Primus Scholae: Part Four

by Phil Hartman

CEREBRO FILES:

COLLECTIVE CODEFAX: NEW MUTANTS II

FILE 05:

CODEFAX: Cryogen
REAL NAME: Bailey, Joseph Daniel
AGE: 13
DOB: 8/15/87
HEIGHT: 5'3"
WEIGHT: 110 lbs
HAIR: Red
EYES: Green
POWERS: Beta-class cryokinesis

FILE 06:

CODEFAX: Pyrona
REAL NAME: Bailey, Gailyn Jeanne
AGE: 13
DOB: 8/15/87
HEIGHT: 5'
WEIGHT: 101 lbs
HAIR: Red
EYES: Green
POWERS: Beta-class pyrokinesis

9/4/00: Massachusetts Academy Recreation Center: 09:00 hrs EDT:

She found him, as she expected, shooting baskets.

"I swear, we're low-grade tepes, with this psi-bond," Gail said, sitting on the bleachers. Joe glanced at her with a faint smile, then went back to shooting.

"Us ? We're the family jokes, the halfscans, remember ? Jesse's got more power than we do," Joe snorted. He let the ball go wide, then sat beside Gail with a grunt.

"Human parents, one dead, one God knows where ..." Gail muttered. She handed Joe a towel and watched him sponge his brow, then said, "You ever remember ?"

"What, that egg-freak Nanny ? Christ, I hope not. We were 6, Gail - I don't ever wanna remember being someone's zombie slave," Joe muttered, his eyes darting around. "I'm just glad Aunt Jean was able t'get in our heads and put things right."

"I know. But ... these powers, Joey," Gail mumbled, playing with the flame dancing from her hands. "Our powers are supposed to make us who we are, reflections of our inner selves. But all they've done is -"

She spat a very unladylike curse and stood, pacing, while Joe watched and shook out his tank top.

"Gail ... Mom's gone. Those Phalanx bastards ate her," Joe said regretfully.

"I KNOW that ! And WHY ? Because out of all the families in the world, WE had to be dragged into the X-wars !" Gail shouted.

She shook, hanging her head, and muttered, "That's not fair. Aunt Jean never meant for us to be brainwashed, or Mom to be killed, or ..."

Joe stood and hugged her.

"You smell," Gail tried to joke, ignoring her tears.

"How do I smell ?" Joe teased.

"Idiot. With your feet, knowing our screwy genes," Gail snickered, pushing him away. "Go get a shower. And DRESS this time when you come out !"

"Blame Shade ! He shoved me into the Danger Room yesterday !" Joe chuckled, walking to the boys' locker room door.

#Not that Bill lacks a certain ... ambiance, but he's kind of a moron,# Gail reflected, leaving the rec center. She walked across the quad, grateful for the Labor Day relaxing of the school's uniform requirements.

#'Welcome to Stepfordville for the Rich and Snotty,'# Gail thought, trying to ignore some rich girls from her dorm who walked past and gave her an odd look.

"Hey," one of them called. "Are you one of the New Mutants ?"

Gail looked at her with surprise and said, "You mean new to the school or the team name ?"

"Both. I'm Angela, and this is Mary," the older girl - blonde, with brown eyes - said. Mary, whose black hair hung in green eyes, waved shyly and smiled a bit.

"Oh, hi ... I'm Gail," Gail replied, starting to smile back.

"We were just wondering ... what it's like ?" Angela asked innocently. "I mean, everyone knows who you guys are - you've got the special gym class, the training with Ms. Frost and Mr. Cassidy - but we're not, like, mutant haters. We were just curious."

"Trust me, the FOH sucks," Mary said insistently. "No brains at all. I mean, who wants to be a CYBORG ? The Prime Sentinels are so disgusting - no free will, UGH."

Gail laughed with them and said, "It's ... well, the classes aren't that weird - my cousins're kids of the X-Men, so they've told me all about the training, and I've had a few sessions - and my power's ..."

She flinched and said, "I really shouldn't use it out here - it's kind of dangerous."

"Whoa," Angela said, her eyes widening. "What is it ?"

"Pyrokinesis - fire-making, and controlling," Gail said, smirking. "Well, controlling is kind of the wrong word, because I'm still getting used to it."

"We both are," Joe said, walking over, dressed in shorts and a clean T-shirt. "I'm Joe, Gail's brother -Gail, no intro ?"

Gail elbowed him in the ribs and said, "Angela, Mary, my doof of a twin, Joe Bailey. He's a cryokinetic -ice production and cold."

"Like this," Joe grinned. The older girls' jaws dropped when Joe created a giant ice block from the air, but Gail rolled her eyes.

"Try explaining THAT to MS. Frost," she laughed.

"Not if you can slag it," Joe winked.

Gail glared at him, but saw the expectation in Angela and Mary's eyes, and took a deep breath.

#Just keep it tight, like Ray does with her tepe ...#

The girls "OOH"-ed, and even Joe nodded, when a thin stream of flame leapt from Gail's hands to strike the ice block. It started to steam and melt, vanishing quickly.

Gail stumbled a little when the flames died down -#Didn't think it'd tire me this much,# she told herself - and felt Joe catch her.

"You OK ?" he asked, concern obvious in his tone.

"I've felt worse," Gail said, trying not to laugh. "You worry too much."

"But it's so sweet !" Mary exclaimed. "A brother looking out for his sister."

"Y'know, Joe, there's a dance tonight at the ballroom - casual wear," Angela said in a purr. "You interested ?"

Joe's eyes lit up, and he failed to notice Gail's indignant shriek as she fell. "Uh ... sure," he managed, watching the older girls walking away.

"TESTOSTERONE ADDICT !"

"Oh, sorry, Gail," Joe said, helping her up.

[next part]

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