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Vol. 1 Story 1: New Faces By Wraith and Shockwave ***WARNING*** This story contains mature themes and elements (Profanity, Violence, Drug Use, etc.) "Yo, Ev!", Angelo called out across the front yard, "What did you hear about the new guys ?" "Huh ? Oh the guys coming today!", Everett replied, "Well I found out one interesting thing! They ain't all guys!" "Que?" "One of 'em is a girl !" Both young men smiled. "SHEESH!! One hint of estrogen and you guys go nuts!" Jubilee joked. "Although Ev, if Monet were to hear you talking like that she'd kill ya!" Sean Cassidy went to the yard to gather up the three teens. He hoped that Angelo and Everett weren't taking the news that they would have to share their rooms with the new boys too hard. They simply underestimated the room they needed. And if Charles was successful in enrolling the rest of the children he was contacting ; according to Charles' original timetable they would need an entire new building this time next year! "Alright lads....and lass. Ms Frost just phoned me from the airport. She's just picked up the last of the new kids and they should be here in about 20 minutes. So I want you to go in the foyer with the others and wait for your new classmates." ************ Emma was driving the van and was simultaneously clouding the minds of any police officers who may stop her from speeding. She hates to wait. And really let it show while driving ! As the speedometer needle pushed past 75; young Sara Kain could not help but stare at the young man next to her. Jamal Brown was so used to women (of all ages) staring at him that he barely noticed. However Sara was not staring at him because of his uncanny good looks. OK not JUST because of his good looks! She stared, mostly, because he looked vaguely familiar. Like they met a long time ago. Christopher Storm sat in the front seat next to Emma. He stuck his headphones on his ears and zoned out. If there was one thing he appreciated it was music. Where he grew up all the other white kids gave him hell for listening to nothing but rap music. He basically said to himself "Fuck them." a long time ago so he didn't even care what people though about him anymore. Jamal Brown asked himself for the 1000th time what the hell was he doing here. He had a pretty full life, racking up 4 different mailing addresses in 3 different countries in his 15 years alive. He ran away from home 9 years ago, and never looked back. He was impressed however with the lengths that Charles Xavier went through to find him. Xavier mailed his mother in Connecticut (whom Jamal had not contacted since he ran away at 6 years old); he mailed the family he stayed with in Philadelphia for about 2 years; he mailed the Li family in Japan where he stayed and studied martial arts for 3 years. And finally he mailed the Rivera family in Tiajuana. If there was one that he knew, it was that he and Stella (from a Streetcar Named Desire) both "depended on the kindness of strangers". Sara Kain finally pried her eyes away from the "handsome" (that word now seemed somewhat lacking) black young man, to reflect on her own life and why she was here. She always knew there was something unusual about her connections with animals. One day when she was 4 she was almost attacked by a stray German Shepherd. In her panic her mind yelled "STOP PLEASE!". The dog not only stopped but somehow communicated with her as well. Somehow she knew that its hind leg was broken. She took it to her mother. together they went to the vet to get the leg fixed. The two were inseparable until the dog had to be put to sleep last May. It still hurt sometimes. She didn't know why she was going to Xavier's school. She figured she knew all there was to her power. She could talk to the animals; squeak and squeal and squawk with the...well you get the point. However she was wrong. She had barely scratched the surface of her powers. Chris Storm was the bastard everybody loved to hate! His mom was raped and decide to keep the child. Chris could never thank his mom enough for that. He loved her so much he felt like a louse everytime he forgot to tell her so. Chris was orphaned at 6 when his mother died of a cerebral hemorrhage she received in the line of duty (she joined the police force shortly after her rape). As the sounds of "Wu-Tang Forever" assaulted his ear drums, Chris remembered the orphanage and his first foster family. He remembers feeling strange because at age 12 he felt a strong attraction to his foster sister (who was also an adopted child). When he left from home, one week ago, to travel by train to Massachusetts he promised he'd be back for her someday. He snapped out of his zone, in time to see that his electrical manipulation was getting out of hand; as lights in and outside of the car flashed on and off as if in some strange type of Morse code. He closed his eyes and concentrated. A slight blue hue surrounded him as the electrical disturbance ceased. ******** As the van rolled up, all 7 (even Penance decided to show-up) Gen-X members waited patiently in either the foyer or on the front steps. Monet lay draped across the couch in the foyer nonchalantly filing her perfect nails wile mentally putting the finishing touches on her term paper. Paige was listening to Jonothan performing his newest composition. Meanwhile Everett and Angelo sat on the stoop playing dominoes as Jubilee, and to a smaller extent Penance, looked on. Eventually Emma let Sara, Jamal, and Chris out of the car; and began the introductions. "Everyone I would like you to meet your new classmates Sara Kain, from Philadelphia; Chris Storm, from Chicago; and Jamal Brown from...well all over." At the mention of each other's full name Jamal and Sara looked at each other in disbelief. Soon all the introductions were made, officially, and the kids were allowed free time to get to know each other. The boys headed off to the male dorm, while the girls headed off to the biosphere. ****** Everett broke the ice by asking what was on his; Angelo's and Jono's minds. "Yo Jamal ! We just noticed, you look a hell of a lot like my girl, Monet." Jamal looked in the mirror in the room he shared with Angelo and remembered Monet's face and body structure. He had to agree, she looked like a female version of him! "Now the real question!", Angelo broke in. "What brings you all here ? I mean me and laughing boy over there," he said jabbing a thumb at Jono, "We're obvious you guys are less so." Chris started. "Well, to the best of my knowledge I can manipulate electric fields." Jamal chimed in; "Well I'm a little more complicated. If I ever see you use your power, I can memorize and recall it whenever I want. This includes mutant AND Non-mutant powers. I can also combine and mix-and-match powers. As of now I can fly and turn into mist. But hopefully I can learn much more." "Goddamn," Everett added feeling suddenly a little less powerful. "What can't you do?" "Well my body does have a limit. In accordance with my training. Right now If I were to, say use Chris' power to drain the power out of that TV; I'd need about an hour and half rest before I could see straight again, much less use any other powers!" "Oh I get it you need practice before you can effectively use a power." "Correct." ********** "So come on Sara; don't you think Everett is the least bit cute?" "Monet ! Leave the gal alone she just got here!" "Thanks Paige!" "So Sara, what's up with you? are you a sparkler like me?" Jubilee said with a large flash of light energy. "Not really. I mostly talk to animals and that kind of stuff." Sara said somewhat disappointedly. Monet chimed in. "Actually Sara; as the computer specialist I come across everyone's non-personal files. I can tell you what Sean and Ms. Frost have down as your powers." As curiosity got the better of her, Sara looked at the print out Monet held: Name: Sara Kain Age: 15 Abilities: Animal Empathy; Animal Morphing; Healing; and Semi-Resurrection "Whoa I can do all that!!! How come I didn't know!?!?" Monet began "Well like I said, unless I can train and practice using my newly absorbed powers I really get weak after using them." Everyone stopped and stared at Monet who couldn't believe what she just uttered herself. ********** Later that night while Sean was imputing the new student's bio's into the computer, Emma met with Jamal, who was having trouble sleeping. "OK Jamal what seems to be the problem?" "Well everytime I lay down to go to sleep I get voices and images forced through my head." "Images of what Jamal ?" "Well strange as it seems; mostly Everett ?" "Everett? Are you by any means....." "Gay ? No not at all. That's the strange part." "No Jamal' I think this is the strangest part: earlier today Monet came to me and described an incident when she was talking and suddenly began to describe your abilities. Then I ignored it since there is so little about Monet's psyche that we know of I figured this was a quirk. Yet now it's a two-way quirk. And it has not occurred with her before today. And to the best of your knowledge you are not psychic." "To the best of my knowledge no." Emma folded her hands and gracefully placed them on the table. "There are cases of lovers sharing a psionic bond." "Lovers ? I never met her before today! And I'm not that superficial!" "There are also cases of siblings sharing such a link...." "Siblings ?" "Tell me Jamal, have you ever met your benefactor ?" "Benef... Oh! You mean the way my mom got all that money. She always said it was some inheritance; but I always felt it was hush money. Mom always had a way of finding dirt on most people. Though she was usually in the thick of the dirt. But since she started off as a petty whore she didn't usually have much to lose." His last words were dripping with venom; as he always spoke about his mother. Unlike Chris, Jamal hated his mom. He was a well educated and well mannered youth. But at 6 years of age, he tired of his mother's manipulative ways. She though she could use her money to buy off people (just as she was bought); and he dispised it. So one day he took $16,000 of her money (she probably never noticed it) and ran away . Two years later he arrived in Philadelphia. There he met up with the Kain family an a hotel. He and the Kain family children became best of friends. Sara and her brother Kyle. Hung out together. Though Jamal never knew until late one night why the Kain family were in a hotel. After Sara and Kyle's father died their mother started dating. One night she started dating an abusive man. She and her kids were in the hotel to hide from him. One night he found them anyway. As Sara's mother was being beaten in the other room. Sara ran into Jamal's room and cried on his shoulder. There he looked into her deep blue eyes and promised that he would protect her forever. With that he ran into the next room and from nowhere 3 adamantium claws popped from each of his hands (while he was on the road Wolverine saved him from a gang of thugs in upstate New York.). The boyfriend shitted his pants and left , he never bothered Sara's family again. The next day when Sara's mom planned on taking Jamal down to Child Welfare and try to adopt him; he was gone. Sara never saw him again until they met at the airport with Emma and Chris. Suddenly Monet burst into Emma's room crying. "Ms. Frost! I found out why Jamal's thoughts were in my head earlier!" She managed to speak through her tears. "Remember what you said about sibling links!? Well on a hunch I telephoned my father. I asked him if he ever had an affair. He denied it until I told him about what transpired and what you said about siblings. He said about 15 years ago he had an affair with a high scale Washington D.C. whore. She phoned him about blackmail when she discovered she was pregnant. He paid her off about $17 million per year for six years, when he ran away!" "Monet are you saying..." "Yes Emma, Jamal is my half-brother." Jamal thought to himself "Half-brother, huh? Well that explains the link with Monet. And I guess the link I have with Sara is kinda self explanatory.
