:: Having just arrived at Xavier's Institute for the Gifted, Connor Ward had found himself out-of-place among people who were as close to peers as he would ever have. Unlike most of the students at the school he had already received his diploma, even attended a few courses at the local junior college. His mutant powers had indeed manifested during his teenage years, but it wasn't until his twentieth birthday that he himself paid them much attention.
As a youth, Connor had avoided injury time and time again, despite doing very little in the way of preventative measures. He liked his sports tough and his leisure time to be filled with excitement, whether that be on the seat of his "crotch rocket" Honda or while dangling from thin strings attached to a parachute. It was a constant wonder to his hometown friends that he was still alive at all. Up until the last month, it was enough for everyone to just chalk up to dumb Irish luck. Then there was the accident.
Connor had always considered himself to be tough. He could run for hours at a time without tiring, had endured some hits that would ended the football careers of men twice his size, and could count on one hand the number of times in his life he begrudgingly applied one of his mother's band-aids. But no ordinary human could withstand the force of a point-blank hunting rifle round. Much less one aimed at his head.
Even when he replayed the event over in his head he had trouble believing it had ever happened at all. His younger brother Michael, ignoring the simplest rules of hunter safety, positioning the gun in the worst possible place for an accidental discharge to occur. Connor saw it coming, almost sensing it he protectively raised his hands over his face - and stopped the bullet.
"Molecular density control" was the term the venerable bald Professor used to describe Connor's mutant ability. It could be used to make his fists hard as stone, his skin virtually bullet proof, or his circulatory and respiratory systems more efficient.
Now he stood within the confines of the danger room, it's metallic plates clean and nondescript. The program would be starting soon. He simply waited for the other mutants Xavier wanted to test to join him. Would they be new recruits like him, or did the professor intend to team Connor up with some of his old guard X-Men against the Danger Room's programming? ::
As a youth, Connor had avoided injury time and time again, despite doing very little in the way of preventative measures. He liked his sports tough and his leisure time to be filled with excitement, whether that be on the seat of his "crotch rocket" Honda or while dangling from thin strings attached to a parachute. It was a constant wonder to his hometown friends that he was still alive at all. Up until the last month, it was enough for everyone to just chalk up to dumb Irish luck. Then there was the accident.
Connor had always considered himself to be tough. He could run for hours at a time without tiring, had endured some hits that would ended the football careers of men twice his size, and could count on one hand the number of times in his life he begrudgingly applied one of his mother's band-aids. But no ordinary human could withstand the force of a point-blank hunting rifle round. Much less one aimed at his head.
Even when he replayed the event over in his head he had trouble believing it had ever happened at all. His younger brother Michael, ignoring the simplest rules of hunter safety, positioning the gun in the worst possible place for an accidental discharge to occur. Connor saw it coming, almost sensing it he protectively raised his hands over his face - and stopped the bullet.
"Molecular density control" was the term the venerable bald Professor used to describe Connor's mutant ability. It could be used to make his fists hard as stone, his skin virtually bullet proof, or his circulatory and respiratory systems more efficient.
Now he stood within the confines of the danger room, it's metallic plates clean and nondescript. The program would be starting soon. He simply waited for the other mutants Xavier wanted to test to join him. Would they be new recruits like him, or did the professor intend to team Connor up with some of his old guard X-Men against the Danger Room's programming? ::