Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2015 07:42:11 +0000 (UTC) From: DJ Subject: Changing Darkness - 2 This story is a work of fiction containing homosexual (male on male) situations. If you are too young to read this or are offended by such actions (if the latter I doubt you would have accidentally found this site, but anywho) then please press the back button now. Also (DISCLAIMER), the characters in this story do not belong to me. The X-Men and all Marvel characters associated are rightfully under the ownership of Marvel Comics (besides Thomas). Bla Bla Bla. Other than that, enjoy! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ch. 2 Thomas sat in the backyard of the mansion in peace. It was late afternoon and the sun was on its last stretch of the day. The land was basked in the soft blues and reds which hinted at the coming evening. The grounds behind the mansion were expansive and full of space for the students to roam. Once one stepped out of the mansion he would witness the pool area, which was large enough to accommodate the 100 student body. All around the pool stood lawn chairs and tables with umbrellas for the students and staff to enjoy themselves poolside. The floor was made of a beautiful marble made up of greys, blues and blacks. Beyond the pool was the beginning of the green space that took over the rest of the backyard, and the pool section stood on a hill above it all. If one wanted to go to the rest he'd have to either take one of the symmetrical stairs on either side, which were decorated with flowers and bushes next to them, or he'd have to roll down the hill itself. Here and there stood athletic courts for the students to play in. There was a baseball diamond to the left, a few tennis courts to the right and all the way in the back stood a large basketball court. The basketball court itself looked like it could support two professional basketball games going at the same time. As he looked at all this, Thomas sat at the edge of the hill separating the pool area from the rest of the backyard. He sat on the grass and watched as many of the students ran around, laid around like him or played different games while under the last light of day. From behind him he could hear people running in his direction. He looked behind himself just in time to see Rahne, the girl he had met earlier today, running toward him with someone else running after her. "Rahne wait," called a boy's voice. When Thomas looked at him he saw the body of a wolf and human mixed together running on two legs. The boy was short at about five and a half feet. He looked disparate as he ran after the woman, "Give my book back," he yelled after her. "You'll have to come and get it, Nicky," Rahne yelled behind her before jumping off the top of the hill. While in midair Thomas saw her body start to change. She began to grow hair all over like a monster in a black and white movie. Her body convulsed as muscles and claws began to forcefully shake their way out. She hunched over onto her four legs and caught the ground on her paws. Without a second of hesitation she trotted away with the book now in her mouth. "Nicky" saw his older friend transform and sped after her on all his legs as well. He didn't need a transformation and so he saved time by just rushing after the wolf woman. The two ran in circles and eventually off into the distance in a happy frenzy. Thomas decided to walk through the grounds and take a better look around the place. He walked down the hill and walked along the side of a tall bush. As he rounded the corner of it he began to hear voices. "We fail to see your point," a female voice said. "My point is leave me alone," yelled a boy's voice. "We see nothing wrong with being gay. It's just a mutation, just like ours," another voice said. Thomas turned the corner and watched as a set of triplet girls stood in front of a single boy. The girls looked like a clich? clique down to their straight blonde hair and plaid uniforms. The real eye catcher was the boy. He stood at around the same height as the wolf boy Thomas had just seen, but this boy had the appearance of a lizard. His skin was green and scaly and his head was bald, but with green spikes pointed out of it. "Stay out of my head," he yelled at them. "Why do you fight it? It's pointless and exhausting," the other girl asked. Thomas could tell that there was something odd about these girls. They stood still and never blinked. As strange as the boy's outer appearance was, the girls gave off the appearance that there was something stranger going one within them. "Leave him alone," Thomas finally said as he walked out from the corner, "he wants to be left alone. Respect that." "Who are you?" One of the girls asked, "We don't know you," Another one added. "Doesn't matter. Just leave him alone," Thomas repeated. Before they could answer the voice of a man came booming toward them, "Hey, something wrong?" The three girls all turned their heads in unison to look at the approaching man and said at once, "Colossus." Thomas also looked and saw a tall and muscular man walking over to the group. He seemed menacing as he stomped toward them. He wore a tank top and shorts which showed off every muscles the guy had, and he had many. "Three-in-One, bothering someone again?" he said with some sort of European accent. "No, we were leaving," the girls said in unison before walking off. The three boys stood in silence as they watched the girls walk away. "Glad that's over," Thomas said and began to walk in the other direction. "Hey," called out the boy causing Thomas to turn to look at him, "Thanks," the boy said with a smile, which Thomas returned before turning around and walking off. As he strolled along Thomas came across the outer edge of the baseball diamond and watched a group of students played. "Come on beautiful, throw it," yelled a young man with black hair. He smiled triumphantly as we awaited the ball. With a strong force he swung a wooden bat around which accented the fine muscles around his body. The obvious flexing helped too. Thomas watched as a slim girl with long brown hair tied in a pony tailed stood at the pitcher's mound. She seemed wiry as she swayed from side to side. Her hair looked to defy gravity as it floated in the air behind her. Where the boy seemed solid and blocky she came off as light and fluid as she wound up her shot. In a flash the ball zoomed toward the batter who looked unfazed. He steadied himself as it came toward him and with a loud crack he sent it flying. Once the ball hit in the air the boy threw his bat behind him and started to run toward first base. Thomas looked over at the pitcher who seemed angry as she started to yell at the running batter, "No powers Jules. I saw that green light on the ball." Thomas agreed with the girl as he too saw a flash of green create a trail that tracked the ball's upward ascent. The wind around the diamond field began to pick up and soon the girl had lifted off the ground. Her hair moved wildly around her as she chased the baseball. Her gloved arm reached out to it as they both soared through the air. With little trouble the girl caught the white ball and swiftly descended back down to the pitcher's mound. "No more cheating Jules," Thomas heard her state before he walked away. Thomas chose to head toward the garden area which was placed beyond the baseball field and to the side of the other courts. As he walked he looked around to see more of the students enjoying themselves. A black man with tribal tattoos all over his body and a native American women were meditating on the right, while a few of the younger kids ran around. The place seemed happy. Eventually, Thomas found himself entering the garden. He felt at home as he was surrounded by green life. The garden was full of flowers, bushes, trees, fruits and vegetables. The entrance was a large cement arch which then opened up to a stone pathway in between the green life. The perimeter of the garden was marked by thick bushes which were filled with flowers and thorns. A vast assortment of plant life lived within the garden and sectioned off into groups with a sign to mark off the name of each plant. It looked like the garden was well taken care off and made to be another beautiful part of the extravagant mansion. Thomas decided to lay down on a grey cement bench placed behind a bush full of red berries. While laying down Thomas looked up at the sky and watched the clouds move across the darkening blue surface. He laid on the bench with his left arm over his forehead and his right arm dangling over the edge with his hand touching the grass below. In this position Thomas closed his eyes and relaxed. As time went by Thomas heard footsteps and rustling grass come from behind him. He sat up into a sitting position and looked around to see a young girl standing behind him. The girl looked to be about 14 years or so old. She stood at about 5 feet tall and looked frail. The funny thing was her skin had a pinkish tint to it and her ears were pointed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," she said looking scared. "I wasn't asleep." Thomas replied. "Ok, well, don't mind me," she told him before turning around to start water the plants with a pail in her hand, "here you go," she told them. "You're the gardener?" Thomas asked. "YescnocI'm a student," she replied. "I can see that." "Sometimes I come to water them if they're too loud," she responded. "Too loud?" Thomas inquired. "I can hear them. That's my power. I can hear the plants, and if they're thirsty they call out for water. I give it to them," she explained. Thomas stood out of his seat and walked toward the girl who was squatting down to water some bushes, "And what are they saying now?" "They're quiet now that they're not thirsty," she responded before adding, "It's your seeds that are being loud now." Thomas was startled by this statement before reaching in his pocket to pull out a single seed which he held between his right index finger and thumb, "This? You could hear it?" "Yeah, that and the others. They're saying they want to be planted. Why do you have it anyway?" Thomas walked closer to the girl as he said, "I always keep a few on me, just in case," he stared at it before sighing and crouching down on his knees, "Here" he said before he dug up a tiny hole and placed the seed within. Thomas filled up the hole and then placed his right hand over the mound of dirt. Slowly he moved his hand up and with it rose a green line. As he moved his hand up the plant grew until a rose bud took shape. Thomas placed both his hands together and then separated them which made the red rose bud open up into full blossom. The girl looked at the flower and Thomas in awe. He smiled at her before opening his hand for a shake, "It looks like our powers are similar. Name's Thomas." The girl took his hand with her own and they shook, "Callie." "Nice to meet you Callie," Thomas said with a genuine smile on his face. "Callie," called a woman from behind. The two both stood to see the woman standing behind them. She stood tall and wore a long, dark summer dress. Her hair was also long as it reached past her shoulders and was as white as a winter sky, "Were you watering the plants again? I told you you didn't have to go through all that trouble." "I know, but they were thirsty, and I was nearby," Callie responded. "Alright," the woman said with an African accent and a smile, "Well did you finish them all?" "No, I only got to this area," Callie said before looking at Thomas as if to say she didn't finish because of him. "I see, well you go have fun. I can do the rest," the woman urged, to which Callie agreed. She said her goodbyes and Thomas waved back as she ran away. Thomas and the woman looked on as Callie ran up the hill. "I was watching you earlier. You're very good with the younger ones," the woman noted. "I used to be homeless. You'd be surprised how many kids are like that. I try to take care of them when I can," Thomas confessed. "You're the new student correct? Xavier told me about you," she stated. "Thomas," he confessed. "It's a pleasure to meet you Thomas. My name is Ororo, though some prefer to call me by the name Storm." "Why's that?" Thomas asked. Storm looked at the man for a second in thought before smiling, "Perhaps a little demonstration. I find that showing is often better than telling," she said as she placed a hand on Thomas's shoulder. Then, she slowly walked backwards away from him. Once she stood a few feet away from him she raised her arms up with her hands facing upwards. As she did this she raised her head and Thomas was shocked to see her pupils blur until her eyes went as white as her hair. The wind began to pick up like during the baseball game, and soon the sky had darkened. Thomas looked up to see an ominous set of dark clouds placed above him. When he looked down he saw Storm ascending into the sky. Soon she was floating several feet in the sky as one of the clouds started to erupt with thunder. Within the cloud were bright flashes of lightening that shot all around. Following instantly was an onslaught of rain which fell down onto the garden. Thomas looked up with amazement and smiled as the rain washed over him. He raised his hands up and felt the rain pour down. He looked around himself noticed that the clouds only surrounded the garden. The edge of the garden marked the edge of the clouds and the rain stopped just outside its perimeter. Quickly Thomas used a seed that was hidden inside his shirt sleeve. He used his power to force the seed to grow. A green vine slithered its way up Thomas's shirt sleeve and along his right arm. As it moved its way along it grew in size. By the time it had reached his hand the vine was as thick as half Thomas's arm. Thomas moved his right arm upward and wrapped his hand around the vine as it continued to grow. Then the plant began to fan out and soon Thomas was protected by the rain by standing under a large leaf umbrella. The two stayed in the moment of bliss for several minutes. The air felt fresh with the rain bringing each oxygen molecule alive and the area was cooled by the spring rain. The dark clouds made the garden dark except for the bright white flashes of lightening and the vibrant colors of the plants. Surrounding Thomas were beautiful greens, reds and yellows, all of which shined brighter under each lightening flash. Thomas tried to fight off the feeling of joy, but failed under its massive power. The force around him made him feel at peace. His skin prickled and then calmed leaving him feeling more relaxed than he ever had. In that moment Thomas forgot about his stress and the reason he had come to the institute. All he knew was the moment he was in. He felt a part of it, a piece of the puzzle. In that moment, Thomas felt more alive than he ever hoped he could be. Then, the moment was over. The rain stopped and the clouds disappeared. Storm began to descend back down to the ground and Thomas moved his make shift umbrella down from over him. He bended the leaf and had it reverse the process it had taken. Slowly it receded back into the seed hidden up his sleeve. Storm slowly reached the ground and walked over to Thomas. "That wasc wow," Thomas stuttered. "I thought you would like it, and I like what you did with the leaf," Storm complimented him before adding, "So now you see why they call me Storm. I control the weather, just as you control the plants around us. We are both connected to the elements of this Earth and children of Aja." "Who?" Thomas asked. "Aja, an Orisha of the Yoruba tradition," Storm explained. "You're saying this like I should know," Thomas stated. "Yes, because you should. The Yoruba were a people of West Africa. They believed in the Orisha, higher beings who came down to help the world. Aja was an Orisha of nature. She was the patron of the forest, its creatures, and of herbal healing. So you see, she has a great connection to you," Storm explained further. "So she was an angel," Thomas simplified earning a laugh from Stom. "It's not that simple, and the Yoruba tradition outdates Christianity, but if it helps you understand then sure," she said while placing her hand on his shoulder, "Remember Thomas, we are the children of this Earth and are bound to protect it, like Aja. While I can will a storm at my command, I am also upsetting the balance of nature, and while you can make an umbrella out of a seed, you are also stretching it out unnaturally. Our very nature can harm the things we love if we're not careful." "Well said Ororo," a voice spoke from the entrance to the garden. The two turned their heads to see Professor Xavier and two others standing by the entrance, "Is the gardening complete?" "Not quite, I just have to check on a few plants," Storm replied. "Alright, well would you mind if we took Thomas off your hands?" the professor asked. ... The group strolled through the backyard as the earlier excitement began to thin in the air. Students began to reenter the mansion as the sun finally set. The sky was now a dim blue which would soon become pitch black. Along the pathway the group took were occasional lights that stood several feet tall and shone bright white beams to their surroundings. Thomas looked up at these lights as he slowly passed by them. He walked beside Professor Xavier who kept talking away like he usually did, unaware that Thomas wasn't listening or perhaps in spite of it. Then, trailing behind then were the two women whom watched on with a silent focus. "I see you are faring well among our students. It seems the younger ones have taken a liking to you." "They're not much younger," Thomas replied while thinking, How long was he watching me? "You'll have to excuse me. Lately I find that ages are getting harder to tell. They tend to blend together," the professor said with a laugh. "What did you wanna talk about?" Thomas asked wishing to end the small talk. "I wanted to assess where your head is at the moment," Thomas eyed Xavier carefully as the man continued, "To see if you're still willing to stay with us." "The day went alright, so I guess I'll stick around," Thomas answered. "I'm happy to hear that. We at the institute would be glad to have you here. We'll give you your class schedule first thing tomorrow morning." "You guys work fast," Thomas remarked. "We make it our mission to be ready at a moment's notice," the professor boasted. "For what?" Thomas asked. "For anything. Furthermore, you're old enough to be put into a training squad. We'll have Scott and Hank test you later tonight." "Training squad?" "We place the students aged fourteen and up into groups of five to six students called squads. Under the advisement of one of the staff these students train together in order to master their abilities," the professor explained. "Isn't that a little tooc militia men?" Thomas asked. "Mutants are living in a time of danger. It's best that our students learn not only to train their powers for everyday use, but also to prepare in case a day comes when they will have to defend themselves," one of the women behind Thomas and Xavier added. Thomas stopped walking and turned to look at the blonde woman who spoke. She wore an open leather jacket colored crystal white on top of a low cut shirt. That, matched with her tight black pants and black heels, showed the woman liked to show off, but her flashy fashion sense didn't take away from the fact that she emitted an air of power. She smiled eerily at Thomas while her eyes pierced into him. "Thomas I don't think I've introduced you to these two yet. They are both teachers and staff here at the institute. On your left you have Emma Frost, one of the leading professors in our school. She teaches English, Business and Economics while also heading one of our squads," Professor Xavier told him. "Busy woman," Thomas noted. "I like to keep moving. It helps me know what's going on in the school," she said with a suspicious look at Thomas. "Standing next to her is Jean Grey. Originally she was one of the first students at this school, and like the others she decided to stay and teach the next generations," the professor said proudly. So they never leave? It getting more and more like a cult, Thomas thought. "She teaches health and a few of the social sciences, like psychology, while also working as the school nurse," the professor continued. "Another busy woman," Thomas said. "We aim to please," Jean responded. While the first woman exuded a sensual and worldly aura, the second one presented a more polished impression. The way she dressed and the way she held herself made her seem like the calm, disciplined, and intellectual type. She wore a sleeveless green top over a black skirt and knee length shoes. Her red hair ran to the middle of her back and was held into a pony tail. "Xavier told us that you have some sort of mission. Care to share?" Emma Frost asked with another mysterious look. "Rather not," Thomas responded. "If we are to help you then we need to know what we are helping you with. Otherwise there's nothing we can do," Jean persisted. "I'll talk when I feel like it," Thomas countered. "Don't go wandering around till then," Frost retorted with a knowing smirk. Thomas froze as he realized that she knew what he was up to. His heart beat quickened as he realized he needed to change the subject quickly. "When's dinner?" He turned and asked the professor. "It should be happening now. Due to our hefty number of students we have a block of time devoted to breakfast and dinner, while we assign separate lunch times for the students in their schedules. If you'd like, we can all head over to the dining room now," the professor explained. "Please," Thomas said. The group walked in the direction of the mansion, and with every step Thomas wished to get there already and to be away with the knowing stares behind his head. ... As the group walked into foyer leading to the backyard Thomas saw the man he had met an hour ago carrying an easel across the hall. "Ah perfect, Piotr, could you come here for a second," the professor yelled out when he entered the foyer. Piotr turned and nodded at the professor before stomping over with the easel still under his arm. "What is it professor?" He asked. "I need you to do something quickly. Judging by what you're carrying I'm guessing you're going to the art studio correct?" Piotr nodded at the professor's guess, "Good, can you show Thomas where the dining room is since it's right across the hall from that room? Emma, Jean and I need to head to the War Room." War Room? Thomas thought. "Oh course professor," Piotr said before turning to Thomas, "You're the guy from earlier," he noted with an appreciative nod before adding, "follow me." Piotr walked away and Thomas hesitated to follow him. "We'll catch up with you in a bit," the professor said before Thomas turned and followed the muscular man in front of him. The two walked in silence as they passed through wooden hallways. They turned several corners in blissful quietness. Thomas took the time to observe the man who he had encountered earlier. He stood several inches taller than Thomas and bulked with power. His muscles were toned and fit, and gave off the appearance that the man must work on them daily. His shoulders were broad and stretched out farther than seemed anatomically possible. He was a hulk of a man. "Hey Peter," a girl's voice called. Down the hallway stood a slim girl with curly brown hair. She waved at Piotr as he walked closer to her. "Coming to dinner? Who's this behind you?" She asked. "Kitty this is the new student, Thomas. Thomas, this is my girlfriend, Kitty," Piotr introduced. Well damn, Thomas thought before saying, "Nice to meet you," with a smile on his face. "Nice to meet you too. Wanna sit with us?" She asked with her own smile. "Sure," Thomas answered. "Actually, I was headed to the art studio," Piotr stated while pointing in the opposite direction. Kitty grabbed his arm and pulled him along behind her while saying, "You can eat and then go paint." Thomas followed them into a dining area that was surrounded by several wooden curio cabinets. Each one was filled with miniature statues, artwork, books or expensive looking tableware. On the ceiling surrounded by crown molding was a beautiful chandelier. It was placed right in the center of the room and above a long wooden table that sat somewhere between twenty to thirty people. On top of the table was placed a variety of assorted foods that the students could eat in buffet styled service. The room was half full with students seated while either eating or talking. Kitty directed the boys to one of the edges of the table. Piotr placed the easel against a wall and sat beside her. Thomas chose to sit across from them and looked around. A boy sat with his head inside his arms on the table two seats away from him and Bobby sat across from that boy and next to Colossus. "Hey, how's it going?" Bobby asked Thomas. "Alright, just got back from outside," Thomas told him. "What'd you think of the backyard?" Bobby asked. "It's too much. Who paid for all this?" "The professor," Kitty answered, "This used to be his family home before he turned it into a school." "Better we use it then it go to waste," Bobby added. "I'm gonna go get us some plates," Kitty said before getting up and walking away. "Have any questions about the school?" Piotr asked. "They mentioned something about squad testing," Thomas stated. "Ah, you're doing it? When? Tonight? I wish I could see that," Bobby exclaimed. "What is it?" Thomas inquired. "They split up all the teens into groups so we can train-" Piotr started. "No, not that. I heard that. What's the test?" Thomas interrupted. "We don't know. Changes every time," Piotr replied ominously. "But you'll do fine. It's not like they'll reject you. They just want to gauge your powers and see where they can fit you," Bobby added. "Here you go," Kitty said as she put down a stack of plates in front of her. She then handed one over to each of the guys, "Give this to Ben will you?" she asked Bobby. "Hey, wake up. Time to eat," Bobby said while shaking the sleeping boy. The boy looked up while groaning. Thomas watched the boy as he stretched and noted that he looked pretty scrawny. He wore almost no muscles on him and his shaggy brown hair made him look like Shaggy from the Scooby Doo cartoon. Thomas then remembered that this was the same boy who was sleeping on the play room couch earlier in the day. The boy looked around and his eyes briefly gazed upon Thomas. When they did they boy's eyes widened as he gulped. He quickly averted his eyes and turned his head, but not before Thomas noticed that his cheeks were beginning to turn red. Thomas chuckled inwardly and almost allowed himself to think the action was cute. "Ben was the newest student before you got here," Kitty mentioned while grabbing food from the table. "Yeah, he hasn't even gotten a code name yet," Bobby added, "Did you pick something yet?" Bobby asked Ben while he filled his cup with milk. "I don't know, someone suggested Morph, but I'm not sold on it," he said with a sour face, "I'm Ben Deeds by the way, nice to meet you," he said while looking at Thomas's arm and not his face. "Nice to meet you too," Thomas chuckled, "Wait. What do you mean code name?" Thomas asked. "When student's join squads they choose a code name. Like mine's Shadowcat and his is Colossus," Kitty said while pointing at Piotr. "Got an idea for yours?" Bobby asked while looking at Thomas. "I don't know," Thomas answered honestly while grabbing a loaf of bread. Things moved fast at this school. He wasn't sure if he could keep up. The group continued eating while their conversation progressed. They moved on from topic to topic without any problem. Thomas was beginning to forget himself as he sat there. Everything at the institute seemed so nice, even the people, but he knew from experience that all people had a dark side. "Thomas Warren," a familiar voice called behind him. Thomas turned his head and was displeased to see the man with sunglasses he had manipulated earlier standing by the entrance to the dining room. His face was in the downward frown that it was in earlier, and Thomas thought that it must have been the man's resting face. Then standing next to him with her trademark smirk was Emma Frost. "Thomas Warren," the man repeated, "Come with us." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- A/N: So there you have it. I'm actually really excited about the next chapter. You'll get to see Thomas's powers in action. Plus, you'll get to meet Thomas's mysterious third roommate. Who will it be? A romance option? Who knows? Oh, and of course if you liked what you read please shoot me a message at dj_nifty@yahoo.com. And don't forget to donate to this wonderful site. See you all next chapter! :)