She sat in the library, staring out of the window, wishing she could concentrate on the book in her hands. She had learned to read and write at the compound, the elders teaching her due to orders from the scientist that had taken her from her parents. She found herself wondering about them now, and how she never questioned who they were and why she had never seen them. They were supposed to be mutants like her, yet not so powerful. They were supposed to be trying to develop a method to improve her weak points, yet she couldn’t remember ever being tested for anything. Maybe they had changed their minds last minute? Maybe they decided she just had too many weaknesses to be worth much, and, instead, decided to keep her in the compound for extra protection. At least now she understood why there were never any articles or books on modern times. In the last twenty years, things had improved greatly for mutants. They lived openly, and were accepted without fear by most, although there would probably always be that handful who hated them. Still, they weren’t persecuted any longer just for walking down the street. Even those who hid in the sewers because of physical mutations were now living above ground happily. There wasn’t even a whisper about the registration act any longer. The world had accepted mutants, and most mutants had forgiven them.
There would always be some prejudice, though. There always were in the human race. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was just natural for them to hate. If it was even more basic than people realized.
Emma Frost had declared that she showed signs of social anxiety, which could have come from either of her parents on any given day, but, other wise, perfectly normal and rational.
She then went ahead and explained the rules and structure of the institute, catching her up on what she had missed.
“Ahem.” She heard someone clear his through behind her and turned to find Scott standing in the door way, waiting for her to notice him. She smiled softly, invitingly. It had only been a week since she arrived at the mansion, and, yet, everyone made her feel as if she had been there her entire life. Her parent’s were doting, although a little overprotective. They gave her space, even though it was obviously hard for them. They had lost a lot of years, and Eve wasn’t sure she could ever think of them as her parents. She would at least be their friend.
Scott walked over and sat on the couch next to her, smiling shyly. She couldn’t help but smile back, wandering why he had avoided her the entire week. She noticed that he know wore the visor over his eyes. They must have taken off the collar soon after his arrival, and so he was forced to wear the visor until his replacement glasses came in. Eve remembered that her mother now wore those. She couldn’t help but miss the dark brown of his eyes, though.
“Now I’m good enough for you?” Eve asked, teasing him slightly. “Where have you been?”
“Around, getting reacquainted with those who are still here, and meeting some of the new team members. You gotta remember, I haven’t been back here in twenty years, either. Hell, I was beginning to think that I would never come home.”
“How does it feel?”
“Like I never left,” he sighed as he set his feet on the table. “Different students, some familiar faces, but most are gone, yet the dream is still the same, and they still fight and train just as hard as they did when I was here. I remember sitting in this same couch, trying to concentrate, and letting my mind wander, just like you’re doing now.”
“I was not!”
“Let me guess… something from the fantasy section? Something scary? Something by Edgar Allen Poe?” She looked at the title, then threw the book at him. He was right. It was probably even the same book he had read when it was still new. Of course, this copy was beginning to fall apart. “Thought so.”
“So what do you want?” She asked slowly, getting up and stretching.
“Actually, I want to offer you a place here. I know that everyone already expects that you will stay here, but I thought you might like an actual offer. Make your own decisions. I wasn’t sure if your parents were treating you like an infant or not.” She could feel his gaze, even through his visor. He was serious. Even now, he wouldn’t lose himself. “Just think about it. If you want, there are things around here that you can help with. I have Oscar taking a bunch of kids out to the park this afternoon. Maybe you should join them. I don’t want to send too many people, but it’s still not safe enough out there for my taste, and Oscar isn’t the most powerful mutant. He could really use your help.”
“Alright. I’ll go get dressed. Tell him to have the kids by the foyer at twelve. We’ll get some dinner with them while we’re out, so don’t expect us back too late. I want to try out that restaurant that Colossus was telling me about. McDonalds?”
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000