Lone Wolf and a Rogue
The man burst into class towards the end of the lesson, but Professor Xavier was not fazed at all by his sudden arrival. In fact, it looked as if he had planned the whole thing.
�Good morning, Logan,� he said, seeing the man enter the room. Turning back to us, the students, he added, �I�d like your definition on weak and strong anthropic principles, on my desk on Wednesday, all right? That�ll be all.�
That being our cue, we all got up and left. The door had shut behind me when I realised that Kitty was not with us. A few seconds later she appeared out through the door, as naturally as if the door had been open. That was her power: the ability to walk through solid objects. Corporeal intangibility being the technical term.
�That was weird,� she commented, walking towards me.
I raised an eyebrow. ��Weird�? At this school? You�ve got to be kidding. Nothing weird ever happens here.� We both laughed, and started walking to our next class.
�Seriously, though,� she said, �who do you think that was?�
�Hm. Let me think about this for a minute.� After a few moments I said, �Didn�t Storm and Cyclops come back from some mission late last night? After we�d all gone to sleep?�
Kitty nodded. �Yeah. The jet woke me up. You, too?�
I laughed. �Yeah. I can sleep through earthquakes, but not a jet landing.�
�Earthquakes?�
I clapped her on the back as we continued walking. �You have so got to come and stay with me at home some time. Even if we don�t get to experience a real earthquake, I�ll take you to Te Papa. It�s got an earthquake house. Replicates the Edgecumbe earthquake, if my memory is good enough.�
�Te Papa?� she asked. I forget that Kiwi slang is incomprehensible to the rest of the world - except, I think, for Australians. John never lets me forget that.
�It�s a museum, but I think it got mixed up with an amusement park. It�s full of weird ride. We can go on them, too, if you want. Ever wanted to be a giant eagle?�
�I think I�ll pass. So what was it you were saying about Storm and Cyclops� mission last night?� she asked.
�Think about it,� I said. �Secret mission we get told squat about, and a strange man arriving about the same time. Get the picture?� Kitty grinned. �Took you long enough,� I added laughing. �Kitty, did you get any of what Professor Xavier was saying in there? I just don�t get physics. Now history, on the other hand. . .� I trailed off as Kitty and I arrived at our destination: history class, with Ororo Munroe, the X-Woman known as Storm. Kitty and I parted ways, Kitty going and sitting next to Jubilee, while I took my regular place on the other side of the classroom, closer to John and Bobby.
There was a new face sitting in the class. A girl about my age, with brown hair. She was sitting quiet and reserved, but with wide eyes looking around the classroom. She caught me watching her, and looked down at her gloved hands. I was about to introduce myself, but then Ms Munroe came in, leaving that for later.
Ms Munroe did not introduce the girl, but that did not bother me. We were used to students just appearing in our classes - we would get to know each other quite well later on.
Part way into the lesson, something interesting happened. While those of us who enjoyed history - or at least wanted to pass - were busy working, there was one of us who was not.
I looked up to see John wearing a look that I knew meant trouble, and his lighter in his hand. John�s power is pyrokinesis, the ability to mentally control flame. His power is the polar opposite of mine (hydrokinesis, the ability to mentally control water), and perhaps that is why we do not get along (we�re always getting on each others� nerves) but it also means we have an understanding.
But not even I would do this.
John created a ball of flame that hovered above his hand. It was a risky thing, as Ms Munroe was standing only a few metres away. But it was even riskier, as John had been seen.
And not just by me.
Bobby, sitting one seat behind and one to the right of John, had seen the fireball. And since he was in the better position to react, he did.
Ice travelled from his outstretched hand, enveloping the fireball. Having become solid ice, it was now out of John�s control, and fell to the floor, smashing upon impact.
Ms Munroe spun around. �John!�
�Sorry,� said John, caught in the act.
Meanwhile, Bobby took the opportunity to introduce himself to the new girl, the one whom John had been trying to impress. �I�m Bobby,� he said quietly, so that Ms Munroe would not hear. �What�s your name?�
�Rogue,� responded the new girl, her voice quiet, either so that Ms Munroe would not overhear, or due to the fact that she was new and shy.
I hid a smile as Bobby leaned over, and with his power made a rose of solid ice, then said the now-famous line, �Welcome to Mutant High.�
*
�Is Bobby still with her?�
I looked over at the table where Bobby and the new girl, Rogue, were sitting. �Yeah, John, he is. Wanna go say hi? I don�t think we�ve had the formal introduction. Unlike Bobby.�
�Yeah,� John scowled.
�Aw, did poor little Pyro�s attempt to get the new girl�s attention fail miserably?� I asked, in a babyish voice, knowing it would annoy him.
�Shut up, Nick.� John never calls me Nicki, or even Nicoletta. He has to call me Nick, which he knows annoys me. That�s probably why then.
�So, you still want to go and say hi?� Without waiting for an answer I walked over to the table where Bobby and Rogue were sitting. I knew John would follow me, so I did not bother to check.
I was right, because, a second after I had pulled out a chair to sit down, John did the same.
�Great timing, Nicki,� Bobby said. �I was just telling Rogue about you and John.�
I grinned. �I knew my ears were burning. And not because Pyro here had tried to set my hair on fire again.� I jerked my thumb at John, sitting on my right.
�Rogue, this is Nicoletta Wilson and John Allerdyce.�
I pulled a face at the word �Nicoletta�. �Please, Bobby. It�s either Nicki or Thetis. Just not Nicoletta.� I extended a hand to Rogue. �Nice to meet you. When did you arrive?�
Rogue glanced at Bobby, then said, �Last night.� I noticed she had an accent. I�m not too good with American ones, but I�m pretty sure it was southern.
�I was just telling Rogue about your power,� Bobby added. He turned back to Rogue. �Nicki is a hydrokinetic.�
Rogue looked slightly puzzled. �I can control water using my mind,� I clarified. �A bit like the way Ms Munroe controls the weather. Or Pyro here controls fire.�
�Pyro?� Rogue asked, looking slightly overwhelmed by all of this new information.
�Nicki and John go by the names Thetis and Pyro,� Bobby said to Rogue. �Just like my name is Iceman.�
�Oh,� Rogue said quietly.
�So Rogue is your mutant name?� I asked, intrigued. �I thought only the adults went by their mutant names most of the time.�
Rogue did not reply, so I figured it was a touchy subject.
I got up from the table. �Sorry, but I have to go find Ms Munroe and ask her something about what we�ve been doing in class.�
�Nicki is a bit of a nerd,� John muttered to Rogue. �She has to come first in every class.�
I frowned, fighting the urge to hit John on the back of the head. �School is important,� I chided him. To Rogue I added, �It was nice meeting you.�
�Same here.�
*
I could not find Ms Munroe, but I ran into Professor Xavier instead. The man who had interrupted our physics class was with him.
�Perfect timing,� Professor Xavier said when he saw me.
�Can I help you, Professor?� I asked him, looking at the strange man warily. He was quite short for a man, but I got the impression that size really did not matter when it came to him. His hair was really weird, almost like the human-equivalent of a lion�s mane or something. It had a wild, animalistic quality about it, just like the man.
�Actually, you can, Nicki.� Professor Xavier turned to the man standing next to him. �This is Nicoletta Wilson-� Professor Xavier chuckled when he saw me grimace at the name, �- although she prefers to be called Nicki. She is one of the students here at the school. And, if I may say so, one of our successes.�
I could not help but blush. �Thank you, Professor.�
�Nicki�s powers are those of a hydrokinetic - in other words, she can control water with her mind. She can also transform her whole body into it.�
The man gave me a look. �Okay.�
�She was selected to come to this school because her power posed a threat to herself, and to others.�
The man looked surprised. �Really? Her?�
I took umbrage at that. I know I may look like some blonde air-head, but I most certainly am not. The fact that I know of words such as �umbrage� should substantiate that claim of mine.
�Nicki�s powers were strong enough at activation to cause enough concern for me to offer her a place here,� Professor Xavier explained. �If she were to lose control, she could have caused a tidal wave to swamp the entire country.�
�Her? The whole country?�
�I come from New Zealand, sir,� I said calmly, hiding my annoyance. �It is made of two main islands, and many more smaller ones. You can never be more than a few hours drive from the sea. It is quite possible for me to do that.�
Professor Xavier nodded. �She does have the potential. Her first conscious use of her powers was to part the waters of Wellington harbour, where she lived.�
�The whole country feared and hated me,� I said to the man. �And quite rightly so.�
Professor Xavier changed the subject slightly then, shifting it away from how I was a threat to a whole country. �Without proper information, Nicki would not have known that her mutation causes her to require a higher water intake than is considered normal. She requires water more than she does oxygen.�
�I was in hospital with severe dehydration when Professor Xavier and the others found me.�
This time the man was silent.
�I apologise for not introducing you earlier, Logan,� said Professor Xavier. �Nicki, this is Logan. I hope he will be spending some time with us at the school.�
�I hope to see you around. Nice to meet you.� I nodded by way of farewell, and continued off on my search for Ms Munroe.
I had barely gone around the corner when I heard the man, whose name I now knew to be Logan, say, �Her? Dangerous?�
I smothered a giggle.
If only he knew the whole truth.