Another day, another babysitter.

Svetlana sat in the main hall of Mondragon Labs, waiting patiently for her guardian of the day to arrive. She had a book to read, and music to listen to, she even had a sandwich. Babysitters were only for protection, not entertainment, and although they usualy turned out all right, like Sebastian and Maya, she still couldn't expect this new one to do everything she told him to do. She learned to take care of herself long ago, so if nothing else, she would be fine with sitting in a room and reading.
Of course, if she could convince him to go out and do some shopping...
Sveta sighed. Wishful thinking.

Well, the time would pass one way or another, and Sebastian or Maya would come to pick her up, like they would pick Jude up from school. Muse had to admit she enjoyed living with them. They were a family, even if they were not her family.

The blonde girl looked at her watch, then opened her book and turned the pages. Whoever the mysterious new babysitter was, he should be here soon.

It would be great to go out for a walk. Such a nice weather outside...

When Mondragon Labs was first constructed a good deal of its facilities were concealed underground away from prying eyes and federal inspection. Because of the sheer scope of Mondragon's endeavors in earlier days this inevitably resulted in the creation of colossal labyrinth which put a good many pyramids to shame. Even with a map new comers could usually expect to take several mis-turns before arriving at their intended destination, assuming they managed to arrive there at all.

For those who had spent any significant amount of time in the labs subterranean network of passages though navigation soon became a rather mundane and trivial task akin to learning the layout of a university campus, and as with such places you always had a handful of individuals capable of wandering about with their nose in a book or eyes half closed in a partial dreaming state.

Zephyr was one of the former; having been one of the original Kabal members when Antonescu had first formed the group the elemental knew the labs nexus of hallways better than anyone except for possibly the blood suck immortal himself, and though he had frequent the labs less often since its renovations under Slate the hessians knowledge remained accurate for the most part and so he had little trouble in idly making his way from the underground car park towards the front desk while his azure eyes carelessly scanned the article in his hand.

It should perhaps be noted at this point that what the mercenary carried was not a newspaper but rather one of the many lauded 'tablet' devices which had become so overwhelmingly popular in the last few months mainly due to the depressing cult following held by the lead manufacturer, and while Zephyr would usually have avoided such new technology for a few months but the price had recently been reduced to a far more practical level and so he had decided to give the thing a trial run.

In short, it had been a mistake.

Even with the lowered price tag the tablet wasn't worth all the hassle it inevitably caused, really it was nothing more than a miniature tv without the convenience of a remote control. Granted it could display text and video's well enough, provided said videos were made using the manufacturers software and theirs alone. The battery life was acceptable but not outstanding and excessive use still caused the device to become uncomfortably warm as it did with most computers.

The machines greatest failing however was a claim that it could be used to browse the internet and while this was technically true it was akin to trying to empty a bucket of water with a thimble; inane, impractical and only a few short steps from impossible. Still, if you could configure the blasted thing to automatically download the news stories you wanted beforehand it made a passable performance as a newspaper and so he'd brought it with him today to pass the time.

And he would need something to make the time pass, he'd been called in to play, of all things, a babysitter. An occupation so dull and dower it was generally reserved for young adolescents who had nothing better to do with their time. Considering however that the individual he'd be tending to was apparently a grown woman it was likely the closest the hessian would come to being paid for nothing, and Slate had been willing to offer a surprisingly generous amount for such a supposedly simple task.

The elemental had been skeptical at first, however he had been assured that there was no overt risk and that he was simply to keep the girl out of contact with others. When the hessian had then asked why she simply couldn't be detained in one of the empty labs for the day he been told that imprisonment was not acceptable, when Zephyr had then gone on to inquire how it was any different from what he was being asked to do his bonus for had been raised thirty percent.


So, despite his initial misgivings, Zephyr had accepted the assignment and thus found himself making his way past the reception desk and into the desolate main hall where his azure eyes swiftly fell upon the lone blonde reclining languidly in one the few chairs provided and his brow rose slightly. From the conversation he'd had over the phone the hessian had been expecting to meet with some somber middle aged woman, the girl before him however could have effortlessly made her way as a model and easily fit the vague description he'd been given.

Still it was always best to check before making presumptions, such things could be rather dangerous, especially when dealing mutants. Taking a few steps closer to the girl without invading her personal space the elemental called the name he'd been given.

"Ms. Morozova?"


Perhaps this wouldn't be quite so bad after all.

Sveta looked up from her book at the young man in front of her.
As far as babysitters went, he was quite acceptable. She was kind of getting used to people of all ages, nationalities and personalities showing up and introducing themselves as another employee of Slate. Celebrating diversity.
This one didn't look half bad. Old Sveta smiled inside.

There was no way of telling just by looking at him if he was a mutant or not. Could have been an adapted, like Lenna; but as he stepped closer, Sveta still felt awake and hyper, and that meant her powers were still active. Nope, not an adapted.
Could be human...

Standing up, she made half a move to extend her hand to him - and caught herself just in time. She still needed to get used to not touching people.

"You can call me Sveta" she smiled at him instead "Nice to meet you."

Looking him over for telltale signs of a mutation, she couldn't find any, so she decided to ask instead, for safety's sake. Still smiling.

"Are you mutant?"

The blonde smiled as she caught sight of him and Zephyr returned the gesture as he watched her stand, his expression soon changed to one of puzzlement though when he saw her begin to offer a hand and pause and withdraw the arm back to her side. The elementals mind soon recalled the equivocal instructions he'd been given though the girls hesitation quickly made sense. 'No contact with other mutants' the elemental had thought the statement simply referred to something as mundane as spcial interactions but of course there would be more to it than that.

'So it's look, but don't touch? Pity.'

His smile faded slightly at the realization but he soon compensated for it and when she introduced herself and inquired as to his mutation, causing the elemental's browse again slightly as he detected more than a subtle trace of Russian in the girls accent. Given that this was New York the foreign ancestry wasn't that unusual but still, the gamine was quite a ways from home and she needed someone to watch over her? It was a rather curious situation and one which warranted a certain amount of investigation.

It wouldn't be polite to simply start question her out of the blue though and so the hessian simply offered something close to an apologetic smile as he nodded his head and kept his hands by his sides before speaking. "Very well Svetla, you may call me Dio and likewise it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm afraid I am a mutant and though I haven't been told much about your situation I take it shaking hands would be a bad idea?"

The blue eyed guy was a mutant. Pity.

"Bad idea, yes" she smiled with a half shrug. Why couldn't they just brief their babysitters about her abilities before they sent them to her? It would save her so much time.

"I boost mutant powers with touch." she explained, summarizing it to same time and effort "Is not so bad through clothes" she raised gloved hands and wiggled her fingers "but is still pretty strong."

So much about powers. After the mandatory introduction of the danger of touching, there was not much else to say. The whole day was ahead of them.

"So... what do we do?"

Svetlana's Russian heritage once again made itself evident as the blonde hesitantly, and perhaps reluctantly, lowered the arm she'd moved to the offer the hessian and spoke in halting English which was strangely alluring in a manner similar to the cadence of a southern belle. It certainly made listening to the girl far more pleasant than it might otherwise have been. That being said though the elemental was given little more than clarification of what he'd initially suspected and so did little more than nod as he waited for a chance to pose a further question, until Svetlana tendered her own query.

"So... what do we do?"[/color]

It was an excellent question, however Zephyr found himself at something of a loss in regards to an answer. Admittedly there were quite a few things that could be done especially given that the Mondragon estate was close to being a small city; there apartments, parking lots, storehouses which acted as impromptu shops, the area even had a daycare center and gardens complete with a variety of nature trails. All it was missing from the property was a Wal-Mart, and if the continuing construction was any indication one would likely be built within the next handful of years.

However when the elemental considered the apparent... limitations, of his charge quite a few of the potential daily distractions became somewhat less attractive or uncertain, largely due to the fact that the hessian was still rather in the dark about the girls abilities. Amplification of mutant powers seemed a rather innocuous gift at best, granted it would be wise to distance the gamine from more violent and chaotically minded mutants, but even then a bodyguard/caretaker seemed a somewhat excessive precaution.

Perhaps a little clarification was required to determine precisely what he was getting into.

"I suppose that would depend on the exact nature of your talents, do you have any control over your power?" The gloves and long sleeved attire suggested she did not but it could hardly hurt to confirm. "If not, precisely how much of a 'boost' can you give to mutants? Any examples you can give me would be helpful."

>>"I suppose that would depend on the exact nature of your talents, do you have any control over your power?"

Sveta's lips twitched towards a disappointed little pout. This Dio guy didn't seem so eager to take her for a walk in the park or something. He actually seemed more curious about her gift. Well, duh. Who wasn't.

Questions, questions, questions.

"No, I do not." she answered with a sigh "If I had control, I don't need babysitters."

Obviously

"It happen every time I touch a mutant."

>>"Precisely how much of a 'boost' can you give to mutants? Any examples you can give me would be helpful."

Sveta shrugged a graceful yet meaningful shrug.

"Not sure. A lot. Depend on what the power is, I guess. If I stand close" she took a step closer to him "You can feel it already, they say. Keeps me awake all the time."

And others too, if anyone would be daring enough to try to sleep that close to her. Yeah, as if.

She was really hoping this would be enough to satisfy the curiosity of her new babysitter.

"Not going to show you more before you tell me what your power is." she folded her arms, stepping back "And not inside here." she glanced around the entrance hall "Mr. Slate does not likes me, and he is going to like me less if I destroy something."

Or even crack a window.

Questions, it seemed, were not entirely Svetlana's cup of tea, doubtless the girl had been required to answer such queries many times before but her crestfallen expression seemed to indicate more than mere resignation or irritation, though those were certainly present. Curious though it was the hessian possessed the presence of mind to avoid asking as to the nature of the gamines disappointment, such tactlessness would hardly be likely to endear him to her, still he couldn't help raising an eyebrow at the mention of the term 'babysitter'.

"Oh? Are you expecting me to put you in a time out?"

The explanation of her mutation again left something to be desired but taking into account her apparent difficulty with the English language it was not altogether unexpected. Add to that an apparent reluctance to discuss the subject in the first place and Zephyr was left with the notion that it would be far easier to simply takes the ingénue's hand and obtain his answers directly when his charge approached him.

The subtle sensation of ebullience had initially escaped Zephyr's immediate notice, in truth it hadn't been anything more than a slight trickle of energy coursing through the back of his mind, possibly the effect had been dulled somewhat by the minor lethargy his medication occasionally evoked but even if that were not the case the sense of invigoration could still easily have been attributed to nothing more than a brisk breeze or the remnants of caffeine from the tea he had consumed that morning.

When Svetlana came within a foot of him however it were as though he had passed through a algid mist; the faint trickle of alacrity covering his thoughts abruptly swelled to a coursing current of exhilaration which swept down his spine and induced an involuntary shiver before the hessian closed his eyes and took a slow, deliberate breath as he consciously adjusted to the unnatural sense of galvanization, and with it, the minor augmentation of the pounding within his skull.

The entire process, or sensation, had only lasted the barest of moments when Zephyr's eyes drew open and his azure gaze returned to the demure blonde before him with a contemplative light. Unexpected though it had been the girl's effect was not truly unpleasant; it was simply different. Oddly though his own abilities seemed unaltered; he felt little more than an increased sense of stamina which, while possibly useful in the sustained application of a mutation, was hardly what he would have termed a 'boost'.

"Interesting, though if this is the extent of your power I don't think we have much to concern ourselves with." He paused a moment and glanced her up and down, "As for sleep, if you find it an issue I'm certain the labs would have something that could help."

The blonde seemed to take some mild form of offense at his remarks for she abruptly folded her arms beneath her chest and demanding an explanation of his own power in an almost defensive manner. It was almost amusing truth be told and when the Russian svelte then admitted she did not share Slates good graces Zephyr couldn't prevent the slight grin which tugged at his features. "Well then it would seem we have something in common."

"As far as my own powers are concerned, well..." The elemental shrugged and conjured a gentle yet noticeable breeze in the centre of the hallway which lazily circled the pair of mutants as it idly played with hair and clothes. "Will that suffice?"

>>"Oh? Are you expecting me to put you in a time out?"

Sveta deadpanned. "No I do not."

Whatever a time out was. This guy was not allowed to put her into anything. Duh.

>>"Interesting, though if this is the extent of your power I don't think we have much to concern ourselves with. As for sleep, if you find it an issue I'm certain the labs would have something that could help."

Sveta's eyebrows were drawn clsoer together. He was using helluva lot of words she didn't understand. With some strange accent too. Great.

"I am used to not sleeping much." she waved he rhand, dismissing the topic.

>>"Well then it would seem we have something in common."

She smirked at that. So Slate didn't like him either. That's probably why he got this job. Slate not liking him earned him brownie points. Theoretically.

>>"As far as my own powers are concerned, well... Will that suffice?"

She looked around, than back at him, feeling the air move around them and tug on her clothes and hair. Wind. He could create wind.

"Interesting." she muttered, before looking up at him. What clear blue eyes he had. Hm. "Can you use words I understand? I am trying to learn fast, but some words I have never hear before."

She stepped back from him.

"So. What happen now? You want to, how you say, experiment with our powers?"

As a general rule Zephyr preferred to avoid overt displays of his ability. Such a predilection was born more from practicality than anything else; for although tolerance had risen somewhat over the years mutants still attracted far too much negative attention and so, for the most part, it was simply more convenient to conceal his gift and leave others unaware. Publicity was neither something he desired nor required.

When necessity dictated that he reveal his gift however the elemental found that a subtle performance normally sufficed, and indeed such was true here for Svetlana's recalcitrant demeanor had shifted and diminished once she noted the unnatural breeze which encircled them. An expression of contemplation momentarily overtook her delicate features as understanding dawned and the hessian allowed the breeze to die away as the lithesome blonde raised her azure gaze to meet his own.

"Can you use words I understand? I am trying to learn fast, but some words I have never hear before."[/color]

A look of faint surprise danced briefly across the mercenary's features as he raised his brow at the gamine. He honestly hadn't expected his parlance to be beyond the ingénue's understanding and a touch of puzzlement entered his expression as he reviewed his words; finding nothing he would have considered complex. For a brief moment he considered shifting the conversation into Russian but swiftly dismissed the idea; though he knew enough comprehend the language, he was unable to speak more than basic phrases.

"I'm sorry, your English seemed very good. I'll try to change my words, but do let me know if I need to rephrase anything." Offering Svetlana a slight apologetic smile the elemental spoke slowly yet smoothly as he endeavored to avoid sounding patronizing whilst altering his diction accordingly. The language gap would be a minor issue but no great obstacle, indeed for those with the right frame of mind it could quite the opportunity...


"So. What happen now? You want to, how you say, experiment with our powers?"[/color]

Zephyr blinked, his thoughts stalling for the briefest of moments before his lips twitched upwards in the faintest trace of a smirk. There were two distinct possibilities in the mercenary's mind; either Svetlana's words proved her lack of familiarity with English leaving ample opportunity for 'misunderstandings' or, alternatively the words had been intentionally chosen and things would become rather, interesting.

"That is... one way of putting it, yes." Zephyr responded with a tone of amusement as he masked his growing smirk behind an urban smile and gestured amiably down the main corridor and began leading the girl further into the labs whilst allowing her to control the distance between the two of them. "There are facilities here, " He paused and corrected himself for his audience, "places made for testing mutant powers. We could, 'experiment' there and not worry about any, accidents."

>>"I'm sorry, your English seemed very good. I'll try to change my words, but do let me know if I need to rephrase anything."

Sveta nodded politely with a small smile, and wondered what 'rephrase' meant. She didn't ask though. He was making an effort to keep it simple for her sake, and that was all that mattered. She'd just play along, and only ask if she really needed to. It was fairly easy to get the point of what was being said. Enough.

>>"That is... one way of putting it, yes. There are facilities here, places made for testing mutant powers. We could, 'experiment' there and not worry about any, accidents."

Well, that was an interesting little smirk right there. Sveta wondered if she'd said anything funny. Or something that could be interpreted as something else. Well, he agreed to experiment with their powers. They had place for that in this huge building, or so he claimed, and that actually sounded good, because she didn't really get the cange to experiment all that often. He looked willing to help. And they didn't have anything better to do anyway.

She followed him down the corridor, keeping a safe distance as she walked beside him, and thought about topics to keep the conversation going.
She couldn't think of any.

"So, dis is vat you do?" she asked "Training mutants? Or is it just me because my power is useful?"
She was not sure how much Slate or Sebastian told the others about her abilities, or what the former's intentions were for using them. "You work here?"

The sight which greeted any who wandered beyond the administrative levels of Mondragon labs was not overly amiable. Decorative measures vanished swiftly beyond a certain point; the quotidian charcoal carpeting died away abruptly and was replaced by smooth resonant flooring, which quickly came to match the bland achromic walls as paintings and posters ceased to adorn the surrounding surfaces. Each of these absences were then further highlighted by the florescent lighting which adopted a harsher tone to compensate for the lack of windows and natural light.

The overall appearance was not far removed from that of a prison or military installation, which actually was not far from the truth. During the days of Hunter Antonescue's residence Mondragon labs had been more of a garrison than a research center and though Slate had had a year or two with which to alter the outer grounds and present a far more irenic affectation to the public eye, the labs spartan interior had remained largely untouched thus far; reinforced steel was hardly a malleable material after all, add in the fact that the majority of the labs facilities were subterranean and remodeling became a rather low priority issue.

Despite the inhospitable labyrinth design however Zephyr had little difficulty in guiding his comely charge and engaging in idle palaver as the girl posed a series of questions the mercenary had become well acquainted with answering. "I suppose my official title would be 'business consultant'" he remarked in a good natured tone as he gestured left down yet another intersection. "That means I give people advice on what they should or should not do." Such as whether they should or should not hand over a certain item or leave a designated area and the consequences of choosing the latter option.

"I do not normally train mutants but I have done it from time to time." A recollection of a rather petulant emerald haired child momentarily rose to prominence in the hessians mind and he suppressed the urge to sigh, instead masking it behind a simple shrug of his shoulder as the gamine inquired as to the purpose behind her training. "I do not know. You are the first Slate has personally asked me to watch over, and to be honest I can think of worse ways to spend a day." He gave her another urbane smile as they at last reached the training facilities.

One brief palm scan later and a vacant chamber swung open before Zephyr gestured for the blond gamine to enter with a faux bow. "Ladies first." He remarked before stepping in behind her and allowing the room to seal after them.

"How would you like to begin?"

>>"I suppose my official title would be 'business consultant'. That means I give people advice on what they should or should not do."

That sounded very official. And very important. Sveta smirked; she wondered if it was just a title, or he really was someone high up on the food chain in Slate's little empire. The place looked less and less fancy and more to the point as they walked down the corridors. Labs and all. Sveta shuddered. One can get lost in here...

>>"I do not normally train mutants but I have done it from time to time... You are the first Slate has personally asked me to watch over, and to be honest I can think of worse ways to spend a day."

Svera smirked and rolled her eyes as he smiled at her; flirting, she could deal with. Not like she could touch him, anyway, but a guy who flirts is at least human. Less intimidating.

>>"Ladies first. How would you like to begin?"

Walking into the training room, Svera looked around, then turned back to him. "I do not know, nobody train me ever. So, I can show you what I know."

Taking a few steps backwards until he was out of her aura, she nodded.

"Dis is how far you go from me to not be touched by my ability." she explained "You can feel de difference. And if I touch you, you be stronger. Not very strong, if I wear gloves. If you touch my skin..." she frowned "... too strong. I think."

Much could be inferred from the manner of another’s movement; the set of the shoulders or arc of the neck, to the placement of the arms and positure of the hands. Even the length of a stride and means by which weight was shifted from one foot to another spoke volumes about an individual’s physical and mental state if only one took the time to properly observe and reflect upon what they saw in those around them.

In Zephyr’s particular case this was no real chore, his temporary protégé was easily the most agreeable sight within the immediate area and it was almost without conscious effort that the elemental found his azure eyes trailing the blondes lithe form as she passed by him, idly noting the subtle curve of the gamines lips and the trace of amusement contained within her sapphire gaze while at the same time assessing, and appreciating, the girls movements as she sauntered into the training room.

All in all the blondes’ kinesics painted a rather intriguing tableau of contrasting elements; there was a certain confidence evident in her posture and bearing, yet it was offset by a defensive mien arising from her efforts to maintain her personal space; a trait which could often be found in the self conscious or anxious. However the girl’s attire suggested not only a copacetic familiarity with her appearance but also a desire for the attention of those around her and as far as the hessian could ascertain the gamine did not seem off put by his own attention but instead appeared to have relaxed to a certain degree.

Indeed his charge was a quite curious collection of conflicting components. The girl could almost be a dictionary definition of cognitive dissonance. Granted she’d likely had some form of negative encounter which formed the root of her caution and hesitancy towards other gifted individuals. Given the lack of control the mercenary had often witnessed from the majority of the mutant population it took no great leap of imagination to envision the result of an amplified mutant power with inferior control.

Zephyr however did not consider him a part of that particular majority, indeed one of the things the Kabal member prided himself on was a mastery of his element; to focus upon multiple application of his talents simultaneously, using only as much as force as needed and nothing further. Even with the recent surge in his abilities and the migraines they entailed the hessians medication prevented his control from slipping even an iota.

In short Dio believed that any ‘boost’ his attractive young protégé could provide would simply grant him something akin to an adrenaline rush, and given that his last dose of painkillers had been taken only a few minutes prior there was no risk in having his powers amplified.

And so the British elemental maintained an amiable and confident affectation as Svetlana withdrew into the training room and explained the varying degrees of her talent, nodding politely when necessary and playing the part of an adept listener until the girl’s voice finally trailed away and he assumed a contemplative air; perpending how best to proceed without weakening the fragile trust he’d thus far managed to craft with the lithesome blonde.

“If that is how you feel I suppose we could simply begin with indirect contact, that is, touching through cloth. Then as you try to lower your power I will be able to tell you is and is not working.” Stepping forward at a controlled pace the elemental half the distance between the two of them and extended his hand. “Does that sound good?”

>>“If that is how you feel I suppose we could simply begin with indirect contact, that is, touching through cloth. Then as you try to lower your power I will be able to tell you is and is not working. Does that sound good?”

"Well..." Sveta glanced ad the extended hand, then looked up into his eyes. She was not really used to trusting people. She never had been, and even less after the incident with Garrett and the neural bomb. Touching someone with powers on purpose sounded like a dangerous thing to do.
But she also knew that sooner or later she'd have to start practicing, if she didn't want to be stuck in her current untouchable state forever. And whenit came to practicing, this place and these people seemed like the perfect oppportunity. Dio, at least, looked like someone who knew what he was doing. He seemed so sure of himself.

"... all right." Sveta reached out, and put her hand into his. She was wearing gloves, but she still hesitated for a slpit second before her fingers touched his; she fought the instinct to pull back instantly, and counted back from five before she broke the contact.

"Be careful."