X-men: The Zen Chronicles (Redheadstemper)

[Hikari_Mamo]

Faye sat with Bobby, away from Rogue as he explained the tools they just used in Mechanics class as well as others they hadn't used yet. "Don't worry, if you get stuck I'll be happy to help you. Seriously, the last thing we need is you blasting Scott down the drive way because he didn't help you or, in this case, refuses to help you."

"What can I say? I came from Brisbane, the only tools I ever used were the ones for my Ag class. Seriously, I thought a Socket Wrench was something a doctor used to put your shoulder back into place!" The group burst out in laughter and Faye blushed slightly. "It's not funny." She grumbled picking at her sandwich. "In any case! I have math class next! I'm good at math class! So I should be fine!"  

[redheadstemper]

Across the lawn from Bobby and Faye, Rogue and Kitty were talking.

"I can't believe he's helping her! he's supposed to be my boyfriend, and he's over there chatting away with that- that Australian trollop!"

Both girls jumped as they heard another voice behind them.

"Aussie trollop, eh? Now, I may not have been here for a few years, but the way it used to be, was if someone was having problems in class, one of their fellow students would help 'em out. Especially on their first day. Even more, when they just manifested their mutation the day before."

When Rogue and Shadowcat turned around, they found Kel, with walls of earth forming and dissipating around her.

"Now, I'm fairly sure that the kid over there was just in Faye's first mechanics class with her, and I know that she was having problems in that class. So are you going to use some logic and basic human decency, or am I gonna hafta get mad at you girls?"

Rogue looked like she was about to go off on a rant at the new teacher, but Kitty gulped before slapping her hand over Marie's mouth.

"Um, yeah, sorry about that, we won't do it again!" She said as she backed them away.

After Kel left, Rogue demanded, "what was all that about?"

"Well, you remember those stories you hear about the girl who manifested buy forming a quicksand pit underneath her own feet? And who yelled at the Professor about him not living in the real world? That's her. If you'd kept going, she would have sunk you into the ground or something, and if you''d managed to touch her so that she couldn't, do you really wanna risk the quicksand thing?"  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Faye and Bobby came out of their intense tutor lesson and blinked at the commotion. After a long pause Faye said. "She must have her lady cramps." And gestured to Rogue before returning to their in depth session about the proper use of a socket wrench.

Xavier smiled from his view at the balcony. "Interesting." He said. "Kel went to the defense of another."

"They are from the same country of course they'd bond." Jean commented. "The fact that Faye groped Kel has nothing to do with it I should suspect." Both grinned at each other.

"Oh I don't think that has anything to do with it." Xavier added. Both had suspicions about Kel's. . . deal. But Faye's was more difficult to figure out. Both could sense that her mind was jumbled. "I'm sure once she calms down we'll know Fayes. . . deal."  

[redheadstemper]

So, no more classes for today. I'd best get started on some plans for the gardens.

Kel settled down to look at what plants in what arrangements were most likely to survive the various mutations of the mansion, then thought better of it and made her way to the Headmaster's office.

"Kel, that is an absolutely horrid joke. And while I didn't expect you right now, I do happen to have some free time to see you."

"Yeah, X, I kinda need to know what destructive powers are flyig around and the level of control their owners have, so I can figure out what plants will survive. I'm already thinkin I'll have to shape some water features, since I saw that one kid playing with fire, and I'll have to find some that'll survive frost, since I saw that other kid playing with ice, but is there anything else I need to watch out for?"

Xavier sighed and reached for some paper and a pen. "Let me see, there's a few who can summon water and electricity..."

As he listed the powers, he wrote out the information she needed. When he'd finished, Kel took the page and turned to leave, before turning back at the door.

"Oh yeah, another thing I'd forgotten to ask. When's the summer break start, anyway?"

"Two weeks from Monday, actually."

"Coolies. Seeya at dinner then, Wheels."  

[Hikari_Mamo]

"Well that's the bell." Bobby said. "If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask okay?"

"Yes! thanks heaps Bobby!" Faye replied picking up her bag and rushing off to her math class.

"Faye! You're late!" Storm scolded lightly with a small frown.

"Yes! Sorry Miss! I got lost!" Faye said blushing and sitting down at an empty seat quickly copying down the formula's on the board.

"As I was saying, what I am writing down now is what you'll be learning after summer break however it would be a good idea to take this all down so you can be familiar with it when we get back from break hm?" Storm smiled kindly at the class. "All the teachers will be available over the summer so if you have any problems understanding I'll be running a summer class to help. Now! On to our lesson!" She chirped moving on to the lesson.

An hour later Faye found herself standing outside at basic combat training with. . . You guessed it! Scott Summers. Urgh Faye kept her face passive as he drilled them through basic fighting techniques. "The trick is to. . ." Faye tuned out his voice and just ran over her combat training that she did before she arrived in America. "Faye. . . Faye. . . FELICITY!!" Her name being screamed broke her out of her haze.
"Yes a*****e?" She asked with a smile.
Scott stared her down a frown pulling on his lips. They stared each other down for a long time. "You're going too far ahead." He said. "Care to stay at the class's pace?"

"Why should I? This is stuff I learnt when I was six-" His hand struck out but she blocked it tripping him up and pushing him on his back. "Stay down." She growled at him.

"Can someone tell me what he did wrong?" She asked the class with a smile.
"Yes you!" She pointed to the girl with her hand up.

"He let his guard down while he tried to strike you?" The girl asked.

"Correct!" Faye praised with a smile. "Now, if we remember to try and keep our guard up we shouldn't have any more problems hm?" She asked smiling down at the teacher. It was then Scott grabbed her exposed arm "Hit the deck!" She cried to the class as she blasted a nearby tree before closing her eyes and going to her knees pressing her face into the grass so she couldn't hurt anyone.  

[redheadstemper]

As she was looking over the gardens and making plans in her notebook, one of Scott's optic beams shot over Kel's shoulder. Looking for the source and cause, she found the combat classsitting on the ground, with Faye pressing her face into the grass and Scott passed out on the ground.

"Well, I was going to ask who pissed off Mr Summers and why, but it's pretty easy to see that he screwed up. Did he piss off Faye, or touch her arm, 'cause I'm really hoping I can tell Jean that her fiance is being a typical American male again?"

"Er, both, Miss. Faye was kinda taking over the class because she was angry at him for trying to punch her, when he grabbed her arm."

"Jackpot, then. He really doesn't seem to be thinking today. Well, since he's out of it, you all can help me by ripping out some weeds. Here's what they look like, now go find them and rip 'em out of the ground. Preferably putting them into a bin, but I'll settle for not having to rip them out for myself." Kel instructed, holding up a pair of weeds. After the kids rushed off, she bent down next to Faye, "From what I remember, you can stop Scott's power by closing your eyes. Not great on a permanent basis, but not so bad for however long you hang onto his power. Now, I'm gonna take Scotty boy down to his missus and tell her how stupid he's been. Seeya later, kay?"

With that, Kel hoisted Scott on one shoulder and made her way to the infirmary, again, muttering under her breath the whole way about how American men were idiots even when they were supposed to be intelligent.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Faye too deep calming breaths. She needed to stay calm. If she stayed calm them maybe she would be able to get up and keep moving without blasting everyone with her eyes. She lifted her head and found the place empty. And that she wasn't blasting any one. Oh good. She made to stand up but thought better of it and instead crawled back to the mansion and then stood up brushing herself off and heading to the canteen? No it was something else in America, Cafeteria? Yeah that was it! She made her way over to it got some food and sat down by herself and ate her dinner before going off and back to her room for a shower. . . again. There was no way she wanted to face any of her class mates. Ever.

"I swear sometimes Scott acts like he's got no IQ at all." Jean growled at the teachers lounge over her salad to the other female teachers. "Think think after the first time he was blasted across a field he'd know not to provoke the person who did it, but no the idiot had to go poking that particular snake and then have the gall to b***h at me about it when he woke again. She gave a little sigh and downed a beer. "Sometimes I wonder why I love that man." She finished her food and her beer then stood up. "I have to go check on our new student, the last thing we want is her passing out on us." The woman threw away the plate and the bottle then left to go find Faye's room.  

[redheadstemper]

"Wow, I honestly expected her to be mad at me for badmouthing him, not mad at him for being stupid. Then again, bitching at his missus about something that resulted from his own stupidity is one major way to get her mad at him." Kel said thoughtfully.

Storm replied, "well, he has been acting quite jealous lately, since Logan was paying her quite a bit of attention. Every woman likes that, even if she's not going to stray, and Scott had been neglecting her, so she bloomed a little with Logan's attentions. It certainly didn't hurt that he's quite handsome, but Scott, instead of taking that as a sign that he'd not been paying her enough attention, took it as a slight, and started getting rather angry. From what I heard, across the courtyard in my loft, He was yelling at Jean for not shooting him down straight away. I wouldn't say she's going to leave him, but she's been getting more and more frustrated with him. And now Charles says that Logan's going to return soon, so between that, your return, and a new student who doesn't seem to have the slightest respect for him, he's not thinking. At all, from what Jeanie said."

"Yeah, I'd heard something about Logan, who is he?"

"Oh, he's a Canadian mutant, he's rather wild, he came in with Rogue and seems to watch out for her. I think he sees her as a little sister or something. He's got amnesia though, so he's been gone for some time tracking down a lead the Professor found to his past."

"Sounds interesting. Anyway, thanks for the info, but I'd better head to bed, I've gotta get some rest if I'm gonna be figuring out all the soil and rock in the gardens tomorrow. G'night."  

[Hikari_Mamo]

~Three weeks later~

Faye sat at the cafeteria with a grin on her face. Since her first few days at the school she'd made a lot of friends and didn't pass out every time someone bumped her in the hallway. She was busy playing table soccer with Bobby and Rogue when Rogue noticed someone and rushed over to him. "Logan!" She cried hugging him. Faye spared at glance to the ruggedly handsome yet devilishly wild man that just walked through the door now hugging her back.

"Who's this?" He asked noticing Faye rolling her eyes then beating Pyro at the game.

"Haha!" She cried with a grin on her face. "That's what? Three for me?" She asked sticking out her tongue.

"Oh, that's the new girl Faye, she's only been here a few weeks. She's sorta like me. I guess is the closest description of her power. Her temper reminds me of you-"

"Come on guys it's not Shrimp on the barbie god! It's Steak can you guys not make such obviously inaccurate stereotyping of me please~!?"

"Australian?" Logan frowned watching her. "Anything else I should know?"

"Yeah she has a habit of beating down Professor Summers." Rogue said smirking.

"Sounds like my kind of woman." He commented back with a grin both laughing.  

[redheadstemper]

"Yeah, you might wanna rethink that, mate. Faye's not old enough for you. I'm gonna guess that you're this Logan I've been hearing about, good job stealing Scott's bike, that's just awesome." Rogue was surprised yet again by the Aussie woman who somehow kept sneaking up on her in the middle of conversations that she really didn't want Kel to hear, but Wolverine just turned and raised an eyebrow.

"What, you think I'd actually go for a girl Rogue's age? Just sayin' she's got some good qualities."

"Kay then, you might wanna stay away from Scott, he's pretty pissed at everyone lately. Actually, you wanna get a beer once the kiddies have gone to bed and laugh at how much of an idiot he's been?"  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Logan gave Kel a slight grin. "Ah, so you must be the girl that basically flipped off Professor X?" He looked very impressed. "Sure, I'll grab a beer with ya~"

"Ooooo~!" Faye cooed wiggling her fingers at them both wit ha cheesy grin on her face. Pyro just stared at her a** the whole time she wasn't facing him.

"Oh good he's back! Scott it's okay! You're not babysitting!" Jean called. "Logan's back he'll babysit!"

"Hey!" Faye snapped. "I don't need babysitting!" She growled hands on her hips. Unlike Rogue, though, she didn't cover up to prevent skin to skin contact. She wasn't afraid of her power. Just needed to learn to control it.  

[redheadstemper]

"Damn, forgot X is goin to see that old buddy of his in the plastic cell, and Jeanie and Ororo are off on a recruiting trip, damnit. Ah well, a coupla beers won't hurt once they're in bed, eh?"

"Yeah, don't think it'd be a problem. Jeanie pissed at One-Eye for a particular reason? And why am I being roped into babysitting when you're here? And what's your name, anyway?"

"I'm Kel, and X doesn't want me babysitting on my own since if more than one disaster happens I'd be stone for the third and out for the fourth. The few that are likely to cause trouble will do it again and again if there's just me here, X learned the lesson with that one time, my bones were stone for a week after that, don't reckon they'd give you trouble though."

"And Faye, it's not you we're babysitting, it's everyone. Hell, another month and I'd let you have a beer or two with me, if I didn't think the Prof'd put me on solo babysitting and tell Jeanie not to give me painkillers."

Kel looked back at Logan. "yeah nah, don't reckon I flipped him off, but I wasn't too shy about tellin him his idealism was worth ******** all. When there was a class waitin for him."  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Faye gave a pout crossing her arms. "Yeah, sure, I'm sure I could handle myself out there." Pyro poked her back while lighting his fire she gave a cough and lit a plant on fire.

"Yeah, you can handle yourself out there." He said sarcastically. Faye turned on him with an angry growl and with a grin Pyro ran for his life.
"I'm gonna kill you!" She roared running after him. "Get back here you bloody coward!"

"Should we go after them?" Bobby asked Rogue with a smile.

"Nah." Rogue grinned back. "Let them flirt."  

[redheadstemper]

Later that night, after all the students were in bed, Kel went to meet Logan in the kitchens and found him digging out Scott's beer. "Well, unless you actually like that piss, I'd say put it back. I've got some real beer over here, imported, ya know?" Kel lifted the four bottles in her hands, showing the four Boag's longnecks. Logan straightened, then reached out for one of the bottles.

"Yeah, it's piss alright, but it's better than nothin'. Never seen this stuff, though, where's it from? Yeah, it says Tasmania, but I got no clue where that is."

"Ya know that tiny island on the south east of Aus? That's Tassie. Rest of the country calls 'em inbred, but that's just a joke, really, and they make a good lager. I though of introducing Scott to some real beer, but then I decided he was too stupid to appreciate it, so I left him thinking that Fosters gets imported 'cause it's the best Aussie beer, instead of so s**t no Aussie will drink it."

"How'd you get mixed up with this crowd, anyway, if you don't like Chuck?" Logan questioned as he took a pull of the beer.

"Well, needed to learn how not to make a pit of quicksand whenever I got embarrassed, and there's no 'Strayan school for that, so I didn't really have a choice. Didn't wanna make waves, so I left it 'til I'd graduated to tell Wheels what I thought of his ideals."

"Yeah? how'd-" Logan broke off as he heard something that shouldn't have been there.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Faye was all ready to go to bed. Teeth had been brushed pjs on. She was just getting ready to get into bed when she saw a flash light through her window and went over to investigate. She heard and ear piercing scream. She managed, barely, to make it seem as though no one lived in her room then hid. Several times her room was glanced at but none came in. None investigated further. She heard gun shots, heard screams. She slipped from her hiding spot and ran to the cafeteria knowing there was a secret passageway. She saw a torch light and rushed into the passageway closing it behind her and ran down the passageway. She could see the exit in sight however she slipped and hit on her head on the ground knocking herself into unconsciousness.