[IC] X-men Noir: Let The Good Times Roll

[Blackthorn]

"You... I'm buying lunch." Logan's words almost didn't register as Atticus chased the blue creature around the room, trying to retrieve his glasses to no avail. He got close a few more times, but the thing always managed to teleport away and reappear in a random place. He had just about given up when a flash of light caught his peripheral vision.

Atticus hit the deck as a beam of light shot out from Alison's fingers, but she had been aiming for the blue thing that had taken his glasses. Or trying to aim for it. She took out a light bulb instead, which darkened the room considerably. Not that it bothered him much. Atticus had been living in darkness for the better part of the past decade, and his mutation improved his sense of perception well beyond the normal human range. He could still make out Alison clearly, outlined by twinkling lights that she seemed to be generating. Logan walked up behind her, placed a hand on her shoulder, and said something in a low voice in her ear. Even with his enhanced hearing, Atticus had a hard time making it out, but the coy smile on Alison's face told him all he needed to know. He frowned inwardly, masking it outwardly as irritability at the bamf stealing his glasses. Not that he actually needed them. Damn Logan. He had swooped in before Atticus had even had a chance to say anything remotely encouraging to the girl, who was clearly insecure and upset about her inaccuracy with her powers.

Atticus moved back towards her, ready to say something, but before he could speak the two newcomers followed Yukiko downstairs. The young man directly behind Yukiko seemed to slip on the stairs, but he had is eyes clenched shut, and after he opened them, Atticus swore he caught a momentary glimpse of a red glow. The newcomer explained that his eyes did that when he didn't rest them after five hours. Whatever that meant. He wasn't about to ask him to test it, since he got the distinct feeling it wouldn't end well for anyone. Instead, he moved closer to Alison.

"Your powers may be difficult to aim, but at least they're not as dangerous as his seem to be." He said softly to her, speaking objectively, with no derision or sarcasm directed at the newcomer but keeping the words between the two of them nonetheless. "If you like, I can help teach you how to be more accurate." Louder, enough for at least Logan to hear, he said, "And for the record, I think those dazzling lights of yours are pretty great." Worried that he might be coming on too strong, Atticus stopped himself. Sure, he wanted to impress her, but he also didn't want to confuse her or scare her off. Having never really known a normal life, he wasn't sure how to handle himself in situations like this, but he wasn't about to let that stop him from trying to win her over. Still, he decided to let her answer his offer before he continued talking. Besides, he couldn't say much more without seeming like he was trying to one up the older mutant anyway, and the last thing he wanted was for her to feel like a prize in a competition. She was free to make whatever decisions she wanted. But he couldn't help feeling like she was going to slip away if he didn't make some sort of move.

[YoshiSkittlez]

Logan then felt the warmth radiating off of Alison as she came to stand by him, now in the light so that the demonstrations may continue. He didn't need to look at her to know it was her...he had her scent. Her remark make him smirk, a low, single chuckle emitting from his throat though he kept his eyes forward, only the profile of his face to her and his bare arms still crossed over his chest. When he finally turned to look at her, he noticed her own hands wrapped around her arms, trying to keep warm. He glanced back over to the dark part of the room where he had left his leather jacket only moments before. Was it cold in here? He hadn't noticed, not really.

Logan didn't so much mind the temperature in the lower bunker as some of the others might have. In fact, standing there in his thin white wife-beater in the cool air started to make him think of his home in Canada. The summers were cool and the winters a complete white-out. Hell when he was just sixteen and on the run with Rose they had lived in an old abandoned barn with half of one wall blown out in the middle of winter with nothing to keep them warm but some old, dried up hay. A sharp exhale came out Logan's nose, enough that just the faintest of his breath could be seen in the chilly air. He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking back on Canada...on Rose...no. No he couldn't think about that, not right now.

"Logan san! Kimberly was right, two persons up there." Yukiko said coming back down the stairs with the two strangers close behind her. The eagerness and sheer awe of the spectacle was shining bright on Yukiko's face, and she smiled over at the girl in the red dress, obviously highly impressed by her ability and bowed slightly to her, showing her a deep amount of respect with the simple movement. In fact...Yukiko was impressed by everyone's abilities that she had seen, she couldn't imagine being in a more interesting place. Though, she did hope that Logan would want to skip over her own little demonstration, as she had only done...whatever the hell that was on the train...once before and she didn't know if she would be able to do it again...especially on the spot. She felt out of place as it was, and producing a failure wasn't exactly what Yukiko wanted everyone in the room to remember.

Logan snapped out of his memories at Yukiko's voice. More mutants?

"Jesus Erik, did Charles think we were going to adopt them all and raise them on a farm?" Logan asked, noting though that the Kimberly girl had been right. Still, he was a bit annoyed about the headache. Then, suddenly catching a familiar scent, Logan broke out into a grin.

"I knew you couldn't stay buried in the snow for too much longer." Logan said as he spotted Scott walking towards the group. But before Scott could even answer, something was wrong...something dangerous...Logan could feel it. Logan then leapt into a swift run towards Scott. If he lost control now...that could mean lives, and he was willing to be the object that got in the way of saving those lives. But just as soon as Logan had nearly made it to Scott, he seemed to have himself back under control, the worried look on Logan's face melting away as he slowed to a slight jog, and Scott was back to talking. Logan had to take a moment, maybe bringing Scott down here wasn't the best idea. Well, not that it was really his idea to begin with, had he known...

"No. We're playing 'get to know you." Logan said, now keeping a close eye on Scott. He had seen what Scott could do, and he knew just how uncontrollable he was. Needless to say, he was now on edge. "We just have a few more to do. And no offense Scott, I think you had better pass on this one."

Now walking with Scott and the...new girl who he had completely failed to recognize due to the circumstances, he picked up his brown leather jacket he had tossed earlier and carried it with him back to the group, tossing it to Alison for her to catch.

"Alright who else wants lunch?"

[jagajac]

Alison’s smile remained steady as the sound of Logan’s solitary chuckle tickled her eardrums. Despite her father’s and grandmother’s best efforts, Alison had picked up quite a colorful pallet over the past few months singing in New York’s less popular night clubs. Needless to say, the small blonde knew how to handle her actions and words well. It was her mutant abilities that still needed some rigorous work. Ali’s eyes widened in surprise at the sound of Yukiko’s sweet voice. This was the most she had heard from the Asian girl since stepping foot into Xavier’s run-down “Institute”. A look of jubilant admiration shone across Yukiko’s face, and Alison couldn’t help but press her lips together in a laughing smile at the sight of the other girl. Kimberly’s skills were impressive, indeed.

Even in the dim lighting, Alison’s eyes adjusted fairly well. She could make out two bodies just behind Wolverine’s little lap-dog. The first to tromp down the stairs was another rugged looking male. One thing was certain, you wouldn’t hear Alison complaining about a lack of male suitors in this new place. She narrowed her eyes in curiosity, a faint sparkle still dissipating slowly around her. The words which Logan spoke indicated that he was already familiar with the newcomer, and Ali wondered how such differing individuals could possibly have connected. Just then, the man on the stairs doubled over with pain. Ali could see his bright, white knuckles grasping tightly to the railing. Wolverine rushed from her side without a moment’s hesitation and made himself a sort of barrier between the others in the room. Ali leaned sideways to see around the brawny man and began to voice her protests. In that moment, the boy relaxed his hand and gradually stood back to full attention. The red glow behind his eyelids was unmistakable to those close enough to see. Ali blinked hard and leaned backwards just as she felt Atticus take his place beside her as before.

His words were gentle and light-hearted as he commented on the differing levels of intensity in the bunker. Alison was immediately reminded of the tragic moment in which her powers had initially manifested. She turned her face slowly to Atticus, frowning for the first time, and spoke in a darkened tone.

“Tell that to the 63 newly blinded patients of St. Benedict’s visual impairment ward.”

Her sparkling blue eyes seemed to cloud over with a sort of remorse and seriousness. She sighed deeply, shaking off the memory, and scoffed quietly to no one in particular. She looked back up to Atticus with an apologetic expression and shook her head from side to side. Alison had falsely faulted the boy for his innocent words, but her smile returned with his next ones. His earlier acrobatic display had greatly interested Alison. She was also athletic and nimble to a degree and felt that strengthening that skill would only enhance the ferocity of her powers.

“You a sharp-shooter too, cowboy? I want you to show me how to tumble before you show me how to rumble.”

She balled up her fist and punched him softly in the chest. On impact, she could feel an unusual quality to his physical structure and smirked at the discovery. As Logan explained the situation to the newcomers, Ali turned back to face them. She caught a hint of aggravation in Logan’s tone, realizing he wasn’t entirely thrilled at the thought of being a babysitter for the new mutants. Luckily, Alison felt she had made an impression on the older mutant. Her pulse quickened at the thoughts of staying in his favor. She began to walk forward towards Scott and the other girl she could now make out behind him. Alison hardly flinched as her arm reached out and caught Wolverine’s leather jacket firmly in her right hand. She turned to look back at him, glancing at Atticus as well, and winked. She slung the heavier jacket over her shoulder as she extended her hand to Scott casually.

“Alison Blaire. Nice to meet you, both.”

She nodded curtly to the woman behind him and leaned back on her heels. Her stomach growled and gurgled quietly, and she placed her free hand on it. The mention of food appealing to her now more than ever.

“I am certainly not opposed to continue this conversation in the company of some food.”

[shamrocknroll]

"Is Wolverine coming with us?" Kimberly asked. "If so I will take my lunch date immediately." Her pride still getting the best of her in the flexing of her power. Despite her boastful nature and willingness to flex her power again, she knew it would be in poor form and despite her social standing, dangerous for her life. She looked around and saw most everybody was talking to people instead of her. It made her sad that her show of strength put people off of her.

She wondered if she would be splurge due to the fact Wolverine was treating her or being rational and only eating as much as she could. She knew she wouldn't flaunt the fact that for now that she was Wolverine's teacher's pet for the moment. She grabbed her coat and decided to wait for everyone else to do the same. "When will we be going?"

[Mogtaki]

With a slight nod, Charles led the small boy out of the smaller bunker and back up the stairs. Leaning heavily on his cane, he then motioned for Snark to take a seat at one of the booths the bar had. Waiting for Snark to sit first, Charles then slid in and sat across from him, leaning his cane up against the side of the booth.

"I know your frightened Snark, everyone down there is. Some keep it hidden more than others, but I assure you..." He tapped the side of his head with his forefinger and gave Snark a soft smile. "...they are just as scared as you are." He kept his eyes on the boy, watching every reaction given to him, if they were ever going to figure this out, Snark needed to have a calm mind.

"Tell me about yourself Snark. Your background, your experiences; what are you good at? What sort of things do you enjoy doing?"

Snark was a little nervous about all of this, the guy definitely had some sort of high authority about him that made Snark feel lowly and weak. All of this made him extremely confused, it wasn’t at all like what he had imagined the situation would turn out to be and all he could do now was run with it and see if he was actually freak of nature like everyone else here. With an almost cautious walk, he followed Charles up the stairs and slowly sat down when prompted, feeling a little bit nervous about what he was planning on doing with him.

Letting out a gasp when he spoke up, he shifted his hands together and gave them a fairly thorough rub, frowning a little before letting out an annoyed sigh, “I’m…not that scared…” He was pretty terrified, his life had taken a pretty odd turn and as usual, change scared him. Letting out another sigh in an attempt to calm down, he looked back up at Charles with a frown, feeling a little suspicious over what he was planning with this talk, “What? I’m an orphan and a good for nothing; I don’t have anything I’m good at, just how I was able to survive, I guess”, he spoke, mumbling his words a little, “I don’t have any enjoyments…unless eating is an enjoyment, but what street rat wouldn’t find enjoyment in eating?”

Charles was quiet for quite some time, though his eyes never moved from the boy. He wasn't out to look intimidating, and he wasn't out to impress; genuine care for the boy was the only thing on Charles' mind, and he was determined to help.

"Snark, do you have any idea as to what my ability is?" Charles asked him finally, clasping his hands together and rested them on the table gently, and his eyes set in a way that made his face look a bit more serious. "I know that you are substantially stronger than you look, and sometimes your own strength frightens you. I also know that you have sported your fair share of injuries, but some of those injuries healed a lot faster than they should have am I correct?" Charles paused for a moment, to let his words sink in, but then continued on again. "I know you have a lot of inner rage towards how unfair life has been to you, and I do not blame you for that."

Snark looked up at Charles again as he spoke, his eyes studying him to the best of his ability as he slowly lowered his hands down. He couldn’t guess what this guy could do, he didn’t even know what kind of abilities there were apart from claws popping out, being a blue guy with little blue guys or being able to move coins around. Frowning a little at this thought, his eyes soon lightened up a bit when he talked about him but soon turned to confusion as Snark slowly looked down at himself instead. He had been able to survive a good few fights before, but he thought it was because he was small and had more compact strength in him, he didn’t know a thing about how long it took for wounds to heal but he knew they didn’t scar like others had. It made him a little scared upon realising that, his eyes looking back up to Charles, only to glare at him when he spoke again, “It’s NOT like I-…I-I’m sorry…” he raised his voice at first but quickly lowered it again, his hand scratching through his dirty hair furiously, “But…what does that all mean? Is that it…? I mean, I guess I can be short tempered, but breaking a guy’s arm when he tried to punch me, I thought that was just a coincidence, a one-time thing…”

"I am telepathic, Snark." Charles said, seemingly unaffected by the boy's sudden outburst of anger. "I can read your thoughts, but not just yours...anyone's. Their thoughts come into my head like my own. I can feel their emotions, and I go through their pain as if they were my own. I also have the ability to press myself into your mind, and if you would like, I could find out just exactly what this X-gene has done to you if anything at all. But I know that you are one of us; a mutant. Your mutation is just scratching at the surface, wanting to break out, wanting to show us all just how special you really are. But I'm afraid that your own fear is keeping you from discovering this ability yourself." Charles paused, twiddling his thumbs together on the table in front of Snark a little bit, again letting the impact of his words sink in. "I don't want your answer right now. Right now I'm more concerned about your own welfare. There is a hotel just down the street. It can be your new home if you will allow it to be. You will have your own room, access to their room service for food...and a nice hot shower..." Charles sat up a little, pushing his hand into one of his pockets and then pulled out a key, one of many he had on his person and then handed it to Snark. "It's all paid for, but if you wish to decline my hospitality I understand. If you don't want to be any part of this, I can make arrangements for you to go back to California if you would like. But as I said, I don't want your answer now." Charles then pushed himself out of the booth and stood up, grabbing his cane to help steady himself. "Go, join the other mutants down in the bunker if you would like, Logan is just about finished with them down there, or you may go to your hotel room and get cleaned up. It is your choice, but I expect that you will be joining us back here for an early dinner?"

All this talk scared Snark, but it was a fear that was putting his entire future at risk if such a thing could be called a ‘future’. If he truly was like them and his chance coincidences have anything to do with it, then there was a chance he could finally fit in with a group of people like him. It made him kind of excited as well, he’d finally have a possibility of companionship; then again, the very thought still scared him terribly. Rubbing his chest slowly as his heart rate accelerated, all he could do was nod away to what Charles was saying as it was slowly drilled into his head, “Telepathic…such a big word…” he muttered, fearing his privacy a little. If Charles didn’t know the full extent of his abilities, then maybe it was worth trying to understand them a little bit more.

The moment Charles mentioned food, his eyes shot up again to meet his in a sudden peak of interest in this hotel. That sounded like a lot of stuff for just being a mutant, it was definitely highly desirable and made him immediately feel better about walking into the place like that; however, there was still something in the back of his mind that was bugging him greatly. Staring down at the key, he slowly reached forward for it, gently taking it off him and slowly sliding it into his pocket. He could never decline a free home, free food and bathing possibilities, it was always annoying trying to sneak into people’s back gardens to see if they had a pond or something because he didn’t trust the water from the river, “California is rough for people like me…and I’m not talking being homeless…” he muttered, letting out a sigh as he gave one last glance down at himself before he slowly stood up too. So much to decide upon, so much to think about and yet he didn’t even know how he was supposed to demonstrate any of it when it all came down to it. Looking back to Charles, he opened his mouth to speak but almost hesitated when dinner was mentioned, his hungry stomach almost preventing him from speaking for himself, “…Uhh, it’s not that I’m scared…or anything”, he spoke, looking away for a moment, “But I’d rather find out just what I am rather than it killing my mind later, you know? I’d rather not be tortured by what’s happening to me because I’m too cowardly to find out myself…so, maybe a little assistance…?”

Charles nodded, leaning heavily on his cane still. "As I said, I don't want your answer right now. I want you to take the night to think it over. I make a habit of staying out of other people's minds when I can help it." He said, a slight smile flickering across his lips. "But if your answer is still the same when we meet back up tomorrow morning, I will take a look into your mind and figure something out." He agreed.

Snark was disappointed to say the least, he was really wanting it out of Charles and yet he was holding out on him. He wanted to know now so that he didn't freak out later, he didn't even need to think about it overnight when he'd just end up staying awake wondering just what was going on with him. Frowning, he looked towards the exit with an annoyed little stare before sighing, "Fine...I guess. Geez, it's not like I can possibly sleep after all this..." he muttered, wandering off to see if he could see where the others have gone. It really did ache in his mind, especially when it could solve all the problems this whole business had created. He was ready to understand everything, but then again if he ended up understanding way too much then he probably wouldn't be able to sleep in the end.

[Schradinger]

"Strangely enough, Logan, I was thinking the exact same thing on the way down here. Not exactly the place you want to be in a cave-in." Then he turned to the girl as she introduced herself and reached out and took her hand. "Scott Summers. Good to meet you too." He highlighted the phrase with what he hoped was a warm smile, though to be honest he never really could get the hang of these friendly social interactions. Even before the war, most of his social experience came from learning to hunt and fish and fly with his dad, rather than hanging out with what few kids there were his age in his home town. After the war, he just couldn't see the point in it all anymore. He couldn't spend any time around other people without putting them in danger, and that made all the little social mannerisms kind of pointless. His mother had insisted he learn and observe them anyway though, so he'd picked up enough to not come across as any more than a little strange or creepy. Or at least he hoped he didn't come across as very strange or creepy.

Regardless, he released the girl's hand and turned his attention back to Logan. "Since we seem to have missed the big show, how about a quick run-down on what everyone can do?" He glanced at the rest of the gathered people and realized they might not be entirely inclined to divulge such a personal secret to a complete stranger. Then again, they had done it for Logan and Erik. "If it makes any of you feel better, I can go first. I shoot death rays out of my eyes." Yeah. Death rays. It sounded like something out of a Jules Verne or Edgar Rice Burroughs novel, but no, it was absolutely real and absolutely true.

[YoshiSkittlez]

“It’s true.” Logan agreed to Scott’s statement about his own abilities, now addressing the others. “Thank God I found Scott when I did because his death rays are the only thing that I can shave with. Kinda tickles though.” Logan said looking back to Scott with a somewhat amused smirk on his face before turning back to the others, pointing out Kimberly to Scott first.

“Cover your ears for that one, Kimberly has built in sonar.” Logan went on, now gesturing towards Sam who’s name completely escaped his mind.

“Chuckles there lights up like a Christmas tree and takes off quick, clearing this entire room in just a few seconds.

Talon…” Logan paused as his attention was now on Atticus. He was talking with Alison about something and his keen hearing was able to pick up on the last of Alison’s words back to him.

…show me how to tumble before you show me how to rumble.

Logan’s expression darkened a bit, the nature of her reply sounded like…no…no he couldn’t be thinking like that, not right now. He shook his head trying to clear his thoughts and continued on talking with Scott.

“…he’s got claws like me. The girl standing next to him is Alison; she likes to break light bulbs.”

He was done introducing; his heart just wasn’t in it anymore. Something in his gut just wasn’t settling right, the fine hairs on the back of his neck standing up on end as his eyes stayed on both Talon and Alison.

“Anyway, were done down here anyway. Plenty of time for the others to show off later.” Logan remarked and stalked back upstairs to the main bar room. He met Charles half-way up the stairs and quickly explained that they were done there for now.

“Excellent. I do hope all of you can stay for an early dinner, my treat of course. Now…where is Mort with those supplies?” Charles turned around on the stair case with Snark and headed back up to the bar room with Logan quickly following behind. An early dinner? Great. He was hoping to skip out of here early with Yukiko, the two had so much to talk about but in light of the present company he couldn’t even so much as ask her a few questions.

Logan stalked over to the bar, going behind the counter and pulled down a dusty glass. Blowing on it a few times, he put the glass under the tap and poured himself a beer. It was nearly 3:00 pm, the hours of the morning had completely flown by. Taking a large gulp of his beer, Logan started to head towards one of the booths, his attention towards Charles.

“Fine, but everyone underage has got to be out by six.” Logan commented, sliding into the booth in the corner and continued to drink his beer.

[Blackthorn]

Taken aback by Alison's response regarding blinding 63 people in a hospital ward, Atticus's next words caught in his throat as the tone abruptly became solemn. His spirits sank as she scoffed and shook her head, but he couldn't blame her. The first time his powers had manifested hadn't exactly ended well for those involved either. But before he could make an empathetic response, she composed herself and smiled again. "Let's just say these eyes let me do things with a slingshot you wouldn't believe." At her next comment, he raised an eyebrow and grinned. "I'll show you how to tumble... If you think you can keep up."

Alison punched him playfully in the chest, which he felt more than a normally built person would due to his hollow bones. While his bones were more likely to break than someone with a standard bone structure, his eyesight and acrobatic skill combined with the usefulness of his claws were usually enough to keep him out of any real danger of encountering that problem in the first place. As she turned to greet the newcomers, Atticus turned also, nodding to the young man who had introduced himself as Scott. Apparently he could "shoot death rays from his eyes". "Name's Atticus," he said. Since anyone else had given out their real names, there didn't seem to be much point in keeping his concealed. It wasn't like any of these people were mob informants who would rat to his sometime employers.

Logan proceeded to speak for everyone to answer Scott's inquiry regarding everyone's mutations, and when he called him "Talon," Atticus winced, wishing he hadn't been as reserved about giving out his real name. Now his "alias" might be called into question. He was hoping to avoid mentioning his past, since he doubted the others would trust him very easily if they knew that he had done work for criminals, and he didn't want anyone's pity or sympathy if they knew he had grown up homeless and had only turned to those sources of employment out of desperation. When Logan said Atticus had claws like him, he smirked faintly to himself, realizing the deeper meaning behind the statement. There was an unspoken connection between the two, a sort of understanding. Maybe they'd talk about it someday, but they both knew the other had been through some rough shit.

When Logan addressed Alison and said she likes to break light bulbs, Atticus grinned in spite of himself and shot a teasing glance at her, at once playfully mocking and sympathetic. Logan was oversimplifying them, but for now it got the job done. After that, Logan scowled and stalked upstairs like a wolf who had just lost a mating challenge, apparently done with introductions. Atticus smiled inwardly, taking a mental tally. Talon one, Wolverine zero. Then, Charles came downstairs and offered everyone an early dinner. Atticus, realizing he had not eaten since breakfast, agreed with Alison that food sounded really good right now. He made for the stairs, stepping past Scott warily. As much as Wolverine had tried to put the others at ease about his death ray eyes, Atticus didn't relish the idea of being in the way if Scott lost control.

[Enarr]

A Junkyard, New York City
10:30 AM

Kevin Ford bit his lip as he worked on repairing a Model-T from below. When his frantic efforts only seemed to cause things to get worse his foremost teeth tightened like a clamp. A lone droplet of blood emerged from Kevin's lip as he panicked due to shower of oil from the vehicle above him.

He reached away from under the car and clenched his lips and eyelids shut, he was in no mood to accidentally take a swig of crude oil.

Seconds later his manic fingers felt their way around a rag, once securing a grip Kevin abruptly snatched it and drove his closed hand to the source of the leak. He precisely followed the trail of hot oil to a slender pipe along the edge of the car's underbelly, where he tightly wrapped the thick rag around, hoping to choke the leak and provide at least a temporary solution to the mechanical issues.

When he'd secured the rag, he took a match under the car, cautiously shielding it to avoid starting a fire, and saw that the rag was holding up surprisingly well. So, in an effort to quit while he was ahead, he then pinched the minuscule flame with his gloved fingertips before tumbling between the two left tires from under the car. With that project at a temporary resting point, Kevin stood straight up, stretching his stressed out spine, and gazed around the area.

Amongst other things, he had been restoring a dogfighter in his spare time. Despite not really expecting completion any time soon, Kevin loved the notion of owning an airplane.

Now, technically all of the items within the gates of the yard belonged to a wealthy man who had occupancy in New Mexico. And Kevin was, by all accounts, a gamin. Still, as the sole person to ever have an interest in these specific things in the least accessible part of a junkyard, a destination rarely visited by the general public anyway, he'd decided that he was the only logical owner to the projects he'd chosen.

While looking out at the airplane he'd adopted, Kevin heard a loud and sudden rustling.

He snapped his gaze behind his back, spinning around and readying himself for hard contact. But he merely heard the sound of old bean cans falling down the side of a pile of waste. The source of the disturbance was coming from the top of the hill. So, readying himself, he grabbed hold of his wrench and gripped it like a club before starting to march up the pile of trash.

As he set his foot on top of a radio set, he felt it begin to change its balance, but not enough to stop Kevin from using it as a stepping stone. From there, he hopped up a few feet, landing on a wooden crate partially covered by rotting fruits and a set of magazines. As Kevin prepared to go higher again, setting his sights on a firm looking guitar case, he heard the rustling stop. He waited for it to continue, but all he heard was a squeak. Then, instead of a continuous rustling, there was a clash of metal against metal as a ferret emerged from within a set of kitchen pots.

It began to dash downward, almost slyly slipping past Kevin, except it fell a bit short, and had a wrench thrown at it.

The sight of seeing something instantly fall unconscious from a blunt blow is horrifying the first time you see it. But after doing it every couple days and doing it as a reflex it stops bothering you.

Kevin carefully lowered himself down the side of the pile of trash and besides the ferret, which he scooped up along with his wrench before heading down.

When he finally got down, he went over to a spot he visited often, his little 'kitchen'. It was a pile of old newspapers dipped in oil with a pot suspended above it. He tossed the ferret into the pot after sucking the life out of it and lit a flame below.

Now all he had to do was wait. It's times like these he sometimes would think about his father and the life he'd led before at public school. Then it hit him like his wrench hit the ferret:

"I should've been at the Institute an hour ago!"

He jumped onto his feet and took off running out of the junkyard, augmenting his speed with the bio-energy he'd leeched from the ferret.

"God! God! God!"

[Natty]

"Why do those things have no clothes…?”

Kurt stopped in his tracks at that question, giving a questioning look at the Bamf on his shoulder. He blinked quickly before nervously responding. "I don't.. I don't actually know..." He was about to continue when Logan put his hand on a girl's shoulder and told her to begin.

Kurt stood idly in the corner watching as the young girl Kimberly stepped forward and proceeded to show of her ability. His three fingered hands shot straight to his ears as the screech erupted from her, smashing glassware and windows in it's wake. Then as quickly as it started, it stopped. Nervously the German lowered his hands as the girl then proceeded to list everything about this place, from the rooms and it's inhabitants, to the two newcomers who were apparently in the bar upstairs. As another girl, this one who Kurt believed to be called Yukiko, climbed up the stairs at Logan's request to collect the newcomers, yet another boy stepped forward to put on a show. He removed his coat and glasses before performing a few acrobatic stunts Kurt didn't even dare do himself. This was when the trouble started because as soon as the boy had put his stuff down, another Bamf had appeared and proceeded to steal the guy's glasses.

"You tell your little blue demon thing to give those back." The young man rounded on Kurt angrily as the Bamf scurried away, proudly holding up the glasses as its prize.

"Oh wunderbar..." He muttered in fustration as both he and Atticus chased the creature around the room, only for it to teleport away at the last second! That was when Alison decided to show off her ability. A bolt of what seemed to be light shot from her fingers, narrowly missing the Bamf they were chasing and smashing a light bulb above. Kurt stopped to admire what had happened, before diving at the Bamf one last time. Mid air, he disappeared in a puff of purple smoke, only to appear behind the creature a second later with out stretched arms, grabbing it tightly. Ripping the glasses from its grasp, he tossed them to Atticus with an apologetic look on his face.

"Sorry.."

[jagajac]

Alison's gaze shifted quickly to Kurt as he disappeared and reappeared in a puff of purple smoke. Teleportation? That could definitely come in handy. Her thoughts drifted to a few of the many "narrow escapes" she'd recently experienced with her father, Carter. Since her powers had manifested, Alison had been rather elusive at home. She spent her weekdays dedicated to study and snuck out on weekends to perform in the jazz clubs around the city. Her father's busy lifestyle had him coming and going at all hours, which had made it difficult for Alison to go anywhere without him knowing. In fact, Alison had led him to believe that today was simply a trip to the department stores with her grandmother, Blaire. She looked to the worn out leather jacket clutched behind her shoulder. It's all girls are talking about now, dad. Oversized men's jackets are the real deal.

She smiled and shook her head as Logan's leather jacket engulfed her girlish figure. Atticus, as she could now call him, playfully continued her banter as the group of students headed up the stairs. The air became immediately less dank in the more open common room of Xavier's Institute. She welcomed it into her lungs with a few soft, deep breaths. The scents lingering in the stitching of Wolverine's jacket filled her nostrils with each intake of breath and small chills ran down her spine. As if reading her thoughts, the brutish man spoke from behind the bar. His voice was sounding more and more constricted with each conversation. Alison reached her hands into the collar of the jacket and released her luscious blonde girls. They swept across the leather slowly as she approached the bar for some food.

Alison instinctively went for the refrigerator she had seen Snark rummaging around in earlier. Her hands grabbed for a few of the sandwiches, and she turned with them towards the others. Alison waved the sandwiches above her head as she addressed the group.

"Who's hungry?"

She smiled brightly and laid the stack gently on the bar, keeping one for herself. Alison didn't hesitate to take bite after bite as she walked behind Logan and towards the far end of the bar. She rolled up the sleeves of his jacket and hoisted her tiny body up onto the bar. Alison crossed her legs and fit perfectly on the weathered oak surface. She finished her sandwich as Wolverine began preparing himself a drink from the bar's selection. She watched his eyes focus on the clock. 3 o'clock, where had the time gone? She followed him with her dazzling blue eyes as he settled into a booth. Alison looked around the room once or twice before shrugging her shoulders and jumping from her seat.

As she made her way towards the older mutant, Alison stopped short a few feet from Yukiko. She crooked her lips into a sly smile and changed directions fluidly. She stood beside the smaller Asian girl and bowed slightly. She knew very little of the girl's customs, but figured she wouldn't need to carry on much conversation before attracting further attention. Alison was smarter than she looked. Admittedly, it had come to her advantage throughout the years. She smiled sheepishly at Yukiko and spoke gently.

"Alison. I'm Alison. So, how did you get stuck with the wolf man?"

She motioned her head backwards towards a brooding Logan in the corner booth and flashed her bewitching smile.

[YoshiSkittlez]

After coming back up the stairs into the main bar room once again, Yukiko felt her stomach rumble as everyone seemed to keep mentioning food. She tried to remember the last ‘proper’ meal that she had eaten, but came up short when realizing she had been traveling to America over the last three months. Any kind of food she had was either the free hand-outs given at the terminals or on the train, or whatever scraps she could find while waiting for the next train to leave. But she knew now that wouldn’t be a problem anymore; this man…Charles Xavier had promised to help take care of them. Not to mention she still had that wad of money folded up in her bra. But even more than that, she had Logan; a familiar face amongst all these…white people.

Yukiko didn’t have anything against white people, she just didn’t feel very comfortable around them, same as any white person would feel if they were suddenly shoved into Tokyo. It was just…different. Detouring from Logan’s side for once, Yukiko went to the bar and claimed a sandwich for her own and began to unwrap it. They looked nice and fresh, probably made that morning which made Yukiko all the more grateful to have it. As she took a large first bite, the blonde had approached her…sporting Logan’s jacket as if it was now her property. She blinked a few times looking at the blonde, trying to keep her face from scowling and instead chewed up what parts of sandwich she had before answering, though keeping her brown eyes on the blonde the whole time.

“We’re married.” Yukiko finally said after swallowing her bite of sandwich. She kept her face completely calm, no indication of whether she was joking, or completely serious. Not that anyone would have believed that a white man and an Asian got together in the first place, but it was worth a shot to keep her away from him. And with that, Yukiko turned on her heel and headed towards the corner of the room, taking a seat next to Logan who had scooted over to give her room.

“We’ll skip out of here once I’m no longer needed. Shouldn’t be too much longer.” Logan said to Yukiko in Japanese. “You can stay with me at my place, at least until we figure out what’s going on back home since you left…”

Yukiko nodded, her eyes drifting over back to the blonde and as if to put emphasis on her words, Yukiko laid her head down on Logan’s arm.

[jagajac]

Alison's smile faded, and her lips parted slightly in shock as Yukiko glided away to the booth where Logan was brooding. The blonde couldn't help but stand aghast at the other girl's words. Married? They're married? Alison closed the gap between her lips and stared at the couple. She couldn't hear their murmurings, and she wouldn't have understood the language regardless. Blood began to boil in her face, and her fair cheeks turned a sweet red. As Yukiko leaned her head lovingly against Logan's shoulder, Alison cocked her own coyly to the side. She'd be sure to congratulate Wolverine on his lovely bride soon enough. For now, she'd hang on to the apparently unfaithful man's lusty compliments.

Alison winked at Yukiko before turning her heels and heading back over to the bar. She pushed her small figure back atop the weathered oak and let her legs dangle over the side. Her tongue licked at the crumbs sticking to her lips, and she made a final satisfying gulp. She scanned the occupants casually situated around the room with her blue eyes. Not many had spoken up since they'd returned to the common room. Alison assumed they must still be processing the events that had transpired within the last few hours. Needless to say, it had been one hell of a day. Alison looked up at the clock and twisted her lips to the side in a scowl. It would be getting dark soon, and she wasn't looking forward to the cold walk home. Then her mind sparked an idea, and her body perked up simultaneously.

"So, who'd like some arm candy tonight? Not sure I'm feeling as safe after seeing what could be out there waiting for me."

[Schradinger]

While everyone else headed for the fridge and the sandwiches therein, Scott glanced across the room to the pool table and opted for a different route. He'd eaten on the plane on the way here, so he wasn't hungry as yet. What he could go for, on the other hand, was a nice cause and effect challenge of angles and planes (not the flying kind, though he's good with those too). Sixteen balls on the table and a near infinite number of options for how to put them in the pockets. It was definitely his kind of game.

Walking over to the table, he could see there was already a game in progress and striking angles and deflections and reflections and a veritable plethora of spacial analysis calculations spun through his head almost without conscious thought. By the time he'd reached the table, he'd figured seven different ways to sink all five of the remaining solids in a single shot, and four ways to sink the remaining seven stripes. Now all he had to do was actually get the shot execution right. Picking up the discarded cue stick, he walked around to the back side of the table and lined up his shot, then slammed it forward into the gleaming white cue ball with just enough force to get the chain reaction going. And go it did, sinking one ball after another until the last solid hit the bumpers at too steep an angle and deflected back onto the table instead of into the pocket.

Scott let out a small huff of annoyance and sunk the remaining solid, then set about lining up his shot for the stripes. Or his first shot, at least, if things kept going the way they were. He kept an ear on the conversation on the other side of the room though, and an amused smile played at his lips when the japanese girl very boldly revealed her marriage to Logan and Sparkles just as blatantly tried to hide her disappointment by asking for a date for the evening. He pegged Atticus as the first taker, now that his biggest "competition" was apparently spoken for, but if no one did step up he figured he could keep her company for safety's sake.

[shamrocknroll]

Kimberly shrugged when the Japanese woman exclaimed to be married to Wolverine. She didn't care, she just wanted to be useful and hopefully something respectable now that she was away from her parents. Maybe she needed to flex her power again to get back the attention. She wanted to display the fact she was determined to lead the team but she had no idea which woman she should pick to flex the fact she wasn't here to play games. She realized that the Japanese girl was trouble but realized she could lose her brownie points if she flexed her power now with her "husband" around. She decided the blonde will be the best bet.

Kimberly walked towards the blonde girl and said. "So, do you plan on being the leader of this motley band? If so I think I might have you beat."

[Enarr]

Bolting across the shimmering green grass that decorated the Institute's grounds, Kevin felt the wind combing through his oily black hair as he ran up to the beautifully designed building and crashed through the doors.

"Hey, guys! I decided to show up!" He said, sucking in air like a vortex.

He should've arrived an hour ago, when he could've been introducd as had everyone else. But it slipped his mind in the grand scheme of things, until a few minutes ago that is.

No one was in sight, but he knew that they had to be here. He knew he couldn't have missed the first meeting. He hadn't met the majority of the group yet, but he was comfortable enough with the professor himself and the teachers to trust that this would probably be a good experience.

Listening intensely, he heard that they were just a ways off, near the kitchen. So he rushed right over, scrambling through the house like a madman. When he stepped into the vicinity of the group, he felt the gaze of several of them fall upon his somewhat mangy dress.

"Umm, hello. I'm Kevin. Kevin Ford."

[jagajac]

Alison shifted her weight on the counter top as Kimberly approached her from across the room. She reached her palms backwards and rested them on the smooth wooden surface, keeping her posture casual and non-threatening as the other mutant girl spoke up. Woah Nelly, are we gonna play the alpha game this early? Ali's golden eyebrows raised upwards quizzically, and her blue eyes shone with the intensity of surprise. She didn't really see herself as a "leader", but she knew she most certainly wasn't a follower. So where did that place her in this band of misfits? It was true, she thrived on attention and almost attracted it like a magnet, but the uncertainty of her powers did not seem like a desirable quality for a leader in this place. Her eyes flitted over to Logan, and she tried to put herself in his shoes. Her thoughts couldn't stay focused for long, and she found her mind wandering to other things. Ali's lips turned into a smile as she focused her attention back to Kimberly.

"When it comes to bands, sweetheart, I'm the lead singer. I don't doubt that impressive voice of yours, but every band needs backup singers."

She was feeling quite confident, despite her earlier slip up. This atmosphere of raw energy and power seemed to give Ali a new spirit. She winked, expressing her jest, and brushed her hair forward in a delicate wave of blonde beauty. Alison's body flinched slightly as the doors to the Academy flung open in a fierce gesture. She immediately jumped down from the counter defensively and stood securely beside Kimberly. The boy that entered looked disheveled and surrounded by an atmosphere of surprise and shock. His demeanor shifted as he ran a hand through his greasy hair and introduced himself to the group. Ali's posture relaxed, and she crossed her arms snuggly underneath her breasts. She narrowed her eyes, examining the newcomer, and a thought quickly crossed her mind. King me. Ali kept her arms crossed and her tone welcoming, but there was a hint of sarcasm as she spoke.

"You're a little late for the party, Kev. There's still time to shine though."

Ali looked upwards to the vacant ceiling, focusing on a loosely hanging chandelier, and focused again on the softer incoming vibrations of sound from the outside. If she wanted a chance to slightly redeem herself, it was now. She shot a smug glance at Yukiko and Kimberly as pure photons of concentrated light glinted around her figure. Ali stepped beneath the chandelier, and the fading light from the windows intensified the effect of her glow. Beautiful, brightly colored sparkles coated the walls of the common room, and Ali's dazzling smile erupted on her face. It was a brilliant setup, which she carefully concentrated using the most gentle of sounds. And that's how you do it, Ali.

"You're turn, Kevin."

She continued to let the marvelous lights dazzle from her body, basking in her success, confidence, and feeling of absolute peace.