Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2002 20:34:19 EST
From: Brandeo@aol.com
Subject: X-men: New Beginnings Part One

Ok let's get this part of the way.  Some characters are
original characters namely Xander Taylor, his mother and
others that will come into play.   Many of the other
characters mentioned so far, namely Jean Grey-Summers are
the sole property of Marvel Comics.    I'm just borrowing
her and other character for what I hope is the beginning of
a good story/series.

Notes:  First, this part is completely void of sex.  There's
just nothing happening.  Not even a little kiss.  This is
strictly plot building and getting started.

Second, throughout the series anytime writing appears in
between these characters. ~...~
It's indicating telepathic speech.

Third, it's been a while since I've purchased a comic, but I
like writing about the characters.  So if people have been
following the continuity and such I may not be right in the
present the way the teams are set up.
Let's just say there may be some indications that this is
post Age of Apocalypse, but pre Onslaught.

The story is being told from a first person point of view.
I have been experimenting with third person point of view,
but it's easier for me to write this way, but perhaps
somewhere done the line I may switch to third person.
Outside of that enjoy.



X-Men: New Beginnings


I don't know where I should start.   I mean I could start at
the beginning, but even then it doesn't feel right.  To
really get in the heart of things I think I should start in
the middle.  Well I guess what most would call the middle.
When my powers first manifested when I was fourteen, back
when life was normal.  Well as normal as life can get.

First off let's start with names.   Mine's Xander, Xander
Taylor.  Simple enough name for a simple enough guy right?
Ok so my life wasn't so simple.  My mom was killed when I
was six and my dad, well I never knew him.  I think about
him sometimes, I remember what my mom told me about him, but
outside of that, that's it.  My mom told me that he died
right before I was born, but to me he'll always be alive
since I never knew him. I don't have memories I have
stories.  The memories went with my mother.   I miss her. I
miss her a lot. I miss her smile.  I miss her laugh.  I miss
everything about her.  My mom was the most important person
to me in the world.   She was all I had, all that matter.
That's before she was taken away from me, taken by them.

I guess you're wondering who "them" are?  "Them" or "they"
are the people who decided that she didn't have a right to
live because of what she was.  It didn't matter to them who
she was.  To "them" my mother was nothing more than a dirty,
rotten Mutie.  Mutie I hate the fucking word.  Sometimes I
hate Mutant even more.   We're just different.  Just because
we can do some things that you can't doesn't mean we can't
feel, but it doesn't matter.  None of it's going to matter.
There's always going to be war, there's always going to be
hate.  There's always going to be people that don't
understand.  Always going to be something to stand in the
way of people trying to live the best way they can, the only
way they can.  It's us against "them" right?  Someone has to
survive.  Someone has to come out on top.  Crush them
beneath our feet and don't give second thought to what
happens next right?  Well that's what I thought two months
ago.  Two months ago it was all about survival.  Two months
ago nothing, no one else in the world mattered to me.  Two
months ago it was just me.  Two months.two months seems like
a lifetime ago, but like I said my story actually starts
when my powers manifested, but I let you in on a secret.
They manifested long before I was fourteen.  Let me take you
back to that day, the day my childhood ended.  They day
everything came crashing down around me.

Ten years ago..

We walked step in step skipping together on the fourth.
Laughter filled the air and her hand held mine tightly.  It
was just one of those moments.  It was a great moment.  We
had just come from the movies.  I was having the time of my
life.  There were no babysitters, no errands to run just mom
and me.   I glanced up at her from time to time find warmth
in her smile and solace in her touch, but it wasn't a touch
anyone could see.  It was one that touched my mind soothing
my fears and easing my tension.   She was so worried about
me and I was scared about the things I saw, heard and was
beginning to do.  Mother told me that she thought I was
special, she knew I was special, but she wasn't what I could
do.   Part of me knew that she feared what I might become.
She feared it because she didn't know if she would be strong
enough to protect me from those that would do us great harm
or those that would seek to use me as nothing more than a
weapon.  A weapon.  I was far too young to know the true
nature of that word.  I was far too young to know many
things, but I knew them and this brought fear to my mother
as well.  The day that she feared would come one day and it
would come, but who knew it would today of all days, the day
that was just to be for us.

Turning the corner hand in hand I laughed as my mother told
me a joke in my mind teaching me to focus my thoughts,
separating them from the endless noise that lied within and
outside of my mind.  She reminded that the mind is to be
respected and guarded.  That sometimes what lies within
should stay within.  She advised me to not let everything in
that someone sends that not everything in the world is for
the mind to experience.   She instructed me on how control
what I send so it's not too fast or too much.  It was all so
much. I didn't think I was going to get all, actually I
thought I was getting dizzy.  Holding my head for affect I
glanced to her eyes and saw nothing but concern.   My mother
looked down to me then around.

"Xander."  She said to me softly her eyes glancing down to
me, fear growing in them moment by moment.  Before I cold
say anything word I felt her hand grip mine tightly as she
took off racing down the street.  She pulled me into he arms
ready to take us away from this place, but she halted in her
steps turning down in alley, away from the light and into
the darkness.  I looked up and saw several men in dark suits
headed our way.  She was going to fight.  She was going to
make them go away.  "Momma."  I called to her softly feeling
her fingers run through my hair.

"It's going to be ok, baby."  She answered as the alley
filled with three,  no four men.  I saw one of them reached
for a gun.   My mother turned to face them setting me down
behind her.   I was shaking with fear already.   Fear is an
ally my mother told me.  Just don't let it control you.
Fear keeps you from making foolish mistakes.  Fear reminds
you that you are not all powerful, but that day fear failed
me or perhaps I failed it.

"We've come for the boy."  The lead man said walking forward
pointing his gun at my mother.  "He knows what's happening."

"You say that like I should care."  My mother told him and
with a simple gesture the gun in his hand fell to the
ground.  "Go back and tell him you failed.  Go back and tell
him never to come for me and mine again. Go back and tell
him to forget we exist.  It would be better for all of us."
She explained.

My mother was attempting to remain calm, but I knew she was
scared.  This was different. I could feel it.  She'd use her
powers before.  She had made the others go away.  Why
doesn't she make them go away?  I could feel myself shaking,
trembling.  Fear was taking hold.  I can't be afraid.  I
can't.  Momma needs me to be strong.  I was looking at my
mother as she moved in front of me.

"Ma'am, we don't want this to get ugly."  The lead man said
with a nod.   At his command his companions drew out guns of
their own all trained on my mother.  "We were told to do
this without a termination if possible"

Termination?  I looked at the man and all I saw was images.
They were all jumbled together.  Taking a couple steps back
my eyes closed for a moment.  I could sense what he was
thinking.   His thoughts were all jumbled.  I couldn't
separate them.  I didn't understand.  Pressing my fingers to
my temples I took a deep breath and for that moment
everything drifted away.  Everything vanished; there was
darkness all around.   Images began to appear, figures
actually.  One was of the lead man and another was of my
mother.  I heard loud bangs all around me; objects were
flying through the air.  One struck my mother in chest.  She
didn't scream, but I watched her fall back towards the
ground; blood running from her body staining her shirt then
the ground.

Gasping the image seem to fade out almost shatter as I fell
to the ground looking in the direction of the men that had
drawn their guns.  I hadn't noticed, but my breaths were
coming quickly one after another almost to the point that I
couldn't breath.

"Xander?"  My mother turned towards me leaning down to make
sure I was ok. "Xander, baby.breathe."

I heard her, but I couldn't.  I continued to hyperventilate.
I could control it. I closed my eyes for a moment trying to
concentrate on the words that forming in my mind.

~Slower.   Breathe slower.~  My mother told me.   ~Take deep
breaths.   In and out.  Nice and slow.~   She whispered in
my mind keeping her eyes on the ones that had their guns
trained on us.

"Let us take the boy.  He'll be alright with us."  The lead
man said approaching my mother.   Reaching out for her he
attempted to grab her arm, but was thrown back within an
unseen force.   Blinking my mother watched as he landed
several feet away after hitting a wall.

My mother looked from him towards me knowing that she didn't
send him flying back like that.  She brushed my hair from my
face as I took a deep breath.  I looked down for a moment
then towards her. "He wants to hurt you." I whispered.  I
was terrified by what I saw.   My mother helped me up as the
others cocked their guns ready to fire.  Fear was guiding
me, but it was gripping at the same time.   The image of my
mother's death haunted me.  I moved in front of her, but she
held me back as the shots were fired. "No!"  I cried out.

My mother heard the shots ready to protect us with one of
her fields.  She reached out with her hand, but the bullets
only slowed they didn't stop.  "Xander?"  She looked at me
and I just stood there shaking with fear unaware what I was
doing.   The lead man stood watching the bullets moving
through the air slowly almost as if the telekinetic field my
mother was creating wasn't strong enough.  "Xander.."  She
moved in front of me turning her body towards me as the
bullets hit.  There were no screams not out loud, but in my
in I could hear them.   They drowned out all the other
voices.   I fell back as she fell on top of me.  I looked up
at her and she was suspended slightly, almost like there was
a barrier between us.

"Momma?"  She looked down at me falling over to the ground.
I moved towards her pulling her to me as best I could as I
looked towards the others as they came towards me.  The
realization of what happened was only starting to sink in.

"What happened?" One of the men asked looking to the lead
man.

"The boy.he did it.  He interfered with her field."  He said
in slight awe, but there was no denying the smirk on his
face.  There was no loss in his eyes.  His obstacle had been
removed.  "Clean this up."  He told the others approaching
me.

As he reached out toward me his hands went to his head
clutching it in pain.  I looked to the others and they did
the same.   Tears ran down my face, my hand brushing my
mother's hair back as I looked at her.  She was slipping
away.  I could feel it.

~No Xander.~   She called out to me.   ~No.   Don't do
this.~

I shook my head looking at them.  ~They.~

~I know, but how will they learn.  It is not what your
father would do.  It's not what I want you to do.~   She
said softly in my mind.  ~Not like this.  Not like this.
They can only hurt you if you let them.  You can't let them
win.  You can't.~

I wanted to make them pay. I wanted to make them suffer, but
the mental assault that came from within me was lifted.  My
anger was guiding my actions.   I looked into her eyes as
she tried to tell me what she wanted, what I should do, but
then it was gone.  There was nothing left.  The others were
recovering, but I knocked them out. I don't know how I did
it they all just fell over, unconscious.  I wanted to hold
my mother close to me for a moment more, but I knew I
couldn't.   I knew I had to get away.  I had to do what she
wanted.   I knew I had to make up for what I did, what I
caused.   Kissing he forehead I slipped away from her and
did the only thing I could do, I ran.  I ran away and never
looked back.

Present day

I hit the wall hard when the guy shoved me.  He was a big
mofo.  My eyes narrowed as his fist came towards me.  I
thought on it for a moment slipping down into a crouched
position.  His eyes looked down at me and before he knew it
he caught a knife punch to the crotch.  I gave him a nice
sweet smile as he fell over into fetal position.

"Xander Taylor!"  A woman called out in a shrill tone.    I
cringed at it.  Turning my head my smirk fading as Ms.
Gordon came walking over carrying her pen and pad.  Goody
I'm on her list.  I'm always on her list.   That never
changes.   "Mr. Taylor.."  Oh I was so tempted to remove
this entire incident from her mind, but it would best not
to.  Last time I tried she couldn't remember the last three
years.   ".it seems that you'll be joining us in detention
yet again."

I just shrugged.  Not that I had anywhere to be.   "Tell me
something I don't know."  Ms. Gordon just shook my head
walking over to Trevor. "He got what he deserved."  Ms.
Gordon just gave me a quick once over letting me know that I
was treading on think ice.   Rolling my eyes I walked over
to the wall sliding down to the ground watching her tend to
the gay bashing creep.  Looking down I muttered to myself
trying to get their thoughts out of my mind.  It was harder
to control when I was angry.  Everything just went upside
down. I just wanted to have a little peace and quiet and
Trevor starts mouthing off about some guys he beat up on
cause he caught them kissing.   Who appointed him judge and
jury?  Fucker.

Glancing down at the ground I took deep breaths trying to
focus my own thoughts drowning out the voices and thoughts
of the others walking around campus.   "When are you going
to learn?"  She asked me.

"Learn what?"  I shot back.

"Don't be smart."  She replied motioning upward with her
shoe.   My eyes moved upward finding Ms. Gordon towering
over me.

"I did what I had to. I did what I needed to do.  Someone
needed to shut his ass up."  Looking back down I took a deep
breath wanting her to go away.  I wanted them all to go away
right now.  It was a bad day for me.  That's it I was just
having a bad day.  "I'll be in detention."

"No you want."   She told me.

"What?"   Color me confused. I wasn't getting detention for
this.  There is a God.

"No.  There's something else you're going to do."  She
paused for a moment waiting for me to look up.  There goes
the God theory.  "Actually there's someone I want you to
meet."  She motioned for me to get up.  Once I was on my
feet I followed into the school building.   Glancing in
Trevor's I blew a kiss as he sneered at me.  "Xander."
With a sheepish smile I slipped my hands in my pockets
wondering what this was all about.

Walking into her office I stopped in my tracks when I saw a
woman, beautiful woman at that.   I might be gay, but I know
a pretty woman when I see one.  I arched my brow looking to
Ms. Gordon who merely closed the door leaving me alone with
this woman.   "Um?"  Looking around I walk over to the
window looking out trying to figure out what's going here.
"Are you shrink?"  I finally ask.  The woman smiles shaking
her head no then pauses then shakes her head yes.  "Well
which is it.  Yes or no?  Can't be both."  She just keeps
looking at me.   "Screw this."  I walk towards the door
grabbing the knob when I sense it.

Looking towards her she walks over to one of the chairs
taking a seat.   She doesn't say anything she just looks at
me with her emerald green eyes.  Almost like she's sizing me
up.  She's looking for something.  Like she's trying to see.
I grip the knob tighter and twist it.  ~Don't~ I close my
eyes when I hear her voice in my head.  ~Don't be afraid.~

"Bullshit.  The moment someone says that is exactly the time
to be afraid.  It's exactly the time you should be running
out the door." I try to twist the knob, but it doesn't move.
I blink looking over at her.  "What the."  I think on it.
Telekinesis.

~Ms. Gordon is just concerned, Xander.~   The woman tells
me.

Frowning I pull on the door. "Get out of my head!"  I snap
at her.  I close my eyes trying to shield my thoughts from
her as well as prevent her from sending any of hers.

"Ok.ok."  She walks towards the door.  "And thank you."

"What?"   I fall over as the doorknob breaks off from the
door.

"For thinking I was beautiful, pretty.  Which ever you
prefer."   She gives me a warm smile and I just lay there
confused trying to figure out what's going on. "What do you
want?"

"To help."   Was her answer, but I wasn't buying it.
Bullshit I tell you, bullshit.  No one wants to help me, but
when her hand reached out to me it wasn't to grab me it was
to help me up.   Taking it she helps me to my feet still
smiling.

"You're lying."   Moving away from her I move to the window
ready to knock it out the wall and bail.

"We've been tracking you for quite some time.  You tend to
appear and disappear at random.  Locating you has been
difficult.  Look I can't make you come with me if you don't
want to.  All I'm asking for a chance here.   Just a moment
of your time to tell you why I'm here and then.."

"Then?"  I say looking towards her.

"Then you can make up your own mind.  You can yank the
window out and run all you want."

"How?"

"Walls cracking." She points the multiple hairline fractures
in the wall.  The wall stops cracking when I turn towards
her motioning for her to take a seat.  "I know you're
different, Xander.   You know I'm different.  There's a lot
more of us out there than the world thinks."

Taking a seat on the other side of the room I pull my leg
towards me resting my head on it. "Tell me something I don't
know.  It's all over the TV.  Mutants.   Friend, freak or
foe?"   There's nothing but bitterness in my tone and from
her expression I can tell she doesn't like the way things
are right now.  "I just want to be left alone.  No one need
know what I am."

"Doesn't work like that.  You and I both know that.  You're
abilities..."  She motions to the wall with the hairline
fractures.

"What about them?"

"They're growing and as they grow they'll grow out of
control sooner or later without proper training."  She said
point blank.

"Says who?"   I said rising from my chair.   "I can control
them just fine.  I'm doing ok.  So if this is sometime of
mutant intervention or something you've got the wrong guy
here."

"Really."  There was a bit of a smirk on her face.  "And Ms.
Gordon."  Oh God no.

"You know about that."  She gave a nod and I sank back in my
chair. "It was an accident.  I just didn't want to get
detention again.  I need a break sometime."  I let my head
fall into my hands.  "She doesn't remember does she?  I
fixed it. I mean it was just one of those things you know?"

"Been there myself.  Trust me, but that's why you need
someone to help you with your abilities.  You can't do it
alone, Xander."   It makes sense, but it's not that easy.
It's never going to be easy.

"Thanks but no thanks."  I tell her looking over at her as
she approaches me.

"Things can get a lot worse than Ms. Gordon and that wall.
You and I both know that.   Are abilities are fairly similar
from everything I've observed so far and the data we've
compiled on you."

Data?  "Data what data.  What are you talking about?  How
long have you been watching me?"  I sound a little frantic,
but who wouldn't be when they find out someone's been
watching them. "What the hell is your game lady? You like
screwing with people's minds."   The desk slid slightly.
"You get off on that something."  The desk slid again.
"Believe me you don't want to fuck with me."  The desk slid
forward again then slid back against the wall.

"Oh believe me it's the other way around kid.  You don't
want to fuck with me!"

I started to say something, but I couldn't help but chuckle
a bit before letting it slide into a laugh.   I wasn't
laughing at her.  More like I was laughing at the situation
and myself.  "You can't help me.  No one can, Red."

She paused in her steps at that almost as if she was shocked
then shook it off.  "You don't know that and what's the harm
in trying."

"People end up dying when they try to help me."  I say just
as quick.

"Danger's my life, danger's my soul.  Besides I like a
challenge every now and then."   Sitting down beside me she
looks into my eyes brushing my hair back. "There's someone
special in there.  I can feel it.  I don't get these
feelings often, but when I do I know I need to go with them.
Sometimes help finds you when you're not even looking,
Xander."   Her words are followed by another soft smile.
"You've seen a little of what I can do.  I've seen a little
of what you can do.  There's a lot more for both of us to
find out, a lot more for us to explore.   There worlds
changing and we're changing it with it, but what we become
in the end is up for us to decide."

Pulling back from her I shake my head trying to make sense
of everything.  "Sometimes."

"I know."  She answers before I even finish my statement.
"Sometimes it's too much.  It doesn't always have to feel
like that.  Doesn't always have to be that way.  You've been
trying to control a part of yourself that feels like it's
going to rip you apart.  It's starting turn you inside and
out.  The voices, the images, the places you've seen, and
gone.  Some of it makes sense, but most of it doesn't.
There's a lot more out there for you explore, but you're
turning away from it.  You're afraid of losing control,
afraid of losing yourself to the power within.  You fear
it."

"God.don't say that."  I tell her. Moving to my feet I slip
my arms around me knowing that everything she's just said is
the truth.  "I am changing, but I don't know what I'm
changing into. I don't know what's happening to me. I don't
know what's going to happen if I embrace it.  I can't
embrace it.  I don't want to be different."   I look from
here towards the window.  "You don't know what I've lost
because of this."

"No, I don't and I'm not going to try and compare.  The only
thing I can say is that we all face challenges in our lives.
Our lives wouldn't have much meaning without the challenges
we go through."   She responds her eyes finding mine,
searching, but I know she won't delve into my thoughts.
"It's all right to be afraid of what's happening, but you
can't stay afraid.  You can't live your life in fear.  Not
day after day.  One day you're going to have to give into
what you are.  You're going to accept yourself for what you
are, but remember it's not who you are."

"I know that.  I've always known that, but I don't want to
draw others into my problems."  Problem is that my problems
will become everyone, problems because of my own existence.
"I don't know what to do anymore. I want to do the right
thing. I want to make the right decision, but I don't want
to regret my decisions because others might get hurt."   I
want things to be the way they were when my mother was
alive, but my life is never going to be like that.  Things
are never going to be simple anymore.  There's nothing I can
do to bring her back, fix what I did.   I'm lost in my
thoughts when I feel her hand at my shoulder.  Turning
towards her I frown a bit and all she has is that look in
her eyes, a look of concern followed by a warm smile.
"You're trying to break me down."

"I'm trying to make you see that you don't have to be alone
anymore.  You don't have to keep changing your name, moving
from place to place."

She makes a lot of valid points.  Points that I haven't
wanted to hear in a long time.   I want to fall into her
arms. I want to just let go.  I don't want the shell to be
around me anymore.  I just want to be the person I was meant
to be, but it scares me so.   There's times I feel there's
so much more to who I am.  There was so much more that my
mother wanted to tell me.   "I don't even know your name."

There's a bit of a soft chuckle as the woman's fingers touch
my temple.  "Jean."

"Jean."  I say softly committing the name to memory glancing
over at her.  "I know who you are..." I say softly with a
knowing look. ".who you really are."  I back away.  "I know
the world you will draw me into.  I know the world is full
of wonders and horrors alike.  I know." She smiled at me
nodding.

"You know a lot more than you're letting on.  More than you
want people to know you know.   So is this a yes?"

"It's a maybe."   I say softly.

"It's a start."  She said simply.   I couldn't give more
than that.   I guess.   "Good then it's settled."  She said
with a smile on her face.    I was about to say something
when there was a knock at the door.  ~He's ready.~  She sent
to the one behind the waiting behind the door.

Her head tilted to the side slightly as the door opened and.
(To be continued)

Now this is the part where I need input from the readers.
I'm going to leave it open for a couple of days before I
start writing the second part.   Who comes through the door
is one of the two people that Xander will become involved
with. The first part was just to get a feel of the story.  I
needed to flesh out the character, get an idea of who he is.
So yes romps in the hay will come.

There are three possible characters waiting on the other
side of that door that's come with Jean.

a)   Alex Summers a.k.a Havok

b)   Robert "Bobby" Drake a.k.a Iceman

c)   Sam Guthrie a.k.a Cannonball