Maya walked down the corridor towards the gym, hoping to find the transfer everyone was talking about. Well, not everyone. Just the Mansion greeters. He was not a student, per se, but he transferred from the Sanctuary, and as such, needed closer attention.
That last bit, it wasn't a policy. It was Mirror's personal thinking.
S/he had had some run-ins with Sanctuary people before. Most of them did not end that well. Some of them, s/he had to admit, were fairly okay when you scratched the surface... but sometimes it was too much scratching for what it was worth.
Still, this Enders guy had been admitted, and she was intent on finding out if he really meant the transfer.
Walking into the gym, Maya looked around. She was sure the guy would be fairly easy to spot.

Enders was doing his best to avoid interaction with the students that inhabited the mansion until he could acclimate himself to them, which was why he had picked this time to hit the sizable gym offered by the mutant establishment. Newly pubescent kids doing their best to impress him by trying to keep up with him was not something Enders felt like enduring at the moment as he lifted a pair of sizable eighty pound weights and made his way to a nearby flat bench. Laying down he rested the the weights on his chest while music blared in his ears and began to push out several reps with the heavy weights each one causing him to give a sharp exhale of breath at the exertion of energy.

Overall the Marine had been in the gym for over an hour already and it showed as sweat soaked the olive drab t-shirt he wore with a darker green USMC written across the front. As he finished up his final set with the dumbbells letting them drop to the ground with a heavy thump he sat up instantly noticed a young woman's reflection in the large mirror that covered one of the walls of the gym. Turning to face her he reached a hand behind his head and removed the black elevation mask he wore while working out before laying it on the bench next to him and picking up his water bottle and small white towel.

Without standing up from the bench he took a sip from his bottle before pulling the black earbuds from his ears and giving his face a wipe with the towel. Turning back to the girl he took another sip from the bottle before raising an eyebrow towards her, it wasn’t Enders job to ensure that the kids here went to their classes but the sudden arrival of the girl had put him off a bit. “You need help with something kid, shouldn’t you be in class or something?” Enders voice was a bit gruff as exhaustion from his workout carried into his voice and the five day old shave he was sporting did nothing to elevate the darker look he sported.

Yup, the guy was easy to spot. Not every day does one see guys the side of a pickup truck pressing weights in the school gym. He definitely seemed out of place. Maya could imagine he would fit in with a bunch of thugs better.

She waited with her arms folded until he got up and turned to her.

>>“You need help with something kid, shouldn’t you be in class or something?”

"Nope, I don't have students today" Maya answered with a slight smirk. She was almost twenty-one, but looked younger on Maya days. Also, slighter than Gawain, which in this case was not necessarily a bad thing.

"Hi, my name is Maya. People around here call me Mirror. I heard you were new." she offered a hand to the guy. No need to act suspicious.

"Nope, I don't have students today"
When the young girl told him that she didn't have any student's today Enders understood the clear indication she intended and he raised an eyebrow.

"So do any adults actually work here or is this place run by kids? " Sure Enders was being kind of a jerk but having not seen anyone above the age of twenty one yet the couldn't miss the opportunity to make the quip.

"Hi, my name is Maya. People around here call me Mirror. I heard you were new." Pulling his lifting gloves off he stood and made his way over towards the girl. He stood the same height as her and his fighters build dwarfed the slender girl. As he extended the hand he gripped her own. "Names Joe, sorry but I don't have any cool nickname." The sarcasm is present in his voice as he emphasized on her calling herself Mirror. "So did you come up with that or is it something that someone gave to you?"

Releasing her hand he returned back to get his belongings together his work out apparently being finished for him. "So I doubt this is so welcoming party something I can help you with?" Turning to face her his eyes remaining impassive as he stared at her waiting for an explanation for the intrusion.

>>"So do any adults actually work here or is this place run by kids?"

Annd ten points for House Douche.

Maya shook the guy's hand; she was not going to be intimidated by a handshake. She knew the guy had been officially admitted to the mansion, so he must have gone through initial screening; that did not mean she had to like him.

"Adults are not allowed, they forgot how to fly." she answered with a smirk. He probably did not have more than a few years on her, but she was not going to get bogged down by details.

>>"Names Joe, sorry but I don't have any cool nickname. So did you come up with that or is it something that someone gave to you?"

"I got it for my powers, and because most people can't remember both of my names when I shift sexes." she answered truthfully "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll find one for you too soon."

She already had a few ideas.

>>"So I doubt this is so welcoming party something I can help you with?"

"Just wanted to check in and see how you were settling in" Maya shrugged "Usually Miss T does most of the babysitting, but she can't be everywhere all the time. What brings you to the Mansion?"

"Adults are not allowed, they forgot how to fly. I got it for my powers, and because most people can't remember both of my names when I shift sexes. Don't worry, I'm sure we'll find one for you too soon. " Joe didn't get the Peter Pan reference so when she smirked Enders kept his face impassive letting her enjoy her references by herself. When she explained the reason for the pseudo name the Marine couldn't stop the confused look from creeping into his face as he tired to understand the logistics behind a gender shifting ability but it was quickly gone as she told him, jokingly or not he couldn't tell, that he would have a codename soon enough.

"Just wanted to check in and see how you were settling in. Usually Miss T does most of the babysitting, but she can't be everywhere all the time. What brings you to the Mansion?"

After gathering his belongings and approaching "Mirror" again Enders stared at her frankly. "Let's not mince words, you heard I was from the sanctuary right, and now your concerned I'm some sort of spy right?" The Marine could feel his temper flare up a bit but if it was from talking about that gathering of murders and mutant supremacists or the fact that she was trying to be deceitful instead of just asking the question Enders wasn't sure.

"I'm here to get out of that place and from what I understand you people try and do some actual good around here. If I can be of help then I will." With that Enders walked past her and began to make his way to his room his belonging in a small bag he slung over his shoulder. Stopping momentarily he turned to look back at her.

"You coming I'm pretty sure you haven't thoroughly checked out my story yet and I'm entitled to some questions to right? " Turning around again he quickly made his way up the stairs and into his room not wondering if the girl had followed him instead he pushed his way inside of the room and threw his bag on the perfectly made bed, old habits and all, before pulling out a set of clothes and making his way towards his bathroom.

The room was completely devoid of all personal items the only way of actually telling it was occupied was the fifth of whiskey and pack of cigarettes sitting on his end table and the crystal spire formed in the far corner with several long black shapes in it. As Enders neared his bathroom door he stripped off his shirt revealing his multitude of tattoos and scars before entering in and shutting the door.

"So you gonna tell me why your so worried about the sanctuary or are you waiting for me to tell you? " Enders said calling out from the bathroom as the sound of water began to run.

>>"Let's not mince words, you heard I was from the sanctuary right, and now your concerned I'm some sort of spy right? I'm here to get out of that place and from what I understand you people try and do some actual good around here. If I can be of help then I will."

Okay so he was not going to circle around the topic at all. Maya smirked a little. Strangely, she liked that in the guy. He admitted that he was from the Sanctuary, but wasn't defensive about it like the Forte guy she had met earlier. It seemed like Enders actually meant the transition. Maya was withholding judgment though, until he said more.

>>"You coming I'm pretty sure you haven't thoroughly checked out my story yet and I'm entitled to some questions to right? "

"Sure" Maya followed him back to the dorm wing to his room, and leaned against the desk while he changed. He might have thought he was going to embarrass her. She smirked again.

>>"So you gonna tell me why your so worried about the sanctuary or are you waiting for me to tell you? "

"I wouldn't mind you telling me" she called through the bathroom door. She had her own reasons, but she wanted to hear his first.

"I wouldn't mind you telling me. "

Joe heard her call from the bedroom as he quickly hoped into the shower washing the sweat from his body. Quick showers were nothing he was unaccustomed to as he quickly rubbed his body down he was able to call out his reply without missing a beat.

"Your worried they are going to become a Beacon of hope for the kids out there, your worried they will become the face of the mutant problem." Rinsing off the soap he turned the shower off and began drying himself off. "To be honest from what I can tell you've already lost." After pulling on a pair of pants he opened the door to the bathroom and began to step back into the room pulling a form fitting white thermal shirt on over his head.

"When people think mutants these days who are they thinking of... Aura, Isabel, that crazy b**ch from the news that launched this city into chaos. They certainly don't see 'Mirror' the sex changing mutant activist." As Joe spoke of the woman standing in front of him he pointed at her and his voice was dark with a hint of mockery in it at her, and the rest of the mansions residents, inability to stop some of the worst murderers in history. Lowering his hand he exhaled sharply from his nose and turned from his guest moving towards the contents on his end table.

"You wanna know why I think you are so worried about the sanctuary..." Unscrewing the top from the bottle of whiskey he quickly took a deep swig of the fiery liquid before picking up the pack of smokes and placing one in his mouth. "Your worried that no matter what you do they will be there to destroy any progress you make without sinking to their level." Raising his hand to his mouth he gave the lighter now clasped in it a flick and ignited his cigarette.

"I'm here to help you solve that problem, I'm far below the level they occupy." Pulling a deep drag he exhaled the smoke through his nose letting it wrap around his face and disappear into the air.

There was truth in what the guy, in-and-out of the shower with military precision, was saying. Maya knew that most of his claims were right. She was one of those kids who were raised on legends of chivalry and justice, and that was a great disadvantage in the real world.
And yet, for some reason, this guy was here, drinking whiskey in the Mansion, instead of the Sanctuary.

"Well, I don't know about the media" she shrugged "I mean, I did bring in the crazy bitch that called the city to arms - her name's Maxine, by the way - but at the same time, I also have a kid in the Sanctuary."

Well, technically, it wasn't her kid per se. But that was a much longer story. Also, beside the point. All cards on the table.

"I have been one of those mutant kids on the streets, for years. And I got a choice, and honestly, the main reason that landed me in the Mansion was a girl, and the booze they used to keep locked away." she added, glancing pointedly at the whiskey. "But now I'm here, and I am okay with that. I know that it is an uphill battle to try and make people see mutants in a better light, but that doesn't mean it's not worth fighting."

"Well, I don't know about the media. I mean, I did bring in the crazy bitch that called the city to arms - her name's Maxine, by the way - but at the same time, I also have a kid in the sanctuary."

Enders raised an eyebrow as she said she had brought Maxine in and for a moment he wondered if the newscaster was dead before dismissing the thought. When the young woman said she had a child at the sanctuary a million more questions surged into his mind as he considered her mutation. Pushing concern of that out of his mind he continued to listen.

"I have been one of those mutant kids on the streets, for years. And I got a choice, and honestly, the main reason that landed me in the Mansion was a girl, and the booze they used to keep locked away. But now I'm here, and I am okay with that. I know that it is an uphill battle to try and make people see mutants in a better light, but that doesn't mean it's not worth fighting."

Listening to the gender changing mutant Enders was sure she misunderstood what he had just proposed, though on second thought telling a relatively complete stranger he was willing to commit murder may not have been the best decision. Plucking his cigarette from his mouth again he let a look of curious contemplation spread across it.

"Well then, let's fight." Extending a hand towards the young mutant he let his face show his determination to the task at hand and waited to see if she would accept him into the fold of what the mansion stood for.

>>"Well then, let's fight."

Well, that was a short answer to oversharing if she had ever heard one. Apparently this guy was not a man of words. That was not a crime in itself, and something in the look on his face told Maya he was serious. He chose the Mansion over the Sanctuary, and he meant it.

Reaching out, Maya took his hand in a firm grip.

"Welcome to the Mansion."

For now, this was the best she could do. He looked smart enough to know that he had a long way to go yet before she would fully trust him.