X-men: The Zen Chronicles (Redheadstemper)

[Hikari_Mamo]

Faye blushed, which made the metal spread over her face faster. "Well, I wouldn't mind a little of both really." She replied lifting her hands to her eye level to look at them. "Would I. . ?" She began. "Would. . . that place turn metal if we. . . you know." She tried to ask as. . . politely as possible.


"Huh. . ." Xavier grunted. "Seems as though Logan's personality is gone." He commented. "Or she'd have just out right told him what she wanted instead of being polite."  

[redheadstemper]

"Ah .. Er ... I think so, yes. Or maybe you could learn to control it. I have never had problems with moving when I am part metal, though, so, if we ... er ... go that far, I do not think there would be a problem" Pietro blushed as he responded.

"Do we want to know what you two are talking about?" Xavier asked. He was rather curious, but he'd long ago learned his lesson on looking into the mind of a teenager who'd just kissed someone. If he was more of a voyeur, it might have been a pleasurable experience, but for him it was confusing and embarrassing, and he didn't find out anything useful at all.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Faye smiled softly. So she could learn to control it too? She turned her eyes to Xavier and grinned. "We're talking about some stuff." She replied with a wink speaking in English. She turned back to Piotr the metal retreating to her lips, like gloss. She took his hand and took him away continuing their conversation in Russian. She wasn't sure how long it would last but she liked bonding with him this way. Maybe find somewhere to snog or something. She wasn't sure she just knew that they could be, soon, more than friends.

"I think I'd call this experiment a success wouldn't you agree professor?" Jean asked with a cheeky smile.  

[redheadstemper]

"What experiment would that be?"

Xavier started in his chair. He had been trying so hard not to hear the two teenagers and the ... activities ... going on elsewhere in the mansion that he hadn't heard or felt Kel walk up behind him.

"We wanted to see if Faye could get skills as well as mutations when she touched someone, and since the only really objective test we could think of would be language, we wanted to find someone who spoke a language she didn't and-"

Kel broke in on Jean's guilty babbling. "So, you two wanted to run an experiment. Did you even think before getting her to touch someone she was attracted to? We realised a bit ago that Logan got a bit of her emotions while she got his, and let me tell you, that was annoying and frustrating. For both of us. But it went away after a bit. My point being, if she touches someone she likes and they respond to her, once she finds this out she'll always doubt the emotions on the part of the other person."

"Oh dear. We hadn't thought that would be part of her mutation. I think we'll have to do a full genetic workup, Jean. We may not be able to figure everything out, but we can recognise projective and receptive in most mutations, as well as some common factors - like elements." He added as an aside to Kel. "You, for example, have the same 'personal manipulation' sequence, as I call it, as Piotr, as well as the 'external manipulation' that Ororo has. Bobby Drake also has both of these, and so I believe that, like you, he will be able to bodily become the element he manipulates, as he extends his control."

"You did run this by Faye, though. Didn't you?" Kel's pointed question was directed at both of them. "And, was that why you were always so convinced I would eventually be able to turn to stone?"

"Yes, it was done with both of their consent. Faye and Piotr were speaking in fluent Russian after their kiss ... how did you know it was Piotr, by the way?"

"We arrived in time to see them leave. You didn't answer my question, X."

"No, I hadn't seen anyone else with that particular sequence before you. I was convinced, as you put it, by the fact that your bones would petrify. After you left, I met some remarkable-"

"Cut the babble, we don't need the SBS doco version, get to the point."

"You share gene sequences with Bobby, Storm and Piotr, one allows you to turn into the element you're linked to, one allows you to manipulate the element at a distance."

"Yeah? What do those sequences say about me, then? Wolverine's interest was piqued.

"There's a set of sequences that-" He broke off at a pointed look from Kel - "a set called the feral mutation - your senses, instincts and healing, and a physical mutation, which I believe means you naturally had claws. The metal isn't natural, though, and the lack of your healing ability combined with the massive weight on your bones is what had you in a coma so long after the Statue of Liberty incident."

"I already knew that, Professor. The claw thing sits better on my mind, though. Always thought they were added on, but then why would I have the muscles to use 'em?"

"Wait, I knew you had amnesia, but you don't even remember anything about your mutation from before this b*****d did whatever to you?"

"Nothing. He kept telling me I went into it willingly, but I can't think why I'd do it, unless I was a completely different person."

Kel started pulling Logan away. "So with your healing, you could be as old as the rocks I play with, huh? But nah, Amnesia means you can't access the memory, not that it won't influence you. Like that Sabretooth you were telling me about, how your instincts just send you kinda mad? he's gotta have done something serious to piss you off in the past. I knew a girl once, she had amnesia, ran into the guy that beat her and left her for dead and she was scared out of her life. She was the same person before and after the beating, just she couldn't remember anything from a couple years before that b*****d attacked her. She got it all back later, but the point is, she didn't remember me, but she still felt like I was a friend. She still acted the same. And when she ran across that guy, she had a panic attack. Luckily, it was near a copper, and the idiot decided to run, which looked sus to the cop, so they took him in and figured it all out."

"So, you reckon he's lying?"

"Nah, just that he's twisting it. Maybe Sabretooth did something, you thought you needed the upgrade, Striker offered it, you said yes. He's a slimy sorta git, so it could be a lot of things, and there's lotsa ways to tell the absolute truth and make it sound like what you want it to."  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Storm listened with a mild sigh. She hated being used as an example, so she left in the hopes of being a. . . block on the new couple. But when she entered the secondary living area she found them snuggling on a couch watching a movie and just being together. Piotr seemed over the moon and Faye had seemed to be able to control the space of skin which turned metal. Her lips seemed to look as if they were coated in a silver lipstick. Her eyes lined silver too like eye liner. Storm had to admit she looked very sexy. She still spoke to him in Russian and it seemed to make his cheeks darken more. "Oi!" Faye cried pulling back her cheeks turning silver. "Not there!" She said. He must have touched her somewhere she wasn't ready for.

"Hey guys!" Storm said picking that moment to burst in. "How's things?" Faye looked over blushing. She looked away for a moment then moved her legs for Storm to sit down. "I'm all right, but Piotr seems to be a closet perv." She teased even starting to get his accent.  

[redheadstemper]

Piotr blushed bright red and withdrew his hands hurriedly.

"A closet perv?" Storm raised an eyebrow. Faye didn't seem to actually be upset, in fact that comment seemed more teasing than accusing. "Anything I should be worrying about, then?"

"I ... er ... " He stammered, before giving up.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Faye giggled and pecked his cheek. Her arms went around him in a hug. "You're so cute!" She teased then turned her gaze to Storm. "Oh no, we were just playing around." She said her cheeks still a little silver. "So, get bored with their technical and slightly incorrect explanations about what's going?" Faye asked. Storm frowned a little shocked.

"Slightly wrong?" She asked. "How is that possible? It was sound."

"Yes, I mean Kel's. I am not that low in self esteem that I get paranoid about whether or not Piotr actually has feelings for me." She explained.

"Oh, I knew that. But I left because I was concerned that you two would try to. . . consummate your affections-"

"Excuse me!!!" Faye shrieked. She ranted a little in Russian before she realized the other had no idea what she was saying. "We aren't there yet! Stop assuming things!"  

[redheadstemper]

Storm frowned. "I was just a little worried since you looked to be getting a little carried away. How did you know what Kel said? I didn't think you'd stayed to listen?"  

[Hikari_Mamo]

"We paused to stopped to snog just outside the rec room for a little bit. We decided to move on before I went back in to hit Kel." Faye explained.

"We interrupt this afternoon movie to bring an important news update." Faye stopped talking and turned up the tv.

"A band of Mutants who call themselves "The brotherhood", have taken arms against the government and have begun efforts to take over the island of Tarani. Their Leader has made a statement claiming that if we do not retreat from the island immediately that he will not be responsible for any and all casualties that comes about from their insurrection."

"My god." Faye breathed watching the tv.

"We have confirmed the number of mutants that have lead the attack to the hundreds of thousands. We have confirmed that the United Nations have pulled back all forces from the island."  

[redheadstemper]

When someone turned the tv up, everyone turned to the screen to see the newscaster. "...any and all casualties..."
Kel turned to Xavier. "Oh hell no. No way in hell am I signing up to your team for this."

"Well, you could stay here and mind the-"

"No. Not again. Do you remember what happened time before last? I'm raising those walls I spent so long building and getting outta here."

"Walls?"

"Yeah Jeannie, thought you'da known already. I got some stone walls put together just under the soil, as close to the mansion as I could get it without destroying anything. It'll block off all the windows, but a time like this? We don't want the kids leaving. You'll have to get the teachers that aren't X-men to do the watching."

"Very well. You do realise that that includes you?"

"Well, yeah, X, but do you really want be sitting around here all stone? Getting soil everywhere and scaring the littlies? 'Cos that's the only way I'll be mobile after I raise the walls."  

[Hikari_Mamo]

"Yes, Why not get Helena and Marcus from PE and Computer Tech to look after them while we figure this stuff out." Jean suggested.

"Why weren't they there when the school was attacked?" Storm growled coming back into the room followed by Faye and Piotr

"They were on family leave." Jean pointed out as if it was obvious. "Didn't you know they were expecting a baby?"

"Obviously not-"

"Hey! Can we come too?" Faye asked with a smile. Then after a pause she frowned. "Where are we going?" She added in a mild amendment.  

[redheadstemper]

Kel glanced at Faye, "Tarani," before looking to Xavier. "But are you going to let them come? Personally I'd prefer my little sis with me, but considering I'll be stone, Logan's got his adamantium bones, can we carry that much weight in the Blackbird?"

"Yes, Kel, we will at the very least need the numbers to hold off any attackers while Jean takes care of any medical problems, so they'll be helpful. And the Blackbird cannot take even your weight in stone, so we will be taking the heavier plane. We won't be able to hide so well, but I think everyone will be too busy watching Tarani to see us leave and return here."

"How does that take off from the grounds, then?" Kel was puzzled, since the reason the Blackbird could take off from under the court was it's light frame and excessive amount of lift.

"It doesn't. You'll have to hold off the stone bones 'til we get you to the air strip in the Blackbird. We'll have to make a couple of trips while you're raising the wall." Xavier's voice was as dry as dust.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Faye's smile turned into a grin. "Oh! I can't wait!" She squealed. "When do we leave? And do I get an awesome suit of my own?" Her own true personality shone through with her excitement. "Hey! Hey Piotr! They said we could go!" She raced around like a plane. Bobby and Rogue stared at her blinking. They turned to Piotr and grinned.
"She's all yours dude." Bobby said to him with a snicker.  

[redheadstemper]

While the Blackbird was ferrying the X-Men - and junior X-Men - to the private strip where Xavier's heavier plane was kept, Kel raised the Rock-and-earth walls around the mansion. It was harder work than Xavier seemed to think, forcing the boulders to stay upright without her constantly holding them there, and she had to use to fill the gaps so that the boulders didn't fall off each other. Then she had to harden the earth so it didn't fall, etc.,etc., and to top it all off, in order to actually go on this mission which she'd somehow been talked into, she had to force her bones to not petrify. Kel knew she wouldn't be able to stop it for too long, but she really didn't want to be getting into the Blackbird, flying to this mysterious airfield, getting into the larger, freight carrying plane, and flying most of the way to Tarani with aching, stony bones. No matter what Storm said about the carrying ability of the plane, having it deal with Piotr, Logan and herself was not a good idea. Piotr would probably be staying flesh-and-blood too.

Kel finished up just as the Blackbird landed to pick up the last of those going on the mission, and rushed to the plane, having already gotten into the leather suit Xavier had given her. Apparently Xavier is still as eternally hopeful as he was a few years ago.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Faye refused to be ferried until it was Piotr's turn. She didn't want to be too far from him. She'd long ago adapted to his power and his personality so her own had returned, but she still had the silver lips. Bobby and Rogue had gone over first giving her strange looks. At first she thought it was just her but then Piotr frowned and asked her. "Why are they giving me dirty looks?" And Faye had to comfort him. She didn't know why they were looking at him funny. Or her. "You're both up." Scott said as the door opened and he ushered them inside. Faye sighed and followed them all in. She had returned to wearing covers from neck to toes because she figured she'd need to be clean and calm and it wouldn't take long for all of Piotr's affects to wear off. She just needed to be careful.