Fading Echoes . • . X-Men Fanfic . • . BOOK 1

trios

Chapter Three:

Ekka was surprised to see that it was dark out when she woke up. She glanced around the room, finally spotting a small, digital clock on the nightstand. 11:51 PM. Ekka blinked. She had slept the entire evening away.

She had been feeling better now, she supposed. Ekka bent down, Flutter cocked her small head at her. Ekka could sense that she had been tired from just waking up as well. She smiled, "Good morning, Flutter," she was giving a small tweet in response. Ekka held out a finger, and Flutter graciously hopped on, clamping her claws around so she wouldn't fall off.

Ekka placed Flutter on her shoulder and stood up. She opened the door as proceeded down the hall. As expected, the halls were empty, since all students were sleeping or up late studying a textbook. Ekka walked by them, her mind thinking on something else, like what to do now that she had been up.

Her first thought was to go feed the lions as well with the other animals, a regular chore she had back at the Circus, but realized that there was no need, since there hadn't been any lions to feed anymore.

Ekka sighed, a pang of loneliness striking her chest. She knew she was surrounded by children her age now, but didn't quite know how to interact with people her age like that. The children her age at the Circus always treated her with scorn, copying after the adults who would do the same. The only friend she ever had was Fira after all, but...

Ekka stopped moving, looking at the ground. Fira. She had almost forgotten about her. She left her there, when she left the circus. She... She hadn't even given a second thought about her. Tears formed at the corners of Ekka's eyes, her lip quivering, but she quickly wiped at her face, looking away. Flutter pecked at her cheek with a small chirp, and Ekka smiled, rubbing the small bird on the head.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" Ekka started, swiveling around as well as jumping back. Her eyes widened when she saw a familiar man. It took her a few seconds to realize it had been the man from earlier who saved Flutter.

"I... I..." She stammered, her eyes darting back and forth.

"What time is it, kid? Doesn't 'Avier give you kids a curfew or something like that?"

"I–I, uh, I... Uhm, j–just woke up," she stammered, bringing a hand to comfort Flutter, who had been rather startled by the sudden movements. She hadn't realized that it had been the hand that was her injured one until the man suddenly grabbed it, his large fingers easily closing in on her small wrist.

"Why is your skin burnt?" He asked. With his built stature and gruff voice, he probably didn't mean to seem demanding and intimidating, but Ekka couldn't help but feel threatened.

Ekka yanked her hand away, cradling it to her chest. "I–I am sorry, Father," she said automatically. "I will not do it again, I—" she stammered, trying to step back. Suddenly, her finger felt like it was aflame again, even though it was nowhere near a fire.

'Ekka, do not be alarmed, Logan will not hurt you,' a voice in her head echoed. She jumped, staring at the man, but he hadn't spoken a word. 'Remember when I told you I could read minds? It's me, Professor Xavier.'

"Look, kid," Logan began, carefully. "I don't know what you mean by that, but trust me, I'm not your dad. I don't care if you're up late at this point, but if you're planning on doing something, then keep me out of it." The man pushed past her, and Ekka watched him with wide eyes as he strode down the hall, and soon out of sight.

'I know the time zones were different where you're from, but in order to get situated with ours, I suggest you go back to sleep,' Xavier said once the other man had left.