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I could never forget you	By : Akabara Category: X-Men: (All Movies) > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 1881 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Xmen or make any profit from this story, it is purely for entertainment.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
Fourteen-year-old Caleb Payton sat in the Xavier Institute’s living room, flicking through the TV channels while rain hammered down to the pavement outside.
“… Houston residents are being warned to stay inside tonight as a lone Panther wanders freely through the streets. Witnesses who’ve seen the beast believe it may be injured and have attempted to approach it, only for the massive cat to turn and chase them away, snarling, roaring and growling. Officials are uncertain as to where this wild predator has come from as no local zoos have reported an escaped large cat….”
“Professor… I think we may have a mutant to locate,” Caleb called out.
“I’m aware, I’ve been trying but her mind is more animal than human, it’s making her a bit difficult to track and predict,” Charles replied.
Caleb turned off the TV and headed towards his room, “I’m taking Logan, if nothing he should be able to pick up the scent.”
“Good idea,” Charles replied.
Caleb entered the room with a single bed, dresser and computer desk, grabbing his lime green rain coat and heading towards the workshop.
“Yo, Wolverine,” Caleb called into the work shop while putting on his rain coat.
“What do ya want kid?” Logan asked with a slight snarl.
Caleb cracked a small smile as he answered without missing a beat, “How about a drive?”
Logan looked to Caleb, about to rip him a new one. About to tell him how insane it was to go out driving in this weather, but stopped short when he noticed the way Caleb’s eyes were glancing.
“Someone’s in trouble, huh?” Logan asked.
“A mutant…. Probably injured from what they’re talking about. Somewhere in Houston,” Caleb added.
“Hous—“ Logan stopped himself, and growled.
“We ain’t takin’ the jeep kid, and I don’t do well with bad air while flyin’,” Logan replied.
Caleb’s expression became one of horror, “but they could die, Logan.”
“Oh kid, turn it off,” Logan groaned, a hand coming up to his forehead while his head gentlys hook from side to side.
‘He’s just like his mother,’ the older male thought to himself.
“Ask Storm if she’ll tag along… maybe with her around the air sickness won’t be so bad,” Logan replied.
Caleb blinked repeatedly, “Really? You get air sick?”
“Hey, if people were meant to fly we’d have wings,” Logan snapped.
Caleb stifled a chuckle before nodding and heading off towards Storm’s room. He blinked when he saw her already emerging from her room and Charles coming from Cerebro, not a split second later.
“I found her, Skylar McKenzie, she’s twelve years old, and she’s been shot,” Charles reported as he headed towards the Blackbird, Storm walking beside him.
Logan snarled a bit as he came out of the work shop with a scowl on his face, “So ya ain’t trackin’ her, why ya want me taggin’ along?” He grumbled out.
“She’s shot, Logan. With your history I suspect you have some experience in handling these sort of injuries in your fellow army men,” Charles replied.
Logan snarled in response but gave a gruff nod in agreement.
“Caleb, you’re still coming,” Charles added.
“ME?!” Caleb asked, slightly stunned.
“Yes, with her being so close to your sister’s age, and being frightened, I’m betting you’d have the best chance at winning over her trust,” Charles concluded while he boarded the private jet.
Caleb gave a small sigh and nodded in agreement as he boarded the plane, “Alright.”
As Storm took the controls and set the plane off, Caleb glanced over and realized exactly why Logan was so reluctant to go with them.
‘Geez, he does look a bit green,’ Cal thought to himself as he watched Logan battle once they got into turbulent air space.
Storm’s eyes became white and shortly after the air calmed down around the Jet.
Three hours later the blackbird hovered near a building while Caleb levitated himself down, landing easily on his feet and glanced around before setting off with Charles guiding him.
“Skylar? Skylar McKenzie,” He called out telepathically as he walked.
“Hey kid! You gotta get home, it isn’t safe out here,” A police officer stated as he exited his cruiser and headed towards Caleb.
“Uh? Well… actual---“
A loud roar ripped through the sound of rain pitter pattering onto the ground.
The officer quickly drew his gun but blinked when it levitated in midair.
“I wouldn’t do that,” Caleb advised.
“What? What’s-“ The cop sputtered for a moment before he came to a conclusion.
The brown haired uniformed man gained a look of disgust, “You’re a mutant!”
“Yes. So is that injured panther, that’s why I’m here,” Caleb replied as the police officer’s gun landed back in its holster, which instantly fastened shut.
“All the more reason for me to –“
“She’s already been shot, that’s why she’s so feral right now. The pain’s blinding her and she’s acting on pure animal instinct. You’d be safer in your car,” Caleb added as he pulled back the green hood of his rain coat.
The cop scowled.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got a hold of her. She won’t harm anyone,” Caleb stated.
The man blinked repeatedly before entering his cruiser again, but didn’t turn over the ignition or pull away.
Caleb looked to his left, seeing a fully grown black panther. Peridot eyes staring at Caleb, razor sharp teeth bared and claws extracted from each massive paw. The rain soaked fur matted to the feline’s form, the tail swishing in warning.
“Skylar, my name’s Caleb,” Cal introduced himself as he knelt down.
The beast gave a warning growl in response.
Caleb looked to the large cat, “I know you’re in there Sky… you prefer that right? Sky over Skylar? I won’t hurt you, none of us will. The professor, Logan, Storm and I, we’re here to help you.”
The staring contest between animal and teenaged boy seemed to go on for an eternity before their surroundings shifted.
A girl with strawberry blonde hair and peridot green cat-like eyes glanced around her, and felt around her midsection, “It’s gone?”
“No, not really. I just mentally numbed you to the pain so you could hear me,” Caleb answered as he stood to the right of her on a sandy beach, a bright red sunset reflecting off of the water as small waves washed up onto the shore.
“Why did you bring me here?” Sky asked as she looked around.
“I didn’t. I searched the recesses of your mind for a place where you felt least threatened, this was the spot you picked,” Caleb answered as he took off his socks and shoes.
Skylar looked down and gently dug her toes into the still blissfully warm sand.
“It is beautiful… and calming,” She admitted, quietly.
“How did we get here though?” She asked.
“I’m like you, Sky… well, sort of. We’re mutants, you and I… our abilities are quite different though. While you shape shift, I’m telepathic and I have some telekinetic ability… no where near as strong as other telepaths and telekinetics I know but… they’re teaching me to develop my powers, and gain control over them,” Cal offered, rolling his baggy jeans up to his knees.
“Telepathic?” Sky asked, scrunching her face up in confusion.
Caleb nodded as he stepped into the tide, “Yeah… I can read people’s minds and I can project my thoughts into their minds… create illusions… like this one, and others that aren’t so nice.”
“So… you’re choosing to be nice to me?” Sky asked.
“I’m getting to know you. I can change this setting on a whim if I feel threatened,” Caleb admitted.
“Why don’t you just read my mind?” Sky asked.
“Normally, I don’t go doing that without permission from the person whose mind I’m exploring… unless they’re threatening somebody and I have no other choice-“ He winced a bit when his voice cracked and went high pitched.
“Oh man that even happens here?!” He growled, gently kicking at the water in embarrassment.
“Well… I guess somethings don’t change,” Sky offered with a small smile.
Caleb blushed, ‘well that was a little embarrassing.’
“How old are you anyway?” She asked.
“Fourteen… I was about your age when I started getting headaches… and then last year my powers manifested… see I have a little sister… she’s about eleven now, but last year… some guys were threatening her and… that’s when I first used an illusion,” Caleb confided.
“I see… so you did it to protect her, kind of instinctively,” Sky concluded as she sat on a rock, gently kicking her feet, lightly splashing the water as she moved.
Caleb nodded, “Yeah. I’m wondering what happened with you, if you can tell me?”
Skylar’s eyes welled up as her legs stopped moving, her shoulders sagged at the question.
“I- I’m sorry, I-“
“No… you don’t know. It’s okay… I guess,” Sky replied, avoiding eye contact.
Caleb watched Sky as she took a few shaky breaths before answering.
“My mom’s a single parent. My Dad’s been outta the picture before I was even born… I never had a Dad… and being in part of the bible belt in Texas well… folks tend to tease me and my mom. Call her a prostitute… today the teasing just went too far. I transformed into a snake… I don’t even know how it just happened before I knew what was going on… and then my mom hates snakes… so when I went home and she saw me like that… she shot me… and once I was shot, I fled from the house and transformed into that panther… I haven’t been able to shift back,” Skylar explained, tears now cascading down her face.
‘Geez. Mom found out about my powers and… she helped me find the Xavier institute,’ Caleb thought to himself as he sat by Sky.
She flinched when he moved his arm towards her.
“I won’t hurt you,” Caleb stated as he opened an arm to her. Sky hesitated before letting herself lean into Caleb. He wrapped his arm around her, his other hand coming up to move some reddish blonde hair out of her face and behind her ear. For a few minutes Sky’s tears began flowing freely, wetting Caleb’s blue muscle shirt before he spoke, “I can’t imagine how terrifying that had to be… the pain it caused. I don’t even know if the emotional or physical would be worse, but I do know that the guy that heads the school I attend… he’s made it his goal to help young mutants have a home, no matter what the situation, or what their past is. He’ll give anyone a chance if he feels they’re genuine about wanting to learn how to control their power, and get an education. He really seems like he genuinely wants to help each student that walks into his school, and that’s a very rare thing… for people like us.”
Sky bit her lip a little and nodded, “I guess.”
“Well, I do know one thing, you need medical attention. That’s something we can do for you… if you think you’d feel okay giving us a chance,” Caleb continued.
Sky looked out at the water, her eyes red and puffy from crying, she shrugged hesitantly.
“Come on, I’ll look out for you,” Caleb whispered.
Sky bit her lip a little, “Promise?”
Caleb nodded without hesitation, “Yeah. Yeah, I promise.”
Sky sharply inhaled, while more tears trailed down her face and she slowly nodded, “Okay… but don’t leave me.”
“I won’t. I’m right there in the rain with you,” Caleb answered as the beach around them began to fade.
The black fur receded giving away to a porcelain complexion, and further up to reveal strawberry blonde hair that fell down to the small of the girl’s back. Her paws extended becoming hands and feet while her ears shrunk and relocated to the sides of her head. The same peridot coloured cats eyes remained as the twelve-year-old girl stood where the panther had been just moments before, completely naked. A small circular wound clearly visible below her left ribcage. Skylar’s eyes rolled back into her head as she collapsed forward. Caleb quickly caught her in his arms.
‘Geez, a naked girl falling into my arms, in different circumstances, it’d be just about every teen boy’s wet dream,’ Caleb thought to himself as he braced Sky against his body while taking off his rain coat and slipping it around her.
“It’ll be okay now, Sky,” Cal soothed as he picked her up in his arms and began levitating them up into the blackbird.
- 9
- 10
- 11
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I could never forget you