Kid Dynamo Chapter 2: "What's My Line?" by Connie Hirsch I anticipated my recovery would be a leisurely affair, and thus was doomed to disappointment when the door to my room opened at 9 AM, and Illyana trooped in, followed by Sharon saying, "Couldn't we do this later?" "You know Magneto wants me down in the Danger Room right now -- he's probably holding up practice for my arrival -- so when is there going to be a better time?" she said. Following them came a very _large_ gentleman dressed in blue robes and a blue skullcap. He had a full, white beard and fingerless gloves. "This is the Morlock Healer," said Sharon. "He's going to treat your shoulder." I looked at them. "You heal _Morlocks_?" I said, to the old guy. He had peaceful blue eyes and a faint Brooklyn accent. "I heal all whom need it, be they mutant or Morlock, tunnel or surface dweller. Sharon contacted me, explained that you had been abducted, hurt, and needed to be whole again quickly. And I came." "Now, just stay still," Sharon said to me. With some trepidation, I did so. If anyone but Sharon had asked, I'd've refused. "This shall not hurt, child," said the Healer, and touched my shoulder lightly. I've been around hospitals enough to know that's usually a lie, but the factual way he said it made me believe. His fingers probed my shoulder, then dug in with force but absolutely no pain. Indeed, it felt as though he were reaching through my shoulder and touching the joint itself, sending a delightful vibration through me. I felt safe and warm as he treated my other shoulder, my nose, up and down my arms. I sighed when he stopped. "I have healed your physical hurts, my child, but your emotional injuries must be resolved by your own efforts," he said, folding his hands together. "Thank you," I said. I lifted my arm, moved the shoulder back and forth. It barely ached. "I'll take you home," said Illyana to the Healer, who placidly nodded. "I'll see you later," she said to me, and they both vanished in a disk of light that seemed to lift from the floor and erase them from existence. I thought of the Cheshire Cat. "Illyana's a teleporter," said Sharon by way of explanation. "I guess you want some breakfast now, as long as you're up." "Now that you mention it," I said. "And while you're at it, how about an explanation of these 'Morlocks?' Don't tell me H. G. Welles knew something we don't!" * * * Sharon fetched breakfast while I washed up. I took the cotton out of my nose. Even my black eyes were faded to green-yellow shadows, and I could move almost like my old self. Over breakfast -- my arms were out of the slings and I could feed myself -- Sharon explained that the Morlocks had been mutant tunnel dwellers under Manhattan, until a nasty outfit called the Marauders (also mutants) had shown up. There was a lot going on that the general public didn't know about. The surviving Morlocks were presently evacuated to Scotland for safety, and the Healer was among them. "So Illyana just teleported to Scotland and fetched him?" I said. "Well, we asked first," said Sharon. "He can only use his power so much before he is exhausted. Lucky for you, the Morlocks have mostly been healed by now." "My lucky day," I said, again moving my shoulder. I'd never take shoulders for granted again. "Don't over do!" Sharon said with a laugh. "I'm going to keep you on the 'injured' list a few more days, so take it easy. You don't have to wear yourself out." "No chance!" I said. "I've been so busy lately that the rest will be a real change." "Now, what we have planned for you today is a tour of the mansion, scrounging some clothes, and then afternoon classes. I'm going to try to see if Doug can't give you the nickel tour, because I'm overdue for a grocery run." That was fine by me. Sharon went in search of the elusive Doug while I put on my real clothes -- [jeans and a flannel shirt], what I'd been wearing when they grabbed me. The clothes had been washed and neatly pressed. I felt a measure of reality returning when I donned them. Looking into the bathroom mirror, if it weren't for the shadows under my eyes I was nearly the same person I'd been four days ago. Doug turned out to be the other blond guy who'd helped to rescue me. He wasn't too short, 5' 9" or so, and he'd just turned 17. "I'm glad to meet you," he said. "It's nice to have someone else with a 'quiet' power on the team!" "Oh?" I said. "My mutant power is translating languages," he said. "Any language, even computer languages." "[Any language?]" I said in Polish. "[That would be very amazing!]" "[I don't know. It never feels amazing, just so very ordinary. And pretty useless.]" he replied in accent-free Polish. "[I can surrender in any language I want to.]" "Oh, I don't know how useless it is," I said, switching back to English. Speaking in Polish made me worry if I was doing it correctly. Noemi had always tried to correct my English accent, and I hadn't spoken it with anyone since she'd died. "It seems to me to be a truly marvelous power. If you can talk with people, really communicate with them, you can eliminate the reason for conflict, sometimes." "Hey, don't I wish it worked that way!" said Doug. "Maybe you should convince Magneto of it." "I don't want to convince him of anything," I said. "Just as long as he lets me go." "You don't want to stay with us?" he said, looking comically sad. "I had all these great plans, how we'd marry, have kids, you know." I looked at him and he broke up laughing. "C'mon, you aren't a prisoner," he said. "And while Magneto's strict, he isn't a jailer." "Well, I am going to stay for a month, and decide then," I said. "Okay. In that case you need a tour. Do you want to start at the top or the bottom?" "Bottom," I said. "Isn't it traditional to work your way to the top?" "Okay. Actually, the bottom is the most interesting part if you're into alien technology. That's where the Danger Room is." While we waited for the elevator down I made Doug explain what a Danger Room was -- a kind of supergymnasium that the Shi'ar had improved for Professor X, where the X-Men and New Mutants worked out, perfecting their powers. This led to a question about just who the Shi'ar were, and by the time the elevator had taken us to the sub-basement I was thoroughly awash in aliens and plots to blow up the universe. "So the X-Men saved the universe?" I said. "It must have been buried back on page 65 or something." Doug grinned. "I guess they didn't think anyone would believe them, so they didn't send any press releases out." We were in the deepest level of the mansion. The infirmary had been Terran medical standard, but the rest -- I had no trouble believing it was alien technology -- smooth, seamless wall, doors that went whoosh when you walked towards them. "When do we get to see the starship bridge, Captain?" I said in a not-shabby Scottish accent. "I keep expecting to find it here somewhere," Doug said. He took me on a quick tour of the rest of the level before we saw the Danger Room. There were reserve living quarters in case of siege, plus all kinds of rooms devoted to mission planning, a library -- a world communications watch room! Plus an armory -- I noted the presence of several types of rifles I'd used, plus more exotic weapons. "You have quite the little munitions pool here, Doug," I said. "If you ever want to hold off a battalion, I'd say you're all set." "With their powers, I wonder why they bother," said Doug. "Good Lord, that's a rocket launcher," I said, and his comment registered. "Well, powers aren't everything." He shrugged. "Okay, now we're going to go into the control room. There's probably a session in progress, and if there is, don't speak unless invited to. Magneto gets pissed if you start piping up at random." "Okey-dokey, Dougie-boy," I said. He wagged a finger at me and opened the door. Inside was a smallish room, lit by a bright window framed by banks upon banks of consoles. Seated so she could look out was a black woman, her hair in cornrows and beaded braids. She half-turned to glance at us. "Hi Doug -- and Jessica, is it?" she said, looking back. "His Magnetic Majesty deigns to exercise the Imperial Guard this morning so I gotta keep babysitting the board. Why don't you introduce us, Doug?" "All right," he said. "Jessica Pierce, meet Stevie Hunter, dance instructor and all-around physical fitness counselor at Xavier's," said Doug. "Stevie used to be a professional dancer." "_And_ I have degrees in fine arts and physical therapy," said Stevie, looking out into the room beyond the window. I stepped up to get a better view. I guessed I'd expected a gymnasium with wooden floors or some such. What I got looked a lot like a veldt, complete with yellowed grass and herds of animals. Beside me Doug said, "It's kind of like the holodeck on Star Trek -- only better." The New Mutants were circled around Magneto in a weird game of tag -- the Master of Magnetism was _It_. They weren't doing too well. Sam flew, the werewolfette was scampering around, and Dani was mounted on Pegasus, or a close copy thereof. Setting the grass on fire beneath Maggie was a glowing female. Unlike my mother she didn't flame all over, rather she glowed like I've seen lava do. "Lava Lass" was the only student making headway against the headmaster. I sat in one of the chairs and watched. I've seen the few TV tapes that exist of Magneto in action, of course; Mother had followed his career with interest. Watching him in person was impressive even if you didn't like the man; he fought magnificently. I knew my sensei back in Ohio would have pronounced him to be a centered fighter, in balance. What impressed me the most was that he managed multiple attacks and defenses simultaneously. No wonder major outfits like the X- Men and the Avengers had gone up against him and lost, or nearly. "He's like one of those legendary karate masters who had to challenge whole schools just to get a decent workout," I said. Doug laughed. "He only holds "Magneto Free Throw" practices when he's upset. What's yanking his chain, Stevie?" "Probably worried about Bobby and Warlock, not to mention the bunch of you running off on a rescue mission," she said, and a speaker crackled to life. "Stevie, I believe we have exhausted the possibilities in this scenario," said Magneto's baritone voice. "Would you switch us to something else?" Over the intercom I could distinctly hear Sam groan. "Let me, Stevie," said Doug. "Got something special I've been cooking up." He touched a few keys and the scenery changed to a ruined cityscape. "Actually, _I_ am the only New Mutant who regularly beats Magneto," Doug said to me, "Of course, I have to use the Danger Room to do it..." Dani sailed past the window on her winged horse, and waved to us. The wings seemed to be used more for guidance than anything else -- I didn't see any reason it could be soaring around without TK or the equivalent. "Morning, Doug!" she called, and we all waved back. "Lots of stuff to hide in, plus a few surprises," Doug grinned at me. "If they have any sense, they'll try for an ambush." Some of the surprises seemed to be civilians hiding behind things. A blow from Magneto sent a bunch of innocent bystanders scurrying for different cover. "This way, Maggie can't rely on sensing their body electric fields to determine where we're hiding. And scragging sentients -- even fakes -- is a no-no, so that slows him down a lot." "Neat, really neat," I said, and Doug glanced over at me. "You know, I bet I could beat the Avengers. But I'd have to lure them into the Danger Room to do it. 'Oh, Mr. Galactus, would you mind terribly....'" Stevie snorted. "Well, I've earned my nickel for the day. Unless His Magnetic Majesty decides your environment is too tough. Then I'm on overtime." "Really, she does a lot more than this," Doug said. "There's always the possibility -- faint though it may be -- that one of you might knock him out and the Danger Room would have to be shut down from the console. Otherwise, Magneto wouldn't bother to have me sit here. I'm sure he calls for scenery changes just to make sure I'm paying attention." "We'll leave you to your onerous duty," said Doug. "Gotta show Jessie the rest of the mansion, and then scavenge for clothes." "Nice to meet you, Jessica," Stevie said with a warm smile. "I hope you'll be taking dance class with the rest of the kids?" "Oh, I'd love to," I said. "We never had money for classes and the state wouldn't pay." As we took the elevator up, Doug said, "I hope you don't mind my calling you 'Jessie.'" "Oh no," I said. "Jes, or Jessie or Jessica - or 'Hey You,' I'll answer to them all. I picked the name myself." We went up one level where the infirmary was. "You've seen this already, but not the other portions," explained Doug. There was a considerable amount on this level, including all kinds of labs ("Magneto's pets -- he's added a good half of the equipment since he came," commented Doug.), as well as a gymnasium and an Olympic-sized swimming pool. "Will wonders never cease?" I said. "I dunno," Doug said. "I sprained my sense of wonder a year or so back and it still hasn't recovered. Just wait til you see the hangar." There was a hangar, too. You got there by a rail car through an underground tunnel. The hangar was not nearly as impressive as the big black jet that sat there. Doug waved me through the complex, explaining he'd show me the rest of the toys another day. Back at the mansion, we ascended to the regular basement via a hidden stairway. There was a lot of unused furniture stacked neatly there. Doug said, "If you see anything you fancy for your room, tell Tom and he'll bring it up." "Somebody's a real pack rat around here," I said. "You could outfit a motel from this." Doug shrugged. "A surprising amount gets broken sooner or later. Amara's burned two couches in the past three months alone. We probably should join the Furniture of the Month Club and get a discount." "Just like old times," I said. "Mother burned houses down, though." We took an elevator up to the first floor. "Professor X. was originally in a wheelchair, so we have these elevators," Doug explained. The first floor was very elegant, but not so it looked cold. You could tell people _lived_ here, especially in the spacious living room, with the furniture all pointing toward a huge projection TV screen. "We often watch TV in the evening," Doug said. "With Magneto?" I said doubtfully. "Nah," said Doug. "He came down once and dutifully sat through 'Family Ties' with us. I think he got two jokes, he seemed pretty baffled by the rest. Since then he has been content to leave popular American culture alone." "Just as well. I don't think the Earth is ready for Magneto the 'Dallas' fan." "I can just see it," said Doug. "He decides that Bobby must come back from the dead, and makes the producers pull some hack to do it...." "Even Magneto has better taste than that." Next we went through the formal dining room. "We can seat 30 if we have to," said Doug in passing. "Usually we use the kitchen for breakfast and the little dining room for everyday meals." We went into the kitchen -- a wide spacious room with industrial size appliances -- where yet another Amerind (named of all things, Thomas Corsi) was making sandwiches. "Running behind, Doug," he said, once we'd made introductions. "Sharon's back from shopping already. She's probably lurking upstairs." We hurried to make a quick sweep of the rest of the first floor. Down at the opposite end was the library, where most classes were held, as well as a computer center. "You'll have a terminal up in your room, of course," said Doug. "But I mostly do my stuff down here. Closer to the printers." I noticed a color laser printer. "Magneto's new hobby is fractals and Mandelbrot sets, so he got us a new toy." We'd bypassed some rooms in the middle. "Magneto's suite. They used to be Professor X.'s, but Maggie took them over. Huge -- the wheelchair, y'know. Maggie has the bottom part filled with nefarious looking equipment now. I don't think he has any pastimes except for tinkering around with stuff. Taking over the world was just an excuse to use some of it, I bet." "When _did_ you and reality part company, Doug?" I said. "Oh, about one and a half years ago -- I got possession of the fantasies, though." I shook my head as we walked up the great staircase. He just laughed. Sharon met us in the upstairs hallway. "I was beginning to wonder what happened to you," she said. "We'll have to hurry if you're going to make lunch on time." I took a room with an east exposure -- I like morning light. It was bigger than my previous three bedrooms combined. At last some room to turn around in. "This is great," I said. _Only for a month, but I'll enjoy it_, I thought guiltily. "To the attic," said Sharon and I followed her up the stairs. There was a playroom on the third floor we passed, with a small TV and pool table. A door opened on the rest of the attic space, filled with more furniture and trunks of castoff clothing. "Storm's room is over that way," said Sharon. "Oh really," I said. She was probably my favorite X- Man. "Is she around now?" Sharon shook her head. "The X-Men are all off on a mission somewhere, and it's so important Magneto won't talk about it." "Oh well," I said. "I'd love to meet her." "She's quite...impressive," said Sharon, opening a big box. "No, I think these are Scott's old clothes." She went through several more. "Actually, all the X-Men are impressive, some more than others." At last she found the trunk she was looking for. "It's just as well you like Ororo -- it looks like you'll be wearing some of her old clothes. She's the only one who'll fit you." "Oh great," said Doug. He'd followed us up. "That means you get your choice of daishikis or leather pants." "Douglas," Sharon said in icy tones. "Why don't you run along to the dining room and see if you couldn't save a sandwich for Jessica." "I can take a hint," said Doug. He went downstairs and we got to work. The first layer _was_ daishikis and leather pants, but underneath were some useful items. "These are things Ororo no longer wants," Sharon said when I asked. "Personal keepsakes get put in a different area." I came away with several blouses, skirts and pants, including a daishiki I decided to use for a bathrobe, and a pair of black leather pants I just couldn't resist. Storm was curvier than me, but she'd favored tight clothes, so most things fit well enough. On the way downstairs we dropped things off in my new room. "I'll make sure you get some hangers and linens this afternoon," Sharon said. "And Stevie volunteered to take you shopping at the mall for underwear and shoes and such at 4." "Thank you," I said. "I don't want to sound ungrateful, but who's going to pay for all this? I haven't much money just now." "All students here are on scholarship -- Charles set up the school that way -- and Magnus's interpretation of full scholarship is rather broad. Most of the students have families who help with their daily expenses. Roberto's parents are quite rich, and Rahne's guardian is well off. But Sam's mother is raising seven kids by herself and Illyana is no longer in touch with her parents. So you needn't feel as though you are taking advantage of the school; Professor X. set it up to help young mutants in need." "I guess," I said. "I really could use a pair of new sneakers." "And boots and dress shoes to wear with those skirts," Sharon said. "And pantyhose, and makeup and whatever else you need. You didn't come with much." "My pack and suitcase are probably still at the boarding house in Pittsburgh where I was staying," I said. "I wonder how long before they throw them out." "Maybe we could retrieve it," said Sharon. "I'd like to -- all my mementos were in them," I said. "I'll speak with Magnus. It may be that he'll think of something." "I have a dumb question," I said. "Is 'Magnus' his real name?" "It's what he'll answer to," said Sharon. "And that's what Charles called him. Magnus says he doesn't care what we call him as long as he's 'Michael Xavier' in public." "You're kidding," I said. "'_Michael Xavier_?'" "Charles set it up that way," sighed Sharon. "I gather Magnus was not thrilled either but it makes good sense. I get the impression that Charles set it up several years ago in anticipation that Magneto might go straight." "I thought they were enemies or something," I said. "Evidently they knew each other before they went their separate ways," Sharon said. "Magnus wasn't always a terrorist and Charles didn't always lead the X-Men either." She touched my shoulder. "C'mon, we're late for lunch," she said. There was a small dining room across the corridor from the kitchen, decorated in white and yellow with big sunny windows. All the New Mutants, in civilian clothes, were sitting around the table. Doug looked up when I walked in. "I saved your sandwich from the dread mutant menaces," he said, waving at the place next to him. "Uh, thanks," I said, sitting down. _They're really not all that strange_, I thought to myself, but I still felt funny as they all smiled and said hello. "I think Dougie's sweet on the new girl," said Illyana. This brought on a fit of giggling on the part of Dani and Amara. "Don't worry, Dougie's sweet on everything in a skirt," she stage-whispered to me. "Ignore him and he goes away eventually." "I resemble that remark," said Doug. "Students," said Magneto from the doorway, and we all turned to him. "After lunch is over, I would like to meet with Dani, Sam, and Jessica in my office. Directly thereafter we will hold physics class so Amara and Douglas will meet us in the library. Both Rahne and Illyana have projects due tomorrow, so I expect to meet with you on your progress -- or lack of it, Illyana, -- in my office afterwards." The Master of Magnetism didn't wait to see if we agreed, he just turned and left. After a decent interval, Sam said, "Ah think you're right, Dani, he _is_ regressin'." "He is worried about our missing classmates, as are we all," said Amara. "It's taken all our efforts to get him to relax even a little bit," said Dani to me, "And then you come along and he freaks out." "I'm sorry," I said. I didn't know what else to say. "You canna blame his behavior on her, Dani," said Rahne unexpectedly. "She dinna ask to be kidnaped and rescued." "Gotta side with Furtop, Chief," said Sam. "Maybe he's nervous about what Jessica thinks about him, or maybe he's worried about the people who kidnaped her." "Maggie ain't worried about the Right," Illyana said, helping herself to more dessert. "He could have beat them with both arms tied behind his back. _We_ just slowed him down." "Am I going to be joining classes with you all?" I said. The conversation was veering in a direction I did not want to explore. "Most likely," said Sam. He had a plain face and beautiful eyes that smiled. "Ah expect that's what Magneto wants to see us about." "Well, let's put it off as long as possible," I said. There was general silence. I looked around at speculative faces. "Listen, I'm going to pretend that I _like_ Magneto. As far as I'm concerned, he's pond scum on two legs. Who's maybe behaving himself as a ruse or something. I don't have any choice but to stay here for a while, so I'll go along with this farce for now." After a pause, Sam said, "I'm sorry you feel this way. When he thought he was dying, Professor X. trusted Magneto enough to ask him to take over the school. If it hadn't been for that, none of us would have given him a chance -- and it would have been our loss." "Magneto is our honored teacher and deserves respect," said Amara. "Do you really think we'd stick around if he were bad?" said Doug. "I hardly know you," I said. "You could be all real gullible." Illyana snorted. "_You_ could be real fair," she sniffed. "And give him a chance. And I'm lots of things, but gullible isn't on the list." I sighed. Dani rolled her eyes. "Finish your lunch and let's get on with it," she said. "I want to watch the movie on TV tonight, and there's no way I'm going to be able to do that if lessons run late and I lose study time this afternoon." "Let me get this straight," I said. "I should throw over my fears -- make that justifiable fears -- so you can watch TV tonight." "Oh, be suspicious all you want," she said. "Just do it quickly." "Okay," I said, putting down my sandwich half-uneaten. "Let's get this farce on the road." We were silent all the way down the corridor to Magneto's office. Sam was frowning as he knocked. The oaken paneled door clicked and swung open -- 'magnetically' I suppose. The Big M was seated behind a large antique desk, papers spread out before him, a terminal drawn up within arm's reach. "Ah," he said, "More prompt than I expected." With a negligent wave he indicated three armchairs drawn up before the desk. "Jessica," he said when we had sat down. He had eyes that you could see the blue across a room. You could believe they could shoot lightning when their stern gaze turned on you. "I believe you know that Douglas was able to obtain a copy of your academic record for us. You have met or exceeded most of the high school requirements that Charles set for his students, which puts you in the collegiate division with Sam and Dani. This will mean taking outside college courses, conducting independent study projects and tutoring the younger students in subjects which you've mastered. Also, you will be required at this time to take my physics course this semester, as it is the sole remaining requirement for you to complete the high school curriculum." I frowned; I'd dropped physics after two weeks last year, as my peculiar power screwed up the lab equipment; I had figured I wasn't missing much in life if I didn't take it. "This course has been in session for two weeks now, however. Not an unbridgeable gap, if one has free time and tutoring. Therefore I'd prefer to see you postpone your independent study until you are caught up in this subject. As for tutoring -- Danielle, I realize that hard sciences are not your love, and I respect that. At the same time I feel that your education will not be complete without a thorough grounding in this subject. Would you consent to be Jessica's tutor?" Dani looked like she'd tasted something bad. "It's me or Sam, isn't it?" she said. "I hope that Sam will consent to include Jessica in his computer study project later. Her skills will complement yours, Sam, and you'll both likely learn more." Dani looked into her lap. "Okay," she said. "Thank you, Danielle. I would not ask it if I did not believe it would benefit you both." Sam spoke up. "If Jessica can help me with the CAD/CAM stuff, Ah'm all for it." "Her skills as a programmer may not be on a par with Douglas', but she is more likely to be able to communicate some of her understanding to you. And in turn, she is likely to learn some of your practical engineering from the experience." Magneto inclined his head toward me. "As for the physical side of your education, Jessica -- I would like to see you work out in the Danger Room for some preparatory sessions pending joining group sessions with the New Mutants." I stared at him speculatively. What was he after? Next to me, Dani spoke up. "What's the point, Magneto? Her power isn't that useful in a fight." "In limited circumstances it would be," he replied evenly. "And Jessica's transcript shows she is championship material in marksmanship and karate." "Huh," said Dani. "I'm still working on my black belt," I said apologetically in her direction. "Seventh degree brown belt in what I am informed is a difficult and strict school of martial arts. And you were taught to handle a gun by your mother." "She thought I ought to be prepared," I said. "As do I," said Magneto. "You may as well work on sharpening your defensive skills; evidence indicates you'll need them. If you are one half as good as your mother, you'll do superbly." I stared at my hands. They didn't call it the Danger Room as a joke. But I like testing myself, and it would be neat for once to use skills I've been practicing forever. "Okay," I said, and to myself I thought _I bet it's some kind of trap_. "If Stevie passes you on the physical exam tomorrow, we'll run an individual session the following morning in rotation with the other students." _What am I letting myself in for?_ I thought. "Welcome to Xavier's School, Jessica," said Magneto. "I trust your stay will be a beneficial one." He templed his fingers and regarded us all with a slight smile. The man must never grin. "Physics class will convene in thirteen minutes, students. You may enjoy yourselves until then." When you're dismissed by Magneto, you have no doubt about it. In the corridor, with the door safely closed, Dani frowned at me. "I hate physics!" she said. "It wasn't my idea," I said. "If you'll just lend me your notes I can catch up on my own." "Oh no, he says do it, I'll do it," she said. "I just won't like it." "Chief, be fair," said Sam. "You know you'll learn a subject real well if you tutor someone in it. Shoot, Ah'll volunteer to help you both -- this course is as tough as calculus was last semester." "Thanks, Sam," said Dani. "I'm sorry, Jes' -- it _isn't_ your fault." "Okay," I said. My school days at Xavier's were getting off to a fine start. While we took our seats at the big table in the library, Sam asked me about my mother. "I'm kind of surprised," I said. "I told Sharon and assumed she would have told you all." I went into the short explanation, minus the waterworks. Amara and Doug were already waiting for us, so they got to hear the story as well. When the recitation was over, Sam said, "Ah know what it's like to have a parent die real slow like that. My daddy had the black lung." "I'm sorry, Sam," I said. _At least Magneto didn't give it to him_, I thought, but that was too crass to say out loud. "So your mother was an evil-doer, and you seek to clear your family name," said Amara. "Oh, I don't care much about the family name -- they disowned Noemi anyway, and they're evidently as big a bunch of eccentrics as she herself was. And she wasn't exactly an evil- doer -- more a misguided idealist." "Noemi's ideals and politics were both -- unique," Magneto said, entering the room. "She believed in attacking institutions rather than individuals, on the theory that if one smashed the chains of oppression, the slaves would realize their freedom and act accordingly. Naive, I suppose, but noble in her way." At the front of our table he halted, gesturing absently toward a freestanding blackboard that rolled obediently forward on metal wheels. "Jessica's mother was my... associate for only a short time. We differed radically in methods, philosophies and goals. Despite this, I admired Firefall for the purity of her beliefs. It's an honor to have her daughter in our class." I sat there, blushing in fury, my eyes downcast. _You must think you sound so noble_, I thought. _What a crock of shit_. Oh what a shame that Magneto wasn't a telepath.... All oblivious to this, Magneto said, "On to the business of this class. First, your problem sets have been reviewed. I am pleased with your grasp of the subject so far. Another problem set has been assigned, due a week from Thursday. On Monday I will hold a special review session covering problems similar to those posed by this set. The time will be posted." I'd remembered to bring a notebook down from my room, it was one of the gifts the Mutant Welcome Wagon had brought. I started writing as Magneto said, "Today we will continue our exploration of the properties of the electron...," and I didn't stop writing for another hour or so. Magneto isn't a natural born teacher; but that doesn't mean he is a bad one. He worked very hard at getting difficult material across to his students, constantly questioning their understanding to check their comprehension. Another plus was his genuine enthusiasm for the subject; he'd actually smile when one of the students made a connection to the lesson. I take shorthand so I was free to observe the lesson and its teacher while my hands were in automatic note-taking mode. Another observation about Magneto; when he's emotional, he 'talks' with his hands. Those gestures that look so artificial or overstated in photographs are actually rather flowing and natural in person. We were saved by the proverbial bell, actually a flashing light. As the Master of Magnetism was settling into an intense discussion of valences, a light lit up on the library phone. He finished his sentence and walked over to the phone -- evidently he could catch and suppress the jangle of the ringing bell. He said hello, and then told us he would take the call in his study. "You may as well take a break," he said and strolled out. After he was gone, Sam said with a sigh, "Y'know, Ah thought Ah was smart before Ah came to this school." I said, "Oh, it's not your fault. The man probably has pet electrons." Sam smiled. "What have you been scribbling all this while?" Doug said. "Your life history?" He leaned over and grabbed my notebook. "Uh," I said, feeling a little embarrassed. I reminded myself this wasn't Public High School Number 45 in Cincinnati; I didn't have to conceal my abilities to get along with my fellow students. "I take shorthand...." "Neat. You got just about every word," he said. "It'll be easier when I understand what he's talking about -- I was just trying to get it down so I can go back over it later." "You write funny," said Doug. "What I mean is, you write backward." I was this close to blushing. "Only every other line," I said. "It's quicker and I don't have to skip my hand back to the start of the next line." "Backwards?" said Dani. "Mother didn't care which direction I wrote in as long as the stuff I wrote for other people could be read. I'm ambidextrous, and I guess my brain must be wired up differently. Or maybe I just got in the habit when I was real small." "I should like to learn this 'shorthand,'" said Amara, looking at the notebook. "It seems very efficient." "Oh, it is," I said. "It's also real simple, you just have to practice enough. I'll show you the basics if you want, when I have time." Sam sighed. "Oh, that's nothing," I said. I was in a mood to show off. I got up and went to the blackboard, picked up two pieces of chalk, one for each hand, and mirror wrote "Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters is full of weirdoes," wrapping it down when I came to the end of my arm's reach and finishing with a calligraphic flourish. "There was a vice president who could write Greek with one hand while he wrote Latin with the other." "A president," said Magneto behind me, "Garfield." I spun around, my face blushing red. The Master of Magnetism regarded me and the blackboard with a faint smile. "Very interesting, Jessica," he said. "But as it is not germane to the subject of physics, you will be so kind as to erase the blackboard and return to your seat." I did so; and I hardly dared raise my eyes from my notebook for the rest of the lesson. Magneto didn't seem to pay any more notice to me and I was vaguely grateful for it. When at last he said, "And that concludes our lesson for today, young ladies and gentlemen," I closed my notebook with a snap and stood up, only to realize I was the only one who had done so. "Ah, Jessica," said Magneto, "Stevie will take you shopping for necessities at four o'clock. You may spend your time as you wish until then." I nodded, cursing myself for being struck dumb every time the man _looked_ at me. The class had taken two hours, I had just about an hour to kill. I went up to my room to set it to rights; it was clean but not up to my standards. When I dust I really dust, even light fixtures and the tops of doors. Then there were all the new clothes to put away; I had to arrange my closet and drawers properly. Actually, it wasn't very much work, as there wasn't much to arrange with. I had just finished when there was a knock at the door. I went and unlocked it, blessing whoever had decided the students could have real privacy. Dani was there with a wad of hard copy and xeroxes in her hands. "I made copies of everything for you, Jes'," she said with a smile. "Somehow it feels like we're getting off to a bad start, and I don't want that to happen." "That's okay, it's probably me anyway," I said, thinking miserably, _There's no probably about it._ "Maybe we can start going over some stuff before the movie," she said. "If I finish my project this afternoon, I'll have the time free." "Thanks," I said. "It looks like this course will be a real bear, and I'd better get a good start on it." "You know, your room looks pretty bare," said Dani. "I've got some old posters in my room, and I think Illyana has some, too. Would you like to take a look at them?" We cruised by her room and Illyana's. The posters were mostly last year's idols, unicorns and stuff like that. Illyana's mostly featured satanic rock groups. Her absent roommate had better taste in posters, but I didn't want to borrow any without permission. I politely refused everything except one little poster of a kitten clinging to a branch for dear life -- "Hang in there, Kiddo," said the caption. It felt appropriate. That nearly used up my "free" hour. I went back to my room, tacked up the poster, got out my new coat, and my old purse and made it down to the front porch in plenty of time to meet Stevie. I was sitting on the stoop looking up at the clear October sky when Sam came out, carrying a soccer ball under his arm. "Howdy," he said when he noticed me. "I didn't figure you for a football player, Sam," I said. "Baseball or maybe basketball." "Bobby got me started," he said. "Said if he had to learn baseball, I had to learn 'football.' Decided I'd go and practice today, kind of like a pledge that I'm waiting for him to return." "He and Warlock are the students that disappeared, right?" I said. "Yes, and it's practically all my fault. Bobby thought he'd hurt me real bad, so he left this real dramatic note about how he was sure he was doomed to be an evil mutant -- well, shoot, I could have told him he wasn't. Evidently, Warlock went after him, and we haven't heard from either since. Magneto asked friends of ours to look for them, but no word so far. He did try to search with Cerebro -- which he's jury- rigged together, not being a proper telepath like Professor X or Psylocke -- but all he located was a weird signal upstate that he said wasn't similar enough to Bobby to warrant checking out. Dani disagreed, held a war council among us kids and we voted to go look anyway." "I guess your bad luck was my good luck, then," I said. "Seems so. Well, we got into trouble right away, and it was lucky that Magneto came after us and pulled our -- uh, and rescued us." I smiled at Sam, he was so cute. And tall enough. "It's nice to see a student at this school who practices promptness," said Stevie, coming out onto the porch. "You're going to throw Magnus off his precious schedule, though. He's gotten so used to people being late all the time he's built extra time in to accommodate it." "Hi Stevie," said Sam. "Guess I'll get going." As he kicked the soccer ball away over the lawn, Stevie and I walked to her little Saab parked in front of the garage. "I hope you're in the mood to shop," said Stevie, "because we have your basic blank check to spend here." "What fun," I started to say and glanced in curiosity at the open door of the garage. "What the hell?" I said, walking over to inspect the pink monstrosity parked in there. It was a sort of overgrown stockcar, monster engine, chrome pipes extended along the sides, the whole nine yards of muscle carhood. "Sam and Dani's car," Stevie said with a giggle. "Of course, it didn't start out looking this way." On the drive over to the mall, she explained that earlier in the year when Sam and Dani had started taking outside college classes, Sam had approached Magneto for permission to keep a car on campus. "Magnus thought it was a good idea, and offered to buy Sam a car. Well, Sam acted like he thought Magnus was out to buy his soul instead. Sam's from country folk, poor but proud, and Magnus didn't understand what it sounded like to him." "Anyway, once it had been determined the school wasn't going to purchase any cars for anybody -- I know Dani would have loved to ask for a red sports car, but I guess she felt she had to stick by Sam -- Sam and Dani went ahead with Plan A, where they pooled their money and bought an old clunker." "Which didn't run that reliably. About a week later, Sam's out in the garage trying to troubleshoot when Magnus wanders by. Now, that man may have his faults, but he is magic with machines, so he offers to help Sam with the car. 'An exercise in practical engineering,' was the phrase, I think. The long and short of it was that Sam called all the shots -- Magnus would make changes per his specifications, no more and no less." "Well for the past three months, they've been changing this, twiddling that, enlarging the engine just a wee bit more -- it was up to ten cylinders the last time I counted." I shook my head and laughed. "Did anybody suggest that getting Magneto to play auto mechanic is like trying to swat a fly with a steam shovel?" Stevie smiled. "The thing to remember about Magnus is he's spent so much time away from normal society that he's forgotten a lot about getting along with people. You have to be willing to give him that extra yard or so. There's a nice person somewhere under all that ... bullshit." I snorted. "I'm serious, girl," she said. "I was skeptical when he first showed up at the school -- I went to Charles and threatened to resign! But Charles reminded me that the purpose of the X-Men and the school was to promote cooperation between mutants and humans -- and cooperation sometimes means getting your enemies to become your friends, to forgive their trespasses. As time's gone by here, I'm convinced he was right." I watched the countryside go by. "Stevie," I said, "I was surprised as anything to find Magneto working hand in hand with ... humans." She smiled at my hesitation. "Listen, I don't buy into this mutants versus humans crapola," I said. "Mutants _are_ human! With very small genetic difference, true -- " "You're preaching to the converted, kiddo," she said. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm black -- another _very small_ genetic difference! If you listen to right-thinking people, we should both be counted equally human. I guess that's one of the reasons I'm still with the school -- I can see the parallel to the civil rights movement. And then there's you poor kids -- who's going to protect you and keep you if we don't -- the White Queen and her Hellions? _X-Factor_? The Marauders? Freedom Force? Magnus can physically protect you, it's true -- but he needs help with the rest. He's trying, but he has a good ways to go, too. Just give him a chance -- I've seen the way you look at him." "Now turn around," Stevie Hunter said as I modeled a beautiful white party dress for her. It had three-quarter- length lace sleeves and this huge bouffant skirt that came down past my knees. Stevie was fun incarnate; she soon had had me shopping with gusto. Usually I just give up and buy whatever fits, because I'm so tall I can only find a few things. But there was a tall girls shop at the mall that Stevie had taken Storm to before, and soon enough we'd been up to here in boots and shoes, underwear and other things. "You're kidding," I said, when we went into a fancy dress shop. "Don't look a gift blank check in the mouth, kiddo," she answered. "The students at Xavier's go to formal dances, and you get to be as nicely dressed as any of the other students. Enjoy." We bought a lot of things I would never have on my own. Stevie even had me trying on mini-skirts. "You're as tall as most models they design for," she'd argued. "You can look good in clothes short people should never think of." I had to admit the things she had me try on were neat. By the time we were back at the school I was in glowing good humor. Not even sitting down at the dinner table with Magneto and the New Mutants did much to diminish it. I was surprised to see the Master of Magnetism joining the students and staff for dinner, but was told that was standard operating procedure -- often the X-Men did so as well when they were around, but they were off on some mission just now. It was Rahne and Dani's turn to cook -- the students rotated kitchen duty for the main meal. I just sat at the end opposite Magneto and listened. He mostly busied himself discussing current events with Sam and whoever else decided to join in. It reminded me how out of it I'd gotten -- it must have been nearly a week since I'd read a newspaper. I was surprised by the depth of Magneto's understanding of the current political situation in the U. S.. Evidently he does nothing by halves. After, I pitched in with the other students to clean up the kitchen and get the dishes done. At seven, Dani and I held a rather pain-free tutoring session up in her room. Actually, we spent most of it showing me the computer system and talking about schools we'd gone to and stuff like that. At eight we went down to the living room where the other kids where the other kids were gathering. It was a movie I wasn't really interested in -- "Return of the Jedi" -- but I went down anyhow, bringing my physics text with me. I figured I could be social and get something accomplished at the same time. I should have known I was doomed to failure when a big red dog jumped up on the sofa beside me. "Oh, whose doggie?" I said, holding out my hand for a sniff. The dog -- which come to think of it looked more like a wolf all the time -- glared at me with baleful green eyes. "Ah, c'mon, buppy," I baby- talked to it, "Jessie not gonna hurtums." Beside me on the floor, Illyana went into hysterical whoops. "What is it?" I said, looking down at her with hauteur. "That's Rahne!" she choked out between giggles. I looked back to the sofa and Rahne was seated beside me, in the act of straightening her skirt, while she glared at me with the same expression the dog had used. I held on to my composure for a minute, then I broke out laughing. "That's really neat," I finally gasped out. "Some people don't know the difference 'tween a dog and a wolf," she sniffed, but I was too busy losing it to answer. "Do you mind?" said Amara, draping herself over a chaise lounge in front of the TV. "The movie is beginning." I sobered up and opened my book, but I couldn't ignore the movie all that well. For one thing, my fellow mutants practiced back-talking the movie. Despite my best intentions I was drawn into watching the dreadful thing with them. During the first commercial break I tried to get Sam to tell me what had happened in the second movie. "You mean you _never bothered_ to see 'Empire?'" he said. "Well, I didn't think that much of the first movie," I said. "'Twas a _wonderful_ movie," Rahne commented. "No, it was very silly. All those telekinetics using swords when they could have been using 'The Force' (I made a gagging sound.) to blow each other's heads off." "Ooh, you have the awfullest imagination," said Rahne. "Shush, the movie's coming back on," said Amara. "Jessica is right, the plot has some silly holes in it, but it's still fun." I watched some more, my disbelief growing. During the next break Sam said, "But what if the Jedi have some sort of personal force field that keeps them from directly attacking each other?" "Aside from the fact that the movie never mentions it," I said. "If they can pick up space ships and suchlike, why not collapse the building on their foe?" "Hmm -- would make for a short movie," said Sam. "I think you hit upon it," said Doug, who'd come late. "If it worked that way, Darth would have won in the first movie." "You're all awful," said Rahne, but she didn't really sound upset. The movie climbed towards its unbelievable climax, Ewoks and all. I'd missed the explanation of the plot of the second movie so Darth's identity came as a complete surprise to me. I made sounds of disbelief. Doug and I ended up whispering back and forth during the rest of the movie. "God, that has to be the stupidest ending of all time," I said as the credits played. "Och, ye have no heart," said Rahne. "But the honor of his house was restored," commented Amara. "Surely this is not a bad ending to a noble tale?" "Oh sure," I said. "'Hey, Dad -- it's okay you devastated all those planets!' Like being sorry makes up for all of it." I caught Illyana giving me a sidelong speculative look. I headed up for my bed along with several of my 'fellow students.' Under other circumstances I'd have been so happy to go to a school like this. I wouldn't have to hide my differences or my powers -- I wouldn't even have to act dumber than I was in order to get on with the other students. We were supposed to excel. Mother would have approved. Surprisingly, I slept well. Breakfast was set to start at eight and I made it down in the first wave of students. Sharon had left oatmeal on the stove, eggs and bacon ready for cooking, and cereal and buns on the table. I headed for the coffee, perking away merrily. "Couldya (mumble)," Doug said indistinctly behind me. I turned and looked at him. Sam was sitting next to Doug and he smiled at the bleary eyed kid. "Ah think he wants coffee. Don't worry -- he's always like this in the morning." "Oh, one of those coffee-powered mutants," I said. I poured two cups of coffee, put one in front of him. "Watch it -- hot," I said, and drank mine black. I'd just finished a big swig when Doug let out a yelp. "Hot!" he gasped, spraying coffee all over the place. He grabbed the carton of milk and took a mouthful, started choking on that. "Oh shit," I said, which earned me a baleful look from Rahne, seated primly at the end of the table, oatmeal in front of her. "Sorry, Dougie -- I _said_ it was hot." "S'okay," he gasped. Sam pounded him on the back a little more. "Oh well, he needed to wake up sooner or later," said Sam. "I'm so sorry," I said again. "I thought you knew it was perking hot." "You took a drink -- didn't think it was _that_ hot," said Doug. He did look more awake. "It's my power," I said miserably. "I'm fireproof -- remember?" "Internal, too?" said Sam. "Yeah," I said. "I like _hot_ food -- it tastes better. I'm sorry, Doug -- I can usually remember not to hand something hot to someone, but I thought you knew how hot the coffee was." "It's okay, already," he said. "My own fault for being asleep." "Don't get so tore up," said Sam. I guess I must have looked pretty upset. "We'll get used to you and your power. And that'll be the last time Doug gulps his coffee without checking the temperature." I finished my coffee and sat at the table a few minutes, contemplating my life over the past two years. I'd been so good -- never heating up my food properly when people were around, because it would upset them. And all the other things I like to do and always avoided. Well, maybe the New Mutants could get used to me. If they didn't blink at Magneto passing himself the silver salt shaker across the dinner table they could damn well accept my little eccentricities. So I properly heated a bowl of oatmeal in the microwave until it was bubbling hot. I'd added honey and was just digging in when I heard someone enter the kitchen. I turned and found myself looking directly into the chest of the Master of Magnetism. "Good morning, Jessica," he said, as though I'd hardly cringed at all. He was dressed in that dark hot pink costume that left his arms bare. It was skin tight across the chest, you could see his well-developed muscles quiver as he breathed. Standing at ease looking down at us, he was younger and sexier than I'd have ever thought possible. "Is Sharon about?" he said. "I think she's seeing to the laundry, sir," Sam said. Magneto poured himself some coffee -- it had cooled somewhat by now -- and sat at the table across from me, eating a bran muffin while he read the _New York Times_. I pretended to be interested in my oatmeal but my mind was racing. At length I cleared my throat. "Uh, Magneto," I said. I know, it was a brilliant opening, wasn't it? My repartee these days was just fabulous. At the sound of my voice he looked up mildly, his silver-white eyebrows raising slightly. "About my Danger Room session tomorrow..." I said. "Yes, what about it?" he said, when I didn't continue my sentence. "...Could I use a rifle?" I said. He looked thoughtful. "I have no objection," he said. "You have the ability to make use of the weapon. Of course, the hazard level of the run will be accordingly adjusted." "Okay," I said. "The purpose of Danger Room training sessions is to provide the students with a challenge equal to their powers and skills. A challenge, not an impossible situation, or a... 'cakewalk.' If you enter the room weaponless, the challenge would be appropriately adjusted. If you wish to employ a rifle, I'll program appropriate... targets to use it on." "Okay," I said, and to myself I said _There you are getting yourself in deeper...._ Magneto returned to his paper with the air of a captain of industry surveying his troops. Peripherally I watched his eyes flicker over the columns. Either he was merely skimming or an incredibly quick reader. Considering his masterful command of current events at the dinner table, it was probably the latter. "Hello Magneto!" Illyana cheerfully sang out as she walked into the kitchen. She was dressed in a black turtleneck sweater and a red miniskirt with black tights and shiny red boots. And her long blonde hair hanging straightly around her shoulders. "Oh my," she said, sicky sweet. "You look like you're going somewhere today!" He gazed at her, a slight smile curving his lips. "How observant of you, Illyana Nikolaevna," he said in that smooth baritone. "Would that you applied that same diligence to your studies." Illyana didn't quite prance to her seat at the breakfast table, but it was close. "So you're going to be gone this afternoon?" she said, picking up a Danish as though to inspect it for insects. "I expect so," said Magneto, folding the _Times_ and carrying his dishes to the sink. "However, this does not excuse you from the completion of your project this afternoon. As our algebra class is postponed, you should experience comparatively little trouble in finishing -- if you diligently employ yourself." Illyana took a disgruntled bite of the Danish and glared at Magneto's back. He walked to the door and paused. "Don't look so upset, Illyana Nikolaevna," he said. "In the modern slang parlance, 'you lucked out.' If it weren't for the fact that the earlier class has been canceled, you wouldn't have a hope of finishing on time -- I did notice you in front of the television last night when you might have worked." "It'll get done," Illyana said around a mouthful of pastry. "I look forward to reviewing it," said Magneto. "You made a promising start, do follow up." He looked at the rest of us. "Sam, please inform Sharon I am unsure as to what time I shall return today. On no account should dinner be held for me. -- Although I would not turn down leftovers, if I am delayed." Nodding to us, he exited through the kitchen door. Through the half-curtained window I could see him rise in a nimbus of bluish light and streak off towards the west. In the silence that followed Illyana said, "Bet you anything he's off to see Lee Forester -- he always wears those cute skin tight outfits when he's visiting her. "That's his girlfriend, isn't it?" said Sam. My mind boggled at the thought. "Sort of -- they're kind of quits now," said Illyana. "If you want, we could drop in on Limbo and call up a scrying pool -- maybe we'll find out why men call him Magneto and women call him anytime...." "Illyana! That's na' respectful!" said Rahne. The girl just shrugged and I had to repress a giggle. "Need any help on that project?" said Doug. "Nah -- it's done, I pulled an all-nighter," she said. "I just came down for a snack before I head to bed. But I'm not e-mailing the project until one minute before deadline. I don't want expectations raised any higher than they are right now." "He's onto you, y'know," Sam said. "Oh, I _know_," she said. "But it's more fun this way. Besides, if I cooperated, I'd end up having to _work_ in the tough classes with you guys." Sam rolled his eyes heavenward. "You just do it to get attention," said Rahne. "T'wouldn't be half so much fun if he didna fuss about it." "If I'm going to have to put up with it for the next year and a half, it might as well be _fun_," said Illyana, more than half seriously. "I mean, if it isn't fun, there isn't any point." "Have you thought about what you're going to do after you graduate?" said Sam. "Oh, I don't know," she said, leaning back in her chair dramatically. "Become an actress, or a superheroine, or maybe just travel around a lot -- anything but classes." Sam snorted. "Maybe I'll marry a rich man and let him support me in comfort," she added. "You could always put Federal Express out of business," said Doug. "'When it absolutely, positively, has to be there -- yesterday.'" * * * Wednesday passed by, quickly and pleasantly. In the morning I met Stevie in the gym for my 'physical.' It was mostly designed to make sure I was recovered from my injuries. Stevie made extra sure my shoulders were okay. "The Morlock Healer can do such wonders," she said. "I wish he'd been around when I busted up my knee." "Why can't he do something now?" I said. "His power is no good if the injury's healed up. He says he makes the body want to go the way it remembers -- and if the body is used to a certain state, that's what you get." She shrugged, "At any rate, my knee is good enough for everyday use -- just not reliable enough for professional dancing. All things considered, I'm ...satisfied." I finished the physical by demonstrating some katas for her. With a layoff of nearly a week I felt a little rusty, but after my blood got flowing in the first one, I was back in the groove, striking and blocking and kicking at imaginary opponents as I stepped about the prescribed pattern. Stevie applauded as I bowed to her after the last kata. "Oh, it wasn't that great," I said. "My breathing was off-center during the last one, that's one of the reasons I'm still only 7th degree." "Looked perfect to me," said Stevie. "Technically, it's okay," I said. "Most masters wouldn't fault me on how hard or fast I'm striking, but on the concentration and relaxation that's at the center of how I'm performing. The upper degrees really are spiritual advancements." I shrugged. "So anyway, did I pass the audition?" "With flying colors," Stevie said. "You're eager for the run, aren't you?" "I like testing myself," I said. True enough. "And it's sort of like getting back on the damn horse." "Magnus said much the same thing," Stevie commented, putting away equipment. "'With her background, Jessica should never have allowed herself to be captured.'" "That wasn't fair," I snapped. "They _said_ they were FBI and I didn't have much choice if I wanted to keep a clean record." "Well, evidently _he_ thinks you were foolish to even talk to them. I'm not agreeing with him, Jessica, just reporting what he said. I guess that's why he's so insistent you join training sessions." _He may be onto me_, I thought to myself. But there was no way he could prove anything if I refused to cooperate. And it was only a month, after all. * * * The rest of the day passed uneventfully. I went down to the armory and chose a rifle to use, then went target and trap shooting. Almost a year since the last time I'd competed, but I was still pretty good, at least enough to go ahead with the run. I put the rifle aside for cleaning and started going over the physics text and Dani's class notes. They were as unorganized as her room; I worked on recopying them so they made sense. If Rahne hadn't tapped on my door at six I would have studied straight through dinner. "I haven't seen you all day," she said shyly. "You are na' so sociable?" "Oh, no," I said. "It's just that I have so much to catch up on." "Don't let him push ye too hard," she said. "He means well but he doesna know when to gie it a rest." Rahne was so petite I could scarcely imagine her standing up to Magneto, but then you never know about small women. I smiled to myself and followed her downstairs. As advertised, Magneto did not show for dinner, which was fine by me. I joined in the banter, began to really relax with my fellow students. I even made a couple of jokes -- it felt like something that had frozen when The Right had grabbed me was finally thawing out. The kids were certainly doing their part to be friendly and supportive. I volunteered to help Sam in the kitchen with cleanup. It wasn't so bad; there was an industrial strength dishwasher for pots and dishes. Sam headed upstairs for some studying; I went to the living room and relaxed by watching Jeopardy. I won about $3000; there was a category about TV sitcoms and another about Saturday morning cartoons; I may sound American but I spent my formative years trooping around Europe -- I'm missing whole sections of American culture. As 8:00 rolled around my fellow students started appearing. I gave up my comfy chair and brought the rifle down and cleaned it on top of the coffee table sitting cross-legged on the floor while _Cosby_ played. I'd finished the job and was putting the last piece back into place when Doug walked in. "Whoa!" he said. "Gun in the living room!" "_Rifle_, dummy," I said, practicing loading and unloading empty cartridges. "Yeah, but it's still a gun," he said, sprawling into a deep chair. "Makes me kind of nervous." "Yankees," said Sam, "just aren't used to guns." "Really, Doug," said Dani. "In hunting season my Dad would always clean his rifle in the living room like Jes'." "It's just a _little_ rifle, anyway," I said. "Not an elephant gun or an automatic. You could survive being shot by this if it didn't hit something vital." "Oh, I'm sure _relieved_," said Doug. "My family just didn't keep deadly weapons lying around the house, okay?" "I take exception to that," I said, not in an angry way. "First, it's not just lying around. I know how to take care of deadly weapons; I wouldn't leave this lying about and I'd damn well not leave ammunition in it or the safety off." "Secondly," I continued. "There's at least one person in this room who could kill you with nothing more than a thought, so why are you so upset over a little gun?" Amara shifted uncomfortably on the sofa. "It's true," she said, "But I would never hurt a dear friend." "And I'm no more likely to fire on you," I said. "The thing is, you're around people everyday who could trivially hurt or maim you and here you are freaking out." "Well, when you put it that way..." Doug said, and shrugged. "I mean, I _know_ Amara wouldn't fry me, and you probably wouldn't shoot unless I made a really awful joke," I smiled at this, "but it's still a gun -- and that's kind of impersonal, and deadly. My dad helped draft New York's gun control law, it's just not the kind of thing we'd keep around the house." I sighed. "That's kind of the whole controversy about mutants and people with extra-human abilities in a nutshell. God only knows how the Bureau of Firearms and Alcohol would license Amara. Here's somebody deadlier than a dozen machine guns walking around loose. For that matter, I bet the FAA would really be _thrilled_ with Sam or Brightwind." "And any number of countries' Immigration people would just _love_ me," said Illyana. In front of us the TV droned on, but nobody was watching now. We were all quiet for a moment. "I wonder how much anti-mutant feeling the government tolerates," said Dani, "because the government is very uncomfortable about dealing with extra-human abilities." "It's something they're going to have to get used to," I said, "because extra-human abilities keep getting more common." "There's a big controversy about what rate mutants are cropping up at," said Sam. "Estimates vary all over the place. As high as 10 in 100,000 births, but nobody's really sure, 'cause mutancy isn't something a lot of people want to advertise." "And who could blame them?" I said. "I got plenty sick of playing pet mutant kid at the hospital." "I guess you're the only one of us who's been public," said Dani. "Oh, it's real fun when people start demonstrating in front of the hospital, or avoid you in the corridors," I said. "For the most part, the medical personnel were pretty level- headed, although they kept bringing family and friends by to see me drinking boiling water or stick my hand in the Bunsen burner. But I wonder if they would have been so supportive if they thought my mutant power could be used to hurt people." "But you wouldn't hurt people even if you could," Rahne piped up. "Why do people na' understand this?" "Biggest question of our time, Furtop," said Sam. "That's what 'mutant hysteria' is all about." "Oh, it's not just that," said Dani. "It's the future of the human race. Eugenics. Cro Magnon man supplanting Neanderthals. Homo Superior." I groaned. "What is it?" she said. "I hate this 'Homo Superior' scheiss. It's vicious racist nonsense," I said. "I'll believe it's a race when mutants have reproduced more than one generation. Mutant powers aren't even necessarily inheritable." "The genes for them are, though they aren't always expressed," said Sam. "_Somebody's_ been paying attention in biology class," said Doug. "It's interesting -- and pertinent," said Sam. "I might not call us a race, yet. But I'd certainly say we can be considered an oppressed minority group." "Yeah, one with power -- lots of it," said Doug. "Most mutants don't have really useful powers," said Sam. "We're the exceptions, which makes us valuable, or dangerous -- or both -- to the right people." "Yeah, the White Queen and the Hellfire Club would just love us to work for them," said Dani. "Technically, since Magneto's a member, we're already part of the Hellfire Club," said Illyana. "And then there's always 'Freedom Force." Rahne threw a pillow at her, which vanished in a small white disk of light." "How come there's always so many bad choices?" said Doug. "And so few good ones?" "Ah can just imagine what the Avengers would say if Ah showed up at their door and asked to join," said Sam. "After they finished laughing themselves sick," said Illyana. "Do be serious," said Amara. She bit her lip, said, "It's to learn control and responsibility for our various powers that we are here at this school. As with any potential weapon, it is the wielder, not the weapon that determines how deadly its use shall be." "Translation:," said Doug. "'Guns don't kill people, mutants kill people.'" That got several pillows thrown at him, including one from yours truly. The conversation devolved from there and we went back to watching TV after Doug had been thoroughly suppressed. After 'Cheers' ended I headed up to my room. Crossing the darkened foyer to the stairs I was surprised to see the door to Magneto's office open and the Big M himself standing there. "Hello Jessica," he said, "I was about to seek you out." He must have just returned from his day trip; he still had the pink bodysuit and cape on, his white hair just slightly mussed from the wind. I stopped and stared at him -- popping out of doors and scaring decent people. "I was able to retrieve something for you," he said, meeting my gaze. I was so locked in a staring contest with him that I was quite startled when something moved in my peripheral vision. I turned and saw two objects moving towards me in a nimbus of hazy white light. I said something truly intelligent like "Yow" or "Yikes" and jumped back. "Jessica," said Magneto behind me, walking up. I spun at the sound of his voice. "Don't you have anything better to do than startle people?" I snapped. He looked at me blankly. "I apologize," he said. "I did not stop to think how using my power in front of someone unused to it might be unnerving. My magnetism is truly second-nature to me, I... forget how it must appear to others." As was standard in Magneto-Jessica confrontations, I was now blushing furiously. "Sorry, I was startled," I said. He reached out a hand as thought to touch me on the shoulder, thought better of it. "I retrieved your possessions from the boarding house in Pittsburgh." "My _stuff_!" I said. Indeed it was my pack and my suitcase that had been left behind when I'd been snatched. Running away had meant taking only irreplaceable mementos. What with Noemi burning down all the houses we'd lived in, I didn't have much, but what I had I cherished. I pulled open the pack, my old teddy bear "Mr. Toad" was right on top. "I trust I gathered up everything in your room," said Magneto. "Thank you," I said grudgingly, inwardly raging at the thought of his hands on Mr. Toad. Why oh why couldn't Magneto be a decent villain and stop trying to act nice to me? "My pleasure," he said. I looked up, he had a small smile on his lips that melted away like the memory of last winter's snow. "You shall have an interesting day tomorrow -- I counsel rest," he said. "I guess I'll take these upstairs," I said, suiting action to words. At the base of the stairs I looked back. He was still gazing at me, with something like a look of sadness in his eyes. I told myself I was just imagining it. "Uh, thanks again," I said, and fled (at a sedate pace) up to my room. * * * I wish I could say I slept well, but I tossed and turned for quite a bit. I gave it up and read for a time from one of the books that had been in my suitcase. They rested now in a place of honor on my bookshelves -- suppressed, irreplaceable copies of Zenna Henderson's "People" stories, _Slan_ by Van Vogt, _The Demolished Man_ by Alfred Bester. I skipped over those in favor of a copy of _Mary Poppins_ that Mother had given me on my twelfth birthday. "To my own little Mary Poppins," Noemi had written on the fly-leaf, "for she is practically perfect." It had always been a private joke for us. I read myself to sleep, and woke up in the morning with my cheek resting on the book. Breakfast went by in a flash and all too soon I was down in the girl's locker room, donning a black and yellow "killer bee" costume. Stevie had taken my measurements the day before, there was evidently some fiendish Shi'ar machine that could spew out costumes by the boxfull. I regarded myself dolefully in the mirror. Yellow and black were not my colors, and my legs looked like they went on forever. "Ye look so tall and elegant," said Rahne standing next to me. "Well, I wish I felt that way," I said. "You want to trade, let me know anytime." "I only wish," she said. "When I was twelve I was already 5' 8", and I thought that was horrible. And by the time I'd turned fifteen I'd grown another three inches!" "Bet you felt like a freak," said Illyana, putting her boots on next. "At least Noemi was tall. But on her it looked good," I said. I decided I wasn't scared, just nervous as we walked down to the Danger Room. Sam was already being tested, it involved a series of hoops to fly through, pylons to avoid and walls to crash through. I couldn't avoid cringing when he did the last, even though I had been assured he was for all purposes invulnerable when blasting.. Next up was Illyana, then Rahne, then Dani, then me. I was to go last, in a session not totally unlike Dani's. In the meantime I got to observe Magneto observing the sessions. For once he wasn't in a business suit or a supervillain costume; his clothing was something like a purple track suit. All he needed was a baseball cap, a stop watch and a whistle to become The Football Coach >From Hell. He paid no attention to us except to remind Dani and me to get down to the Ready Room in plenty of time for our runs. Stevie was seated in the other control chair keeping track of physiological telemetry; she smiled and gave me thumbs up. "Don't worry about succeeding the first time," Dani said to me on the way down. "Hardly anyone does it -- I got so scared I ran off." "Well, that's reassuring," I muttered. Doug was watching the monitor down in the Ready Room along with Rahne who was awaiting her turn. "Hallo the conquering heroines," he said as we walked in. Illyana's run consisted of her teleporting around a lot, trying to gather pieces of things while various explosions, laser beams and the like went off randomly. As Rahne went out on her run, my excitement grew. Doug must have noticed; he came over to where Dani and I and an out of breath Illyana were sitting and said, "You know, if Jes' is going to join the team she'll need a code name." God help me, I'd never considered needing a superhero- type name. "Good Lord!" I said. "Too confusing," he said straight-faced. "'Good Lord - - Duck!' 'You face the wrath of Good Lord!' Just doesn't sound right." "Get serious, meathead," I said. "Too long," he said. "You need something snappy." "From the way she's looking at you, you're going to get something snapped if you don't shut up," said Dani. I merely glared. Dani slapped me five as she left. "Just watch me -- your run won't be too different," she said and the door closed behind her. While we watched her dodge man-sized robots and other hazards, Doug started briefing me on what he'd learned of Magneto's modification of Dani's run. Mr. Magnetism had added some relatively slow moving drone rockets, some fire-traps. "Watch out for trapdoors, that' usually what gets Dani," he added. "Another trick is putting up fake Control Room windows when you're not paying attention, so you get screwed up in what direction 'out' is. The trick to handling that is to see if the people in the window are actually looking at you or another place on the floor." "Okay," I said, watching Dani dodge and kick a robot into a spike-filled pit. "Anything that can hurt you is totally fake," he said. "At least on a first run -- keep that in mind and it'll be more fun." Dani finished her run. I picked up my rifle, practiced loading and unloading it one more time. I felt like a thoroughbred in a starting gate. "I just figured out who you remind me of," said Illyana out of the blue. "Sigourney Weaver in 'Aliens.'" "Oh really?" I said. "But she's so much prettier." Dani came through the door, tired but triumphant. She held it open for me with a smile. I took a step forward. "Damn," I said. "I could have asked for a flame thrower!" I walked through the door to the sound of my teammate's laughter. "Please proceed to the far side of the Danger Room, Jessica," Magneto's voice filled the air like a proclamation from God. "I would remind you that this session will be a test of _all_ of your abilities." The adrenaline really hit when he said "all." The way he said it -- _Oh shit_, I thought, my heart leaping, _He_ is _onto me_. * * * .