Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Phase
The birds were chirping outside. The sun shined brightly, and it was a picture perfect day. It was a day that should be enjoyed by all outside in nature. Harry Potter sighed in relief. He would actually get to see some of it as it turned out. The pile of homework he had been given was nearly completed. And before the end of the weekend as well, that was the thing. Harry had some tutoring, but once he had everything explained to him, he was able to move through the work easily.
The tutors helped a little bit. Even though Harry thought that he managed to be rather decent with schoolwork when he sat down, and blocked out the distractions. His parents were supposed to be smart after all.
He had stepped forward, and he had finally put down the pile of homework. He had to admit, this was getting easier and easier with each passing moment. He walked forward to the Mansion. He made a movement to go outside, yet something had caught his attention He spotted Professor Xavier hard at work underneath Cerebro. A frown appeared on his face. Jean stood by his side.
"Another new mutant, Professor?" Jean asked.
Xavier responded with a crisp nod. "Yes, she just tapped into her powers recently. I believe it was a surprise for her….yes do come in Harry, and don't linger outside."
Harry was surprised, but he tried to remain calm and collected. He entered the room, and saw Xavier and Jean begin to work through the system. There was a long pause, and Xavier decided to announce to his two X-Men what he had found out.
"Our young new mutant's name is Katherine Pryde," Xavier said. "She's currently a sophomore in High School. She lives in Chicago. She discovered the power of intangibility, or to put it in lamen's terms, she can walk through walls at will."
Harry and Jean responded with a nod. They both exchanged an unspoken agreement about the nature of this new young mutant's powers. They thought that was a potentially useful power. And a potentially dangerous power if it was in the wrong hands. There was so much potential to be able to walk through walls.
"She discovered her powers in the middle of the night last night," Xavier said. The slightest hint of amusement crossed through her face. "I believe that she did so when she had passed through the floor all the way to the basement. I don't think it is too much of a stretch to say both herself and her parents were completely shocked."
Harry thought that if something like that happened to him, he would be freaking out just a little bit.
Jean would have to agree. "The poor girl, she must be confused."
"Yes and that confusion is something that could present a problem," Xavier said. He turned to Harry. "We could use a bit of help to persuade her."
Harry was taken completely aback by this statement.
"Me?" Harry asked in confusion. "Why me?"
He took a good look at the girl on the screen. She was a rather cute brunette; he had noticed that. So, he was interested, just a little bit about going on this mission. Then again, what he knew about girls could be written on the head of a thumbtack.
"I figure that someone closer to her age and peer group would be easily relatable to her," Xavier explained to him. Harry nodded, that made perfect sense to him. "Jean and I should be able to persuade her, but at the same time it never hurts to have a little extra help. And you can consider this a bit of a reward for your hard work in trying to keep up on your studies."
Harry shifted in agreement. He thought that it would be good to get out. The last few days he had been itching for a chance to stretch his legs. He had spent most of his time at the Mansion, and at school. Some new surroundings would be something that would be a nice change. He nodded slowly, and smiled at them.
"If you're so confident in my abilities, then I won't let you down," Harry said to them.
Jean frowned, and took a good long look at Harry.
"Don't sell yourself short Harry, you're a part of this team," Jean told him.
Harry nodded calmly. He could tell that Xavier had more information. That would be given to them on the way. Jean, Harry, and Xavier made their way to the Blackbird. There was a moment where Xavier remained calm, and collected. He then turned to them.
"Also, there is a second mutant who has manifested his powers within the same time in the area," Xavier said, and Jean and Harry both perked up in interest. This gave Xavier the opening to continue, and explain to both of the members of his team. "His name is Lance Alvers. His power is that he can create seismic vibrations with his hands."
Harry looked intrigued at this. He knew that there were certain charms that could cause the ground to shake, and it would be something that he was interested in tapping into when he had the time. He could only experiment with magic, trying to build upon and improve on what he knew. There were times where he got the sense that he retained magical spells that he never remembered learning. There was almost like there was a second set of memories buried inside his subconscious.
A frown spread across Jean's face, and she looked at Xavier. She could tell that her mentor was holding out on some kind of information, although it was unclear what at this point.
"Is that all of the information?" Jean asked.
"We must keep an open mind," Xavier told them, and Jean and Harry both knew that Xavier sensed a problem. He would not judge anyone, everyone deserved a chance. "However, Mr. Alvers has a history of being accused of petty theft and vandalism even before he had tapped into his powers. We must try and reach out to him as well as young Katherine. But do be prepared for hostility should we push him too much."
Harry and Jean had a feeling of dread pouring into their minds. They tried to push it out. Then again, they hoped that this would turn out well. Still the prospect of one or two new recruits was something that they hoped to be a part of. Harry had known from his role of teaching the D.A. that powers must be taught, and honed. Being part of the X-Men had really continued to enhance those lessons.
Jean piloted the Blackbird towards the intended destination. The flight was nice and leisurely, without any problems. It gave them a moment to prepare. Harry sat in the back, and wondered what surprises today would bring.
Katherine Pryde, or Kitty as her friends and family knew her as, was not having a good time right now in her life. The fifteen year old girl had a frown spread across her face. Normally she tried to keep a happy face. Yet, she had been pushed to the brink. Over the last couple of days, she had undergone changes in her body that she was unable to cope with. It caused her a lot deal of distress.
One could argue that this was just the part of maturing from childhood to a teenager. However, the standard changes of puberty were something that Kitty could perhaps deal with. Perhaps, maybe, but that was beside the point. These changes were far different. The changes she experienced right now had her falling through the floor.
All teenagers went through phases. However, Kitty phased through the floor, which was not something that she had in mind. She just wanted to keep her head down, work hard, and achieve her status as a straight "A" student. Well straight "A's" except for gym class, which seemed to be a hurdle that she could not overcome. Both in the figurative sense, and the literal sense, but that were beside the point.
This change scared her to death. First she dreamed she was flying. She was lighter than air. Then she dreamed that she was falling. No matter how hard she tried to fight falling, she was falling lower and lower. It panicked her. She always read that during falling dreams, the person would wake up the moment they hit the ground. At least that was the most common theory, but that matter was up for much debate.
However, there was no excuse for what happened. She had phased directly through the floor. She was at the point where she found herself face-first in the basement. Her blankets and pillows had been stuck in the ceiling.
Scientifically speaking, that should not be possible. However, she came to one possible explanation. Her teenage mind could only come up with one conclusion. It was absolutely elementary. She was a freak. Kitty felt she was a genetic mistake and someone who was not going to fit in if word got out about her condition.
She took a deep breath. Perhaps if she just was able to keep control, and not accidentally shift her molecules, she would be okay. No one had to know what was happening to her. Things were already awkward enough with her parents knowing. Even though she was sorely tempted to do so right now, and she grabbed onto the locker. She banged, and tried to push her way into the locker. She tried to open it.
The laughter echoed through her ears. Every school had their tormentors, and they tended to pick up the easiest target. The one who focused on academics were often the most obvious targets. They were singled out as geeks, nerds, and dorks. It seemed to be an unfortunate part of the high school social structure. Many would just brush it off as kids will be cruel. It was easy to say that when you were not the direct party of the torment.
Cruelty was something that was much harder to cope with when a person was normal.
Kitty tried to push open her locker, and finally got it open. She tried to ignore the two tormentors. Block it out. That was what was suggested to her by her parents. Try and be the better person, do not engage them, do not stoop to their level.
"Ah, I think Kitty-Cat is having a of trouble with her locker."
"Let's give Pretty-Kitty a hand."
Kitty hated the fact that some people just had to be the stereotypical bully out of every single after school anti-bullying special on the planet. However she found herself shoved into the locker, and it slammed behind her.
"Hey!" Kitty yelled in an incredulous tone of voice. She tried to bang her fists on the locker, but it was no use.
'I didn't even know people actually shoved others into lockers in real life,' Kitty thought to herself. Her desperation was at a higher height. She gritted her teeth. The bell had long since rung. So not only was she trapped in her locker, but she was going to mark up a tardy.
She wondered what happened. She tried to beat her fists against the locker. There was no one outside, but then she heard footsteps outside. She remained still. A part of her wondered if this would somehow be decided to be her fault. It was possible.
Instinctively, Kitty popped her head outside. She shuddered, and unexpectedly, she spiraled out of the locker. She went head over heels, and landed with a crash. She saw a dark haired boy dressed in a black t-shirt, and jeans. He was looking at her in awe, and perhaps a tiny bit of a calculating expression. Almost as if he was considering the possibilities of what he just saw.
"What are you doing?" Kitty demanded, and she saw the spray paint can in his hand. She put two and two together, when she saw the lockers that were vandalized.
The young man, a Senior by the looks of things, looked at Kitty, with a raised eyebrow. "That was amazing. You were in the locker, and then you were out of the locker. It's like you walked through it"
Immediately, Kitty was on the defensive.
"No, I didn't," Kitty said, her voice rising in alarm. This was her worst fear come true, someone had figured out what she was.
She tried to shake everything off. She had to keep it cool. There was no reason that anyone had to know.
"I saw you, and heard you," the young man said. He looked at her. "I was wondering if there was anyone out like me, with gifts like mine."
The young man lifted a hand, and the lockers vibrated. The seismic vibrations rocked the school. He stopped before the trophy case, or the trophies inside had cracked from the impact. He stood, with a calm expression on her face. Kitty still seemed alarmed, unable to fully reconcile what had been going on.
"Um, yeah, but listen…I don't know what you thought you saw, but I didn't do anything," Kitty said. Her voice shook a little bit, and she realized how unconvincing she sounded.
"I won't tell, if you don't," the young man said. "Lance Alvers, Senior Class, and I'll be glad when I get out of here, won't you?"
Kitty did not share those sentiments at all, but she had no reason to argue. This was not a battle she could fight. She was a bit choked up.
"Kitty Pryde, and I'm so going to be late for gym," Kitty said, and she rushed off immediately.
She left Lance in her wake. The young man watched her leave. The truth was that he had been keeping an eye on her for a while, from afar. And to find out that there was another one like him was interesting. He looked outside, and saw two of the girls harass Kitty. Perhaps he would give her a hand as a gesture of good faith.
He closed his eyes and raised his hands. The ground outside began to rock. The two girls in question were confused, not to mention injured when he had unleashed his powers. He watched Kitty's expression. She was utterly terrified. However, she would learn that it would be best to embrace her powers, and consider them a gift. It was just like that woman told him that met him on the street; his powers could be used for something more than rocking a few lockers.
And taking a look at her, Lance had the perfect idea to take a nice little shortcut to the top bracket of the class.
All he had to do was persuade the girl to help him.
Kitty walked around in a funk. She tried to shake her head, and clear the cobwebs. Given what happened today, living a normal life was something that she felt slip away from her moment after moment. She tried to keep her head up. It was all she could do not to lose it. She held her breath, and tried not to lose it. The last time she lost it, she went through something. It didn't hurt for her density to shift. However, it did feel weird never the less.
She heard a wheelchair roll up behind her. Kitty stood carefully, and spun around to face him. After everything that happened today, she was tense. She saw the bald man sitting in the wheel chair. A teenage girl of about seventeen or eighteen years old stood before her. She gave Kitty an encouraging smile. Kitty eyed them suspiciously.
Time stood still for her.
"Hello, Ms. Pryde, we'd like a few moments of your time if it's fine with you," the bald man said. Kitty let out the breath she was holding. Immediately she was on guard completely. Her fists had been clenched, and she shifted her weight from one side to the other. She continued stare at them She was careful not to say anything. "I'm Professor Charles Xavier, Headmaster of the Xavier Institute for the Gifted, and this is one of my students, Jean Grey."
"Hello, Kitty," Jean said.
She seemed nice enough. Curiosity got the better of Kitty.
"What do want with me?' Kitty asked. She balled up her fists, and took a deep breath. "I so didn't ask for anything that happened to me."
Jean offered a reassuring smile. "No one asks for anything like this to happen to them. Yet, the gifts mean that there is something special within you."
Xavier picked up where Jean left off. "Jean speaks great wisdom. It is easy to be confused. Both for yourself and your parents, but I can assure you that your parents understood what was happening. They were a bit concerned, but they understand that this is something that is not going to change the person that you are."
Kitty looked extremely skeptical. She relaxed a little bit. She saw Xavier and Jean look at her.
"It's just something that I wasn't used to before; I woke up in the morning and well…" Kitty said, and she trailed off. She seemed to be unable to articulate the words that she wanted to say. She shook her head. She tried to speak once more. "It was just something that totally messed with my head. I couldn't believe it; I didn't want to believe it."
Kitty was trying to remain brave in the face of this new change in her life. That was easier said than done.
"Kitty, it's okay," Jean told her in a reassuring voice. "The moment I got my powers, I was scared too. It was hard to shut it off. All of the thoughts around me, they flooded in my head."
Kitty's eyes snapped up towards Jean. Her breath began to go in and out. She came to one conclusion. This conclusion alarmed her.
"Wait, you can read minds?" Kitty asked.
"Yes, but I can assure you…"
Kitty was not listening. Much like many teenagers, she was jumping to the worst possible conclusion possible at this distressful news. She slowly backed away, and closed her eyes.
"I can't believe it, you know what I'm thinking," Kitty said, and she turned around, before she stormed off immediately.
"I didn't…"
Get out of my head!"
"Kitty, wait!"
Kitty was not listening. She rushed off immediately. Jean frowned, and watched her leave. Xavier just closed his eyes, and sighed deeply.
"Perhaps you should not have shared that bit of information with her as of yet," Xavier told her gently, and Jean nodded.
She had made a crucial error trying to relate. It was not hard to realize why the mind reading thing could upset someone.
"I guess I really blew that one, Professor," Jean said.
"I wouldn't say that, we should have realized that Kitty was still coping with the development of her powers," Xavier said. He sat straight in his wheelchair. This opportunity was not completely blown. He wondered what he was going to go now.
Thankfully, he had one more ace up his sleeve. Harry showed up at this point. He had just missed the show apparently. He walked over, and turned to face the Professor and Jean.
"I searched all over the school, but I didn't come across her," Harry said. He saw the look on Jean's face. "Let me guess, you had better luck in finding her."
A strained smile spread across Jean's face. "Finding her was the easy part. Actually convincing her that we were here to help her was the bad part. Most people don't react well to the fact that someone can read minds."
"No, they don't," Harry agreed. Xavier turned towards Harry. "Maybe I should go and talk to her. I could have better luck."
This was part of the reason why he was brought here.
"Yes, Harry, but tread lightly," Xavier said.
Harry enjoyed a challenge more than anything else. He moved down the hallway. He had a feeling that the girl would not have gone that far. He hoped that he was not going to make this situation even worse than it was already. He walked forward, and spotted the girl sitting on the desk of a locked classroom. She could only get through that door if she had phased through it. It was locked from the inside.
Immediately, Harry twisted the door knob, and with a little magic, had opened the door. He really had no idea how he was going to deal with this. He just decided to go with his instincts.
Kitty sat on the desks, arms folded, deep in thought. She made a total idiot out of herself, and overreacted. Yet, it was too late. She heard footsteps. Immediately, she jumped up.
"Look, I'm sorry that I snapped at you, but it's just kind of creepy that you can do the entire mental probe thing and it kind of freaks me out!" Kitty shouted and she looked up. She saw that it was not Professor Xavier or Jean Grey. She blinked, and took a long look at the person who had shown up. For a moment, she was tongue tied. "Oh, sorry, I…I thought you were…someone else."
Kitty wanted to crawl into a hole and die out of embarrassment. She had just yelled at someone, and had taken out her bad day on a complete stranger. The brunette spent a moment staring into his eyes, before she snapped out of it.
Harry watched the girl with a smile. He knew all about overreacting to simple situations.
"its okay, given the situation, I perfectly understand" Harry said. He took a step forward, and spoke in a gentle voice. "If I was going through what you were going through, I might have reacted the same way."
Kitty looked at him and she relaxed a little bit. She looked at him, a bit testily. He held his hands up.
"Don't worry, I come in peace," Harry said to her. "I remember the first day that I discovered that there was something really different about me. It was a bad situation."
"What happened?" Kitty asked, and she immediately realized that she was a bit too nosy for her own good. "Sorry, but…"
"I was being chased by a group of bullies," Harry said. He was speaking about this casually like he was discussing the weather. "One minute I was on the ground. The next minute, I was on the roof. It wasn't for ages until I figured out what I did."
Kitty nodded her head.
"Harry Potter, by the way," Harry said.
"Kitty Pryde," Kitty said in the calmest voice she could imagine. This Harry really did make her feel a bit more comfortable. "It's just been a really stressful last couple of days."
"Believe me, I understand, I've had days like I'm sure you've had," Harry said to her. "Walking through walls, that can be very useful. Do you know how many times where I got locked inside a room, with no way to get out?"
"Um, no," Kitty said.
Harry decided to elaborate. "Must have been loads, but the point is that your power could be extremely useful. It's not shutting a door, but opening a window. A window of opportunity, and it's not the end of your life, rather a new beginning."
Kitty tried to piece together this Harry. He seemed so mature. He was not like other boys her age that she ignored. She was interested.
"Jean and Professor Xavier were just trying to be friendly, and I don't think either of them would really read your mind, without permission," Harry said to her. "And if you think that they might try, just picture them in their underwear. That will get them out of your mind quick."
Kitty laughed. Harry sat down next to her on the desk. Kitty tried not to do anything to embarrass herself.
"So how did you get here?" Kitty asked. "How did you join up with that Xavier guy I mean?"
Harry smirked a little bit. "That's a long story. Maybe if you join the school, I could tell you a little bit of it."
Kitty thought that was a compelling enough reason. Still she was not completely sure. Perhaps she was loopy from phasing through the wall one too many times, but Harry just seemed like one of those guys that she could trust.
They had made some light conversation for a few minutes. Kitty felt more and more at ease with Harry. There were times where Harry seemed sure of himself. Then there were times where he seemed more confused that anyone she knew.
He was an enigma. And she was fascinated about learning more about him.
Several moments later, Harry and Kitty walked down the hallway. She was in a bit better spirits than she was an hour, or even ten minutes ago. It was just that everything came crashing down on her ears immediately, and it was hard to cope with. The minor trials and tribulations of a teenage girl who was struggling to pass her gym class, and being bullied really paled in comparison.
Now she felt much better.
"So have we come to an understanding?" Harry asked her. "Your powers don't make you a freak, rather they make you unique. And there's no shame in that."
Kitty could not resist smiling. It was the first genuine one she had in days.
"Nice slogan, you should really put that on a t-shirt," Kitty joked.
Harry looked at her. "I was being serious."
"I know, but it's actually a good point, really it is," Kitty said. Her eyes looked up and down at Harry. "So…I feel like a total idiot for freaking out like that."
"No, it's all good, you weren't a total idiot," Harry said, and Kitty crossed her arms. "But, I think that we're good right now. Are you ready to go back to Jean and Professor Xavier, and give them a chance? They won't read your mind."
"Yeah, I'm trying to keep a bit more of an open mind about that," Kitty agreed. Harry offered her a smile.
"Good, because I don't like to see everyone at odds," Harry said. "All of the angst gives me a headache. I'm trying to cut it out of my life."
"And yet you're a teenager," Kitty said. "Are you sure you're not much older?"
"People have accused me of acting immature in the past," Harry told her.
"Really, you?" Kitty said skeptically.
The two continued to walk down the hallway. Another party stepped in front of them. Harry tensed up immediately. He tried to remain calm and collected. He knew from sight that this was the other mutant that Xavier picked up on Cerebro. Lance Alvers, and immediately Harry remained cautious. While there was no reason to suspect hostile intentions right off the bat, there was also no reason to be a fool, and expect that Lance would be completely trustworthy.
Harry braced himself. Kitty stood beside him.
"You really are going to walk away with this guy, like he's some knight in shining armor, are you?" Lance asked.
Kitty opened her mouth. She was flummoxed by his aggressive actions. After a moment, she spoke up.
"No, he made some good points. You know, I'm sure they'd help you with your powers too. Everything would be all cool."
"I don't need any help with my powers, and you don't either," Lance said, and he stood up straight. His gaze burned into Kitty. "When they say help you with your powers, they really mean they're going to put you on a leash. I know what teachers really mean when they say that they're going to help you. They're going to help you be miserable."
Harry could tell that this young man had some bad experiences in the past. This was not going to be fun. He tried to be the voice of reason, even though he wondered if he was being a fool. Still he had to try, he was stubborn like that.
"It's nothing like that," Harry said. "The Xavier Institute…"
"Yeah, I heard all about Xavier and his high and mighty ways," Lance said. His eyes danced with hostile intentions "And you seem to already mixed in with his holier than thou ways too."
Harry just shifted on his feet. This was not going as he had planned. He was trying to keep a cool-head. He was trying to keep a level head. He was really trying not to cause any trouble. He had gone a few weeks in this world without causing too much of a stir.
"If you don't want anything to do with the Xavier Institute, that's fine," Harry said to Lance. He took a few calming breaths. He stared down the other boy. "But, Kitty and I are going to return. So please step out of our way and…"
Lance did not move. Harry sighed. He was really making this difficult. He reached forward, and lightly grabbed Kitty's wrist. Kitty phased out of his grip, rather annoyed at his actions.
"You can't be serious, and buy his crap," Lance said. He decided to dangle the carrot in front of Kitty's face. "I know how you're about to flunk in gym. I can tell you where they're keeping the grades, and you can use your powers to change them. Just think about it, you'd be in and out, and no one would notice."
Harry now felt like the angel on the shoulder, and he hated having to be the cooler head that had to prevail. He gently grabbed Kitty's shoulder, and steered her to the side.
"Let me first say, that this is up to you, we're never going to force you to join," Harry told her. He was completely serious when he said this. "No one should force or pressure anyone into using their powers in a way that they don't want to. My only request is that you think about what you're going to do nice, and hard. How is it going to affect your future? There is a difference between doing what is easy, and what is right. And that's a choice you're going to make."
Kitty bit her lip. There was a temptation, and she was ashamed to admit this, of changing her gym grade. Admitting was the first step. Then again, her desire for perfect academics was beaten over the head by her conscience. She took a deep breath, and looked at Harry.
"I told you, I made up my mind," Kitty said, shaking her head. She looked at Harry honestly. "I really…I really do want to come with you. To the school, I mean. I mean what if I lose my mind, and end up phasing out of my clothes in public. Imagine the embarrassment. I mean, that would be really, really bad. I think I would die of embarrassment."
Harry did imagine that would be a pretty mortifying situation. He turned towards the brunette, and he looked at her, seriously.
"So, if you're sure, then Jean and Xavier are waiting for you in the other room. I'm sure they're going to forgive your little outburst. It happens to the best of us, even the most mature of us."
Harry remembered his frequent outbursts earlier that year. That summer he had quite the temper. He was sure that he took a few years off of his friends' hearing after what he did. Yet, he had grown beyond that. He realized that he could have better control of his powers if he held better control of his temper. Then, the dark haired wizard told to Lance, giving him a "no hard feelings" look.
"Just remember, the offer is open for both of you," Harry said.
Lance's teeth gritted. Harry sensed trouble. He did more than sense trouble. He sensed the floor vibrating beneath his feet. He cursed his luck. Kitty looked at him, and Harry moved forward.
"You don't want to do this," Harry said. He was trying to stay out of trouble, but he was not going to let anyone walk over him either.
The debris broke up from the ground. Dust flew everywhere. Harry threw his body in the way, and a large chunk of debris smashed into him. He grimaced, and he went through his head, racking his brain for a way to counteract the attack. Perhaps he had gained greater clarity in his concussed state, but he had the right idea.
Kitty dove forward, and grabbed Lance. She made both of them intangible. She phased them halfway through the floor, before the vibrations were too much for her to keep straight. She was back out, and Harry used a shield charm to block the debris. He repelled them back at Lance. It was self-defense. He knocked him out.
Lance was down on the ground, still breathing. Harry shook his head, and nearly collapsed to the ground.
Harry staggered. All things considered he could have been better, but he could have been worse. Blood dripped from his mouth. Kitty rushed over, kneeling down beside Harry, and at that moment. Jean and Professor Xavier arrived. Xavier surveyed the mess, most of it which Harry cleaned up. He had a nasty bump on his head, and his mouth bled. Yet he seemed in rather good spirits.
"Harry, are you alright?" Jean asked.
Perhaps once again it was his concussed state, but Harry thought that was the stupidest question he could ever imagine. He was perfectly fine.
"Yeah, peachy," Harry said in a dry voice. He noticed their questioning looks. "I had to knock him out, he could have crushed, Kitty, and any innocent bystanders."
"And you, too!" Jean yelled.
"Yes, and me," Harry said as an afterthought. He staggered around a bit dazed. He tried to brush it off.
Kitty turned towards Jean and the Professor. A bit of a shifty smile crossed her face. She looked at them. Things were kind of awkward.
"So, um, I made up my mind, and I'm going to try the school," Kitty said.
"Yes, I imagined that would be the case," Xavier said. "We will meet with your parents to discuss your options for your future. After Harry gets medical attention after what happened today."
"No need to worry about it, Professor, I'm fine," Harry said.
Jean looked at him through narrowed eyes.
"Yeah, the bloody mouth really indicates fine,' Jean said.
Harry was now annoyed once more.
"Merely a flesh wound," Harry said, shaking his head.
Jean shook her head. Logan was like this, but Logan had the amped up healing factor. Harry had no such thing. Then again, she snuck a peak at the scans Professor Xavier did on Harry. Magic had natural healing abilities. Maybe Harry was not as strong as Logan for that, but he could heal from things that would bring most men down to their knees.
Harry was eventually persuaded to get medical attention. Kitty could barely hold back her laughter at the look on his face. It was like he was being condemned to death row. It was kind of funny and a bit cute if she would have to admit to herself.
Kitty shook her head, wondering if she got clonked on the head as well.
After the events of the day, Kitty was both rather happy, and also kind of nervous to be back at her home. Jean and Professor Xavier were right there with her, and Harry was also sitting beside her. Jean seemed to have the uncanny ability to pacify everything, and make things a little better with authority figures. Yet, Kitty was still a bit nervous, and this was showed on her face.
"You aren't mad at me, are you Mom and Dad?" Kitty asked. A frown appeared on her face. She could handle what anyone else thought of it. It was letting down her parents that caused her to be a bit more stressed. "About the entire power thing and how it's going to interfere with my life…"
"No, Kitty of course not, but it's just a shock to see your only daughter go through a change like this," her mother said. She surveyed her daughter with a reassuring look. "You are still the same girl that you were a week ago. It's just…"
"You have found a special talent that you need to understand and train," her father said. He tried to keep his expression neutral and fair. "Professor Xavier has talked to us, and informed us that there are other people like you out there. People who have abilities, and we think that it's best that you go to that school, and learn what you can. Besides, you can get a fresh start."
"Yes, Kitty, if you are willing to join, we can have to enrolled in the Xavier Institute, and Bayville High School by the end of the week," Xavier said. "Your academics will not be interrupted, and you can begin learning how to train your powers."
Kitty looked at them, looking at her parents, and the representatives of the school. She nodded.
"Yes, this is something that I really have to do. I think I'll look forward to doing this. I'll miss you guys, but it's not like I'm going to leave forever. I'll e-mail you, every week, and I'll come home and visit when I can. There's no way I'll ever forget you, ever, I promise."
Kitty's parents just nodded, and smiled. They knew she would not. Jean got to her feet, and Xavier turned to Kitty's parents.
"Here is the contact information for the Institute, in the event that you need to get in touch with the school in the case of a family emergency," Xavier replied, and Kitty's parents nodded. "We'll be leaving now."
"I'll go pack," Kitty said, trying not to sound too eager. After some of the things Harry told her about the school, she was more excited than ever before. Plus for some reason, spending more time with Harry seemed rather enticing.
Kitty scrambled up the stairs, and began to pack. Jean ushered Harry over. She looked at him with a knowing smile.
"What are you smiling about?" Harry asked her.
"Nothing, just glad to see that you seem to be back on your feet after what happened," Jean told him. She grew suddenly serious, and looked over Harry. "There are far better ways of getting someone's attention then to take a huge chunk of debris on the top of your head."
Harry looked at Jean. A cross expression appeared on his face.
"I was trying to make sure no one got hurt," Harry said.
Jean looked at Harry in an exasperated manner.
"Well, some might argue that you're far from a nobody, Harry," Jean said.
Harry shifted in annoyance. He hated when people worried about him. While it was understood where they were coming from, it was still annoying. He was more durable then people gave him credit for. He could handle himself, and had many times in the past. Jean did not press the matter anymore, so neither had brought up the subject. There was an awkward silence. Professor Xavier gave the Prydes a few more words.
Kitty made her way down the stairs, trying to lug her bag with her. Harry used a charm to help her steady it.
"Thanks," Kitty said to him.
"No problem, looks like you could have packed a bit more evenly," Harry said.
Kitty looked at him with a frown, and a challenging expression.
"Oh, are you some kind of expert in how bags should be packed?"
"No, but I can tell that the bag would be ripped if you shifted it the wrong way with how it was packed," Harry told her. Kitty shifted with a frown on her face. "I managed to redistribute the weight, so you should have no problems now."
"I don't know how I ever could have lived without you," Kitty said in a teasing voice.
"Pretty easily, I'm sure," Harry said, and both teenagers laughed. Xavier cleared his throat.
"I believe the Jet is warmed up, if that's all, we must be departing, so we can return by dark," Xavier said.
Kitty nodded, and she rushed over to give her parents one last goodbye.
"So, Kitty, about that boy," her father said in a casual tone of voice.
"Dad!" Kitty yelled in an incredulous tone.
She could not believe that her parents would embarrass her like that. Then again, she was pretty sure that was in the official parenting manual that you had to embarrassing your children. If Harry had heard this conversation, nothing was mentioned. Kitty intended to not bring anything up.
She acted like nothing happened.
Kitty prepared to leave with Jean, Harry, and Professor Xavier for a new life of adventure and fun with the X-Men.
She just hoped she survived the experience.
Then again, it could not be any worse than High School, could it?
There was no way possible.
Was there?
Lance walked outside. He stewed after what happened. The truth was what happened today, he could have handled a bit better. His pride had taken a huge hint. That other boy seemed to be a pushover, but he had turned his own powers against him. And when he had woken up, he had hit his last strike. He had been expelled from school after his attack. Not that he needed school. He sat outside, and rubbed his forehead. He could barely hear a car pull up, and the door slam.
"Having a bad day, Mr. Alvers?"
The same woman who had talked with him on the street had walked out for him. She was dressed in a business suit, and wore glasses.
"Yeah, what's it to you?" Lance asked.
"No need to get hostile, I heard that you got expelled from school," the woman said. Lance looked at her. She decided to elaborate. "I can offer you an opportunity to get a fresh start, and right the wrongs. All I need is for you do a little favor for me."
Lance folded his arms. There was a catch. There always had to be a catch. Yet, despite that fact he was intrigued. His full attention was focused on the woman, and he figured there was no harm in asking her any questions. What were his options?
"What is it?" Lance asked.
"Move to Bayville, on the East Coast, and I can offer you a fresh start that many only dream about," the woman said. "I am the Principal of Bayville High School. I can offer you a spot at the school. You will get close to other interesting students. Students from the Xavier Institute, who also attend my school, and I believe that they are troublemakers. But, I am recruiting several promising students to help keep an eye on them."
Lance thought the chance of retribution was rather promising. Perhaps his anger had gotten the better of him. Yet, he had never been one to back down from a fight. Calling it a side effect of how he grew up, and the fights he had, but that was just how he felt. The woman seemed to be giving him all of the right answers, for the most part. She warned him that there were those who did not understand his powers, and sure enough he was right.
"So, where do I sign up?" Lance asked.
Principal Darkholme had a calculating look spread across her face. The fish had swallowed the bait, and she had netted Magneto a second recruit. The recruits might be scrapping the bottom of the barrel; however she could train them up. Strict discipline would turn these teen recruits into an elite fighting force on par of Xavier and his lackeys.
"Right now, Mr Alvers," Darkholme said.
"Please, call me Avalanche," Lance said.
Darkholme just responded in a very dry voice. "Lance Alvers…Avalanche, yes that's very original of you."
Despite this, she had a new recruit. Said recruit was also willing to leave immediately. She had struck while the iron was hot, and now another member for the growing Brotherhood. Magneto would have his army, and hopefully would get off her back.
If what she found out was right, she had a mission of the more personal nature to deal with.
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