msmoon | Taking another dive (Reply)

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Productive

Here’s another story post for you. This one’s the fist chapter of an X-men ficcy thing I’m doing. Hope ya like it.

Fandom: X-men (the movie)
Title: Different from Me
Chapter: Prologue: They have Children too
Rating: PG
Warnings: None...I don’t think...
Wordcount: 3,058
Disclaimers: I do not own X-men. The nice people at Marvel do. However, all the characters that you don't recognize from the X-men universe are MINE. All concepts of the races that I use are copyrighted to me, and I will be quite upset if you try to use them. So do us all a favor and don't. Thanks.

Logan ambled outside, heading for a dense area he knew none of the students went near. He respected Xavier, and as such abided by his rules. However, there were times when he just needed to smoke! And now certainly was one of them. Sure, he’d slacked off considerably. With the constant mention of ‘This is a school.’, ‘The students are always watching,’ and ‘You’re a role-model whether you like it or not’ – he’d come quite close to kicking the habit. But, he quiet enjoyed smoking. It provided a necessary sensation that took off the edge of any mounting tension. And with his healing ability, he really didn’t have to worry about lung cancer any time soon. So, he told the ‘instructors’ that he’d find quiet times to sneak off every now and then to smoke so that the students wouldn’t see him. Ororo went all mother-hen on him mentioning something about how that’d just teach the students to sneak off and smoke. He retorted that if it was too much for her, he could just leave. That shut them all up. The truth was that even though he threw chaotic wheels in their gears, they wanted him to stick around. They’d come to rely on him as part of their team, and even though he had plenty of vices he’d brought with him they still wanted him around. And now, with Scott always fawning over Jean, and Ororo and Kurt tentatively ‘getting to know’ each other, it was all he could do not to slam his head against a wall. However, that wasn’t the best solution as he really didn’t know how to plaster the wall back up once he was through.

He took the first puff from the cigar and slowly inhaled and exhaled, letting the sensation span through his lungs. Just that simple act had a relaxing affect. The mansion had been like a pot of soup left on its own too long. But after Operation: Wide Awake, it’d been like someone stuck a ladle in a started stirring with a vengeance. Since the attack on the mansion all the students have shifted their concern from studying their text books to further study of their developing powers. Logan had been surprised to learn that most of the younger students didn’t even have powers yet. The Professor had explained that all the students carried the ‘X’ gene, however, not all had hit the years in which that gene would show itself.

He was almost ready to turn back towards the mansion when he heard a distinctively girly giggle. He took in a few quick sniffs, ignoring the nicotine scent. It was obviously a child hiding in the brush no less, but the scent wasn’t any he recognized from the mansion...Still, the school was enormous.

“Alright.” He drawled to the bush. “You’ve snuck up on old ‘Professor Logan’.” He announced, using the sarcastic nickname that had stuck, and was still an on-going joke. “Now, come on outta there.” The bush rustled as he began walking around it. ‘Little snip’s keepin’ the bush between us...smart kid.’ He thought. “Do not make me come in there.” He ranted gruffly.

Now that he’d virtually set down roots at the institute, the students had come to think of him as a crazy – sometimes cranky – old uncle. What a change, from the volatility dangerous Wolverine, to crazy ol’ Professor Logan. What really bothered him...was that it didn’t really bother him...

He was startled out of his reprieve by another giggle, accompanied with a vise-like grip around his shin. He looked down to find a blue-haired girl who’d fastened her arms and legs around his left leg. The girl didn’t look older than two ... three at the most. The girl looked up at him and as light drifted over her blue eyes he saw violet and red reflect through them Definitely more to this girl than meets the eye... As he began to move, Logan realized quite clearly that even with his abilities, he wasn’t going to get her to let go any time soon.

Logan sighed in relief as he saw Kurt and Ororo through the glass French doors that separated the patio from the kitchen.

“Hello, Logan.” Kurt offered. Logan gave him a nod.

“How young does the Prof. start taking kids in?” he asked, trying to casually approach the large islanded in the center of the room. Ororo gave him a perplexed look.

“Why?” Logan sighed and walked into plain sight, partially dragging his left leg. Ororo chortled at the sight of Wolverine being clung to like a teddy bear. Kurt just grinned.

“Zat’s a new look for you, Logan.” He announced.

“Ha ha.” Logan said blandly. “Now, I’m no expert on nurturing and child care –”

“Ha!”

“– Thank you, Ororo, – but even I know a kid this young shouldn’t be away from its mother. Do you recognize her, Ro? Cuz, I sure don’t.” Ororo’s smile faded slowly like the sun behind the clouds, she cocked her head to the side as her eyebrows knitted into a frown.

“No...I’ve never seen her before...” Logan shifted from one foot to the other in unease. Or as well as he could with a toddler clinging to him. Ororo, Scott, Jean and the Prof knew all of the kids here...

“You think...maybe someone left her here?” Logan asked grimly.

“Who vould do such a zing?” Kurt breathed in shock. At the mere mention of it, Ororo looked as though she may dissolve into tears.

Abruptly, the child grabbed a hold of Logan’s pant leg just above her head and pulled herself up to a standing position. She took mini-steps sideways till she’d turned around in a full circle; as if she only just realized she was in an entirely new environment and had to evaluate her surroundings. When she appeared to be comfortable again, she looked back to Logan. Logan took several steps back, as if reading her mind.

“Oh no. you’re not pullin’ that again, sweetheart.” The child’s eyes doubled in size, turning into bid doey pools. She looked down sticking out her lower lip and giving quite a realistic sniff. Logan swiftly looked to Ororo and Kurt with a slightly panicked ‘whada-I-do!’ expression. Ororo suppressed a smirk, squatting down to the little girl’s level.

“Hi there.” She said gently. “I’m Ororo. What’s your name?” The little girl hesitated a moment still putting slightly.

“Oh pull.” Ororo paused for a moment, putting the two syllables together after she realized that the child was telling her her name.

“Opal?” she asked to clarify. Opal nodded extravagantly, which involved rocking her entire body back and forth. “Do you know your last name?”

“Kay Jew.” Ororo realized quickly that Opal was trying to sound out the word in an attempt to pronounce it correctly...which ensured that she completely botched it. In the case of her first name, the clue had been enough. But for the last...

“Where are your parents, honey?”

“Went to thee Grams...They thaid to thay with Cathi and Mary...but they’re boring...” Opal responded, with a bit more clarity. Ororo realized that she had been nervous and as such a bit more quiet than usual.

“Where are Cathi and Mary?”

Opal blinked and shook her head. “No. Not Cathi...Ca...Ca...” she paused and let out a great breath, looking between all the adults pleadingly. She pursed her lips in determination. “Caassssi.”

“Cassie?” Opal nodded, sagging a little. Another revelation: Opal had troubled with her S’s and spoke with a slight lisp.

“Do you always talk like that?” Logan said before his head caught up with his mouth. Ororo gave him a suitable glare as Opal ducked her eyes in shame.

“Only when I get thcared...”

“Oh, honey!” Ororo said comfortingly as she could. “You don’t need to be scared. No one here will hurt you.” Opal blinked several times as her brow together in confusion.

“No.” she said as if the notion never entered her mind and was quite obvious. “But, Mama will when she finds out I disobeyed...” she announced her tiny shoulder sagging. Ororo smiled a bit when she noticed the little girl’s lisp fade away. “I didn’t even think...” she announced regrettably. “That’s my biggest problem; I never think.” She sighed shaking her head.

“...Hon, how old are you?” Logan asked.

“This many.” She said holding out her hand displaying two chubby digits. “Two.” She verified. The three adults exchanged glances.

“You’re very smart for a girl your age.” Ororo announced.

“...I am?” Ororo nodded and Opal shrugged. “I need to go find Diamond.” She announced as she started out the window as if she only now remembered.

“Who?”

“My brother. We were playin’ hide ‘n’ seek when Professor Logan found my hidin’ spot.” Kurt and Ororo smirked at Logan who cleared his throat uncomfortably. “And I figured, there’d be no way Diamond would find me if I was with him.” She said gesturing to Logan dramatically.

“Genus.” Logan said with a nod.

“But if he finds me here, he’ll start to worry. He worries a-lot.” She said emphatically.

“I see.” Ororo said with a smile. “Is he out there alone?” she asked, now generally concerned. Opal took another glance out the window.

“Maybe...Cassi and Mary might’ve found him...since they’re bound to have noticed we’re gone...”

“Think we should alert zhe Prof?” Kurt asked. Ororo nodded grimly. There were three children out there no one knew about...that classified as a small emergency.

The entire school had been alerted to the situation. The students were told to stay watchful from the mansion, but it was obvious that it was the ‘teachers’ who would be doing the searching.

“We ready to roll?” Logan asked as the instructors assembled near the spot he’d found Opal. The plan was to start there and fan out in search of the others.

“Don’t worry, Opal.” Jean said. “We’ll find your siblings.”

“No you won’t.” Opal announced as if the mere suggestion was ludicrous. Everyone turned to give her a questioning glance.

“Why not?” Ororo asked.

“If you’re unlucky, Cassi may find you; Mary might show herself to you, but you’ll never find them. ‘Specially Diamond. He never talks to or approaches strangers or disobeys...he thinks a lot...” Opal gradually looked more and more crestfallen a she described her brother. She finally announced in quite a bittersweet fashion, “He’s the good one...” Jean smiled sympathetically at her.

“Don’t worry so much...we have our ways.” Opal’s lips thinned in frustration.

“It doesn’t matter that you’re mutants.” She declared. That certainly got everyone’s attention. Everyone had assumed that Opal was at that age where she didn’t understand exactly what a mutant was. That she didn’t know to be afraid. Certainly, she was quite smart for her age, but the idea that she knew what mutants were, and was not afraid of them, was something no one had expected.

“How did you know that we’re mutants?” Logan asked. Opal motioned to Kurt.

“He doesn’t look like any of the Fangs I’ve met, and you are all human.” Everyone exchanged glances.

“...Fangs?” Kurt asked.

“The Fangs...” she said as if it were obvious. “The furry people...with their tails and claws and some are plain furs, and some have stripes and others have spots...You know...”

“Actually, we don’t.” Scott said, and this time received a glare from Ororo and Logan.

“Well, you aren’t anyone I know...and you all seem pretty human. Besides everyone knows this is a school for mutants.” Something in the way she said it made the Professor think.

“Opal?” he asked.

“Yes, Sir?”

“Does that mean that you are not human?” There was a long pause as everyone wait for an answer. “You said you knew we were human, but since Kurt doesn’t look like those you know he must be a mutant...”

“I know.” She said in that high-pitch, innocent-little-girl tone.

“You’re implying that those you know aren’t human, and since you don’t know us yet we don’t all look human we must be mutants.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore.” She replied melancholy.

“Why not?” Opal looked at the adults who, she only now realized, were surrounding her completely. She sighed and looked back to the professor.

“...They’re all watching us.” She said.

“What?” Jean asked. She wasn’t sensing anything telepathically.

“They’re very close now...” Opal continued. Logan’s eyes darted around as he began sniffing. And just like that, as if his senses had been in hibernation, and needed Opal’s warning, he knew.

Snakt!

“She’s right...someone’s here.” He announced.

“Mr. Logan?” Opal began.

“Yeah, darlin’?” she looked at him as if all the weight of the world were on her tiny shoulders.

“...She’s behind you.”

Logan whirled just in time for someone’s heel to land perfectly against his forehead, sending him reeling back. If he’d been a normal human, the blow would’ve cracked his skull...maybe even killed him. As it was, he groaned as the shockwave went down the length of his spine and right down into his toes. He opened his eyes to see a blue blur fly over him. He realized quite quickly (considering his present state) that it was Opal. He jerked upright only to see her disappear into the woods that flanked the mansion.

“Dammit! What hit me?”

“I think it was a girl...” Scott said. Logan did not like the way he said it in the least.

“Professor!” Kitty’s cry came from the other side of the mansion. When they looked her way they saw a great centaur-like creature running into the woods from that side of the mansion.

“I’ll go and see that the students are all right.” He announced. “Jean, stay here, and cast a mental net over our property. You can guide the others.” She nodded as he wheeled away and everyone else gave chase to Opal.

After repeatedly trying to find Opal with her powers, Jean had to inform the team that she couldn’t find anything at all. The professor tried, and even he could not find anyone. The team decided to simply fan out and look for them. It had been a full twenty minutes.

“Kurt, do you hear something?” Ororo asked. Kurt paused and nodded slowly.

“Jah...Sounds like...humming or low singing or sumzing.”

“I can feel the air moving too...” Ororo announced. “This way.” The two slowly proceeded till they discovered the source, and both of them were rendered speechless.

There not 30 feet in front of the, stood a centaur-like creature. However this one was different from any they’d seen in a significant way: she was female and she was carrying children.

Long hair, deep emerald green down to the small of her back. Her face was breathtaking even if slightly exotic. Her eyes were slightly wider in the center, and more slanted than a normal persons, and there was a large emerald orb in the center of her forehead. She wore a dress that had a woven texture of dark green mater for the bodice, and it fanned out to light green as it proceeded down below the waist. The dress wrapped around her neck, the bodice clinging to her human torso tightly, then fanning out to waspy material. As for the horse part of her; her hooves and tail were the same emerald shade as her hair, but her body was white. In her arms were two toddlers, one was Opal the other a little blue-haired boy.

She sang softly; a low resonating sound in a language neither X-man could comprehend. She no doubt used this tone to calm her children, and it was working quite well as both were nearly sleeping.

Kurt motioned father back and Ororo noticed that there were even more children with the woman. Straddling the horse’s back where two young girls; one possibly 14 or 15, the other could be 10. The younger had fair skin, aquamarine hair and eyes and she wore a flowery tank top. Her jeans were faded and had flowered embroidery around the waste and ankles.

The older had coal-black hair and dark blue eyes set into a hard, slightly tanned face. She wore dark jeans, which were tattered and bore holes, though it seemed more from over-use than a fashion statement. She also wore a dark sage-green muscle shirt, showing her shoulders and arms which were as muscled as a teenager could possibly get them.

“Cassi and Mary?” Ororo whispered. Kurt nodded, but tensed.

“Uh oh...” he whispered back. Ororo looked back and saw that ‘Mama’ had spotted them. She didn’t really know what to expect. Perhaps the woman (if you could call her that) would charge at them in an attempt to defend her children...Perhaps she would run away. But what happened was not among the things she suspected. She just stood there...she was staring at them, they were staring back at her. Then the woman’s gaze flickered to their right.

Ororo followed her gaze to find another centaur. This one was male and huge...The horse half of him was solid black; hooves, tail, coat and all. His human torso was wearing a simple navy tunic, and he was muscled enough to give Colossus a run for his money. He had long, ebon-black hair tied back at the nape of his neck, hard chiseled features and deep dark blue eyes set into a tanned face.

It was then that Ororo realized that the centaur-women had no need to take action. If anyone got too close, here was her protector and no doubt, husband. And so, they stood there for a few agonizing minutes before the male carefully began to approach them.

Ororo felt Kurt tense in preparation. She felt his tail slowly curl around her ankle (a strange, yet comforting sensation) and realized he was connecting them. This way he could teleport to safety in a moments notice without leaving her behind. Kurt naturally leaned towards flight when confronted...but lately he waited till he had to give in to that impulse.

Finally, the centaur stopped with a few arm lengths between them. Ororo wasn’t sure if that was for his safety or to put them at ease, though she opted for the latter. He scrutinized the two X-men carefully. She heard him heave a sigh as he looked to his counterpart and back to them.

“...We have much to discuss.” He said at last.