Arrival and tour

The jet descended into the mansion’s hidden hangar, the ramp lowering with a hiss. The three mutants walked down the ramp, Jean smiling. “I’ll show you around while Scott talks with the Professor and Storm,” Ethan nodded nervously. Two figures—a bald man in a wheelchair and a stunning Black woman—waited for them. “Professor, Ororo,” Jean greeted them with a smile. Scott smiled at them as well. Ethan lagged a bit behind, nervously hiding. “Jean, Scott, everything went well, I assume,” the Professor asked. “Hi,” Ethan said nervously. “Yes, everything went great. I’ll show Ethan around while Scott updates you,” Jean said, placing a protective hand on Ethan’s shoulder. The Professor nodded, and Jean led Ethan away.

The first stop was the labs. “Here are the labs. We usually use them to study new arrivals, ensuring we get a full understanding of their mutation for safety— theirs and everyone else’s.” Ethan nodded and looked at the machines nervously. “Don’t worry, I’m in charge of the studies, so we can skip them if you want,” Jean winked. Ethan smiled shyly and nodded, feeling a bit more relaxed. “So...” Jean continued casually. “What did you think of the Professor and Ororo?” Ethan took a moment to think and said, “They are scary, much more than you,” making Jean giggle. “Sometimes, but you could make them less scary with a single peek, you know,” she said, smiling widely. Ethan’s head shot up toward her. “Well... I guess, but I don’t think I’m comfortable doing that anymore,” he replied nervously. Jean nodded with understanding. “Well, I’ll help you get there.”

“So... no complications?” Storm asked again, leaning slightly forward with a sharp gaze that looked for any signs of trouble. Her tone was calm but tinged with curiosity, showing this was important. Scott paused briefly, rubbing the back of his neck as he searched for the right words. "None," he finally said, trying to sound casual. "He’s just nervous about being here—new environment, new people. But overall, he’s a great guy. Very respectful and eager to learn."

“And what about his abilities? I assume he didn’t use them on you,” The Professor asked. Jean, Scott, The Professor, and Storm were the only ones who knew about Ethan’s abilities. Scott didn’t need to lie to reassure them. “No, He’s repressing them; he thinks what he did was awful, and he has no intention of using them again,” he said, knowing it was true but not feeling entirely comfortable with it. “That’s probably for the best, at least for now. He is capable of a lot of good, and we will show him that,” the Professor responded.