Jim's Ranch.
14th of January, 2002.
5:22 PM
Martha wakes up with a jolt. There's a small continuous buzz in her ear and she covers them with her palms.
"What's that noise?". She removes her palms and notices that the buzzing is louder, as if coming closer. Soon the noise becomes unbearable and her door is forcefully opened from the outside. James stumbles in, his hand on his head.
'Looks like he can't control his strength with whatever the fuck is going on'. The buzz increases for a moment and then immediately vanishes. James picks himself from the floor.
"What the fuck was that!" James says loudly making both of them wince, their ears still raw. Jim comes in through the door looking very ticked off but better off than both of them.
'Physically he's stronger than us' Martha thinks to herself. Then they notice a light outside, coming in through the window. It's pretty bright coming from above, and there seems to be a cyclone of wind on the snow. They watch as a black aircraft makes its landing on the snow in the yard.
"Fuck is that!!" Jim says.
"Told you!!! Fucking aliens!!! They've come to abduct us!!!" James shouts pointing his finger in fear at the aircraft. Martha rolls her eyes at him.
"Aliens aren't real James!". She looks outside and watches as the bottom of the jet opens and lowers forming a ramp to get down from. A dark skinned woman with white hair comes out, followed by a bald man in a wheelchair being pushed by a large white man with dark hair and beard. Two children, a boy and a girl follow out last. The boy is dark brown haired and wearing a black visor on his eyes. The girl, a red head, is pressing a tablet in her hand.
"Humans? The government? Let's leave the house! Pack up what you need! Seems our stay here got shorter!" Martha says.
"But they are humans" Jim says with a grin "Nothing to fear, I'll welcome our visitors". Jim walks out the room and Martha is pissed.
"That idiot!! James go back him up! I'll pack up important stuff in case we have to move". James shrugs and walks out the door. Martha looks out the window at the sleek black jet and it's owners.
"Just who are you people" she narrows her eyes and moves to pack.
Outside...
"Told you I could fly the X-Jet now Mr Logan!" Jean Grey says proudly. Logan growls and doesn't reply. The rest of the X-Men laugh and are all smiles.
Logan slowly pushes Charles Xavier forward to the steps leading to the front door. His feet leaving deep prints in the snow due to his weight. Charles immediately casts a telepathic net and his brows furrow when he feels nothing.
Logan lifts Charles chair and places him right in front of the door. Ororo steps forward and knocks the door. As the door opens Logan's nose twitches.
'Blood? And so much on these two men? Who are they?'. Logan narrows his eyes and taps Charles shoulder twice. Charles connects them both telepathically.
'What is it Logan?'.
'I smell blood Charles, a lot of it'. The door fully opens as two Caucasian men come into view. Jim and James stand there and give them a wild smile.
'Wait for my order wolverine, Let me see what I can glean from them'. Charles said reaching for their minds. He couldn't sense them before but now they are right in front of him. As a full spectrum telepath he has all the powers linked to telepathy and proceeded to connect his brain waves to the men while at the same time making conversation.
"Good evening, My name is Cha-" he is interrupted as he hits their mental shields while trying to read their surface thoughts. Both vampires eyes narrow as their natural magic protects them and points them to the assailant.
Jim bares his fangs with reddened eyes and aggressively jumps at Charles but Storm uses wind to blast him back into the house. James sees the burst of air coming and moves out of the way letting Jim fly past him. He steps back and closes the front door.
"Mutant?" Ororo asks turning to the professor.
"Not sure, they both have mental shields and not the usual type. The energy feels dark and hard to sense. They don't look to be twins or even siblings, so having the same exact mutation is unlikely".
"Annoying, this got a more complex" Logan growls.
"Jean, join me in searching for their traces. Ororo take to the sky, watch if they are escaping. Jean join her in the air". Jean and Ororo fly upwards using their methods to make sure that the people living here don't escape.
"Scott, if you will". Charles gestures to the door and Wolverine rolled him away. Scott looks at the front door and holds down the left side of his black visor and a red optic blast hits the door breaking it instantly. Scott releases his fingers from the visor but keeps his hand hovering there.
All the lights in the house are off and but it's still daylight so they could see inside.
There was a cracked wooden banister, and pieces of wood lay scattered on the floor. The cause of this impact missing. Logan sniffs the air.
"Blood. More of it, but I can't catch those men's scent anymore. But there are other scents lingering here". He sniffs the air again walking closer.
"A woman and a boy" Logan says while Charles nods.
"Going by what we know and are used too, the boy is likely our target. Adults rarely awaken the X-gene, especially when they've passed puberty". Scott nods and Logan takes point, Scott immediately moves to pushing the professor's wheelchair.
Unaware to them the vampires are using the super hearing to listen in on their conversation. The three vampires stay in crouching positions.
'They came for the boy? What's this X-gene? And more importantly how are these humans capable of such feats? Or are they even human" Martha has a lot of thoughts running through her head. She turns and looks at Jim who's injuries from the crash had already healed. He was very pissed and swore every time he remembered how that woman blasted him back with a wave of her hand.
"Seems we are surrounded, we hide for now. Those powers are unknown and we can't risk whoever they are finding out we are vampires. Blend into the shadows of the house, prepare for the sun set. In ten to twenty minutes it'll be very dark out. We move then". Jim grumbles but nods and they all stand up and step back into the shadows, disappearing from physical view, blending into the darkness.
Wolverine stepped into the house with Cyclops and Professor X behind him.
"Split up?" Logan asks Charles.
'Jean and I have linked us all telepathically. Scott, you and I will tour the down floor. Wolverine check the upper floors, if you meet danger Storm will move to back you up immediately'. Logan nods and starts his walk up the stairs. Scott pushes Charles wheelchair to check all the rooms.
Fifteen minutes pass and it has turned dark outside. The X-men haven't found them yet though.
"It's time to go, two people are above us but we should be able to make our escape in the dark" Martha says. She's the brain of the team.
They move outside using a window and make quick silent movement towards the woods. They made it a few steps before an optic beam slammed into their location from within the house. The blast hits the snow and the shockwave pushes them back. They land skillfully.
"How" Martha wonders out loud. Ororo slowly floats down leaving Jean flying in the sky.
"All this snow and wind, all my domain" Storm says floating a few meters off the ground, her eyes white. Shock fills the vampires as electricity begins to surface on her body.
"Tthhhuuudddddd!!!!!". Logan lands in the snow his fists clenched. He just left what looks to be a bedroom window. He was angry, very very angry.
"They're monsters, that's what they are" he then transfers the information he has deduced to Ororo and Charles only. This piece of news too horrible for Jean and Scott. Ororo narrows her eyes when she hears his news. The electricity on her body immediately becomes more fierce and she sends a blast at the group. The blast hits them all sending them crashing into the woods.
"SCHLIICK". Wolverine's claws tear through flesh, he quickly charges into the woods following the damage done. He reaches the crash site, cracked trees all round him but no people on the floor. The he hears an echoing voice round him.
"You made a mistake human! The night is ours!" James angry voice echoes round wolverine. He immediately feels an impact on his right side. It hurts but it doesn't move him due to his weight.
"Wha-" James says surprised. Logan uses his right arm to take a swipe at him but James maneuvers round him with his speed and uses a right hand claw to go for Logan's heart.
CLANK!
James eyes widen and Wolverine grabs his hand and draws him close kneeing him in the chest.
'He's too quick, cant let him go'. James groans from the heavy hit and Wolverine retracts his claws and jabs his fist at James with his right hand. James using his superior physique bends his body in an inhuman way and dodges the punch. He then looks up and stares Wolverine in the eyes.
Logan looks into the red moons and his vision sways.
'Logan!'. Logan wakes up with a jolt, he's still in a standing position and looks around him. James is gone and Storm lands beside him.
"You were unresponsive for a few seconds there. They escaped" Ororo tells Logan.
"How?".
"The woman managed to affect me just before I blasted her. The blast hit and I turned on Jean for a few seconds before she broke me out of it" Ororo says sadly and with a bit of shame
"It's no problem Miss Munroe, The professor and I didn't put up enough defenses for a telepathic attack on the team" Jean says floating down, landing softly on her feet. Ororo smiles and gives her a side hug. They begin their walk back to the house.
"So any ideas what those things were?" Jean asks.
"They are Vampires Jean" Charles Xavier's says his hand on his chin. Scott behind him.
"Vampires are real?" Jean says wide eyed. They all turn to the man in the wheelchair.
"I've traveled the world Jean, Met people and beings that others deem impossible. Vampires do exist" Xavier says matter of factly. "Jean please my wheelchair, we're going that way". Xavier says. Jean picks his wheelchair using her telekinesis and they all start to walk in the direction Xavier has chosen.
"What have you found Charles" Logan says. The begin their journey uphill.
"I sensed residue of psychic energy in one of the rooms of the house. Our mutant might be a possible telepath. Sadly it seems he maxed himself and ran out of the energy".
"So where are we going?" Scott asks.
"When Storm hit them with the blast, she did get one of them knocking him out. The lightning affected his mental energy that was keeping up his shields. I was then able to go in without harming his mind. What I found was horrifying but it gives hope for the young mutant we came to save". Storm creates a flame to stave off the darkness.
They have been ascending the mountain, the landscape covered in snow. They soon reach a cliff edge and Charles points to it.
"Go there". They all move towards the edge and look at the beautiful sight, something Olu failed to notice while escaping his assailants.
"Ororo please clear the mist". Storm nods and she waves her hands. The mist around them begins to recede when they hear a someone new.
"Charles" Eric Lansherr says. The X-Men look up to find Magneto in his complete armor floating in the sky, hands behind his back. His cape flowing calmly with the wind. Wolverine growls and the rest of the X-Men except Charles tense.
"Eric" Charles says giving him a nod. Eric lands in front of Charles floating wheelchair. Eric leaves his front and stands beside Charles overlooking the mist from the cliff.
"Found the new member of our race yet?" Eric says.
"Sadly he's more lost than found, hopefully not dead".
"Dead? Humans?".
"No Vampires, this is where the trail runs cold". Magneto narrows his eyes.
"Nosferatu?" Magneto says with a bit of anger.
"I do not think so, I believe they called themselves Daywalkers".
"The variant of those monsters that do not have their original weakness, Troublesome". Charles nods. "If this young mutant survived them, I must say that he's pretty special". Eric gives Charles a questioning look.
"Most likely psionic power of some kind, along with a form of precognition. A healing factor should also be possible" Charles says remembering the information he took from Jim's mind.
"It seems that just yesterday he was down with a crossbow bolt to the leg" Charles says.
"And he made it all this way, impressive" Magneto says, very impressed by this mutant.
Charles then nods to Ororo who raises her hand and waves. The natural fog in the area begins to clear up. They look down into the snow covered valley.
"Whoa! That's a bad drop." Cyclops says.
"They've checked the bottom already, no signs of him there, not a piece of flesh or blood".
Magneto points at a metallic line going across and smiles.
"The child survived, the problem is finding him" Magneto says looking in the direction the line goes. 'He couldn't have gotten far though, has to have some metal on him'. Magneto begins to float beginning his search.
"Goodbye Charles" Eric says giving his friend a nod and taking off into the air.
Logan's frown deepens and he turns Charles around beginning the trip back to the X-Jet.
"So what's the plan" Jean asks.
"We go home" Logan says in a gruff voice.
"Why?" Scott asks.
"We're leaving cause there's no point, Charles has been searching for him with no luck. Him having a healing factor means the boy could be outside his range" Logan says.
"You think a kid like us made it more than 5 miles away?" Scott says in wonder.
"Trust me kid, with a healing factor your endurance shoots through the roof. My body eliminates the hormones in my body that cause fatigue and ups the adrenaline when needed. If that boy could run all this way while being chased by vampires, he is definitely far away by now. The adrenaline in his body would keep him going. The only thing that could stop him is injuries and I mean bad ones, cause then his healing factor would focus more on it".
Hand Recruitment Centre
16 kms away or 9 miles away.
"My name is Bakuto". The Latino man flashes his pearly whites and gives off a fatherly aura.
'He seems so kind...'
"Are you okay Jim?". Olu freezes and his breath hitches for a beat. This doesn't go unnoticed by the man named Bakuto.
"Ah sorry sorry if I caught you off guard by knowing your name, you kept murmuring it while you slept" Bakuto says with an apologetic look on his face. Olu didn't reply so Bakuto continued.
"You also kept saying James, So maybe I got it wrong?" He puts his hand to his beard and pulls at it making a thinking expression.
'Jim! James!' The fluorescent lighting above them fluctuates and shorts out. Olu is shook by the sound and is broken from his thoughts. Bakuto immediately thinks the light scared him.
"It's okay, it's okay, probably some faulty wiring, we'll get that fixed soon". Olu slowly nods his head and Bakuto smiles in return.
"So Jim, we found you an hour ago in the snow a few miles away from our camp-" Olu tunes him out.
'I barely have a sense of time, but I know it's impossible for me to have spent just an hour out there'. He looks to the clock on the wall.
9:54
14:01:2002.
'How did I spend hours in the freezing snow? I also made that impossible run through the woods. My arm was broken and now it's healed and I took a crossbow shot through the thigh. I'm supposed to be bedridden by now and yet I feel norma-'.
"Jim?!" Bakuto says raising his voice a little. Olu looks up from his thigh.
"I was asking if you want to get breakfast, you could have it here if you want, or you could come downstairs and eat in the cafeteria".
"Where am I?" Olu says in a low voice.
"You're in a youth empowerment camp in North Carolina, we help runaways, orphans and the homeless youth here find a way to have a better future" Bakuto says with a grin. "It's a pretty fun job I must admit".
'Seems like a nice place'.
"Can you stand? Come check this out" Bakuto gestures for Olu to stand with his outstretched hand. Olu takes his hand and slowly gets off the bed. He hops onto the floor and marvels at his new posture and physique.
"Wow, you're pretty healthy for someone who was pretty ragged in the snow an hour ago. Do you work out?". Olu lies and nods his head slowly.
'No one can know what I can do. It'd attract too much attention'. Bakuto leads him away from his bed to the nearby window. Olu marvels at the sight of beautiful buildings covered in snow and a park with a little fountain statue. He sees various people, mostly between the ages of 14 and 17 walking about. Some of them practicing what looked to be martial arts. They moved quick and fast in the snow.
"That's pretty cool" Olu says not realizing he said it out loud.
"Yes we train those who are willing in martial arts Olu. It is a form of empowerment, To live is to fight. Life is about overcoming obstacles and challenges Olu. If you wish to live you'll have to fight for your goals". At that last part Bakuto rests his hand on Olu's shoulder and uses his Chi to give off the feeling of the greatest warmth.
'He's right. If I could fight I could've...'. Olu wipes the tears threatening to fall from his eyes and looks up at Bakuto.
"Could I stay here sir?". Bakuto looks shocked and waves his hands.
"Do I look that old? Just call me Sensei, it's what the rest of our community calls me".
"Sen-sei" Olu says trying the word.
"That's right, and of course you can stay. We even have kids that stay here all year round. You're always welcome here Jim. Now why don't you change, there are some clothes on the table, then we can go get some pancakes".
"Pan-cakes?". Bakuto looks at Olu in shock.
"You've never had pancakes?!". Olu looks to the floor in shame at not knowing what the food item is. Bakuto pats his shoulder.
"It's okay Jim, we will get you a whole lot, you're sure to love it".
'Jim huh, guess that's my name now. It's fine, let it be a reminder to never forget!'. Another fluorescent light sparks out.
"Wow, we really need to get this place renovated, why do such old beauties have to fall apart" Bakuto says as walks out the door leaving Olu to change.
Olu removes his hospital gown and changes to a dark blue t-shirt and black pair of jeans. He wears his boots which are by his bed surprisingly. He picks up the jacket on the table and wears it.
'It fits. They all do. Did they take my measurements while I was sleeping?'. Now that the jacket is lifted, he sees a brown envelope on the table.
"That's-". He picks it up and opens it.
'Everything is here.' His eyes trail to the burnt ring and his breath hitches.
'I have to test these powers once I settle down, I need to know what that place was'. He slips the envelope into his black jacket and zips it up. He walks towards the exit and opens the door.
Bakuto is standing outside talking to an Asian girl that looks to be in her early teenage years.
"There you are, meet Coleen, she's one of the people that took part in the endurance test that found you". Coleen gives a bright smile and waves.
"Sadly I have to leave but Coleen will show you around in my place, she's also one of the best students in martial arts and can use cool swords". Bakuto fake whispers as if he doesn't want Coleen to hear him praising her. The thirteen year old blushes up a storm at her praise. Bakuto gives her a head pat.
"See you later guys" he says and walks down the corridor. Olu and Coleen turn their eyes away from Bakuto and look at each other.
"Come on, cafeteria is this way" Coleen says leading the way down a flight of stairs.
"Bakuto told me your name is Jim, then he told me your surname seems to be James. Is that true?". Olu doesn't answer.
"Ha, I knew he was lying! Jim James re-"
"That's my name miss Coleen" Olu says in a cold voice and for the first time their eyes meet.
'He didn't tell me his eyes are purple, I thought they were blue in the lighting before'.
"Are those contacts?" Coleen asks.
"Contacts?" Olu asks not knowing what contacts are.
"You know, your eyes they are purple, it's kind of -".
'Purple... just like...' Olu remembers him throwing blasts of energy around when punching Jim that's not Jim.
"It's a birth defect" Olu says. 'Can't exactly tell her they were brown two days ago'. Coleen gives an "oh" and they keep on walking.
"So how did you end up out there? It was pretty shocking finding you. We thought you were dead at first, but you were breathing very slowly".
"I ran away from home" Olu says, what other excuse could he possibly give.
"And ended up miles into a snowy wasteland?" Coleen says with her eyebrows raised. "It's okay, we get your type around here a lot, they do open up after spending a while here. I'm sure you will too, no matter what it is it isn't too big to talk about".
'Yeah, like how my parents got eaten by cannibals and I now have superpowers. Thats a simple conversation' Olu keeps silent and they eventually end up at the cafeteria.
"This is it! I'm so hungry" Coleen says. Olu looks into the cafeteria.
'It's huuuge'.
"Come on, what are you waiting for" Coleen says and I rush into the cafeteria with her.
Time Skip: Two months
Monday, March 4th, 2002.
Time: 7:30am.
Location: Hand Base, North Carolina.
Scene: Group of Children running on a track.
"Keep running!!!" Mr Adams shouted motivating the children to pull more energy from their tired bodies. He jogged at the back of the pack to motivate the slower kids forward. He looked ahead to the front of the pack, watching a child who was 10 metres ahead of the other children.
'Jim's doing good as usual, keeping steady and using the breathing technique pretty well'. Adams watched as the child kept moving at a steady pace, seemingly keeping just below his limit.
"Three more rounds to go!" Adams said taking his eyes of Jim and focusing on one of the kids who was starting to look in pain at the back.
"Angela, your posture is wrong, head up, back straight." She immediately followed his instruction and found that the exercise was easier on her back than before.
"Thanks Mr Adams" Angela said with a smile and Adams returns it.
"Remember! Extra cake if you finish!" Adams shouted as the kids became extra motivated.
This continues for thirty minutes and the children lay down on the grass near the finish line gasping for breath at the tasking exercise. Well most of the children anyway. Jim still stands and although he's panting, he still looks ready to go again. He walks to the benches on the field and takes his towel wiping off his sweat, then he picks up a bottle of water and pours it down his throat.
"Great job kids, go get some breakfast" Adams says high-fiving a few of them and smiling at Jim who smiles back. Adams walks off towards the administration building. The children slowly pick themselves off the grass and are about to head to the cafeteria when one of them notices Jim picking up his bottle and towel and walking in the other direction.
"Hey Jim where are you off to" Sam, a little boy who joined the camp recently, shouts.
"I'm supposed to meet Colleen at gymnasium" Jim replies turning around.
"Aren't you hungry?" Sam asks.
"I'll eat later!" Jim says. He then hears the beep of the wristwatch on his hand.
"I'm late!! Later guys!" Jim says turning then running towards the gymnasium. The children look at him in shock.
"He can still run?" Angela says, her body in pain still not used to the exercise.
Jim passes volley ball and basketball courts and reaches the gymnasium. He sees Ms Mei Li standing by the jungle gym watching Colleen go through the complicated place. She moved in quick twists, leaps and swings. Ms Mei Li turns and looks at Jim who slows down and greets her.
"Hey Ms Mei" Jim says with a smile. Mei smiles back and nods.
"Just finished your run with Mr Adams?".
"Yes ma'am" Jim says turning to watch Colleen at work. She does a little spin grabbing a bar and using the momentum to carry herself to another higher bar.
"Wow, I've gotta try this" Jim says.
"Sadly I can't allow that, the jungle gym is off limits till you reach 13 and take my lessons" Mei says with finality. Jim looks down, a bit depressed, he hears a sound of someone landing and looks at Colleen who just finished her exercise.
"Hey Jim" Colleen says waving. "How did I do Ms Mei?". Ms Mei gives her a smile.
"Brilliant again Colleen, keep practicing though, cause as you grow taller your reach will be different" Ms Mei says and Colleen blushes at the praise.
"Thanks Ms Mei" she says. Ms Mei just laughs.
"Anytime Colleen, see you again on Wednesday. Remember no jungle gym for him till he is older" Ms Mei says in a warning tone.
"I know Ms Mei, wanted to show him the indoor rock climbing gym" says Colleen.
"Sure, check all the equipment first and wear them properly".
"Yes Ma'am" Colleen says giving a mock salute and a grin. I smile and Ms Mei returns it before she walks away. Jim turns to Colleen, his eyes full of excitement.
"Come on! Lemme teach you how to rock climb".