X-Men: Another Story 01

One – New Girl

“God Damn it!” The frustrated yells of the strange new student echoed down the school corridor even though it was surprisingly loud for this period, everyone looked round at the girl struggling with her locker. “What!” The girl snapped moving the crowd on and kicking the stupid locker. The new student was standing out as it was without the yelling, like most American public schools there was no set uniform but appearing in a black tartan skirt with white crosses and a lot of white and black poofy under layers, fishnet stockings held up with suspenders, mid calf length black boots with a four inch heel and a ton of buckles around them, a white gothic blouse, black waist coat and a waist length black jacket with white feathers around the neck, cuffs and waist line would naturally draw attention.

“Did you forget your code?” Someone suddenly asked opening their locker which was right next to the struggling teens.

“No!” She snapped back thinking that the shorter girl with stupidly long red hair and dark eyes was mocking her. “I have it right here but it won’t open…”

“That lock is awful, it always sticks… here let me help.” The shorter teenager who the new girl thought to be a freshman glanced at the code quickly spun the lock backwards and forwards in the right formation then slammed it against the locker popping open the mechanism. “There we go… if you plan on keeping that locker I suggest you invest in a new lock.”

“Thanks... Erm…”

“The names Kari, Kari Alkia.”

“Huh? But your accent…”

“Yeah a lot of people comment on it… I’ve been in America for three years and I still haven’t kicked this English accent but I have a Japanese name. My mother was half Japanese or something, I always took her name.”

“Oh… Well I’m Nanashi, Nanashi Hikage. Thanks for the help Kari-san.”

“Hey Kari you’re going to be late!” A tall brown haired teen with sunglasses yelled down the corridor.

“Ah I better be going… I’ll see you around Nanashi.”

“Yeah Ja-ne.”

“The New student of Bayville High school is sophomore Nanashi Hikage aged 17 a transfer student from Japan. She lives alone in a rented flat on the other side of the town. No previous school history is known nor was any previous fixed address; her parents are situated in Paris, France along with two much younger siblings. From the schools entry forms it seems Nanashi Hikage has nothing to do with her family including being cut off from all funds and any legal work is dealt with by their lawyer with no need for direct contact with anything to do with the teenager.”

“Oh that’s nice…”

“Are you positive you sensed something within her Kari?”

“Positive even Raoul felt something. She was getting stressed out with her locker and I swear she was trying to make sure her powers weren’t set off.”

“So her powers are connected to her emotions… that would make sense to why I only felt a little presence of some new power.”

“Very well… Logan, Gambit, I would like you two to keep an eye on this girl, I’ll see if I can also track her down and confirm your suspicions.”

Although the day had seemed nice it had started to rain heavily and Nanashi been caught by the rain on her way home decided to wait it out in a small café/bakery she found.

“Welcome… Oh Nanashi!” Nanashi was surprised to see that the girl behind the counter was the same girl who had helped her with the locker earlier. Looking around; the café was quite a small place with two tables by the three quarter length windows and another five tables dotted around ranging from two to four chairs. The counter was positioned in the right corner as you entered and ran along most of the back wall. There were bright flowers in window boxes in the bays and white table cloths on the round tables. China teapots along with matching cups sat on shelves behind the counter along with other classical café/tea shop paraphernalia. The whole setting of the small shop matched the name perfectly ‘A little slice of England’.

“Kari-san! You work here?”

“I own this place.” Kari chirped, well that made sense she was English. “Can I get you anything?” Nanashi searched her pockets to find that she only had two dollars and a few yen. The red head laughed as she noticed the other teen was lacking in funds. “It’s on the house.”

“Really? I-I can’t accept that.”

“Hey Red get us some coffee and a towel it’s poring out there!” Suddenly two men came waltzing into the small café, the taller of the two wore a long brown trench coat which he removed and slung on the back of a chair revealing what looked like a full leather outfit and leather knee length boots, reminiscent of a bikers protective leathers.

“Hey…Rem, you better mop up that lake you just dragged in here!” Nanashi was surprised to hear such a change in tone in the red heads voice. She had gathered that the red head was a quite down to earth person, noting that she wore practical simple clothing that wouldn’t get in her way or bother her when at work or school and that she wore her floor length hair in a simple high pony tale.

“If you keep talking like that Cherie then you’ll chase away all your customers.” The man who Kari had called ‘Rem’ walked up towards the counter.“Who is this raven haired beauty?” Nanashi couldn’t help but blush as the man with a strong Cajun accent lent against the glass work-surface.

“Hey Swamp Rat, stop harassing the customers!” Nanashi was shocked to see another person emerge this time from the back room of the small shop. This person unlike the two scruffy looking men that had walked in from the rain wore a neatly pressed black suit which matched his deep black short hair and dark eyes…well eye since he wore a typical Japanese style eye-patch, also in black. Nanashi couldn’t help but notice how handsome the young man looked even with one eye and an unlit cigarette behind one ear.

“Ah Raoul how are things up there?” Kari asked as she passed two coffees over to ‘Rem’.

The man named Raoul stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Kari kissing her lightly on the cheek. “You might be a wonder in the kitchen but your accountancy is terrible.” Kari laughed, pulling away from the other man taking the cigarette from his ear and throwing it in a bin placed under the counter she then began preparing two coffees, Nanashi guessed for Raoul and whoever was upstairs with him.

“Who cares about all that, people come in here for my cakes and coffee not for my correct sums.”

Raoul sighed running a hand through his hair. “The tax man cares…” Taking the two coffees off the girl and giving her another small kiss this time on the lips he then disappeared back upstairs.

“Yeah and that could put off customers too.” Nanashi joked. “So I take it that Mr eye-patch is your boyfriend?”

“Yeah he’s also a multi-billionaire and a complete jerk.” The other man who had walked into the café with ‘Rem’ butted in speaking for the first time. This man was dressed less extrovertly in dirty jeans and shirt along with a short leather jacket he had also taken off, unlike ‘Rem’ who she guessed to be early to mid twenties this other guy could have easily been in his late thirties.

“He’s a multi-billionaire!” The black haired teen gasped, looks were really deceiving.

“He inherited it all.” Kari stated bluntly “So what can I get you.” Changing the subject and her tone quite suddenly Nanashi decided not to ask any further.

After a mug of Irish and a mug of hazelnut coffee along with a slice of the chocolatiest cake Kari could offer Nanashi decided it was best she left for home since the rain had now become a nothing than a slight drizzle. She thanked Kari and waved goodbye to the two men who were still sat in their places, she thought waiting out the rain like herself.

Soon after Nanashi’s departure the accountant also left and Kari decide to clean and lock up early since it seemed all business was dead.

“So did you two figure anything out about her?” The red head asked as she boxed up the left over cake left in the displays.

“Nothing…No signs of a mutant ability at all.” Logan grumbled.

“Maybe you got it wrong Cherie?”

“Are you implying that I got it wrong too?” The harsh cold voice of Raoul sounded from the back room.

“Maybe you should have followed her?” Kari suggested.

Logan raised a questionable brow. “She would have noticed.” He answered pulling out a cigar from an inner pocket only to have Kari glare at him. “One thing I can say is she aint no normal kid.”