Kitra had been bored for quite some time. She hadn't seen Hunter at the labs for weeks and nor had she run across Calley. Kitra sighed and looked up at the beautiful Golden Doors that lead into the Sanctuary. Also, if she remembered correctly, the hq for The Order. Though, Kitra really wasn't supposed to know that, if she had been an average mutant that is. What had actually brought her was her wandering in boredom. Well, while she was here she could always check it out.

Earlier that day Kitra had been presented with new models of communicators. She had choose open the black ring with dark green spirals running through it. The necklace and watch were equally exqusite but the watch had been discovered the last time she had run into a few of the Order members. Kitra shrugged and then adjusted the sleeves of her shirt, as they had slid up to reveal her new tattoos that she had recently finished. *OOC: details of said tattoos will come later *

IC: Kitra shook her head, 'Enough debate, let's go', she thought with a grin. She walked a few steps forward so she could push the Golden Doors open. Kitra paused however, as she heard some noises. Nervously, she stepped back from the door. It would be embarrasing to have it opened and be smacked in the face.

A noise inside the doors, indeed. What? Couldn't a humble Italian and Hungarian teenager take a simple crayon rubbing of the giant-sized fingerprints in the Golden Doors? It wasn't a sign of disrespect--people did it all the time, to really old gravestones and war memorials and such. Here were the Golden Doors, newly reattached after their epic war-torn voyage on the Mansion's shores; here he was, with a sheet of blank white paper and a crayon turned sideways.

And there stood Lisa. Unhappily. Behind him. The Italian teenager blinked sweetly up at her from his cross-legged seat on the floor.

"You slept here last night," she said, by way of accusation. Lisa never really had liked him. It was hard to tell the reason way, behind her layer of receptionator pleasantries. Good instincts, maybe. Not that there was any particular reason he shouldn't sleep here on any given night. He had a room, after all. He'd had it for months. It wasn't a secret that he lived at the Mansion now, but technically, he'd lived here first.

He'd only had the crayon and the paper for a few minutes. He'd borrowed them from Lisa. Now she stretched out a hand; the fingers gave a give them back flick.

...He did. Alas, there went his memento of these most awesome dents. Memories alone would have to suffice. Ah, memories...

"Are you leaving now," she asked, somehow avoiding adding on any sort of questioning tone to that question.

"Err... yes?" He replied.

"Have a nice day." She had said 'nice'; he had heard 'nice'. And yet, somehow... the word disappeared from memory, as he replayed the sentence in his head.

Thus did Calley open the Golden Doors, from the inside. With Lisa standing behind him, holding a crayon and a piece of white paper with a half-finished rubbing of a jumbo-sized thumb print.

'Well, guess it was a good thing that I backed up', Kitra thought as the Golden doors opened. Her eyes widened in surprise as she beheld Calley walking out of them. "Calley? What are you doing here?" Kitra blinked then smiled, "Anyway, how are you? I've been wondering how you've been and all that. Haven't seen you in forever either."

Pluto put on his best grumpy face. He mimicked Jupiter's tone and Mercury's twitch. His Voice boomed as he made to the lobby making Lisa jump a bit. "Anybody giving you trouble up here Lisa?" He followed his words with crossing the room with a puffed up gait. Lisa Shook her head at him Her eye for trouble catching Pluto most of the time. she went and set down even as Pluo proceded to go out the door, at least the boy deserved the hassle.

He barged into their greetings and demanded. " You two causing trouble? Why are you here bothering Lisa? Got nothing better to do?" He rattled off the questions leaving little to no time to answer. Inside he was cracking up. This woud be worth it for the exspressions they had on their faces when he exited the door.

Grk.

>> "Calley? What are you doing here?"

She smiled. Grk, and grk again. Calley smiled back; the leaning-slightly-away smile you give that person who accidentally poured soup on you in middle school, or the kid in gym class who couldn't help how bad he smelled.

Her name was Kitra. She had red hair, and was a little like a sister. And the last time he'd hung out with her, he'd ended up sitting in a torture chair getting his mind screwed over by Hunter Antonescu.

Suffice it to say that there was some minor connection in his mind between the illustrator and unpleasant things. They'd hadn't seen each other much since then. Once in a training session he'd sat in on, a few times when she hadn't recognized him, but not enough to smooth that connection away in his mind. She was perfectly nice. And perfectly dangerous, in an almost naive way. Girls like her got guys like him tortured. Somehow, the fact that they didn't mean to didn't actually help.

>> "Anyway, how are you? I've been wondering how you've been and all that. Haven't seen you in forever either."

"Err... yeah. About that." He wasn't sure what that would be about. Fortunately, something fee fii foo fumped from behind him. His savior.

>> " You two causing trouble? Why are you here bothering Lisa? Got nothing better to do?"

His big, red, hulking, monkey-tailed savior. Calley stared blankly up at the pile of muscled flesh towering above him. Then, with the same distinct lack of self-preservation he'd shown months ago in a certain alleyway, he grinned up at the guy.

"Abyss! I am causing trouble! Because Lisa needs some excitement in her life! I have nothing at all better to do! Do you? Is it just me, or is your monkey tail more awesome than usual--new shampoo? Is that a haircut? Where have you been? I keep coming over and wandering around a little but I haven't seen you at all and I have really good news and Slate says hi, too, and 'inquires as to the well being of your brothers' and--"

It was approximately at this point in time that Calley ran out of air. Wheeeeze. Cough cough choke gaaasp!

"Look!" He breathily gestured at his throat, quite proudly. "No necklace!"

He trusted that the big red guy would understand--or suspect--what that meant. The necklace, the collar: it had been what bound him to Hunter. Likewise, he suspected that Kitra wouldn't catch the significance.

Kitra.

She was quite the Hunter fanatic, last he checked.

Grk.

Kitra had frowned slightly at Calley's reaction to her, but she was pretty sure that was lost when the big red dude showed up. Kitra blinked and backed up slightly, nor could she help giggling slightly as Calley went off on one of his speals. *rants if you so chose* After the big red guy had spoken, she was almost positive it wasn't Abyss but one of his clones. However which one Kitra had no clue, 'heh, well it couldn't hurt to ask, er hopefully anyway.'

As Calley spoke, she tilted her head to the side, "Ah, thats too bad about your necklace Calley. But hey not to hard to get a better one right? I mean most stores have some pretty cool stuff." She turned slightly to have a better look at the hulking red guy that Calley called Abyss. "Pardon me if I seem rude, but are you really Abyss? Or might you be one of the others?" She smiled, hoping she wouldn't get mangled for asking such a thing. If Kitra remembered right, the real Abyss had said one of the clones was rather violent.

Pluto let out an exasperated sigh. "You Two are nooooo fun! Or too much fun. gah! Calley that is amazing news and yes I was about to start bugging sugarcakes back there but saw you two. I was hopping to evoke some of the other guys and burn fear into you but nooooooooo."

"No new shampoo just extra catty today. Look its up to something." his tail swished behind as if ready for the pounce." no new haircut either, jut the bedhead look today. We were stuck in a rock on a high way for awhile." the truth sounded so crazy that it was safe in Pluto’s book. "Tell slate hi, and we are doing peachy now."

"And you little lady are observant, Its Pluto though I was going for Mercury or Jupiter...don't worry about manners I was just trying to prank you guys any how. SO what are we going to do now?" he insinuated his company on them and now unless they were persistent they were going to have trouble getting rid of him.

>> "Ah, thats too bad about your necklace Calley. But hey not to hard to get a better one right? I mean most stores have some pretty cool stuff."

Calley grinned back at the red head. "You know what? I bet you're right. I bet I can get a way better one." A non-exploding model, for instance, would be quite the fashion statement.

>> "Pardon me if I seem rude, but are you really Abyss? Or might you be one of the others?"

Calley turned back towards the clone, with a blink-blink. Was it Abyss? He certainly knew about the clones--he'd even met them on a few occasions--but he was definitely no expert on telling them apart, just yet. Abyss was Abyss was awesome was Abyss was Pluto.

>> "You Two are nooooo fun! Or too much fun. gah! Calley that is amazing news and yes I was about to start bugging sugarcakes back there but saw you two. I was hopping to evoke some of the other guys and burn fear into you but nooooooooo."

He grinned at the clone's congratulations for him. Whoot, and whoot again. Granted that he technically was still with the Kabal, but honestly, he hadn't even caught Hunter's scent since their fight, and he was liking it. He hadn't even reported back in, really. He was his own cat--the fact that he hadn't completely cut his Kabal ties was just so that he could roam at Mondragon Labs as freely as anywhere--

>> "No new shampoo just extra catty today. Look its up to something."

Moving tail moving tail moving--

Calley leaned forward, and a bit to the man's side; his pupils seemed to dilate just that extra black bit. Tail. In. Sight. The only thing that saved it from a thorough pouncing was the fact he was in human form. And even then, it was a close call. Abyss' tail had been one of the first creatures Calley had encountered at the Sanctuary, and it still held a special place in his attention span. Suffice it to say that he didn't entirely hear the rest of what the big red guy had to say.

>> "And you little lady are observant, Its Pluto though I was going for Mercury or Jupiter...don't worry about manners I was just trying to prank you guys any how. SO what are we going to do now?"

Calley straightened back up with all the dignity in the world. He was currently dressed well, in a nice pair of khakis and a blue dress shirt: the product of letting Slate dress them that morning, combined with the fact that the clothing they'd stolen months ago from a certain lawyer was stashed in their Sanctuary closet for safe keeping. It helped with the dignified look. The dignified look was paramount to this next line:

"The same thing we do every night, Pluto." Calley answered regally; "Try to take over the world."

'Hmm, they both mentioned this ''Slate'', I wonder who or perhaps what he is.' Kitra grinned back at Calley, "Off the wall question, who might Slate be? I don't recall the name." She fell silent as she too watched the tail of Pluto. And she was oooh so happy that she was not going to get mangled or any such thing. It made her day very much more pleasant. Kitra laughed, "Pranks are fun especially when they work better then expected."

As she opened her mouth to respond to Pluto, Calley had already spoken up. "The same thing we do every night, Pluto." Calley answered regally; "Try to take over the world." Kitra couldnt' help but chuckle, "How shall we do that this evening then? It sounds like an awesome plan to me." She was trying very very hard not let the smile on her face turn into outright peels of laughter. Kitra wasn't too sure if she would succed or not though.

"Well I have some Ideas, but I have no Idea where we will get a zeplin on such short notice." Pluto hoped back on od the rails leading up to the doors nd leaned there looking much more happy than even he normally did. It had been a while since he talked about talking over the world in non realistic terms. " I suppose we could settle for necklace shopping or some sort of something.

Pluto kicked his feet content to see what the others thought about defeating boredom on this high potential day. " Or we could go grab a slice a pie."

((ooc: For the record, this will take place before the Kabal takeover, as far as Calley's timeline is concerned. )

>> "Off the wall question, who might Slate be? I don't recall the name."

Calley matched her grin for grin. "He's my brother, actually," he answered simply: as good an answer as any. And, judging by the progress they'd made in their splintering training lately... it was seeming more and more like it was an answer they should get comfortable with saying. "I don't think I've mentioned him to you. He's kind of... reclusive."

>> "How shall we do that this evening then? It sounds like an awesome plan to me."

It was really easy to make Kitra happy, and to make her laugh. Calley had forgotten that. It was kind of a nice thing about her.

>> "Well I have some Ideas, but I have no Idea where we will get a zeplin on such short notice."

And Pluto, apparently, was an expert at playing along.

>>" I suppose we could settle for necklace shopping or some sort of something. Or we could go grab a slice a pie."

"Ooo," Calley's ears would have perked up, if he'd been in any form but his human one. Or some kind of lizard. Lizard forms: also not too big on the 'ear perking' thing. "pie. I like the sound of pie. I hear you can plot world dominion while eating pie, as well." He turned on his heel, dramatically raising one arm into the air, finger pointed down the street. "To pie, and victory!"

"I think we should start with Canada," Calley spoke conversationally, as they began to walk. Or at least, as he began to walk. Presumably, someone would follow him. "No one ever starts with Canada. It's always London, the US, or Tokyo Tower. I think it's Canada's fair turn to be governmentally usurped."

Kitra grinned as she fell instep besides Calley, "Food sounds good. Too bad about the zeplin though Pluto, sounded wicked fun." 'Huh, didn't know Calley had a brother, it would be neat to meet him. I thought he had a sister too,' Kitra thought then shrugged. She giggled, "Hmm, Canada would be an excellent place to start, but we would have to dress warm of course." Kitra was having fun, more fun then she had had in months. She would be able to get to know Pluto and Calley a bit more. And they were likely to get into some sort of mishchief, simply 'cause they could. "So Pluto, what do you like doing in your spare time?"

“Dressing warm is definitely a must, which shouldn’t be too much of a stretch for us New Yorkers. I do like the maple leaf, eh. Maybe we could start with Quebec, and branch out from there? ” He said as he hopped up and began to follow the pair.
“well I like long walks on the beach, Stargazing and poetry.”
“ Now, depending on if we want pizza pie or the more traditional pie-e pie, we may have to circle the block. That is if you guys want the good stuff.” He then started whispering filling names just to tip the scales properly in his and traditional pie’s favor.

“Amish Custard, Apple, Apple Custard, Apple Peach, Apple Rhubarb” but then his whisper turned into a lovely song ( if off pitch) about what should go into pie’s.
“Now if you want a good pie it can only be filled with one thing!
Amish Custard!
Or Maybe
By chance,
one of these."

“Apple, Apple Custard, Apple Peach, Apple Rhubarb.
Banana Cream, Berry Cherry Crumb, Black & Blue, Black & Red, Blackberry.
Blackberry Apple, Blackberry ‘n Cream, Blackberry Peach, Blue-barb, Blueberry.
Blueberry ‘n Cream, Blueberry Peach, Double Berry Boysenberry.
Brown Sugar Fudge!"

"Bumbleberry, Burst of Berries, Butterscotch, Candy Apple, Caramel Apple.
Caramel Apple, Pecan Crumb, Caramel Pumpkin, Pecan Crumb, Cheesecake Pecan.
Cherry, Cherry Almond Mousse, Cherry Apple, Cherry Blue, Cherry Cream, Chocolate Cream.
Chocolate-laced Pecan!"

"Coconut Cream, Cool Key Lime, Cran-Apple, Cran-Raspberry, Creamy Pineapple Custard.
Double Chocolate, Brownie Dutch, Apple Fall & Spring French Silk, Fudge Pecan.
German Apple, German Chocolate, Graham Cracker Cream, Grasshopper, Hawaiian Cream.
Hoosier Sugar Cream, Lemon Crumb, Lemon Drop, Lemon Meringue, Luscious Lemon.
Luscious Lime!"

" Lemon White Chocolate, Maple Pecan, Mississippi Muddy Water, Oatmeal Pecan.
Ozark Mountain Berry, Peach, Peach Berry, Peach Blueberry, Peachy Caramel, Peach Cherry.
Peaches ‘n Cream, Peach Raspberry, Peach Rhubarb, Peach Strawberry, Peanut Butter.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cream!"

Pecan, Pecan Cream Cheese, Pineapple Cream, Pumpkin, Pumpkin Cream.
Pumpkin Crumb, Raspberry, Raspberry Apple, Raspberry Cherry, Raspberry n’ Cream.
Raspberry Rhubarb, Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake, Red White & Blue, Rhubarb Cheesecake.
Rhubarb Cherry!"

" Rhubarb Cream, Rhubarb Custard, Rhubarb CranberryApple, Sour Cream Raisin.
Strawberry, Strawberry Pecan, Strawberry Rhubarb, Sweet Potato, Tin Roof Fudge, Tollhouse.
And let us not forget the veriest Berriest of them all!
Very Berry Rhubarb!”

The two could have been cast into oblivion while Pluto began to salivate and guided the pair around the corner with a hand on each of their shouders. toward, Upper Crust! The very best of pies could be found only four blocks away. Soon it smelled a like it was mere block or three away.

"Well, nice place for a warm drink." David thought as he sat comfortably in one of the many booths near the front door of the restaurant. He had ordered a hot chocolate, preferring it over coffee. The place was definately a reprieve from the cold winter. Something David had never experienced before. "Now, I was sure New York was the place to meet mutants, but I just can't find out where exactly.

Leaning back he thought about all the information he recently got, maybe he had missed something when going through all the junk, and if that was the case he would have to look over it all again. The waitress walked over and set the cup down in front of David carefully "Thank you" He said smiling. "Well I guess now is as good a time as any." He thought as he took a drink to warm himself up. Once he set it down he loosened himself up and his body seemed to just lean back and fall into a weird trance. In his mind he was quickly sifting through tons of information, most of it garbage, relating to mutant locations. The waitress came back to ask if he wanted anything else, but got nothing in return. She just stared at him for a second, obviously confused by what was going on. Giving up she walked of to a new table of guests.

((ooc: If anyone minds me movin' us along to the restaurant so we can met up with David, shot me a PM and I'll edit. )

Calley nodded in satisfaction as they walked. "Warm clothes and Quebec it is. That's the one that's all 'Let's break away and be our own slice of France', isn't it? They're pretty much asking for it."

Calley's vote was for traditional pie even before the song. The song just sealed the deal. As Pluto sang, Calley joined in. Row-row-row-your-boat round style. Don't know an awesome song? No problem! Just repeat the lines you hear, with a slight time delay!

He ended in a false soprano that was more than enough to raise a few eyebrows but not quite enough to crack a few glasses, as they walked through the pie shop's doors:

"And let us not forget the veriest Berriest of them all!
Very Berry Rhubarb!”

If the fact that one of them was hulking and monkey tailed wasn't enough to attract attention, the singing-down-the-block-and-into-the-doors proooobably was. In fact, it was safe to say that everyone in the little restaurant/bakery had their eyes on the trio. Some more covertly then others, some with more curiosity than hate, some with smiles, some with eye-rolling and a return to their own conversations. There was only one guy that didn't even look over at them; a fellow teen, who was so thoroughly trancing out to his own thoughts that he was oblivious to the world around him. In short: a normal teen. It didn't seem like there were any die-hard mutant haters in the house today, which was always a nice change. Either that, or no one was willing to mess with the brown haired teenager and the red head with him. Pluto's presence might have helped, too. Maybe. A little.

So...

Pie!

"Make mine a key lime. Better make it a double shot, too." Calley said with his best western gruff voice, leaning a gunslinger's arm on the counter. The waiter behind the counter blinked slowly at him, with that distinctive seen-everything look off a true New Yorker. When you ran a shop this close to the Sanctuary, Calley supposed, you had to see a lot. Most of it, you were better off just forgetting, especially if the police ever came around to ask.

"Two slices of key lime pie?" The waiter rephrased, humorlessly.

"Actually, make that one key lime and one of whatever that thing is," Calley said, pointing at something in the glass display. The something was slathered in whip cream, and had a chocolate crust.

"The Reese's pie?" The waiter provided, in a helpful manner, minus the helpful tone.

"Err, yeah," Calley agreed, thoroughly deflated of his exuberance for the moment, but still leaning in a cheesy manner against the counter. He, ah, stood up straight.

The waiter punched something in to the register, then slid a metal stand with a number across to him. "Find a seat. Your order will be out shortly."

"...Thanks?" Calley dubiously agreed.

"May I help you?" The waiter asked, looking between Kitra and Pluto.

Calley, meanwhile, took his short attention span to the closest table. It was a round table, between the counter and the booth with the daydreaming teen. The booths were nice, but didn't exactly look Pluto-sized. It was okay. Not every seat was made to hold something as awesome as the Bearer of the Monkey Tail.