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The banister creaked as a figure leaped off flipping in mid air before sticking the landing. “Show off.” A voice muttered.
Nate grinned, “Ah now I don’t like wing referred to by my middle name.” He winked at the other individual. Nate knew he rubbed people the wrong way from time to time. In his opinion though those who were important knew who he really was.

The other young male stood across from him. He wasn’t trying to get a work out more a light practice. Trying not to get rusty while they were laying low. He knew he was luckier than others. Sure his eyes were almost a transparent white color with a light glow. But that was one of the easier appearances to mask when it came to mutants, pair of sunglasses and he was set.

As he spared with the other he felt the antsy feeling crawling up again. He wanted more than anything to be out there again. Proving he could be part of the team. Make the world a better place. Show how thankful he was to have been found and brought to the school. But Xavier needed them to be careful. They had just escaped near extinction. Sure some typical humans out there were not scared of them but the ones who were scared were louder more dangerous, bent on their destruction.

The two were pretty evenly matched. That was until Nate got distracted. He felt his legs get swept out from under him. The floor stung him when he hit it with a thud. “You just got lucky.” He winced. The other laughed.
“Yeah okay sure.” Nate took the offered hand to help him back up.

[i Nathaniel come to my office] the disembodied voice sounded loud in his head. “Gotta go Professor Xaviers calling.” He saluted the other. He took the shortcut phasing through the wall.

“Hey Professor.” He grinned. “What’s up?”
“Cerebo located another mutant. We need to get to her before anyone else does. I’m sending you and a couple others to find her.”
Nate grinned, a mission. He enjoyed being able to go out on missions. It wasn’t in his personality to just sit around

Power. Everyone wanted it and yet no one thought about all that came with it; the responsibility and the discipline . . .the fear and the pressure. Thalia struggled with it daily and it wasn’t the norm that humans knew; no, it wasn’t worrying about being elected president or even becoming the CEO of a company. No, the pressures that came with her power was a matter of staying alive. Since the new President, the fear of mutants had intensified and more and more people weren’t afraid of taking it into their own hands of seeing to it that they were gone completely. Extinction was upon them, but Thalia knew that there were others she could sense it, even when they tried to hide it. She had no intentions of bringing it up though, if they could blend in, then so could she. The issue? It was hard to blend in as twenty year old with no job and no identification. She didn’t want to be marked a mutant, that was like putting a target on her back.

The dark haired girl gripped the straps of the forest green bag she wore in front of her. Bright green eyes with gold flecks looked left and right as she walked the aisles of the grocery store, picking up items and quickly stuffing them in her bag. She had been on the run for the last three weeks and had already ran out of money. Being on the streets wasn’t nice, but it sure beat the shitty trailer she had once called home. Amongst degrading her as though she were a side show, her stepdad made every attempt to make her feel uncomfortable – wanted and yet so unworthy.

“Ma’am,” Thalia inhaled sharply, feeling the heavy hand on her shoulder. She topped, her hand gripping tight to the pack of trail mix. “I’m going to need you to come with me,” the gruffy voice continued. She looked over her shoulder, staring the guard in the eyes. She could see he was already looking toward the inside of her backpack, still unzipped.
[I Dammit!] She was so close to the register.
“For what?” She asked, her voice tight.
“I think you know why. Let’s not make a scene.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she said, shrugging his hand off and continuing to walk. She felt him grip her wrist, his hand close to snagging on the silver bracelet she wore, the only thing she had left of her father’s. Thalia snapped, turning to face the man, her eyes glowing With a force, the man was jolted backwards into the fruit aisle. He groaned, slowly sitting up. by then, the other guards had arrived.

“She’s one of them!” he had announced loudly.
[I Shit! Just what I needed.]

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Nate grinned cracking his fingers as he kept walking through walls in order to get to the front. “Hey Aaron.” He said waving to the mutant he had been sparing with minutes earlier. “I’m going on a mission so I’m going to have to postpone our rematch. The dark haired mutant rolled his eyes at him.
“See you when you get back Nate.”

“Ready to head out?” He said when he ran into the others who were going to find the new girl. It seemed that Storm and Jean Gray were coming along this time. Small group. Probably to not frighten her. Also the three of them could pass as regular humans well enough.

“Yes Nathaniel but remember to listen to Jean and I we have more experience with this type of thing then you do. Plus we are trying to be discreet.” Storm said to the young man.
Nate nodded pushing the sunglasses over his eyes. He knew he had a reputation of drawing attention to himself. Which was ironic with how good his power would be for stealth. Stealth wasn’t his strong suit though. He liked being in the thick of it.

He ran a hand through his hair as he walked onto the X-Jet. A large grin forming across his freckle-kissed face. “Finally” he said.

The ride felt short. Which was the benefit of using the Jet. They did have to figure out a nice place to land the vehicle. Somewhere there was not a lot of onlookers.

“Now to find her.” He placed his hands on his hips standing outside and looking towards the populated area ahead of them. He started making his way quickly down towards the buildings vaguely hearing Jean telling him to wait up.

Thalia felt another hand on her shoulder, her eyes wide as she stared at the guard, she brought her arm up to slam against his, hearing him yell out. She started to run, zipping her bag and slinging it on her back. Though she found herself hitting the ground with a thud as another guard popped in front of her. Thalia groaned out. Sitting up and trying to regain her vision. She felt herself being lifted by the officer.
‘You’re coming with us,” he said. Thalia knew this wasn’t some ordinary guard. He had to be someone from the organization that picked up mutants, those who were never seen again. There was rumor that their powers were drained before they were killed. Some people said they were being brainwashed to work in the army. Whatever it was, it wasn’t freedom and she had no desire of choosing death.

Thalia pressed her hand against the man’s chest, small fingers pushing against him to let her go. She was weak, not sued to using her powers in such a manner that she could barely push him away. Yet, she felt as he was pulled back by some other source of strength, leaving her to fall to her knees. She quickly scrambled, rushing toward the door while the other guards were getting into formation to come after her. That’s when she bumped into someone else.
“Seriously,” she grumbled as she took a step back, shielding her eyes form he sunlight to find herself standing in front of a male.

“Out of my way,” she grumbled. Though by looking over his shoulder she could see the growing crowd and hear the sirens in the distance. How was she going to get out of this now?

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He hadn’t really gotten far before he felt a sudden force on his chest. It was certainly startling but he was able to avoid falling over. He looked down to see a girl with black hair. Then he noticed the shouting.

“Boy get away from her she is dangerous” he heard someone shout. It clicked for him then. He looked back at her grinning. “Ah! It’s you!” He was aware that was probably a concerning thing for her to hear. He tried to quickly recover, “I’ll explain, but let’s get out of here first.” He said nodding towards the crowd that was getting closer. He looked around quickly accessing the best escape.

“This way.” He said grabbing her arm as non threatening as he could. He still didn’t know what her abilities were and he really didn’t want to make her go into defensive mode.

“Don’t freak out.” He said pulling them towards a brick wall at the end of the alley he brought them down. He used his powers to make her be able to pass through the wall with him. Since they were in physical contact it worked.

Once they seemed far enough away and that they had thrown the chasers off he stopped. “Hey I’m Nathaniel. You can call me Nate though if you would prefer that.” He introduced himself. Sticking his hand towards her. “Or I suppose if you don’t want to be on a first name basis you could call me Specter but I think that would be weird.” With his other hand he pushed his sunglasses up so his strange eyes were visible. “We were sent here to help you.”

He knew she had no reason to trust him. He did wish Jean would find them. She was much better at this then he was. Or at least she was able to make people feel more calm.

“As I’m sure you noticed, I’m a mutant too. I can phase through solid matter.” He said scratching the back of his head trying to figure out what to say to her.

"Me?" She said in shock, watching as his hand wrapped around her arm and he began to run. As much as she wanted to fight back, Thalia was exhausted by that point and it seemed like he was willing to help. All she was worried about was at least getting away for the supermarket before the cops got there and if he was her way out, then so be it. But she would ditch him as soon as she found a way. Thalia was pressed against the way then, getting dizzy very easily as she hadn’t a moment to truly settle on all that was happening. This was what she hated about being a mutant, causing unwanted attention and being seen as a criminal. All she wanted was something eat, granted no one should feel sympathy for a thief, but had she not been mutant then she didn’t think it would’ve turned into a whole situation with squad cars after her.

She gasped, her hands instinctively reaching to cling to his shirt as it seemed her surrounding seemed to melt around her. Thalia realized she was still holding onto the male even when they settled in what appeared to be an antique shop which was currently closed.

“What the hell!!” She backed away, shaking herself as though it would free her of the nervous energy still coursing through her body. She looked up to meet Nathaniel’s glowing eyes. “Oh great, you’re one of them,” she said sarcastically. Why did it seem she couldn’t escape her fellow mutant no matter where she went? She still thought about the chaos she had left behind in Vancouver. “Who’s we?” She asked, nervous then. Had she walked into some kind of trap? Not all mutants were good after all.

“Let’s not overwhelm the girl,” Thalia turned her head to see a redhaired woman making her way in their direction. She was accompanied by a few others, all of which looked like they stepped straight out of a comment.
“Hello Thalia,” Jean said. “I’m Jean, this is Storm, and Cyclops. We've been sent here to take you with us.”

“Take me? I’m not going anywhere with you guys,” she said with her hands up, brushing pass them. “Thanks for the help, but I don’t want whatever you’ve got going on.”
“You go out there and your dead,” Jean said, which made Thalia pause. “They’ll have your picture plastered everywhere in a matter of seconds. You come with us and I promise safety,.” Thalia chewed on her bottom lip, closing her eyes tightly. She couldn't even really see straight. Jean was right, Thalia wouldn’t make It pass one night.

“We won’t hold you prisoner, just give us a chance?” Thalia looked over her shoulder to meet the gaze of Jean. Nathaniel looked decent enough. What was the worst that could happen?

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Nate felt shocked at the level of distrust she seemed to still have. He was just glad that despite the slight glow of his eyes one could still make out an Iris and pupil in his eyes. He felt it made him more approachable. Even with the fact that his Iris was a yellow color and his Iris an off white. He looked back into her eyes.
He wondered how long she was out here trying to survive. She looked weak. Though it probably didn’t help that he just pulled her through a wall.

Before he could try to stumble for an answer thankfully Jean came through the door. He felt Cyclops eye him. “Heh. Hey Scott.” He waved sheepishly. Knowing he would be getting an earful from the visored mutant about running off without them.
Scott sighed, “We will talk later.”

Nate then turned his attention back to Thalia. “Sorry if I scared you.” He said giving an apologetic smile. Then reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a candy bar. “I don’t know if you are hungry at all but here.” He held it out to her. Trying to still give her space while she worked out what she wanted to do. For her sake he hoped she would choose coming along. And choose soon since there were still quite a bit of people outside looking for her.

“Maybe think of it this way” he started. “Just come back with us for now at least. If you still want to leave then at least you’ll be leaving from a location that doesn’t have a dozen hostile people lurking outside.” He suggested shrugging his shoulders. “I promise we aren’t here to hurt you.” His eyes were serious at the last statement. He knew he was usually troublesome, and a bit of a goofball but he did know when to be serious. He almost felt his serious side was more effective because he was not always that way.

Thalia looked between everyone. They didn’t seem like they were there to hurt her or else they had plenty of opportunity to do so when they arrived. Jean was right, there was no way that she could go out there and not be arrested or worst. . . killed. She chewed on her bottom lip, her hand wrapping tight across her stomach and not just from being nervous. She was incredibly hungry and most of what she had stolen had ended up on the floor after her dash. She looked toward Nate. He was a bit . . enthusiastic but he wasn’t a bad guy. She reached timidly for the bar and started to unwrap it. She knew they wouldn’t have much time for her to figure things out before the building was bombarded by officers once their location was known, which she presumed had to be soon.

“Alright,” she finally said before taking a bite. Jean seemed relieved and gave a small smile.
“Alright, lets pack it up.” She said. Thalia was slow, but she couldn’t change up her decision and they were making a lot of sense. She didn’t have to stay there forever, just until she recovered and then she would leave. Where? She had no clue, she didn’t even have any more money to her name.

She had ran away six months ago after finally collecting enough for a train ride. Though money ran short the longer she stayed at her hotel and finding work was hard as a mutant. Maybe this was a chance for her to recover and finally be able to move for god.

She followed them through an alleyway, following closely as they began climbing up a black metal ladder that looked two nails away from collapsing to the ground. She tried not to freak out, but her hands were sweating with each creaking sound as she headed up.
“Woah,” she size din shock as she stared at the jet, a bit dumbfounded though eventually started to move along with the others who were a bit quicker. It seemed they didn’t have much time as the sound of a chopper could be heard. Quickly Thalia hopped in, taking a seat like the others and buckling up. This felt so surreal.

With a bit of force they were soon on their way, the humans far behind.
“You guys aren’t like normal mutants,” she said. It could’ve just been the uniforms but they also didn’t seem that scared to use their powers so boldly.

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Nate looked at Thalia thoughtfully as they started to head out. He knew she wasn’t sold on them, that she was only going along with them because it really was in her best interest to do so. Maybe once they got to the school her opinion would change. Even if she didn’t want to stick around maybe she could realize that they could at least be her allies.

He couldn’t help but grin when Thalia saw the Jet. “Oh just wait till you see where we are going.” He bounded in after Cyclops not really waiting for Thalia. It wasn’t like she was going to turn on her heels and run. She certainly seemed to want temporary help at least.

“You could say that.” Nate grinned.
Cyclops sighed at Nates continued antics. “What Nate means to say is we are members of Xaviers School for the Gifted. Or as you might better know us, the X-Men.” He said to the young girl. “Though I suppose it is fair to say we aren’t typical.” This time Scott was smirking.

Nate was happy to see Cyclops was cracking some jokes too. Maybe it meant that he wouldn’t be as stern with him later. Nate wasn’t sure why but it seemed like Scott had taken him on as a project almost. It rubbed Nate the wrong way sometimes, he didn’t think he was a trouble teen. He knew his energy was high sometimes. But he felt he was serious when it was warranted.

Nate didn’t cause the team too much trouble. Or at least anymore then the other younger members did. The fact that he got sent on missions has to attest to some of his talent.

They soon were over the school. “Welcome to Xaviers.” Nate said his hands on his hips as the jet started to land. He took the glasses off completely now. He liked missions but his favorite place was still this school. Where he could be completely himself.

"X-Men?” She questioned them and she couldn’t help but close her eyes to ease the headache that had been driving her crazy sine the grocery store. Of course she would find herself in the hands of the most well-known X-Men. Though it did ease her to know that she was in good hands. Her arms wrapped around her bag which sat in her lap. Thalia had really gotten herself in a mess right now. Though being surrounded by others like her wouldn’t be terrible. Sure, she had stayed with a few mutants every now and then, but they weren’t really the good guys and they certainly didn’t take to her desire to be [I normal]. That word really pissed them off.

Maybe though, this place could help her with gaining some control of her powers before she left. She was tired of feeling exhausted after every use. Though that could’ve come with the fact that she wasn’t used to using her powers for combative reasons.

The jet was lowering then and she couldn’t resist looking out the window. The school was magnificent and gated off, seemingly I the middle of nowhere. She wondered if they had ever been attacked before. Thalia looked toward Nate who was beaming. This place certainly couldn’t be all bad then. After removing her seatbelt, she followed the others inside. There were so many young people walking around of all different shades and styles. Her eyes grew wide and instinctively, she drew close to Nate.

“Nate why don’t you take Thalia to a room to drop off her things while we brief Professor.”
“I’m not staying,” Thalia said. “For long.” Jean only gave her a small smile before he and Scott were making their way off.

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“Will do.” He said giving a small salute to the others. Before looking at Thalia. “Whenever you are ready.” He said.
Out of the corner of his eye he caught Scott looking at him. “We are still going to talk later about staying with the team Nathaniel.” Scott said after him as Nate started to slink away.

“Well come on follow me.” He started walking towards the rooms. Not taking any of his typical short cuts. He figured pulling her through more walls would be a little draining for her. Plus she probably should know the way to get around.

He fished for something to say as they walked through the halls. He looked back at her. She certainly looked like she had been through hell and back. He had to admit she was gorgeous though, in a soft unspoken way.

“So hey while your with us you can learn about your powers more. How to control it.” He rubbed the back of his head. He led her into an empty room. Gesturing for her to enter.
“I know this is probably all overwhelming,” he sighed. “But we really do want to help.” He said.

“Do you have any questions for me?” He asked her. He wasn’t sure if she wanted a tour or if she just wanted to be alone and he certainly wanted to give her space. She seemed quite offput by him when she saw his eyes.

Thalia was slow in following Nathaniel, but with the amount of people she passed, she became more and more overwhelmed to the point she tried to quicken her sped. He was taller than her though, long legs that crossed the span of the floor so easily. Though, Thaila suspected that he was used to shortcuts through the walls. She shuddered as she thought of that moment, being pressed against his chest and so close before the wall behind them seemed to melt away. It was unnatural, they all were. Though how long before she realized there was no getting rid of this part of her that she hated so badly and that seemed to overwhelmingly overtake her life?

They soon reached a room, to which she looked around. She didn’t even have her own space technically back home. She slept on a pullout couch in the living room of their trailer. It seemed that he had read her mind. Though Thalia was intent on the idea of not staying.

“Overwhelming is one way to describe it,” she said under her breath before taking a seat on the bed. She could fall asleep at any moment if she wanted to. Though she was still a bit distrusting of the others.

“How long have you been here? What is this this like school? Or are they training you to be the next superhero?” She was curious, though her tone more than likely came off condescending. It also probably didn’t help that she couldn’t avert her eyes from his. They were enchanting and she was quite distracted. “Suppose I can ask you about getting something to eat?”

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Nate was surprised by the onslaught of questions. She had been quite silent before. Maybe she felt comfortable around him it was hard to tell. Though he doubted she really did. She seemed reserved.

"Well I have been here since I was pretty much a kid. The professor and Jean found me when I was a white eyed thirteen year old who kept finding himself passing through solid matter." he chuckled. "I don't know where I would be if it weren't for them. It was a scary time." The whole being born with eyes that weren't normal didn't help anything. He knew he was lucky to have his parents.

He thought a second about her next questions. He wasn't quite sure why she was acting so above it all when it came to whether they were training to be superheros.
"We can get an education while training to help people." he answered folding his arms across his chest. "In the past some of us used to attend regular public schools still but that got a little harder especially after all the conflict. The teachers here though some of them know of other subjects as well as the best way to defeat your oponents." he smirked.

"Yeah follow me I'll show you the kitchen." he gestured with his head for her to follow. He had noticed that she seemed to be unable to take her gaze off his eyes. He wasn't exactly sure why. He figured it was most likely that she was perplexed by them.

He walked towards the kitchen. Nate was sure that there was going to be others in there. He wondered how she would handle that. She seemed to be more comfortable when it was just the two of them then when Jean, Scott and Storm were also there.

Nate seemed to have a fondness for the school and she figured perhaps of course that was because he owed his life to the very people that had took him in. Thalia knew very well that being a mutant in the public, let alone public schools was different. You were feared and yet picked n at the same time and no matter if defending yourself, you always ended being the one to get in trouble. All she had ever wanted was a normal life, a chance at having her own normal family. who would want to be with a mutant knowing that they weren’t well respected in this world? She sighed out, her hands running through her hair as though trying to massage the thoughts out of her head.

She could tell she had struck a nerve and admittedly it excited her to see him so peeved, it was adorable. There was almost a sense of cockiness that came with his gentle and kind demeanor. So this wasn’t some kind of militant school? That sounded good as Thalia wasn’t looking to become some brainwashed soldier. She knew there were some mutants that were hoping for a revolution. Though Thalia doubted it would be strong enough and certainly not against humans. They had surpassed anything regarding negotiation between their species.

She came to a stand, admittedly feeling a little better. Maybe it was because she felt a little more comfortable. Though she wasn’t going to admit that aloud. Thalia stuck close too Nate who for the most part she was warming up to. She could see some people looking their way. “Don’t suppose I’m spotted as the new girl already?” She joked with a small smile. Though she wasn’t staying. Right?

They soon passed a room, furnished with two long wood tables and benches to match. There were a few students in the room as well as some teachers who were talking amongst one another. Thalia was much distracted by the smell coming from the kitchen. It had been some time since she had a hot meal. Her feet quickened and she was already reaching for a plate. Thalia looked over her shoulder at Nate, her cheeks red from embarrassment. She looked toward the stack of plates and hovered it over to Nate.
‘I’m not eating alone,” she said. It was a problem of hers, no matter how badly people close to her hurt her. Thalia hated he idea of not being with someone. Even leaving her trailer had been tough. Her mother had long ago died and while Tate wasn’t the greatest, some sick part of her missed him. Being on the streets wasn’t any easier, having a companion made the days go by quicker. Though often, they tired of being a friend for free.

Suddenly it wasn’t just lifting wallets from people’s bags or quick steals from markets; they thought to go bigger. Banks, armored cars, you name it. They didn’t get it though, Thalia just wanted to fit in.

She chewed gently on her bottom lip, adding spaghetti, a few rolls and a salad on her plate. It would do for now, but she was eyeing the dessert.
She looked around, Nate seemed like an outgoing guy. She presumed he would have friends and being here long enough, going on missions already made her wonder if he as the big guy at the school.

[pic https://i.pinimg.com/564x/26/41/79/264179d9adb30f5a7da7d7f1c8e14b93.jpg]

It really was seeming like she was growing more comfortable. Or at least she was warming up to him. Though he could tell she would never admit that. It seemed to calm her down that they had regular classes here, that they weren’t going to force her into training.

He looked at her out of the side of her eyes when she made a comment about being a new girl. His face twitched into a smile again, “I suppose it’s true that we haven’t had any new people in a bit.” She was now making jokes, that had to mean she wasn’t as on edge at this time.

“Here’s the kitchen, there is always food about. Even if it’s not a meal there are snacks available.” He rattled off like a tour guide, the parallel made him internally groan.

He watched as she quickly made her way over to the food. He couldn’t help but hold in a small laugh. But he was able to keep the laugh only in his head when a plate floated his way. He gave her a kind smile. “Yeah sure.” He grabbed the plate out of the air and walked to also get some food. He hoped it was a good sign that she finally used her powers. Maybe she would want to learn more about them, Nate was sure that Jean would be able to help.

Suddenly he felt a clap on the back of his shoulder. He turned his eyes to see a guy with pitch black hair. “I see you managed to make it back in one piece.”
Aaron stood there smirking at him. He was probably Nates best friend. He was a little more level headed then Nate could be. Strategized before running in head first and he didn’t like getting in trouble. Bending the rules was probably the only thing they ever argued about.

“Yeah but Scott wants to talk to me at some point. Something about staying with the team,” Nate said his face falling into slight embarrassment.
“Knowing you I’m not surprised,” Aaron grinned he then looked towards Thalia, “This the new girl? My name is Aaron.” He said giving a slight wave to the raven haired girl.

Thalia admittedly withdrew back into her shell at the approach of Nate’s friend. They were seemingly making their way to a table, Thalia taking the time to observe everyone. They seemed like average young adults which she was still trying to get used to. Thalia took a seat on the bench. She wasn’t sure what to say to Aaron. She had no intentions of sticking around, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t going to have people inquiring about her or wanting to get to know her. the idea of friends was still a strange concept and Thalia knew it would be easier for her to get through leaving if she didn’t have any ties.

“I’m Thalia,” she said to him, turning her attention back to her meal. “So what’s your power?” She had to admit she was curious. She had never come across someone who was the same as Nate. Hell, even the same as her freaked her out. She had noticed that Jean seemed particularly interested din her staying. Maybe Nate was right that it wouldn’t be terrible to stick around. “So, what do you guys do when you’re not studying or I guess sparring?”

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Beatrix’s black heels clacked against the black marble floor, the sound echoing off the walls of the underground cellar. Her path illuminated by the bright white hair; when she was younger they used to call her the night light. She had been quite a favorite in the orphanage for this reason. Though, soon that became a taunt and when Beatrix became tired of the taunting, she stopped being the meek mouse and became the big bad wolf.

She came into her powers quite young, given up by her mother who was actually quite afraid the young girl. At first, it seemed confusing. One day she could fly and the other she could make a fire out of thin air. She felt like a chameleon to which she had slowly began to understand. In a sense, she could shift into any form of power as she so pleased, but it didn’t last for long. That was something that drew her interest. By the time she was a teenager, she was getting herself into all sorts of trouble outside of the orphanage, meeting mutants of all kinds and trying her hardest to understand what made them [I them].

By eighteen, she had become quite the expert of science and especially so genetics. It seemed though that her work didn’t go unnoticed and soon enough she had been kidnapped by the government, tortured and prodded every single minute of the day. She thought she would die in that small black box, no windows or human interaction save for the guards that made her life a living hell as though it weren’t already the worst. It wasn’t until she met Matthius that she found hope.

He was the only guard who cared for her, who would be her angel in her darkest moments. He had been the one to save her and for that, he was killed. As Beatrix ran through the forest, the sound of dogs barking and shots ringing through the air her only pushing her to run faster. She would no longer be afraid of her power and she vowed that no other mutant should either.

Standing before the room, Beatrix typed in her code, waiting for the doors to hiss open. She had a small group of mutants on her side now, smart and intelligent people to help with her work.
“Beatrix, we weren’t expecting you until tomorrow,” Valentin said. She looked toward the spectacle wearing man in a white lab coat. Beatrix had been in Brazil, following up on their newest soon to be patient.
“Turns out things didn’t take as long as expected. Brazil turned out great results, we should be expecting HIM to arrive soon.” She walked over toward the glass window, peering through to see the light blue figure laying on the hospital bed. “How is she?”
“Vitals stable. So far the surgery is going well.” She turned toward Valentin. They had come across one another after he heard she was looking for smart mutants willing to join her team. “I think this one might survive,” he said.

[pic https://i.pinimg.com/564x/26/41/79/264179d9adb30f5a7da7d7f1c8e14b93.jpg]

Aaron felt he made the right choice in offering a wave instead of a handshake when he saw her demeanor changed. He wasn’t sure if Nate had noticed the change that occurred. He didn’t dwell on it however or take it personally. Maybe she would warm up to him in time as well.

He grinned at her question holding out his hand palm up in front of himself. A small flame started to form on it. The color of the flame almost looked more vibrant against his dark skin. The flame quickly engulfed his hand. “Flame generation.” He said with a smile before letting the flame fizzle out.

“Much cooler in my opinion that Mr. I Walk Through Walls,” Aaron gestured to Nate who he was seated next to. Nate playfully shoved his friend before glancing back at Thalia to make sure she was okay. He gave her a small apologetic smile. He was glad it was Aaron bugging them. Aaron was a pretty friendly guy and usually pretty good at discerning others emotions. It made him likeable. Hopefully Thalia wouldn’t find him too overwhelming. She didn’t seem to like crowds. Though she obviously didn’t like being alone either.

“Sometimes it’s fun to go exploring around the grounds. There isn’t much but occasionally you can find something cool. Or at least somewhere to hide from chores” Nate grinned at her. “Plus there is pretty much anything you can think of here to occupy oneself. The professor tried to accommodate to people’s varying interests.”

“There’s also enough people around for a friendly competition or two.” Aaron grinned. “Dodgeball, racing, et cetra.” He waved his hand with a flourish as he finished his sentence. While he did sometimes take on a silly personality he was calmer than Nate’s energy was sometimes. More grounded which was almost ironic considering his power.

Aaron didn’t want to overwhelm the poor girl. He placed his hand on Nates shoulder, “Well I’m going to see if I can find Gen,” she was another friend of theirs, “I’ll see you later. It was nice meeting you Thalia. Hope to get to know you better. You’ll have to show me your power next time.” With that he pushed himself up and walked away. Nate waved bye and then turned back to Thalia. “Food hitting the spot?” He asked before he forked some of the food off his plate into his own mouth.

Thalia looked up at Aaron, the small flame in his hand emitting a light sense of warmth. She wanted to reach out to touch it, but kept her hands to herself as of course that was a ludicrous thought. Some part of her was in a way jealous that everyone seemed to be so proud of their powers. Was it a confidence that came with time? With the ability to finally control it? It was obvious that mutants were mostly outcasted because they were seen as a threat. Just as there was a mutant with a power that seemed so miniscule, there were those out in the world that had power so unimaginable and they could use it as a threat at any point in time. Putting mutants in jail or finding any way to have reasoning for killing them had been the goal.

The more they talked, the more normal this all was beginning to be seen as and she was nervous to let her guard down. Aaron was soon preparing to make his leave, allowing her and Nate privacy once more.
“See you,” she said with a small wave. What did that mean? She had no clue. Thalia’s cheeks turned red as she met Nate’s white eyed gaze.
‘It’s good, I haven’t had a hot meal in nearly two weeks,” she admitted. She knew that she didn’t make being on the outside sound the bets and yet Thalia seemed so desperate to be a part of that world. She just wanted to blend in, but while being here for just a little over half an hour she was starting to reconsider what exactly blending in meant.

“So – can people go through you too?” She asked. It was an odd question of course, but she had thought about it since being pressed against Nate. She cleared her throat at the memory, busying herself by finishing up the last of her food. That’s when she heard a sound, a distant hummin before a male’s voice echoed in her mind. She looked around, confused as the voice sounded so clear she would think that the person was talking behind her.

[I Nate will show you the way. Do not be afraid my child.]
Thalia was sure she looked odd, her brows drawn in and he face squinched with her eyes closed tight.
[I [b Who are you?]]
[I Professor X.]

The connection ended then and whatever energy Thalia had was no longer there once more. It took a while for her to get her head together before she looked to Nate. “I’m supposed to see a Professor X?”

[pic https://i.pinimg.com/564x/26/41/79/264179d9adb30f5a7da7d7f1c8e14b93.jpg]

Nate chuckled goodheartedly at her question. He had heard the question before. One that he felt he would ask if he was in their shoes. “Yeah I can, I can pretty much phase through any solid material, but I try not too. I always felt that it’s a weird idea. I suppose it’s helpful if I can do it in time to dodge hits though,” he shrugged slightly. Not to mention he was better at phasing through walls or the ground. Phasing through a human body wasn’t his strong suit. Which he supposed was good when it came to trying to take people through walls with him.

Nates thoughts went to the last time he used his powers when holding onto Thalia. For some reason the memory made him feel the need to clear his throat and run his hand through his hair.

Before they could talk about much more she suddenly seemed lost in her head. He felt himself smirk already having a guess as to what was happening. His hunch confirmed when she spoke to him again. “Let’s go I’ll get you there.” He said slowly standing up.

Nate thought about when he had discovered his powers. He had been rough housing with his cousin when he accidentally tripped but instead of smashing his face into the wall he ended up tumbling into the next room. Needless to say it had everyone spooked for a minute. He felt he owed his life to the professor and to Xaviers institute. He couldn’t imagine how much harder his life would be if he never learned control over his powers.

He checked to make sure she was with him before he started leading her once again down the hallways and through doors until they reached a set of double doors. Nate knocked before starting to push them open, “Hey professor it’s Nate and I brought Thalia too.” The young mutant stepped inside making way for Thalia to come in as well. The room was ornate in a way. Shelves with books filled empty spaces and in the middle of the room a man in a wheelchair sat at the desk. Warm eyes greeting the two as they entered.

Nate figured he might seem intimating at first to someone, after all he had a powerful presence about him. He himself had been almost wary around the professor at first. Unsure what to think of him. Nates eyes flicked to Thalia concerned for how she was feeling. He still wasn’t sure why he was so conscious of her. Maybe some of it was the fact she clearly trusted him and he didn’t want to let her down.

Nate was quickly becoming a confidante of some sorts. She didn’t feel ready to call him a friend or a companion. She knew though that she at least appreciated how kind he was to her. everyone seemed to be nice. She could see now how her words earlier may have offended him. They were [I normal] in their own right. Thalia came to a stand and placed her dirty dishes on a tray. She followed Nate, catching up eventually as his strides were much longer. She imagined walked down the halls was a bit more exciting considering she would think he initially chose to run through walls to get to places much quicker.

They finally reached a set of tall doors. Nate knocked and announced their entry. Suddenly she felt nervous. Someone who could get in her head had to be someone very powerful and important as well. Thalia ran her hands through her hair, a nervous habit as she could feel the small pricks of anxiety on the back of her neck. Soon enough they walked into the room, where in front of them sat a man at a desk. He was old, which had been a change of pace considering those she had met so far. His eyes were kind though and glinted almost when he smiled at her.

“Thank you Nate,” he said. “I hear Scott is looking for you?” Thalia’s hand twitched, almost as though she were going to reach out to keep him from leaving her. while she stopped that action, she was too slow to prevent the small whimper.
[I Do not worry Thalia. I won’t harm you.] While to her it was a bunch of words, Thalia had to trust the gentle assurance. Besides, no one had harmed her so far. “I’ll make sure Nate is here to walk you back. I understand it can be overwhelming and it’s easy to get lost on a first day.” He nodded toward Nate that it was alright to leave. Thalia looked over her shoulder as the door closed. She realized just standing there seemed a bit awkward and walked toward one of the chairs to sit down.

“Look I don’t have much money, I couldn’t afford to just stay here. I mean not that I want to anyways”
“Staying here is free of charge,” Xavier said with a chuckle. He began to [I move] toward Thalia and it was then she realized he was in a wheelchair. “And I’m sure the others have mentioned we aren’t some kind of prisoner camp or anything. Our duty is toward our brothers of sisters, all mutants.”
Thalia pondered on that. So far everything they said was true. It would be stupid of her to leave. She had nowhere to go, no food or money and as a mutant, a target on her back. Xavier’s eyes fell toward the bracelet on her arm. “Do you remember your father?” She narrowed her eyes at him. Just what was he getting at?

[pic https://i.pinimg.com/564x/26/41/79/264179d9adb30f5a7da7d7f1c8e14b93.jpg]

Nate felt himself gulp slightly at the mention of Scott. He was really not looking forward to a lecture. After all he was very much aware that he was reckless but he tried to be so in a way that would only be cause for harm to himself not the others.

“Yes professor.” He said, he glanced again at Thalia. It seemed like she was aching for him to stay and not leave her alone. Part of him felt torn about leaving. He remembered how daunting all of this felt when he first got there and she was already distrustful.

“I’ll be back soon.” Nate said it to both of them but his eyes were focused on Thalia. He gave her a small nod before he left the room not even bothering to open the door opting to use his power instead.

Meekly he made his way to Scott’s room. “Hey Scott, did you see they have pasta tonight?” Nate tried to deflect from himself as he entered. There was a small smirk that played on the older mutants face. “Nate you know better that to go barreling in front of everyone.”

Nate adverted his glowing eyes away from Scott. He hated disappointing the laser eyed mutant. Being that Scott was someone he looked up to. After all Scott was the one who bought him the sunglasses for missions. He had said that while he needed the visor for different reasons that he understood needing to hide your eyes.

“Yeah well I just saw all the chaos that seemed to be going on and I didn’t want her to get hurt. I was worried about waiting any longer.” He mumbled ducking his head slightly. He heard Scott sigh, “Look Nate, you are good at controlling your powers, good at simulations but you need to rely on your team. If you run ahead you could get hurt or put your team in danger when they try to help you.”

Nate nodded silently for a second, “Yeah I know, I’ll work on it.” Scott smiled gently resting his hand on Nate’s shoulder, “You did a good job today kid, just no more leaving the team behind.”

Nate nodded letting the other ruffle his hair. “I gotta head back though. I have to be there for Thalia once the professor is done talking to her.” Scott laughed slightly he teasingly said, “Do you now?”

“It’s not like that.” Nate mumbled a blush forming on his face as he nudged Scott’s hand off his shoulder. This just seemed to make Scott laugh more, good natured of course, but still embarrassing. “I’m going now bye.” He said as he quickly exited the room hoping the walk back would give enough time for the redness to go away.

Thalia immediately wanted to be on the defensive when the professor brought up her father. That was something she didn’t like to talk about. Though she had very little memory of her father. All she could remember was him leaving for work when she was around five years old. He never came back after that. At first she worried, but then Thalia’s mother started feeding into her mind that he had left them. She couldn’t ever see that happen though, her father had loved them. Well, she knew he loved her.it was because they were alike. Her mother hadn’t known her father was a mutant until Thalia started showing her powers. She soon remarried to Trent who wasn’t the nicest guy and made her life hell when he could Her mother soon passed on unfortunately, a hit and run. Her life seemed tragic and it made sense to lock away any memories whether good or bad, afraid of reopening old wounds.

“Not much,” she said. “He was a mutant and well he left one day and that was that.” She shrugged, but it was clear that she was greatly upset and still affected by his absence in her life.
“You know I knew your father,” he said. Was this some kind of trick? Thalia had questions for him right away should he be telling the truth. What good was a lie though? So far everyone had been kind and honest with her.
“How did you know my father? No offense, but you don’t look like you come from a trailer park childhood.” Professor X chuckled. He reached out to tap her bracelet.
“I gave that to him when he left the school, shortly around meeting your mother. While I had taught him how to harness his power and control it, he found our world too confusing and convulsed. He wanted a normal life with your mother and eventually you.” Then why had he left?
[I Maybe he didn’t leave.] Professor X said, to which Thalia’s eyes met his definitely.
“What do you know?”
“He’s alive.” That much so Professor X could be sure of, but he was having a very hard time picking up on the man. “More will be discovered. For now, I think it best you engage with the others, maybe test out your skills with Nate and Jean. He seems like a willing participant to practice on,” He teased. “I know this is all confusing Thalia, but I want you to remember we are your friends, not the enemy.” She nodded then, giving a small smile. She was curious now and with her father being mentioned, she felt she had no reason to leave until she found some more things out. Had it been fate that led her to run away and end up at the place her father called home?

[pic https://i.pinimg.com/564x/26/41/79/264179d9adb30f5a7da7d7f1c8e14b93.jpg]

It didn’t take long for him to arrive back at the Xaviers office. He stood outside the door for a second waiting to be told it was alright to come in. After all he respected the Professor enough to not barge in during a private meeting. Soon enough there was a voice in his head telling him it was okay to enter.

Nate stepped through the door and looked at Thalia. “I can bring you back to your room if you are tired,” Nate said gently to her. He didn’t want to make her feel like she had to go back but he figured this had all been a pretty tiring day.

“I’ll see you both later,” Charles said his signature smile on his face, “get some rest tonight, we will train some tomorrow.”
Nate nodded as he guided Thalia out of the room. Once they were outside the door he turned to the other again. His eyes studied her quickly, trying to gauge how she felt.

“What did you guys talk about?” He asked her. “I mean only if you want to share.” Nate wanted to smack his head. They had just met what was he doing asking her possibly personal questions. She had every reason to still be wary of him and not want to share everything with him.

Soon they were close to her room again. “If you want I can introduce you to more of my friends here. Maybe knowing a couple more people will be nice.” He shrugged not sure if she would feel comfortable about that. He was okay if she wasn’t up for meeting new people right now too.

“Though I suppose sometimes it’s more intimidating the more people are around,” he said looking at her, “and I don’t want you to feel like we are trying to force you to stay.” He rubbed his arm at that remark. It was true he wanted it to be her decision if she did stay. Nate truly didn’t want to pressure her.

Practice tomorrow? In front of other people? Her stomach was turning at that thought as it did instill some sense of nervousness. She didn’t want to hurt anyone and she didn’t want to make a fool of herself. Though she had to believe that no one would be judging her in that way. Maybe Jean would be there as well, she didn’t know much about her powers as they hadn’t any time together, but she seemed to have taking a liking to Thalia. As Scott seemed to be Nate’s mentor, perhaps Jean would be that for her.

So it was that. She had decided to stay and mostly because she was curious about the ties her father had to this place and the cry[tic message that the professor gave. Would it all start to make sense any time soon? Thalia paused at Nate’s question. She could tell he wasn’t trying to come off as invasive, despite it being somewhat so. It was a private conversation after all. Though, she didn’t think much of what was said was anything that could be used against her. Nate was a nice guy too and she trusted him.
“He brought up my father, I mean my real dad.” She said to him and began walking once more. She was starting to actually gain a sense of direction. “He says my father attended this school as well.” It was still a bit shocking to her, something she couldn’t shrug off and knew she would be looking into.

“What did you guys talk about?” He asked her. “I mean only if you want to share.” Nate wanted to smack his head. They had just met what was he doing asking her possibly personal questions. She had every reason to still be wary of him and not want to share everything with him. They were at least three doors down when Nate was inviting he to hangout and meet other people. She supposed she couldn’t hang onto him every second of the day, no matter how comforting it was. Though, she wasn’t sure how well she would be able to socialize. Still, Thalia was sure she wouldn’t be able to sleep so quickly and some part of her did want to keep hanging out with Nate.

“I guess I’ll have to eventually get to know everyone,” she said. “Meeting the others sounds cool.”

[pic https://i.pinimg.com/564x/26/41/79/264179d9adb30f5a7da7d7f1c8e14b93.jpg]

When Thalia started to share with Nate he made sure he was paying attention. More so he made sure that she could tell he was focusing on what she said. He could understand why she would find it so strange that her father was a student here. It didn’t happen all the time though it wasn’t unheard of. Plus most of the time there was at least one other person in the family who was also a mutant.

Nate himself wasn’t all too sure about the genetics of the x-gene though. He smiled kindly at her, “Well maybe you’ll find out more about your dad then. Sometimes we have found old journals of former students. Or even pictures.” Sometimes when they got bored they just explored whatever they could of the institute. It had been around for awhile now and old places collect more than just dust.

Even though she had said she would like to meet more of his friends she did seem slightly wary still. “Don’t worry I won’t make you meet them all at once.” That would be a lot for anybody in Nates mind. They were all quite friendly there was no doubt but some of them certainly had big personalities. While others were more demure. “Im sure you’ll meet Gen tomorrow. She’s cool,” Nate shared, “plus you already met her boyfriend Aaron.” Genevieve felt like a good next person to introduce Thalia too as she tended to be someone everyone liked. Plus Nate wasn’t sure if Thalia would like maybe having another girl she could talk to. Not that one needed to have a friend of the same gender but Nate supposed there were some things about girls maybe other girls understood better than he ever would.

“Well here’s your room again.” Nate gestured to the door jokingly making a very grand sweep of his arm. He clumsily bowed his head with his eyes closed. Quickly raising his head and peaking one eye open. He wasn’t sure if it would make her laugh but he liked trying to. “Anyways,” he said straightening back out. “I’m going to head off to bed. But I’m right down the hall if you need me.” He pointed to his room making sure she saw.

“Goodnight Thalia.” He smiled at her. It was a real smile that did betray the sleepiness that he was starting to feel. He turned around and made his way to his room.

Old journals? Pictures? Maybe it would give her more insight about her father.
“You have to show me!” She said. She blushed, her hand reaching out to cover her mouth and she couldn’t help but giggle. “Sorry. I just, this is really important. It’s the first chance possible for me to get to know my father possibly.” She didn’t think that Nate would think her weird or some kind of freak her reaction. It was honestly something to be curious about, though she felt a bit embarrassed for another reason. She hadn’t really gotten this close to anyone and she was having a hard time keeping a smile off her face. Nate was one of the nieces people she had met in a while and he seemed to be trying his best to make sure that she was comfortable at all times.

“I’m sure I can handle it” she told him. Though she did feel nervous meeting more of his friends. She didn’t want to come off too standoffish. Many people took that as a sign that she was mean or rude, when really Thalia just didn’t trust every situation she found herself in. Plus, the idea of hanging out with another girl seemed comforting. She couldn’t just always depend on Nate to be around.

She looked over her shoulder the door, pressing her back against it. some part of her didn’t want to say goodbye to Nate. Though it was getting late and they both had quite the eventful day. She smiled at his gesture. Thalia gave a small wave then. “Goodnight Nate.” She watched as he disappeared down the hall before she too walked into her room. Her back was pressed against the door and she closed her eyes, lamenting in this strange but pleasant feeling. She walked over toward the bed and had begun to take off her shoes and change into something more comfortable before climbing into the bed. It was the first real one she had slept on and it felt amazing. So much so, she was quickly out like a light.

Come the morning, Thalia found some new clothing on the dresser along with a note from Jean, telling her to meet her after breakfast and to bring Nate along. She was a bit nervous. She tried to use her powers as little as possible and didn’t want to embarrass herself. Still, she grabbed the clothes and the other shower items provided and made her way to the communal bathroom. It took some time and she got lost a few times, but she managed to find it.

Having a real shower after so long felt good, too good. Thalia could feel herself getting lightheaded by the warm water. She was used to waking up early, so she wasn’t surprised to find by the time she was coming out, others were just starting to filter in. They were all chattering away, like normal adults.

She had pulled her har from her face into a ponytail, even tucking her bang behind her ear which gave allowed one to see more of her face. Thalia changed into the uniform, which she realized was a black latex one piece. It was a bit more form fitting than she was used to, but she had never worn something s lightweight and breathable. She felt like she moved easier. After dropping her things off, she made her way to Nate’s bedroom. She didn’t want to get lost on her way to the training room and she hoped he would ease her nerves.

[pic https://i.pinimg.com/564x/26/41/79/264179d9adb30f5a7da7d7f1c8e14b93.jpg]

Sleep had come easily enough for the young mutant. It usually did nowadays at least. It was the waking up that always felt brutal. Nate was not what one would call a morning person. In fact he didn’t understand how anyone could be a morning person. He groaned when he heard the scrap of the curtain rod. “Morning sunshine!” Aaron’s voice rang out. Nate tried closing his eyes again willing sleep to take over. “No, you know you won’t ever get up if you don’t get up now.” Grumbling to himself he slowly brought himself up on his hands.

“I didn’t ask for wake up service,” Nate said swiping at Aaron who had already swiftly moved back.
“Yes but we have training today and my guess is Thalia doesn’t know her way there yet, plus I figured you would want to be up to help her,” Aaron shrugged, “believe me I would rather be hanging out with Gen right now instead of dealing with your attitude.”

What Aaron said seemed to wake Nate up quicker than caffeine would have. Right, Thalia was here. And Nate did want to make sure she made it to training alright. He made his way towards the bathroom to freshen up, “I’m up you can go. I’ll find you and Gen in a bit.” He had hardly finished his sentence by the time that he heard the door click behind Aaron who was most likely going to find his girlfriend.

It didn’t take long for Nate to be ready for the day and once he was he found himself no longer aching for sleep. He made his way back to his room from the bathroom. On the way back he spotted Gen and Aaron who were lost in a private conversation. He turned to walk backwards for a second so he could keep heading in the direction he was going but still shout at them, “Hey lovebirds wait for me outside the training room! Maybe Gen can meet Thalia.”

He quickly turned on his heel picking up his pace a bit in case one or both of them got irritated at their conversation being interrupted. When his door was finally in sight he found that Thalia was there too. “Hey did you sleep alright?” He asked her. It wasn’t until after his greeting that he noticed that she was wearing training gear. He was used to seeing people in some variation of the similar clothes. But something about seeing her in caused his breath to stutter a bit. He had always known that the training clothes left little to the imagination but it had never caused him to feel flush before.

He cleared his throat slightly, “Well I’m glad you decided to stick around for now.” He hoped she hadn’t noticed his momentary falter when he saw her. “Come with me, I figured maybe you could meet Gen before training today. So that way you know at least three of us.” He scratched the back of his head slightly as he took a step towards the direction where Gen and Aaron would be. Pausing to wait for Thalia to follow.

Thalia spun when she heard Nate’s voice. She had hoped that she didn’t come off as clingy. Just because he wasn’t help in her trainings, didn’t mean they had to walk together every single time. Thalia even felt somewhat comfortable walking the halls herself. Hoe much longer could she use that as an excuse to be at Nate’s side constantly?

“Hey,” she said and gave a small wave. Her cheeks burned a little red and she found her arms crossing over her chest. “I slept real good actually. First time I didn’t toss or turn.” Thalia hadn’t really thought about how feeling unsafe led to her inability to sleep most nights. Maybe it was why she was easily exhausted after using her powers. Right now she felt refreshed and dare she say it, she felt much stronger. She didn’t want to disappoint anyone though. Though, no one knew what she was and wasn’t capable of and neither did Thalia. She had always subdued her powers, using them for such menial and small occasions that she was unsure if there was a beast deep within her. Today she would find out though. She could feel the nerves more then, butterflies flying around in her stomach. Some part of her wondered though if that had everything to do with the training. Maybe she also thought about how to impress Nate.

“That sounds like a plan, it would be nice to make a girl friend,” Thalia teased. Though, have someone to confide in outside of Nate seemed like a good back up plan. This was just the distraction she would need to get her mind off of Nate and the training. Thalia in some way found that laughable, considering being social was hard. However, she did come out of her shell for Nate. She follows along beside him as they made their way down the hall. “So how did you sleep?” She asked, the silence between them a bit weird. Though around them students chartered amongst themselves. It wasn’t that something was wrong with the two, but it seemed they both were seeing each other in a completely different way. Yesterday Nate was more like a floaty, something to keep her safe from drowning in all this new information and a new surrounding. Now all she could think about was how she hadn’t noticed the way the suit’s material wrapped perfectly around his muscular arms, or how his eyes seemed to glow just a bit more when he saw her. At first she was a bit scared, but now she found that it would be hard not to be lost in them; similar to the pull of not wanting to miss the eclipse.

[pic https://i.pinimg.com/564x/26/41/79/264179d9adb30f5a7da7d7f1c8e14b93.jpg]

Nate was not one who usually found himself at a loss for words. Silence made him uncomfortable. Maybe that was why he always had to have the last word. He was grateful to Thalia for breaking through it though, “Yeah I slept well. Especially since I used my powers yesterday.” His arms stretched up over his head for a second still trying to shake off the sleep.

Looking briefly to Thalia he wondered why she seemed both less quiet and still nervous at the same time. As Nate was under the impression she got more reserved when she was antsy, the opposite to what he usually was like. He wondered if maybe it was the idea of training that was worrying her. It was understandable. He figured the idea of training with some of them especially the older members would be a little daunting.

His gaze turned back in front of him spotting both Gen and Aaron ahead. The two looked back at him as well Aaron reaching up a hand to wave at both Nate and Thalia. Gen stood next to him with her head tilted to the side.
“Hello again Thalia. I guess you decided to stick around after all.” Aaron smiled kindly at the raven haired girl. His arm settled happily on Gens back, “This is my girlfriend Gen.”

“Hello, I hope neither of these two have been giving you too much grief,” Gen teased, “Lord knows they are a handful.” She smiled widely at Thalia, “It is nice to meet you. I heard you got here yesterday.” Gen exuded a calm friendly energy. Nate often joked that she was ‘down to earth.’ Which usually ended with a root tripping him and Aaron cackling with laughter. “Ready for training?” She asked Thalia. Nates focus went back to Thalia at Gens questions curious to as what her answer would be. He had been reluctant to ask himself because he didn’t want to stress her out if she didn’t want to talk about it. Maybe he should have asked her though. He didn’t want her to think he didn’t care. Actually he was finding it was quite the opposite, he cared a lot that she was okay. He wanted her to feel comfortable here. So that she would know she wasn’t alone.

“You expect me to believe you don’t use your powers often?” Thalia asked with a small smirk. They soon made their way into a room where there were other students. She sighed out in relief at knowing this wouldn’t be some kind of isolated event. She had yet to spot Jean which gave Thalia time to mentally prepare herself. She looked up to find Aaron and who she suspected to be Gen. “I guess Nate was good at convincing me. Nice to meet you, I’m Thalia.” She said as she shook the girl’s hand. “Yeah yesterday was a . . . well a lot. Though I guess I’m here now. Might as well make the most of it.”

There were many things that could’ve happened to Thalia on the outside world. Had they not shown up, she could’ve been caught and quite possibly killed and that terrified her. Now she was given a chance that most mutants didn’t. The possibility of her actually being able to control her powers were enthralling and even more so, the chance to learn more about her father. She reminded herself to ask Nate about the library he had mentioned.

“I’m a bit nervous.” Thalia admitted to the others, her cheeks turning red when she spotted Nate looking at her. She didn’t have much time to explain any further though when she heard Jean’s voice.
“Good morning students. I hope today finds you well.” Jean’s heels clicked against the linoleum floor of the gym. She could see the others quitting their conversation to pay attention. “Some of you may or may not be aware of our newest student, Thalia.” Thalia gripped her hands behind her back and gave what she hoped was a smile in the direction of curious eyes. “So I thought we would take today a little slow. I want everyone to get into groups, some basic sparring and I’ll be walking around to see where you need improvements and what has changed since our last class. Please understand, this is more of a warmup. I don’t want anyone getting hurt,” Jean said as she looked toward Aaron and Nate. Thalia could feel her eyes on her, knowing that she would be playing close attention. Something like that scared her and yet she was excited to finally learn to have some control over this skill she had tried so hard to ignore.

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As Jean spoke their was a silence that fell over Nate and Aaron. They both at times seemed suddenly intrigued at the ground especially when bringing up that everyone was to take it easy. Nate always felt sick when disappointing or being scolded by any of the teachers. But it felt worse when it was Scott or Jean. They were almost the definition of the mom and dad friends. Plus Aaron and Nate did often get carried away when it came to practice. Gen usually expected to be bandaging one of them if not both of them up afterwards.

Nates eyes did go to Thalia when she was introduced to make sure she was okay with all the eyes that fell to her. Then again when Jean said to group up. “Well I guess we can all practice with each other then.” Nate smiled looking at Thalia and then Gen and Aaron.

Others were already grouping up as well and moving elsewhere to start practicing. Nate couldn’t help but note the extra attention that Jean was giving them. Though being that he did have an idea of what Thalia’s powers were it made sense she would be wanting to keep an eye on her.

“So you know my powers, since I do use them quite often,” he joked to Thalia, “and Aaron showed you his. Gen can control plants.” Nate felt that it was important that Thalia know each other their powers so she was not at any disadvantage.
“Is there anyone you would prefer to practice with in particular?” He asked her tilting his head to the side. He wanted to make sure that she felt comfortable at her first training especially when Jean was watching them.

He rolled his shoulders slightly in anticipation. Nate was known to like to show off sometimes. Plus if Thalia chose to practice with Gen or Aaron he felt a sort of desire to try to impress her. He wasn’t exactly sure why he wanted to show off more for her, maybe it was because they were new friends?

“Well, I’ve seen you in action. I think saving the best for last would be best.” For the most part it seemed Aaron and Gen’s powers were more physical. Though she didn’t know the lengths that Aaron could go with his skill of fire. That said, Nate was more than likely capable of being sneaky. Thalia also didn’t want to make a fool of herself and she wanted to impress Nate, even though she barely knew how to use her powers. That said, some small part of her felt she would get a bit distracted. She kept finding herself getting trapped in that kind smile of his and those dazzling bright eyes.

“And I don’t think I’m ready for playing with fire.” She could tell that intrigued Gen who gave her a raised brow but a smirk that showed she wasn’t one to be played with either. “So you and me?” Thalia wasn’t going to lie, she was nervous. She had no reason to doubt that Gen was talented and could very well kick her ass. That said, Thalia was no fool. She knew she had great power and if she could learn to control it, she would be a force not to be reckoned with. It made her wonder if she would be one of the few lucky enough to go on missions and maybe even they were trying to build a new team of younger mutants.

She tried not to think too much into that. She hadn’t come for all that and she wasn’t staying to join some kind of force. This was just to help her learn more about herself and her ability and possibly her father. They made their way to separate parts of the circle they were grouped in. Thalia gave a small smile toward Gen.
“So how exactly does this work?” She asked, a breath of air escaping as she found herself soon lifted in the air, quickly dropping against the hardwood floor. She groaned a little, shocked as she turned on her side. This definitely was taken seriously and that invigorated her. While it took her a while, she managed to come to a stand, adjusting her ponytail tighter then as her eyes met Gen.
[I Time not to play nice.]

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His eyes glowed a little brighter when she played into his ego. It was most likely that she was teasing him. But he still did like hearing himself be referred to as the best. Particularly Thalia even as a joke saying it he realized. He noted the realization deciding to figure out why later. He felt a light smack at the back of his head that surprised him. It wasn't a hard hit so it didn't hurt very much but it did cause him to look to his side. Aaron stood next to him smirking, "Don't go getting to big of a head now."

Nate practically gleamed, "Wouldn't dream of it sparks." He looked again at Thalia giving her a reassuring smile before he walked off to join Aaron. "Aaron, Nate, remember this is just a warm up," he heard Jean's voice ring out. His best friend grinned as he let his hands slowly fill with fire. It licked up his arms in a way that would intimidate most people.

It was a good thing that Thalia hadn't chosen Aaron. While Nate was sure that the other wouldn't have gone too hard on Thalia his powers were a bit more unpredictable then others. Aaron always had to be careful of his surroundings when he fought. After all you never want to hit an ally if you can help it. Plus although Nate would never admit it aloud, it was nerve-racking fist fighting with Aaron. After all no one wants to get burned.

Nate watched as Aaron charged forward. He rolled his eyes, seemed like his friend would never learn. "Too slow," Nate teased as Aaron passed through him. Nate shivered slightly as having another persons body pass through him was still weird. "One of these days I will get you off guard," Aaron grinned. Nate was sure it could happen, it wasn't like he had perfect control over it. Especially the part of using his powers to dodge other people. The two boys continued the light sparing session.

It finally seemed to reach its climax when Nate dodged a small line of fire that Aaron shot off and got close enough to flip Aaron onto his back. Nate himself winced slightly realizing the others last fire attack had singed him slightly. Aaron dramatically threw his arm over his forehead. "Fine you win this one," his eyes then flicked to Nates arm, "Ha! I got you though." Nate narrowed his eyes, "Yes congratulations to you." The bright eyed mutant rubbed his arm slightly. Thankfully the clothes had taken most of the hit. Meaning as long as Nate put some aloe vera on it later he would be fine.

He found himself wondering how Thalia was doing his eyes flicking over to where he knew her last to be. Maybe she had seen some of his fight with Aaron. Though she had probably been wrapped up in her own match with Gen. Sure Gen was less of a rush in and fight person like the boys were but Gen was tough as well. Gen being less showy probably sometimes gave her advantages too as people weren't always sure on her fighting style. Where sometimes Nate and Aaron had to be careful that people didn't catch on to their favorite moves and just work to counter the moves specifically.

A glow had caught her eye and Thalia looked over to see fire winding along Aaron’s arm. She swallowed thickly. She wasn’t sure she had made quite the greatest choice or not. Though, she was not going to back down. Not in front of Jean and not in front of Nate. Licking her lips, she dusted herself off. She had never been in a fist fight, a catfight sure but that was in the fifth grade and after she hurled little Cindy from the sandbox, they ditched town. Her mother had made it clear then that she was never to sue her powers, though Trent found it comical. He treated her like a clown and would have her entertain his friends. From that point on, all she saw was that her powers were dangerous and she was a joke. Though here, surrounded by everyone so freely using their gifts, she felt invigorated. She felt powerful.

That said, Gen was kicking her ass. She removed a flower from her hair then and Thalia watched as the stem grew, Gen using it almost like a lasso tossing it over. It latched onto her arm then and she stared in shock. Gen smirked, yanking Thalia to her. She was scared, worried even before without thinking she found herself lifting from the ground, a bit clumsy, but she tried not to think too much into it, especially since it as working as she noticed Gen was distracted. The plant was still tight around her wrist though. She needed to apply pressure.

She also needed to stay focused, most of the attacks Gen got over her were because she was distracted by Nate, silently rooting for him.

Thalia focused as much as possible, watching as Gen’s face turned from smug to confused as she was being pushed further away until the plant split and she found herself colliding against the wall from the force. Thalia landed on her knees, shocked as she removed the dying plant from her wrist.

Gen came at her then, a fist fight ensuing and she was fast, but Thalia found it easy to pick up on her steps. She was a bit predictable, almost as though she were inside her head, and it was easy to dodge, though that didn’t mean that she wasn’t getting hit. Something about the small trickle of blood excited her to fight even harder. Now that she knew Gen’s moves, it was easier to plan an attack and Thalia yelped in surprise when her hits made contact with Gen. She was moving faster than her mind, the world around her almost slowing down, her body trembling then as she used her force to grip Gen. She watched as she struggled against an invisible force, as though mentally unable to move if she so pleased until she gasped, falling to the ground.

Thalia looked toward Jean then who gave her an odd look.
“Alright guys let’s take a break and we’ll discuss your progress.” Thalia watched as Jean began to make her way out, the other students glad for a break. Thalia shook her head, turning to find Gen coming to her sense. She chuckled softly.
“Wow, seems I have you underestimated.” She smiled nervously. She had never done anything like that before.

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Watching Thalia fight took up his field of focus. He was minutely aware of Aaron who was finally standing up and brushing off his pants. He was sure his friend was also going to be focused on the spare. Though watching Gen would be Aaron's focus. Nate couldn't tear his eyes away from Thalia. At first it seemed like Gen had the upper hand. It made sense. She had more training. And Nate was under the impression that Thalia didn't use her powers a lot.

Nate silently mouthed a exclamation of yes as he watched the tides of the fight change. Gen seemed thrown off. Which wasn't surprising. Even Nate was taken by surprise. He after all had never really seen her use her powers other than to move a plate towards him. He was in awe of it really. Sure like anyone here she needed to learn still but she was quite powerful all on her own without really any lessons.

Aaron stiffened next to him as Gen collapsed on the ground. He was sure that the male was willing himself to wait to go to her. Gen wouldn't want him to run to her when it was just a sparing match. As soon as Jean called a break though Aaron was next to Gen helping her up and trying to assess if she needed to be patched up at all. The fire starting mutant looked at Thalia and grinned, "Yeah we both did I guess. Good match Thalia."

Nate had a huge smile plastered on his face as he walked the few steps to be next to Thalia again. His hand found her shoulder clasping it lightly, "That was awesome!" The brightness of his eyes momentarily increased again at the end of his sentence, "I knew you were cool but I didn't know you had moves like that." He gently grabbed her arm where Gen had vines attached to before. "Is your wrist okay?" he asked. He knew sometimes attacks like that could sting. Especially if you weren't used to taking hits like that.

He briefly scanned the rest of her too checking to see if there was any obvious wounds that needed attention. From his standpoint he couldn't see anything glaringly obvious which was good. Though he did wonder if he was being too familiar with her. She was used to being on her own and Nate had to keep reminding himself that she wasn't necessarily used to camaraderie yet. Aaron and Gen seemed preoccupied again as Aaron rearranged flowers in her hair smiling and talking in soft whispers to her. Sometimes Nate found himself feeling jealous of their connection. He wondered if he would ever find something that effortless.

Thalia herself looked toward Gen, trying to make sure she hadn’t don any real damage. She gave a small smile to Aaron, admiring how he doted on Gen and while she seemed to be embarrassed, she wasn’t shy of pulling away from him. Just because she had won didn’t mean Gen didn’t do well enough in kicking her ass. Now that she was relaxed, Thalia was beginning to feel the repercussions of the sparring. Her wrist ached and upon staring, she noticed Thalia’s little plants had thorns. Nothing too deep and by the time she noticed it now, the little beads of blood had dried and flaked off. Though her wrist was bruised. She imagined come tomorrow she would really get a taste of how sore she was.

She jumped a little when she felt a hand on her shoulder, turning to find Nate looking down at her. her cheeks turned red and she ducked her head, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. His excitement for her win made her just as happy and some part of her was glad she hadn’t made a fool of herself in front of Nate.
“It was much harder than it looked like.” She said with a chuckle. She didn’t want anyone thinking he as pulling a fast one, she did find the skills to come to her suddenly which was a tad scary. There were things she hadn’t ever done before. And the look Jean gave her made her feel strange.

Cool. Nate thought she was cool and she soon found herself distracted by the feel of his hand om her wrist, his caring tone. “It’s not too bad,” she said softly, wincing just a little. Tahlia tried to distract herself from his touch, calling attention then to his own injury.
“I thought for sure he had you. Looks like I was right when I made my decision to save you for last,” she said softly. She leaned in, her fingers brushing against the scorch, nothing too bad at least. “I’ll admit I was worried,” she said without thinking. Thalia was careful as she drew her arm back toward her body.

Jean had soon made her way back in which allowed for a break from the moment she shared with Nate, though that didn’t mean she increased any distance between the both of them. One by one, Jean met with the students, Thalia waiting her turn, her eyes every now and then flashing toward Nate. What was going on?

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Her arm was pretty scratched up. He guessed from thorns. "I guess your right it doesn't look to bad," his eyes still studying her arm. He noted the bruising that was about to form. Usually he would joke about how that was a sign of a good spare. But instead all he looked at her and said was, "Make sure you put some ice on that. We'll get some from the kitchen later." It seemed like she was done talking about herself as she switched the conversation to be about him.

Nate smirked, "I'm starting to think you might challenge me more than you realize. After all I do better fighting with more physical fighters." What he had pointed out was true. Thalia, especially when she perfected it more, would probably give him a run for his money. He braced himself slightly when she lightly touched his arm. There was a small sting but the feeling of her hands on his arm was not unwelcome. In fact he couldn't exactly pinpoint it but he rather felt he wanted her hand to stay there longer as she soon pulled away. His eyes widened for a second before they fell into a warm glow. A smile played on his face as per usual, "Well thank you for being concerned. I was worried for you as well."

"I wish I could say this is the worst burn he gave me. Thankfully he has better control of it now. If it was a real fight though I am sure I would be more than just singed," he mused. Suddenly embarrassed about thinking aloud. Like a timepiece Jean was back promptly at the end of break. She started by talking to someone a few feet away. As she moved from person to person he could see Thalia trying to puzzle it together.

He leaned down slightly to whisper to her, "Jean is just giving people tips. Things to practice." He looked back at the instructor then to Thalia, "Her powers are similar to yours. I am sure she will want to talk about that." He straightened up again as Jean got closer. He was sure his notes would be the same they usual were. Stop trying to show off. You and Aaron need to take it easy. Stop destroying the practice room. He really did try to listen but sometimes his chaotic nature took over instead.

Thalia’s cheeks burned just as much as Nate’s touch along her shin, some part of her liked how careful he was with her and while normally she would hate to be seen as vulnerable, his delicate behavior wasn’t unwarranted. Thalia wouldn’t allow herself to openly admit that though.
“Well, one of these days we will find out.” She said with a smile. She was just glad that she maned not to make herself out to look like a fool in front of him. Actually fighting with Nate did make her nervous. While he was generous in his compliments, Thalia saw enough of him to know that this wouldn’t exactly be easy. She hoped by then she was good enough.

She shuddered as she felt his breath ticking her ear, instinctively leaning in close enough to feel her arm brush against Nate’s. By the time Jean was there, she hadn’t been able to thank him, nor calm the butterflies in her stomach. Thalia wrapped her arms around her, meeting Jean’s eyes. Knowing that their powers were similar only made her even more self-conscious. She thought she did pretty good, well in fact based on what Nate told her and Gen was still nursing her own wounds.

“Thalia, very impressive. Though it’s clear we are going to have to work on control. You could’ve really hurt Gen.” She ducked her head, twisting her heel a little. It wasn’t necessarily anything bad but she felt like there was something that Jean was letting off while they were in front of the others. Noticing the minor injuries they had, Jean figured she would call it a day. “Meet me after lunch. For the rest of you, I expect improvements. I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, but there is a mission coming up and we are selecting three of our best students to come along. Student’s safety is our utmost priority, so only the strongest will be selected. You’re dismissed.”

Thalia sighed out, looking toward Nate then. “Guess I didn’t do too terrible. How about we get freshened up? I’m actually starved.” She could barely stand honestly, never having used her power t such extremities. Sitting down and powering up on a good meal sounded like a good idea, especially if she had to be up to her little chat with Jean later. She was curious though about this mission and as they were beginning the slow trek out of the room, Thalia couldn’t help but join in on the conversation. Nate had attended the mission with the others, but it seemed this would be a first where the students were active. She knew Nate had to be excited.
“Is this usual?”

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Due to the proximity of Thalia to him it was hard to not listen to her feed back. Though he tried to not eavesdrop too much. He wasn't sure it was something that Thalia would want him to be overhearing. There was a trust that Thalia seemed to have in him and he didn't want to harm that trust in anyway. What he did hear he agreed with though, control was never a bad thing to have. Nate remembered the sick feeling that would course through his body in the past when he hurt a friend on accident. Though the powers that he had seemed tame in comparison to Aarons or Thalia's.

Maybe that was why he worked so hard at combat. Having less showy abilities made him want to work harder to excel. Plus he rather liked being able to rush through barriers and stick the landing with superhuman grace. His enhanced agility being something that took people longer to notice usually. Nate felt himself tense slightly in worry when Jean told Thalia to meet her later. It was like Thalia brought out the protective side of him more. He was sure Jean wasn't going to overwhelm her but he couldn't turn off the desire to make sure she was okay. He went to glance back at her to see how she seemed to be doing. But his eyes quickly shot back to Jean at the mention of a new mission. The huge grin rapidly forming on his face.

Missions were where Nate felt validated. Like every path in his life that led him here was right. He just wanted to help people in whatever way he could and that was typically what these missions were all about. He also couldn't help but notice that she didn't give too much more information on it which made him wonder if this was more than just rescuing another mutant.

He was still grinning when he turned to face Thalia as she was beginning to talk again. A chuckle vibrated through his chest, "Yeah freshening up sounds good. I'm sure I could use it, and a change of clothes would be nice." He started to walk back to the institute heading towards the rooms. "Sparing always makes me feel hungrier than usual," he agreed. Aaron seemed to be ushering Gen inside as well so she could get patched up. Which reminded him he needed to put something on his burn when he got back to his room.

The grin formed on his face again, his eyes momentarily brightening, "Sometimes they bring students on missions. Usually there the 'recruiting' kind, where we tag along to help bring mutants back here to be safe. Like I was recently," he said referring to when he was with them in getting Thalia, "But this seems like it might be more than that. More serious." There was an excitement that bubbled up in him just thinking about it. They soon reached the rooms with Nate giving a small wave, "I'll meet you back here and we can go get lunch. And talk about how you feel after you first official class," he winked before he turned to walk into his room and change.

Being that he showered earlier he didn't really feel the need to do so again. Instead he peeled off the training suit and pulled on some jeans and some random graphic tee that he had acquired at some point, slight fading existing on the lettering on it. Nate reapplied deodorant hoping that he didn't smell too bad from what he could tell he did not. But maybe he wasn't a good judge of that. Soon, he was back in the hallway his arms propped behind his head lightly stretching himself as he waited for the other.

Something more serious sounded more dangerous and Thalia didn’t think she was ready for that. Then again, she didn’t expect that she would even be considered among the others. She was still new and according to Jean, while talented, she still had things to improve on. She could see Nate being an obvious choice though, he had already seemed to be trusted on minor missions. What would be the difference with this? She was also curious as to just what the mission would entail. Thalia wondered if Jean would be willing to give up more information when she saw her during their meeting after lunch. They soon made their ways into the hall, Thalia actually proud of herself for being able to recall the way back to her room much easier than before. They stopped at Nate’s room first, and she was quick to nod her head in agreement at his suggestion to meet back there, as she was feeling a bit giggly from him winking at her. It was strange. The more she was convincing herself to leave as soon as possible, the more Thalia found a reason to stay. There was the curious out surrounding her father, the possibility of finally being able to control her powers and . . . there was Nate.

She changed out of the suit as soon as she reached her room, readjusting her ponytail before changing into something a bit more causal. Though she took a bit more time in selecting the outfit, thinking about how Nate had looked at her when he first saw her in the jumpsuit. [I Stop looking into nothing,] she chastised herself as she pulled on the black sweater and a pair of jeans. Though, as she tended to her minor wounds, she thought about how gentle Gen and Aaron were with each other. The memory of Nate’s hand on her arm, delicate as it ran over the acre arches was fresh in her mind and so was that glimmer of worry she believed she saw in his eyes. He was genuine it seemed in his [I caring] for her.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, she disappeared from the room, walking a bit quicker to meet uo with Nate then.

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Soon Nate noticed Thalia making her way back towards him. He let his hands fall from behind his head to his side. She looked a little better in the new clothes. Like she wasn’t feeling as tired anymore. He motioned for her to walk with him as he started making his way back to the kitchen.

“So, what did you think about your first class? Did it feel good using your power?” He inquired glancing at her for a second before focusing on the hall in front of him again. When she answered he quietly listened not wanting to interrupt her train of thought. He was keen on hearing her answer. Wanting to make sure she was alright. That the lesson had been a good experience. One that didn’t make her regret staying. If the class had been bad, he probably would have felt guilty about convincing her to stay.

Though he doubted she was someone that could be convinced of anything she truly didn’t want to do. So part of her found some reason all on her own. A small voice in his head kept pondering the idea of the reason being himself. [i Calm down Casanova.] Though it seemed more likely the reason was her father.

They made it into the kitchen again, some students already in there grabbing food. Aaron and Gen were seated at a table engrossed in conversation and the food on their respective plates. It was then a sudden thought entered Nates mind, “Hey maybe tonight we can try to search for some old photos of your dad,” he abruptly turned his body side ways. A grin spreading wide on his face, “I mean only if you aren’t too tired...” He was sincere, it would be best to save for tomorrow if she was too tired for exploration today. He didn’t want her to exhaust herself after only one full day. He slowly made his way over to the food. Grabbing bread and some fixings to make himself a quick sandwich.

“Are you nervous about meeting with Jean?” He asked her as they made their way to the table with food in hand. He knew he felt kind of nervous for her. Sure he always was the kind of guy to worry about his friends but even he wasn’t used to being this aware of someone.

"It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” she said as she joined Nate by his side. Thalia found herself growing close to him no matter how much she pulled away. Though, she hoped Nate didn’t mind. She didn’t want to seem like she was crowding him, though he had done so well in making her comfortable thus far. “It wasn’t as easy to sue my power. I don’t know, Jean is right. Sometimes I feel more like my power is more than me. I guess that’s why I’m so worried to use it.” Knowing she could’ve hurt Gen was already a terrifying thought, but understanding the chance she wouldn’t have been able to wield that in was equally as disturbing. Something told Thalia that Jean knew much about that.

They soon reached the cafeteria and Thalia followed suit. Everything looked good in this moment and she had every intention of filling up her plate. Though, she had to remind herself that she didn’t have to fear when her next meal would be and she hadn’t to worry about stealing anymore. She played it safe, following in Nate’s route and deciding to make her own sandwich. She all but dropped the plate at his sudden turn. [I Maybe if you learned to back up Thalia], she chastised. Thalia rose a brow at Nate. She knew he was willing to lead her to the journal, but she hadn’t figured he’d want to help out regarding her father. Many would consider that something that was more so personal, an adventure to tackle alone and yet the idea of spending time with Nate seemed to waive that as a matter of importance.

“You and me? Tonight?’ She repeated dumbfounded. A smile graced her face and she turned her head to reach for a bag of chips. “That sounds perfect. I’m sure I’m going to need your help in some way, I mean you’ve been here longer and all.” They were making their way to the table after they got their drinks. The others were already engrossed in conversation, but greeted them. Whatever they were talking about seemed important. Thalia looked back toward Nate then.
“I am a bit nervous. What if she drops another bomb on me like Xavier.” She was already learning things about her father that she hadn’t, opening up a past she thought she would never know anything about. What more news could be brought to her attention? The conversation beside them was getting much more intense and finally Thalia thought to inquire what the subject was.

A male with thick black hair slicked back, sporting a leather jacket pushed over a tablet he wore. It was a an online posting on a site called mutant underground. The post was describing the recent missing mutants, most of which who were homeless and only reported when their bodies were found as all mutants were classified by their ids. It’s what made mutants that resembled the average human, a tough time getting by. Though, some could easily have that reversed if they knew the right people. Such betrayal wasn’t accepted as most mutants saw them as sad little puppets, pandering to humans just to live a [I better] life.

This article was different though. This wasn’t a mutant without a name: Adelie Crosby. Thalia’s eyes ran over the words. Her parents found her bed missing, the police of course not taking the matters seriously. In the comments of the article one name was consistently mentioned: Beatrix. She frowned, the name unrecognizable, but she could hear the others talking about the woman. Thalia’s eyes met up with Nate’s.
“What do you think of all this?’ After all, this was more of their world than hers, but she was slowly finding herself becoming a part of the group she had tried so hard to distance herself from.

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It felt like there was some invisible pull between the two of them. Nate had noticed that she seemed to stick close to him but truthfully he didn't mind it. It was more comfortable having her closer to him. He always was the type of person who thrived being near to people due to his extroverted nature but it was never quite like this with someone new before. Usually in the past when he stuck this closely to someone or vice versa it was a girlfriend.

Even when it came to the girls he dated in the past he never was this drawn to them right off the bat. Not that he had a whole lot of exes either. He spent most of his time training which didn't make for a lot of time to spend being in a relationship. In fact he had almost convinced himself at one point that maybe relationships weren't in his cards.

There was a lightness in his step when he saw that Thalia seemed just as thrilled about the idea of hanging out tonight. Though the way she phrased it did make the smallest of blushes creep across his face for a second. He found himself feeling grateful that she couldn't see his face at the moment from the angle they were walking in. He ate silently at first not paying too much attention to the conversation next to him. His brain was more focused on trying to plan out where to start looking first. Maybe in the library there was bound to be some old keepsakes in there.

It was Thalia's inquiring that pulled him into the conversation next to him. His glowing eyes flicking to the tablet that was pushed over to her. His eyes darkened as he read the article in front of him. It was a look that often graced his face when he read any of the stories off of mutant underground. It was not a site he liked to look at. Not that he disliked the availability of this information. It was the nature of the articles that made him upset. It was hard to tell in some cases what was happening to these young mutants. There were theories. There were always theories. But that was the thing about theories, there were many, and only one truth.

The article included photos of the missing girl. Photos of her parents tears pouring down their faces. It felt like eventhough it was only a photo the light blue eyes of the young girl were staring at him pleading to be saved. His throat felt tight, "Something isn't right. There is no way these are all separate incidences. And I can't help but fear what is happening to them."

Beatrix was a name he recognized solely by her connection to the articles on mutant underground. It was like her name popped up often. How she was really involved in all of this Nate was unsure. But he got the feeling she wasn't necessarily someone that you would want to meet in real life. At least not if she had a connection to missing mutants.

Thalia noticed the dark look on Nate’s face, the way his eyes dimmed. She didn’t think much as she reached her hand out for his as though to ease any discomfort he may have. The bracelet her father gave her dangled from her wrist. It still was unable to it her, a silver metal band with a strange symbol encrypted, laced around a black leather cord she had to wind twice just so it didn’t come loose.

They all should feel the same way. Mutants had always had a target on their back, forced into the shadows because they were deemed too powerful and that terrified humans. But now specifically it seemed they were especially being sought out and she couldn’t imagine for any good reasons. Thalia’s stomach twisted some at the thought that maybe their own kind could also be involved in such immoral activities.

“What do you think is happening to them?” She asked him. This world was still partially new to her. Thalia for the most part had rarely attended school and that was because of the constant trouble she found herself in with the other human students. Being around her mother and stepfather she was always the odd one out. She never had a chance to fully embrace her mutant side and maybe it was just as worse considering the fact that her kind were being imprisoned and killed without so much as blink of the eye.

[right [pic https://i.imgur.com/ET4y6wu.jpg?1]] Matthius lay writhing on the floor, his last view being of the long haired woman with bright hair, a woman he had come to love. He soon felt himself being dragged from the ground and soon darkness consumed him.

Matthius had been on his way to work when he was kidnapped from his home. The last thing he remembered was the site of his daughter’s face, peeping over the window as she watched him leave. She had been his whole heart, so much so that her mother had grown bitter, finding it hard to have love for the child they had created. Matthius had hope though, that her mother would raise her to eb normal in an attempt to keep her safe. [I They] were out there. The government for long points of time had made it clear that they hated mutants while using them for everything they had to run what they considered the most perfect society – a society prepared for anything, including war.

When he awoke, he found himself chained to a bed, unable to move. For years he was pricked and prodded, his skills of electric shock skills particularly of interest. He was sent overseas to participate in a small war, unknown to the American public. For years he was hipped here and there, used as the government pleased Eventually, he had seemingly become one of them. He thought he could feel no more, think no more for himself and his kind. But, [I she] showed him different. During the night, he held her in his arms, promising he would find a way to get her out. They could leave this place and he could find his little girl. They would change the world, for all mutants.

He was sure she thought she saw the last of him, writhing in pain and begging for her to leave him. How surprised was he when she met him on his doorstep in Brazil.

[pic https://i.pinimg.com/564x/26/41/79/264179d9adb30f5a7da7d7f1c8e14b93.jpg]

Feeling her hand on his was not something he had expected. His eyes peeled away from the article and were on her again. It was a very calming feeling in some ways. At least it made him feel less upset, though it did feel like part of his mind was now trying to figure out what he was feeling.

Nate sighed out, “I’m not quite sure.” He couldn’t imagine what was happening to them. Were they being killed off? If so shouldn’t they be turning up somewhere, or at least some part of their body. Was it captivity? Maybe someone was doing tests on mutants again. Nate had heard of men that had experimented on mutants before. Usually with the goal of making a super army.

“But anytime mutants started disappearing in the past it was never a good thing,” his expression was grim. Any group of people disappearing usually meant something was amiss especially concerning a group that shared some similar trait.

He slowly ate more of his sandwich. He wondered why this wasn’t being discussed more among the mutants here. Though maybe it had been talked about in private conversations between Xavier and the other teachers.
“I wonder if the mission has anything to do with the missing mutants,” he mused. His eyes looked at the article once more before he let the other take it back. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get upset.” He said looking solely at Thalia. “And thank you,” he said giving her hand a small squeeze to let her know he was referring to her reaching out to him. It meant more because she didn’t seem like the type of person to usually be okay with physical contact from people she didn’t know well. Plus it did pull him out of any potential downward spirals.

“Are you going to be okay meeting with Jean?” He asked eyeing her. She had talked with the professor alone but other than that Nate realized that they spent the whole time she had been here together. Even from right before she arrived at the institute technically.

Thalia looked down at their hands, smiling softly. “You shouldn’t feel sorry about how you feel.” It felt a bit ironic that Thalia was the one saying it, but she meant it. she was starting to warm up to Nate, something she would’ve chastised herself for and yet, here she was still allowing him inside of her little world. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing. Though whatever was happening to these mutants was absolutely terrible. She wondered if she could ask Jean about it. would she be open enough? It seemed too much of a coincidence that this news was going around and there was talk of this big meeting.

Her eyes looked down at her food, realizing that she hadn’t eaten as much as she expected. That wouldn’t fair well for the rest of her day, so she picked at the sandwich and hips until she felt sustains.
“Should I be worried about her?” She asked Nate with raise of a brow. Jean seemed like a nice woman and she wasn’t that hard of a teacher, though it was only Thalia’s first day. She didn’t seem to give Nate or the others a hard time though.

There was something else in the way he asked her though and Thalia wondered if she was right in thinking that Nate was actually in some way acting as though he were her protector. Her ears burned at such though and she instantly regretted not having her hair down; it would be too weird now, as though she were trying to flirt with him.
“You won’t be too far away, if I need you.” She teased. She checked the clock that was on the wall which was really helpful since she hadn’t had a phone since her first week on the streets after it was stolen from her. though with no one to stay in touch with, she supposed it wasn’t necessary to have.

“I should get going.” She said as she gathered her trash onto her tray. She figured Jean would tell her a little bit more about her schedule for the day, though it seemed there weren’t many restrictions when it came to the school. It seemed more like a home and that comforted Thalia more than anyone would know. “Walk with me? Or – I shouldn’t take you away from the others,” she said as she came to a stand.

[pic https://i.pinimg.com/564x/26/41/79/264179d9adb30f5a7da7d7f1c8e14b93.jpg]

It was hard to even picture the girl that Nate had met. The one that was closed off and cautious. The one who didn’t seem to want to make friends. Now he could see that it was just armor that she had been wearing. That she seemed to actually be someone who cared deeply for her friends. Or at least cared for Nate. He smiled at her then turned his focus back to eating.

He was startled by her next question, “No, no— That’s not what I meant. I just..” he trailed off trying to figure out what to say. He felt flustered as he tried to talk about what he meant. He didn’t mean to feel overly protective of her but in some ways he was.

Soon she was talking again. There was a sort of teasing nature in her tone. It was one that made him feel embarrassed and made him grin at the same time. “Yeah I won’t be far if you need me,” though he wasn’t sure how he would know if she needed help. He did know that if she needed help he would be right there in an instant.

Nate stood up fast, so fast in fact he felt his leg graze the table. It stung slightly but he didn’t think too much about it, “Nah it’s alright. I can walk you there.” He wasn’t sure why he had even stood before she had asked but she seemed to want to walk with him too.

He grabbed his plate putting it in the sink before he walked out of the room. Turning slightly to wave bye to the people they had been sitting with. He waited for her to start walking before he fell in step with her. Keeping pace as they walked. “It’ll be fine though. Jean is a good person.” It wasn’t a long walk but Nate wanted to make sure he reassured her that it would be alright before he left her.

Soon they were standing in front of a door. “We’ll find each other after your meeting,” he said slowly rocking back on his feet.

Thalia had to contain her giggles as she watched the table shake a little at Nate’s quick movements. She followed close to him, looking over her shoulder and waving at his friends who gave them a knowing look that quickly caused her to turn back toward the front. After dumping her tray, they left the cafeteria and began down the halls. Along the way she noticed the pictures that hung from the walls, different mutants she guessed throughout history. There wasn’t always a time that their presence was known but there were also periods in history where they weren’t feared; to be a mutant and have that power almost seemed as though you were royalty. At one point in time it was even possible for a mutant to become president. Now they were struggling to stay alive and seemingly weren’t even safe in their own homes. That made her nervous.

Soon enough they reached a mahogany door with a gold plate inscribed with Jean’s name.
“I’ll be looking for you,” she said, unsure how to end their conversation without it being awkward. It couldn’t be helped though and Thalia reached out for his hand. Some reason a kiss felt more like the proper exit, just on the cheek but even that made her nervous. “I’ll see you soon,” she said finally as she ducked her head, mentally kicking herself for leaving on a lame exit. She knocked on the door then, hearing the voice of the woman calling her in.

Thalia looked over her shoulder and waved before entering. Jean was sitting at her desk, going over what looked like a map, though she quickly rolled the document up and stashed it in a tub that she placed under her desk. She gave Thalia a friendly smile.
“Come in,” she said. Thalia closed the door silently before walking over, taking a seat. She felt the same sense of nervousness as when she was in the professor’s office. Jean could sense her worry and got out of her seat, coming to sit in the chair beside Thalia.
“Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble,” she assured. Her eyes were like two shiny marbles and while that would’ve turned her off or made her more nervous, it seemed to calm her, almost as though she were familiar to her. “I just wanted to see how you were fairing is all. How’s everyone treating you?” She tucked the bright red hair behind her ear. Thalia sighed out.
“Good good, everyone is nice. Nate is great,” she said with a bit too much enthusiasm. Jean knowingly gave her a smile and nodded.
“Yeah he’s a good kid. He finds his way into trouble, but for the right reasons. How did you feel about the training?”
“It was scary,” Thalia said without a thought. She hadn’t said so to Nate, maybe in an attempt to impress him or perhaps the reality of what she did hadn’t sunk in just yet. “I’ve never used my powers to that extent,” she explained. Jean nodded.
“It can be that way your first time around. Not many students are afforded the opportunity to harness their skills. Professor X hopes to help as many mutants as he can. Everyone is different of course, though I’m sure you’re no stranger to feeling that.” Thalia chuckled softly and shook her head. “I’m sure a lot of people have pointed out our powers are similar. In fact, what you experienced with Gen is something that has happened to me before . . . the results weren’t pleasant.”

Thalia hated Jean proving her thoughts were true “That doesn’t mean your bad or dangerous. It just means playing smart and knowing how to rein in that power when needed. We aren’t mean to hurt or kill anyone, even the bad people have their reasons as to why they are the way they are. We can only protect those we care for. Those we love.” Jena had a far off look in her eyes before lightly slapping her thighs. “That is not the only reason I called you in here though. I wanted to see if you were up for some one on one classes? I can’t have you tossing all my students about.” She teased.

Thalia was glad to hear that. “Oh that would be perfect! Today I could feel it, like a burst of energy almost. Something unlike I ever felt before, like a whole force was burning to rip out of me.” Jean stared at her as she spoke, listening to Thalia talk almost felt like her own thoughts when she was younger. She had spotted that anxiety in Thalia when they picked her up. some part of her wanted to mention her father, but Xavier had forbade it, stating it was something that Thalia would have to come to find out on her own.
“I know exactly what you mean. Our gifts are nearly consuming, we can even be a danger to ourselves. But I foresee that you will come to surprise yourself on how truly great being a mutant is.”

They spoke more about her powers, when she first started demonstrating them. They grew stronger when her father left and Thalia could see something in Jean’s eyes when she mentioned it. she wanted to ask questions, but what did Jean really know? This only further intrigued her about her library trip with Nate. After setting up some times to practice, jean was walking Thalia out the door.
“Should you ever need anything, do not be afraid to stop by.”
“I won’t,” Thalia promised with a smile. It was a little later into the afternoon now. It was a nice day, which acquired for why most of the students seemed to be enjoying their time outside.

All of them oblivious to how little peace they would be able to cherish for an unknown amount of time; but it was impending.

[pic https://i.pinimg.com/564x/26/41/79/264179d9adb30f5a7da7d7f1c8e14b93.jpg]

There was a moment when he was holding her hand that he felt the urge to bend down and kiss her. It was a thought that caused him to hear his own thudding heartbeat in his ears. They stood there for a moment both seeming to be trying to find the best way to separate from each other. Nate wondered what she was thinking about as she looked up at him almost embarrassed. Soon enough she pulled away which to his surprise made him feel just a little disappointed. [i No she is your friend don’t make things complicated.] he internally chided himself.

He waited for the door to close before he started to walk away. Shoving his hands in the pockets in his jeans. Even though Nate knew she would be fine with Jean not only because Jean was not someone who would make someone feel uncomfortable but also because he did know that Thalia could take care of herself. After all they did find her on the run. She was someone who could handle her own and maybe that was something that intrigued Nate about her.

Sure some of his hanging around had to do with wanting to prove to her that being a mutant wasn’t all bad, but there was more too it. At least he was starting to feel like there was more to it. The more he spent time with her the more he was realizing that he acted different around her. It was only a matter of time until Aaron or Gen pointed it out. They always in the past had teased him that he was forever in love with missions. Now he was sure if he did have feelings for Thalia that those two would be giving him a hard time for at least a little while.

Nate never had been good at hiding his emotions. Not that his emotions ran hot like Aaron. More that subtle changes in his eyes gave it away. They almost change in intensity of color depending on his mood. As long as you knew him relatively well it wasn’t hard to pick up on, and Nate had noticed that Thalia had already seemed to have noticed. The realization that she had been watching him closely enough to see the change made him smile. It meant she was intrigued by him as well in the very least. That something was making her watch him like he watched her.

While Thalia was in her meeting Nate walked around. He didn’t go search out for his friends, worried his thoughts would be obvious to them. That they would pick up on the fact that he was trying to figure out if he had a growing crush on Thalia or not. Either way he wasn’t sure if he should think too much about it after all they had just met each other.

In the very least he was happy that she seemed to be less upset about her mutant self. He did wonder what Jean would say to her. Maybe she was going to train her more. After all it could have gotten out of hand today and Gen could have been hurt way worse. He rounded the corner coming back to the office. The first thing he noticed was black hair. A smile settled on his face as he pushed away the questioning thoughts of feelings, “Hey stranger, how was the meeting?” He asked coming to a stop next to her.

Thalia was searching for Nate, smiling when she heard the sound of his voice, his footsteps stopping right as he met her side. She turned to face him more, her smile a bit larger than she wanted and yet that didn’t stop Thalia from looking at Nate as though he were the greatest person in the world. Though, in her world he definitely ranked at the top.
“Hey you,” she responded. By now she had taken her hair out of the ponytail, gaining a headache from it. Though it could’ve also been from when Gen knocked her off her feet during the beginning of their sparring session. She didn’t doubt this was just the beginning of soreness she was expected to feel. She tucked her hair behind her ear. “It went well. She just gave me some pointers. She asked if I wanted to do some one on one training with her. I guess it would be stupid of me to decline them.” She admitted. She had no clue where they were walking to, but Thalia didn’t mind. Just being by Nate’s side was all that mattered. She was starting to realize this thought was running through her mind constantly and she didn’t know whether to approach it or let it burn until it fizzled out. Would it just go away? She was already spending so much time with Nate – anymore and she was sure she wouldn’t know how to feel like herself if he wasn’t by her side or in her side. She couldn’t bear the thought of him becoming tired of her or bored with her. A sick thought was planted in her head. Had he been this way with any other girls?

“You aren’t seeing anyone are you?” She asked suddenly, pausing in the middle of the floor and of course it was stupid to ask. He was spending most of his time with her and yet it had only been a few short hours of the day. What if the girl was someone in another class of theirs? Or what if she didn’t stay at the school – some girl he met when on a mission with the others. The thought made her chew on her bottom lip roughly. “I’m sorry I don’t know why – that was stupid. I mean not that you wouldn’t be, cause you’re – I mean you’re not.”

Thalia placed her hand over her eyes, blushing dramatically now. “Can we pretend I never said anything?” She begged of him, peeping through her fingers. Though some part of her was curious about his answer. What did he do when he wasn’t with her she wondered. Did he think about her at all?