Alexis noted that Elsie was even less enthused about the training than even Kurt was. Most of Kurt's problems lay with not wanting to get up so early after the long week of preparing they had, Elsie was usually up before everyone else. Alexis stretched herself out on the ground, before standing back up and twirling her staff expertly. She had wings which were her advantage but her fighting skills were something that Logan had been very proud of. Elsie had never willingly shown anyone her powers, even during training at the institute it was hard to get her to show her offensive power rather than just healing. Alexis doubted that the Avengers wanted to see only that capability.
She looked over as the Avengers filed in, Tony Stark leading the group but she could tell Steve had already been training of some sort. "Right on the dot," Alexis greeted with a grin, moving to stand with her small group. Logan coached sticking together even if they were with allies, they were mutants all the same.
"Sorry, I didn't know you expected us to be early," Tony smirked as he walked around the training mat and looked over at the group. "I'd start you guys off early but we've all read your file. Barton, you want to face Angel there." Alexis felt her face grow hot with irritation at the nickname. Men had referred to her as an Angel her entire life and it was never meant as a pure compliment, ever.
"All right Stark, if that's what you want," Clint Barton stepped onto the mat. Grabbing his bow and jerking his arm. Alexis watched as it extended and he twirled it much like how she had twirled her staff. When he got into position she moved forward and followed suit, he nodded in her direction. "Good morning Lexi, ignore Stark. He hasn't had his coffee yet." There was a round of snickering as his words settled over the mostly silent group. Then they clashed, Alexis grunted a bit, she hadn't expected him to come at her so quickly. He had no qualms about testing her to the limit and it was appreciated. Alexis threw pushed his bow to the side with her staff and swung her leg up with the intent to kick his side. He blocked a bit too easily for her liking but he moved to the side kicking at her stable leg, causing her to move and leaving her unbalanced.
Alexis spread her wings out to stabilize herself before spreading them fully and flapping, watching the sudden gust of wind startle him, and cause him to move back. Awe mixed with pride at the unorthodox distraction, he moved back several more feet. This went on for a while, the back and forth. Sweating dripped down both of their brows as neither was willing to concede. He tripped her at the same time she grabbed him and brought him over her shoulder. He hit the ground and rolled her so she ended up underneath. He held a knife to her neck and let out a breathless laugh when he realized she was holding one to his.
"I didn't know you had a knife, kid," Clint panted as Steve called out a draw. Standing up and helping Alexis into an upright position.
"I wish I could say that I had it hidden somewhere on my person but I can't," Alexis chuckled flipping the knife and holding out the hilt to him. "It's yours. I grabbed it as you flipped me and figured I could win. I guess we both had the same idea." Clint let out another surprised laugh and gave her shoulder a squeeze.
"You'll do just fine, kid," he told her before moving to walk off the mat. "Steve. You're with Elsie." Alexis looked over to see Elsie frozen to her spot as she watched the Super Soldier move onto the mat to take his spot. Steve would have been significantly harder, his strength alone was a disadvantage to anyone fighting him. Kurt pushed her forward which got the gray-eyed woman to move forward and onto the mat. She caught the staff tossed at her, giving an appreciative nod in Kurt's direction.
"Are you ready ma'am?" Steve asked having caught on to just how nervous he was making the new recruit. Elsie just gave the captain a lopsided smile to his question.
"Just Elsie, Captain," Elsie said, getting herself into position and tossing her long braided ponytail behind her. Alexis knew the girl was surveying her surroundings and trying to figure out where the advantage would be. Elsie waited for Steve to move first seeing how he moved rather light on his feet considering how big he was. She waited for him to kick, grunting as Elsie caught his leg feeling the impact but used the momentum to send her under his leg and twisting it. Steve simply jumped and twisted with it but by the time he had regained his footing, she was behind him again. Alexis cheered loudly when the woman managed to land a kick to the soldier's stomach and it looked like it took his breath for a second. However, Elsie had slowed down and he managed to grab her leg and slam her to the mat. Elsie yielded, breathing heavily with her arms spread out.
"Hey! Magic wielder, where were the mind tricks that we read about?" Tony spoke up loudly, causing Elsie to groan and roll over to start getting up. She looked up at Steve thankfully when he helped her up the rest of the way.
"There was no need for it. No one likes someone to alter their state of mind no matter how harmless it may be," her voice was quiet, almost ashamed over that. Looking up she noticed that Steve had a scratch on his arm from one of her hits from the staff and her small hand reached up and covered it. A blue glow filtered through her fingers pulling them away to show that the scratch was no longer there. "There's a taste of what I can do." Steve nodded his appreciation to Elsie and she nodded back, Alexis found herself relaxing at the interaction. Of course, they would want to push boundaries and see what they could do with the powers they had. Unfortunately, none of them were very comfortable with using it in front of people other than those at the Institute.
Kurt was next and they put him with the Widow, she smiled easily enough at him. Alexis knew leaving the institute was harder for him. He was protected by others like him who couldn't hide what he was from the world. Alexis was so proud that he decided to accept the offer with her and be in the world's eyes. Natasha didn't seem disgusted by him in any way, nor was she concerned that his eyes were a piercing yellow. "Ready?" Natasha smiled and got into position. Alexis noticed she took a relaxed pose, almost as if they weren't sparring. Alexis realized she appeared alarmingly harmless standing as she was. It was no doubt how she got many of her victims.
Kurt wasn't fooled. Not after watching the first two matches, he knew that Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff were often paired together during missions which meant that whatever Barton could do Natasha could do the same or more. He waited for her to get close before teleporting behind her. Kurt was trying to find her weak spot and though his teleportation did startle her it didn't slow her actions. It meant she stepped up her swings, kicks, and dodging. Breathing heavily he kept up the game after grabbing for her a few times and getting hit for his efforts, he stopped a good distance from her. His tail swished from side to side as his shoulders rose and fell with each heavy breath. Taking a deep breath he ran at Natasha, using his speed before jumping over Natasha's head. He reached out and grabbed her shoulders trying to use the momentum to flip her. He managed to but she managed to flip him underneath her at the last second holding her knife to his neck, grinning down at him.
Alexis broke out in applause and whistles. The fight had lasted longer than either of the other two sparring matches, Kurt was good at evading. He was often used as extraction in their own simulations knowing he preferred not to hurt anyone but he was good at getting people out of the danger zone. "Kurt you were amazing!" She cried, beaming at her best friend as Natasha helped him up and they shook hands. He walked back over to her and Alexis couldn't contain herself and hugged him.
"You're the only one that managed to hold your own, Lexi," Kurt told her softly, glancing over at the Avengers who were grinning at them. "She figured out what I was doing and turned it on me."
"She adapted," Alexis corrected him, knowing that Natasha truly had no idea what was going to happen. Kurt's powers were teleportation and his speed could be insane if he pushed himself. She had to either adapt or lost, and losing in Natasha's world often meant death.
"You three aren't bad," Tony commented as he walked towards them, an easy grin on his face setting the other three at ease. "Welcome to the team. I still expect to see your powers at some point Elsa." Alexis looked over as Elsie rolled her eyes at the play on her name.
"Maybe on a mission," Elsie retorted back before stretching her arms over her head. She looked over and shared a grin with Kurt on how the morning turned out.
"You three must have worked hard at the Institute," Steve mentioned as they began to file out of the compound's gym. "You said that Coulson helped pick you out?"
"Agent Coulson has been coming to the institute as a young Agent, he was part of the initiative to find a way to integrate mutants into society. To leave a more positive mark and fight people's fear," Alexis told Steve as they all piled into the elevator.
"He was one of the few that wasn't even phased by how I looked," Kurt threw in, his eyes misting over as he thought about his first interaction with the man.
"Though Alexis was ready to kick his butt if he reacted in a bad way," Elsie giggled, remembering how Alexis took a defensive stance near Kurt. The two had bonded as young children, arriving at about the same time.
"Yeah, well, normies should watch how they treat others," Alexis sniffed, noting the puzzled looks she was getting from the others. "Normies are non-mutants. We sort of came up with it as a way to retaliate when we were treated differently. Mutant is not a bad term, necessarily, but it's the way people say it. Disgust, anger, fear... Or, the use of the term to create fear. It's not right and as kids we were angry. So we came up with a term we hoped non-mutants would find offensive." Elsie laughed softly as she looked out the elevator, watching as they rose to the communal floor.
"I don't know... Does Captain here count as a normie?" Clint asked with a grin, seeing Steve blink in response. "I mean... I know he chose to become this, but, he is super-powered in his own way."
"I'm just lucky that this is what I become and not something else," he shivered remembering meeting red skull, and how he had pulled the skin off of his face.
"I think we can all agree that as Avengers that none of you are normies," Elsie spoke up, glancing over her shoulder and shifting as the elevator halted with an uncomfortable lurch. Her hand shot out to grip the handrail as she glanced at Kurt who looked ready to start grabbing people.
"Sorry, seems like the elevator needs to be checked," Tony murmured as he pulled up what they had all thought was merely a watch. Tony brought up a virtual keyboard and began to type. "JARVIS. Check on the elevator would you? It's a bit jumpy." He glanced over at the three with a grin and walked back
Alexis grabbed Elsie's hand and helped her to release the handrail as the door opened. A sigh of relief escaped the three as they stood on the stable floor. "Did we pass your test Stark?" She asked, straightening her shoulders becoming eager for a shower now that they were no longer in the gym.
"All but her," Tony gestured towards Elsie causing Alexis to step up with a scowl on her face.
"We're not here to be stared at while you judge our powers," Alexis spoke stiffly, glancing around at the other Avengers that were frowning at Tony. "We're here because we were asked to be. Recruited. So they know what we're capable of. I get that going into the field with us is nerve-wracking if you don't know what we can do but you're just going to learn to trust us."