had just woken up but his ruby quartz glasses lay perfectly on his face protecting the world from the destructive power which rested behind each eye.
“Good morning Scott I hope you’re ready for your lessons today, we have a lot to do” smiled Xavier as he glanced at the boy as he reached towards the box of Alpen cereal, all the oats and flakes a growing boy needs.
Scott yawned and shoved his finger in under his glasses rubbing his closed eyes “Can’t you just beam the knowledge straight into my brain like you’ve been doing so far?” asked Scott with an optimistic shrug, he wasn’t dumb by any sense of the word but school had never been his strong point and when the professor beamed the knowledge into his head for once in his life it stuck.
“Scott I know I’ve done it before but that was just a crash course to get you up to the level you should have been without all your time spent in the hospitals and hospices” said Xavier with a comforting smile, he knew how Scott felt.
“Surely there’s a perk of being the only student at this school?” asked Scott with a sigh as he dropped his spoon in his bowl and sat back in the chair, his body posture drooped until if he relaxed his body anymore he would have slid off the table and possibly into a puddle of flesh.
Xavier smiled an almost devious smiled. “Ah but Scott you aren’t the only student at the school any longer.” Xavier reached down and grabbed the wheels of his chair.
During his world wide travels the use of his legs had been lost which meant he was forever stuck in the wheelchair he now rested in. He pulled backwards on his wheels, pulling himself away from the table. “In fact I can sense one of the new student pulling up now,” grinned Xavier as he began to move past Scott.
Scott watched the bald headed man grinning at him. The Professor was over six feet tall and a slender man with well toned muscle in his upper body from his regular workouts. Sitting in the wheelchair however obviously made him much shorter and his legs were next to useless. Scott didn’t know how old the professor really was but if he had to guess based on his world of knowledge, the baldness and his weathered face Scott would have said him mid 50’s. The Professor was by far the smartest and most kind man Scott Summers had ever met and he would forever hold a special place as the man who had saved him from his crappy life.
The teen stood to his feet and followed the professor through the swinging kitchen door into the hall, they went through another set of swinging doors (as all doors in the Xavier institute other then the bedrooms were) into the main entrance hall. “New students? What do you mean? You never mentioned anything to me? Are they…’Gifted’?” asked Scott in rapid succession as he followed after Xavier.
“Yes Scott, four new mutant students around your age are arriving today, I did not tell you as I know you have been a little down and I was thinking it would be a nice surprise for you” grinned Xavier almost dementedly “the door Scott….answer the door”.
Scott Summers approached the door, he could see a figure walking up the steps through the frosted glass. His hand grabbed the handle as he gently pulled the door open, he was greeted by a warm smile, the girl on the other side of the door was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen like an angel from a dream he once had. She had red hair which seemed to shine in the sunlight and she wore a flowery sundress which highlighted her figure. “Hi” she said as she grinned widely.
Scott was speechless, he kind of stood to attention at his full height and stuck out his chest. He tried to speak but it came out as a sort of hiss. The girl looked at his blushing features with a slight look of concern for a few seconds before her eyes panned down to the bald man who sat in his wheelchair with a huge grin on his face. “Professor!” she exclaimed as she rushed to him and threw her arms around him. The few bags she had brought dragged along the floor behind her pulled by unseen hands.
“Jean, it’s good to see you. It’s been too long” grinned Xavier as he held Jean for a few seconds before he released her. “I have just boiled the kettle if you would like some coffee or tea” smiled Xavier as he motioned towards the kitchen.
“I would love a cup of your tea” smiled Jean as she began walking in the direction that Xavier had motioned, Xavier turned to Scott who still stood hissing in the doorway.
“H..h…Hi” he stammered as he seemed to sail back into reality on a slightly jittery boat, he dropped his head and his shoulder with a sigh at the spectacle he had just made of himself. He was never good around people his own age especially girls, especially girls as pretty as the one he had just opened the door to but of course he had never really met anyone as pretty.
Scott had spent years alone in orphanages and hospitals. He had lost his family when he was 7 and then was put in a group home. His accidental uses of his powers amongst other things (such as his distance due to the trauma of the loss of his family) meant time after time he would watch the kids around him being taken away to live with new families and leaving him all alone. It took Scott a few years but eventually he stopped trying, he stopped caring about other people and relating to them and he spent most of his time by himself. This was the main reason Scott often found it difficult to relate to people, he was out of practice. He for instance couldn’t remember the last time he’d looked anyone in the eyes.
The years stretched on and Scott’s powers became more pronounced meaning he was unable to be with any other children through fear of hurting them. He was taken to a public hospital until there was an accident and he was moved to another where the same happened again. Scott was passed around for years in and out of hospitals across the country until Charles Xavier came to take him away from it and explain what was going on. Scott had figured most of it out from news reports over the last couple of years (though he couldn’t see them as he was forced to keep his eyes bandaged at all times), Scott Summers was a mutant. Charles Xavier saved him from his own personal hell and had let him see again thanks to the invention of Ruby Quartz glasses.
Scott swore over and over again in his mind. He couldn’t believe what a fool he had made of himself in front of Jean. He felt the professor enter his mind and he stopped his swearing “Relax Scott” said Xavier reassuringly “it wasn’t that bad…she likes your pyjamas” smiled Xavier. He was the worlds strongest psychic and a certified genius but even he would have some trouble understanding the workings of the teenage mind. Scott groaned as he closed the door and sprinted upstairs to get changed and to comb his hair.
…
Xavier rolled into the kitchen behind Jean who was already pouring boiling water into two cups. “I hope you don’t mind…I got the layout of everything in the kitchen from the guy that opened the door” smiled Jean with a shrug as she grabbed the cups and walked over to where the professor sat in his wheelchair. She left go of the cup and levitated it into the professor’s hand. She smiled proudly at the cup as it floated across the room.
“Thank you” he said as he brought the cup to his lips to drink “I see you’ve been practising with your powers” said Xavier telepathically. It was simple for him to do but it was a trick which would put any ventriloquist to shame.
“Yes,” Jean ran her finger around the rim of her cup as she bit her lower lip. “I tried to hide from them for so long but you made me realise I can’t hide from who I am…telekinesis is still much easier then telepathy” said Jean telepathically with a little shrug. Whatever it was which visibly bothered her she shook it off easily as she smiled at the professor.
“It will come to you, don’t worry” said Xavier normally as he sensed Jean was a little unsure of keeping her personal thoughts blocked during a full blown psychic conversation. “I remember when I first manifest my powers, I thought I was going crazy and it took me a long time to get used to them” he laid his hand on her shoulder.
“I understand that Professor but I haven’t just manifest my powers, I’ve had my powers for years but then…” Jean trailed off as the door swung open. Scott rushed into the room still tucking a shirt into his pants and the tie he wore was slung over his shoulder, he skidded to a halt and tried to calm himself down.
“We can discuss it later” said Xavier telepathically to Jean as he turned his gaze to Scott, who straightened his tie.
“Uh…Hi” said Jean cheerfully after a couple of seconds, she smiled at the boy, she wasn’t adept with her telepathy but she could sense his unease and embarrassment.
“Hi” said Scott, he ran his fingers through his hair trying to straighten his appearance before he leaned on the countertop. “I’m Scott” he said as he stepped forward, Jean leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek but Scott had stuck out his hand for a handshake and the two stood in stale mate. Jean smiled a weak smile and stuck out her hand, Scott took her hand and shook it rather aggressively.
“God!” screamed Scott to himself “bonehead, bonehead, bonehead…and why the hell am I wearing a shirt and tie…God!”.
The room was silent for a few seconds, Xavier and Jean had both heard Scott’s thoughts but decided to not mention it.
There was silence for a few seconds while Jean and Xavier had an in depth psychic discussion. Time is not a factor when it comes to telepathy and other psychic pursuits as time is relative especially when moving at the speed of thought.
Jean quickly turned to Scott and spoke “Tell me about yourself?” she asked with a grin. Xavier had been able to sense Scott’s unease and thought Jean talking to him would go a way to ease it, if anything the sudden attention made Scott fret even more.
“I..I’m Scott.” He stumbled over his words as his cheeks grew redder.
“I know, you introduced yourself.” smiled Jean. She exhaled gently in a small laugh. She looked at the teen in red sunglasses and couldn’t help but thinking despite his ganglyness and his apparent fear of females he was cute.
“Oh…Scott Summers.” He grinned gently as if proud of himself before he purposefully straightened his face hoping Jean hadn’t caught it. She of course had. “I fire optic blasts” he added quickly as tried to think of something to add.
“I’m Jean Grey,” Jean paused for a second and smiled. The two stood for a few seconds obviously neither knowing what to do next.
“Why don’t you tell Jean about how you came to be at the school.” Xavier smiled as he drained the dregs of his cup and wheeled himself away from the table and began to head towards the door. “I’ll just be a few minutes, I have a phone call to make.”
Scott and Jean stood for a few seconds and nodded slowly. They were both uncomfortable, Scott because of his uselessness with women and Jean because she could still hear Scott berating himself mentally for his uselessness with women.
“So Scott,” Jean paused for a second. She was hoping something else would come into her head but nothing did and slowly she resigned herself to asking the question Xavier had said. “How did you end up coming to the institute.”
Scott stared off for a second before he began to speak but even before the words had left his lips Jean was seeing the memories in his head. She didn’t want to but she couldn’t help it.
10 years ago, Alaska…
The plane juddered in the turbulence as it flew through the snow storm which raged around it. The Summers family had set off from Christopher Summer’s parents home (long since dead) an hour or two earlier when the sky was clear, it seemed in next to no time they had flown into this blizzard.
“This is Major Christopher Summers of the American Air Force flying a civilian plane, can anyone hear me? The instruments are fried and I’m flying blind. Repeat flying blind. Can anyone read me, over” barked Christopher Summers into his radio.
He had been flying planes since his dad first took him up when he was a kid and he’d been one of the nations best pilots since he finished high school. It was in high School where he had met the love of his life Katherine Summers.
The blonde haired woman dropped into the seat next to him. “Any luck?”
Christopher squinted out of the window and narrowed his eyes out of the windshield of the plane trying to see anything. He was holding back on putting out the mayday alarm as his plane was still capable of flying. “How are the boys?”
“Terrified,” nodded Katherine. “Alex is still screaming his head off and Scott is barely holding it together…I’m going back.” Christopher’s hand grabbed Katherine’s.
“How’s the newest addition?” Christopher nodded to the small bump Katherine was sporting.
She smiled “Sleeping soundly.”
Kathrine Summers exited to the rear of the plane where her two children were strapped in. Scott Summers was seven years old and had straight brown hair, his blue eyes were welling up as he stared at his mother. He was the spitting image of his father.
Alex Summers was pressed hard into his brother’s side with Scott’s arm held tightly around him. Alex had the blonde hair and features of his mother, his face was stained red by the tracks of tears which streamed down his face.
Scott held his brother close and tried to comfort him. Scott was always protective of his brother and more often than not kept a cool head in any situation especially if it involved flying. He had inherited his father’s need to be up there flying.
The plane suddenly jerked to the side as a muffled bang was heard on the right side of the plane. Katherine was flung into the side of the plane with a thump. She began to climb to her feet when Christopher Summers burst from behind her.
The radio in his hand had a thin black wire stretching from it, the wire was supposed to be coiled but Christopher had pulled it almost straight as he came to see his family. “MAY DAY, MAYDAY. ANYONE PLEASE. MAYDAY. MY FAMILY ARE UP HERE!” The radio crackled in static again. Christopher screamed as he tossed the useless equipment away.
Scott watched it fly back into the cockpit and then he turned his attention to his father who strode past them towards the back of the plane. Christopher pulled on the door to the compartment and removed a rucksack looking device Scott recognised as a parachute. Christopher began routing around in the hold and then the one next to it before he started to swear.
“Chris?” asked Katherine.
“Dammit!” screamed Chris again as he began to boot the side of the plane. “There’s only one parachute…I should have checked. I should have checked.”
Katherine now moved to the back of the plane herself, the tears had began to flow from her face. Scott twisted his head to try and see what was going on but he was strapped in making it hard. He could see his parents hugging at the back of the plane and then they slowly made their way forward.
Katherine moved to Alex and began to free his belt. He instantly leapt at her arms and she held him stroking his hair and kissing the side of his head. Scott looked at them for a few seconds and then at his father who crouched down in front of him.
“Scott I need you to listen to me,” he spoke slowly and calmly to his son. “The plane isn’t going to make it. I want you to put this parachute on and take Alex…”
Scott by this point was crying also, he freed himself from his chair and moved towards his father. “Scott…SCOTT!” barked Chris. He pulled his son close and hugged him tightly but then pushed him away a tiny bit so he could look into his eyes as he spoke. “I need you to look after Alex. Do you remember how to work a parachute?” Scott nodded as he remembered the lessons his father had gave him. “Good.”
Chris pulled his son closer and hugged him again. “I love you Scott.”
Scott blubbered through that he loved his dad too and took the parachute from him. Scott was then seized by the hands of Katherine as she pulled him to her and then Alex went to their father.
Scott stared into his mothers blue eyes. They were his eyes. “Scott…I love you so much and I know you’ll do me and your father proud.”
The family came together for one final hug once Chris had strapped the still screaming Alex who was only 5 to the front of Scott. “We love you boys.”
Christopher walked away from his family and opened the door to the plane. The ice cold wind and snow howled through the cabin. Chris grabbed the door as he was nearly pulled out and steadied himself. Katherine pushed Scott slowly towards the door.
The two dropped to their knees and in tears gave their sons one last hug and told them for the last time they loved them. Scott hesitated on the edge for a few seconds and turned to his parents. Alex cried and stretched his arms out to his parents, he wanted to be held in their safe arms again.
“Go!” ordered Christopher. Scott nodded as he leapt back.
It next felt like he was caught in a blender as he was whipped away from the front of the plane screaming. The razor cold iced winds slashed at his face and bare hands.
The noise of the plane fell away in seconds so only the sound of the wind and Alex’s screams could be heard. Scott and Alex blew around in the air for what seemed like minutes until slowly the wind and the snow died as quickly as it had came up.
The night was now clear, Scott stared down at the snow covered plain of land below him. He grabbed hold of the ripcord and yanked on the wire. The pack on his back went ‘puff’ as the chute deployed behind them.
They continued to fall, the chute wasn’t opening. It trailed behind them flailing in the wind above their heads. Scott’s hand reached up and out for the emergency chute release which deployed seamlessly.
The two suddenly felt themselves being hauled upwards as the parachute caught the wind They hung their suspended and unknowing of what would happen to them. The wind stung at them and they could feel the ice cold night burning at their bones.
Scott and Alex both suddenly wrenched their necks up as a slow rip resounded around them. The parachute was developing a tear. The two began to drop faster.
Scott stared at the ground which seemed in an awful amount of hurry to come and meet him. He suddenly felt his head exploding. Power shot up his neck and pounded in his brain before forcing its way out of his eyes and down to the ground.
A giant beam of red energy shot from his eyes. The energy slammed into the ground and almost instantly slowed their descent.
Present day…
Jean wiped her face clear of the tear which rolled down it. She had experienced the fear Scott felt and the love from his parents. “It was the first time my mutant powers showed. I landed on my head which gave me brain damage….which the professor thinks is why I can’t control my powers. I woke up in hospital 8 months later, Alex had been adopted by a family who didn’t want two kids. We should have been kept together but they didn’t think I was going to wake up…he had a family now and I just let him go. I got bounced around orphanage to hospital for years until the professor found me just over a year ago. I came to live here a few months ago once the adoption papers had went through.”
“So Professor Xavier is your dad?” questioned Jean. She had not known about the adoption even though she kept in fairly frequent contact with Xavier.
“No he’s my guardian, I’m not his son just his ward,” Scott stared up to the sky outside the window not knowing what to say next after he had poured his heart out to this girl he had just met.
The door to the kitchen swung open again as if perfectly timed and in wheeled Charles Xavier pushed by another teen. He was a couple of years older than Scott and Jean. He was a stocky teen who seemed to rest on a boundary of fat and extremely muscular. He looked like he hadn’t shaved the day before and his hair was a mess.
“I’m sorry to interrupt but I sensed Henry here approaching and greeted him at the door myself.”
“Hi” waved Henry from behind Xavier. Scott regarded the mutants hands which were the size of dinner plates. “Just call me Hank…Hank McCoy.”
Scott and Jean both said hello as they rose to meet their new guest and told him their names.
“Henry will be attending the college in the Salem Centre as well as studying some college classes here and training with you.”
“It’s all go go go for the Beast,” grinned Hank. Scott and Jean shot one another a look and then looked back at Hank. Hank blushed “Old high school football name…I’d gotten so used to it I forgot how it might sound to others.”
“So College boy? What are you studying?” Jean smiled as she pushed back a chair telekinetically for Hank. He ‘ooohed’ at the marvel and then his mind instantly began to work up biological and physics explanations for the phenomenon and how Jean’s powers worked. Jean blinked the thoughts out of her mind as they were making her head spin.
“Chemistry, mathematics, physics, electronics, English literature, Biology and genetics. If I have any spare time I figure I might take up a hobby or two. Anyone for golf?” laughed Hank.
“Would anyone mind terribly if I took my shoes off?” Hank pointed at the gigantic shoes he wore on his feet. Scott and Jean shook their heads in unison which made Hank smiled. He bent his knees like he was kneeling to unfasten them but instead he put one hand on the floor and launched his weight into a one handed hand stand before catapulting himself onto the kitchen bench where he slid the shoes off one at a time with the toes of the other foot.
He moved his feet up and planted them flat on the bench while her crouched on top of them like a gargoyle on the edge of a building.
“I was going to ask what your ability was but I think I got it,” Scott grinned weakly at Hank who seemed to take the line as a cue to show off. He again put his full weight on his hands and posed like a star with his feet and right hand in the air.
“This? Nay Scott my power is flying…this is just a skill I picked up in the circus.” Beast grinned as he pushed off with his hand and flipped end over end to his feet again.
“Really?” Scott was rather astonished by the little factoid about the boys life.
“No, this really is my power. I was just trying to be droll…I’m a little nervous about meeting new people, happens when you’re a freak don’t you know. Some would retreat into their shells but I mask it with a shell of extraversion….or so my analyst Doc Samson tells me anyway.” Scott rubbed his neck and blushed slightly, he was not making the best first impressions on these two. Jean smirked quietly and gently, she was enjoying the company of the two boys.
There was a moment of silence. “THE TITANIC!” bellowed Henry as his hands spewed out to their full extension. It was the first Jean and Scott had noticed of his extremely long arms. It seemed he could not stand the silence. “Now that really broke the ice!”
Jean laughed aloud. What was making it worse for her was that she had just brushed the surface of Hank’s mind and had already been flooded with hundreds of other jokes. It appeared his vast intellect was also being put to use for less serious endeavours than the science he was studying.
“Henry please relax, you don’t need to be ‘on’. We aren’t judging you and we wont think badly of you if you want some time to get yourself acquainted with your surroundings.” Xavier smiled. He stopped and cocked his head to the side for a second and then pulled back on the wheels of his chair and began to push himself away. “If you excuse me I sense the cab driving our youngest student has gotten somewhat lost in the Salem centre. I shall attend to the directions and he’ll only be a few moments…just have to find the map and remember which junction to Graymalkin Chesterton comes on at.”
The professor left then room leaving the three sitting in the kitchen. “So I have yet to meet a mutant without a terrible story behind them…anyone want to share?” Hank glanced between the two, there was silence. He as well as using humour to diffuse the tension of situations often tossed a prickly point into the conversation, it helped diffuse the pressure he felt on himself.
“I’ll go first shall I? I was born with these huge plates.” Henry balanced on one hand and pointed to his huge feet. “Loving family despite my physical deformities…not so loving town. Not a friend in the world except my cat and my parents…and books. It turns out that intelligence does not make as many friends as I had hoped. Using my talents on the football field, wrestling ring and basketball court however did…until the news of mutants broke. My family and I have spent two years in hiding.”
Scott and Jean were again in silence. Henry paused, it seemed they had been in silence an awful lot since he began to speak. “Would either of you like to see me juggle the kitchen chairs with my toes?”
“The Professor is right Henry you don’t have to be ‘on’ with us.” Jean smiled gently. Her hand rubbed his shoulder. She could sense that he was extremely nervous in their company, even more so than Scott was in hers. He had went from a life with no friends to the big man on campus and to a leper (or the modern genetic vernacular of mutant). He was overcompensating.
Henry smiled gently. “I’d like to see that,” the voice bellowed as the door swung open to the kitchen. The boy who pushed through was about 14 and was dressed in a simple jeans and jeans combo despite the cold temperatures outside. He had a large bag slung over his shoulder which caused him to lean to the side as he walked into the room. “Juggling with your feet sounds cool.”
“This..” The Professor wheeled into the room. He held his hand up to stay Beast’s action as he was about to yank a chair into the air…rather pleased with having someone to play up too. “Is Robert Drake, he’s the youngest of our new students.”
“Hey,” he gave a hand motion which passed as a wave. “It’s…Bobby though…or Iceman.”
“Like in the film with all the homosexual pilots?” Henry’s face burst into a broad grin as he bounced across the room and dragged Bobby’s bag over his head and away from his body. The extra weight was nothing to him, he counterbalanced it innately as he leaped meaning he was still leaping and flipping with the best of them.
“No gorilla boy! Like this!” Bobby thrust out his hand with his palm flat out. The teens and the Professor felt the temperature drop rapidly and watches as what looked like white dust filled the air as the water molecules between Bobby and the floor chilled.
This all happened in the space of a second as Beast rotated in the air. He landed his right foot onto the floor first right onto the patch of ice causing his huge meat plates to slide out from under him. He flailed in the air for a second. The strength and agility he had displayed seconds earlier had deserted him and he prepared to hit the floor. The bump however didn’t come.
Hank hung in the air suspended by some unseen force. He looked increasingly worried for a few seconds before flashing a smile at Jean. This caused the others to turn, her hand was pressed to her head behind Scott. “I said it before Miss Grey and I will say it again ‘oooh’”
“Robert!” the Professor barked and shot Bobby a withering glare. “That was most reckless, you could have harmed Henry.”
Bobby looked from The Professor and to Hank who has just been lowered to the floor before leaping away from the cold ice on his bare feet. “I’m sorry, it was stupid….and for the Gorilla comment. I should know better, given our situations.”
Hank waved his hand to shrug the words away. “tut tut tut no need to worry young Bobert. I would have done much the same if anyone likened me to Val Kilmer. It’s I who should apologise. How about you make it up to me by exploring this mammoth house with me.” Hank titled his head, he could tell Bobby was much like him in many ways and felt he should make an effort with the younger mutant.
“Scott and I will be happy to give you all a tour of the grounds as soon as the final member of our first class arrives. In the meantime perhaps Scott would like to demonstrate his powers to everyone. This patch of ice could be dangerous wouldn’t you say.”
Scott looked to the Professor. “Professor I’m not sure about that, my powers are…”
“Scott, you’ve come on in leaps and bounds with your powers. I can steady you if you’d wish…remember you can’t turn off your power but it’s scope and power are yours to control if you concentrate enough.”
Scott nodded and took a deep breath. He slid his glasses forward along the length of his nose. Bobby and Hank stepped back as Xavier indicated them to do so. Scott stood with his eyes closed for a second. Xavier concentrated on him for a few seconds centring him and making sure he was focused on regulating his powers.
Scott opened his eyes slightly. A soft red glow filled the room, it grew with intensity rapidly until it was a brilliantly bright light and exploded from his face. Scott slammed his eyes shut and turned his head but it was too late. The beam due to Scott’s half shut eyes was like a laser whereas he had meant it to be a gentle force to break up the ice and set the molecules vibrating…something the Professor promised him he would one day do.
The tiles of the kitchen floor were stripped away sent scattering across the kitchen exposing the stone floor beneath it. “Crap! Crap” Scott pushed his glasses onto his face.
“Scott calm down, it’s not your fault. You lost focus for a second…worried about embarrassing yourself which caused your powers to fluxuate.”
“Intriguing…fascinating….” Hank was already thinking of sources and factors affecting Scott’s powers.
“AWSOME! Absolutely Frickin’ awesome!” Bobby yelled. He was met by the blank faces of Jean and The Professor as well as the blushing and annoyed Scott. He looked to Hank to perhaps back his assertion.
Hank was the definition of refined discretion. “Indeed,” he simply nodded appreciatively.
“Perhaps that tour would be advisable at the moment,” Xavier wheeled his chair back. Scott was embarrassed and frustrated with himself at the moment. The self doubt he suffered was the thing which was truly crippling his control. He would be forever forced to wear his special visor but he should be able to have a greater level of control. “I think we should start with their rooms where they can…Look Out!”
Charles tried to turn in his chair to face his students. He had just picked up a wave of thought, Jean got it a second later and was more adept at handling his command. She flung out her arms and with her mind thrust the three boys sideways out of harms way as the glass from the French doors behind her shattered open. She managed to get her hands to cover her face as the glass shattered inwards.
The form of the teenage boy slammed hard into the floor. He was shirtless and was covered in cuts from where he had smashed through the window but by far the most shocking thing about him were the large white wings which spread from his back.
“Professor?!” Soctt barked to Xavier. He had his hands on his glasses and had lowered them slowly so the event horizons of his eyes glowed over their rims ready to be unleashed. The others were less ready, they were shocked and guarded. In time they too would be as ready as Scott for any eventuality.
“Stop!” Xavier flung out his hand and turned his chair. “Warren?”
“Professor,” the winged boy looked up to Xavier from the floor. He inhaled deeply and prepared to speak but Xavier was already scanning his mind to find out what had happened to the boy.
Minutes earlier…
Warren Worthington III soared through the air. The cold water in the air would freeze anyone else to death but to him it was nothing but refreshing. The air gently licked across the length of his body and wings.
He was on his way to his new private school Xavier’s Academy. He had been bounced around them for the majority of his life. The problems started when he turned 13 and the first nubs of his wings began to show. He spent the next few years trying not to get close to people and avoiding them whenever he could, he spent much of his free time locked within his room.
His father was an influential millionaire business man the news that his son was not using his time a school to practice his schmoozing skills with fellow future heads of industry did not sit well with him.
The discovery of his son’s wings followed by the discovery of his mutancy when Charles Xavier visited their home had come as a shock to say the least thus why Warren was being packed off to some mutant school to learn to control a power he already had control of.
Just thinking about it made Warren tilt his body and whip in a tight spiral through the air as if to show his father what he could do. It felt marvellous. The feeling of freedom and the wind licking across his body as he soared above the world was worth anything though…he never had to hide again or so Xavier had told him.
He tightened his powerful back muscles for a second as his wings went rigid and he pushed himself up. He continued the motion again and again as he gained height rapidly. He looped in the air and levelled out with a slight incline to the ground as he began to soar peacefully and effortlessly letting the wind and his massive wingspan do the work.
He was suddenly violently buffeted to the side. The headphones of his music player tossed from the side of his ears as he flapped his wings to regain control. He suddenly wondered how he’d managed not to hear the cacophony of noise.
The giant smooth white underside of the jet passed twenty feet over his head hurtling at an angle that it shouldn’t have been. He stopped in the air for a second and watched it pass.
He was suddenly hit by the wash of the jet sending him spiralling sideways while dragging him forward with it’s force. He straightened his wings and tried to stabilize himself as the world rushed upwards to meet him.
Now…
Xavier moved away mentally from Warren’s memories. He cast his attention skywards to several miles above the mansion where he was hoping to find the jet. It took him several second to get a link to what exactly he was looking for. The mind of the pilot as the jet hurtled overhead.
“There are 300 people in danger above us. Their plane’s instruments are none responsive and they can’t contact the tower. They have minutes until they crash land and the pilot can’t do anything. We have to move quickly.” He wheeled himself backwards through the door. “I was hoping to ease the newer students into this idea slowly but time is of the essence. Scott prepare the jet for take off. I want you to lead this mission.”
“Professor?”
The thought was meant for Charles Xavier but Jean couldn’t help but pick up the conversation and emotions that Scott was conveying. He was absolutely terrified about the prospect of flying. Jean couldn’t blame him, she had been given a glimpse into his memories and if the last time she had been on a plane it had been responsible for the loss of her entire family then she wouldn’t be in a hurry to get into the air.
“Scott we don’t have time for your doubts. You have performed excellently on the flight simulator and someone needs to fly the jet. I can’t. I’ll have to interface with Cerebro to contact the mind of someone who may be able to fix the plane and relay the information to one of you.”
“Professor…I can’t. I can’t do it.” The images of Scott’s father’s plane vanishing into the night aflame and spinning as Scott and his brother hurtled towards the ground ran through the heads of Jean and Xavier.
Charles Xavier sighed sharply. He didn’t have time to argue, time was of the essence in this mission. He thought briefly about calming Scott telepathically during the flight but he would need all of his concentration to contact a mind which could be hundreds of miles away and transmit highly complex knowledge from their mind to his own and then into someone else’s.
“Henry,” Charles said aloud as he continued to roll across the foyer. The large teen was walking quickly behind him. He moved a little faster and shot a glance at the limping teen with the huge wings he had been aiding to walk a second earlier, he now seemed capable of walking under his own power. “This may feel very strange for a few seconds.”
‘Strange’ was an understatement. Hank wobbled backwards and his hands moved to his head. It passed quickly but there was sill an odd feeling of a different kind. He was used to knowing a great many things, having a mind which moved quicker than most people he knew but this was different. His mind was now filled with knowledge which he had not learned, procedural knowledge he had not practiced. Information on systems of several types of aircraft and practical flying skills felt to him like second nature.
“I’ll require you to fly the X-jet and then switch to autopilot before moving onto the commercial aircraft. I’ll by then hopefully provide you with the correct information to repair the jet enough to bring it in for an emergency landing.”
“Jean, Warren and Robert I’ll require the three of you to attempt to keep the passengers as calm as possible. Mutant hysteria is a strong undercurrent in the world today so as their flight is going down a mutant breaking in and taking over will not sit well. First of all though I need you all to change quickly.” He leaned forward and pressed his hand against a metal plate on the wall causing a hidden panel to slide open to reveal an elevator.
“What the hell kind of school is this?” Warren Worthington asked. The first words since he had careered through the window.
“The coolest school I have ever seen in my life…it’s a superhero school isn’t it?” Bobby Drake wasted no time jumping onto the elevator behind Xavier and Jean. Henry and Warren hung back a second unsure about this turn of event.
“I prefer to think of us as peacekeepers.” Charles Xavier fixed Warren and Henry’s gaze. They met it and both stepped forward.
“Professor?” Scott was waiting to be told what to do. He had been crippled by the fear of flying but he wanted to help. He wanted to be part of the team that Xavier had been preparing him for. He had spent months preparing in the flight simulator hoping that when the time came he could overcome his fears but it had come and it seemed he wasn’t ready. He wondered if he ever would. He had however spent the majority of his life as an outsider and now he had the chance to be with people like himself he didn’t want to be forced out again but he couldn’t bring himself to get on that plane.
Xavier fixed Scott’s gaze. He thought for a second of telling Scott that he had his chance and he obviously wasn’t ready yet but in truth there was something Scott could do. He would however have to rethink about his original assessment that Scott could lead the team.
“Take the bike, follow the plane as best as you can. Even if we can fix the controls it won’t be making it to any airport. There are woods for miles around and if it comes down in there it’ll be torn apart….clear the area as best you can.”
Scott paused for a moment and stared at Xavier. He was unsure of himself but it appeared The Professor had faith in him. The elevator doors began to slide shut and he nodded before sprinting across the hall heading for the front door.
The elevator moved quickly downwards. “Jean I want you to take charge in this mission.” Xavier opened his mouth like he was going to speak some more but was interrupted by Warren.
“Professor Xavier what is going on? My father sent me here to…”
“Warren you are perfectly capable with your powers to survive in the outside world and indeed flourish in a perfectly ordinary life. You however will not lead a perfectly ordinary life, we are an ever growing species. We are something new and that can cause problems both from humans and from our own kind. The world we live in is about to become very complicated and there will be many people out there in need of help from us. We are the ones who will be judged and evaluated, we set the example for the others who will follow us and they will act accordingly. You need to be better than you currently are both in your powers and in yourself.”
“What if I don’t want that?” Warren’s voice was tinged with anger. He had always been told what his life had in store for him. Since his wings though the world was open to him…the skies were literally the limit but now he was being told he had more responsibility than he had ever dreamed of.
“I’m afraid there is little we can do about that. You have been put in this position not by me but by nature. You will be judged regardless of our actions…I’m just asking you to set the bar high for those who follow.”
Warren was silent. The doors opened silently to a white lit corridor lines with doors. “You will find uniforms through those doors.” The Professor indicated as he wheeled forward. “I’ll be at the end of this corridor in Cerebro. Henry knows the location and launch sequence for the jet. The radar on board should find the plane and there shouldn’t be a problem catching it…god’s speed.”
The students stood momentarily flabbergasted as the circular door with a large X on it at the end of the corridor separated into two parts and he vanished within. There was a couple of moments of silence, this was not the most normal sequence of events to happen to someone. This however was not the most normal group of teenagers, their lives and their gifts up to this point had made them stronger than most, more resilient and most importantly so far more willing to accept the unexpected. “Lets move,” nodded Bobby as he walked towards the door The Professor had indicated too.
Minutes later…
The three male students walked through the adjoining door of their locker room into the hangar bay. The three were dressed in the same identical blue and yellow costumes complete with cloth cowls which covered their heads. They were followed a few seconds later by Jean.
“This is odd huh?” Jean offered as she raised her eyebrows. Hank crossed passed her and flicked a sequences of switches on the wall.
“Were not really one’s to talk,” Warren spread his wings widely and smiled at the young woman. “I’m Warren…”
“…Worthington, the third. I picked up on some surface thoughts when you came in….sorry” Jean touched her head gently.
“No I’m sorry for what I was first thinking when I saw you in that costume.” Warren smiled and winked. Jean blushed gently under her face mask.
“Wings, Jean could you stop flirting and stare in awe with me.” Bobby was like a blunt mallet at times beating the bell of obtuseness. The two older teens turned and did indeed stare in awe with him for a second or two at the large black jet that sat somewhere between a fighter jet and a passenger plane on the continuum of aircraft. It was something neither had ever seen.
“All aboard who are coming aboard!” commanded Hank over the intercom from inside the plane as the engines roared into life.
“Are either of you sure what the hell were doing?” Warren asked. He had been raised looking out for number one and only helping people when it aided you in some way. The idea of risking his life in this way seemed alien to him.
“Were going to save the day,” Bobby laughed as he broke into a sprint away from the other two teens.
Jean looked at Warren and shrugged. She supposed it was a good an answer as any other. She took off after the younger boy.
A couple of miles away…
Scott roared down the road on his motorbike. He kept glancing skywards at the shape he could now see screaming through the clouds. It was a fair distance behind him in the air and high enough so that he was managing to keep some sort of pace with it since it was now simply crashing rather than actually flying under its powers.
He launched over the edge of the road and onto a dirt track. It was one he often used when he wanted to clear his head, to get away from everything. His motorbiking in the woods was the closest he felt to freedom like he used to when he was flying with his father.
He cursed himself again at the fact that he couldn’t bring himself to get on the plane. He cursed the knot in his stomach and the panic in his mind, he swore at his rapidly beating heart and the fear he felt whenever he thought of flying. His father had taught him better than to run from his fears.
He apologised to his father mentally as he exploded over the edge of a large outcrop. He was floating for a second, flying without the fear of falling. The sonic boom of the jet he had been preparing to fly exploded overhead as the black jet shot past him towards the plane which was behind him but catching rapidly as it hurtled through the sky.
Miles above…
Hank shifted the control stick of the plane and bit his lip gently. It felt strange like he was using someone else’s hands. This was why Charles had been training Scott rather than simply beaming the knowledge to him, it stuck much better when it had been actively learned.
The jet moved along next to the plane and Hank leaned forward on the stick slightly matching it’s speed. He hit a button on the control panel and waited a few seconds until there was a green light behind it as the autopilot matched speed with it. He hit a few more buttons which would programme it to peel away and hover in a minute or two so it didn’t go in for a crash with the passenger plane.
Jean, Bobby and Warren were already to their feet and stood at the doorway waiting for their forth. “Iceman, Angel are you ready?” She called them by the codenames they had decided on the jet.
“Ready as I’ll ever be Marvel Girl.” Nodded Angel, Iceman nodded too. Beast bound up to the three on all fours and gave them a thumbs up.
“Our plane is set to return to safety in three minutes….it’s one less thing to worry about I suppose.” He smiled weakly as he tapped a few buttons next to the door and it slowly cracked open.
The wind immediately almost dragged them out of the door but they clung on to the various hand holds present. Jean gave Angel the thumbs up and he launched forward out of the door before plummeting down. The teens waited for a second before the wide wings hurtled up. He hovered at the doorway while his wings beat frantically. Iceman launched himself forward instinctively covering his body in a thin layer of ice as he left the relative safety of the plane. Angel caught him and swept backwards towards the other plane.
“You sure you’re okay to do this?” Beast asked as he tightened his hand on Jean’s shoulder. She looked nervous.
“I’ll be gone for seconds. What about you?” Henry nodded. He hoped he’d be fine in the least.
The two watched as Angel hovered around the door of the other plane and Iceman stretched out his hand. A blast of ice encrusted the door of the plane freezing the outside and the edges around the door and as hoped the lock mechanism itself. Angel then quickly headed up as Jean got ready for her part in the act.
Beast held her tightly as she moved one hand to her head to steady her concentration and stretched her other one out. She gritted her teeth and stretched out with her powers. She felt the outer surface of the door to the frozen locking mechanism. It was brittle, or at least brittle enough for her to grip it tightly with her powers and pull.
The door flew open and slammed loudly inside the aeroplane. Jean nodded to Beast and she took one final deep breath before hauling herself forward with a scream. The lining up of the jet that Beast had done was key to this manoeuvre.
The wind hurled Jean back around ten feet from the door she exited as she forced herself forward. It was a brave and foolish move but the only way to do it. She couldn’t fly and her TK wouldn’t do a thing to control her at this speed so she just had to toss herself forward and rely on Hank and the computer to do the calculations right.
The wind felt like a car slamming into her as she was thrust backwards. She was pushed forward like a bullet from a gun.
Beast held his breath and bit his knuckle as he watched the slight form of the teenage girl buffeted by the wind. He wished he could have taken her place but then swore when he realised in a moment he would.
The plan finally seemed to go to plan as the form of Iceman dropped from somewhere above them into the entrance of the plane. The wings of the bird man known as Angel suddenly came into view as he seized Jean and tossed her the rest of the way into the plane.
The winged teen instantly swirled round, this required split second timing as they’d discussed on the plane as Jean relayed thoughts from Xavier to them. The gigantic form of Beast hurtled towards him from where he had leapt clear of the plane. His extra long arm stretched out towards Angel.
Warren swore aloud loudly at the sight of the much larger teen literally screaming towards him. Angel brought his hands together and let Beast catch hold of his locked hands.
Angel had the strength associated with peak human strength so while it was a task especially in the situation turning his body with the weight of the muscular Beast hanging from him wasn’t impossible.
Beast landed in the doorway. Angel fastened his wings to his body and shot forward like a missile into Beast’s arms. The teen leapt back as the door slammed shut again forced by Jean’s powers. Iceman let off a blast of ice which caked the door and sealed it shut again.
The teens leaned forward and inhaled the recycled air of the plane never having been so grateful for stale smell of sweat and fear as they had. “That was intense,” Iceman exclaimed.
The four looked at one another and nodded. “I may join Scott on the ground next time….I have a feeling I may develop a fear of flying after that.” Beast leaned against the door before lurching forward. “Well off to fly the plane, wish me luck.”
The three paused for a second and nodded. They now had to keep everyone calm as possible. Iceman strode past the others and looked down the length of the plane at the faces of all the people. They looked terrified, even more so now a partially transparent teenage boy had just hurtled through the door and was now staring at them.
“I’ll handle this, my old school trained us in public speaking.” Comforted Angel as he strode forward. He stood before the passengers on the plane.
“Were all going to die!” screamed one rather excitable passenger at the sight of the Angel standing before them as the plane they were on continued to plummet.
“No…I’m, I’m not…oh crap.”
“Nice going,” nodded Iceman behind him. “I’ll ice up a scythe if you like and you can pretend to be Death.”
“If I could please have your attention and if you would all remain calm. We are superheroes and were going to try and get us all out of this alive.” Iceman took over from the brilliant job Warren was doing as he walked down the aisle. “Now who wants to start off the karaoke?” Bobby looked down at the passengers whose heads all lolled to the side. “Why are all of you guys asleep?”
“Sorry, I figured a light doze might be easier on them then all of this stress. We can sing along if you like.”
“Guys! Could someone please come here!?” Beast yelled from the cockpit of the plane. The three teens walked towards the front of the plane.
Beast lay on his back holding the controls with his feet while his head and hands were under a control panel pulling and fiddling with wires. The pilot and co-pilot lay on the floor.
“What did you do?!” Iceman yelled as he indicated to the two pilots.
“That wasn’t me, they were like that when I got here. Slammed during turbulence of the plummet because they weren’t strapped in. There’s a lesson in there somewhere me thinks…could one of you tell me what’s ahead while I steer…though the controls aren’t responding yet anyway but it’s still nice to know.”
“There are the tops of a lot of trees…” Iceman shrugged.
Beast pushed himself out from under the controls and stood to his full height. He stared out of the window motionless for a few seconds as he calculated a few things before diving back under the controls. “That isn’t good…not at all. We’ve got about three minutes to level up correctly before we crash or we’ll just go smush.” He clapped his hands to field home the point and then delved them back into the mass of wires.
“How long till you fix it?” Angel asked as he dropped to one knee.
“Well the expert that the Professor is feeding me thinks a job like this would take seven hours to fix on the ground…I’m essentially making it up as a I go along now based on his knowledge of the system.”
The three teens shot each other worried glances, it seemed that their first day may have been their last.
Beast growled and released the stick with his foot and slammed it hard onto the control panel. “Eureka!” he grabbed hold of the steering column again and eased it back…the plane shuddered slightly and the angle of the window began to change.
“You did it! What did you do?” Jean queried.
“I stripped out all non-essentials and rewired them into the fried steering column. This and the things it needs to work are the only things running…We don’t need landing gear right?” Beast paused for a moment, the others stood in silence. “I’m kidding…kind of. I know we don’t need it. Hence ‘Crash’ Landing.”
“Is there any reason you’re still on the floor rather than steering where you can see?” Angel asked worriedly.
“I’m using my arms to conduct some of the wires and keep us in the air…all standard procedure, no need to worry…at all”
“Hank?” asked Bobby. “Do you have your toes crossed?”
Miles below…
Scott leapt over a fallen log and hurtled through a large puddle which had formed on the other side from the morning rain. The mud shot everywhere and caked his shirt.
“Scott, they’re coming in for a landing…are you ready?”
Scott let out a growl as he tightened the throttle a little more and hurtled along the length of a thin track and then down an embankment. He shot a glance behind him at the plane which was now clearly visible and was skirting the top of the trees tearing the tops off of them.
The plane was tearing down towards the ledge Scott was racing along. He glanced to the left over the edge of the ledge and sharply twisted the handlebars of his bike so he shot over the edge. He let go of the bike and spread his arms, he felt like he was flying.
He took off his glasses and unleashed a blast. It had the effect of slowing his descent over the twenty feet drop on the other side of the ledge.
The three teens who could clearly see mumbled ‘wows’ and ‘Christ’s as they watched their new class mate through the plane window as he dropped down, flowing red energy shooting from his face.
The three feet of water below the drop broke his fall. He coughed and spluttered as he hauled himself up and waded forward. The earth from the ledge above him was ripped clean by the underside of the Aeroplane above him.
Scott dropped to his front in the mud with his eyes closed and put his glasses on. He reached up to the sides of the frames and pressed in two tiny switches. The Ruby red quality drained from them and the lenses themselves changed shape as a tiny electrical current passed through them.
He opened his eyes as wide as he could and unleashed the full force of his optic blast. The shape and tint of his glasses now rather than suppressing his powers allowed him to direct them in a wider arc than usual.
The teens watched from the window with bated breath and their fingers crossed. Even Beast who was never one for faith sighed God’s name under his breath and then aloud as the scene changed from the ground crashing up to meet them.
It at first looked like a red carpet spreading out beneath them before expanded into a wave like that of the crashing tide. The entire front window was bathed in red for a second before the colour died away leaving only spots of light in their eyes.
When these cleared the four stared out at a decimated landscape, there was nothing before them but a flat plateau of land where the trees, soil and rocks had been blasted or obliterated away.
The plane collided with the floor and shuddered, soil splashed across the front of the plane. The teens inside stumbled and fell backwards to the deck covering their heads.
Scott watched as the plane ploughed across the land churning up the earth below it. It took a minute until the aeroplane finally came to a complete halt. He slowly climbed to his feet and struggled forward. He was in pain, he’d broke his landing but his landing had also broke him.
He hiked up the slight incline that was left of the large tree filled hill he had blasted into smithereens. He reached the aeroplane which was half buried in the ground, the windows were at ground level and he could see the passengers sleeping peacefully inside. He lowered his glasses and blasted the door in.
He climbed inside. The faces of his four classmates faced him. “Now that was AWSOME!” Bobby jabbed his finger out of the window.
Later…
The five students sat watching the news reports. They had hung around and checked on the passengers until they heard the first rescue choppers and then headed into the woods to make their way home.
“All in all I think we’ve had an eventful day don’t you?”
The students half sighed and half laughed at the Professor. “I think we could all do with an early night. I am very proud of all of you, you did yourselves and your species proud. This is the first step towards the dream I was talking about earlier.”
“Even if they don’t know it was us?” Angel asked.
Xavier sighed. “Alas Warren I don’t think that they’re exactly quite ready for our peacekeeping force. We also couldn’t claim responsibility to this one because of the extreme closeness to our school.”
“So what now?”
“Robert, tomorrow is a new day. There are new challenges we will face and new hurdles to overcome….I suggest you get some sleep. I think you’ll need it my X-Men.”
Epilogue…
Xavier sat in Cerebro. He cast a quick mental glance across his students. They were all sound asleep, dreaming dreams of their own. He didn’t delve any deeper.
He placed the helmet of Cerebro on his head and fired up the machine.
He was silent for a few seconds as he focused and searched across the world for a familiar brain pattern. He caught a snatch of it.
“Eric….Eric.” Charles felt a solid grasp on his mind. He had contacted Eric. He looked at the locator which fizzled and blanked out. He would not be finding out where this mutant was any time soon.
“You have your helmet on but I know you can hear me, I know you can respond. Eric what were you planning today? The expert I contacted seemed to think that the only thing which could have caused that kind of damage was a localise EMP intense enough to meld wiring together…Why?”
“Charles,” the voice replied in Charles Xavier’s mind. “I couldn’t let you recruit some soldiers to your army without testing them….you chose well Charles, they did well today” He snorted gently in his mind. “As you always say Charles tomorrow is another day. We’ll be seeing you and yours then. Good night Charles…Sweet Dreams”
END
Xavier Academy…
The giant old mansion had sat on the grounds of the Xavier estate since 1883, it had been passed through three generations of the Xavier family since Francis Xavier had brought his young wife to America from England and began to build his dream home using the fortune he had amassed.
The mansion sat upon acres and acres of fresh green land filled with fields and woods, a stream, lake and even a waterfall ran through the property as well as a cliff which looked out upon more lush green forest. It is on the strong bedrock of this cliff which the mansion’s foundations had been set.
The mansion had not changed much over the years, it looked older but still just as elegant and refined as the day it had been finished. Green ivy snaked up the three floors of the old house giving it’s face a very green colour while the white fountain shot water in all directions in front of the house.
Looking at the house you would merely think it was a fine mansion but you would be wrong. It’s unchanging face hid a secret, this was where the inheritor of the estate Charles Francis (named for his grandfather) Xavier had built one of the most hi-tech bases on the planet, the base of his operation to train his X-men.
Inside the mansion…
Charles Xavier sat at the table carefully examining the morning paper as he sipped at his tea. He was American but still couldn’t drink coffee, tea was his caffeinated drink of choice.
Charles Xavier was a bright but generally unremarkable child despite the tribulations he had went through which had left him orphaned. This was until the day his mutant gift made itself known to him.
He was a mutant with the power to delve into the minds of others and read or change their thoughts. These powers caused him many problems when they first emerged such as estrangement from his brother who could not deal with the powers Charles had. Voices and thoughts would enter Charles’s head which were not his own. He knew what people thought about him and he couldn’t help but glimpse the darkest recesses of their mind.
It was these experiences which set him on his path of world exploration. There have been stories for centuries about telepaths and psychics across the world and Charles had set off in search of another, in search of control. He travelled the world and met others like himself, others whom would be later classified as mutants.
He returned to his homestead with a new found vigour and became the pre-eminent expert on genetics and mutation (amongst other things). He however also through his travels and his studies knew that people would be resistant.
Mutants were the next stage of evolution a subspecies of humanity with powers beyond the comprehension of most ordinary men…many would not react to this news lightly. In the last few years since mutants became more public Charles Xavier had been shown to be correct.
He had however to set about preparing for this eventuality. He had used the fortune he was left and multiplied it many times on the stock market and began to stock up with the most advanced technology on earth. He had known that eventually battle lines would be drawn with man versus mutant and he would plant himself firmly in the centre offering another choice of peace and coexistence.
Every morning he sat at the table scanning the newspaper for news, any news of mutants, he had so far investigated several individuals hoping to find the mutant gene and of them he had found a small few but for each of those he had found more who did not have the elusive X-gene. It had taken him a week to get an audience with the Fantastic Four…dead end.
It had taken him little over a day to persuade General Ross to allow him whilst posing as a psychologist (posing is the wrong word as he did indeed hold a degree in psychology) to have access to the creature known as the Hulk. Xavier had even been forced to use a little psychic coercion in that case which he hated to have to do. The Green goliath however turned out to be a transformed human.
The so called Spider-man had been the most difficult for him to track down. Xavier hadn’t realised how hard it would be for a man in a wheelchair to keep track of a man who swings sixty feet above his head. He had finally succeeded by (when quite frustrated) mentally controlled him into a landing and then extracted the truth from him, he smirked when he thought a bite from a radioactive spider turned this child into a hero when logic dictates he should have died or at least lost an arm.
Xavier searched the world high and low for any signs of mutants and indeed in some cases he had succeeded. One case in particular.
Xavier took another sip of his tea and raised his head as he telepathically sensed his protégé heading down the stairs and turning towards the kitchen. The doors swung open and in walked a teenage who was about seventeen years old, he was about six feet tall and had a gangly walk of a boy who had not yet come into his own. Scott had been with Xavier for four months now and he had already begun to fill out much more then when Charles had found him in the hospice. He wore a large pair of blue pyjama trousers and a white T-shirt with a large blue X on that he wore for bed. His usual neat brown hair was dishevelled as he had just woken up but his ruby quartz glasses lay perfectly on his face protecting the world from the destructive power which rested behind each eye.
“Good morning Scott I hope you’re ready for your lessons today, we have a lot to do” smiled Xavier as he glanced at the boy as he reached towards the box of Alpen cereal, all the oats and flakes a growing boy needs.
Scott yawned and shoved his finger in under his glasses rubbing his closed eyes “Can’t you just beam the knowledge straight into my brain like you’ve been doing so far?” asked Scott with an optimistic shrug, he wasn’t dumb by any sense of the word but school had never been his strong point and when the professor beamed the knowledge into his head for once in his life it stuck.
“Scott I know I’ve done it before but that was just a crash course to get you up to the level you should have been without all your time spent in the hospitals and hospices” said Xavier with a comforting smile, he knew how Scott felt.
“Surely there’s a perk of being the only student at this school?” asked Scott with a sigh as he dropped his spoon in his bowl and sat back in the chair, his body posture drooped until if he relaxed his body anymore he would have slid off the table and possibly into a puddle of flesh.
Xavier smiled an almost devious smiled. “Ah but Scott you aren’t the only student at the school any longer.” Xavier reached down and grabbed the wheels of his chair.
During his world wide travels the use of his legs had been lost which meant he was forever stuck in the wheelchair he now rested in. He pulled backwards on his wheels, pulling himself away from the table. “In fact I can sense one of the new student pulling up now,” grinned Xavier as he began to move past Scott.
Scott watched the bald headed man grinning at him. The Professor was over six feet tall and a slender man with well toned muscle in his upper body from his regular workouts. Sitting in the wheelchair however obviously made him much shorter and his legs were next to useless. Scott didn’t know how old the professor really was but if he had to guess based on his world of knowledge, the baldness and his weathered face Scott would have said him mid 50’s. The Professor was by far the smartest and most kind man Scott Summers had ever met and he would forever hold a special place as the man who had saved him from his crappy life.
The teen stood to his feet and followed the professor through the swinging kitchen door into the hall, they went through another set of swinging doors (as all doors in the Xavier institute other then the bedrooms were) into the main entrance hall. “New students? What do you mean? You never mentioned anything to me? Are they…’Gifted’?” asked Scott in rapid succession as he followed after Xavier.
“Yes Scott, four new mutant students around your age are arriving today, I did not tell you as I know you have been a little down and I was thinking it would be a nice surprise for you” grinned Xavier almost dementedly “the door Scott….answer the door”.
Scott Summers approached the door, he could see a figure walking up the steps through the frosted glass. His hand grabbed the handle as he gently pulled the door open, he was greeted by a warm smile, the girl on the other side of the door was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen like an angel from a dream he once had. She had red hair which seemed to shine in the sunlight and she wore a flowery sundress which highlighted her figure. “Hi” she said as she grinned widely.
Scott was speechless, he kind of stood to attention at his full height and stuck out his chest. He tried to speak but it came out as a sort of hiss. The girl looked at his blushing features with a slight look of concern for a few seconds before her eyes panned down to the bald man who sat in his wheelchair with a huge grin on his face. “Professor!” she exclaimed as she rushed to him and threw her arms around him. The few bags she had brought dragged along the floor behind her pulled by unseen hands.
“Jean, it’s good to see you. It’s been too long” grinned Xavier as he held Jean for a few seconds before he released her. “I have just boiled the kettle if you would like some coffee or tea” smiled Xavier as he motioned towards the kitchen.
“I would love a cup of your tea” smiled Jean as she began walking in the direction that Xavier had motioned, Xavier turned to Scott who still stood hissing in the doorway.
“H..h…Hi” he stammered as he seemed to sail back into reality on a slightly jittery boat, he dropped his head and his shoulder with a sigh at the spectacle he had just made of himself. He was never good around people his own age especially girls, especially girls as pretty as the one he had just opened the door to but of course he had never really met anyone as pretty.
Scott had spent years alone in orphanages and hospitals. He had lost his family when he was 7 and then was put in a group home. His accidental uses of his powers amongst other things (such as his distance due to the trauma of the loss of his family) meant time after time he would watch the kids around him being taken away to live with new families and leaving him all alone. It took Scott a few years but eventually he stopped trying, he stopped caring about other people and relating to them and he spent most of his time by himself. This was the main reason Scott often found it difficult to relate to people, he was out of practice. He for instance couldn’t remember the last time he’d looked anyone in the eyes.
The years stretched on and Scott’s powers became more pronounced meaning he was unable to be with any other children through fear of hurting them. He was taken to a public hospital until there was an accident and he was moved to another where the same happened again. Scott was passed around for years in and out of hospitals across the country until Charles Xavier came to take him away from it and explain what was going on. Scott had figured most of it out from news reports over the last couple of years (though he couldn’t see them as he was forced to keep his eyes bandaged at all times), Scott Summers was a mutant. Charles Xavier saved him from his own personal hell and had let him see again thanks to the invention of Ruby Quartz glasses.
Scott swore over and over again in his mind. He couldn’t believe what a fool he had made of himself in front of Jean. He felt the professor enter his mind and he stopped his swearing “Relax Scott” said Xavier reassuringly “it wasn’t that bad…she likes your pyjamas” smiled Xavier. He was the worlds strongest psychic and a certified genius but even he would have some trouble understanding the workings of the teenage mind. Scott groaned as he closed the door and sprinted upstairs to get changed and to comb his hair.
…
Xavier rolled into the kitchen behind Jean who was already pouring boiling water into two cups. “I hope you don’t mind…I got the layout of everything in the kitchen from the guy that opened the door” smiled Jean with a shrug as she grabbed the cups and walked over to where the professor sat in his wheelchair. She left go of the cup and levitated it into the professor’s hand. She smiled proudly at the cup as it floated across the room.
“Thank you” he said as he brought the cup to his lips to drink “I see you’ve been practising with your powers” said Xavier telepathically. It was simple for him to do but it was a trick which would put any ventriloquist to shame.
“Yes,” Jean ran her finger around the rim of her cup as she bit her lower lip. “I tried to hide from them for so long but you made me realise I can’t hide from who I am…telekinesis is still much easier then telepathy” said Jean telepathically with a little shrug. Whatever it was which visibly bothered her she shook it off easily as she smiled at the professor.
“It will come to you, don’t worry” said Xavier normally as he sensed Jean was a little unsure of keeping her personal thoughts blocked during a full blown psychic conversation. “I remember when I first manifest my powers, I thought I was going crazy and it took me a long time to get used to them” he laid his hand on her shoulder.
“I understand that Professor but I haven’t just manifest my powers, I’ve had my powers for years but then…” Jean trailed off as the door swung open. Scott rushed into the room still tucking a shirt into his pants and the tie he wore was slung over his shoulder, he skidded to a halt and tried to calm himself down.
“We can discuss it later” said Xavier telepathically to Jean as he turned his gaze to Scott, who straightened his tie.
“Uh…Hi” said Jean cheerfully after a couple of seconds, she smiled at the boy, she wasn’t adept with her telepathy but she could sense his unease and embarrassment.
“Hi” said Scott, he ran his fingers through his hair trying to straighten his appearance before he leaned on the countertop. “I’m Scott” he said as he stepped forward, Jean leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek but Scott had stuck out his hand for a handshake and the two stood in stale mate. Jean smiled a weak smile and stuck out her hand, Scott took her hand and shook it rather aggressively.
“God!” screamed Scott to himself “bonehead, bonehead, bonehead…and why the hell am I wearing a shirt and tie…God!”.
The room was silent for a few seconds, Xavier and Jean had both heard Scott’s thoughts but decided to not mention it.
There was silence for a few seconds while Jean and Xavier had an in depth psychic discussion. Time is not a factor when it comes to telepathy and other psychic pursuits as time is relative especially when moving at the speed of thought.
Jean quickly turned to Scott and spoke “Tell me about yourself?” she asked with a grin. Xavier had been able to sense Scott’s unease and thought Jean talking to him would go a way to ease it, if anything the sudden attention made Scott fret even more.
“I..I’m Scott.” He stumbled over his words as his cheeks grew redder.
“I know, you introduced yourself.” smiled Jean. She exhaled gently in a small laugh. She looked at the teen in red sunglasses and couldn’t help but thinking despite his ganglyness and his apparent fear of females he was cute.
“Oh…Scott Summers.” He grinned gently as if proud of himself before he purposefully straightened his face hoping Jean hadn’t caught it. She of course had. “I fire optic blasts” he added quickly as tried to think of something to add.
“I’m Jean Grey,” Jean paused for a second and smiled. The two stood for a few seconds obviously neither knowing what to do next.
“Why don’t you tell Jean about how you came to be at the school.” Xavier smiled as he drained the dregs of his cup and wheeled himself away from the table and began to head towards the door. “I’ll just be a few minutes, I have a phone call to make.”
Scott and Jean stood for a few seconds and nodded slowly. They were both uncomfortable, Scott because of his uselessness with women and Jean because she could still hear Scott berating himself mentally for his uselessness with women.
“So Scott,” Jean paused for a second. She was hoping something else would come into her head but nothing did and slowly she resigned herself to asking the question Xavier had said. “How did you end up coming to the institute.”
Scott stared off for a second before he began to speak but even before the words had left his lips Jean was seeing the memories in his head. She didn’t want to but she couldn’t help it.
10 years ago, Alaska…
The plane juddered in the turbulence as it flew through the snow storm which raged around it. The Summers family had set off from Christopher Summer’s parents home (long since dead) an hour or two earlier when the sky was clear, it seemed in next to no time they had flown into this blizzard.
“This is Major Christopher Summers of the American Air Force flying a civilian plane, can anyone hear me? The instruments are fried and I’m flying blind. Repeat flying blind. Can anyone read me, over” barked Christopher Summers into his radio.
He had been flying planes since his dad first took him up when he was a kid and he’d been one of the nations best pilots since he finished high school. It was in high School where he had met the love of his life Katherine Summers.
The blonde haired woman dropped into the seat next to him. “Any luck?”
Christopher squinted out of the window and narrowed his eyes out of the windshield of the plane trying to see anything. He was holding back on putting out the mayday alarm as his plane was still capable of flying. “How are the boys?”
“Terrified,” nodded Katherine. “Alex is still screaming his head off and Scott is barely holding it together…I’m going back.” Christopher’s hand grabbed Katherine’s.
“How’s the newest addition?” Christopher nodded to the small bump Katherine was sporting.
She smiled “Sleeping soundly.”
Kathrine Summers exited to the rear of the plane where her two children were strapped in. Scott Summers was seven years old and had straight brown hair, his blue eyes were welling up as he stared at his mother. He was the spitting image of his father.
Alex Summers was pressed hard into his brother’s side with Scott’s arm held tightly around him. Alex had the blonde hair and features of his mother, his face was stained red by the tracks of tears which streamed down his face.
Scott held his brother close and tried to comfort him. Scott was always protective of his brother and more often than not kept a cool head in any situation especially if it involved flying. He had inherited his father’s need to be up there flying.
The plane suddenly jerked to the side as a muffled bang was heard on the right side of the plane. Katherine was flung into the side of the plane with a thump. She began to climb to her feet when Christopher Summers burst from behind her.
The radio in his hand had a thin black wire stretching from it, the wire was supposed to be coiled but Christopher had pulled it almost straight as he came to see his family. “MAY DAY, MAYDAY. ANYONE PLEASE. MAYDAY. MY FAMILY ARE UP HERE!” The radio crackled in static again. Christopher screamed as he tossed the useless equipment away.
Scott watched it fly back into the cockpit and then he turned his attention to his father who strode past them towards the back of the plane. Christopher pulled on the door to the compartment and removed a rucksack looking device Scott recognised as a parachute. Christopher began routing around in the hold and then the one next to it before he started to swear.
“Chris?” asked Katherine.
“Dammit!” screamed Chris again as he began to boot the side of the plane. “There’s only one parachute…I should have checked. I should have checked.”
Katherine now moved to the back of the plane herself, the tears had began to flow from her face. Scott twisted his head to try and see what was going on but he was strapped in making it hard. He could see his parents hugging at the back of the plane and then they slowly made their way forward.
Katherine moved to Alex and began to free his belt. He instantly leapt at her arms and she held him stroking his hair and kissing the side of his head. Scott looked at them for a few seconds and then at his father who crouched down in front of him.
“Scott I need you to listen to me,” he spoke slowly and calmly to his son. “The plane isn’t going to make it. I want you to put this parachute on and take Alex…”
Scott by this point was crying also, he freed himself from his chair and moved towards his father. “Scott…SCOTT!” barked Chris. He pulled his son close and hugged him tightly but then pushed him away a tiny bit so he could look into his eyes as he spoke. “I need you to look after Alex. Do you remember how to work a parachute?” Scott nodded as he remembered the lessons his father had gave him. “Good.”
Chris pulled his son closer and hugged him again. “I love you Scott.”
Scott blubbered through that he loved his dad too and took the parachute from him. Scott was then seized by the hands of Katherine as she pulled him to her and then Alex went to their father.
Scott stared into his mothers blue eyes. They were his eyes. “Scott…I love you so much and I know you’ll do me and your father proud.”
The family came together for one final hug once Chris had strapped the still screaming Alex who was only 5 to the front of Scott. “We love you boys.”
Christopher walked away from his family and opened the door to the plane. The ice cold wind and snow howled through the cabin. Chris grabbed the door as he was nearly pulled out and steadied himself. Katherine pushed Scott slowly towards the door.
The two dropped to their knees and in tears gave their sons one last hug and told them for the last time they loved them. Scott hesitated on the edge for a few seconds and turned to his parents. Alex cried and stretched his arms out to his parents, he wanted to be held in their safe arms again.
“Go!” ordered Christopher. Scott nodded as he leapt back.
It next felt like he was caught in a blender as he was whipped away from the front of the plane screaming. The razor cold iced winds slashed at his face and bare hands.
The noise of the plane fell away in seconds so only the sound of the wind and Alex’s screams could be heard. Scott and Alex blew around in the air for what seemed like minutes until slowly the wind and the snow died as quickly as it had came up.
The night was now clear, Scott stared down at the snow covered plain of land below him. He grabbed hold of the ripcord and yanked on the wire. The pack on his back went ‘puff’ as the chute deployed behind them.
They continued to fall, the chute wasn’t opening. It trailed behind them flailing in the wind above their heads. Scott’s hand reached up and out for the emergency chute release which deployed seamlessly.
The two suddenly felt themselves being hauled upwards as the parachute caught the wind They hung their suspended and unknowing of what would happen to them. The wind stung at them and they could feel the ice cold night burning at their bones.
Scott and Alex both suddenly wrenched their necks up as a slow rip resounded around them. The parachute was developing a tear. The two began to drop faster.
Scott stared at the ground which seemed in an awful amount of hurry to come and meet him. He suddenly felt his head exploding. Power shot up his neck and pounded in his brain before forcing its way out of his eyes and down to the ground.
A giant beam of red energy shot from his eyes. The energy slammed into the ground and almost instantly slowed their descent.
Present day…
Jean wiped her face clear of the tear which rolled down it. She had experienced the fear Scott felt and the love from his parents. “It was the first time my mutant powers showed. I landed on my head which gave me brain damage….which the professor thinks is why I can’t control my powers. I woke up in hospital 8 months later, Alex had been adopted by a family who didn’t want two kids. We should have been kept together but they didn’t think I was going to wake up…he had a family now and I just let him go. I got bounced around orphanage to hospital for years until the professor found me just over a year ago. I came to live here a few months ago once the adoption papers had went through.”
“So Professor Xavier is your dad?” questioned Jean. She had not known about the adoption even though she kept in fairly frequent contact with Xavier.
“No he’s my guardian, I’m not his son just his ward,” Scott stared up to the sky outside the window not knowing what to say next after he had poured his heart out to this girl he had just met.
The door to the kitchen swung open again as if perfectly timed and in wheeled Charles Xavier pushed by another teen. He was a couple of years older than Scott and Jean. He was a stocky teen who seemed to rest on a boundary of fat and extremely muscular. He looked like he hadn’t shaved the day before and his hair was a mess.
“I’m sorry to interrupt but I sensed Henry here approaching and greeted him at the door myself.”
“Hi” waved Henry from behind Xavier. Scott regarded the mutants hands which were the size of dinner plates. “Just call me Hank…Hank McCoy.”
Scott and Jean both said hello as they rose to meet their new guest and told him their names.
“Henry will be attending the college in the Salem Centre as well as studying some college classes here and training with you.”
“It’s all go go go for the Beast,” grinned Hank. Scott and Jean shot one another a look and then looked back at Hank. Hank blushed “Old high school football name…I’d gotten so used to it I forgot how it might sound to others.”
“So College boy? What are you studying?” Jean smiled as she pushed back a chair telekinetically for Hank. He ‘ooohed’ at the marvel and then his mind instantly began to work up biological and physics explanations for the phenomenon and how Jean’s powers worked. Jean blinked the thoughts out of her mind as they were making her head spin.
“Chemistry, mathematics, physics, electronics, English literature, Biology and genetics. If I have any spare time I figure I might take up a hobby or two. Anyone for golf?” laughed Hank.
“Would anyone mind terribly if I took my shoes off?” Hank pointed at the gigantic shoes he wore on his feet. Scott and Jean shook their heads in unison which made Hank smiled. He bent his knees like he was kneeling to unfasten them but instead he put one hand on the floor and launched his weight into a one handed hand stand before catapulting himself onto the kitchen bench where he slid the shoes off one at a time with the toes of the other foot.
He moved his feet up and planted them flat on the bench while her crouched on top of them like a gargoyle on the edge of a building.
“I was going to ask what your ability was but I think I got it,” Scott grinned weakly at Hank who seemed to take the line as a cue to show off. He again put his full weight on his hands and posed like a star with his feet and right hand in the air.
“This? Nay Scott my power is flying…this is just a skill I picked up in the circus.” Beast grinned as he pushed off with his hand and flipped end over end to his feet again.
“Really?” Scott was rather astonished by the little factoid about the boys life.
“No, this really is my power. I was just trying to be droll…I’m a little nervous about meeting new people, happens when you’re a freak don’t you know. Some would retreat into their shells but I mask it with a shell of extraversion….or so my analyst Doc Samson tells me anyway.” Scott rubbed his neck and blushed slightly, he was not making the best first impressions on these two. Jean smirked quietly and gently, she was enjoying the company of the two boys.
There was a moment of silence. “THE TITANIC!” bellowed Henry as his hands spewed out to their full extension. It was the first Jean and Scott had noticed of his extremely long arms. It seemed he could not stand the silence. “Now that really broke the ice!”
Jean laughed aloud. What was making it worse for her was that she had just brushed the surface of Hank’s mind and had already been flooded with hundreds of other jokes. It appeared his vast intellect was also being put to use for less serious endeavours than the science he was studying.
“Henry please relax, you don’t need to be ‘on’. We aren’t judging you and we wont think badly of you if you want some time to get yourself acquainted with your surroundings.” Xavier smiled. He stopped and cocked his head to the side for a second and then pulled back on the wheels of his chair and began to push himself away. “If you excuse me I sense the cab driving our youngest student has gotten somewhat lost in the Salem centre. I shall attend to the directions and he’ll only be a few moments…just have to find the map and remember which junction to Graymalkin Chesterton comes on at.”
The professor left then room leaving the three sitting in the kitchen. “So I have yet to meet a mutant without a terrible story behind them…anyone want to share?” Hank glanced between the two, there was silence. He as well as using humour to diffuse the tension of situations often tossed a prickly point into the conversation, it helped diffuse the pressure he felt on himself.
“I’ll go first shall I? I was born with these huge plates.” Henry balanced on one hand and pointed to his huge feet. “Loving family despite my physical deformities…not so loving town. Not a friend in the world except my cat and my parents…and books. It turns out that intelligence does not make as many friends as I had hoped. Using my talents on the football field, wrestling ring and basketball court however did…until the news of mutants broke. My family and I have spent two years in hiding.”
Scott and Jean were again in silence. Henry paused, it seemed they had been in silence an awful lot since he began to speak. “Would either of you like to see me juggle the kitchen chairs with my toes?”
“The Professor is right Henry you don’t have to be ‘on’ with us.” Jean smiled gently. Her hand rubbed his shoulder. She could sense that he was extremely nervous in their company, even more so than Scott was in hers. He had went from a life with no friends to the big man on campus and to a leper (or the modern genetic vernacular of mutant). He was overcompensating.
Henry smiled gently. “I’d like to see that,” the voice bellowed as the door swung open to the kitchen. The boy who pushed through was about 14 and was dressed in a simple jeans and jeans combo despite the cold temperatures outside. He had a large bag slung over his shoulder which caused him to lean to the side as he walked into the room. “Juggling with your feet sounds cool.”
“This..” The Professor wheeled into the room. He held his hand up to stay Beast’s action as he was about to yank a chair into the air…rather pleased with having someone to play up too. “Is Robert Drake, he’s the youngest of our new students.”
“Hey,” he gave a hand motion which passed as a wave. “It’s…Bobby though…or Iceman.”
“Like in the film with all the homosexual pilots?” Henry’s face burst into a broad grin as he bounced across the room and dragged Bobby’s bag over his head and away from his body. The extra weight was nothing to him, he counterbalanced it innately as he leaped meaning he was still leaping and flipping with the best of them.
“No gorilla boy! Like this!” Bobby thrust out his hand with his palm flat out. The teens and the Professor felt the temperature drop rapidly and watches as what looked like white dust filled the air as the water molecules between Bobby and the floor chilled.
This all happened in the space of a second as Beast rotated in the air. He landed his right foot onto the floor first right onto the patch of ice causing his huge meat plates to slide out from under him. He flailed in the air for a second. The strength and agility he had displayed seconds earlier had deserted him and he prepared to hit the floor. The bump however didn’t come.
Hank hung in the air suspended by some unseen force. He looked increasingly worried for a few seconds before flashing a smile at Jean. This caused the others to turn, her hand was pressed to her head behind Scott. “I said it before Miss Grey and I will say it again ‘oooh’”
“Robert!” the Professor barked and shot Bobby a withering glare. “That was most reckless, you could have harmed Henry.”
Bobby looked from The Professor and to Hank who has just been lowered to the floor before leaping away from the cold ice on his bare feet. “I’m sorry, it was stupid….and for the Gorilla comment. I should know better, given our situations.”
Hank waved his hand to shrug the words away. “tut tut tut no need to worry young Bobert. I would have done much the same if anyone likened me to Val Kilmer. It’s I who should apologise. How about you make it up to me by exploring this mammoth house with me.” Hank titled his head, he could tell Bobby was much like him in many ways and felt he should make an effort with the younger mutant.
“Scott and I will be happy to give you all a tour of the grounds as soon as the final member of our first class arrives. In the meantime perhaps Scott would like to demonstrate his powers to everyone. This patch of ice could be dangerous wouldn’t you say.”
Scott looked to the Professor. “Professor I’m not sure about that, my powers are…”
“Scott, you’ve come on in leaps and bounds with your powers. I can steady you if you’d wish…remember you can’t turn off your power but it’s scope and power are yours to control if you concentrate enough.”
Scott nodded and took a deep breath. He slid his glasses forward along the length of his nose. Bobby and Hank stepped back as Xavier indicated them to do so. Scott stood with his eyes closed for a second. Xavier concentrated on him for a few seconds centring him and making sure he was focused on regulating his powers.
Scott opened his eyes slightly. A soft red glow filled the room, it grew with intensity rapidly until it was a brilliantly bright light and exploded from his face. Scott slammed his eyes shut and turned his head but it was too late. The beam due to Scott’s half shut eyes was like a laser whereas he had meant it to be a gentle force to break up the ice and set the molecules vibrating…something the Professor promised him he would one day do.
The tiles of the kitchen floor were stripped away sent scattering across the kitchen exposing the stone floor beneath it. “Crap! Crap” Scott pushed his glasses onto his face.
“Scott calm down, it’s not your fault. You lost focus for a second…worried about embarrassing yourself which caused your powers to fluxuate.”
“Intriguing…fascinating….” Hank was already thinking of sources and factors affecting Scott’s powers.
“AWSOME! Absolutely Frickin’ awesome!” Bobby yelled. He was met by the blank faces of Jean and The Professor as well as the blushing and annoyed Scott. He looked to Hank to perhaps back his assertion.
Hank was the definition of refined discretion. “Indeed,” he simply nodded appreciatively.
“Perhaps that tour would be advisable at the moment,” Xavier wheeled his chair back. Scott was embarrassed and frustrated with himself at the moment. The self doubt he suffered was the thing which was truly crippling his control. He would be forever forced to wear his special visor but he should be able to have a greater level of control. “I think we should start with their rooms where they can…Look Out!”
Charles tried to turn in his chair to face his students. He had just picked up a wave of thought, Jean got it a second later and was more adept at handling his command. She flung out her arms and with her mind thrust the three boys sideways out of harms way as the glass from the French doors behind her shattered open. She managed to get her hands to cover her face as the glass shattered inwards.
The form of the teenage boy slammed hard into the floor. He was shirtless and was covered in cuts from where he had smashed through the window but by far the most shocking thing about him were the large white wings which spread from his back.
“Professor?!” Soctt barked to Xavier. He had his hands on his glasses and had lowered them slowly so the event horizons of his eyes glowed over their rims ready to be unleashed. The others were less ready, they were shocked and guarded. In time they too would be as ready as Scott for any eventuality.
“Stop!” Xavier flung out his hand and turned his chair. “Warren?”
“Professor,” the winged boy looked up to Xavier from the floor. He inhaled deeply and prepared to speak but Xavier was already scanning his mind to find out what had happened to the boy.
Minutes earlier…
Warren Worthington III soared through the air. The cold water in the air would freeze anyone else to death but to him it was nothing but refreshing. The air gently licked across the length of his body and wings.
He was on his way to his new private school Xavier’s Academy. He had been bounced around them for the majority of his life. The problems started when he turned 13 and the first nubs of his wings began to show. He spent the next few years trying not to get close to people and avoiding them whenever he could, he spent much of his free time locked within his room.
His father was an influential millionaire business man the news that his son was not using his time a school to practice his schmoozing skills with fellow future heads of industry did not sit well with him.
The discovery of his son’s wings followed by the discovery of his mutancy when Charles Xavier visited their home had come as a shock to say the least thus why Warren was being packed off to some mutant school to learn to control a power he already had control of.
Just thinking about it made Warren tilt his body and whip in a tight spiral through the air as if to show his father what he could do. It felt marvellous. The feeling of freedom and the wind licking across his body as he soared above the world was worth anything though…he never had to hide again or so Xavier had told him.
He tightened his powerful back muscles for a second as his wings went rigid and he pushed himself up. He continued the motion again and again as he gained height rapidly. He looped in the air and levelled out with a slight incline to the ground as he began to soar peacefully and effortlessly letting the wind and his massive wingspan do the work.
He was suddenly violently buffeted to the side. The headphones of his music player tossed from the side of his ears as he flapped his wings to regain control. He suddenly wondered how he’d managed not to hear the cacophony of noise.
The giant smooth white underside of the jet passed twenty feet over his head hurtling at an angle that it shouldn’t have been. He stopped in the air for a second and watched it pass.
He was suddenly hit by the wash of the jet sending him spiralling sideways while dragging him forward with it’s force. He straightened his wings and tried to stabilize himself as the world rushed upwards to meet him.
Now…
Xavier moved away mentally from Warren’s memories. He cast his attention skywards to several miles above the mansion where he was hoping to find the jet. It took him several second to get a link to what exactly he was looking for. The mind of the pilot as the jet hurtled overhead.
“There are 300 people in danger above us. Their plane’s instruments are none responsive and they can’t contact the tower. They have minutes until they crash land and the pilot can’t do anything. We have to move quickly.” He wheeled himself backwards through the door. “I was hoping to ease the newer students into this idea slowly but time is of the essence. Scott prepare the jet for take off. I want you to lead this mission.”
“Professor?”
The thought was meant for Charles Xavier but Jean couldn’t help but pick up the conversation and emotions that Scott was conveying. He was absolutely terrified about the prospect of flying. Jean couldn’t blame him, she had been given a glimpse into his memories and if the last time she had been on a plane it had been responsible for the loss of her entire family then she wouldn’t be in a hurry to get into the air.
“Scott we don’t have time for your doubts. You have performed excellently on the flight simulator and someone needs to fly the jet. I can’t. I’ll have to interface with Cerebro to contact the mind of someone who may be able to fix the plane and relay the information to one of you.”
“Professor…I can’t. I can’t do it.” The images of Scott’s father’s plane vanishing into the night aflame and spinning as Scott and his brother hurtled towards the ground ran through the heads of Jean and Xavier.
Charles Xavier sighed sharply. He didn’t have time to argue, time was of the essence in this mission. He thought briefly about calming Scott telepathically during the flight but he would need all of his concentration to contact a mind which could be hundreds of miles away and transmit highly complex knowledge from their mind to his own and then into someone else’s.
“Henry,” Charles said aloud as he continued to roll across the foyer. The large teen was walking quickly behind him. He moved a little faster and shot a glance at the limping teen with the huge wings he had been aiding to walk a second earlier, he now seemed capable of walking under his own power. “This may feel very strange for a few seconds.”
‘Strange’ was an understatement. Hank wobbled backwards and his hands moved to his head. It passed quickly but there was sill an odd feeling of a different kind. He was used to knowing a great many things, having a mind which moved quicker than most people he knew but this was different. His mind was now filled with knowledge which he had not learned, procedural knowledge he had not practiced. Information on systems of several types of aircraft and practical flying skills felt to him like second nature.
“I’ll require you to fly the X-jet and then switch to autopilot before moving onto the commercial aircraft. I’ll by then hopefully provide you with the correct information to repair the jet enough to bring it in for an emergency landing.”
“Jean, Warren and Robert I’ll require the three of you to attempt to keep the passengers as calm as possible. Mutant hysteria is a strong undercurrent in the world today so as their flight is going down a mutant breaking in and taking over will not sit well. First of all though I need you all to change quickly.” He leaned forward and pressed his hand against a metal plate on the wall causing a hidden panel to slide open to reveal an elevator.
“What the hell kind of school is this?” Warren Worthington asked. The first words since he had careered through the window.
“The coolest school I have ever seen in my life…it’s a superhero school isn’t it?” Bobby Drake wasted no time jumping onto the elevator behind Xavier and Jean. Henry and Warren hung back a second unsure about this turn of event.
“I prefer to think of us as peacekeepers.” Charles Xavier fixed Warren and Henry’s gaze. They met it and both stepped forward.
“Professor?” Scott was waiting to be told what to do. He had been crippled by the fear of flying but he wanted to help. He wanted to be part of the team that Xavier had been preparing him for. He had spent months preparing in the flight simulator hoping that when the time came he could overcome his fears but it had come and it seemed he wasn’t ready. He wondered if he ever would. He had however spent the majority of his life as an outsider and now he had the chance to be with people like himself he didn’t want to be forced out again but he couldn’t bring himself to get on that plane.
Xavier fixed Scott’s gaze. He thought for a second of telling Scott that he had his chance and he obviously wasn’t ready yet but in truth there was something Scott could do. He would however have to rethink about his original assessment that Scott could lead the team.
“Take the bike, follow the plane as best as you can. Even if we can fix the controls it won’t be making it to any airport. There are woods for miles around and if it comes down in there it’ll be torn apart….clear the area as best you can.”
Scott paused for a moment and stared at Xavier. He was unsure of himself but it appeared The Professor had faith in him. The elevator doors began to slide shut and he nodded before sprinting across the hall heading for the front door.
The elevator moved quickly downwards. “Jean I want you to take charge in this mission.” Xavier opened his mouth like he was going to speak some more but was interrupted by Warren.
“Professor Xavier what is going on? My father sent me here to…”
“Warren you are perfectly capable with your powers to survive in the outside world and indeed flourish in a perfectly ordinary life. You however will not lead a perfectly ordinary life, we are an ever growing species. We are something new and that can cause problems both from humans and from our own kind. The world we live in is about to become very complicated and there will be many people out there in need of help from us. We are the ones who will be judged and evaluated, we set the example for the others who will follow us and they will act accordingly. You need to be better than you currently are both in your powers and in yourself.”
“What if I don’t want that?” Warren’s voice was tinged with anger. He had always been told what his life had in store for him. Since his wings though the world was open to him…the skies were literally the limit but now he was being told he had more responsibility than he had ever dreamed of.
“I’m afraid there is little we can do about that. You have been put in this position not by me but by nature. You will be judged regardless of our actions…I’m just asking you to set the bar high for those who follow.”
Warren was silent. The doors opened silently to a white lit corridor lines with doors. “You will find uniforms through those doors.” The Professor indicated as he wheeled forward. “I’ll be at the end of this corridor in Cerebro. Henry knows the location and launch sequence for the jet. The radar on board should find the plane and there shouldn’t be a problem catching it…god’s speed.”
The students stood momentarily flabbergasted as the circular door with a large X on it at the end of the corridor separated into two parts and he vanished within. There was a couple of moments of silence, this was not the most normal sequence of events to happen to someone. This however was not the most normal group of teenagers, their lives and their gifts up to this point had made them stronger than most, more resilient and most importantly so far more willing to accept the unexpected. “Lets move,” nodded Bobby as he walked towards the door The Professor had indicated too.
Minutes later…
The three male students walked through the adjoining door of their locker room into the hangar bay. The three were dressed in the same identical blue and yellow costumes complete with cloth cowls which covered their heads. They were followed a few seconds later by Jean.
“This is odd huh?” Jean offered as she raised her eyebrows. Hank crossed passed her and flicked a sequences of switches on the wall.
“Were not really one’s to talk,” Warren spread his wings widely and smiled at the young woman. “I’m Warren…”
“…Worthington, the third. I picked up on some surface thoughts when you came in….sorry” Jean touched her head gently.
“No I’m sorry for what I was first thinking when I saw you in that costume.” Warren smiled and winked. Jean blushed gently under her face mask.
“Wings, Jean could you stop flirting and stare in awe with me.” Bobby was like a blunt mallet at times beating the bell of obtuseness. The two older teens turned and did indeed stare in awe with him for a second or two at the large black jet that sat somewhere between a fighter jet and a passenger plane on the continuum of aircraft. It was something neither had ever seen.
“All aboard who are coming aboard!” commanded Hank over the intercom from inside the plane as the engines roared into life.
“Are either of you sure what the hell were doing?” Warren asked. He had been raised looking out for number one and only helping people when it aided you in some way. The idea of risking his life in this way seemed alien to him.
“Were going to save the day,” Bobby laughed as he broke into a sprint away from the other two teens.
Jean looked at Warren and shrugged. She supposed it was a good an answer as any other. She took off after the younger boy.
A couple of miles away…
Scott roared down the road on his motorbike. He kept glancing skywards at the shape he could now see screaming through the clouds. It was a fair distance behind him in the air and high enough so that he was managing to keep some sort of pace with it since it was now simply crashing rather than actually flying under its powers.
He launched over the edge of the road and onto a dirt track. It was one he often used when he wanted to clear his head, to get away from everything. His motorbiking in the woods was the closest he felt to freedom like he used to when he was flying with his father.
He cursed himself again at the fact that he couldn’t bring himself to get on the plane. He cursed the knot in his stomach and the panic in his mind, he swore at his rapidly beating heart and the fear he felt whenever he thought of flying. His father had taught him better than to run from his fears.
He apologised to his father mentally as he exploded over the edge of a large outcrop. He was floating for a second, flying without the fear of falling. The sonic boom of the jet he had been preparing to fly exploded overhead as the black jet shot past him towards the plane which was behind him but catching rapidly as it hurtled through the sky.
Miles above…
Hank shifted the control stick of the plane and bit his lip gently. It felt strange like he was using someone else’s hands. This was why Charles had been training Scott rather than simply beaming the knowledge to him, it stuck much better when it had been actively learned.
The jet moved along next to the plane and Hank leaned forward on the stick slightly matching it’s speed. He hit a button on the control panel and waited a few seconds until there was a green light behind it as the autopilot matched speed with it. He hit a few more buttons which would programme it to peel away and hover in a minute or two so it didn’t go in for a crash with the passenger plane.
Jean, Bobby and Warren were already to their feet and stood at the doorway waiting for their forth. “Iceman, Angel are you ready?” She called them by the codenames they had decided on the jet.
“Ready as I’ll ever be Marvel Girl.” Nodded Angel, Iceman nodded too. Beast bound up to the three on all fours and gave them a thumbs up.
“Our plane is set to return to safety in three minutes….it’s one less thing to worry about I suppose.” He smiled weakly as he tapped a few buttons next to the door and it slowly cracked open.
The wind immediately almost dragged them out of the door but they clung on to the various hand holds present. Jean gave Angel the thumbs up and he launched forward out of the door before plummeting down. The teens waited for a second before the wide wings hurtled up. He hovered at the doorway while his wings beat frantically. Iceman launched himself forward instinctively covering his body in a thin layer of ice as he left the relative safety of the plane. Angel caught him and swept backwards towards the other plane.
“You sure you’re okay to do this?” Beast asked as he tightened his hand on Jean’s shoulder. She looked nervous.
“I’ll be gone for seconds. What about you?” Henry nodded. He hoped he’d be fine in the least.
The two watched as Angel hovered around the door of the other plane and Iceman stretched out his hand. A blast of ice encrusted the door of the plane freezing the outside and the edges around the door and as hoped the lock mechanism itself. Angel then quickly headed up as Jean got ready for her part in the act.
Beast held her tightly as she moved one hand to her head to steady her concentration and stretched her other one out. She gritted her teeth and stretched out with her powers. She felt the outer surface of the door to the frozen locking mechanism. It was brittle, or at least brittle enough for her to grip it tightly with her powers and pull.
The door flew open and slammed loudly inside the aeroplane. Jean nodded to Beast and she took one final deep breath before hauling herself forward with a scream. The lining up of the jet that Beast had done was key to this manoeuvre.
The wind hurled Jean back around ten feet from the door she exited as she forced herself forward. It was a brave and foolish move but the only way to do it. She couldn’t fly and her TK wouldn’t do a thing to control her at this speed so she just had to toss herself forward and rely on Hank and the computer to do the calculations right.
The wind felt like a car slamming into her as she was thrust backwards. She was pushed forward like a bullet from a gun.
Beast held his breath and bit his knuckle as he watched the slight form of the teenage girl buffeted by the wind. He wished he could have taken her place but then swore when he realised in a moment he would.
The plan finally seemed to go to plan as the form of Iceman dropped from somewhere above them into the entrance of the plane. The wings of the bird man known as Angel suddenly came into view as he seized Jean and tossed her the rest of the way into the plane.
The winged teen instantly swirled round, this required split second timing as they’d discussed on the plane as Jean relayed thoughts from Xavier to them. The gigantic form of Beast hurtled towards him from where he had leapt clear of the plane. His extra long arm stretched out towards Angel.
Warren swore aloud loudly at the sight of the much larger teen literally screaming towards him. Angel brought his hands together and let Beast catch hold of his locked hands.
Angel had the strength associated with peak human strength so while it was a task especially in the situation turning his body with the weight of the muscular Beast hanging from him wasn’t impossible.
Beast landed in the doorway. Angel fastened his wings to his body and shot forward like a missile into Beast’s arms. The teen leapt back as the door slammed shut again forced by Jean’s powers. Iceman let off a blast of ice which caked the door and sealed it shut again.
The teens leaned forward and inhaled the recycled air of the plane never having been so grateful for stale smell of sweat and fear as they had. “That was intense,” Iceman exclaimed.
The four looked at one another and nodded. “I may join Scott on the ground next time….I have a feeling I may develop a fear of flying after that.” Beast leaned against the door before lurching forward. “Well off to fly the plane, wish me luck.”
The three paused for a second and nodded. They now had to keep everyone calm as possible. Iceman strode past the others and looked down the length of the plane at the faces of all the people. They looked terrified, even more so now a partially transparent teenage boy had just hurtled through the door and was now staring at them.
“I’ll handle this, my old school trained us in public speaking.” Comforted Angel as he strode forward. He stood before the passengers on the plane.
“Were all going to die!” screamed one rather excitable passenger at the sight of the Angel standing before them as the plane they were on continued to plummet.
“No…I’m, I’m not…oh crap.”
“Nice going,” nodded Iceman behind him. “I’ll ice up a scythe if you like and you can pretend to be Death.”
“If I could please have your attention and if you would all remain calm. We are superheroes and were going to try and get us all out of this alive.” Iceman took over from the brilliant job Warren was doing as he walked down the aisle. “Now who wants to start off the karaoke?” Bobby looked down at the passengers whose heads all lolled to the side. “Why are all of you guys asleep?”
“Sorry, I figured a light doze might be easier on them then all of this stress. We can sing along if you like.”
“Guys! Could someone please come here!?” Beast yelled from the cockpit of the plane. The three teens walked towards the front of the plane.
Beast lay on his back holding the controls with his feet while his head and hands were under a control panel pulling and fiddling with wires. The pilot and co-pilot lay on the floor.
“What did you do?!” Iceman yelled as he indicated to the two pilots.
“That wasn’t me, they were like that when I got here. Slammed during turbulence of the plummet because they weren’t strapped in. There’s a lesson in there somewhere me thinks…could one of you tell me what’s ahead while I steer…though the controls aren’t responding yet anyway but it’s still nice to know.”
“There are the tops of a lot of trees…” Iceman shrugged.
Beast pushed himself out from under the controls and stood to his full height. He stared out of the window motionless for a few seconds as he calculated a few things before diving back under the controls. “That isn’t good…not at all. We’ve got about three minutes to level up correctly before we crash or we’ll just go smush.” He clapped his hands to field home the point and then delved them back into the mass of wires.
“How long till you fix it?” Angel asked as he dropped to one knee.
“Well the expert that the Professor is feeding me thinks a job like this would take seven hours to fix on the ground…I’m essentially making it up as a I go along now based on his knowledge of the system.”
The three teens shot each other worried glances, it seemed that their first day may have been their last.
Beast growled and released the stick with his foot and slammed it hard onto the control panel. “Eureka!” he grabbed hold of the steering column again and eased it back…the plane shuddered slightly and the angle of the window began to change.
“You did it! What did you do?” Jean queried.
“I stripped out all non-essentials and rewired them into the fried steering column. This and the things it needs to work are the only things running…We don’t need landing gear right?” Beast paused for a moment, the others stood in silence. “I’m kidding…kind of. I know we don’t need it. Hence ‘Crash’ Landing.”
“Is there any reason you’re still on the floor rather than steering where you can see?” Angel asked worriedly.
“I’m using my arms to conduct some of the wires and keep us in the air…all standard procedure, no need to worry…at all”
“Hank?” asked Bobby. “Do you have your toes crossed?”
Miles below…
Scott leapt over a fallen log and hurtled through a large puddle which had formed on the other side from the morning rain. The mud shot everywhere and caked his shirt.
“Scott, they’re coming in for a landing…are you ready?”
Scott let out a growl as he tightened the throttle a little more and hurtled along the length of a thin track and then down an embankment. He shot a glance behind him at the plane which was now clearly visible and was skirting the top of the trees tearing the tops off of them.
The plane was tearing down towards the ledge Scott was racing along. He glanced to the left over the edge of the ledge and sharply twisted the handlebars of his bike so he shot over the edge. He let go of the bike and spread his arms, he felt like he was flying.
He took off his glasses and unleashed a blast. It had the effect of slowing his descent over the twenty feet drop on the other side of the ledge.
The three teens who could clearly see mumbled ‘wows’ and ‘Christ’s as they watched their new class mate through the plane window as he dropped down, flowing red energy shooting from his face.
The three feet of water below the drop broke his fall. He coughed and spluttered as he hauled himself up and waded forward. The earth from the ledge above him was ripped clean by the underside of the Aeroplane above him.
Scott dropped to his front in the mud with his eyes closed and put his glasses on. He reached up to the sides of the frames and pressed in two tiny switches. The Ruby red quality drained from them and the lenses themselves changed shape as a tiny electrical current passed through them.
He opened his eyes as wide as he could and unleashed the full force of his optic blast. The shape and tint of his glasses now rather than suppressing his powers allowed him to direct them in a wider arc than usual.
The teens watched from the window with bated breath and their fingers crossed. Even Beast who was never one for faith sighed God’s name under his breath and then aloud as the scene changed from the ground crashing up to meet them.
It at first looked like a red carpet spreading out beneath them before expanded into a wave like that of the crashing tide. The entire front window was bathed in red for a second before the colour died away leaving only spots of light in their eyes.
When these cleared the four stared out at a decimated landscape, there was nothing before them but a flat plateau of land where the trees, soil and rocks had been blasted or obliterated away.
The plane collided with the floor and shuddered, soil splashed across the front of the plane. The teens inside stumbled and fell backwards to the deck covering their heads.
Scott watched as the plane ploughed across the land churning up the earth below it. It took a minute until the aeroplane finally came to a complete halt. He slowly climbed to his feet and struggled forward. He was in pain, he’d broke his landing but his landing had also broke him.
He hiked up the slight incline that was left of the large tree filled hill he had blasted into smithereens. He reached the aeroplane which was half buried in the ground, the windows were at ground level and he could see the passengers sleeping peacefully inside. He lowered his glasses and blasted the door in.
He climbed inside. The faces of his four classmates faced him. “Now that was AWSOME!” Bobby jabbed his finger out of the window.
Later…
The five students sat watching the news reports. They had hung around and checked on the passengers until they heard the first rescue choppers and then headed into the woods to make their way home.
“All in all I think we’ve had an eventful day don’t you?”
The students half sighed and half laughed at the Professor. “I think we could all do with an early night. I am very proud of all of you, you did yourselves and your species proud. This is the first step towards the dream I was talking about earlier.”
“Even if they don’t know it was us?” Angel asked.
Xavier sighed. “Alas Warren I don’t think that they’re exactly quite ready for our peacekeeping force. We also couldn’t claim responsibility to this one because of the extreme closeness to our school.”
“So what now?”
“Robert, tomorrow is a new day. There are new challenges we will face and new hurdles to overcome….I suggest you get some sleep. I think you’ll need it my X-Men.”
Epilogue…
Xavier sat in Cerebro. He cast a quick mental glance across his students. They were all sound asleep, dreaming dreams of their own. He didn’t delve any deeper.
He placed the helmet of Cerebro on his head and fired up the machine.
He was silent for a few seconds as he focused and searched across the world for a familiar brain pattern. He caught a snatch of it.
“Eric….Eric.” Charles felt a solid grasp on his mind. He had contacted Eric. He looked at the locator which fizzled and blanked out. He would not be finding out where this mutant was any time soon.
“You have your helmet on but I know you can hear me, I know you can respond. Eric what were you planning today? The expert I contacted seemed to think that the only thing which could have caused that kind of damage was a localise EMP intense enough to meld wiring together…Why?”
“Charles,” the voice replied in Charles Xavier’s mind. “I couldn’t let you recruit some soldiers to your army without testing them….you chose well Charles, they did well today” He snorted gently in his mind. “As you always say Charles tomorrow is another day. We’ll be seeing you and yours then. Good night Charles…Sweet Dreams”
END