(Six)
Over the next couple of days with the Freedom Kings, Kimble did his best to try and fit in. The group conducted itself in a rigid military style that Kimble simply had a hard time wrapping his brain around. Here Kimble was expected to attend classes wether he liked them or not. If he didn't participate, he was criticized. He had to wear the uniform and appear on time. He was still not allowed near a phone, but was kept so busy, he wouldn't have had much time for it anyway. He had classes, classes and more classes. There were academics, Math and English, which bored him to tears, and the political classes which horrified him with their constant display of carnage. There were photos of the camps and worse, video clips and movies. They made him think of the Dognan pens and the misery Fallen had suffered there. He just didn't want to think about it at all.
The point of all this training of course was to prepare teams for Cameron's covert activities although that wasn't expressly said. The idea of going out there and doing things for the mutant cause was stressed and highly praised. Any time the Freedom Kings pulled off some amazing caper, it was spread around quickly and glorified, echoing with promises of glory. Most of the people here were young and had ben left on their own, here there was a strong sense of family and it was with this that Cameron Bishop bound all that promising talent to his side.
There were some classes Kimble did like. He had flight class and clinics for telekinetics. He also had regular workouts with Kyle's team in the gym. This was to build unity on the team and help them work together as a unit. Normally someone as green as Kimble would never be added to such a team, but this time it was under Cameron's orders. Kimble was getting a crash course so that he would deployed with the team that much sooner.
Today they were running an obstacle course in the huge gymnasium. The course was very physical and they were told not to use their powers, the idea was that they should be able to handle themselves without them. Kimble loved his body and what he could do with it, so he enjoyed this very much. They worked their way through the course easily enough until they came to a big jump. They were going to have to use a rope to swing across and scramble up the other side. Leon looked back at Kimble with a nasty smile. "Who ever doesn't make it across has to fuck Gail!" he joked.
Gail laughed a little, but her eyes were mad.
"You're too bad, Leon," Michael said with disdain, not really approving of the comment. He grabbed the rope and leapt, making the distance easily.
Kimble felt sorry for Gail so he grinned at her with his ususal charm and said, "Sounds like a win/win situation ta me."
Leon laughed cruelly and sneered. "I suppose it would be if you don't mind being skinned alive. Her scales can rip your skin off."
Kimble looked back at Gail and winked, grinning even wider. "I just loves a challenge."
Gail laughed and gave him a shove. "Well, go on, then."
Kimble took his turn and missed. It wasn't on purpose although the guys teased him about it. He caught the edge and scrabbled madly with his toe claws, but couldn't pull himself up. He fell and landed with a thud on the mat, laughing. Oh, well. He watched as Gail easily jumped across over him. She looked back at him and teased with a wink, "Hope you fuck better than you jump!"
He grinned at the challenge, seeing this as just another form of play. He had grown quite fond of his new roommate and made it quite clear he had no desire to leave for another room. She seemed to welcome his company and they had become fast friends. She helped him out a lot, especially with his school work. It wasn't that he didn't get it, he was really quite smart, he just struggled with his attention span. She made work time fun. He knew she was just joking around about the sex, he sensed from her already she had never been with a man. It puzzled him, she was no child. He guessed it was her mutation. Well, there were ways around that if one were clever enough.
Kyle did not teach this class, that had been left to another. The irate instructor came over and shouted. "You there! Kimble! Get your ass moving! This isn't nap time, boy!"
Kimble got up, grumbling, his good mood dissipating quickly. He was too slow, he wasn't quite good enough. Hell, he just didn't give a shit, really. He heard these words all day long. They were so serious here and he didn't like it. He wanted to play, but it wasn't going over any better here than it had at Xavier's.
Kimble used his power to jump back up to the top, bringing another round of complaints from the teacher, but he didn't care. He tuned the man out and caught up to Gail, coming up quickly behind her and making her laugh. He whispered jokes in her ear, playing around and was happy to see her smile. She had a nice smile, he thought. Her teeth didn't frighten him, they were a part of her and he just didn't care about them at all.
"You bad boy!" she hissed playfully. "You get in so much trouble!"
He just laughed and played around some more. He managed the rest of the course without incident and was happy when he saw Kyle come walking into the gym, he was here for Kimble's flying lesson. This was the one area that Kimble took very seriously. He scampered over and Kyle couldn't help but laugh at Kimble's enthusiasm.
They walked over to a special area set up for flyers. This was an areal obstacle course with hoops and bars to weave around. It taught control and cornering. The trick was to see how fast you could fly the course without crashing or knocking all of the hoops down. Kimble was learning quickly and went right to it. They both vaulted into the air and ran the course. Kimble flew through the hoops and bars quickly and easily, remembering well the lessons Kyle had taught him. He was fast and nimble, acrobatic as he moved through the air. They played tag and Kimble had quite the blast.
Kyle enjoyed these sessions, too. Mostly because it was one area where Kimble truly applied himself. He was impressed at the speed at which Kimble learned when it was something he cared about. Kimble could doge and twist at impossible angles to make the turns, making it clear he was no ordinary creature. He had no real bones and could flex and contort his body to gain precious extra seconds if they tried to race. Kyle was left in the dust, laughing and shaking his head in wonder.
He was aware that Kimble was struggling with the other courses, his biggest foe being boredom and an aversion to violence. This was puzzling. If Kimble was going to be some kind of protector, that was a real problem. Can't have your heroes go squeamish on you - tossing your cookies or bawling your eyes out was definitely not a good way to make a good first impression on your opponent.
Kimble laughed and came up behind Kyle, lightly touching him on the shoulders with his hands. Kimble always did this and it took some getting used to. Kimble wasn't being pushy here, he was just being affectionate, something that came out easily when he was happy or playing around. Kimble liked to touch, to feel. He was very demonstrative in his affection and loved to play around. Kyle had always been a serious man and a little closed off so this was a bit odd to him. Kimble was getting him to relax some, he found himself laughing a lot more than he used to, especially after a fun session like this.
They landed and Kyle toweled off. He was drenched in sweat, but Kimble wasn't even winded. Man, he was getting old. "So, Kim. How's it going? You settling in?"
"Guess so. Gail's real nice."
Kyle grunted with a smile. It hadn't taken long for the place to buzz about how well those two had hit it off. "And the classes?"
Kimble just shrugged and looked away. They were horrible, but he didn't want to talk about it. It seemed like no one understood how boring and useless they were. "S' all right, I guess. Kin I run the course again?"
"Sure, Knock yourself out."
He watched as Kimble ran and took off. He really had improved quickly. He could fly unaided through the course and was almost ready for tactics and evasion, both combat courses. This was assuming he didn't chill out on those as well. Kimble had also done well on shield making. He was adept at controlling the size and thickness of shields, something that was very difficult to do. His progress was uncanny and Kyle figured there had to be some kind of motivating factor behind that, one that wasn't too difficult to figure out looking at how Kimble's eyes were always on Gail when they were together.
The one thing Kyle had avoided was the making of and use of spikes. That one was simply too dangerous. It would be a while before that came up. So far, Kimble hadn't asked about it.
Kimble had also given up on the phone. He no longer asked about it, learning quickly that he would be persuaded to do something else instead. He visited the Club's many rooms, but still seemed kind of lost or undecided. Kyle knew it was just a matter of time before he settled in all the way. He would get into the rest of the classes, too, once he got his head together.
The best thing to happen to Kimble was having Gail as his roommate. She had taken the young pilot under her wing and was taking care of him quite nicely. It certainly made it easier for Kyle. He hated to babysit and she had taken over for him with ease. Soon enough, Kimble would forget about the places he'd been to before and become one of them.
(break)
Kimble lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He was so bored here. He found the academic classes meaningless and wanted only to have a little fun. This place wasn't what he expected. Yes, he could romp around in the Club, but it was quickly losing its appeal. He was only dimly becoming aware that he was enjoying himself far more in his quarters with Gail than he was out there with strangers.
The door opened and Gail stomped in, her face tense and angry.
Kimble rolled over to look at her. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just the boys being brats. Sometimes I really hate them!"
"They still pickin' on ya?"
"Of course," she snapped. Just because they all wore the same uniform didn't mean a certain amount of teasing didn't go on. Poor ugly Gail got more than her share. She flopped down on her bed and clicked on the radio, surfing until she found a Rolling Stones song she liked. She sighed, her back to Kimble.
He felt bad for her, knowing her pain all too well himself. He got up and sat next to her. He gently stroked her shoulder, forming a light telekinetic shield around his hand so her scales wouldn't shred his skin. He was enjoying himself in the rooms of the Club, but something was lacking. He wanted the friendship he had with Remy and the closest he had come to that was Gail. He knew she wanted and needed to be touched in a very real way and so had come up with this idea to help her. He hoped that if he could get her to loosen up a little, they would become even closer as friends.
She turned to face him, startled. "What are you doing?"
"Touchin' ya. Ya feels bad an' I don' like it."
"No, how can you touch me? No one else can."
Kimble shrugged casually. " 'S easy, really. I jus' made a shield, that's all."
"No one can do that."
"No. Sounds more like no one else ever tried."
"You did," she said softly.
"That's cuz I hates ta see you in pain. I knows what it's like when no one likes ya. It sucks."
"Yes it does," she agreed, closing her eyes and enjoying the play of his hand on her skin.
"You wants ta dance?"
"Um, I don't know how," she said, feeling awkward.
"I kin teach ya. It's lots more fun than runnin' obstacle courses, that's fer shure."
He took her hand and pulled her to her feet. He surprised her again by putting an arm around her waist and pulling her close. He was bare chested as always, but protected himself the same way he had covered his hands. The shield was paper thin and flexible, it didn't stop her from feeling the heat of his body. She relaxed against him and just shuffled her feet, letting him lead her. He lay her head down on his shoulder and embraced her, giving her a sense of closeness she hadn't felt since her mutation had kicked into high gear and made her deadly. He chuckled softly when he felt her happiness and hummed along with the song, petting her hair and loving this moment.
"You're nicer than every one else," she whispered softly.
"That's cuz I'm Kimble."
She grunted a laugh. "I'm glad you're my roommate."
"Me, too."
They danced for a while and then she left him to get some junk food from the kitchen. She lit some candles and they sat on the floor, laughing and telling silly stories about their lives. They stayed up late and played around, not caring about the next day's classes. Kimble enjoyed every moment and started to feel better about this place. Maybe he had found a friend here after all.
The two of them grew even closer as the next couple of days passed. They were always together. Kimble daydreamed in class, not even paying attention. He was flunking out according to the teachers, underachieving deliberately, but he just didn't care. Even comments from Kyle failed to raise his interest in anything other than flying or exploring his powers. He was always thinking about Gail and new ways to make her laugh, make her happy. The classes with Kyle on shield making had given him some ideas and he was impatient to put them to use.
The next night, when he and Gail were once again surrounded by candles and Dorito chips, he tried to kiss her. The moment was awkward, the magic almost lost because her teeth were simply too jagged for him to get it right. She pulled away from him, upset at her ugly face, but he wouldn't let her go. He grabbed at her and slid a hand up her shirt, getting her attention another way.
"Stop!" she said, almost crying.
He could feel the heat of her body and read her shine. It was the last thing she wanted. "Not a chance," he growled and lay over her, making her gasp and shake with want.
"You'll get hurt," she warned, more than justified in her fear.
Kimble used a hand to brush her hair back from her eyes and looked at her deeply, willing her to understand his motivations. "I toldja I loves a challenge. I meant it. You wants me, I'll makes it happen. I cain't make ya pregnant, I cain't makes ya sick from fuckin', none of that. All I kin do is make ya shakes and shivers like nuthin' else. I kin do it. I wants ta do it. I wants ta hear ya all happy an' cryin' out from me luvin' ya. Just say yes, baby doll. Yer my friend an' I won't hurts you, I promise."
She trembled below him. "All right."
He said he could make it happen, and he did. He shielded as much of his skin as he had to and did his best. He took his time in exploring her, he wanted to touch her all over and make sure she was really ready for him to do this. She was not his first virgin by far and he employed his empathy to stay in tune to her, falling back on skills he had learned long ago in another place. If he sensed her fear, he would back off. It didn't happen. He couldn't stop the sly smile of satisfaction when he discovered there were some places she didn't have scales. They seemed to have mysteriously stopped just around her pubic line, how convenient.
"Well, what do ya know 'bout that? I thoughts ya said ya had scales all over, darlin'. Ya gots no scales down here," he teased.
She laughed in spite of her nervousness. This was all so new to her, things she had only read about or heard other people doing. Still, she was having a blast. "Guess I was wrong."
"You ever been kissed down there?" he asked with a mischievous smile and cocked his eyebrow at her invitingly.
"Why would anyone kiss me there?" she asked, naive.
He just laughed and showed her why.
(break)
Afterwards, when he had showed her that and so much more, Gail lay on her bed, Kimble wrapped up tightly around her. He had made her feel things she hadn't thought possible. He was like a gift from Heaven, a treasure. Of all the men she had ever known, he was the first to want to do this for her. Not even Kyle had and now she realized he probably had been capable of this all along. She was no longer a virgin, something she had never thought would happen. Her biggest fear had always been that she would be raped for her first time, at least her mutation had kept that from happening to her. This was all together different. It hadn't hurt at all and was just as marvelous as he had promised. She couldn't wait for him to love her again.
She petted Kimble's head gently and heard him growl softly with happiness even though he wasn't really awake anymore. He had pleased her by making love to her then did something more wonderful than that by simply curling up in bed with her like this. His head lay on her green, sparkling breasts, one hand on her belly, twitching slightly as he dreamed. Even in sleep, he was still protected by a mental shield, his time spent on developing his powers not gone to waste. He was warm and comfortable, drunk on her vibrations of love and joy, thrilled that he'd made her as happy as he hoped he could. She could sense this from him, it was in the smile that still danced across his lips and the low growl that had leaked from him, almost like a purr.
Gail felt a small trickle of fear as she realized that she might be falling in love with him. What if he didn't want her? She knew he used the rooms in the Club - all of them. Well, not the ones where people came out all whipped and bruised, but maybe had just hadn't gotten around to those yet. Would she be enough to satisfy him? To truly love him, she might have to give him some freedom to roam a bit. In her present state of mind, she almost thought it might be worth it just to keep him here with her.
He seemed to sense her thoughts and shifted slightly, holding onto her even more tightly. He didn't wake, but rubbed his cheek against her and sent her a vibration of reassurance she could feel. She wasn't sure what it meant, how he had made her feel it, but she relaxed and closed her eyes, ready for sleep herself now. Tomorrow would wait. All she wanted now was him next to her.