Strategy X

A Caucasian girl with a tall and athletic figure was taking pictures for her school's newspaper. She had long red hair, which flowed freely down her back and green eyes. She's wearing a form–fitting pale purple shirt with a slight V–neck that shows her navel, tan khakis and brown open–toed sandals. She also has gold bracelets on each of her wrists, and rings on her index fingers, and thumbs.

A guy with blonde hair, a football player scored a touchdown as the girl took a picture of him as he asks, "Hey Jean, did you get that for the yearbook?"

Jean moved the camera down as she said, "No this is for my personal collection."

"Da, and it is a good picture comrade." Jean looked at a muscular young man with black hair and blue eyes who was speaking with a Russian accent.

"Thanks, Piotr." She smiled.

This young man is Piotr Nikolayevich Rasputin. He wore a white sleeve-less shirt, blue jeans and knee high red boots.

A handsome Caucasian man with tall and lean frame watching the game while having a quarter go between his fingers. He has clean cut brown hair; his eyes were covered by ruby quartz glasses. He is wearing blue sweater over a pale–yellow shirt, tan pants with a brown belt and light brown shoes. This is Scott Summers. He was watching Jean and the player walk back to the bench when one of the players came to Duncan as he said, "Hey look at that."

He pointed to a pale guy light green hue with shabby light brown hair, which was in almost like a miniature mullet fashion. His eyes possessed that of bright yellow nature. He wore a long sleeved brown shirt, rolled up past his elbows. Underneath that, he wore a long sleeved white shirt. He also wore a pair of blue jeans, with huge tears on where the knees were. He wore a pair of white sneakers, untied.

Duncan's friend said "Tolansky is at it again." Tolansky takes a wallet from a guy's pocket and takes the money out smiling evilly.

Duncan smirked and turned his head towards the coach as he asks, "Hey coach, can we be excused for a second?"

The Coach look at the scoreboard with Home: 49 and Visitor: 17 as he said "Yeah, yeah just hustle back." He waves his hand for them to hurry.

Duncan and his two football buddies go with him with Jean watching them take off after Tolansky.

Scott accidentally dropped his quarter as he said, "Oh man my cash." He and his friend saw a hand taking a wallet as he said. "Hey check it. Looks like someone is taking up a collection."

His friend asked, "Wow should we call the cops?"

Scott said, "Hold that option over." He walks down the bleachers.

Meanwhile, Tolansky looked around and grabbed another wallet as he said, "Got another one." He starts laughing then get pulled back by the football guys and lands on his back with cash floating around him coming from his pockets.

Duncan said walking up to him "Well if it ain't Toady Tolansky picking up a little spare change."

Tolansky said crawling back a bit. "Uh, hi Duncan look I can explain."

Duncan said, "Shut up frog face!" He grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the metal fence.

The brown football player said pounding his fist with his hand. "Let's crush him Dunc."

Scott said. "Let's not Dunc just chill. The wallets are still there. How about we have him give back the cash? No harm done."

Tolansky said nodding his head. "Yeah, Yeah, see here's the money." He holds up the money that he stolen from people's wallets as Duncan ask, "What do care about this scummo Summers?"

Scott shrugged as he said crossing his arms.

"Not much, but I'm not crazy about three against one either." He asks, "So how about we settle this peacefully?"

Duncan said "I think me and my buds are gonna squash this slime ball. So, you and your stupid sunglasses at night can just bail."

Duncan lifted Toad up into the air then threw him on the ground.

Toad yelped as he hit the ground. Scott lowered his glasses a bit while Duncan was about to put his foot on Toad. As Scott said, "I said knock it off!" He grabbed Duncan and made him go away from Toad then he threw Duncan and made him run into the other two players making them fall back and hit the ground. Toad got up and hopped away from the scene.

The guys get up and saw Toad as the brown player said pointing at toad "He's getting away."

The two guys go after him dropping Duncan.

Duncan got up and growled as he said, "Big mistake Summers." He swung a fist at Scott.

Jean came around and saw them fighting as she said, "Scott no!"

Scott turns his head at Jean then gets punched right at the jaw as Jean said "Scott!"

Scott hit the metal pillar and his glasses fell off making his eyes shoot beams right at Duncan. The beams kept on going till it hit a propane tank and made it blow up in the distance.

Everyone was running away from the explosion while Jean stood there shock and scared.

A car drove by as the window close revealing a bold man, this man is known as Charles Xavier as he looks at the area while fire fighters and ambulances were clearing the area up from the explosion.

Jean and Piotr went to the spot where Scott was.

When the two arrived, they saw a reporter standing in front of the burning debris.

"Who are you?" Jean asked.

"Clark Kent. I was on assignment for the Daily Planet in Metropolis when the explosion took place." Clark introduced himself. Then, he pulled his head back and inhaled before releasing a strong wind that instantly cooled the wood down.

"I'll handle this." Piotr declared as he assumed a armored form and moved the block of wood. Jean then levitated the glasses and caught them. She then walked over to Scott who had his eyes closed as she ask, "You okay?" She put the glasses back on.

Scott opened his eyes as he said. "Jean, oh wow I…"

"You should probably leave, comrade." Piotr advised.

Duncan had his helmet removed as a medic said "Take it easy, son. Try not to move."

The officer asked, "What happened here?"

Duncan said. "Uh, my head." The medic put a flashlight over his eyes as Duncan said, "Can't remember."

The medic said. "Concussion. He's been hit in the head."

The Officer looked at where the explosion is as he said, "It looks to me like–"

Charles began to enter the officer's mind causing his eyes to widen then turn back to normal as he said. "Of course. Must've been a leak in the propane tank."

Jean walked to Duncan's side as she asks. "Duncan, are you alright?"

Duncan said, "Hey, Jean." As he said. "Yeah, you know me." As he said knocking his head with his fist. "Skull like concrete. Ow."

Jean said "Oh, you poor baby."

Scott stayed away in the distance watching Jean talk with Duncan then walk over to the ambulance.

Toad walks up to Scott and looks at the scene with him as he said. "Uh, thanks. Really, you know."

Scott said angrily "Yeah." He walked away.

Toad watched Scot head to his car Toad leaned down then saw a fly go around. He shot out his tongue and caught the fly. He made it go in his mouth then ate it and hopped away.

Charles said "Things are under control, for now. But we better hurry. We've got a train to catch."

The person he was talking to was an African American woman with blue eyes with long white hair, wearing a white blouse a long purple skirt with reddish purple shredded ends, and tan open–toed sandals. She also has golden and purple bracelets with matching gold hop earrings, a gold choker necklace and a single gold anklet with a reddish–purple bandana–like headband wrap on her head. This is Ororo Monroe, also known as Storm, drove the car away from the scene of the accident.

Charles is now in a wheel chair as he and Storm were at the train station was nearly empty that late at night. Storm looked around for a young man in his teens. A young man with blonde hair walked off the train as she asks "Kurt?"

Charles said, "That's not Kurt," He then turn to the end as he said, "This is."

Kurt came out of the train covered in a grey coat with his face covered by a hood carrying two duffel bags.

A man wearing a brown jacket over a black shirt, blue jeans and black shoes wearing a helmet was driving a motorcycle on the road before parking outside a small convenient store. Removing his helmet, he donned a battered cowboy hat and headed inside. Hardly had he made it through the door when a newspaper stand caught his attention. Specifically, the name 'Bayville' mentioned in the margins of the front page article as he said "Hmm. Trouble at home." As the owner ask, "You want that paper?"

The man took the newspaper as he said walking up the cashier "That's why I'm holdin' it, bub. Bottle of water too. Cold." He looked up revealing his brown eyes, the owner took a water from the refrigerator while the man placed down a twenty–dollar bill.

As the owner said, "Warm weather we're havin' for this time o' year," He placed the bottle down as the man took it while the owner took back the bills. Ringing up the purchases, he heard something being sliced, but missed seeing it. All he saw was the spinning top portion of the glass bottle as it settled on the counter as he asks, "Huh?"

A second later, the bottom half of the bottle was slapped back down on the counter, empty. The man finish the water then place the bottom on the counter as he asks, "Recycle that, will ya?" He then left with the owner look in shock as the man walk to his motorcycle but unknown to him he was being watch by a man with long blonde hair, amber eyes wearing brown clothes was watching him then growling in anger.

The next day, Jean and Scott were preparing to go to school. Scott was ready but was waiting on Jean who was in the bathroom brushing her hair.

A man in native American style clothing was walking down the hallway when he saw Scott standing outside. This is John Proudstar.

"Let me guess, she's taking forever." John assumed.

"Yeah." Scott nodded.

"I see." John replied, then knocked on the door. "Hey Jean, hurry up. I need to use the bathroom."

"One second Thunderbird." Jean said.

Scott asked, "Look you want me to blow this door…" Then Jean opened the door as Scott asked, "…down?"

Jean asked as ran her finger along his chin. "So are we going or what?"

Scott smiled sheepishly as she walked ahead of him. The two went down the staircase in the entryway as Scott said, "We're heading out Professor."

Charles said. "Just a moment you two. Come here. I'd like you to meet someone."

Jean and Scott walked into the study and found a hooded figure as Charles said. "This is Kurt Wagner. He just arrived last night."

Scott said waving "Hey, Kurt. This is Jean. I'm Scott."

Jean waved as Scott ask holding out his hand "How you doing?"

Kurt backed away as Charles said, "Kurt, you're among friends here."

Jean came walking up to the professor. Kurt took his hand out of his pocket revealing his hand blue with three fingers then shook hands with Scott as he said in a German accent. "Hello."

Scott and Jean were shock at this Kurt took his hand back as Charles said. "I was just telling Kurt how I set up this institute for gifted youngsters. Youngsters whose gifts are not always an asset." As he asks, turning to Scott. "Right Scott?"

Scott said, "Uh so you heard about last night."

Charles said with a raised eyebrow. "Difficult not to. It was on all the news channels."

Scott said, "It was a bad situation, and there was an accident." He rubbed the back of his neck as he said, "I'm sorry."

Charles said. "I know. Fortunately, no one was badly hurt and the true cause was not discovered. But you must be more careful, Scott."

Scott said, "Come on, professor! I'm packing a bazooka behind each eyeball!" As he asks, "What do you want from me?"

Charles said "Control, Scott! That's what you're here to learn. That's why you're all here." He turns to Kurt as he said, "Scott's eyes emit a destructive optic blast beam."

Kurt took off his head revealing his blue hair and yellow eyes as he said "Cool."

Jean turned to Kurt as she said. "How about you Kurt? Got a special gift that brought you here."

Kurt teleported himself away from Jean in a puff of smoke and appeared in a corner of the room as he said. "Maybe."

Scott and Jean said at the same time "Whoa."

Charles said "I'll be helping Kurt get settled in. We can talk more tonight."

Tolansky was at school at the office waiting at the principal's office the door opened revealing a woman with short orderly dark brown hair and Brown eyes. She has black rimmed glasses and white semi sphere ratings. She has a necklace with a white piece at the front. She's wearing a dark grey suit jacket over a light lavender, shirt. She also is wearing a matching dark grey skirt. With dark stalking and formal heels. She has light pink lipstick and red nail polish, this is Principal Darkhölme as she asks. "Mr. Tolansky?"

Tolansky turned to her then stood up and walked to her office while she began to smell a foul scent waving trying to get rid of it then closed the door and rubbed her nose as she said walking to the window. "Excuse me a moment while I open a window."

Tolansky sat on the chair as the principal opened the window as she said "There." She then walks back to her desk as she said. "Now, Toad, shall we talk about your new friend, Scott Summers?"