"We're gonna have to find you a codename" Maya mused as she landed the jet safely outside the range of the raging fire. The others were already on the field, doing their thing along with countless volunteers, firefighters, and some people from Haven. Maya, being the most mobile of the team, got the job of search and rescue for a family that was reportedly strapped inside the inferno somewhere. She'd dropped a reflecting piece of metal from the jet earlier - their way in and out. And because no one should go anywhere without backup, she also had Skye, her brand new trainee. A raging forest fire might have been a little too serious for a baby X-man... but Skye could handle herself, and it was all hands on deck.

"Searchlight?" Maya mused as she handed a bag to Skye, and put one on her own shoulder. They had the essentials: First aid kids, water, food, masks... and also smaller pieces of metal for portals. Search and rescue in the mountains did not offer a whole lot or mirrors around. Maya grinned at her trainee as she double checked their gear. "Disco?"

Skye had been a colorful disco-ball of emotions today. Not only was it her first *actual* mission, but they were going to the West Coast to do something actually useful. It was a lot to take in as the eighteen-year-old girl sat looking out of the jet's window. Right now, her hair was purple, the lights on her hands flickering occasionally as her heart fluttered in her chest. She was nervous, she hoped she'd do okay, and these people would be alright. She hoped she'd impress Mirror.

And she hoped she didn't die, or worse, fail miserably.

She blinked, snapped out of her train of thought by Mirror's voice as the jet landed. Oh right, a codename. That was important wasn't it? She looked down at her trainee uniform: gunmetal grey with yellow trim, form fitting, but not flatteringly so. In all honesty, it was pretty basic, but the neutral color matched her hair at all times, and that was important. Looking up after a while, she gave a slight smile.

"Searchlight has sort of a professional, heroic feel to it, but Disco may fit my personality better. It's more...fun." She gave a nod. "I also like Spectrum. Or Prism," she said with a slight shrug. The flickering of her hands ceased as she pondered this, her mind slightly being put at ease from their inevitably going into a forest fire to save people. While she liked the idea of being someone that people relied on and eventually looked up to...

It also scared the hell out of her.

They both checked the bags, and Maya made sure the Jet was secure before they left. It was not unlikely that they would have to take off fast, depending on how the rescue went, and how the wind turned.

>>"Searchlight has sort of a professional, heroic feel to it, but Disco may fit my personality better. It's more...fun. I also like Spectrum. Or Prism,"

"Ooh, I like Prism" Maya noted, shouldering her bag "Although there's a chance the bad guys would think we're yelling Prison on the field..."

Small talk was good for easing the tension on the mission. Maya held out a hand to her trainee. "I'll take you to the mirror we dropped earlier. The family was last seen in that area. From there on... we'll have to do it the old fashioned way. Stay close, keep your eyes open, and, as ridiculous as it sounds, don't be a hero. Let's go."

Skye checked over her bag as well, nerves still creeping in, but the conversation was actually doing a good job at keeping her mind at ease. "Maybe that'll work to our advantage," she commented with a smile. "Prism it is." It was official; she had a codename! Her hair flickered with yellow excitement for a moment, but then went back to purple as she took Mirror's hand. It was go time.

"Find the family, keep my eyes open, don't do anything crazy," she summarized. "I think I can handle that." She took a deep breath. God, she really hoped she could handle that. Sure, it was only her first mission, but this was kind of a big deal. What if something went wrong? What if she messed it up?

No. She couldn't. She was gonna give it her all, and damn it, she was going to do something right. Or at least have a part in it.

The trainee picked her own codename. So be it. Mirror did not actually remember when she started calling herself Mirror - or maybe it was someone else? It had been a while ago. But the name fit, and it stuck, and it got handed on to the Internet and the Media. Vigilantes these days had to be careful about picking their names. The trolls were more cruel than a bunch of middle school girls.

More importantly, Maya had to keep Prism alive on this mission.

>>"Find the family, keep my eyes open, don't do anything crazy. I think I can handle that."

Maya nodded, and pulled Skye into the mirror. It only took a few minutes to get back to the mirror they placed outside the rocks; it had been a long jump, but within range, and there were not many surfaces in the woods to distract them. They stepped out a few minutes later, and Maya glanced around, making sure the fire had not spread dangerously close in the meantime.

"Alright, let's find this family... if I was fleeing from a forest fire, where would I hide?"

Skye smiled, mentally trying on the new name. It fit, she'd thought. Sure, creative folk could have fun with it, but when you refer to a part of your powerset as a 'flash-bang,' you tend to be prepared for that sort of nonsense.

What she wasn't fully prepared for was being pulled into the mirror; she knew it was happening, sure, but there was a first time for everything, and that first time usually came as a bit of a shock, whether you were ready for it or not. Once they were on the other side, Skye thought for a moment, her hair and lights flicking back to purple as the nervousness set in again, her adrenaline pumping as she realized how serious this was. It was a big freaking deal, after all.

She bit her lip a bit as she looked around, pondering the answer to Mirror's question. "Hmm....probably somewhere away from the blaze, I'd think, though somewhere not as...open or surrounded....which would likely put them in danger...."

The fire way a way off, but Mirror did not trust it to not spread surprisingly fast - like wildfires did. Every minute counted now. Where would a family hide when they thought they had no way out?

>> "Hmm....probably somewhere away from the blaze, I'd think, though somewhere not as...open or surrounded....which would likely put them in danger...."

"I'd go for water, but I don't think there is any nearby. Not enough, anyway" Maya frowned, looking around "If the map was right, there should be some caves over that way in the rocks. Can you help with some light? They might have found an entrance somewhere..."

Caves could be a good place to hide... unless the smoke got in there too. Or wildlife. Either way, they needed to find out fast...

"Caves, got it." Skye let the instructions sink in. She remembered where the caves were supposed to be, but providing light would be trickier. Different colors provided different levels of visibility, so she should probably figure out which one would help better, though she doubted her current nervous purple would be sufficient.

"Okay...let's see if I can do this..." She attempted to forget about the nerves, about the pressure, and she focused her mind, like she was learning to do. Closing her eyes for a second, she channeled her thoughts on different memories, most of them involving her friend, things that made her happy.

Her hair and lights flickered to orange, though they'd occasionally fade back purple. But she was trying, and as she opened her eyes, she kept trying to keep the orange more steady, as it served a better light than purple.

"I think the caves were this way," she said motioning, as she started in that direction.

Caves were the most likely bet. At least if the family managed to get away from the fire at all. Maya looked around, checking for possible paths and entry points, but in the current lighting, it was hard to see.

>>"Caves, got it. Okay...let's see if I can do this..."

Maya watches as Skye's purple hair melted into a brighter orange. It was quite the sight under normal circumstances, but right now, it was important to make sure she could hold the mood, and the light, steady long enough.

>>"I think the caves were this way,"

Maya nodded and followed, looking at the rocks in the orange light as they climbed.

"There!" she pointed after a few minutes "That looks like an entrance. Can we get in?"

Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts. Kittens. Puppies. Hanging out with Mari...

Skye mentally went through her mantra, keeping the orange light more steady. It was working, as the right color light held and they climbed the rocks, making their way towards where the caves were believed to be.

Sitting on the pier, holding hands with-- Suddenly the orange light turned pink as they reached where they were going, but it turned back to the intended orange as she managed to calm herself down. Okay maybe some thoughts weren't good for this exercise...

"Hm? Oh! Yeah...I think that is an entrance..." she stammered lightly, though she was now doing a better job holding the orange light as she stretched her hand toward the prospective cave, slowly walking over. "Yeah, it looks clear," Skye replied, her voice calm now that she was able to focus on the task at hand. After all, there were people in need of aid.

"Is anyone in here?" she called as she peered into the mouth of the cave. "We're here to help."

Skye did a good job holding on to the orange light. It flickered pinkish for a moment; Maya wondered what emotion or memory interfered with the calm of her trainee, but before she could comment, Skye got a hold on her powers once again. They both climbed to the entrance in the rock face.

>>"Hm? Oh! Yeah...I think that is an entrance... Yeah, it looks clear,"

Maya peering in as she pulled a mirror out of her bag and placed it by the entrance. They might need a shortcut on the way back.

>>"Is anyone in here? We're here to help."

"I don't smell smoke" Maya noted "I'll go first. Give me some light as you follow, okay?"

Trusting Skye to follow, she walked into the entrance, letting herself down carefully as the tunnel in the rock tilted down.

"Hello? Anyone down there?"

Faint noises echoed down the darkness.