X-MEN IMAGINES

[SS] Ignite.

     It was difficult to imagine that the mansion, that could be seen from the top of the road, could have been any bigger than at first glance.

But, when the man—who introduced himself as Hank—drove down the beige-coloured stone slabbed path—passed the open fields on either side of the road with a few fountains, statues, well-kept trees, neatly trimmed and tended bushes, the carefully potted plants, and passed the gates near the bottom of the road with the sign that said, 'Xavier's school for gifted youngsters' that had been slightly covered by the wall ivy and bush below it, passed the tall, evenly spaced, bushes, and into the area in front of the mansion—it was clear that it had been much bigger. Much more bigger.

The area outside the mansion, before the long width of the steps up to the large porch, was surrounded by beige buildings, that had dark roofs, and recently cleaned windows. In the middle, there was a water fountain, with some red bricks around it and some red slabs on the ground that mixed in a neatly designed pattern on the ground.

Hank stopped the car and turned around to face you in the back. "Are you ready?" If you didn't know any better, you'd say he was more nervous than you were.

When he had first turned up to collect you, it was at one of the many 'family gatherings' your parents forced you to go to. Despite knowing how much you hated them and your overly fancy and pretentious aunt, who kept gushing over you and asking you if you had a 'special someone' in your life yet... simply because 'you aren't getting any younger, dear'.

It was all overdone, as was she.

It had started at eleven for 'brunch' with small tiny finger sandwiches and 'the best tea on the market, don't you know?' as quoted by one of the other stuck up guests, until about four in the afternoon, it was more of a posh lunch, but your parents scolded you for saying that out loud, especially so close to your aunt where 'she could hear you'.

He had found you locked away in the bathroom, sitting in the bath with the curtain drawn as you cried silently to yourself, while the rest of your family tried to put out the fire you had caused to start on your aunt's obnoxious, pink hat with that stupid large flower. Hank had told you that there was nothing to worry about, holding his hand out to you, but you saw it. You saw the look on your family's face as he walked you down the stairs, through the house and out to the yellow car. They were horrified, disgusted, and trying to calm your aunt down with her newly bald look and chard wisps of remaining hair.

Turning your gaze from the mansion, you quietly responded, "I don't have a choice, do I?"

He smiled apologetically. "We will help you control it. You aren't alone." With that said, he got out of the car and walked around to the stairs, looking at your door as you slowly opened it, closing it as quietly as you could.

"W-What do you mean I'm not alone?"

"There are other mutants." You winced at the word. "Other gifted people," he put it in a gentler way, knowing you were still getting used to being coined as a mutant, a flammable one at that.

"I'm going to apologise in advance in case I set something on fire... mainly the mansion or you."

Hank chuckled. "We have ways of making sure that won't happen. I'll introduce you to the Professor," Hank told you as you followed him up the stairs and in through the large doors.

It was neatly decorated, even the wooden walls and staircases were detailed and well looked after. After looking away, you followed Hank into the first door on the left, into a large office where a man sat behind a desk. You remained quiet as he finished talking to a girl in a bright yellow jacket, her hair neatly curled and half of it up in two pigtails while the rest of her hair fell down her back and over her shoulders. She walked out, sending you a smile before she closed the door.