Title: X-Men: Minority Within Minority
Author: Felidae Silvestris
Disclaimer: If you haven't figured out that I do NOT own X-Men, you are seriously messed up and should go impale yourselves on a set of those metal claws they use for the X-Men movies (don't know what I'm talking about, watch ALL the special features on the X-Men DVDs). I also do not own Shiyama Hogosha/Drills.
Author's Note: Sorry about the long wait for this chapter … I've had too much crap going on, being grounded and such. And when do I get this chapter done? Right before my Art Final … go figure.
Chapter: Danger Room Part I
"They're up to something, I know it."
"Why?" Hogosha asked.
"None of them has bothered me for a week. They have to be up to something." Himeko's boots clicked on the wood of the gazebo as she paced.
"Maybe Xavier decided to give you some space."
A barking laugh issued from Himeko's mouth. "Yeah right. They day he gives me space is the day I forgive my father."
Hogosha shrugged. "Why do they have to be up to something anyway?"
"Because they do."
"They don't always have to be up to something, you know."
"Oh yes, they do. Trust me." Himeko continued to pace.
Hogosha glanced up from her sketchbook. "Would you stop pacing? It's annoying."
Himeko dropped to the floor, her legs crossed. "It's bothering me, is all."
"But you don't want them around so why does it bother you?"
"I have no idea."
"Maybe you're just used to them being around so now it feels weird."
"Maybe…" Himeko thought for a moment before shrugging off her trench coat. "Why the hell is it so hot!"
"I have no idea." Hogosha's eyes drifted to the pearly scars on Himeko's arms. She wondered just exactly what they were from and who had hurt her. "What … um … what're they from?"
Himeko glanced at her arms and shrugged. "Various things. I don't want to talk about them." Her eyes lowered to look at the floor. It bothered her a little that she didn't really remember exactly how she'd gotten most of the scars. As she thought about this, she felt a slight mental touch, which she recognized as Emma. "Emma wants something," she said with a scowl.
"For the gazillionth time, they're not -"
"Not that." Himeko stood, gathering her coat in her arms. "She wants something. Mental touch."
"Oh. Both of us?" Hogosha flipped her sketchbook closed and stood.
"No idea. Come on."
The pair made their way from the Japanese garden to the main building.
"Did she say where we were supposed to meet her?" Hogosha asked, glancing around the entrance hall.
"No. Hold on a sec…" Himeko's eyes and powers scanned the crowd of students, searching for a telepath. "Esme!"
One of a set of blondes turned, a scowl on her face. "Oh, now she wants to talk."
Himeko rolled her eyes; thinking of how what Esme and her sisters had said made absolutely no sense. "Look, could you ask Emma where she wants me to meet her?"
A moment later, Esme and her three sisters answered together: "Ms Frost says to meet her in her office."
"Thanks." Himeko grabbed Hogosha's arm and dragged her toward Emma's office. "Emma doesn't like being addressed by her first name by students. I only call her that to her face when I'm trying to piss her off, so just call her Ms Frost."
"Okay … anything else I should know?" Hogosha asked.
"She's a telepath, but you already know that. I'm hoping I'll be close enough to shield both our minds, but I might not, so you'll have to make sure your shields are up. If she doesn't want both of us, wait right outside for me, but I can't guarantee I'll want to talk so … yeah." Himeko pushed open the door to Emma's office and stopped short at the sight of Pietro, Jubilee, and another Japanese girl she didn't know. "And here I thought this was a private party," she said coolly.
"You were obviously mistaken," Emma replied. "Have a seat, both of you."
"I'd rather stand."
Emma shot the girl a glare as Hogosha sat next to the other Japanese girl. "Professor Xavier has charged me with creating a new team of X-men with an experienced leader."
"What if we weren't planning on becoming X-men?"
"Himeko, do us all a favor and shut up," Pietro said, grinning at his friend.
Himeko glared at him and let Emma continue. "Jubilee, you are that leader. I'm trusting you can keep Miss Sorano under control." Himeko rolled her eyes at this. "That said, the five of you will now proceed to the Danger Room."
The first to move, was, of course, Pietro, who was just a rush of air heading toward the door. Jubilee and the other girl followed more slowly.
"Himeko," Emma caught Himeko as she and Hogosha headed after the others. "You will listen to Jubilee, and you will learn to work in this team or I'm afraid you and Miss Shiyama will have to separated."
Himeko bit back a comment and continued out the door.
"Is she serious?" Hogosha asked.
"Probably."
The group trooped to one of the elevators, which took them to the first sub-basement Pietro spilt from the group to go into the men's locker room.
"So … who's the new girl?" Himeko asked, leaning against the lockers, pointedly not changing.
"She's Mariko Yashida," Jubilee replied. "What aren't you changing?"
"Because if I can't fight in my own clothes, what good is all this training? Not to mention, I have sixteen outfits comprised of unstable molecules because Xavier figures that since I have such volatile powers that I need them."
"Your trench coat isn't like that," Hogosha pointed out.
"Xavier will buy me a new one if I get too many holes in this one. Mariko … that name sounds familiar…"
"Wolverine's deceased wife," Mariko's voice was soft as she said this. "But I'm not her. I'm from a different dimension and the Timebroker screwed me over and sent me here instead of home."
"Cool." Himeko nodded, storing this information away. "Powers?"
"Plasma. I create it and can … 'throw' it, for lack of a better term. I can fly, too."
"I meant to ask Ms Frost why she put only one person who could fly on this team," Jubilee mused aloud.
Himeko laughed. "One? Wow, Jubes, I thought you were smart." She smirked. "Hogosha, how many people on this team can fly?"
"Two," Hogosha answered after thinking for a moment.
Jubilee glared at Himeko. "But what if I need the two of you to fly in two separate directions?"
"Would you rather be in charge of Calvin Rankin or deal with what I have? Pietro will make up for when I can't fly," Himeko snapped.
"Speaking of Pietro, shouldn't we get to the Danger Room?" Mariko asked.
"Yeah." Jubilee headed for the door, motioning for the others to follow.
"What took you so long?" Pietro asked, pushing off the wall.
"We're female, you dumb ass," Himeko snapped. "And not everyone is as fast as you are."
"To-uchy…"
"Pietro, just don't," Hogosha said quickly before moving back to talk with her girlfriend. "What's the matter?"
"Xavier and this team shpeal," Himeko replied. "Don't worry about it."
"It's something more than that, though ne?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You seem on-edge is all."
"It's nothing." Himeko proceeded to ignore all other questions. Her eyes narrowed as they came upon the Danger Room Master Control. Emma was standing in front of the controls, keying in the sequences for their session.
"Put on the ear-pieces," Emma ordered, not turning from the screens. "Sorano, why am I not getting readings from you?"
"Because I didn't change into those stupid outfits."
"I need to be able to monitor you."
"If I'm dead, you'll know." Himeko snagged a communicator and headed into the Danger Room. "Are you jokers coming or not?"
Emma massaged her temples for a moment. "Get going. I'll give you the details once you're in."
Jubilee grabbed a communicator and followed Himeko. "Little upstart … she's going to end up getting us killed."
"She knows what she's doing, Jubilee," Pietro said.
"Fast-boy has a point," Himeko said with a smirk. "Let's get this little simulation over with."
"Now listen here -"
"Jubilee, now is not the time," Emma's voice came over the communicators. "Settle your differences with Maneru at another time. Your mission, ladies and Quicksilver, is to infiltrate Frost Corps and acquire a device from my offices. The only information I will give you is that I will not be there. Good luck." The grey metal walls of the Danger Room were suddenly Manhattan's cityscape.
"Stay together," Jubilee ordered, "until we get to Frost Corps."
Himeko rolled her eyes. "Like there's anything else to do in here."
Jubilee ignored this comment and headed in the direction of Frost Corps. Mariko and Pietro shrugged and followed Jubilee.
"What's your deal with Jubilee-san?" Hogosha asked, glancing at Himeko.
"I don't have a deal with her. I just don't like her," Himeko replied. "She gets on my nerves."
"Why?"
"I don't know." Himeko started walking faster to catch up with the others. "So what exactly is the plan?"
"We go in, I blind security, Sunfire melts cameras, and we try to get up the floors until we reach Ms Frost's office," Jubilee explained.
"So while you and Mariko are disabling random security measures, P, Hogosha, and I do nothing?"
"No, you're back up."
"And your plan sucks." Himeko fell back to walk with Hogosha. "The plan is stupid."
"What is the plan?" Hogosha asked tentatively.
"Jubilee and Mariko kill security and the rest of us sit around and do nothing."
"That's bogus."
"I know. Look, we're here. How typical for Emma to put her office building in an easy-to-find place."
The building loomed in front of them, looking rather like a large glass wall. Nondescript people walked by, as much a part of the Danger Room's program as the building. Jubilee had entered the building and Himeko could see flashes of light through the programmed windows. A few minutes later, Jubilee opened the door and stuck her head out. "Are you coming in or not?"
"So, now that you've single-handedly duped Emma's faulty rent-a-cops, what do you do now?" Pietro asked in a fake announcer voice, holding an imaginary microphone to Jubilee's face.
Jubilee swatted him away. Stop messing around, Quicksilver. Okay, Sunfire and I will be on point, we're going up."
"And what if she's not upstairs? If Emma decided to be clever, her office would be downstairs, not up." Himeko smirked, leaning against the desk.
"We're going upstairs."
"How?"
"Umm … change of plan. Half of us go by the stairs and the other half go by elevator."
"Um, Jubilee, there are five of us," Mariko pointed out.
Jubilee nodded. "Quicksilver and Maneru take the stairs. Odds are, you'll get up there before the rest of us. Drills and Sunfire, you're with me."
"So, if Maneru's right, what does she win?" Pietro asked with a grin. Himeko stomped on his foot. "Ow!"
"Let's get going."
Hogosha grabbed Himeko's arm as the other girl started to walk away. "Be careful." She placed a quick kiss on Himeko's cheek.
Himeko blushed and nodded. "You too." She turned to Pietro, blush gone. "You know how to use a knife, right?"
Pietro nodded. "Well duh." He took the knife Himeko handed him. "Ever ready to kill 3D holograms. Let's jet." He took off, Himeko following closely as the elevator dinged.
"That was easy," Himeko commented as she and Pietro reached the top of the stairs. She drew a knife from her coat. "Too easy."
"Maybe Ms Frost is being nice," Pietro suggested. "Like how she didn't comment about that kiss."
"Shut up."
Pietro rotated his shoulders and grinned. "So, we gonna go out there or what?"
"We're taking a quick look around and then running down stairs to take a look down there. I don't trust Emma as far as I can throw her."
"What about Jubilee?"
"If I'm wrong, we'll know it before she does and leave her a note." At that, Himeko kicked open the door and was greeted with a barrage of security guards.
Mutants This Chapter: Himeko Sorano/Maneru, Hogosha Shiyama/Drills, Emma Frost/The White Queen, Mariko Yashida/Sunfire, Jubilation Lee/Jubilee, Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver, The Stepford Cuckoos/Esme and three unnamed sisters.
Author's Note: I may or may not be naming the other three Stepfords soon and yeah … life's been crazy. And if you're wondering how the kids are going "up" in Frost Corps with the Danger Room not being that big, think repeating holograms and an elevator that doesn't actually go anywhere.