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Outside if it was freezing cold. Snow coated the ground in a thin slushly layer over the streets and rooves of the town they'd landed just outside of. Chiara felt cold, but her skintight uniform kept her warm enough to stop from freezing.
She folded her arms around herself and shivered uncomfortabley. Everyone stepping off the plane reacted in more or less the same way. Cyclops wiped frost from his visor and scanned the area.
"This way." he said, pointing towards the frosted shore of a polluted lake. It stank of a sewer but was frozen over. Chiara pitied the fish.
They all began to follow him, one by one coming slowly to life and shuffling through the snow after their self-appointed leader. Chiara felt compelled to do the same, but her feet were sore and cold inside her boots, yet she followed all the same.
They made their way over the frozen ice, Cyclops and Kurt telling them where to step and where was thin. After they'd crossed, Storm made sure to sprinkle the lake surface with flakes of snow and ice, to cover their tracks.
Cyclops stopped suddenly as they reached the otherside. He looked at the small group through his visor and let out a half-crystalized sigh.
"You," he said, pointing at Twist.
"Me?" she asked, surprised. Cyclops nodded, point to Chiara.
"And You."
"Me?"
"And you Simon, Alyx." Cyclops continued, looking at all of them. He stopped and glanced at Mark, searching him for something. "And you too." he said, looking at Connor. "Connor." he said, including him too. Streak, Add and Khahara looked somewhat left out.
"What?" Simon said, frustrated. Cyclops walked up to him, standing a few inches taller.
"That's a nice accessory you have there." Cyclops said with an aire of sarcasm. He pointed a gloved finger at Simon's metallic blue eyebrow barbel.
"Oh...uh... thanks?" Simon said, touching it, almost protectively. Chiara laughed silently and folded her arms, wondering where it was going.
"Did it hurt?" Cyclops went on.
"No." Simon said confidently, laughing at the absurdity of something hurting him. Cyclops eyed him through the visor.
"Well it'll hurt when Magneto pulls it out of you with his mind and uses it as a metallic blue bullet to shoot you with." He said, the mererest hint of a smug smile tacing his lips. Simon looked confused. "Take it out." he said, before stepping back to his original position. Simon grumbled and then pulled off his gloves, pulling the barbell out of his eyebrow.
"The rest of you too." Cyclops said. Chiara sighed suddenly. Half of her earrings she hadn't taken out in years. The rest of them exchanged looks, but at the uneasiness of getting them ripped out of their skin they all began pulling their assorted earrings and barbells out.
Chiara rolled her eyes and began on her own. The industrial, the chain, the studs. She had more metal than a nuclear power plant. She stopped suddenly, removing the last cartiledge hoop, jangling the collection of earrings in her hand. She looked down at her stomach as Cyclops spoke again.
"I guess none of you have then in... other regions. That would hurt." He laughed. "Let's keep moving." Chiara felt a spasm of nausea at the thought of her bellybutton ring being ripped out of her.
"Uh..." she said quickly. Everyone looked at her. She felt herself go red.
"Got a secret, Chiara?" Twist tease. Chiara glared at her.
"What is it?" Cyclops asked.
"Um... I have a metal... item in my navel." she said hurridly.
"Ok. Take it out." Cyclops said.
"Uh... but I..." Chiara started. She felt Simon and Connor looking at her and threw them both glares. Cyclops gave her look of disbelief.
"If you want to keep it in you can. I can't guarantee it won't hurt." he said. Chiara shook her head. Twist was laughing at her silently. Streak through a handful of snow at her and she stopped. Chiara looked around.
Yuako and the others could be dead if she didn't do this quickly. Thankfully, she was still wearing that blessed halter top. She reached around the back of her uniform and tugged the zip downwards. She met Simon's eyes. He laughed quietly and looked at Add and Connor.
Mark was faithfully talking to Khahara, telling her something and not looking at Chiara.
"Come on guys." Connor said, glaring at Simon and Add. Cyclops glared at them also.
"You two. This isn't some peep show." he said. Chiara glowed with embarrassment again. Connor's eyes seemed to have become a more concentrated green. Simon and Add turned. Connor and the others followed suit.
Immediately, Chiara unzipped the back of her uniform, lifted the halter and pulled out the dragonfly decoration she'd had in since the beginning of the year. The air was icy cold, giving her goosebumps immediately. She zipped it back up and smiled silently.
"Okay. I'm done." she said.
"Thank you." Cyclops said as Ororo picked up all their old piercings. "Now, we continue." he said. The group began walking through the snow. Twist linked arms with her.
"I haven't laughed so hard in the last few weeks. Thank you." she giggled.
"I'm glad my pain makes you happy." Chiara sighed, laughing. She looked over at Connor, giving him a thankful smile which he returned.
"Dude." She heard Simon's voice say to him. "You suck."