Snow filled the black sky as the moonlight guided his sight to a nearby castle; well it wasn’t exactly a castle more of a big ass mansion designed to look like a castle. The lights from inside the mansion escaping from the windows revealed the security personal on all four floors even the fourth floor had a light on and from what he could see through the scope there was a man dressed in black pacing obviously bored. The other floors had more personal but he wasn’t really concerned with them no he was more focused on Gideon someone he never thought he’d be looking for someone he would have preferred to leave in the past.

Two days before:

“You can’t just leave us like this!” a voice cried out as Sam turned his back on a handful of thugs tied upside down over a conveyor belt a few feet below them. ”Sure I can, police are on their way now!” with that Sam exited the abandoned factory where he tracked down a few small time thugs attempting to go big after a botched bank robbery, you think by now word had gotten out that Sam used that bank and a year or so ago another group failed to rob it due to him and an off duty S.W.A.T. member. Then again people did tend to ignore things that have happened and focus more on what is going on now.

Now with his task completed Sam decided to head to the nearest coffee shop for a victory drink one he deemed necessary after a long day. However before he could make it to the coffee shop Sam’s right eye shut and his vision was cut off as he suddenly lost control of his body, he spiraled to the nearest roof and crashed onto a line of sheets that were out to dry.

With a thud Sam opened his eye and slammed his hands on the ground trying to figure out where he was and why there was a sheet over his head. ”Funny, I don’t recall you were so easy to take control of, even if it was such a short amount of time…” Sam froze and his heart stopped he remembered that voice it was a voice he heard often one that he never wanted to hear again.

Slowly he removed the sheet his right eye closed hoping that when he removed the sheet and opened his eye he’d wake up on his bed in the mansion and this was all a dream… that wasn’t how it went down. Sheet gone and eye now open he was forced to look at a ghost from his past, ”….Amanda…” he didn’t say much else but took control of the temperature around them and it got cold very very fast! Jumping to his feet and running forward without much a care for his surroundings he was ready to charge the woman he had once worked with and even once cared for.

Jumping into the air Sam stopped midair inches from her and his eye locked with hers, cold and calculating no longer filled with the things he once loved about the girl. ”That any way to great the love of your life?” her hand was raised and Sam was stationary. ”I’d say more of a co-worker with benefits…” Sam said his eye still fixed on her while she lowered her lip and pretended to pout. ”A bit harsh, what about that letter you wrote me before you went rouge and personally took out the Colorado base?”

Sam’s jaw tightened he remembered that letter and everything he felt when he wrote it, confused scared and not to sure of himself Sam poured his emotions into a letter and addressed it to Amanda the first girl he truly ever cared about. ”Things change…” Sam said as he tried to fight the hold that she had on him, she was a decent telekinetic but from what he recalled she could only hold someone still before they gained control. Not to mention she couldn’t access the other aspect other mutation while using telekinesis.

His fingers twitched and the air around them got colder, ”Well I don’t see anyone else right now so your not here to take me away…” Sam said as his eye fixed from one direction to the next before the settled on Amanda. His sixth sense the ability to feel body temperatures around him turned up null as well there was no one here but them. ”Who says I can’t take you in by myself?” Amanda asked this time really pouting; she never did like being underestimated.

Trying hard not to laugh Sam managed to shake his head slightly and smile, ”You were always on support you never took lead and seeing as you confronted me like this I don’t you plan on taking me anywhere…” Sam said not really sure if he was actually calling a bluff or not.

Something happened that she wasn’t expecting she shivered showing him that his mutation was working on her, she always acted tough but Sam knew better. ”Who says I’m taking you anywhere? I could be here to kill you…” she said a grin on her faces as she walked a few steps closer and reached her hand up to touch Sam’s face. There was no sincerity in her voice when she said kill and from what he cold remember she wasn’t the killing type to messy for her usually she just erased the mind and knocked her victims out.

”Then why am I still alive and exploring pleasantries with you? Besides we both know you’d need help to kill me… even with your abilities… both aspects.” this time it was his turn an ice golem had silently been forming behind her for some time and now that she was distracted in the conversation Sam lifted his eye to show her what was behind her.

A knife made of ice was placed at her throat and she let out a laugh and surprisingly let Sam down. His feet touched the ground and he twitched his head to the side trying to crack his neck, which was made stiff under her powers influence. ”We both know I was the offense on the team and you defense while Sydney…” Sam trailed off thinking about his old friend. It was a sore subject for him and possibly her as well Sydney was their friend after all.

”If I wanted you dead I would have let you die during the latest King Pharmaceuticals incident, or did you think that thinking of me all of a sudden was just a coincidence I happened to be near you all, observing.” ‘No less looking for new recruits…’ Sam thought. ”Not exactly…” she said with a smile still not moving with the Ice golem behind her holding a knife at her throat.

No surprised that she could hear her thoughts he shook his head and did his best to think of something obscure, like one of his ice golems. ”Nice try Sam, but let’s face it when it came to saying no to me you were never the best.” Sam frowned and shrugged, ”If your not here to kill me and your not hear to collect some new recruits then why are you here?” She smiled and Sam knew he wasn’t going to like it…

Present

A layer of snow covered his body now as he continued scoping out the scene, armed guards, one or two dog patrols and cameras at every turn… defiantly not the best place to break into but if he was invited on the other hand, things would be far easier. ”Guess we are going to have to do things her way…” Sam said reluctantly to himself and headed back to his camp which consisted of a snow dome a mile or so away.

Once back at camp Sam pulled out his phone and made a call to someone he needed for back-up, he wasn’t going to put Ghost through something like this again and with Jewel missing in action he needed someone who he trusted someone who he knew could handle themselves and seeing as Alex was out of the question and Shin wasn’t a girl that only left one person at the mansion. ”Gawain… It’s Sam… I know you're in England… Yeah… It’s mission time…” he sounded sad and like he was about to reveal something that shouldn’t be revealed.

Mission time.

Yeeeah, sure, why the heck not.

It had been a very busy few weeks before Christmas. There were all kinds of things happening at once; his birthday, then the death of Kate's mother; he'd spent the past few days in England, and now that Kate and Saphirus were headed back home, he was just getting off a train in Germany to report for duty to the leader of the X-men. Christmas, as it was, got lost somewhere along the way. He'd have to make it up to Twyla later on.
Also, he did not speak a word of German and it annoyed him to no end.

"Great" he muttered, flinging his backpack over one shoulder and looking around for Sam "Not one flight in eighteen years, now I'm around the globe in twenty days. Shiny."

Still, Sam apparently had a mission he needed him for. It'd better be a good one.

"Merry X-mas, everyone." he muttered to no one in particular.

It was a German train station and Sam didn’t speak a word of German there was however a few nice Germans he happened to run into who wanted to test their English and were more than happy to help him along the way. Lowering the baseball cap lower over his face he waited for Gawain or Maya to step off the train the mission hinged on who stepped off he was praying it was Gawain and not Maya because it was crucial for Maya to be present for tomorrow. Spotting the young man with his bag over his back and a look of mild irritation on his face letting Sam know he wasn’t thrilled about being here.

‘Tough luck…’ thought Sam as he walked over to Gawain his eye darting for everyone around him. He was told that there would indeed be people watching for someone that matched his description however with a beard on his face masking most of his facial features he was hoping that if there was someone watching or possibly following him he’d be thrown off by the look.

Three days ago:

The smile unsettled him he wasn’t sure how to respond so instead he waited for her to speak hoping that she would reveal why she had confronted him like she did. ”It wasn’t the same after you left, you know that right? Particularly harder for me seeing we were co-workers with benefits,” the tone in her voice let Sam know she hated that term. ”You escaped destroying the Colorado base and ended up killing a lot of agents, they weren’t happy…”

Amanda trailed off as if she was reliving that moment in history again something Sam tried not to concern himself with so instead he took control over his ice golem and managed to get him to move the knife made of ice to her back. ”All of us were under twenty-four hour watch to make sure there weren’t anymore like you anymore to escape.” Sam continued to wait as his body was regaining control over the hold she had placed on him, sure she set him down but that didn’t mean he could go anywhere.

”I’m sensing that this is the reason you’re here…” Sam said as he gazed upon the face of the woman he was once romantic with, a long, long time ago and it made it only reminded him what could have been if he stayed. ”Your thoughts wander…” she said her eyebrows raising slightly, ”Your making me blush…” Sam shook his thoughts and focused on her story, ”you’re here because?”

Amanda shook her head as if she was shaking similar thoughts to Sam’s, ”You remember Siberia a few years back?” Sam blinked and had a feeling where this was going…

Present:

The train was loading again as those that were previously on it have exited and started to going tier separate ways all but Gawain who was still looking around, which meant that his disguise of a baseball cap a thick beard had made him easy to overlook. ”Guten Tag, Gawain.” Sam said, as he got closer and patted his student on the shoulder, ”Start moving not a ton of time to explain…”

The air was chill due to the large amount of snowfall that happened the night before and the first half of the morning which made Sam’s visualization of his surroundings all the better. Barely even adjusting the temperature himself he could feel Gawain walking behind him as all those around him shuffled one way to another. Not speaking to Gawain Sam continued to walk at a somewhat quick pace towards the exit of the train station knowing that it was a possibility they were being watched.

Was he paranoid? Possibly but he had good reason to be every second they spent in one spot in the train station made it all the easier for them to be spotted, Gawain didn’t have anything to worry about but Sam, he couldn’t be spotted it would only mean a trap later down the line.

Once outside the train station Sam stepped onto the snow covered ground and took a left down an alleyway the crunching of his feet. ”Get in!” Sam said quickly as he opened a side door to a run down building where no one would be due to the weather. Even the homeless wouldn’t be squatting in there it was a safe location where he could give Gawain an idea on what was going on.

>> ”Guten Tag, Gawain. Start moving not a ton of time to explain…”

"Aye aye" Gawain smirked at Sam's disguise. He had to look twice to recognise him. The guy looked like he'd been living on the streets for weeks, although that was probably not true. But if he was trying to go unnoticed, something was definitely up. Which meant, this was not just another mission. Sam was in trouble.

Gawain followed him into the abandoned building. "Needed a change of scenery, huh" he muttered with a smirk as he looked around with a relatively clean spot to drop his bag and a relatively safe spot to sit without it collapsing under him.

"So, what's up?" he asked, folding his arms over his chest "Not like I'm not enjoying the trip to Europe and all that, but seriously. What's with the beard?"

Gawain’s comments were missed which was a surprise to him, maybe it was a brief relief from what had been going on with him the past three days. It was stressful finding out your entire world could have come down shattering into little pieces around you. Sam shook his head slightly and waited towards Gawain was in the building and just for good measure Sam shot a beam of ice over the doorframe making it impossible to open. Sure there was holes in the wall and the building might have been in pieces but he needed to feel secure for the most part.

Another beam of ice and a small box around them was erect making Sam feel far more confident on his surroundings his sixth sense was active for good measure nothing was near them except a mouse or two but instantly ran when they got a chill of Sam’s power. Removing the beard Sam shook his head again in a serious tone, ”Disguise…” tossing it on the ground and removing the hat placing it next to the beard Sam sighed and sat down revealing how exhausted he felt. A creaky floorboard near the fake beard was pushed in then pulled out.

”Here…” Sam said as he reached in the floorboard and tossed Gawain a pair of gloves and some hand warmers and a bottle of water. Another bottle was removed from him and he sighed again as he opened it and took a sip. ”Can’t tell if I’m being followed…” Sam said as he closed his eye and leaned back against the wall of ice. ”How is Kate?” he asked curiously trying to change the subject for a moment knowing full well that the mission would resume its importance in seconds.

Three Days ago:

Sam blinked with his one eye, ”It’s hard to forget…” his thoughts traced back to one of his best missions of his life, not because of what he needed to do but just because everything leading up to the execution of the mission was perfect, Amanda the ball the room… his thoughts trailed to everything else in the mission including Gideon who ws their third man out the reason they were there. Feeling the heat coming from Amanda’s cheeks Sam continued to replay the mission.

It was a small syndicate one that had information on T.A.T. the organization Sam Amanda and Gideon was apart of, an organization that Sam wanted forget. He couldn’t remember the name but it was something that didn’t need remembering after all it had been destroyed due to the three of them, Gideon got them in and lead Sam to every member where executed the mission flawlessly while Amanda ran support and disoriented those that needed distraction long enough for Sam to do his thing.

The details of the mission everything rushed back to him the feeling of life leaving his hands as he struck in with his ice the look on their face when they knew it was the end for them. The laughing Gideon did at the end of the mission seeing the blood of his former comrades that he seemed to hate, Amanda, the look on their faces they stuck with him for a moment too long. ”STOP!” Sam said as the thoughts fled his mind, ”Your thoughts I just replayed them…” the brunette said with a coy smile and innocent tone.

”Right… I remember so spit it out and get out my life!” the was a moment of silence after his comment, he was serious and she knew it however she laughed, ”Awww, Sammy it doesn’t work that way…” she took a few steps forward and ran her index finger down the side of Sam’s face and continued, ”It’s not like you were hidden from us, sure after a while we redirected T.A.T. else where but you showed up after a while didn’t you? News and all, not to mention not a lot of ice manipulators that look as good as you…” she trailed off again this time her index finger tapped Sam’s nose which made him flinch slightly.

The golem’s knife found its way to her neck again where it remained stationary waiting for the order, ”Spit it out already, I” before he could finish she interpreted, ”It seems that faction that we helped Gideon destroy wasn’t all that destroyed, it was a power play on his part he recruited T.A.T., recruited us for one purpose…” she trailed off knowing Sam could do the basic math, ”He wanted control, over they little syndicate…”

Amanda nodded her head ”It gets better…”

Present

Sam hesitated before he resumed the talk about the mission knowing it would forever change his and Gawain’s relationship what ever exactly it was, student/teacher, friend, older/younger brother, what ever it was he had a feeling it wouldn’t be for the better. Ghost knew and her follow up Jewel knew more than anyone ever did and now he was trusting Gawain with this information.

>>”Disguise… Here… Can’t tell if I’m being followed… How is Kate?

Gawain shivered, and fished a sweatshirt out of his backpack; he put the gloves on too. He knew Sam needed the cold to use his powers properly; that did not mean he had to like it.

"She's gonna be fine. Eventually." he said "She's grieving, but she's holding up. Saph's keeping an eye on her for now."

That was all Sam needed to know for now. There was no use telling him all the troubles; he looked like he had enough on his plate without that.

"So..." he looked at Sam. He looked tired; not really physically, though. Gawain had seen him during trainings; it would take a lot to get him exhausted like that. He looked more... worried. That, and the fact that apparently there were no other X-men involved, spoke volumes.

"This is not just another mission, is it." he asked quietly "It's personal, isn't it."

He waited for a few seconds, then sighed.

"So, what do you need me to do?"

Relieved that Kate was doing better, Sam’s mood didn’t change much if anything it soured slightly knowing now that they were back on the subject of the mission. Nodding his head slightly to Gawain’s question Sam ran his fingers through his hair, ”More than I want you to know but your needed for this to be pulled off…” Sam said his attention shifting slightly to the heat coming from the hand warmers he had tossed Gawain.

”Alex no longer apart of the team or my life for that matter, Ghost now with her kid and work and Jewel gone there wasn’t a lot of options all three of those had some things in common, not only did they have an idea about my past but they were all women, something that I know you can pull off.” Sam looked up and focused on Gawain with a sad smile finding it funny he’d use his student’s ability like this. ”I’m about to tell you some things I haven’t really ever told anyone, other than Ghost only Neena knows as much as I’m about to tell you…” he trailed off hoping Gawain wouldn’t be too disgusted.

Three days ago:

”Glad you can still think like us…” Amanda said reaching up to touch Sam’s face again a smile on her face however she stopped short as the golem pressed the ice knife in her back so she’d remember the position she was in. Her eyes looked down for a second and off to the side no doubt wondering if she could control the golem through her telepathy or trying to control it like a puppet. ”Not that hard, I was raised to think like him, he got us to remove the head of the syndicate and he steps up to control right?” Sam asked knowing his was the right answer, ”It seemed it wasn’t the only move he had to play, and he managed to steal a few files some that you and I would take personal interest in from what I’m told…”

She seemed upset at this point like what Gideon had taken really did interest her, ”So you want these files back?” Sam asked still not entirely sure why she needed him. ”Not just the files, he took something else as well something we want back…” she trailed off and an image was placed into his head and Sam shook slightly, ”What was that?” Sam asked not sure what sort of image was just lodged into his head, ”You’ll see it again when you find it… I also want to destroy the files and the syndicate for good!” she said in a tone making it seem like Sam had little choice, like she was dishing out the orders.

”Now you seem to miss the point here… I don’t work for T.A.T. let alone kill…” he looked at her with a serious look on her face and his mind focused, ”Oh Sammy….” she said with a bit of disappointment one that told Sam she knew something that he didn’t.

Present:

”You ever wonder where I was before I came to the mansion, why and how I know what I know?” Sam asked curiously knowing a few of his students asked the question but Sam never answered with a straightforward question. It was his skeleton in the closet after all and he had enough of them to fill the mansion.

>>”Alex no longer apart of the team or my life for that matter, Ghost now with her kid and work and Jewel gone there wasn’t a lot of options all three of those had some things in common, not only did they have an idea about my past but they were all women, something that I know you can pull off.”

"Yeah." Gawain arched an eyebrow. One would expect Sam would need Gawain for a mission - he was... well. A guy. But if he needed Maya, it was about much more than just fighting and sneaking into places. The young knight felt a pang of worry. Why was is to important to be a woman?...

>>”I’m about to tell you some things I haven’t really ever told anyone, other than Ghost only Neena knows as much as I’m about to tell you… You ever wonder where I was before I came to the mansion, why and how I know what I know?”

"Yeah, a lot" he nodded "But I figured you'd tell me when I need to know." he looked at Sam "You don't have to, you know. I'd trust you anyway."

That was about as much as he could do for Sam right now. He got used to everyone having their own secrets in their past; some were darker than others, but everyone had them, especially among mutants. Some people talked about them, shared them with their friends; others took their time before they trusted anyone. He had been on both ends of this sharing - he learned how to talk about his own secrets, and how to listen to others. He also learned not to pry into the past of people he already trusted. They were entitled to their own privacy.

It seemed he didn’t need to reveal anything he didn’t want to which was a load off his mind, however most of the stuff he was planning on telling Gawain was on a need to know basis and the mission at hand made the information that Sam was about to share needed. If he was the emotional type he would have probably started crying when Gawain showed the trust he had in him, however Sam wasn’t the emotional type, ”Well, this mission, as personal as it is requires you know at least a bit.” he didn’t want Gawain walking into the situation blindly having no idea what was going on nor did he want to reveal too much. Sam sighed and cleared his throat.

Three days ago:

The look on her face as she smiled defiantly made it seem like she knew something Sam didn’t, ”Honey, you never stop working for T.A.T. you of all people should know that we eventually catch up and then terminate you, your one of the few loose ends…” she trailed off and then laughed slightly only to get cut off as the ice golem placed the knife higher on her back and pressed it through her shirt, ”Again, you were never the one who pulled the trigger, you…” he was cut off again as he felt a sharp pain in his head that stopped abruptly.

”I’d appreciate if you’d call of your pet!” she stepped forward closer to Sam only to be followed by the golem irritation clearly plastered on her face, ”and I’d appreciate you’d release me and go back to the hell I escaped from!” he looked at her his right eyebrow lowered slightly as she started to laugh, ”Your under the impression that the only thing you have to loose is your life,” removing a few photos from her back pocket she sprawled them out like a deck of cards in her hand and Sam’s heart started to race.

”Ah see I have your attention now don’t I? It is such a hassle to train them like blank slates seeing as their all a bit older than normal but from what I understand they had an excellent teacher…” the golem took a step back and it seemed Amanda relaxed slightly and then nodded her head, ”Now you understand the position your in,” indeed he did.

Looking at the first photo he spotted the mansion from a straightforward view then the following pictures showed various pictures of his students, Gawain, Koga, Kat, Kate, Locke… the pictures were there all the students he had no doubt, ”If you touch, contact or even get near these kids…” the air around them got cold, very cold and Amanda started to shiver and look around quickly as fear touched across her face. The golem appeared at her side quickly as two more were starting to from nearby. ”I’ll do what you want but promise you’ll leave!” his tone was dark and in control one that Amanda seemed to recognize and fear.

It was the tone and look he had when he was younger a far darker time than he’d care to admit. She smiled regaining her composure and cleared her throat pretending the fear on her face moments ago didn’t exist, ”I came here to get some help, not to upset you the threat was just if you didn’t cooperate… you know how orders are…” he did and he still didn’t accept her apology but the air around them started to warm up and the other two golems he started to from melted away and the one that was at her back again retreated a few steps letting her get her breathing room.

Present:

”I’m going to tell you all you need to know for the success of this mission because I don’t want them hitting you with a curve ball that might make you rethink everything I need you focused and for that…” Sam paused and sighed again and ran his fingers through his hair again and then fixed his gaze on the wall furthest from Gawain as if he was ready to replay his life on the wall using a projection screen.

”My mutation started when I was five, a lot earlier than most… I think this was the reason why I was selected or something never did figure out how they found me most likely due to my mutation…” Sam trailed off then brought his thoughts back, ”Right… I was taken when I was young…” he didn’t say he was too young to remember his childhood the few memories he had.

”I was taken by a organization called T.A.T.M.A.H. for short, the real name doesn’t matter right now, they specialized on training humans and mutants to handle problems others couldn’t handle mutants for example, think of a day camp that trained you to be the best, a shadow…” he frowned slightly trying his best find the best word but only coming up with one that probably wasn’t the best word, ”an attack dog…” Sam looked to Gawain and shrugged, ”They taught me how to fight, fly jets, helicopters, everything that I can do I had drilled into me, but I finally got fed up with it tired of being on a leash all the time and I defected…” that was a good summary of the story leading up to here and now right?

”Now, three days ago I was contacted by Amanda…” Sam let the topic hang in the air letting Gawain take it all in before he let him know what they were doing there and why he need Maya.

>>”I was taken by a organization called T.A.T.M.A.H. for short, the real name doesn’t matter right now, they specialized on training humans and mutants to handle problems others couldn’t handle mutants for example, think of a day camp that trained you to be the best, a shadow… an attack dog… They taught me how to fight, fly jets, helicopters, everything that I can do I had drilled into me, but I finally got fed up with it tired of being on a leash all the time and I defected…”

Gawain listened. So, Sam's been in some camp for mutant going through military training. He had never heard about such a place before, but he could fully believe some people would come up with that idea. Mutants were dangerous, yes, but they were also very useful. The training was not all that different - what made a difference was what you used your skills for.

>>”Now, three days ago I was contacted by Amanda…”

"She's one of them too, right?" Gawain was slowly starting to put the pieces together, trying to keep up with Sam and see where the whole thing was going. "Do they want you back or something? Don't tell me they're hunting you down, because I'd make a crappy bodyguard..." he added with a smirk. For now, they were safe. But if Sam was saying what Gawain thought he was saying, things were going to get interesting really soon...

Sam nodded silently to Gawain’s question about Amanda that was the one he knew for sure the other ones he could only imagine she was after all one of the three he was always grouped with due to the fact that they worked so well together at least that was way back when. Clearing his throat he added, ”She was one of the best at what she did…” Sam said his thoughts trailing off almost brining a smirk to his face as he recalled several moments he had spent with her.

Pulling his thoughts away from the good times and focusing on the bad ones Sam shrugged, ”They could want me back, I’m a loose end, one of the first major ones that stirred others to do the same, brining me back under control would make it seem that they are better than they are.” Sam scratched his head, ”They tried a few years ago in Hawaii… didn’t end well for them…” Sam reached up tot the back of his head where he swore he could still feel the spot that Ghost had bashed his head in with a baseball bat for trying to kiss her.

Three days ago:

She briefed him on the details the layout and was even kind enough to push photos and other more refined details that he’d possibly need later down the line. It also seemed that T.A.T. had their hands still in Europe and those hands managed to gather a pair of tickets to the syndicates ball one that Gideon was holding as a front a possible trap even Amanda commented on it but it didn’t matter to Sam. Traps were something that could be sprung easy enough and as far as carrying on after… well that was where things could prove difficult. ”Two tickets? I take it you and I are going?” Sam asked curiously as a few mixed feelings dwelled in his thoughts.

”Nice try frosty, he knows both our faces sides why waste the real agent when you can just call in one of your cheerleaders you always have parading around you?” waving her hands Sam felt his body loosen up and the controls over his limbs were his again. Reaching an arm out to his side and rotating it trying to unwind the joints and muscles Sam let out a small grunting sound to let her know he didn’t approve. ”Your experienced they aren’t trained for this… you want a success right?”
Amanda laughed and shook her head ”I think your students should be able to hold their own.” Sam frowned when she put the emphasis on students, she clearly didn’t approve of his new lifestyle but then again he didn’t care what she thought.

[white=color]”You’ll find the information when you reach the hotel, room 602…”[/color] Amanda let out another small chuckle at the reference to his I.D. number and then turned around, ”It was nice seeing you Sam… we’ll be in touch…” she turned slightly and offered a small smile before heading towards the ledge. Sam was about to walk forward after her but everything went dark.

Present:

”You don’t have to worry about protecting me…” Sam said at Gawain’s attempt of a joke, right now he wasn’t in a joking mood, he had too much going through his mind, like worrying about his students if the mission wasn’t a success. Shaking his head Sam corrected himself, the mission would be a success he didn’t even have to worry that much about Gawain, he knew he could handle himself in a fight if it came to that.

He was resourceful just like Sam. ”We’ll wait till you change faces before we get moving again…” Sam said closing his eye and leaning up against the ice wall but not going to sleep, ”Try to get some shut eye, I’ll brief you on everything when we reach the hotel, it would look odd if I walked in with you and walked out with Maya.”

>>”You don’t have to worry about protecting me… We’ll wait till you change faces before we get moving again… Try to get some shut eye, I’ll brief you on everything when we reach the hotel, it would look odd if I walked in with you and walked out with Maya.”

"Suuure."

Sam was being very mysterious. Gawian could guess why he wanted to make sure no one noticed or overheard them, but he was also curious about the whole mission.

"Why do I feel like this one's not gonna be 'bout mirrorwalkin'..."

Maya. He apparently needed Maya and only Maya. What the heck.

Gawain pulled out his sleeping bag, wrapped himelf up (having ice around them did not help the temperature) and tried to get as comfortable as he could under the circumstances.

"You'll need to wake me up." he told Sam "I sleep like the dead after shifting."

And with that, he fell asleep. It was a long trip, from England to here.

Gawain shifted into Maya at midnigt. The shift happened as usal, all at once; and becausethis time s/he was asleep, it was quick and smooth. All done.

For now Sam kept his mouth shut as to why he needed Maya and not Gawain, it was true there was a possibility of mirror walking in fact Sam was planning on her using it at some point but for now… for now he’d let the details on as to why he needed her and not him he kept to himself. Silently nodding and not really paying attention Sam relaxed and waited till his alarm went off.

12:05 a.m. came around with a few annoying beeps, after the first one however Sam was up and he checked his surroundings using his mutation. No one just him and a girl and he opened his eyes not really paying attention to the details of Maya’s body through his thermal vision. ”Wake up!” Sam said standing up and taking a few steps towards Maya and handing her another bag he had hid near by this the bag wasn’t filled with provisions but rather some fancier clothing apparel some that would fit Maya a little snug. By now the reason he needed her would become obvious, ”Here.” Sam said looking away and walking to the edge of the icebox.

”Don’t read to much into it, mission calls for it… you can yell and complain and question me when we have time, now however not so much.” Sam said as checked his face and removed and loose whiskers his fake beard had given him. ”Don’t touch the gems inside the bag till your done changing, they only have a limited time use.” the gems Sam was speaking of was a favor he called in from slate, it was a reluctant favor but it needed to be done, the success of the mission hinged on it.

”let me know when your done changing…” stepping out of the ice box and then reforming the wall Sam to had begun to change into some nicer clothing than he had been wearing, he couldn’t get into the motel he booked for them looking like a bum, he had to dress the part and a few hundred dollar power suit said he belonged in the motel. Already preparing himself from the reaction of Maya the one eyed ice mancer waited to hear her surprise.

Sam had to admit it was odd shopping for one of his students and it wasn’t something he wanted to do ever, ever again but with luck everything should fit, the black dress dress, the shoes, the necklace, the bra… yeah it would have been a lot easier if it was Alex, or Jenny, even Ghost would have been better.

Maya woke up, rubbing her eyes; she hated being woken up right after shifting, she was always in the deepest sleep after midnight. Still, this was a mission. Oh well.
Looking inside the bag, she blinked.

"Ya have to be sh..."

>>”Don’t read to much into it, mission calls for it… you can yell and complain and question me when we have time, now however not so much. Don’t touch the gems inside the bag till your done changing, they only have a limited time use. Let me know when your done changing…”

"Sure." she muttered, starting to change as he walked out. He could have stayed, for all she cared, she was not all that shy. Especially not a mission. Prying her traveling clothes off, she looked at the contents of the bag.

"Coulda guessed the cup size better" she muttered, starting to get dressed. It did fit, after all, although not perfectly, but she could pull the looks off if she really had to. She was a girl half of her life, after all.

"Jus' tell me I'm not playin' your girlfriend" she said with a smirk when she was done, knocking on the ice "'cuz every bad romance novel has a scene like that."

Smoothing the dress down, she flung the backpack over her shoulder.

"So, now what? And what are the gems for? Are we bribing someone?"

Feeling the area around the building Sam relaxed a bit there was no one to be seen but that didn’t meant that no one was there, heck Sam was positive there were mutants that didn’t give off body heat, he was just counting himself lucky he hadn’t run into to them yet. Hearing the comments Maya made Sam smirked slightly trying to make light of the situation, ”Yeah, bad romance novel or not you’ll be my date for the evening…” Sam said as he melted the ice box that he and Maya had been hiding out in moments before.

Looking to Maya with a smirk Sam shrugged and then adjusted his tie and then fixed his shoelace so the look was near perfect all that was needed was arm candy. ”No, the mission isn’t to bribe anyone, I keep forgetting you weren’t around for this.” Sam said as he pointed up to his eye and then looked to Maya as he stood up straight, ”The gems help us jump the language barrier.” Sam said as he walked over and reached into the bag where Maya’s clothes were hidden.

Removing two gems and handing one to Maya he frowned slightly, ”It makes it easier for us to understand those around us, you just have to eat them.” lifting one of the gems into the air and tossing it up then catching it Sam’s expression lightened slightly even if the last time he used these gems he ended up losing his eye. ”I called in a favor, doesn’t really matter where these gems come from, all you need to know is that they work.” lifting the gem into his mouth and swallowing it Sam felt it slide down his throat and then he waved Maya forward.

”Come on let’s go.” Sam said as he looked around and gathered anything that he had left behind or out in the open. It took him a moment to gather his supplies but once it was all packed Sam hid it in a floor board of the old rundown building and then exited the way they came his cold sense feeling out all the heat around them including Maya who was slightly behind him. ”We are a short walk away from the hotel where the rest of our stuff is, we can talk there.”

It took a few moments but once they were out on the street everything around them changed snow started to fall and Sam’s nose twitched as a flake landed on it, opening out his arm for Maya to take Sam waited for a moment and then started to walk with her to the hotel.