Thorn • Scott Summers

ten

"What is this place?"

Florence had been led through several hallways, metal doors, and was now in a large open room with blue squares on the walls.

"This is the Danger Room." Erik said.

Florence waited for him to continue, and after he didn't, she darted her eyes around the room, waiting for something to happen.

"Um... it's empty. What am I supposed to do?"

"Show us your mutation. We've got to see how powerful you are compared to the others." Raven spoke, and she turned blue. Florence had seen pictures of her before in her natural form- but in real life was a totally different experience.

"We have to see if you're a leader, or just a fighter on the sidelines." Erik said.

"That sounds fascist. I'm not going to contribute to this hierarchy." Florence said sternly, her anger bubbling.

"This isn't a choice, ok? Charles chose you for whatever reason because he deemed you fit for battle." Raven said, her tone growing increasingly annoyed.

"Battle? Are we mutants or soldiers?"

"As mutants, we aren't safe in this world! Just because there isn't war, doesn't mean there's peace!"

"And we solve violence towards our kind with more violence? Is that the answer?!"

"Child, stop arguing and just show us your power." Erik said, seemingly annoyed at both Raven and Florence.

"Even if I wanted to, I can't! There's nothing here, I don't feel anything. I need dirt. Something to grow from."

Raven huffed. She stormed out of the room, leaving an aggravated Florence and a fed up Erik together.

"Listen, I respect your contradiction to power structures and authority figures. Your anarchist views are nothing but welcome with me, but you are a student," Erik said, and Raven walked back in with a house plant in a ceramic pot in her hand.
"and we are trying to teach you how to-"

Raven dropped the plant in front of Florence, Erik stopping in shock.

Florence stared at the floor in horror. She felt the roots in pain and some leaves had been scratched by the shards of the pot. Florence felt the pain surge within herself, and her anger. Bubbling rage, she looked up at Raven with wide eyes, too angry to form words.

"You said you needed some dirt. Now stop arguing and show us your power."

Florence had learned how to use her mutation without anger. Despite that, her anger issues remained, and her inability to control her mutation when angry did too.

"You wanna see what I can do?" she said, and the dropped plant began to stand, growing far taller than any of them. The two adults looked up at the plant, never having seen anything like it before.

More stems grew from the soil on the floor, spreading out around the ground. Vines grew, traveling around the air. Florence couldn't control all of the growth in her anger, and Charles sensed it from his office.

"Hank, we need to go to the Danger Room."
The others had still been in the office, and they all looked at each other nervously when they heard his serious tone. The two adults quickly excited the room, leaving the group of teenagers in confusion.

"Jean, what's going on?" Jubilee asked.

Jean stood, trying to gather all the thoughts and emotions. She heard Charles thinking to himself 'I knew she and Raven would clash', and then she went farther, reaching Florence. Jean hissed in pain when she felt Florence's anger and the turbulent energy coursing through her.