26. Display
"Do we really have to wear these?" Noi asked as she pulled at her blue one piece uniform with a wide yellow stripe running down the front.
"What would you prefer?" Justine asked. "Brightly colored tights? I hate yellow."
Both mutants stood in the center of what was known as The Danger Room. Since the attack by the Executioners months ago, and what Logan did when he was locked up with several dozen of them, it had gone through an overhaul and was now larger than before. The observation room was pushed back more and allowed those inside to have a better view of the action taking place. Another addition to the training area was a room shielded by thick, clear walls of glass where several of the students could have a ground's eye view of the others to see how they acted during the training exercises.
"Get used to it, Short Round," Logan told the young girl as he and Ororo went over the controls in the observation station. "They're to make sure you don't get too banged up in there."
"Short Round?" Noi asked Justine. "That better not be an Indiana Jones reference."
"Surprised you've heard of it," the older woman told her.
"I may come from a shrine but I've watched movies."
Flipping the last of several switches, Ororo readied everything for the two females to demonstrate what they could do. Several humanoid drones entered the Danger Room and came to a halt before the two.
"Now before we begin," Ororo said over the intercom. "Let me explain what you two will do. Each of you will showcase your abilities so we may get a firsthand glimpse at what you can do. Justine, if you could please go first. I will activate the machines to begin attacking on level three once Noi is in the seating room with the others."
"What about Miggle?" Noi asked as she looked over at the room where several others in their training gear sat. "He's not in there."
"He will be soon," Logan told her. "Last I saw him, he was just getting up." He covered his microphone and leaned towards Ororo. "Remind me to throw his lazy ass in another ice bath tomorrow."
Taking a seat away from the others in the lower observation room, Noi sat in a corner as she chewed on another piece of Twizzlers. Kitty, Megan, Piotr, Kurt, Remy, and Marie were in the room with her as they took notice of the girl and waited for Justine's session to begin.
"Hey, Noi," Kitty happily greeted. "Would you like to sit over here with us?"
The girl shook her head. "I'm waiting for Miggle."
"Miggle?" Piotr asked.
"She means Miguel. It's how she said his name at dinner last night. You weren't there remember? You and Kitty had that date." Remy told the Russian then looked at Noi. "He's in the locker room getting into his gear."
"I know Piotr looks intimidating," Kitty told the Asian child, "and Kurt looks like a devil smurf-"
"Hey," Kurt objected as Kitty giggled.
"But they're not bad guys. Piotr's a painter and Kurt's a lot of fun." Seeing the girl cock her head to the side with a pensive look on her face, Kitty gave an awkward smile. "Tell you what, tomorrow, since we have the whole day off, why don't we all go swimming? The pool's being cleaned but we can go to the lake where I showed you. Ororo's going to make it a little warm here in Bayville for us."
Letting the pensive look on her face go, Noi smiled. "That sounds like fun."
Within the locker room, Miguel was just about ready to go. He dressed in what was left of his uniform, which were really just his pants. They had seen better days as they were sewn up in several places and had patches in others. His belts were intact with a large hole on the bottom of one of the pouches. As for his hooded jacket, he lost that while fighting a group of those persistent Executioner soldiers. Taking its place was a simple white t-shirt.
Grabbing a roll of athletic tape, he slammed the locker door and was met with someone he really didn't want to see, Eric, who was dressed in his uniform. It was similar to Miguel's only with knee high kick-pads and a single belt on the waist. A harness clipped over his chest and held two Billy club-like weapons on his back.
"Ah, the one and only Miguel," Eric said with a smile and an Italian accent. "And how are you today?"
Miguel gave a sneer and walked past him as he wrapped his hands and wrists in the white tape.
"I apologize if I did anything wrong," Eric continued. "But I would like to extend my hand in friendship. If we are to be working together, I would like to know more about you. I feel we may have gotten off on the wrong foot with Megan being involved but please, don't feel as if you're now, how do you Americans say…second best in her eyes?"
Coming to a stop at the entrance to the ground floor observation room, Miguel released a deep growl in the back of his throat as he formed fists, popping his knuckles as he did so. Had his claws been out, they most likely would have been as black as coal. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he resorted to what he learned while in China all those months and redirected his anger to a more…productive place.
"Do me a favor," Miguel told Eric flatly. "Step then f#$k off." He then entered the viewing room.
"Miggle." Noi said happily as Miguel stepped through the door. He was still wrapping his hands in the tape as she waived him over.
"How's it goin', Corporal Hicks?" Remy asked, referring to Miguel's self-styled haircut as he held his hand up.
"Same as usual." Giving the Cajun a handshake, Miguel looked at Marie sitting next to him.
"Missed you at dinner last night," the Mississippian said as she too shook his hand.
"Wasn't hungry then, just wanted to sleep."
The door opened as Eric came in and smiled as he saw Megan.
"Know what you mean," Marie said quietly. She rolled her eyes at the sight of the Italian.
"Megan, a beautiful morning to you my beautiful girl," Eric said loudly as he hugged and kissed Megan on the cheek.
Megan looked at Miguel as he rolled his eyes and headed over to Noi, hoping the Italian man wouldn't follow to talk to the girl. He was wrong.
"Greetings, Noi." Eric said to the little girl. "And how are you this morning?"
"F…fine." She gripped onto Miguel's arm and tried to hide behind him.
"I told you, you don't need to be afraid of me. I'm really quite-"
"She doesn't want to talk to you so do what I said earlier," Miguel sternly told him.
Giving the girl one last smile, Eric nodded and went back to sit next to Megan. He sat in a way to prevent Miguel from seeing her.
Within the Danger Room, Justine was tearing through the robotic drones. She rushed one of the remaining machines and flipped into the air. She then crossed her whips at the highest point and unleashed two red streaks of light, forming an 'X'. The projectiles slammed into two of the drones, making them explode and shower metallic parts around her. Lying on the ground were now five of the destroyed androids with three left that were closing in on her. Her whips flashed through the air as she landed several low kicks to damage one's knee joints then finished up with a rising attack that saw her whips cut through the machine. A second one took a swipe with a harmless blunt blade but missed her as she moved on to the third and deliver a leaping kick to its head. She wrapped one of her red tendrils around its neck and used the barbs to sever the body from it. As for the last one, she wrapped the machine up and pulled her whip back. The result was the same as the one before it as the barbed weapon acted like a chainsaw, slicing the drone into several pieces. She didn't even have to look behind her to do it either.
"Girl's impressive, I give her that," Logan said as he and Ororo made their notes. "Wonder what the kid can do."
"Her…whips remained the same color but they seem to pulse white from time to time." The African woman pressed the intercom button and brought the microphone close. "Justine, can your whips change color?"
Looking up at the two temporary headmasters, Justine dissipated her energy whips. "Yeah. They turn white when I get pissed or frustrated. Why?"
"Well, when Miguel's claws turn color, they mean he needs to calm down or he'll risk death. We need to know if the same applies to you."
"He didn't tell you? They leave marks on my arms when they go white. What they do to my brain, I wouldn't know, although Noi taught me a trick or two, like how to fire energy shots."
"What happens when they strike a person like that?" Logan asked. "When they're white?"
"If I wrap up someone like that, I can kill them easily. It's like…like their aura, life force, soul, spirit energy, whatever you want to call it, leaves their body and they die."
"When did you learn this?"
"When I was six, but I could make my whips before that. A man tried to have his way with me, it pissed me off, I wrapped them around his neck, they turned white, and killed him."
"Thank you Justine, you may go sit in the observation room with the others. And send out Noi, please." Ororo told her then turned off the intercom. "Their powers kick in at such a young age. With us it's at puberty but with the second mutations we're seeing…"
"Since birth," Logan finished. "As soon as Jean gets back she should scan their minds. Make sure they aren't killing themselves like Temper Boy down there."
Standing in the middle of the Danger Room, Noi was nervously chewing one of her Twizzlers. She looked around as the last of the drones were swept off by small robots resembling mini Zambonis as three more drones came out.
"Noi, honey," Ororo said, "we just need to see what you can do, so these drones won't attack you. You may start when you're ready."
Fiddling her fingers nervously, Noi looked up at the group of drones as they stared down at her. Lifeless red eyes tracked her every movement as she moved toward them. What she did made everyone's jaw drop except for Miguel and Justine.
The first thing that happened was her eyes turned purple and shone brightly. Her body then began to darken and develop a purple outline as she thined out until becoming black and translucent, like a walking shadow. She then shot forward and went inside one of the drones where she caused it to be destroyed from the inside out. The next drone had a similar fate as Noi covered it with herself and crushed it as she shrunk herself into her original size. As for the third one, she neatly sliced through it vertically. The shadow slid across the ground then stood to become Noi once again.
"Little girl, big power," Remy muttered.
"She became a shadow with the lights on," Marie stated.
"Very impressive, Noi," Ororo said as the girl looked up at the observation deck. "Are you like Miguel and Justine in that you can do other things when you're angry?"
"I don't get angry anymore," the girl replied.
"How do you go about that?"
"Well, my master taught me. I got really mad when I was about five and he taught me to channel it into my powers."
"Can you do what you taught Justine and shoot a type of energy?"
"No, but I can…um…" she looked over at the room full of mutants and eyed Miguel who's eyes were on Megan and Eric. "Um, I can last longer in my shadow…um…mode when I concentrate."
Taking over the microphone from Ororo, Logan spoke. "Did you by any chance teach Miguel how to do that?"
"I tried, but he still needs work."
"You're telling me," Logan whispered to Ororo.
"Thank you, Noi," Ororo finished typing her notes. "Miguel, could you please come in here?"
As the two mutants switched places in the Danger Room, Logan programmed several more drones to enter for the anger driven mutant. It was then when he saw Miguel's uniform and growled angrily.
"Hot Head!" he yelled loud enough to cause some feedback in the speakers. "What the hell happened to your uniform?!"
"Son of a b#$%h," Miguel sighed. "It's been shot, burned, knifed, grated, shocked, covered in mud, soaked in water, and been s#$ted on by a damn bird. Anything else you wanna know?"
"You know how much those damn things cost?"
"Ah don't even know where you get the damn things in the first place!"
"Logan," Ororo said gently but firmly. "Take it easy. You're not one to talk with all the ones you've destroyed."
"Fine, have it your way," the Canadian grumbled. "Take out ten drones on level-"
"If I may," came Eric's voice as he entered the Danger Room. "If its money the institute needs, my family's company would be more than happy to donate the requested funds at any time."
"That won't be necessary, Eric," Ororo told him. "Logan just neglected to remember how many uniforms he's destroyed."
"Family company," Miguel said flatly.
"Yes," Eric said with a smile. "We own several oil refineries and have stocks in various companies that have all returned handsomely."
Rolling his eyes, Miguel muttered, "How much?"
"One hundred and fifty billion dollars annually."
Now he hated Eric with more passion than he did before and was picturing the incoming droids with the Italian mutant's face on them. "Turn the damn things on their highest setting, Logan!"
"Calm down, kid," the Canadian admonished.
"Just start the f#$king things!"
"Your funeral." Turning the dial to level ten, Logan pushed the activation button and watched as the drones came to life. Instead of carrying blunted weapons or shooting harmless beams of light that subtracted from an overall score, they were now brandishing razor sharp blades and used lethal rounds.
As soon as Eric shut the door to the observation room, the drones attacked Miguel. Ten machines in all dove at the lone mutant as he formed his claws and ran into the group.
Every swipe he took at the drones was meant for Eric. He couldn't help but see the mutant's face as he buried his claws into the first one, causing it to explode. Turning to the next, Miguel was met with a shot to the face and stumbled back a few steps as he felt several shots trace across his back. Another of the droids sliced into his midsection but was close enough for him to grab by the head and rip it off. His legs were then snared with a bolo and were pulled out from under him to be drug across the floor then slammed into a wall. Getting back to his feet, Miguel formed his claws again just as several drones opened fire on him. Bullets struck the entirety of his body as he rushed the rest of the drones.
"Kid looks to have a death wish," Logan said as he monitored the remaining drones. Of the ten starting the skirmish off Miguel had taken down two with a third now being dismembered violently. Beside the display was his score. Every time he was struck, it would deduct points from what he had earned by attacking the robots. He was severely on the negative side of the score. "His claws get any darker, I'm shutting it down."
Another and another drone fell to the ground as Miguel continued to tear them apart. Loud roars echoed through the room as only three drones were left. He spin-kicked one of them away to gain some moving room to attack the other two, one of which had its head ripped off from a clawed uppercut with the body firing blindly in all directions. With another roar, Miguel powered up his darkening claws and flung both arms forward so they crossed. A dark light, taking the shape of an 'X', fired from each of them and destroyed the blind firing machine as well as one behind it. Before he had time to move, a grenade detonated after hitting his back and sent him across the floor.
"Miguel!" Megan yelled from behind the glass as the door was flung open.
Another grenade exploded beside Miguel as the last drone advanced on him. He was tired from fighting the ten machines as he was never afforded an opportunity to take a breath from battle. But with one drone left, he forced himself back to a kneeling position and readied himself to charge through the gunfire and take the machine down when two objects smashed through both its arms. There was a faint click as the objects were twirled around and two six inch long spikes popped out of them before being buried in the head of the automaton.
"It looked like you needed some help, um…friend," Eric said as he held a hand out to Miguel.
Jumping to his feet, the Hispanic mutant shoved him hard. "I don't need your f#$king help!"
"Miguel!" Megan yelled as she ran up to the two of them with the others close behind.
"Miguel, calm down," Remy said as he stepped forward.
"Stop telling me to calm down, it's only pissing off!"
"What is your problem?" Eric asked as his temper started to rise. "I've been nothing but nice to you but you've been rude to me since I met you. What have I done to make you so angry at me?"
"You took her," Miguel yelled, "that's what you did!" He then shoved Eric again, this time making him topple over on several pieces of robot.
"Miguel, stop!" Megan ordered. "Just please, stop what you're doing and calm down!"
"Step aside, Megan," Eric said as he got to his feet and stared at Miguel. "Where I come from, if you knock a man down, you're asking for a fight."
"No, no. You two are not going to fight," Megan said as she came between them and held them apart.
"Trust me, you don't want none of this," Miguel growled.
"I believe I do." Reaching to the handles just peaking over his shoulders, Eric pulled out his twin tonfas and pressed a switch to unsheathe their hidden spikes. "Just me and you."
"Eric, no," Megan pleaded as he stepped away from her and to the side. Miguel did the same, which made her plead with him as well. "Miguel, please, don't do this. Just let it go."
Both mutants ignored her as the stared each other down. Eric twirled his weapons as Miguel formed his claws.
"When you're ready," Eric taunted with a grin.
Miguel sneered and got himself ready. "Bring it."