Day One: Introductions

[Ayingel 24]

Lila hated that word. "I'm not a freak." She pulled her hand away and shoved it into her pocket.

[Drake 53]

"Neither are we," said Peter. "Don't fool yourself into thinking that what you...what we are is a bad thing."

[Rogue 4]

"Oh Lance!" Natalie looked over in surprise. "I'm so sorry about that!"

**

Mystique changed her appearance again, this time appearing to be a very gang-loving teenager. Crowbar in hand, she ignored the security system altogether, smashing his window and reaching in to grab the PDA, . Without a word she ran around the corner as fast as she could.

Edited May 6, 2008 by Rogue

[Andy 60]

"Yeah it's not going bad, the surfing was great. Kelly must be a great teacher," Danny replied, said deliberately downplaying how quick he learns. "Not a bad way to spend your first day at a new school."

Edited May 6, 2008 by Andy

[Vergere 1]

Lance just shrugged casually. "It's okay." He meandered back over and sat down at the table, quiet and lost in deep thought.

[Rogue 4]

"Not a bad way at all." Natalie agreed with a small smile. She looked over to Lance. "Oh no...you have that look."

[Vergere 1]

Lance just raised an eyebrow and seemed to return to reality for a minute. "What look?"

Kelly grinned as she entered the Cove to put up her surfboard, resting Natalie's against a table as she passed. "The look you have when you think too much, probably." She looked over at Natalie. "Am I right?" Kelly looked back at Lance, "I didn't even have to look at you to figure that out."

[Ayingel 24]

Gertie and the other cheerleaders were driving to the game. She was riding along with some of the other girls since she had her date tonight. "Some first day, huh?" Gertie laughed and raised her hands in the air. She loved riding along in Sara's convertible.

"Yeah, I love it when we get half days." Sara turned up the radio as they pulled into the other school's parking lot.

The girls jumped out of the car and made sure to take their time in teasing the boys from the opposing team.

Gertie beckoned a couple of them over as soon as she saw their cheerleaders. "These bags are just so heavy...do you think you could carry them down to the field for us?" She and the other two put on some pouty faces. As the boys obliged, she laughed at the control she had over them.

***

"Sorry, I just...I really just don't like that word. I feel even less human when someone says it." Lila thought back to her mom kicking her out as soon as she found out what Lila had been doing. "And don't you dare come crawling back here, you mutant! You're nothing more than a freak and a monster! I'll turn you in!" It was only because of her dad that she made it from day to day. He paid for her hotel room and she was grateful for it. Without him, Lila wouldn't be able to survive. "So...what is this place, exactly? What goes on here?"

[Rogue 4]

"That's the one Kell." Natalie agreed, thanking her for her surfboard. "So what's eating at you buddy?"

[Vergere 1]

He didn't answer immediately, the smile leaving his features again for a moment as he realized he'd been found out. He glanced at Danny, then looked at Natalie and shrugged. "Nothing I should discuss, I'm sure..." He smiled just faintly, but said nothing more.

Kelly furrowed her brow and put her board beside Natalie's, never making it to the back room where she stored hers. "Lance?" She glanced at Natalie in confusion as he shook his head.

[Rogue 4]

Natalie looked at him curiously. "Is it about that guy before?"

[Vergere 1]

Kelly looked between them, "What guy?"

Lance shrugged uncomfortably, looking between the girls somewhat embarassedly. "Maybe... maybe a part of it."

Kelly looked at Natalie, confused. "Nat? What's going on? First I saw you get attacked by a shark, then you somehow found a dolphin that took you to shore, then I come back in after a while and my boyfriend's actually using his brain, and you're talking to strange men. Minus the fact all men are inherently strange, that's beside the point..." She glanced at Danny and Lance, "No offense."

Lance just shrugged in a 'none taken' fashion.

[Drake 53]

Sam was rarely surprised by anything these days. He had seen and done a lot of things that many people could only imagine. He also had a tendency to expect the worst in most situations. So when his silent alarm went off, he went up to the counter, payed for his snacks and went out to his car.

He sighed at the broken window, chiding himself for not putting up the bullet-proof pane of glass. His PDA had been stolen but that was expected. He had been well aware of the mutant following him. Just a few months ago, he had installed Sentinal mutant-tracking sensors into his car's GPS system.

Sam brushed the glass from his seat with his gloved hand and got in. He started up the car and pulled out of the gas station parking lot. The sensors showed that the mutant was nearby but running fast away from him. He sped up to follow.

[Rogue 4]

Jean levitated a seat over for Lila to sit down. "This place is a safe-haven for people like us. A place where you don't have to feel like you're different, or strange, or a freak. You don't have to worry about persecution, by your peers or anyone else. It's a school, to teach you control over your abilities, but moreso it's a safe haven."

Scott looked between Lila and Chase. "You're both welcome here. But that decision is ultimately yours. And even if you decide to walk away now, our doors are always open."

***

Natalie found all eyes suddenly on her, and found herself uncharacteristically defensive. She wasn't about to rat out Marcus. "So I've had a strange day. And that guy was creepy. Works with my dad i think." She lied.

***

Mystique turned on the latest video footage, watching it as she ran into an alley. They were downtown, and she jumped, catching herself on a fire escape and pulling herself up. She kept going until she got to the roof. Marcus Connor...I had a feeling about that boy.

[Vergere 1]

Almost a whine, "Kelly... you know I'm not a klutz, right?"

Kelly glanced at her boyfriend. "Of course you're not. I've never seen you even stub your toe. What's this have to do with things?" She sat down at an empty chair.

"Kell... that guy..." He looked uncomfortable, his eyes glancing at Nat and Danny, then back at Kelly, like he wanted to say something but not get in trouble. "Look, act like I didn't say anything at all. 'Sides, it's Natalie's business, and I'm not getting involved. She just seemed uncomfortable, and well, I was worried for her." He looked apologetically over at Nat.

[Andy 60]

"I'm not going to walk away," Chase said finally. "I could really use the support... even if it was only so I could control my abilities more so they wouldn't turn on and off at random."

[Rogue 4]

Natalie got up from her chair, giving Lance a hug from behind. "I know you were, and thanks for the support."

Ever since the accident that had taken her mother and older brother two years ago, Lance had been like an older brother to her. Her and Kelly were more her family than her actual family was. "Danny, do you mind if I go talk to Lance and Kelly for a moment? We'll be right back I promise, and you can buy some food on me in the meantime."

***

"Then welcome to the Xavier Institute." Jean smiled to him. "We'll have to arrange a meeting to talk to your parents to get you enrolled properly, being as you're underage and kidnapping is usually against our policies."

[Drake 53]

Sam spotted the mutant running along the roof of the building he was driving past. He quickly pulled into a spot at the side of the street and got out, this time putting up the bullet-proof windows and activating the full security system.

The SHIELD agent ran down the street, using his powers to decrease his weight so that he could go faster. He ran into an ally and further decreased the gravity pulling down on him. Sam jumped, easily scaling the tall building. He brought his weight back up to land then continued running after the mutant thief.

***

"Alright!" exclaimed Kurt. "Finally someone else to talk to! Welcome to the team."

He bamfed out of the room for several seconds then reappeared with a tray of cookies. One was in his hand and already had a big bite mark in it. "Yum yum!"

"Hey! Those are mine," said Peter.

"Oops!" Kurt teleported away again.

Edited May 6, 2008 by Drake

[Andy 60]

"Nah, I'm going to go make a call anyway," Danny said, "need to see where Chase has got to. If I come back too early just tell me to go away again; I won't mind."

He excused himself, then took out his mobile phone and called Chase.

* * *

"Well, you can probably see my dad but my mum is still back home in the UK," Chase told Jean. Just then, his phone rang, "ah, I gotta take this call, it's my bro. He'll want to know where I am with the car."

"Hey Dan, uh, what's up?"

"Where you, Chase?" Danny's voice came down the line.

"I went to check out that school, you should come."

"How am I going to do that; you have the car."

"Oh, yeah there is that--"

"--and besides, what would I have to gain from it, I'm not a 'mutant'."

"Whatever you say, Danny... I'll be back soon."

He put the phone away. He and Danny didn't seem to be getting on very well of late. Their differing opinion troubled Chase somewhat, but he figured Danny was just having a difficult time accepting himself what he was.

[Rogue 4]

"Okay." Natalie breathed, looking around to make sure nobody was around them before sitting down and responding. "So...Before when I was surfing, I fell off my board, and I got attacked by a shark. I was scared out of my mind, and then this dolphin swam along and rammed into him." She began.

[Vergere 1]

Kelly leaned against Lance comfortably as Natalie began her story. "Alright, go on." She smiled reassuringly, as did Lance. "So I assume you didn't get hurt..."

[Rogue 4]

She shook her head. "I started swimming away, and then the Dolphin told me to grab it's fin." She blushed feverishly. "I know that sounds crazy, but that happened. He literally told me to grab his fin."

[Vergere 1]

Kelly just spoke casually, "Alright, cool."

Lance was just as easy going, "Well, I'm glad he saved you, and I'm glad you listened. He take you to the shore then?"

Edited May 6, 2008 by Tyche

[Rogue 4]

"Yeah...he's...someone I know...Apparently he's a mutant..." Natalie blinked her blue eyes at them. "Okay, I'm sounding crazy and you're both being cool about it. That scares me."

***

Mystique had all the information she needed to get started. She slipped a card into the PDA, installing a program into it that if it went unfound would continue to send her information to her personal laptop.

Edited May 6, 2008 by Rogue

[Vergere 1]

Quietly, Kelly spoke up, "You've yet to sound crazy."

A little more confident in himself now, Lance also spoke up, but aimed it at Kelly, "That guy that was here... he was a mutant too." He looked back at Natalie. "Wasn't he?"

Kelly raised an eyebrow, "You got a visit from another mutant? What was it about?"