Day One: Introductions

[Rogue 4]

Natalie was sitting in the music room, anxiously awaiting one of the few classes she knew she'd enjoy when something horrifying occured.

Gertie Hughes, the prettiest, preppiest cheerleader of the whole squad, and incidentally the Captain, sat down in the seat right beside hers. She understood that it was probably to be closer to Brad Collins, who was just on her other side, but Natalie groaned inwardly.

Gertie and her had been on the squad together, before she had quit a year ago.

[Vergere 1]

Kelly Reed, a senior in the music class, ran in just as the bell rang and sat down in front of Natalie, and grinning over at her. "Hey. You. Me. Surfing. The Cove. At three. You in?" Her blonde hair is peeled back into a ponytail, and it looked like she might have already gone for a swim that morning before school started.

Edited May 2, 2008 by Tyche

[Drake 53]

Hailey found the room she was supposed to be in and took a seat at a desk.

The teacher went up to the front of the class and began introducing himself, "Hello class. My name is Mr. Johnson. Welcome to Grade 10 Biology. This semester we'll be learning about the human body and it's various systems. We'll also talk about cells, DNA and genetic mutations. I'm sure you've all seen pictures of the two-headed frog..."

Hailey rolled her eyes and continued to listen.

[Rogue 4]

Natalie grinned at Kelly, sitting up straight again. "Since when am I one to pass up on an offer like that? I've got my board stowed in the car, and I doubt there will be much homework today."

***

Mr Warren gestured Marcus Connor over, indicating that he wanted to talk to him. "Not today Mr Connor. I want you in the cafeteria now."

[Drake 53]

Marcus just wanted to get outside and fly away but he was trapped now. Instead, he followed Principal Warren to the cafeteria. "What's up, Mr. Warren? Am I in trouble on my first day?"

[Vergere 1]

She grinned even more, and glancing forward to make sure the teacher wasn't about to start, and pretended to stretch and leaned back some. Speaking so only Natalie could hear, "Lance said he'd give us a free dinner if we dropped by this afternoon for some surfing. A congrats meal for making it through the first day of the year." She grinned again and sat back up as the teacher walked in the room.

[Rogue 4]

"Take a seat, Mr Connor. You're not the only one." The principal told him harshly. "The others will be joining you shortly."

Almost on cue an annoucement came over the loudspeaker. "Would Lila Mercer, Bradley Collins, Chase Mitchel, Kurt Wagner, Hailey Hudson, Marcus Connor and Natalie Brook please report to the cafeteria immediatly."

***

Natalie frowned, reaching down to grab her bag as the class watched both her and Brad leave for the cafeteria rumors already starting about why they were all being called down.

"Well, this is bogus. The one class I'm actually looking forward to..."

"That class is supposed to be a snorefest," Brad replied, stretching as he walked down the halls in his letterman jacket. "You know what this is about anyway?"

"Definatly not a chess club meeting." Natalie replied. "I don't know about you, but I haven't signed up."

[Drake 53]

Kurt looked from side-to-side. Ms. Doran looked at him, eyebrow cocked and arms crossed.

"Heh heh." He chuckled nervously. "Maybe it's the welcoming committee?"

He got up from his desk and made his way to the cafeteria, running into Hailey on the way.

"Hey," Kurt said. "What do you think dis is all about?"

Hailey shrugged. "Beats me. Maybe it's the welcoming committee?"

"That's what I said! But...something tells me it's not."

They both entered the cafeteria, joining Mr. Warren and the other students at a table.

[Rogue 4]

Once everyone was seated, Mr Warren sent a look of pure ice over the table to quiet their whispering. "I'm sure you're all wondering why I took you out of class today, and that is for one reason, and one reason alone. I have read your files, your grades, and your...misdemeanors. Some of you have already been a nuisance in this school, and some of you in others. The rest of you have the potential to become trouble. So I am here to give you this warning...

If you cause any trouble in this school, you will regret it."

[Drake 53]

Marcus smirked. "You got it, Mr. Warren," he said with only a hint of sarcasm. "No trouble, what-so-ever. I'll be as quiet as a mouse."

Kurt and Hailey only glanced at eachother nervously and nodded in agreement.

[Andy 60]

Chase spoke up, "I only just moved here... I've never caused any trouble in my life."

"You're causing trouble right now," Mr Warren said with a smug smile of satisfaction, "by disagreeing with me."

Chase went to say something, but held his tongue and just looked back at the principal in disbelief.

[Ayingel 24]

Lila looked at the others in the room. "Is that a threat Mr. Warren? I mean, wouldn't everyone have the potential to cause trouble?"

"None as much as you seven. I saw you all sitting together earlier today, and whatever it is, I won't have it. So watch your steps." Lila shook her head. "Now I want you all to get back to class."

As they left the offices, Lila stayed back behind Kurt and Hailey. "I don't know what the two of you think you know about me, but you're wrong. You know nothing about me."

[Drake 53]

"Maybe not," said Hailey. "But we know enough about what it is you're going through. The changes. The things that make you feel different from everyone else." She looked to make sure no one was around to hear before continuing. "You can control electricity. I can move earth and stone with my mind."

To demonstrate, Hailey stomped a foot onto the brick floor. One of the bricks broke free of its mortar and jumped into the air. Hailey caught it. "See? And Kurt here can teleport." She looked over at Kurt.

"Oh, right!" said the boy. With a poof of foul-smelling gas, a flash of light, and a muffled bamf!, Kurt vanished. He appeared a moment later several meters down the hall.

Dropping the brick back into place, Hailey said, "We're not freaks. We just have gifts. There's a place for people like us to learn and train our abilities in a safe and understanding environment." She took a scrap piece of paper from her pocket and wrote down the address to the Institute. "Check it out some time."

Edited May 2, 2008 by Drake

[Andy 60]

"Whoah," Chase said as Kurt appeared beside him. Kurt looked back at him in horror, apparently he hadn't noticed Chase was still there. "That's way cooler than being unnoticeable."

Edited May 2, 2008 by Andy

[Rogue 4]

Natalie held her ears as a loud noise hit them, sending a vibration in to her inner ear. It sounded like a pop, an explosion, a super loud gust of wind. A bamf.

"O-ow..." She folded over herself, feeling nautious and dizzy from the vibrations the noise caused.

***

Mr Warren returned to his office once he was finished, closing the door and locking it behind him. His face twisted into a smirk, his physique begining to change, morph into that of a beautiful, well sculpted, albeit blue skinned woman.

Raven Darkholme sat in the leather chair at her desk---Principal Warren's desk respectively and looked at the security monitors. It had begun.

Hailey Hudson and Kurt Wagner were both members of the Xavier Academy. Both mutants in their own right. Or at least Kurt was. For all she knew Hailey could have a big metal suit like her parents, totally skipping the evolutionary process. Either way, where one mutant was, others followed. She would keep an eye on them both, and see what happened.

The other purpose of the meeting was to get to know the faces and personalities of the students that she had deemed troubled in some respect. Teenagers who were different had more of a tendency to act out in search of approval, and so would a teenager with developing mutant abilities.

[Mara 29]

As Miss Wertz calming introduced the class and summarized the syllabus for the semester, August found herself drawing in the margins of her notebook. She generally only drew when she was at home and on good artist paper, but today she felt distracted. More so than usual.

The figure began to take shape, and August wished she had taken colored pencils along. But then the teacher started handing out the huge literature anthologies and she had to set down her number 2. She deeply hoped there would be something interesting in there to read; reading old stuff wasn't her favorite.

Miss Wertz's discussion on what they would be encountering first was interrupted by the loudspeaker. The class quieted down even more, and once she realized none of her students were involved, Miss Wertz droned on.

* * * * * * * * *

"I know most of you probably don't want to be here and are only here because you need this class for college prep. But," Mr Ralston intoned, "I promise to make physics as exciting and fun to you as I can. For we're going to be starting with..."

Joseph listened intently, making notes on his syllabus where he thought he needed to make important notes of things. He circled and starred the quiz and test dates, due dates of papers.

Just then an announcement broke in. Joseph marked down ideas for his first term paper as he listened. What has Nat done this time, already on the first day? He smiled to himself.

[Drake 53]

Marcus was walking along with Natalie when she suddenly doubled over. "Nat? What's..." A sharp pain spiked up Marcus' neck. He gasped as the sudden jolt triggered a transformation. In the next moment, he had changed into a wolf. Fortunately, no one else was around and Natalie had her eyes closed and hands over her ears.

Shaking off the tingle in his neck, Marcus shifted back to his human form and went over to Natalie's side. Speaking softly, he asked, "Nat, what's wrong?"

***

"Uhh..." was all Kurt could manage after he had unknowingly teleported next to Chase, one of the new twin students from the UK. "Some stink bomb, eh? I made them in Chemistry last year. Heh heh."

[Andy 60]

"Yeah..." Chase said, unconvinced. "I was here the whole time, funny how none of you noticed I hadn't gone, isn't it? And for the record, where's this school?"

[Rogue 4]

"What was that noise?" Natalie asked, reluctantly taking her hands off her ears. She didn't straighten herself right away. Her ears were ringing and she felt dizzy.

[Drake 53]

Kurt had a look of mild confusion. He could have sworn no one was here when he had teleported away from Hailey and Lila. "Uhh. Which school?"

The two girls came up behind Kurt, apparently just noticing Chase as well.

"I think he means the Institute, Kurt," said Hailey. "Sorry, we didn't realize you were standing there. Do...do you have powers too?"

***

Marcus looked around. "Uhh. I'm not sure. I didn't hear anything. Did you want to sit down?"

Edited May 2, 2008 by Drake

[Rogue 4]

"I...I think I'm just going to kneel here for a minute." Natalie responded, composing herself. Her seafoam eyes focussed on the bland tiles on the floor, grounding her back out of her nausea. "How could you have not heard that? My ears are still ringing."

[Andy 60]

"Kinda. They're a bit random though," Chase sighed, "I can go unnoticed....and sometimes I hear thoughts....doesn't always work, though."

Chase thought about mentioning his brother's abilities too, but figured he didn't need Danny stealing the limelight.

[Drake 53]

Hailey took out another scrap of paper and wrote down the address to the Institute. "We should really talk to Jean about printing up cards..." she mumbled. After handing the paper to Chase, she said, "Stop by after school and see what we're all about. And if you notice anything with your brother, let him know too."

Kurt nodded and added, "Don't worry, Chase. You may go unnoticed but you'll never be alone."

***

"I don't know," Marcus said. "I didn't hear a thing. You just said 'ow' and doubled-over. I got this weird pain in the back of my neck but I didn't hear anything."

[Rogue 4]

Natalie stood up slowly, running a hand through her blond hair. "I must be going crazy." She looked at her watch. "Shoot! Second period bell's about to ring soon. Insane new principal had to ruin the first day of music." She sighed. "Guess you'll have to wait til Friday for a free period."

[Andy 60]

Chase inwardly cringed at just how cheesy that sounded; he imagined it sounded better in Kurt's head. "Thanks," he replied with a smile.