psinex@yahoo.com Strange Attractors 2 by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: Everyone here is Marvel's. Please don't sue. NOTES: Ray should be 4'8", not 4'6", for anyone who read SA 0. She seemed a little on the short side ... -------------------------------------------------------- 8/24/2003: Mass. Acad.: John Proudstar Hall, 08:00 hrs EDT: -------------------------------------------------------- "YAWN - I am NOT AWAKE HERE," Erik grumbled, falling into a seat beside Luna Maximoff and her twin cousins. "How'd you guys summer go ?" "Not long enough," Bill Shade frowned. He yelled when his can of pop spontaneously overflowed, but breathed a sigh of relief when Tom handed him a pile of napkins. "Serendipity," Tom grinned. "Youguysresolucky," Luna blurted, covering her mouth with a giggle. "YouhaveeachotherandIjustsoundblondedumb." "Don't knock it, Luna," Erik said. "You've got some cool powers there." "At least Luna's don't cause REALLY bad breakouts," Sarah pouted, rubbing at a fresh bone spur jutting from her cheek. "Don't PICK at it," Leech told her. Artie nodded, projecting an image of an infected wound. "EWW ! Artie !" Alexa yelled. "I'm tryin' to eat here !" She held up a bowl of Sugar Bombs and waved Ray, Nate and two older red-headed teens over. "Guys, this is Joe and Gail Bailey, our older cousins - you probably remember them," Ray said, introducing the twins. "Joe, Gail, this is Erik Lehnsherr, Sarah - she doesn't have a last name - Sarah's brother Leech, Artie Maddicks, Alexa Wagner, Luna Maximoff, and Tom and Bill Shade." "Hey," Joe said, waving politely. "Nice to meet you," Gail smiled faintly, sitting beside Joe. #Wow,# she thought, trying not to stare at the other kids. #They're ... oh STOP it, Gail ! They seem nice enough ... not all of us can look like fashion models ...# She looked at Ray with a smile, and her cousin winked. ~Thanks, Gail,~ Ray told the older girl. ~Well, you've got that body, cous,~ Gail thought, not flinching from the telepathy she'd been accustomed to Rachel using ever since they were little girls. ~Now, where is this 'hottie' you were -~ Her jaw dropped when Frank Richards slid into the row beside Ray, kissing her cheek. "OH MY GOD," Gail whispered. Frank blushed, and Ray shot Gail a warning look. ~Well you didn't warn me DAWMN GIRLFRIEND !!~ Gail thought, trying not to grin. Joe looked at his twin and rolled his eyes, muttering, "You're so drooling ..." "Am NOT," Gail muttered. Ray just shook her head, and sent something to Frank which made him blush even more. "Well, you set yourself up for it, wearing those swimsuits and staying buff," Ray teased. "Good grief, it's 'Young Mutants in Love,'" Nicky smirked, walking down with Claud and a pair of blond twins. "This is -" "Lew ! Naomi !" Nate grinned. "We met'em last summer when Paige's mom had that cookout." "Hey, Nate, Ray - y'all," Lewis Guthrie smiled. "Good t'see y'all again." "Would ya QUIT with them 'y'all's' ?" Naomi pleaded. "We're Southerners, not HOENCHEKS ..." "What're you guys' powers ?" Ray asked. "Ah c'n control th' weather," Lew grinned, manifesting a miniature rainstorm above his hands. He yelled when a lightning bolt zapped him, leaving him blackened and coughing. "An' ah control an' speak t'plants," Naomi smiled. "Ah love all th' diff'rent plants y'all got 'round here." "Then you ought to be right at home, a black-haired boy with almond eyes called, approaching with a girl who looked like his sister. "I'm Leong Coy Mahn, and this is my sister Nga - we've met." "At the cookout ! Sure," Lew smiled, waving them over. "Lessee," Ray said aloud, counting the teens as they waited for the headmasters, "17 ... where's -" PAMPH. "My HERO," Alexa grinned, materializing in Erik's lap. The boy grinned back, kissing her, until Sean and Moira Cassidy entered with mock frowns. "All right, t'will be enough o' THAT," Moira demanded, shooing Alexa into a seat next to Erik. "Aw," Alexa pouted. "You guys never let us have any fun." "With 18 of you," Emma Frost called from the stage, "we'll have to work more on order and discipline than fun." "Nae too much, Em," Sean said amicably. "All work an' no play makes dull students. B'sides, they'll hae plenty t'work on. Let's go tour the campus an' introduce th'rest o' the faculty." Emma arched an eyebrow, but watched as Sean led the kids outside. Moira met her at the door and said, "Ye ken he's nae tryin' t' undercut yuir authority ..." "I know," Emma smiled. "But someone has to play bad cop around here. And I'm so GOOD at it ..." -------------------------------------------------------- "Here's th' medlab," Sean said, escorting the kids into the medical complex. "Automated Shi'ar medtech, with all th' Terran accomplishments. Dr. Cassidy'll be the head medical officer, an' Sharon Friedlander's th' head nurse." "Moira's the one to see if your powers are going berzerk," Sharon smiled from behind the counter of the pharmacy. "I'm the cuts, bruises, scrapes and sniffles specialist." "And I suppose I'm the cleanup man," Tom Corsi chuckled, entering from the exam room. "Seriously, I'll handle maintenance. Welcome to the campus - and try not to destroy TOO much ?" "We'll try, Mr. Corsi," Nate promised with a serious expression. "Re-LAX," Ray whispered, ruffling his hair and smiling when Nate squirmed. "On t'the gym - an' the Danger Room," Sean said. Many of the students perked up, but Ray, Nate, Erik, Sarah, Alexa, Artie and Leech looked bored. "Seen one Danger Room, seen em' - HEY !" Erik yelled, looking at the athletic complex's glass roof. "It can't be -" "T'is, lad," Sean grinned, opening the main doors. "Th' biosphere's back. We incorporated th' trainin' systems int' the main biosphere complex - th' Olympic-size pool's still here, disguised as a lagoon, an' the acrobatics an' other trainin' tech're part o' the trees." "The treehouse !" Leech cheered, pulling a grinning Artie after him. "I ... we did have some good times here, didn't we ?" Nicky smiled at Claud. "The best," Claud grinned. "Last one up top ..." "After orientation, students," Emma ordered. The St. Croixes, Artie and Leech got down, looking sheepishly at the treehouse, but followed the others outside. "Th' boys' an' girls' dorms're across from each other," Sean pointed out, "an' we added a fully rebuilt rec center separate from th' biosphere. There's also a nondenominational chapel, th' academic buildin', and o'course th' administrative an' staff cottages. Any questions ?" "What about security ?" Erik asked. "Good question," Sean nodded. "Ye'll each receive a pass-key t'yuir dorm an' dorm room. They're gene-coded, so only ye c'n get int' yuir room. O'course, we teachers hae master keys." Sean smiled and added, "I almost forgot - Ms. Hunter'll be yuir physical education instructor, while Ms. Frost and I work on yuir powers." "Aunt STEVIE !" Ray cheered, hugging the approaching Stevie Hunter. "Long time, Firebird," Stevie smiled. "Still practicing ?" Ray pirouetted, traipsing across the lawn with grace. "I try," Ray smiled. "Some of the other skills you taught me're coming in handy ..." She grinned at Frank, making him blush again. "OK, enough," Emma smirked. "Go - explore the campus, move into your rooms. Have a little fun before we get down to business." "Thanks !" "Later !" "Anyone seen the dorm assignments ?" the kids yelled, scattering. Emma handed out sheets with the dorm rules, and headed back to her office with a small yawn. #I forgot how TIRING they can be,# she thought with a smile. -------------------------------------------------------- Boys' Dorm Common Room: -------------------------------------------------------- "OK ... hey Nate, you're rooming with me," Frank said. "Really ? Gosh," Nate replied, surprised. "Hope you don't mind wet swimwear all over the place," Erik grinned. "Hey, Joe - guess we're rooming together." "That's cool. You like football ?" Joe asked. "Sure," Erik grinned. "Just don't expect me to PLAY. I'm a musician, not a jock." "Looks lahk we're roomin' t'gether, Leech," Lew smiled. "It'll be good t' not have t' worry 'bout mah powers goin' wild." "Leech thinks that'll be good too," Leech said. "Artie, who're you rooming with ?" Leong laughed when Artie flashed an image of the Vietnamese boy, and replied, "I can't argue. I just hope you don't mind Vietnamese folk music on the boombox." Artie shook his head, turning to where Bill and Tom were smirking at each other. "Of COURSE she put us together," Bill said sardonically. "Your luck factor'll keep my jinx from blowing up the place." "You're beating up on yourself," Tom said. "Come ON," Bill grunted, lifting his suitcase. "Let's just get moved in ..." -------------------------------------------------------- Girls' Dorm Common Room: -------------------------------------------------------- "Aren't WE supremely confident ?" Ray looked up from where she was hanging a blown-up photo of herself and Frank on the wall and smiled as Alexa crashed on the other bed. "Really, Ray, I'm happy for you," Alexa said, startng to unpack. "You and Frank are just right for each other - there's a ... connection we've seen. Tell me, does he just make you feel GOOD whenever he's around ?" "Yeah," Ray smiled goofily. "Does Erik - ?" "Yeah," Alexa giggled. "Listen to us - we're SO bubble-headed ..." "LoveRULES," Luna called, zipping by. Nga stuck her head in the door and pleaded, "Tranquilizers ! Pit traps ! Anything - just SLOW DOWN LUNA !" The girls erupted into more giggles, and Luna forced herself to stop. "OK, OK," she laughed. "I'm sorry, Nga. It's just hard ..." "It's OK," Nga said, squeezing her roommate's arm. "Just PLEASE don't wake me at 3 a.m. wanting to do aerobics ... ?" "Neverhowzabout4?" Luna deadpanned. She ran back down the hall laughing, dodging Nga's thrown pillows. "I guess Ms. Frost wanted us to 'broaden our minds' and room with someone outside our families," Gail sighed, peeking in with Claud. "No offense, Claud." "Trust me," Ray winked, "You got the more personable St. Croix sister." "That's the truth," Claud said disgustedly. "Nicky's such a - God, I can't even SAY it ..." "I'm alone," Nicole called from the hallway, "and bluntly - I LOVE IT ! BWAHAHAHAHA - EEK !" A loud thump, followed by a call of "So THAT'S where I left my spare femur ?", sent the other girls into giggles. "Sarah is SO mean," Ray grinned. "The look on her face was worth it," Sarah said, walking in with Naomi. The Kentuckian sat on a chair Ray offered her and smiled weakly, "Ah ... ah jes wanted t'thank y'all f'r welcomin' me here. Ah know ah ain't -" "You're as smart as any of us, and don't downplay it," Gail said confidently. "We girls have to stick together - well, even Nicole does," Claud added. "I HEARD THAT - AARGH ! SARAH ! GET THIS RIB OUT OF MY CLOSET !" Nicky shouted. "Rib ? I didn't - oops," Sarah grinned evilly, feeling her side. "Knew I was missing one ..." -------------------------------------------------------- Puckett, Wyoming: 10:00 hrs MDT: -------------------------------------------------------- "Where've you been ?" The brown-haired girl glared at her "boyfriend" - Billy Joe McShane - as she wiped down tables in her grandfather's restaurant. "I told you, I been working," the girl muttered, brown eyes meeting Billy Joe's defiantly. "I tell you I wanna see you, I get t' -OW !" Billy Joe yelled when the girl stepped on his cowboy-boot-clad foot. She grabbed his shirt collar and snarled, "I don't want you in here anymore, McShane. I don't LIKE you -" She cried out when he punched her in the stomach and threw her to the pool table. "Tough crap, Danny," Billy Joe grinned, reaching for her shorts. "Time for a real man -" CH-CLIK. "Get OFF of my granddaughter," the owner - a burly, bald man with a shotgun - barked. Billy Joe released Danny, his hands in the air, and shrugged, "OK, Pops - "- buh-bye." Danny watched in mute horror as Billy Joe's wrist flickered, revealing a tiny gun from his jacket sleeve. Her grandfather pulled his trigger, but fell under a rapid-fire barrage of energy blasts. "Stupid old man," Billy Joe snorted. He turned to Danny and pointed the gun at her head, sneering, "Get them -" His jaw dropped when teeth, claws and fur descended. -------------------------------------------------------- NEXT: Getting to know your neighbors ? Cool. Getting to know unlawful carnal knowledge ? Not cool. Getting to know killer werebears ? Hmm ... -------------------------------------------------------- end _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com