A new home
Grant seemed skeptical when they first entered the new building; an old factory was not what he pictured as the X-Men base when he first joined up. Aimi was just happy to have a roof for now, her life had been ever changing - never knowing what the next day might bring; she had no idea what stability looked like. They both looked at the Senator shaking hands with Cyclops a few meters from their position. He was saying something about the relief of the number of civilians the X-Men had saved despite the initial losses during the crisis. If that deal hadn't been struck with Magneto, they might have been dead. At least it didn't seem like most of the Brotherhood would have any regrets finishing them off. Of the bunch Pyro seemed to be the friendliest and that was just because he simply didn't care. The governor nodded their way with a faint smile and then left, Cyclops turned to Emma and talked about something they could not hear. Outside however, they could hear a large vehicle arriving. They went to the large front door to see who arrived. In it sat Logan together with a big blue man and Colossus. They all stepped out and waved at them, signaling for them to join up.
"Care to lend a hand?" The blue man said, his voice was deep but controlled, his dialect seemed educated.
Grant went with them; Aimi stood there for a few seconds looking at the stranger, staring was one of her bad habits. "Who are you?" She finally asked making a friendly smile appear on the stranger's face.
"Dr. Henry McCoy, nice to meet you," he rose his hand which she readily shook, even though it was at least five times the size of her own hand. "I'm also known as "beast" though I prefer Hank!" He looked her over and then into her eyes, "you are the new recruit who joined us with this young man," he pointed at Grant whom walked by them with a few boards loaded on each shoulder.
"Yes, my name is Aimi Yoshida, this is Grant Alexander," she replied.
"Yoshida?" He asked and raised an eyebrow. "Was your father's name Shiro?" Nightcrawler summoned beside him and nodded at her.
"Yes, he sent me here just before the rally started. I had just arrived when it all broke loose and the purifiers attacked." She shot a quick glance down at her hands. She clenched them together and had light emitted from them, "and then my powers showed." She finished.
"Yes, Logan and Peter briefed me on you and Mr. Alexander's powers. I am impressed that you both have such complete control in just a few days." He looked to Logan who cocked his head towards the truck which was still heavily loaded with boards, bricks and old furniture. "Ah, what do you say that we discuss this another time and get this work over with? I am sure Cyclops and Emma also want to ask you and Alexander in detail about your powers." He bowed lightly and aided Logan in unloading a refrigerator without damaging it. Grant returned and tugged her shoulder as he passed her; he went for the next job at the back of the truck. She joined him.
Later on most of the mutants were all engaged in some task or other. Pieter, or Colossus, was hammering boards up on holes along the old windows or doorways, using his bare hands to hammer the nails in. Cyclops was concentrating his optic blast into a small ray that he used to clear uneven rubble from holes in the wall, allowing Nightcrawler to fix them with the bricks. Logan had run off somewhere but probably had something important to do since he didn't seem like the type to rat out on even menial tasks.
Aimi herself and Grant had been called downstairs where Emma and Beast sat in some of the rugged, though sturdy, chairs. Cyclops also joined them when he had finished evening the rubble in the last hole. The three seniors sat on one side of a table, signaling for the two youngsters to sit across it from them. They did, and shared a brief look into one another's eyes before both looking over at their elders. Cyclops cleared his throat and started:
"We wanted to talk to you about your powers. I and Emma have seen a bit of it in action a few times, but we are actually a little confused as to how many powers you have." He looked over at Grant. "We have seen you set your enemy aflame like Pyro and tackle with a force only seen with Jugganaut and though your Density Control gives you an enchanted strength there wasn't any indication that it would be something that big the first time we fought together."
Emma took over from him, looking at Aimi. "And your energy projection seemed to change colour and effect as you progressed through the fighting. The first time I fought with you in the sewers they had the natural yellow colour and when you fought wolverine they were enchanted with a strong Psi like power that I have only seen few other mutants use." She inhaled and continued; "also at the battle where Magneto nearly killed you both with the bridge you could almost run as fast as Quicksilver, yet when we had just sent you after Pixie you could fly."
"In short, what are we?" Grant asked with a wry grin, which quickly faded away however, as he saw the serious expressions on the others. He cleared his throat. "Well, I can't really explain it," he stammered and looked to Aimi for aid, though she just seemed amused to see him in pain. "Along the way I just sort of learned my way with what I observed or found data on."
"Yeah," Aimi agreed. "We both took some kind of experience witnessing others, but I can't explain it. Only after we exited San Francisco and Reyes stopped trying to influence us I haven't been able to alter my powers."
"Yeah!" Grant exhaled, "me neither, I'm stuck at what I can do now."
Emma and Cyclops both looked at Hank who had been silent thus far. His fists were tangled together in front of him. He undid the tie and placed his hands flat out on the table. "Well, I guess this is the moment where I'm supposed to make a guess?" He smiled at Cyclops.
"I have no explanation," he returned his smile.
Hank sighed, took a second to think it all over and then looked at them. "I think that even though you are both immune to mind control there might have been some influence brought on you. You were both in contact with Emma constantly, yes?" They both nodded. "And I'm guessing Reyes have been trying, if not constantly, then at least a handful of times to influence you as well. This means that severe psychic influence has been upon you non-stop. This probably made you open towards obtaining knowledge through interaction with other mutants."
"Not just interaction." Aimi said, Grant nodded in agreement.
"What?" Hank looked up from the table and back towards them.
Grant gestured with his hands as he explained, "in that lab underneath Chinatown the U-Men had files on many mutants. We didn't use the serum, but in the database I found files on a guy called Avalache that described his powers and had video footage of him. Since that I was able to form the ground under me and surf along it for increased speed."
"Adrian too," Aimi added, "he found some files on a person called Psylocke and since then he was able to phase in and out in a purplish light and confuse enemies. It went greatly along his own powers and boosted him immensely. At that point I think he was more powerful than both of us."
"Adrian?" Hank asked and looked to the other two seniors.
"He was a kid whose powers activated at the same time as Aimi and Grant. They all worked together, but he ended up joining Magneto." Cyclops explained. His voice wringing a bit in hesitation as he thought of the situation where he had went with their rival.
"Yeah, he actually used to be a purifier, when I first met him I didn't expect for him to change that much." Emma added.
"He hasn't changed," Grant grunted. "He always believed that the world could only change one way, he is just looking at it from the other end of the ball pitch now."
The others weren't sure if Grant said that in defense of Adrian or as blame. He and Adrian had developed a brotherly bond over the few days they worked together and even Aimi wasn't sure if he was mad at him or disappointed. Perhaps both.
"So, what can you do?" Hank asked.
In an instant Aimi turned to Diamond. Emma was a bit startled and scouted over the petite frame now covered in the very same power she used herself. Then Aimi lifted herself off the chair and into the air. Her knuckles started sparkling in a blueish light. "My powers have a boost of static electricity that I was inspired for by Surge's powers. I can fly based on experience with Northstar's similar ability, I can also run quite fast. And I guess you all can see where the armor is from." She turned it all down and sat down, resting her elbow on the table and looking to grant. He nodded and immediately was consumed in flames. His control of matter and density around him formed a rocky armor and increased his fist size enormously. Ice particles formed around the rock on his fists and steam started forming on the border between his enflamed body and ice-encased hands. He slammed a hand to the ground and instantly surfed from their position and to the far side of the room and back, leaving a trail of rubble behind him.
"Pyro and Iceman's powers, plus my ability to influence the ground beneath me from Avalache's files!" He boasted as he turned it down and joined Aimi and the others at the table. A grin spread across his face and he winked at Surge sitting on a couch behind the three senior mutants. She scoffed and shifted her stare back to her magazine.
"Impressive…" Hank muttered then looked to his to fellow mutants on each side of him. "I haven't seen such a power since Rogue, and it seems to be without fault aside from the permanent state."
"Yes and the fact that they are all immune to mind control, Adrian too." Cyclops added. That is extremely handy.
"Indeed, but perhaps we should agree that the interrogation is over for now?" Emma said and looked at them both; they nodded and signaled to the two others that they could leave.
"Adrian." Aimi quickly added as Grant was about to rise from his seat. "Adrian has a few differing powers as well, he didn't just take ideas from Psylocke, he can do other things than phase."
"Oh yeah," Grant added. "He runs extremely fast, he was almost able to as soon as we had saved Quicksilver in the U-Men laboratories. He also teleports, kinda like Nightcrawler though he seems to only be able to when he is attacking a target."
"And his attacks confuse. He can blind any opponent to their allies." Aimi finished.
Cyclops placed his hands on a shoulder of each of the youngsters. "Thank you. But you do not have to worry about fighting Adrian at the moment. At least I hope not."
"Now, how about I make a good chili?" Forge added as he joined the assembled mutants.
"Ah, the master-cook himself." Beast hummed with his deep voice and embraced the much less fuzzy man.
The day had turned evening and would soon be night, as the mutants finally got to celebrate a quiet breather in the midst of what might very well just be the eye of the hurricane.
