Chapter 3

There was nothing left. Kenna had hoped that at least some of her possessions had survived her event but almost all that was left of the room she had been assigned was a sealed door frame adorned with caution tape. Now all she had was literally the tattered clothes on her back.

"Hello again!" said Kitty tapping her on the shoulder. Kenna jumped a little.

"Hi," she said, catching her breath.

"That really sucks about your room."

"Did anybody, you know?"

"Die?"

"Yeah, that."

"No,"

"Oh thank goodness."

"They were horribly injured though."

"Fuck."

"But don't worry they're fine. Elixir patched them up good as new."

"Elixir?" Kenna asked as they walked down the hall.

"He's a mutant that can heal people. He's pretty cool but I hope you never have to meet him."

"Why?"

"Because that usually means you've been horribly injured, duh."

"So what happens now?"

"Well, do you have a place to sleep?"

"No?"

"Then we're going to have to find you a new place to sleep."

"What about Franny?"

"We'll find her a new place to sleep too."

"Are there that many rooms still available?"

"No, we're going to have to double up on rooms."

"Do we have to?"

"As a mutant do you have any special needs that would prevent you from living with other students?"

"I occasionally horribly injure people if I'm not too careful. Does that count?"

"No, that happens all the time."

"Really?"

"Really."

"What kind of need would give you a private room here?"

"Well, for example, we have a student that emits harmful radiation. Her room is lined in lead and away from the main campus."

"You're shitting me."

"Nope."

"You're telling me I could get cancer going to class with somebody here."

"They go to class in a hazmat suit. You'll be fine."

"What if I, you know."

"Terrorize the townsfolk again?"

"Yeah,"

"We deal with that stuff on a case by case basis, but for the most part as long as you're not doing it to get a private room they're pretty understanding," Kitty stopped, "Oh hey can you sign please."

"Sure what is it?" The paper Kitty handed her said "Sign here for distraction." Her eyes didn't even have time to leave the page before Kitty plunged her hand into Kenna's stomach and pulled out the pill Peter was asking her to take. Kenna could only stand there in a stunned silence as Kitty wiped it off with a rag and put it in her purse.

"So we're putting you in room 16A on the ground floor. I think you'll like your new roomies" she said walking away.

"What even was that even!?" yelled Kenna.

"What was what?"

"You just jammed your whole hand into my stomach!"

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did! I felt it! It was awful! You even handed me this paper to distract me!"

"Do you have any idea how hard it would have been for me to do that? I would have had to know exactly where your stomach is, phase only my hand, then un-phase only part of my hand to grab the pill, then re-phase everything to get it out. You'd have to be like some kind of badass to pull that off," she said walking down the stairs

"I didn't even say anything about the pill," she said following her.

"It's not my handwriting anyway."

"If you'd ask I would have given it back, eventually."

"That's what they all say," she said, stopping in front of the door.

"Is this it?"

"Yup, here's a copy of the key, try not to kill anybody, and I hope you have a great semester."

"Thank you?" said Kenna watching Kitty quickly walk away.

"You're welcome!" Kitty yelled back. She faced the door with the key in hand. The beginning might have been a bumpy start but this was her chance to push past and get everything straight.

"Hello, my name is Kenna and it's a pleasure to meet you!" said Kenna offering her hand to the only other person in the room.

"This is wrong," she said nervously. She was younger and much paler than Kenna with preference for the corner of the room farthest away from the door. Kenna looked at her hand. After a moment of self-deliberation she offered the strange woman her other hand. "Hi I'm Kenna and it's a pleasure to meet you?"

"You're not supposed to be here." Kenna dropped her hand and checked the door lock with her key.

"Well, I mean, the key fits."

"You don't understand. I'm not supposed to be here either. At least not yet. None of this makes sense."

"Is it like a thing here not to introduce yourself?" yelled Kenna.

"Layla, Layla Miller."

"Thank you! And I'm sorry. It's been a long day and I'm tired so this is my room until somebody with a little more authority tells me otherwise," she said sitting down on the bed opposite of her.

"I'm supposed to be at the orphanage."

"Are you the only one in this room?"

"No, there are two others. They're not supposed to be here either."

"Where are they?"

"Dinner I think."

"Dinner?" Kenna looked out the window, "What's today?"

"August sixteenth."

"Fuck, I missed all my classes. Do you by any chance have Natural Sciences with Ms. Munroe?"

"No."

"World History with Mr. Howlett?"

"No."

"Accounting 101 with Mr. Drake?"

"No."

"German 101 with Mr. Wagner?"

"No."

"P.E. with Mr. Summers?"

"No."

"Camp Xavier with, Xavier?"

"No."

"Oh come on, I think all the freshmen are required to take that one."

"School, like actual school, was never the focus of this place."

"What?"

"It was more of an afterthought."

"Are you telling me this place isn't accredited?"

"I'm telling you this isn't how this place runs and there are people here that shouldn't be, like you."

"That's rude! You're rude! Is your mutation being super rude?! Cause that's what it feels like right now!"

"No, I just know things. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come across like that. I just have a pre-conceived notion of how events are supposed to unfold here."

"So you've seen the future?"

"A few of them actually."

"What happens next?"

"I don't know. I don't even know where we are in the order of events. All I know is that there are people here that are separate from the future I know so either events won't unfold like they are supposed to or your choices will be so insignificant that it won't affect them at all."

"Mhmm, mhmm, interesting. I'm hungry, you wanna get something to eat?"

"Does this not bother you at all?"

"I can't control the future and, after having this conversation with you, I don't think you can either. So let's just enjoy the ride."

"But you can."

"Food."

"You're doing it now!"

"Food!" Kenna yelled leaving the room. She walked briskly to where the dining hall was. The hunger pings in her stomach had finally caught up to her and the "provided meals" was one of her major selling points for coming here. They didn't disappoint either. Even though she had arrived late there was still plenty of stroganoff left.

"Kenna!" yelled Franny from across the room.

"You!" Kenna yelled back, struggling to choose between yelling at Franny and getting food.

"Kenna! Kenna Kenna Kenna," Franny said running towards her.

"No! I am angry at you!" Kenna yelled from the stroganoff line.

"I know! I was angry at myself too! But I found out some stuff!"

"Why didn't you turn off the water!? People got hurt!"

"I think I died!"

"That's no excuse! I trusted you! Wait, what?"

"I'm pretty sure something killed me," Kenna looked around and poked her with a spoon, "I'm not a ghost."

"Explain."

"Ghosts don't exist."

"No the other thing."

"I got there and-,"

"Wait, is this a long story?"

"It has some nuance, yes." Kenna grabbed her bowl of food and sat at the nearest table.

"Okay go."

"I got there and a short but very angry Canadian stopped me due to a miss-communication."

"He killed you!?"

"No, but he did shut me down pretty quick. It felt like he does that type of thing often."

"I thought you said you died."

"I did! At least I'm mostly certain I did. Everything I told you is implanted memories."

"Implanted memories?"

"Yeah, some dude found me and literally walked me through the memory and pointed out the inconsistencies."

"Literally?"

"He was a telepath. A really good one. He said it looked like Prof. Xavier's work. He really hates that guy."

"Prof Xavier?" Franny glared at her, "To be fair you sounds like a crazy person right now. I've met the guy, sort of. He's nice."

"He has a bit of a history."

"Of being a generous and thoughtful human being?"

"Of manipulation."

"I don't know Franny."

"Elixir knew me."

"The guy here that heals horribly injured people?"

"Yes, I have never met him before, but he knew me. I don't think anybody told him my memories were changed."

"Or! Since he's the doctor he's already familiar with all of us and our crazy medical needs."

"It's inside me."

"Okay, you really need to start giving me some context before you start saying words."

"I think Elixir missed it. There is just a claw or something sitting in me."

"How could you possibly know that?" Franny handed Kenna a flashlight and pulled up her shirt.

"Point it here."

"Oh, you're transparent."

"Only at certain angles and only with certain lights."

"Cool."

"I know."

"Is that it?"

"Yes."

"It doesn't look like a claw."

"Well, what does it look like? I've only been able to look at it through a mirror."

"It's like a bug leg."

"Hey guys!" said Kitty, sitting down next to Franny. She quickly lowered her shirt. "Whatcha looking at?"

"Nothing," said Franny.

"She's transparent. I was watching her food digest. You wanna watch?"

"No, I'm good. Thanks for the offer though. So, I know you've been through a lot through such a short period of time, but do you know about the dining hall rules?"

"No?" said Kenna.

"There's not a lot of them. No fighting, the two choices for dinner are take it or leave it, and if you didn't help cook you better help clean, etc." Kenna looked around. Some students around her had already started cleaning.

"Is there a third option?"

"Did you help cook?"

"No, I just got here."

"Then you better help clean."

"I'm not super into cleaning, is there anything else I can do?"

"That's a good question. Let's ask Elliot. Hey Elliot, is there anything else she can do?" Elliot turned around to reveal that the mop he was using was phased through both of his arms. He shook his head. "Are you sure Elliot? Kenna really wants to do something else. Anything else really." He shook his head again. "Oh I'm really sorry. Elliot says no."

"That's messed up!" said Kenna.

"And a really good way to teach people about respect! For the dining room of course."

"I'll get right on it!"

"You can finish your food first."

"I'll finish my food first!"

"Great, and remember, have fun!" she said walking away.

"You coward," said Franny.

"Did you see what she did to Elliot? She's insane!"

"She's also a twig. You can take her."

"She yanked something out of my stomach and lied about it to my face! I think she's trying to establish dominance or something," Franny paused for a moment, "Franny?"

"Look at it again," she said, pulling up her shirt.

"Why?"

"Just do it." Kenna checked again.

"Am I looking in the right spot?"

"Yes, why?"

"It's gone."

"Bitch!"

"When did she even?!"

"It must have been when we looked at Elliot!"

"Why Elliot?! Why!?" yelled Kenna.

"I am fused to a mop!" Elliot yelled back.

"And whose fault is that!?" Franny yelled back, "Do you think we can catch her?"

"To be fused into the walls never to be seen again? It's a bold plan but I think we can pull it off."

"Coward!"

"I believe you. Isn't that enough?"

"I guess, so what are you going to do now?"

"Nothing?"

"They're hiding something."

"So? As long as it doesn't involve me. I don't care."

"How do you know you're not involved? How do you know your memories haven't been altered too?"

"I don't care! I could be bursting at the seams with fake memories but as long as that degree is real it doesn't matter."

"What are you even majoring in?"

"Literary arts."

"Kenna."

"I stand by that decision."

"Kenna I'm from the literal gutter and I know that's a worthless degree."

"You're a worthless degree."

"What are you even going to use it for? And don't tell me it's to teach literary arts," Kenna took another bite of food, "Really?"

"It sounds like an easy job."

"You're perpetuating a cycle of uselessness."

"I'm sorry! What are your plans for the future!?"

"To survive!"

"Everybody can hear you. You know that right?" said Elliot.

"Shut up Elliot!" They both yelled.

"I'm just saying you both talk really loud!" yelled Elliot.

"I cannot think with Elliot's constant interruptions. I'm going to bed," said Franny.

"Aren't you going to help clean?"

"No," Kenna glanced at Elliot, "I refuse to be afraid of anyone that calls herself kitty."

"That's not her real name?"

"It's Kathrine, I don't know where she gets 'kitty' from."

"They both start with the same letter."

"Shut your filthy literary arts mouth," she said, getting up.

"Wait!"

"What?"

"Don't you care about what happened to me?"

"Does it relate to my thing in any way?"

"No?"

"Then I don't care."

"I'm covered in bite marks! Dinosaur bite marks!"

"Yeah, why haven't you taken care of them?"

"I think they're cool."

"Well good luck with that." Once her food was consumed she begrudgingly helped clean the dining area. Which was a spectacle unto itself. Some of the students had taken to using their mutations to get the various jobs done more quickly. Or at least they tried. In the end Kenna learned that just because you can superheat your hands doesn't mean it's useful for drying dishes. She stuck to scrubbing with gloves, carefully. When she got back to her room there was an unfamiliar face waiting to greet her.

"Hello, I am Elizabeth Danvers. It is nice to meet you," said the pointy eared green woman with ridges along her chin. Her accent was strange to say the least. It was almost Australian in a subtle way. The outstretched hand of friendship was a nice change of pace though.

"Kenna Knox and it truly is a pleasure to meet you."

"And what is your ability?" Kenna cocked her head at the question.

"I absorb water. Where's Layla?"

"Ah," Elizabeth poured herself a cup of water and threw it on her. Kenna was horrified.

"What the fuck are you doing!?" Kenna screamed as some of her wounds closed up.

"Is that steam?"

"Okay it also heals me too. Where's Layla?"

"Who's Layla?" she asked, filling another cup full of water.

"Don't you dare throw that at me."

"Relax this one is for drinking."

"Alright, that's fine I guess." Elizabeth threw that cup at her too.

"You said it was for drinking!"

"It was for your drinking," she said, filling another glass. Kenna turned off the faucet. Elizabeth looked her over.

"You're bigger."

"Do not throw water at me." Elizabeth dropped the glass into the sink.

"Okay."

"Layla, our roommate, was she not here when you got here?"

"The room was empty."

"She probably knew you were coming."

"Have I offended you?"

"Yes! Greatly! Bad first impressions!"

"Why? It was only an experiment."

"Do not experiment on me!"

"Is that not why you are here? To test your abilities?"

"I am painfully aware of what I am capable of, thank you."

"How much water can you absorb?"

"Too much."

"What is your rate of regeneration?"

"Fast enough."

"What is the ratio of water to mass?"

"What is the ratio of 'none of' to 'your business?'"

"You're useless."

"What's your ability!? And how long does it take you to do it and other stupid questions?" Elizabeth seamlessly shifted her form to look like Kenna clothes and all. It was almost a perfect imitation except she was two inches shorter. Kenna filled a cup of water and splashed it on her. There was no change.

"Ah don't throw water at me," the fake Kenna mocked.

"So you can change into me, but you don't get my stuff at all?"

"No, why would I get those? I would have to be some kind of super-shapeshifter and that would be silly."

The door opened. A heavier girl with glasses peeked in and backed out after seeing them.

"Who was that?" asked Kenna.

"I have never seen her."

The new girl opened the door again and entered meekly.

"Um, I think you all have the wrong room."

"Hello, I am Kenna. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, not even bothering to offer her hand.

"Ellie, can you please get out of my room," said Ellie.

"Are you Layla's roommate?" asked Kenna.

"Yeah, um, do you know where she is? She was supposed to clean the restrooms with me."

"We clean our own restrooms?" asked Kenna.

"There's a schedule. You might want to, um, look at it."

"Hello, I am Elizabeth Danvers, it is nice to meet you," Elizabeth said, stretching her hand.

"Ellie," she said gingerly, shaking her hand.

"What is your ability?"

"Trust me, don't tell her," said Kenna.

"Tell me!" Elizabeth shouted, squeezing her hand.

"I'm a portal!" said Ellie.

"Portal?"

"To what?" asked Kenna.

"Nothing."

"Pure nothing. Like space?" asked Elizabeth.

"No, um, I'm sorry you can have the room. I'm sorry." Elizabeth didn't let go, "Please let go."

"How are you this portal?"

"Please let me go."

"Kenna hand me a pen."

"I won't lie, I am genuinely curious to see where this goes, but this is also a little messed up. You need to let her go."

"Catch."

"What?" Elizabeth swung Ellie around into Kenna and closed the door.

"Help!" yelled Ellie.

"Help? There's no help. We're just talking, like friends do. We're friends right?"

"No we're not."

"And friends tell each other things."

"No they don't."

"So, I know we're not friends either but can you tell me why my hand is sinking into your back?" asked Kenna, wrist deep in Ellie's back.

"What!? Really? Let me see!" said Elizabeth.

"Oh no, can you pull it out?" asked Ellie.

"Nope, and it's pulling me in. Uncomfortably quick," said Kenna.

"Oh no oh no oh no," said Ellie pulling out her phone.

"Yes," said Elizabeth.

"Ellie, where does your back go?" asked Kenna.

"Hey, um, yeah you're about to have company," Ellie said into the phone.

"Who are you talking to? Where am I going!? These are things I need to know!" yelled Kenna arm deep.

"I love this! This is great! This is my favorite day!" said Elizabeth. Kenna grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing?"

"Dragging you in with me?" Kenna said before her head was pulled in.

"No! I don't go in the portal! You go in the portal! You don't not pull me in the portal!" she said, struggling to no avail.

"Hi, um, yeah me again. Looks like you're getting two of them," Ellie said into the phone.