Dazzled in Dallas
Disclaimer: "You got me on a technicality." Jirard Khalil, The Completionist.
Chapter 3: Conversations!
A warehouse in Dallas
Inside this warehouse, a group of men were meeting. They were dressed in purple bodysuits with orange armor, gloves, and boots. They had sat at a round wooden table, with cups and several jugs of ice water in the center. They were a local cell of the Watchdogs. A screen was mounted in front of the table. The men were chatting amongst themselves.
"I hope this is quick." One of the Watchdogs said to another, pulling up his glove to reveal a watch. "I have Daisy for the weekend, and I want to take her to that museum today."
"Oh, they managed to repair it already?" The other said. "Damn, that was fast."
"Yeah, and I'm grateful for it." The first Watchdog grunted. "We wouldn't have had to deal with hose monsters if those freaks went away. I swear, they only care about themselves, the selfish pricks."
"That's why we're here, dog-brother Dawson." The other Watchdog smiled. "If there's to be any normalcy in this world, those freaks gotta go down."
"Daisy is a big of Shooting Star, Wilder." Dawson smiled. "Thank God she's actually not one of those freaks."
"Mm." Wilder agreed. "I got kids myself. I joined the Watchdogs for them. I don't want them to grow up in a world where mutants will make their lives hell." Another Watchdog walked into the room. This one had a silver stylized dog's head logo on his helmet, indicating that he was the Pack Leader of this particular Dogpound. At his arrival, the other Watchdogs quieted down and stood at attention.
"Gentlemen." The Pack Leader looked around at his men. All were rapt at attention. "As you all know, the mutie Dazzler is getting ready to perform tonight in our fair city. This blonde freak wants nothing more to poison the minds of our children. And since the so-called authorities in this city allow her to slither into our city like the snake she is, we'll have to deal with her ourselves."
"The threats clearly didn't scare her off." Dawson muttered.
"We have a bigger problem, Pack Leader." Another Watchdog piped up, raising his hand.
"Go ahead, Dog-Brother Collins."
"Well, the thing is..." Collins rubbed the back of his head in concern. "The threats didn't scare the freak off. She got more protection instead."
"What kind of protection?" Pack Leader asked. "We know that race traitor Shooting Star is watching over her."
"Well..." Collins got up from his seat. "May I?" Pack Leader nodded. The Watchdog picked up a remote and pressed a button on the screen. It showed am image of the West Coast Misfits. "As you can see, Pack Leader, she now has the West Coast Misfits protecting her."
"Oh, the West Coast team." Dawson smirked, jabbing Wilder with his elbow. "Ah, we don't have anything to worry about, then. They're pushovers."
"Yeah." Wilder agreed with a chuckle. "They're a joke. Not like the originals. They're real badasses."
"Still, they are Misfits. So we should be worried." Pack Leader warned. "They may be a joke, but still. We should not underestimate them."
"They are a joke, Pack Leader." Wilder insisted. "What have done since they were formed? Their East Coast-based counterparts stopped the Gathering of Twilight."
"Every superteam has had their first adventure at some point." Pack Leader said sagely. "They only have their joke reputation because it's assumed they played no real role in stopping that Gathering thing."
"They didn't do anything." Dawson said. "If they did, those freaks and their Joe masters are being very tight-lipped about it."
"You surprised?" Collins scoffed. "They're military. And we all know the military love their secrets..."
"Indeed." Pack Leader nodded. "But I have prepared for them."
"How?" Collins asked. Pack Leader smirked.
"Wonderful thing about the black market..." Pack Leader waved. A couple other Watchdogs pushed some objects into view, covered by a white tarp. The leader of the Dogpound gripped the tarp in an orange-gloved hand. "You can find the most useful stuff." He pulled the tarp away dramatically, making the Watchdogs gasp.
"Oh ho ho ho!" Dawson giggled in glee. "Look at that stuff!"
"Wow." Collins gaped.
"You know, I know Pack Leader said that he got his stuff from the black market, but I wonder where the black market got that stuff." Wilder whispered to another Watchdog, a man named Harris.
"Smuggled from super-battles, taken from evidence rooms, who knows?" Harris shrugged. He then looked at some of Pack Leader's gifts and winced slightly.
"Something wrong, Harris?" He asked.
"Well, I have to admit something." Harris frowned. "I'm not comfortable with fancy tech like this."
"Are you kidding, man?!" Dawson exclaimed. "Look at this stuff! We'll be able to get that mutie freak for sure with this stuff!"
"It's a new world, my friend." Pack Leader told Harris. "And we Watchdogs must adapt to it."
"Yeah." Dawson agreed with a wide grin. "We're going up against a bunch of freaks. We're going to need some heavier firepower to face them. Who knows what kind of powers they're packing."
"Oh, I do get it, don't get me wrong. It's just...I do not understand all this technology." Harris sighed, shaking his head. The Pack Leader nodded in sympathy.
"Well, don't you worry about that, Harris." The Pack Leader assured. "These things are so simple, even you'll get the hang of them."
"Hope so." Harris shook his head. "I still have trouble understanding my kids' phones."
"Hopefully with this stuff, we can whup some freak ass!" Wilder whooped, pumping his fist.
"Indeed, my friends." The Pack Leader smiled. "We will restore this great nation to its glory. And purging the world of immoral elements like the mutants will do that. Now on to other business. We're all still planning to take on the Pin Pals on Friday night, right?"
"Naw, they haven't finished rebuilding the bowling alley yet." Collins shook his head. "Won't be done for another couple of months."
The American Airlines Center
Shooting Star emerged from the door. She looked over at the West Coast Misfits.
"Alright, she's ready to meet you. Try not to make idiots out of yourselves." Shooting Star said. Although considering I'm dealing with the West Coast Misfits, they'll find a way to do it anyway.
"She means you." Jake growled at Longshot, who only responded with a blink of confusion.
"I think she meant all of us, Jake."
"Unlike you, I can act like a damned professional."
"As the lady said, kids." Flint said. "Be on your best behavior." Jake found himself slightly rolling his eyes at that.
Yeah, good luck with that, Flint. The redheaded dragon-themed mutant grumbled.
"This is going to be fun." Jinx smirked at Theresa, who only nodded.
"I know. I'm so excited, I've never met a pop star in person before." The Irish second-generation mutant concurred, an excited grin on her face. The kids walked inside, and they were agape at the sight.
Alison Blaire. The Dazzler. She was sitting in front of a vanity mirror that had lights surrounding it. She looked at the West Coast Misfits with a smile on her face. She was dressed in a silver-and-pink top and blue jeans. She got up with a smile on her face.
"Hi!" She greeted warmly.
"OHMYGODIT'SSOCOOLTOMEETYOUIAMSUCHAHUGEFAN!" Bart babbled excitedly as he zipped up to Alison, took her hand and started shaking it quickly.
"Uh, thanks, heh heh..." Alison chuckled.
"Bart..." Lady Jaye sighed, gently pulling Bart away from the singer. "We talked about this on the way here." She smiled at Alison. "Sorry about this. Impulse here is a big fan of yours, and he's been excited to meet you for a while."
"Eh, it's alright." Alison reassured with a smile as she waved her hand to get the feeling back into it. "I'm used to it by now."
"God's sake, Bart..." Jake grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. He then noticed Longshot gazing dreamily at Alison. The redhead glared. "Get your head in the damn game!" He whispered harshly, then gave the artificial lifeform a light punch the on the shoulder.
"Ow!" Longshot frowned at Jake, rubbing his shoulder. "What was that for?"
"You were staring at her like a lovestruck moron."
"That didn't mean you had to do that." Longshot pouted.
"Thank you all for coming." Another woman, this one clearly significantly older as indicated by the lines on her face and the gray streaks amongst her black hair. However, they only seemed to enhance her beauty. She wore a dark blue jacket and matching slacks and shoes. She also had on a green blouse, and a pearl necklace around her neck.
"And you are..." Flint asked.
"Isabella Blaire." The elder woman introduced herself.
"She's my grandma." Alison smiled.
"I can see where she gets her looks from." Ace noted. "I imagine in her younger years, she was quite the looker." Jinx rolled her eyes.
"She's some kind of big figure in New York." Shooting Star rolled her eyes. "Like that means a hill of beans here."
"Wait, you're the Bella Blaire!" Lady Jaye realized.
"Guilty as charged, my dear." Bella smiled.
"Who?" Flint asked.
"Don't encourage her." Shooting Star groaned.
"The famous club owner." Lady Jaye explained. "You own the Starlight Club in New York."
Oh, wonderful. Jake rolled his eyes.
"As well as in several other places." Bella explained. "And that's not my only business."
"Grandma was a big figure in New York." Alison explained.
"Was?" Bella jokingly raised a perfectly-maintained eyebrow.
"You know what I mean, Grandma." Alison smiled cutely at her grandmother.
"These are the West Coast Misfits." Lady Jaye introduced, waving at the kids and pointing each of them out. "Jinx, Siryn, Wildstar, Longshot, Impulse..." The javelin-throwing Joe had noticed that Jake had taken up an isolated corner of the room, where he leaned against the wall with arms crossed and head down, like he had fallen asleep or was deep in thought. "...and Red Dragon."
"Pleasant one, ain't he?" Alison grinned, pointing at Jake with her thumb.
"Jake is...moody." Flint explained.
"Moody is an understament." Bart quipped. "He's angry because we got him to leave his cave."
"Shut up, Bart..." Jake grumbled.
"We had to get the bargain basement team because the real team was busy." Shooting Star taunted. Alison blinked at that.
"What is your deal?" She asked the heroine.
"They're a joke." Shooting Star answered.
"You know, we're standing right here." Theresa frowned.
"And look how much I care." Shooting Star smiled at the blonde Irish girl.
"Star, be nice..." Navarro warned.
"You must be quite concerned about your granddaughter if you wanted the Texan authorities to call us in." Flint said to Bella.
"Oh, I take those threats quiet seriously, Mr..."
"Call me Flint, ma'am." The warrant officer smiled as he introduced himself, holding out his hand for a handshake. The club owner smiled and shook his hand.
"Flint, huh? Your parents are nature types?"
"It's codename, ma'am." Flint explained. "It's for security reasons."
"I see." Bella smiled. "Well, I'm sure that my granddaughter will be perfectly safe under the protection of a clearly tough and capable military man like yourself."
"Oh, I'm...glad you have such confidence in us." Flint laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head.
"Grandma, are you flirting with him?" Alison crinkled her nose in disgust.
"Of course not, my dear." Bella smiled. "I'm just paying a compliment to one of our fine fighting men."
"If she is, she should know..." Lady Jaye took Flint's hand. "He's married."
"Thank you..." Flint whispered gratefully at her.
"No problem."
"A shame." Bella shrugged. She then smirked at Lady Jaye. "You are one lucky woman."
"Thank you." Lady Jaye grinned.
"I'm Siryn, but ye can call me Theresa." The Irish girl greeted. "Theresa Rourke-Cassidy."
"Nice to meet you." Alison smiled. "I love your accent. Irish?"
"County Cork."
"Never been there. I did perform in Dublin a month ago. Beautiful city."
"If ye're a fan of archeology, ye'd love County Cork." Theresa said. "Lots of ruins there. Also a good place for birdwatching and whale-watching."
"I see. Is it where the Blarney Stone is?"
"Aye. It's a big tourist trap."
"I wish I got to see it." Alison smiled. "But I had to concentrate on preparing for my show in Dublin, so..."
"I'm sure it'll still be there when ye come around again."
Wildstar walked up to the blonde, and kissed the back of her hand. "Starr. Ace Starr." Ace introduced himself suavely. Alison smirked, and Jinx scowled.
"Think yourself a regular James Bond, huh?"
"Well, I am a bit of a fan of the movies." Ace smirked. "So, there is that."
Pete's sake... The Indian spellcaster groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Wildstar, knock it off." Flint rolled his eyes. Navarro chuckled.
"A bit of a flirt, huh?"
"Yeah. He is." Flint rolled his eyes. "He's quite popular with some of the local girls in town."
"I can imagine." Navarro chuckled. "He has that rocker aura about him."
"He comes from a family of rockers." Flint explained. "His cousins are in the Superstars together."
"I'm Jinx." Jinx smiled at Alison. "Don't mind Wildstar here. He thinks he's some kind of ladies' man."
"Jinx, huh?" Alison blinked. "Don't have a real name, or..."
"It's just Jinx." Jinx explained. "I've just gone by that for a long time." Alison then noticed a scowling Jake leaning against a corner away from the others, his arms crossed.
"What's his story?" She asked.
"Jake Wildfire, aka the Red Dragon." Jinx told her. "He was brought on to the team to protect him and his family, and he and his little brother have been pretty sour about the whole deal."
"So, like Witness Protection?" Alison figured.
"Sort of." Jinx nodded. "They helped infiltrate the Massachusetts Academy."
"That fancy school?" Alison blinked. "I know my father once got an invitation to a tour of that place. I was offered a scholarship there."
A curious Jinx raised an eyebrow. "Really?" Jake scowled.
Should've used her to play spy! Jake mentally grumbled, glaring angrily at Flint.
"Turns out they were kind of a supervillain factory. Bit of a shame, though. The girls were hot." Ace smiled. Jake rolled his eyes.
Of course he'd say that... Jinx tried not to groan.
"They also were royal pains." Jake muttered. The sentence made his mind flash back to his time undercover. It made the redheaded Bostonian shake his head when he thought of Jennifer Stavros, aka the luck-manipulating Roulette. He remembered she would never leave him alone. The Hellions' blonde bombshell had gotten herself a bit of a thing for the draconic mutant. However, Jake was not into blondes, and he constantly tried to get it through her lovestruck head. He then though about the two other friends he and his brother had made there. He hoped they managed to find safety after they fled the Academy. He wanted to find them, but he feared the Joes would never let him do so. Another thing he would never forgive the elite anti-terrorist unit for.
"Seriously, Ace?!" Jinx exclaimed.
"Are ye really surprised at this point?" Theresa asked. "I mean, we both know Ace can have a bit of a one-track mind when it comes to girls."
"Tell me about it." Jinx grumbled as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Alison blinked at that.
Wow. She probably has a thing for lion guy there. She thought.
Longshot quietly and nervously approached Alison, making Jake roll his eyes.
"Uh, um, hi." Longshot waved timidly.
"Oh, hello." Alison greeted. That dude's got some weird hands, only three fingers and a thumb. But he is kind of cute, though... "Longshot, right?" Longshot nodded.
"I-I-I-I'm Shotlong, I mean, Songlhot, I mean! I mean!" Longshot stammered, making Alison giggle.
"Longshot! His name is Longshot!" Jake called out in an annoyed manner. "And he can't keep his head on the damn job!"
"Oh, look who woke up." Ace grinned. "Howdy, Jake!"
"Jake, take it easy!" Jinx tried to calm the redhead.
"He's here to do a job, not try and score a date!" Jake snapped.
"Jake, it's alright. He's knows what he's here to do!"
"Yeah, right!" Jake grumbled, throwing his hands up in the air. "I'm out of here!" He stomped out of the room.
"Yo Jake, we got a job here!" Ace explained.
"Red Dragon, get back here!" Lady Jaye ordered.
"Oh dear..." Bella winced. Navarro groaned and Shooting Star smirked.
"Well, well, well." Shooting Star snickered. "Looks like we got some chaos in the ranks. I bet this never happens among the actual Misfits."
"You'd be surprised, lady." Lady Jaye glared at the blonde cowgirl-themed heroine. Alison looked over at Longshot.
"I'll go find him." Theresa said, pursuing the Bostonian mutant.
"Get him back here."
"Boy, that guy is a regular source of sunshine, ain't he?"
"Jake..." Longshot sighed sadly. "He has...issues."
"I'll say."
"I..." Longshot blushed, making Alison giggle. "Oh, dear..."
Wow. Alison thought. He is kind of cute when he blushes. "So...what's your superpower?"
Longshot took a breath in an attempt to calm himself. It's okay, Longshot. He mentally mumbled to himself. Just imagine yourself performing at one of Mojo's shows... Doing so seemed to help boost his confidence a bit. "Well, I...I...I'm very agile."
"Neat. Show me."
"Not much room, I'm afraid." Longshot smiled.
"Yeah, fair enough. Got any other powers?"
"Well, I can be lucky." Longshot explained. "But there is a price for it."
"Lemme guess, you being lucky makes things unlucky for others or something like that."
"Sort of." Longshot confirmed. "I also have the power of psychometry."
"What's that?"
"When I touch something, I can get psychic impressions from it. Like when I touch a comb, it can tell me if it combed hair recently, and who's hair it combed."
"Oh, that's cool. I can imagine a detective finding that power very handy."
"Indeed." Longshot smiled. Alison giggled. She has a pretty laugh...
He's got a nice smile... Alison noted. Bella Blaire noticed Longshot's hands. She looked at Flint.
"Mr...Flint, right?"
"Yes?" The warrant officer said.
"...what is up with that boy's hands? I do apologize if I am being rude, but my curiosity got the better of me. Is he a mutant?"
"That's perfectly normal for him, Miss Blaire." Flint explained. "He's not a mutant, though. Let's just say he's not from around here."
"Oh, I see." Bella nodded in understanding. "He's from another planet? Like Superman and Starfire?"
"Kind of. Technically." Flint answered. "He's from another dimension."
"Oh." Bella blinked. "Like in Star Trek?"
"Yes, only not evil."
"You sure? He's not wearing a goatee." Bella quipped. Flint rolled his eyes.
"Let's just say you do not ever want to go there." The Joe shuddered. "Trust me on this, Miss Blaire." Meanwhile, Theresa had been hunting down Jake Wildfire. She eventually was successful in locating the dragon-themed mutant.
"Jake! Jake!" Theresa exclaimed as she ran after the redheaded Bostonian mutant, who was stomping down a hall. "Jake!" The mutant known as Red Dragon growled and whirled around at her.
"What do you want, Siryn?!" He snapped in frustration.
"What was that all about?!" The Irish mutant exclaimed. "Ye just losin' yer temper like that! That's so unlike ye!"
Jake growled, and brushed some of his hair out of his face. "My patience has been wearing very thin lately!"
"Jake...I know ye're still angry about bein' on this team. I know ye hate it. But that didn't give ya no right to blow up like that!"
"Well, what rights do I have, then?!" Jake yelled. "I hate being on this damn team! I hate it so much! I hate the Joes, I hate Whithalf, I hate being a damn superhero! I want out!" He roared, and showing surprising strength for his human form, grabbed a box and tossed it down the hall. The action made the Irish girl jump and gasp in fright. Jake breathed heavily and clutched his head. "I'm sorry, it's just...I want to go home."
"Go home?" Theresa blinked. "Back to Boston, right?"
"Yeah." Jake sighed. "I never wanted this, Theresa."
"They said you agreed to help the Joes out when they told ye about the Hellfire Club. If you didn't want to help, why did you and Kyle agree to do it?"
"Well..." He leaned against a wall. "Kyle was all for it. He was a big superhero nut. I wasn't. Never was. But Whithalf said that if I have the power to help others, I should do it."
"So he appealed to your good nature."
"I may not like the idea of being a superhero, but I like bullies even less." Jake growled out. "That's what the Hellfire Club were like to me. A bunch of no-good bullies that needed to be stopped."
"Well, that's good of you."
"I'm sure you know this, but Kyle and I spent time at the Massachusetts Academy, undercover as spies."
"Aye. Ye met Tessa there, and you three ended up working together, right?"
"Yeah, she was spying for the X-Men." Jake recalled. Theresa giggled.
"I heard ye had a bit of a crush on her." Jake blushed a bit at that. "Ye totally did!"
"...shuddup." Jake muttered. "We figured working together would help out both the X-Men and the Misfits, considering they were supposedly on the same side."
"Considering the fights they've had, I wonder that meself. It's a bloody miracle they managed to work together enough to stop those Organization XIII jerks."
"Yeah. And considering the Misfits were stupid enough to keep our existence hidden from the X-Men..."
"Didn't they want to make sure you and Kyle were safe from the Hellfire Club?" Theresa asked. "You know, the less people knew, the safer you two would be?"
"I would like to remind you that there wasn't exactly a small number of people in the base we live at. And the Misfits all knew." Jake snorted. "It wasn't like there was no risk of our being alive leaking out anyway." He shook his head. "God's sake..."
"Jake, have you ever considered that maybe things would not be so bad for ye if ye, well...tired bein' more...optimistic about being a West Coast Misfit?"
"Theresa, what silver lining is there for me being on this team?"
"Well..." The Irish girl smiled. "I can imagine being surrounded by other people your age with superpowers must be nice. I know for me, me own powers manifesting was scary."
"How did your powers come about?"
"During a choir practice session." Theresa explained. "I spent much of my life in private schools. I also sang in the choir. I was singing, and boom, I put out a scream that blew out some windows." Jake sensed there was more to this, but the redhead opted not to press it. "How did your powers come about?"
Jake shrugged in response. "Not so dramatic, really. One day, I woke up and found myself floating above my bed."
"What about the fire breath?"
"My throat was feeling really warm. All the cold drinks in the world didn't help. Then one day, I was practicing flying when..." He held his hands out. "Fwoosh! Spittin' flames. I didn't discover the dragon form until much later." Jake scowled. "I don't like to talk about when I discovered the dragon form."
"I won't push it." Theresa nodded. She then smiled. "Ye know, Jake. This is quite nice, just talkin' to ye. You know, ya should consider opening up to us more often. Maybe ye won't be so miserable."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, ye hardly ever talk to us or hang out with us in any form. Ye do train, but you constantly keep to yerself. Heck, ye don't even eat with us! Aren't ye the least bit lonely?"
"No." Jake said simply. "I have no desire to hang out with you."
"Why?" A confused Theresa asked. "I get that ye don't like being on this team, but don't ye think that you're being a bit unfair?"
"How am I being unfair?" Jake asked. "Theresa, let me remind you of something. You could have turned this down. You got to have a choice. I didn't." He crossed his arms. "You joined this team because you thought this team would be fun."
"Bart and I joined you because you guys needed help at the Gathering." Theresa reminded. "After that whole thing with the hospital..." She sighed. "I felt really guilty. I couldn't save those kids. I could put out screams that can shatter walls, and I couldn't save them. And poor Rahne. I felt so bad for her." Jake thought about the Scottish mutant lycanthrope. He had maybe met her after the Gathering? He neither knew nor remembered. And quite frankly, he really did not care at the moment. "It's just...maybe if I couldn't save them...I could avenge them, ye know?"
"I hear you." Jake nodded in understanding. He had a lot of hatred for the Hellions for what they had done. Shame that the Joes and the Gathering denied him any chance to get vengeance. "But nobody forced you or Bart to join up."
"Based on what you told me, Whithalf didn't force you or Kyle to help him either." Theresa pointed out.
"But he put us on this damned team, and we had no say on it!"
"He probably did plan to put you and Kyle on the Misfits, but maybe because of that whole thing with the Hellfire Club, he had to change them." She blinked at Jake. "That's why I think you're being a bit unfair to the Joes. They had to change their plans to protect ye, and that's not their fault."
"Why should I be fair to them?" Jake sneered. "They never were fair to me or Kyle."
"I think you're letting your bitterness do the thinkin' for ye." Theresa said. "I know ya feel the Joes lied to you, but maybe...maybe you put them on too hard a pedestal."
"Theresa, I never exactly admired them." He looked down at his costume. "I never wanted this."
"I have to admit, Jake..." Theresa took a seat next to the redheaded Bostonian. "I thought it was kind of silly, too. I mean, putting on these colorful costumes, tradin' punches with other people that also wore colorful costumes...a part of me thought it was a bit of lunacy."
"And yet, you still put one on and got into brawls with other people in silly outfits."
"True, that I did." Theresa nodded. "But I came to realize something."
"What?"
"Well..." The Irish girl smiled. "There was more to it than that. I felt like...I was doing some real good. Fightin' at the Gathering, it was scary. But at the same time, I felt like I was helping really save the world."
"You were helping people at Moira's hospital." Jake reminded.
"True, but..." She sighed. "I was nice helping people at the hospital and all. But I kept thinking, 'I had these cool powers, but I don't really get to use 'em'."
"Powers don't make you special, Terry." Jake said. "Just because you have them doesn't mean you need to use them. There are lots of people that manage to do good without any superpowers."
"True, but I think about something Da said to me once."
"What's that?"
She smiled. "He said, 'God doesn't give you things you aren't meant to use'." Jake blinked.
"That sounds like something out of a movie."
"I know, it does sound silly, but..." The Irish girl shuffled in her seat a little bit. "It's what I believe." She smiled at him. "You have to admit, Jake. This is rather nice. Just talking to each other."
"Meh." Jake shrugged. "There's a dark side to that attitude, Theresa. There's no shortage of people that would get drunk on any sort of power. If any of them got superpowers, you can bet they won't act with any sort of restraint."
"I like to think that's a minority." Theresa sighed. "This is definitely the most I've spoken with you since I joined this team."
"Good for you."
"...I like talking with you." The Irish girl smiled. "You should talk to people more often. All I know about you is second-hand. The others say stuff, but they say you never talked much to them. And your brother is either always away, or rather cold towards everyone."
"Yeah, that's Kyle for you." Jake muttered.
"You have to admit, it is nice talking to me."
"If you say so."
Theresa smirked. "You're a stubborn ol' dragon, aren't ye?" Jake rolled his eyes.
"Whatever, Terry."
"Yup, definitely a stubborn old dragon." Theresa grinned. "Being on this team isn't the end of the world. You'll see, Jake. If ye just open yerself up an' let us befriend ye, you'll grow to like it."
"I doubt it."
"Will you give it a try, at least?"
Jake sighed. "I make no promises."
"I'll take it." Theresa smiled as she got up. "Ye want to go back to the others?"
"Ehhh, not right at the moment." Jake admitted. "I want to walk around, check things out."
"Alright." The Irish girl nodded. "I'll head back to the others and tell them I managed to calm ye down. Remember to keep yer Joe-Com on so we can call you if we need you."
"Yeah, thanks." Jake watched Theresa head back to the others. He sighed, got up, and walked off in the opposite direction. Back in the Dazzler's dressing room, Longshot watched Alison talk to the other West Coast Misfits, He had a bit of a dreamy smile on his face.
"Hey, buddy. You alright?" Longshot noticed Ace grinning at him.
"Oh. Hello, Ace." The artificial lifeform answered.
"I see you're pretty sweet on Farrah Fawcett over there." He jerked his thumb at Alison.
"She is very beautiful..." Longshot admitted.
"Considering how bad you were stammering when you tried to talk to her, it's pretty clear the girl's got you loopy." Ace chuckled.
"...I guess." Longshot blinked. "She does have me rather...loopy. I tried to talk to Jake about it, but he was not much help."
"Yeah, I'm not surprised." Ace rolled his eyes. "That old dragon is not the social type. And I don't see him as a skirt-chaser."
"I worry about him." Longshot told the feral mutant. "It's not good to distance yourself from your friends."
"Yeah, but you can't help someone who has no desire to be helped, Longshot." Ace shrugged. "Ball's in Ace's court, really."
"He said you may be able to help me with my...Alison issue." Longshot recalled. "How do I get her to like me?"
"Well, man..." Ace started. "The thing you have to keep in mind is this. If she ain't into ya, you have to let it go. Too many dudes never learn that lesson."
"So...if she is not 'into me'..."
"Just let it go, man." Ace repeated.
"I understand." Longshot nodded. "But what do I do if it turns out she is...into me?"
"Well..." Ace answered. "For one, don't be a jerk. All that will get you is a smack in the mouth. Also, try and develop a genuine interest in her and her interests. Give that a try."
"Uh, okay." Longshot nodded. He glanced at Alison, and took a breath. He slowly approached the blonde as she was talking to her grandmother. She turned and smiled at him, making the artificial lifeform gulp nervously and his heart beat fast.
"Hey there Longshot, right?"
"Uh, yeahyeahyeahyeah." Longshot mumbled nervously, wringing his hands. "Uhm...what do you...uh...like?"
"Me?"
"Y-yeah, yeah."
"Well, I love a good New York pizza, I love to sing." Alison started. She smiled at Longshot. "What're you into?"
"...stunts?"
"Stunts?"
"Yes, I'm a stuntman." Longshot said. "I worked as a stuntman in Mojoworld."
"Oh, like fight scenes in movies and stuff?" Alison asked.
"Yes-yes." Longshot nodded. "I would substitute for stars in stunts that would put them in danger."
"Wow, that's awesome! Did you double for anyone famous?"
"Well...no." Longshot admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "The movies I were in were not released here."
"Ah, the foreign film market. I see." Alison nodded in understanding.
"Yes. The...foreign film market." Longshot repeated awkwardly.
Oh yeah, foreign film market, alright. An overhearing Ace chuckled. Mojoworld can definitely count as foreign.
"Wow. I hope you never got any bad injuries." Alison blinked.
"Nothing I could not heal from." Longshot smiled. "And besides, I can be rather...lucky."
"Lucky, huh? That's helpful."
"Indeed. It's kind of one of my powers." Longshot explained. "My luck power is tied into how I use it. If I use it for selfish means, it can backfire on me."
"Well, that's one way to keep you out of trouble, I guess...heh heh." Alison snickered.
"So, what can you do?"
"My powers are...kinda stupid, really." Alison shrugged. "I can make light effects."
"Light effects?"
Alison nodded. "Yeah. What I can do is basically make pretty light shows." She shrugged. "I think it is really cool. I'm happy with it. I'm not really interested in the whole superhero stuff." Bella Blaire chuckled and glanced at Lady Jaye.
"Looks like my granddaughter has a suitor." She noted.
"I ca only imagine how awkward it will be explaining him to her parents." Lady Jaye sighed.
"Her father, you mean." Bella corrected. "My son Carter. He and I pretty much raised her."
"Wait, Carter Blaire, the lawyer?" Lady Jaye blinked.
"One and the same."
"Where's her mother? Did she pass away?"
Bella scowled in disgust. "Hardly. But she is dead to me."
"What happened?"
"Katherine...abandoned Carter and Alison when she was about three." Bella explained. "She was a singer who put the pursuit of fame over her family. It...had an effect on Carter."
"It did?"
"It embittered him in a way." Bella explained. "My poor boy wanted Alison to follow him into law. Alison is a smart girl, don't get me wrong, but she is a performer at heart."
"I take it Carter is none too happy with Alison being a performer."
"...I think deep down, he fears Alison will abandon him like Katherine did." Bella shook her head. "But I know my little lightengale there. She loves her father. She'll be a better woman than Katherine was."
"Lightengale?" Lady Jaye asked in amusement.
"It's a bit of wordplay on my part." Bella chuckled. "She has powers over light, and she sings like a nightingale."
"...I hope Carter took her news of her mutantcy well."
"Thankfully, yes." Bella nodded. "He's more scared than ever now. People have targeted him because of his lawyer work."
"Oh yes, he's been working on legal cases to help mutants, right?"
"Yes. I raised him well." Bella smiled proudly. "Carter can handle himself. He's a tough New York boy. It's Alison we fear for. The idea that there are people out there who want to harm or hurt her simply because she can create some sparkly effects." She shook her head sadly. "Look at her, Lady Jaye. A sweet girl, yet some only see her as a monster."
"Yeah, it can be unfair." Lady Jaye sighed. "And kids like them ended up saving the world." She noticed Jake walk back in. "Ah, the dragon returns."
"He certainly seems as surly as the dragon traditionally was." Bella chuckled.
"He wasn't always like this." Lady Jaye sighed. "When General Whithalf first met the Wildfire brothers, they were actually nice boys. Jake was rather reserved, and Kyle was loud, but nice boys. However, we had to hide them. We recruited them to go undercover at the Massachusetts Academy."
"The...Massachusetts Academy?" Bella blinked in confusion. "Carter got contacted by them. They claimed to be a school for the gifted."
"It was kind of like Xavier's Institute, but making supervillains." Lady Jaye explained. "They had trained teenage mutants to be agents for the Hellfire Club, a powerful cabal of rich mutants."
Huh. Bella thought as Lady Jaye continued on. I had heard of the Hellfire Club from some of the glitterati and rich types back home in New York, but I had heard it was just a fancy social club where some of its members were able to indulge in some rather...salacious activities. At least, that was the rumors I heard...
"Jake and Kyle posed as students to investigate it. While there, they met another spy there. She was working for Xavier. They decided to pool their resources and work together. We got a lot of information on the Hellions and Hellfire Club from them. However, there was a problem."
"...what kind of problem?"
"Well, they were on the verge of discovering the X-Men's spy. So, to save her, Jake and Kyle revealed themselves. They fought there way out. At the time, we are also forming a new Joe base in Malibu. So, we thought it would be safer for the Wildfire boys if we placed them there. And they did not take it well."
"I see." Bella nodded.
"You are taking this rather well."
"My friend, my granddaughter has a superpower. We live in a world of mutants and magic, aliens and robots, gods and monsters. An evil social club is rather tame."
Lady Jaye chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you got a point there. Anyway, the Wildfire boys felt that we betrayed them, and they've been bitter ever since."
"Why not just let the boys go home?"
"Too dangerous. The Hellfire Club is out there." She sighed as she looked at Jake. "Those two are so bitter, and they only got worse after the Gathering. We did what we did to protect them, but they won't listen."
"Take it from me, Lady Jaye." Bella smiled, patting Lady Jaye's shoulder. "Sometimes the only way a person learns a lesson is the hard way."
Well, well, well. Looks like some new friends are being made! What insanity will happen next? Will romance blossom between Longshot and Dazzler? Will the Watchdogs ruin everything? Will the Red Dragon ever lighten up? Find out in the next chapter!