The shining golden armor did not clank with each footstep as Shin approached the doorway. It sounded like normal foot steps... even though it was heavy looking plate armor, shining and golden. With a helmet in the shape of a fierce lion. He had been donning the thing more and more, to the point it was basically his X uniform now. It, and the big old double-edged long sword he held over one shoulder. Shard armor for a Shard man. He stopped in front of the door.

The light said someone was in the danger room. But Shin had not focused on the light. His focus had been on opening the door.

A nice bonus of wearing armor made from the psychic energy of one’s mind is that it doubles as protective gloves. With the whole scare going on now, his shard armor also protected him from icky stinky germies... not that he’d worn it specifically for this reason. He was training. Yeah, and if someone coughed on him he would be safe.

The door slid open. The man in golden lion armor stepped inside the danger room.

There was another man fighting for his life, just beyond the door.

Why was it, people favored the old school lasers and saw blades of the danger room now? More and more, people forgot about the reality-bending illusions and hard light constructs! The laser deathbots! The giant blastoise paintings on the ground you could ask for! And the upside down stair cases of confusion. And balls. Lots and lots of tennis balls, for doggies. No, this guy fighting for his life was not dealing with laser deathbots. He was not even up to his face in balls. He was... wearing a blindfold, of all things. And flinging ice. At least he had the taste enough to use robot men. It was a step below laser deathbots, sure. But it was a step above saw blades and laser beams.

Ice. Danger room. Yep. There was pretty much only one person this could be. Shin called out loud and proud. ”Heyyyy Sam!!”

He had no idea that Sam had recently been turned into a kid. If he had, he might not have distracted him while he was fighting for his life. Then again, maybe he would.

He had trained like this before. In the dark, however he didn’t have his thermal sense then. Meaning when he trained like this there was a lot more pain. Now there was just more danger. The icemancer wanted to figure out how to fully understand the thermal sense meaning he did what he normally did when he tried to understand something about his mutation or self. This time it involved getting beat up by a bunch of thugs instead of being prodded like an animal.

A flash or red appeared behind him, Sam tilted his head to the side missing getting punched and grabbed the hand that just missed him and brought the locked elbow down on his shoulder causing a loud snap with the break. Sam brought his leg to his chest and then kicked the attacked in the ribs feeling and hearing a few more loud cracks.

Sam smirked with the blindfold on his hands up in a guard ready to take on the next attacker. There were two this time. Sam leaned forward into his blocks. One high and one low both were kicks. The body temperatures was giving him pretty clear idea where the attacks were coming from and how they were coming. It helped he saw enough people in his life time throw punches and kicks, now all he had to do was feel and react.

Throwing the high kicker back and then turning quickly with the other leg Sam lifted one of the attackers off the ground and let him fall. The icemancer was starting to get used to it but he doubted he was ready to use his thermal vision in an actual fight with someone on the streets. Too many unknowns mainly it had a tendency to overlap his normal vision which he considered an annoying distraction. People going from hues of pink to bright red or orange and way closer than they were a second ago.

The door opened behind him and he heard his name. He paused for a minute then was tackled to the ground when he was distracted. Sam landed with a thud locking on to his attacker choking him out seconds after he hit the ground. ”Yo.” he managed as he rolled back to his feet dodging a low kick to where his face was a second ago. His hands still up in a guard. ”How’s it going.” he asked knowing the voice didn’t sound familiar.

Letting out an exhale and removing the blindfold the session paused. ”What can I do for you…..” he didn’t know the name and the armor wasn’t a give away. Had he met this guy? ”man?”

He said the guys name, aaaaand Sam got knocked to the ground. Whoopsie.

At least he turned it around and took down his attacker. Choked him out. It was honestly a little brutal. And, he was still fighting. While chatting. In the danger room. Typical Sam.

”Going good.” Shin said.

He stood there, awkwardly. In full plate.

Finally, Sam took off the blindfold and paused the session. He turned back towards him, and Shin realized. Sam did not look as normal Sam do. He did not act the same, either. Acted like he did not know... him. Hmm.

Shard stepped into the danger room, warily. Beneath the helmet, he eyed not-Sam.

”I was gonna train. But it looks like you’re already using the room.” Shin said carefully. He stopped several feet from this Sam. This younger Sam. Within social distance. ”Unless you are cool with me training with you. Sam?”

”My name is Shin, by the way. Underneath the armor. Did you get shrunk or something? You look younger... would explain why you don’t remember this armor. Used to use it around you all the time. You thought I looked like a dork.”

Sam actually had said nothing of the sort. But hey, he did sort of look like a dork. A cool dork! But also a huge nerd. Which he was.

The armor looked a bit bulky to Sam, maybe cut down on his reaction time but it probably made it way safer to engage in anything. Sam raised an eyebrow and smirked, ”I’m always using the danger room.” he said his hand still on the blindfold. ”I’m cool with it. Unless Serena or Mirror sent you.” he was tired of them beating him in any session. It was clear his older self was a great teacher.

”Can I still think you look like a dork?” Sam asked his free hand stretching his other arm while he caught his breath. ”Shin.” he committed the name to memory along with the armor. Old Sam mentioned him frequently in the ‘while you were older’ files. Apparently they were good friends so that either meant his current self was going to love him or hate him.

”De-aged.” he said and shrugged, ”Lost a decade.” he shrugged, ”Meaning I’m just getting up to speed on everything here. Except for the Jet. I’m the best with that.” he said knowing most of the X’s were capable with it however he was the best. He proved that with Mirror.

”I’m always up for joint training. Keeps me on my toes.” he said as he walked closer and offered his free hand for a hand shake.

”No. No one sent me.” Shin said.

Could Sam think he still looked like a dork? The helmet split into tiny sections of triangles which curled backwards and in on themselves, rolling back up up onto his neck like a hoodie. They reformatted into a hood-like shape, even.

Shin gave Sam a wry smile. ”No. No dorking allowed.” He fell silent for a second, and then cleared his throat.

So! New topic. Sam has deaged? What was deAging again? Was it like... when Shin and Kealey has turned into kids and made out? Because that had been weird. Cute first kiss though, as far as retcons went!

Sam stepped forward to shake his hand, and Shin shook back. He clasped the guy’s wrist, and tried to give off positive vibes.

”I got deaged once,” the Asian noted, stroking his chin. ”Lost an entire language and ten plus years. Met my wife as a kid. As a kid. Was weird.”

Maybe that would help them connect, or reconnect, or whatever. Bond. If he lost the bond with Old Sam, this young Sam would need to become his friend.

”As for training. Sure! But let’s do a scenario that actually trains our mutations. I’ve had enough blade practice lately. Got my butt whooped by that younger one. Cait, I think her name was? Redhead? Not bad. Outfoxed me.”

No one sent him. Perfect, last thing he needed was to be shown up by people he trained with in the past. He didn’t like losing. He didn’t lose, he wasn’t allowed to. ”Then you look cool.” Sam mocked giving Shin a thumbs up. Hoping that he still had a similar sense of humor when he was older.

”Right on.” Sam grinned, ”Guess I’m just lucky then. No wife yet and I still know all my languages.” Sam released the hand shake and then added, ”Thankfully I don’t have a wife in the future so I guess that’s good right?” the thought put a chill down his spine.

”Redhead huh? Cait… might have to track her down.” Sam said with a smirk, ”Haven’t met a Cait yet.” Sam shrugged, ”and she’s a fox.” Sam said hearing what he wanted to hear. ”Sold me, and you go ahead and pick the scenario. Most of mine I already looked into.” he said with a grin.

”You’re cool with the cold right?” he asked curiously.

Not having a wife, good?

His tone was like butter. Condescending butter. ”If you say so!”

Having a wife was nice. It had its benefits. Like having someone you loved who loved you. And everything that came with it. He wasn’t going to boil it down for Sam though. The kid version seemed... like a frat boy. Interested in only a handful of things. Shin got the impression that loving and caring weren’t on the list.

Shin just let the horn dog comments about the redhead go and focused on a training session.

”Am I down with icy stuff? Yeah. You know me. Okay. Danger room, boot up scenario 8675309-Ω.”

The room shifted. Fell away. Suddenly, they were surrounded by water. Lots and lots of water. Also, they were on a rocking pirate ship. They were at sea. And they weren’t alone.

The skull and crossbones flag flapped in the wind as all the pirates started to notice them. One by one, they activated their mutant powers.

The Asian looked around, then added as an afterthought ”Oh. And spray paint a blastoise on the deck of the ship.”

A big blue turtle appeared on the wood of the deck as the first pirate charged Shin. He was waving a cutlass, and made of water. He stepped aside, with a Vanna white gesture for Sam, then flew into the air like Peter Pan, up towards the rigging. The shards that had made up his helmet snapped forward into the form of a dagger over the course of a handful of seconds. He slashed at a rope ladder holding one pirate up.

The pirate screamed as he fell.