X-Men Fan Fiction ❯ Torrent ❯ Breathless ( Chapter 4 )

A/N: Next chapter. I hope you like it. Please R&R! Thanks.

 

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-men.

 

Chapter 4: Breathless:

 

“And up here is where most of our classrooms are,” Rogue explained as they reached the top step of the floor.

 

“Wow, I sure hope I'll remember all this,” Lyss commented as they walked passed closed classroom doors.

 

“Oh you will, don't worry.” Rogue smiled encouragingly.

 

They walked ahead a few more steps and turned down another hall.

 

“You look pretty young to be a teacher,” Lyss observed.

 

Rogue looked at Lyss and laughed. “I'm not too much younger than you. I'm 19, turning 20 in a month. And besides I'm not a real teacher yet. Bobby and I are both studying to become teachers.”

 

“I see…. Bobby and I?” Lyss teased.

 

Rogue blushed a little. “He's umm…my boyfriend.”

 

Lyss stopped in front of a classroom door. She looked through the glass panel to see Scott standing in front of a window staring out at the world.

 

“And Scott?” Lyss asked, not moving her eyes off him.

 

Rogue fidgeted nervously, and then replied, “Scott's just my friend.”

 

Lyss turned to look at her then. “Did he…um…did he lose someone close to him recently?”

 

Rogue stared through the window and sighed. “His fiancé, Jean. She sacrificed her life to save ours.”

 

“Oh,” Lyss replied, suddenly feeling bad for intruding on their pain.

 

“Is that what you saw, when you touched them? Scott and Logan?” Rogue inquired.

 

“Logan?” Lyss asked, surprised.

 

“Yeah. He didn't say it, but we all know he loved her too,” Rogue answered.

 

“This Jean must have been one special person,” Lyss stated; a little part of her felt envious at having gained the love of two men.

 

“She was,” Rogue agreed. “Anyways…ever since she died, Scott hasn't been the same. I try to help him and sometimes it works. Other times…well, it doesn't.”

 

“I have a feeling that you shouldn't give up on him just yet,” Lyss replied with a knowing smile.

 

“Your premonition?” Rogue asked curiously.

 

“No, just a feeling,” Lyss answered vaguely.

 

Rogue shrugged and started walking forward to continue their tour. Lyss lingered their for a second longer only to see Scott turn back to look at her. She gave him a small smile and walked away.

 

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Several days later…

 

“Vhat do you guys think of Lyss?” Kurt asked from where he was hanging from the rec room ceiling. “I like her name, it's pretty.”

 

Kurt, Logan, and Hank had retreated to the rec room to pretty much hang out and laze about.

 

“She's beautiful,” Logan commented, taking a sip of his beer.

 

“Logan!” Hank scolded. “She's not just a pretty face. She is an accomplished, young lady whose bright, young mind will contribute greatly to science.”

 

“Whatever you say Hank. I think the girl's been studying too much. It's about time she had herself a life,” Logan scoffed.

 

“The girl has a name, Logan,” Kurt added.

 

Logan was about to reply but was cut off by an alarm bell.

 

“Time to go,” he said, instead.

 

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“There you are. It's almost dinnertime and you're still in here. What are you doing anyways?”

 

Scott looked up to see Rogue walking through the classroom door. He noticed that she had changed from her earlier outfit into a form hugging, black velvet, knee length dress, with long sleeves and matching long black boots. The gold chain loop belt at her waist added to the eye-catching dress.

 

`Could this be the same young, frightened girl from five years ago?' he thought as he stared at her.

 

“Scott, Scott? Are you all right?” she asked a little urgently.

 

He shook his head a little and finally replied, “Yeah, umm… I'm fine. I was just sorting through some old papers.”

 

“Well the guys are all downstairs, if you want to go sit with them,” she encouraged.

 

“That's ok. I'm fine alone,” he answered automatically.

 

She sighed and refrained from saying what she really wanted to say. Instead she replied, “All right. Don't forget dinner is at 6:00pm. I know how you get when you organize things.”

 

He allowed himself a little chuckle and then realized something. “Are you going somewhere?”

 

“Yeah. Bobby's taking me out to dinner and a movie,” she replied, contently.

 

“Oh.” For some reason he was a little disappointed to hear that.

 

“Ok, so I've got to go,” she answered. She started walking away, but the ringing of an alarm bell stopped her in her tracks. “Ok maybe not.”

 

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Lyss had been at the institute for three days now and she was starting to get comfortable. She'd settled into her new room that was designed exactly the way she would have designed it. Soon she'd get her own office. And she was starting to get to know the rest of the staff.

Slowly but surely she'd fit in, she'd convinced herself.

 

Lyss was sitting alone in her room, waiting for dinnertime. Even though she was starting to feel at home here, she still missed her family terribly. Hence the reason why she was in her room alone, with a photo album in front of her.

 

A ringing bell interrupted her thoughts and she sat up abruptly.

 

“What the hell?” she said out loud.

 

Thinking it was a smoke alarm or something like that, she walked out of her room quickly. She turned down the hall and walked towards the children's dormitory.

 

The few kids who were at the institute were still in their rooms.

 

“Ok, so it's not a fire alarm…”

 

The ringing had stopped but nobody had come to inform her what it was. Instead of ignoring it Lyss made her way to the Professor's office intending on getting some answers.

When she reached the door, she knocked once and then pushed it open, calling out, “Professor, I was wond-“ She stopped mid-sentence when she saw the entire staff in his office, all dressed in tight fitting black leather.

 

She looked from one person to then next; sure that she had a dumb, confused look on her face.

 

Finally her mouth worked before anyone else could say anything, “Is this some weird cult meeting, that I have yet to be initiated for?”

 

She caught Logan's smirk before Professor Xavier answered, “Sort of.”

 

She didn't know what kind of answer she was expecting, but she wasn't expecting a confirmation of her joke.

 

“Why don't you sit down Lyss,” Xavier suggested. Lyss looked at everyone standing up, stiff as a soldier and took a leather seat across from the Professor. She crossed her legs waiting patiently for an answer. “You may all go do what is needed.”

 

Lyss watched as one by one each exited the room in an orderly fashion. She caught Logan's gaze and he winked at her before exiting. Some how, his little gesture left her feeling more calm as she turned back to face Professor X.

 

“So what's going on?” she asked casually.

 

“Lyss this isn't only an institute for learning,” he started.

 

“Yeah I know. You also teach children to control their powers,” Lyss said knowingly.

 

“No, not just that. Originally it was. But now, as more mutants are becoming known to the world I have formed a team called the X-men,” he explained.

 

“Logan and the others?” she guessed and he nodded in confirmation. “What exactly do the X-men do?”

 

“Well it's a way for us to use our powers for good. We help both humans and mutants with dangerous situations,” he told her. “Though, the others can tell you that the humans aren't always grateful.”

 

“I see,” Lyss responded. “So you're kind of like unappreciated superheroes.”

 

“Yes,” he confirmed.

 

“So…is it a requirement to join this team if you work here?” she asked.

 

“No. That's entirely up to the person,” he answered.

 

She was quiet for a second. “And where did they go just now?”

 

“There's a group of mutants called the Brotherhood who like to cause mischief. Generally, they end up giving mutants a worse name then they began with. They're causing a disturbance in Manhattan and I've sent the X-men to take care of it,” he told her truthfully.

 

“And how do they take care of it?” she asked curiously.

 

“They'll attempt to apprehend the mutants and turn them over to the authorities while keeping innocent bystanders safe,” he explained. Then when he saw her contemplating what he had just told her he added, “It's a lot harder than it sounds.”

 

She went quiet again this time contemplating what he had informed her of. She wanted to help others. She'd be glad to use her powers in any way.

 

“I want to join,” she demanded.

 

“Are you sure? There's intense continuous training involved. It may become dangerous at some point, even life threatening.” She nodded her head determinedly to all he said. “And it comes with some ungodly hours.” He smiled.

 

“I'm sure,” she answered, smiling in return.

 

“All right. I'll inform Scott and we'll get you started,” he relented.

 

“Good,” she said. Grinning she added, “So…do we get to design our own uniforms?”

 

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Later that night…

 

Logan watched as Lyss practiced a floor routine on the mats of the gym, a routine that looked well practiced. She didn't know that he was watching her, but after nabbing Toad and Pyro he felt a little restless and wanted to take out more of his frustration out on a punching bag. But as he came downstairs he realized that the gym was occupied.

 

He watched her as she gracefully flipped from one end of the room to the other. Xavier had told them that she wanted to join the X-men. But he had his doubts. Though, she had powers aplenty, he still couldn't believe that this graceful, almost frail looking woman could do much damage to anyone. On top of it all, he was the one who got to train her, being the `teacher' with the most time.

 

He was broken out of his reverie when he noticed she had stopped tumbling and was now sitting in the middle of the room trying to catch her breath.

 

Logan clapped, applauding her graceful act. He knew he had startled her as soon as her head snapped up abruptly.

 

“Logan? What are you doing here?” she questioned; standing up she walked to the side of the room to grab her water bottle and then headed his way. He took in her black workout outfit and decided that at least she'd look good in leather.

 

“I came down to train,” he told her instead.

 

“Oh. Well I'm all done here,” she said, making to move past him.

 

“Professor X said you want to join the X-men. Are you sure about that?” he asked.

 

She turned to him, matching his own questioning gaze with her determined one. “Yes. I'm sure. I want to help as best as I can.”

 

“You could get hurt,” he commented casually.

 

“Is that it? You don't think I can take care of myself, do you?” she asked, incredulously.

 

He gave her a look that said `that was exactly it.' A feeling of righteous indignation overcame her and she went to the wall and grabbed a long staff.

 

“All right then. Why don't I show you?” she said, lifting an eyebrow up in waiting.

 

“I don't think so.” He laughed.

 

“Why? Afraid a `little girl' is going to kick your ass?” she taunted.

 

“Does your mommy know that you swear like that?” he teased back. Lyss threw the staff at him and he caught it neatly.

 

Grabbing another she turned back to Logan and said, “First one pinned to the ground loses. And no powers.”

 

“All right,” he answered, amused, as she stalked toward him.

 

She swung at him first which he blocked easily. She twirled the other way and swung at him again which he blocked again. He then took his staff and swiped at her legs taking her feet out from under her, landing her on the mat. Before he could get down to pin her she quickly rolled away and jumped right back up.

 

She circled him and commented, “You're good. A bit better than I expected.”

 

“I'm just going easy on you,” he replied.

 

“Don't,” she said curtly.

 

Instead of using her staff, she swung her leg at him and he caught it. She smiled at him and then used her other leg to lift her off the ground and to twirl over him to kick him from behind. He stumbled forward and turned around to take his turn.

 

They matched blow for blow until Lyss swung her staff at Logan, hard, knocking him backwards and adding a little kick to the chest to land him on his back.

Quickly she had him pinned to the mats, straddling his body, her staff across his chest pinning his arms at his sides.

 

“Looks like I win,” she said smiling smugly.

 

“Good job,” he replied, throwing his staff to the side, freeing his hands. Then swiftly, before she could even tell he was going to move he grabbed her staff, flipped her over and had her pinned underneath him, her arms outstretched over her head pinned there by his own and the staff.

 

“Looks like I win too,” he grinned at her and she couldn't help but grin back at him.

 

He released her hands and she threw the staff aside, but he didn't make a move to get off her. Instead, he leaned in closer, his hands flat on the mats on either side of her head. Logan watched as she panted for breath, doing the same. And felt the palms of her hands come to rest on his chest, as if she were steadying herself, even though she was securely on the ground.

 

He leaned in even closer, his lips millimeters from hers. Lyss watched as his gaze traveled from her eyes to her lips and back again.

 

Finally, after an intense silence Logan whispered, “Go out with me.”

 

“I just met you,” she stated, her voice coming out breezy.

 

“Go out with me, get to know me. Let me know you,” he stated adamantly.

 

“All right,” she whispered. With a request like that how could she not accept? True, she'd just met him, but if her premonitions were anything to go by, and they usually were, she knew that it was most likely inevitable for them to get to know each other better. And that was a comforting thought.

 

“Ok then,” he said. He started to get up off her. “How about tomorrow night, at lets say, 7:00pm?”

 

“Sure,” she answered, a little dazed. He helped her up.

 

“I'm going to stay down here for awhile. You should go upstairs, take a shower, get some sleep,” he replied.

 

She just nodded and started walking towards the doors. Logan watched her as she left and she could feel his eyes on her. His voice stopped her right before she exited.

 

“Good Night Lyss.”

 

“Night Logan,” she replied contently.

 

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Well there it is. I hope you enjoyed it.

 

Thanks for the flapjack, flapjack101 and thanks for the review Stableperson.

 

So I'll try to update soon. Next chapter: Rogue/Scott/Bobby fun.

 

Please let me know what you think. I'll take any and all reviews.

 

Thanks!