X-Men: Calm Before the Storm [The Xtreme One x Little Fox]

[Little Fox]

Orfelina scowled as Markus left, through she quickly resumed a smile as she shook Robin's hand. “Yes. Energy manipulation is known as Ergokinesis. Next to Cataleia, I'm kind of a power buff around here.” She grinned sheepishly before retracting her hand. She took a seat next to him and was soon followed by Julio. “I swear that man is all kinds of fucked up.” He muttered under his breath before carrying out conversation with Zach. “I'm almost twenty-one, if you must know.” She chuckled, taking a bite from her gumbo. Who in the world could resist Julio's cooking? “I actually got this job when I was nineteen.” She grinned some more as if bragging. Which she kinda was. It wasn't too hard to carry on conversation – Julio was nearby and there was only four of them. She didn't mind the company. And now? She seemed to have gained new confidence. “Well – I didn't go to college like everyone else. I was busy with...other things. But I do know more about Homosapien and Homosuperior Sociology and Psychology. They're fascinating subjects, really.” She smiled brightly before holding up a finger as if to say 'hold on'. She pulled out her crappy Nokia and answered her father's screaming voice. You crazy, Gypsy?! You don't just go around jumpin' in front of bullets! Beau let you do that?! When I get there, I'ma kick your ass and his ass and Kitty's ass and Gabe's ass and then I'ma kick pretty boy Lincoln's ass just because he knows Kitty! she held the phone away from her ear and sighed as he ranted. I'll be there by the end of the night! I'm walkin' out my fuckin' door right now! Whatssa matter with you?! You wanna die? Bein' my kid suck that much?! Do they not pay you enough? On. And on. And on. Lina held back a giggle as she noticed that he didn't say anything about kicking Zee's ass. He tried once and was sorely mistaken when he thought that he would win. Zee didn't even lift a finger in that battle. She finally cut him off just as he finished a very detailed description of what Beau's innards would look like sprawled over the mansion. “Daddy. Shut up. I'm fine. He didn't let me do anything. I'm not a child – I did it of my own accord. We can talk about this when you're here; after you've calmed down and cleared your head. Alright? I love you and I'll see you tonight.” She felt a bit embarrassed at the moment; As though she were ten years old again and her father had burst into the classroom screaming at every one suspect to having crossed his daughter. She shook her head and shoved her phone back into her pocket. “Sorry – Daddy's....He's daddy.” She rolled her eyes some as if dismissing the subject. “But yeah – We're not really a normal school. But that goes without saying. What's your story...?”

Cataleia watched as everyone left the library, some of the children coming to give her brief hugs and kisses. ”Boa noite, darlings. Get some rest and don't worry. We won't let anything happen to you.” She offered them smiles before walking into Beau and Lincoln's conversation. I think I know who we’re dealing with and if I’m right…oh there’s definitely going to be more trouble. Count on that. Cataleia gave a light shrug. “Nothing that we can't handle. But that's something that we'll need to tackle tomorrow. Right now, we should worry about taking care of our own. And we should kinda brace ourselves because Logan's on the way and he's out for blood. And Tony's on the way, too.” Tony and Logan in a single work space never went over well. They were either fighting each other or partying with each other. Neither ever with good outcomes. Shaking her head, she tapped her fingertips against her chin. “I didn't want to bring it up in front of the others...But we lost Alex and Nolan. And about twelve of the refugees. And three students.” She bit down on her bottom lip. “Markus got them on his side – So you can bet that we're going to meet them on worse terms within a week.” Cataleia could have stopped them, but that would have only made things worse. Pursing her lips now, she glanced outside at the weather. “So. One, two, three! Not it!” It was already known that she was talking about going to check on Zalika. She loved her friend to death, but she wasn't up for listening to a rant at the moment. She had been stressed all day. Lina and Beau probably had it worse – Though it sounded like Lina was holding up just fine.

Placing her hand on her face, she shook her head. “I'm gonna be in my office, guys. I need a drink.” Huffing lightly, she gave Beau a gentle hug and bestowed a light kiss on Lincoln's neck. She took her bowl with her, stopping by the kitchen to deposit it into the sink water. She smiled seeing Lina chatting politely with a student while Julio chattered animatedly with a young boy about girls. I swear! Her ass was huge! Ya gotta go to N'awlins with me some time, kid! She rolled her eyes before leaving and heading a little bit further down the hall to her office. She closed the door behind her, not bothering to cut on a light; she was glow-in-the-dark. ”Lights are for chumps.” She muttered to herself as she pulled open one of the cabinet doors to the large cabinet that was behind her desk. ”There's my baby.” She purred to herself, snatching up a bottle of American Honey. The Wild Turkey went down easy and smooth. Not to mention it was sweet and delicious. She opened it and flopped onto the velvet couch, bottle already against her lips. There was a faint sound of a random piano melody emanating from her, soothing her as she tried to calm her nerves and think straight. “Some fucking Head Mistress I am...” She frowned and took more than a swig, chugging on the glass container. She smiled to herself as her chest took on a warm, fuzzy feeling.

[The Xtreme One]

Robin

"Don't have much of a story really" Robin smiled as he leaned back in his chair. "I grew up just like everyone else, got drunk one night and I sort of blew up....that's about it really" Even now, he found it strange that he could talk about all of this power stuff so openly. A year ago he would never have even thought about it. "I wouldn't worry about your Dad, mind. At least he's protective of you and wants to know your safe. I haven't spoken to mine in over a year" Robin reached across the table and pushed his now empty bowl of gumbo to its centre. "That was some good stuff. I think I'm gonna like it here" He looked over to Lina with his light blu eyes and was astounding. Here was a girl, barely older than him, drop dead gorgeous and who had just been shot at point blank range and she seemed absolutely fine. This new world, it was going to be a lot to get used to. "I suppose I better go unpack. Not that there's much to unpack, I've got clothes and a guitar. Looks like I'll have to do some shopping, maybe you can help me?" He chuckled softly as he ran a hand through his shock of red hair.

Beau

Looking over to Lincoln, Beau sighed. "I'll tell her" It wasn't an enviable job put it that way but he didn't mind. He wasn't scared of Zalika. A lot of the time he was scared for her. She just seemed so withdrawn sometimes, it wasn't healthy. Leaving the library, Beau made his way first to his own room. Peeling off his leather jacket, he quickly changed is bloodstained white shirt into a grey vest. Reaching into his stocked up mini-fridge, the cowboy pulled out a six pack of beer and then left the room. As he walked through the halls, Beau felt very out of place. He always had, even when he was a student. He remembered hist first day as a student under Professor X. During orientation he sat behind Zalika and Cat, who were instant friends and next to them was Lincoln. They were the "core four" so to speak to other students but when in actual fact it was always those three and Beau in the back. At that point in his life, he was just seen as a country bumpkin. Now he's seen as a biker. Oh how he loved stereotypes. Entering into the gym, he watched as Zee pummeled a training bag repeatedly. "Now calm yourself, Mamacita. What that poor bag ever do to you?" Beau spoke with his smooth drawl before walking over and sitting on a nearby bench. "I brought beer to soften the blow" He cracked a two bottles of ice cold Budweiser open and left one on the side for her. Taking a swig from his own, he looked to her with a frown. "Logan and Tony are coming by"

Lincoln

Waiting until Beau had left, Licoln pulled out his Blackberry and called up an old friend. "Hey, it's Lincoln. Yeah I'm good, listen I need a favour. I need you to send me a file. It's pretty urgent, it's the file marked 0032. Yeah everything. Do this for me and I'll make that little debt of yours go away. Good girl, talk to you soon" Hanging up the phone, Lincoln proceeded to make the short walk to his office. Locking the doors behind him, the throughbred quickly opened up his computer and checked his emails. Most of them were strictly business, being a teacher wasn't enough, Lincoln still needed to make his millions. He disregarded most of them in favour of the one he had asked for. 0032. Opening up the file, he scanned through it's contents with his big brown eyes and was shocked at what he read. If this is who Lina and Beau crossed, then they were all in the shit. Plain and simple.

Loosening his tie a little bit more, Lincoln decided it was time to pay a friend a visit. Closing down his labtop, he turned off his phone and left his room. Creeping into Cataleia's office, he locked the door behind and a light smile crossed his face as he watched her relax on her velvet couch. "Well this brings back memories" He laughed lightly before crossing the floor and sitting on the edge of the couch. Placing a hand on her soft cheek, he leaned down and allowed their lips to meet for a moment of bliss before pulling away and sitting back up, relaxing his hand on her leg. "You ok? No offence, sweetheart but you look worn out"

[Little Fox]

“Yeah. I suppose you're right.” She was extremely grateful for her father. She smiled softly, her hand absentmindedly fumbling for his dog tags that hung around her neck alongside her own. When he mentioned how much he'd enjoy it here, she couldn't help but to smile wider. She was glad to see at least one new person settling in so well. Though when he brought up the shopping, she quirked a brow. “Er...The last time I went shopping I got shot.” She laughed a little bit but grinned. “But I have the world's best body guards and I can take hits a lot better. So...yeah. Consider it a date.” She was rather loosened up now, highly enjoying her new found personality. Though how long would it last? She glanced over to see Julio hoisting Zach over his shoulder. “I'll see y'all in the mownin'. Gonna get this l'il fella to bed and I'm jus' gonna hit the hay myself.” His strange Hispanic-Cajun drawl came out sleepily as he gave them a wave to bid them good night. Orfelina returned the wave with a smile. She returned her attention to the red-head before her and immediately clammed up. “So...uh...” Now that Julio was gone, she didn't know what to say. Making up for that, she snatched up the four bowls and loaded them into the dishwasher. There were some pots and pans that didn't fit, so she'd have to wash them by hand. Using her teeth, she removed her long gloves, revealing her scarred arms. Ignoring them, she used her feet to open cabinet below the sink, using tooth and nail literally to put on the rubber gloves. As she washed the remaining dishes, she glanced over her shoulder. “I didn't mean to do that...Ignore you or whatever.” Her face turned red. “But I'd be willing to help you with the shopping when things have settled down.”


Zee had begun to calm down when she heard Beau's voice. It wasn't him that made her angry, but rather remembering what had happened that made her angry all over again. As she cocked back her right fist, lightning began to coat her arm, collecting power at her fist. The moment her fist came in contact with the punching bag, it exploded and coated her with sand. Some of the sand had become glass, digging into her arms and legs; a few pieces scratched up her face. She was lucky none of it got into her eyes. She was heaving out breaths, her mocha muscles glistening with sweat. Slowly, she strode over to Beau and flopped down on the floor next to him, taking his beer rather than the other. “Lovely. Just what we need; doze two and me all under the same roof.” Tony had an ego, Logan had an attitude, and Zee's temper was beginning to flare outwardly. She put the bottle to her lips before taking it all in. She didn't even attempt to slow down, simply chugging it all. It was rare that she'd throw a drink back with anyone. Even when she was alone. But when she did....She did. She chucked the empty bottle across the gym, not even flinching as it shattered against the wall before dropping her head into her hands. “This is my fault. I told Kitty that you two could handle being out there alone. There should have been more of us there with you. I chased Nolan and Alex right into Markus' creepy clutches. Shit is just...” She shook her head and brought her knees up to her chest. Thunder boomed loudly outside and rain began to pour heavier than it had before. “Fuck!”


Cataleia had set down her bottle and was simply staring up at the ceiling now. She could hear Lincoln walk down the hall towards her office. She had learned what his walk sounded like within the week that he had first came to the place. A light smirk graced her lips as she heard the door lock behind him. ”Well this brings back memories.” She laughed lightly along with him, glancing over at him as he came to her. She leaned her face into his touch, heart heart pounding as he came closer. Her heart felt as though it were going to tear out of her chest from beating so hard as he kissed her. The kiss was too brief for her enjoyment, forcing her to lean upwards, trying to make it linger. She couldn't remember the last time within the past year or so that she had actually gotten alone time with Lincoln like this. As he commented on how worn she looked, she shook her head and flopped back to her position. “I look like shit.” She groaned unhappily. If there was one thing she cared about, it was her appearance. Not that she was shallow – But she just really liked looking good. Grunting, she turned over, placing her back to the open room. “I'm not okay. Not at all! I've only had a few months of training to teach and lead the school and the team. First day alone and one of my best friends gets shot! Two of my best friends leave and join the fucking dark side! This is the first drink I've had since I left college. I have been laid since I left college. I haven't had a fucking cigarette since I left college. Why does this shit have to happen now?! Who am I kidding? I didn't get that shit in college, either. I've been so off my game since I left here in the first place. The only place I felt right was with S.H.I.E.L.D. And that still didn't replace the feelings of home. When I finally get home, everything and everyone's busted up and I have to fix it! I don't know if I can fix it.” She sobbed as she vented, her eyes pouring out glowing rivulets of tears.

[The Xtreme One]

Robin

"Hm" The Brit simply watched with amazament as Lina began to do the dishes. It was like a light switch, the change in her. It was something different to behold. He caught only but a glimpse of her scars but it was enough to make him wonder. "Well I'd certainly love to go shopping with you. I better go, goodnight Lina" Robin smiled to her before leaving and heading up to his room. Closing the door behind him, he looked around. He didn't have a roommate but he was ok with that. Sitting on his bed, he picked up his guitar and began to strum a tune. With the lights off he allowed his hands to glow, resonating around the room like synthesia. He opened his mouth and began to sing:
I see her smile, in the moonlight
There’s rain in the air, music around
And a know it’s right
With clear eyes she dances,
She don’t give no second chances,
No she don’t say anything…

My heart’s beating fast,
It won’t slow the pace
She beckons me over
With a smile on a her face
And a soul of grace.
With clear eyes she dances,
She don’t give no second chances,
No she don’t say anything…

Chances are, it don’t mean a thing
But she calls again,
And I think of what a kiss could bring
With her eyes so clear
She looks up with no fear
She says give in to me

Beau

"Ain't no reason to be blaming yourself for these things" Beau followed Zee's example and downed his beer before popping open another two and handing her one. "What happened to me and dimples wasn't your fault. It happened by chance, if that guy is a mutant hunter then anybody could've been at risk and by the way he was shooting, he didn't care who got it. Human or Mutant" Cracking his neck, Beau leaned back slightly. "Markus was a slippery ass. Alex and Nolan just proved to us all that they were weak willed. It ain't nothing you did. If we see those boys again, you get first pop at 'em but then I get to take over deal?" The outlaw laughed and took another swig from his bottle. He couldn't get over just how different a person Zalika had become since their graduation. Often he wondered what could've caused such a change but then again, he wasn't one to pry into matters that don't concern him, so he's never asked. "And as for Tony and Logan, ya'll could kick both their asses anyway. You've done it before. So no need worrying yourself about them. Besides, they won't touch you when you got a big bad cowboy like me by your side" He chuckled.

Lincoln

Lincoln watched with his big brown eyes as Cataleia went off on herself. Punishing herself for things that were beyond her control. "You don't have to fix it all sweetheart. Not alone, anyway. You got all those guys in there, some pretty good students and if I do say so myself, you got perfection on your side" The throuroughbred smirked as he stroked her hair. "You remember when you gave me that name, Cat? We were what, about sixteen? Having class in the library and we were asked to describe a person with one word. You said I was perfect. Remember what I said about you? I said you were Strong....of course then Pete Fuller called me a bastard and I punched him in the face" Lincoln laughed slightly, it wasn't often he did as a lot of the time he was quite seriod. "My point being you're strong, Cat. We're gonna fix this, me and you. Nobody can stop us and I'd like to see them try" The Italian's ears perked up as he heard a soft country-like melody coming from one of the students bedrooms, it was really good. "Come here" Pulling Cataleia to her feet, Lincoln wrapped her arms around his neck and place his hands on her waist. "Dance with me" Slowly he began to lead her her around the room. "You're not alone, gorgous. Remember that" Moving in closer, he reached his hand to the back of her neck and kissed her again.

[Little Fox]

She kept her back to the ginger as he bade her goodnight, but she smiled softly. He was alright. She finished washing the few pots soon enough before starting up the dishwasher. She grabbed some cleaning supplies and began to wipe down the tables and counters. She could hear clearly the song that he was singing, smiling lightly with his voice. She could feel her face grow warm, but she ignored it. When she had finished only a few minutes later, she put everything away and put her gloves back on. She intended on waiting up on her dad. Wandering the halls, she began to wonder just how much of her dad's mutation she had taken on. “Healing. Check.” She spoke to herself, walking through the halls. She opened her mouth and brushed her fingers against her teeth. “Really sharp canines. Check.” She paused a moment and realized just how clearly she had heard Robin's singing. “Superhuman senses. Check.” She was sure that the stamina, longevity, and reflexes were there as well. She didn't think that the bone claws were there. Even still, she felt strong. Much stronger than before. “I don't need anyone to protect me anymore.” She smiled outwardly and strolled back towards the front of the house just in time to be bowled over by her father. ”Beauregard!!” He was irrationally angry at Beau, of course. Lina picked herself up and dusted off before turning to her dad. “Dad – Leave him alone. He didn't do anything.” Her dad had an insane look in his eyes that made her uncomfortable, but she still moved towards him, blocking him from moving forward. “Daddy. I'm fine.” She sighed, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. Logan looked down with tears, simply melting into his daughter and returning the large hug. “When Kitty gave me that call...I was so worried.” He was shaking his head and burying his face in her hair. “I know, daddy. But please don't be mad at Beau. The guy was gonna kill him and I...I just reacted. It's not Beau's fault. Really.” She looked up at him with pleading brown eyes which were met with a teary smile. “Just like yer old man.” Logan brushed a few stray strands of hair from her face before noticing the crushed bullet on a string. He gave a light laugh and kissed her forehead. “Yeah. Just like yer old man.” The Canadian stretched out with a yawn. Orfelina lifted a brow at him. “Kitty woke you up with that call and you sped here, huh?” He didn't need to answer. He was already trudging up the stairs. Lina looked up to see refugees and students peeking out of their doors, whispering. That's The Wolverine. What's he doing here? Is that really his daughter? I heard he has a lot of illegitimate kids. How long is he staying? Is he still one of us? Disregarding it all, Lina went to her own room where she left the door open behind her and set to work on a new poem under the light of her desk lamp. She put in her headphones, listening carefully to the music that Cat had provided for her as her poem turned into lyrics that she began to sing.

Zee rolled her eyes at the cowboy. She could see why Lina had such a big crush on him for such a long time. He was a nice enough guy. Easy on the eyes, too. Tough kinda guy with a hidden past. He was one of the few people here that you either had to go through all kinds of hoops or know all kinds of people to get the scoop on. She took the next beer a bit slower than the last, having uncurled herself from her semi-fetal position. She closed her eyes and rubbed at her nose. “Logan's here and I need a fucking cigar.” She muttered as Logan began shouting for Beau. It wasn't that she didn't like Logan. She loved the man to death and they were really close. But sometimes she wanted to smack him because of how he was so overprotective of Lina. Yeah...that was his daughter and she had been through some shit. But she needed to learn to stand on her own. Shaking her head, she ran her fingers through her hair before sipping on her beer again. She was bleeding from the glass, but it was a slow bleed. They were tiny cuts that she really didn't seem to notice. Sighing, she moved towards one o f the large windows, staring out into the night that was lit bright by the shining moon. She placed her fingertips against the glass of the window, glaring at the sky now. She watched as lightning cracked at her will and thunder rolled just because she wanted it to. “You ever think that...maybe those...humans are right? That we shouldn't have these powers that we have? That we're...monsters? Abominations existing only because of maybe a wish that had been granted that never should have been? That the world...would be better off without freaks...?” The rarest moment of weakness and doubt ever seen as she spoke dark thoughts that had long since been on her mind, ever since childhood. She ground her teeth as her eyes went completely black and the thunder grew louder, the lightning more frequent. She could hear the wind howling outside and the rain beating against the mansion. Like she cared right now. A strange darkness took over her and caused her to press her fingers against the window, her claw-like nails raking down them. Her friends had grown used to her brooding nature, but this was something no-one had ever seen.

Cataleia listened to Lincoln's words, holding onto his hand and cracking just the smallest of smiles. As he pulled her to him, she let him move her body the way that he needed. She could hear the student singing and it brought a smile to her face. That smile was soon interrupted by a kiss. She uttered the softest of moans as her knees got weaker than they already were. She clung to him, ignoring the fact that Logan had burst into the home shouting for Beau; The cowboy could take care of himself. Her relaxation would not be ruined right now. She held the kiss so long that she was struggling to breathe now, having pressed every bit of her body she could manage against him. Pulling him, she made her way to her desk, not once breaking that kiss. Instead, she just hoisted herself onto the desk first. She finally did break the kiss as her legs wrapped around Lincoln's waist. A smile graced her lips as she kissed his face and neck, remembering how many times this had happened in this particular room. It wasn't her office back then, but Professor Munroe's; who still didn't know about the sexcapades that had taken place in her office. Cat had only just managed to remove her shirt and was in the middle of getting Lincoln's off when the lights were flipped, the door slammed open, and a man's voice filled the room. “Well! Well! Well! What have we here? My, my, my! Our darling little Kitty has grown to be quite the fox!” A brunet man was grinning with open arms behind them, arms open. Cat wasn't exactly wearing a bra and grabbed the first thing that her hands could find. “Uncle Tony!” It wasn't quite the cry of a person happy to see a relative that they hadn't seen in a while. She hurled a stapler at his head, causing him to quickly leave the room, calling behind him. “This is how family is treated around here?! Jesus! I guess with beauty came cruelty, eh? You wound me, iPod! You wound me!” Cat rolled her eyes and sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes. “And yet another dry night.” She pulled the tank-top back over herself and side, placing her head in her hands. Shaking her head side-to-side, she mumbled unintelligible words to herself. “Hey! I smell gumbo! See you guys in the kitchen. Remember to use protection. Unless you're trying for kids. Then you should go for it. They would be some really sexy kids. Not that I'm a pedophile. Alright. Kitchen.” She grunted as she heard him walking away. She didn't make any move to go after him, instead just sitting there. She really wanted to deck him in the face right now. Couldn't he just have held off showing up for another two hours? This was not her day. Though she was glad that the new folks were able to go to bed resting easy. She thought that her speech was pretty inspirational. Both of them.

She finally looked up and cocked a half smile. “So – What's the plan, partner?” She looked up and smiled hearing Lina's voice harmonizing in a mash-up with Robin's song. Not bad.

[The Xtreme One]

Beau

Watching her brood wasn't anything new to Beau but this side of Zee he had never seen. He listened to her statement about their abilities and he shook his head. "I'm not going to lie and say I've never thought about it...Did I ever to tell you how I found out about my powers?" Getting to his feet, the biker sighed as he heard Logan calling for him. He was going to try and avoid that situation for as long as possible. "I was fifteen and I wanted to try out for the wrestling team but my Daddy, well he said no. He said that he needed me on the farm after school and that we just couldn't afford to hire anyone...You know me, Zee. I got mad and ended up punching a wall. A big spike a rock just went and burst from my forearm, blood was everywhere. That's how my powers were in the beginning, they caused me harm. It was during that time, I thought maybe they were right but once I learned to control what I could do...I knew that we had these gifts for a reason and this is it. Me, you, Cat, we're here to carry on a legacy. Now don't you go forgetting that sugar plum or I'll have to kick your ass"

Lincoln

"The plan?" Lincoln chuclked and leaned down, kissing Cat softly before pulling away and buttoning his shirt back up. "The plan is you go and spend some time with Tony. You and I can resume our little chat, later" Leaving her with a wink before he left the room, Mister Perfect couldn't help but smile. He and Cataleia had been at it since they were kids. She would tell you it all started at the Christmas party of 03 when they were both only fourteen, ask Licoln and he'll tell you it started earlier. Ask him and he'll say it was the first day he attended the institute during freshman orientation. When Lincoln saw her in the front row as Professor Xavier made his speech, it lit a fire in him and he knew that he had to know her.

Walking out of the institute and into the gardens, he felt a vibration in his pocket. Pulling out his phone, Lincoln frowned as he answered. "Hello....Yeah I heard....Didn't you get my message?...We're going through with the aquisition, Romtex has made a counter offer of just over a three million. You make our offer six, they can't turn down that sort of money...ok I..." Before Lincoln could continue with his business dealings, something hitting his leg distracted him. Looking down, he saw a basketball lying at his feet. A teenage boy called over. "Hey boss, you gonna give us the ball or what?" Cocking an eyebrow, the businessman shook his head. "You all need to be in your rooms, it's late. You have about ten seconds before I set Professor T'Challa on your asses!" Without another word, the boys all ran to their rooms. Even new students knew not to mess with Zee. "Anyway, the details are on my desk just get it done" Hanging up, he placed the phone back into his pocket before bending down and picking up the ball. He hadn't played in years, not since his school days as a matter of fact. It was his only escape from being "Mr Perfect"

7 Years Ago...

A seventeen year old Lincoln dribbles the ball in place before spinning on his heel and avoiding the other player before throwing the ball through the hoop for some well deserved points. "Beat that!" He yelled. He looked over to the young Cataleia who was conversing with Zalika. "Nice shot!" She grinned before he shrugged. "Nice legs" He smiled in retort. Zalika looked to the two of them. "God you two have got to be hooking up. There's no way you are just friends" Before he became a biker, Beau was a farm boy. Sauntering up to the others he tipped his stetson back. "Boy can play ball, I'll give him that. Still a dick though"

The Present...

Lincoln allowed a half smile to creep onto his face before throwing the ball through the basketball hoop and allowing it to bounce back. He missed the game, maybe it was time to get back into it.

[Little Fox]

Zalika listened to Beau's words in silence before turning back to him. She canted her head to the side and pursed her lips. ”I suppose you're right.” She gave a light smirk and laugh. ”My mudder woulda slap me. Hearin' me talk like dat.” Speaking of her mother brought a sadness to her as she remembered that dreadful call, discovering that her mother no longer was powered. Neither was her brother, Chibueze. But at least they were happy and she was left to carry on that family legacy. She was left to find out with the others what happened and how they could make things right. She sighed and moved over to where her t-shirt was and picked it up. ”Its getting late, Beauregard. We gotta lot to do tomorruh.” She ran her fingers through her hair and shook it out down her back, the snowy waves lighting up in the flash of lightning. She moved on and paused by him, placing a hand on his shoulder. What seemed to be a rare, genuine smile spread across her lips to show her sharpened canines. ”You couldn't beat my ass even if you had the balls to try....but...thanks...G'night,” Her hand slid from his shoulder as she left him in the Gym. She slung her t-shirt over her shoulder, deciding to clean up the mess of sand that was still on the floor tomorrow; right now, she had to go to bed. But, she had to take care of the glass embedded in her skin first. She scaled the stairs, passing Tony on the way who gave her thumbs up. ”Zeegirl! Howya doin'?” She dismissed him with a light wave. She went straight to the attic where there was the small tiger-neko girl who was sleeping curled up on Zee's pillow. She smiled softly and moved to the shower that was set up in the attic. As she stripped down, she stepped into the shower and pulled the curtains close. She turned the cold and hot taps simultaneously so that the water would be perfectly warm. She literally purred as the water hit her body and raced down her skin, washing out the shrapnel. No longer littered with pieces of glass, she stepped out and dried off. It didn't take too long for her to put on a fluffy robe and head to bed.

Cat pouted as Lincoln left her sitting alone in the room. She pushed her hair back over her shoulder and sighed, closing her eyes. ”Alright. I can do this.” She really didn't want to deal with Tony right now. She didn't want to talk business. It was needed, yes. But she wanted to wait until tomorrow. Tonight? She wanted to spend her night in Lincoln's arms with no clothes on, getting in that intimacy that they had been lacking for a while. True, they had been broken up for some time. But they had always been an on-again-off-again couple since day one. They both had busy schedules and they enjoyed to play games with each other. She wanted this year to be different – Right now, she needed something serious and established more than anything. Her crazy party-girl days were long gone. Life got serious. She left on those thoughts, humming to herself as she shut off the light behind her and went straight to the kitchen where she found Tony eating gumbo with his fingers straight from the pot.

[The Xtreme One]

Beau

“Goodnight sweetheart” Beau smiled as he watched Zalika leave. It wasn’t often you got a genuine smile off of her like he just did. He never fully understood why, she had a beautiful smile. Picking his case of beer up off the training mat, the cowboy soon followed her out of the gym and back into the school. After forcing a few new students into their rooms, Beau found his way to his own. It was a pretty simple looking place seeing as he had no need for extravagance. There was a bed, a bookshelf, a bathroom and a mini-bar; that was about it. Placing his drinks on the worktop, Beau moved to the full length mirror that stood in the corner of the room and peeled off his shirt to reveal his well-muscled but heavily scarred torso. His arms were littered with knife wounds and scars from the early manifestations of his powers. He held to bullet wounds on his stomach and there were other assorted scars that were there. He couldn’t help but think that what happened to Lina on that night was unnecessary. Sure she healed from it but it broke his heart to think she could just jump in front of a bullet from. “Never again” He promised himself.

Lincoln

Once he had made his way back to his office, Lincoln left the door unlocked in case Cataleia wanted to finish what they had started. He changed into a pair of dark brown shorts but left his shirt off. He took a seat at his desk and looked down at his left hand. Clenching his fist, the sounds of his metallic bones and joints cracking filled the air. Lincoln hadn’t had a decent work out in a while. Of course he was still in perfect condition, they didn’t call him Mr Perfect for no reason but with the re-opening of the school, he had somewhat welched on his training. Taking a sip from the whiskey he had just poured himself, Lincoln opened up his laptop and began to read the file that had been sent to him early. If this was who Beau and Lina had crossed earlier, something needed to be done about it, fast.

Killian

The hunter sat at his desk, scribbling furiously onto a sheet of paper with a pencil; his pale blue eyes which were exasperated by tired rings around them; looked manic as he did so. The man behind him pulled away and laid the tattoo gun down as he finished adding to the root design that already sat there. “I don’t understand you, Killian; every other day you come in here asking me to add a new design to this thing, why don’t you just give me the finished design and we can add it all on at once?” The man now identified as Killian got to his feet and looked to the tattoo artist. He didn’t say anything as he brushed passed the man and climbed the stairs to his rented apartment. Entering into the small, dimply lit residence, Killian walked over to a wall and turned the light on. Adorned on this wall were images and pictures of several known mutants, some with a red x marked on their photograph. Taking the sheet of paper he was drawing earlier from his back pocket, he stuck it onto the centre of the wall. It was a perfect portrait of the girl he had shot earlier. A portrait of Lina…

[Little Fox]

“Ew. Other people have to eat that, you know?” Cataleia rolled her eyes in a mixture of true and mock disgust as she moved to her godfather's side and snatched the pot away from him. She instead fixed a bowl for him and put the leftovers in a Ziploc container that went into the fridge shortly after. As the gumbo was warming in the microwave, she took a seat on one of the two barstools that materialized from blue light. “Thank you for coming here, Uncle Tony.” She sighed, exhausted. The microwave dinged and opened of its own accord, the soft glittering around it suggesting that it was of Cataleia's doing. The bowl moved in front of Anthony Stark as Cataleia put her elbows on the counter and her face into her hands. “Mm. Thanks. Now – What happened? I need details. I don't know what's goin' on at all so I'll need you to start at the beginning.” Cataleia nodded, watching with a lifted brow. “Wanda went batshit crazy because of shit her dad did. She altered reality and made it so that everyone was mutant and then when it didn't work like she expected it to, she made it back to normal and nobody remembered except for Logan and Lina.” She took a breath as Tony stared at her like she had the word's largest zit on her forehead. “Then she tried to take away every mutant's powers but she was killed mid-way and only half-accomplished her goal. Now all this shit is going on. There is recorded to be a little over two hundred left. Recorded. We have – had – eighty-five of them here. Markus made off with about fifteen of them. Two of them were teachers; Nolan and Alex. Anyways. We sent Lina out on her usual supply trip since when people look at her, they see another one of your lab assistants.” She referred to the numerous times Lina had appeared alongside Tony when he would present a new invention or an improvement on an old one. “Beau went with her. Someone recognized them as mutants and opened fire. She was shot in the chest. They came back here. She recovered.” She sighed and looked at him again. Tony chewed his food slowly and thoughtfully before speaking. “Alright. So here's the deal. You guys still have Holy Rollers climbing over your walls and then some more trying to join them. I'm going to stay here for a while and up your security. I'm calling in Bruce to help and Pepper's in a...delicate state once more so I'm going to have her here. Once people find out that I'm pro-metahuman, I'm gonna catch a lot of flak. What's your numbers now?” Cataleia nodded thoughtfully, giving a light smile at the news that Tony was going to have a third child. “We had eighty-five mutants...Seventy-nine previous mutants with nowhere to go. Minus eighteen. One forty six.” She looked over at him as he stroked his goatee that was riddled with gray hairs. “Alright. I'll have everyone in by seven in the morning. Okay, maybe eight or nine. But we'll start work tomorrow. But you should go to bed now. Or finish up making the baby. Its about time.” He laughed loudly and dodged a punch from her, slipping off of his stool. “I'm turning in right about now – Gotta rest up before I gotta beat the shit outta Logan tomorrow. Glad Lina's okay.” He was quick to dismiss the conversation, pecking her cheek before taking off to his designated room. Cataleia huffed softly and put the bowl and spoon in the sink. She was glad that Uncle Tony and Bruce were going to help out – Risking their social standings for them. It was one of the kindest things that anyone had ever done. Sighing, she ran her fingers through her hair before heading up to her room. Her clothes fell to the floor before she tossed them into the hamper and she pilfered her closet for something to wear. She came up with one of Lincoln's button-down shirts. It was a blue one that was way too big for her. She wore it with a pair of neon green tube socks.

On her way out of her room, she paused in front of her mirror and gave a faint smile. Every inch of her from head to toe was glowing with a soft blue light. Her hair, her eyes, her teeth, even her nails were all glowing. She could feel her body vibrate softly with music. She loved being what – who she was. No bible thumping jackass was going to make her feel bad. Not ever. Her mother and her brother had died protecting these people and had gotten no appreciation from them. Her blue turned red for only a few seconds before returning to normal. “Oh well – We still must try.” She whispered to herself as she left. She paused by Lina's room to see her passed out with a pen in her hand and earphones in her ears. She smiled and closed the door before padding down to Lincoln's office where she knew he would be. She turned the handle slowly and slipped in, her light dimming as she closed and locked the door behind her. “You know something.” It was more of a statement than it was a question. She felt a tension in the air that was unnerving. Sighing, she moved past him and sat on the desk near his laptop, not bothering to glance at the screen. Her bright blue eyes were fixed on him as she waited for his answer. Would he push the subject aside for the next day and choose to relax, or would there be more talk of business before the night was over?

[The Xtreme One]

Lincoln was typing up a few notes when he heard his door open and there was only one person he knew who had the gall enough to enter his office/bedroom unannounced. The click of the door locking behind Cat was enough to allow a half smile to creep across the thoroughbreds handsome face. “I know a lot of things, Legs…” Lincoln closed the laptop as she perched her perfect frame on his desk. “…however the particular something that you’re thinking about can wait until the morning. There’s been enough business talk today” Although what he had found was extremely important, Lincoln was smart enough to know that Cataleia had been through enough today. What he had could wait until tomorrow.
“You know that shirt looks so much better on you than it does on me? There’s something wrong with that” He let out a soft chuckle before getting out of his seat and stepping slightly to the side so he was level with Cat. Lincoln allowed his hands to caress her long, mocha coloured legs as he split them apart and stepped between them, allowing them to wrap around his torso. “Tell me, Legs. Are you about done, sneaking around? I mean it’s practically common knowledge that we’re together. Why don’t we make it official? Why don’t we tell the world…” He took her hand and placed it across his chest. “…Why don’t we tell the world that there’s only room for you inside my cold, metal heart?” Pressing his head to hers, he could feel his heartbeat quicken.“I want you, so bad, Cataleia. Tell me you want this too. It’s yours, always has been and always will be”