Brand New Beginning (PG-13)

It had been a long day. Athena had been pleasantly surprised when she received a letter from The Institute saying that they would love to have her join their staff as Biology Professor after reviewing her application. She knew it would be a long shot, but she figured why not try.  

Athena had spent the day readying her classroom and her office, as well as starting to get settled in her quarters. After hours of unpacking and just making a mess of things, as comes with settling into a new place, she told herself that she deserved a break and decided to explore the grounds of her new home. Rumble....... Athena giggled as her stomach announced that it hadn't forgotten that she hadn't eaten since early that morning and had been hard at work, well, working since then.

As she wandered the halls, Athena happened upon the kitchen. And what a kitchen! "Perfect...." she mused to herself. Opening the cupboards she found the fixings for a peanut butter sandwich. Setting out the bread and things, Athena slapped some peanut butter on a slice of bread and took a bite. With a smile, she sat, and enjoyed her food....

William was up in his new room, lying on a bed and starring at the ceiling. He was new at the school and he didn't know anyone, so he wasn't too eager to just jump and introduce himself. He didn't want to feel like the oddball in a crowd of people who already knew each other. William missed his family already, but they promised to come see him every weekend. Shouldn't be too hard for them, guessed William. 

Suddenly, he heard cabinets being opened and closed. It was rather loud. Not like people couldn't be much quieter here, around this place. He got up from his bed and quietly slid his door open, as he squeezed between, tip toeing down to the stair case. He didn't want to be spotted. Taking a seat on a stairs, William watched as some strange lady ate a sandwich. Maybe she won't see, or maybe she will.

Finishing her peanut butter sandwich, Athena got up and went to find a glass to fill with water. As she walked by the doorway to the kitchen, she spotted a somewhat familiar face of a boy sitting at the foot of the stairs. She smiled and motioned for him to come in and join her. Athena wasn't beneath having company, and company sounded nice after a day full of unpacking alone.

Finding a glass, she turned the faucet on and let the water run, getting ice cold. She stuck the glass under the free flowing water, and, once filled, shut off the water. Athena took her seat again, and prepared another slice for eating. Where did she know the boy from? She couldn't place it right off, but she was sure she knew him from somewhere.

"Hey, Athena!" said William as he recognized the face from the previous night. He had no idea she worked at the school, but he suspected. Just never knew she did. It was a relief to see her at the school. It meant that he could talk to her anytime he wanted to. He wondered what class she was teaching, if any. Surely she had to be teaching something. William felt as if he had found someone he could confine his secrets in. A person he was beginning to trust more and more, despite the fact that he knew her for only of couple days. 

He stood up and walked to the kitchen where she was eating peanut butter sandwich. He smiled as he took a seat opposite of her. "You work here?" asked William. It came out as a stupid question, but he never knew she was living here. "So, what is it like Professor Calor now or can I still call you Athena?" he smiled at her.

"William!" Athena said happily as the boy from the bar came into the kitchen. That was where she knew him from, now that she could see his face, no long obscured by the shadows. She was pleased to see him. Sure, she figured she would run into William at some point, but within the first couple of days at the Institute? That she hadn't expected.

"I do work her, now. Just got my official notice of it a day or two ago. I'll be teaching Biology," she said happily, taking a drink of water. At his question of what he should call her, she paused to think about what she would like to be called. "You know, I think Athena is just fine," she answered. "Would you like some?" she offered to William for him to partake in some of the sandwich fixings she had on the table.

Logan was working on his bike in the garage when he heard the commotion. Was it great to be back? He closed his toolbox and grabbed a shop rag.

He was wiping his hands on the rag as he walked into the kitchen. A woman and kid. He grabbed a coke out of the fridge and used a claw to pop the top off of the glass bottle. He took a long drink before saying anything. " So you are the new people? You're kinda scrawny arencha kid?"

Smiling at Athena, William took a seat next to her. "Biology, huh?" he said, looking down at the bread. "Not my favorite subject. I find there is nothing useful to know about biology. I mean, who cares what leaves make and how organisms reproduce? But...what do I know, I am just a sixteen year old who doesn't like the subject." he chuckled. 

Then, William spun around as he heard deep male voice. A gruffly looking man carrying a shop rag. He didn't look like a staff here, but William was afraid to ask him a question after seeing his claws come out of his knuckles. "HOLY--sh--" said William in surprise. Then he focused on a question that was aimed at him. "I am not scrawny, that's how I always look, sir." said William, not sure what the man's name was. So, he just referred to him as sir.

Athena was just about to answer William's comments about Biology when a very muscled man walked into the kitchen, wiping what looked like grease from his hands with a rag. She watched as he went to the fridge and helped himself to a Coke. Must be a fellow professor.... When he popped the cap with a metal claw that slid out from his knuckles. He was a mutant, too.... His question made her smile slightly. With a nod she answered him, "Yes. I'm Athena, Athena Calor, Professor of Biology. And, this is William, a friend of mine." Athena winked at the boy before asking the man, "And you are?"

" James Howlett. They call me Logan or Wolverine." He looked the woman up and down and took another drink of the coke. " You look scrawny kid. A few sessions with me should change that." He chuckled. New students. New problems and issues.

"Pleasure to meet you, Logan," Athena said with a smile. He was a well built, fine looking man. As he repeated his comment to William, Athena watched him for a reaction. She knew that his power was still tied heavily to his emotions and being pushed too far might actually spark an outburst if he wasn't careful. "So, Logan, what do you do around here?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood a little bit.

William scrutinized the man up and down, as he spoke about William being scrawny. Many people said that he was too skinny, but it didn't look like to William. He looked like that all his life. He tried not to take the man's comments to heart because he barely knew the man and he didn't want to make him angry.

As he turned to look at Athena, she seemed to be doing all the talking now and he was glad for that. William could never speak up in a company of strangers. "Few lessons with you?" muttered William, as he looked around the kitchen. "I feel flattered, but I think I will pass. Only god knows what you are going to push me into."  William didn't want to be rude, but Logan didn't really inspire or motivate William to be more active.