So what, someone tried to steal some lady's handbag. Well, it wouldn't technically be trying as he did succeed. Still, the guy got away. Matty couldn't track him down. It wasn't expected of him. He looked just like any other guy on the street, except... Bolder. Right?

That was that he had been telling himself for the past minute and a half. He had snuck into a back alley to get away from these crowded streets. Really, they need more of these or something. Maybe some engineering genius can make raised sidewalks or something. Yeah, in New York.

It was truly amazing that he could still think straight. He had darted around a corner into a back alley, deserted, of course, he wouldn't have it any other way. Then he started jumping. He knew he could jump pretty amazingly, it was certainly not human. But, when he started jumping, he couldn't stop. Normally, the cool breeze in one's face would be refreshing. Matty learned, however, this wasn't the case. Jumping from wall to wall, he thought of screaming. When he opened his mouth, nothing came out, but more air greedily rushed in. He took a few hasty gulps of the stuff, and continued onward. It wasn't like he had a choice.

He couldn't tell where he was going. His adrenaline was blinding him- or maybe it was his hair. Regardless of the perpetrator, he placed his feet on solid ground and pushed. So, how many people had seen him by now? One? Sixty? Two thousand? He didn't care. It would be awfully hard for cameras to catch him while he was moving at his pace.

Thrusting his feet out in front of him, he once more waiting for the reassuring pat of brick underneath them. He had no such thing. Better luck next time? It looked like he was coming to a stop, and that stop was rapidly approaching. His life flashed before his eyes as he cleared some sort of fence with a couple feet remaining between him and the fence. Easy. But that wasn't the part he was dreading.

He thrashed in midair. He moved like he never did before, like he would just grab a hand out of thin air and it would help him back to the street. Better yet, the alley he went into. No such luck was to be found here, no savior, no hero. All there was waiting for him was nice, green grass and a hard fall.

The landing wasn't at first near as bad as he thought it was. He thought he'd have cracked ribs, broken back, the whole mile. Rather, it was just a painful experience. Next came something he didn't quite anticipate. He began to roll. He couldn't help it, but he knew he still looked like an idiot. 'It's not my fault, it's not my fault'. He repeated the mantra in his mind until he could push himself up to look around at his surroundings. He brushed his hair out of his face, and he appeared to be on the grounds of some rich looking estate of some kind. Hopefully he didn't tear up too much grass with that. After all, he was hurt too. He coughed a couple times. No blood, thankfully. He was lucky.

The realization hit him like a freight train. This was likely to be private property. More importantly, private property of a very rich man. When someone comes along and ruins the property of a very rich man, that man sues the poor kid. Matty's eyes widened, and he began to panic. He couldn't see anybody, it was all a blur. He fell backwards once more into a sitting position, backing away from the looming building. It was so big... It must belong to someone who blows his nose with money. He buried his face in his hands.

"Deep breaths... deep breaths..." Only now did he notice he was shaking. His voice, his body, everything. What was he more nervous of, what the rich man would do to him when he found out that Matty had no money or when he found out that Matty was a scraggly looking kid who tore up his ground. The ironic thing was, he never turned around to check if the ground was really as torn up as he thought it was. Minimal damage at most, but as far as Matty was concerned, he could have just sent a meteor crashing into the ground.

Everything was covered by mists, hidden from the blue eyes of the molecule manipulator. Only the clear laughter of a child was breaking the silence from time to time. Footsteps, as if someone was running. Shadows passing trough the mist only to disappear again moments later. Alexandra narrowed her eyes, in search of the source of the sound. Another shadow passed behind, touching her hand for a brief moment. She turned around rapidly but there was no one there for her to see.
“Mommy!”
Air left her lungs as she was turning around. With the corner of her eye, she could see long brown hair waving behind the darkened silhouette of a child. She was about to see her face when-

Thud.

Alexandra gasped as her body shot forward. Another thud. Blue eyes traveled to the book who had landed hardly on the ground, the covers closing over the pages filled with writing, schemes and numbers. Organic Chemistry. She closed her eyes for a moment. That dream, again. The molecule manipulator let air leave her lungs slowly. She didn’t understand what it meant. Nor did she want to…

Blue eyes opened again, this time watching her surroundings for a brief moment. She was on the mansion grounds, her back leaned against a tree. She looked at the Chemistry book again, sighing. She must have fallen asleep.

Another sound caught her attention. Her head turned, body leaned to the side as she looked behind the tree she was resting herself under. An eyebrow arched in confusion as she watched a body rolling on the grass like a giant ball. It passed her tree and Alexandra leaned to the other side to watch it until it stopped.

Then she shifted her eyes to the gate. Nope, not the slightest hint he had used the gates to come. She shook her head slightly, as she pushed her body up. Picking up her book in one hand, she walked toward the new visitor, eyes checking for a moment the path he had used to roll on. If she saw any plant manipulator around, she needed to have him/her fix the mess.

"Deep breaths... deep breaths..."

The man was shaking, as he held his face hidden in his hands. Alexandra blinked, a little confused but continued her walk with silent steps until she was to his side. “We do have an intercom.” she said, her voice polite and welcoming. A smile appeared on her face to match her words as her free hand extended to help up the stranger.

In, out.... In, out...

He felt released for a moment. He was fine, he told himself. Nobody was there, nobody was watching. He had gotten away with it. The world's weight was lifted off of his shoulders. He had learned this from his drama coach, back when he has a life of his own. Deep breaths and becoming settled in your own little world, he always said, helped with all kinds of stress and anxiety. Matty was particularly good at the second kind, but what with all of this change, he wasn't sure what his own world would be anymore. A world where he had complete control over his powers? A world where he could live in peace to perfect his powers? No, probably not. A world where everything was like it was before. It was funny, he had always wished for something more. A greater calling, if you will. He had never imagined it to be like this...

"We do have an intercom." He jumped and whipped around. His eyes were wide, the stereotypical 'deer in the headlights' look.For a split second, he wanted to throw up, scream, get angry, break things, and run. When he saw a smile, and a hand, it changed him a bit. He breathed a sigh of relief, and grinned in spite of himself. He must have looked like an idiot. He probably still does.

"Hey, uh... Really sorry about kind of... Dropping in, and all, but I was just..." His voice trailed off. How would he explain that to her? Well, he was anonymous. The worst thing that can happen is that she calls the police. What can they do to a guy who's jumping everywhere? Maybe get lucky with a shot or something, but not much. Even if she thought he was insane, they wouldn't catch him either. So... Out with it. He had paused for long enough.

"Alright, this is going to sound completely crazy to you, but," his voice became rapid, allowing for short, quick intakes of breath in order to get his story out before she could interrupt, "I have this weird ability where I can jump really, really high and I just wanted to escape the crowds on the streets so I started jumping, but I couldn't stop. I just kept jumping and jumping with my momentum until I didn't manage to catch a wall and... Here I am." He gave a sheepish grin, hoping the explanation was plausible enough. He was breathing slightly heavier than normal. His nerves were fluttering about, assuredly unstoppable.

Matty felt a strange sort of relief once more; it was like he just got something huge off his chest and into the open. It wasn't typical relief though. Rather, the weight that pushed him down was replaced with a slightly more... Trojan weight. It did feel good to finally be able to tell someone, but what are the odds that she knew what he was talking about? Much less, call the appropriate authorities to have him hauled off to nowhere. Nobody was looking out for him. While it did feel good, he needed to try to keep his secrets at least a bit more guarded. No harm can come from that. No harm whatsoever...

The man looked scared. That much she could see. Why was he scared, Alexandra wondered as she listened to his attempt of an explanation. One given, apparently still from the ground. Seeing that he had decided to keep his current position, she retracted her hand, and together with the other, it was folded in front of her, a quizzical look upon her feature. She didn’t quite expect to get an excuse, people that decided that the intercom was useless were many, and since she wasn’t owning the place, no one felt like explaining themselves to her. Well, she didn’t ask anyway but that was another thing…

"Alright, this is going to sound completely crazy to you, but,"

Alexandra mentally snorted at this. Was he talking seriously? Cause she lived in a school full of people who could fly, shape shift, manipulate fire, ice, shards… was there something that seemed crazy anymore?

"I have this weird ability where I can jump really, really high and I just wanted to escape the crowds on the streets so I started jumping, but I couldn't stop. I just kept jumping and jumping with my momentum until I didn't manage to catch a wall and... Here I am."

Oh. That… explained everything. Poor guy, he didn’t know he had landed just in the paradise for mutants.

“JIM, GIVE THAT BACK!”

Alexandra turned around, just in time to see how the girl who apparently was chasing Jim just launched a fire ball at the said boy. A huge fireball, that missed its target and ended up frying yet another rose bush. She sighed as she was turning back. Kids. Such a useless use of material.

The molecule manipulator’s expression changed to a smile again as she dismissed the fire going on behind her. “Well, my boy, if you have an ability, you’ve reached the right place.” Alexandra nodded although in her mind she was slapping herself. Did she just say that? She was a Kabal member, for god’s sake, and she was just pledging for the Mansion. “This is the Xavier’s Sister School.” If Slate ever saw this, he would probably have her head on a silver plate at breakfast.

He figured now was a decent time to assess the damage he had caused. Not as much as he thought he did. Why did he even bother worrying about these things? He always blows them entirely out of proportion. He knew he did it, but it was just how his brain worked. Everything was something huge, something that he could apologize and make up for.

This wasn't like other times he had broken something. Normally, there had been small repercussions. Never any lawsuits, but he never broke any expensive, antique vases. Meaningless things. But life was staring right into Matty's eyes, and he could do nothing but back down.

“JIM, GIVE THAT BACK!” This startled him slightly. He was still a little on edge from what had just happened. He turned to get on one knee, facing what had happened in front of him. All he managed to catch was a ball of fire soaring towards a rose bush. And nobody was surprised but Matty.

He turned once more to face... Whoever this was, and stood up in the process.
“Well, my boy, if you have an ability, you’ve reached the right place. This is the Xavier’s Sister School.”

"This is... a school?" Turning around, he faced this huge structure once more. What was once looming and ominous was now a sentinel against misunderstanding, a place where he can be and belong. "My God..." he started, "How much does it cost to get in? I swear I can... I can... Make ends meet somehow." Again, he must seem awkward. He's practically begging to get into this school, something he hated every day when he was back in his small, comfortable town. Maybe it was a sense of belonging, or something less cliché.

He looked around. What a glorious place. It seemed huge. It even had its own intercom. He thought maybe he could go home for a couple of days, convince his parents to give him some money to go to this school... No, it would never work. In his household, it was like mutants didn't exist. Sure he'd caught wind of this group of people a few times at school, but he always thought it was a running in-joke with everyone but him involved. If there were enough mutants out there to fill up a school and necessitate a sister school, then they must be more common than he thought.

He was on the outside, looking in, and seeing nothing. His parents had sheltered him from everything that could possibly cause him pain, and through that he became complacent. The world could just stop existing outside of Barkhamsted, and he couldn't tell the difference. It was only now he was realizing how terrible that truly was.

This school was the opportunity of Matty's lifetime. He could learn how to control his... Jumping prowess. He could learn so many things. He didn't have much time. Or maybe he did. To him, life's clock was always ticking. Now was the time to finally dust off the pocketwatch and wind it up once more. The one thing he wasn't looking forward to, however, was meeting new people.

He didn't work well with people. He felt that he was much more efficient making his own choices, his own mistakes. That way, he wouldn't be lulled into a false sense of denial, rather blaming the faults and the mishaps on the other group members. As far back as he could remember, Matty preferred to work by himself. Projects, class work, anything, he preferred to be alone. Sure, he had friends, but if he made a mistake then he would have to bring them down with him. Matty refused this adamantly.

What if he didn't even get in to learn all of these life lessons? The thought hadn't crossed his mind until now, and he took another glance at the school. He needed to get in. He couldn't afford not to. Not now. Not when he needs it most.

He had decided to get up. And with time, his fear faded away, replaced with amazement. The molecule manipulator however, didn’t move.

"This is... a school?"

Huh? Seriously, where did this guy came from? The moon? She had the impression that everyone, mutant and human alike was aware of what the name ‘Xavier’ attached to an institution name meant. This boy apparently didn’t have a clue.

"My God... How much does it cost to get in? I swear I can... I can... Make ends meet somehow."

Yeah, no clue whatsoever. Alexandra shook her head slightly. “What planet are you living on?” she joked, as she shifted her eyes to the building for a moment. Truly impressive, until you get used with it. “You don’t need money to get enrolled here.” Brown haired head turned back. “I’m Alexandra Kettler, by the way.” She extended a hand again, hoping that this time he would take it.

She shook her head slightly. What, he was supposed to know? It seemed unfair to him, that she knew, that others may know, but he didn't. He could've used this information much earlier, but it seemed as if his parents wanted to shelter from anything he didn't understand and could ask them. When he was young, he looked up to his parents like they were gods. When they touched a cut, even if they were only holding a band aid, it seemed to him as if the pain was significantly lessened. Anything could be solved by them, they were all knowing. He saw then that they weren't. They were anything but gods. He doubted he would go back now.

“What planet are you living on?” Earth, he thought. Though, he didn't know about this, so who knew what planet he was living on. Barkhamsted, the Reynolds residence planet, he guessed. It wasn't as if he really learned anything about the outside world there. He learned 'Do good in school' and 'Say please and thank you', but never any 'These are mutants, they have abilities'. Now his mind shifted to whenever he did return. His parents must have had a reason to withhold the information about mutants for so long. Did they hate mutants or something? He had a feeling. He thought they were likely assembling a search team, looking for any sign of Matty. Imagine they find him here, in a school full of mutants.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sweetest sentence he had heard in a long time. "You don’t need money to get enrolled here.” He didn't care anymore. His expression visibly lit up, as he took another look at the building. His own place to call home, where he can return to and head to something he can look forward to. Rather than living on the streets, he figured he could sleep somewhere in there.

“I’m Alexandra Kettler, by the way.” Matty now realized this was the second time she had extended a hand.

"...Oh!" he started, quickly taking it and quickly giving her a handshake. "I'm Matty. Reynolds." He figured it wouldn't hurt to give her his last name. After all, she did the same, and who would hear of news from tiny little insignificant Barkhamsted? Nobody, that was who.

Green eyes began to focus in on the windows, trying to get a sneak peak. He didn't see much, only wall colors. Still, it was enough to seal the deal. This place looked legitimate. And if not legitimate, then it was enough for him. If he was being duped into something... He doubted he would stay in New York for long after that. Maybe go back to Connecticut. Or head on north to Canada. Maybe try to hop one of the Great Lakes on the way there. That would be fun.

He always liked water, ever since he was a kid. He couldn't swim very well until recently, but even so he was about average. Still, he enjoyed the feel of it. Even the rain. Especially the rain. And the snow. He liked to walk in both, and take a nice, hot shower afterward. Just thinking of those things made him grin even more. Maybe it was external. Or maybe his face really did stretch a little bit more to accommodate.

"Where do I go to enroll?" His grin faded and was replaced with a neutral look, if anything a bit curious. He hoped this inquisition wasn't another stupid one. Who knows what she might think of him.

Mentally, Matty scolded himself. Why did he care what she thought of him? A short, cool breeze came, bending the beautiful grass slightly, and ruffling Matty's jacket. It wasn't zipped up to the neck as it usually was, today it was about halfway down. It acted like a trap, keeping the nice air in while forcing the hotter air out. He shoved his hands in the pockets in front of his jacket. It was a habit of his. He always tended to do that some time in a conversation, be it right in the beginning or right at the end. It was just something to do now. Before this happened, he always had something in there to be fidgeting with. He had nothing now, so all he could do was let his hands rest.

After finishing with the handshaking, Alexandra let the kid to look around. Arms were folded again, as she also turned her head to the Xavier’s school. Apparently looking at the building, with the corner of her eye she studied Matty. Hmm, he seemed so impressed. So young, so innocent, so naïve, and wondered if the building in front of her was worth to loose your innocence for. Perhaps Matty didn’t know yet, he was so excited with being here, but, he was thrown in the world of mutants. Where the cruel reality kicked you in the face like a ton of bricks and being at Xavier’s or in the Sanctuary just glued a huge target sign on the back of your head. What would happen once this boy would start to know life as it really was, without the sugar coating and the pretty colors? Would the green eyes still shine with excitement? Blinking slowly, Alexandra ceased to look at Matty and tried to divert her attention to the school.

"Where do I go to enroll?"

Alexandra turned her head around, meeting the curious look of Matty with a smile. “Follow me.” She would take him to Sam, and from there Sam could take over this, have Matty do the necessary paperwork and then to settle him in. She started to walk, the first few steps a little slower, in order to let Matty control the speed at which they would be heading toward the mansion. “So, where are you from Matty?” Alexandra asked to make conversation. Her head turned to the side to look at Matty, hands unfolding and left to dangle at her sides.

He nodded and followed gratefully. He could imagine the things he could learn here. Or, maybe, he wouldn't. At this point, everything was a toss up. A metaphorical coin toss. He had a routine way back when, a system of normalcy which worked for him splendidly. It was broken. Matty wondered if he could continue on without it. His tiny optimistic side screamed 'yes', but every other fiber of his being nonchalantly sighed a resounding 'no'. He could regroup and find out a new routine if it really meant that much to him, right?

He noticed her slow down a bit, and he did as well. He was still walking at a comfortable pace, not too slow but not quite as fast as Matty could walk normally. That was fine with him, he didn't want to start practically running ahead of her like a child in a candy store. After all, he had to show some degree of composure, even if it isn't that plentiful at all.

“So, where are you from Matty?” Oh no. No, no, please, no. She didn't just ask that. Maybe Matty imagined it. His pace slowed slightly to make room for just a bit more concentration to decide what to do. After pausing for a short moment, he turned to look at her. She was looking right back. He panicked.

"Connecticut. Barkhamsted, it-it's a tiny little town, nobody's ever heard of it outside of the town itself, really..." Nice save. Hopefully.

Maybe he should have lied, pointing her in the wrong direction. He could've said California or Florida or somewhere interesting. But instead, he told her about his boring town. The real one. He conveniently forgot to add in the fact that he had no current home. That wasn't the question, so why should he let her knew he was homeless just yet? After all, he had been fine on the rooftops. Nobody goes to steal things there. And plus, if he ever needs anything from his house, he knew when his mother and father were working, and he knew how to get back home. Maybe a compass could help, but generally he could find his way home.

Home. Why did he use that term? It wasn't his home anymore; he couldn't go back there again. Especially after running away like he did, right after a death no less. His parents must be worried sick. It was unfortunate, truly. They had given him everything, and now he goes and runs off... But he couldn't go back. Maybe for a couple things and enough time to leave a note, but he couldn't stay there. Plus, there was still the suspicious death thing. He had to be a suspect. He just had to be...

But what if the police labeled it as an accident? He did crash into a light pole, and nobody was there, so unless they found a hair or something, then they had no way of suspecting foul play. He subconsciously scratched the back of his head, leaving his hand to linger and fiddle around with his hair for a bit before dropping back down limply into his pocket.

He turned once again to look back at Alexandra. She seemed nice enough. And she had even made a joke earlier, so that must mean she didn't think he was completely awkward. Lucky for him. He was very lucky indeed, to have found her... To have found here... maybe things were looking up.

"Connecticut. Barkhamsted, it-it's a tiny little town, nobody's ever heard of it outside of the town itself, really..."

The name didn’t sound any bells, indeed. Alexandra knew the names of a few cities around America and none of them were ‘tiny-little’. But, something else did get her attention. Why was Matty so nervous when speaking about his hometown? Did he do something wrong back there? Was there a secret in his life buried in Barkhamsted, Connecticut? Well, Sherlock, that’s none of your problem. It really wasn’t. As far as she was concerned the kid could have like a thousand skeletons in his closet. She wouldn’t judge him, nor blame him. She had her own.

“Well, you’re right. I’ve never heard of it.” She laughed slightly. “But, then again, I’m not American so… I don’t know a lots of things around here.” She gave a small shrug as she turned her head away from Matty. Jim and his girl friend were still running around, the girl continuing to throw fireballs at him, this time smaller. The molecule manipulator took in a deep breath, blue eyes turning back to Matty. “Hold on for a moment.” she said as she stopped on the alley, eyes moving on to the the two kids. “Hey!”

Jim and the girl stopped, the very well known ‘deer in the headlights’, one she had witnessed earlier at Matty, plastered on their faces. “Come here.” A hand pointed to the place where she and Matty were staying. With ‘I’m in trouble’ faces, the kids started to move toward them. Once they had reached them, they stood silent, hands behind their backs, eyes into the ground. Alexandra sighed. “Okay, you two. Stop messing with the Mansion’s lawn, okay? Or the rose bushes.” Two pairs of eyes rose slightly from the ground, a look of innocence in their eyes. Was she the only one who though that kids were devils in disguise? How could anyone ever punish these creatures when they were giving the ‘puppy dog’ look? It seemed that they could get away with anything.

“Yes, ma’am.” The kids answered in unison, as they were nodding. Oh, please. Ma’am? Shaking her head slightly, the molecule manipulator took another deep breath. “Now, any of you happen to know Gaia?” Their heads straightened now they had gotten away with frying the lawn. After a few seconds of thinking, the girl nodded exuberantly. “Gaia, the plant manipulator. I know her!”

“Well then, go get her. Tell her to fix these” She gestured toward the patches of burnt grass around them. “and that” her hand pointed to the rose bush”and, the trail next to the alley on the right side of the gate. Shouldn’t be too hard to find. GO!”

“YES, MA’AM!” And, in the next moment they were gone. Groaning, Alexandra turned back to Matty. “Piece of advice. When you open a door, watch for any fireballs, lightings and… a whole bunch of other things, okay?” Turning her head back, she started to move again.

“Well, you’re right. I’ve never heard of it.But, then again, I’m not American so… I don’t know a lots of things around here.”

Matty sighed mentally with relief. Dodged a bullet there. He knew he wasn't a good liar, but she wasn't asking questions. He might just like her more than he did already. Maybe she just gets paid. Either way, she was nice to Matty, so he would be nice to her. It was a simple little rule of his: if you're nice to him, he's nice to you. If you decide to be a jerk, then you're going to get a jerk in return. A simple thing, really, that didn't make all that much sense. Two wrongs don't make a right, but they do, however, make a justification.

“Hold on for a moment. Hey!” He nodded, almost muttered something quietly. He decided against it. He did that sometimes. He thought it so strange how he thought of something to say, but he wouldn't say it. Was it in fear that it was unnecessary or unusual given the circumstances at hand? He didn't think so, but that may very well be it. It made sense, and he knew he didn't normally pay close attention to how he bases his decisions regarding his mannerisms.

He used this opportunity to drift off into thought. He figured that while she was taking care of her business, he could simply stand there and act as if he was paying attention. Sure, it was rude, but he was almost completely sure that they would have no need of him at that moment.

His thoughts drifted back to his old home. In the fall, his family and himself used to go pick apples at an orchard not so far from where they lived. It was always a fun thing to do when he was younger, but he grew out of it in his teen years. It was odd, he would give anything just to go on one last apple pick. All these new beginnings and fresh starts... They were good for him, yes, but he would be cut off from his family. Once they heard that he was staying at a school in New York, they would surely come right away and whisk him away back to nowhere-land.

He sighed a little, making sure it was at least barely audible. He remembered his first time there. He was three years old, his hair was just barely starting to grow out to any measurable length. It was wispy, and a pale, dark brown color rather than the deep black it was today. He always wondered why that was. Maybe as he aged, his hair turned darker. He wasn't sure. He was wearing a bright red sweatshirt with some number on it, like every other little kid there. With the tiny pair of only slightly faded blue jeans and generic white sneakers, he was like every little kid there. He would pick an apple, spend a little while picking off the skin, and then start eating it. They were always sweeter when they were fresh picked.

Matty dragged himself back to reality. Sure, it was nice reminiscing on the past, but he couldn't forget that the present was staring right at his face. He couldn't stay there, no matter how much he wished he could. He enjoyed those moments while he could, and now it was time to enjoy these moments. Of course, that's assuming there are moments to be enjoyed here. Seeing the events that had taken place in front of Matty and Alexandra, he was almost sure they would at least be interesting.

“YES, MA’AM!” It appeared as if Matty had brought himself back to reality just in time. They seemed done, punctuated by there departure. If he had learned anything from that, it was that accidents happen, and it's fine. That, and he had a skill in waiting. Or, at least, paying attention to nothing in particular and becoming lost in his own thoughts. He got the feeling that wouldn't be the last time he would look back and sigh, wistfully looking back on the past. He turned his head to face hers once more when she next spoke.

“Piece of advice. When you open a door, watch for any fireballs, lightings and… a whole bunch of other things, okay?" Matty couldn't feign surprise. So when she said that fireballs and other assorted dangers could fly out of a door, and all Matty had to do was open it, his surprise was genuine. However, after thinking on it for a split second, he didn't really still think it was so odd. After all, he could leap apartment complexes. Sure, he had trouble stopping, but he could still leap apartment complexes. One at a time, of course, but that's a different subject.

"Yeah, okay." His voice still seemed a bit distant. Matty couldn't tell as he followed her wherever she was going. This place seemed huge there, but now that he's coming closer, it just seemed even huger by the footstep.

He was now going a place where there were others like him- others that potentially didn't understand their powers, or why they even had them. That, or they knew fully well the answers to Matty's questions, and he was the only one left in the dark. Regardless, he knew he had to make an effort either way. He had to wonder what other people thought of this. His parents never told him, so... Maybe...

No. Of course not. His parents loved him and would love him even if they knew he was a mutant. That was a rather... Unintelligent thought. If he was to survive even one week, he had to learn to change the way he thought.

Oh boy.

Alexandra didn’t turn around to see Matty’s surprised face, she knew that he would be somewhere between surprised and scared once she advised him about watching out for any projectile heading his way but she considered that it was better to be safe rather than sorry. Besides, Matty wasn’t a child anymore.

"Yeah, okay."

His voice seemed a bit distant now, a little strange from a young man that only a minute ago was in the super excited mode. Alexandra stopped for a moment before opening the door, sky blue eyes scanning Matty for a moment. “Something wrong, Matty?” Alexandra smiled slightly. “You’ll get used with all of these, with time. And probably it’s gonna happen faster than you think.” she said, assuming that perhaps he was just scared of a new place, and, the mansion, just as welcoming it was, sometimes it was scary for someone who didn’t come from such a loud and energetic environment.

A few seconds later, Alexandra pushed the door open and gestured Matty to go inside.

“Something wrong, Matty? You’ll get used with all of these, with time. And probably it’s gonna happen faster than you think.”

A smile was met with a grin from Matty as he continued on. "No, nothing. Just lost in thought... But, uh, thanks." He breathed out a bit on the last word, becoming slightly less tense in the process. She was good at this 'reassuring' thing.

His parents were, too. When he was a kid, he was scared of a lot. You name something someone can logically be scared about, and Matty was probably scared by it. Heights, deep water, enclosed spaces, clowns, spiders, snakes... Eventually as time passed on, those became less and less significant until he was completely unafraid of them. However, what came next was more debilitating than all of the other phobias combined.

He believed himself to be paranoid. He could never know if people were talking about him behind their backs. Automatically, Matty normally assumed they were. After all, most people gossip. He could imagine right now somebody talking to someone else, 'Did you see that weird kid who wrecked some of the lawn?'

He didn't specify what his thanks were for. He didn't think he necessarily had to. In his eyes, everything she had done since they met was deserving of thanks. Not becoming angry at his lawn incident, telling him about this place, leading him to where he can get enrolled, and telling him he'd get used to it... If this was back at his old town then someone would probably think that he owed her. Maybe he'd make it up to her one day and they can call it even. He doubted she was even thinking of that. After all, karma would take effect, right?

Karma was a funny thing. It seemed as if Matty had had a lot of bad luck as of late, having to abandon his family and friends. And then ruining some poor institution's lawn. He figured it was an opportunity, perhaps. A karmic opportunity. That's what it was. He figured keeping that in mind would help him through these times. Whatever was awaiting him would still be awaiting him, right?

A realization dawned upon him: he didn't really have any dreams. He wasn't one of those kids who always wanted to be a rock star. He didn't really want to be any kind of scientist, or lawyer, but he didn't want to do repetitive things for a living. Manual labor was out, too. So... What did that leave? Nothing, really. Maybe a professional mutant. He wasn't aware how close he was to an actual job.

Alexandra pushed a door open for him. He almost froze up, he almost ran out, but if he did he could never return. He offered a small smile before walking in. Now or never, now or never... Now.

"No, nothing. Just lost in thought... But, uh, thanks."

The molecule manipulator smiled in return. She didn’t know what exactly she was being thanked for but there are certain times when the best answer is silence. If you take a good look at someone’s eyes you could see the answer there. She hoped that Matty had seen it in her sky blue eyes. Whatever she had made to be worthy of a thank you, she was happy about it.

Happy? The echo of this particular word traveled trough her mind. Since when was she feeling happy for helping out other people than herself? Were she alone, a concerned look would have appeared instead of the serene one she was having now. With Matty here, he would have probably misunderstood her expression. Alexandra mentally snorted. When did she start to care about the feeling of others? Their thoughts? Their well being?

What was happening with her?

Blue eyes focused once again on the young man’s figure. He looked like he was about to enter a black hole rather than a door. He looked undecided. Alexandra didn’t rush him. Her hand was still keeping the door open, whether he would decide to get in or not. A small smile appeared on his face as he entered the Mansion, and, in return, she smiled again reassuringly. The first step is always the hardest.

Without much of a thought, she followed him inside, stopping only for a few moments to close the door behind her. Once she did, she moved to Matty’s side. “What did I tell you about being careful when you stick your head trough a door?” The molecule manipulator laughed for a moment, trying to joke in hopes to make Matty feel more comfortable. Legs were in motion once again as she leaded the boy up to the first floor, then taking a small turn to the left; she stopped in front of Sam and Streak’s office.

He had seen it in her eyes. Happiness. He took it as a 'You're welcome', even though it could have meant a million other things right now. Matty had much more important details to worry about than the subtleties of one's expressions. It was a good thing he could prioritize and clear his mind, or else he would probably be breaking down inside. And it wasn't even officially day one!

“What did I tell you about being careful when you stick your head trough a door?” She laughed afterward. Matty did the same. He did forget already about being careful with the doors here, but he wasn't used to it. One day, though, something will happen and it'll teach him to look before entering, but that day probably wasn't today.

"I guess I just need some time to get used to checking what's behind the doors before I enter," he joked with a smile. It was more of a half-joke, half-truth. He had a tendency of doing that. People joked, and he gave a serious response in a joking tone. He knew it was kind of weird a bit awkward, so he figured he'd change the subject before the silence set in.

"So... Where are we headed?" he asked. At the school he used to go to, there was an attendance office. He knew that much. But he never really knew if there was an enrollment office, or if the attendance office served as the enrollment office. He couldn't even think back as to whether or not there had been any new students at his old school before he graduated. Maybe. He couldn't remember, it was one of those insignificant things that come up once and will likely never come up again.

He had bigger things to look to. He would probably have to fill out piles of forms. There were some questions he hoped weren't asked, but he told himself not to be afraid. If they asked questions he didn't want to answer, he always had the option of lying. On a school enrollment form. That's assuming Matty could ever do that, and it's also assuming he can get in. A free school like this had to have a limit on students, and people must flock here. Unless there weren't as many mutants as he thought.

Thus his mind went back to his parenting. Why didn't they tell him about mutants? Were they mutants, feeling guilty to pass on powers to him? That was always a possibility. Or, maybe, being a mutant is just a defect. He didn't want to think of the third option, but he had to. What if his parents hated mutants?

It was hard to swallow. His parents could never be prejudiced against mutants. They were good people. But that was the most logical explanation of his total lack of knowledge regarding mutants. It was saddening to Matty, at least. One day he would return and question them. He would have to.

It would be a boon if this happened to be a boarding school. Being homeless didn't really help anything, but at least he remembered where he kept all of his belongings. 'Wait...' he thought. They were all at home. So, maybe he'd question his parents sooner rather than later. All the better, right? He'd get his answers, and he could recuperate from the devastation easier and sooner. There were only pros, no cons. What's the worst thing that could happen?

He could get kicked out of his house permanently and forbidden from returning.

No, let's not think about that. Focus on the positives... His faced remained steady and neutral while following Alexandra, slightly behind her.