ISSUE #8

" I can't wait to meet your sister David."

John said to his friend as the New Mutants waited for Davids's sister Kim to arrive.

" Yeah, it's been so long. I can't wait to see how she's grown. Oh, there's her cab now."

David said as a yellow cab pulled up to the front gates if the institute.

Stepping out from the cab was David's little sister Kim.

" Kim! over here! Hey, sis. I want you to meet my friends the New Mutants squad."

David called out to his sister as she walked through the front gates.

" This is my roommate, Josh foley. He'll drive you crazy but he's cool."

David explained to the girl as he introduced his friend.

" Wow you're gold."

Kim exclaimed in excitement as she shook the boy's hand.

" And this jay Gutherie and Noriko Ashida."

David said as he introduced Jay and Noriko.

" Neat wings!"

Kim said to the boy with wings.

" Hey Kim."

Noriko said hello to little girl.

" That's awesome hair. Is it part of your mutation power?"

Kim asked Noriko.

" Nah. Came in a bottle. It's called electric blue. How could I resist?"

Noriko explained to the girl.

" This is Sofia mantega and Laurie Collins. You'll be staying in their room while you're here."

David explained to the girl.

" Hello, Kim. I realize we are not nearly so exciting as our teammates with more obvious mutations. But we will do our best to entertain you."

Sofia explained to the girl.

" And this..."

David was going to introduce John before John cut him off.

* Dum! Dum Dum! DU DU DU DU!

The sound of a Japanese shamisen played as John hoped on one foot with his arms out like perverted toad sage.

" I am the heavenly. The righteous. The Lovable. Lightning sage JOHNATHAN!"

John ended his foolish act with on hand over his head and the other extended outwards.

The others looked at John like he was an idiot while David's sister Kim laughed.

' Success.'

John thought proudly as the girl laughed.

" You're weird! What can you do?"

Kim asked the boy as she laughed.

" Hold your hand out and I'll show you."

John said to the girl as he bent down to her level.

Kim stuck her hand allowing John to grab it. He placed his palm under the back of her hand and allowed a torrent of lightning to pass through the girl's hand. The torrent eventually took the form of a small doe. John lifted the girl's hand, and the doe took off prancing around in the air before disappearing.

" WHOA!"

Kim exclaimed with stars in her eyes.

" That is so cool!"

Kim exclaimed.

" You are so lucky, David. My school isn't half this much fun."

Kim said as she ran up to her brother.

" Yeah? Check out over there. It's a projectile class. They're having target practice."

David said as she showed Gambit teaching students how to throw projectiles.

" Whoops! We're supposed to be over there!"

Noriko said as she pulled Johnathan over to the class with her.

" But I already know how to throw projectiles!"

John yelled as the woman dragged him further and further away from the others.

" Ah, I'm glad to see ye made it you two. Been playing hooky without ole gambit?"

Gambit asked the two as they joined the rest of the class.

" No, David's little sister came to visit so, we wanted to say hello to her before coming to class."

Noriko explained.

" Ah, I see. Then that's alright. Now, John show the others how to throw projectiles."

Gambit said to the boy.

" DO YOUR OWN JOB!"

John snapped back.

" But why do I need to do it, when you're so good at it?"

Gambit asked the boy.

" Because you owe me."

Gambit joked.

" What? But that was... Oh you jerk."

John complained.

" Well, there's a new lesson for ya kid. Never trust Gambit."

Gambit said as he took a seat on the nearby table.

" Okay, class listen up. Drill sergeant John is on scene. I want all you maggots in line and ready to fire."

John said as he ordered the teens to line up.

" The key, to properly throwing a projectile isn't to just make it strong, or to make it fast. No, it's precision and timing. A good precise strike is far more powerful than a strong off-balance blow. For example. Santo when you throw your hands you put power behind them, but you don't aim, you don't take into account other possibilities. You just shoot. But if you aim properly then..."

John explained to the group before firing a single needle of lightning into one of the balloons and popping it.

" See? Now, all of you try it. Don't focus on output. Gambit will get to that later."

John said to the class before turning them free.

" See? That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Gambit asked as John sat next to him on the bench.

" Oh, shut up."

John groaned to the man.

After class Noriko and John made their way to the cafeteria to eat with the other New Mutants.

" Hey, guys! Hey, Kim are you enjoying the school?"

John asked the girl as he and Noriko took a seat at their table.

" Yeah! Mr. Nightcrawler was really cool."

Kim exclaimed.

" Oh, you took her to see Mr. Wagner."

John asked

" Yeah, he was really on his game today. I guess having a newcomer hyped him up."

David said

" He was really nice to me, and he gave me candy!"

Kim said happily.

" Glad you like him. He's my favorite teacher too."

John said to the girl.

" Where's Jay?"

John asked.

" Oh, he's outside. Come on Nori let's go get him."

John said to the girl as he got up from his chair.

The two walked outside to see their friend sitting on top of the basketball net with his shirt off.

" Hey, Jay! What're you doing out here? It's freezing and you're half-dressed!"

Noriko asked the boy.

" I... I had to get out of my room guys."

Jay said seemingly shaken up by something.

" What for? Were you thinking about sammy?"

Noriko asked.

" Sammy?"

John asked in confusion.

" A friend of his."

Noriko replied.

" Oh!"

John stated.

" No. Not Sammy... A picture of another friend of mine... It shattered on its own!"

Jay said in a panic.

" Whoa! what?"

John asked.

" Yeah, you left your room cause of a broken picture?"

Noriko also asked.

" Not where, I was going with this Nori."

John said to the girl.

" Hey, wait a minute. Jay what happened to your chest?"

John asked as he saw three old cuts on the boy's chest.

" This one healed... But not completely. I got it just before I came to the school."

Jay explained to the two.

" But... Dude that's near your heart. How'd it happen?"

John asked the boy.

" I did it to myself."

Jay said to the two shocking them greatly.

" You did what?"

Noriko asked.

" The girl in the picture... I was in love with her. And then she died. The pain was too much and I... I just wanted to be with her."

Jay explained.

John walked up to the boy and pulled him into a hug.

" But... tell me you don't still want to...? I mean, you're slipping out about a picture."

Noriko asked the boy.

" Nori!"

John snapped to the girl.

" It's fine. Most of the time? No. I'm over that now. But sometimes... Like today... My head plays tricks on me. And after Sammy died... I don't know. Days like this I feel that way a little. Yeah."

Jay explained.

Noriko turned and tears started to well up in her eyes.

" Nori?"

John called out to the girl as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

" I don't get it. How can you...?"

Noriko asked the boy.

" It felt like I lost everything. You wouldn't understand."

Jay said to the girl.

" JAY!"

John now turned and snapped on the boy.

" I don't understand? Don't you have like twenty brothers and sisters? And a mother who loves you? Yeah, you lost everything."

Noriko cried as she ran away from the two boys.

" Nori wait! Jay, go to your room and put some clothes on, then go to the others."

John ordered the boy before running after Noriko.

' Damn it. why did she just break down like that? And why is she so fast?'

John asked himself as he ran after the girl.

Noriko ran to her room and in a panic called her father's house phone.

" (Hello, Ashida Residence.)"

Noriko's stepmother answered the phone in Japanese.

" (May I speak with Keitaro, please)"

Noriko asked to speak with her brother.

" (Nori-Chan?)"

The woman asked if it was really the girl.

" (I don't mean to cause any trouble. I just wish to speak with Keitaro.)"

Noriko said to the woman.

" (Of course, I... I will go get your brother. But first, are you well?)"

The woman asked concerned over the girl's health.

" (I'm fine. I'm safe and in a place where I'm learning to control my abilities.)"

Noriko explained to the woman. However, as the two were talking Noriko's father was passing by.

" (I'm so relieved to hear this.)"

The woman said happily.

On the other side of the door, John was listening in on the woman's conversation, choosing to let her be alone and talk with her brother rather than interfering.

" (Give me the Phone.)"

Noriko's father aggressively snatched the phone from the woman.

" (I don't know who this is, but this is not funny.)"

The man said to Noriko.

" (Father, I only wanted to say Hi to.)"

Noriko said in a panic.

" (My daughter did not wish to be part of this family. She has brought nothing but shame and hurt to her mother and to myself. And she will never call here.)"

Her father exclaimed.

' The fuck did he just say?'

John thought angrily to himself. John opened the door and walked over to Noriko and grabbed the phone from her hand.

" (Hello, Ashida! This is Noriko's friend Johnathan. You are a worthless piece of shit and you never deserved Noriko as a daughter. You say she has brought shame to you and your family. But you, Ashida, are the one who has done that. In fact, you have brought shame to your entire culture, your people, and most importantly to your own family name.)"

John said to the man.

Noriko looked up at the boy shocked that he had just insulted her father in perfect Japanese.

" (What did you say to me you little punk? Do you know who I am?)"

Ashida asked in anger.

" (You are the worthless piece of shit, who gave birth to my angel. That is your only contribution to this world. Now, enjoy the rest of your miserable life you worthless pig.)"

John said to the man before hanging up.

John looked down at the crying Noriko and bent down to wipe the tears from her eyes.

" (Do you want to go see your brother?)"

John asked the girl.

Noriko grabbed his hand and shook her head yes.

" (Then let us get through this week together. and we'll go next weekend okay.)"

John said to the girl.

" (Okay.)"

Noriko replied.

Noriko grabbed her music player and a pair of headphones and her family picture and sat on the ground listening to her music.

' This girl.'

John thought to himself.

He grabbed Noriko and picked her up in his arms before sitting on her bed. John held Noriko in his arms as she looked at her family picture, the two staying like that for hours.

" (Thank you, John.)"

Noriko said to the boy as she sat in his arms.

" (Of course, Noriko.)"

John said to the girl