Ok let's get this part of the way. Some characters are original characters namely Xander Taylor, his mother and others that will come into play. Many of the other characters mentioned so far, namely Jean Grey-Summers are the sole property of Marvel Comics. I'm just borrowing her and other character for what I hope is the beginning of a good story/series.
Notes: First, this part is completely void of sex. There's just nothing happening. Not even a little kiss. This is strictly plot building and getting started.
Second, throughout the series anytime writing appears in between these characters. ~...~ It's indicating telepathic speech.
Third, it's been a while since I've purchased a comic, but I like writing about the characters. So if people have been following the continuity and such I may not be right in the present the way the teams are set up. Let's just say there may be some indications that this is post Age of Apocalypse, but pre Onslaught.
The story is being told from a first person point of view. I have been experimenting with third person point of view, but it's easier for me to write this way, but perhaps somewhere done the line I may switch to third person. Outside of that enjoy.
X-Men: New Beginnings
I don't know where I should start. I mean I could start at the beginning, but even then it doesn't feel right. To really get in the heart of things I think I should start in the middle. Well I guess what most would call the middle. When my powers first manifested when I was fourteen, back when life was normal. Well as normal as life can get.
First off let's start with names. Mine's Xander, Xander Taylor. Simple enough name for a simple enough guy right? Ok so my life wasn't so simple. My mom was killed when I was six and my dad, well I never knew him. I think about him sometimes, I remember what my mom told me about him, but outside of that, that's it. My mom told me that he died right before I was born, but to me he'll always be alive since I never knew him. I don't have memories I have stories. The memories went with my mother. I miss her. I miss her a lot. I miss her smile. I miss her laugh. I miss everything about her. My mom was the most important person to me in the world. She was all I had, all that matter. That's before she was taken away from me, taken by them.
I guess you're wondering who "them" are? "Them" or "they" are the people who decided that she didn't have a right to live because of what she was. It didn't matter to them who she was. To "them" my mother was nothing more than a dirty, rotten Mutie. Mutie I hate the fucking word. Sometimes I hate Mutant even more. We're just different. Just because we can do some things that you can't doesn't mean we can't feel, but it doesn't matter. None of it's going to matter. There's always going to be war, there's always going to be hate. There's always going to be people that don't understand. Always going to be something to stand in the way of people trying to live the best way they can, the only way they can. It's us against "them" right? Someone has to survive. Someone has to come out on top. Crush them beneath our feet and don't give second thought to what happens next right? Well that's what I thought two months ago. Two months ago it was all about survival. Two months ago nothing, no one else in the world mattered to me. Two months ago it was just me. Two months.two months seems like a lifetime ago, but like I said my story actually starts when my powers manifested, but I let you in on a secret. They manifested long before I was fourteen. Let me take you back to that day, the day my childhood ended. They day everything came crashing down around me.
Ten years ago..
We walked step in step skipping together on the fourth. Laughter filled the air and her hand held mine tightly. It was just one of those moments. It was a great moment. We had just come from the movies. I was having the time of my life. There were no babysitters, no errands to run just mom and me. I glanced up at her from time to time find warmth in her smile and solace in her touch, but it wasn't a touch anyone could see. It was one that touched my mind soothing my fears and easing my tension. She was so worried about me and I was scared about the things I saw, heard and was beginning to do. Mother told me that she thought I was special, she knew I was special, but she wasn't what I could do. Part of me knew that she feared what I might become. She feared it because she didn't know if she would be strong enough to protect me from those that would do us great harm or those that would seek to use me as nothing more than a weapon. A weapon. I was far too young to know the true nature of that word. I was far too young to know many things, but I knew them and this brought fear to my mother as well. The day that she feared would come one day and it would come, but who knew it would today of all days, the day that was just to be for us.
Turning the corner hand in hand I laughed as my mother told me a joke in my mind teaching me to focus my thoughts, separating them from the endless noise that lied within and outside of my mind. She reminded that the mind is to be respected and guarded. That sometimes what lies within should stay within. She advised me to not let everything in that someone sends that not everything in the world is for the mind to experience. She instructed me on how control what I send so it's not too fast or too much. It was all so much. I didn't think I was going to get all, actually I thought I was getting dizzy. Holding my head for affect I glanced to her eyes and saw nothing but concern. My mother looked down to me then around.
"Xander." She said to me softly her eyes glancing down to me, fear growing in them moment by moment. Before I cold say anything word I felt her hand grip mine tightly as she took off racing down the street. She pulled me into he arms ready to take us away from this place, but she halted in her steps turning down in alley, away from the light and into the darkness. I looked up and saw several men in dark suits headed our way. She was going to fight. She was going to make them go away. "Momma." I called to her softly feeling her fingers run through my hair.
"It's going to be ok, baby." She answered as the alley filled with three, no four men. I saw one of them reached for a gun. My mother turned to face them setting me down behind her. I was shaking with fear already. Fear is an ally my mother told me. Just don't let it control you. Fear keeps you from making foolish mistakes. Fear reminds you that you are not all powerful, but that day fear failed me or perhaps I failed it.
"We've come for the boy." The lead man said walking forward pointing his gun at my mother. "He knows what's happening."
"You say that like I should care." My mother told him and with a simple gesture the gun in his hand fell to the ground. "Go back and tell him you failed. Go back and tell him never to come for me and mine again. Go back and tell him to forget we exist. It would be better for all of us." She explained.
My mother was attempting to remain calm, but I knew she was scared. This was different. I could feel it. She'd use her powers before. She had made the others go away. Why doesn't she make them go away? I could feel myself shaking, trembling. Fear was taking hold. I can't be afraid. I can't. Momma needs me to be strong. I was looking at my mother as she moved in front of me.
"Ma'am, we don't want this to get ugly." The lead man said with a nod. At his command his companions drew out guns of their own all trained on my mother. "We were told to do this without a termination if possible"
Termination? I looked at the man and all I saw was images. They were all jumbled together. Taking a couple steps back my eyes closed for a moment. I could sense what he was thinking. His thoughts were all jumbled. I couldn't separate them. I didn't understand. Pressing my fingers to my temples I took a deep breath and for that moment everything drifted away. Everything vanished; there was darkness all around. Images began to appear, figures actually. One was of the lead man and another was of my mother. I heard loud bangs all around me; objects were flying through the air. One struck my mother in chest. She didn't scream, but I watched her fall back towards the ground; blood running from her body staining her shirt then the ground.
Gasping the image seem to fade out almost shatter as I fell to the ground looking in the direction of the men that had drawn their guns. I hadn't noticed, but my breaths were coming quickly one after another almost to the point that I couldn't breath.
"Xander?" My mother turned towards me leaning down to make sure I was ok. "Xander, baby.breathe."
I heard her, but I couldn't. I continued to hyperventilate. I could control it. I closed my eyes for a moment trying to concentrate on the words that forming in my mind.
~Slower. Breathe slower.~ My mother told me. ~Take deep breaths. In and out. Nice and slow.~ She whispered in my mind keeping her eyes on the ones that had their guns trained on us.
"Let us take the boy. He'll be alright with us." The lead man said approaching my mother. Reaching out for her he attempted to grab her arm, but was thrown back within an unseen force. Blinking my mother watched as he landed several feet away after hitting a wall.
My mother looked from him towards me knowing that she didn't send him flying back like that. She brushed my hair from my face as I took a deep breath. I looked down for a moment then towards her. "He wants to hurt you." I whispered. I was terrified by what I saw. My mother helped me up as the others cocked their guns ready to fire. Fear was guiding me, but it was gripping at the same time. The image of my mother's death haunted me. I moved in front of her, but she held me back as the shots were fired. "No!" I cried out.
My mother heard the shots ready to protect us with one of her fields. She reached out with her hand, but the bullets only slowed they didn't stop. "Xander?" She looked at me and I just stood there shaking with fear unaware what I was doing. The lead man stood watching the bullets moving through the air slowly almost as if the telekinetic field my mother was creating wasn't strong enough. "Xander.." She moved in front of me turning her body towards me as the bullets hit. There were no screams not out loud, but in my in I could hear them. They drowned out all the other voices. I fell back as she fell on top of me. I looked up at her and she was suspended slightly, almost like there was a barrier between us.
"Momma?" She looked down at me falling over to the ground. I moved towards her pulling her to me as best I could as I looked towards the others as they came towards me. The realization of what happened was only starting to sink in.
"What happened?" One of the men asked looking to the lead man.
"The boy.he did it. He interfered with her field." He said in slight awe, but there was no denying the smirk on his face. There was no loss in his eyes. His obstacle had been removed. "Clean this up." He told the others approaching me.
As he reached out toward me his hands went to his head clutching it in pain. I looked to the others and they did the same. Tears ran down my face, my hand brushing my mother's hair back as I looked at her. She was slipping away. I could feel it.
~No Xander.~ She called out to me. ~No. Don't do this.~
I shook my head looking at them. ~They.~
~I know, but how will they learn. It is not what your father would do. It's not what I want you to do.~ She said softly in my mind. ~Not like this. Not like this. They can only hurt you if you let them. You can't let them win. You can't.~
I wanted to make them pay. I wanted to make them suffer, but the mental assault that came from within me was lifted. My anger was guiding my actions. I looked into her eyes as she tried to tell me what she wanted, what I should do, but then it was gone. There was nothing left. The others were recovering, but I knocked them out. I don't know how I did it they all just fell over, unconscious. I wanted to hold my mother close to me for a moment more, but I knew I couldn't. I knew I had to get away. I had to do what she wanted. I knew I had to make up for what I did, what I caused. Kissing he forehead I slipped away from her and did the only thing I could do, I ran. I ran away and never looked back.
Present day
I hit the wall hard when the guy shoved me. He was a big mofo. My eyes narrowed as his fist came towards me. I thought on it for a moment slipping down into a crouched position. His eyes looked down at me and before he knew it he caught a knife punch to the crotch. I gave him a nice sweet smile as he fell over into fetal position.
"Xander Taylor!" A woman called out in a shrill tone. I cringed at it. Turning my head my smirk fading as Ms. Gordon came walking over carrying her pen and pad. Goody I'm on her list. I'm always on her list. That never changes. "Mr. Taylor.." Oh I was so tempted to remove this entire incident from her mind, but it would best not to. Last time I tried she couldn't remember the last three years. ".it seems that you'll be joining us in detention yet again."
I just shrugged. Not that I had anywhere to be. "Tell me something I don't know." Ms. Gordon just shook my head walking over to Trevor. "He got what he deserved." Ms. Gordon just gave me a quick once over letting me know that I was treading on think ice. Rolling my eyes I walked over to the wall sliding down to the ground watching her tend to the gay bashing creep. Looking down I muttered to myself trying to get their thoughts out of my mind. It was harder to control when I was angry. Everything just went upside down. I just wanted to have a little peace and quiet and Trevor starts mouthing off about some guys he beat up on cause he caught them kissing. Who appointed him judge and jury? Fucker.
Glancing down at the ground I took deep breaths trying to focus my own thoughts drowning out the voices and thoughts of the others walking around campus. "When are you going to learn?" She asked me.
"Learn what?" I shot back.
"Don't be smart." She replied motioning upward with her shoe. My eyes moved upward finding Ms. Gordon towering over me.
"I did what I had to. I did what I needed to do. Someone needed to shut his ass up." Looking back down I took a deep breath wanting her to go away. I wanted them all to go away right now. It was a bad day for me. That's it I was just having a bad day. "I'll be in detention."
"No you want." She told me.
"What?" Color me confused. I wasn't getting detention for this. There is a God.
"No. There's something else you're going to do." She paused for a moment waiting for me to look up. There goes the God theory. "Actually there's someone I want you to meet." She motioned for me to get up. Once I was on my feet I followed into the school building. Glancing in Trevor's I blew a kiss as he sneered at me. "Xander." With a sheepish smile I slipped my hands in my pockets wondering what this was all about.
Walking into her office I stopped in my tracks when I saw a woman, beautiful woman at that. I might be gay, but I know a pretty woman when I see one. I arched my brow looking to Ms. Gordon who merely closed the door leaving me alone with this woman. "Um?" Looking around I walk over to the window looking out trying to figure out what's going here. "Are you shrink?" I finally ask. The woman smiles shaking her head no then pauses then shakes her head yes. "Well which is it. Yes or no? Can't be both." She just keeps looking at me. "Screw this." I walk towards the door grabbing the knob when I sense it.
Looking towards her she walks over to one of the chairs taking a seat. She doesn't say anything she just looks at me with her emerald green eyes. Almost like she's sizing me up. She's looking for something. Like she's trying to see. I grip the knob tighter and twist it. ~Don't~ I close my eyes when I hear her voice in my head. ~Don't be afraid.~
"Bullshit. The moment someone says that is exactly the time to be afraid. It's exactly the time you should be running out the door." I try to twist the knob, but it doesn't move. I blink looking over at her. "What the." I think on it. Telekinesis.
~Ms. Gordon is just concerned, Xander.~ The woman tells me.
Frowning I pull on the door. "Get out of my head!" I snap at her. I close my eyes trying to shield my thoughts from her as well as prevent her from sending any of hers.
"Ok.ok." She walks towards the door. "And thank you."
"What?" I fall over as the doorknob breaks off from the door.
"For thinking I was beautiful, pretty. Which ever you prefer." She gives me a warm smile and I just lay there confused trying to figure out what's going on. "What do you want?"
"To help." Was her answer, but I wasn't buying it. Bullshit I tell you, bullshit. No one wants to help me, but when her hand reached out to me it wasn't to grab me it was to help me up. Taking it she helps me to my feet still smiling.
"You're lying." Moving away from her I move to the window ready to knock it out the wall and bail.
"We've been tracking you for quite some time. You tend to appear and disappear at random. Locating you has been difficult. Look I can't make you come with me if you don't want to. All I'm asking for a chance here. Just a moment of your time to tell you why I'm here and then.."
"Then?" I say looking towards her.
"Then you can make up your own mind. You can yank the window out and run all you want."
"How?"
"Walls cracking." She points the multiple hairline fractures in the wall. The wall stops cracking when I turn towards her motioning for her to take a seat. "I know you're different, Xander. You know I'm different. There's a lot more of us out there than the world thinks."
Taking a seat on the other side of the room I pull my leg towards me resting my head on it. "Tell me something I don't know. It's all over the TV. Mutants. Friend, freak or foe?" There's nothing but bitterness in my tone and from her expression I can tell she doesn't like the way things are right now. "I just want to be left alone. No one need know what I am."
"Doesn't work like that. You and I both know that. You're abilities..." She motions to the wall with the hairline fractures.
"What about them?"
"They're growing and as they grow they'll grow out of control sooner or later without proper training." She said point blank.
"Says who?" I said rising from my chair. "I can control them just fine. I'm doing ok. So if this is sometime of mutant intervention or something you've got the wrong guy here."
"Really." There was a bit of a smirk on her face. "And Ms. Gordon." Oh God no.
"You know about that." She gave a nod and I sank back in my chair. "It was an accident. I just didn't want to get detention again. I need a break sometime." I let my head fall into my hands. "She doesn't remember does she? I fixed it. I mean it was just one of those things you know?"
"Been there myself. Trust me, but that's why you need someone to help you with your abilities. You can't do it alone, Xander." It makes sense, but it's not that easy. It's never going to be easy.
"Thanks but no thanks." I tell her looking over at her as she approaches me.
"Things can get a lot worse than Ms. Gordon and that wall. You and I both know that. Are abilities are fairly similar from everything I've observed so far and the data we've compiled on you."
Data? "Data what data. What are you talking about? How long have you been watching me?" I sound a little frantic, but who wouldn't be when they find out someone's been watching them. "What the hell is your game lady? You like screwing with people's minds." The desk slid slightly. "You get off on that something." The desk slid again. "Believe me you don't want to fuck with me." The desk slid forward again then slid back against the wall.
"Oh believe me it's the other way around kid. You don't want to fuck with me!"
I started to say something, but I couldn't help but chuckle a bit before letting it slide into a laugh. I wasn't laughing at her. More like I was laughing at the situation and myself. "You can't help me. No one can, Red."
She paused in her steps at that almost as if she was shocked then shook it off. "You don't know that and what's the harm in trying."
"People end up dying when they try to help me." I say just as quick.
"Danger's my life, danger's my soul. Besides I like a challenge every now and then." Sitting down beside me she looks into my eyes brushing my hair back. "There's someone special in there. I can feel it. I don't get these feelings often, but when I do I know I need to go with them. Sometimes help finds you when you're not even looking, Xander." Her words are followed by another soft smile. "You've seen a little of what I can do. I've seen a little of what you can do. There's a lot more for both of us to find out, a lot more for us to explore. There worlds changing and we're changing it with it, but what we become in the end is up for us to decide."
Pulling back from her I shake my head trying to make sense of everything. "Sometimes."
"I know." She answers before I even finish my statement. "Sometimes it's too much. It doesn't always have to feel like that. Doesn't always have to be that way. You've been trying to control a part of yourself that feels like it's going to rip you apart. It's starting turn you inside and out. The voices, the images, the places you've seen, and gone. Some of it makes sense, but most of it doesn't. There's a lot more out there for you explore, but you're turning away from it. You're afraid of losing control, afraid of losing yourself to the power within. You fear it."
"God.don't say that." I tell her. Moving to my feet I slip my arms around me knowing that everything she's just said is the truth. "I am changing, but I don't know what I'm changing into. I don't know what's happening to me. I don't know what's going to happen if I embrace it. I can't embrace it. I don't want to be different." I look from here towards the window. "You don't know what I've lost because of this."
"No, I don't and I'm not going to try and compare. The only thing I can say is that we all face challenges in our lives. Our lives wouldn't have much meaning without the challenges we go through." She responds her eyes finding mine, searching, but I know she won't delve into my thoughts. "It's all right to be afraid of what's happening, but you can't stay afraid. You can't live your life in fear. Not day after day. One day you're going to have to give into what you are. You're going to accept yourself for what you are, but remember it's not who you are."
"I know that. I've always known that, but I don't want to draw others into my problems." Problem is that my problems will become everyone, problems because of my own existence. "I don't know what to do anymore. I want to do the right thing. I want to make the right decision, but I don't want to regret my decisions because others might get hurt." I want things to be the way they were when my mother was alive, but my life is never going to be like that. Things are never going to be simple anymore. There's nothing I can do to bring her back, fix what I did. I'm lost in my thoughts when I feel her hand at my shoulder. Turning towards her I frown a bit and all she has is that look in her eyes, a look of concern followed by a warm smile. "You're trying to break me down."
"I'm trying to make you see that you don't have to be alone anymore. You don't have to keep changing your name, moving from place to place."
She makes a lot of valid points. Points that I haven't wanted to hear in a long time. I want to fall into her arms. I want to just let go. I don't want the shell to be around me anymore. I just want to be the person I was meant to be, but it scares me so. There's times I feel there's so much more to who I am. There was so much more that my mother wanted to tell me. "I don't even know your name."
There's a bit of a soft chuckle as the woman's fingers touch my temple. "Jean."
"Jean." I say softly committing the name to memory glancing over at her. "I know who you are..." I say softly with a knowing look. ".who you really are." I back away. "I know the world you will draw me into. I know the world is full of wonders and horrors alike. I know." She smiled at me nodding.
"You know a lot more than you're letting on. More than you want people to know you know. So is this a yes?"
"It's a maybe." I say softly.
"It's a start." She said simply. I couldn't give more than that. I guess. "Good then it's settled." She said with a smile on her face. I was about to say something when there was a knock at the door. ~He's ready.~ She sent to the one behind the waiting behind the door.
Her head tilted to the side slightly as the door opened and. (To be continued)
Now this is the part where I need input from the readers. I'm going to leave it open for a couple of days before I start writing the second part. Who comes through the door is one of the two people that Xander will become involved with. The first part was just to get a feel of the story. I needed to flesh out the character, get an idea of who he is. So yes romps in the hay will come.
There are three possible characters waiting on the other side of that door that's come with Jean.
a) Alex Summers a.k.a Havok
b) Robert "Bobby" Drake a.k.a Iceman
c) Sam Guthrie a.k.a Cannonball