Chapter Three: The Academy

The hissing of an air brush is heard as the slightly tinted yellow green man focused, walking in the creature from the attack earlier didn’t seem happy, “Weren’t you supposed to bring someone back with you?” the tinted man asks in a smart ass tone getting a growl in return before he disappeared through a metallic doorway. It seemed they were in an underground cavern.

Approaching another man, the man from earlier Eric, the creature stops standing there in front of the man’s metal desk, “What happened?” Eric asks annoyed.

“They knew,” he simply replies Eric not to pleased about this says nothing. Waving his hand a metal chair pulls out and he sits down sighing.

“Charles,” raising his arm he pulls what seemed like a metal necklace off of the creature, who looked down as if to see what was gone and there in Eric’s hand lay Wolverines dog tag., “Hmm,” he comments noticing there were numbers on the tag, as were there on his arm, “Where is the mutant now?” he asks looking up.

“With them,”

Looking back down at the tag his hand closes raising, “I have made the first move,” getting up he adds, “That is all they know,” tossing the tags onto the desk to maneuvers his way around it towards the doorway, Come, the U.N summit is approaching,” pacing his way almost there, “Time for out little test,”

Following him he stops going back for the dog tags, for some reason they had a value to them. The creature didn’t know why, but he wouldn’t leave them there, not before he left anyway.

---

Laying unconsciously on a cold table Wolverine new nothing yet, however a table raising from the floor a tray is placed on it and a woman with a white coat emerges. Taking two instruments she circles around him to his right side where her hand brushes his right arm running along his knuckles where his weapons lay concealed. Looking over at a vial of something it starts to lift on its own floating towards her into her hands, as if she was used to this. Unscrewing something else and looking at him she turns his arms over, a needle shown now, readying it he sticks him expecting nothing.

As if he had sprung from the dead he grabs the woman by the neck turning around unaware of his surroundings holding her there. Noticing for the first time he wasn’t anywhere familiar he looks down at the red head before shoving her out of the way running down the hall shirtless.

Everything seemed to be made out of metal, and the lighting seemed to shine to it this was no ordinary hallway. Ripping the heart monitors off his skin he looks around seeing six suits that all looked similar when a voice whispers, “Where’s he going?” though when he turned to see no one was there. Looking back he examines the suits closer through the glass then seeing jackets in a small storage space next to it. Grabbing one he then walks in the other directing hearing another voice, “Where are you going?” he asks his voice clear though when he turned around there was still no one there. Hiding in a cubby indention by the wall he peaks out seeing no one, ‘what the fuck,’ he thinks something sliding open behind him.

Turning he sees what looked like an elevator, “Over here,” the same voice whispers. Peaking in there he still sees no one hopping in the door slides shut only to quickly open again to different surroundings. Still shaken Wolverine steps out head darting back and forth, the place looked like a mansion, like someone important lived here. ‘What the hells going on?’ His breath heavy he states to walk down the hall confused was an understatement, “Where are you going?” that same voice whispers, “this way,” a clank is heard as the voice speaks again, “He’s over there,”

Taking off in the same direction he’d started out in he hides between in an indented arch where a glass door stood, still no one there.

“Let’s go,” one boy says.

“What’s your hurry?” another asks.

Freaking out he hides behind a pillar as kids come rushing down the stairs. Watching them go down the hall he’d come from he hears another door open and he dashes towards the wall through a door that blended with the wall. Turning around he sees he sees this was a mistake. Five kids sat in a line around a wooden desk were a man with a very shinny head sat. “Good morning, Logan,” he states.

His expression saying it, ‘what the hell is going on and where the hell am I?’ he thinks watching them.

“I’d like your definitions of weak and strong anthropic principles on my desk on Wednesday alright,” the older man explains, “That’ll be all,” gathering there things the students leave, all but one who runs back forgetting her bag then quickly disappears through the wall.

Wolverine seeing this stopped asking himself, ‘what in the hell,’ he wasn’t getting answers anyway. Looking back at the man identified as the professor he holds up a book, “physics,” putting the book down, “I’m Charles Xavier, would you like some breakfast?” he asks maneuvering around his desk.

“Where am I?” Wolverine asks.

“Westchester, New York,” the man replies his wheelchair as fast as ever appearing in front of the desk, “You were attacked. My people brought you here for medical attention,”

“I don’t need medical attention,” Wolverine says angry.

“Yes, of course,” Charles nods watching the man look around.

“Where’s the boy?”

“Rogue? He’s here. He’s fine,” Charles states.

“Really,” he says not believing him there eyes deadlock as if they could read each others soul, though only one could do that.

“Ah, Logan, I’ll like you to meet Ororo Monroe, also called Storm,” Charles says the door opening to reveal a woman with long white hair a white top and black pants. Following behind her was another man in all black his brown hair parted and red shades. “This is Scott Summers, also called Cyclops,”

“Hello,” Storm says nodding which Scott says nothing but hold out his hand not getting a handshake.

“They saved your life,” Charles enthusiastically says as another woman appears in all red, “I believe you’ve already met Dr. Jean Grey,” he says as she moves past all them, “You’re in my school for the gifted, for mutants,” the professor says. Though Logan could only stare at her ass. “You’ll be safe here from Magneto,”

“What’s a Magneto?” Wolverine questions finally looking at the man.

“A very powerful mutant who believes that a war is brewing between mutants and the rest of humanity,” pausing to take a breath, “I’ve been following his activities for some time,” “The man who attacked you is an associate of his called Sabretooth,”

Grinning amused, “Sabretooth?” as the professor nods, “Storm,” he points to the woman as he names her off, “What do they call you? Wheels?” chuckling, “this is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” turning towards the door stopping in front of Scott, “Cyclops, right? You wanna get out of my way?” he asks grabbing his shirt pulling him forward grinning.

“Logan, it’s been almost 15 years, hasn’t it?” the professor asks, “Living from day to day, moving from place to place,” pausing he sees Wolverine release the other man, “with no memory of who or what you are,”

“Shut up,”

“Give me a chance,” the professor pleas, “I may be able to help you find some answers,”

“How do you know?” Wolverine asks shocked someone he barely knew, knew so much about him.

‘You’re not the only one with gifts,” the professor’s voice echoes through Wolverines mind, ‘where are you going?’

“Where’s he going,’ Cyclop’s voice also echoes in his head.

Looking around trying to identify the source, there mouths weren’t moving, ‘What are you doing there?’ the professor’s voice asks again as there eyes lock.

“What is this place,” he finally asks interested.

From the outside of the school boys played basketball while others sat on benches talking, “Anonymity is a mutant’s first chance against the world’s hostility,” the professors voice explains. One of the mutant boys using what looked like super speed to make a shot in the game.

“Hey no powers!” one of the other boys exclaims.

“To the public, we’re merely a school for gifted youngsters,” he goes on. This time showing a boy drawing outside while a few others raced, one boy on the sidewalk, the other on a man made pond. “Cyclops, Storm and Jean were some of my first students,”

Flying disks are shown as Jean’s hand waves over them and Cyclops destroys them with the beam of light from his eyes. “I protected them, taught them to control their powers and in time, teach others to do the same,”

Breaking off into a room that looked beautiful ceilings cathedral like and full of plants Storm stood at the head of the class, as she taught.

“The students are mostly runaways,” he pauses before continuing this was a lot to take in, “Frightened, alone,” Wolverine looks inside the glass window door, into the class as the professor continues, “Some with gifts so extreme that they’ve become a danger to themselves and those around them. Like your friend, Rogue,” Taking another breath, “Incapable of physical human contact, probably for the rest of his life,” taking another breath, “And yet here he is with others his own age,”

Focusing on him a student with blond hair hid his hands behind his back, pulling out a lighter and igniting it to form a fire ball.

“Learning being accepted, not feared,” the professor continues.

Another boy reaches his hand out concentrating on the fire ball getting Rogues attention, as ice crystals form in the air making it a path to the ball freezing it. So when the blond haired boy removed his hand, which he did, it would fall and break getting Storms attention. “John,”

“Sorry,” the fire boy apologizes.

The brown haired ice man grinned satisfied for now and Rogue couldn’t help be look then look away. Though he looked ah him, “I’m bobby, what’s your name?” he asks leaning towards Mark.

“Rogue,” he states seeing the other boy smirk, it was all he could do to control the butterflies in his stomach.

“What’ll happen to him?” Wolverine asks.

“Well, that’s up to him. Rejoin the world as an educated young man or stay on to teach others to become what the children have affectionately called X-Men,”

“Welcome to Mutant High,” Bobby comments with a smile which in turn made Rogue smile.

“But the school is merely a public face,” the professor states, “The lower levels, however, are an entirely different matter,” he states this as they walk down that same hallway Wolverine had taken earlier. Only this time they ended up in a hanger where a jet stood, “When I was a boy, I discovered I had the power to control people’s minds, make them think or do whatever I wanted,” inhaling quickly he continues, “When I was 17, I met a young man named Eric Lensherr,” as if to dwell on a memory long gone, “He, too, had an unusual power. He could create magnetic fields and control metal,” shaking that memory, “Believing that humanity would never accept us, he grew angry and vengeful,” his face sad he was upset but must go on, “He became Magneto,”

Leaving the hanger they take a tour of the grounds, “There are mutants out there with incredible powers, Logan,” Charles states as they take a walk through the stable, “And many who do not share my respect for mankind,” The horses making a small ruckus, “If no one is equipped to oppose them, humanity’s days could be over,” walking back too the professors office where the doors where shut, “I’ll make a deal with you, Logan,” he asks getting the mans attention, “Give me 48 hours to find out what Magneto wants with you, and I give you my word that I will use all my power to help you piece together what you’ve lost,” he pauses seeing the man consider this, “And what you’re looking for,”

---

Crowds cheer as a black limo makes its way down the cleared pathway, as the vehicle stops the door opens to reveal the man from the senate, Senator Kelly. As he emerges thousands of signs are seen: Senator Kelly against mutants. Mutants are killers. Send mutants to the moon forever. As the man waved to his fellow followers he was escorted to a chopper where he would be taken to his destination. “Senator, listen you favor gun registration, yes?” he asks through the cell phone attached to his ear, “Well, some of these so-called children possess more than ten times the destructive force of any handgun,” shaking his head, “No, I don’t see a difference. All I see are weapons in our schools,” pausing as the other end rebutted, “Well, that’s fair enough. All right,” Hanging up he sighs.

“So?” his assistant asks as the phones tossed to him and he sticks it in his jacket.

“It’s gonna be close,” he says looking around outside the window, “A vote this loaded is always close,”

“What about the U.N summit?” his assistant asks, “The whole world will be watching,” pausing his boss not answering, “Maybe there’s someway you could use that to your advantage,”

“We’re Americans, Henry,” the senator says looking at him as if he were crazy for suggesting that, “Let the rest of the damn world deal with mutants in their own way,” taking a breath, “You know this situation?” looking out the window again, “These mutants, people like this Jean Grey?” “If it were up to me, I’d lock ‘em all away,” as if gazing off into the future, “It’s a war. It’s the reason people like me exist,”

Noticing the water below him, it seemed to never end, “Where the hell are we?” he asks looking down farther then back into the cockpit seeing his assistant Henry. Only not so, his skin dissolved, into a blue tint, black scales covering her body, her legs cross. “Pilot!” the senator screams jumping up only to get pushed backwards into his seat from the blue mutant.

Holding him still with her feet, “People like you are the reason I was afraid to go to school as a child,” Bitch slapping him with her feet she kicks him back into his seat where he slipped down unconsciously.

Jumping up to the second empty pilot seat she slides on a headset flipping switches looking over at the man with the tinted yellow green skin.

Mission one: Failure

Mission two: Success