(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny.
Or reflects your mood.
Which will encourage me…
<AUTHOR NOTE:->
Guys I Want you to help me find all those character’s you felt they should be in…
Since I can start my research on them…
And also helps me find the character’s easily…
Hope you comments their names or img…
here…
….
That evening, the five children found themselves standing in front of a mansion that looked nothing like any place they had known before.
The Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters stood quietly beneath the evening sky, its enormous grounds surrounded by trees and carefully maintained gardens.
From the outside, it looked more like an old private academy belonging to some wealthy family than a place where young mutants from across the country came to live and learn.
The children remained close together as they followed Charles Xavier, Jean and Ororo through the entrance,
Each of them constantly looking around as though expecting someone to suddenly come after them.
The moment they entered the main hall, they became even more curious.
There were people everywhere.
Some looked completely ordinary at first glance, while others had physical features that immediately revealed their mutant nature.
A blue-furred man was walking down one corridor carrying several books under his arm,
A young man with strange markings was talking to another student near the staircase,
And several other students were gathered in small groups, laughing and talking among themselves.
A few of them stopped whatever they were doing when they noticed the unfamiliar children walking behind Charles.
The five children instinctively became uncomfortable under the attention.
One of the boys moved slightly closer to the girl beside him.
Charles noticed and he spoke gently.
“Don’t worry, They’re only curious.”
The boy looked at him.
“Are they all…
mutants?”
Charles smiled.
“Yes.
Just like you.”
The children exchanged glances.
For the first time since being rescued, they were surrounded by people who weren’t looking at them as though they were experiments.
Nobody was pointing weapons at them.
Nobody was ordering them to sit still.
Nobody was calling them specimens.
They were simply being looked at by other people who understood what it meant to be different.
Charles guided them farther into the mansion.
“This school was created for people like you,”
“When I first established this place, there weren’t many places where mutants could live openly without being afraid of what would happen if someone discovered them.”
“Some mutants were frightened of their abilities, while others had been rejected by their families or communities because they didn’t understand what was happening to them.”
He glanced toward the children.
“So I wanted to create somewhere they could learn.”
The smallest girl looked around.
“Learn what?”
“Many things,”
Charles answered with a smile on his face.
“Your normal school subjects, of course, but also how to understand your abilities and, most importantly, how to control them.
Having a power doesn’t automatically tell you how to use it safely.”
The girl looked down at her hands.
Charles noticed the movement.
“You don’t have to be afraid of what you are.”
She looked back up.
“What if people outside are afraid of us?”
Charles didn’t immediately answer.
Instead, he looked toward the students moving through the halls.
“Some people will be, Some people already are.
There are people who believe mutants are dangerous simply because we are different.”
“There are others who believe mutants should hide themselves completely.
But there are also people who believe we can live alongside ordinary humans.”
Ororo walked beside him and added gently,
“That is one of the reasons this school exists.
We are trying to show that being different does not make someone dangerous.”
The children remained silent.
They were still processing everything.
One of the boys looked toward a group of students playing in the common area.
“They live here?”
“Some of them,”
Jean answered to his question.
“Others come here during the day and return home afterward.
It depends on their circumstances.”
The children continued walking.
More students noticed them.
A few whispered among themselves.
Others smiled looking at them.
One young mutant gave them a small wave.
After a moment of hesitation, the little girl raised her hand and waved back.
The student smiled.
Something inside her seemed to relax.
Jean noticed it.
She glanced toward Charles.
He gave her a small nod.
They had all seen it.
The children were beginning to understand that this place wasn’t another facility.
It was a school.
It was a home.
And perhaps, for the first time in their lives, they had arrived somewhere where nobody expected them to apologize for being different.
As they continued deeper into the mansion, Charles stopped near the staircase.
“I want you to meet some of the students later, You’ll eventually get to know everyone here.
You don’t have to do everything today.
You’ve been through a lot, and I don’t expect you to suddenly feel comfortable just because you’ve walked through our doors.”
The children looked at him.
“You can take your time.”
The little girl nodded her head.
“Thank you.”
Charles smiled giving his best smile.
Behind them, several students were still watching the newcomers with curiosity.
One of them whispered,
“Who are they?”
Another shrugged his shoulder.
“I don’t know.
Professor brought them.”
“Are they new students?”
“Probably.”
The little girl heard them but didn’t seem frightened anymore.
She looked around the mansion once more.
There were mutants everywhere.
Different appearances.
Different abilities.
Different ages.
Yet none of them were locked inside cages.
Nobody was being forced into a chair.
Nobody was taking blood from them.
For the first time, she realized something that seemed almost impossible after everything she had experienced.
Maybe she wasn’t a prisoner anymore.
Maybe she was finally somewhere she could belong.
Ororo took the five children with her, giving them a chance to become familiar with the mansion without overwhelming them with too many questions at once.
She pointed out the dining hall, the common rooms, the classrooms and the various areas where the students spent their free time, answering whatever questions they asked along the way.
The children were still cautious, but they were slowly beginning to loosen up as they realized that nobody here was treating them like prisoners.
Charles, meanwhile, excused himself and headed toward the laboratory to meet Hank.
There were several tests that needed to be performed before they could properly understand the children’s mutations, especially after what had apparently been done to them by the people who had been holding them.
Hank would be able to examine their physical condition and determine whether their mutations required any immediate medical attention or special precautions.
Jean remained behind for a little while.
As she walked through one of the corridors, she noticed Jubilee and Kitty Pryde standing near one of the windows, both of them looking at the phone in Kitty’s hand.
Their conversation seemed unusually serious for two people who had been laughing together when ever they were together.
Jean slowed down as she passed them.
“What are you two watching?”
Kitty looked up.
“Oh, Professor Jean.”
“It’s the news.”
Jean leaned closer.
The expression on her face changed almost immediately.
The screen showed footage from the highway.
Burning vehicles were scattered across the road, pieces of an armored convoy lying across the asphalt while the news channel replayed footage of Ghost Rider fighting his way through the vehicles.
Which they somehow got their hands on…
The news anchor was speaking loudly, almost theatrically, as footage of the destroyed convoy played behind him.
“…and once again, the question has to be asked: how long are we going to allow this so-called Ghost Rider to operate above the law?”
The footage changed.
Another angle showed Ghost Rider standing beside one of the destroyed vehicles.
The anchor continued.
“This individual has repeatedly been portrayed as some kind of vigilante hero, but tonight we have evidence that tells a very different story.”
“The convoy attacked tonight was transporting classified government materials, and Ghost Rider deliberately attacked the security personnel escorting it before taking whatever confidential material was being transported.”
Kitty frowned hearing it.
“They’re making it sound like he attacked them for no reason.”
Jubilee crossed her arms.
“Of course they are.
Look at the way they’re showing the footage.”
The screen replayed several moments from the battle, focusing on the most brutal parts while leaving out almost everything that had happened before Ghost Rider reached the convoy.
The news anchor continued his commentary.
“Several security personnel were killed during the incident.”
“Authorities have not yet confirmed exactly what was being transported, but officials have described it as highly sensitive government property.
Citizens are being advised to stay away from Ghost Rider if encountered and immediately report any sightings to the authorities.”
A phone number appeared on the bottom of the screen.
“Anyone providing information that leads to the identification or capture of Ghost Rider may be eligible for a government reward.”
Jean stared at the screen for a moment.
Now she understood.
She knew exactly what had been inside that truck.
And she knew why Ghost Rider had attacked it.
She also knew that the five children now walking through Xavier’s mansion were the same “confidential material” the government was refusing to acknowledge existed.
Kitty shook her head.
“They’re really trying to turn everyone against him.”
Jubilee nodded her head.
“They always do this.
First they make someone look like a monster, then they show everyone the worst footage they can find and pretend that’s the whole story.”
Jean smiled faintly.
“You two seem rather certain that Ghost Rider isn’t what they’re saying he is.”
Kitty looked at her.
“Professor Xavier told us not to judge people based on what the news says.”
Jubilee shrugged her shoulders.
“And considering what they say about mutants every other day, I’m not exactly going to trust them blindly.”
Jean couldn’t argue with that.
She glanced once more at the screen before saying quietly,
“They’re lying about him.”
Both girls looked at her.
Jean continued to explain,
“Ghost Rider did attack that convoy, but he wasn’t trying to steal government property.”
Kitty’s expression became serious.
“Then why did he attack it?”
Jean looked toward the corridor where Ororo had taken the children.
“He rescued five mutant children.”
There was a brief silence.
Jubilee’s eyes widened hearing it.
“The kids Professor brought here?”
Jean nodded her head.
“They were being transported in that convoy.
They were heavily restrained and being used for experiments.”
Kitty’s mouth fell slightly open.
“They were experimenting on children?”
“Well what can I expect of them…”
Jubilee looked back at the phone, then at Jean.
“So Ghost Rider attacked the people who had them.”
“Exactly.”
Kitty’s expression changed completely.
“Then they’re making him look like the villain because he exposed what they were doing.”
Jean nodded her head with a sigh.
“That’s what it appears to be.”
Jubilee looked at the television again.
The news anchor was still talking about Ghost Rider as though he were some uncontrollable monster threatening innocent civilians.
She scoffed.
Kitty was suddenly more interested in something else.
“Wait.”
She looked at Jean.
“Did you actually meet him?”
Jubilee immediately turned toward Jean as well.
“You met Ghost Rider?”
Jean smiled at their expressions.
“Yes.”
The two girls stared at her.
“What was he like?”
Kitty asked clearly wanted to know about him.
Jubilee quickly added,
“Was he actually scary?
Did he really have the flaming skull?
Could he actually control fire?
Did he…”
Jean laughed hearing her come up with all those questions.
“Slow down.”
Jubilee stopped herself.
Jean shook her head.
“He was certainly intimidating, but he wasn’t behaving like the monster they’re showing on television.
He was focused on getting those children out.”
Kitty looked almost disappointed.
“So you didn’t fight him?
Did he talk to you?”
“Yes I chatted with him.”
Jubilee leaned closer.
“What did he say?”
Jean gave them an amused look.
“That’s enough questions for now.”
The girls exchanged a glance.
Jean then added casually,
“Besides, he’s not some ancient supernatural creature walking around looking for people to punish.”
Jubilee raised an eyebrow.
“Then how old is he?”
Jean hesitated for a second.
“He’s young even through he was strong.”
“How young?”
“Probably around your age.”
Both girls froze hearing the answer.
Kitty’s eyes widened in shock.
“Wait.
Seriously?”
Jean nodded while thinking of him.
“Somewhere between sixteen and eighteen, from what I could tell.”
Jubilee’s expression immediately brightened.
“You mean the Ghost Rider is a teenager?”
Kitty looked toward the corridor where Ororo had disappeared with the children.
“That’s actually kind of crazy.”
Jubilee was already grinning.
“Okay, now I definitely want to meet him.”
“Come on, Jean.
You can’t tell us there’s a teenage Ghost Rider running around, he rescued five mutant kids and he apparently knows how to open dimensions, and then expect us not to be curious.”
Kitty nodded enthusiastically.
“Exactly.”
Jean shook her head, though she couldn’t help smiling.
Jean’s conversation with Kitty and Jubilee was suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice.
“Jean.”
She turned around.
Scott Summers was walking toward them, and one look at his face told Jean that something was wrong.
He wasn’t angry exactly, but he had the unmistakable expression of a man who had just been shown something he very much did not enjoy seeing.
“Scott?”
He stopped in front of her and looked at her for a few seconds before asking, rather bluntly,
“Did you kiss a human at the Stark Tower?”
Jean simply stared at him.
“What?”
Kitty’s eyebrows shot upward.
Jubilee slowly looked from Scott to Jean, then back to Scott.
Neither of them said anything.
They didn’t need to.
Their faces already said they were extremely interested in whatever was happening.
Jean frowned clearly not liking where the conversation is going.
“I didn’t kiss anyone.”
Scott pulled out his phone.
“Then maybe you can explain this.”
He opened a message and turned the screen toward her.
The message had come from Emma.
[Jean found herself an interesting young man.
Looks like she’s already making out with him.
Poor Scott.
How about I send you few more videos if they go futher.]
Jean’s eyes widened looking at it.
“What the hell?”
Scott played the attached video.
It showed the gathering at Stark Tower.
The angle was slightly distant, but it was clear enough.
Raja was sitting close to Jean, his head lowered toward her.
From the angle of the recording, his head completely blocked Jean’s face.
The two appeared to remain in that position for several seconds, making it look remarkably convincing.
Kitty leaned closer.
Jubilee leaned even closer.
Jean immediately turned toward them.
“Don’t.”
Neither girl moved they were looking at the video.
Scott looked at Jean.
“You want to tell me what exactly was happening there?”
Jean’s face had already begun turning red.
“Nothing was happening!”
Scott pointed toward the phone.
“That certainly doesn’t look like nothing.”
“Because the angle makes it look like we’re kissing!”
Jubilee covered her mouth, desperately trying not to laugh.
Kitty whispered,
“It really does.
There is a 95% chances the kiss might be true.”
Jean shot her a look.
Kitty immediately looked away.
Scott folded his arms.
“So?”
Jean rubbed her forehead looking at Scott.
Scott continued looking at her, clearly waiting for some kind of explanation.
Jean’s patience, however, was beginning to run thin.
She folded her arms and looked directly at him.
“Scott, I don’t need to explain to you what I do.”
Scott’s expression tightened.
“I’m not saying you have to explain yourself.”
“That’s exactly what you’re doing.”
“I’m just asking…
You know who we are…
We can’t have relationship with normal humans without putting them in risks.”
“And why exactly do you think you have the right to ask me who I talk to or what I do with my time?”
Scott didn’t immediately answer.
Jean shook her head.
“Whatever happened between us is over.”
Kitty and Jubilee, who had been enjoying the conversation from a safe distance, exchanged a quick glance.
They knew this wasn’t really about the video anymore.
Everyone at the mansion knew Scott had feelings for Jean.
It wasn’t exactly a secret.
Scott had been interested in her for quite some time, and eventually Jean had agreed to give their relationship a chance.
Unfortunately, the experiment had lasted barely a week before both of them realized that whatever they had as friends simply didn’t translate into a romantic relationship.
That’s what Jean believed…
There had been no dramatic breakup.
No shouting or betrayal.
They had held hands a few times, tried spending time together, and eventually Jean had been honest with him.
They worked better as friends.
Jean had made it clear that she didn’t want their friendship ruined simply because they had tried dating and discovered it wasn’t working.
Scott had agreed.
At least, he had said he agreed.
The problem was that whenever Jean spoke to another man, Scott somehow found a reason to appear and ask questions.
It had happened enough times that Jean was beginning to lose patience.
She could understand jealousy.
She could even understand that moving on wasn’t always as simple as deciding to do it.
But there was a difference between struggling with one’s feelings and trying to control another person’s life.
And Scott was getting dangerously close to crossing that line.
“Scott,”
Jean said, her voice quieter now but considerably more serious,
“we tried.
It didn’t work.
I told you I didn’t want to lose you as a friend because of that.”
“I know Jean.
But, We can…”
“Then act like it.”
Scott looked away.
Jean could see the frustration on his face, but she also knew that if she pushed him too hard right now, the conversation would only become worse.
She took a breath.
“I’m not your girlfriend.
You don’t get to question every guy I talk to.
And you definitely don’t get to decide whether I can spend time with someone.”
Scott remained silent.
Jean’s expression softened slightly.
“You’re my friend, Scott.
That’s where I want this to stay.”
Scott finally nodded, though reluctantly.
“Fine.”
Jean knew that wasn’t exactly acceptance.
It was more like a temporary ceasefire.
Still, it was better than another argument.
She turned away from him and looked toward Kitty and Jubilee.
Both girls suddenly became very interested in the ceiling.
Jean narrowed her eyes already guessing her personal life is going to be gossip all over the mansion again.
“You two heard all of that, didn’t you?”
Jubilee smiled innocently.
“We were standing right here.”
Kitty nodded her head.
“Technically, we didn’t have anywhere else to go.”
Jean rolled her eyes hearing her poor excuse.
Scott, meanwhile, walked away, still visibly irritated.
Jean watched him disappear down the corridor before letting out a long breath.
“If Professor Xavier wasn’t constantly telling me that he’ll eventually get over it, I would have already thrown him through a wall.”
Jubilee’s eyes widened with excitement.
“Can you actually do that for me?
Please…”
*******************************
(Author note:)
I hope you guys give me your opinion and idea’s.
Weekly Twice Chapters will be uploded…
Wednesday…
And Thursday…
–>
Don’t forget to review guys…