A Plan to Fight Again
"Satine is seventeen, Jak is eighteen and Jackson and Koda are both nineteen." Professor Xavier said to Jean. "They were raised at Callaghan Manor, a research training facility in northern Montana. They weren't told what they were being trained for, and as with Oz, it was the way of life. When they were let go when the government changed their minds about the whole operation, they moved to Los Angeles then to San Francisco then they were called in again. Then they were split apart."
"What are their powers?" she asked.
"Jak is telepathic and telekinetic, Jackson can manipulate electricity, Satine is a morph, and Koda can turn her bones into adamantium when she needs to, like when Colossus turns himself into living steel."
"I see." Jean nodded.
"Her sense were heightened out of survival after she lost her vision. Now that they are together, they are only going to be social amongst themselves, they don't trust a lot of people, so don't expect them to be jovially around others."
"I understand."
"Koda and Logan have met before, in Lofland City, in a fighting match. Logan still seems to be a little mad about his loss; I think there might be a rematch sometime. Don't let them be alone together if it can be helped. Koda's friends are going to teach her to fight again, I don't think she is going to go into our training facility until she feels comfortable fighting with her friends."
"Alright." Jean nodded. "So pretty much the Odd-Quad are going to be joined at the hips?"
"Yes," Professor Xavier smiled. "But give them time to get use to this place. Are their schedules all set out?"
"Yes," she opened a folder she had on her lap. "Satine has Biology, English, History, Physics and art. Jak has History, English, Auto Tech, Medical Science and Geography. Jackson has Auto Tech, History, then English, Physics after lunch and art."
"Good." Professor Xavier nodded. "And you are taking them to the mall to go shopping tonight right?"
"Yes I am." She nodded.
"All right, thank you Jean."
Jean nodded, stood up and left the room. Moments later Logan walked in.
"Good evening Logan."
"Professor, what is that girl doing here?"
"She's attending school."
"I see," he looked around.
"If there is anything foul between you and Koda settle it some other time."
Logan took a deep breath and left the room.
They entered the mall and headed straight for the Hot Topic. Koda stood by Jean and thought for a moment.
"Can you help me out?" she asked Jean.
"Of course."
"I know what I need, but I cannot see," she shrugged. "Can you get it?"
"Yeah,"
"Three pairs of baggy black jeans."
Jean looked at a pair. "These are expensive."
"Yeah, but they are damn comfortable." Any three."
"What size?"
"Oh, don't worry about the size, just make sure they are big."
Jean nodded. "Alright."
"Are they selling black boots that look like this?" she raised her foot and shoed her boots that buckled over the ankle.
"Yeah,"
"Can you ask for size nines?"
Jean waved to an employee and asked for the size.
"They only come in men's sizes." He warned her.
Koda nodded. "Size nine."
He nodded and ran to back and retrieve the boots.
"Do you also sell Caterpillar Dress shoes?" Koda asked him.
"Yes." He nodded. "Size nine?"
"Please?" she smiled.
He handed her the box a few moments later.
"Anything else?" Jean asked.
"Yeah, I need some tang tops."
"What kind?"
"Black spaghetti strap, but we have to go to Anchor Blue for those. And I also need to pick up some thread and a couple of needles."
Satine browsed the CD selection and pulled out a few CDs then trotted to the register. Koda waited by the entrance of the store with her bags.
"Man, I haven't been shopping in a month." Jak said joining Koda by the front. "It's fun."
Jackson joined them with his bags. "Jeans, shirts, boots, shoes, do we ever vary from this buying list?"
"I do." Satine chimed.
"Why am I not surprised?" Koda said sarcastically.
"CDs, AFI, Linkin Park and Disturbed."
"And?" Jak asked.
"And the usual." She looked in her bag. "Shirts, jeans, boots, shoes."
Koda laughed as they walked further down the mall and came upon Anchor Blue where Satine and Koda bought more tang tops.
"Wait, we need to stop at the GAP." Satine said.
"Why?" Jackson asked.
"A woman can never be without too much underwear."
"Okay!" Jackson turned away. "I didn't need to know."
"Eh," Jak shrugged. "I can buy some new boxers."
Jackson nodded. "Me too I suppose."
They made one last stop to buy underwear and socks then they returned to the school.
Koda leaned against the wall that surrounded the school grounds. The Odd-Quad all stood there, passing around a cigarette and talking of what they had been up to these past couple of years after the blitz.
"Life wasn't easy, I'll give it that." Koda said. "Being blind and alone. I hated it, there wasn't a day that didn't go by where I wanted so much to be back with you all."
"Same here." Jackson said blowing out a jet of smoke. "Every damn day I yearned to be back with the quad. Nothing felt right without you guys."
"Must have been tough." Jak said. "Satine and I stayed together after we got out, we kept looking for you two, but we never got anything stable."
"But we are back together now, that's all that matters."
"Yeah," they all said in unison.
"And we have a home," Jackson smiled looking over at the mansion. "This Professor Xavier, he's a cool man."
"Yeah," Koda sighed. "There's something about him though."
"What?" Jak asked.
"I don't know, I feel all relaxed when I am around him. I only get that feeling when I am around you three, but now I feel it around him."
"Is he all great?" Satine asked.
"Who knows?" Koda took a long drag off the cigarette and blew the smoke out of her nose. "All I know is it is weird, but I can't place the feeling."
Jackson shrugged. "Well, we better go in."
Satine took the last drag and snubbed the cigarette out. "Classes in the morning."
"This'll be fun." Jak smiled. "Finally going to school."
They turned to head inside, but Koda stopped and turned toward the forest.
"Did you hear that guys?"
They turned back to her.
"What?" Jackson asked.
Koda took a couple of steps toward the forest, stopped and inclined her head. "I thought I heard something."
They all listened intently.
"There's nothing Koda." Jackson said.
Koda whiffed at the air. "No, something is out there."
Satine squinted at the forest. "She's right, something is out there."
Jak and Jackson squinted, a shadow moved then fled from their vision further into the forest.
"Holy shit!" Jak stepped back. "What the hell was that thing?"
Koda listened. "It's gone, whatever it was."
"But what was it?" Jak demanded.
"We should tell the professor." Satine said.
"Yes," Koda nodded. "Let's go."
After telling the Professor what they heard and saw they returned to Koda's room where they all resided. Koda sat on the bed and took out her new jeans.
"That was freaky." She said.
"Professor said he knew that something was out there, but he didn't know what." Satine took out her jeans and cut the waist.
"We should have followed it." Jackson said.
"Follow it?" Jak snorted. "That thing could be a vicious killer and you wanted to follow it? Hmm?"
"Don't be a wimp Jak." Jackson muttered hemming his jeans.
"It wouldn't have been to hard now that you think about it." Koda said sewing her jean waists. "I mean, Jak you just had to hold it with your telekinesis and then Jackson could have stunned it with a bold of lightening and if it was really dangerous he could have killed it."
Jak nodded. "Yeah, I suppose you're right Koda, but. what was it?"
Satine looked out the window. "Who knows, but I have a feeling it'll be back soon."
"Then we'll just have to learn to fight again, then fight it." Koda said as if it was nothing.
"But you're blind Koda." Jak said.
"So what? You can help me."
"How? Satine asked.
"Teach me to fight again, all of you, will you please teach me to fight again? Be my eyes." Koda smiled. "Jak, tell me what to do telepathically."
"But I can't reach you with my telepathy."
"Then we'll work on that, for now, Jack and Satine can help me by shouting out what I should do."
"And who will you fight?" Jak asked.
"Well," she smiled. "Your multitalented right? I'll fight you slowly while you try to pierce my mind."
Jak rolled his eyes. "You just would suggest that."
They laughed for a long minute.
"Then we'll start tomorrow after classes."
"Alright then, after classes." Jackson nodded. "This'll be tough Koda, you know that, it'll be long and tedious."
"I know." She smiled. "That's why I suggested it."
"Satine is seventeen, Jak is eighteen and Jackson and Koda are both nineteen." Professor Xavier said to Jean. "They were raised at Callaghan Manor, a research training facility in northern Montana. They weren't told what they were being trained for, and as with Oz, it was the way of life. When they were let go when the government changed their minds about the whole operation, they moved to Los Angeles then to San Francisco then they were called in again. Then they were split apart."
"What are their powers?" she asked.
"Jak is telepathic and telekinetic, Jackson can manipulate electricity, Satine is a morph, and Koda can turn her bones into adamantium when she needs to, like when Colossus turns himself into living steel."
"I see." Jean nodded.
"Her sense were heightened out of survival after she lost her vision. Now that they are together, they are only going to be social amongst themselves, they don't trust a lot of people, so don't expect them to be jovially around others."
"I understand."
"Koda and Logan have met before, in Lofland City, in a fighting match. Logan still seems to be a little mad about his loss; I think there might be a rematch sometime. Don't let them be alone together if it can be helped. Koda's friends are going to teach her to fight again, I don't think she is going to go into our training facility until she feels comfortable fighting with her friends."
"Alright." Jean nodded. "So pretty much the Odd-Quad are going to be joined at the hips?"
"Yes," Professor Xavier smiled. "But give them time to get use to this place. Are their schedules all set out?"
"Yes," she opened a folder she had on her lap. "Satine has Biology, English, History, Physics and art. Jak has History, English, Auto Tech, Medical Science and Geography. Jackson has Auto Tech, History, then English, Physics after lunch and art."
"Good." Professor Xavier nodded. "And you are taking them to the mall to go shopping tonight right?"
"Yes I am." She nodded.
"All right, thank you Jean."
Jean nodded, stood up and left the room. Moments later Logan walked in.
"Good evening Logan."
"Professor, what is that girl doing here?"
"She's attending school."
"I see," he looked around.
"If there is anything foul between you and Koda settle it some other time."
Logan took a deep breath and left the room.
They entered the mall and headed straight for the Hot Topic. Koda stood by Jean and thought for a moment.
"Can you help me out?" she asked Jean.
"Of course."
"I know what I need, but I cannot see," she shrugged. "Can you get it?"
"Yeah,"
"Three pairs of baggy black jeans."
Jean looked at a pair. "These are expensive."
"Yeah, but they are damn comfortable." Any three."
"What size?"
"Oh, don't worry about the size, just make sure they are big."
Jean nodded. "Alright."
"Are they selling black boots that look like this?" she raised her foot and shoed her boots that buckled over the ankle.
"Yeah,"
"Can you ask for size nines?"
Jean waved to an employee and asked for the size.
"They only come in men's sizes." He warned her.
Koda nodded. "Size nine."
He nodded and ran to back and retrieve the boots.
"Do you also sell Caterpillar Dress shoes?" Koda asked him.
"Yes." He nodded. "Size nine?"
"Please?" she smiled.
He handed her the box a few moments later.
"Anything else?" Jean asked.
"Yeah, I need some tang tops."
"What kind?"
"Black spaghetti strap, but we have to go to Anchor Blue for those. And I also need to pick up some thread and a couple of needles."
Satine browsed the CD selection and pulled out a few CDs then trotted to the register. Koda waited by the entrance of the store with her bags.
"Man, I haven't been shopping in a month." Jak said joining Koda by the front. "It's fun."
Jackson joined them with his bags. "Jeans, shirts, boots, shoes, do we ever vary from this buying list?"
"I do." Satine chimed.
"Why am I not surprised?" Koda said sarcastically.
"CDs, AFI, Linkin Park and Disturbed."
"And?" Jak asked.
"And the usual." She looked in her bag. "Shirts, jeans, boots, shoes."
Koda laughed as they walked further down the mall and came upon Anchor Blue where Satine and Koda bought more tang tops.
"Wait, we need to stop at the GAP." Satine said.
"Why?" Jackson asked.
"A woman can never be without too much underwear."
"Okay!" Jackson turned away. "I didn't need to know."
"Eh," Jak shrugged. "I can buy some new boxers."
Jackson nodded. "Me too I suppose."
They made one last stop to buy underwear and socks then they returned to the school.
Koda leaned against the wall that surrounded the school grounds. The Odd-Quad all stood there, passing around a cigarette and talking of what they had been up to these past couple of years after the blitz.
"Life wasn't easy, I'll give it that." Koda said. "Being blind and alone. I hated it, there wasn't a day that didn't go by where I wanted so much to be back with you all."
"Same here." Jackson said blowing out a jet of smoke. "Every damn day I yearned to be back with the quad. Nothing felt right without you guys."
"Must have been tough." Jak said. "Satine and I stayed together after we got out, we kept looking for you two, but we never got anything stable."
"But we are back together now, that's all that matters."
"Yeah," they all said in unison.
"And we have a home," Jackson smiled looking over at the mansion. "This Professor Xavier, he's a cool man."
"Yeah," Koda sighed. "There's something about him though."
"What?" Jak asked.
"I don't know, I feel all relaxed when I am around him. I only get that feeling when I am around you three, but now I feel it around him."
"Is he all great?" Satine asked.
"Who knows?" Koda took a long drag off the cigarette and blew the smoke out of her nose. "All I know is it is weird, but I can't place the feeling."
Jackson shrugged. "Well, we better go in."
Satine took the last drag and snubbed the cigarette out. "Classes in the morning."
"This'll be fun." Jak smiled. "Finally going to school."
They turned to head inside, but Koda stopped and turned toward the forest.
"Did you hear that guys?"
They turned back to her.
"What?" Jackson asked.
Koda took a couple of steps toward the forest, stopped and inclined her head. "I thought I heard something."
They all listened intently.
"There's nothing Koda." Jackson said.
Koda whiffed at the air. "No, something is out there."
Satine squinted at the forest. "She's right, something is out there."
Jak and Jackson squinted, a shadow moved then fled from their vision further into the forest.
"Holy shit!" Jak stepped back. "What the hell was that thing?"
Koda listened. "It's gone, whatever it was."
"But what was it?" Jak demanded.
"We should tell the professor." Satine said.
"Yes," Koda nodded. "Let's go."
After telling the Professor what they heard and saw they returned to Koda's room where they all resided. Koda sat on the bed and took out her new jeans.
"That was freaky." She said.
"Professor said he knew that something was out there, but he didn't know what." Satine took out her jeans and cut the waist.
"We should have followed it." Jackson said.
"Follow it?" Jak snorted. "That thing could be a vicious killer and you wanted to follow it? Hmm?"
"Don't be a wimp Jak." Jackson muttered hemming his jeans.
"It wouldn't have been to hard now that you think about it." Koda said sewing her jean waists. "I mean, Jak you just had to hold it with your telekinesis and then Jackson could have stunned it with a bold of lightening and if it was really dangerous he could have killed it."
Jak nodded. "Yeah, I suppose you're right Koda, but. what was it?"
Satine looked out the window. "Who knows, but I have a feeling it'll be back soon."
"Then we'll just have to learn to fight again, then fight it." Koda said as if it was nothing.
"But you're blind Koda." Jak said.
"So what? You can help me."
"How? Satine asked.
"Teach me to fight again, all of you, will you please teach me to fight again? Be my eyes." Koda smiled. "Jak, tell me what to do telepathically."
"But I can't reach you with my telepathy."
"Then we'll work on that, for now, Jack and Satine can help me by shouting out what I should do."
"And who will you fight?" Jak asked.
"Well," she smiled. "Your multitalented right? I'll fight you slowly while you try to pierce my mind."
Jak rolled his eyes. "You just would suggest that."
They laughed for a long minute.
"Then we'll start tomorrow after classes."
"Alright then, after classes." Jackson nodded. "This'll be tough Koda, you know that, it'll be long and tedious."
"I know." She smiled. "That's why I suggested it."
