The [i]Ashford Institute for the Gifted[/i]; the place that is your new home. Perhaps you’ve never truly had a home to begin with or maybe you had loving parents, friends, a lover, a [i][b]life[/b][/i] before you became one of the “Gifted”. Whatever came before is the past and now you are part of the future; the next step in human evolution. Mutant. That is what they call you, and the Ashford Institute is a place where your kind belongs. You have been accepted into this academy, which you have learned to be the sister school to the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters; the home for the X-Men. By you having been selected to come to this institute to train your powers, learn what it means to be a mutant, and to be accepted by others like you, your old life is over and a new one has begun; potentially the life of a future among the X-Men yourself. Are you ready?

You’ve been at the institute now for about three and a half weeks. Mostly you’re time has been taken up my medical exams, physicals, tours, introductions, and the Institute’s two week long orientation. Now that all of those things have wrapped up it’s time for your journey here to truly begin. Today is a big day; it’s the first day of the Academy and your first assignment is to meet in the Training Center, or the TC for short, bright and early at 7:300 AM. You aren’t exactly sure what’s going to happen once you get there but you were told to bring a change of clothes and to wear closed toed shoes. What does the future hold here at your new home? Will you fit itn? Will you truly become one of the X-Men? Only time will tell...but that time starts now. 

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Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep. Nathan awakes to loud sound of his alarm clock. It says 7:00 AM, and unfortunately that means that it’s time for him to get up. It feels like he hasn’t had a good nights rest since the night he got here, but truly he knows that it’s been far longer that since he’s had a good night’s sleep. The first few weeks here at the Academy flew by, and Nathan was very much out of his comfort zone here. Meeting new people...new “mutants”, and all of the activities and nuances that came with being in a place like this had been more than a little overwhelming for him but he was doing his best to adapt...though he feared even his best might not be good enough.

As he got out of bed and prepared for what was in store for him today he thought his time here so far. He hadn’t made any friends, hadn’t really talked to anyone other than when he had to, and other than his roommate, who he’s only seen for maybe a few minutes a day other than when they’re sleeping, he doesn’t really even know anyone's names or anything about them. He knew that this would have to change, that [i][b]he[/b][/i] would have to change; that he couldn’t like he used to anymore and that he wasn’t alone any longer. It was a new start; a fresh start, and hopefully it would be the beginning of good things to come.

The outside air was brisk and almost wintery as he walked towards the massive, metal coliseum looking building that was deemed the “TC”. As he placed his hand on the fingerprint reader it beeped at him approvingly and a robotic, feminine voice spoke out to him. “Welcome Nathaniel.” The doors opened and he walked in to see a large, circular room with hallways leading to diferent kinds of gyms, training areas, swimming pools, and one hallway where Professor Pierce and Professor Everose were waiting for him. He couldn’t believe that he was the first to arrive...how awkward. He looked up above the professor’s heads to see a sign indicating that this particular hallway led to a room labeled “Danger Room”. It was Professor Everose, in her sweet and soothing voice that spoke first.

“Good morning Nathan...Are you ready to meet your new team?”.