New York City
Duncan MacLeod paid the driver and stepped out of the cab. He was looking up at an old building. In tarnished brass letters the word: Antiques hung over the door. This was the building of his kinsmen Conner. Conner was living in Morocco at the moment and said he could use his place while in New York.
Mac had come to New York on the search of a killer. His friend had died in a plane crash less than a week ago. An Irishmen named Sean Cassidy. The crash had not been an accident. Sean's wife Moira MacTaggert had called MacLeod for emotional support and to warn Mac that a madman was targeting mutants. Despite her warnings, Mac decided to investigate.
Mac and the rest of the world had only learned about mutants about two years ago. Mutants where individuals with special powers atributed to an evolutionary leap in their DNA. He wondered if Immortals could be considered part of this rare group of individuals but decided that they where seperate intities all together. Immortals had been around since the dawn of time. Mutants however where pretty much confined to the last century or so. Still, if a Madman was targeting mutants, who's to say Immortals weren't next on his list. Thankfully for MacLeod the world as a whole had not learned the secret lives of those gifted with long life.
Once his things where stowed in the apartment above the antique store he would travel to a private school in Westchester. Apparently there he could gain some information about the crash.
A sleek black car pulled up and out stepped
Iceman. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a collared shortsleeved shirt, he looked at Duncan and raised his eyebrows "Duncan McLeod?" he asked the man just in front of him. "Professor Xavier sent us. I'm from Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. We are here to accompany you to make sure you don't get lost around here." He offered his hand.
A young man with pale skin and a long black trench coat climb out of the other side of the car. He walked over to them and nodded. "I'm
Kurt Smith, I'll be your other escort." He wore dark sunglasses and the shirt and pants beneath the trench coat were as black as the very night, with good reason, he was after all a shadow manipulator. Most of the time he simply gathered the shadows around him for clothing.
MacLeod shook the young men's hands "You guys don't waste time." He said. He wondered if these two men where mutants. The kid dressed in black probably but the other... Mac shrugged it off. He'd never actually met a mutant face to face other than Sean and only recently did he learn of the Irishmen's abilities to emit sonic screams.
"Mr. MacLeod, if you'll step into the car, we can be on our way."
Kurt requested with a hint of urgency in his voice. "This is exactly the safest place to be holding a meeting. There are very few safe places left in the world."
MacLeod followed. He felt stupid asking this but as he got in the car he couldn't help himself. "So are you two..." He let his words trail off.
Getting behind the wheel
Bobby began to drive along and looked into the rearvision mirror. "Are we? What? Mutants?" He asked watching the man carefully, Xavier said he was trustworth and Bobby trusted his words but at the moment he was unsure, Mcleod wasn't really what he was expecting. He looked over to Kurt. "Maybe you should show him."
Kurt sighed. He hated showing off, but he knew that sometimes there just wasn't a time to get out of it. He took hold of a shadow and manipulated it into the form of a cell phone. "I can turn shadows into anything I want. But there's more, though I'd prefer to keep most of my talents to myself. No need to tell more than necessary."
MacLeod knew all too well about keeping secrets. Especially when it came to what one knew about fighting. In 400 years he'd probably forgotten more than they could ever learn. "And what is it you do?" he asked, looking in the rear view mirror at Bobby's eyes.
Bobby looked back to the road. "It's not really something I can use in the car, not unless your wearing three or four jackets." He smiled slightly, "I have the abitlity to 'create' ice, I take the moisture from the air and give it a solid form basically, I'm more commonly known as 'Iceman'."
"No using that when I'm like this!" A voice said urgently. It swore gently and a small water dropplet started to form on the ceiling, it kept growing until it was roughly the shape of a head. It was
Hydro. He smiled nervously at MacLeod "I.. uh... was meant to keep an eye out for suspicious characters. I guess I revealed myself though. Never been very good at all this cloak and dagger stuff."
MacLeod jumped at hearing the disembodied voice. He was freaked out even more when he saw Tom's head appear as a waterdroplet from the roof of the car. "You'll have to excuse me but I'm not used to this stuff." he said scooting over in his seat if Tom should decide to materialize himself.
Bobby sighed softly "Come on Tom, Xavier said not to scare him, so you just pop down from the roof?" He sighed but kept driving straight. "Not exactly the wisest thing you've done."
"I've done worse,"
Tom said, starting to slide down in a small stream onto the seat that MacLeod had cleared for him. "The name's Tom if you haven't figured that out, on missions I'm Hydro though." He said, offering a watery hand to MacLeod.
"Missions?"
MacLeod asked shaking Tom's hand.
"Stuff like this"
Tom said, trying to be vague.
Sighing
Bobby rolled his eyes "Re-introducti
ons, Hydro, I'm Iceman and this is Shadow of Darkness... or just Shadow. It's what we are called if we have to use our powers more, kind of like a Superman/Batman sorta thing." He said waving his hand. As he drove and looking at Tom, giving him a look that said 'be quiet!'
"More cloak and dagger stuff." MacLeod said looking out the window at the countryside. He'd heard stories about Superman and the Batman even of a rogue team of mutants calling themselves the X-Men. He'd shrgged them off as tabloid fantasies used to sell magazienes.
Tom gave Iceman a 'Sorry, Im an idiot' look and turned back to MacLeod. "Yeah, I don't like this stuff either." he stared out the windows as well.
MacLeod did what he usually does when finding nothing useful to say in a conversation. He said nothing. He had always enjoyed upstate New York in the spring so preoccupied himself with remembering what New York had been like two hundred years ago.
Kurt shook his head. It wasn't Xavier's brightest idea to send Iceman and Hydro on the same trip. Especially considering the fact that Hydro was supposed to be the invisible one. He sighed and looked out the window. Oh how he had longed to get out of the mansion and this is the trip they sent him on? Delivery boy? What a waste.
Tom was still smiling, mainly because that is what he did do alot but also because he was doing a better job than the others thought. Admitedly he'd shown himself to macLeod, but he'd have to do that sometimes. Outside however he was completely invisible, if anyone had looked in they would have seen the others but not him, maybe the other slightly bigger. He was completely smooth right now and the glass just made him act like a magnifying glass.
MacLeod watched out the window and noticed that the scenery outisde was becoming more manacured. Looking threw the front window of the cr he realized that they where cominjg up on the school.
Tom watched as they approached the school, he shut up to make sure he didn't add to the things he had down wrong but he still loved approaching the school. It looked so normal from the outside.
"This is where I get off." Kurt told MacLeod, falling backward into his own shadow and disappearing from the vehicle.
"That's different..." MacLeod said to himself.
Yeah I know. Kurt told him telepathically before fully removing himself from their prescence
Bobby pulled up at the entrance and turned the car off "Welcome." He said briefly before climbing out of the car and looking up at the school "Every time i come here i am shocked by how awesome it is.." He said to nobody in particular before looking at MacLeod. "Ready?"
"Seventeenth century English architecture." Mac said, taking in the scene around them. "Not bad."
"You a history buff?" Bobby asked curiously, putting his hands in his pockets and leaning back against the car, still unaware he was talking to an immortal.
Tom got out the car. He was slightly aware that Macleod was different at least. Something about his DNA had made Tom need to get a closer look at him, one of the reasons he had formed to get closer to him.
"I'm in antiques." Mac replied with a coy smile.
A female, with wings like an angel, came hurling through the sky as if she's just been thrown. Her eyes were shut, her wings were submisive against the wind and pinned against her arms and torso, her hair flying over her cheeks, and her arms and legs in the air like her wings. She crashed into the ground and slid a few meters back, stopping at a car where a man had just gotten out of.
Tom blinked for a second, forgetting what Mac just said, then dashed to the womans side. He began checking her for injuries. He knew it wasn't the smartest thing to do but she didn't exactly look threatening right now.
She gave a slight groan and opened one of her eyes to look at the man who was now touching her. When she saw the man she went wide-eyed and began to shake, not too comfortable around him and not feeling safe...Infact, she felt terrified, helpless, weak and volnerable.
When Tom saw she was awake he stopped touching her incase she started paniking or fighting "Are you ok?" he said carefully.
She tried to crawl away from him but her arms gave out under the pressure. "My arms..." She said quietly and weakly before going into an unconscience state.
Tom picked her up gently, checking her arms for injuries. "Who is this?" he muttered under his breath.
The cuts on this teen's body began to glow a yellowish color. Instead of healing like any other mutant's wounds would've, hers began to grow and leak. Down her arms, through her shirt, from her head and face, her wings, her legs, ect., they just began to leak blood.
"Damn" Tom said, running a hand over her cuts and sealing them as they were passed over. They weren't fully healed but atleast they were closed.
The whole of her body began to fall victim to a black shadow, the darkness taking over her body and her wings. She opened her eyes, now a shining red instead of blue-green, and stared up at the man holding her. Her body looked as though it was bared of the clothing she was wearing a few oments ago but she was not naked, her wings that were once pearl white angel wings turned into bat-type wings, a tail formed from her spine and circled up from around her, pearl white hair and markings going across her whole body. She squinted up to him and tilted her head a bit, a slight personality swap from the human female's personality. She felt comfortable around this man, so she gave a slight smile. "Who are you and why are you holding me?"
Tom watched as the woman changed in his arms, things like that didn't happen every day. "I'm Hydro" he said, not wanting to give away his real name just yet "You just fell out of the sky and crashed into the floor. You were covered in scratches and collapsed so I picked you up to heal you." He looked deep into her changed eyes "Who are you and why did you fall?"
"Fall...?" She looked up into the sky for a moment, tilting her head and scanning the clouds, the buildings, and past birds. "Fall...why did I fall?" She asked herself before adding, "I know I fell for a reason, and it's important too...I can't remember why I fell." She told Hydro, still looking into the sky. "But as for my name, it's Keisei.."
Tom nodded slowly "Hello Keisei" he said. "We could help you remember here" he said, looking up at the manshion.
Keisei gave a slight smile to Hydro. "You must be named Hydro for a reason, why?" She asked, completely off topic.
Tom nodded "Yeah, I have the power to control liquids... and another one."
"You too?" Keisei asked, not shocked by it, but rather happy about it. "Well, at least I know I'm not alone...The mansion, what could they do to help me remember?" She asked.
Tom waved at the others that he would catch back up and walked away a bit, out of their ear shot. "We have people here" he said quietly "People who could go into your head and get the memories for you."
"Sounds like it'd be a bit painf...Wait, people like Charles?" Keisei asked curiously, tilting her head a bit. She got out of Hydro's arms and stood up, stretching her limbs and body out.
Tom blinked "How do you know about the Professor?" he said calmly, trying not to say anything.
"I had originally come to see him...The Xavier Institute, he helps mutants like me..." Keisei blinked and looked at her hands for a moment before dropping them to her sides and looking at Hydro. "I was also wondering if he could help me cope with a little trauma that I had gone through with men a few months ago..I have no problem with it, but what you saw just earlier, she does have a huge problem with most men..especially when they are touching her."
Tom nodded slowly "So you wanted to get the you of before some help? You came to the right place. Xavier would be glad to help you."
Keisei gave a slight nod of the head. "I also wanted to know if I'd be able to stay there as well...Hm..It seems as though my mind blanks out some stuff when I change." She tapped her chin for a moment but then shrugged. "You could take me to him?"
Tom nodded again "Yeah, he'd take you in. He takes everyone who wants a place to stay in." Tom turned towards the mansion "Comeon, I'll show you the way."
Keisei nodded and walked up behind Hydro, grabbing his hand gently and smiling.
Tom blinked slightly and looked down at her hand, coughing slightly. He held her hand as he walked into the mansion.
As the two of them walked into the mansion, Keisei looked around the front room, smiling to herself. "It's nicer than I had expected it to be."
Tom nodded, walking fast threw the entrance hall. "Yeah, it's nice" he said vaguely.
"Are you alright?" She asked, being dragged by him at first but now keeping the pace. Keisei almost bumped into one of the inhabitants of the mansion as she followed behind Hydro.
Tom nodded again "Yeah... I'm ok" he stared back at their hands and plowing threw the students easily because he was a teacher. He stopped infront of Xavier's office.
Keisei smiled as they stopped at the room's door, barely breathing at first. "I can't believe I'm actually gonna be able to meet him..." She said in disbelief.
Tom smiled and nocked on the door.
Kesiei moved behind Hydro's form, still holding his hand. She peeked out past his arm and awaited Xavier's appearance.
Charles Xavier wheeled out of his office and looked and Tom and Kesiei. "Welcome back Tom. I take it the pick up of Mr MacLeod went well? And who might this be?" He asked, directing his attention to Kesiei.
Kurt appeared in the hallway. "She fell out of the sky and Tom as usual couldn't resist helping her." He smirked and bowed politely to the Professor. "MacLeod is admiring the building for the moment." He shrugged. "If you don't mind sir, I'd like to go and get in a little training time before my next mission. Bobby should be bring MacLeod in any minute now. I think he might be a bit overwhelmed with the whole mutant thing."
"I'm sure he'll cope with it just fine, Kurt. He is special as well. Though in ways you could not imagine." Xavier replied and nodded, allowing Kurt to leave, with a slightly confused look on his face.
Keisei gave a small gasp and hid further behind Hydro's, know found out to be called Tom, back. "I..I'm Keisei..."
"Hello Keisei. Welcome to the Xavier Institute. I am Charles Xavier." The bald man in the wheel chair introduced himself with a polite nod towards her. "You have nothing to fear from anyone here, well except for Logan."
"I'm not scared..." Keisei informed quietly. "Just feel as though I am not worthy to be in your presence... you and the original X-men...you are heroes to every other mutant, you are truely amazi.." She let go of Hydro's hand as a sharp pain split through her skull and spine. She slowly raised her hands to her head, shaking from the immense pain she had just felt, falling to the ground on her knees and gripping her head tightly. She gave out a small groan as a few tears came to her eyes. Her skin flashed from black to tan for a few moments before it turned completely peach, back to human. She blinked a few times and looked up, seeing Hydro's legs before her and Charles Xavier passed the legs. She scooted back a few feet, not liking being this close to Hydro at the moment, slowly inching her way around him and closer to Charles, still on her knees and hands. She soon made it behind Charles' wheel chair and peeked out from behind it up to this magnificent man's face. "I need your help..."
Tom let out a "Oh god she's changing back" when Keisei fell, watching her turn back to the angelic looking girl that had fallen from the sky before. He backed away slightly when he saw that she was still afraid of him, letting her move closer to Professor Xavier without having to circle him.
The Grounds
MacLeod saw the young girl fall from the sky and as Tom interviened he thought it best to stay back. Moira said he'd encounter some strange things while at teh school and Mac was a man who knew when he was needed and when not.
"Tom seems to have everything under control." Bobby said putting an arm on MacLeod's shoulder "While teh Professor is dealing with her I might as well give you a tour."
Entrance Hall
Xavier gently laid a hand on the angelic girl's shoulder. "It's alright little one. Everything will be alright."
"she was like this when she crashed" Tom said, unsure if Keisei was able to talk right now "She came here looking for some help. The other her says she had some troubles with men which is why she came here and why she keeps moving away from me." He moved back slightly to try and keep her comfortable.
Xavier scratched his chin. "Interesting. Another mutant with Schizophrenia?" He looked down at Keisei and smiled softly. "You are welcome here, and you will be safe here."
Keisei looked up at Xavier with thankful eyes and a lit up face. She bowed her head to him and hugged the wheel of his wheel chir. "Thank you."
Bobby had just finished giving his tour and stopped near the pair, looking at McLeod he motioned "Thats Professor Xavier. He is the guy that sent us to get you." He looked at Keisei momentarily looking to her wings and in general awe of her.
Keisei soon turned her head from looking at Professor Xavier and now looked at Bobby. She squinted her eyes to see where he was looking, only to find out he had taken a moment to look at her wings. She flexed her wings high from where she was "crawling" and now stared at him. "Do you like them?" She asked with a bit of snap in her tone.
Nodding slowly Bobby lowered himself to his haunches and looked at them "They are beautiful." He whispered "Can... i touch them?"
Keisei cringed her nose and gave a silent glare to the man who had just gotten closer to her. Before she knew it she had began to change into a more vibrant and elegant looking form. Her skin shined a bright yellow and her wings almost immediately turned blood red. Her eyes transfered to a shining red and her nails enhanced into pointed claws. They had a wierd color to them, red splatered up to her knuckles from her nails, as if she had just shoved them into somebody's stomach and pulled them out quickly. "No." She raised one of her hands towards the boys face and let out a beam of light energy. Seemed as if this alter-ego had a completely different personality from the Dark and the human form.
Bobby was utterly surprised by the attack and it was only his instincts that saved him, falling backwards the light beam went over his head, quickly he scuttled back like a crab "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"
"I'm doing exatly what my instincts tell me to do..and that is to get away from horny little boys and not let them touch me." Keisei stood up and stared at Bobby then looked to the Professor, then back to Bobby. "The only men I believe wouldn't think of touching me in this house would have to be Logan and Charles Xavier so I trust them already..But you, I don't trust."
Tom dragged Bobby behind him "Leave this to me alright? You cant grow your head back" he whispered to him. he held up his hands to show that he meant no harm to Keisei "You trust me don't you? I came to your side when you crashed, I brought you to Xavier." He still kept his distance from Keisei, not wanting to frighten her "You came here for help..."
Keisei lowered her hand and shut her eyes, sighing. "It's nothing against you bunch, it's against every boy who tries to lay their hands on me. I don't know, maybe Professor will understand within the contents of this week...maybe even just today..." She turned back to Charles and bowed her head to him.
Tom sighed "Fine" he said, looking slightly put down "But please, when you start trusting men again I want you to come see me."
"Why?" Keisei asked, turning her head back to Tom and staring out of ine eyes at him.
Tom rubbed his head nervously "Well... I'd just like to see you. Don't worry you can trust me..."
"I don't need to trust you to go see you, I can just blow you to bits if you try anything..." Keisei's form started to cange into lue now, her wings going from bright yellow to a softer, liquid type wing. Her complextion became the same only the markings she once had in her Dark form came back with a red shine. "I can go right now." She ran over next to Tom and smiled up to him.
Tom blinked in surprise "Alright... so what did you come here for then if not to get over your fear?"
"Look." Keisei pointed down at the markings on her skin and smiled. "This is only on me and my Dark side at this point only because we are over it. Later on if you see them on any other alter-ego then they are over it as well. They will also appear on the Human side of me once she gets over it with help from Xavier. So in all naturality, you only have me and Dark here that won't attack you.." She chuckled and smiled up at him. "What did you want to see Keisei for anyways?"
Tom shrugged "I just care for people, I wanted to check up on her. I was the first person she saw here anyway so I thought it might help that she saw me first." He stared at the markings.
Keisei nodded and tapped her chin. "I see, you were also first to see Dark as well, lucky!" She giggled and patted his back gently. "I think Dark likes you, she's a pretty flirty alter-ego.." She nodded and looked over to Bobby. "And he is?"
"He's Iceman. You attacked him" Tom said, acting like he hadn't heard about her dark side.
"I did?" She asked quietly before giving a sadened frown. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." She looked down to the ground and gave a small sigh.
Tom shrugged slightly "We've been hit by worse." He suddenly hugged her "Cheer up, you're in a safe place and you're going to get help."
"But I don't attack friends..." Keisei looked at Tom, who was now hugging her, and gave a small smile. "Thanks for that..the reassurance that is. I don't usually get that."
Tom smiled "I'm good at reassuring people, It's one of my better talents." He kept hugging her "So... I've seen your dark side, what side are you in right now?"
"One of your favorites considering your "name". Water." Keisei took a second to smile.
Tom laughed "My real name is Tom, and I can do what you do. To a point at least."
"I have the most awesomest idea ever..." Keisei looked to Bobby when she said this as well. "Lets go have a small compitition to see who is better with water."
Tom shrugged "If it's alright with the Professor... I mean, I could call it escorting you and then we could have some fun."
Keisei looked back at the Professor and gave him puppy dog eyes. "Can we Professor Xavier?"
Bobby Got up from the ground looking at the strange girl and then to Tom with a worried face momentarily before turning to Macleod "Welcome to Mutant High." He muttered dryly.
"by all means." Xavier said with a smile.
Tom grabbed Keisei's arm and smiled "Thank you Professor" he said, running off happily.
"Bobby!" Keisei hollared behind as she was pulled off. "Come on."
Tom shrugged at Macleon "Looks like you'll be having a small demonstration of what we can do" he said.
"There will be plenty time for that later." Xavier told them "Mr. MacLeod if you'd join me in my office?"
Xavier's Office
MacLeod followed xavier into his office.
"Have a seat." Xavier said "Meet Beast Boy and Raven from The Teen Titans. They've offered their assistance in aprehending the suspects involved in teh crash."
"From what I've heard it was targeted at mutants. I thought teh Teen Titans where Mutates and not mutants." MacLeod asked takig a seat as he shook their hands.
"We believe that the targeting of mutants is only the first step." Raven said darkly. "This madman needs to be stopped quickly."
The Halls
Keisei stopped and turned when he two men went into the room. "Tom...What's going on in there?" She asked curiously, pulling on his shirt sleeve like a child would their mother's dress. Before she got an answer from Tom she shut her eyes and took a deep breath, opening her eyes once more now shining white. Her mind seemed to take in a few images from inside the room, catching a glimpse of a green figure and another couple figrues. She felt the prescence of a female who used black magic, kind of like that of Dark. She shuttered and took a step back to tom, bumping into him gently.
Tom held onto Keisei to keep her steady and stared at the wall aswell, looking threw it to the blood streams he saw. "Just some people helping us with an investigation" he said, steering Keisei away. "Now, what should we do?" he asked, smiling widely.
Keisei shook the vision out of her head and looked up to Tom. "Water competition." She nodded and smiled.
"To the pools!" Tom said dramaticaly, grabbing onto Iceman and still holding Keisei as they head off into the grounds and up to the pools.
As the three of them went along their merry little way, Keisei looked up at Tom with a bit of concern and fear in her eyes. "Tom, who was that in the office with the Professor?"
"Like I said, just some people" Tom said, still smiling.
"Please tell me...one of their readings, a female's reading of dark magics...scares me." Keisei said mainly to Tom. She still stayed by his side as they made their way to the pools.
Tom thought about it "It's ok" he said as they stopped infront of the pools "She's a bit scary at times but she keeps herself in check." He guessed which one she was talking about because he knew who was behind that door, he recognised the stature and the starnge blood flow from starfire.
Before Keisei responded to Tom's reassuring words she lit up and smiled widely at the pool. "Yay!" She ran towards the pool and dived into it, almost camoflauged if not for her markings of red. She re-amerged a few moments later and smiled to Tom and Bobby. "Come on boys!"
Tom smiled and stepped onto the water, he loved showing this part off. He walked towards Keisei, still walking on the water as if it was see through concrete.
"Remember, I might just be able to do that once I master my skills. Which reminds me..If I don't get a chance with Professor Xavier, does that mean I'll have to be in either Dark or this mode at all times?" Keisei looked up at him and tilted her head slightly, shaking her wings a bit.
"You'll get a chance" Tom said happily, stopping infront of her. "Now what?" he asked happily.
"Now, since we are water type mutants, we can have a small competition held on who has the better moves." Keisei said, drifting over to the edge of the pool and pulling herself up to sit on the ledge.
Tom grinned and sat down beside her "Alright, since you are the guest here you go first."
"I know I'm most likely not gonna win, so, with that said I also add that you have to make your moves both beautiful and damage worthy. It has a good offensive attack and is not taken down too easily." Keisei turned her head to him and smiled. "So, I say you go first so I can see if pretty boys can make pretty attacks."
Tom blinked and blushed slightly, then turned to the pools. He raised his hands, more for show than for actual need, and a single pillar of water rose. "That is to show how powerful the attacks are, aim to attack that with what you're doing." As he said this the surface of the water began to ripple, millions of small lotus flowers being made by the water. He rose his hands and the flowers rose aswell, following his movements as he swept his hands from side to side and making the flowers dance in mid-air.
"Easy." Keisei looked up into the air, raising her hands up and letting out a low groan. Her hands and arms began to fade away into mid air only to fall a few seconds later into Tom's flowers. The one difference about the water is that her red markings also disappeared and was embedded into the droplets of water. With each droplet of water that hit a flower, brilliant bright red exploded from the drop and enriched the petals of the water Lotus. If the droplets of water hit dry land, however, they just evaporated into the air.
Tom smiled at the sight, a million flowers dancing with red sparks flying off them from Keisei. It looked quite beuatiful. Tom let the flowers settle, showing the pole that had been made earlier with large gashed cut into it.
"Just wait Tom." Keisei instructed as she watched a few remaining Lotuses floating and the red swimming around in them. "Wait a few more moments."
Tom nodded, a few red locuses floating around on the surface of the water.
Keisei blinked her eyes towards the lotuses and watched them explode, a grin tugging at the corner of her lips. One explosion after another sending water every which way from the pool and even sending some up in a type of small Typhoon. She looked at Tom and raised her eyebrows. "Beautiful, and strong. Hard to stop and near imposible to avoid. Stray way from the bloody rain, stay away from the crimson tears."
"Nice" Tom admitted "What else can you do?"
"Plenty, but not near as much as I am capable of." Keisei admited, swirling her feet in the water and staring down at it.
Tom stared at the water aswell, trying to think of what to do. "Im no good at pretty attacks, Im better at scaring people."
"Okay, okay." Keisei nodded and stared at the water for a moment longer before looking up at Tom. "We can do that then."
Tom shook his head "No, I'm well trained, you're pretty new to this. I should be able to do this." He grinned at the challenge.
"I want the challenge of going out of character. I'm sure I will be able to do it. I'll challenge you some other time with pretty. That tactic I'll never lose and most will never gain." Keisei said with a straight face.
"How about the most intimadating? I mean, that could be pretty or scary really" Tom said, always trying to be the diplomat.
Keisei nodded her head to the side and gave a half smile, shutting her eyes for a brief moment. "Alright, alright." She patted her hand on his foot and pushed off of the ledge of the pool. "I can do that."
Tom smiled, walking out over the water edge. "You go first this time" he said.
Keisei's marks began to glow from red to bright yellow, quickly and swiftly till they looked a very deep orange to the naked eye. She held her hands up into the air and let out an energy ball or both dark and water elements, she continued this till there was five of the balls. She clapped her hands together and as if hit by a sonic wave, the balls all burst into small smoke figures kind of like ghosts. The elemental fusion hillucinations began to circle and fall towards the pool, appearing to be chanting and forming another energy ball with the few groups. She looked at Tom sternly, holding her hands to the ghosts groups. "Cover your nose and shut your mouth."
Tom watched the ghost like hallucinations drift around him, only just hearing keisei and closing his mouth as he pinched his nose shut.
The small figures clenched their fists shut and send a huge sonic wave throughout the diameter of twenty feet, a small explosion compared to her earlier practices. The ghosts became a for like mist that covered the twenty foot diameter of the explosion. Keisei turned her head towards the rows and bushes that were in the diameter and the crossfire of this fog, watching them wither a purple-ish and droop over. "Miasmic gases dilivered from the darkened water energy, dilevered from the forry ghost figures. It will only last a few momre moments before it disappears and dies down. I can fix the hedges and the flowers later on today when I am not around anybody." She looked back to Tom and bowed her head. "How was that?"
Tom gave her a thumps up. He had shifted himself to water form, his skin rippling and shining in the light. In his form he didn't need to breath so he could just watch the fog happily.
"That and one other are one of the more intimidating attacks I know, I still need a lot more practice than what I could have ever got on my own." Keisei watched as the fog slowly evaporated from the heat of the sun.
Xavier's Office
"Have you found out who orcistrated the crash?" MacLeod asked
"Our sourses lead us to believe that it is a Reverend William Stryker." Xavier answered "He preaches tht mutants are an abomination and we have run into him on more than one occasion."
"That dude is seriously wacko!" Beastboy replied, moving his finger around his temple
"Indeed." Xavier said "We believe that we may be able to infiltrate his orginization but he hs means of discovering mutants."
"You'd like to see if I can get in?"MacLeod asked
"Given your talents we don't believe that it should be too hard."Xavier said "If we staged an attack it may spur his people to try and rescue you."
"Aren't you afraid of putting an innocent mortal in danger?" Raven asked
"I'm tougher than i look." MacLeod answered
"Hey you're all forgetting that I'm the master of disguise." Beastboy. replied, standing up and thumping a fist on his chest. He changed into a monkey and then quickly into a turtle, then a housefly, and then into a squirrel.
"A green Squirell." Raven said dryly "Very inconspicuious."
Xvier smiled and politely said "I need a moment alone with Mr. MacLeod."
Raven stood, grabbing Beast Boy by the tail "Come on 007."
Beastboy yelped as she pulled him out of the room. "You're just jealous cuz you can't do what I do." He told her with a sneer
Xavier chuckeled "He may fool around but he has a good heart... and he is good at what he does."
The pools
As the fog evapourated Tom grinned at Keisei. "I'm more dramatic though, so expect something BIG!" As he said big the water began to shift, swirling round the middle in a whirlpool. As the water shifted to the bottom of the pool it began to form together, creating something large and moving in the middle of the pool.
Keisei, being in the middle of the pool and all, looked around at the bottom trying to see what he was doing.
Tom stepped forward onto a rising dome that was coming and made out of the water. It kept rising, the water draining from the pool as it was turned into the things rising from the pool. The dome smoothed out after reaching about ten feet high, hundreds of large tentacles appearing underneath it. It gained more feautures quickly, a tentacled mouth, a hard shell like forehead and two large waery eyes. "Meet the kraken" Tom said proudly, stradling the beast.
Keisei's eyes were fixed on the large water beast, scanning over it's features quickly. She took a step back as he markings began to go back to just regular red.
Tom smiled, the kraken gently holding out a long tentacle for Keisei to step onto. "I can do bigger" he said, still smiling "But not enough water. Also... I guess there is one more thing I could do to it but it is rather dangerous."
Keisei stepped up onto the tentacle of the kraken and looked up at Tom. "Tom..." She looked to the plants of the yard and sighed. "Maybe you could take Bobby inside so I can fix this up..." She jumped off of the creature and onto the ledge of the pool then began to walk out onto the grass.
Tom nodded, the kraken slowly dissolving into the pool. He walked over to Bobby who was still watching by the edge of the pool.
He had been standing by lost in his own thoughts, Bobby's hands were deep in his pockets, his eyes slightly glazed, at the mention of his name though he blinked and looked up "Huh?" He said looking at Tom "Whats up?" He asked raising his brows.
"If you don't mind, you have to leave Bobby." Keisei said from across the yard, kneeling down and shutting her eyes.
Bobby shrugged, he didnt really care, they hadnt been talking to him anyway. "Sure." He turned and walked out.
Keisei turned and watched him walking out, decided to get him wet. She giggled to herself and sent a small water ball at his back.
Smirking to himself Bobby froze the water, as it hit the ground he looked at her and winked "How i love the cold." he said idly.
"Okay Mr. Bigshot, you think you're the only one who can control temperature?" Keisei got up and turned around, brushing off the yard for a moment.
Bobby raised his eyebrow and grinned "What do you mean?"
"You think you're the only one who can control ice out here, don't you?" Keisei asked once more.
Bobby looked to Tom as if to ask what was going on. He then looked back to Keisei "Umm... are you like.. asking me to have an icefight with you?" he asked confusedly.
"Not ice imparticularly." Keisei said with a sort of grin to herself.
Tom had backed very far away. He didn't want to be near any sub-zero fights.
Keisei looked at Tom and tilted her head slightly. "Hm..? You don't know how to handle water temperature?" She asked in a type of innocent voice.
Bobby frowned "I dont want to fight you Keisei." He said glancing at Tom as if to say 'interfere here.'
"Liquid body" Tom yelled, standing far away from the two "I dont like being frozen."
Keisei shrugged and sat back down, changing slowly to a grass type body. Her wings turned to vine and flowers, her body went a greenish pale and her eyes changed from red to pink. Around her chest and pelvis was small peices of clothing which were made from leaves and flowers, tied with vines and around her wrists were vines heading up to her shoulders. She tapped the ground and watched stalks of vines speed up from the ground, making a wall. She turned around and placed her hands on the ground again so she could stat the healing of the plants the Water side has caused.
After she had completely revived the roses and other plants that were withered, Keisei stood up and walked to the building. When she stepped a small group of flowers and longer, brighter looking grass grew. She made her way into the Institute and headed towards Professor Xavier's office.
"Wow" Tom said, staring at Keisei. He was half awed by her powers and half awed by her appearence. He shook his head, clearing it of the pink fog that clouded it.
Bobby watched quietly watching her and then glanced at Tom God he falls for anybody He thought to himself.
The Grounds
Students circled around Delaney as she brought her class from the forest. She reminded them of their due assignments. Even this far from the school she caught the scent of four new people among the grounds. She knew MacLeod was due today and two of the Teen Titans. As she passed the pools she determined the scent of the last person. Great she said to herself Another skitzo. Figuring that there was plenty of time to meet a new student later she bypassed the pools and headed for the school.
Xaviers Office the conversation continued.
"Are you confident that you can do it?" Xavier asked MacLeod
"Something like that." Mac said with a cocked smile "I've had experience with these types."
"Speaking of your experience." Xavier began "I'm sure that you are keeping your certin abilities from my people for a reason?"
"NOt everyone and their brother needs to know that I can't die.Mac said "If it comes up then I'll tell them the truth but till then I'd like to keep it to myself. I'm sure you understand."
"Of course." Xavier said "So Mr. MacLeod will you be staying with us or will you be returning to the city?"
"The city." Mac rplied "Though I'd hate for your people to have to escort me back. I'll call a cab."
"NO need," Xavier said "The suv which brought you here is at your disposal and before you protest I wont take no for an answer."
MacLeod chuckeled "Alright. I guess it's true what they say about you. You can read people's thoughts."
"Something like that." Xavier smiled.
The Halls
Delaney deposited her bag in the lounge and changed into her X-UNiform for her schedualed Danger Room session. As she walked threw the halls she caught the scent of the two she had assumed where the Titans. She could hear them arguing before she saw them.
"Shut up." Raven said "Just shut up."
"Raven and MacLeod sitting in a tree." Beastboy chided "K-i-s-s-i-n-g!"
"I'm going to kill you." Raven growled. A black aura had begun to envelope her.
"Something wrong here?" Delaney asked passing them in the hall. Her eyes immediatly snapped onto Beastboy. Like fire crackers things began going off in her head. It was her instincts way of interprating information. Feral. Shape shifter. adolecent. practical joker... and vegetarian.
"Just fine." Raven said darkly. "We where looking for our rooms."
Beastboy couldn't help but stare at Delaney. A remarkable beauty of at least 7 years his senior she stood a foot taller than he with long black flowing hair, almond skin and bright blue eyes. God she was gorgeous. He stood there suspended for a moment, nearly drooling.
"I can help you. What are the room numbers?" Delaney asked then noticed Beastoy's aparent ordeal. "You ok bub?"
Beastboy stood there trasnfixed.
Raven elbowed him in the side
"Macaronni!" Beastboy exclaimed loudly then realized his barings.
Keisei kncoked on the door gently, waiting patiently for somebody to answer her. She leaned back against a small table, placing her hands next to where he thighs touch the stand. She began to hum a small melody to herself as she waited.
Kurt walked out of the Danger Room and wiped the sweat from his brow. He looked at Beastboy and growled quietly to his reaction to Delaney. He walked up and took her hand. "Enjoying the view of my wife, Beastboy?"
Beastboy's jaw dropped to the floor and he did a double take, then a triple take, then a quadroople take. "Wha..ummm..errr..Wife?..Dude!..Umm..uhhh..sorry..." He dropped his head and looked at the floor.
"It's ok. I get that all the time." Delaney replied with a shrug
Raven crossed her arms and said, "Smooth. Very smooth."
Kurt looked at Raven curiously. He had glimpsed at her mind along with Beastboy's, that's how he had learned their names. She had an interesting mind. "So would you guys like to join us in the Danger Room? I just got done a session, but she's scheduled next and that's always fun to watch."
Keisei ttilted her head and stared at the small group. "Danger room?" she cooed out.
After some talks with Iceman which had generaly been the basis that Tom was pathetic and that he should keep his eyes in his head Tomb wandered nto the room with the others, having tracked Keisei's blood pattern. "Yeah, it's a place where we train" he said helpfuly from behind Keisei "Hey guys" he said, waving at the others.
Keisei gave a low hiss and walked a little ways away from Tom. She leaned back against a nearby wall and eyed Tom suspiciously.
Tom stared at her slightly confused, then got it "Ah, right. You can't remember what the other you's do can you? I'm Tom" he held out a ahnd to Keisei "We're friends."
"We're...friends?" Keisei looked at his hand for a moment before touching it with her pale-green fingers. "So, that obviously means you won't try to rape me...right?" She looked up at him with pink eyes and blinked, tilting her head and squinting her eyes.
Tom blinked, then his face paled slightly "What? No, I'd never do something like that." He gripped her hand, but kept his hold gentle not to scare her "Is that why you were so scared of me before?"
Keisei looked at the small group a little away from them and then back to Tom. "Can we..you know..go somewhere else to descuss this matter?" She pulled her hand from his and scratched the side of her face gently, sighing a bit.
"Is she ok?" Raven asked
"Um..." Delaney began "It's better not to ask." She said "Come on, lets go find your rooms." She squeezed Kurt's hand and moved them threw the halls
Kurt smiled softly and walked with her. He loved this woman with all his heart, and God have mercy on anyone stupid enough to try and take her from him.
"She's fine, Im looking after her" Tom said before nodding to Keisei and started walking "I know a place where noone could hear us."
Keisei just stared at Tom. "Um..how about just outside..I don't do well without being heard by people..." She suggested as she looked out the window.
Tom looked embarresed "Sorry, that wasn't really the best thing to say was it? But yeah, we can go for a little walk while you tell me, alright?"
Giving a small, rellieved sigh, Keisei walked a little ways behind Tom and looked around slowly.
The Grounds
As they appeared out onto the grounds Tom turned round to see keisei "So what did you want to tell me?" he asked carefuly.
Keisei sighed and sat down on the stoop. "Well, if we were gonna be talking about that then I didn't want everybody to know about it. The only person I planned on tell was Professor Xavier, that's why I didn't like being around you boys in any other form because it still scares me."
Tom nodded slowly "Alright... but tell me in your own time, dont think Im pressuring you."
"I'm gonna tell you a bit." Keisei placed her hands on the ground next to her thighs and looked up into the sky. "A few months back I was walking along the street, heading home I think, when a group of boys just grabbed me. They took me into their little safe house and each tried to get a turn. I blacked out after the first boy, but awoke to all the boys battered and bruised, bloodied and unconcious on the ground. I think that is when my powers emerged in me, after that I went home and never talked about it. It's all been a bottled up emotion that I never even mentioned but always thought about when I saw a man."
Tom nodded, staying quiet while she spoke "I'm sorry" he said, staring at the ground "That must have been terrible for you. Don't worry though, I would never do something like that to anyone. You can trust me."
"Yeah, but what about all the other men in the world. I believe the only two alter-eos that trust men again are Dark and Water, am I correct? If so then..." Keisie trailed off when she saw a few markings form on her arms in pink light. She blinked and just stared at them.
"I beleive those are called the seeds of trust" Tom said, staring at the markings happily.
"How do you know?" Keisei asked, poking them with pail fingers.
"I saw those on your water and dark sides aswell" Tom explained "They said it was because you trusted people again that you got them."
"They, look funny." Still poking the markings and letting out a small giggle as she did. Keisei watched as the markings began to grow to the rest of her body slowly.
Tom smiled "Thank you" he said, staring at her happy face.
"For what?" Keisei asked curiously, peeking at Tom then looking back at her growing marks.
The Dorm Halls raven handed Delaney a slip of paper with their room numbers on them. They'd traveled three different halls beforeDelaney took them diretly to their rooms.
"Here we are." Delaney said "You guys sure you don;t want to join us in the danger room? It's fun."
Raven looked at Beastboy "Do you think you can keep your tongue in your mouth long enough for a quuck training session?"
"Keep my tongue in my mouth?" Beastboy asked her curiously, thinking about it. He curled his tongue up and spoke, "Lik dis?"
Raven rolled her eyes "I think that' a yes." She told the two teachers.
The Grounds
Tom smiled wider "Well, if you get those marks now then that means you trust me. Atleast a bit."
"I guess...Hey, what did that water idiot do to hurt all those plants earlier?" Keisei asked as she straed out at the lawn.
"Me and her were having a little competion" Tom explained "She got kinda... explosive."
"Thoughtless baboon." Keisei remarked harshly as she now stared at Tom, tilting her head and smiling.
"She said it might hurt the surrounding area" Tom said, raising his eyebrows slightly "But atleast you were there to make them better."
"It's actually nice to speak with a male for a change, usually I'm always arguing with the other alter-egos in her head." Keisei shrugged slightly and loked again out at the lawn.
"Must be rather strange" Tom said, staring out over the lawn aswell "To have an arguement with yourself." He looked at Keisei curiously "How many of you are there?"
"As many elements of nature there are, that's how many alter egos she has. Of course you already know of Light, the psyco one, Dark, Water and Grass..Me..On record, there is only a few more then just that, but she is still developing her powers, Tom, she may not just stop at those few." Keisei explained gently.
Tom nodded "Fire, Air, Earth... maybe spirit" he said, counting them off on his fingers. "Why is light so frightened of me?" he asked.
"Void, electricity, wind...She is not frightened, but rather very over protective and conscience around men. I fear she will never trust a male for as long as Keisei lives." She explained with a small sigh. "And without all the alter-egos matching, she can not reach her true powers."
"What's void?" Tom asked "And I'll try and get Light to trust men, even if I have to let her attack me time and time again. Though, could you do me a favour?"
"Void, an end element to which anything will be devoured into her features. She is an element with great powers, but we tend to keep her inside because she will most likely suck in the whole school." Keisei looked at Tom and nodded. "Yeah, what is it?"
"Could you inroduce me too the other sides of you? So they dont freak out when they see me for the first time." Tom said.
"Not Void..not Light..but the rest is fine.." Keisei stood up and placed both her palms firmly onto Tom's shoulders and stared in square in the face. "Put your hands onto my shoulders, this is a small greeting..and white flag if you will, the other alter-egos know it well but two never seem to go by it."
Tom nodded, placing his hands on Keisei's shoulders and staring into her eyes. "Now what?" he asked.
Keisei's formed now shifted to a rather peachish color with a tint of blazing red in it. Her eyes changed from pink to a dimmed crimson red, her hair changed from green vines to very bright blood-red tresses that fell over her eyes and shoulders, neck and ack. Her drag now changed to what seemed to be "stripper-type" clothing, very little but enough to cover her most personal spots. Her wings changed from the vines and flowers, sizzling away with blazing wings of inferno. She quickly jerked her head from Tom's face to his hands onto her shoulders, then looked at her own hands on his shoulders. She gave a low growl and took a step back. "So, I take it you're the one that makes Dark horny and Water into a suttle mess..."
"Let me guess, fire?" Tom said, staring at her form "And more than that, I managed to get your plant side to start trusting me." He smiled happily "Nice to meet you fire."
Keisei sighed and removed her hands from Tom's shoulders. "You know, there is an easier way to get us all to start trusting you..and least most of us anyways.."
Tom blinked "Uhhh... what is it?" he asked, slightly nervous.
"You need to keep Keisei close, keep her safe and keep her believing all men aren't pedophiliactic maniacs." This alter-ego seemed to be the brains of the operations that went on with Keisei.
"Trying to do that" Tom said, nodding "I have a feeling light will have the worst time in trusting me."
"Yes, I believe this to be true..I'm going back in now, any advice you need?" Keisei asked kind of offishly.
"Which one is most likely to attack me?" Tom said after very little thought.
"Light, but watch out for both Light and Void." Keisei's wings slowly melted into the usual angel wings as her eyes changed back to blue-green. Her hair, as well, changed back to the black that it normally was and her skin took the normal appearance of an indian female's skin tone. She looked to Tom and backed up a few steps, fear consuming her once more.
Tom stood still, not wanting to scare her "Hello." he said slowly and clearly "Im Tom, I helped you remember?"
"Boys never help, they only hurt me!" Keisei exclaimed, tripping on a small root and falling back onto her butt.
Tom winced slightly, going to help her up but stopping. "Xavier trusts me, he's let me help you" he said, still standing with one arm out streached.
"I don't trust men under the age of thirty." Keisei rubbed one of her palms gently and looked up at tom, scooting back on her butt.
Tom sighed and sat down so he was level with her "I can be older than thirty if you like? It doesn't make a difference to me"
"You'd still have a perverted mind just like the rest of them!" Keisei exclaimed with a bit of force in her voice.
"And you think that goes when you're thirty?" Tom said, still staying calm "And I keep my mind secret."
"At least men at thirty matured." Keisei gave a half glare at Tom, clanching her fingers in the grass tightly.
Dorm Halls
Beastboy sneered at Raven and stuck his tongue out. "I can answer for myself, Raven."
"So answer." Kurt urged with a raised eyebrow. "Can you keep your tongue in your mouth while watching my wife in the danger room?"
"Meep." Beastboy replied and nodded his head
The grounds
For some reason Tom's mind flashed to Logan when she said that, but he shook the thought away. He looked back at her, nothing but trust and slight curiosity in his eyes "Im somewhat matured. I must admit I can be useless at times but Im matured."
"I still won't trust you." Keisei got off of her butt and ran to the doors of the Institute, opening them and running in.
Tom ran after her, going threw some small cracks in the brick work quickly to meet her on the other side. "Please, just let me help you. The others trust me, why wont you?"
"Because I just don't." Keisei said as she backed up once more.
Delaney laughed "Come on then."
Tom took a stepforward slightly "Why did you come here if you didn't want to start trusting people again? Please, you came to us."
"I know..." Keisei said said quietly, notincing she was shivering.
Tom slowly extended a hand, palm upwards to take hers "Please, you have to trust me a little bit in order to let us help you."
Keisei slowly exteneded her shaking hand towards his, placing her dainty hand into his big hand gently.
Tom smiled, taking her hand gently "There, that wasn't too hard was it?"
Keisei just continued to shake in spite of herself, looking down to the ground.
Tom took another small step towards keisei, making sure he didn't frighten her.
Keisei let her arm slowly go down as he stepped towards her, not saying a word. She looked at him, scared a little.
Tom stepped forward again, this time standing right infront of Keisei "Thank you" he said, not moving a muscle.
She tensed and was ready to step back when she heard a loud clatter from outside, jumping forward and gripping to Tom's torso tightly. Keisei gave a small whimper and peeked to a window to see what had happened.
Tom blinked, very surprised at the sudden change of events. He slowly wraped his own arms round keisei, holding her like he was protecting her from whatever made the noise.
A female came walking into the house waving a hand infront of her face and coughing a bit. Hair down to the mid of her back, which was black with white flames going through it, her pierecing emerelad eyes were concealed into their eyelids as they were clenched from coughing. He frame was dainty but her build was stocky and powerful looking. The tank top she was wearing revealed two tattoos on her shoulders that seemed to be of Biohazard signs. Once she fanned the rest of the smokey particles from around her she opened her eyes and waved to Tom hapily. "Hi Tom, remember me?" She asked.
"Zared" Tom said happily, recognising the flame wielding woman "I havent seen you since... Oh yeah they dont know about those days." He trailed off slightly, staring towards where Xavier's room is.
"I believe I ruined the yard, but I'll help fix it up later on today.. I've missed my friends..Oh! Who is this lovely young female, your girlfriend perhaps?" Zared teased as she smiled at the cradled female.
Keisei stopped peeking her eyes out and burried her face in Tom's torso once more.
tom winced slightly at Zared's words "No, this is keisei. She's... a friend." He moved his arms around, wrapping them around Keisei more.
Zared furrowed her brow and leaned back a little bit. "Geez, lighten up kid I was only kidding around." She patted her hands against the air and smiled nervously. "So, how's things been going in the Institute since I've graduated?"
"same old, Magneto, Apocalypse, Jean coming back like a yo-yo" tom said "Oh plus I have a job here."
"Teaching water?" Zared asked smugly. "Well, teaching is alright I suppose...You'll never guess what I've been through since I've left here."
"Underwater actualy" Tom said, trying his best posh voice which sounded rather stupid "And knowing you, doing something for a while messing it up and trying to fix your mistakes afterwards." He looked down at Keisei "You alright down there?" he whispered to her.
Zared squinted her eyes and threw a fireball at Tom, glaring a bit. "I never messed anything up, Thomas!"
Keisei looked up and was ready to respond when she saw the small flying bit fire ready to hit Tom. She flapped her wings and blew the fire out, placing her head back into Tom's torso. She nodded and gave a small sigh.
Tom smiled and held Keisei "It's Tom" he said to Zared, still looking at Keisei.
"Oh, Thomas and Keisei sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Zared exclaimed with a bit of laughter, holding her hand over her mouth as she laughted. "I'm glad you've found somebody to occupy your time Tom. Oh!" She walked over to Tom and pulled him and Keisei into a random room nearby. "I'm gonna tell you about my experiences after I've left!"
Keisei fussed a bit as she was being pulled, remembering what it had been like a few months before. She clung to Tom's torso tightly, seeking protectiong incase something happened.
Tom's torso gave way under Keisei's grip slightly, his chest being compressed more than any normal person's could without breaking ribs. He glared at Zared slightly as he followed her "Alright, what did you do while you were gone?"
Zared pointed over to a chair, gesturing for Tom to sit down. "I promised my friends I wouldn't tell anybody till they said it was okay, and, well, they didn't say so yet but I'm onna tell you anyways."
Keisei stopped clinging so tightly and looked up at Tom. "I'm sorry.." She said quietly.
"It's okay, Im very streachy" Tom said, smiling at Keisei. He sat down on the chair and looked interestedly at Zared "So, what have you been doing that would need so much secrecy."
"Well, after I graduated a few years ago, I was almost immediately offered a job at an experimental facility, a project called Warriors, or something like that needed my powers to function normally. Well, I left a few years after that and started my own super team!" She exclaimed happily.
Keisei rested her head gently back against Tom's chest and shut her eyes.
Tom stroked Keisei's head gently as she rested against him, listening to Zared with a slight frown. "Warrior project? I think I heard of it... wasn't there an escape from there before?"
"Yeah, I think there was. I thought it was actually good that the experiments ecaped..." Zared said sincerely as she looked at the two sitting there. "The people said that they only neede me there to keep the environmental creatures under lock down..I thought it inhumane after I gave it a good thought."
messed it up Tom thought, keeping his face straight "So you just made a little team after that and went about fighting crime?"
"Well, not just like that. I never intended to start a team but after I made a friend of somebody who was in real need it seemed like the duo kept growing." Zared tilted her head and looked at Tom curiously. "Messed what up?"
Damn thought Tom "Uhhh... nothing, just thinking that it happened to you AGAIN. You do something you think is right then 'poof' it turns out it wasn't good at all..."
Zared sighed slightly and placed her hands onto the bed she had sat on just before Tom began to speak. "What else did I do that I thought was right and it messed up?" she asked.
Tom scratched his head slightly embarresed "Nothing, I just kinda noticed how that happened to you at times during school. Putting back stuff that was going to be thrown away, stopping the danger room when you thught it had malfunctioned again..."
"But it did malfunction!" Zared whined as she crossed her arms. "Hey, Tom, why not take Keisei to the danger room and we can sow her teamwork at it's strongest." She suggested.
Keisei gave a content sigh and finally stopped shaking.
Tom smiled "Alright, we'll be there just in time to work with the others aswell. We have some guests here." He said, a slight smirk on his face.
"Hm..Who?" Zared asked with a slight tilt of her head. "Anybody who I might know?"
"Would you be there to keep the monsters away?" Keisei asked Tom quietly, refering to the boys who inhabited the house.
"I'd protect you" Tom said to Keisei. "Just the titans" he said to Zared, wondering if he knew who he was talking about.
"Ah, I've heard of them..thje little green fellow is quite a character." Zared stood up from the bed and walked to the door, opening it slowly. "Well, come on then."
"His name is Beast Boy..." Keisei said gently as she removed herself from Tom and stood up, holding her hand out to him shyly.
Tom smiled and followed Zared, taking Keisei's hand gently and holding it as they walked.
Zared watched as the two of them passed, smiled a bit. "Lead the way mister big shot teacher man!" She mused, poking his back gently.
The Danger Room
Tom sighed and walked to the entrance of the Danger room "Lets wait for the others" he said, stopping and smiling at Keisei.
Keisei sheepishly smiled back, feeling a little bit more comfortable with Tom then what she did when they first started out making eye contact.
"Alright, I guess we will." Zared said as she leaned back against a wall and slid her hands into her pockets slowly.
Stumble!