Act On Impulse 4

The Party Scene

Scott picked up the invite marked from Glamour magazine and instinctively had the small Yorkshire terrier he'd picked up from the Agencies pound. He was a damn good bomb sniffing dog but too small to qualify with its stubby legs. "Okay Bowzer what's in it?"

The dog barked happily and licked Scott's face. Taking that as a good sign he opened the letter and pulled out the trendy black and red invite. "You are cordially – who do I really know that says cordially? – Invited to the Glamour Magazine party for the Genoshan Aid fund...Kitty," he sighed. "I have to RSVP in the negative". He'd tried to throw away the letter, but eventually he'd asked his dogs opinion.

"Okay, you win I'll RSVP in the positive" he sighed. In the back of his head a nagging voice asked: "Will Lance be there?" He decided he'd call someone to have that little voice put down.

"Okay Lance" Kitty said as she sat in yoga position. "Cleanse your thoughts of all impurity--- well this is you so I won't hold my breath - - - and let the serenity fill you."

"I want to do the horizontal mambo with Summers"

Kitty gave a groan and relented. She turned off the CD player of relaxing ocean noises. "All right honey" she said. "I totally get the "neediness" issues and accept and move on. But can you please stop the 1-track mind bit? It's mildly nauseating and pretty pathetic."

"He's so hot," said Lance. They were in her apartment, the stylish penthouse suite overlooking a small park. "The soft, well-cut hair, the cute nose, the pouty lips, the slim shoulders, the firm pecs and abs, the narrow hips, the long legs and tight ass... I'll bet he has a really big-"

"Probably you'd notice in the old battle costume" Kitty said to cut him off. "So what's the deal? Are you going to try being civil at the party tonight?"

"Okay, but you have to remind me not to stare at him" Lance sighed. The phone started ringing. "Will I get that?"

Kitty put the phone on speaker. "Hello? Katherine Pryde speaking"

"Kitty"

"Ugh Dominic"

"You're such a nice partner," he said sarcastically. "I'm fine thanks, working all night and all day trying to work out the next cover! But hey let's ignore it? You're already started on that campaign!"

"Put it with that stick up your ass Dominic" Kitty said. "What do you want?"

"Look, okay the covers tonight, the board is deadlocked and you have a deciding vote so choose a freaking cover for print!"

"LOOK" snapped Kitty. "I'll TAKE my TIME and be as SLOW or as FAST as I want!"

"God you are such a cranky little-"

The line went dead as Kitty phased a hand through the phone. "I have credit at the phone repair store" she added off Lance's look. "Now. Let's go shopping"

"You're such a valley girl"

"Yes but one with a platinum card and black belt"

Scott groaned as Mystique called the staff together. "Jamie, the killer struck again last night. A male, African American, bald, wearing glasses and non-mutant" she put the picture up on the board with the others. "I can't see a pattern. Can you?"

Everyone shifted uneasily. Mystique nodded. "Thought so. So I called in someone to help. Ms Petros" Natasha advanced from Mystiques office. She was dressed in a suit, her scandalously short dark purple skirt and tight double-breasted jacket and wearing her hair up. "Natasha Petros everyone who wasn't an X-terminator. Ms Petros was once called Lady Aura. Men on the team will be reprimanded for approaching her and women too. Ms Petros has proven an excellent strategist and profiler for Genosha during the rampage of a certain mad swordsman".

Vargas. Rogue had apparently put an end to it during her art tour there. Natasha smiled at everyone. "Well. Let's see," she said. "Having read this file I think our killer thinks themselves sane though they're totally mad. At first when I saw the first two deaths I believed a sadistic Jack The Ripper copycat but then I found murder 3 to be more like the poisonings of La Voisin in France... the fourth was similar to that of Sabertooth, brutal and savage yet the fifth seems to have been almost too easy for the killer...as if the strangulation was...simply..." Natasha frowned. "A technicality. Ladies and Gentlemen this man was a boxer, not a wimp, he was easily killed, his fist and toes are without any sign of putting up a fight or at least not enough of one to create marks."

Natasha took a marker and wrote down two words. Armed and Unarmed. "I think our killer is a mutant who's getting stronger and stronger," she murmured. "And I think she's gone after these people because of a pattern we just can't see without a key component."

Scott looked at her. "She?"

"They then"

"Why she?"

"Do you need to ask?" Natasha asked as she held up the strand of hair. "This is Aura you're talking to love". She sighed. "I don't think there'll be another murder tonight, the rain is a cover, the murders are outside in a place with shelter from being seen but not from the rain, washing away most of the evidence if not all. Diluting whatever remains"

"The DNA tests on the hair have been...inconclusive" Mystique said.

"So we're still flying blind," Scott murmured. "The genes from the hair can't give us much?"

"Only that is a particularly toxic brand of hair spray," Natasha said. "It "kills" the hair in some ways but gives it bounce and colour at the same time. High fashion in its cheapest form."

Scott looked out the window. The sky was cloudless...no rain. Thankfully.

Kitty climbed out of the limo and smiled at the crowds. She'd done a few movie bits with Dana about 3 months ago and gotten a bit of a following. The people were at the party to see any stars that came along. She blew a kiss to one starry eyed man and glanced at Lance who was following her. He was dressed in a blue silk shirt and tight black jeans.

"These pants are cutting circulation off to important parts of my body" he said.

"But they accent that bubble butt so well!"

Kitty was dressed in a lilac dress with a high collar that was open at the front leading to the gap above her breasts to show off the silver choker around her neck. It was sleeveless with a white silver-buckled belt resting on her hips. The bead studded ankle bands of her spaghetti-strap heels glimmered like diamonds as she made her walk down the catwalk.

The music was playing, a top DJ made sure of that and there were 1/4 price drinks all around. "KITTY!" Jubilee came dashing over and hugged Kitty. "It's great to see you again!"

"I saw the article in the Times" Kitty said. "Another successful sell! That picture was heavenly! Or at the very least purgatorial." She grinned and Jubilee pointed at the seats.

"Come on! Join!" Jubilee said. "We're drinking heavily off the cheap but high quality booze"

"Waitress! Cosmo!" Kitty shouted as she caught Lance's wrist and dragged him over with her.

"Anyway" Jubilee said. "Pena Colada's ahoy" she ushered them to a booth. Lance stared and Scott stared back. Kitty and Jubilee looked knowingly at one another then Jubilee cleared her throat. "Lance-y I hope that's a phone in your pocket."

"Only if it's an old military walkie-talkie" he smirked.

Scott looked intently at his beer. In the darkness it was impossible to tell if he was blushing or not. He'd seen those old walkie-talkies and they were big...he really shouldn't be thinking about that.

He paused as he saw a familiar shape getting up on stage.

"My names Dana Harvey" the British girl said. "Of course you all know that. So I'll cut to the chase...here's a little song because I'm being paid thousands to attend this party" she smiled.

"Dana's here!" Jubilee squealed as the music began. "OH! Let's dance" she looked around. "I swear, my partner takes forever to close up our business—there he is" she scampered over to her boyfriend and dragged him over.

"Hi Ray" everyone chorused. He'd died his hair pink and green this time. They'd given up hoping for it to stay one colour a long time ago. Jubilee planted a smacker on his cheek. "Okey Dokey let's hit the dance floor" everyone wound up grabbing someone and dragging him or her in a chain onto the floor as Dana began.

Scott found Kitty and Jubilee had caught him and pulled him up to stand beside Lance. Dominic and Natasha rushed over to join in.

Are we meant to be? Really fated to be?

Dana had her back to the dance floor as she sang the words unaccompanied. Suddenly she spun as the lights flashed on.

Once upon a time I was in love

Cupid went and gave –my-heart-a-shove

I thought it was true, wished it was real

All it was, was you sex – appeal!

Lance watched as Scott moved, his hips were hypnotic...and so slender...He was wearing a black shirt, the coat over in the booth and the hip-hugging jeans loose on his hips. Lance was dancing but---Scott was cuter at it. Lance was just more aggressive.

I find another way

To fight another day

Live my life the way I want to

Do the things I wish and want to

Save my soul to be set free

Won't be a limb gonna be me

Dana was burning up the crowd, magnetic particles spun in the air. Her purple eyes and tinted hair glowed under the lights. Scott was moving so perfectly...Lance wanted so badly to just grab him, drag him to a storeroom and have his wicked, wicked, very-wicked, way with him.

If you think I need to be attached

Our mind and feelings obviously aren't matched

I'm a rock, a diamond, and a stone

I'm no one else's I am all my own

The dance floor was packed, the digital donations counter was rising and the night was still young. Kitty and Jubilee grinned as Lance and Scott danced not with but near each other.

Who's to say,

I can't have it my way?

I'm not a fool I know the earth

But I'm no fool I know my worth

Stand back get out of my way

On my own I'll win the day

If you think I need to be attached

Our mind and feelings obviously aren't matched

I'm a rock, a diamond, and a stone

I'm no one else's I am all my own

Scott brushed against Lance and sparks flew in the back of Lance's head. He was so close behind Scott (admittedly not in the way or state of dress he'd hoped to be in but he'd take what he could get...) his lips ghosted over Scott's earlobe before he stepped away from the other man who was just as affected by the music as Lance was.

You know the way it seems to be

Every time I find love it consumes me

I want a man who respects my ways and my life

Will treat me like and equal before and after I'm his wife

Or I could stand alone without a gold ring

My heart and soul could take wing

Fly me away to the land of dreams

I'm not tied down at all it seems

If you think I need to be attached

Our mind and feelings obviously aren't matched

I'm a rock, a diamond, and a stone

I'm no one else's I am all my own

Dana's movements were majestic and elegant. She was swift and decisive in her dance routine, the crowd loved it. The backing singers and band were enjoying themselves and Dana didn't seem like the girl who'd helped face off against Magneto, Xavier, Onslaught and Apocalypse...

Lance stifled the jealousy as he turned back to find Scott was currently dancing with two buff surfer boys and a member of the latest bubble-gum pop girl band. Lance was about to go blazing over when he remembered not to make it to easy...that and the cute blue-skinned actor moving close to him helped stifle a need to go after the courting people of Scott and instead acted nonchalant...

For.

NOW

It's my prerogative to be my own

A real person of flesh and bone

I want love but not if the price...

Is to lose myself for the shower of rice

I hope that we can someday elect

A Congress for mutual respect

Be equal that's my rule

Let's burn it all down but keep it cool

The band hit a final run and then Dana gave a bow. The camera's flashed and crowd screamed, scrabbling to get an autograph. Lance now had five guys and two girls around him and Scott had gone back to the booth with a fistful of phone numbers.

Dominic looked at Kitty. "I think this went well"

"Yeah" she nodded. "You did—a good job"

Dominic smiled at her. It wasn't a cocky Lance Alvers smile. It was a slow slightly shy Dominic Petros smile. "Well...you weren't exactly useless," he said. "You organized Dana Harvey"

"And don't forget" she laughed, tapping him on the nose and returning to her friends.

"Mmm hmmm" Natasha mused.

"What?" Dominic asked.

"Nothing" Natasha said. "Just me being Lady Aura..."

Dominic frowned as his twin sister sauntered over to the group.

TBC

Okay! Thanks to all my reviewers: Crazy Chick and Zee4 have stood by me since the beginning and I am so thankful I'm blowing pink bubbles for them, CATgrl I love you darling but I amn't sure if you can handle this...still loving your fics through. Kari Anna... Peter/Harry...I love it, I crave it you write it so well. So Kari Anna didn't review but I needed to mention her! Anyway review!

Do you guys want to hear more about the past few years of their lives? If so tell and I'll include some stuff.