Taming the Beast

Okay first thanks to those who reviewed! It makes me happy to know somebody likes my story! And I promise to update as often as possible but as I am now attending college it may be sporadically.

But anyways, on with the story!

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(Emma’s POV)

As Bobby drove up the long driveway of the place he called the Xavier Institute I began to wonder why I’d never heard of this place before. I’d been just about everywhere, the last being New York City, and I’d never heard of a mutant friendly school before. Never heard of what Bobby calls the X-Men.

But then again, I’ve been living off the grid for so long that it’s amazing I know Barack Obama is the president of the United States.

“You’ll be safe here,” Bobby said, pulling into a massive garage. “I promise.”

I nodded slightly, hardly paying any attention as we got out of the car. Lifting my pack onto one shoulder I looked around, my eyes widening as I caught sight of the black chrome Harley Davidson sitting in the corner. “Holy shit,” I said, walking over and gazing at the motorcycle. It truly was a thing of beauty. “Who’s is this?”

Bobby chuckled. “Right now? No ones. Professor McCoy had a few us the first years rebuild it for extra credit. And Professor Xavier is trying to find someone to give it to.”

I nodded, turning to face him and seeing the deep blue Harley on the other side of his car. “And that one,” I asked, tipping my head towards it. He turned and looked at it and smiled.

“Professor Logan’s,” he explained, leading me to the house. “He’s our um… professor of art.”

I looked at him. “Why does that worry me?”

“Professor Logan comes and goes a lot,” Bobby said as I followed him down a hall that looked like it belonged in the White House not a school. “It’s become common around here. He must have just got back, because he wasn’t here when I left.”

I nodded, wondering about a teacher who came and went at what sounded like the drop of a hat. It seemed strange, but then I hadn’t passed ninth grade so who was I to judge.

I tried to take everything in. But there was just so much that I knew I wouldn’t see it all in this little walk. So I focused on simply following Bobby. I stumbled slightly when he stopped in front of a door suddenly. I watched, more then a little nervous, as he knocked. A deep voice said ‘enter’ and Bobby opened the door and stepped inside, I followed but at a slightly slower pace.

Once I was in the room Bobby shut the door. Not knowing what else to do I looked in front of me. A man smiled at me from behind a desk, a woman with white hair stood by the window. My instincts suddenly kicked in, telling me something was happening, and unlike my past I wasn’t going to ignore my instincts.

The man smiled at me as he stood, literally towering over me and everyone else in the room. “Hello Emma,” the man said, his voice deeper then I’d expected. “I’m Charles Xavier, I’d like to welcome you to our school.”

I stared at him for a moment, sniffing the air cautiously. “How do you know my name?”

*I’m a telepath Emma,* his mouth didn’t move but I heard him clearly. *I know many things about you. Not just your name.*

I growled lightly. “Rule one bud, stay the fuck out of my head.”

I saw the woman stiffen and I readied myself for a fight as she looked me up and down, a weird glint in her dark brown eyes. “Watch it little girl,” she said and I heard a rumble of thunder. “You don’t talk to Charles that way unless you want a fight on your hands.”

I started to snarl when Xavier lifted a hand. “It’s alright Ororo,” he said, smiling at the woman. “Emma,” he looked at me once again. “This is Ororo Munroe, one of my original students. She’s one of the professors. She’s also known as Storm.”

I merely nodded, she just glared at me. Xavier cleared his throat and motioned to a sofa near his desk. I looked at it, weighing the odds of being able to get out of the room from there, then walked over and sat down, my pack sitting by my feet. “So,” I said, looking at Xavier. “Why am I here? I mean you sent Bobby to get me, so you must have had a reason.”

Xavier nodded. “Of course Emma.” A folder suddenly floated across the room to land silently on the desk. “You see I first became aware of you the year after your mutation presented when your aunt Lucia contacted me.”

That surprised me. My father had tried to kill me, my mother called me a freak and my brother and sister refused to have anything to do with me. Why would Aunt Lucia, technically my great-aunt, want to help me?

“I don’t understand,” I said, pushing a hand through my hair. “I haven’t spoken to Aunt Lucia since I was eight. Hell I haven’t spoken to my family since I was thirteen. That’s been nearly nine years ago.”

Xavier nodded as he opened the folder. “Your Aunt Lucia, though unknown to your family, is also a mutant.” My shock must have shown on my face because he chuckled. “She never told anyone, but we attended a college lecture together. And as a telepath I knew what she was. She’s very gifted.”

“What is her mutation?” I asked as I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees.

“Lucia is able to communicate with animals,” Xavier explained. “A wide variety of animals but the connection is strongest in predatory animals.”

I considered that for a moment. Remembering when Aunt Lucia had taken me to the zoo at the age of six, she’d shown me all the predators. Bears, wolves, and the big cats. She had told me what they were thinking and my six year old mind had thought she was playing a game. Now it all made sense.

“If she’s a mutant, why is it no one else in the family is but me?”

“That’s a very hard question to answer,” he said still smiling. Trying to be kind. “We still aren’t certain how or why only certain people have the X-Gene. We do know it is passed through the father so if you wish to point a finger you can point it at your father or more likely your grandfather.”

I shook my head. “I stopped trying to lay blame when my father shot me.”

“Yes I had seen that particular memory when I glanced in your mind.”

“And again I say, stay the fuck out of my head.”

A low sound brought my attention to Ororo, or Storm, whatever. “You got something to say Monotone?” I snapped, getting to my feet.

“You’re an ungrateful little brat aren’t you?” She demanded, stepping towards me. “The Professor took the time to try and help you and you’re insulting him.”

“I don’t like people playing with my head.” I glared at her, my fangs itching. She shifted the way she was standing and I readied myself for a fight.

“Storm that’s enough,” Xavier said firmly. “Emma has every right to tell me she does not appreciate me traipsing through her mind. And I apologize, Emma I will not do it again without your permission.”

“Thank you,” I managed to get out through my clenched teeth.

“Now,” he said calmly. “Bobby will show you to a room. I’m sure you’re tired after your long journey.”

I merely nodded and picked up my pack, slinging it once again on one shoulder before following Bobby out of the room.