13 Chapter 13: Bad Blood, Warmed Muscles

"What are you?"

Illyana's question swam around in his mind for the rest of the day. Like a gnat continuing to buzz into his ear-- if gnats could deliver ominously sounding questions that made his skin itch. Why would she ask that? Were they not all Mutants? And what was that reaction... the tingle, the heat, the shock. That was far from a simple showing of metal bone claws.

And the memory was far from leaving his mind. Even as he sailed through his first bit of classes as a possible temporary student at the Xavier Institute. It was different from classic high school. The classes, the formatting, the activities. But Bronte worked to catch on, nonetheless. They had regular classes like Algebra, Finance and History. But they also had science and theory classes relating to Mutant Genes and their origin-- he found that one incredibly interesting. As well as classes on how to effectively operate back in society.

These.... these Mutants. Women, Men and Children. They had gifts that he didn't even see in his dreams. And still, they seemed afflicted. It was sad to consider-- but realistic in the scope of human history and how they've dealt with "difference" throughout the ages. It was a thought that made him uneasy about stepping back into the world. As if a primordial mutant hunter with an army of Monsters wasn't enough of a reason.

He stayed that way for much of the day. In his mind. Sitting with his thoughts and the tapping beat made by his pens. The only time he spoke was when he was introducing himself to Professors, or when Raze and Gabbie would seemingly spawn out of nowhere and drown him in questions about how his day was going.

Well. Gabbie would question, Raze would find a new bizarre way to show him how inhuman he was until Gabbie had enough and threw him a piece of chocolate to drool over.

And it went that way until he'd made it to his final class of the day.

He walked down the hall, marveling at his lack of tiredness despite the amount of traveling he'd done down the Institute's seemingly endless halls and ornately designed corridors. Hell, there was a time he got tired doing anything it seemed. He hadn't felt tired in a while. Only jumpy. The storm that raged outside only worsened that fact as Students rushed past him, running on the rich polished wooden walls and pushing through other groups of students in excitement as they stomped along the carpeted floor.

As a matter of fact, as he looked around the hall full of students, he noticed everyone was elated to some degree. He could practically smell the adrenaline rushing through their veins. Based on how acute his senses had become, he was considering asking Hank if he could actually smell that.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning illuminated the halls in a flash followed by a rattling blast of thunder that shook the floor and got a startled jump out of Bronte. He shut his eyes forcefully and took a deep breath to calm his nerves while his hand tapped away at his thigh.

"Ah-- most first timers are usually scared. You'll be ok."

Bronte looked down to his left and found Gabbie walking beside him.

"What?" Bronte asked.

"You're nervous right? For the field exer--"

Another bolt of lightning hit outside. Bronte flinched slightly. Gabbie suddenly looked at him in disbelief.

"Don't tell me...." She said suddenly as students rushed past them.

"What?"

"You're scared of storms...?"

"Astraphobia. It's called Astraphobia-- and don't start doing too much now that you know that." Bronte corrected her.

Gabbie suddenly looked weirded out as she looked around the hall, "What's that word? That word you use when something happens in the opposite way it should. Daken says it a lot..."

"Irony?" Bronte questioned as the wave of students turned down the hallway and headed towards a massive set of double doors.

"Yea! That's ironic, Bronte."

"Why is that ironic?" Bronte asked as the sounds of clanging weights and quickly moving bodies emanated from behind the double doors.

"By the way, what class is this? I only got the room number and letters FE on my schedule..." Bronte asked as Gabbie giggled and joined the horde of students excitedly running into the room.

"It's gym class!! This is when we train our abilities... WHOOHOOO!" Gabbie yelled before disappearing into the crowd.

Gym class.... he was never physically gifted in any regard. Gym class was usually a forty-five-minute session of possible embarrassment or sitting out. Usually, he could sit out and work on his music or goof off with his friends.

He couldn't help but think about how different it would be here.

Gym class.... for Mutants.

***

After a few seconds spent in the hallway, he made it through the thick metal double-doors and entered the Gym. Students were littered everywhere; in uniforms he didn't recognize. Talking, playing, sparring. You name it.

He'd marveled at the architectural beauty of the Institute before in all its rich old-fashioned almost Victorian style, but the Gymnasium was its own thing entirely. It seemed as big as the entire Institute on its own. A football fields length of solid metal floor stretched out beneath his feet fitted with paint and boundary lines for a number of sports along with an area for weightlifting and calisthenics. There were even training dummies and punching bags at the far side of the room along with ropes and gymnastics rings hanging from the ceiling. Above him, a bordered off second floor hid possibly dozens of other various objects that he couldn't see from where he stood.

The walls were metal as well, indented with straight lines and sectional plating that suddenly made him wonder if there was more to the massive room.

His gawking was interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming from behind him followed by the familiar scents of leather and old blood.

He turned around just in time to find his misfitted siblings entering the room.

"Training time, brother!! HEHEHEHE!" Raze said as he walked behind Daken and Laura.

"Yea no kidding...." Bronte replied once they came to a stop in front of him.

Like the other students, they wore uniforms different from casual clothes. In fact, they looked similar to what Spiderman wore. Form fitting stretchy materials that looked almost like some hybrid between spandex and high-quality leather.

Everyone else's uniforms were yellow and blue with the trademark "X" logo emblazoned on the chest. Some had suits with sectional armoring woven into the suit, others had suits shaped to their inhuman mutant physical features.

Daken, Laura and Raze looked different. Their suits were black and blue with a sharp slashing design interwoven into the defensive fabrics over their shoulders and midsections. They wore the trademarked "X" logo as well, only Daken's was scratched out. And their suits lacked any armor. It simply hugged their muscle and moved soundlessly like a second skin.

"We playing superhero?" Bronte asked while looking them over.

"Funny." Laura said, flashing a fake half smile before handing him the same uniform folded up in a plastic bag.

"This is your training uniform, made so you don't rip, tear, burn, or freeze your clothing due to your Mutant abilities. They're called X-Uniforms and you'll wear this whenever you have this class..... unless you want the punches to hurt more."

"The punches..... awe damn." Bronte said, realizing he'd be fighting. Mutants.

Laura smiled again this time it felt genuine as she slapped his shoulder, "Don't worry. It's only training, you'll heal. Now go get changed."

As he walked off with the X-Uniform held in his hands, Laura called out to him again, her voice as hard as stone.

"I know you probably don't want to do any of this but remember why. Why you have to, Bronte. Remember what's out there. This isn't a game or a simple class for you."

Her words brought him back to reality. Suddenly, fighting some students in a controlled environment didn't feel so terrifying when he remembered being chased by hundreds of wolfish Monsters in a storm.

"Remember why...."

***

In a rush, he entered a locker-room and got changed. The suit was a hassle to put on. Luckily, Rahne's friend Sam found him and helped out. After a few minutes spent struggling and zipping things, he was fully geared.

He looked himself over in a body mirror and stifled a laugh. He looked completely unrecognizable to the person he was a week ago with his changed hair and new physique. He brought his hand up and popped his claws, watching as they burst through the guarded holes made into his suit. No rip. No tear.

Out of nowhere a whistle sounded outside. Bronte put away his claws and rushed outside.

As he ran to the other end of the gym to join the only people he knew, he found himself recognizing others in their respective groups.

The main being Illyana. She stood out in the gym with her regal posture and cold eyes as she sparred with the giant metal man. Somehow, she was holding her own-- and she hadn't yet used her weird, armored arm as she did at breakfast. Impressive. Rahne stood by and flashed him a bright smile as she waved.

"Yo." Bronte said before waving back and rushing off to join his group. He could feel Illyana's eyes on his back.

After a few seconds, he skidded to a halt in front of his siblings.

They were all stretching except for Hank and Laura who stood by like thoughtful spectators.

They all stopped to look at him once he arrived.

"Ah, it fits you well, Bronte." Hank said with a thunderous clap. Hands that large shouldn't be allowed to clap.

"Yea Bronte, you look cool!" Gabbie said supportively as she sat on top of Raze's shoulders.

"Man.... these things don't come with some forces?" Bronte questioned as he looked down at his built-in rubber tread shoes.

Laura shook her head at his reply before Hank stepped forward. All around the room, the adults did the same. The groups of students suddenly huddled up in their own respective groups. Across the room, Illyana stared at him as she stood beside the giant metal-man with Rahne, Sam, Danniele and a couple others.

"You with us, Bronte?" Laura asked.

"Yea-- yea, I'm good." He replied before they all grouped up.

Once they were in a loose circle, Laura looked over to Hank.

Hank nodded before he began speaking, "Alright. Welcome to Training, Bronte. Here in this gym, we do anything from sporting events, sparring drills to Field Training exercises. Now, this may be an Institute, but we are under the threat of any attack at any moment... I'm sure you know that all too well...."

Bronte nodded.

"Exactly." Hank continued, "So, we need each and every capable student to be ready for that, and the possibility of one day being an X-Man. This is why we train-- and to make each students training a bit more personal and suited to their ability growth, we're all split into Training Squads. Each Professor or two man's a different squad with similar abilities.... in hopes that working with somebody further along will make the student better. For example, Piotr-- Colossus, works with students with abilities around transforming or reinforcement Mutant abilities..."

As he named off the others, more adults spilled into the room. Only something about them was different. They were hard-- not in body but in aura if that made sense. They looked battle hardened. One man wore a visor but otherwise looked normal. Poised and professional as he walked behind a man in a wheelchair and beside a beautiful red-haired woman. Another wore a trench coat over his X-Uniform and had glowing purple eyes. The woman walking beside him had a streak of white hair similar to Bronte. Behind her, a blonde-haired man walked. His X-Uniform different from the others due to the way his "X" logo on his chest glowed with a wild blue flowing energy.

Their uniform colors were also different. Black and gold.

"Cyclops and Havoc or Scott and Alexander--" Hank pointed to the visored man at the front and the one with the glowing chest, "Works with our emitters and Mutants who can generate powerful blasts of energy."

"Charles Xavier works with our slim number of telepaths." Hank said, pointing to the man in the wheelchair. Bronte suddenly remembered Charles Xavier was said to be in a wheelchair.

"Gambit-- or, Remy works with beings who can manipulate or transform energetic and elemental forces." Hank pointed to the man in the trench coat.

As Hank began explaining the others, he suddenly realized some of their names sounded familiar. Cyclops, Havoc, Gambit, Rogue, Warpath.

His suspicions were solidified when Hank finished, "And if you couldn't tell already, that was the second half of the X-Men."

Daken rolled his eyes, Laura stiffened and crossed her arms as Raze and Gabbie grouped up behind her. They seemed to have history.

"So... that makes you our Training Squad leader?" Bronte asked after the awkward silence stretched for too long.

"No. All of us are actually you, Gabbie and Raze's teachers. But, Daken will lead most trainings."

Bronte was surprised to say the least. As well as unnerved since Daken seemed to not feel pain or care for anyone else's.

"Why wouldn't you, Hank?" Bronte asked.

"Well, Daken has more experience in combat than any of us to put it simply." Hank said with a shrug that suddenly made Bronte realize how stacked with muscle he was. Without the button up and glasses he looked infinitely more terrifying.

"How...?" Bronte whispered.

"Because he's an old fart." Gabbie whispered from behind Laura.

"Wh--"

"Alright, can we conclude the god damn introductions and explanations. You come here to learn how to fight. Let's start before I stab myself in the face out of boredom." Daken said, seemingly all out of patience as he ran a hand through his long black hair.

"Yes, you may begin." Hank said with a nod.

Suddenly Daken walked off to an open space in the floor. Raze and Gabbie followed. Bronte only moved after Laura gave him a slight push to follow. As he walked after them to begin training, Laura's words came into his mind again.

"Remember why..."