A New Day

[Kafi]

It was a normal spring day at the mansion. A cool breeze ran through the grounds and people were out enjoying the nice weather. It was an enjoyable change of pace to not have to worry for once about fighting or dealing with mutant haters.

A certain blue fuzzy somebody was lazily napping on top of the room, soaking in the sun and the heat from the tiles like a cat. Every now and then a quiet snore would escape from his mouth and the tip of his tail would twitch from the dream he was having. His white shirt was unbuttoned and the breeze made the collar flutter ever so slightly. It was such a peaceful scene, and sadly it was fate that it wouldn't last very long.

Unknown to Kurt a game of ball had gone slightly out of bounds and a basket ball was hurtling towards him from above. With a dull thud it struck him in the stomach and sent him scrambling and gasping for air, almost falling from the roof with a yelp.

[Merlyn22]

Long blonde hair whipped through the small breeze. Clear blue eyes gazed around a smirk played across a face. My rant volley ball. One of her favorites, she had been on the school volley ball team before she had come to the institute. But back then her powers had emerged. She laughed as she spiked it over the net into the ground. No powers necessary. She was just about to return the volley when saw one of the psychics powers go out of whack and fly through the air.

They all looked at each other and scrambled. Artemis darted away.

(Artemiss powers: Powers: Enhanced strength, speed, endurance, agility, and senses; has rehealing instantly ; skilled at marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat, acrobatics, and misdirection.

[Kafi]

After getting over the shock of being attacked while asleep Kurt picked up the stray volleyball and looked down at the fleeing students. With a small smirk he tensed and prepared his counter attack. The next moment he poofed away in a cloud of blue smoke.

The new student Artemis was know to have a strong arm in volley ball. Since she was the most likely looking culprit he went after her first. The next moment he appeared out of nowhere above her and tackled her to the ground before twisting and rolling away. Standing he grinned down at her, "I vasn't avare zat ve vere playing dodgeball, Artemis." He lightly tossed the ball up and down in his hand as he chuckled.

[Merlyn22]

Artemis sped off having a slight advantage to the other kids. She watched as the older mutant disappeared. Well that was good. Looking out for Kurt she forgot to look up and was hit down to the soft green grass in the institute. She let out an oomf as she fell. She turned ready to defend herself but instead saw Kurt.

"Oh come on Kurt, that wasn't even me! It was Amara!" Artemis said propping herself up onto her elbows. She looked up at the fury blue mutant. Then she heard a deep rumbling. Not that of a monster but of a motor bike. She was glad of her advanced hearing. "I didn't know Scott rode a motor cycle," Artemis said standing up pushing Kurt a little. Not in a mean way but more of a flirtatious way. She looked toward the driveway.

[Kafi]

"Riiiiigggghhhtttt...." he drawled back. He took the shove, barely bending back at all from it. He tossed the ball back towards the volleyball court and shrugged, "Vell...he has von. But he doesn't really use it all zat much. Logan usually takes it." Now that he was awake he started stretching out, not having taken time to do that the moment he woke up.

As the rider dismounted and removed his helmet Kurt laughed, "And it looks like he took it again. Logan!" Walking forwards to meet his friend he couldn't help but grin. Once things had settled down again Logan had taken off, secure in the knowledge that he was free to roam for a little and take some personal time. When he got there the older man took his hand and smiled, "Good to see you Elf. How're things going here?"

"Eh, you know. Quiet. At least until somevon wakes you up from a nap with a volleyball to za gut."

[Merlyn22]

"It's true," Artemis turned to see amara sitting there watching and laughing. Artemis blew the bangs out of her face. The sun beat down as a glare penetrated Artemis eyes. She shielded her eyes and looked around. A huge man dismounted from the bike. Artemis kept her composure. So this was the famous wolverine. They weren't lying when they said he was huge.

As Kurt rushed to great his old friend Artemis raised an eyes brow. Those two were obviously very close. Though very different. From what she had heard about Logan he was hot headed, rude, and extremely dangerous. That was something that Kurt and Logan shared. Nightcrawler was dangerous when he wanted to be. He was scary as when he got mad too. So maybe they weren't so different. As she heard Kurt's last statement she pouted a little.

"It was an accident and I didn't hit you it was amara," Artemis said crossing her arms and placing a playful smirk.

[Kafi]

The Wolverine pocketed the keys and looked over at Artemis. For a second it almost looked like he smiled, but you couldn't really be sure with him. "Huh, guess that means you're getting lazy with the danger room sessions if something like that can take you by surprise."

"Ha!" the blue mutant folded his arms, "I can still hold my own against you anytime Logan! Are you sure all your sightseeing has made you lose you edge as vell?" Kurt couldn't help the grin on his face. It was good to have his friend back at the mansion. When he wasn't around he didn't have a decent sparring partner or drinking partner. Logan was really one of the few that could keep up with him, or beat him, there.

Logan rubbed his scruffy jaw and nodded, "Alright then, feel like a match? I'll meet you down in the danger room after I go see Chuck. You too kid, we need someone to keep score." He turned then and headed back towards the mansion to do his greetings.

Kurt grinned and clapped Artemis on the shoulder, "Wunderbar! Come on!" As he started walking towards the school, teleporting would be too quick when he knew Logan would be with Charles for a while, he smiled down at her, "I know you didn't hit that ball...I just didn't feel like getting my fur burned off by Amara."

[Merlyn22]

ARtemis raised an eyebrow as she saw a twitch of his mouth. She shrugged it off. According to all the other mutants, Logan only smiled at people he trusted. He didn't know her he couldn't trust her. She shrugged it off. She watched the two banter for a little until a small smile broke her face. She hadn't seen Kurt like this before.

Kurt had been at the Xiaver Institute a year before her. He was one of the x-men. He was trusted by all and so nice. She put her hands on her hips and watched the two behind kurt. There was something about Logan. Almost like a dark secret hidden about him. Then there was Kurt who had no secrets. She turned her head surprised that she was going to be one of the first younger mutants to see wolverine and Kurt fight. She nodded and as Wolverine walked by she felt her eyes change color. They did that for a reason, and she didn't know why.

She shook her head as she got clapped on the shoulder by Kurt. She hurried to catch up with him. "Oh so you're saying I couldn't go up against you?" Artemis said teasing him. She knew her powers weren't all that amazing. She had enhanced human ability, but she also knew if you had to much power you were dangerous. Jean gray had taught them all that lesson. "Oh but being plucked by me wouldn't hurt as much?" She said a smirk on her lips.

Rogue walked out of the bathroom. Her white streak in the middle of her face. She blew it out of the way and was walked down stairs. Humming a song to herself she headed toward the kitchen for lunch. She grabbed a banana and sat down at the table to read a book. She wasn't anti-social per-say just didn't like company of a certain younger mutants. As she ate her banana her mind slipped back to when it had just been the original team. Logan, Kurt, Kitty, Bobby, Scott, Jean all of them. She missed those days. And she missed Logan.

[Kafi]

"Vell...." he tapped his chin, "I vouldn't say zat you couldn't." He smiled down at her. He just wouldn't be able to go against her with everything he has, and he knew she'd know he was going easy on her. He laughed at her comment and messed up her hair, "Let me put it zis way. I'd rather get a few hairs plucked by you than get a bald patch burn in my her." As they walked along he was happy and the whole mansion could see it. Things really had been quiet around the mansion without Logan around.

Logan had planned to stop by and see Chuck first, but as he was passing the kitchen he saw a familiar streak of white hair and stopped. He felt a bit unsettled about facing her. She hadn't exactly taken kindly to his wandering ways in the past. Rubbing the back of his neck with his hand he sighed quietly and figured that it was better to get it over with now rather than later. He was just glad that she seemed to be alone at the moment. Stepping through the door he paused and said quietly, "Hey Rouge. Good book?"

[Merlyn22]

"Oh shut it," Artemis said sending a quick jab to his ribs. He was way more powerful then him even with her equiped with her bow and arrows.As he messed up her hair she let out a little gasp. "That took me two hours, Kurt," Even though she was a mutant she was still young. She smiled as they walked along she looked up at kurt. He certainly was one of a kind. From his Blue hair to his tail. She smiled and saw how happy Kurt was. He truly had missed his friend. It was almost like family. A family that if it mattered she was the runt.

Rogue finished her banana shot it toward the garbage can and it sunk in. She smiled, and went back to reading her book. She heard heavy footsteps that probably belonged to hank. She shrugged it off until they stopped. she pretended to keep reading, and wasn't expecting when's Logan's voice came drifting toward her. She furrowed her eye brows. She would not get angry, but gosh that was hard. "It is." Rogue said saying only that and nothing that. He was not going to come waltzing back after a year of being gone.