Date: Sun, 5 Nov 2006 14:32:34 -0800 (PST)
From: Mark <rahvin747@yahoo.com>
Subject: Fire and Ice

Disclaimer : X-men is a property of Marvel. This is a work of fiction.

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Chapter 1

My name is Kevin. I enlisted at Xavier's school for gifted students far
later than your average guy. I was 21. I'd long since finished my
schooling, and was close to finishing my degree in physics. Before the
incident with my parents.

I'd known that I was a mutant since the age of twelve. It was ridiculous,
really. I'd been doing my homework and reached for a pencil, only to find
it coming towards me. I'd kept my abilities a closely guarded secret - or
tried to at least, but my powers started growing stronger and
stronger. When I was fifteen I had a nightmare and woke up to my room in
tatters - torn to pieces, and my terrified parents standing in the doorway
afraid to approach me. I was compelled to reveal my status as a mutant to
them that night, and soul-searing as it was, I was shocked to find that
they supported me. They were quite angry that I'd never revealed my
abilities to them prior to this, wondering how I could ever fear being
honest with them. They told me that I could do anything I wished within the
boundaries of the house, as long as I didn't try anything in public -
anything which could cause a scene and draw attention. That seemed fair
enough to me, so I complied, and my parents helped me with some of my
problems, such as my nightmares.

My teen years were pretty stable, but I'd always felt unfulfilled as if I'd
merely scratched the surface of my potential. Sometimes I would dream of an
event which would occur the next day, and once or twice I thought my mother
had spoken to me - but turned to see her going about her business
silently. Had I read her mind? I was not prepared to go down that
avenue. It felt like a breach of trust to invade my mother's mind. I would
have tried on random people in the street, but each time I remembered my
promise to my parents. It was frustrating.

At around the age of 16 I finally became convinced that I was also
attracted to guys. I would fall into spells of a private and deep
depression, and wouldn't exit my room until my normal mask had
reappeared. How was it possible for me survive in this world as a gay
mutant? Even if I managed to find someone who could accept the one aspect
of my life, how could I possibly find a person who could tolerate both?

I thought it was a futile theory, until I proved its validity with my
parents. Naturally I remembered their speech on honesty and trust and when
I was 21 I decided to tell them one night, almost as an afterthought. My
dad asked if I'd met any girls who I liked, and I told him flat out that I
liked guys, and not girls. The strange thing is that it was the first time
I recall him ever asking me that question, and I suppose this incident
could have been unleashed at an earlier stage if my parents had been a
little more inquisitive. Perhaps they were distracted by the fact that I
was a mutant. They probably thought it was impossible to have a son with
more than one major flaw - so why ask?

I remember that moment so vividly. The surprise on my father's face
followed by a level harsh stare, the gasp from my mother with her wide-open
eyes. And that was it for me.  My dad told me he wanted nothing further to
do with me, and my mother took the weak supportive role and didn't respond
to my pleas. I felt so angry, so furious that they had made me think I
could trust them - and then cut my knees from under me as soon as I'd
confided another secret in them. Their betrayal was so callus, so without
mercy. My dad cut my tuition - only two months short of me completing my
degree. I guess that is what hurt the most - not just my evisceration from
their lives, but an active effort to ruin what was left of me. Some people
would expect a man like me to go on a rampage with my gifts, but I would
consider it to be a lesser man.

Considering my dependence on my parents, I was left close to destitute and
had to forsake the remainder of my degree. I'd headed out of my flat with
my clothes packed compactly into a small backpack. I'd sold the rest of my
possessions to provide me with some capital to at least get around, eat and
decide on what to do next. Walking around aimlessly, I'd stumbled across an
old newspaper in a park which I decided to read. Time was the only thing I
had in excess. Reading the newspaper, my eyes caught an article which
interviewed the illustrious Professor Charles Xavier. A mutant. He spoke of
his school and how it had been a safe haven for mutants in the past, long
before it had been opened as a school. A safe haven! If this wasn't a sign,
then nothing was. I rushed to the bus station and got myself a one way
ticket to the closest bus stop to this school. I could barely wait to
arrive there, and the six hour bus trip didn't make it any easier. If I
could just find a place where I could feel safe again, I would never
complain again.

I arrived at the bus station and took the short two mile walk to the
school. It really was no problem. I was physically fit, and I'd gone
running every morning for as long as I could remember. Stepping nervously
up the front gates, I reached out to ring the bell only to find the gates
opening before my hand reached its destination. I shook my head wryly and
walked up the long driveway to the main mansion. I passed several young
kids playing around on the grass, or sitting by the fountain - none near my
age. In the distance I saw a woman older than me, with a dark face and
strikingly silver hair lecturing an ashamed young boy severely. I headed up
to the main doors, but missed a step and nearly fell when I saw a scrawny
teenager balancing sparks in the palms of her hands and then start juggling
them. I needed to remember where I was. I was a mutant, and was only used
to my own abilities - small as they were. Yet I'd never seen another mutant
use their abilities, only heard or read about them in the news. As I
entered I was confronted by a middle aged man with dark hair.

"Welcome Kevin," he said simply. "I knew you'd come."

I stuck out my hand and shook his. "Thank you. Uh.. how do you know my
name, and who are you?"

He smiled widely. "My name is Charles Xavier. I have gifts just like you
do. Let's go chat in my study."

"Wait," I said. "I saw his picture in an old newspaper. You are not him."

"I assure you I am. You wouldn't believe my story if I told you, though one
day I might share it with you. I do enjoy the ability to walk again, so
let's ... walk."

He made a sharp turn to the left and I caught up and walked beside him. He
said nothing, so I decided to follow suit and keep silent rather than make
small talk. The house was beautiful. I could barely take it all in with its
exquisite wooden furnishes and antiques.  The mansion bustled - there were
young kids everywhere, some older some younger.  What was I doing at a
school? I felt totally out of place. The Professor was still smiling.  Damn
his smugness. As we approached the end of yet another long passage I saw a
group of older people approaching me. They actually appeared to be in my
age group, and suddenly I felt hopeful. There were four of them - three
girls and a guy. I thought very little of it, but as I passed them my eyes
drifted involuntarily to the guy. I stopped immediately, paralyzed and
mesmerized. The guy was about as tall and as old as I was.  His hair was
light brown and cropped, and his blue eyes were glacial and potent. He was
... beautiful! His eyes turned to me as he passed and I saw him smile
weakly and walk on. My breath stung my lungs, and my heart was beating
beating beating...!

"Kevin?" Professor X said, and I realized where I was and turned quickly to
face him.  His eyes moved past me to the wall behind me. I turned and saw
the wooden panel splintered and torn.

"Oh shit!" I said desperately. "I'm so sorry Professor, I didn't mean
to. I'd pay for it if I could. And I'm so fucking sorry for my language. I
mean ..." I ended in a splutter, and decided to close my mouth and retain
what dignity I had. Standing there blushing I stared at my feet.

"It's quite alright, Kevin," he said finally. "These things happen while we
learn to master our gifts. One day, with training, you will learn to
prevent these events from occurring.  Let's go into my study, it's right
here."

I followed him into his study. Nice going. I enter his mansion -
immediately get to work destroying it with this cursed ability of mine,
almost shout my gayness to the whole school populace, and prove to the
Professor that I was born in a barn and speak like one of the
livestock. What a disaster. I moved into his study and almost fell into the
chair on the opposite side to where he was sitting, the heavy mahogany desk
separating us. Sitting without some sort of acquiescence from him was rude,
but my first impressions were in ruin so I might as well honor my
inevitably trashed reputation.

"Kevin, just relax," he said warmly. "You've been under stress lately, and
you're not yourself. In time you find yourself here, and with it will come
contentment."

"I realize I'm too old for your school, sir, but I'm asking kindly..."

"This place wasn't always a school," he said with a coy smile. "There was a
time when mutants like you took up the majority of my day. But you already
knew that didn't you?  >From the newspaper?"

"How do you know this?" I said, irritation touching my voice. I appreciated
his help but this precognition was getting on my nerves.

"My mutant powers allow me to read people's minds, and control them in
certain cases - though I haven't done that for many years," he said
consolingly. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Suddenly I became aware of a pressure settling on me. It was like a wave of
energy heading towards me, huge and piercing - aimed straight for my
mind. I had never encountered the like. I considered shielding myself
somehow - I knew I could. I didn't even know how I knew I could. This was
all so twisted, and it made me angry. Instead, I grabbed the energy and
smashed it back as if I'd connected a charging baseball with the meat of a
good bat. The Professor fell back in his chair as if physically struck, and
beads of sweat formed on his head, his eyes closed and strained.

"Professor X, are you alright?" I said rising from my chair.

His hand rose and I exhaled with relief. "I'm fine, Kevin." He wiped his
forehead and looked at me, kindly, but with reservation behind his
eyes. Fear?

"Kevin, you have a very unique gift," he said breathily. If he'd let on
more I would have said he was shocked to his bones.

"I know Professor... I can make things move. I once lifted a chair in my
room with my mind..." I started enthusiastically.

"Let me finish..." he said warmly, but with command in his voice. "I sent
that psychic spike after you and I'm sorry if I scared you. It was quite
harmless, but I wanted to see if you had any telepathic potential. Mutants
who can affect their environment sometimes have other lesser
abilities. Mutants without an aptitude merely sit there, and those with an
ability usually panic and try to defend themselves. You..." he said and
turned to stare out the window. I considered apologizing again, but as I
opened my mouth he continued again.

"I once had a ... friend with the same gifts as you. Her name was Jean. It
is a rare mutation. So rare in fact, that I seriously doubt another of your
type exists in all the world. As it is, I am astounded to find a male
counterpart to her gift." He continued staring out the window. Something
was amiss here.

"I won't hurt anyone," I said to fill the silence. If he thought was I
dangerous he might rescind his offer to shelter me. I meant it. I wouldn't
hurt anyone! Shit, are mutants scared of me too?!

"I know," he said after a moment, but he still didn't look at me. "Jean had
the same ideals as you." He sighed and shook his head. What was going on
here?

"Where is Jean? Maybe she can help me with my gift." Perhaps I could
provide the solution to my own problem. She'd understand.

"She died," he said simply. "A year ago, she was one of the mutants who
died on Alcatraz island. I miss her dearly." He finally turned to me, but
his eyes looked strained.

"Kevin, you need to listen to me," he said seriously, and sat on top of the
desk in front of me. He looked down on me gravely.

"Okay," I said and swallowed nervously.

"You may think you know about your abilities, but I knew Jean for over ten
years and she only realized her potential near to the end of her life. I
will help you realize your abilities, if that is indeed within my own
abilities. Yet before I lead you down this path, I want you to appreciate
what I'm going to tell you. Believe me, I can say this without conscience
or deception - in time you will be one of, if not the most powerful mutant
on the planet.  Your powers are immense. You actually have the ability to
manipulate matter in all its forms on all levels, and this includes the
telepathic domain."

I stared at him, shocked. My eyes were wide open, and my mouth gaped like
some stupid fish. Remembering to breath, I inhaled a deep rush of air and
shook my head. "Are you sure... I mean..."

"I'm sure," he said. "You're identical to Jean. Her powers even gave off
the same energy signature which yours do."

"Are you afraid of me?" I said softly, and I looked at my feet.

He leaned forward and placed his hand on my shoulder reassuringly. "I'm
sorry if I frightened you with my own insecurities. You have to understand,
Kevin, your power is potentially limitless. Jean... struggled ... to
contain her powers and many people died.  With such power comes a great
deal of responsibility. People lose their tempers, and mutants sometimes
can afford to as well - but you never can. It is your responsibility to
master your powers, because if they master you then you will experience
suffering like you have never known, and others will suffer with you."

His words stabbed at my heart, and I felt afraid. "I understand,
Professor. I will try be what you hope for. It's just that I've had a tough
time with my parents lately..."

My eyes fell. This was all too much. To many revelations occurring at too
delicate a time.  A small tear escape from the corner of my eye, and I felt
angry that I'd made such a fool of myself in front of this great man. He
reached out to pass me a Kleenex, but I didn't want pity - or help. I was
fine. I don't want pity! The Kleenex burst into a shower of..  nothing, and
my tear stopped and vanished as if it never had been.

"I'm sorry..." I said.

"Don't ever be sorry for your gifts, Kevin," he said. "Just make sure that
what you want to do with your powers is what YOU want to do, not what your
powers want. Remember, in a moment of weakness that Kleenex could have been
a person." He looked at me reassuringly, but I sensed levels of
apprehension behind his eyes. I would find out about this whole debacle
eventually. If I resembled this Jean woman, then the story and troubles
associated with her would follow me. This sucked.

The door opened behind me, and I heard someone enter. I wiped my eyes, but
there was no need - my cheeks were dry. The lovely woman with the silvery
hair was standing there. "Storm," Professor X said, "this is Kevin. He's
going to be living here for a while.  We're going to help him master his
powers, and with time maybe convince him to become a teacher here," he said
with a smile.

"Hi Kevin," she said warmly and shook my hand. "I assume I should find him
a room," she asked Xavier questioningly. He nodded. After a quick thanks
and greeting, I followed Storm - an odd name - down the long
passages. Maybe I would see that hot guy again.  No... I needed focus, not
a distraction. Storm took me to a corner room on the second floor with a
large view of the grounds.

"I don't know what to say," I said. "It's beautiful. Thanks!"

"The students have much smaller rooms, but you're too old to be one of
them," she said with a smile. "If you stay on as a teacher, you can
experience better than this," she said with a wink, and I laughed.

"So...uh... anyone else of my age around here?" I said apathetically, as if
I didn't care.  Except that I cared a great deal.

"Sure," she said. "They're all full X-men now. Many of us are a lot older
than you - Wolverine, me - others. Kitty and Bobby are about your age
now. Pete too, but he's in Russia visiting his mother."

"Okay," I said. "Thanks Storm." She said goodbye and left. I packed out my
stuff and had a shower. After two days it was a welcome feeling. Getting
out of the shower, I stood in front of the mirror with a towel around my
waist. The water dripped off my wet dark hair and ran down my body. This
place had potential. I had potential. With a thought I caused the mirror to
shatter. I felt like despairing, but instead I mentally slapped myself and
applied my mind. The shards stopped in midair and moved back to the frame,
before resetting themselves perfectly. A liquid tremor ran through the
glass and the mirror fused to its original unblemished form. I
smiled. Xavier said I had unlimited potential. Fine. If that's what I must
live up to, then so be it. I would train and train and train. I would
become the most powerful mutant in the world - a force without equal. In
time, my power would shake the foundations of the earth, and Xavier would
reveal his prize student to the trembling world.

But first... who was that guy?

End of chapter 1

I would appreciate any comments. Thanks guys. Kevin.  rahvin747@yahoo.com