Always a Struggle.

This is the first fanfic I’ve ever written. Also I have only just recently got into X-men and only very recently got into X-men Evolution so do not yell at me if I get some of the details wrong. Gently pointing them out will suffice. Any feedback/suggestions you have will be very helpful to me. Flames and such will be ignored so do not waste your time.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of X-men. I am not making any money off of this fic.

Edit: I have made changes to the first chapter based on people’s helpful advice.
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A car slowly rolled to a stop in front of the Xavier Institute for the Gifted and the driver turned to his passenger.

“You’re sure you want to do this? You don’t have to.”

“Yeah, I do.” The girl replied shortly.

The teen got out of the car and pulled three bags from the trunk.

“Let me help…” The driver said, emerging from the car.

“I don’t need your help dad.”

“Leena…”

“Can we just get this over with please?”

“Okay.”

Professor Xavier looked from the man to the blonde girl sitting in front of his desk and smiled kindly. “Leena Deschenko.”

“That’s me.” The girl replied.

The man beside Leena leaned forward and extended his hand to the Professor, “I am Alek Deschenko, Leena’s father.”

Xavier shook the father’s hand before directing his attention to Leena again.

“So Leena, can you tell me what gift you have?”

“Telekinesis and pyrokinesis.” Leena replied.

“When did you first receive your gift?”

“She could move objects since she was thirteen years old but the pyrokinesis didn’t show itself until last year.” Alek replied.

“Do you have trouble controlling these gifts?”

“Only when I’m angry.” Leena replied.

“And Leena…is very quick tempered.” Her father added meekly. “She has…quite a problem controlling her anger. She decided to come here for help because…”

“I nearly killed someone.” Leena interrupted.

“It wasn’t that bad.” Her father quickly amended.

“Yes it was.” The girl argued.

“Mr. Deschenko…” The Professor tried to soothe the tension.

“She wasn’t even that hurt, Leena. She recovered within a week.”

“But the point is I still hurt her!” Leena nearly yelled.

Alek cried out softly as his chair zoomed sideways a few feet, moved unintentionally by his daughter’s mind. Leena’s mouth pressed into a grim line and she clasped her hands in her lap. A small lick of orange flame shot up from between her fingers.

“My friend, who knows what I am, thought that I was trying to steal the boy she liked. She threatened to tell everyone and…I got mad…” The flame between Leena’s fingers intensified. “I told her to leave but she kept threatening to tell everyone and before I knew it…I used both my…powers to throw her against the wall. My telekinesis threw her hard enough to crack the wall and the ceiling. The fire singed her shirt and even burnt some of the skin on her chest. She was in the hospital for a whole week…”

“That is when Leena decided to come here.” Mr. Deschenko said quietly. “She knew she needed help with both her temper and her pow…her gifts…”

Xavier nodded understandingly. He’d heard many stories like this before. “Does anyone else in the family have gifts?”

“My father was pyrokinetic.” Alek Deschenko replied. “I’m not sure if his parents had any gifts. They didn’t have the greatest relationship. And on her mother’s side everyone has been quite human. I mean… they didn’t have any…”

“It’s fine, dad. I’m a mutant. You can say it.” Leena replied, the flames between her fingers had become extinguished.

“They were all human on her mother’s side.” Deschenko finally answered.

“I will do everything in my power to help Leena.” Xavier said. “But Leena…you do realize this will take a lot of work on your behalf as well, right?”

“Yes.” The blonde replied.

“Uh Leena…could you step outside for a moment please? I wish to speak with the professor in private.”

Leena already knew what her father wanted to talk about but she humored him and stood up. She gathered her bags up and left the office, closing the door behind her.

“Uhm…one thing you might want to avoid talking about until she has her temper under control is…her mother. Leena’s mother isn’t in her life very much and it is quite a big sore spot for her.”

Professor Xavier nodded, “I understand. We won’t cover that area of Leena’s life just yet.”

“Thank-you I mean…for everything. Leena really needs this.”

“I understand. Many mutants come to me for help and I am glad to be there for them.”

Alek thanked Xavier again, shook his hand, and left the office. He hugged his daughter and kissed her cheek.

“If you want to come home all you have to do is call. I will come get you.”

“Okay.” Leena replied. “If…Michelle wants to talk to me you can tell her the number.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Alek Deschenko nodded and hugged his daughter again. “Good-bye Leena.”

“Bye.”

With a heavy, worried sigh Alek Deschenko left his daughter standing in the hallway and left the mansion. Not even a minute later a tall, dark-skinned woman walked up to Leena.

“Hello Leena. I’m Ororo, also known as Storm. I will show you to your room.”

The blonde nodded and picked her bags up again. Storm offered to help carry the bags but Leena refused. Storm led the girl upstairs to her bedroom. Leena looked around and nodded approvingly. It was a fair-sized room fully furnished with a bed, desk, dresser, bookshelf, and two chairs.

“Do you need any help unpacking and getting settled?” Storm asked.

“No.” Leena replied. “I’ll be fine.”

Ororo nodded, “If you need anything or have a question to ask let me know.”

Leena nodded in response and Storm left the room. The teen unpacked her pictures and knick-knacks first, arranging them on the dresser. Next she unpacked her clothes and finally unpacked her books and CDs, putting those on the bookshelf. She sat on the bed and smiled. Her father must have called ahead. A blue leopard print comforter had been purchased for her bed. The girl stood and walked over to the window. She was surprised to see the window opened onto a balcony. The balcony was quite small but she had a nice view. Leena looked over to the right to see a furry blue mutant perched on his balcony railing like some sort of bird.

“Hey!” She called to him.

The mutant looked over at her and vanished in a puff of smoke. The blonde cried out as he appeared in a similar fashion right in front of her.

“Hello. Sorry if I scared you.” He said with a grin.

“What…did you just do?” Leena asked.

“I teleported.” Blue replied. “What can you do?”

Leena opened her right hand, palm up, and created a small orange fireball on her palm.

“It does not burn you?” He asked.

“No. I can usually control who it burns.”

With her left hand the blonde motioned to the mutant and he laughed in surprise as he floated up off the ground a few inches.

“Pyrokinetic and telekinetic.” He said.

“Correct.” Leena replied.

The girl extinguished the flame in her hand and set the furry mutant back down on his feet.

“My name is Kurt Wagner. What is your name?”

“Leena Deschenko.”

“You are Russian.”

“On my father’s side, yes. You’re…German…”

“Ja.” Kurt replied with another wide grin.

“Hmn. Well…it was nice meeting you Kurt.”

Leena turned and went back inside. Behind her she heard Kurt teleport away.

TBC
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So there it is. The first chapter. Please let me know what you thought.