The Connection They Share

Chapter 4

Four days, four days I had been stuck in this straight jacket and a magic suppressing collar around my neck. I glance up at the entrance to our section, as the doors opened making a loud sound, an fairly old man walked in with about 5 guards. Surprisingly he walks up to my cell and opens the doors, two guards came in and dragged me upright before frog marching straight out of the cell and our section. I lock eyes with Wanda for a second and she looks alarmed as I was taken away. I was taken up to the higher levels and seated in an interrogation room, it all seems very familiar. "Miss Avery Barnes, you are to be released under certain conditions. You are not to exit the chosen grounds you are to be placed in for 12 months, don't worry you'll feel at home with people like yourself." I frown at his choice of words "You are to wear an ankle monitor and you are not to communicate in any way with Steve Rodgers, James Barnes or Sharon Carter. If you do the sentence will just increase but this time you'll be locked up. Questions?"
"Just the one, who is taking me to this secure location?" I ask, "Someone you'll be familiar with. Now just sign here" he points to a line and I see his last name is Ross. I pick up the pen and sign the contract, I am then lead to the entrance where Pietro is waiting with an escort and a helicopter. "Pietro?" I say in disbelief as he comes forward to hug me. "Don't worry we get rid of the escort as soon as we reach the mainland." he says in my ear and I look at him in confusion but Ross interrupts us. "This is your ankle monitor, should you step outside of the grounds of your house arrest then it will beep and we will come in a matter of minutes to your location." Ross explains as one of the guards puts it on me and takes off the collar. I climb into the helicopter with the escort and Pietro. As we were exiting the Raft, I turn to Pietro "So where are we going?"
"You'll see and no reading my mind, that would ruin the surprise" Pietro says with a smirk and I groan leaning back in my seat.
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Pietro turns onto a long driveway and I could see a large mansion at the end. We had left the escort as soon as we came onto land, they gave me a copy of the contract and Pietro had driven us all the way to this mansion not giving anything away. We parked up just to the left of the large wooden doors. I step out of the car and could see some kids playing in the field that surrounds the mansion. I whip my head to look at Pietro, I was not expecting kids, "Pietro, I'm not going to ask again, where are we?" I ask rounding the car. He steps back and grins sheepishly "This is Xavier's school for gifted youngsters" I look at him with a blank expression "Excuse me?"
"Mutants, you know people born with extra abilities...like...you" Pietro hesitantly says and takes another step back. My mouth opens slightly "There are more of us?" I question. He looks surprised "Well yes not all of us are science experiments and the guy who runs this place will help you further control your powers that was the point of the school to help young mutants learn in a safe environment and be free from the judgement of others. I found it during those two days when I needed to calm down, I was looking for more people like us as I realised we can't be the only ones with powers. And I literally ran across the school." Pietro explains. He leads me to the door but I pause, "Avery?" he asks. I hold my head, I could feel someone trying to get into my head and it was beginning to hurt, I remembered what Frigga taught me about creating a wall. I imagined building a wall, building it up brick by brick until the poking feeling was gone. I stand up straight "I'm fine" I state before walking past Pietro to the door. He steps up beside me and rings the doorbell, it opens almost immediately and a young looking man stands there. He has short dark brown hair and blue eyes framed by glasses. "Hank, this is Avery, the person I was talking about." Pietro says with a grin. "Pietro. It's good to see you again, Xavier has been expecting you" he says and lets us into the building. I step through the door and I look in awe at the huge entrance hall, it was amazing. I saw some kids stood around the staircase and had stopped talking as me and Pietro were let into the building.
Who is she?
I know the white haired dude but I've never seen the girl before.
Is she like us? No she must be or she wouldn't be here.
They're kinda cute.
I hope she stays, she seems really nice.
She's really nervous, maybe we should stop staring.
Is that the girl who saved a city by creating a shield from her powers, that was so cool.
"You'll have to excuse the students, they just finished their lessons for the day and now have free time. This way." Hank says and leads us down a quieter hall to an office. He knocked on the door then opened the door to let us in. Inside was a bald man in a wheelchair sat behind a desk, "Welcome Avery, please have a seat" he says and gestures for me to sit. I take a seat in one of the chairs and Pietro takes the other one whilst Hank closes the door and stands by it. "As Quicksilver has already told you this is my school for gifted youngsters, this is a safe place for mutants to stay, learn and practise their powers." Xavier explains as I try not to laugh at Pietro's superhero name. "During your stay here, you will have your own room; practise your powers and even teach some of the students about telekinesis and telepathy but you'll probably focus more on telekinesis with the students than telepathy. Any questions?"
I lean forward "What's your super power, professor?" He smiles "Telepathy, I can connect with any mind on the planet with occasional help of Cerebro when we need to track someone down." I look at him in shock then a realisation came to me "You're the one who was trying to get into my head, sorry I kicked you out but it hurt"
The professor shakes his head then wheels out from behind his desk, "It's fine, I just wish to know any new people that come onto the grounds. Now for the tour maybe we'll meet some of the older mutants if they're back that is." I get up with Pietro and follow behind Hank and Xavier. We make our way back to the main entrance but Hank leads us out of a different door to the outside area I caught a glimpse of earlier. "This is the main exit to the grounds, we have several pitches and courts as well as open field areas. These spaces are mainly used for recreational uses but sometimes we use them to test out how far and powerful a students abilities can be." Xavier explains as we walk through the grounds, I look around at the various students who were relaxing whilst practising their powers. I catch some levitating their books as they read and even one kid running across the lake water. "It's amazing" I say in awe as I gaze over the students, I could get used to this place, somewhere where I don't have to hide who I truly am.
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I am standing in a highly advanced lab, I turn to see my dad without his metal arm and sat on a bench. "Are you sure about this?" Steve asks as he comes into view with nasty bruises on his face, what happened to them in Siberia. "I can't trust my own mind. So, until they figure out how to get this stuff out of my head I think going back under is the best thing...for everybody." dad explains as he gazes at a machine. Steve nods and dad is strapped into the machine, he closes his eyes and the machine fills up with ice, they put him back into a cryofreeze chamber. Steve walks over to the window seeming sad that dad had been put under and that he couldn't help him. A dark skinned man hesitantly walked up to him "Thank you for this" Steve says not looking away from the window. "Your friend and my father, they were both victims. If I can help one of them find peace..." the man says and I realise he was the guy in the panther suit, the king.
"You know, If they find out he's here...they'll come for him." Steve states seriously to make sure the king knows what he is getting himself into.
"Let them try." Is all he says back and I look out of the window as the fog begins to dissipate and I could just about see a large statue of a panther. What is this place?
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I opened my eyes and saw small amounts of light coming through the curtains. Unfortunately I didn't get to meet any of the older mutants but I do sort of know the layout of the school. I decide to get changed as there is no way I would be able to get back to sleep.