Connection (part one)
Five miles from the X Mansion
Her motorcycle roared around the corner, leaving some of the rubber from her tires. She was just pushing 140km/h and could hardly see the trees they were just a blur as she rode past. She was heading to her new 'home'.
'Home, ha. Like I've ever had a "home". This is just a temporary change of scenery.' She thought as she neared the gates.
She had met Professor Xavier just a few days ago, shortly after the little 'incident' that had occurred right smack dab in the middle of New York City. Hey it wasn't her fault that some crack head asshole had attacked a mutant outside of Central Park. And she was just not the type to sit around and watch a human attack one of her fellow mutants.
So she had fought back at the stupid human. And Professor-X had just happened to witness her powers. He had asked her to come back to the mansion with him, and to consider the X-Men. He had thought that she would make a 'valued member of the team.'
Ha. Yeah right. The "team". Whatever. She had nothing better to do though, so she had said yes. So here she was opening the gates to the mansion and entering to her new life.
In the hall outside of the Danger Room
"What do you mean, a "new" member of our team? We have enough already!" exclaimed Logan.
The rest of team nodded along in agreement with Logan, no one really ready to take in a new member to the X-Men.
"Logan, you know very well that we could always use another member. Especially like this one. She's different somehow. She's got absolutely incredible powers. I've never quite seen anything quite like her." Explained the Professor. "So please treat her with respect and make her feel welcome."
"Yeah whatever." Replied Logan, gruffly.
"But what about what you said about her attitude? A bad attitude is not a quality that we value in our X-Men." Warned Beast.
The professor smirked slightly and replied, "Beast, I did not say that she had a bad attitude I merely stated that she could use a slight attitude adjustment. Actually she remind me quite a bit of our very own Logan when her first joined us here."
Logan didn't say anything just grunted and stared at the ground.
At that the door at the end of the hallways burst open and she walked in. The X-Men watched her strut down the hallways towards them, each with a look of surprise upon their faces. None of them really had expected her to come so soon, and what they saw before them was, well pretty different.
She had a confident walk and she strode down the hallways, her shocking red hair falling loosely about her shoulders and her fiery red eyes glinted sharply in the fluorescent lights of the hall. A lit cigar hung out of her mouth as she nonchalantly chewed on the end. Her trench-coat style jacket made of black velvet fell down to her knees. She was wearing snakeskin leather pants and a tight black tank top. Her knee high black suede boots with a 6" heel clicked against the linoleum as she approached the group of gaping X-Men.
"X-Men, I would like you to meet Phoenix."
A few hours later
Phoenix was up in her room, unpacking her things. She was a little unnerved by the events of that afternoon. The way that she didn't exactly feel welcome by the X-Men. All except that one. The one with the blue hair. What was his name again? Oh yeah. Logan. She liked that name. And she had felt his eyes burning through her. She had felt a strange connection to him. And she had a feeling that he felt it too.
She chuckled as she remembered the evil looks that Jean and Jubilee had thrown her when she had made eyes with Logan. She figured that they were just a smidgen jealous.
She felt the need for some action. She had talked about the Danger Room with the professor, and she figured that she'd suit up and go try it out.
She looked down on her bed at the skintight leather suit that lay before her. It had a small X at the collar and zipped up at the front. She had no idea how she was going to breathe while wearing it, but she figured she might as well break it in, knowing what a bitch leather was to break in.
She slipped into it, and went to zip it up. She stopped the zipper midway, exposing her cleavage. Her philosophy was if you got it, flaunt it. And she definitely had it. And hey she might even get the chance to duke it out with Logan. Or so she hoped.
The Control Room
"So Cyke, what do ya think of her?" asked Jean.
"Hmmm? Oh she's fine." Replied Cyclops as he looked up from the Danger Room below where Gambit was in a program with Wolverine.
"Just fine, huh? I saw the way you and the other guys looked at her. Think she's hot stuff huh?"
Cyclops stood up, and took his wife in an embrace while replying, "Don't worry hun, she's just different that's all. And I think that she's more Logan and Remy's type anyway."
Jean's eyes darkened at that last remark. How dare this Phoenix character take away her Logan.
Phoenix walked down the hall to the Danger Room. Just as she was entering, Wolverine and Gambit were just leaving, having worked up quite a sweat.
As she walked by, She felt their gazes follow her as she opened the door. She knew that they were checking her out in her leather suit. It didn't matter to her, she enjoyed male attention. She sure got enough of it.
She turned around and spoke to the guys.
"Any of you guys fancy a go in here?" she asked in her heavy southern accent. She indicated the Danger Room with her thumb.
"Hey I'll take you on Cheri." Replied Remy.
She winked at him and said, "That's nice Gambit but I was thikin maybe your friend would like to try and take me out."
She flashed her winning smile and fired a molten gaze in Wolverine's direction.
Wolverine paused for a moment before replying.
"Why not?" he followed her into the room and yelled up to Cyke, "Why don't we fire up one of the beginner program for our first timer here?" he looked at her with a look of mock sympathy.
"I hope you can take me darlin'."
She was beyond annoyed at his attempt to belittle her.
"I don't think so. Cyke! Fire up your toughest program. I wanna kick some wolf ass!" She smirked at him and walked out to the middle of the room.
He followed, unsure what he was up against. After all he didn't really know what she could do. But judging from her hair and those eyes and the name, that it might have had something to do with fire.
All of a sudden, they were in the middle of a large cavern, with several tunnels leading out. It was dark, and slippery and looked like there were lots of unknown enemies lurking in the shadows.
He looked around for Phoenix, but she was nowhere to be found.
"Looking for me?" she asked with a sweet tone in her voice.
Wolverine unsheathed his claws and looked up in her direction. She was standing on a wide ledge near the top of one of the walls of the cavern. He silently cursed himself for not paying attention to how she had gotten up there.
Meanwhile up in the control room
"Everyone get in here! Phoenix and Wolverine are about to go at it in the Cavern program!" yelled Cyke over the intercom system.
Within minutes every one of the X-Men was gathered in the control room eager to see what Phoenix was capable of. Especially against wolverine, in the Cavern Program and since it was her first go at the Danger Room.
"What's a matter darlin'? Scared?" Wolverine taunted her wanting her to come down.
"Are you sure you're ready for me to come down there?" She asked, a hint of mock sympathy in her voice.
The look he flashed her told her that he had been born ready.
She did an impressive back handspring, side tuck off of the platform and landed in front of him, her eyes burning red, and giant plumes of fire spreading from her feet where she landed up the ceiling and tapering out by the control room window.
'Oh crap.' Thought Wolverine, suddenly wondering if this was gonna be such a walk in the park after all.