“Psssst. Heeeeey.” Apparently whispering through windows didn't work.

Only a few X-Men actually lived at the base. The lame ones. Not even Impact lived there. But of those that did not live at the hospital, some people were a little hush-hush about where they rested their heads.

Cait, thankfully, was not like that.

Raine stepped onto the glass and felt it settle enough that the blonde took a knee. She didn’t care to be flailing around like an idiot so late at night in so visible a place. Plus, this way she wouldn’t flash everybody inside with her skimpy outfit. The hero crouched perfectly parallel to the ground, more than 5 stories up off the ground. The heights always gave her a thrill despite feeling firmly rooted to the exterior of the apartment building.

”Caiiiit.” Raine knocked between her knees and again felt a shift, this time quite a bit more violent than the first.

Whether the window latch broke or just hadn’t been properly closed in the first place didn’t matter. What mattered was that the window that Raine had all her weight on was quite suddenly not there.

Raine fell toward her down, which happened to be sideways, until her broken tether let her go enough for her to fall down-down, which was the regular way to fall. ”Eeeee!” What an entrance.

It had been a loooooong day for Cait. An unusually early morning thanks to the kids screaming next door, duties at the base and an evening performance had left her pretty drained. the one solace she had, was a nice long sleep in her wonderfully soft bed.

Of course something had to go wrong. Or more accurately something went Raine.

The sudden crash into her room kicked all her training into gear before she could register a threat. Three shimmering knives sprang into life while she rolled off the bed, a fourth and fifth knife joining the others. All of them wee poised over the figure on the ground before her brain even had a chance to clock who it was.

"Okay, I don't know who yo.......Raine?" What? Why was Raine dressed in her uniform, on her floor?

Offering a hand to her friend, rubbing some of the sleep from her eyes, "If this is a dream, my mind has a strange sense of humour. Come on, let me wake up while you try and get the window closed." It didn't look to badly busted, but her land lord would probably still make her pay through the nose for it. he was such a miser, she'd only throwing a knife through a wall once. Okay twice but still.

Splashing some water in her face and grabbing a glass of water she turned back to her fellow X-Man. "I know we're friends, but don't you think breaking in just to see little old me is a bit much," she asked in a joking tone, before putting on large hurt eyes, "Unless you're trying to take the resident stalker title from me?"

What could she say, she got whimsical after a late night shot of adrenaline.

On the floor of Cait's bedroom somewhere between a discarded pair of pants and a shoe, Raine made a wide-eyed mental note to never, ever sneak up on Cait. Ever.

Her hands were up in front of her face and a constant stream of "Please don't stab me. Please don't stab me! was at her lips until Cait said her name. She sagged in relief against the ground for a moment until she was offered a hand.

"Let me guess..." With help Zero was back on her feet, though feeling a bit foolish as far as her hero persona went. Heroes probably shouldn't say please don't stab me. "It was a long day that turned into a long night and I'm not helping?"

Zero went to jimmy the window back into its housing with her ponytail askew.

"Ha! I was worried that you would be out. I didn't see you in here. I hope I'm not crossing the line. I was hoping for some back up in looking into something." A little extra force and the window popped back in, if she ignored the loose latch, it was like nothing ever happened. Great.

Zero dusted her hands off.

"I haven't told Impact, 'cause I think she'll say no, but there's been a rash of... poisonings at some of the Greek events. I don't know if it's roofies or something, but people are losing time. Not just girls. Sigma House is the worst affected and their big event is in full swing tonight. I... I figured I shouldn't go alone. Just in case." Zero twisted her fingers together.

Awww, Raine was worried she'd get stabbed. Cait wouldn't do that....

She might have gotten stabbed actually. That usually puts a dampener on friendships, having to send a 'I'm sorry I pin cushioned you!' card to the hospital.

"You're just lucky I was working tonight and not out on the town. Otherwise I definitely wouldn't have been asleep. Or alone," She and Raine might be friends but there were some things she'd really rather keep private. That and she'd rather not have to explain that the sudden appearance of a second girl was not an extra partner for the night, however much fun that usually was.

After downing the water and setting the glass aside and trying to wave those thoughts away, it was becoming hard not to notice the fact there was another girl in her bedroom. In a pretty revealing outfit.

Coughing and hoping the low light would hide the blush creeping up her neck, she listened carefully to the explanation from her friend. Losing hours? That was bad, really bad. And it was affecting everyone so someone was doing something very wrong. "Sounds pretty bad, of course I'll help. And don't worry about the boss, if we don't find out anything, well tonight didn't happen."

Arching an eyebrow at this point, "I'm assuming I need to be similarly dressed up, or down, in this case for the investigation." She wasn't exactly complaining, crashing a college party sounded fun and most of the drunk frat types were pretty easy to wrap around her little finger.

"Raine, are you ask me to a party with you?" 

She wouldn't have been alone. She wouldn't have been...? Raine's eyes widened as that last part finally fit into a place where it made perfect sense. CAIT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ALONE!?

"Oh- You- I didn't mean to intrude." She was impressed and embarrassed, and embarrassed that she was embarrassed. Never had one sentence made Raine feel younger and stupider for opening her mouth. Raine had time while Cait was taking care of her water glass to pick herself up off the ground and smooth her short dress down her thighs.

Right. Time to fake it until she could make it.

She could have just gone by herself. Taking someone she trusted seemed a far wiser course. Maybe she'd been wrong... Even if Cait seemed like she was ready to help, she did look tired. Excited by the prospect of going to a college party, maybe, but how long would that last?

"If you want to come, you'd need to fit in, yeah. I figured you could pass for a college student, but you don't have to come." She was giving her friend a graceful exit. Raine was still stubbornly going to go, no matter what.

Grinning at her embarrassment, "Don't worry Raine, you apparently have timed this for the perfect day. Just, you know, use the front door next time. It's hard enough kicking someone out of bed, a magical girl who flew in the window tends to raise even more questions." With most of her friends she was pretty open about sexual stuff, there wasn't any reason it should be any different with Raine should it? From the sounds of it she had plenty of experience herself so there shouldn't be a problem.

At the mention of party she was already considering her clothes. Her friend already had the right mix between flirty and innocent in her look, maybe she should go down the somewhat, less innocent routes. She might not have the same 'assets' the boss or Combatant had, but she knew how to make herself look damn good,

"There is no way I'm letting you go in there alone, we work as a team remember. That and I haven't been to a college party in a while, should be fun being there knowing I'm sexy, rather than just thinking it." With age had come confidence and damn did that do wonders for her.

"Just brew some coffee while I get change will you? Could do with a pick me up." She was already pretty sure what she was going to wear by now, she just needed to find it.

Quickly retrieving the various pieces of clothing before she put them on, she still needed something to tie it together. Did she still have that red lipstick left?

Magical girl flying in through the window? Raine snorted. "I was trying to see if you were home. I didn't want to buzz your intercom if no one was home." That would have made noise and the normal, apartment living people that were Cait's neighbors were asleep at this hour. Hell, Cait should have been asleep, but Raine was willing to interrupt her friend's sleep for something important.

Maybe... a little less willing to accidentally drop in.

Raine glowed with pleasure as Cait affirmed that they were teammates. She believed in what was right enough to forgive a little blonde for selfishly skirting around asking Impact for permission. And, yeah, maybe she glowed a bit at the idea of Cait showing a bunch of party brats how things were done.

"Right. I can do coffee." Bless that lass for giving Raine a task the girl could actually do. The blonde ran her fingers through her hair and went for the kitchen so that her teammate could change and get ready in peace.

She'd been here once for a movie night. Maybe two other times just to drop something off or pick Cait up for this or that. It was enough to know where the coffee was kept and, Raine the barista definitely knew how to work the french press. She made enough for 2 mugs, though Raine wasn't about to trust herself with coffee and a white dress. With her luck, she'd find a way to spill.

"'bout a minute left." Raine called out once the timer got low. "How's the hott-i-fication going?"

While Raine got the pure bliss brewing, she stripped out of her pj's and went about getting ready. Ging for mostly black, she got her lucky push up bra and underwear, before adding a form fitting black tank top over them. So yes, she was still insecure enough to use a push up bra but she'd take every advantage she could take in that regard.

Goings for a pair of very tight dark blue jeans, this outfit was made to show off her real curves, get those legs on display while being completely covered. Drove people mad in her experience. Finishing it off with some lovely pair of black boots that went part way her leg, but didn't have huge heels so if push came to shove, she could move quick in them. Yeah this would do just right. "Hmm? Oh you are an angel Raine," fluffing her hair one last time and letting it free. She just needed make up now. "Turn around dear and see for yourself."

Posing a little for her friend, she decided to do coffee first, then lipstick and the like. Red lippy was a nightmare to clean off cups. "Raine, if you made coffee like this for me every morning I would marry you." breathing in the smell, this little pick me up would see her through the night. Most of tomorrow as well from the looks of it.

"So, how long this missing time being going on? And what keyed you into it?" Seemed a weird thing to come across, but then again she was a college girl so maybe it was something she'd heard on campus.

An angel? Raine glanced down at her white dress, cut to try and give the illusion of curves where Raine's athletic body had none, and then up at Cait. If Raine was the angel, Cait was a devil with all tight curves and touchable darkness. Whatever "it" was, Cait had it.

"Uh. Wow, those boots. You'll fit right in." When in doubt, compliment. Raine got hers in return. It was girl currency.

"It's your coffee and your press, hun. You got all the right stuff to make magic right here." Was that innuendo? Raine was almost certain anything could be innuendo with the right tone and quirk of the eyebrow. It just came to her naturally.

Moment over, Cait reeled them back in a bit. Probably so she could get through her coffee instead of snorting it from laughing at Raine's feeble attempts to keep whatever "it" was on lockdown.

"Psych class. It was one where we were going through all the different drug classifications and people were actually paying attention." Raine rolled her eyes. Her notes were immaculate except for the odd day where she might have daydreamed a bit too long. For the most part, psychology was one of her easy A classes.

"A girl raised her hand when we got to the date-rape drugs. Said, she wasn't sure if she'd been a.... well, a victim. There were a few too many nods and the professor got everyone heart-to-hearting. Not the same party, no real pattern. He said everyone was just being a little too sensitive and that we're all special snowflakes." She shrugged a bare shoulder.

"I dunno. Seemed too many to be coincidence, but it's weird that while everyone was happy to jump on the 'I lost some time' train, nobody seemed to think anything... different had happened. You know. After. Just like a mass hypnosis or something. It's weird right? Like, maybe they're getting robbed? I dunno." Something was weird. No one seemed willing to admit it.

"Since it seems to happen at the parties, I figure we need to go to one to catch whatever it is going down." One nod. Yeah. That was the idea that had given Raine the courage to come out here so late in so little.

Fit right in was a little bit of a stretch, but she loved the praise, especially from Raine. "Why thank you, nice to know I look the part, but I have a feeling I'll be the second prettiest girl there, with you on my arm."

Grinning at the innuendo, she couldn't say that if they'd not been team mates, she wouldn't have hit on Raine if they met in a club. "You're welcome here anytime, if you brew me coffee like this. God you could move in and set up shop and I wouldn't notice over the caffeine."

Rather than interrupt Cait just listened to the story intently, noting that for a teacher, that lecturer was an ass. If so many students were worried about losing time, you'd think as the supposedly responsible adult you would at least reassure them and report the concerns up the chain. Instead he'd just brushed them off. At least her friend had been there to take it in and want to know what the hell was going on. Total proof that she belonged on the team too.

"You're right to want to look into this, it sounds really bad from everything you've told me. How could your lecturer not be more concerned for you? Sounds like a grade A jerk to me. Lucky they had their guardian angel listening in though." It was so cool that Raine was able to help people even while she was learning at college, she was so amazing.

"I agree with you, we need to find out whats doing this and why. People could be getting hurt, or worse." It was scary to think so many people were affected and no one was doing anything.

"You found this, it's your mission. How do you want to play this thing when we get there? And of course I don't think it needs to be said but if this goes wrong, Nothing happened and no one tells Becca."

On one hand, Cait had pretty much asked her to move in. On the other hand, Cait said she wouldn't even notice her being there if she did. Raine tucked that self-argument away for another day. She could worry at that bone for a while and get nowhere.

> "You're right to want to look into this..."

Yesssss. That was exactly what Raine had been afraid that she wouldn't hear. As it turned out, Cait agreed that Raine wasn't blowing this out of proportion. Good. She wasn't seeing bad guys in every corner. There were legitimately bad guys in every freaking corner.

> "You found this, it's your mission."

"Oh." That, she hadn't expected. Raine ran her hands through her hair as she thought about what she'd thought about when she'd considered going solo.
The trouble stuff, she waved away. "Yeah, if it goes south, it was just a party. You can even say you were called in to help as my emergency contact or something. No sweat."

But for how they played it... "I don't want us to split up if we don't have to. If we're alone we're targets, right?" Raine worried at her lower lip with her teeth. "Maybe we'll try to see what we can just making the rounds at first. If nothing seems suspicious, we can then consider splitting, one of us as bait and the other on duty, so to speak. Back up? Sound okay?"

"Sounds good, don't want mama bear tearing our heads off for doing anything stupid on the job. Off the job and she's more than fine with us being eejits." Getting into trouble on your own time was fine by the boss, christ some of the stories she told about her past were wild.

Grinning down at Raine, "Look who's turning into a little tactician, getting a hang of it faster than I did as well." Sure she'd been younger but tactics hadn't really been a strong suit for her, "and I totally agree, staying together makes more sense and we should be able to find out more if we can double team some drunk jocks and blind them with our 'charm'. Also makes it less likely whoever's doing it could slip either of us anything."

Getting to party with Raine was awesome, even if it was technically work. The poor boys at the partydidn't stand a chance with them both there, although with some of her recent practice with Alice, the girls wouldn't stand much better.

"Let me just put the finishing touches right and I should be ready to go. Feel free to relax while you wait," pausing dramatically and leaning in to whisper and pointing to the corner, "but whatever you do don't go in that closet. I'll know." Turning before the smile she was holding back could break out, she loved playing that game with people. They always looked. Always.

Moving into her little, cramped bathroom and carefully applying just enough makeup to appear presentable, she had a little trouble finding the lipstick. The red was really needed to bring the look together, completing the dark mascara and slight eye shadow she'd gone for. Shouting through the door "Hey Raine, you got any red lippy on you? Can't find mine."

'Eejits' was just about a guaranteed giggle from Raine. It was cute, but the way Cait said it was what made the whole package tickle her just perfectly. Eejits. Hehe.

She ducked her head, both feeling proud and undeserving for Cait's praise and excited by the prospect of what damage they might do together at a party. One thing was for certain, Raine was sure nothing was actually going to work out like that once they got there. So far none of the actual missions she'd been on had followed their plan.

But, hey, a total confidence boost was incoming. Together, they were gonna make tongues fall out of people's heads. And, hey, maybe those tongues would say incriminating things!

Raine went immediately to go look at the closet. HOW COULD SHE NOT!? She jumped guiltily when Cait called out to her with her hand just above the door handle.

"Don't make fun of me, but I do." Raine marched herself back toward Cait without so much as touching the closet. Lipstick was the priority here. She fished a teensy little clutch from where it dangled from her wrist and, despite there not being a ton of room, Raine produced a slender tube that looked more like a marker than lipstick. Her own lips were chapsticked and nothing more.

"I love lipstick," she admitted as she handed it over, "I'll put it on and then it's... I don't know. I never leave the house with it on, but I've gotta have every shade of red by now. Here, let me?" Raine popped the top and made motions like she would glide the lipstick onto Cait's lips if she wanted. Sometimes it was hard to get a crisp edge with a dark color and tonight's lipstick that Raine had chosen was VaVaVoom Red, not a beginner's color.

Why would she make fun? Raine was amazing with makeup and red just seemed like it really suited her. "Would I do that dear?" Pausing for a second, "OK maybe I would but you know I love you and it's not anything mean."

"Really, why not Raine? You're beautiful and it does suit you." Cait might have some insecurities about certain parts of her body but she was generally confident. She couldn't understand her friend on this matter. She was so gorgeous and red lipstick only added to that, making her lips pop and look very inviting. Which she'd never thought. Ever.

Pursing her lips and bending down slighty for the application, "Be my guest, always glad to have my own little professional treating me right."

Once the makeup was applied and everything looked to be in order, she grabbed up the various little things she'd need, purse, keys, phone and briefly considered a collapsible baton. Yes, it wasn't legal and if she was caught with it, well that was bad, but not having to rely on her power was tempting.

Best not, wouldn't want it found and awkward questions getting raised. If worst came to worst, she could protect herself and Raine could stop anyone getting away.

"I think I have everything, unless you can mention anything I should have are we ready to go? Out the door this time," giving a pointed look at her team mate. 

Raine hesitated with her lipstick micrometers away from Cait's face.

Really? Now was the moment Cait wanted to admit that she'd legit make fun of Raine? Her face was in Raine's hands and the idea of giving Cait clown face was tempting. Oh so tempting. She knew just how she'd do it too... she more than made up for it by poking at the admission.

"Ahh. I don't know. I put it on and I just talk myself back out of it every single time. Like, it looks so good on other people, but for me it's somehow too much." She talked because with Cait's lips otherwise occupied, somebody had to.

"Yeah. No. I don't get it either." She laughed it off. "By the way, I got an invite to this party. We should go see the host. Then we can go do whatever." Raine ran her thumb just under Cait's bottom lip to shore up an uneven line. She rolled her lips in to indicate that Cait should and as usual, they didn't even need words to work together great.

"Perfect."

Raine pouted about the door bit, but she supposed it was safer. Less fun. But safer. They split an Uber and before long they were getting dropped off a short green space away from a white wood sided frat house with large golden Greek letters emblazoned on the front. Raine had flutters of nerves, but was too excited to admit it: her first mission that she brought to the team's attention.

"C'mon." She looped her arm into Cait's and they navigated through a lazy scatting of people on the lawn which escalated to a tighter grouping at and around the front door. Raine caught a young man's shoulder near the stairs and shouted over the music asking after the host. Upstairs was indicated so upstairs they went.

The music faded on the stairwell, but picked up on the next floor. The crowd was a tighter knit group here and Raine was recognized immediately. A behemoth of a man with too much beard and too high a voice to reconcile picked himself up and folded himself around both Raine and Cait which set Raine to giggling.

"Rainebow! Let me get you two some drinks, sweety sunshine, and then you need to introduce me to this morsel you've brought." Red solo cups and kegs were typically kept in the kitchen, but there was a small stock of supplies on hand. They both got to choose from a small selection of bottles: the usual college fare of cheap or candy flavored. Raine went for watermelon rum and sprite.

"This is Cait. She's good at pretty much everything, especially music."

"Love this angel/devil vibe." He winked at Cait but had a pressing matter for Raine. "You know it's Matt's birthday?"

"No. Is tonight's party for him?" Raine glanced over at Cait, worried that she might feel a bit in over her head.

"Some. I'd be really cool if you want to go say hi... maybe boooooth of you...?"

Ah. Raine glanced at Cait again. Ah. Shoot. She was going to learn some things about Raine tonight.