The alarm clock rang at his bedside. Chris grabbed the clock and flung it at the nearby wall. He groaned and stretched. Today, is his first complete day at Generation X. He had to be as unlike himself as possible. Everyone seemed suspicious of him already. Of course the truth is so bizarre, even to him, that no one would figure it out. He hoped.
*****
Emma entered in the kitchen as chaos reigned.
"Shifty! Not on the table!
"I'm sorry, Jubilee. But, I kinda lost control whenever I teleport at close range. Besides, it's early in the morning. I need my soda."
"Your foot is in my pancakes."
"Oops! Sorry, Monet."
"That is alright."
"AAhhh!"
"Paige, why is Chris on the refrigerator?"
"Don't worry, Leech. I'll just teleport off..."
"Allow me."
"Thanks, Ev. But where did you get the ability to telekinetically lift objects?"
"I synched with Ms. Frost."
"I didn't know that she's a telekinetic."
"I'm not. But, Everett could use other mutant's powers in more various ways than the mutant he's synching off of."
"Wow."
"Now, meet me in the classroom in an hour. I want to test your intelligence."
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Shifty, I'm going to teach you how to be disrespectful to your teachers."
"Don't listen to Jubilee."
*****
Chris sat nervously at the desk. He knew that his mental skills would be tested. He had to be careful on what to answer and how. He wanted to seem more naive than the average person.
Sean showed Chris the computer and said, "All right lad. We want to know all of yuir mental knowledge. This is not a grade test. This will only tell us what level to start you from. Relax and do the best ye can."
"I will, Sir." Chris said as he stretched his fingers and started to do the test.
*****
The test was various in both levels and types. Some like spelling, he had no trouble but he misspelled a few extremely difficult ones. Oddly enough the math part he had difficulty in since it was so simple that he couldn't remember how to solve it. Science was both difficult and easy. The parts like Space and air he had no problems with due to all the knowledge of flight in his mind. Biology was hard for him as well as Geology. Chris thought chuckling, **At last Alex was better at something than I was.**
Chris got out of the classroom stretching his arms and Jubilee, Paige, and Angelo was waiting with the others. "So, Shifty. How was it?"
"Tiresome." he admitted.
"Yes, Miz Frost's tests tend to be a tad taxing." Paige said.
Angelo asked, "Wanna do some hoops?"
"Sure." Chris said smiling, "I haven't played any one-on-one for a long time."
Jubilee said to Angelo, "Careful, Ang. He's a teleporter."
"No powers rule." Angelo pointed out.
"Okay, no powers." Chris said as he nod his head.
*****
"So, Chris." Angelo asked as he tried to block a shot from Chris, "Where are you from?"
"Earth." he answered as he dodged the arms and attempted to make a shot.
Angelo grabbed the ball and said, "I mean where on Earth? New York? The Burido? Canada?"
Chris grabbed the ball back and answered, "From an orphanage. I don't want to talk about it."
"Oh, I understand." Angelo said as he tried to get the ball back. "It's just that we don't know much about you."
"I'm not a plant." Chris said as he threw the ball toward the net. "I just want to be part of something important. I want to learn about my powers."
The ball flew into the net and Angelo nodded. "Okay. But if you ever turn out to be a plant or a spy, I will kill you."
Chris smiled as he walked to the ball. "Okay, if I am a spy or a plant then you can kill me. It's your turn to make the opening shot."
*****
It was the late afternoon, when the Generation X gathered into the Grotto's control room with Chris in the gym wearing the Generation X uniform. He seemed somewhat uncomfortable in the outfit. Yet, somewhat at ease in the uniform. Emma asked over the intercom, "Are you ready, Solar Shift?"
He nodded and crouched down. Sean explained, "I created a simulation battle for ye. The goal is to keep your package away from your opponent for ten minutes."
Chris looked down to see a small package on the floor. He picked it up and Jubilee yelled, "Good luck!"
Chris smiled confidently and clutched onto the small parcel. Sean clicked on a few buttons and a figure appeared before his eyes. His jaw dropped and he nearly let go of the package.
Standing in front of him was Cyclops.
"Whoa! Talk about a serious challenge." Jubilee yelled out.
Chris stood there with his feet apart and his hands clutching on to the package.
*****
In the distance, many miles away from the school a girl was in a motel room apparently staring out into space.
Burst looked at her brother in the Danger Grotto and muttered, "Great. Chris's in the danger room with... Cyclops."
Alex who was watching TV turned it off and asked, "What?"
"It's a simulation." she explained, "I don't know if he can handle it."
"Link me up." Alex ordered, "We have to watch him."
*****
Chris felt a twinge in his stomach. He knew that he had to face this sort of situation sooner or later. He was hoping for the later part.
Cyclops attacked him. Chris teleported away from optic blasts and right behind him. He ducked an oncoming fist. Cyclops attempted to blast the package away from him and Chris felt the package fly from his hands. He teleported in mid-air to catch it. "Nice try." he commented as he teleported back down. Cyclops ran toward him and Chris ducked.
He looked up at the clock. Three minutes had passed.
His breath became ragged. Scott ran toward him, his optic blasts firing at him. Chris teleported to the distant corner of the room. He had to keep at a distance. Then he remembered that Cyclops could fire at a distance and in a way he was at an advantage being at a distance. Chris did a multiple teleport keeping at arms length of his opponent.
The exchange lasted for three minutes. He had only four minutes to go. Chris was getting tired. He had used up a great deal of his solar reserves. Cyclops looked like he was not going to slow down. "Have to try a different approach." he muttered to himself. He laid down and Cyclops look at him in astonishment. He came closer to Chris with one hand on his visor's side. Chris lept up and ran. Cyclops ran after him. They ran as everyone watched in anticipation.
Chris tripped on his feet and looked up at the clock. Two minutes left to go and Chris had enough energy for one last teleport. "Okay, I'm supposed to keep this package away from him. I will do that." he said as Cyclops grabbed the package. Cyclops was much stronger than Chris. Chris did something that Cyclops would never do. He bent the rules. Chris shoved his foot into Cyclops' um... sensitive area.
*****
"Ouch." Alex said grimacing.
Burst looked at him and snickered. "Would this world's Scott ever do that?"
"I don't think so." Alex said, "I would never think that he would ever do that to himself."
"Unless he had the power to duplicate I don't think he could've done it to himself."
"Good point." Alex pointed out.
*****
Cyclops groaned in pain and let go for a second. Chris looked at the clock. One minute left and the holographic figure lunged at him. Chris clutched his package and teleported out of the danger room.
*****
"That was sneaky." Jubilee commented as Chris lay on the couch tired. He was still in his Generation X uniform. She leaned closer to the young teleporter and continued, "I like it."
Sean said, "Ye should nea worried us so."
"I only teleported to the living room. Nobody said anything about me not teleporting out of the room to get away from him."
"Very effective fighting style." Paige pointed out, "Sure it was low, but effective."
Angelo said, "I like the part where you kicked him in the-"
"Angelo!" Emma yelled. She turned to Chris and commented, "It is clever of you to teleport out of the situation. But, in real life escape is harder."
"I can't always follow the rules." Chris said as he put his hands behind his pillow. "What matters is that I won."
"True." Sean said, "That solution of yuirs is bending the rules. But, battle is all about survival. Just don't fight that way in front of the X-Men. They well... except for Marrow would object."
"Yes, sir." Chris said smiling. He had won the battle against Cyclops. To everyone else, it was just a holographic battle to see how Chris would fight. But to Scott, who is now Chris, it was the ultimate battle against himself. The ultimate win and the ultimate beginning.
The end to the beginning