psinex@yahoo.com Academia Book 1: Starting Block Chapter 1 by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: Everyone here is Marvel's. No money is being made off of this. Please don't sue. -------------------------------------------------------- 9/2/00: X-Manson, Men's Wing: 06:55 hrs EDT: -------------------------------------------------------- #Wow. I'm a New Mutant.# 11-year-old Nate Summers sat up in his bed, looking across the room at where his cousin and neophyte roommate, Joe Bailey, lay snoring. #I'm a New Mutant,# Nate thought again, climbing out of bed. #I'm a sixth-grader, too - not a little kid anymore. This is so ...# He tried not to laugh as he grabbed his clothes and raced to the bathroom. -------------------------------------------------------- "Well, aren't we perky ?" "Mommmm," Nate pleaded 10 minutes later as Jean Summers ruffled his still-damp brown hair. "I gotta be, y'know, a big kid now, OK ?" "OK," Jean said, turning away quickly. Nate felt a pang of guilt and left his seat at the mansion's dining room table, hugging his mother from behind. "Thanks," he said as she turned around. "I know you and Dad're worried about me being a New Mutant, but I'll work hard. I promise." "Oh, Nate, I've never been prouder," Jean said, wiping her eyes. "It's just ... you're growing up. You and -" "Morning Mom seen Frank hey Nate looking kewl kiddo is my hairbrush there ?" Nate released the now-wryly grinning Jean, smiling himself as his 13--year-old sister slid into her seat at the table. "What ?" Rachel asked, looking at her mother and brother. "I'm happy for you, Ray," Nate said. "You and Frank are really nice together." Ray's face lit up as Nate sat back down beside her, and she said, "Thanks, Nate. That's really sweet of you." "You're my big sis," Nate smiled back. "I want you to be happy." "UGH. Early ... early ..." Ray rolled her eyes as her roommate, and the Summers' kids' other cousin, Gail Bailey stumbled into the dining room. "You stay up until 1 a.m. researching Celtic legends, cous, you pay for it," Ray teased. "But it's our heritage, Ray," Gail replied, accepting a bowl, a gallon of milk and a box of Sugar Bombs from Nate. "Milk, please - bless you, kidlet. Seen Joey ?" "I shook him a while ago, but he was still sleepin'," Nate said, shrugging. "Should I mindcall ?" "With your control ? Better not, Nate," Ray said. "Besides, he's coming now." "Dude ! Sugar Bombs !" Joe cheered, sitting beside Nate. "The X-house is da bomb !" "Will you PLEASE desist with that infantile colloquialism at this infernal hour ?" Nicole St. Croix pleaded, entering the room ahead of a crowd of young teens. "I was having a moderately acceptable morning until you started bandying about that pop culture travesty." "Translated: Nicky's PMSing. Duck and cover," Claudette grinned wickedly. Nicky made a rude gesture and sat beside her twin, waving as Leech and Artie entered the room. "You were transmitting in your sleep, Leech is sure of it," the green-skinned power damper frowned at his pink-skinned roommate. "Leech still has that nasty image of you and Claud in his head -" "Nasty ?" Artie gulped, blushing a hot pink as Claud fluttered her eyes at him. "Uh, morning, Claud ..." "Naughty boy," Claud giggled, taking the box of Sugar Bombs from Nicky. "Hey, we're almost out !" "Oh, the doom of the world - just milk for me, thanks," Sarah McCoy said, entering the kitchen with her roommate Luna Maximoff. "Morning, all - ready for the Danger Room crawl ?" "Sounds like a really bad Euro-trash dance craze," Nicky said, gagging. "Luna, I love what you've done with your hair." "Thanks," the blonde Inhuman girl smiled. "I used my power to air-dry it. Uh, Sarah, I'll help you pick up your clothes after classes ?" "No prob," Sarah said amicably, tugging on a bone spur sticking out of the back of her tank top. "The tornado helped me see which ones had holes in them - AHHH ! There we go, you little bugger !" The other kids winced as the former Morlock pulled a bloody, sharp-bladed bone dagger from her back. "What ?" Sarah asked, looking from face to face. "I think you might've overdone that one, Sarah," Tom Shade grinned, entering the room with his twin Bill. The red-brown-haired boys scuffled for a moment over the seat next to Sarah, then sat down with scowls. "You ca-an't hurt me," Bill teased in a sing-song voice, making a face when he bent his spoon reflexively. "Darn super-strength." "Like I care, Spoon-Slayer," Tom sniffed, forcing the green glow about his body to die down. "Mrs. Summers, could you please pass the fruit bowl ?" "Sure, Tom, but it's not very ripe," Jean said, telekinetically levitating the fruit to the boy. He plucked the bowl from midair and set it down, tossing a green banana between his hands as they started to glow. "It is now. Thanks," Tom said, grinning as the banana turned yellow with brown spots. "Showoff," Chuck Lehnsherr snickered, walking in ahead of Leong Coy Mahn. "Uh, Leong - keep it together ?" "You never let me have any fun," Leong said, replacing his head on his shoulders with a sigh. "I have a great power - you're just jealous because you can't lose a limb and live." "I don't WANT to lose a limb," the brown-haired magnakinetic huffed, sitting at the table. "Hey, where're these vines coming from ?" "Sorry," Lewis Guthrie said, blushing as he sat at the table. The blond Kentucky floropsi screwed his eyes shut, and the plants started to retreat. "Brother, ya gotta get that green thumb dyed," Rebecca Guthrie teased, walking in ahead of Nga Coy Mahn. "Now ah don't gotta worry 'bout settin' off the plants." "No, you were up until 1 a.m. howling at the moon," Nga said, yawning. "Of course, I can handle that. It's my brother who's making me go to pieces - or himself ..." "AAIEEK ! THERE'S A FINGER IN MY CEREAL !" Gail screamed. The kids yelled, seeing fingers start to appear from across the table, and promptly form a conga line out of the dining room. "Leong, knock it off - well, after you reconnect all your digits," Chuck Lehnsherr ordered his roommate. Leong sighed, kneeling to let his fingers reattach to his body. "No sense of humor at all," the Vietnamese biokine muttered, sitting beside Nga. "Hope your appetites weren't ruined ..." "I'm convinced it's a plot on your part to hog all the food so you can regenerate your -" Nga began. "HUSH !" Leong said sharply, blushing. "I don't like to talk about the body part I lost when my power turned on, you know that !" Bill grinned evilly until Leong glared at him and said, "It's not reproductive, pervert lad. It's just ... embarassing. I can control my power now, really ..." "If I catch another one of your fingers doing the backstroke, I'll break it," Gail snarled at Leong. "Comprende ?" "Understood, o Fire-Maiden," Leong said. "Chuck, could you pass me the Sugar Bombs, please ?" The kids watched as the box of Sugar Bombs floated across the room, drawing a surprised smile from Jean. "Chuck, I didn't know you could mag-lev nonferrous matter," she asked. Chuck set the box down, wiping his brow, and said, "I can't, Aunt Jean. I was focusing on the prize inside - kewl ! A decoder ring !" "AWWW !" the other kids groaned. "HEY !" Chuck yelled, seeing the ring start to float up towards the ceiling. "Ah, telekinesis," May Parker teased, landing in the seat beside Chuck after she leapt down from the ceiling. "Leong, get that finger off my seat !" "Curses ! Foiled again," Leong whispered, summoning his errant digit from where it sat beside May. "Darn. I'm too late - Leong's fingers did their walking, huh ?" Frank Richards said, running in with still-wet hair. Jean got up from the table, giving Ray a knowing smile, and let Frank have her chair. "Thanks, Mrs. Summers," Frank said, sitting beside Ray with a smile of his own. "Morning." "Morning," Ray smiled back. "How was your workout ?" "Good," Frank said. "Any muffins or fruit ?" "Uh - sorry, Frank," Tom called, making a face at the suddenly-sour smell coming from the fruit bowl. "My entropy power got a little wild ..." "Hey, how'd you know about Leong's fingers ?" Joe demanded. "Howcome you didn't warn us ?" "The precog flash interrupted my swim practice - sorry, Joe," Frank said sheepishly. "But no one'll get sick from them, I know that much." "Precognition rules. If we could only harness your power for stock market predictions," Bill grinned. Frank looked at him with a nervous expression and said, "I'm more worried about the team's future, Bill." -------------------------------------------------------- #I hope nothin' bad's gonna happen,# Nate thought, riding one of the mansion's myriad elevators into the basement complex. #Frank's usually quiet about his visions, but maybe he should talk more about 'em. I feel better when I talk to someone ...# He shook his head and squinted, feeling something tap at his mindshield. ~Just wanted to make sure it was holding, squirt,~ Ray called, laughter in her tone. ~I want you to be happy, too - and safe.~ ~I'll be OK, Ray. But thanks,~ Nate sent on the intrafamilial telepathic band. He felt his sister's mindtouch leave his peripheral psyche, and stepped into the hallway to the locker rooms. #It's so kewl how there're telepathic 'channels,'# Nate thought, opening the door. #Some for in the family, some for wide-band scannin' an' talkin', an' some for tight-focus. I can't wait to learn 'bout 'em !# "Over here, cous," Joe waved from behind a bank of lockers. Nate walked over, finding the older boys already getting changed, and looked for his name on the row of lockers alloted the male New Mutants. "Beside me - dude, a question," Joe asked, lowering his voice as he tossed his shirt in his locker. "What do we wear underneath our skinsuits, y'know ?" Nate blushed, mumbling, "I ... don't know. Lemme ask Frank -" "Jock and a cup, guys," Frank called in a warning tone. "We don't want the rough stuff to leave us with mashed equipment, so to speak." "That's IT ?" Joe asked aloud, blanching. "Who washes these things, anyhow ?" "It's called personal responsibility, Bailey," Bill snorted. "No mama to wash your clothes here -" He yelled when an invisible fist slammed him against his locker, and Joe lunged into his face. "SHUT YOUR TRAP, YOU ASSHOLE !" Joe yelled, red-faced. "My mother DIED because of those flatscan goosesteppers in the Right ! They fed her to the damned Phalanx to use for info on the X-Men ! Don't you EVER talk about my mom like that !" "OK, sorr-ee !" Bill shot back, feeling the telekinetic hold fade away. "How'm I supposed to know ? Touchy halfscan ..." "Joe is NOT a halfscan, and stop talking about my Aunt Sara like that," Nate called, blushing at the squeak in his voice. "Beta-class teke's just as good as your dumb ol' superstrength and heat vision." "Thanks, cous," Joe grinned, finding his uniform. "What's a halfscan ?" "Uh ... a mutant who's got one mutant and one human parent," Nate mumbled, starting to undress. "It's kinda an ethnic slur." "And one a son of the House of Lehnsherr should be above, Bill," Chuck said, frowning. "Be more respectful of our fellow mutants." "Here we go," Tom groaned, zipping up his uniform. "Chuck, some of us do have human parents. It's a little tiresome to have to hear the shpiel about 'mutants uber alles' again." "Don't correct me, Tom," Chuck snapped. "I have no problem with humans. But we need to look out for our fellow mutants first." "And the humes just go hang ?" Frank said, leaning against a locker to pull on a stubborn boot. "You're twisting my words, Frank," Chuck huffed. "But then, you like being around the humes so much, it's no surprise." Frank's eyes narrowed, and the air started to crackle as he said, "I competed in the Olympics because I wanted to, not because some human told me to." "Spare me ! That flatscan skank Montegro practically dragged you from Pier 4 to Colorado !" Chuck yelled. "And you ate up the adoration and the worship of billions of humans ! That's not bad in and of itself, but you didn't even make ANY public statement on the global treatment of mutants ! Thousands of us are dying in Genosha daily - the Acolytes were nearly massacred by those damn Prime Sentinels two years ago - and my father is STILL MISSING !" Silence filled the room as Chuck stopped, panting, and saw he was glowing blue. "Excuse me," he growled, storming out past Frank. "He's got issues," Joe said, glancing at Nate. "You OK ?" "This jock just feels weird," Nate mumbled, blushing as he zipped his uniform up. "And the skinsuit is so tight - I never thought about it before 'cause I never had to wear one before." "Tell me about it," Joe mumbled back. "But think about it, bud - the girls're wearing skinsuits too." -------------------------------------------------------- "Mmmm ... boys," May and Gail purred. "Will you all PLEASE quit with the lust-vibes ?" Ray snapped, checking her wrist-bracer straps. "I feel like I'm trapped in between Uncle Warren and Aunt Betsy at that showing of 'When Harry Met Sally.'" "Yeah, but Betts's an active tepe," Sarah said, grimacing as she yanked more bone daggers out of her back. "Damnit - I don't want this uniform getting torn if my bones freak out." "That has to be one of the most bizarre things I've ever heard," Becky said, looking at the bones with an odd expression. "Uh, Sarah, sugah, you gonna do anythin' with those ?" Sarah grinned and said, "You're gonna wolf out, aren't you ?" Go for it, hayseed." "Bless ya," Becky laughed, shifting into a huge Irish wolfhound and gnawing on the pile of bones. The other girls made disgusted faces, but Sarah gave them a disapproving look. "It's mutually beneficial. I'm not shedding bones, and she's not chewing the furniture," Sarah shrugged, donning her uniform. "That is SO not an image I need," Luna winced. "Although I could call Lockjaw if you need someone else to get rid of the bones." "NO ! Don't you remember what he almost did to me last year !?" Sarah gasped. "He tried to bury me alive, Luna !" "I'm sorry," Luna said sadly. "Lockjaw's smart, but he gets carried away ..." "I wonder whom his son's mother is - you know, the mother of Franklin's puppy ?" Nicky asked. "Are there a race of secret Inhuman teleporting dogs ?" "Not really," Luna said, shrugging. "Lockjaw's powers're pretty unique. We do have most breeds in Attilan - dog breeding is one of the favorite pastimes of the upper classes." She looked apologetically at the others and added, "I don't want to sound elitist ..." "Lun-AAA," Ray laughed as the girls headed for the Danger Room, "relax. You're the kindest girl I know. Besides, we have to get ready for another pastime." "GUY WATCHING !" Gail cheered, leading the way. "Yummy." "Is there a history of hormonal imbalance in your mom's family ?" Claud asked Ray. "Only when large firebirds or weaselly little illusion-casters are involved," Ray grumbled. "Or ruby quartz - UGH ! Bad mental image ! BAD MENTAL IMAGE !" "'Summers Lust,' the new romance novel," Claud teased in an airy voice. "'She gobbled down the heaving star, thinking all the while of her ruby-eyed knight errant, her loins seething with desire ...'" -------------------------------------------------------- NEXT: Ah, the Danger Room ... -------------------------------------------------------- __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Photos -- now, 100 FREE prints! http://photos.yahoo.com ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics