New Ways
The afternoon was gray, a spring storm was rolling in, and they were due for rain any moment. Every went inside for shelter before the rain hit, yet the Odd-Quad stated outside and trained.
Satine set a large umbrella up and placed a boom box under it. "Okay, Disturbed, AFI or Linkin Park?"
"AFI." Koda shouted. "Track six, 'Girls not Grey'."
Satine nodded and did so. The music exploded and Jak stood in front of Koda ready to attack.
"You're not going to get this the first time Koda, don't be expecting to." Jackson hollered.
"I'm not." She answered. "As long as I land at least one punch, I'm fine."
"All right then." Jackson sat with Satine under the umbrella. "Begin!"
Jak lashed out, punching her in the side of the stomach, she stumbled back and heard him coming again.
"Drop kick!" Jackson shouted.
Koda dropped to the ground and swept her foot out and felt it connect with Jak's leg. He fell, but right on top of her.
"Jak!" she laughed. "Get off."
"Sorry about that Koda." He chuckled and got up. "Ready again?"
"Yeah." She got up and readied herself.
"Again!" Satine shouted.
Jak rushed at her and leapt into a spin kick.
"Duck!" Satine shouted and Koda dropped to the ground again.
"High kick from there!" Jackson ordered.
Koda stamped her hands on the ground and threw her legs in the air in a kick but she felt nothing.
"Almost!" Jak said. "If it had been a little to the left." He was behind her.
She spun around on her own accord, lashing her legs out, kicking him in the gut.
"No fair." He squirmed and threw a punch. It connected with shoulder and she fell back to the ground.
The music pounded in her ears and the rain began to pour. She jumped up again and kicked out, connecting with Jak's leg. He fell to his knees, but spun around and kicked her off her feet.
She fell back into a puddle of mud and crawled to all fours coughing.
Jak grabbed her stomach and shoulder and spun her around. Before she hit the ground she grabbed his arms and pulled him over her so she landed on him.
"How'd you do that." He spat mud out of his mouth.
Satine laughed and Jackson cheered.
Jak jumped up, throwing Koda off him. He grabbed her leg and pulled her in the mud toward him.
"Spin kick!" Jackson shouted.
Koda pushed herself up on her arms and threw her left leg over her right and felt her heel connect with his jaw. In a reflex Jak grabbed her other leg throwing her off balance and she landed hard on her back knocking the wind out of her.
Jak let her go and she sat up trying to catch her breath. She crouched down beside her and patted her shoulder.
"Enough for today love." He said softly. "Sorry about that, reflex."
She coughed and got air back into her lungs. "I know, reflex."
He helped her up and led her to the umbrella. Jackson stood up, Satine turned off the music and they headed back inside.
As they walked in through the front they laughed about it.
"You have to admit though," Satine began. "For a first time to fight like that, she did pretty good."
Jak rubbed his jaw. "Right, let's trade places you and me, then you say it again."
Jackson laughed. "Come on Jak," he slapped his back. "You can't be that hurt, Koda is just a blind chick."
"A blind chick with one hell of a kick!" Jak retaliated.
Koda laughed. "Was I that good?"
"No you were horrible!" Satine said. "Yes you were that good! You were even better!"
"Koda," a voice said behind them as they walked down the hall.
They turned and Koda took a step toward the voice. "Professor Xavier."
"I saw you four outside," he started. "Perhaps you would be more comfortable in the lower level training facility?"
Koda shook her head. "No, outside is fine. Thanks anyway Professor."
He nodded, wanting to say something more but stopped. "Very well then. Keep up the good work, see you all at dinner."
They bid farewell and headed back to their room.
"I got dibs on the shower." Koda said pulling mud out of her hair. "Can you help Satine?"
"Yeah," she said and followed Koda into the bathroom.
Koda started the water and felt for the temperature.
"Your towels are right here, you clothes are right under it." Satine said. "Good job Koda."
Koda smiled. "Thanks Satine."
Satine smiled and walked out. Koda striped and stepped into the shower. "I was pretty damn good."
The next morning at breakfast, the Odd-Quad sat at the end of the table talking about how to improve on Koda's fighting.
"This is good," Jak said. "I mean, she is fighting again after how long?"
"Too long." Koda said and bit into a slice of jammed toast. "Far too long."
"Don't talk with your mouth open." Jackson said.
"I think she is doing great," Satine said. "But if we are ever to go up against someone outside the Odd-Quad, we'll need to come up with something better, if we shout out with she has to do then they'll know as well and they'll block her every move."
"That's why I said have Jak tell me telepathically." Koda said, waving her hand for emphasis. "If he can tap into my mind then it should be okay."
"But what if I am not there?" Jak asked. "Or what if someone taps into my mind and gets to you through me?"
Koda clicked her tongue then shrugged. "So what do you suggest? That I get psychic?"
"Could you do that?" Jak asked earnestly.
Koda turned her head as if to look at him. "If I could, I'd be one hell of a fighter."
"If you could though, it would be awesome." Jackson nodded.
"Yeah," Koda admitted. "It would be, but I can't just grow powers and release them. I have my mutation, we'll worry about that bridge when we come to it."
"Better to think of it now." A voice said behind them. Professor Xavier wheeled up to the table and smiled at them. "Good morning."
"Morning Professor." They said.
"How is everything?"
"Great," Satine smiled. "Everything is just great."
"Good to hear It." he smiled and began to wheel away. "Have a good day."
"You too Professor." Jackson said.
"Maybe," Koda leaned in. "We could work on heightening my senses even more and then trying to fight them by smelling and hearing?"
Jackson shook his head. "No, taking the time to heighten your senses would take time. Time we don't have."
"What do you mean 'time we don't have'?" Jak asked a little worried.
"I feel something coming. That thing we saw in the forest, I have this feeling it'll be back, and if it is, what happens if it fights us?"
"Why would it fight us?" Satine asked. "What did we do?"
"We worked for the government." Jackson said in a hushed voice.
The Odd-Quad looked down at their plates in silence for a long moment.
"What if we talk to the Professor about this problem?" Jak asked.
"Oh, so, so now it's a problem?" Koda asked in a mock shock and disgust. "Am I am problem?"
"You always were." Satine said and laughed.
"Fine, I see how it is." Koda turned away. "I think I'll just turn my head this way."
Jackson put his arm over her shoulder. "It's okay, I still love you."
She turned back and hugged him, sticking her tongue out at Satine.
Logan watched them from the other end of the room. He stabbed at his eggs absent mindlessly.
"Logan," Kurt whispered. "Are you alright?"
"I've been better." Logan answered.
Kurt looked over at Koda and smiled.
Koda threw down her book in frustration. "I don't get it!"
Professor Lighter sighed. "It's only your second day Koda," his patience was being treaded. "I'm not expecting you to get it like that." He snapped his fingers. "Brail is going to take a while to get Koda, but you'll get it, you'll understand it. You just have to take it slowly and one day at a time, open your mind to it, understand it."
"All I feel are bumps on a piece of paper." She said in an aggravated tone.
Professor Lighter covered his face with his hands. "Okay, let's go back to the alphabet."
Koda ran her hand through her already tousled hair. "Okay."
Koda sat outside in the warm sun at lunchtime listening to her recorder to her lectures from her History and Medical Science classes.
"Interesting listening." A voice said. "Hi, I'm Bobby."
Koda felt the shift of weight in the seat as he sat next to her on the bench.
"Hello Bobby, I'm Koda."
He nodded. "So are you really blind?"
"You'd never know it if you saw my eyes." She smiled. "Yes, I'm blind."
"But I saw you fighting yesterday, you fight like a demon."
"Hmm, then I must have been a devil when I wasn't blind."
"You mean you weren't blind all your life?"
"No, it is a recent development." She sighed. "Professor Xavier is having me learn Brail, I swear, it might have been easier to learn when I was younger, but I am nineteen! I cannot learn as easily as I use too."
"You're nineteen?"
"How old did you think I was?"
"Seventeen, eighteen at most."
She shook her head. "Nope, I am nineteen, my birthday was three months ago."
"What is it like fighting like you do?"
"It's fun but-" she stopped, jumped up from her seat and inclined her head.
"What is it?"
"Shh," she said listening intently. "Jak!"
Just then a shadow broke free from the forest and scaled the school wall. It was tall and swaddled in a thick black cloak.
It charged Koda, but before it reached it her, a bolt of lightening sprung from the ground beneath it and stunned it. It fell to the ground, rolled a few feet and sprung to its feet again and rushed at Koda. Bobby pulled her toward him and the shadow narrowly missed her. It turned on its heels stumbling back a few feet, but rushed at her again.
Jak ran out of the cafeteria and saw it charge her.
Koda leapt into a spin kick, knocking the shadow the to the ground. It got back up and she dropped to the ground and swept her foot out kicking it off its feet.
The shadow rolled away from her and stood up. It studied her then turned and ran off, scaling the wall and fleeing into the forest.
The Odd-Quad joined Koda asking what had happened.
"I don't know." Koda said.
The students began to crowd around, but they kept their distance.
"All of a sudden I saw the thing and myself, as if I was standing by the building watching."
"But I was standing by the building watching." Jak said.
They all looked at him then at Koda.
"I think we better have a talk with the Professor." Koda said and they walked off, the crowd parting quickly for them.
The afternoon was gray, a spring storm was rolling in, and they were due for rain any moment. Every went inside for shelter before the rain hit, yet the Odd-Quad stated outside and trained.
Satine set a large umbrella up and placed a boom box under it. "Okay, Disturbed, AFI or Linkin Park?"
"AFI." Koda shouted. "Track six, 'Girls not Grey'."
Satine nodded and did so. The music exploded and Jak stood in front of Koda ready to attack.
"You're not going to get this the first time Koda, don't be expecting to." Jackson hollered.
"I'm not." She answered. "As long as I land at least one punch, I'm fine."
"All right then." Jackson sat with Satine under the umbrella. "Begin!"
Jak lashed out, punching her in the side of the stomach, she stumbled back and heard him coming again.
"Drop kick!" Jackson shouted.
Koda dropped to the ground and swept her foot out and felt it connect with Jak's leg. He fell, but right on top of her.
"Jak!" she laughed. "Get off."
"Sorry about that Koda." He chuckled and got up. "Ready again?"
"Yeah." She got up and readied herself.
"Again!" Satine shouted.
Jak rushed at her and leapt into a spin kick.
"Duck!" Satine shouted and Koda dropped to the ground again.
"High kick from there!" Jackson ordered.
Koda stamped her hands on the ground and threw her legs in the air in a kick but she felt nothing.
"Almost!" Jak said. "If it had been a little to the left." He was behind her.
She spun around on her own accord, lashing her legs out, kicking him in the gut.
"No fair." He squirmed and threw a punch. It connected with shoulder and she fell back to the ground.
The music pounded in her ears and the rain began to pour. She jumped up again and kicked out, connecting with Jak's leg. He fell to his knees, but spun around and kicked her off her feet.
She fell back into a puddle of mud and crawled to all fours coughing.
Jak grabbed her stomach and shoulder and spun her around. Before she hit the ground she grabbed his arms and pulled him over her so she landed on him.
"How'd you do that." He spat mud out of his mouth.
Satine laughed and Jackson cheered.
Jak jumped up, throwing Koda off him. He grabbed her leg and pulled her in the mud toward him.
"Spin kick!" Jackson shouted.
Koda pushed herself up on her arms and threw her left leg over her right and felt her heel connect with his jaw. In a reflex Jak grabbed her other leg throwing her off balance and she landed hard on her back knocking the wind out of her.
Jak let her go and she sat up trying to catch her breath. She crouched down beside her and patted her shoulder.
"Enough for today love." He said softly. "Sorry about that, reflex."
She coughed and got air back into her lungs. "I know, reflex."
He helped her up and led her to the umbrella. Jackson stood up, Satine turned off the music and they headed back inside.
As they walked in through the front they laughed about it.
"You have to admit though," Satine began. "For a first time to fight like that, she did pretty good."
Jak rubbed his jaw. "Right, let's trade places you and me, then you say it again."
Jackson laughed. "Come on Jak," he slapped his back. "You can't be that hurt, Koda is just a blind chick."
"A blind chick with one hell of a kick!" Jak retaliated.
Koda laughed. "Was I that good?"
"No you were horrible!" Satine said. "Yes you were that good! You were even better!"
"Koda," a voice said behind them as they walked down the hall.
They turned and Koda took a step toward the voice. "Professor Xavier."
"I saw you four outside," he started. "Perhaps you would be more comfortable in the lower level training facility?"
Koda shook her head. "No, outside is fine. Thanks anyway Professor."
He nodded, wanting to say something more but stopped. "Very well then. Keep up the good work, see you all at dinner."
They bid farewell and headed back to their room.
"I got dibs on the shower." Koda said pulling mud out of her hair. "Can you help Satine?"
"Yeah," she said and followed Koda into the bathroom.
Koda started the water and felt for the temperature.
"Your towels are right here, you clothes are right under it." Satine said. "Good job Koda."
Koda smiled. "Thanks Satine."
Satine smiled and walked out. Koda striped and stepped into the shower. "I was pretty damn good."
The next morning at breakfast, the Odd-Quad sat at the end of the table talking about how to improve on Koda's fighting.
"This is good," Jak said. "I mean, she is fighting again after how long?"
"Too long." Koda said and bit into a slice of jammed toast. "Far too long."
"Don't talk with your mouth open." Jackson said.
"I think she is doing great," Satine said. "But if we are ever to go up against someone outside the Odd-Quad, we'll need to come up with something better, if we shout out with she has to do then they'll know as well and they'll block her every move."
"That's why I said have Jak tell me telepathically." Koda said, waving her hand for emphasis. "If he can tap into my mind then it should be okay."
"But what if I am not there?" Jak asked. "Or what if someone taps into my mind and gets to you through me?"
Koda clicked her tongue then shrugged. "So what do you suggest? That I get psychic?"
"Could you do that?" Jak asked earnestly.
Koda turned her head as if to look at him. "If I could, I'd be one hell of a fighter."
"If you could though, it would be awesome." Jackson nodded.
"Yeah," Koda admitted. "It would be, but I can't just grow powers and release them. I have my mutation, we'll worry about that bridge when we come to it."
"Better to think of it now." A voice said behind them. Professor Xavier wheeled up to the table and smiled at them. "Good morning."
"Morning Professor." They said.
"How is everything?"
"Great," Satine smiled. "Everything is just great."
"Good to hear It." he smiled and began to wheel away. "Have a good day."
"You too Professor." Jackson said.
"Maybe," Koda leaned in. "We could work on heightening my senses even more and then trying to fight them by smelling and hearing?"
Jackson shook his head. "No, taking the time to heighten your senses would take time. Time we don't have."
"What do you mean 'time we don't have'?" Jak asked a little worried.
"I feel something coming. That thing we saw in the forest, I have this feeling it'll be back, and if it is, what happens if it fights us?"
"Why would it fight us?" Satine asked. "What did we do?"
"We worked for the government." Jackson said in a hushed voice.
The Odd-Quad looked down at their plates in silence for a long moment.
"What if we talk to the Professor about this problem?" Jak asked.
"Oh, so, so now it's a problem?" Koda asked in a mock shock and disgust. "Am I am problem?"
"You always were." Satine said and laughed.
"Fine, I see how it is." Koda turned away. "I think I'll just turn my head this way."
Jackson put his arm over her shoulder. "It's okay, I still love you."
She turned back and hugged him, sticking her tongue out at Satine.
Logan watched them from the other end of the room. He stabbed at his eggs absent mindlessly.
"Logan," Kurt whispered. "Are you alright?"
"I've been better." Logan answered.
Kurt looked over at Koda and smiled.
Koda threw down her book in frustration. "I don't get it!"
Professor Lighter sighed. "It's only your second day Koda," his patience was being treaded. "I'm not expecting you to get it like that." He snapped his fingers. "Brail is going to take a while to get Koda, but you'll get it, you'll understand it. You just have to take it slowly and one day at a time, open your mind to it, understand it."
"All I feel are bumps on a piece of paper." She said in an aggravated tone.
Professor Lighter covered his face with his hands. "Okay, let's go back to the alphabet."
Koda ran her hand through her already tousled hair. "Okay."
Koda sat outside in the warm sun at lunchtime listening to her recorder to her lectures from her History and Medical Science classes.
"Interesting listening." A voice said. "Hi, I'm Bobby."
Koda felt the shift of weight in the seat as he sat next to her on the bench.
"Hello Bobby, I'm Koda."
He nodded. "So are you really blind?"
"You'd never know it if you saw my eyes." She smiled. "Yes, I'm blind."
"But I saw you fighting yesterday, you fight like a demon."
"Hmm, then I must have been a devil when I wasn't blind."
"You mean you weren't blind all your life?"
"No, it is a recent development." She sighed. "Professor Xavier is having me learn Brail, I swear, it might have been easier to learn when I was younger, but I am nineteen! I cannot learn as easily as I use too."
"You're nineteen?"
"How old did you think I was?"
"Seventeen, eighteen at most."
She shook her head. "Nope, I am nineteen, my birthday was three months ago."
"What is it like fighting like you do?"
"It's fun but-" she stopped, jumped up from her seat and inclined her head.
"What is it?"
"Shh," she said listening intently. "Jak!"
Just then a shadow broke free from the forest and scaled the school wall. It was tall and swaddled in a thick black cloak.
It charged Koda, but before it reached it her, a bolt of lightening sprung from the ground beneath it and stunned it. It fell to the ground, rolled a few feet and sprung to its feet again and rushed at Koda. Bobby pulled her toward him and the shadow narrowly missed her. It turned on its heels stumbling back a few feet, but rushed at her again.
Jak ran out of the cafeteria and saw it charge her.
Koda leapt into a spin kick, knocking the shadow the to the ground. It got back up and she dropped to the ground and swept her foot out kicking it off its feet.
The shadow rolled away from her and stood up. It studied her then turned and ran off, scaling the wall and fleeing into the forest.
The Odd-Quad joined Koda asking what had happened.
"I don't know." Koda said.
The students began to crowd around, but they kept their distance.
"All of a sudden I saw the thing and myself, as if I was standing by the building watching."
"But I was standing by the building watching." Jak said.
They all looked at him then at Koda.
"I think we better have a talk with the Professor." Koda said and they walked off, the crowd parting quickly for them.
