12450/Rumble in the Octagon

Rumble in the Octagon
Date of Scene:	14 November 2020
Location:	Hell's Kitchen, NYC
Synopsis:	Scott and some students find David, an MMA Prodigy and teaches him a few life lessons.
Cast of Characters:	Rattlesnake (Reese), Cannonball, Siphon, Cyclops, Gecko, Red

---

Rattlesnake (Reese) has posed:
    It's called The Paramount, a red brick theater twice as tall and wide as its neighbors on New York Street in Huntington, Long Island. One of those neighborhoods that used to be dirt poor, but its main street's been gentrified by craft breweries and little nighclubs and upscale botique shops. All the poverty's been pushed to the edges of town, so young rich couples can come out on date night, go bar-hopping, and impulse buy themselves a new pair of thousand dollar shades.

     Tonight is no exception, as you can tell by the crowded sidewalks, the narrow streets packed with cars moving at a fraction of the speed of the foot traffic all around them, partygoers looking for toll free parking, a few hundred cars jockeying for maybe a dozen open spots. Bass is bumping hard inside the streetside nightclubs, you can feel it vibrate up through the sidewalk and into the soles of your shoes as you walk by. It makes a good backbeat to the Ubers and taxis honking at each other.

    The Paramount's marqee reads, 'XPLODE FIGHT SERIES 18: SUCKER PUNCH,' in big letters. Just under it, in smaller type, 'MAIN EVENT: MARKSTEIN VS REESE.'

    Xplode Fight Series is one of those middling promotions, no longer holding events in strip club parking lots but far from Bellator or ONE Chamionship, and light years from the UFC. The kind of place where up-and-coming fighters cut their teeth, and old ones get put out to pasture.

    Tickets are 65 bucks a head at the box office. Once inside, you find the theater dark, noisy and crowded; tonight it's set up with a cage right in the center of the venue, with bleachers climbing up and away in concetric rows toward the rafters. The place is about three quarters full, maybe a bit more, and at the moment there are two guys going at it in the cage. Every time someone lands a good strike, or shoots for a takedown, the noise of the crowd surges into a cheer, and when the fighters break away to circle each other, planning their next exchange, the cheering dies down to a dull but energetic hush.

    One fighter shoots for a single leg takedown, and his opponent doesn't sprawl in time. There's a scramble on the ground. The victim of the takedown ends up on top. He slides into side control, drops three hard, sharp hammerfists on the other man's temple, and the poor bastard goes limp, eyes rolling back in their sockets. Luckily the referee is on the ball; the instant he sees it, he shoves the fighter on top aside and waves his arms in the air, signaling that it's all over. TKO.

    The crowd goes wild.

    Our victor circles the cage, his arms in the air, face skyward, brimming over with emotion. If 'Holy shit I did it!' had a face, it's his. Behind him, however, the other fighter hasn't gotten up yet. The ref is crouched over his supine body. He begins to convulse, his eyes still rolled back, foamy saliva beginning to pour from the side of his open mouth. His teammates run into the cage, as does the ring doctor.

    "Ladies and gentlemen we're calling an intermission at this time," booms a voice over the venue's audio system. "We're gonna clear a path for our paramedics here and get this fighter the care he needs. Stay tuned, pay a visit to concessions, we'll be back to the action in a moment."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie seems the Cebro has picked up on a mutant signature with the production. He told Scott about it, and set up a group to go check it out. They seen who was about to come along on the mission/see the show. They had a few tickets, and Sam is driving one of the school's SUVs tot he place. Anyone who wanted to can come along with them.

Siphon has posed:
    Something off school grounds that wasn't a housefire and where the fighting was voluntary and refereed? Tabitha was in for that. The micro-singularity also didn't mind that it might be the same sort of outing that came to visit her a couple months ago. So she grabbed her cloak and joined the caravan. "It'll be a learning experience, I'm sure."

Cyclops has posed:
Having already arrived earlier due to being in the area, Scott Summers did a quick sweep of the area before making his way inside the event. The X-Men's Field Leader is wearing a tight black shirt beneath a black leather jacket, a pair of denim jeans and his wrap-around ruby quartz shades that look sleek and current. He has a style for every event. It may seem weird for him to wear these indoors, but by now, he is used to the stares and the snickers behind his back, or even to his face.

As he makes his way to the front of the stage, he takes a seat and folds his arms over his chest to watch the pair of combatants go back and forth. He is studying each person while casually glacncing down at his mobile-cerebro he has strapped to his wrist. To everyone else, it may look like a new smart watch. He watches the device 'ping' at times, showing that he is 'close' now.

"Sam." He says softly, knowing that their ear piece will pick it up. "I believe I may have found what we're looking for."

Gecko has posed:
     Jade follows along with the group. Occasionally, her hands brush over her clothes or tug them into a new position. She looks like a brand new person than she did before: Hair an artfully styled mess instead of just a mess, clean clothing, and even sneakers. It's incredible what access to showers, laundry machines, and a safe sleeping place can do.

     "Thanks for bringing me along; fights are fun to watch," she says with a relaxed grin.

     The dusty girl steps a little closer to Tabitha when she sees Scott and Sam talking business. Jade asks her, "You ever been to one of these?"

Red has posed:
Alice tagged along with Sam. Partly, because it was a *low danger* mission. Partly because it was a *mission*. And you need to get some of that stuff in to possibly even qualify for any of the teams. Sure, she had some one hour battlefield experience by being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Or was that the other way around?

Anyway, as they pull up with the SUV, she exits, handing out the headsets that she takes out from the glovebox. "Stay in contact." she once more reminds everyone, even if that was Sam's duty, before checkng in on the channels.

"Sam, Tabitha, Jade and Alice at the door."

Rattlesnake (Reese) has posed:
    Some generic music plays over the sound system as the poor guy gets wheeled out of the cage on a stretcher. There's a brief muddle of conversation by the ringside. Eventually the arena goes utterly dark.

    Then the house lights come back on, fully centered on the cage below. One light sweeps over to a walkway, and the music switches to the growl of an electric guitar. Accompanied by his team comes a brawny, barrel-chested man, covered in tattoos. He has a low, simian brow, an anvil-shaped chin, a red mohawk, and a scowl on his face as he stalks toward the cage. The thrash metal tune he marches to would be unintelligible even if it weren't accompanied by the din of a thousand people talking and cheering.

    He stops at the entrance to the cage, where the ref checks his gloves and his coach rubs vaseline over his brow to prevent glove cuts. Then he climbs the short stairs to step into the cage, raising a fist to the crowd as he does a quick lap around it before settling at his corner, crouched like a Silverback gorilla ready to defend his turf.

    The metal cuts off. There's a moment of silence as the house light swings back to the hallway again. Then a jarringly different kind of tune comes on.

    (( the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouCuyQI9pXc ))

    With a bounce in his step, David Reese comes out into the arena with his coach and his buddies all around him. He has a wide smile on his face, and he kind of dances his way toward the cage at times, arms loose and relaxed at his sides. There's an easy way about him, something that makes you think he feels like a kid who's about to sit down and take a test he's sure he knows all the answers to. David stops at the stairs, like the fighter before him, so the ref can inspect his gloves and coach can do his brow and nose with the vaseline, and when it's his turn to enter the cage he does so with a cartweel and front flip that plants him right in the middle of the arena. It earns him a little surge of cheering.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks over to the girls, and says "We are just here to have fun and see what we see. This is just checking out to see if what we have heard is legit." He tells them "Is a night out from the school, relax and watch a fight." Over the com he subvocals "OK taking the girls over towards the right side of the ring, think it is one of the fighters in this fight?" to Scott.

Siphon has posed:
    Tabitha shakes her head at Jade's question. "Nope. No real idea what to expect, either. The Fishing Village That Time Forgot never had anything even close." One hand goes up under her veil to cup her chin thoughtfully. "Unless you count the annual de-barnacling of the fishing boats. Which I do not." She giggles softly then she checks hood, veil, and gauntlets to make sure they're in place and keeping her chalk skin and black eyes concealed.
    Of course because it is all in place her rolled eyes and grin in response to Sam is neatly hidden as well. "Yes, Mister Guthrie. We'll be good."

Cyclops has posed:
"Remember everyone, just act casual. We're not on a mission. We're just here for a meet and greet depending on what we find." Scott says simply from his seat as he flags down a beer from one of the busboys that is selling snacks and drinks. He cracks the top off and takes a long pull as he listens to the music rumbling over the speakers. As the crowd lights up, he leans forward a bit curiously with interest.

He feels his device on his wrist vibe a few times, followed by a message that pings across the screen. He gives a lick of his lips, then clears his throat.

"I think we found our man. Young kid. Just did a few cartwheels in the ring. They have hot dogs by the way if anyone is hungry. First row, east side."

Calm and stoic, the field leader straightens up more to watch the fight while nursing his long necked bottle casually.

Red has posed:
Alice nods as she slides in with the others, paying for some sodas as they pass a seller, handing Tabitha and Jade one each. "Sam, you need to pay for your own beer - they won't sell me before April." she notes as her eyes run over the ring. "How good places e got? I mean, we might wanna get close to the ringside."

To get also within reach for some of the less-ranged powers.

Gecko has posed:
     Jade nods a bit to Tabitha. Her brows furrow and she purses her lips to one side.

     Shortly after that, the eruption of cheering steals Jade's attention. She watches one of the fighters dancing out onto the stage, being a showboat. She offers the display a furrowed brow and small smirk.

     Although, her expression quickly relaxes, and one of her sharp teeth idly gnaws on her lower lip for a moment.

     "Yeah, uh, food sounds good," she says.

     With that, the mutant makes her way toward the hot dog vendor. Jade's green eyes widen when a soda appears in front of her, but she accepts with a big grin.

     "Oh, thanks. Alice," she says.

Rattlesnake (Reese) has posed:
    Both fighters stand ready in their corners, as the announcer steps into the center of the arena.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the Main Event of the evening! This fight is five rounds, in the XFS Lightweight division. When the action begins, the referee in charge of the arena is Dan Miragliotta."

    That would be the bald guy in the black shirt, who looks like he's big enough to lift both fighters off their feet, one in each hand.

    Then the announcer holds his hand out toward the guy with the mohawk and all the tattoos. "Introducing first, FIGHTING out of the blue corner, a wrestler, holding a professional record of ten wins, seven losses, one no contest. He stands six feet tall, weighing in at one hundred fifty five pounds, fighting out of Des Moines Iowa, PRESENTING, the number three ranked Lightweight contender in the woooorld! NATHAN "THE MAULER" MARKSTEIN!"

    "Bro, this guy Markstein has been talking -so- much shit," says a dude near you, in a drunkenly loud tone of voice. "Like for the last six weeks solid bro. Non stop. Just fuckin laying into this poor kid on twitter and shit."

    "Yea he's too green," says his buddy, nodding as he sips on his fifteen dollar beer. "I mean Reese is good and all but Markstein's gonna eat him alive. No question. He's bigger. Taller. Older. More experienced. This shit's gonna be one sided."

    "And now introducing his opponent," says the announcer. "FIGHTING out of the red corner, a Muay Thai fighter, holding a professional record of three wins, no losses. He stands five feet, eleven inches tall. Weighing in at one hundred fourty seven pounds, FIGHTING out of Phoenix, Arizona, PRESENTING, the number ten Lightweight contender in the woooorld! DAVID "RATTLESNAKE" REESE!"

    David grins and blows kisses to his fans, while his opponent glowers at him from across the cage.

    The referee steps forward next, calling both fighters into the center of the cage with him. "Gentlemen I want a good clean fight," he says. "Obey my commands at all times, protect yourselves at all times. Touch gloves now if you want to."

    David holds his fists up to touch. His opponent glares at him and backs off to his corner. It makes David smirk, roll his eyes and do the same.

    Then the referee steps back to a neutral corner, and points at David. "You ready to fight?"

    David smiles and nods, his guards already up.

    "You ready to fight?" He asks Nathan Markstein, who nods grimly.

    The ref nods, and makes a chopping gesture at the center of the arena. "Let's go to work!"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will pay for the girls food and motions them all to their seats as the fight starts. He just gets a soda himself, while Sam can and does drink on occasion he is not used to it enough when he is responsible for students. He looks over to the girls, and says "MMA can be an interesting thing to watch is closer to a real fight but there are still rules that ya supposed to follow, that makes it different than a real fight." He make sure the girls are on the inside of the row, taking the end seat.

Siphon has posed:
    "Thanks, Alice!" Tabitha accepts the offered soda. The hot dogs look tempting, but she hasn't really tried working out the logistics eating around the veil. While it might not look as if she's paying the ring any attention as they head around to join Scott, she's using the time to further practice the all-around sensory input of her aura.

    "I'll happily postpone getting into any more real fights, thank you. One battle around a housefire and sim sessions in the DR are quite enough for now." She settles into a seat and sips on her soda. Straws are one of her favorite inventions. "Besides, all I really know about fighting is that so far there's only one type of thing I can't just stand there and take."

Cyclops has posed:
Having found himself some popcorn, Scott quietly eats as he watches the fight intently from behind his glasses. He gives a casual glance over his shoulder to the kids talking about the fight before they train once more on the octagon.

Sip. Munch. Sip. Munch.

"Remember, students. Betting on these events are illegal."

Gecko has posed:
     Jade hops over to the vendor and buys a few hot dogs with hot sauce instead of mustard and ketchup.

     When Scott speaks, the tomboy is holding her little paper plate with two fingers and her drink with the rest. Her free hand is digging some money out of her wallet. She looks frozen in place for a second, then dejectedly starts pushing her money back into her pocket.

Red has posed:
"No problem. We're here to have fun." Alice answers to Jade as she slips into her seat, then stands up a moment before settling back in, frowling a little as she couldn't possibly adjust the seat without drawing attention.

"Well, as close MMA comes it, I think that some fights might be staged. I mean, like Wrestling. All staged and pre-written."

"Well, First rule of fighting: Don't get hit. Second rule of fighting: Don't get hit. And then there's the question if you are stageing it, because then the rule is: Follow the choreograpy."

"Even if we bet on who pays for the popcorn we are going to get anyway, Mr. Summers? You're no fun!"

Rattlesnake (Reese) has posed:
    David edges toward the center of the cage. Markstein "The Mauler" has a different idea; he charges, running full-out with his shoulder lowered for a takedown. But David sees it coming from a mile away, and just before the brutish fighter's shoulder spears into his gut, he twists away like a matador.

    Markstein bounces off the cage, grunting in frustration. David grins wide and claps for him, sending a ripple of laughter through the crowd.

    It is now, perhaps, that the attentive observer will notice what's so special about David Reese. This is an eighteen year old, with maybe twenty fights total inculding amateur hour, and he's moving like the demon lovechild of Bruce Lee and Floyd Mayweather. To say he's an elusive target is a comical understatement. No matter what Markstein does in the first round, no matter how fast and aggressive he is, his punches and kicks hit nothing but a tight guard, or air. The kid always guesses right. It's like he's reading the other guy's mind.

    It's... Uncanny.

    Over the course of the round, three of Markstein's four takedown attempts are stuffed. The fourth succeeds, but "Rattlesnake," true to his moniker, turns the table and ensnares the larger man in his suffocating coils. You hear a 'clack clack clack' by the ringside, signaling ten seconds left in the round. Good news for Markstein, because at the moment he's on his back in a rear naked choke. And David has both hooks in, deep. Five seconds till the bell. Markstein's face begins to redden. Four. Three. Two...

    -DING-

    The bell rings to end round one, at which point David lets his opponent go and bounces to his feet, a big smile on his face as he mozies over to his corner. Markstein is a little slower to rise, choking for air a moment before he plods to his corner sullenly.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will watch the fight and hmms as David does not get hit at all. He calmly says into the subvocal. "Telepath, maybe limited precog?" He asks on guess for the young man's powers. He looks over to the girls "If you want to bet on the fight, bet with chores or something that aint cash. That way you get to gloat a bit if you win, but if you do don't be too much of an ass about it." He smiles over to the girls.

Siphon has posed:
    Tabitha chuckles at Alice's rules of combat. "Well in my case, getting hit is the point but I take your meaning." She catches Jade's aborted cash dig from the corner of her aura (does an amorphous non-specific energy mass have corners). She stands back up and moves to Jade's side where the hand was reaching for snack monney. Then using her cloak to mostly hide the movement slips some of her own small cash supply far enough for Jade to feel it. She doesn't say anything, just gives Jade enough time to accept or not then slips back into her seat to sip at her soda more. "I think any wagering would be nothing but sucker's bets at tthis point."

Cyclops has posed:
"It's what Jean was thinking."

Scott takes another bite of popcorn as he continues to watch, shifting his eyes left to right as he watched the pair fight.

"Or maybe he's just that good. He seems to be one step ahead each time. He's cocky though. I'm going to enjoy watching Logan break him during fifth periods."

He pops another handful of popcorn in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. His lips give a faint twitch upwards before smoothing back out just as swift.

Gecko has posed:
     Jade grins widely from Samuel's idea. "Well, after that first round, is anyone even going to bet against that guy? I didn't even see the other guy land a hit."

     A strange sensation causes Jade to blink and turn until she's looking down at Tabitha. It takes a moment for her to process what's happening. When she finally does, she blushes hard with a weak grin.

     "Oh no, that money was for wagering, not food. But I appreciate it a lot," she whispers.

     With that, she shifts her snacks around and begins munching on one of the hotdogs on her paper plate. Each bite flashes a few sharp teeth slightly midway from the normal front ones.

Red has posed:
"You mean Mr. Howlett? I havn't seen him teach any class ever..." Alice remarks back to Scott, shuffling back as Tabitha and Jade exchanged something.

"Well, if the ratios shift enough, I might want to bet a dollar upon him riping his clothes. But I don't think any bookie would pick be up on that one. They really should have more creative bets than who wins."

Rattlesnake (Reese) has posed:
    Rounds two and three are more of the same. David Reese, barely a legal adult, makes Nathan Markstein look like it's his first day in the gym. Nevermind the fact that this man is ten years older than his opponent, with a much longer resume. It would be easy to be embarrassed for him. Especially when David taunts; dropping his hands, sticking his face out, etc. At one point he floors Markstein with a kick to the neck. But instead of diving down to pound him on the mat, he stops and does the robot.

    David Reese is having a great time.

    You might say this kid is showboating too much. Playing with his food. Being disrespectful. But what he's really doing is playing to his namesake.

    "Every part of the Thai is blessed with venom," said the king of Burma, a long time ago. David heard that story once and it made an impression on him. He also knows the Pima Indian story of how the rattlesnake got his fangs, and the parallel means something to him. It means he waits. Watches. Fools around, but is ever vigilant. And when the extraordinary moment comes, the Rattlesnake bites.

    Markstein habitually lowers his right hand when he throws his outside left hook. David's seen him do it a few times now. When the next one comes he rolls underneath it, and slaps three hard body shots across the larger man's midsection, followed by a hook to the head that visibly rocks him. Markstein backpedals and David streaks forward in pursuit, catching him with a front kick that bounces Markstein off the cage.

    And into a flying knee.

    You can hear the crack of knee on jaw, all the way up in the cheap seats. Markstein hits the deck so hard the cage shakes. Eyes closed. Mouth open. Arms sprawled out to his sides.

    The crowd. Goes. Wild.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie hmms and frowns a bit as he watches this while others man enjoy it, Sam's face stays closer to scowl than smile. He hmms and says "Depending on the power he maybe able to stand up for a bit." He says of the fight and Logan "Seems he showboats a little much, know have to some for the audience, but I don't know about this much." He sips his drink, and does take a moment to scan the rest of the crowd.

Siphon has posed:
    Tabitha nods her understanding to Jade and continues to watch the fight as well as pretty much everything around her at the same time. She's never been around even a percent of this many people all at once. She thought it would get chaotic due to her aura and visually it is. But all the voices and sounds around her aren't blending together. To her mind they're all very cleanly separated. It's like how she could hear every individual voice in the school choir or instrument in the band as a separate entity.

    Outside of her cloak she just keeps slowly sipping away at her soda and quietly watching the fight. Inside it she's rubbing at her temple with her free hand trying to tune out the audio hurricane.

Cyclops has posed:
"You're not in high school, Alice."

Scott puts some more popcorn in his mouth as the crowd erupts around him, cheering for the winner of the fight. His expression is stony and compressed as always. He peeks down into his empty box of popcorn, then places it down beneath the chair as he rises upwards.

"We can talk to him after all of this."

Gecko has posed:
     Jade move back over to Alice sipping on her straw as David does the robot. It makes her laugh through her nose quietly.

     "What a dick," giggles Jade.

     She shrugs when she hears Samuel and takes another few bites of her hotdog. It makes Jade look like a chipmunk while chewing with her mouth closed.

     "It's probably to psyche out his opponent, get them tilted. Off-balance. Then they make mistakes," she says.

     Every few moments, the tomboy looks over at Tabitha curiously as the girl rubs her temples. Eventually, she leans over and softly asks, "You alright, shorty?

Red has posed:
Alice chuckles at Scott's answer, nodding some. "Still, the best bets are those that you know you'll win."

"I don't think he's a Dick. Doesn't exactly strike me as someone named Richard or Nixon, Jade."

Rattlesnake (Reese) has posed:
    David's walkout music comes back on a moment later, as he does a victory lap around the cage. He's smiling, but it's not the kind of smile you'd expect from someone who was just in a cage fight. More of a 'Oh, cool, you're all still here, right on!' There isn't a single cut or bruise on him.

    The referee corrals David into the center of the cage after a minute or two, taking his wrist as the announcer steps up behind them. "Ladies and gentlemen, the referee has called a stop to this contest at two minutes, forty three seconds into round number three, declaring the winner, by KNOCKOUT--" the ref hoists David's hand into the air. "DAVID "RATTLESNAKE" REEEEESE!"

     The ref steps back as a fresh round of cheering erupts in the audience, and the announcer is there to take his place, a genial smile on his face as he speaks into the mic.

    "Well young man, you certainly put on a clinic in MMA skills tonight. Did everything go according to plan?"

    "Yea dude!" says David, as he leans toward the mic with a dumb smile on his face. "I just do what I do, you know?" He has a youthful voice, an odd blend of a boyish tenor and a manly baritone. A little goofy, but in an endearing way.

    "Any words for the audience?"

    "Ah yeah, I'd like to thank everyone that came out tonite to see me fight, and big thanks to my coach AJ and all my dudes and dudettes at MMA Lab in Phoenix. My ma couldn't make it out to New York unfortunately so hi mom! I did it again, ha!" he waves enthusiastically at the camera, grinning from ear to ear.

    "Mr. Reese, this win should move you up in the rankings significantly. Any words for your future opponents?"

    David chuckles and shrugs his rangy shoulders. "Whatever man I'll fight anyone, keep setting em up I'll keep knockin em down," he shadowboxes at the camera, finishes with a left cross that almost hits the lens. "POW, hah."

The announcer has a few more things to say, but by now most of the crowd is tossing their trash and filing out of the venue. Down in the cage they're packing it in, and those who are watching will see David and his team do a group hug, talk animatedly amongst themselves for a minute or two, before heading back into the tunnel to the backstage area.

Siphon has posed:
    Tabitha has no trouble hearing Jade's question in the sea of equally coherent sounds. The hood and veil shift as she turns her head in Jade's direction, then the cloak shifts as she shrugs. "It's just really loud in here. And I really, truly never needed to hear some of what people are saying or doing." She shrugs once more as the post-fight interview takes place.

    "Only way I know to make it quiet would be a bad thing to do in the interests of keeping us low key." She tries to sit up a bit straighter, but the movement is a bit hindered by her feet not reaching the floor. "I think I'll need some asperin later, but I'll be ok."

Cyclops has posed:
"If you are not feeling okay Miss Barr, you and the others can wait for me outside. I will not be long." Scott says through the earpiece as he rises upwards to take one last pull of his beer. He puts it in the empty popcorn bucket, then places it in the trash as he starts down the tunnel slowly, sliding his hands into the front pockets of his jacket.

He picks up the step a bit, clearing his throat as he calls out. "Mister Reese! May I have a word with you?"

His voice is confident, but he takes the edge off the authoritative tone that he normally would use with his fellow X-Men. His chin lifts in an upward jerk, the type of 'sup' that the male species communicate by. A bro hello.

Gecko has posed:
     Jade nods a little with furrowed brows. She chews at the inside of her cheek, then with a grin, she says, "I probably got some in my backpack; I got a whole pharmacy in there."

     She stands up with her trash and soda, following Scott for a second. Her green eyes fix on David; he might make eye contact for a moment just long enough that he sees her pupils shift into reptilian slits before returning to normal. With that, she heads off and throws her trash away, and returns to the other girls.

Rattlesnake (Reese) has posed:
    David walks down the hallway toward the backstage area, at the center of a cluster of six people wearing black MMA LAB hoodies. He's donned one as well, and is walking almost shoulder to shoulder with a black gentleman about a head taller than him. He's wearing a crisp white baseball cap.

    Cyclops calls out behind them, and they all turn at the same time. The man in the white hat blinks, cocks his head to the side a little, like he recognizes the man approaching them but hasn't placed it yet.

    David raises an eyebrow at him. "You know this guy AJ?"

    "Uh... I think that's Cyclops, my dude."

    "Cyclops? The X-Men Cyclops?"

    He nods.

    Both of David's eyebrows rise then, and he looks back at Scott. He also notices the fuckin -cute- girl with the bright green eyes behind him, before she scampers away. Damn.

    "What's up?" he calls out, tentatively.

Red has posed:
Alice follows Scott with the eyes as he walzes up to David. "If you need something to chew Tabitha, I think I got some chewing gum. Can help with headache."

Cyclops has posed:
Sliding his hand out of his pocket, Scott has a package of gum. He eases a piece out and unwraps the tinfoil, then puts it into his mouth for a few chews. Then, he holds it out towards him, giving it a slight wiggle left to right in an offering.

"Impressive fight out there. Could have done a lot less showboating. Makes you look like a real jackass out there, even if he 'was' talking shit on you for the last few weeks on the Internet."

As he chews, his eyes hidden behind his ruby wrap-arounds would be terribly hard to read. His face and tone is stoic.

"I'm thinking of a number between one and five hundred. You have ten seconds to tell me what it is .. starting now."

His hand continues to hold out the package of gum as he stares at him with a slight tilt of his head.

<< Three hundred and twelve. >> He thinks to himself, loudly. He's practically yelling the number in his head.

Siphon has posed:
    "If you do, Jade, I will love you for at least a week." Tabitha's own voice is clear despite keeping it at a low volume. She watches Scott go over to speak to the fighter, trying to push other sounds away by focusing on just those she came with. It works about as well as she expected.

    Alice's offer gets a shrug then a nod. "I'm willing to try anything at this point. Anything except that one thing, anyway." She chuckles softly for a moment. "Might've been a mistake leaving the quiet of the school. Funny side note: Did you know that the body heat of an arena full of people tastes like apples? I would not have guessed that and wish I didn't know now."

Rattlesnake (Reese) has posed:
    So here's the one and only Cyclops, praising David on a fight well fought. He grins from ear to ear when the hero chastises him for his showboating, partly from embarrassment, partly because, well, he loves that shit.

    He takes a step forward to accept a slice of gum. "I gotta put on a show, you know?" he says, shrugging as he unwraps it and pops it in his mouth.

    The bit about guessing a number leaves him plainly, sincerely confused. Like AJ did a moment ago, he cocks his head to the side a little, blinking. The seconds count down.

    "Wh-what?" he stammers, somewhere around second ten.

Cyclops has posed:
"What was the number I was thinking about? The ten seconds are up."

Scott asks again as he puts the gum away in his pocket. He is so casual about this as he speaks, giving a glance down towards his wrist, then back towards him.

"I was practically screaming it at you. Did you hear it?"

Rattlesnake (Reese) has posed:
    David looks at Cyclops like he's from another planet. As does the rest of his crew, caught between a sudden celebrity encounter and his bizarre request.

    "I got no idea dude," he says, slowly. "I didn't hear you say anything at all."

    His eyes dart to Scott's smart watch, in the instant after the man glances at it. Huh. Sup with that.

Red has posed:
Alice searches her pockets, handing Tabitha the chewing gum. Double mint strips. "Helps for a little, but not forever. It's like... taking away the pain as you chew it away. For a while. But if you have proper pain... nope, that can't be fixed that way."

Cyclops has posed:
"Mmm."

Scott murmurs to himself in thought as he glances back up at him to study him.

"I didn't say it out loud, I was saying it in my head. I was just testing out a theory, that's all. Let me ask you something, when did you find out that you were such a gifted fighter?"

Gecko has posed:
     Jade talks to Samuel for a second about getting keys to the van for medicine. After that, she's jogging down to the exit and out of the arena area.

     A minute later, jade returns with her backpack. As she approaches Tabitha, she's holding it up like a hunting trophy with a grin. The zipper roughly opens up, and Jade rummages around through dozens of prescription bottles. Her hand comes back out with a bottle of Excedrin. The lid comes off, and she offers two pour out a couple of pills for Tabitha.

     There's a big grin on Jade's face the entire while, like she's feeling good just being able to help.

     "Here you go, shortie. This stuff always gets rid of my migraines," she says.

     "If that's not enough, let me know; I got some other stuff."

Rattlesnake (Reese) has posed:
    "Since his very first amateur fight," says AJ, with a smug smile. He gives David a glance. "You were fifteen right?"

    David looks up at him, grinning and shaking his head. "Nah man I was fourteen."

    David gives Cyclops a curious look for a moment, like he's wondering where this line of questioning is going to go. "I can't explain it my man, I got in that ring and everything just--" he holds up his arms, hooks the index fingers of his right and left hands together. "CLICKED. Nobody's been able to touch me since."

Cyclops has posed:
"That's interesting to hear. You just woke up one day and was the best fighter in the ring."

Scott says as he shifts his jaw in thought, then gives a jerk of his head back down the tunnel.

"I'm curious about something. Come on. Let's spar."

He turns and starts back down the tunnel towards the octagon, giving a roll of his shoulders as he slides off his leather jacket and into his hands.

"Unless you're tired!" He calls over his shoulder, his lips giving another twitch of a grin for a brief moment.

Rattlesnake (Reese) has posed:
    Woah.

    I'm gonna spar with CYCLOPS.

    FUCK. YES. FUCK YES.

    You can see the stunned elation on David's face as Cyclops saunters toward the cage. His mates wear similar expressions, all ecept AJ, who looks on with something like worry in his eyes. But he's too late to stop David, who's already jogging back to the arena with a big grin on his face, and a spring in his stride to match.

Do his teammates follow? Do they wanna see this? -Hell- yeah.

Siphon has posed:
    Tabitha figures that the coast is clear enough and raises her copper lace veil to accept the offered gum. "Thanks, Alice." She starts to chew while waiting patiently for Jade's returns. Her chalk white skin is flushed (which is extra visible from contrast) and her forehead and the corners of her solid black eyes are crinkled.

    When Jade returns and offers the Excedrin she accepts and bites the pills before washing them down with the last of her soda. She gives the two girls a slightly weak smile. "Loving you both for at least a week. Thank you."

Cyclops has posed:
As he places his jacket down on the back of a chair, Scott hops up the few steps that leads to the ring and steps inside. He doesn't need a walk-out song, but if he did, it would probably be something from Journey, or AC/DC. He gives a few cracks of his neck, then steps out of his sneakers. He picks them up and puts them off to the side, away from any blood stains that may be on the floor still, followed by a peeling off of his shirt.

The Field Leader's body is an 'example' of hardwork and the stories that he's told with it. There are scars along his back and chest. He's a figure of firm, lean muscle. He puts in his time at the gym, even if he is not a physical specimen like his friend Piotr.

"Ready when you are."

Red has posed:
As Jade returns and ruffles through a pharmacy, she goes a little pale. "Jade, that stuff is like a cocktail of Aspirin and Paracetamol, right? Some people can't have Paracetamol. And where did you get all that stuff?" she frantically whispered to her while making sure Tabitha was somewhat covered by bodies.

Rattlesnake (Reese) has posed:
    David bounds back into the cage after Cyclops, looking more energized than when he came out to fight the first time around. There are a few stragglers in the arena, probably. Mostly staff, cleaning up the mess left by the now-absent patrons. But David doesn't care. The crowd got what they paid for.

    He tugs off the hoodie and tosses it over the cage, just as AJ is stepping up to the ringside position he was in during the actual fight.

    "Dude. Be careful," he says, when they're face to face on either side of the cage. "If you get hurt you're on medical suspension, best case scenario."

    David grins at him. "What, you doubting me?"

    He gives his coach a wink, then he pivots and comes to the middle of the arena to touch gloves (or just fists) with Cyclops.

    And it's on.

Gecko has posed:
     Jade gets a lopsided goofy grin on her face and shrugs. "Anytime."

     However, when Alice gets worried, it wipes the smile off her face. Jade furrows her brows as she thinks for a second then says, "Well, Excedrin, you just get at a gas station or a CVS. And yeah, it's aspirin and acetaminophen, and caffeine. Are you allergic to any of those Tabitha?"

     "Well, the rest of it I got from various visits to free clinics when I needed, and you know. You have to save stuff just in case you might not get access to it later. Not like I got it off a black market."

Cyclops has posed:
Giving a nod of his head towards him, Scott Summers gives a short half-bow forward in respect, then shifts his stance. He's literally a guy in bluejeans at this point, but he takes up a ground-to-sky fighting stance that is born from the halls of ninjutsu. He even has that slow bob back and forth with his knees and feet.

He also doesn't attack first.

That's not how they teach fighting at Xavier's. Never throw the first punch. Use your enemy's energy against them. Let them get tired first. That, and you can't read his attack if he's not attacking you.

Siphon has posed:
    "Nope. No allergies. Also I've never sweat, never gotten sick, and never been hurt for more than a few hours." Tabitha shrugs as she leans forward to put her head lower. "Other than the obvious," a gesture is made to her face, "I've always been the picture of health."

    The combo platter of gum, pain meds, and the arena emptying out are doing the trick. The tightness in her face eases and her skin slowly starts returning to its normal healthy(?) palor. She gestures to the cage as Scott and David enter it to spar. "This should be interesting. Don't miss the chance to see our esteemed teacher shirtless."

Rattlesnake (Reese) has posed:
    David knows, immediately, that something is amiss.

    For the last four years he's been on an uninterrupted winning streak. Even he can't explain it. He just knows what happens. He stands across from his foe, begins to circle, makes eye contact for a moment and... Things just click together. He dials in. He knows what they're going to do before they do it. It's a distinct feeling, something he's come to recognize.

    This guy isn't clicking. Dial tone. Please hang up your call and try again later.

    He experiences a momentary flush of panic at this, but he does his best not to show it. It comes out as a brief, wolfish grin.

    Ooh shit. This is gonna be a real fight. Against a -Superhero-

    Better put on a good show.

    Cyclops appears content to wait for a move, so David gives him a few. Starting with a few 1-2's with the hands, followed with sharp kicks that slap against the outside of his leg, precisely inbetween the hip and the knee. Each one comes after a bit of circling and a quick slide into range, and they all hit exactly the same spot.

    Kid's got precision.

Red has posed:
Alice sighs. "Just make sure about pills next time Jade. Like, I wouldn't want anyone with Insulin pens poking at me. Not that I was diabetic, but the idea makes me badly anxiuous."

Then, she gestures to the ring as Colossus starts the fight with the new guy. "Want to look from closer? I have a feeling we ought to look carefully. Learn something."

Cyclops has posed:
As soon as David moves forward and starts the fight, Scott won't throw a single punch. He just focuses on blocking for the moment, followed by evasion. His mind is a blank slate. Like loud, staticy white noise that he has had years of training in keeping a clear mind.

One kick sneaks through and tags him hard on the hip, causing him to stumble back a step. "Nice. Good kick. Aim an inch higher next time."

With a move forward, he throws out a quick combination of punches, except he is thinking about them backwards. Left. Right. Left. But instead, he throws right, left, right. A bit of mental trickery, another assessment test. The punches aren't even thrown hard or fast, but they will be accurate strikes.

Gecko has posed:
     Jade nods to Alice as she zips her bag up. "Alright, alright," she says with a sigh of relief.

     The idea of watching the fight perks Jade up. However, Tabitha's comment about seeing Cyclops shirtless makes Jade blush, and her mouth makes a sort of squiggle shape. The tomboy shrugs it off and bounces over to watch. Her bag falls to the floor at her feet, and she leans up onto her toes against the Arena's edge.

    

Rattlesnake (Reese) has posed:
    Those shots might not be hard, but they have mass behind them. Scott Summers is a -big- motherfucker.

    David shells up against his flurry, protecting his head with his sinewy forearms. A kick comes at him and he fades back. He slowly becomes aware that this guy is doing something to fuzz the signal. He can tell. It doesn't do him any good at all, at the moment, but he's beginning to realize that some high level ninja mind fuckery is taking place here. Which is... Really, really cool.

    He snaps out another jab-cross, fakes a body shot and throws another low kick instead. Right at the place Scott suggested.

    "That's the spot?" He asks, a gamely smile on his face.

Siphon has posed:
    With her head still down by her knees Tabitha makes a vague 'shoo' motion towards the cage. "Go. I can see it all from here, even if it is a bit fuzzy." Says the girl staring at the floor with her eyes closed. She is paying attention as much as the pressure in her mind allows, thinking about how much it would dig into her already busy days to start learning some basic self defense.

Cyclops has posed:
Catching the foot as it is swung at his hip, Scott steps forward and into him quickly, sweeping him off his other foot. The movement is so quick as they push forward, slamming David to his back. As he looms over him, he gives a nod of his head. "That was it. Good kick. You telegraphed the hell out of it."

He steps back and offers his hand for him.

"Okay, we're going to do this again, this time though, I'm going to turn my mind back on so that you can read it. I want to see how this goes."

He taps the side of his skull with his other hand. Tap-Tap.

Rattlesnake (Reese) has posed:
    Catch. Sweep. -CLAP-

    David's back hits the canvas. For a moment he stares up at the house lights, realizing this hasn't happened since he was like, twelve years old. Woah.

    David reaches out and locks hands with Scott for a second, letting him pull him to his feet. There's a sheepish grin on his face. "You're doing some kinda like," he chuckles. "Some kung fu mind control stuff man. That's pretty dope."

    He doesn't seem too upset about this, it may be noted.

    His eyebrows rise when the hero tells him he's switching off whatever technique he was employing that first round. And his answer is a slow nod, as he raises his guard and begins to circle again.

Red has posed:
Alice stretches down to pick up the bag and makes sure to lean it against jade's leg so she'd notice if it was attempted to be stolen before focussing on the fight.

"Well, his chest isn't bad, but I think old man Schwarzenegger had better defined muscles in Conan. Well, that was back in 82, and the ages were not kind to that ripped body, but it's still a guide to compare to. Or maybe Sir Connery in his Bonds."

Cyclops has posed:
"Actually, you are. You are a telepath, but your mutant powers are evolving backwards. Most of the time, this starts out with you being able to hear thoughts, read minds, get really bad headaches from psionic overload. Usually the type of skill-set your powers tend to have is more advanced in which you can predict someone's moves within a heartbeat of them thinking it. It's interesting."

Scott circles him as well, holding his hands up as he gives him a firm nod of the head. The static is no longer there, as promised.

He lunges forward, throwing a well timed and skilled punch, followed by a shuffle of quick feet before he throws out a hard snap kick towards his mid section. To most normal people, he would be laying down an ass-beating, but David is not a normal man.

Gecko has posed:
     A glance goes to her own feet before she says, "Oh, thanks."

     Jade fidgets back and forth as Alice goes on about muscles. A vibrant blush spreads to her ears. She shrugs once again while looking between the two men.

     "A-Ah, I wouldn't know," she says awkwardly.

     There's not much more for her to say; it's the sort of conversation she's not used to having with anyone. Jade's hand brushes over her face to tuck some hair behind her ear.

Rattlesnake (Reese) has posed:
    "Wait what?!"

    Cyclops' punch is tapped aside, countered by a swift left hook. Then he circles off the kick and counters it with a kick of his own, his shin slapping crisply across the bigger man's midsection like it aint no thang.

    "What do you mean mutant powers?"

    He takes the initiative in the next exchange. Jab, jab, left uppercut to the jaw. If this makes Cyclops take a step back, it's followed by a front kick center-mass, clearing the way for a big tornado kick aimed for the neck. He doesn't do it full force though. Ninja mind control or no ninja mind control, David doesn't want to piss off a bona-fide superhero.

Cyclops has posed:
As David moves to attack once more, Scott isn't able to keep up with the blows. It seems that the other guy knows what he is about to do, before he does it. Even though he is getting his ass kicked easily by the younger fighter, he is still using this as an assessment of sorts.

The wild spin kick catches Scott across the jaw, causing him to stumble backwards a few steps before he falls back on his ass with a thump. He lifts his hand up to wipe the blood away from his lip, glancing down at it for a moment, before giving a nod of his head.

"Huh. You held back. You could have broke my jaw instead of my pride."

Red has posed:
"Jade, you need more movies. I got some for you once we're home. Oh, Highlander! You got to see highlander."

Alice stretches a little as she cheers a little to Scott. "If you want to tag out, I bet that I can get him to the floor without touching him!"

Rattlesnake (Reese) has posed:
    "Dude," says David, chuckling a little as he comes over to give Cyclops a hand up.

    "Ain't no pride broken here amigo," he says. "You've got some kinda crazy magic..."

    His voice trails off. Right. A few seconds ago this guy was telling him he's a mutant.

    Me? Seriously?

     He shakes his head, clearing away the momentary fog of the thought. Then he directs an intensely curious expression at the hero.

    "... What makes you think I'm," he kind of huffs a laugh out of his nose. "A mutant? For real?"

    Then this girl out on the other side of the cage says she could lay him out without touching him, and the only reply he can come up with at the moment is a goofy grin in her direction. Well, shit. I bet all these people are mutants too, that would make sense.

Siphon has posed:
    Tabitha finally feels like enough pressure has eased that she can stand up. After pulling her veil back into place and wrapping her cloak completely around herself she makes her way down to ringside with the others. To her the contest in the ring is different levels of academic interest. She's known for a while that hot bodies do nothing to or for her, but asthetics must be appreciated. And she's gradually gaining interest in the mechanics and movement of the fighting itself. She can almost see it as music in a way.

Gecko has posed:
     A still flustered Jade grumbles and says, "I've seen Conan; it's a good movie. I meant the other stuff."

     Occasionally, the brunette winces seeing or hearing specific strikes land with meaty noises. However, it seems to relax her as it distracts from other subjects.

     "But yeah, movie night. That sounds fun," she admits.

     The tomboy scoots to make room for Tabitha when she approaches, offering the girl a goofy grin.

     "Hey shorty, feeling better?" she asks softly.

Cyclops has posed:
"We have a device that can locate mutants that we call cerebro. We have a couple of other telepaths that is able to use it to determine what type you are." Scott explains once he is pulled up to his feet. He gives a lick of his bloodied lip to swipe some of it away from his teeth.

"At first we thought maybe you were a pre-cog. As in, someone that can see the future, but what you are doing is something else. You're linking up with someone's mind and you can read their thoughts on a much intimiate manner. You just don't consciously know it, because this partiuclar talent is .." He thinks of the word. "involuntary. Much like blinking. The reason why you could not pick out my movements at first is because I am trained in telepathic shielding. Your power is fairly weak and undeveloped, so it's easy to block you out. You could tell, right? You fell apart. I could see it in your eyes. All that showboating and cartwheeling when out the door the moment your stomach dropped."

"Sucks being normal, huh?" There is a small smile on his lips as he reaches out to pat him on the shoulder. "My name is Scott Summers and I am a representative of a very special school that is designed to train special kids like you. It's called the Xavier's Institute of Higher Learning. A school for mutants."

He gives a motion of his hand towards the trio of girls. "That's Alice, Tabitha and Jade. They're just like you and students at the school."

He tilts the front of his shades down a bit, showing off a hint of red power that glows before he slides them back up the bridge of his nose. "You know what I can do. If you are interested .. we have a spot open for you at the school. Where you can learn to develop your new powers, control them, before they control you, which happens more often than not when it comes to telepaths."

Red has posed:
Alice offers Tabitha a pat on the back before nodding to JAde. "I got like all the best movies, and while Mifune doesn't have the body of a greek god, he is a much better actor. Or Watanabe... I could chew off your ear about how good an actor some are."

When called, she nods up to the cage fighter. "The deal's still open. I think I could end you on the floor without touching you." Why does she think of David in a mermaid-tail?!

Rattlesnake (Reese) has posed:
    This isn't a joke. It doesn't take a mind reader to see that.

    David stares for a moment, wide eyed, mouth hanging open a little. Then he blinks a few times, they way you would if you were waking from a nap or something. This... This explains a lot. It kind of stings a little too. All these wins, they weren't. Well. Could you call them legit? No, no you can't. You're a... You're a -mutant- dude. No shit you're out of their league, duh.

    He glances first at the girls, when Scott mentions them. Then he remembers his team is right behind him, listening in. He turns to see them about as shocked as he is, if not moreso. Especially AJ.

    "I uh..." David swallows. "I gotta make some phone calls, man."

Siphon has posed:
    "A bit, yeah. Thanks again." Tabitha goes to gives Jade a light hip bump. Well, her hip to Jade's knee-ish area in any case. She also smiles at the pat from Alice. And then Scott is making introductions all around and she figures she might as well add her silent extra by raising her veil and pulling back her hood. She gives David a little wave while grinning in 'obvious mutant'. "Hi."

Gecko has posed:
     Jade nods a little with a relaxed, goofy grin. She wraps her hands around the cage and starts swaying back and forth.

     "Hah, okay. I think that Michael Fassbender guy is pretty good," she says.

     The bump to her hit makes her smile shine brighter down to Tabitha. Jade offers a little nod of approval and says, "That's good. Headaches blow."

     However, her attention returns to David as she sees the change in his mood. It's no longer happy hour. Jade frowns and says, "Shit, he didn't even know he's a mutant."

Cyclops has posed:
"I know this is a lot to take in right away. It was for me as well .. except I blew a hole through a steel wall with my eyes when my powers came out. I haven't been able to see color since then." Scott says as he taps his glasses. "They're made of ruby quartz. The only material that can hold them back, otherwise I'd just walk around with lasers firing out of my face twenty-four seven."

There is a bit of humor in his voice as he tries to lighten the mood. "But I know that look on your face. Let me be very clear with you. You are a fighter. A great fighter. Don't de-legitimize any of your efforts, or the time you put into your craft. That guy I saw you fight against? You'd have beat him anyways. He telegraphed every punch from his left side and he was heavy on his feet. He was going to gas out no matter what because you have better cardio and conditioning. If you would have aimed for his knees more, you'd have got him in the second round. You can tell he had surgery on the left leg by the scar that he had. That should have been your primary focus."

See. He's a great teacher. He's even teaching now.

"If you want to call your parents, I'm more than happy to meet with them, or have our Princical, Jean Grey, speak with them."

His eyes level towards AJ and the team for a moment, then gives a glance over towards his friends. "Don't worry about them, they won't even remember this conversation within thirty minutes. So if you want to continue being the greatest fighter in Hell's Kitchen and being a rock star, I won't stop you. This is your life to lead."

Siphon has posed:
    "Neither did I until after Sam came to collect me from the orphanage." Tabitha shrugs at Jade's remark about David. "Thought I was just some freak one-off. Then Shannon enlightened me." She listens to Scott more, interested in how he's breaking down the fight. Then she catches up with the part about David's team not remembering anything in half an hour. Her copper eyebrows make a casual effort to reach orbit and she barely manages to avoid a minor outburst by biting her lip.

Rattlesnake (Reese) has posed:
    Of all the decisions to make, standing in the cage...

    Tabitha says hi to him, and his expression flickers into a lopsided grin for a second as he waves to her. Then it's right back to this conundrum.

    One the one hand dude, you can part ways with these people here and go back to what you were doing. But now you know. You know your advantage. It isn't fair, even if this guy is being nice about it you know it isn't fair man. And besides, he's saying I can train it up? Get -better- at this? Wooh...

    David glances at his team, and when AJ sees the look on the young fighter's face, his own expression dims. Next he looks at Scott, and the girls behind him. That cute one with the cool green eyes. It's an innocent look, but it influences his decision.

    He nods, and looks Scott in the eye. "Yeah man let's do this. I'll call my mom, and my promoter. There's a lot I gotta tell them."

Red has posed:
"Stelios in 300 and Quintus Dias in Centurion? Aesthetically pleasing, Jade."

"I grew up in Brunswick, we had like a whole bunch of us in class." She still doesn't like the word mutant for herself. "Might not have been the obvious type, but it was Kitty that pretty much dragged me to the school. To take college classes."

With a shrug, she taps the cage trice. "So, no match for me? We can postpone that to the school grounds."

Cyclops has posed:
"What you are going to tell them, is that you have a full ride athletic scholarship into a very esteemed school, that will guarantee you a free ride into any four year college you want. That's all you're allowed to tell them. Everything else is a secret for our protection, and for yours .. and your family."

Scott gives him another firm nod of his head, giving his shoulder a squeeze.

With a glance down at his watch, he clears his throat. "Okay, Jean. We're good. See you at home."

AJ and the team will give a few blinks as a blanket, a gentle, warm blanket, passes through their minds. The last few minutes of the conversation was washed away, replaced with something else. The art of a skilled telepath, one of the strongest in the world.

Aj gives a broad grin. "Hey man, congrats! Training for the olympics! I knew you had it in you!"

See. It was only just a dream.

"Time to get you a gold medal in life, David." Scott says in an even tone before he pull his shirt back over his body, followed by reaching for hi sjacket as he slides it on.

"Alice, keep your hands to yourself. Stop trying to show off." There's an air of impatience in his tone.

Gecko has posed:
     It's almost as if Jade senses she's being looked at and glances up, making eye-contact with David. It's a short glance; then, she looks back to the two girls around her chatting.

     "I, uh, had some pretty major changes just happen about a year ago," says Jade with a shrug.

     She bends over and grabs her back and throws it over her shoulder with one last glance to David. A hand tucks her hair behind her ear again when it falls out of place.

     "I'll see you guys back at the van," says Jade before she strides off.

Red has posed:
"I ain't showing off, Mr. Summers. But Welcome on board, David."

Siphon has posed:
    Tabitha watches the effect on David's team, the whole thing making her a bit apprehensive. But she takes the soft cue and casually pulls up her hood and pulls down the veil, once more faceless and wrapped up in the annonymity of the oddly dressed. Which just means 'another person in New York', really. "Same. I'm gonna curl up in the back for the ride home." She heads out just behind Jade, jogging a bit to catch up.

Rattlesnake (Reese) has posed:
    "Y-yeah!" David grins, a little nervously, as his team files into the cage for a hearty round of hi-fives and hugs. It starts to get a bit sentimental. "I'll never forget you guys. You got me here."

    Rattlesnake is kinda misty-eyed, all of a sudden. Huh.

    He fetches his things, being one gym bag, a phone, a wallet, and the keys to the Road Runner. He holds them up and jingles them, giving Scott Summers, his most recent sparring partner, a sheepish grin.

     "I'll follow ya."