Once upon a time in a Sanctuary far, far away lived a lovely young blonde who went by the name of Goldie Shocks, I mean, Lori. Now Lori was a lonely sort and tried never to give her heart to anyone. However, every once in a while there came a mutant that would met her standards... almost, and who would gain her interest and possibly friendship. These occasions were rare, though, as Lori had very high standards.

One day Lori met Seven Red Bears, one of whom was interesting enough to warrant a special rendezvous and even possible friendship. He convinced her to move into the special land of Sanctuary and even take up residence in the room next to his. Unfortunately tragedy struck for poor Goldie Shocks. As soon as she moved in, the Red Bears disappeared from the land of Sanctuary.

Needless to say Lori was feeling a bit scorned and as many scorned women feel the need for revenge, Lori felt that the Red Bears had many assets that were being wasted. She had a room and a bed and a pile of money, but really what good were those things? Goldie Shocks took turns scoping out the Red Bear's rooms. One by one she tested their beds and perused their belongings for things that would be of use to her and eventually Lori made a room that was just right.

Lori rolled over deep asleep in the luxurious, cerulean blue silk sheets she had taken from Venus' linen drawer. Oh yes, that man had taste in linens among other things. She had also pilfered a veritable cornucopia of toys and costumes from Venus' room along with what appeared to be an original painting. She'd gotten it reframed to match the decor of her room and, honestly it looked more at home on her wall.

From Abyss' room she had acquired all the classics on DVD: The Matrix Trilogy, Braveheart, Gladiator, 300, and so many more. She left anything remotely sappy and just took the good stuff. Of course she needed a TV and DVD player so she had adopted those as well.

Jupiter's room had yielded mostly alcohol, surprisingly enough. Cases and cases of various boozes were now stashed in her mini bar refrigerator. What wouldn't fit in the mini fridge settled in their flats beneath her bed, which part of had been in Saturn's room. Not a whole lot was in Saturn's room, but she only needed another mattress like hers to push up against her own to make a King size so that the silk sheets from Venus' room would fit. It looked like Saturn had the default Sanctuary mattress so his had been taken.

Mercury's room had a lit of interesting weaponry manuals. Never before had Lori ever seen a machine gun manual, but it told her how to completely disassemble and reassemble the new toy she'd taken from his desk. She took every book she could find from Mercury's room. Lori figured she ought to know more about weapons that might possibly be used against her. She also found herself a lovely knife as long as her forearm and a sheath. As if she needed it, but it looked nice when she put it on. Better than teh decorative katana's any way.

From Pluto's room Lori had taken the bookshelves where he kept his manga. She wasn't entirely interested in the stuff, but she was interested in the storage space. She did, however, swipe a few boxes of his comics. There was one series called Bone that interested her greatly and they found a place on her new bookshelves.

Mars' room of course yielded the best haul. Textbooks, maps, reference materials. It was practically a library in there and all she had to do was move it over one room. She found another painting and fit it over the desk area next to the radio that came from Mars' room.

It was perfect. Lori cuddled with a body pillow from Venus' room. It was everything she really needed or even wanted. Her room with all its new parts was juuuuuuuust right.

On any other day some of the Seven Red Bears might not be as grumpy, but they had just awoken from hibernation and went home to find the front doors missing to their home, after a long and rough fight with another house of wild animals the bears returned home just as grumpy. And when they got to their perspective corners of their long lost cave they were disturbed to find that summon had been in their rooms and more importantly took from them. After a mere moment some found what was missing from their room, some took a bit longer.

It didn’t take long for the others to be disgruntled about what was missing but only one of them truly had a hint at what was going on here.

Abyss spoke into the Hall way from his doorway. “Some one has been in my room and they took my movies, my TV, and my DVD player.” He thought lightly that he didn’t really care. All he wanted to do was sleep. “ and somebody has been sleeping in my bed.”

“Well somebody Has been in my room and they took my book shelf and some of my Manga and comics, But They left more ! how dare they not love my comics?” Pluto ranted into the hall about the missing loot. “Wha!” he looked into the room and noticed something he hadn’t before. “ They opened the packages to some of my action figures!” Pluto went back into his room and began to take inventory of all the damage.

Jupiter grimaced “Somebody has been drinking all my drink! And they took the rest!” He began to walk down the hall cursing. He would find some alcohol in this building somewhere.

Mercury looked into the hall “somebody took my books and some of my toys too! This, just will not do!”

Venus walked into the Hall smiling “someone took some of my toys too and has been sleeping in my bed and took some of my sheets.”

Mars Nodded to the others, “someone has been in my room and sleeping in my bed and took a lot of my things.”

Saturn walked into the hall and shaking his head. “Someone took my bed!”

Abyss Grumbled something unintelligible. Then loudly he spoke to the others. “ If we find out who did it then we will take care of them but for now get some rest we all need it. Saturn gram a mattress from one of the empty rooms. We will figure this out in the morning.’

Mars walked into his room and couldn’t help but feel like he was missing something, the others were missing things, but he felt he was missing the most. Then it clicked in his brain. He looked at the chess bored and it was missing the queens. She did talk about trying the other guys room didn’t she. He peeked out into the hall and was glad to see the others had taken Abyss’s words to heart. He went to the door to the right of his and then He turned the door knob and turned it past the lock, So That the mechanism snapped under the pressure. He then stepped in quickly and sure enough as if they brought the seven of their rooms together and then some. For Now Goldi Shocks only had to deall with one of the seven red bears…but tomorrow was another day.

She wasn't sure what had woken her, but Lori lay staring at the back wall away from the door. Her hair was still damp and looked as if it had started life in a clip so that it would stay off of her neck, but now it only loosely resembled what it once was. She had such a late night and then by the time she'd stumbled in the Order members had been rumbling around the Sanctuary like bees buzzing around before a semi-organized attack.

Coming in through the garage, Lori had missed the obvious. Not that she would have joined any of them in the attack over some silly doors, but she did hate to miss the obvious. Once the Order had rolled out the Sanctuary had been so quiet and peaceful. She hadn't slept that well in a long, long while... so what had woken her?

Lori sat up slowly, not entirely happy about being awake again so soon. She stretched her arms up, her tank top pulling up enough to expose her bellybutton. Her eyes closed as she yawned an epic, bear-sized yawn and she swung her legs over to the edge of her bed (part of which used to be Saturn's) before turning around to grab her glasses. She noticed the shadow of someone... large on her wall.

Popping her glasses on and quickly turning around, Lori was surprised to see... someone red. Her door was slightly ajar, the handle hanging at an awkward angle. There was no telling which one it was.

"You're back." She took her glasses off. They weren't really needed except for when she was reading, but she probably wasn't going to read anything if this was the angry one who wanted to kill her. Her mind was racing about what she could use to defend herself without maiming.

He stepped in quickly and put closed the door and laned back, It didn't seem threatening to him but perhaps if you felt corned and the only way out was through one of them you might very well be afraid. after a moment and noting the concerned look on Lori's golden framed face he put his hands up in peace. "Yes I am. I see you have made use of our things. It'll take the others a bit to sort it out if they do at all, they won't start til the morning. I however had a couple of clues. You can thank the Xmen for waring them out enough to go to bed or simply find new stuff.for now."

He moved toward the edge of the large bed and sat at the foot. " I apologize for the abscence my dear. I fear we found something out about our selves that we didn't expect."

The Red Bear looked worn out and then some. but more than that there was an honest apology written in his crimson eyes....did the girlevn care? he wasn't sure. but there was something abit personal about the way she cam in and cleaned them out almost a bit spitful if you asked him.

"Yes I am. I see you have made use of our things."

"Seemed a damn waste for it all to collect dust when there are those in want. Besides -- I didn't take anything that can't be replaced and nothing personal like computers either." She set her chin defiantly and vowed to scrap for every little piece they'd let her keep. She was a resident now and the clones had been gone for a long time.

"It'll take the others a bit to sort it out if they do at all, they won't start til the morning. I however had a couple of clues. You can thank the Xmen for waring them out enough to go to bed or simply find new stuff.for now."[/i]

She wrinkled her nose. Xmen. "And what pray tell were you all doing at the Mansion?" She'd been there once after she'd tried to be nice. It cured her of ever really wanting to be nice again.

Several things made Lori relax. The big red bear moved to sit at the edge of the bed. People didn't usually sit when they were gonna throttle you. He also looked tired. Butt kicking happened at its best when you weren't wiped. The other reasons for her to relax...? He called her dear and then actually apologized for their absence. She breathed a big sigh. "Shoulda guessed it was you, Mars."

Lori rubbed the spot between her eyes to smooth the wrinkles on her forehead. The Red Bear looked worn out and then some, but he was at least sincere. "So... where did you go?" Lori scooted over to sit within arm's reach, but not crowding. Sometimes boys were funny and needed space.

"Seemed a damn waste for it all to collect dust when there are those in want. Besides -- I didn't take anything that can't be replaced and nothing personal like computers either."

A smirk rose at the corners of his mouth. " fair enough. I'm not hear to take anything back but I may be barging in a bit more with all the useful information you have in here."

"And what pray tell were you all doing at the Mansion?"


"We returned to find that the doors had been ripped off and didn't get further than the lobby before we had turned around and went after the others. The last time those doors were torn down was the registration, Several of us are found of them to the point of reckless stupidity."


"Shoulda guessed it was you, Mars."


Mars nodded. "If one us is being reasonable than it is more than likely either myself or Abyss."


"So... where did you go?"


A hint that she did care, "Ah, well we went nowhere actually. We were doing some routine city maintenance.” Meaning of course causing havoc. “And the next thing we know swat was all over us, with high caliber weapons, Mercury thinks they may have been using elephant rounds. Needless to say we weren’t prepared for it as no one outside of the sanctuary knew we were making a move. We were sitting ducks and we made a drastic move. I am not sure if I have mentioned it but we have always wondered what would happen if Abyss went into the void himself. Well with impending death coming at us. We found out.”

He didn’t particularly want to say after that everything ceased to matter; it was perfect in the void. Even in the dreary, dirty, noisy spot they had sunk into.

“by the way how long were we gone? It is clearly winter…but it was just past summer when we left was it not?” Mars looked at the floor very disturbed.

"fair enough. I'm not here to take anything back but I may be barging in a bit more with all the useful information you have in here."

"Sounds fair to me." Not taking all her newly acquired objects and having more visits from a certain friendly, red neighbor. Maybe they could have some more... stimulating conversation.

While listening to Mars' explanation about the doors, Lori slid off the bed and made her way to the bathroom to grab her hair brush. She pulled the clip out and pulled the brush through the damp and tangly locks. It was... strange and entirely stupid to go chasing after doors, but sometimes people were funny about the things they attached to their ego.

She hoped that she hadn't appropriated anything too personal. She didn't want grudges. She just wanted their things. They didn't have to know about it. "How'd you guys fair in the fight? You look... tired."

"Ah, well we went nowhere actually."[/color] She blinked and sat back down on the bed continuing her battle with the hairbrush as she listened to this new story. "...we have always wondered what would happen if Abyss went into the void himself. Well with impending death coming at us. We found out.”[/color]

She wrinkled her nose. Well, it certainly wasn't the answer she was expecting. It was also hard to be angry at him for getting stuck in the Void.

“by the way how long were we gone? It is clearly winter…but it was just past summer when we left was it not?” Mars looked at the floor very disturbed and Lori put her hand on his big red shoulder. She did the mental math in mere moments, and was sure the answer wouldn't wipe that look off of his face. But he had asked and Lori always answered direct questions with truth where possible.

"It's been at least 3 months."

He nodded to the Answer he had expected that was about what expected, how they had been so weak as to fall into that state and none of them were able to resist, It was defeatist. He turned toward her and shook off the disgruntled feeling. "So what about you? You're still here; I am quite pleased to see." His left arm snaked around to her side and he slid her closer, leaving his hand where it was. He tilted his head and hoped to hear some of what he had been missing last he knew She gathered information with a vengeance.

After a bit he turned the topic back toward the looting. “ I think you will be in the clear with everyone, except Jupiter and maybe Pluto. Apparently, you played with his dolls, the ones that were rare and important enough to keep in the pack. And of course drunksly misses his sauce plus you know he still has that grudge going I think. Abyss, Merc, don’t seem to care too much a bit of eye batting will win them over easy enough. I think Venus might be pleased about whatever you took, he seemed happy about something.” He raised an eyebrow at her and then smiled. “ Saturn has probably already placed whatever you took from him.”

He lowered his gaze at her a bit concerned. “You have kept this collecting to just our rooms haven’t you?” He hoped to god she hadn’t been raiding others rooms except for them. Particularly the Order.

“ Has anyone convinced you to join yet?”

"So what about you? You're still here; I am quite pleased to see."[/color]

"Ah, but I wasn't always." She gave an appropriately girly eep when a large red bear paw grabbed her and pulled her in close. So they were at the very least still cuddle buddies. That was good to know. "I've had a few grand adventures of my own, thank you very much. Some of which include mystery, danger, suspense, horrible wounds, and even nudity." She waggled her eyebrows at Mars. "Though, I have to admit the nudity didn't involve me."

She had to laugh at the Venus comment. What she took from Venus' room would be between Lori and Venus, but she was surprised at how some slightly slutty outfits went a surprisingly long way in the real world. Why, she'd already tried out the "Dirty Doctor" outfit and it had passed for real... or rather... her assets were real enough that she got access to what she wanted in the doctor's office.

Lori yawned as Mars gave her the shake down on who of his brothers might be appeased and how to go about doing so. "I think I can win 'em over, just... keep my stock pile a secret and let me do the talking." She stuck out her tongue at Mars. It just seemed an appropriate punctuation to that sentence.

“You have kept this collecting to just our rooms haven’t you?”[/color]

Face adequately shocked and appalled, Lori answered. "Mostly." And it was true. She didn't take from people she thought were coming back. "I might have also borrowed a little something from a bank, but I didn't have anything after my apartment blew up." Also true, but told in the wrong order.

“ Has anyone convinced you to join yet?”[/color]

Lori yawned again. "What and have to work for my fringe benefits? Why bother?" Not that Lori didn't appreciate the value of work... it's just that she'd been working hard her whole life. And with free food, shelter, and entertainment... really, why didn't everyone live at the Sanctuary?

"Ah, but I wasn't always." "I've had a few grand adventures of my own, thank you very much. Some of which include mystery, danger, suspense, horrible wounds, and even nudity." "Though, I have to admit the nudity didn't involve me."

HE looked her over and was glad to see the horrible wounds weren’t still hurting her. “You’ll have to catch me up some time, but I suppose if it wasn’t you being the naked it can wait.”

"I think I can win 'em over, just... keep my stock pile a secret and let me do the talking."

“fine fine.another secret it is. If I catch that tounge I am going to keep it.” He playfully pinched at it as it fled back into her mouth.

"What and have to work for my fringe benefits? Why bother?”

“well, I was hoping to tempt you with pay, but if you’ve already knocked over a bank, I suppose you are doing just fine. Perhaps you’d like to name your price, I can’t help but think that you’d be a more than useful addition to the group. Plus, having you around makes my day better. What could we offer you that you don’t have?” Mars play rapped his fingers on her thigh. Trying to think of something to appease her. “any enemies that you might like put out of the way? Perhaps you’d like some friends or family succeeds where they aren’t currently? Chocolate?”

He walked over to a counter and poured a shot of something into a glass. He raised the bottle in question of if she wanted some. His left hand found its way to his pursed lips and he tapped some more.

"...If I catch that tounge I am going to keep it.” He playfully pinched at it as it fled back into her mouth.

She was pleased that Mars was back. Possibly too pleased, but it was moments like these that were hard to slip into with normal people... or people at all. She smiled so big that the apples of her cheeks were starting to feel the strain.

“Well, I was hoping to tempt you with pay," Already her ears were burning. Lori wasn't one for the slothful life. It tended to be trouble. Which was fun in its own way, but also more dangerous than it should have been. "but if you’ve already knocked over a bank, I suppose you are doing just fine. Perhaps you’d like to name your price, I can’t help but think that you’d be a more than useful addition to the group. Plus, having you around makes my day better. What could we offer you that you don’t have? ...any enemies that you might like put out of the way? Perhaps you’d like some friends or family succeeds where they aren’t currently? Chocolate?” Mars play rapped his fingers on her thigh.[/i]

"The content of one bank can't hold me forever. Especially when shared with an accomplice." Lori snickered. An unwitting accomplice who got less than a fair share, but he got a share all the same. "Well, gee. Don't you just know a way to a girl's head. I mean heart." Whoops. Freudian slip?

She realized the brush was still in her hand when Mars got up for a drink and Lori berated herself for letting anyone distract her enough that she'd forgotten anything at all. "I am curious though since companies that are capable of handing out pay checks don't usually hand them out for funzies." She finished brushing her hair and pulled one of the many hair ties off the the handle of the brush and pulled her hair back into a high, bouncy ponytail. She may have passed for a high schooler if not for those keen blue eyes. Keen blue eyes that were focused like laser beams on a certain red bear.

"What would I be doing to earn this paycheck of chocolate or death or familial success?"

He motioned with the bottle asking if Lori wanted any. Having been a bar tender, she hated to see anyone drink alone. She held out her hand for whatever he wanted to offer. Lori had months to get used to the new scar and so she didn't even think of the thick, shiny patch of skin on the palm of the hand she held out to Mars.

"The content of one bank can't hold me forever. Especially when shared with an accomplice." "Well, gee. Don't you just know a way to a girl's head. I mean heart."

The corners of his mouth hadn’t stopped pointing at least slightly up since he had seen her sleepy attempts at brushing her hair.

"I am curious though since companies that are capable of handing out pay checks don't usually hand them out for funzies." "What would I be doing to earn this paycheck of chocolate or death or familial success?"

He sighed slightly at her as she put her hair into a pony tail that might have his attention for a while. Pouring a second glass of White Rum. And handed it over, perhaps it was their high body mass but if any of them bothered with alcohol they usually did so strait. “If you’d prefer something else, name it.”


“Well, we tend to open up a Swiss account and simply keep a certain amount in them ready to go. Well, sometimes we do reckless things like go and get some doors from some yuppie mutes that are happy to be sheep. But that sort of thing wouldn’t be required. But could be joined voluntarily if you like.” He thought she would pass on that particular event.

“We set goals to move our organization in a more and more beneficial position for the rest of mutant kind, not to mention our selves. I am sure that Syn or perhaps Isabel would find opportunities to put your talents to work. Though, that might not always be zapping someone as they will recognize your charm as quickly as I have. So the assignments could vary to as widely as whatever it might take to gain control and respect or even Fear through the means and route that you have found to succeed. We have decided this world has oppressed for far to long, and we won’t back down. Take the registration for instance. A complete disregard for mutant rights. That won’t be the last time they try. Just a learning curve and more research on how to stop us. Mark my words, there is worse ahead. Unless of course control changes hands. Ah but I rant. Think of the job title as professional libertine.”

Mars couldn’t help but appraise her one more mentally and physically as he thought of the next question.

“ Let me ask you something, would you consider baring a child into this world? Keep in mind that prominent mutant genes point to offspring having active X-genes as well.”

“If you’d prefer something else, name it.” [/color]

Lori took the rum and swigged it down in one gulp. "Bartender and I think there must be Irish in me." She shrugged playfully. It took a surprising amount of alcohol to effect her. Perhaps some of it burned off on its way down because of her mutation, who knows? But usually it was expensive to even attempt drunkenness. Of course when the liquor is free... She handed him the glass back. "Mmmm. How can one go wrong with alcohol made from sugar cane?"

She nodded about the Swiss account. So... this was a decidedly under the table sort of employment. "...Sometimes we do reckless things like go and get some doors from some yuppie mutes that are happy to be sheep. But that sort of thing wouldn’t be required. But could be joined voluntarily if you like.”

"Good to know the slaughter of children is optional." She always felt warm after a nice bit of rum. What better way to guard from the bitter New York cold. Not that she was planning on going out with such a lovely morsel in her room.

“...Think of the job title as professional libertine.” It was so very V for Vendetta, but still there was potential there. She smiled noncommittally. Funny how someone with enough charm and sense could make madness sound fun. She did note that he side-stepped the whole Haywire apocalypse, but hey - Lori was promised immunity either way.

“Let me ask you something, would you consider baring a child into this world? Keep in mind that prominent mutant genes point to offspring having active X-genes as well.”

Lori did one of those long slow blinks that meant she'd taken in a lot of hard to process information. She wished she had a drink to sip and then spew out because the subject switch was just that abrupt.

"D-did you just proposition me?"

"Bartender and I think there must be Irish in me." "Mmmm. How can one go wrong with alcohol made from sugar cane?" “You can’t my dear.”

"Good to know the slaughter of children is optional.”

“we didn’t slaughter any children, we simply broke the teachers leading them a stray.”

"D-did you just proposition me?"

full fledged smile burst onto Mar’s face. He had been so busy ranting that he hadn’t truly thought about how that would come off, But he took it in stride. Perhaps He very well might if he thought that they inhabited a world worth bringing more into.

“If I did, what would you say?”

He reached to the button at top of his shirt and unbuttoned it and laughed.

“Seriously, think about it, would you raise a child in a world that wants to potential cage and tag it study it and dissect it? That is the world we are trying to change, we must be extreme to make vast change. The Americans started out as rebels and prisoners and cutthroats, they escaped their former government and made something great. But not great enough, and now we have to finish the job, but for our people, for our children for the future of our kind.”

He sighed and set down next to her. “What I am saying is if you put the how much and what you have to do aside. Then look at the why we do it. You have the chance to be on the righteous side of a revolution that is not only inevitable but absolutely necessary to the next generation.”

“ And then yes after you and I have cleaned up this mess of a world we could settle into simply making children.” He fought hard not to smile but he couldn’t.

He smiled. It was practically a feral grin, but... he'd been entirely serious a moment before. Needless to say the blonde was confused. Mars wasn't.

“If I did, what would you say?”

E-GADS! Children? She couldn't even keep a succulent alive! What would she do after shooting out an eight pound screaming, needy poop-machine? Lori hoped she wasn't just oozing maternal warmth hormones at a near-death crazed red man.

"I'd say get up off this?" It was a question because even Lori wasn't sure. She didn't want to turn him down per se, but... babies...? Dang. She didn't do babies.

He even went as far as to unbutton the top button of his shirt before he couldn't contain the mirth and the laughter bubbled over. All the sudden tension that had been building within her drained and she smiled and shook her head. She could enjoy the joke now that she knew it was one.

“Seriously, think about it..." And so she did. He made a rousing argument, damnit. "now we have to finish the job, but for our people, for our children for the future of our kind....You have the chance to be on the righteous side of a revolution that is not only inevitable but absolutely necessary to the next generation.”[/i]

Lori sighed and thought out a long and complicated string of explicatives. Was he right? Damn, he sounded right. She wasn't sure she wanted to be inspired to fix the world, but damn it someone had to do something.

“And then yes after you and I have cleaned up this mess of a world we could settle into simply making children.”[/i]

Mars smiled. Lori smiled. "Leave the babies out of it and you have a deal."