"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one.'"
- C.S. Lewis
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Elizabeth Grace's POV
Over the past few days, more and more mutants have been brought here by dad and Erik. Each one most certainly displays a very different personality. Now, four new mutants have joined us. I'm sitting in an almost living room type area with Raven, Hank, and the newly recruited mutants.
Dad and Erik are somewhere with Agent MacTaggert. Dad instructed me to try to get any sort of notes on what we're working with. I'm sitting slightly away from everyone using my powers to do the one trick that's easy for me: convincing their minds that I cannot be seen. It's almost as if I have the power of invisibility. The only one that even likely remembers I'm here is Raven.
"We should think of code names," Raven suggests. "We're government agents now. I wanna be called Mystique."
"Darn!" Sean exclaims. "I wanted to be called Mystique."
"Well tough. I called it," Raven replies as she shifts her appearance to look like Sean, causing everyone around to jump. "And I'm way more mysterious than you." They all applaud as she sifts back. I have to contain my giggles as I observe the looks on all of their faces. We already know her powers, so I don't really need notes on Raven at the moment. "Darwin, what about you?"
"Well," Darwin starts. "Darwin's already a nickname, and, you know, it fits. 'Adapt to survive' and all. Check this out."
He walks over to the fish tank along the wall opposite of me. I'm curious to see what exactly he's doing as he sticks his head into the water. Gills form along the side of his face.
Adapt to survive... got it.
I make a quick note on Darwin, naturally adding the nickname. Of course, "adapt to survive" is the simple note. I elaborate by adding, "Individual, nearly instantaneous adaptation to environment. Useful in harsh, extreme, or adverse conditions." I am admittedly impressed.
"Thank you. Thank you," Darwin says as he sits back down. He points to Sean. "What about you?"
"I'm going to be..." Sean begins as he thinks for a moment. "Banshee."
I'm taking a guess your power might be a bit loud.
I make a new note. At the top, I write the name, "Banshee." I smile, looking back up at the group.
"Why do you want to be named after a wailing spirit?" Hank asks.
"You might wanna cover your ears."
He stands and positions himself over some glasses. He takes a deep breath and seems to contemplate for a moment. A high-pitched sound shoots from his mouth and shatters the large window across from him. Not quite where he was aiming, but we all get the picture.
Got it.
Taking another note, I write, "Can produce high-pitched, whistle tones. Frequencies of vibrations can match that of objects around him. Capable of shattering glass and likely other objects. Possibility for echolocation."
"Your turn," Banshee tells Angel.
"My, uh, stage name is Angel," she starts, removing her coat. Previously tattooed wings peel off of her skin and become material. "Kinda fits."
"You can fly?" Raven asks in amazement.
"Uh huh, and..."
She turns and spits what can be described as a fireball out the window. It strikes the top of the statue. The place it strikes begins to melt.
I take a new note under "Angel." "Wings appearing as tattoos can become materialized. Capable of flight. Can produce a flaming, likely acidic, ball that can be spit from her mouth."
"What's your name?" She questions Hank.
"How about Bigfoot?" Alex teases.
"Well you know what they say about guys with big feet," Raven retorts. "And, uh, yours are kinda small."
I'm glad I already have notes on Hank. "Feet like that of a primate allowing him to use them for climbing or hanging on various objects. Also, considering the higher jump in the lab, he likely also possesses super-human strength—possibility speed and agility. To be tested later." The only thing I add is, "Codename needed."
"Ok now," Darwin tells them. "Alex, what's your gift? What can you do?"
"Uh, it's not, um... Um, I can't do it. I can't do it in here."
"Can you do it out there?"
"Why don't you just do it out there?" Raven adds.
This begins them all cheering him on and chanting his name. Eventually, he agrees and walks outside. He turns back to all of us once he has positioned himself.
"Get down when I tell you. Get back." They do, but then they pop their heads back out from around the corner. "Get back. Whatever."
Alex rotates his torso as if he's winding up. Soon, I see why. Red energy rings form around him and then fly like a frisbee. They cut the statue clean in half. Even I sit here in awe for a moment.
Ok, that's cool. Destructive, but cool.
New note on "Havok" as Raven has deemed him. "Extreme energy expulsion. Red energy rings shaping and flying like a frisbee can be expelled from his body. Capable of extreme destruction."
They all come back in, still buzzing about what just happened. Alex seems to be looking for something. Eventually, he looks back at Raven.
"Where's... uh... what's her name?"
"Liza?"
"Yeah. Liza. Dang, if she'd talk more—or at all—I might actually remember her name."
"She's... I'm sure using her power to hide. Liza! Where did you go?"
I cut off the link I have to their minds and seemingly appear out of nowhere. All of them—other than Raven—jump as I do. She's used to me doing this with large groups at this point.
"Woah!" Alex exclaims.
"She'll come out of her shell. Give her a moment or so. I promise you'll like her when she's not so shy."
"What's she doing?" Hank asks.
"She's just kinda staring at us," Alex states..
"She's trying to get a read on you," Raven explains. "It's what she does."
A bit nervous once again, I connect to their minds, and it appears I've disappeared. They all gasp as I do. All eyes fall on Raven.
"What?"
"She- she- she can turn invisible?" Banshee questions, stumbling over his words.
"Huh- oh. No, she can't... technically. She can... She can explain this better, but essentially, she's convincing you that you can't see her."
"Excuse me, what?" Alex asks.
"She- Dang it! Liza, I really need you to explain it. Charles gave me an explanation, but I'm pretty sure she's one of the few people that can actually understand her dad."
"Sight doesn't just involve your eyes," I begin, allowing them to see me once again. "You take in sensory information with your eyes. The brain is what interprets the data provided by the senses. It produces the images you see. If I manipulate your brain's perception of this information, I can make you see whatever I want."
"Still confused."
"No, what she's saying makes perfect sense," Hank explains, smiling. "You're impressive, Liza."
"Still confused over here."
"Hallucination. Think of it that way."
"Ok. That kinda makes sense."
"And that's not even half of what she can do," Raven explains excitedly.
"Wait, what all can she do?"
"A lot. It's likely she's more powerful than all of us... though you might never exactly see all she can do."
"Why?"
"Because it'll get someone hurt..." I say.
This is the first time I ever see Alex look at anyone with sympathy—well, more like empathy. I'm not the only one a bit afraid of my powers. His are definitely destructive too.
"Seems we have something in common."
"Why don't you come over here with us?" Raven suggests, patting the sofa between her and Hank.
I slide off the chair I'm sitting on, leaving my notes, and sit down on the couch between her and Hank. An hour later, Hank and I find ourselves in an intellectual conversation. Raven seems to have tuned us out at this point as multiple conversations take place around the room.
"Yes, because as Raven has said it before, bacteria gets a bit of a bad rap. Not all bacteria cause detrimental things to occur. I mean, think about Cyanobacteria."
"Cya- what?" Alex asks, listening in on mine and Hank's conversation.
"Cyanobacteria."
"Cyabacteria."
"No. Think the color cyan or Cyrano de Bergerac and then add bacteria."
"That doesn't help me at all. Cyrano who?"
"Cyrano de Bergerac. He was a character in Edmond Rostand's- You know what... Nevermind."
"That doesn't even sound the same as what you were saying earlier."
"No, well, not exactly. Similar spelling though."
"I understand who you're talking about," Hank tells me.
"Thank you, Hank."
"I think I have a good name for you."
"Really?"
"Oooo do tell," Raven adds. "I wanna hear."
"Athena, after the Greek goddess of wisdom and intelligence."
"I like it," I say with a smile.
"It suits you," Raven tells me.
"Just like you said professor suited dad."
"We need to play off of that for his name."
"Professor Xavier sounds too normal almost though."
"Professor X."
"Perfect. What about Erik? His power is the creation of magnetic fields. So something to do with magnetism or magnets."
"Magneto."
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Song: Codename: Kids Next Door Theme Song (from Cartoon Network)