Introductions

Queens New York 2011

Peter was busy packing things away in boxes he was excited about making a change in his life. The Professor was an understanding man; he offered Peter and his Aunt a place to live at the institute he was in charge of. He had gone back to the institute with one of his companions leaving the others to help pack because time was of the essence.

"Hey do you need a hand?" Said a voice from the doorway. Peter turned around and saw a young but tall teen, who was wearing a pair of red lensed sunglasses.

"Thanks if you could help me with my clothes in the closet." Peter said as he was busy carefully packing away his chemistry lab that he used to make his web fluid.

"The name is Scott by the way Scott Summers." Scott offered his hand as he introduced himself. Peter took it and curiously looked at his sunglasses and wondered what they were for.

"Nice to meet you, Peter Parker if you haven't guessed. If you don't mind me saying it's a bit dark for sunglasses don't you think?"

"My mutation allows me to shoot what I call optic blasts, problem is I had a brain injury and I can't control it unless I close my eyes so these glasses are made of ruby quartz they help keep my abilities in check."

"Oh well that kinda sucks. Are all of you guys so uncontrolled?" Peter asked

"Some are worse than others." Scott replied

Peter took this opportunity to ask about the hot brunette that had walked in with the professor.

"So Scott the girl with the white stripe in her hair what's her deal?"

"Her deal is she don't lahke when people talk about her when she isn't around." Peter turned and looked at the door and there stood a very miffed and confrontational woman.

"Sorry I didn't know you were standing there. We haven't been formally introduced Peter Parker."

Rogue just glared at him she thought this guy was just like Remy but she remained professional.

"You can call meh Rogue and your Aunt is wondering if your almost done?" she said sneering as she relayed the message.

"Tell her I will be done shortly I just have a few more things to pack." Rogue turned with a scowl to deliver his message.

"Is she always like that?" Peter asked

"You have no idea." Scott replied and went back to helping his new friend pack up.

Downstairs Rogue went to go see May and tell her things were moving along and that Peter almost ready. She turned the corner and saw Logan lifting some boxes and moving them to the curb for when the moving van arrived. As he walked by May looked down at his butt and sighed a little.

"Ah know easy on the eyes but hard on the body." Rogue blurted out

May nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the young teen's voice.

"Oh my you scared me dear." May said as she held her hand to her heart. "I think you scared 4 years off my life."

"Sorry I just came to tell ya that your nephew is almost ready to go." Rogue said with a lot of contempt in her voice.

"Thank you my dear, would you be so kind as help me finish packing these heavier objects I am afraid I am just not strong enough." May requested and Rogue obliged. They had all the heavier stuff that May could carry ready to go some of it wouldn't go to the mansion as the professor had made arrangements for a storage facility close to the estate for their larger items. Once they had packed everything Logan came back to grab some more boxes, when he entered May caught her breath and started to turn red in the cheeks a bit. Logan grabbed some boxes not noticing the older woman. And left without saying a word.

"He always could take my breath away." May whispered under her breath.

"What was that?" Rogue asked as she couldn't hear her.

"Nothing my dear. Oh my here I am asking you to help me with all this I don't even know your name."

"It's Rogue." It was all she was going to say to the kind old woman. May just stood there and mulled it over and knew that couldn't be her real name and May being May she pushed for the truth.

"It's not a very flattering name. What did your parent's not like you?"

Rogue cringed when she asked that question and went right back to packing up more of May's stuff.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean open old wounds." May said apologetically

"It's fahne, Ah just don't like talking about it much."

"I understand my dear if you ever want to talk about it, I have an ear open to listen."

"Thank you Mrs. Parker but I am not big on sharing personal experiences."

"OK, I respect that but I would really appreciate your real name. When you're willing to tell me."

Rogue was a little surprised at how kind this woman was especially to a relative stranger.

"You know he likes you don't you?" May blurted out of nowhere.

"Excuse Meh?" she replied

"My nephew, he might deny it at first but a woman knows these things."

"Even if he does lahke me Ah am through with men hell with everyone in general."

May just looked at Rogue with a disapproving glance towards her choice of words which Rogue apologized for once she saw it.

"Why do you say you're done with men? Don't tell me you find women…" May trailed off not sure how to really approach the issue of homosexuality with the teen. Rogue emphatically denied it, she was truly straight. May just looked at the girl and recognized the signs that she had been hurt by someone.

"What was his name?" May asked

"Pardon?"

"The guy that broke your heart? What was his name?"

"What makes you think someone broke my heart?" Rogue tried to sound convincing but failed in the face of the experienced May Parker.

"Don't try to fool me young one I was once a heart breaker myself I know the signs of someone who has gone through a hard relationship."

"With all due respect ma'am I don't know you and I really don't feel like talkin about it so." Rogue deflected.

"When you want too I am here." She replied

After they had everything packed up May and Peter got into the van with Scott and Rogue while Logan drove the moving van. After a couple of hours they arrived at the mansion, Peter was impressed and wished one day he could own a place like this but given his history with lady luck he very much doubted it would ever happen. The walked in through the front door and were greeted by the professor and several others.

"Welcome I trust the trip was pleasant?" the professor said

"Yes it was thank you professor." May said

"Please call me Charles." the professor said as he heard chuckling and murmurs from behind him and decided to make the introductions official.

"Well I guess introductions are in order." The professor turned around and held his hand to his head and then people started arriving. The first to greet them was a kindly looking African-American woman with white hair.

"This is Ororo Munroe also known as storm." The professor said.

"Welcome it's a pleasure to meet you both." She said as she stood by the professor. Following right behind was her nephew Evan.

"Welcome to freak high." Evan said which promptly earned him a smack in the shoulder by his aunt and hushes him.

Then three boys walked in two looked to be in mid-high-school while the third looked to be in his early teens.

"These three are Roberto, Ray and Jamie." The professor introduced, they didn't say much they just nodded and took a seat on a nearby couch. Then without warning a puff of sulphur smoke appeared right in front of the new arrivals and inside the smoke was a small blue furred for lack of a better term Demon looking presence which startled Aunt May. Peter was about to spring into action when he realized his spider sense didn't go off.

"Kurt your Holowatch." The professor said alerting the young mutant he was appearing in his real form.

"Oh sorry I didn't mean to scare you Kurt Wagner." He held out his hand towards May but she was hesitant at first, which brought a look of familiar pain to the young mutants face. But Peter stepped forward and took his hand willingly. Kurt's face lightened when he did that indicating that there were no hard feelings. The next one to come out and meet the pair was a tall Bigfoot looking creäture with blue fur and wearing glasses. As with Kurt May was once again startled.

"This is why I don't go outside anymore; I'm a cute li'l fuzzy freak whose only friends are other freaks. Of course all of them can pass as human, when they like is it any wonder I sometimes get the blues?" Everyone looks at the big mass of hair and muscle feeling sorry for him. "That was meant to be a pun."

Logan just grabbed the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "Don't give up your day job hairball." Logan said. Hank just walked over offered his hand to the two newcomers and they took it graciously.

"Welcome to the institute if you excuse me I'll be down in the danger room preparing it for tomorrow."

"What's a Danger room?" Peter asked

"Don't worry about that, you will get a closer look later." Logan said with a hint of glee in his voice.

The last group that Peter met that night was a group of females one was a tall redhead that reminded Peter of MJ only taller. Then there was two girls with short dark hair one had a very muscled appearance, followed by an even shorter girl with a streak of blue in her hair and was chewing on a piece of bubble-gum. The next girl was a girl about 14 years of age with long dark almost black hair walking next to a girl with short blonde hair she looked about 18 but she was tall for her age apparently and then there was one girl about 16 with her hair up in a long ponytail.

"Hel-lo" was the only reply from the blonde haired girl. The professor caught an errant thought from Tabby and just sighed in frustration. "Come and meet our new student girls" the professor said and before he knew it Peter was surrounded by beautiful girls it was a teen dream come to life. The red-head who had stayed back as she was attached to a guy from school, introduced herself first but not before using her powers to lift the girls up and away from Peter.

"Sorry for their behavior but what can you do, my name is Jean. Jean Grey." She introduced herself and then dropped the girls on the floor in a massive heap but one girl just seemed to walk through them as if she was made of air.

"Like hi my name is Kitty Pride, what's your name?" Kitty said as she batted her eyes and held her head to the side in a cute looking way. Scott couldn't believe she was blatantly flirting with Peter right in front of everyone. That was until Tabby walked up and introduced herself and began flirting with him in a much more aggressive fashion. Peter was overwhelmed and just basically said his name and tried to back away slowly thankfully the other girls were a little less forward and introduced themselves as Rahne, Jubilee and Amara. Peter was kinda surprised by Amara as she spoke and walked with an almost royal persona. Peter found out later she actually was a princess from some country Peter had never heard of before. Some place called Nova Roma. Rogue got up and just left she had enough of hey how are you for one night and went to her room to get changed and get to bed, which the Professor agreed it was a good idea and suggested everyone get ready. Peter had started picking up their stuff the professor stopped him.

"Don't worry about those Peter, Kurt would you please take Peter's stuff to your room he will be bunking with you." the professor said

"What about Aunt May?" Peter asked

"We have arranged her own room Storm will show her the way."

Peter picked up a bag that held his spider-man equipment and followed behind the elf like mutant.

"Well everyone here is certainly colorful." Peter said to his new roommate

"Zhat is an understatement of zhee highest caliber." Kurt replied

Peter was walking past the girl's bathroom and wasn't looking and he bumped into Rouge and the two fell over Peter on the bottom and Rogue on top of him. The two looked deep into each other's eyes and they each felt a zing of some sort shoot through them but Rogue being the way she was just quickly got off Peter and stood up.

"Next tahme watch where you're goin'" she said as she stormed off to her room.

"She's a real peach." Peter quipped

"Ja, she is, thankfully you got her on a good day."

"If that's her on a good day what's she like when she's pissed off?"

"Pray to god you never find out." Kurt said half-jokingly. "Come on my room is this way."

The two arrived and peter grabbed a change of clothes and got ready for bed.

"What's her deal anyway?" Peter asked

"Vhat was that?"

"Rogue what's her deal, why is she so…her?"

"Vhy are you so curious?" Kurt answered

"I have my reasons." Peter returned

"You like her don't you." Kurt said with amazement. "Peter, some friendly advice it's best if you try to leave Rogue alone you see the nature of her abilities keeps her from touching people, if you came into contact with her skin she would absorb your life force your memories and even your powers if you have them."

Peter listened as he heard Kurt explain all about Rogue and a sudden dread began to fall over him.

"You like her don't you?"

Kurt had this look on his face that was a cross between sheer disgust and amusement.

"You misunderstand; you see she and I are siblings, well foster siblings anyway."

"I didn't know the professor took you all his foster children as well." Peter said feeling a little uncomfortable

"No, zhe professor didn't adopt or foster us or any of us. It was our mozher Mystique." Kurt nearly spit out her name. Peter could tell there was a lot of unresolved issues there and decided not to push. The two wrapped up their conversation and settled in for a well deserved rest.