The cab ride had been no more than two hours. But for the young passenger, it seemed like an eternity. Lance rode in silence at the back of the cab for the majority of the trip. His mind lost in his distant thoughts.

It was more than a month ago when his aunt first suggested that he continue his studies at Xavier’s Sister School, a boarding school catering to special individuals like him. A place where he can learn more about his abilities and various ways to control them. And now, he was on his way to the very same institution. Fear, uncertainty and excitement... all were mixing in various levels in his mind...

He sighed.

“Hey, kid. You in some sort of trouble?” The grisly driver curiously asked while eyeing his passenger from the rearview mirror.

The driver’s question brought Lance out of his musings. “N... No,” he answered, somewhat defensively. He was not sure of what to make of the driver’s question.

“This place you’re going to... Xavier’s right?” the driver prodded on.

“Uh-huh,” Lance answered tentatively.

“It’s rumored to be a haven for mutants...” the driver continued.

“And what of it?”

“Tell me... Are you one of them?” The word them carried a hint of distaste and somehow summed up how the driver viewed mutants.

One of Lance’s eyebrows shot up, amusement evident on his young face. “Maybe...”

The driver did not show any visible indication of surprise, but his eyes never left the image of his passenger on the rearview mirror.

Lance looked out the window, a mischievous smirk on his lips.

“Just drop me off there,” Lance ordered the driver, as he points to a spot near the intersection of Isham and Broadway.

“The school is still about two blocks away...” the driver half-heartedly commented.

“No problem. I’ll walk from here...” Lance said as he got off the cab with his backpack and duffel bag.

As the cab sped off, Lance caught sight of a stand of trees along Broadway. And where there are trees, there is a park...

Lance made his way over to the stand of trees and to his pleasant surprise, it was indeed a park. He saw people casually strolling through the walkways of the park. As he entered its leafy confines, a sudden calm seemed to wash over him, drowning the feelings of fear and uncertainty. Lance took his time navigating through the park. There were enough sign posts to prevent Lance from being lost and to point him in the right direction.

It took about an hour to navigate out of the park and reach Seaman Avenue. And there, just across from where he was standing was the impressive and impassive walls of Xavier’s Sister School of Gifted Youngsters. Lance scanned the length of the wall until he caught sight of the gates of the school.

His pace was slow as he made his way over to the gates, the fear and uncertainty that was all but forgotten earlier suddenly returned in force.

Great! The gates are closed and there are no sign of any guards around, he thought as he scanned the closed entryway. He was about to turn back when he noticed the call button and speaker just to the side of the gate.

For several seconds, his fingers hovered several centimeters from the call button as a fresh wave of uncertainty crashed over him.

With a deep intake of air, Lance closed his eyes as his fingers made contact with the button...

"Hello..." Lance started, as the speaker came to life. "Anybody there?"

A voice on the other end answered. It was an average-sounding voice, with no discernable accent. "Yeah, hey. I'll be right there."

On the other end of the line, Shin scooted away from his desk, taking pressure off the comms button. He snagged his white and pink polka dotted hoodie and slipped it on over his blue t-shirt on his way to the front gates. He arrived at the entrance, a minute later. The Asian boy with triangular pupils gave a two-fingered wave. "Yo. Let me get this." He went up to a panel and did something. The gates opened.

Shin smiled apologetically. "Sorry. Security's kind of crazy here. It makes it tough for impromptu guests to get in and be greeted. I'm a mansion greeter, by the way. My name's Tetsuya Shinbo. And you are...?" The other boy looked Asian as well. Chinese, Japanese, or maybe Korean, Shin couldn't tell. He never had been any good at placing nationality... not that any of that mattered here.

Lance was having second thoughts of pushing through with applying at Xavier’s Sister School, but his promise to his aunt kept him from hailing the next cab and leaving the area.

>>> "Yeah, hey. I'll be right there."

The reply from the speaker phone somewhat startled him. Lance was not an edgy type of person, but his doubts and fears have made him jumpy of late. Well, it’s too late now...

Lance's wait did not take long as an Asian man, about his age by his estimate, approached the gates.

Seeing another Asian, and the first one to meet him at the entrance at that, removed some of the fears that had been gnawing at Lance since he first caught sight of the school. The feeling brought a small smile to his lips.

A few seconds of tinkering with what must have been the controls, caused the gates to open.

>>> "Sorry. Security's kind of crazy here. It makes it tough for impromptu guests to get in and be greeted…

“I can imagine…” Lance commented with a slight chuckle, more to bolster his confidence than anything else. “Sorry about dropping in unexpectedly… This was kind of a last minute thing…”

>>> …I'm a mansion greeter, by the way. My name's Tetsuya Shinbo. And you are...?"

Lance inwardly smiled as the man mentioned his role in the school. Mansion greeter... A nice welcoming face to assuage the fears of starting a new and uncertain life... I might just like it here... His inner smile broadened towards the end of his thoughts.

“Lance… Lance Sandejas." Lance introduced himself as he extended a hand to Shinbo. “I was told that you guys can help me know myself more…” he added in a somewhat subdued manner.

He wasn’t sure if Shinbo would understand what he was trying to say. Heck, he wasn’t even sure whether Shinbo was a mutant like himself or a regular person working for the school. But he was here now and there seems to be no turning back…

[/size][/color]

>>“Sorry about dropping in unexpectedly… This was kind of a last minute thing…”

"No worries," Shin batted the apology aside, and introduced himself.

The man introduced himself, likewise. His name was Lance. Shin met handshake with handshake. Shin nodded. "We have classes for that, and people who can help. What's your power, if you don't mind my asking?" It sounded like the guy wanted help controlling his mutation. When helping there, it always was best to get all the facts. "Follow me. We can talk about things in my office."

Turning, Shin took it upon himself to lead the way to the front door of the mansion, through the entrance way with its red carpets and chandelier, and ultimately, to his office.

It was a comfy office. Nice desk, nice chairs. A little messy, but not a pig pen. It had a few personal touches. There was a picture of some blonde on a cabinet behind him. "Have a seat," Shin gestured. "Tell me about yourself."

>>>"We have classes for that, and people who can help...

Lance felt a sense of relief wash over him upon hearing Shin’s statement.

Aunt Phoem was right to recommend this place...

>>>"...What's your power, if you don't mind my asking?"

Lance was slightly surprised by the openness of Shin’s question and to think that they were discussing his powers out here in public. But if Shin thinks that it’s safe to discuss mutations in the open, then who was he to question that. “My power has something to do with emitting sound waves... sound waves that can’t be heard by humans.”

Lance wasn’t too comfortable talking about his power in the open. It had been a secret between him and Aunt Phoem for a couple of months now and this sudden openness is quite new to him.

It was a relief therefore when Shin invited him into the premises to discuss things in a more secluded environment... his office.

The grounds beyond the wall showed signs of being tended to. Shade trees dotted the expansive lawn area in front of the mansion where several residents of the school have gathered in groups to either do schoolwork or pass the time.

What lied behind the front door of the school, however, was beyond Lance’s expectations. Wall-to-wall carpeting in a vibrant shade of red covered the floor and above them hung a magnificent crystal chandelier. Lance was not used to such finery and could not help but stop momentarily to gaze in awe. His guide, however, was heading deeper into the building. Not wanting to be left behind, Lance quickly followed behind Shin.

Their walk eventually led to Shin’s office. The interior was professional but comfortable.

Lance was ushered in and offered a seat. Shin took his seat behind the desk.

>>>"Tell me about yourself."

Lance took a moment to collect his thoughts. Hmm... Where to begin...

“My full name is Laurencio Miguel Sandejas. My friends and family call me either Lance or Mike, although I rarely use the latter name. I was born in Manila, in the Philippines on July 12, 1992. After completing my primary studies in Manila, my father was offered a position in the mother company of his office in Victoria, Texas. My parents decided to migrate to the U.S. then. I completed by Freshman and Sophomore years at Memorial High School...” Lance stopped his introduction, as memories of the circumstances that led him to where he was now, suddenly surfaced.

“My parents decided to separate, with my mom and I moving here to New York, while my dad remained in Victoria with his work. My aunt, my mom’s cousin, helped settle us in.”

Lance took another pause from his narration. The story was now moving on to the tragedy that took his mother’s life, living him virtually an orphan. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes, but he fought them back down. He had to be careful now... There were things that even his aunt does not know about him.

“My powers first surfaced sometime after my mom and I moved in to our own apartment. The result was disastrous to say the least. I woke-up the next day minus my voice. After days of enforced silence, my voice gradually returned. It was my aunt who suggested this school as a place for me to be able to learn more about who I am and how to better control my abilities.” Lance ended his narration there. He hoped that he had covered the basic information that Shin might need to determine whether he was fit for residency, and hopefully enrollment, here at Xavier’s.

Lance was surprised at the amount of personal information he had told Shin, a total stranger until now. It was not like him to talk so freely to someone he has met a mere few minutes ago. Then it dawned on him, there was a part of him that wanted to be accepted at Xavier's... the same part of him that wants Lance to be in control of his power so that there will not be a repeat of the incident that nearly killed his aunt...


(OOC: If I need to edit anything in the post, please tell me... )

>> “My power has something to do with emitting sound waves... sound waves that can’t be heard by humans.”

"Neat," Shin replied.

He hadn't dealt with many sound mutants before. There was only Luke. It would be interesting seeing how this person's power worked.

But first, they'd go to his office.

He listened patiently as Lance told him what he felt comfortable sharing. It was a lot. Shin was silent and respectful, taking it all in. He only nodded from time to time. At one point in the story, it seemed like Lance was having trouble going on. It seemed like that part was the emotional part... but then, power activations usually were. He'd been shot at. He knew others with similar circumstances.

Lance's mutation's activation had been disastrous. Disastrous wasn't a positive word. Shin was suddenly reminded of Kodama from GARO, the man who couldn't speak, except to open his mouth and let out destructive sound blasts. Lance was lucky he wasn't a character in a television show. That would have been rough.

Lance wanted to control his power. That was good. "We can certainly help you," He noted. Shin turned in his desk to grab some paperwork from a nearby file cabinet. He tapped a pen ready, and turned back to Lance. "Are you planning to live here and take mutation classes, or live elsewhere? Here," He extended the pen and the paperwork. "Fill out your contact information."

Shin’s reassurance that the school can help him control his power was a big morale booster for Lance. He smiled at that...

>>>"Are you planning to live here and take mutation classes, or live elsewhere?"

He wanted to reply that he would be living elsewhere, but thought better of it... with his cousin moving back into the apartment he shared with his aunt, the place might prove too limiting for the three of them, plus his mutation... Nah. They would be better off without him in the unit...

“I was kind of hoping to board here in the school, if that is still possible?” Lance asked tentatively. His aunt mentioned that Xavier's is a boarding school for mutants, but the rules might have changed.

“Aside from mutation classes, does the school offer regular high school classes? Coz I would really like to continue my studies and it would be great if I can take it here or at least somewhere nearby,” he added, as he gratefully took the offered pen and the information sheets that needed to be filled up.

Lance threw a cursory glance at the paperwork before him... answering each item in his mind before actually jotting it down on the paper.

The information being asked were quite simple really, it was just that there were several skeletons in his closet that he preferred to remain just that... skeletons in the closet. So he took extra care in answering those questions that he felt were knocking on the door of his closet.

Lance had accomplished the information sheet in about forty-five minutes. After double checking the information he had written down, Lance handed the pen and paperwork back to Shin. “How much does the school charge for board and lodging?”

"It's possible," Shin replied with a small nod. "Not all of our residents are teenagers. There are a few adults here or there. I'm one." It wasn't too weird, living at the mansion. The place attracted mutants of all ages.

For his next question, Shin gave a quick affirmative. "Yup. The mansion has teachers for grades K-12. New York University has excellent courses, for any grades higher than 12. I go there."

Things fell silent as Lance filled out the paperwork. Shin played Mine Sweeper. He won a lot. Not as often as he lost. Finally, Lance was done. He asked his question just as the minefield exploded. Shin's brows drew together as he glared at the screen.

Then, he glanced to Lance, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "Actually, it's free. Private donors keep us going strong."

Shin’s answers to his questions were a series of good news, one after the other...

First off, Shin confirmed that the school does accept residents, he being one of them.

Second, that Xavier’s not only offer mutation classes but regular K-12 classes as well.

The third answer, though not as important as the first two, still lifted considerable weight off of Lance's mind, free board and lodging... thanks to funding coming from private donors.

Hearing Shin's replies, a sudden unexplainable sense of excitement began to well inside of Lance. The growing excitement was slowly washing away the fears and uncertainty that had dominated him earlier in the day. Although he tried his best not to show any outward indications of it.

The prospect of beginning a whole new life in an environment structured to cater to individuals, like him, with special capabilities, suddenly appealed to him. His apprehensions were replaced by a desire to learn more about his capability and how to better control it.

“Uh...” he started sheepishly, “are there any other documents that I need to fill up?” he asked, trying not to sound impatient but at the same time hoping that Shin would soon show him around the premises.

He was eager to have a look see at what facilities the school has to offer.


(Feel free to take him on a tour of the grounds, if that's ok.)

Shin nodded, and hauled out the lodging documentation. He set Lance up with all the paperwork. All of it. It took thirty minutes to fill out. They managed. Shin filed it away, and tossed Lance his room keys.

"I'll give you the tour." He stated.

He did. Then, they were done. Shin showed Lance the library, the basketball courts, the pool, the kitchens, all the cool places in the mansion... they wound up at Lance's room. "And here you are. I'll leave you to get unpacked. If you need any help," He nodded. "You know who to call."

With a turn and a smile, Shin vanished down the hall.

Lance had finished filling out the second set of documents that Shin had handed him. The room keys that were tossed his way were quickly pocketed for safe keeping.

The campus tour that followed was both enjoyable and informative... Shin proved to be an excellent tour guide.

The library, the basketball courts, the pool, the kitchens, and several other cool places in and around the mansion were mentally noted down for future explorations. The last stop of the tour was, of course, the most important location for Lance... the room assigned to him... his room.

A friendly reminder, a smile followed by a turn, and Shin went on his way to continue whatever business was put on hold by the abrupt appearance of the school’s newest resident.

For his part, Lance was eager to get settled in. It had been one hell of a day... The emotional roller coaster ride he had gone through, from the cab ride until now, was something he had never experienced before. The feeling left him perplexed. Was there something that happened within the past several hours that had such an altering effect on his emotional state? He couldn’t help but wonder.

The audible click of the lock...

The whisper of an opening door...

The soft footfalls on a carpeted floor...

Lance walked into his new room... Into a new beginning...

A new life and its myriad of possibilities.