Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental multi-fandom project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. For more details, see the relevent section in my profile. This is The 365 Project, 13 April. ...Seriously, this month has just seemed to fly by so far...

Interestingly enough, I saw a scene in the "G.I. Joe: Sgt. Savage and The Screaming Eagles" one-off 'Old Soldiers Never Die' involving someone teaching a bunch of punks manners thinly disguised as a basketball game long before "The Expendables" ever came out, but the similarities are striking. That's actually what got me to watch "The Expendables" the first time. I had a few different thoughts about how to write the idea, but in the end there was really only one couple where the guy could realistically pull off 'romantic' and 'borderline psychotic' at the same time...

Disclaimer: "X-Men: Evolution" and all associated characters and situations are the property of Marvel, used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.

-o0O0o-

"Full-Court Press"
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

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When Kitty turned her head away as he walked by, Logan waited until he was out of sight and then shook his head sadly. Xavier's 'hands-off' policy when it came to some things just didn't sit right with the Canadian, no matter how many times the leader of the Institute gave him sone line about 'respecting the decisions of others', 'not interfering in the students' personal lives', or 'allowing students to handle difficulties on their own.' When a guy laid hands on the girl he was supposed to be dating, to Logan that took it way past 'difficulties'.

'The only reason he's letting Piotr get away with it is 'cause he's still playing 'I'm better than you' games with Magneto,' Logan grumbled to himself mentally, knowing that Xavier's biggest problem was that the telepath honestly thought his way was the best for everyone.

'There's sure to be some 'cultural differences', he says,' Logan snorted at the thought. Cultural differences were things like preferring hockey to baseball, not hitting a girl. The problem was that as long as Xavier was protecting Piotr and the Half-Pint was refusing to say anything, there wasn't a thing that Logan could do about it.

'Not a thing I can do about it,' Logan thought to himself, then grinned ferally as something occured to him, "Not a thing I can do about it..."

With a plan in mind, Logan headed for the nearest phone, he couldn't do anything, but he knew someone who could, would, and wouldn't let Xavier or anyone else stop them.

-o0o-

The impact of the speeding jeep tore the gates to the mansion grounds clear off their hinges and it didn't slow down until it reached the front steps and stopped with the front passenger tire half-way up the steps. Swinging himself out of the jeep, Lance Alvers marched up the steps and opened the mansion's front door with a well-placed kick before entering with his fists clenched at his sides. Logan was standing there with his arms folded, waiting.

"Where is he?" Lance demanded.

"Out back, basketball court with the others."

"Fine with me," Lance snarled, "They let him get away with it, they're no better than him as far as I'm concerned.

"Uh-huh," Logan nodded gruffly as Lance walked by him leaving a chill in the air as he passed.

'Yeah,' Logan thought to himself, 'Should've let me handle it - been easier on them.'

-o0o-

Piotr was right where Logan had said he would be; the Institute's basketball court with Scott Summers, Evan Daniels and Bobby Drake in a game of two-on-two. The odds were probably better for them than the one-on-four odds that was headed towards them with Hell following five steps behind. Scott passed the ball to Piotr, but the game ground to a halt as the four X-Men noticed Lance coming their way.

"What are you doing here, Alvers?" Summers demanded.

"Something you don't seem to have the balls to, Scooter," Lance retorted as he kept closing in on them.

"Is that right?"

"I always knew you were Xavier's pet," Lance remarked, "I just didn't know he'd had you neutered, too. Get out of the way and the only one of you that has to get hurt is the Russkie."

"No way," Evan, back from the sewers and still looking like a triceratops on two legs, answered, "You mess with one X-Man, you mess with us all, Alvers."

"You think that scares me?" Lance retorted as he closed the last few feet to come face to face with Evan, "You ain't got enough of you to scare me."

"Go away and mind your own business," Piotr advised.

Lance had news for him, "She is my business. Always will be."

They were expecting Lance to use his powers. That was a mistake. He was too pissed to bother with powers when there was a lot more satisfying method available. Before any of the X-Men could react, Lance had grabbed Evan by his horns and twisted, throwing him to the ground like a bull before giving him a good kick to the side that sent him rolling away until he ended up rolling into the fence, stopping on his back and turtled - unable to get up. With Lance standing there instead of moving, Bobby saw his chance and quickly created a shell of ice around him.

"Ha! Got 'im!" Drake cheered, only to loose his footing as the ground began to shake and the ice holding Lance cracked, splintered and finally shattered to free the other mutant.

"Got who?" Lance asked rhetorically as he reached out and grabbed Bobby's still-extended arm and pulled the X-Man towards him, twisting him to face forward before shoving him into Scott and knocking them both to the ground.

Piotr tossed the basketball to the side and rushed Lance, only to be on the recieving end of a clothesline to the neck as Lance grabbed the Russian's wrist and jerked hard, dislocating the other man's elbow as he fell. Casually, Lance picked up the basketball and slammed it into Piotr's chest, causing him to reflexively use his good arm to catch it. Reaching into his vest, Lance pulled out a butterfly knife, released the catch and flipped it open all in one smooth motion before raising it over his head and reversing it into a backhand grip.

"You are crazy person!" Piotr cried out just before Lance plunged the knife down.

As air hissed out of the basketball, Lance made his position clear, "Next time, I won't stop with deflating your balls. Next time, I'm gonna melt you down for scrap, got it?"

Without waiting for an answer, Lance closed and stowed his knife, turning to walk back through the mansion to his jeep. Inside, seeing Kitty standing in a doorway where she had obviously seen what had just happened outside, Lance stopped and looked at her, "Maybe I am a thug and maybe that's all I'll ever be, but you should've stuck around, I was still worth it."