Ororo's Class (New Mutants 1.2, Chapter 1)
Title: Ororo's Class (New Mutants 1.2, Chapter 1)
Author: kanedax
Spoilers: X3 (Not XMO compliant)
Rating: PG
Summary: In the wake of Alcatraz, Xavier Academy starts over
Notes: Welcome to New Mutants 1.2, also known as New Mutants Redux, New Mutants: Special Edition, or New Mutants: Not Quite As Bad. Over the next few months (between chapters of Oligarchy, Portals, Hybrids, and whatever else comes around) I'll be going back and re-writing New Mutants 1 and 2. I can't right now say how many changes you'll see. It'll be more than pokes and tweaks, but it won't be a complete rebuild from the foundation up. There will be some different dialogue here, some extra descriptives there, and quite a lot of reformatting.
If you've read it before, you won't get any new plot, or relationships, or what have you. But maybe it'll be a different experience in the end, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it (both times).
The original version of this chapter can be found here.
I don't own these characters. They belong to Marvel Comics, Disney (God, that's weird saying that), and Fox.
Table of Contents / The Life of Brian
Ororo.
Ororo Munroe jumped, a squeak arising from her leather chair, the voice in her mind interrupting her distant thoughts.
The students are all gathered, Ororo.
Ororo shook her head. After years of Charles, Jean, and Ororo herself sharing the space between her ears, she'd have to get used to some new interruptions.
Thank you, Professor, she thought in response. I'll be out in a minute.
The voice laughed quietly. Professor, it said. That's a name that will take some time to get used to.
That's the least of what we'll all have to get used to, Ororo thought, not sure if that particular thought was her own, or if it was shared by the other as she pushed the chair back from the desk. Standing, she gave one last look around the office that once belonged to Professor Charles Xavier. Her eyes caught the motorized wheelchair, the X crossed through the wheels, that had once belonged to the founder of Xavier Academy.
The office now belonged to her, even if the leather chair had been the only piece of furniture added since Charles had been murdered. The wheelchair, much like the stone memorial on the front lawn, was left as a lasting reminder of Charles, his influence on the school, on the X-Men, and on mutantkind in general. It now belonged to no one. Or to everyone, depending on your view of those sorts of things.
She smoothed her silver dress, much more formal than she was used to. She was always a loose pants and blouse kind of girl. Taking a deep breath, she walked out into the hallway and out the back door to greet who was left.
Warmth bathed down on her as she stepped into the sun. All around upstate New York, it was a gray, dreary day, with occasional drizzles and one or two downpours. Nothing horrific, just your typical spring weather. But here at Xavier Academy, where the new headmaster (headmistress, she reminded herself) could control the weather on a whim, it was a beautiful day, with the sky a deep blue, and the occasional puff of cloud keeping the sun from being too unbearable. She knew, of course, that taking advantage of her power too often would lead to trouble. Not just trouble here, but everywhere. But she figured, for today, a small hole in the dreary weather wasn't the end of the world.
As Ororo reached the end of the tall hedge, she got her first look at the new Xavier Academy. A small raised stage had been set on the lawn, with four occupied seats and a podium facing rows of white chairs. She did a double take. Not four. Five. In addition to the two men and women that she had expected, there was a third man, bearded and in a neat brown sweater, seated between the two women. He looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't put a finger on it.
He must have come with one of them, she thought with a shake of her head. He wasn't a threat, or he wouldn't be here. The new faculty would have dealt with him if he wasn't expected. Introductions will be made eventually, Ororo decided. She had other things that needed to be taken care of first.
On the lawn in front of the stage, many of the white folding chairs were occupied, but far too many were empty. Many students didn't come back, Ororo thought as she mounted the steps up to the platform. Too many were afraid to return after what happened. It's not the school they knew anymore, as much as I want to make it otherwise. And how many of them had been Cured, no longer needing our help?
Many of the students she was now looking down upon had already known her for years. A few had joined her in combat. There sat Kitty Pryde, Bobby Drake, and Peter Rasputin, the young trio that had fought with Ororo, Logan, and Henry on Alcatraz. The three were sitting together, along with Kitty's new shadow: Jimmy Cameron, the young mutant who had been the foundation for The Cute, and whom Kitty had saved from Alcatraz. Ever since that night, Jimmy had developed what others might consider a crush on his savior. Ororo, however, recognized it for what it was: hero worship, pure and simple.
On the other side of the seating area sat the other returning students. Jubilation Lee, Theresa Cassidy, Connor Jones, and Artie Maddicks had made their own little group as far away from the other four as possible.
Are Bobby, Kitty, and Peter avoiding them, Ororo worried, or are they the ones being avoided? Now that they're X-Men, are the others jealous? Or afraid? Or is it simply a case of teenagers running in different circles?
Yet another question that would have to wait for another time, she thought, knowing full well that teenage friendships had a way of sorting themselves out eventually. Instead of dwelling on it, she turned her attention to the new students.
Arthur Centino, a skinny boy with short blond hair, was perched on the back of one of the chairs. He was balancing himself by one finger, leg splayed in the air, three of the chair's feet off the ground, and grinning widely at the young woman sitting next to him. It was that stupid cocky grin that only a select group of teenage boys could wear, and only when around teenage girls. Wearing a pair of metal-studded bracelets to go with her white men's undershirt, baggy black pants, and pink frosted hair, the girl actually seemed bored by not only Arthur, but by the entire scene around her.
Alison Blaire, Ororo thought. Teen idol out of the Hannah Montana/Avril Lavigne school of music. The girl's stood on stage in front of millions of screaming prepubescents for years before her powers manifested. I'm sure to her this is just hell for her, knowing her life has changed so quickly. Having a boy try to impress her, one of probably hundreds over the last few years, has to make it worse.
Alison's celebrity status might pose another problem for the school, Ororo thought for not the first time. After her powers manifested themselves (while on stage, no less), her publicist announced that Alison was going on indefinite sabbatical. Unfortunately, would only be a matter of time before someone in the paparazzi finds out who she actually is, what actually happened that night, and where exactly she was on sabbatical. Ororo only hoped that they could keep the crowds away as long as possible.
Sitting next to Alison was a young black man; one whose reactions were, if anything, the polar opposite of Miss Blaire. Lucas Bishop's chin hung to his chest, and his head looked like it wanted to spin around on its axis, taking in all the sights, both of the mansion and of his surrounding classmates.
We know he's a mutant, Ororo thought. Cerebro told us as much before Charles died. And we also know the mutation has already manifested itself. A Class Four mutation at that. We just don't know what his power actually does.
Ororo stepped to the podium, took a breath, but stopped short as she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. There was one other boy; not in the seats, but sitting against one of the trees, well in the shadows. Now that she could see him, she recognized the long brown hair, the trench coat, and the pack of cards he always seemed to have with him, spread out on the grass in a game of solitaire.
"Remy?" she called, and as the boy looked up she couldn't help but feel a chill. It was those eyes, she thought. Not that she hadn't seen abnormal eyes before on mutants. Heck, she could look in the mirror when she was powered up to see abnormal eyes. But past experience made Remy's, black with red irises, no less disconcerting. "We're starting. Would you like to join us?"
Remy gracefully slid his cards into a neat pile, slipped them into their box, and leaned back against the tree, giving Ororo his full attention. At the same time Arthur hopped down from the chair and into his seat, and the rest of the students turned to face her.
All right, then, she sighed, feeling the pressure of their eyes upon her. Here we go.
"Welcome, everyone," she said aloud, "To Xavier Academy. My name is Professor Ororo Munroe, headmistress and director. As you already know, the goal of the Academy, as set out by its founder and namesake, Professor Charles Xavier, is to not only educate you in life, but to also help you control and optimize your God-given gifts."
"Gifts, yeah, right," she heard a small voice snort from the group. She caught Alison's head shake.
"As many of you are aware," she said carefully, "there have been many changes in the school within the past year."
"Changes," a voice inside her whispered. That's one way of putting it. Another way of putting it is that three of your teachers are dead, another's gone off on the political trail, and the fifth's just gone.
The truth is, you're the only X-Man left at the Academy. And that's not for much longer, either.
"Many changes," she repeated quietly, forcing herself back to reality. Some gray clouds had begun to develop overhead, but they quickly dissipated as she refocused.
"Xavier Academy," she continued, "will now look slightly different than the school we once knew. Old friends, old students of the school have returned to help continue your education."
She turned around, facing the five adults seated behind her. "First," she continued, "Is someone many of you may know from your past studies here at the Academy. As a scientist and doctor at the Muir Island Genetic Research Center, near Scotland, she has done numerous video conference sessions with past classes. Doctor Moira MacTaggert."
Dr. MacTaggert raised her hand briefly, somewhat uncomfortable despite her eagerness to come assist the Academy after the loss of Charles. Probably because she's the only human on campus, Ororo thought. At least at Muir she worked with both humans and mutants. What must it feel like to be on the other end of things?
"Next... umm..." Ororo stumbled as she realized that she would have to introduce the mystery man seated next to Moira. The students seemed to sense her unease, and muttered quietly in response. As she looked back and arched a questioning eyebrow at Moira, the striking blonde on the man's other side waved her hand as if to say move on. The man, for his part, seemed unaffected by the whole situation, and continued to look out on the crowd, smiling his small, non-threatening smile.
Ororo cleared her throat. "Next, we have a former student of the Academy who has volunteered to return and help you with your studies. Professor Frost," she said, motioning to the blond woman, "is also the new deputy headmistress, so anything you need to discuss with me may also be discussed with her."
As Emma Frost waved her hand to the students, Ororo couldn't help but break into an amused smile as Theresa slipped lower into her seat, her face turning nearly as red as her hair.
"Next," she said, trying hard to keep her face straight, "I think some of you also know our next new professor, Sean Cassidy."
The redheaded man seated next to Emma, decked out in a yellow turtleneck under a green blazer, smiled and unabashedly waved to Theresa. Her words of response were too quiet, but Jubilee's giggles only confirmed what Storm read on her lips:
Hi, Dad.
"So, we'll move on to our last newcomer--" Ororo said, trying to pry the attention away from the embarrassed teenager. Before she could continue, however, the man seated at the end stood up and walked up next to Ororo. She could hear the familiar whining noise as he moved, a noise she had come to know well when they were both students.
The students, however, were less familiar with the man's appearance, and not just the ponytail, headband, and leather jacket. Ororo heard a few gasps as he raised his left arm, saluting to the crowd with his robotic hand and fingers. He lowered it again, the hand emitting a small clang as it connected with his similarly mechanical left leg. The fingers of his right hand, still covered in flesh like any others, tapped against the muscle of his untouched right thigh. He was used to the gasps, and just waited for them to subside.
"Professor Forge," she continued, "will help with your training, and will also be running the more... technical... aspects of the Academy."
"If anyone wants to learn how to work a motor or build themselves a jet plane, I'm the one to turn to," Forge continued, putting his untouched hand companionably on Storm's shoulder as he talked. Her chest tightened slightly at his touch. It had been years, after all.
That's in the past, she thought, forcing her heart to resume its regular pace. He's in the past now. Move on.
"Thank you, Professor," she said, hoping her voice didn't sound too breathy. He nodded to her, tipped her a little wink, then returned to his seat. "These are the new faculty of the Academy," she continued. "I would hope that you would welcome them warmly, and give them the same respect that you would give those who taught you in the past."
Now comes the really hard part.
"As many of you are aware," she stated, "the Xavier Academy once held within it a computer known as Cerebro. When connected with it, Professor Xavier could search the planet for any mutant, and he used it to contact those who he felt could use the assistance of our school. With Charles's death, Cerebro cannot be used. It is simply too powerful of a device for anyone to control without serious injury."
"Believe me," Forge added from his seat, "if anyone could get it to work for any old psychic, it would be me."
"Despite this," Storm continued, "and despite the events of the past year, with the introduction of the mutant anti-gene, the so-called Cure, there are still many mutants like us are being persecuted for their gifts. Still hiding in fear. Our work isn't done, and we still welcome all those who need our help."
She scanned the crowd, taking in the new faces. "Yours were the last names to be uncovered by Cerebro before Charles death. From this point forward, finding mutants in need of our help is a much more difficult, much more dangerous task."
She sighed, bracing herself for any response.
"Because of that, she said carefully, "I will be leaving Xavier Academy for periods of time, leaving your studies and the facility itself n the hands of the men and women behind you. I am taking it upon myself to find new mutants who need us."
Shocked murmurs rose from the crowd.
"However, I will still be acting headmistress of the school," she explained over the crowd's reaction. "I will be in constant telepathic connection with Professor Frost, and can return when I'm needed. In the meantime, your education is safe in the hands of these men and women. They've been around the block in the world. They know their stuff. And if danger should arise, they know how to use their powers. You are safe in their hands. And as your powers develop, we will teach you how to use them to help other people, just as the young men and women here have done."
She motioned to Bobby, Peter, and Kitty. Jimmy's body swelled with pride, but the other three were still staring back at her in shock, reeling from her announcement.
"Welcome to the new Xavier Academy."
Table of Contents / The Life of Brian
Author: kanedax
Spoilers: X3 (Not XMO compliant)
Rating: PG
Summary: In the wake of Alcatraz, Xavier Academy starts over
Notes: Welcome to New Mutants 1.2, also known as New Mutants Redux, New Mutants: Special Edition, or New Mutants: Not Quite As Bad. Over the next few months (between chapters of Oligarchy, Portals, Hybrids, and whatever else comes around) I'll be going back and re-writing New Mutants 1 and 2. I can't right now say how many changes you'll see. It'll be more than pokes and tweaks, but it won't be a complete rebuild from the foundation up. There will be some different dialogue here, some extra descriptives there, and quite a lot of reformatting.
If you've read it before, you won't get any new plot, or relationships, or what have you. But maybe it'll be a different experience in the end, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it (both times).
The original version of this chapter can be found here.
I don't own these characters. They belong to Marvel Comics, Disney (God, that's weird saying that), and Fox.
Table of Contents / The Life of Brian
Ororo.
Ororo Munroe jumped, a squeak arising from her leather chair, the voice in her mind interrupting her distant thoughts.
The students are all gathered, Ororo.
Ororo shook her head. After years of Charles, Jean, and Ororo herself sharing the space between her ears, she'd have to get used to some new interruptions.
Thank you, Professor, she thought in response. I'll be out in a minute.
The voice laughed quietly. Professor, it said. That's a name that will take some time to get used to.
That's the least of what we'll all have to get used to, Ororo thought, not sure if that particular thought was her own, or if it was shared by the other as she pushed the chair back from the desk. Standing, she gave one last look around the office that once belonged to Professor Charles Xavier. Her eyes caught the motorized wheelchair, the X crossed through the wheels, that had once belonged to the founder of Xavier Academy.
The office now belonged to her, even if the leather chair had been the only piece of furniture added since Charles had been murdered. The wheelchair, much like the stone memorial on the front lawn, was left as a lasting reminder of Charles, his influence on the school, on the X-Men, and on mutantkind in general. It now belonged to no one. Or to everyone, depending on your view of those sorts of things.
She smoothed her silver dress, much more formal than she was used to. She was always a loose pants and blouse kind of girl. Taking a deep breath, she walked out into the hallway and out the back door to greet who was left.
Warmth bathed down on her as she stepped into the sun. All around upstate New York, it was a gray, dreary day, with occasional drizzles and one or two downpours. Nothing horrific, just your typical spring weather. But here at Xavier Academy, where the new headmaster (headmistress, she reminded herself) could control the weather on a whim, it was a beautiful day, with the sky a deep blue, and the occasional puff of cloud keeping the sun from being too unbearable. She knew, of course, that taking advantage of her power too often would lead to trouble. Not just trouble here, but everywhere. But she figured, for today, a small hole in the dreary weather wasn't the end of the world.
As Ororo reached the end of the tall hedge, she got her first look at the new Xavier Academy. A small raised stage had been set on the lawn, with four occupied seats and a podium facing rows of white chairs. She did a double take. Not four. Five. In addition to the two men and women that she had expected, there was a third man, bearded and in a neat brown sweater, seated between the two women. He looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't put a finger on it.
He must have come with one of them, she thought with a shake of her head. He wasn't a threat, or he wouldn't be here. The new faculty would have dealt with him if he wasn't expected. Introductions will be made eventually, Ororo decided. She had other things that needed to be taken care of first.
On the lawn in front of the stage, many of the white folding chairs were occupied, but far too many were empty. Many students didn't come back, Ororo thought as she mounted the steps up to the platform. Too many were afraid to return after what happened. It's not the school they knew anymore, as much as I want to make it otherwise. And how many of them had been Cured, no longer needing our help?
Many of the students she was now looking down upon had already known her for years. A few had joined her in combat. There sat Kitty Pryde, Bobby Drake, and Peter Rasputin, the young trio that had fought with Ororo, Logan, and Henry on Alcatraz. The three were sitting together, along with Kitty's new shadow: Jimmy Cameron, the young mutant who had been the foundation for The Cute, and whom Kitty had saved from Alcatraz. Ever since that night, Jimmy had developed what others might consider a crush on his savior. Ororo, however, recognized it for what it was: hero worship, pure and simple.
On the other side of the seating area sat the other returning students. Jubilation Lee, Theresa Cassidy, Connor Jones, and Artie Maddicks had made their own little group as far away from the other four as possible.
Are Bobby, Kitty, and Peter avoiding them, Ororo worried, or are they the ones being avoided? Now that they're X-Men, are the others jealous? Or afraid? Or is it simply a case of teenagers running in different circles?
Yet another question that would have to wait for another time, she thought, knowing full well that teenage friendships had a way of sorting themselves out eventually. Instead of dwelling on it, she turned her attention to the new students.
Arthur Centino, a skinny boy with short blond hair, was perched on the back of one of the chairs. He was balancing himself by one finger, leg splayed in the air, three of the chair's feet off the ground, and grinning widely at the young woman sitting next to him. It was that stupid cocky grin that only a select group of teenage boys could wear, and only when around teenage girls. Wearing a pair of metal-studded bracelets to go with her white men's undershirt, baggy black pants, and pink frosted hair, the girl actually seemed bored by not only Arthur, but by the entire scene around her.
Alison Blaire, Ororo thought. Teen idol out of the Hannah Montana/Avril Lavigne school of music. The girl's stood on stage in front of millions of screaming prepubescents for years before her powers manifested. I'm sure to her this is just hell for her, knowing her life has changed so quickly. Having a boy try to impress her, one of probably hundreds over the last few years, has to make it worse.
Alison's celebrity status might pose another problem for the school, Ororo thought for not the first time. After her powers manifested themselves (while on stage, no less), her publicist announced that Alison was going on indefinite sabbatical. Unfortunately, would only be a matter of time before someone in the paparazzi finds out who she actually is, what actually happened that night, and where exactly she was on sabbatical. Ororo only hoped that they could keep the crowds away as long as possible.
Sitting next to Alison was a young black man; one whose reactions were, if anything, the polar opposite of Miss Blaire. Lucas Bishop's chin hung to his chest, and his head looked like it wanted to spin around on its axis, taking in all the sights, both of the mansion and of his surrounding classmates.
We know he's a mutant, Ororo thought. Cerebro told us as much before Charles died. And we also know the mutation has already manifested itself. A Class Four mutation at that. We just don't know what his power actually does.
Ororo stepped to the podium, took a breath, but stopped short as she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. There was one other boy; not in the seats, but sitting against one of the trees, well in the shadows. Now that she could see him, she recognized the long brown hair, the trench coat, and the pack of cards he always seemed to have with him, spread out on the grass in a game of solitaire.
"Remy?" she called, and as the boy looked up she couldn't help but feel a chill. It was those eyes, she thought. Not that she hadn't seen abnormal eyes before on mutants. Heck, she could look in the mirror when she was powered up to see abnormal eyes. But past experience made Remy's, black with red irises, no less disconcerting. "We're starting. Would you like to join us?"
Remy gracefully slid his cards into a neat pile, slipped them into their box, and leaned back against the tree, giving Ororo his full attention. At the same time Arthur hopped down from the chair and into his seat, and the rest of the students turned to face her.
All right, then, she sighed, feeling the pressure of their eyes upon her. Here we go.
"Welcome, everyone," she said aloud, "To Xavier Academy. My name is Professor Ororo Munroe, headmistress and director. As you already know, the goal of the Academy, as set out by its founder and namesake, Professor Charles Xavier, is to not only educate you in life, but to also help you control and optimize your God-given gifts."
"Gifts, yeah, right," she heard a small voice snort from the group. She caught Alison's head shake.
"As many of you are aware," she said carefully, "there have been many changes in the school within the past year."
"Changes," a voice inside her whispered. That's one way of putting it. Another way of putting it is that three of your teachers are dead, another's gone off on the political trail, and the fifth's just gone.
The truth is, you're the only X-Man left at the Academy. And that's not for much longer, either.
"Many changes," she repeated quietly, forcing herself back to reality. Some gray clouds had begun to develop overhead, but they quickly dissipated as she refocused.
"Xavier Academy," she continued, "will now look slightly different than the school we once knew. Old friends, old students of the school have returned to help continue your education."
She turned around, facing the five adults seated behind her. "First," she continued, "Is someone many of you may know from your past studies here at the Academy. As a scientist and doctor at the Muir Island Genetic Research Center, near Scotland, she has done numerous video conference sessions with past classes. Doctor Moira MacTaggert."
Dr. MacTaggert raised her hand briefly, somewhat uncomfortable despite her eagerness to come assist the Academy after the loss of Charles. Probably because she's the only human on campus, Ororo thought. At least at Muir she worked with both humans and mutants. What must it feel like to be on the other end of things?
"Next... umm..." Ororo stumbled as she realized that she would have to introduce the mystery man seated next to Moira. The students seemed to sense her unease, and muttered quietly in response. As she looked back and arched a questioning eyebrow at Moira, the striking blonde on the man's other side waved her hand as if to say move on. The man, for his part, seemed unaffected by the whole situation, and continued to look out on the crowd, smiling his small, non-threatening smile.
Ororo cleared her throat. "Next, we have a former student of the Academy who has volunteered to return and help you with your studies. Professor Frost," she said, motioning to the blond woman, "is also the new deputy headmistress, so anything you need to discuss with me may also be discussed with her."
As Emma Frost waved her hand to the students, Ororo couldn't help but break into an amused smile as Theresa slipped lower into her seat, her face turning nearly as red as her hair.
"Next," she said, trying hard to keep her face straight, "I think some of you also know our next new professor, Sean Cassidy."
The redheaded man seated next to Emma, decked out in a yellow turtleneck under a green blazer, smiled and unabashedly waved to Theresa. Her words of response were too quiet, but Jubilee's giggles only confirmed what Storm read on her lips:
Hi, Dad.
"So, we'll move on to our last newcomer--" Ororo said, trying to pry the attention away from the embarrassed teenager. Before she could continue, however, the man seated at the end stood up and walked up next to Ororo. She could hear the familiar whining noise as he moved, a noise she had come to know well when they were both students.
The students, however, were less familiar with the man's appearance, and not just the ponytail, headband, and leather jacket. Ororo heard a few gasps as he raised his left arm, saluting to the crowd with his robotic hand and fingers. He lowered it again, the hand emitting a small clang as it connected with his similarly mechanical left leg. The fingers of his right hand, still covered in flesh like any others, tapped against the muscle of his untouched right thigh. He was used to the gasps, and just waited for them to subside.
"Professor Forge," she continued, "will help with your training, and will also be running the more... technical... aspects of the Academy."
"If anyone wants to learn how to work a motor or build themselves a jet plane, I'm the one to turn to," Forge continued, putting his untouched hand companionably on Storm's shoulder as he talked. Her chest tightened slightly at his touch. It had been years, after all.
That's in the past, she thought, forcing her heart to resume its regular pace. He's in the past now. Move on.
"Thank you, Professor," she said, hoping her voice didn't sound too breathy. He nodded to her, tipped her a little wink, then returned to his seat. "These are the new faculty of the Academy," she continued. "I would hope that you would welcome them warmly, and give them the same respect that you would give those who taught you in the past."
Now comes the really hard part.
"As many of you are aware," she stated, "the Xavier Academy once held within it a computer known as Cerebro. When connected with it, Professor Xavier could search the planet for any mutant, and he used it to contact those who he felt could use the assistance of our school. With Charles's death, Cerebro cannot be used. It is simply too powerful of a device for anyone to control without serious injury."
"Believe me," Forge added from his seat, "if anyone could get it to work for any old psychic, it would be me."
"Despite this," Storm continued, "and despite the events of the past year, with the introduction of the mutant anti-gene, the so-called Cure, there are still many mutants like us are being persecuted for their gifts. Still hiding in fear. Our work isn't done, and we still welcome all those who need our help."
She scanned the crowd, taking in the new faces. "Yours were the last names to be uncovered by Cerebro before Charles death. From this point forward, finding mutants in need of our help is a much more difficult, much more dangerous task."
She sighed, bracing herself for any response.
"Because of that, she said carefully, "I will be leaving Xavier Academy for periods of time, leaving your studies and the facility itself n the hands of the men and women behind you. I am taking it upon myself to find new mutants who need us."
Shocked murmurs rose from the crowd.
"However, I will still be acting headmistress of the school," she explained over the crowd's reaction. "I will be in constant telepathic connection with Professor Frost, and can return when I'm needed. In the meantime, your education is safe in the hands of these men and women. They've been around the block in the world. They know their stuff. And if danger should arise, they know how to use their powers. You are safe in their hands. And as your powers develop, we will teach you how to use them to help other people, just as the young men and women here have done."
She motioned to Bobby, Peter, and Kitty. Jimmy's body swelled with pride, but the other three were still staring back at her in shock, reeling from her announcement.
"Welcome to the new Xavier Academy."
Table of Contents / The Life of Brian