CHAPTER 4

Robin sat up with her head spinning from the blow she had just received from a mechanical arm which had sacked her in her stomach and sent her flying into a wall. The Danger Room? Robin thought as she slowly got to her feet, who the hell invented this thing? Then again she should be blaming Amara who was supposed to be covering her while she tried to disable the system.

She was standing near to the cute Puerto Rican, Roberto Da Costa code named Sunspot, and making flirty eyes at him as he held off a giant wall from crushing them.

"Amara!" Robin shouted, storming over to her, stepping onto moving projectiles and jumping over spikes so she could get closer to her. "You were supposed to be covering me while I tried to take out these dumb computers."

"Well, I'm sorry if I had better things to do." She said flashing Robin a sly look.

"Look, Princess," Robin growled as a disc was hurled from a machine across the room right at her head, her hand was covered in electric sparks as she caught the disc and clenched her fist, crushing part of it and sending volts of electricity through it that disabled it. "If we're going to work as a team that means we've got to watch each other's backs and that means you cover me if I ask you to and you can."

Amara rolled her eyes. Robin felt her anger building up.

"Can I get out of here now?" she shouted towards the control room.

"Not until you've all finished this round." called Storm's voice.

"Fine." Robin muttered going over to Roberto. "Hey, Da Costa, gimmie a boost." She winked at him when he lifted her, just to bug Amara, and he hurled her up to the highest point in the danger room, a column that shot discs from all parts of it except the top which was conveniently located in the centre of the room.

Robin focused and then punched down hard on the top of the column busting right through the centre with a strong volt of lightning.

"Take cover!" Robin warned then jumped into the machine's core.

Grabbing a few wires, she took control of the machine and shot out electrically charged discs which destroyed all the machines in the room as Bobby or Iceman encased all his teammates in hard hollow balls of ice. Robin then cut through the machine with a few volts of electricity.

The shocked faces of her teammates made her smirk. When she was determined to do something she could do it, even back when she wasn't a freak.

"Now can I leave?" she shouted up to the control room.

There was silence from the room but the doors opened and everyone began to rush out of the danger room. Robin started her walk out. Everyone patted her on the back. Roberto complimented her and she gave him a playful wink as he walked away. If there was one thing Robin knew about herself, it was that she was beautiful and she used it to her advantage.

"That was really great." Berzerker said with a slight blush as he scratched his blonde and orange hair.

"Thanks, Crispy." She smiled up at him.

Ray Crisp codenamed Berzerker was the only electronic guy around though he and Bobby both enjoyed computers. He was cute and fun, Robin liked that about him.

He swallowed hard and wished that his x-suit had pockets on them. That way he would be able to shove his hand into the pockets, feel calmer and be able to walk comfortably beside such a cute girl. Gosh, she really was cute, wasn't she?

Ray decided he could easily settle for the classic hands clasped behind his head move. It was more comfortable...unless his pits stunk with sweat...

"Do you think you could show me some of your moves?" he asked kind of shyly.

Robin laughed, "Was that a move, Mr. Crisp?"

Ray was taken aback – she was so to-the-point. What should he answer? Would saying yes offend her or would saying no be even worse?

"Uh – yeah?" he replied.

They were outside the danger room by then and Kurt was waving her down from the end of the long corridor. They had become fast friends, Kurt and Robin, just as Storm had said they would.

Robin stopped walking and turned to face Ray, "Maybe, Berzerker, one day in practice."

Kurt was in front of her at the next moment with a puff of smoke as his guide, "C'mon Robin." He said in his cute German accent. "Ve have to get going now."

"See you later, Berzerker, Kurt calls." Robin smiled as Kurt put his hand around her shoulder and they were gone with a puff of smoke.

Berzerker stared at the spot she was and let go a breath slowly. He'd done it. He'd successfully talked to Robin.

"Yes!" he thrust a victorious fist into the air, electricity flashed and put a tiny dent in the metal tube-like ceiling of the corridor. Then he ran off to go tell Bobby.

"Take it off Kurt, I'm sure I can handle it." Robin said reaching for it.

"No, Robin. I don't vant you to see me like zat." Kurt said moving away.

"C'mon," Robin dove at him but she dove through the puff of smoke and landed on his bed.

She got up with her hair all messed up and out of its usual bun. Kurt stood on the other side of the room laughing. She pounced at him again but this time landed in his closet on a soft bed of green pants, khaki over-shirts and red undershirts. She'd never get it off of him this way. There was one more thing she could try.

"Ow!" she screamed out, "Your hanger..." she whispered when he appeared right in front of her stooping down like he always did.

"Are vew okay?" he asked.

She glanced up with mischievous honey-brown eyes then dove for him but, no luck.

"Did vew really tink I vas going to fall for zat?" he asked with a sly smile as he hung from the chandelier on the roof.

Robin smiled and zapped the cord that held up the chandelier. He came plummeting onto the soft carpet. She grabbed at it and was successful this time. She now held his watch in her hand and was bent over his face with a knee at each of his sides. Robin's eyes lit up at his fuzzy blue face.

"I told vew," he whispered. "I don't look nice like zis."

She ran a hand along his cheek. His fur – if she could call it that – was so soft.

"Don't worry. I like this look on you. I love blue. It just happens to be my favourite colour." She smiled.

The door opened and standing at the door were Kitty, Rogue, Beast and Bobby.

"Hey guys." Robin smiled at them not noticing how awkward a position she and Kurt were in.

They all gaped at them. Kurt's clothes were ragged from all the playing and Kurt's room was a mess. The chandelier was hanging from a thin cord, Kurt's clothes were stringed across the room and his bed sheets were rumpled along with Robin's hair all over the place and her clothes turned this way and that. It looked – strange, to say the very least.

Robin rolled from over Kurt to sit cross-legged on the carpet and let go a heavy breath. Kurt sat up and Kitty covered her mouth to hold in a giggle. Rogue looked amused. Beast looked appalled and Bobby looked very questioning. As if at the worst possible moment, the chandelier fell from its thin cord.

"I'm telling you nothing happened, Professor X." Robin repeated as she sat on the armrest of Kurt's chair.

Kurt was quiet most of the time so she had to urge him to talk, "Kurt, tell him nothing happened."

"Ve vere just haffing some fun, Professor." Kurt said reassuringly.

"But my concern, Kurt, is not that you were having fun but it is that you were having the wrong type of fun. From what Beast and Rogue told me, the scene looked rather...mature for you both."

"I was just trying to get him to take it off," Robin began.

Professor X turned his head away in slight disgust.

"No, not like that!" Robin said exasperated, "I meant his watch." She said holding up Kurt's right hand with the watch for emphasis. "I wanted to see the other side he told me so much about."

"It's true, Professor. She vas vestling me to see it vich is vhy my room vas so messy."Kurt said leaning forward.

"Okay, I believe you," Professor Xavier said, "but you broke the chandelier in Kurt's room and that has to be paid for."

"Oh, no problem! I can call my Dad and he'll fly over some," Robin began.

"That isn't necessarily what I had in mind." Professor Xavier smiled at them both. "We do things a bit differently at this institute. The fountain out front could definitely do with some cleaning."

Kurt hung his head, "Yes, Professor."

Robin's eyes sparkled, "Do you really think that putting us together to clean a body of water is best after that wrestling match, Professor X? I might just wear a bikini."

The Professor smiled in a small way, "You forget I'm a mind-reader, my dear."

Robin began to sulk, "Oh yeah...well at least I'll get to hear more of Kurt's adorable accent." She pinched his cheek playfully.

Kurt laughed and the professor dismissed them so they teleported out of the room.

"What'd you two get...other than freaky," Rogue began until Kitty cut her off.

"Please, like tell Rogue that you two like didn't do anything in there." Kitty said in an almost pleading tone.

"Oh, well I can't say we didn't do anything." Robin said with a smile in Kurt's direction.

Rogue and Kitty were silent for a moment, just looking at them both. Robin and Kurt exchanged glances and smiles slowly crept onto each of their faces.

"I knew it!" Rogue said triumphantly.

"You like – didn't, right?" Kitty asked.

Kurt and Rogue bent over laughing in pain at Kitty's expression. Rogue smiled too. Kitty was so pale it was funny to see.

"Right?" Kitty repeated.

"I guess you'll never know." Robin choked through a laugh.

Robin towel dried her hair quietly as Kitty and Rogue passed her bedroom. They were talking and up until she heard her name, Robin wasn't listening.

"Robin's gonna like totally freak. It's going to be so awesome!" Kitty said, "I'm like so psyched out."

"Hush up," Rogue scolded, "don't you see we're right by her room. It's supposed to be a suprise."

What's supposed to be a surprise? Robin wondered, Then again, people around here are kind of acting weird...I wonder what this is all about. I know one way to find out.

Robin saw Ray down the hall and a smile spread across her face. She was starting to like his personality and the way he got nervous around her. It was cute.

"Hey, Ray!" she said joyously waving to him.

He turned, saw her and smiled. He stood waiting for her to catch up to him. She jogged up to his side and, in a friendly way, flung her arm around his shoulder.

"Say, Ray, want to miss the first part of dinner so I can teach you some moves?" she smiled.

He nodded.

As they threw balls of lightning to each other, Robin thought of a way to get the 'surprise' out of him but before she could make conversation, Ray started talking.

"Bobby told me about what happened between you and nightcrawler." He began.

Robin smiled distantly, "Really? What exactly did he tell you happened?"

Ray's eyes shifted from her a moment and the ball hit him. He absorbed its energy just in time or he would have really been Crisp.

"I don't know." He shrugged.

"Well no matter what Rogue tells you, I was just trying to get him to take it off."

Ray gaped at her. Here we go again... she thought.