Professor Charles Xavier, once more seated at his usual place at the head of the dining room table, studied his colleagues and students as they ate. Logan, Ororo, and Hank, being the only people in the mansion who currently knew the true reason for his 'business trip', frequently glanced at him in concern...though Logan was mostly consumed with grumbling in irritation and kicking himself for not seeing through Mystique's deception.
His senior students, his X-Men, were more subdued than normal, apparently due to a rather thorough beating they'd suffered at the hands of Wanda Maximoff during his absence; something he planned to discuss with them and their teachers in greater detail after dinner. At least nobody had been seriously hurt.
On the other hand the younger students, the New Mutants, were as boistrous as ever, though Xavier couldn't help noticing the lack of comraderie between the younger mutants and their seniors. 'Hmm...perhaps I should arrange for more joint training sessions...'
Any further thought along those lines was cut off by the ringing of the intercom, specifically the tone indicating that someone was at the front gate of the Institute. Focussing his psychic powers, Xavier mentally brushed against the minds of the visitors and sighed, rubbing at his brow. "Logan, Hank, if you could be so kind as to let our visitors in and take them to the infirmary? It seems a few of them are in need of medical attention."
Hank frowned in concern as he rose from his chair. "Nothing serious, I hope?"
The bald telepath shook his head, lacing his fingers together under his chin. "No, I don't believe so. Still, better to be safe than sorry."
The feral mutant shrugged and stood from his seat, grabbing a drumstick from his plate before walking over to the intercom and jabbing the button. "Be with ya in a sec." That said, he strolled casually to the front door, gnawing on his chicken, his blue-furred colleague following close behind.
"Be with ya in a sec."
Satisfied, Ranma walked back to Avalanche's jeep and slid into the front passenger seat before Wanda matter-of-factly hopped back into the vehicle after him, sitting on his lap and slamming the door shut before making herself comfortable.
In the driver's seat, Lance tapped the steering wheel absently while he glanced at the duo out of the corner of his eye. Mystique had changed in the past couple of days, that much he could tell...probably around the time 'she' had walked downstairs looking like a guy. Not that the change was a BAD thing, really; he seemed to be taking a greater interest in the Brotherhood's well-being, acting more like the proper guardian she'd promised to be, as opposed to the neglectful leader she actually had been.
Wanda, on the other hand...well, he didn't really know her that well, since she'd only been living with the Brotherhood for a couple of days, but it looked like the belligerent, stand-offish, possibly bat-shit crazy Scarlet Witch was starting to warm up to their resident shapeshifter...that, or she'd gotten sick of Toad's antics and was latching onto Mystique in the hopes that Todd would get the hint and leave her the hell alone.
The earthshaking mutant looked up into the rear-view mirror, the reflection showing him the hefty teen taking up the entire back seat as well as the unconscious frog-like twerp held securely in his massive arms. 'He's not going to be happy if he wakes up and finds his cuddle-bumps snuggling up to another guy, that's for sure.'
The rattling of the opening gates of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters snapped Lance out of his musings, and he disengaged the handbrake and cruised up to the mansion, pulling up to the front steps where Hank McCoy and a distinctly unimpressed Logan were waiting to greet them.
Piling out of the battered jeep, the Brotherhood took a second to compose themselves before making their way up the steps, Ranma in the lead, with Wanda and Lance slightly behind and to either side and the Blob taking up the rear.
With a curiously raised eyebrow Wolverine studied the new gender of the woman who could be considered his opposite number in Magneto's camp, then made note of the disheveled and battered appearance of the boys of the Brotherhood. "Dare I ask?"
Ranma grimaced slightly. "Our house imploded."
The good Doctor frowned in concern, moving to take a closer look at the unconscious and bandaged Todd. "My stars and garters, that's terrible!"
The shapeshifter blinked at the odd exclamation, before shrugging it off. "I got myself and Wanda out of there, and Freddy did a great job throwing Lance clear and protecting Todd, so we came out of it with nothing worse than some bumps, cuts and scrapes, but I figured it'd be best to get Todd checked out by a pro, so if you wouldn't mind..."
Hank nodded, moving back towards the mansion and waving for a bashful Blob to follow him. "Of course, of course. Freddy, if you could follow me...you should come too, Lance, so I can clean those cuts of yours."
Alvers glanced at the group's leader for instruction, and at the blue-skinned man's nod moved to follow the fuzzy doctor, leaving Wanda and Ranma alone with Wolverine. The Canadian glared at the two suspiciously before stepping aside and waved for them to enter. "Xavier's in the dining room. After you."
Ranma arched an eyebrow before grinning. "Oh no...Logan...are we making you nervous?"
The feral mutant's only reaction to the question was a trio of adamantium blades slicing through the flesh between the fingers of his right hand with a scraping sound of metal-on-metal, while his left hand pointed sternly into the mansion.
Chuckling, the redhead strolled into the spacious manor, the smirking Scarlet Witch at his side. Ranma deftly navigated his way through the large building, taking note of the various tasteful and no-doubt expensive artworks he could use as weapons or 'accidentally' break in the likely event he got into a fight with one of the X-twerps, before he finally stepped into the dining room and was faced with Xavier's pleasant, welcoming smile, and the stony expressions of damn-near everyone else.
The bald mutant leader greeted the new arrivals genially, waving them to a pair of seats close to himself that had been vacated. "Ranma, Wanda, what a pleasant surprise. I'm afraid we didn't cook enough for guests, but you and the rest of the Brotherhood are welcome to help yourselves to the kitchen if you're hungry."
Dropping into one of the offered seats, Ranma politely turned down the offer. "Thanks, but I think I'll order some pizzas or something; the Blob and I eat a hell of a lot, and I don't want to freeload too much if I can help it."
The telepath nodded his acceptance. "Regardless, you are welcome to stay here for as long as it takes to get back on your feet."
Further down the table, Spyke made a disgusted choking noise, and the rest of the X-Men weren't looking too pleased about their leader's offer, either. Rogue, seated almost directly across from Ranma, looked particularly irritated. "Seriously, who do you think you're fooling, Mystique?"
The blue-skinned redhead frowned. "What?"
Rolling her eyes the southern gal elaborated. "Oh come on, you kidnap the Professor and pick up a mutant who can kick our asses without breaking a sweat, but then you 'mysteriously' get possessed by some guy from another universe, have a big change of heart, and 'rescue' Professor Xavier. Then your house just 'happens' to fall down, and you come here begging for help, thinking you and the Brotherhood will be welcomed with open arms since you're such a nice 'guy' now." By now her voice was practically dripping sarcasm. "Do you honestly think you'll get away with whatever sick plan you've got cooking up?"
The former aquatranssexual huffed, annoyed. "I think we all know there's nothing I can say that will make you believe me, so tell you what-" He peeled off a glove, then leaned across the table and held out his bare hand to the goth teen. "I'm game if you are, swamp rat."
Rogue hesitated, losing some of the head of steam she'd built up in the face of the unexpected offer, before scowling, yanking off one of her own gloves, and reaching for the offered hand. "Don't mind if I do."
Pale skin met dark blue skin, and lightning flared to life...
Soaring miles above the Xavier Institue, Rogue floated lazily amongst the clouds, drifting with the winds and soaking up the sun while clad only in a pair of denim cutoffs and a tank top. The faint sound of a whistle being blown caught her attention, and she took a moment to get her bearings before rocketing down from the heavens towards the rising column of smoke coming from the back of the mansion.
In seconds, the skunk-haired young woman gently touched down next to the pool, where a small horde of hungry mutants was rushing towards a blue Ranma, who was wearing black and white boardshorts and hawaiian top and manning the BBQ. "I take it the meat's done, oh mighty Iron Chef?"
The redhead nodded cheerfully, piling meat patties onto a plate and moving towards a table laden with burger toppings. "You want the usual?"
"You betcha."
Mystique flipped a pair of patties into the air, and with a blurring of blue hands, a complete burger landed squarely on a waiting plate, which was then handed to the patiently waiting X-woman, who accepted it with a broad smile and a thanks, before drifting into the air to eat as Kitty hopped forwards to procure her veggieburger.
Irene frowned, rubbing her temples, as she debated whether or not she would share her latest vision with the 'new' Mystique.
Agatha Harkness flinched as a certain crystal ball, which had previously been sitting innocently on her kitchen table, exploded violently and noisily, demolishing the antique furniture beneath it.
Frowning lightly, the Salem witch waved a hand and disposed of the mess, and repaired the table with another simple gesture. "...what is that blasted boy doing now?"
Now standing, the enraged Scarlet Witch thrust both hands at Rogue, her middle and ring fingers folded into her palms as a colossal surge of chaotic blue power lit the room, and her scream seemed to shake the walls of the mansion. "Let go of him NOW!"
Rogue came somewhat back to her senses just in time to see a monstrous wave of Hex power barreling across the table towards her, slamming into her and driving her off her feet and back through the wall behind her...then through the wall behind that...then through the heavily reinforced outer wall behind that, into the open air...then into and through the angel statue out the front of the mansion, before finally slamming into the ground, carving a sixty foot long trench through the earth before the attack dissipated and her momentum was killed.
Blinking the dots out of her vision, the brunette gathered her thoughts and Ranma's into some semblance of order before admitting to herself. "...okay, so he was telling the truth; he really IS from another universe." Climbing out of the trench and to her feet, the power-leeching mutant brushed herself off before admiring the devastation her ballistic flight had wrought. "Wow...I should really be dead right about now...or at least really badly hurt. Hm...uncute tomboy."
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(Posted Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:19)
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