Chronicles of the Box: Collection of Short Stories

TMNT

I watched Mom leave, taking Ben with her. Because I had gotten up early, I had to wait consciously for a longer time, waiting for this moment. Just as the car left my line of sight, I dashed downstairs. With a few lengthy strides, I crossed the span of the Family Room and entered my own bedroom. I slowed myself down a little whilst crossing the length of my room and came to an abrupt stop at my nightstand. I reached down and grabbed the box from its usual perch. The cool temperature of the box of it felt nice against my skin.

Without hesitation, I lifted the corner, revealing a glowing keypad. I remembered that I hadn’t opened the realm in mind before, so I thought of the important details previous to giving it a code. This was one realm I really did not want to mess up, so I took my time mapping it thoroughly inside my head. Satisfied enough, I pressed a new combination into the box’s memory: 8668. It hummed quietly to itself while I paced anxiously around my room, hoping I didn’t leave anything out. When the box finished processing, I worried whether or not that the world would accept me in a friendly matter. I stared apprehensively at the glittering door and entered before I could change my mind.

The atmosphere changed immediately. Instead of a humid hot, it was a humid cool. Stink met my nostrils and made me gag.

“H-hello?” I choked out, forcing my well-being away. I didn’t receive an instant reply, so I repeated it, this time more strongly. Without moving my head, I scanned this world. I was underground, but in a structure. To give it a name, I was inside a sewer system. The cell I stood in was circular and two stories tall. Stone pillars prevented the ringed second story from collapsing onto the first.

Before I could register anything else, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I whirled around in surprise.

“What are you doing here? How did you get in?”

“My name’s Abby,” I explained. “I come in peace.”

The man, though he was not really a man at all, studied me with fierce eyes. He stood at five foot two and had green skin. He didn’t wear clothes because there was nothing he had to be modest about. The figure standing just in front of me was a teenage mutant ninja turtle. “That doesn’t explain how you got in here,” he pointed out.

“I’d tell you, but I don’t think you’d understand,” I told him.

“If it’s unusual, I’m indifferent to the unusual,” he persisted.

I craned my neck to look past him. “Is Don here? If I tell you, I think maybe all of you should know.”

Leo’s eyes widened. “How. . . ?” he began, but couldn’t finished.

“I’ll tell you, but I want to tell everyone,” I said, pleading with him. “Please, Leo?”

“You spy!” he suddenly accused. “You work for the Shredder, don’t you?”

“No!” I shrieked, holding up my arms. I was taller than him, so I knelt down to make myself less of a threat, as if I were treating a dog. “I told you, I come peacefully!” I was terribly afraid of being at his mercy. “Don’t hurt me. . . .”

“Hey Leo? What’s up?” I heard Mike ask. “Who’s here?”

Leo turned around to face his brother. “I found a spy,” he said.

“I am not!” I protested.

Mike examined me. “She don’t look like much of a spy, bro.”

“Mike, Mike!” I begged. “Help me!”

“Quiet,” Leo growled, turning his attention back to me.

“Why’d you tell her my name?” Mike asked Leo, still watching me.

“I didn’t,” Leonardo snarled. “She’s a spy.”

“I am not,” I repeated. “Let me explain. Please?” I looked into Leo’s eyes, hoping mine told him the truth.

“Then I’d hurry,” he said, not moving.

“I come from a different world.” I studied his expression—unmoving. “It’s much
similar to yours, but with a few minor changes. You and your enemies aren’t there. It’s filled with different people who just have the same roles.”

“Dude, Don would dig this,” Mike butted in.

“Yes, go fetch him!” I cried. “Raph, too.”

“I’m already here,” a voice grumbled from behind. I turned around to see Raph step from the shadows. “Been here. It’s not hard to miss your screams.”

I blushed. “Sorry.” I looked around back to Leo and Mike. “Can one of you please get Don?”

“Why?” Leo demanded.

I stood back up. “I may not be a match for your fighting skills, especially with three on one, but I can easily keep up with your hostility!

“I do have some martial arts training, though, and I would be able to hold you off long enough to get what I want. All I’m asking right now is for you to fetch your brother so he wouldn’t be left out of this experience. He might not show it as plainly as Raph, but he’d want to skin you alive, I’m sure! Just get him and let me explain my purpose here.” I was fuming.

“Thanks,” I heard a new voice say. I turned around to face Don. “I think you made both your and my point.” He looked over to Leo. “Why so unfriendly to our guest? As she put it, we most certainly outmatch her, so you of all, Leonardo, could show her some respect. Besides, don’t you want to hear about this exciting alternate world of hers? Sounds very intriguing to me.”

“You were here the whole time?” I asked him.

“Of course! Your cries were enough to wake the neighborhood. I am ninja, you know. . . ?”

“Oh.” I turned back to look at Leo. He didn’t seem happy, but he didn’t look as stubborn as before.

“Are you going to continue with your reasons for being here? I’m burning with questions,” Don prompted.

“Right.” I looked Leo in the eyes. “I’m in possession of what I call the box. It can open hundreds of portals through . . .” I stumbled, unsure of what the portals open through. “I guess my imagination, and bring me to what I would have thought impossible. I thought meeting you would be impossible, too, until I got the box. I love you guys, and that’s why I came here. I want to be your friend and let you explore my network of worlds by my side. It might help with your training,” I added with a small smile. “And if Joe, my brother, finds out that I talked to you and didn’t let him come, he’d murder me.

“Will you trust me and let me be your friend?”

“I have a question,” Don said. Before I could acknowledge him, he asked it: “Why did you want me so bad?”

I smiled sheepishly. “Based on the cartoons and whatnot at home, you’re my favorite turtle.” I looked down into his face.

“Tell you what, Leo,” Don said. “I like this girl. Whether or not you accept her, I might have to take her up on her offer and check this box thing out.”

“Yeah, man!” Mike exclaimed, who had been silent for so long. “This doo-hickey of hers sounds fun!”

Leo sighed and closed his eyes. “If you two would just shut your pie holes—“

“Pie?” exclaimed Mike. “Where?”

“Shut up!” chorused the three turtles. I giggled to myself.

“Shut them long enough for me to say anything,” continued Leo, “I would have said this: I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions, but this all seems a little convenient and far-
fetched.”

“I can prove it, but only if you trust me,” I promised.

“I’m with Leo on this one, kid,” Raph piped up. “Just scurry on back to wherever you live and leave us alone. We don’t need to know about your fantasies.”

“Prove it?” Leo asked, ignoring Raph. “How so?”

“Like this.” I closed my eyes and gave the command for the portal to open up so I
could go home. I heard an array of exclamations as the turtles saw the silver-gold surface of the door open up in the middle of the lair.

“Will you follow me through?” I asked them.

“I’ve never—“ Don began, but quit.

“We will get back home,” Leo stated.

“Yes.” I gave him a serious face. “All of you.”

“I didn’t say—“

“I gave the invitation to all of you.” I stepped halfway into my room. “Follow,” I demanded. Without looking back, I arrived in my room. I took a step away from the door to allow space for my guests to enter.

The turtles must have hesitated, because they took a long time getting back to my world. Leo came first, looking at first hesitant, and then amazed. Don must have fought for his turn as second, because he was rubbing his elbow when he first stepped through. On his face was a priceless expression. Mike bounded in third, running straight into Don, who hadn’t moved once his whole body was in my room. “Watch it!” Mike complained. He pushed out of the way and sat right on my bed, a wild grin across his face. Raph stepped in last. His face didn’t look too happy until he saw my room, and he was just as surprised as his eldest brother.

Mentally, I closed the door behind them, and received an immediate reply from Leo. “I said, we’re getting back home,” he growled, though his face didn’t make him look all that menacing.

“You can’t get back home through that door,” I explained. “I’d have to open up another door over there.”

“So where’s this box gadget?” Don asked, drinking in all the information he could get about it.

“Right here,” I told him, picking it up from my bed and handing it over. “Please don’t press any buttons.”

“What buttons?” Mike asked, looking over Don’s shoulder.

“Never mind.”

Leo was over at my closet, and opened it up. “What’s this?”

“A closet . . .” I answered him. “What do you think it was? A torture device?”

He closed the door again and looked around my room. “I like the colors.”

“Of course you would,” Mike said. “They’re blue.”

“No, I like the way she blended the two blues together. It’s very . . . cool.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Thanks.” I pointed to my door. “You can explore the house, as long as you don’t let Joe see you, because I have a plan. He should be in his room right above our heads, okay?”

Mike didn’t even answer, just bolted for the door and exclaimed at what he saw. “You have holes in your ceiling!” I heard him say.

After a few minutes, I got them all together in the Family Room. “You want to go swimming?”

“You have a pool?” Mike asked, jittering with energy.

“Uh-huh. But can we play a trick on Joe? I think it’d be hilarious.”

“What?” Leo demanded, before I could get carried away.

“Well, I could start us playing Marco Polo, with me being the first Polo. Mike or someone could hide under the ladder. I would cheat, using opened eyes and get him right away before he notices Mike. Once he’s Polo, I squat on the ladder and Mike takes my place. When Joe catches Mike, he’ll open his eyes and get the shock of his life!”

“Can we do it, Leo? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh?” Mike begged, jumping up and down.

“What about the rest of us?” Raph asked.

“Once Joe gets over the fact that Mike’s here, he’ll probably ask where the rest of you are. If he doesn’t you could just appear and join in the pool,” I explain.

“I think it sounds nice. This place is really hot compared to our sewers,” Don said.

“Fine. Go grab him and we’ll help Mike into place, alright?” Leo decided.

“Yes! I’ll go tell him and then get dressed myself. Stay hidden, okay?”

“Uh-huh.” Leo crossed his arms and melted into the shadowy furnace room. Raph followed him, but Don pulled Mike in the direction of the pool, plainly visible now that they knew one was there.

I dashed up the stairs and knocked on Joe’s door. “What?” he asked from inside.

“Want to go swimming?”

“Is Mom or Dad home?”

“No. But someone else will watch us.”

“Who?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Is Dana here?” Joe asked, sounding excited.

“You’ll see! Just get your bathing suit on.”

“Okay!”

I walked back downstairs, locked my door and pulled my own on. I grabbed my towel and headed out to the pool, waiting on the ladder for Joe to come. When he finally did, I jumped into the water and moved to the middle. Joe slowly inched his way down the ladder and finally went underwater. I was happy he didn’t have his goggles on, or Mike would be very conspicuous.

“Want to play Marco Polo?” I asked Joe, brushing the water from my eyes.

“No,” he said.

“Oh, come on!”I insisted. “I’ll be it.”

“I want to be it!” Joe exclaimed.

“Fine, be it.” I shrugged. “But let’s not say Marco Polo, because that just makes it too easy.”

“For you, but not for me!”

Joe ducked underwater and started counting. I quickly scrambled onto the ladder and tried to hush the torrents of water flowing down from my suit. Mike got the cue, because he stood up in front of the ladder. When he turned to me, his eyes were full of playfulness. I gave him the thumbs up.

“Marco?” Joe shouted.

Mike didn’t answer, but I decided I could help my brother out a little. “Polo.” Mike twisted around to look at me, but easily danced out of Joe’s reach.

“Marco!”

I didn’t answer, afraid I’d give Joe the wrong direction.

“Marco?”

Mike looked back up to me, and I mouthed, “Make it easy.” He nodded and didn’t move from his perch.

“Abby?”

Mike coughed, but still didn’t move. Joe’s head swiveled around and he swam in Mike’s direction, planting his hand on his chest. He opened his eyes, but I couldn’t see his expression. “Abby?” he called, a little afraid.

“I’m right here, Joe,” I said, jumping back into the pool. “Isn’t this awesome?”

Joe nodded, slowly getting his wits back. After a while, he was laughing again.

“Hey, Mike?” I asked, suddenly. “Where’d everyone else go? I said once Joe knew about you, they could come swim, too.”

“I don’t know. Guys? Where’d you all go?” he shouted.

Slowly, after a few minutes, the rest of the turtles all showed themselves. Don came out last and cannoned his way off the ladder, throwing up huge waves.

“So that’s what I look like when I jump off like that,” I commented to myself.

“Hey? You want to play Marco Polo, still?” I asked Joe, who was staring in awe at the turtles. Leo was nowhere in sight, swimming around under the water. Raph stood by the ladder with his arms crossed.

“Sure,” agreed my brother. “Mike, you’re it!”

Mike went under, and Raph actually joined in. Leo surfaced and was immediately the next Polo. “Hey!” he cried. “I didn’t even know you were playing a game!”

I laughed. “Rules are rules, Leo! You’re it. Quit crabbing.” I hoped that I didn’t rub off on him the wrong way. By the way he shook his head and obeyed, I didn’t think I did.

Hey resurfaced after a longer period of time necessary. “Marco.”

“Polo,” we all answered.

Leo, with his eyes closed, looked all around him, but couldn’t decide who to go after first. I dove under water and swam across the pool, resurfacing whilst saying, “Polo.”

“Why’d you say that?” shrieked Mike, who was right next to me.

“Oh, because that’s a rule when Joe and I play, because one of us are always underwater, not there when Polo says ‘Marco.’”

While I explained my reasoning to Mike, Leo had tagged Don.

Play continued until I looked at my watch. “Uh, guys, Joe and I have to eat lunch,” I said. “It’s almost two and we didn’t eat yet.”

“I’m hungry,” Joe complained, as if to prove my point.

“Can we still swim?” Mike asked as I lifted myself out of the pool.

“Sure,” I said. “If it’s alright with Leo.” I looked at him. I didn’t want to be on his bad side anymore, because he played all the cards for the rest of them. If he said no, then I would never be able to see Don, Mike or Raph again. Seeing as I didn’t start out with him on the right foot, I wanted to prove to him I was an okay person.

“No,” Leo said. “We should be leaving ourselves.”

My face fell. “Can I ever see you guys again?” I asked him sadly.

“I don’t see why not,” he replied. He opened his mouth to say more, but Mike grabbed him from behind and bowled him under.

“Come on,” I told Don and Raph, who were watching their brothers with amused expressions. “I better get you home.” I turned to my own brother. “Joe, go get something to eat, okay?”

“I want to go with the turtles to their lair!” he objected.

“Next time, but go make some Romen noodles or something.”

He made a pouting face, but he made his way up the hill to our kitchen. I led the turtles to my room and grabbed the box. I pulled out the required corner and typed in the code to their home. The door opened right away, and I stepped aside so they could file through. Leo was the last to leave.

“Again, I have to apologize. I shouldn’t have treated you so hostilely.”

“No problem, Leo, honestly. Friends?”

He smiled. “Of course. I couldn’t let Mike down.”

I forced myself not to throw myself into him, hugging him as Mike had, and watched him leave. Once he was gone, I mentally closed the door.

I sat on my swing and stared at the beautiful display of stars. To the East they faded slightly because of the location of the denser population, but everything else glowed with a fierce light. Night was my favorite time of the day mostly because of the moon, but even more so because of the stars.

A new realm idea suddenly occurred to me as I breathed in the fresh night air and listened to the crickets chirp and frogs chorus. I thought of a show I used to watch before it came off the air: Surviorman. What if I lived by myself in the woods for a day? Here, I’d only be missing for about a half hour, because every hour I was in the box, a minute passed in my world.

I brought the swing to a stop and slowly hiked my way into the house. I closed and locked the basement’s sliding door and retrieved the box from beside my bed. I pulled the corner from its spot, thinking about the realm I was just about to create. I didn’t put too much detail into it because I wanted the world to be a surprise. Just giving the box basic instructions, I gave it a code: 4264. I left it humming on my bed whilst I gathered together a couple supplies. My switchblade I bought was added to the pile, along with an old backpack, hoodie and poncho liner. I dressed for camping and slid the pack onto my back. Finished, I examined the metallic door that had opened.

As soon as I stepped into the new realm, I blinked in awe. Moss covered trees filled my line of sight, with thin grasses and wildflowers running between the trunks. A stream gurgled nearby, large enough to accommodate fish. The smell was fresh and the sound was natural. It was beautiful; picture perfect.

I walked around for a bit, keeping close to the place I transported here at so I didn’t overwhelm myself with all the land. I dropped my knapsack on the ground where I thought it would make a nice place to camp. The trees I made my shelter at were thicker and more close together. Plus, they were within a reasonable distance of the brook, but not too close.

The sun was at its peak, so I judged it was around one. Even though I still wore my ever-present watch, I couldn’t rely on it to keep time in the realms. It read it was 11:34:52PM, and the seconds weren’t ticking by. In a minute the two changed into a three.

I still had time to set up my shelter, but I would need food before it grew too hot. I flipped the blade of my knife out and began fashioning a spear out of a stick. My friend, hogo, had told me how to make one during 7th grade, but I didn’t have all the supplies, so I safely improvised. Before long, I had three flexible spikes jutting from the sharp tip of a spear. With this, I planned to fish.

I quickly hiked down to the small river and squatted on its banks. The water was chrystal clear, allowing me to easily see any passing fish. For a while, I didn’t see any. My muscles soon became cramped from sitting in one position for so long. As I shifted, I saw a meal-sized rainbow trout flit through the water. I held the spear in a read position.

With fast reflexes, I shot out my arm and stabbed at the fish. The spear tip didn’t meet its mark, consequentially letting the creature dart away.

I cursed silently to myself and resumed my position on the grassy banks. The sun was starting to sink in the sky and my stomach was rumbling. At home it was still only 11:36:01PM, only a few hours after dinner, but I’d been in this realm for about two hours.

After another long wait (only four seconds on my watch), another trout swam down the stream. I made sure to aim well, and then struck out. This time I managed to spear the fish right through the head. The spikes secured the shaft to my meal. The trout floundered wildly for a couple minutes before finally dying.

I brought my catch back to camp and pulled it off of the spear. I set it down on a rock and then gathered some kindling and firewood. I then realized that I had forgotten something to start the fire. A foul word rolled off my tongue. I didn’t know how to use friction to create flames, but I’d have to try. Going back home was out of the question.

I tried my best to create a bow and wrapped it around a stick. I cut a small sliver in another piece of wood. With everything in place, I repeatedly rubbed the bow back and forth. No flames appeared, even with all the effort I put into it. The sun disappeared below the trees before I got a spark. Exhausted, I quickly built the fire pit around the small flames.

I then turned my attention to the fish. Flies buzzed around its carcass. I shooed them away and peeled the scales from its body with my knife. I cut off its head, and divided the meat from the bones. I stuck the butterfly on a hot rock near the flames and then set to work on burying the remains. That task didn’t take long.

With twilight slipping away, I quickly built a frame for my shelter and draped the poncho liner over it. I gathered a few dead leaves and stuffed them inside for insulation, unsure of how cold it’d get at night.

My shelter finished, I turned my attention back to my dinner. It didn’t cook that well. Now that coals had formed, I put the fish on a smaller rock in the middle of those.

When dinner was complete, I quickly ate. When I finished, I was too tired to keep my eyes open, so I threw some dirt over the fire and crawled into my tent. Although it happened very rarely, I was asleep before my head hit the ground.



The following morning, I woke up to the sound of song birds singing. My watch said it wasn’t even midnight at home yet. Stretching, I made my way out of the tent.

It hadn’t even been cold during the night. In fact, I had been sweating. After a few hours of sleep, I woke up with my short hair plastered to my cheeks and forehead.

I gathered up my camp into my bag again, taking my spear with me. I found a way to strap that onto my back and began to explore the land.

It all looked pretty much the same, but very different at the same time. Everything was very peaceful and there weren’t any annoying bugs, including sweat bees and mosquitoes. Even though they added to the camping experience, I specifically excluded them from this land.

After hours of exploring, I became tired from the lack of food and transported back. Because it was only a short stay, meals weren’t top priority.

Suddenly tired again, I unpacked everything from my bag and tucked my spear in the back corner of my closet. I yawned and dressed for bed. Finally, I slowly drifted off to sleep again.

One of my biggest dreams was to be a vigilante, just like the turtles. I would wear a black suit similar to those that the turtles wear in the newest BTTS episodes (which I’m so disgusted with, I can’t even watch anymore). But my dream then was to train in various forms of martial arts after I got enough money to support it. That dream changed when I got the box. All I had to do was create a realm and get a personalized sensei, and then I could train regularly, or at any time.

The first time I opened the portal into the dojo—I was focusing on Japanese self defense first—I was surprised to find I had three other students training alongside me. My mind instantly flashed to my biggest martial arts role models, the TMNT. I didn’t really think of my very real uncle role model. I didn’t give the box any other than the sensei to be like a less-glamoured Splinter and that I start training at the very beginning.

The sensei didn’t seem at all surprised that I came out of a doorway that wasn’t there a second ago. Instead, he motioned for me to sit by the other students. He spoke in heavily accented American English, but I understood him perfectly.

“My name is Master Arai. Please state your names.” I didn’t think the training would be at all like this, but I guessed that it was the way it was because I didn’t know what it’d be like at all, and the box mostly feeds on what the owner . . . knows.

“I’m Jared Milkow,” a tanned boy said. He didn’t look Japanese, but then again, none of them did.

“I am called Lindsay Mortemer,” said a small, fragile looking girl. She looked like she’d never seen the sun.

“I’m Tilk Mills,” stated a well built guy, roughly my age.

“My name’s . . .” I hesitated for a second, wondering if I should give my computer or real name. “Kifu Slick.”

“Hajimemashite,” the sensei greeted.

The others seem baffled, unable to comprehend what Master Arai had said, but I politely repeated what he said. ‘Hajimemashite’ meant good afternoon, in a less formal way.

“Today we’ll start . . .” Master Arai began, and completed a whole lecture. Then Jared, Lindsay, Tilk and I were allowed to become active. After the day’s lesson ended, I had learned nothing new that what I had already known.

I spanned my lessons out to one every day. I traveled to the dojo every morning after breakfast, to wake me up. I found after a month or so that I was growing stronger and more aware that I had been.

During the span, I didn’t open any new realms. I sometimes traveled to the store with everything, but that was about it. When I reached a more advanced stage in my training, I began to open more advanced portals, including the assassin Save the Princess (4763). I was euphoric when Master Arai let us choose weapons. I, of course, chose the hanbo, but I also paid close attention to Lindsay’s training. She chose the knife.

Fighting is a dance. A dance I’m willing to learn.

Realm Inside a Realm

Why can't they make any good breakfast foods? Once I'd cuaght up on all of my computer sites I came up for a bite, but had to settle with Pop Tarts. After Dogs 101 was over I had nothing to do. Unless . . .

Slowly, as to not alert Joe, I walked down the stairs into my room. Still keeping my excitment down, I closed my door. Self-dicipline finally cracking, I typed in 8668, and a door almost immediately opened up. Without hesitation, I stepped through the surface to the other side.

"Guys?" I called, closing the portal. It only took two nanoseconds for Mike to join me.

"Abby!" he trumpeted, sweeping me off my feet.

"Put her down," Don chided, emerging from what I assumed was his lab. With a little disappointment from Mike, I was set back on my own two feet.

"You're back," Leo pointed out.

I nodded. "Of course! Alright, wanna see Joe again?"

"Yeah!" Mike whooped. Leo shrugged.

Mentally, I opened a new door to my home. "I don't think that'll ever cease to amaze me," Don told me, stepping through after Mike. Raph followed him, but Leo let my go before himself. Once he was through, I closed it.

"What are we going to do today?" Mike asked.

"I don't know." I looked them all over and said--

"Hey! You changed your room around!" exclaimed Michelangelo.

"Uh . . . yeah. Okay, fan out and find Joe. Bring him to my room when he's found and alert the rest of us." The four turtles nodded and then left. Seeing as the most obvious place for Joe to be, I searched his room. "Joe?" I asked.

"What?" he answered. "Abby! What do you want? Do you want to play something?"

"What the--" hell? I finished in my head. "Yeah, well, no. I want to show you something in my room.

"Good," he said. "Urgh! Downstairs? That's a long walk." I could almost hear him think, at least it's not the computer. He continued, "Well, okay, but it better be a very good reason."

"Oh yeah," I shot back angrily. Joe's been treading on thin water regarding my patience too much in the past few days. "'Cause you have some very important things to do instead.

I whisked out of his room, through the house, and into my room. Somehow the guys were already there.

"You're angry." Leo walke up to me and guided me to my bed, two steps away. "After my brothers leave I'll tell you a couple secrets," he whispered into my ear. He was close, real close.

Joe followed. "I'm bored!" he said, while trying to do a yawn.

"Good for you," I snapped, pulling away from Leo.

When Joe got in my room he asked, "Why didn't you tell me? Huh? You didn't tell me last time, either." He looked at Mike and said, "Want to play video games?"

I almost tried to come up with a snappy reply, but failed before Joe quickly changed subject. In a flash Mike started his own questioning.

"Would I? You have video games? What console do you have? What games can we play?" Amazingly I heard him stop, and it wasn't because he left my room, even though he did.

"Do you? Or do you, Do, Raph, Leo? Or do I play with myself?" Joe asked. He left the room and sat at the couch. "It's now or never!"

"What's he talking about?" Leo mumbled, loudly enough for only me to hear.

"Do I ever need to know?" I retorted.

"It's probably a good idea."

"What's this?" Don interrupted, holding up a piece of paper.

I laughed too loudly when I saw what he was holding. "Joe had the computer one time, so I wrote the html--or at least part of it--on paper."

"What's the point of that?"

"Typing it up later."



Mike was already standing at the TV by the time Joe left my room. "So, what you got for two players?"

"Not much . . ." Joe said. "Let me--no! We only have two games; Rabbits, Ramon Raving Rabbids, that is, and Wii Sports. Wii Sports has tennis, baseball, bowling, golf and boxing. Rabbids on the other hand has a ton of games . . . Hum, you might not like them. Or you can play Dragonblade--is a great game for you--Bionicle Heroes--I'm the master at--and Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess. Okay, great for me."

Once Joe quit babbling, Mike said automatically, "You lost me. So, what you got for two players?"



"Hey Leo?" I asked.

"What?"

"Remember the last time I said the box could help with your training?"

He stayed silent for a moment. "I do," Raph growled. "Why, you got a dojo in that thing?"

"I do," I said. "Anyway, wanna see one of my training fields?"

"YOu mean we get to explore that?" Don exclaimed.

"You already sort of live in it."

"Oh."

Leo pointedly glared at his brothers before saying, "I wouldn't mind."

"Me neither," Don gasped.

"Let's see it," Raph ordered.

Satisfied with their feedback, I turned my back on them, opened the keyboard and typed in 4763. . . .

Traveling from one realm to another is impossible. The box holder must first go back to their home realm. There is only one realm, the guest room, that does not follow that rule. The guest room, code 5555, is accessed either by the main box, or by the mini-boxes.

Realm 5555 is a square room with completely white surfaces. The ceiling, walls and carpet don't stain, and are therefore as white as white can get. Besides floor pillows, colored white, there are no furnishings. A standard size door stands in a wall, with a black keypad in place of a doorknob. That door is a portal to the next realm.

If the owner of the main black chooses, they could give out mini-boxes to their friends. A mini-box is a third the size of a big box and is pure white, without any colored corners. On one side it has a four digit code, which must be scrolled to 5555 to enter any portals. The first realm mini-box owners reach is always the guest room. From there, they could enter in a realm code on the door or call the main box owner by entering 5555.

Mini-boxes are given their own code, so they may be called my the main box owner. Mini-box owners also must be given permission by the main box owner to enter a given realm. These realms can be accessed only by the big box and select mini-box owners. Realm permissions are taken care of in the mainframe code, accessed only by the main box holder.

"I feel like I've seen something like this before," Don commented.

"Where does this lead to?" Leo asked, suddenly all business again.

I decided the truth wouldn't hurt, not matter how long it might be. "When I first opened it up I called it assassin, because that was my role." I held my finger up to silence Leo. "But when I referred to this realm afterwards I called it Save the Princess, which was a game I made up for my cousins. It could simply be called by its code, 4763.

"As soon as you step onto the other side of this passage, you need to be on alert. We're taking role of the assassins to the princess, and there are guard who will kill to protect her."

"Kill?" Raph asked. His tone suggested this realm intregued him.

"I think I've died before--don't worry. I've only been in this realm once before and I didn't make it far. Thanks to Master Arai I'm way more knowledgable in my dicipline."

I stared the three turtles down. "This won't be easy, so don't take it light. The guards fight dirty and will kill you, so forget the formalities you've learned and kill the soldiers to shut them up. Besides, they're not real people. Actually I think it's one person repeated, but with minor differences.

"Once you step in lie low and wait fo rme to come through before you move. Go." I watched as Raph earerly disappeared, Don more hesitant behind him. Leo stood firmly by my side.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought you have a crush on me," I told him. His stance became uneasy. "Spit it."

"This sin't right, killing a pri--"

"Leo, it's just my imagination. It's okay."

"I--"

"Just go. I need to change and gather my weapons. Besides, you need to keep Don and Raph in line."

Albeit reluctantly, Leo left my side and walked into the realm. Before long I was ready and joined him. Surprisingly, the three looked to me for orders.

"Keep together," I whispered, "and stay on alert. Exersize your ninja training to their extents." I pointed to a light spot in the night sky. "See that? That's our goal--or at least I think it is. Ready? Let's go."

As I have before, I dashed across the baren land, straight for the rock and then the forest. I was happy to notice the spring took some effort for the guys, too.

"Good thing Mike's not here," Raph panted. I didn't have to ask why.

"Last time I came here guards were randomly in the the forest," I whispered. "So stay low and keep quiet."

"We're gonna have to start callin' her Fearless Leader," Raph grumbled. Nevertheless, he followed me.

There wasn't a long trek before I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Someone's here," Leo informed me, slowly pulling out a katana. I did the same with my hanbo.

A yell sounded from behind us. I didn't move, because I knew Don already had him covered. In a few, short moments, it was dead quiet.

"There'll be m--" I was cut off as I was attacked from the side. I moved over and whacked the man in the back. The move unbalanced him and sent him sprawling on the ground. Without mercy, I hit him over the head.

In the time it took me to stop my foe, three move had arrived. Each of the guys battled one, quickly bringing them down.

"I don't really want to say anything, but these guards are a little too easy," Don pointed out.

I sheathed my hanbo and said, "Yeah, maybe. Even for being far away from the castle and such. Keep in mind, though, that they attack in a group, more or less. This'd be a little more challenging if one of us was alone."

Don shrugged to that and motioned for me to continue.

The four of us had to stop only twice more before we reached the wall to the fortress. Each time was as easy as the last.

"Anyone have any ideas?" I asked, looking down the wall for weak spots.

"Would a diversion work, Leo?" Don wondered, concentrating on the gate.

"No, there's too many of them."

"Well, what if we toss a few shuriken up there, kill the guards in the laziest area and climb our way up there?" I looked to Leo, hoping he'd come up with a better strategy.

He sighed. "For now that seems to be the only option."

"Why be so sneaky? Why not just attack the door?" Raph demanded.

"Because that's suicide," I said plainly.

"So we're going with Abby's plan." Leo patted his belt. "Anyone have any shuriken?"

"What?" I exclaimed. "You always have some, don't you?"

"I'm empty," Don declared.

"Who says you always come prepared?" I growled.

He threw up his arms. "If I knew you'd lead us to a dark situation such as this, I would have!"

"So what's Plan B? Mine?" Raph grunted, focusing us again.

"No." Leo and I looked at each other, and I covered a laugh. That was shot down by both of us quickly enough.

"Leo Jr," grumbled Raph.

"Before I say what--" I began, but was cut off.

"Intruders!" a watchman trumpeted. My neck snapped up in time to see a young man shouting and pointing down at us. From almost out of nowhere, fifty or so soldier surrounded the four of us.

"Flee or die?" I asked them. I was surprised I felt so calm.

"Put down your weapons, assassins," a guard ordered. We didn't move.

"I say fight." Raph, obviously.

"Um, personally, I'd rather you get us out of here," Don said. Personally, I was with Don.

Leo stayed silent for a while, but finally sighed. "Abby, get us out of here. Besides, Mike probably trashed your home anyway."

I didn't wait for Leo to finish. As soon as I was sure of his position, I opened the door. I sensed the warriors back away, and I was sure I heard "magic" and "magician." Ignoring them, I walked through, the turtles not far behind.

"We had to have been in there for over an hour," Leo said.

I glanced at my clock. "Two minutes."

"What?" the three exclaimed.

"I didn't tell you most realms run at a 1:60 ratio? For every minute there it's one second here." I smiled and grabbed my box. "Here. I'll get you guys home."

"Mike!" Raph thundered. "Time to go home!"

"But," I heard him say, "Joe and I just started--"

"Come on, Mike," Leo said. Reluctantly, Mike entered my room. Without futher ado, I opened their home and watched them leave.

The X-Men have been completely taking over my attention, and I almost forgot about the box for a while until I realized I could visit them myself. Suddenly very happy, since the X-Men were over for the day on television, I waltzed into my room and grabbed the box from my nightstand without hardly taking a step through the door. Automatically my finger pulled out the corner, releasing the number pad. I held the cool surface of the box for a while, thinking about what I really wanted. There were numerous different "generations" of the X-Men. Which one did I want to visit? I knew I definitely wanted one with Nightcrawler in it, since he was hands down my favorite guy. So that left out the 1990's series, I think.

Finally thinking of something in my head, I saw in my peripheral that my clock said I debated over exactly what I wanted for over five minutes. I guess I must have blanked in the meantime, a slight problem I've been experiencing lately. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely hated it.

Typing in 9521 into the keypad, I waited as it gently hummed in my hands, and then suddenly sprouting a golden-silver doorway to the dimension. Taking a small excited breath, I stepped through. There was a man standing there, and just like my sensei had in my self-defense classes, he wasn't at all surprised that I suddenly showed up out of thin air.

"How may I help you miss?" he asked in a slightly European accent.

"I . . . don't quite know yet," I admitted, scanning the merchandise with my eyes. "I was sort of hoping you might know?"

A knowing smile spread across his milky face. "Indeed I won't, frankly, but the ring will."

"You're speaking as if the wand chooses the wizard," I mumbled, referring to Harry Potter.

"In much the same sense, the ring does."

"And that doesn't make sense," I pointed out.

He didn't argue it any further, but instead pulled out a green flower-shaped ring from the glass container it was in. "Try this on," he told me.

I took the ring gently from his hand and slid it on my middle finger, left hand. It barely went past my knuckle.

He passed me another one, motioning for me to give the ring back. "This one."

I took that and tried to put it on my left ring finger, but it still didn't fit. Somehow it felt that the rings were changing size so they wouldn't fit me.

The clerk continued passing a vast majority of rings at me, all the while putting the ring that wouldn't fit back where it belonged. My patience started to wear down each time one didn't work with my hand. I even tried my right hand and pinkie fingers, but all the rings were too small.

"You're no different from the last person," the man told me kindly, passing me a band of metal. "Just your personality does not fit the ring's powers."

This man only knew how to speak in riddles, but I think I was starting to work it out with his more plain words. Anyway, I created this realm, and it wasn't exactly how I imagined it, but it definitely worked out.

A few more rings later, one finally fit my left middle finger. "Yay!" I shouted, jumping up.

The man continued to put back the ring previous, and then straightened out. "Use your ring with care, you woman," he warned me. "Do not abuse its power, and in no way let it control your life. Let its power have breaks, and do not over-use it."

"Yes, sir," I said gravely, and then opened the portal to back home. "Auf wiedersehn," I said, waving my little two-fingered salute, and then walked through the door.

My room quickly came into focus. Studying the ring on my finger, I closed the portal absentmindedly. I wondered what power it held. I thumbed it for a while, and then checked my clock. To my surprise, it was time to pick up my brother from the bus.

Suddenly in a rush, I pushed the thought of my new possession to the back of my mind and sprinted across the basement, then climbed the stairs. With my socks on, I slid on the tile floor, slamming into the wall, and then continued at a slower pace through the kitchen, the entry way, slipping on my shoes, and then stepped out the door. A cold wind went through my bones, so I started a slow jog down the slope of the driveway, around the bend and to the mailbox. Glancing down the road, I saw Joe's bus just turn onto the gravel, so I quickly yanked the mail, closed the lid and picked up my jog just a little to make it to our neighbor's driveway. I danced impatiently on the cement, both for the cold and the impatience to check out my ring. As always, the three boys that got off at this stop took their good old time while I froze my butt off. Waiting no longer, I spun on my heel and started a run to our house and through the door, rubbing my fingers to get circulation back. I'd have thought with all the running I just did that I would be warmer, but the weather was downright cold, especially for the beginning of October.

I waited by the door for Joe to come into view, and then I retreated to my room again. I slammed the door shut to show Joe that I didn't want him coming in, even though he would ignore the sign anyway, and started playing with the ring again. What could it do?

Finally I decided I would work out the obvious powers first, starting with all the X-Men powers I knew, then the Justice League, and finally the Teen Titans. Sadly, my knowledge of super heroes and mutants wasn't all that vast. I thought of having Nightcrawler's powers, but I obviously wasn't blue or fuzzy, and I continued onto even Pyro's powers, by starting my lighter, but none of that worked. I didn't have super speed like Flash, I didn't have x-ray vision like Superman, and I didn't have green glowy eyes like Starfire. Robin wasn't a mutant or a super hero, I had no idea what Cyborg was, and finally I tried shape shifting like Beast Boy. Not that I was green, just as I wasn't blue. But magically, my fingers started to shrink, my face elongating, and my canines grew larger. I had morphing powers! Awesome!

Within seconds I grew hair all over my body (not blue, sadly), and my clothes shrunk in size. I sprouted a tail and floppy ears. I was a dog. A blonde dog. . . . "This. Is so cool!" I breathed, excited, but it came out as woofs.

Shifting back into my own body (though not my clothes completely), I grabbed the box from my bed. I yanked the corner from its usual spot and typed in a number very similar to the place where I got my mutant ring: 9523. The box hummed to itself for a little longer, since I just used it, but it finally opened a portal. Taking a deep breath, I stepped through.

I was in a marble hall, which was completely empty. I could hear muffled shouts and thumps a little way off, along with high laughs. Curious, I followed my ears in that direction, hesitating as I came to a door. Pushing it softly, I saw no one was on the other side of it, either. I did notice a dark corner, in which I morphed into a cat and hid my clothes in the deepest of the shadows. I hoped no one would discover my clothes before they discovered who I was. More so, I wished that no one would tear me hair from hair before I had a chance to explain myself. I would be out a pair of good clothes.

Padding with my extra light weight, I reached the door where all the sounds were coming from. Much to my delight, I heard a heavy German accent, along with a high girly voice: Kurt and Kitty. I debated over what I should do next. I definitely wasn't going to become human again to open the door, and I didn't want to change from my blonde cat. Instead, I let out a large yowl, which halted all noise from the other side.

"Vwhat vuz dat?" Kurt asked.

"I-I don't know," Kitty answered shakily.

"It sounded like a kitty." Kurt let out a little laugh.

"I can, like, see what it is," suggested Kitty, though still not sure of herself.

"Ja, me too." I heard a little sound, almost like a snap from the other side of the door, and then immediately after a snap behind me. I resisted the urge to turn around to look at Kurt. He had a funny scent clinging to him, but I guessed that was because he wasn't completely human, but a mutant. "Kitty!" he called, excited now that he found out what caused the noise. "It is just a kitty!" With great caution, he reached out to me, but his scent was really strong, and my cat senses told me to bite it, protect myself. I felt my fur fluff out behind my neck, and a low growl forming in my throat. With great will, I tried to master my cat instincts, but it distracted me full scale.

Now his voice didn't sound so happy. "Kitty . . . maybe you should get ze kitty. It doesn't like me."

A girl with long, brown hair poked her head through the door without opening it. She reached out to my nose herself, but her scent was more manageable, and I acted as a friendly cat should, rubbing my face against her hand. I wished I liked Kurt in this form, since he was my favorite X-Man.

"She's friendly," Kitty commented, rubbing behind my ears.

"Cats don't like me," Kurt sighed, transporting back into the room. Kitty stepped completely out, grabbed me from behind the front legs, and walked me through the wall. That was a freaky experience. Once on the other side she set me down and started stroking my back, sitting cross-legged next to me.

I rubbed my chin against her knee, and then braced myself as I padded to where Kurt sat, swinging his legs over Kitty's bed. I meowed, held my breath, and rubbed my face against his foot. It shocked me to feel his fur under his human image. With him jumping up, I guessed he felt just as surprised that a cat didn't openly despise him and run away, hissing. Slowly he relaxed his muscles and his mood, and wearily stroked me across the back. He clamed down completely when I didn't snap at him. It was hard to keep my self-control, but it pleased me to see Kurt happy.

"See, Kurt?" Kitty said, scooting closer to us. "This cat likes you."

"Not at first," Kurt pointed out, still petting me.

Now I wondered what I should do. I had a plan earlier, but since my encounter with Kitty and Kurt, I completely forgot it. Quickly, I formed a new one in my head.

"Mrrow," I meowed, getting up from my sitting position. I didn't remember sitting my haunches down. I walked away from the two mutants a few steps, then looked back, shaking my tail. When they didn't do anything, I padded up to Kitty, rubbed my face against her leg and tried my message again.

"I think she, like, wants us to follow her," Kitty said slowly.

"But vhy?" Kurt asked. It looked alien to see his brows knitted together on his face.

"I don't know." Kitty got up and took a step toward me, so I walked the rest of the distance to the door and sat at it like a dog wanting to go outside.

"Is it just me, or is dis kitty acting veerd?" Kurt asked, unnerved again.

"She is to me, too," Kitty assured him, but she opened the door for me nonetheless. "Almost like, like a dog."

I didn't listen to them, but crossed the threshold into the hallway. When I noticed they weren't following me, I had to double back and follow my procedure to get them following me again. Soon, we reached my clothes.

"Was ist das?" Kurt asked, surprised.

Ignoring him still, I wriggled into my clothes and started morphing back to human.

"Ie!" he cried, jumping backwards. "Dat kitty's not a kitty!"

"Kurt, should I go tell the professor?"

Before either of the students could move, I had changed completely into my human form. I didn't morph into some of the clothes correctly, but I wasn't going to fix it with two part strangers in front of me. They wouldn't be able to notice, except the one arm that didn't get into the sleeve. "Please don't," I said, touching Kitty's arm briefly. "I don't want to cause you or the school harm."

"What? And so, like, telling Xavier that you're here will, like, cause someone harm?" she demanded.

I hadn't expected this reaction from her, so I willed my brain to work quickly. There were a couple scenarios that popped up inside my head that would do me no good, but the rest were all good for me. Xavier was a reasonable person, and I didn't think that my little story here would cause any harm. Besides, it'd be cool to go to school with all the X-Men.

"I guess not," I said softly, hanging my head. I almost had to remind myself that I was older than Kitty.

"I'll go get da professor," Kurt suggested. Before he could do anything, though, Kitty stopped him.

"Actually, I think we should all, like, get the professor," she said.

"Here, I can get us dere," Kurt hinted, setting a hand on both of our shoulders. I heard the poof sound, but it was very faint as he transported us in front of Xavier's door.

Popping my ears, I said, "That's something someone would have to get used to."

"Not really," Kurt said, smiling.

Kitty took a step forward and knocked lightly on the door. She must have heard something I didn't, because she opened the door and stepped aside for me and Kurt to get in. Nodding my head as I entered, I saw Professor Xavier sitting behind a desk.

"Hello," I said, bowing slightly. "My name's Abby. . . ."

"Have a seat," he said calmly, motioning to a cushy seat in front of him. I took a hesitant step forward and looked back at Kurt and Kitty. They didn't move. Afraid now, I hovered near the chair and finally took the weight off my feet.

"Kurt, Kitty, you may go back to whatever you were doing," Xavier said. Kurt looked at me for a second, and then puffed away from the room, leaving a small cloud of smoke. Kitty walked through the door, shutting it behind her. I was alone with the professor. He stayed silent, only looking at me for a second, which frustrated me, since I didn't know how he would react.

"Abby, why do you come to this school?" he asked. Nothing in his voice suggested he was accusing me or that he was angry.

How was I supposed to answer this? I didn't think that even to Xavier that I should mention my box, but maybe he'd understand, since this world was about the ongoing struggle between mutants and humans. Besides, I told Don about it.

I took a deep breath. "Would you believe me if I said I come from a different dimension?" I asked, testing him.

"If you were telling the truth," Xavier answered.

Oh yeah, that helped me a lot. "Well, I am telling the truth when I say that." I was nervous, causing my sentences to be choppy. "I have this object that I call the box, and it allows me to travel to any realm that I choose, so long as it comes from my or someone else's imagination. From it, I created a portal that allows me to come to this realm, which is now as real to me as my dog at home."

"So why do you come here?"

Oh, I guess I side-stepped the question. "In my dimension, the X-Men aren't real, but they're a comic, a TV show and a few movies, not to mention some people's obsession. Lately I've been engrossed in the stories, and I used my box to come here and meet the X-Men. I'm not exactly a mutant, something more along the lines of a super, due to a ring I got in another dimension of my box. I could maybe come to this school as a student, but much more likely just to get to know the X-Men in person . . . and stuff like that."

He nodded and fell silent again. I felt a little more comfortable, and I kept my patience. I thought that in all that I watched he talked more, almost like a Master Splinter, but I guess my case was more unique than any mutant he housed at the school, or ever has housed. After a while, though, his silent thoughts bugged me.

"Professor Xavier?" I asked. He didn't seem to acknowledge me. "If-" I took another deep breath "-if you want me to leave, just say so."

He shook his head. "No, child, that's not what I want. If you want a place at this school, I will grant you a place." A small smile graced his face.

I had to keep a tight check on myself to keep from jumping up in the air and whooping with joy. "Really?" I asked, the excitement quivering the r.

"Yes."

"Thank-you so much, Professor. But I must warn you and say that I can't be here for all eternity. I have a home in the other dimension, even though this portal runs at a one-sixtieth rate to the one I'm borne to. I will need to return." He didn't say anything. "But normally I arrive at times that just work out, though I don't know how the box does it. So if I'm needed for a training thing, if you allow me in the school as a student, I'll most likely be there to cover someone's back."

"And you'll need a place to stay here, when you don't go home, I assume," Xavier said.

"Yes, most likely," I said, dipping my head.

"Then you will be given one. I will show you personally to your new room." He wheeled himself from behind his desk and beside me. He paused for only a little bit, and then glided beside me to the door, which I held open for him. Xavier then went down the hallway, and another, and another, until I was so confused I was convinced the mansion was a labyrinth just to confuse me. Finally he reached a door. "And this will be where you stay, Abby," he said, smiling.

I smiled back. "Thanks. I can't express how happy I am." Not in front of you, at least.

"Keep in touch." He handed me a key, and then wheeled himself down the hallway, out of my sight.

"This is freaking awesome!" I shouted, jumping up, pumping my fists in the air. With my shaky hands, it took me a while to get the key into the slot, but once it did, I twisted the handle to the side and pushed my new door open. There was a desk, a dresser and a bed in a square, cream room. On top of the cherry hardwood floor, there was a matching shag carpet. It was simple, but perfect. "This is so cool," I breathed, keeping in laughter.

After taking a moment to calm down and explore my room just a little further, even though I pretty much saw all there was to see as soon as I walked through the door, I wondered what time it was in this realm. I didn't know whether or not it was time to eat or even how the school's schedule worked. I decided asking the two people I met right after my arrival, if I could find my way to their room.

I suddenly stiffened. The only way I got to Xavier's office from Kitty's room was through Kurt's teleportation. That didn't leave me with any idea on how to get to her room from here or from Xavier's office. I guess I would have to wander the school until I found someone.

Stuffing the key into my pocket, I closed the door quietly from behind me and started walking up the hallway, keeping an eye out for any signs of people. The halls were deserted, from people and from sound. To my disgust, my feet made little padding noises on the stone, even with socks on my feet. I would definitely have to work on that. Again.

A fork came up in the hallway, and I decided to take a left. Doors sprouted off, but all of them were closed and, I assumed, locked.

I took a few more turns before suddenly running into a kid I didn't know from the show. "Hey," I called.

"Hey," he answered, stopping next to me.

"Uh . . . I'm new here, and I'm looking for people I know. . . ." I began awkwardly.

"I hope I can help," he said. "My name's Dylan."

"I'm Abby. Do you know where I can find Kurt or Kitty?"

His eyebrows shot up, but he didn't say anything. "Sure. Kitty's probably in her room, but Kurt's probably filling his face in the dining hall. Have you eaten dinner yet?"

I shook my head. "Not hungry," I mumbled. "Think you could tell me where it is, though?"

"Yeah, sure," he said, turning around. "This way."

We walked in comfortable silence down the hallway until we reached another big, marble room. A couple dozen teenagers milled around, talking about things I wouldn't know. In the midst of a few, I recognized Kurt. I was surprised he still didn't take down his human hologram.

"Hey, thanks, Dylan."

"No prob. Talk to me if you need anything else!" He bounded back into the hallway. I couldn't believe he went so far out of his way to help me.

Suddenly I was nervous again. Taking tentative steps forward, I reached Kurt where he was with a few of his friends. I think I recognized them, including Kitty's backside.

"Uh, hey . . ." I said, waving my two fingers across my face.

"Oh, hallo!" he said, instantly recognizing me. "So vhat did Professor Xavier say?"

I smiled. "I have a room," I said. I stuck out my hand. "My name's Abby."

He took it, and it was weird to feel his fur even when his hand looked smooth. With a hard shake he said, "I'm Kurt, or Nightcrawler." He suddenly pulled back his hand. "Oh, sorry."

"What?" I asked, confused.

"I'm not vhat you think," he confessed, pressing a button on his watch. His human visage disappeared, showing his blue fur. He smiled nervously.

"Not to sound like a creeper or anything," I said, "but I knew." I bit my bottom lip, unsure of what else to say.

His smile disappeared into a face of shock. "How?"

"Uh . . ." I looked at the faces of his friends, staring at us. "I think I'll tell you a little later."

He shrugged. "Vell, deese are my friends," he said, waving his arm wide. "Scott, Jean und Kitty." He motioned at me. "Dis ist Abby."

"Hi," I said, waving my salute.

"Hey," Scott greeted, "Welcome to the Institute."

"Hi," Jean said simply.

"Hello again, Abby," Kitty said, turning her back to see me.

Now what did I do?

"Did you have something to eat?" Scott asked, standing up over the bench.

"No, but I'm not hungry," I said. "Thanks anyway."

"So, like, where do you come from?" Kitty asked, scooting aside to let me sit at the table.

I took the seat. "Uh . . . not from around here," I admitted. I noticed Jean looked away, almost embarrassed. I wondered why for a second, until I remembered she could read minds. I took a deep breath. "Actually, not even from this earth."

"Was?" Kurt exclaimed. He paused in a peculiar stance, since he was getting back into his seat.

I smiled sheepishly. "And I'm not exactly a mutant, either."

"So, like, what are you?"

"I'm a human, from another dimension," I squeaked. I could feel everyone's eyes on me, even Scott's, even though he wore his dark shades.

"But then how did you, like, go from a cat to human?" Kitty asked, surprised.

"I have this ring . . ." I took it off my finger and put it in front of me, on the table. "It allows me to shape shift, to morph. So I'm more a 'super' than a human with it on, or a mutant."

Kurt gradually composed himself. "So . . . dat's vhy you veren't afraid vhen you shook my hand?"

"Well, because of my ability to teleport, in a sense, through dimensions, and because of my morphing abilities with the ring on, and because uh . . ." Kurt blinked happily when I mentioned I could teleport.

"Go on," Jean encouraged. "I'm sure it won't be that much of a stretch."

I had to figure out what she meant, since my thoughts were whirring around too quickly for me to grab hold of one idea. "From where I come from, the X-Men aren't real. Mutants are fantasy."

"Good ting I don't live dere," Kurt laughed.

"Ja," I agreed. "The X-Men only exist in fantasy, through comics, TV and such."

"And now, because of you, we're as real as we think we are," Jean finished happily for me.

"Uh, sure."

"That is like, so cool!" Kitty shouted. She grabbed my ring and tried to put it on, but just as all the other rings in the dimension I got it from, it didn't fit. "My fingers aren't bigger than yours," she grumbled.

"No, they're not," I agreed. "But the rings are touchy. Apparently I'm the only person who can wear this. Besides, you already have a mutant ability." I said it lightly so she wouldn't take offense.

"What did Professor Xavier say?" Scott pressed. "Did he know about this?"

"Yeah, he did," I said. Scott seemed a little offended or something that I was allowed here. "But he knows that I have to go to my home world, and that I won't be here a lot of the times. I think I told him everything he needs to know."

"But nothing more?" he growled.

"What? No! I'd tell him anything. He was too kind to me as it is."

"Scott, chill it," Jean said, grabbing his arm lightly. "She's honest, probably more than any of us here." Ah, so she picked up on my vow not to lie.

An uncomfortable silence domed the table. I looked at my watch, even though it was pretty much worthless here. I was here for a minute and a half at home, so ninety minutes here.

"That watch doesn't, like, work!" Kitty exclaimed, looking at my hand.

"It does, but this dimension is way faster than my home world." I paused. "Say, does anyone have a watch I could use while I'm here?"

"Nein," Nightcrawler said. "My vatch is a hologram projector." I loved his German accent when he pronounced "hologram"; each syllable was very individual, as they would speak in Germany. In fact, I just loved his accent period.

Jean frowned at me, and then got up. "Scott, we've got a big day tomorrow, and I can't afford to stay up too late. 'Night." The others echoed her good-bye, but I stayed silent. I wish I knew what she was thinking. I'd have to talk with her later. "I'd rather you didn't," she said as she walked by.

"Didn't what?" Kitty asked.

"Nothing important," I assured her.

"Jean's right," Scott sighed, getting up again. "'Night Kurt, Kitty, Abby." He stuck his hands in his pocket and walked away.

"I still has hunger," Kurt complained, looking at the food counter.

"Ich habe keinen Hunger," I said, smirking.

His face broke out in a grin. "You speak German?" he asked.

"Ein bischen," I replied.

"Wunderbar!"

"Like, what are you saying?" Kitty asked, staring at us.

"I said, 'I have no hunger,' and then 'a little,' and I don't know how to directly translate 'wunderbar.'"

"Vunderful," Kurt said off-handedly, shrugging.

"That makes sense."

Kitty shrugged, still obviously out of the loop. "I should probably, like, sleep, too," Kitty said, letting out a yawn. "Wolverine is making us go through, like, another test. I'm like, tired."

"Alright. See ya later, Kitty!"

"Yeah!" She danced away, out through the door.

So it was just Kurt and I. Kurt, who I absolutely loved, and then me, the one who absolutely loved Kurt.

"So vhere is your room?" Kurt asked.

"I honestly don't quite know. I took random turns, ran into a guy named Dylan and was lead here." I looked over my shoulder to out the door. When I turned back, Kurt had his elbows on the table and his face in his hands. "What?"

"Sure you're not hungry?"

"Not full, but not hungry," I clarified.

"So you vouldn't vant some snacks at my room?" he asked.

Somehow he made me a little uncomfortable. "Snacks like what?"

He blinked. "I don' know." He reached across the table and took my hand in his furry one. "Here." In a snap we were in a totally different environment, with a bed, dresser and desk, not unlike mine. If he hadn't of transported, I know I would have blushed deeper than I normally do in certain circumstances. He let go of me and walked over to a drawer in his dresser. "Right now I has . . ." His voice trailed off as he read the packaging. "Ein Apfel? Vhere did dis come from?"

"I'll eat it," I said uncomfortably. Without looking back, he tossed it over his shoulder into my hands. He teleported to his bed, where I sat, almost immediately after he took something from the drawer.

"Don't you have to sleep?" I asked, taking a bite from the apple. A sharp crunch echoed for a second.

"Ja, I guess. But I's excited."

"Warum? Why?" I asked. Out of habit I translated the German question into English right after asking it in German. Because of it, I got a funny glance from Nightcrawler.

"No vun else knows German here," he explained. "I don't know vhy it makes me so happy."

"Reminds you of your origins?" I asked.

"Ja, I guess." He would have been silent except for the loud crunch
every time he bit his snack, which I still couldn't figure out what it was.

"I'm excited, too."

"Warum?"

"I got to meet my favorite character, you, and you enjoy having me around. It's more than I asked for." I stared at him with big eyes.

He showed his fangs in a toothy smile. Chunks of tan showed between his teeth. I had to stop myself from laughing out loud. "Vell, I do enjoy having you. So für the future, wo ist your room?"

I couldn't help myself but laugh at his even mix of German and English. "Was?" he exclaimed, chuckling himself.

"You stick German in some of the weirdest places," I laughed. "Just one random word here and there."

"Not usually," he admitted, smiling again.

"Well, if you take me back to the dining hall, I think I might be able to find my way back. 'Sides, you could show me around a little . . . ?" I hinted, glancing at him sideways.

"Yes, ma'am!" he said, dropping the bag he had in his lap. He took a step from where he sat and grabbed my arm. It startled me a little, made me a little embarrassed, but I allowed him to do it. Immediately, the sound of many children talking at once filled my ears.

"This way," I instructed, talking off. He walked beside me in a crouch, but I guessed I saw it that way only because his legs. As I lead the way, I couldn't help but watch him. He didn't seem as interested in me, but his short fur and demon-like tail were so intriguing, along with his pointy elf ears and furry face. He looked as cool as his personality was.

"Was?" he finally asked, about the third turn I made down a hallway. I was almost sure this was the way I came. "Vhy do you look at me dat vay?"

I held my breath and quickly turned my attention away from him to hide my embarrassment. "Like what way?" I asked innocently.

"Is like you're taking me apart, memorizing everyting I do."

My eyes widened. That's almost exactly what I was doing. "You're just so different from what I'm used to, and not just how you look," I added quickly.

"I can make myself look human," he suggested, reaching for his watch.

"No!" I almost shouted. "It's not a bad thing." I turned down another hallway. "This way."

"You sure you're okay?"

"Positive."

"My room's dat vay," he said, pointing in the opposite direction.

"I'll have to keep that in mind."

I could feel his yellow eyes on my back, concerned for me. I was happy I wasn't creeping him out.

It took me another few minutes to find my room. Once or twice I had to double back, sheepishly apologizing to Kurt. "It's okay," he always assured me, flashing me a cheesy smile. It was almost like being with a German Flash, except definitely different.

At my door, I pulled the key from my pocket and shoved it into the lock. Twisting it, then the doorknob, I opened the door for him, letting him in before me. "It's not personalized yet, if it ever will be," I explained, sticking the key back into my pocket, and then shutting the door. "I won't be here permanently, like you."

"But I can get here now," Kurt said, smiling again. He smiled too much, I came to the conclusion.

An idea suddenly popped into my head. "Kurt, maybe I can take you to my room for a few minutes, at my home, and then take you back here for sleep."

His eyes brightened. "Vhat is your teleporting like?" he asked excitedly.

"Not like yours," I said, opening my jaw to pop my ears.

"Can I see?"

He put both his hands on my shoulders from behind, looking over them. "Hold on a second," I said, willing the door to open. Almost instantly a silver-gold portal opened in front of me.

I heard Kurt's quick intake of breath. "Fantastisch!"

Reaching to my shoulder, I grabbed his hand and pulled him through. "Come on!" I giggled, and then walked into my room. I felt a little tug as he hesitated, and then he came through the door. With him completely in my dimension, I closed the door behind him. I didn't let go, but squeezed his three fingered hand. "What do you think?"

"Zehr blau," he said, looking at the walls.

"Ja, very blue," I agreed.

"A little untidy."

"Just a little."

His eyes fell on my window, and then we weren't in my room any more. Since I was holding his hand, he pulled me from in there to outside. "Chilly!" he exclaimed, though he didn't pull his hand away from mine. I almost didn't notice it anymore.

"It's October," I explained. "In Michigan."

"Do you celebrate Oktober Fest?" he asked, looking at me through his hair. I resisted the urge to brush it from his already furry face.

"Nein, only Halloween. Kurt?"

"Ja?"

"Can we go back inside?"

"Oh, ja." Within the second we stood back beside my bed.

"I probably should take you home now," I said. Taking him here wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be, but still definitely fun.

He sighed, but didn't say anything.

Suddenly realizing that I still held his hand, I let go in a rush and grabbed for my box. I turned so my back was to him as I pulled out the corner and re-entered the code for his home. A new door opened up for us. I turned back around to walk him through when I realized he was no longer there. "Kurt?"

"Up here," he replied.

I looked up to my ceiling. "Why are you up there?"

"Dere's a whole different view up here."

"Right. Common Kurt, we gotta go."

He was by my side again in a flash and a puff of smoke as I lead the way to my room in the Institute. "Guten Nacht. I'll see you later, mein Freund."

"Ja, ve vill. Guten Nacht." With a wane smile, he left my room to his own.

I stood there for a while, thanking whatever it is that guides our lives, besides our own conscious. I made a new friend that I will cherish for years in just a few minutes. Closing the door and opening a new, I stepped back into my room where Kurt stood just minutes before.

Frustrated with the slow or non-existent Internet, I marched downstairs and threw myself onto my bed, grunting with irritation. I didn't feel like doing my homework, because at the time it was only five o'clock and I normally didn't start it 'till after dinner. I stay laying there for a while, unsure of what to do next. A slow smile spread across my face as I reached for my box. Wrapping my fingers around the cool, black surface, I brought it up in front of my face and pulled out the correct corner, and then typed in 9523, the X-Men mansion. Almost instantly, a portal opened up right next to my bed. Lifting myself onto my elbows, I rolled over the edge of the bed, stood up, and stepped through.

My opened, blue door changed to a window with beige curtains; the blue walls turned to a sandy color. Heck, I think my bed in the mansion was bigger than the one I had at home. It was made, too, unlike my own. And . . . there seemed to be a piece of paper on the sheets.

Walking across the room, I sat on that bed and unfolded the paper, revealing a messy sketch of what I assumed was the mansion. The blank ink seemed to be a little runny and I could tell from the way the lines were smudged that the one who scrawled this message was right-handed. Two squares, which I thought were rooms, were circled, telling me something, but I couldn't exactly decipher what.

Shrugging, I got up off the bed and to my door, keeping the paper in my hand. Making sure I had my key, I went into the hallway, closing the door behind me. Studying the map, I figured a route from one circled room to the next and started following it. Hopefully the one circled room I started from was mine, and the other was where ever the person wanted me to go.

At one point I was so engrossed in finding my way through the hallways that I didn't watch where I was going through my peripheral and ran into an opening door. I heard a grunt from the other side of the door as he was pushed backwards, and in my surprise I nearly fell onto my butt.

"Watch it!" he snapped, poking his head through.

"I-I'm sorry," I stammered, steadying myself against the wall. I brought my eyes up and noticed it was Scott. Oh, great. He didn't even like me in the first place. "Remember? I'm new."

He pushed the door closed behind me as he walked out. "I shouldn't have snapped at you," he said, probably being the closest to an apology as I'd get.

"No, it was completely my fault," I argued. "I was too busy looking at the piece of paper." I waved it in my hand and looked shamefully downwards. As I imagined X-Men: Evolution, he was a senior and I only a young sophomore.

He held out his hand. "What is that?" he asked. If he didn't have his glasses on, I think he would have had his eyes glued on the paper.

"A map . . . I think." I gave it to him and held my elbow with my now free hand.

"It's not what . . ." he mumbled, studying it. "It is!"

I looked up with alarm. "Was?" I asked sharply. Lately I've had a habit of using a little too much German in my sentences, Kurt not the reason why.

Somehow Scott understood what I said, because he answered: "Kurt," he answered. "You're going the wrong way, if you're following the map. He's on the other side of the building." I was surprised at how kind he was being to me. Handing it back, he straightened his shoulders. "I could show you the way," he offered, handing the map back.

I nearly choked in surprise. This wasn't the Scott I had confronted last time. Taking the paper in my own hand, I spit out, "I-I'm sure you, that you've got more important things than showing me around."

He checked his watch. "No, I don't really. I want to be as helpful to new students as I possibly can." Oh, so that's what I was to him? Just a student?

"T-thanks, Scott," I said, smiling nervously, but keeping my head down. He was a pretty cute guy, even if I didn't like him much. I could feel heat on my cheeks as I started following him down the carpeted hallway, the same way I had come from.

He seemed to sense my unease and he walked in a somewhat comfortable silence until we reached a certain hallway. "According to that map of yours, your room is somewhere down this hall," he said suddenly.

I looked around, pulled from my little reverie. "How can you tell?" I asked. "All the hallways pretty much look the same to me." I gestured briefly to the wooden floor on the side of the carpet.

"After years of living in this mansion, you get pretty used to it," he answered, striding along easily. "It's just like a big school. At your school, you know where you're at, right?"

I shrugged. "Well, if you put it that way, yeah. And it's kinda funny to see the freshman try to figure out which floor, even, they're on." I chuckled at a memory of one take one look in the hallway and ask which floor they were on. Their friend answered with something along the lines of, I dunno, the fifth? It was hard to understand why the third floor had numbers in the five hundreds, the second in four and the first in two hundreds, but not knowing what floor you were on is a little weird.

"All you have to do is get used to a building," Scott said, taking another turn. I didn't know if it was me only being in this place twice, but the mansion seemed huge. I was beginning to forget right from left.

It took another couple seconds for Scott to finally stop. I was daydreaming again, and I almost ran into his back, even though he gradually slowed. "This is Kurt's room," Scott said, flashing me a quick smile.

"Thanks, Scott. I owe you now." I dipped my head quickly.

"Nah. I would have helped anyone." He smiled again and walked away, still going in the direction we were traveling.

Taking a deep breath, I lifted my hand and knocked on the door, cringing inwardly.

"Hallo?" a voice asked, a little surprised.

"Hey, Kurt, it's me, Abby," I called, taking a step backwards.

"Abby?" he asked. His voice sounded a little closer, but confused.

"Yeah . . . you left me a map to your room," I explained. This wasn't a
good start.

The door opened fractionally, and I saw a yellow eyeball peer through. "Oh!" he shouted, throwing it wide. "Velcome back!"

"Thanks," I said, laughing. I think it's impossible to be grim around this guy.

"I vas just getting ready for a training session," Kurt said, walking back into his room. He left the door open.

I walked through and let the latch sit against the jamb. "Oh . . . Well, I don't want to be a hindrance," I said nervously.

"Nein, nein!" Kurt shouted, laughing. "You von't be in ze vay!"

"I'm trained in ninjutsu, not shape-shifting," I said, excusing myself.

He blinked. "Ninja?" he asked.

"You didn't know?"

"Nein."

"Oh, well, for the last half year or so I've received like three years of
ninjutsu training, about." I quickly backtracked. "Wait, you want me to train with you?"

"Vhy not?" he asked slyly.

"No one would trust the new girl," I cried. "You wouldn't, would you?"

"Common, Abby! Ve only have a few minutes! Are you coming?"

I gulped. "I don't have any of my supplies. . . ."

"Supplies, like vhat?"

"Three years isn't a lot of training. I still use my hanbo, and my costume . . . I would never be able to do anything in these clothes."

He jabbed a finger at my chest, right where the clavicles meet sternum. "Ve vill be exercising our mutant abilities, also. Since you shape-shift, ze clothes you have at home probably von't let you shift, just like ze vuns you are vering now." He lifted his finger and turned around sharply, touching me lightly with his tail. "So did Professor Xavier give you new costume?"

"I-I don't know," I stuttered, wringing my hands together, playing with the ring on my pinkie.

Turning again, he grabbed my arm, and suddenly we were in a different, bland room. My room. "Dere's only vun vay to find out, ja?" he jeered. Jerking his thumb at the dresser, he asked, "Check your drawers."

I took jerky steps toward the drawers, opening the top one. Nestled there, folded neatly, was a black suit with yellow accents. "Oh!" I exclaimed, picking it up at the shoulders.

"Ze molecules should be unstable, allowing you to shape-shift, und yadda-yadda, science talk," Kurt explained, smiling. "Now ve better hurry if ve don't vant to be late!"

"Well, I dunno about you, but I can't exactly just throw this suit on over my jeans and shirt." I held it up over my chest, looking down.

"Oh, right," Kurt said. "I'll just be outside." In a puff of smoke, literally, he was gone.

Hastily, and with fumbling fingers, I pulled off my normal, public clothes and put on the elasticy new clothes. I looked at the next drawer and found some very soft-soled shoes, and I stuck those on. Jittery with excitement, I opened the door to find Kurt waiting very impatiently.

"Fertig?" he asked, grabbing my shoulders. In the next second, we were surrounded by people I knew, and some I didn't. "Are ve late?" Kurt asked, stepping up next to Scott.

"No, Kurt, right on time." He turned to me skeptically. "You're coming in with us?"

I shrugged. "Apparently, according to Kurt, I am."

"Vhy not?" Kurt asked, taking a defensive step towards me. "She's a ninja and a shape-shifter."

"She could get killed!" Cyclops cried.

"So?" I asked, shrugging.

Both men looked at me, incredulous. "'So?'" Scott echoed.

"Yeah, I mean, if I die I just go back to my home world as if nothing ever happened to me. The only thing lost is the time I spent here. I could come back." I looked away, smiling. "'Sides, with the box, I've been through some very tough situations." My smile grew evil. "Perhaps I could take you there some time." Of course I was referring to the Save the Princess realm.

Scott rubbed his head and turned away, his mouth nearly hanging wide open. Kurt flicked his tail and tried to act nonchalant, as if this sort of stuff was said every day, but I knew that he was suddenly uncomfortable.

I took a breath and Scott's arm in my hand and repeated what I told Flash: "Promise me that if I get seriously hurt, but don't die, Scott, that you'll kill me so I can get back to my home world unharmed. I'll come right back to this realm and show you what I'm saying is the truth, if that should so happen."

He shook his head. "Look, I don't think I could kill you-anybody-even if it were a coup de grace," he explained, speaking as if to a mad person. Slowly, he pulled his arm out of my grip and pushed through a couple people to get away from me.

"Why is that such a hard concept to grasp?" I whispered venomously. Turning to Kurt, I almost asked him the same thing, but just by his body posture I could tell something was wrong; he probably overheard my request to Scott. "I'm okay," I assured him.

"I hope so," he said, "because ve're going in." He pointed with his finger to the opening door.

"What the hey? Is like everyone here?" I asked, suddenly noticing how large the crowd was. This wasn't just the original X-Men, but smaller kids, too.

"Nein, but just about," Kurt said, following the person in front of him.

"Wait, so if there's the newer X-Men here, too, then why wouldn't Scott let me in?" I asked, offended. "So they have a chance of dying, too?"

"Anything can happen in the Danger room."

"Alright everybody!" Scott shouted, standing in the middle of the room. Everyone gathered around him, creating a large, uneven circle. "Today we're going to test your teamwork. But since this is such a large group, we're going to break off into two. Half of you follow me to one side of the room and the other follow Jean. We'll explain what to do from there."

With a wave of his arm, he beckoned the right side of the group to follow him. Jean did the same with the other side and started to branch off. Kurt and I were with Cyclops.

"Nothing funny, fuzzy," Cyclops whispered on the way over to the side. "Got it?"

"Ja, ja. Naturlich." Kurt smiled cheerily, nearly contradicting his promise. "Ve have done things much harder before."

"I think you overestimate the newer mutants and me," I said, glancing wearily around. "I'll bet I'm not the only one here that hasn't done anything like this before."

Scott nodded. "She's right there, Kurt. There is one other mutant in this room that has just joined the mansion. This is their first time in the Danger Room."

"So what are we going to do?" I asked, pulling to a stop when Cyclops did.

Scott smiled and pulled something from a pocket. I didn't even know his suit had a pocket until he suddenly conjured an object out of nowhere. "You all are going to get this key from my hand, unharmed. You've got to work together to do this; no mutant will be left out. I will be using my optic blasts, but on a low level so they won't hurt . . . much." He turned his back on us and walked twenty or so paces away, turned around on his heel and waited with his hand outstretched.

"I could just teleport over dere and grab the key from him," Kurt said lowly, lashing his tail.

"You could," I agreed, "but I think he'd expect that and have you in his sights before you could make a grab for the key. Besides, that'd leave out the rest of us."

He scanned the small crowd, counting everyone's heads. "Acht," he mumbled, "including me und you." Standing up straight so he was taller than me, he asked, "So vhat all can you do?" His eyes skipped over a few of the students, resting on a few. My guess was he didn't know the abilities of the ones he studied.

"I can go nearly invisible," a small girl peeped, raising a hand just above
her lowered head. "But when I move you can sort of see an outline of where I am."

Kurt waved his hand at the next four people, apparently knowing who they were and what they could do. I knew of Rogue and Kitty in this group, but the other two I didn't recognize. "Und you?" he asked the last person.

"I can shrink to half my size," he said, standing proudly.

So we had a teleporter, a morphic, power-absorber, a phaser, a ghoster, a shrinker and two I had no idea what they could do. This was going to be interesting.

Kurt opened his mouth to say something, but a loud yell from the other side of the room stopped him. Curious, he took a peek over there, found it relatively uninteresting, and said whatever he had first on his mind: "Cyclops can't concentrate on all of us at the same time. Four of us vill have to distract him, using hit-and-run tactics, vhile the other four vill feign attack and try to get close enough to grab the key.

"You," he said, pointing at the small girl. "Can you make other tings invisible, other than yourself?"

"I-I don't kn-know," she stuttered.

"Can you try vith me?" Kurt walked over to her and offered his arm. Tentatively, the girl grabbed him at the wrist and turned them both see-through. Kurt's outline wavered in and out of sight as he moved, studying his arm. "You and I vill attack from above," he whispered so that only the group of us could hear. "Ve should be the vuns to grab the key, so ve vill be first line of offense. You-" he pointed to the shrinker- "can come from ze back and try to grab the key if we fail. Kitty, you'll be our last fall back.

"Abby, Sam, Rogue und Jamie," Kurt continued, "You'll be our defense. Abby und Jamie vill be our first line of attack, but fall back and let Sam come at Cyclops sometimes. Only attack to distract; don't hurt him. A couple bruises might be okay, a scratch, too, but don't completely knock him out. He von't hurt us enough to take us out of a game.

"Rogue, you vill be our last line of defense. If Cyclops does take out Abby, Cannonball or Multiple, you can absorb some of their powers and continue the assault." Rogue nodded her head once. "Ready, team?"

Some of us nodded, like me, a couple shouted enthusiastic yeses, but the rest of us stayed silent. "Go!" He turned quickly around, blinking into visibility for a second, and then with his trademark 'bamf' he and the nearly-invisible girl disappeared. Jamie immediately created twenty doubles of himself and waited for me to turn into a bear. I was a blonde grizzly bear, but still formidable.

With a roar, I charged forward. I could sense the Jamies right next to me, keeping pace with me. I got to Cyclops first. With a swipe with my massive paw, I aimed directly for his shoulder, but because of my added mass, I was slower and Scott was able to pull out of the way and duck. Three Jamies had him then by the shoulders and held him down. "Get it!" they cried, all at the same time and tone.

Nightcrawler was suddenly there, without the invisible girl at his side. He reached out for the key, but since the Jamies didn't have Cyclops's feet pinned, he used their hold as an advantage and used both feet to kick Kurt right in the stomach. With an oof, Nightcrawler doubled over and rolled away. Four Jamies took Scott's legs, learning.

The kid who shrinks came from behind, as was planned, slipped between Scott's legs, and grabbed for the key. Unfortunately, Cyclops kept his hand firmly closed, and even when the kid was his full size, he couldn't get the fingers open to grab the key. Two of Jamie's doubles tried to help, but to no avail.

"What? Does this guy do finger exercises!?" Jamie shouted angrily.

I growled for the two to get out of my way. With me still as a bear, they didn't object. I stuck my face right in his and glared at him, but the skrinky dink still couldn't get the key. Sighing, I moved out of the way and waved Kitty over. She ran over, phased right through Scott and grabbed the key.

"Got it!" she cried, jumping up happily.

"You can let me go," Scott mumbled, jerking his arm away from the diminishing Jamies. "Good job, X-Men. Sorry about that, Nightcrawler," he added, turning in his direction.

"No problem-" he gasped in pain- "Mein Freund."

"Nice teamwork and organization," Scott complimented, migrating towards the center of the room again. I saw that the other team was still working with Jean, and they looked none too happy. "You eight are dismissed." He waved his hand and headed toward the other group.

Once I was shrunk down into my human form, Kurt grabbed my hand and asked, "Ready to go back?" He still had a bent figure, more than usual, but he talked through it as if he were okay.

"Ja, ich glaube," I replied, watching the other six head through the door. In a blink, we were no longer surrounded by silver machinery, but the tan of my bedroom.

With it only being a few days before Christmas, and the suspense of what I got for my family earlier that day sucking the excitement out of everything I did, I decided that I might as well visit my newest favorite character, Remy LeBeau. I had already opened a portal to a world of X-Men, but that portal had been based off of Evolution, so there was no feasible way that I could even get close to Remy, at least in a friendly matter.

I was sitting on my unmade bed, staring through my dark window, too lazy to drag myself upstairs to grab the book I was reading. Everyone else in my family was directly above my room, hanging out in my brother's, playing with Linking Logs. Every few moments a word floated through the vent and presented itself clearly to my ears. I was thinking of the X-Men and all of the different versions of them. But mostly, my mind was on Remy.

Finally coming to a decision, I leaned backwards onto my pillow and clumsily fumbled along with my fingers until they grabbed the box. In the chill of my room the box didn't feel that much colder than the atmosphere, which was a shock. Pulling out a corner, I typed in a new code to get to Gambit: 6693. While the box deciphered my vague thoughts and tag-along memories, I quickly dressed into my X-Men suit, this time slipping my clothes back on top to disguise them. Before I was finished, the box had opened a portal to my other X-Men fantasy. Grabbing my hanbo, but leaving Dragon, I stepped through.

What I stepped into was a surprise. Instead of being in an environment different from my own, it was exactly like the realm I had just left. I searched in the drawers of my desk and even found my dagger. Before I could give much thought to anything else, a loud sound not unlike a cracking bull whip snapped through the sounds from Joe's room and the heater. Whipping my hanbo out from its sheathe, I flung my door open to investigate. Just peeking around the corner, I saw nothing much more than the couch. Silently advancing, I got around the chair to get a view behind it.

"What the--?" I barked, stepping backwards in surprise. My back slammed into the stereo that could only play cassettes.

A cloaked figure stirred on the ground. Okay, it wasn't exactly a cloak, because the coat didn't have a hood, but a large collar. Groaning, it turned a little so that it was propped onto their elbows. Realization dawned on me instantly, but I didn't know what my guest would do. Gambit looked very similar in nearly all versions of him.

It took what I estimated about a minute for Remy to roll himself over so that he was sitting on his rump. Another long moment passed before his eyes focused, focused on me, whom still stood at a confused ready. I watched as his expression turned from blank to confused.

"Who'reyou?" he mumbled, using his arms to prop himself up.

I didn't relax, let alone tell him my name.

He blinked his strange, black eyes twice in silence and then moved to get up. His gloved hand groped for the couch for help.

"One wrong move," I warned. I didn't tell him what I'd do, because, frankly, I hadn't a clue.

"'Tis okay, Chere," he promised, holding out his free hand. I noticed that his left arm was heavily holding his weight. "Gambit won't attack."

I still didn't move, but mostly because I wanted to run up and hug him. For once he wasn't dramatizing his pain, but was trying-and failing-to hide it.

"What happened?" I demanded, surprised at how coldly I said it.

"Don' know," he shrugged. "I was sleepin'."

I believed him and slowly lowered my hanbo. Holding my chin high, I told him, "No funny business, mein Freund. I know what you can do, and I'll tell you up front that if you decide to use your mutant powers, I'm pretty much powerless to stop you, besides my basic martial arts training. But I can at least not quite guarantee that besides you, mutants don't exist here and your biggest problem will be keeping your existence a secret. I can supply you with a place to sleep," I added, more softly.

He blinked again, pushed himself off the back of the couch, cringed, and then fell back into that position. "Tell me you can make me feel welcome now, Cher," he smiled, even though it was forced.

I shook my head. "If you're implying that I can medically see to you, non." What the hell? I don't speak French! "But if you mean that literally, well, wilkommen. Oh, ich spreche nur Deutsch und Englisch, by the way." At his newly re-established blank look, I translated: "I only speak German and English." I paced away, stopping at the opening to the small hallway. "This is the guest room," I told him, motioning to my right. "You can recover here." When he made no move to follow me, I sighed. "Need help?"

"Dat would be 'preciated, ma chère," he grunted. His previously free hand moved to his rib cage.

While I made my way to his side, I started talking again: "I'm not sure how much help I really can be, though. I mean, I'm not all that strong, and you are like eight or such inches taller than me." If I had the facts straight in my head, Remy was six foot two, whilst I stood at five, five and a half.

"Gambit try not ta . . . ta lean too much on ya." He clenched his teeth as he moved his hand from the couch to my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around his waist and moved slowly, not only because when we moved his was tripping over his own feet, but also because he really did need to take a lot of his weight off his own feet and transfer it to me.

Time dragged before I helped him lower himself onto the guest room's bed edge. Once I was free of the burden of his weight, I asked him none too nicely, "What the heck did you do?"

"However Gambit got here," Remy said, "it dropped me high 'bove da floor. Landed wrong."

I shook my head in disagreement. "Hadda of been something more than a simple fall."

He squinted in concentration. "If it was at home, den, Gambit don' remember it."

I sighed. "Well, you'll heal eventually. Get some rest." I flicked off the light, but instead of crossing the hall into my own room I gravitated further into the guest room and sat on the second bed. I watched Gambit sleep for a long time in the tiny amount of light from the bathroom nightlight before curling up, fully dressed, and falling asleep myself. My watch didn't glow, but I was sure it would have read somewhere around eleven at night.

All About Remy, Part 2

I was barely conscious, but I was aware that in the background I heard mumbling and grumbling. Rousing myself gradually, I realized that I wasn’t in my room. Somehow that didn’t bother me any until the grumbling stopped in an abrupt shout. Shooting into a sitting position on the bed, I trained my eyes on the man who had made the noise.

“You okay?” I growled.

Remy turned around, reaching for his cards, which were eventually shown, glowing with energy. Once he saw me, he uncharged them and set them on the bed. “Sorry, Cher,” he murmured, hanging his head.

I tilted my head at his strange behavior. “You okay?” I repeated. He wasn’t holding himself anymore, but his movements were still forced.

He shook his head. “Don’ know.”

“Whaddya mean?” I snapped, suddenly really concerned.

“Don’—don’ worry ‘bout Gambit, Cher.”

“I will,” I assured him. “You’re my guest, at the very least. If there’s something I can—”

“My bones feel better; Gambit don’ know what it is.” He probed my eyes with his own, and I backed off.

“What time is it?” I asked, changing the subject. I brought my watch up to where I could read it, but it read 10:27. PM. “What? Oh. . . .” I’m in the box. Duh.

Turning back to Remy I asked, “Can you walk?”

He didn’t move. Instead, he stared down at his feet. I almost called out his name, but then realized I didn’t know if I should call him Gambit, or if he’d allow me to call him Remy. “Uh . . . what’s your name?”

“My friends call me Remy. My enemies call me Gambit.”

“So I should call you . . . ?”

“Gambit don’ care much, Cher.” He finally met my eyes again. “An’ what shoul’ Gambit call you?”

“Call me Abby,” I said. “Welcome to my house.”

His eyes fell back to his boots.

“Gambit.” Pause. Silence. “Remy?” Flicker of life. “You feelin’ sick, mein Freund?”

“Not anyting serious. Gambit will be fine, dat I assure you.”

Yeah, right, I mumbled in my head, but didn’t dare speak it out loud. I let the silence drag until I was impatient again. Getting up, I passed a near lifeless Gambit to get into the hallway. The family room that immediately connected to it was still, dark and silent. I crossed it. Trekking up the stairs I opened the door into what could be best described as an entry way. Our basement door, garage door, laundry room and, a little farther off, dining room all connected in a space equivalent to my walk-in closet. Empty, silent, except for a plane flying over the house. Moving through the dining/kitchen area, I made it into our desk room. The living room and hall that branched off into the bedrooms were both silent. Our entry way, I noticed, was missing a couple coats.

“Huh. Home alone.” Back tracking into the kitchen, I opened up the pantry and grabbed Pop Tarts for myself, because I was lazy, but kept it open as I wondered what Remy would want. “I could ask him,” I told myself aloud. Yeah, I talk to myself.

“I could, but would he answer?”

“Probably not.” I moved my eyes from the pantry to where the stairway door would be, if it weren’t around a corner; there was a wall in the way.

What was wrong with my mutant friend? Remy wasn’t like this at all!

I made my own breakfast, ate it, saw no sign of my brother, went downstairs and sat on the bed, right next to Remy. Ja—right up close and personal. “Hungry?” I asked. “’Fraid we only really have cereal, though.” Raph would like that at least.

“Non,” Remy answered.

“As in . . . not hungry?” No reply. I suddenly raised my voice a little, to make a point: “You’ll get home, if that’s what you’re thinin’. Now be a good little guest and be interactive, would ya?”

He took a deep breath and lifted his face too look directly at me, even if his hair obscured his eyes. “Am I botherin’ ya dat much, Cher?”

“Ja, pretty much.”

Little breath. “Gambit’s sorry.”

I paused my thoughts—‘cause if I let them run I’d surely blurt something—but he didn’t continue. “You’ve said that before,” I pointed out bluntly. “I suggest saying it only when you really feel it.” Pause. Silence. “Ya hungry now, mein Freund?” I asked, adding dramatic emphesis on my German, not because it was German, but to signal my willingness to actual friendship. And trust. I trusted him—even though he was a theif—but as Emma Frost had said, “Trust works both ways.” Hmm . . . that’ll be my dA sig now.

“What you say you have?” Gambit asked in response, but I could tell he was struggling. But why?

“Mostly cereal. Nothin’ gourmet or anything, though.” I forced a smile.

“Well, Gambit can’ be too picky.” He struggled to his feet, but he was able to keep upright unlike the night before. Nevertheless, I offered my help, which he refused, though kindly.

“Just . . . follow me.” I slowly led the way, nearly walking backwards up the steps to watch him. I’ve done it once before, and I tell ya—completely different than just walking backwards. “Have a seat,” I ordered, pointing to the table. “Now what ya want? We’ve got . . .” I began listing everything off, including clementines and grabbed everything for my guest. When he was eating, I just sat down with Daysie in the living room.