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xp_logs2008-10-26 06:53 pm
x-aerial.livejournal.com) wrote in xp_logs2008-10-26 06:53 pm
Day Zero - A Girl's Gotta Do What a Girl's Gotta Do
While the X-Men prepare for their missions, Crystal finds an uncommon request from an unlikely source
Cain looked over the list he'd been writing on a yellow legal pad. Everyone else liked using those little pocket organizer cellphone computer things, but he'd always been a bit old-fashioned. And while Marie was in charge of putting the strike team together, he couldn't
help but feel something was missing. A potential heavy hitter they'd overlooked...
"Time to think outside the box," he muttered to himself, getting up and pacing down the hall before someone caught his eye and everything seemed to click. He cleared his throat loudly and waved his hand.
"Princess? Got a moment?" he called out to Crystal.
Crystal was not used to being termed "Princess" when she was at Xavier's, and when it occurred at the school it was still generally used in a derogatory way. Still, as it was now years since she had become an actual princess, and she was used to responding to the phrase, even if it was normally followed by her first name when used by the rest of the world, Crystal stopped in front of the room she had been about to enter and turned in response to the phrase. "Yes, Mr.
Marko," Crystal replied, curious as to what Cain wanted with her. They had played golf together before, but she'd be surprised if he wanted a game at a time like this. Then again, sometimes people just needed a distraction.
Cain walked over and tried his best not to loom over the much-shorter Attilani royal, a difficult act when one had two feet of height and close to four hundred pounds of weight on someone; actually not being imposing was a skill Cain was always struggling to master.
"S'pose you know as much as most folks do about what's goin' on in Manhattan," he drawled, looking down at the notepad. "Team's getting ready to gear up and go out and do our thing. Splitting stuff up, going at it all strategic-like... anyway, not to put too fine a point on it, there's a group of folks - those of us what're kind of the heavy hitters. Me, Miss Marie, Shiro, Terry - we're going in direct, right for the Citadel."
He shrugged his shoulders and paused, then spoke his mind. "I think we could use your help."
Crystal doubted she knew as much as "most folks", at least as far as most of the adults on the school's journal system. She was used to that idea by now, and as a guest in the mansion she accepted it. Still, no point in saying that, especially if Cain was asking for her help and... Cain was asking for her help? She'd probably have wondered if that was even allowed, except that she'd already been been asked for help once, even if that time had involved her boyfriend
asking her for help so she could use her abilities to help in a specific situation.
"What is it that you would like for me to do?" Crystal asked.
"There's liable to be some pretty heavy resistance out there," Cain explained. "This Apocalypse motherf...fellow, he's got some muscle with him, and apparently there's mutants actually signing up for what he's pitching. Now, I know folks like Terry and Marie and Alex, they're powerful. But if push comes to shove... well, we're gonna need the kind of ruthless that threw Logan through a set of double doors. Someone who ain't afraid to not pull her punches."
Cain seemed surprised that mutants were joining in with Apocalypse's ideas, but she wasn't. The young woman supported the idea of a mutant-only nation, but not like this. Forcing the change and threatening humans were not the proper ways to begin a new era in history. That road only led to further hatred and violence done to and by both mutants and humans. "What I did to Logan was not right," Crystal told Cain. "Logan's behavior and actions were wrong, but that did not make it right for a student to attack a teacher, even if it still beyond my reasoning to understand why he and others were ever allowed to gain a position of authority over students who should have some element of safety and stability in their lives."
As much as Crystal would have liked to be able to tell Cain that the events in the gym had taken place years ago and she was not that person any more and would not do anything like that again, the memory of a near-death Maximus stopped her from doing so. While she had not hurt him with a physical touch or powers-based process, she had locked her cousin in a room without food and water for a week.
"With that said, you have my help. I will accompany you to this Citadel and do what needs to be done."
Cain nodded. "Thanks. Keep your phone handy, we'll make the call when we've got a plan." He turned away to go, then stopped and turned back to Crystal with a smile. "Hey, not every day you get the chance to be a princess and a hero, huh?"
Crystal nodded, not quite sure how she felt about playing hero. She entered the suite, the door closing softly behind her, and wondered how Forge was going to feel about it.
*****
Then, Crystal goes to share her news with Forge, and receives some of her own.
Forge looked up when Crystal entered the suite, tearing his attention away from the extensive spread of mechanical and electronic parts spread out on a card table in the center of the room. "Hey, hon. Glad you're here," he announced as he replaced a soldering iron in its cradle and stood up. "I've got some news."
"Oh?" Crystal asked, deciding to wait to tell Forge that she had news herself until after Forge had told her about his news. Given the current situation in the city, she assumed it had something to do with what was happening there, but Crystal was unsure as to what it was that he would want to tell her about it. Perhaps he had created something new to help with the battle?
"Yeah, I'm... uh..." Forge stammered for a while, then took a deep breath and moved in closer to his girlfriend. "I know I've been really hesitant about the team and my role on it, ever since this summer. There were moments when I had doubts - well, no. To be entirely honest, the last few months have been one long doubt but --"
He took a deep breath. "I'm suiting up and going in. They need me -the city needs me. We're leaving in a few hours."
"Oh," Crystal said, surprised by this. "I did not think that you would wish to become involved in this, at least not in a in-the-middle of things capacity." A thought occurred to her. "Are you going in to fight in a battle or as a pilot for the new Blackbird?"
Forge shook his head. "Paige is going to be flying the 'Bird. I'm going in to try and get the city's power grid under control. I'll have folks with me - Jan, Amanda, Sarah. Julio's volunteered as well. Believe me, I've got no intention of playing hero. If it comes down to
fight or flight, I fully plan to run. But if I have to..."
He reached down to the table and snatched a pistol-looking device up,spinning it in his hand before slamming it into a holster at his hip. "If I have to, I will fight."
Crystal nodded. She wasn't quite sure what to think of this, now being surprised by both Cain's "invitation" and Forge's sudden announcement about becoming directly involved with something of this magnitude after he had distinctly seemed to have a lack of interest in
X-Men matters during the summer. "I am going to the Citadel with Mr. Marko and a few of the other X-Men," Crystal told Forge.
"Don't worry, I'll come back and - WAIT YOU'RE WHAT?" Forge did a visible double-take as Crystal's words hit him. "You're... you're going in with them to hit the Citadel? Right in the thick of everything, no holds barred, with the heavy hitter squad?"
"Yes," Crystal said with a brief nod. "That is the request that Mr. Marko made to me. I am not sure that I am pleased about the fact that he appears to have based his decision to ask me to accompany this team of X-Men to the Citadel upon my actions when I attacked Logan when I was sixteen, but if my help is needed and is asked of me and I am able to help, help is what I will do."
Forge held up a finger, trying to collect his thoughts. "You're going to assault the Citadel. Shoulder to shoulder, figuratively speaking, with Marko and Marie and Shiro and..."
He stopped and grinned impishly. "My god, you are so hot right now."
"I... what?" It seemed it was once again Crystal's turn to be taken aback. She wasn't entirely sure why the thought of her fighting alongside the X-Men would make her seem "hot" to Forge right now, and this probably wasn't the best time for him to be finding her extra-attractive what with plans needing to be made, including figuring out a disguise for her to wear to conceal her identity, and Forge leaving in just a few hours, but... Crystal took a step closer to Forge, then another. A moment later, her body was pressing against him, her lips on his.
Forge smiled, pulling away from the kiss only long enough to intone, "Door: lock," and after hearing the telltate hum and click, returned his girlfriend's embrace and walked backwards into their shared bedroom.
Cue fade to black.
Cain looked over the list he'd been writing on a yellow legal pad. Everyone else liked using those little pocket organizer cellphone computer things, but he'd always been a bit old-fashioned. And while Marie was in charge of putting the strike team together, he couldn't
help but feel something was missing. A potential heavy hitter they'd overlooked...
"Time to think outside the box," he muttered to himself, getting up and pacing down the hall before someone caught his eye and everything seemed to click. He cleared his throat loudly and waved his hand.
"Princess? Got a moment?" he called out to Crystal.
Crystal was not used to being termed "Princess" when she was at Xavier's, and when it occurred at the school it was still generally used in a derogatory way. Still, as it was now years since she had become an actual princess, and she was used to responding to the phrase, even if it was normally followed by her first name when used by the rest of the world, Crystal stopped in front of the room she had been about to enter and turned in response to the phrase. "Yes, Mr.
Marko," Crystal replied, curious as to what Cain wanted with her. They had played golf together before, but she'd be surprised if he wanted a game at a time like this. Then again, sometimes people just needed a distraction.
Cain walked over and tried his best not to loom over the much-shorter Attilani royal, a difficult act when one had two feet of height and close to four hundred pounds of weight on someone; actually not being imposing was a skill Cain was always struggling to master.
"S'pose you know as much as most folks do about what's goin' on in Manhattan," he drawled, looking down at the notepad. "Team's getting ready to gear up and go out and do our thing. Splitting stuff up, going at it all strategic-like... anyway, not to put too fine a point on it, there's a group of folks - those of us what're kind of the heavy hitters. Me, Miss Marie, Shiro, Terry - we're going in direct, right for the Citadel."
He shrugged his shoulders and paused, then spoke his mind. "I think we could use your help."
Crystal doubted she knew as much as "most folks", at least as far as most of the adults on the school's journal system. She was used to that idea by now, and as a guest in the mansion she accepted it. Still, no point in saying that, especially if Cain was asking for her help and... Cain was asking for her help? She'd probably have wondered if that was even allowed, except that she'd already been been asked for help once, even if that time had involved her boyfriend
asking her for help so she could use her abilities to help in a specific situation.
"What is it that you would like for me to do?" Crystal asked.
"There's liable to be some pretty heavy resistance out there," Cain explained. "This Apocalypse motherf...fellow, he's got some muscle with him, and apparently there's mutants actually signing up for what he's pitching. Now, I know folks like Terry and Marie and Alex, they're powerful. But if push comes to shove... well, we're gonna need the kind of ruthless that threw Logan through a set of double doors. Someone who ain't afraid to not pull her punches."
Cain seemed surprised that mutants were joining in with Apocalypse's ideas, but she wasn't. The young woman supported the idea of a mutant-only nation, but not like this. Forcing the change and threatening humans were not the proper ways to begin a new era in history. That road only led to further hatred and violence done to and by both mutants and humans. "What I did to Logan was not right," Crystal told Cain. "Logan's behavior and actions were wrong, but that did not make it right for a student to attack a teacher, even if it still beyond my reasoning to understand why he and others were ever allowed to gain a position of authority over students who should have some element of safety and stability in their lives."
As much as Crystal would have liked to be able to tell Cain that the events in the gym had taken place years ago and she was not that person any more and would not do anything like that again, the memory of a near-death Maximus stopped her from doing so. While she had not hurt him with a physical touch or powers-based process, she had locked her cousin in a room without food and water for a week.
"With that said, you have my help. I will accompany you to this Citadel and do what needs to be done."
Cain nodded. "Thanks. Keep your phone handy, we'll make the call when we've got a plan." He turned away to go, then stopped and turned back to Crystal with a smile. "Hey, not every day you get the chance to be a princess and a hero, huh?"
Crystal nodded, not quite sure how she felt about playing hero. She entered the suite, the door closing softly behind her, and wondered how Forge was going to feel about it.
*****
Then, Crystal goes to share her news with Forge, and receives some of her own.
Forge looked up when Crystal entered the suite, tearing his attention away from the extensive spread of mechanical and electronic parts spread out on a card table in the center of the room. "Hey, hon. Glad you're here," he announced as he replaced a soldering iron in its cradle and stood up. "I've got some news."
"Oh?" Crystal asked, deciding to wait to tell Forge that she had news herself until after Forge had told her about his news. Given the current situation in the city, she assumed it had something to do with what was happening there, but Crystal was unsure as to what it was that he would want to tell her about it. Perhaps he had created something new to help with the battle?
"Yeah, I'm... uh..." Forge stammered for a while, then took a deep breath and moved in closer to his girlfriend. "I know I've been really hesitant about the team and my role on it, ever since this summer. There were moments when I had doubts - well, no. To be entirely honest, the last few months have been one long doubt but --"
He took a deep breath. "I'm suiting up and going in. They need me -the city needs me. We're leaving in a few hours."
"Oh," Crystal said, surprised by this. "I did not think that you would wish to become involved in this, at least not in a in-the-middle of things capacity." A thought occurred to her. "Are you going in to fight in a battle or as a pilot for the new Blackbird?"
Forge shook his head. "Paige is going to be flying the 'Bird. I'm going in to try and get the city's power grid under control. I'll have folks with me - Jan, Amanda, Sarah. Julio's volunteered as well. Believe me, I've got no intention of playing hero. If it comes down to
fight or flight, I fully plan to run. But if I have to..."
He reached down to the table and snatched a pistol-looking device up,spinning it in his hand before slamming it into a holster at his hip. "If I have to, I will fight."
Crystal nodded. She wasn't quite sure what to think of this, now being surprised by both Cain's "invitation" and Forge's sudden announcement about becoming directly involved with something of this magnitude after he had distinctly seemed to have a lack of interest in
X-Men matters during the summer. "I am going to the Citadel with Mr. Marko and a few of the other X-Men," Crystal told Forge.
"Don't worry, I'll come back and - WAIT YOU'RE WHAT?" Forge did a visible double-take as Crystal's words hit him. "You're... you're going in with them to hit the Citadel? Right in the thick of everything, no holds barred, with the heavy hitter squad?"
"Yes," Crystal said with a brief nod. "That is the request that Mr. Marko made to me. I am not sure that I am pleased about the fact that he appears to have based his decision to ask me to accompany this team of X-Men to the Citadel upon my actions when I attacked Logan when I was sixteen, but if my help is needed and is asked of me and I am able to help, help is what I will do."
Forge held up a finger, trying to collect his thoughts. "You're going to assault the Citadel. Shoulder to shoulder, figuratively speaking, with Marko and Marie and Shiro and..."
He stopped and grinned impishly. "My god, you are so hot right now."
"I... what?" It seemed it was once again Crystal's turn to be taken aback. She wasn't entirely sure why the thought of her fighting alongside the X-Men would make her seem "hot" to Forge right now, and this probably wasn't the best time for him to be finding her extra-attractive what with plans needing to be made, including figuring out a disguise for her to wear to conceal her identity, and Forge leaving in just a few hours, but... Crystal took a step closer to Forge, then another. A moment later, her body was pressing against him, her lips on his.
Forge smiled, pulling away from the kiss only long enough to intone, "Door: lock," and after hearing the telltate hum and click, returned his girlfriend's embrace and walked backwards into their shared bedroom.
Cue fade to black.
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