Trying to Craft a Dream
A Xavier’s Institute Story
By: CS Fox

It was a standoff, and Eli stood firm, ever the soldier.

“I can’t think of a better place to leave her.”

Emma’s frown hardened. “I serve as the Xavier Institute’s Headmistress, and unfortunately, the headmaster and school founder couldn’t be here… but, with my authority, I can’t in good conscious admit Molly to the school. Not only is her family dangerous, but I genuinely believe she is dangerous as well.”

“She’s only 12-years-old.”

“I read the report… That 12-year-old put two of your team in the hospital. She is a borderline OMEGA level mutant.”

“And so are you…” Eli smirked, clasping his hands behind his back. He was prepared for this.

Emma didn’t like his military bearing, or having to stare at his blue starred uniform. It somehow seemed to be shoving patriotism down her throat.

“To date, the world has seen maybe a dozen omega level mutants… and four of them are teachers at this very school. S.H.E.I.L.D. classifies her as an Alpha, are you telling me she’s too much to handle?”

“She’s a hell of an alpha level mutant and where the hell do you get S.H.E.I.L.D. intelligence? Stop feeding me crap.”

“Please, you know who I represent, consider this a favor for him. He’s interested in the safety of this girl, especially after… well after the life she’s already had considering who her father was.”

“I know,” Emma sighed. Eli was known as ‘The Patriot’, an associate to Captain America, one of the most prominent heroes in the country.

“Look, even Captain America must know, it’s not something uncommon here. Almost every mutant in this school has a sob story to tell. She wouldn’t be the most powerful mutant we’ve had come through our doors, but she’d be the youngest, and quite possibly the most broken. That’s a very dangerous combo. When we invite a new student, we try to get as much of their story as we can before we open our arms. There are too many unknowns. The Professor hasn’t even had a chance to give his input yet.”

“I’ve presented you her full file.”

“This might as well be a baseball card. It doesn’t say who she really is. When you deal with teenagers with incredible powers, nothing is for certain. Trust me, the basketball court was remodeled seven times last year alone.”

“She arrives in an hour.”

“Damn it! You’re not even listening.”

“I’ll be back in three weeks to check on her. Her tuition is being covered by a generous grant on behalf of the Avengers.”

“It’s not about the money, this school is self sufficient …” Emma growled but found herself powerless to stand up to the military jerk. He turned smartly and walked out of her office. “ASSHOLE!” she yelled after him as he left.

She sat back and wrapped her fingers on the armrest of her chair, brooding over how to handle this. She growled and grabbed for her phone and called one of her faculty members.

“Hank, we’ve got a new student coming this afternoon apparently. Is there any room in the girl’s dorm?”

At the other end of the line, a furry blue paw tried to hold a very small receiver up to a big feline ear. “Mutatis mutandis my dear, we always have room. Just send her by my lab when she arrives.”

Emma hung up, frowning and starting on the necessary documents for student enrollment.

******

The new student arrived an hour later in an unmarked black car. She looked up with a nervous pout at the big wrought iron gates of 1407 Graymalkin Lane.

She hugged her stuffed bunny a little closer. She wanted to run … but she took comfort from the man who had been her escort. He put his big hand reassuringly on her shoulder and she tried to smile for him.

“This is going to be your home for a little while,” he said. His voice was like honeyed thunder. “It’s a very special school.”

She nodded. It had been unreal. Him of all people, why did he care about her? She almost felt famous.

He pressed a buzzer on the gate and a little screen popped into life with some lady on it. She seemed surprised at her escort… but everyone who’d seen him acted that way.

The gates opened and she walked with him. She was scared of new places, and new people… Things never seemed to go right, but for him… For him she might try.

He looked much more handsome in person then his pictures. He wore blue and red and carried a circular shield with him as he walked with a broad confident stride up to the mansion.

There were other kids, well maybe not kids, they seemed a bit older than her, but every one of them stopped and looked at him. Conversations quieted, fingers were pointed, some girl with beautiful fairy wings was fluttering around behind them like a curious humming bird in the air.

“It’s okay Molly,” he said to her. She had suddenly clutched his leg in nervousness and her strength actually made him wince. She tried to hide behind him with her stuffed bunny.

They came to a courtyard in front of the mansion, and Molly looked up at the statue in the middle of it. It was a pretty girl surrounded by fire. She was so busy looking at it that she didn’t notice the lady in white walk up to them.

“Captain America… it’s an honor,” the lady in white said extending a hand.

His hand grasped hers firmly, “Ms. Frost, thank you for accepting one more student on short notice. It means a lot to me that you’d be willing to take in Molly.”

Emma tried to maintain her composure. God he was tall and broad shouldered, he was like a living Adonis. She managed a kurt nod. “We appreciate the grant, but it’s really not necessary, the professor’s trust fund…”

“I insisted. Charles already contacted me about it. I’ve always been impressed with what you’ve been doing here, and consider the money a contribution from the Avengers.”

Emma put on her business smile. She noticed the young girl by Captain America’s leg. She was the reason he was here.

“You must be Molly Hayes,” she said kneeling down to be level with her.

The girl nodded nervously.

“My name’s Emma Frost, I’m the headmistress of this school. It’s kind of like being the principle.”

Molly didn’t say anything. She just hugged her stuffed animal and stayed behind the Captain.

“Her file said she was shy,” he offered by way of explanation.

“So I’d read.” Emma said. She stood up and tried to talk a little quieter, “Has she calmed down since your team picked her up?”

Captain America put his hand down on Molly’s shoulder again. “She’s been behaving. It was our fault for barging in on her and scarring her when we did. She’ll be good, right Molly?”

Molly nodded shyly.

There was a shout from the road. Someone called Captain America from the car, and he turned his head to wave at the man. “I’ve got to go. I’m leaving Molly in your care. I’ll be checking in.”

“Don’t leave!” Molly spoke for the first time. She clung to his leg again and he winced once more.

“I’m sorry Molly…” He tried to find the right words without seeming to talk down to her. He bent down and smiled “I have evil to fight. Democracy to protect. I’m a hero, you said so yourself.”

Molly’s lower lip quivered a little. “I.. I can fight. I could help you.”

He smiled. “I know you can. You did a number on two of my friends…”

Molly blushed and looked away.

“Molly, you’ll make lots of friends here,” Emma offered. “It’s a very good school.”

Molly frowned. Everyone left her in the end, even Mr. famous hero.

His big hand found her shoulder again and she looked up at him. “I’ll be back,” he promised.

Molly sniffed and tried to nod, if only for him. He turned and walked away, and she started to cry. Emma frowned, this wasn’t a good start.

******

“And who might this lovely young lady be?” Asked the upside-down blue cat.

Molly wasn’t sure what to make of him. He was big and hanging from a light fixture in a room with boiling stuff everywhere. He was wearing a shirt and tie, and the tie was dangling freely past his head.

“Hank, this is Molly Hayes,” Emma said. She handed him a bunch of files, as well as her recently filled out paperwork.

Hank smiled, “Hello Molly,” he said as he took the documents from Emma. Molly blushed and hid partially behind a table.

Hank turned the documents upside down to look at them. Molly tilted her head and bent a little to the side, trying to see if it was easier to read that way. She’d never really thought about it before.

Noticing what she was doing, Hank grinned. He brought an arm up to his perch to steady himself, then released his feet and righted himself, falling easily to the ground.

“My name is Hank McCoy,” he said extending a giant paw to her, but she took a step back. He smiled and withdrew his paw, reading over her file again. The lady in white pointed at the papers and started whispering to him, but Molly couldn’t hear about what. She didn’t really care, people always liked to talk without her in the conversation.

They talked for a few minutes and while they talked, Molly walked around the room, looking at some of the boiling things. There were little glass cups above tiny flames on the tables.

“What are they?” Molly asked.

Hank looked up, “A science experiment for my biology class later today.” He grinned, “I’m a teacher here.”

“You’re a teacher here?!” Molly asked surprised. She looked at the blue cat again with wide eyes. “What type of school is this?”

 “A very special school,” he said. “Everyone here has powers… powers like yours.”

Emma nodded with him.

Molly looked at them incredulously. She knew of others who had powers, but she never imagined they had a school for them. She looked at the blue cat. “What can you do?”

Hank smiled, “My power?  Well, I’m not quite as special as you, but I can do things like recite Shakespeare upside down.”

He jumped and hooked an arm on a lighting fixture again, swinging himself like a monkey till he was hanging above Molly.

“What a piece of work is man!” He said in a deep baritone. “How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty! In form and moving how express and admirable!” He smiled at her, “In action how like an angel! In apprehension how like a god!”

Molly made a nervous giggle while looking up at him.

Emma groaned. “Hank, I’m going to be very busy the rest of the day, I know you have a class soon, but please bring Molly to the dorm. Make sure she’s settled in.”

“The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals!” Hank managed a nod without breaking monologue. Emma frowned and walked away. At least the little girl wasn’t her problem anymore.

“Remember not to get her too excited,” she added walking away. Hank waved like it was under control.

As she left, Hank did a back flip and landed on a table. “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” He noticed the blank expression on Molly’s face. “Hamlet my dear. Just a few bits of Act II and III.”

Molly blinked.

Hank smiled and hopped off the table, straightening his tie. “Why don’t we get you to your room?” he asked as he turned down the little fires on the tables.

Molly held her bunny a little closer. “Do I have to live here?”

Hank paused for a moment. “You don’t want to live here? I can promise it’s a very nice place to live.”

Molly looked down and shrugged. “I don’t have anywhere else to live.”

“That’s a very grownup answer…” Hank said with a little bit of a heavy feeling. “There’s a lot of young people here like yourself, who don’t have anywhere else to live either.”

Molly shrugged again.

“Come on, let’s go meet your roommates, they’re really nice girls, we’ll get your bags too.” he said trying to sound positive.

Molly just followed behind him with her bunny. “I don’t have any bags. Just Hoppy.”

******

The girl’s dorm was a separate house connected to the mansion by a covered walkway. Hank announced his presence as he came through the front door. The main entrance had a big reception room and a few girls were sitting around studying or entertaining themselves. A few looked up at Hank and Molly. The looks the other girls were giving her had Molly hurrying to stay close to Hank. She felt kind of weird that people were staring at her, and not the walking blue cat in front of her.

He led them up a flight of stairs and stopped at a door that had “Exemplars” etched in intricate writing on it. Molly looked at it curiously.

“Knock knock ladies,” Hank said wrapping the back of his paw a few times on the door.

“Coming!” came a reply. The door opened a moment later to a pretty girl with bright red hair.

“Hey Mr. McCoy, what’s up?”

“Hi Megan, I’d like you to meet Molly, she’s going to be rooming with you.”

“Hi,” Megan said waving at Molly. Molly offered a nervous wave back at the slightly older girl. “She’s the one who came with Captain America isn’t she?”

Molly blushed. Megan opened the door for them, but Hank didn’t come in.

“I’ve got to get back before my class, is there any chance you can get her linens and show her around the campus a little better Megan?”

“Sure Mr. McCoy.”

Hank noticed that Molly was frowning a little. “I’m sorry Molly, but you came in the middle of a school week. I know it must feel like you’re being passed around a lot. I can show you around more after my class if you like?”

Molly shrugged. She didn’t really care; people didn’t like spending much time with her usually anyway.

Hank sighed. “I’ll see you after my class, for now Megan will help you out. Right Megan?”

“Does this mean I can skip biology?”

Hank smirked. “For today, but I’ll still expect your homework tomorrow.”

Megan frowned.

“Be good for Megan,” Hank said with a pat on Molly’s shoulder. He put on his reciting voice, “Thy self away, are present still with me, for thou art never further then my thoughts canst move. And I am still with them, and them with you. Even if I’ve a class to teach,” he laughed.

Molly looked really confused, but with a big feline grin he opened a window and jumped out onto the covered walkway, making his way along rooftop and gargoyles to his lab.

Megan closed the window as if everything was normal. “Come on in Molly, this is the common room for Exemplars.”

Molly shrugged, and walked slowly into the room.

Megan looked around and realized that Molly hadn’t brought any bags. “Is that all you have?” she asked looking a little confused. Molly nodded, holding her bunny a little closer.

“Okay… well… this is the common room. We share it with another bedroom,” Megan said motioning around the room. It was a homely little room with a small kitchenette, a few couches and a TV. She led Molly to the first door, “and this is our bedroom. My bed is right here, and that empty bed by the window is going to be yours.”

Molly nodded. It was at least a lot nicer then the bed she’d had in the warehouse the night before.

Megan was feeling a little awkward. Molly wasn’t saying anything. She looked at the stripped mattress and remembered what she needed.

“Linens, we need your linens. I’ll be right back,” Megan said snapping her fingers. She turned and made an odd skipping motion that seemed to take her off the ground and keep her there. Molly stared at her and realized for the first time that Megan had wings. They had been folded neatly on her back, but as she took flight, they spread out. They were sort of like butterfly wings, or maybe the wings of a dragonfly. They were all different colors and very beautiful and Molly caught herself staring as the girl fluttered out into the hall.

Molly went back to the common room and looked around a little better for herself. She noticed that the TV was on but it didn’t look like anyone was on the couch. She walked over to it and found a big dog laying curled up.

“Puppy,” Molly said bringing her hand near the animal. She loved dogs.

Its ears perked and it let out a low growl.

“I’m no wee pup,” it said angrily.

Molly shrieked. “It talked!”

The dog’s head rose and turned over its shoulder to look at her. “Aye, I talk… but I’m no pet pup, so take your han’ away.”

Molly quickly withdrew her hand. It wasn’t a puppy and it had a weird accent. The dog grunted and put its head back on its paws.

“Here we go, sheets, a blanket and a pillow,” Megan said as he came back into the room with a pile of linens. She immediately noticed Molly’s scared expression and flew over the couch, frowning at what she saw.

“Skipping class again Rahne?” she asked the dog.

It opened one eye. “Aye, and what business is it of yours Pixie?”

Megan rolled her eyes. “Molly, this is one of the girl’s who shares the other room… Rahne Sinclaire. She’s our Scottish wolf.”

There was a growl. “You an’ the wee’an can leave me alone.”

Molly backed off from the dog… er wolf, Megan fluttered down to whisper to her “Don’t worry, she’s always grumpy like that.”

“I can hear you,” the wolf muttered closing its eyes.

Megan smirked and flew into the bedroom, waving for Molly. She followed and sat on the floor while Megan made her bed for her.

“You have wings…” Molly said staring at Megan’s back. She decided the wings were most like a butterfly’s.

Megan nodded. “I do.”

“Is that what makes you special?”

Megan looked at Molly and smiled. “I’d always thought it was my red red hair, but I suppose the wings do it too.”

Molly looked at the wings a little longer. They seemed to be coming through her clothes somehow. “You can’t hide them can you?” Molly asked.

Megan stopped making the bed.  She turned and looked at Molly. “No… and that’s what really makes me special I suppose. Special enough that I have to live here.” She started to take off her sweater, but as she pulled it off, the wings stayed as they were, the clothing just phasing through them.

“Sorry,” Molly said. She hugged her bunny closer and turned away. She had a hard time talking to people sometimes, especially if they didn’t look happy when you talked to them.

Megan put her sweater back on and started on the bed again. “You must be really special yourself if Captain America is your friend,” she said.

Molly didn’t say anything.

“Do you have a special power Molly?” Megan asked as she finished making the bed.

Molly nodded, but sat facing away from her, silent. Megan didn’t press the issue, she knew from other students that if she wanted to share, she would.

The door to the common room opened and Megan kicked off the floor and fluttered over to see who it was. The last roommate walked slowly into the room.

She was pretty in her own way. While Megan was taller and more slender, this girl was a little more rounded, but she had some type of exotic look to her. She had long dark hair and wore a purple silk cloth over her eyes and a shawl around her shoulders.

“Someone new,” said exotic girl as she came in.

Molly turned and looked a little surprised at this other girl.

“Ruth, this is Molly,” Megan offered, fluttering down to her bed.

Molly looked at the strange girl. Like usual, she couldn’t help asking the obvious. “Why do you wear a blindfold?”

Megan looked worried for a moment, but Ruth just smiled. Molly was confused till Ruth reached up and untied the silk cloth she had covering her eyes. As the cloth fell free, she opened her eyelids to look at Molly. Molly gasped. Ruth’s eyes were completely white. No pupils, no iris, just white.

“Blind…” she said blinking a few times. She didn’t open her eyes often. “People get uncomfortable seeing my eyes. I used to be called zombie freak when I was in my other school.”

“Winged freak at my school,” Megan said looking embarrassed.

“Me schoolmates called me Bitch,” Rahne called from the other side of the couch.

“We still call her that,” Megan said softly with a giggle. There was a growl. “Kidding!” Megan called back, although she sort of wasn’t.

Ruth retied the silk around her eyes and went into her room to grab some books and her back pack.

Molly looked a little overwhelmed. People, places… that girl sure looked blind, but she didn’t act it. Everyone had powers… she wanted to hide again.

“It’s okay,” Ruth said coming back into the common room.

Molly looked even more confused. “What is?”

“You don’t need to worry, no one will hurt you or try to take you away. We’re all just like you.”

Molly hugged her bunny again. Not really sure why Ruth was saying this.

“I was scared too, but you’ll understand in time. There are a lot of good souls here. You don’t need to hide.”

Molly felt a little scared. “You’re reading my mind…”

Ruth shook her head. “I don’t read minds… the professor does that… I just…” Ruth shrugged and zipped up her bag. “I see only what others don’t… That’s part of my power. I see emotions, feelings, paranormal. Stuff that eyes can’t.”

Molly didn’t really understand. “How can you see those books?”

“They’re brail, but for most of the physical world, I can sense it, it’s hard to explain.” Ruth got up and walked to the door.

“Can you get the homework notes for me?” Megan asked as Ruth left. She nodded but waved bye to both of them.

Molly got up and sat on her bed, facing Megan.

“Do you want to see the rest of the school?” Megan asked, smiling.

Molly shook her head no.

Megan looked around the room, trying to find something she could show off or perhaps just entertain Molly with.

“Do… you just want to watch TV or take a nap or something?”

Molly nodded and walked to the common room without saying anything to Megan. She laid down on the couch above the wolf on the floor. Rahne didn’t stir, but her ear twitched a little.

Megan looked on, just making sure everything was okay, but it was only a few minutes before Molly was asleep. She’d been through a lot in the past 24 hours. It was obvious to anyone.

Rahne lifted her head and looked to Megan. “I’ll mind ‘er,” she said giving her ears a dog like scratch with her hind legs.

Megan nodded and smiled, rare kindness from Rahne.

******

Molly was floating in a blue column of light in just her nightie. She was crying and holding herself, having given up hours ago from trying to struggle out of it. The more she punched and screamed, the more she spun in different directions and didn’t go anywhere.

Two men in lab coats were standing and looking at her.

“She’s incredible. Her strength is at least class 7, she put a huge dent in the cell block door and that’s nine inches of durasteel. She didn’t even bruise from it, she’s god damned indestructible.”

The taller man nodded. “I saw the retrieval vehicle. $15 million vehicle gets totaled, girl just fine.”

Molly kept crying. Ever since she’d found out how special she was, everything had been wrong.

“Have you had any success drawing blood?”

The shorter man laughed. “Can’t even break the skin. Doesn’t matter how sharp or how strong. It was… a little disturbing… she can still feel the pain of sharp things, even if it isn’t doing anything to her.”

“Then what do we have to map her with?”

“Hair, fingernail clippings, naturally shed dead skin cells, mouth swab. Her body is normal in some ways, just unbelievably resilient in others.”

“Have the doctors give her a pap smear.”

The shorter man frowned. “She’s 11. Don’t you…”

“Get whatever you can. This girl could put the super soldier project to shame. Nature created a masterpiece when it mutated her. We just need to figure out how to harness it. Maybe breeding or embryo transplant for a start.”

The taller man left, leaving the shorter man looking awestruck. This wasn’t right. She was a little girl, not an experiment. It was a miracle of nature she was as sweet and innocent as she was.

He didn’t pick up the phone. He looked up at her crying and floating; scared to death. Something had to be done. She’d only been here a few hours, but too much more of this, and she probably would turn out like her father.

******

Molly woke up screaming. She’d had the dream about the needles and torture again.

Rahne nearly jumped out of her fur. The sudden loud noise caused her to scamper back scared into the TV. Her infrequent powers activated in the heightened moment and suddenly she was a naked teen with brown hair, almost as terrified as Molly was.

“Molly!” Megan came flying out of her room. She’d been reading quietly and the scream freaked her out as well. She fluttered above the couch finding Molly hugging her stuffed animal and Rahne naked with her back to the TV, still kicking her legs like she’d back up through it.

“Make ‘er stop!” Rahne said frantically covering her ears.

“Molly, it’s okay! It was just a dream!” Megan said flying down atop her and shaking her shoulders.

Molly continued screaming a moment, but it began to taper off and turn to crying as Megan did her best to hug the young girl.

“It’s okay Molly, it’s okay, it was just a dream,” she said.

Rahne stood up a little shakily and patting her ears a little. Her senses were far better than most humans, and sudden screaming was not pleasant. Her nose twitched as well.

“Nearly deafened me… an I think she wet er’self,” Rahne said a little snarky looking at Molly and Megan. Someone needed to be blamed for the ringing in her ears.

“Go put some clothes on,” Megan said. Rahne frowned and went in her room.

Megan dried Molly’s tears and landed herself on the floor next to the couch. Rahne was right about the accident. Megan could easily see that Molly had indeed wet herself.

“Come on, we’ll get you cleaned up,” Megan said, not wanting to embarrass the girl. Molly nodded slowly and got up.