Chapter 11

Five months later Kenna's small cube of a prison fell apart like sand. It was the first time in a long time her senses had not been assaulted by the strong metallic smell of her confines. It was cold, winter had taken its hold on Xavier's campus. The fresh air was a welcomed change. There was no snow, but in its stead autumn colored leaves now covered the ground. It weirdly matched her crimson prison uniform.

Erik had given no indication of if or when they had planned on releasing her. This whole ordeal was unexpected. She wanted to run but guarded herself against the thought fearing it was a part of a bigger deception. That was until she saw a familiar blinking light. Off into the distance in front of the doors of the main building she recognized the greenish hue of the glow. "Franny?" she said to herself.

Deception or not it had been a long time since she had last seen her blue friend. She didn't run, but she did draw closer. But before she could get into calling distance the signal disappeared. When she got to where she last saw the beacon, she found the door cracked open. She faced a similar scene in the foyer, except she could clearly see now that was indeed Franny at the top of the staircase. Kenna declined to speak first. She was tired and not in the mood for whatever this was. Franny blinked her light at her and went into the elevator. Kenna followed as reluctantly as she was annoyed.

This game Franny was playing continued into the chrome bowels of the mansion. Kenna followed hoping to get an explanation at some point until Franny finally went into a place Kenna absolutely refused to follow. "Franny, I don't know what this is about, but I'm not going in there." The room before her was designated the "Danger Room" and she was very familiar with it. The interior wasn't even illuminated. Only Franny silhouetted by her own light could even be seen. She blinked at Kenna again. "No, look I don't if they told you what happened or not, but I messed up pretty bad. And this is the first time I've seen anything other than shifting black sand for awhile so if you want to talk, I'll definitely be at whatever meal is coming up next. It was nice seeing you again I guess." she said, beginning to walk away.

"Wait," said Franny. Kenna stopped to look back at her. "Trust me." Kenna looked at her, then back at the danger room sign, then back at her again. Against her better judgement Kenna walked into the room.

"This better be good."

"Oh, it is," said Franny before she turned out her light.

"Franny."

"Yes," answered Franny from a different part of the room.

"I hate you, so much right now."

"Good, hate makes people do things better. You'll need that for this." When the lights came back on she was in a city in the middle of the day. A nondescript major metropolitan area crowded and bustling with activity. Which would have been fine if it was to scale. However, Kenna was staring down at the bustle from a great height. Only a few buildings could match her in size. She saw herself reflected off of a skyscraper and started breathing like a freight train. "Do you like it!?" asked Franny over the intercom. Kenna felt something at her feet. She looked down again to see cars piling up around her feet. She was standing in the middle of two lanes of traffic. "Okay, so we'll start off easy. Just walk a mile down the street in any direction. Don't worry about body counts or anything. This is a simulation. Nobody's gonna die. We'll work on reducing that stuff later. But for now, just do everything I say. Simple stuff, right?"

Kenna crouched down and closed her eyes. "What are you doing?" asked Franny. And placed her hands over her ears. "Are you having a panic attack!? Kenna this isn't even realism mode. They are not even reacting to you. Nobody's screaming anything about the Thousand-foot mutant squatting in the city. Everybody is having a lovely day." Kenna didn't move. "You're embarrassing me right now. Just say something. Talk to me. Do anything else than what you're doing." She pressed her hands harder against her head trying to hide herself from the reality that laid before her. "Fine, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to do this, but here we go."

The ground shook and tiny little things bounced off of her. She peeked one eye open to see what happened. To see what destruction she somehow caused. In the smoldering wreckage stood Franny. Wearing a blue and yellow uniform. Scaled in the same way she was. Unapologetic with her presence. "I never really understood what the big deal was," she said stepping towards her crushing the clogged traffic, "I've done this program at five feet, fifty feet, a hundred feet and it never feels that different to me no matter what I scale it to." She popped one of her claws and ran it along the buildings as she walked. The damage she was causing was catastrophic, but the people of the city still continued to pay it no attention. A simulated man washing the windows of a nearby building even tipped his hard-hat at her. She took a moment to humor the program, which is why she didn't see Kenna lay into her.

Kenna had put her full weight into it, taking them both to the ground. The impact of their decent shattered whatever windows were left. Great waves of metal and debris was thrown across the city. The window washer was annoyed but overall unbothered as fell to his death. Kenna did her best to keep Franny on the ground. Which was much easier than she recalled. Franny wasn't even trying to escape.

"That's enough," said a familiar masculine voice over the intercom. The city began to fade away.

"And?" asked Franny.

"Request denied," he said.

"What!?" Franny kicked Kenna off and stood up, "Come on Scott! Did you not see that? She can mess some people up when she wants to."

"She is inexperienced, undisciplined, and uncoordinated. She is a danger to herself and others." he said.

"Mr. Summers?" asked Kenna, starting to recognize the voice of her physical education teacher.

"I mean, yeah, but I can fix two out three of those things if you give me enough time."

"The request is denied. Find somebody else. End of discussion," he said.

Franny waited for a moment before summarizing the whole of her feelings with a "Fuck."

"Yes! I agree!" yelled Kenna getting back up.

"And you're heavier than I remember? Did you go out of your way to get fatter in prison just to spite me?"

"What is going on Franny!?"

"Oh! Hold on! Oh! I have a program for this. Danger run the Franny one program" said Franny. The lights went out again and when they turned back on, she was in a room modeled after the rooms they stayed in at the women's dorm. It was a spartan always, two metal beds, some chairs, and a sink with the only exception being a single small coffee maker. Franny opened the door carrying a metallic box in with her.

"So just assume I know everything about what happened with you after I specifically said that indulging a very powerful mental patient was a bad idea," Franny said walking over to the bed that would have been hers.

"So you know about our little trip to Manhattan?"

"Yes."

"And how Elixir freaked out and killed Peter and his sister?"

"Yes, they're fine by the way."

"And how I was sent to a mutant prison run by a magnetic megalomaniac."

"Yeah Erik's a real hoot."

"You know him!?"

"Scott's talked about him. He was part founder of this school until he and Xavier diverged philosophically. Then he was a terrorist for a long time."

"I believe it."

"Then he realized that no matter how many times he thought he won the argument Xavier still wouldn't see his way of thinking. So he stopped fighting him and is waiting for Xavier's ambitions to crumble under its own weight, as an adjunct professor that also runs the X-Cell.

"How do you know all this?"

"You're looking at the new leader of the X-men green team."

"What?"

"Which you promptly failed the examination test for, so you can't be a part of it now."

"I'm okay with this."

"Officially."

"Huh?"

"Don't worry, I get you in somehow."

"Please don't."

"Anyway, it's a new team. Made primarily of exceptionally gifted students for emergency defensive measures."

"So how did you become the leader?"

"Fuck you, that's how."

"No, really you've been here for…"

"Six months."

"That would make it…"

"December."

"Half a year and you're already the head of something? Also what day of December are we on?"

"That's just how exceptional I am. It's the second."

"No seriously I've seen a dude here that shoots a big ole' fuck you beam out of his chest. What do you got that he doesn't?"

"Okay fine, Ororo might have been batting for me. Also, who is this man with the 'FU' beam?"

"That makes less sense. His name is Jono."

"I think she's trying to teach me something about the burden of leadership. Did he look like he'd be into joining a student-run campus defense force?"

"That makes more sense and I don't know, maybe you should ask him. Wherever he is."

"Well jokes on her, I'm generally good at everything and will be good at this too and she's going to feel really stupid and I will find this Jono guy and you will introduce me."

"Sure, for both, whatever."

"And it would have been great if you were on the team in a more official way."

"I told you, day one, that I killed a guy with this."

"Yeah, I remember."

"A guy I liked!"

"I said I remember. You were crying about it right up until you popped the door open."

"Why would you do that to me!"

"To help you! You need practice! You need to figure out how not to do that again and you can't do that by not using it! And you even used it in Manhattan to great effect."

"Who told you that?"

"Crystal."

"Did she tell you I killed a guy there too."

"Sort of, she took responsibility. Said you tried to save him, but it didn't work out."

"What happened to her?"

"Nothing, apparently she has diplomatic immunity."

"What? How? I mean I know she's a-," Kenna thought long and hard about her next word, "Hobo,"

"I think you're trying to lie about the fact that she's a princess."

"What!?"

"Oh you didn't know that?"

"No!? I was about say she was a refugee," Kenna paused, "Fucking dammit!"

"Oh, interesting."

"Please tell me you knew that."

"Nope, her file is password locked. I got the princess bit from Scott."

"Fuck, she told me not say anything. Promise me you won't say anything."

"Sure."

"Don't you 'sure' me, you say 'I won't tell anybody. Especially not Crystal'." Franny rolled her eyes.

"I won't tell anybody. Especially not Crystal."

"Thank you, so a refugee princess you say?"

"Yup, 'royal' blood and everything."

"What and where is she running from?"

"Not important. What is important is building this team. I can only recruit four other people. Crystal already said yes, Jono sounds promising, Logan only agreed if we took his daughter, and you're a no-go. Any ideas on the last slot?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Cause everybody else I asked said no."

"Even the other Morlocks?"

"I'm not asking the Morlocks."

"Why not?"

"I'm just not, get over it."

"As much as it pains me to admit, Yuuto was pretty helpful during our trip. And he's already friends with Jono."

"What can he do?"

"Stab people."

"I mean if Logan's daughter is anything like he is we already have one of those."

"He can also pull anything he fundamentally understands out of his body."

"Give me some examples."

"I've only ever seen him do various blades, office supplies, and cloth."

"Is it limitless?"

"I don't know but didn't seem too into the idea of me using too much of that cloth."

"As long as he says 'yes' I guess it will have to do."

"How much time do you have to get this done?"

"I pretty much have to gather everyone together and submit them for orientation by the end of today."

"And by the end of the day they mean midnight or?"

"Six in the afternoon."

"Oof, you'd think they give you more time to put something like this together."

"They gave me a month."

"Why are you just now getting to this!?"

"I was waiting for you!"

"You were still missing one other person besides me!"

"Well I was waiting on your input too!"

"Why are we just sitting here!?"

"I thought your assessment was going to take longer! I have this room for another forty minutes! The danger room is very difficult to reserve when you can't read!"

"Okay, you go after Crystal and ask Logan where his daughter is. I'll go after Yuuto and see if he knows where Jono is. We'll meet up in the foyer and work our way from there."

"Whoa now. I'm the Green team leader here. I will decide who does what."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Fine, what should we do Miss supreme green team leader?"

"Wait five minutes and we'll then do everything you just said."

"This is a strange flex of authority."

"Scott told me that in times of stress it's important to take a moment for yourself."

"Can I at least leave to do my part?"

"No, I'm taking your moment too."

"Ugh," said a frustrated Kenna.

"Oh, and you're going to need this now," she said opening the box. Inside the box was a peculiar looking wrist accessory.

"What is it?"

"One of the reasons you were released."

"But that doesn't look like my kind eyes and gentle face at all."

"Tessa said 'It will inhibit the more robust parts of her personality'," Franny said flourishing her wrist.

"What?"

"It will stop you from getting big." Kenna snatched it from her and put it on. Despite its simple looking design, it automatically adjusted perfectly to her wrist.

"How does it work?"

"If you get any bigger than you currently are it will start digging into you."

"Cool! Does this mean I can take showers like a normal person!?"

"Yes?"

"Cool," she said, staring down at the device in awe, "I can't tell you how long it's been since I've had a normal shower."

"I don't think it was designed for that though."

"Are you telling me this thing isn't waterproof!?"

"No, I'm telling you It might hurt. Like kind of a lot."

"I'm okay with this," Kenna looked over at the coffee maker, "Is that supposed to my old coffee maker?"

"Yeah, I asked Kitty to put it in."

"Why?"

"I wanted it to feel like our old room, but our old room didn't really have any distinguishing features other than what we brought in. And that was the only thing I ever really saw of yours."

"Does it work?"

"How can you sit around thinking about making coffee with sophisticated alien technology! We only have till six!" yelled Franny as she got up to leave the room.

"Wait! What!? Wait!" yelled Kenna chasing after her.

When they got back to the surface, they split off to do their part. Kenna didn't exactly recall where Yuuto's room was. She had only ever gotten there through unusual means and had only ever left using equally unusual means.

"Hi Ellie! I need to-," Ellie tried to close the door on her. Kenna fought back pressing against the door.

"This isn't your room anymore! Go away!" yelled Ellie.

"Yes it is! Let me in!" yelled Kenna.

"Where's your key!?"

"They haven't given it back yet!" Kenna forced the door open, "Turn around."

"What? Why?"

"Never mind! Unlike your brother, I don't even need you for this part." One brief struggle later and Kenna was being expunged from Elliot's chest onto the floor of his room.

"Hi Elliot. Hi Chu Chu. Have you seen Yuuto?" asked Kenna getting up.

"You have to be kidding me!" said Chudame waving his three arms around.

"We have a door!" yelled Elliot.

"Shush Elliot shush, you are the door. Where's Yuuto?"

"Were we not clear last time. You can't be here. Please leave," said Chudame.

"Tell me where Yuuto is and I'll leave."

"I don't know. I never see him. I don't think this is even his room anymore."

"Yuuto! Get out here! I know you're some fake wall or some shit." She felt around the walls, ceiling, and floors frantically looking for any signs of a false structure. She found none. While she was inspecting the window, she noticed the lock was broken. "Where's Jono's room?" she asked.

"Right above ours? Why?" said Chudame. Kenna opened the window. There was a small rope dangling from the window above. She grabbed it pulling herself up to the next floor.

"Hey!" she yelled, knocking on the window. Jono opened and looked down at her. Even with only half of his face hidden behind a covering he was visibly confused. "I know we haven't seen each other in a while, and to be honest I don't know what happened to you since that night, but would you like to join the X-men? I'll have barely anything to do with it other than this conversation." She started slipping down the rope. "Ah crap. Please say yes, find Yuuto, ask him to join too, and meet us in the foyer!" Before Jono could grab her, she slipped and fell into the well-kept bushes below. She screamed all the way down, gaining the attention of everyone on that side of the building just time to watch her awkwardly limp-run her way back to the foyer.

"Franny!" yelled Kenna running back into the building. Franny and Crystal were waiting there with an animal carrier.

"What happened to you?" asked Franny.

"I fell off a building. Hi Crystal, how are you doing? It's been awhile." Crystal hugged her, "Crystal you're hurting me."

"Sorry," said Crystal. She looked Kenna over. "Can I get you some water?"

"No I'm good. Those scratches can heal themselves."

"Already? Kenna it's like an hour since you got back here. How did you fall off a building in that time?"

"Where's Logan's daughter?" asked Kenna.

"In here," said Franny tapping the animal carrier."

"You're joking," said Kenna.

"Nope," said Franny.

"Ah!" yelled Kenna opening the cage.

"I wouldn't do that."

"Hi little girl my name is Kenna and I'm here to, ah!"

"What!?"

"Why is she bound and gagged!?" Kenna found out the very moment why when she untied the small child. Two arm length blades popped out of her knuckles with "snikt" and plunged themselves into Kenna's stomach. Kenna tried to fight her off but she just kept on stabbing her yelling something in angry spanish.

"Do you feel good about yourself now?"

"She's stabbing me! Why is she stabbing me!?" Kenna yelled as the tiny feral girl pursued her around the foyer.

"Crystal would care to keep her alive while she learns this valuable lesson?" yelled Franny. Crystal spun her finger around Kenna pulling water into her wounds.

"Get her off of me!" yelled Kenna spewing steam from her stab wounds.

"I don't know, she seems kind of dangerous."

"It's okay! I got her tiny girl arms! I think I can-." Two more blades popped out of her feet.

"Ahh! She's stabbing me with her feet now! AHH! WHY!?"

"Wait, where's your people?" asked Franny.

"I talked to Jono before I fell off the building! Ah! He was supposed to find Yuuto for me! Isn't anybody going to stop this!?"

"I think we just need to let this play itself out. She's bound to get tired eventually." The tiny feral child lost interest in getting burned by Kenna's steam and ran on all fours towards Franny. "Oh shit." Franny popped her wings and flew up just out of her reach. The child jumped wildly flailing her claws at her. "Crystal!" yelled Franny. A fireball manifested in her other hand. "Crystal no! We're indoors!"

"Sorry!" Crystal whipped her arms around trapping the child in a sphere of water.

"Good job team. See I'm good at this." said Franny landing.

"Wait isn't she going to drown like that?" asked Kenna.

"Oh that's right. That's like her only other weakness." It was at that time Jono and Yuuto arrived to see three women drowning a kid. They both went into a more offensive mindset.

"Wait, it's not what it looks like! Crystal let her go!" Crystal looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Just do it and keep the water coming!" Crystal released the child who immediately went back to stabbing Kenna again.

"Ow! See! Ow!" They weren't convinced. "Fine, you can have her. Go nuts." Kenna tossed the unruly child at them. She would have killed Jono if she hadn't stabbed him right in his big fuck off beam of a chest. His whole front side erupted into a furnace of iridescent energy sending her into the wall. The angry Spanish stopped. Franny looked at her watch. She didn't know how to read it, but she assumed they were going to be late anyway.

"Kenna, help me dig the kid out of the wall. Anybody else who wants to be an X-men get on the elevator now!"