The courtyard of de'Arnise Keep... The angry noise of steel on steel,
grunts of effort and boots shuffling in the sand...
"Why don't you give it up, dear?" Callisto grinned, confident as ever, despite her opponent still defiantly standing her ground.
"You first." Xena retorted in kind.
"Come now, you know you can't win!" came the reply, sudden anger twisting her features momentarily as she chopped with determination.
Moving in what appeared to be a familiar pattern, Xena deflected the half- wild swings, and then stopped. Looking evenly at her opponent, having stopped to catch a breath she had given no sign of loosing, she commented; "You saying you can?"
A genuinely amused laugh the spectators would almost call companionable, and Callisto resheated her sword; "But that is why I love fighting you so
much...it's the only challenge I got left!"
"I can belive that..." Negrath muttered, causing his resident mage to blink, and look at him, humor sparkling in her eyes; "You mean she'd beat
you too?" she wanted to know.
Viconia snapped her head around to look at him as well, at that, and he swallowed with a nervousness he hadn't felt in years... "Of course not." He replied, his wife's snort and Imoen's chuckle telling him exactly how convincing he had been.
"Care to back that up, chief?" Callisto queried then, gesturing at Xena; "Switch places with her, and let's get at it. This'll be fun!"
"Callisto..." Xena warned, her blade still in hand.
"Oh, hush up." The blonde waved her off, "I won't kill him. Perhaps only a
bit of maiming..."
"No maiming!" Imoen objected, annoyed that it came out insufferably close to a childish whine.
"This ends at first blood." Viconia added, catching her otherworldly collegue's eyes, and holding them until convinced her message had carried through; the only maiming in the Keep would be her work!
"Fine by me." Callisto acknowledged somewhat mutedly, before returning her attention to Negrath; "You comin'?"
A glance at Imoen, and he could pluck his favorite blade from the air, discarding the(to him) largely ornamental thing he carried in his belt. Striding over to Xena, he smiled reassuringly; "It's OK. She won't survive killing me." The comment seeming to surprise his intended opponent, she turned her head to look at Imoen, peered at Viconia, then glanced about the walls; the guards patrolling them had turned their attention inward the moment her challenge was heard.
Returning her attention to the Lord at long last, she smiled with bored arrogance as her blade left its sheath; "As I said; this will be fun."
Negrath, unable to stop himself from swallowing once more, wondered with idle irritation when he'd become such a wimp. He'd faced fire-giants, dragons and demons from every realm worth mentioning...and he should fear a human girl from some similar reality? And yet, he realized with a start as he remembered her grin that first day, he feared her a great deal... Telling himself he did so because Xena, being the other world's version of him, had so great difficulty getting a victory over her, he swung his blade a few times to get reaquainted with it...a motion his opponent seemed to take as an invitation; with a yell she charged, and he found himself backstepping wildly both to maintain his balance and to keep sufficient distance for his blade to matter in the affair. "Not one for finesse, are you?" he wheezed a few moments later, striving to hold his ground as she pounded at him.
"Do you want me to be?" she shot back, surprising him with a swipe that disarmed him before he even knew there was a danger of it.
Falling onto his back, he lifted his hands in surrender. As she let her swordtip slide toward his throat, the 'yard resounded of bowstrings being
stretched to capacity, and Viconia cursed as she lunged toward the combatants.
"Very well." Callisto muttered, not appearing to have noticed either event, resheathing her blade even as Negrath closed his eyes in furious defeat. Blinking, he stared up at her without understanding, and she smirked; "I said I wouldn't kill you, didn't I? Get up." Hauling him to his feet almost against his will, she was promptly slammed to the ground herself; Viconia glared daggers down at her.
"How is that possible? WHAT are you?!?!?"
"A deluded woman, trying to ruin Xena's good name." Gabrielle spoke up unexpectedly, stepping back a bit as a variety of gazes flashed her way.
"Not that it was so 'good' back when I first saw her." The blonde warrior commented wryly, tossing the dark elf off of her. Rolling to her feet, Viconia hissed dangerously, but then turned a frown on Negrath, who still strived to catch up on events as he looked back and forth in confusion.
"As for what I am," Callisto added, "I'm as human as she is...I think."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Gabrielle wanted to know, having remained silent and unmoving up to that point.
"It means that no-one is that good by themselves."
"You are as good." Xena retorted, well aware of the various opinions that existed regarding her origin.
"I'm better!" Callisto shot back with glee, looking to Viconia as the drow demanded to know what that made her. "Good question, that." She acknowledged evenly, before gracelessly getting to her feet and dusting off her hands; "Let me know if you find the answer."
The next instant they were disturbed by a curious duo rolling in through the open gate; in a mix of brown and yellow, what seemed to be a pair of animals slashed and growled at each other in a manner that made it unlikely that either would survive very long...but when they separated explosively, the larger slamming bodily into the wall beside the gate, both flashed to their feet with no more problems than strained breathing, wholly unaware of their audience. Two remarkable creatures, they were; one comparatively short and stocky, but with the smooth motions of a hunting predator and the claws to match, the other with a body mass that made Minsc look normal, and exhibiting a feral rage to rival the Slayer. They both did, Negrat realized a moment later as they circled and he got a better look at the lesser of the two. With a start, he found that the growls mainly came from him, eyes narrowed and unblinking on the other, both itching for a rematch.
"Excuse me..." the Lord of the Keep commented, unsure whether attracting the attention of either was all that wise. The glares that swung his way almost convinced him that they'd gang up on him and his, and then continue as if nothing had happened. As they returned to their staring match, he did not dare to sigh his relief quite yet.
"Seems we got an audience." The larger, apparently yellow-furred beastman quipped derisively. "Guess that means you'll go all chicken again, eh?"
"Just get out of here. I'll deal with you later. Count on it."
The smaller 'creature's' tone was even, his gaze no less focused. The tension in him told everyone there that he did not expect his opponent to back off just by that.
"Oh, I will." Mr yellow snarled in gleeful anticipation, "This ain't over 'til one of us lies dead."
Bounding out through the gate, he returned almost immediately, slamming into the wall next to the dogpen, and was promptly made the recipient of
more power than Negrath had seen come from the sky in his entire life. "Sheesh! You could 'ave waited!" the woman that had returned him, in a full- covering black suit and green vest, yelled at someone as yet unseen. Striding through the gate the next moment were a lady that could be none other than their leader; her regal bearing only enhanced by her coloration(unique to the group at large at this point) and the curious way in which her surprisingly white hair rose from her scalp along the middle...and Negrath felt uncomfortably sure that the life around the keep was going to be a whole lot stranger very soon...
"It's clean." A brown-haired girl in a (to Negrath & co)singular all- blue outfit commented, stepping out of the Keep wall. The Bhaalspawn did a double take; yes indeed - no doors anywhere nearby.*
"Second floor as well." A curious-looking fellow in red-and-black agreed, and the whole group turned toward him, some in surprise, some in worry as
he coughed and stumbled, a just as curious-looking tail weaving unsteadily.
"You all right, Kurt?" the Leader queried, even as Imoen took a step toward him to help.
"No, I'm fine...just...a lot of 'porting."
The three first guests staring in steadily increasing surprise as each made their entrance, the original keep-inhabitants merely observed, curious as to what would be next...
"I would tell you not to be afraid, but as I can tell you're not, I'll instead advise you not to try anything aggressive."
The now quite remarkable group turning all eyes on the new arrival, the last visitors moved to gather about him; a bald, relatively old man in a curious contraption that did not seem to touch the ground and dressed in what Negrath recognized as some odd form of formal suit. Behind him, on either side was a man with something over his eyes a gnome had probably invented for some reason, and a red-haired woman in the same form- fitting black that covered the other from feet to neck.
"And you are?" Negrath queried, finally spying a source of information that did not appear as if they'd look straight through him. ('perhaps I ought to
go out and slay some more world-eaters' he thought wryly)
"Charles Xavier." The man in the floating-thing replied, proceeding to introduce the others; as their names were given, each gave a nod of acknowledgement...some even smiled.
The regal, brownskinned woman were 'Storm'...and apparently under his command. 'Battle leader' Negrath reasessed. The blackclad woman with the forceful entrance were 'Rogue', who gave the impression of being quite the Independent...the white stripe splitting her dark, brownish hair down the middle striking Negrath as some odd simile to Storm's. He reckoned it best not to ask about that. The wall-exiter was 'Kitty Pryde', and from the look on her face as she was introduced, Negrath surmised that something was missing from her complete immersion with the rest of them...the double name notwithstanding.
The one earlier referred to as 'Kurt', was now introduced as 'Nightcrawler'. Negrath found it far too fitting for comfort.
The two behind Charles were 'Cyclops' and 'Jean Grey'.
('Another double name, yet she seems not to mind', Negrath pondered. Evidently she had other ties to the group...hence her place with Charles?)
"And this little charmer," Rogue interjected when the turn came to the stocky fellow(now, curiously, without claws), patting him upside the head; "Is Wolverine. Generally it's a bad idea to get in our way...it's a REALLY bad idea to get in his."
"Acknowledged." Negrath nodded, idly noticing the familiar tone as the group momentarily spoke amongst themselves. Regrouping?
"And that fried fellow over there?" Imoen wanted to know, jabbing a thumb over her shoulder at the more unfortunate visitor.
"That's Sabretooth." Storm volunteered, giving the still-smoking body a
studying look.
"He's out still." Jean offered, as if it didn' really matter, though she
too sent the large man a cautious glance.
"I'll say!" Viconia exclaimed, "The heavens near tore him apart!"
"Not the heavens, girl." Wolverine grinned, nodding at Storm; "Just your
everyday weather godess."
"And not apart, either." Rogue added, shooting the smoking mass a disgusted look; "Darn bastard got healing to rival claw-boy, here." Again, attention
was directed at Wolverine in a manner Negrath considered derisive.
Evidently, the man did not care. Far would it be it from Negrath to assume by that that it was allowed for
anyone else.
"You saying he still lives?" Viconia queried, in tones that signified
interest warring with fear.
"You just wait, and he'll be tearing through the countryside as though he'd
never gotten a stubbed toe." Rogue confirmed.
"Is there then NOTHING..."
"Wolverine can hold him busy for as long as it takes...though we've never really let them play out their game." Storm replied evenly, then smiled;
"Don't worry. We won't let him go anywhere he's not supposed to. He was
dangerous enough when he was still part of a group, and had a leader.
Now..."
"He has neither." Xena concluded for her.
Turning to her, Storm studied her for a moment, then smiled anew; "Why do I
think you're as alien here as we are?"
"Because she's been on the telly every saturday?" Rogue quipped, then added; "Not that anyone cared enough to watch unless there was nothing else
on...which there usually wasn't...on tv."
"Yeah, football tends to get lame once you get used to being pummeled by crazies like that." Wolverine contributed, gesturing at Sabretooth, who had
startedto emit low groans. "Hey!"
Crossing the distance in two leaps, his claws flashing out, Wolverine crouched over the prone form, and gave it a swift kick; "Get up. No way I'm leaving you to rest once you can stand. And if you can talk, you can stand. UP!" The responding low rumble of a growl could be heard to the other end of the yard, before Wolverine returned the gesture with barely restrained fury, silencing him.
Rogue flew over to peer down at Sabretooth with a look of mock- disappointment on her face; "Really, Sab, you were brought down once, you can be brought down again. Be a good boy and get up. Or do you want to give Wolvie a free shot?" That got him on his feet, swiping at them both. A bolt of energy slamming into the wall next to him called his attention to the fact that the rest of the group had arrived; Negrath whipped his head around to catch Cyclops lower his hand from his eyes.
('So...no gnomework, that.' He thought, adding wryly; 'No turnips') After a moment of studying the assembled group, Sabertooth lifted his arms with a mocking grin(the gesture reminded Negrath more of a rearing bear than a beaten criminal); "Sure, why not. Not like I got a say in the matter." "Damned right." Wolverine growled, only slowly relaxing on repeated insistence from Charles and Jean that they had sufficient control to make his guarding uneccesary.
Negrath had to look back and forth between the three to grasp the situation; somehow, those two spindly humans, one apparently unable to walk, held this beast of a man without even being near him? And without apparent effort either, as Imoen's query of why she didn't sense their magic was answered readily by Jean; "It's not magic. Not as such, though we do use our minds as much as you, if not more."
"Try 'all'." Rogue added helpfully. "They're telepaths. They want you to keep silent or still, you do, or they make you."
"Rogue, stop trying to intimidate them. I have a feeling it won't work." Storm chided lightly, smiling at Negrath; "Will it?"
"He just fought me, and lost." Callisto offered, grin in place and growing; "Think you're worse?"
"Lady, any one of us could put you under without breaking a sweat!" Rogue exclaimed, with no trace of anything but genuine surprise.
"Try it, then! YOU!" Unsurprisingly, her challenge was meant for the apparent lord of the newcomers; her sword pointed at Charles as if straining to reach him.
A glance between him and Jean, and Wolverine grew tense again, claws springing back out as he snarled in preparation. Sabertooth, on the other hand, observed the imminent confrontation in the other end of the yard with interest.
At first, it didn't seem to last long. With a perplexed look on her face, Callisto found herself resheathing her blade, and stepping back.
Frowning, Charles closed his eyes in apparent effort; "She's...fighting me."
"Well, of course! Why shouldn't I?"
Arm shaking, her blade rattled as it slowly slunk back out.
"If she gets it out, she'll throw it...and she's good at that." Xena informed them casually, her own blade ready to intercept it should that become an issue.
"Thanks. I didn't think of that." Callisto retorted, giving her a quick grin of amusement.
"You would have." Xena told her wryly.
"Probably." Her realm-companion agreed distractedly, putting both hands on the hilt in a renewed effort to free her blade.
"Oh, no you don't!" Wolverine yelled, bounding across the yard to slam into the woman even as Storm called; "Logan, NO!" The dust clearing from their brief scuffle, Wolverine was straddling the taller woman, one hand holding her head down by her hair, the other curled into a fist at her throat, growling; "Damned lucky for you she knew my name, don't you think? Now don't try that again."
Rogue gliding over to pluck him from the ground and carry him over to Storm, the two stood staring at each other for a moment of embarrassed silence on one side, and annoyed irritation on the other.
"Why, Logan?"
"You know why, Ro. Her next idea would be to admit defeat and toss it anyway. We both know the type."
"It would never have reached him." Storm argued quietly, and Rogue nodded empatichally; so it wouldn't.
"You haven't seen much sword-tossing, have you?" 'Logan' commented.
"I've seen guns turned useless because their bullets never reached their target." His leader pointed out, and he nodded, glancing over at the duo by Charles, of all people; "Got a point, there...I'd still sleep safer without such cats still wearing their claws. I've got enough with one."
"So do I my friend. So do we all." Storm agreed, smiling, before turning a glare on Callisto; "You will surrender your weapons, or have them taken from you. All of them."
"Like you'd take all of his?" the warrior snorted, gesturing at Sabertooth, who gave a grin and posed; nothing but nature.
"If neccessary." The 'weather godess' replied undisturbed.
Wolverine let his claws snap out and in; no trouble at all.
Chewing on her lip in thought, Callisto then nodded, and set to disentangling herself from such an amount of destructive accessories as would have put a world-class samurai to shame.
"You been talking to a certain asassin aquaintance of ours?" Xena quipped offhandedly, only resheathing her blade when the other dropped hers atop the pile as conclusion.
"No. Should I?"
"Probably not. You'd end up disappointing someone either way."
"Oooh. Sounds like someone worth meeting." Callisto grinned, before turning back to Storm, gesturing at the pile; "If I'm to remove more weapons, you'll need to tell me how to put them back on first."
"That won't be neccessary. Go stand over by Sabertooth."
"He'll kill her!" Jean objected...the only one likely to care enough to do so, by the looks the others gave her; they'd seen enough.
"I doubt it." Xena told them, as the person in question sauntered across the yard toward the man. Once there, they engaged in a minor snarling match, ending with Callisto planting a fist in his groin.
The result seemed to bring surprise from the both of them; Sabertooth blinked at actually feeling it, and Callisto at apparently gaining a new
view of the guy -she smiled at him with demented mischief in her eyes.
"Oh what a tangled web we weave..." Cyclops muttered as it became clear what they seemed to have done.
*; and no, he would not notice any difference in solidity; I'm running with the 'partial phasing'-technique; thus, she'd become solid as she stepped out, not afterwards.
"Why don't you give it up, dear?" Callisto grinned, confident as ever, despite her opponent still defiantly standing her ground.
"You first." Xena retorted in kind.
"Come now, you know you can't win!" came the reply, sudden anger twisting her features momentarily as she chopped with determination.
Moving in what appeared to be a familiar pattern, Xena deflected the half- wild swings, and then stopped. Looking evenly at her opponent, having stopped to catch a breath she had given no sign of loosing, she commented; "You saying you can?"
A genuinely amused laugh the spectators would almost call companionable, and Callisto resheated her sword; "But that is why I love fighting you so
much...it's the only challenge I got left!"
"I can belive that..." Negrath muttered, causing his resident mage to blink, and look at him, humor sparkling in her eyes; "You mean she'd beat
you too?" she wanted to know.
Viconia snapped her head around to look at him as well, at that, and he swallowed with a nervousness he hadn't felt in years... "Of course not." He replied, his wife's snort and Imoen's chuckle telling him exactly how convincing he had been.
"Care to back that up, chief?" Callisto queried then, gesturing at Xena; "Switch places with her, and let's get at it. This'll be fun!"
"Callisto..." Xena warned, her blade still in hand.
"Oh, hush up." The blonde waved her off, "I won't kill him. Perhaps only a
bit of maiming..."
"No maiming!" Imoen objected, annoyed that it came out insufferably close to a childish whine.
"This ends at first blood." Viconia added, catching her otherworldly collegue's eyes, and holding them until convinced her message had carried through; the only maiming in the Keep would be her work!
"Fine by me." Callisto acknowledged somewhat mutedly, before returning her attention to Negrath; "You comin'?"
A glance at Imoen, and he could pluck his favorite blade from the air, discarding the(to him) largely ornamental thing he carried in his belt. Striding over to Xena, he smiled reassuringly; "It's OK. She won't survive killing me." The comment seeming to surprise his intended opponent, she turned her head to look at Imoen, peered at Viconia, then glanced about the walls; the guards patrolling them had turned their attention inward the moment her challenge was heard.
Returning her attention to the Lord at long last, she smiled with bored arrogance as her blade left its sheath; "As I said; this will be fun."
Negrath, unable to stop himself from swallowing once more, wondered with idle irritation when he'd become such a wimp. He'd faced fire-giants, dragons and demons from every realm worth mentioning...and he should fear a human girl from some similar reality? And yet, he realized with a start as he remembered her grin that first day, he feared her a great deal... Telling himself he did so because Xena, being the other world's version of him, had so great difficulty getting a victory over her, he swung his blade a few times to get reaquainted with it...a motion his opponent seemed to take as an invitation; with a yell she charged, and he found himself backstepping wildly both to maintain his balance and to keep sufficient distance for his blade to matter in the affair. "Not one for finesse, are you?" he wheezed a few moments later, striving to hold his ground as she pounded at him.
"Do you want me to be?" she shot back, surprising him with a swipe that disarmed him before he even knew there was a danger of it.
Falling onto his back, he lifted his hands in surrender. As she let her swordtip slide toward his throat, the 'yard resounded of bowstrings being
stretched to capacity, and Viconia cursed as she lunged toward the combatants.
"Very well." Callisto muttered, not appearing to have noticed either event, resheathing her blade even as Negrath closed his eyes in furious defeat. Blinking, he stared up at her without understanding, and she smirked; "I said I wouldn't kill you, didn't I? Get up." Hauling him to his feet almost against his will, she was promptly slammed to the ground herself; Viconia glared daggers down at her.
"How is that possible? WHAT are you?!?!?"
"A deluded woman, trying to ruin Xena's good name." Gabrielle spoke up unexpectedly, stepping back a bit as a variety of gazes flashed her way.
"Not that it was so 'good' back when I first saw her." The blonde warrior commented wryly, tossing the dark elf off of her. Rolling to her feet, Viconia hissed dangerously, but then turned a frown on Negrath, who still strived to catch up on events as he looked back and forth in confusion.
"As for what I am," Callisto added, "I'm as human as she is...I think."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Gabrielle wanted to know, having remained silent and unmoving up to that point.
"It means that no-one is that good by themselves."
"You are as good." Xena retorted, well aware of the various opinions that existed regarding her origin.
"I'm better!" Callisto shot back with glee, looking to Viconia as the drow demanded to know what that made her. "Good question, that." She acknowledged evenly, before gracelessly getting to her feet and dusting off her hands; "Let me know if you find the answer."
The next instant they were disturbed by a curious duo rolling in through the open gate; in a mix of brown and yellow, what seemed to be a pair of animals slashed and growled at each other in a manner that made it unlikely that either would survive very long...but when they separated explosively, the larger slamming bodily into the wall beside the gate, both flashed to their feet with no more problems than strained breathing, wholly unaware of their audience. Two remarkable creatures, they were; one comparatively short and stocky, but with the smooth motions of a hunting predator and the claws to match, the other with a body mass that made Minsc look normal, and exhibiting a feral rage to rival the Slayer. They both did, Negrat realized a moment later as they circled and he got a better look at the lesser of the two. With a start, he found that the growls mainly came from him, eyes narrowed and unblinking on the other, both itching for a rematch.
"Excuse me..." the Lord of the Keep commented, unsure whether attracting the attention of either was all that wise. The glares that swung his way almost convinced him that they'd gang up on him and his, and then continue as if nothing had happened. As they returned to their staring match, he did not dare to sigh his relief quite yet.
"Seems we got an audience." The larger, apparently yellow-furred beastman quipped derisively. "Guess that means you'll go all chicken again, eh?"
"Just get out of here. I'll deal with you later. Count on it."
The smaller 'creature's' tone was even, his gaze no less focused. The tension in him told everyone there that he did not expect his opponent to back off just by that.
"Oh, I will." Mr yellow snarled in gleeful anticipation, "This ain't over 'til one of us lies dead."
Bounding out through the gate, he returned almost immediately, slamming into the wall next to the dogpen, and was promptly made the recipient of
more power than Negrath had seen come from the sky in his entire life. "Sheesh! You could 'ave waited!" the woman that had returned him, in a full- covering black suit and green vest, yelled at someone as yet unseen. Striding through the gate the next moment were a lady that could be none other than their leader; her regal bearing only enhanced by her coloration(unique to the group at large at this point) and the curious way in which her surprisingly white hair rose from her scalp along the middle...and Negrath felt uncomfortably sure that the life around the keep was going to be a whole lot stranger very soon...
"It's clean." A brown-haired girl in a (to Negrath & co)singular all- blue outfit commented, stepping out of the Keep wall. The Bhaalspawn did a double take; yes indeed - no doors anywhere nearby.*
"Second floor as well." A curious-looking fellow in red-and-black agreed, and the whole group turned toward him, some in surprise, some in worry as
he coughed and stumbled, a just as curious-looking tail weaving unsteadily.
"You all right, Kurt?" the Leader queried, even as Imoen took a step toward him to help.
"No, I'm fine...just...a lot of 'porting."
The three first guests staring in steadily increasing surprise as each made their entrance, the original keep-inhabitants merely observed, curious as to what would be next...
"I would tell you not to be afraid, but as I can tell you're not, I'll instead advise you not to try anything aggressive."
The now quite remarkable group turning all eyes on the new arrival, the last visitors moved to gather about him; a bald, relatively old man in a curious contraption that did not seem to touch the ground and dressed in what Negrath recognized as some odd form of formal suit. Behind him, on either side was a man with something over his eyes a gnome had probably invented for some reason, and a red-haired woman in the same form- fitting black that covered the other from feet to neck.
"And you are?" Negrath queried, finally spying a source of information that did not appear as if they'd look straight through him. ('perhaps I ought to
go out and slay some more world-eaters' he thought wryly)
"Charles Xavier." The man in the floating-thing replied, proceeding to introduce the others; as their names were given, each gave a nod of acknowledgement...some even smiled.
The regal, brownskinned woman were 'Storm'...and apparently under his command. 'Battle leader' Negrath reasessed. The blackclad woman with the forceful entrance were 'Rogue', who gave the impression of being quite the Independent...the white stripe splitting her dark, brownish hair down the middle striking Negrath as some odd simile to Storm's. He reckoned it best not to ask about that. The wall-exiter was 'Kitty Pryde', and from the look on her face as she was introduced, Negrath surmised that something was missing from her complete immersion with the rest of them...the double name notwithstanding.
The one earlier referred to as 'Kurt', was now introduced as 'Nightcrawler'. Negrath found it far too fitting for comfort.
The two behind Charles were 'Cyclops' and 'Jean Grey'.
('Another double name, yet she seems not to mind', Negrath pondered. Evidently she had other ties to the group...hence her place with Charles?)
"And this little charmer," Rogue interjected when the turn came to the stocky fellow(now, curiously, without claws), patting him upside the head; "Is Wolverine. Generally it's a bad idea to get in our way...it's a REALLY bad idea to get in his."
"Acknowledged." Negrath nodded, idly noticing the familiar tone as the group momentarily spoke amongst themselves. Regrouping?
"And that fried fellow over there?" Imoen wanted to know, jabbing a thumb over her shoulder at the more unfortunate visitor.
"That's Sabretooth." Storm volunteered, giving the still-smoking body a
studying look.
"He's out still." Jean offered, as if it didn' really matter, though she
too sent the large man a cautious glance.
"I'll say!" Viconia exclaimed, "The heavens near tore him apart!"
"Not the heavens, girl." Wolverine grinned, nodding at Storm; "Just your
everyday weather godess."
"And not apart, either." Rogue added, shooting the smoking mass a disgusted look; "Darn bastard got healing to rival claw-boy, here." Again, attention
was directed at Wolverine in a manner Negrath considered derisive.
Evidently, the man did not care. Far would it be it from Negrath to assume by that that it was allowed for
anyone else.
"You saying he still lives?" Viconia queried, in tones that signified
interest warring with fear.
"You just wait, and he'll be tearing through the countryside as though he'd
never gotten a stubbed toe." Rogue confirmed.
"Is there then NOTHING..."
"Wolverine can hold him busy for as long as it takes...though we've never really let them play out their game." Storm replied evenly, then smiled;
"Don't worry. We won't let him go anywhere he's not supposed to. He was
dangerous enough when he was still part of a group, and had a leader.
Now..."
"He has neither." Xena concluded for her.
Turning to her, Storm studied her for a moment, then smiled anew; "Why do I
think you're as alien here as we are?"
"Because she's been on the telly every saturday?" Rogue quipped, then added; "Not that anyone cared enough to watch unless there was nothing else
on...which there usually wasn't...on tv."
"Yeah, football tends to get lame once you get used to being pummeled by crazies like that." Wolverine contributed, gesturing at Sabretooth, who had
startedto emit low groans. "Hey!"
Crossing the distance in two leaps, his claws flashing out, Wolverine crouched over the prone form, and gave it a swift kick; "Get up. No way I'm leaving you to rest once you can stand. And if you can talk, you can stand. UP!" The responding low rumble of a growl could be heard to the other end of the yard, before Wolverine returned the gesture with barely restrained fury, silencing him.
Rogue flew over to peer down at Sabretooth with a look of mock- disappointment on her face; "Really, Sab, you were brought down once, you can be brought down again. Be a good boy and get up. Or do you want to give Wolvie a free shot?" That got him on his feet, swiping at them both. A bolt of energy slamming into the wall next to him called his attention to the fact that the rest of the group had arrived; Negrath whipped his head around to catch Cyclops lower his hand from his eyes.
('So...no gnomework, that.' He thought, adding wryly; 'No turnips') After a moment of studying the assembled group, Sabertooth lifted his arms with a mocking grin(the gesture reminded Negrath more of a rearing bear than a beaten criminal); "Sure, why not. Not like I got a say in the matter." "Damned right." Wolverine growled, only slowly relaxing on repeated insistence from Charles and Jean that they had sufficient control to make his guarding uneccesary.
Negrath had to look back and forth between the three to grasp the situation; somehow, those two spindly humans, one apparently unable to walk, held this beast of a man without even being near him? And without apparent effort either, as Imoen's query of why she didn't sense their magic was answered readily by Jean; "It's not magic. Not as such, though we do use our minds as much as you, if not more."
"Try 'all'." Rogue added helpfully. "They're telepaths. They want you to keep silent or still, you do, or they make you."
"Rogue, stop trying to intimidate them. I have a feeling it won't work." Storm chided lightly, smiling at Negrath; "Will it?"
"He just fought me, and lost." Callisto offered, grin in place and growing; "Think you're worse?"
"Lady, any one of us could put you under without breaking a sweat!" Rogue exclaimed, with no trace of anything but genuine surprise.
"Try it, then! YOU!" Unsurprisingly, her challenge was meant for the apparent lord of the newcomers; her sword pointed at Charles as if straining to reach him.
A glance between him and Jean, and Wolverine grew tense again, claws springing back out as he snarled in preparation. Sabertooth, on the other hand, observed the imminent confrontation in the other end of the yard with interest.
At first, it didn't seem to last long. With a perplexed look on her face, Callisto found herself resheathing her blade, and stepping back.
Frowning, Charles closed his eyes in apparent effort; "She's...fighting me."
"Well, of course! Why shouldn't I?"
Arm shaking, her blade rattled as it slowly slunk back out.
"If she gets it out, she'll throw it...and she's good at that." Xena informed them casually, her own blade ready to intercept it should that become an issue.
"Thanks. I didn't think of that." Callisto retorted, giving her a quick grin of amusement.
"You would have." Xena told her wryly.
"Probably." Her realm-companion agreed distractedly, putting both hands on the hilt in a renewed effort to free her blade.
"Oh, no you don't!" Wolverine yelled, bounding across the yard to slam into the woman even as Storm called; "Logan, NO!" The dust clearing from their brief scuffle, Wolverine was straddling the taller woman, one hand holding her head down by her hair, the other curled into a fist at her throat, growling; "Damned lucky for you she knew my name, don't you think? Now don't try that again."
Rogue gliding over to pluck him from the ground and carry him over to Storm, the two stood staring at each other for a moment of embarrassed silence on one side, and annoyed irritation on the other.
"Why, Logan?"
"You know why, Ro. Her next idea would be to admit defeat and toss it anyway. We both know the type."
"It would never have reached him." Storm argued quietly, and Rogue nodded empatichally; so it wouldn't.
"You haven't seen much sword-tossing, have you?" 'Logan' commented.
"I've seen guns turned useless because their bullets never reached their target." His leader pointed out, and he nodded, glancing over at the duo by Charles, of all people; "Got a point, there...I'd still sleep safer without such cats still wearing their claws. I've got enough with one."
"So do I my friend. So do we all." Storm agreed, smiling, before turning a glare on Callisto; "You will surrender your weapons, or have them taken from you. All of them."
"Like you'd take all of his?" the warrior snorted, gesturing at Sabertooth, who gave a grin and posed; nothing but nature.
"If neccessary." The 'weather godess' replied undisturbed.
Wolverine let his claws snap out and in; no trouble at all.
Chewing on her lip in thought, Callisto then nodded, and set to disentangling herself from such an amount of destructive accessories as would have put a world-class samurai to shame.
"You been talking to a certain asassin aquaintance of ours?" Xena quipped offhandedly, only resheathing her blade when the other dropped hers atop the pile as conclusion.
"No. Should I?"
"Probably not. You'd end up disappointing someone either way."
"Oooh. Sounds like someone worth meeting." Callisto grinned, before turning back to Storm, gesturing at the pile; "If I'm to remove more weapons, you'll need to tell me how to put them back on first."
"That won't be neccessary. Go stand over by Sabertooth."
"He'll kill her!" Jean objected...the only one likely to care enough to do so, by the looks the others gave her; they'd seen enough.
"I doubt it." Xena told them, as the person in question sauntered across the yard toward the man. Once there, they engaged in a minor snarling match, ending with Callisto planting a fist in his groin.
The result seemed to bring surprise from the both of them; Sabertooth blinked at actually feeling it, and Callisto at apparently gaining a new
view of the guy -she smiled at him with demented mischief in her eyes.
"Oh what a tangled web we weave..." Cyclops muttered as it became clear what they seemed to have done.
*; and no, he would not notice any difference in solidity; I'm running with the 'partial phasing'-technique; thus, she'd become solid as she stepped out, not afterwards.