”So, I stopped some criminal who had some link to a site on this thing called the “dark web,” but I am still new to this so I asked the first person I saw, and—“

Lenna gestured at the man with she had found. As she recalled, his head had practically spun at the intrigue of it all. Some simply enjoy theater.

”He explained it. We went and checked it out at a “net cafe,” whatever that is, and saw that the man had been true to his word. My friend was listed on the site.”

She had found the criminal and interrogated him, regarding her friend Aura. Cold Steel would simply have to be “Mister Cool” about who she was friends with, and who needed their help. It wasn’t only about Aura.

”There was an island, mutant-on-mutant fighting, gambling. Invite-only. There was a mentioned date. The date of the next dark tournament. I have checked the coordinates and the island is a mostly forested piece of land off the coast of Canada called “Hanging Neck island.” Hard to find if I had not had coordinates. Likely heavily secured.” She nodded to herself.

”Many mutants were listed. Several have been reported missing in recent months. My friend was kidnapped by magic assholes. We do not like them. They tried to kidnap me and several other children, as well. I have been searching for them to rescue my friend for several months. Now I have a lead. I am not sure how they are controlling the mutants to keep them in line. My friend would never have let them control her, if she had her own will. She is willful. Maybe the Sailor Moon tiaras they wear hold some sort of magic spell?”

She paused a moment, thoughtful look on her face. Yes. She had experimented with some anime now. Sailor moon was one she liked, for some reason. Maybe it was the team of kickass girls, kicking ass.

”The big ad I saw when we checked depicted my friend brutally and silently murdering her mutant opponent. For no reason. It screams mind control to me. Without reason, Aura would never murder a fellow mutant, Sam.” She met his orange eyes, hoping that the ice mutant would understand.

”Aura has a complicated past, but she is not a brazen murderer. And she values other mutants too highly. She finds them beautiful. She would not kill blindly unless her life was actively in danger and they forced her hand... or if she was given an order by someone with power over her. But um, I do not think it is that! So...”

She looked to Sam. She looked to Zek. Back to Sam. ”Someone told me you people have an airplane? Can we borrow it? Barring that, will you please help?”

Note: in none of the conversations she had taken part in with Zek, had she or him ever discussed him actually helping storm a heavily fortified island to rescue mutants from wizards and mutants under mystical sway. She had merely asked him to back her up as she explained the situation to Cold Steel, and also to help explain if she stumbled over her words. Which it seemed she had not.

It was odd. He had been very into the drama of it all, and seemed familiar with Sam. He might have even been eager to speak with him? She had no clue. Reading people was something she was more used to, when she was actively fighting them. Not for social encounters. They had never gotten to train her for that. So maybe she had no clue whether or not it was good form to include him in something so zany and out of control??? Would he be mad? Who knows?! Not her!

The video

Aura, Aura swords ready barely heard the arena as she emerged from behind the bars and looked at her opponent. The octopus mutant was armed and electricity sparked from his tendrils. As the bell struck Aura felt the comforting embrace of the magic being directed into her mind. Aura moved forward dodgeing a tendril and looking the other Mutant in the eyes before leaping back out of the way of a few other tendrils.

A distant part of Aura's mind told her this guy was no match for her, she could have disabled or killed, the blow would of been easy, jugular, heart intestines. But no something told her. This mutant this thing before her, it was the source of her pain, her torment! The reason so much blood was on her hands, the person who denied her a normal life. No this one deserved her wrath, the pain. Auras mind never registered the same thoughts had passed her mind merely two weeks prior.

Aura moved in silence but the aura around her writhed in her fury, A tendril came at her again, this time Aura met it with blade, letting the heavy weight of the appendage sever itself roughly on Aura's blade. The octopus mutant staggered back in pain the Mystic controlling him fighting to override the poor mutants self preservation.

She wanted to drag the pain out. Aura let the sword dissopear and reached for something new she had been taught. Around her right hand emerged a set of aura claws. Aura rammed her fingertips into the other mutants body. She never heard the screams or saw the fear in the mutants eyes, as her clawed hand wrapped around a rib she pulled, the bladed claws cutting into the bone in her grip, until it snapped and Aura held it high before the cheering crowd. Then Aura came down with the rib and impaled the mutant using her knowledge of the body to avoid the immediate kill. Her aura claw thrust down again, taking another rib and not noticing her opponent had passed out, this time however she impaled the mutant through his heart ripping it out of him and biting a off a piece. The video snapped off just as Aura staggered back and shook her head.

As the Tiara's control magic changed and a power null collar snapped around her neck. It was out of caution Aura stood there and stared off at something in her own mind and barely noticed being lead away to the her cage.

Aura's mind: Rena stifled a yawn as she looked up at the wall clock she thought was plotting against her by moving so slow. Perhaps it was just her complete disinterest in sixth grade math and her mental focus on that bully girl whose rear she had to beat. She smiled at that thought both in her mind and mentally. Rena loved a good fight but tried her best to enure she only beat up bully's. She barely minded getting suspended again even if it might make her repeat the grade. Protecting others was what she wanted to do and if let her get her anger out on some boy or girl who wanted to pick on others, she did not care. She glanced at the paper and saw the date Nov third 1993, she was thirteen today she recalled.

She looked around the class, it almost seemed strange their were just the few girls. Each one shared her face, their hair a rainbow of colors, From Aura's shocking pink, Kimberly's refined black, to Terra's sheer purple rage, and several others. Nothing seemed out of place to Rena.

The Rimemancer hand went the bridge of his nose when she explained. Lenna had stopped Sam with an armful of steaks the good kind the one he went to his butcher of choice for. It was obvious from his expression he didn’t want to deal with anything besides the steaks. ”We’re gonna circle back to that.” he said at first. Lenna was a teenager, a capable one but still he didn’t like the fact she was out stopping criminals all by herself. She could, but Sam didn’t like hearing that the students he trained with actively looked for trouble.

The temperature dropped a little when he noticed who was with her, he didn’t' pay much mind until he looked at him. Zek.... How did he get into the mansion? Maybe it was time they got that security upgrade they had been talking about. For now though he listened and sighed slightly with a look of anguish when she mentioned Aura.

Aura and Sam had a complicated past, several times over the course of their interactions Sam told her that he’d have no problem with killing her if she killed again. The way Lenna defended her he wasn’t sure she new fully what the pink manipulator was capable of. He might have to circle back to that as well. Until then he let Lenna finish tell the about her intel. Any time mutants were forced to fight against their will Sam was immediately itching to hit someone, the captors.

”Someone has a big mouth.” he finally said and created a small box of ice around his several pounds of meat then placed it into the freezer. ”Carrick....” he said shaking his head betting it was the winged shifter. The kid also had a knack for stealing his steaks.

The air continued to chill around Zek as Sam sighed even louder and shut the freezer, ”.....Yeah..... Show me the video and I’ll call in a favor.” he said shooting Shin a text. ‘We need a pilot. Keep it quite from the rest of the team for now.’ most of the team had kids now. No sense of putting anyone in danger unless he had to. ”Lenna, how do you feel about parachutes?” he made sure not to address Zek.

Zek was rather giddy with anticipation. It was such a small world! This random girl had asked him about the dark web and they’d ended up watching vids of Pink Floyd be amazing at whooping people! And that would’ve been sufficient entertainment for him for hours but it got better!

The girl knew the Glowstick Guardian! And knew Sam! And the girl wanted to save Pinky! Well that part was eh at best, but then again it was like an underground fighting arena or something so it was pretty much guaranteed to be awesome-tastical.

So Zek had happily offered to come along and insert himself on the trip because it was his day off and he literally had nothing better to do. Also, it had been awhile since he’d seen Sam and he’d been working on a few new surprises for the guy.

For once Zek didn’t really notice the steadily decreasing temperatures. He was prepared. Beneath his customary black trenchcoat and fingerless gloves, he was wearing his regular clothes and black combat boots. Beneath his clothes however, he had on a red and white striped thermal union suit. Because he knew that air conditioning tended to go haywire around Frostface.

As he snooped through a refrigerator and started pulling out ingredients to make himself a snack, Zek threw out his own two cents. “For the record, I love parachutes,” he said. He ended up with a plate of cold cuts and assorted cheese. “My hang glider is way more fun though.” He sauntered over to join their conversation.

Maybe it had been Carrick who had told it, and maybe it had not. They made very little effort to conceal things such as a private jet plane and an outlaw vigilante group from the general population... although she supposed they were not outlaws in this day and age.

Outlaws makes for better storytelling, though, she thought.

Yes, she had noted the chill in the room. Would have had to have no perception at all not to notice something such as that. Maybe Sam did not care for Aura? Maybe Sam did not care for the man off the street?

Well. If you happened to have an outlaw vigilante group, and an illegal jet plane hangar in your basement, maybe you would be wary of strangers, too. Perhaps she should have done more to vet and verify Zek’s identity.

He requested the video. She had saved the video and emailed it to herself. Probably had gotten viruses up the wazoo, from the dark web... but it was on a SUPER phone that they still had not deactivated... so it likely had super anti viruses cell phone protection. Or else their data was forfeit, and it mattered little to Lenna because she was far more careful with her own things. Did not let teens with stolen cellphones wander about.

Lenna nodded, and went to stand closer to Sam so she could show him the video.

The announcer sprang on. If she had been more pop culture aware, she would have thought they sounded like a sports announcer for professional wrestling. Or maybe boxing. All that was missing was a Sunday, SUNDAY, SUNday!

—

On the other side of the mansion, Tetsuya Shinbo got the text. He looked up from grading math tests, and smiled. A little escape from grading drudgery, with possibility of death? Hooray!

Sam had not been very clear about what would be involved. Just to keep it quiet. So yup! Possibility of death. Never discount it when the X-men are involved.

He shot back a text, “I am ready to play Alfred, Mister Johnson. Meet you at hangar in a few.”

Then, he finished grading the test he had been working on, and went to suit up.

—

Meanwhile, back at the ranch. ”Lenna, how do you feel about parachutes?” Sam asked.

Lenna seesawed her hand, to indicate a balance that went both ways.

”I am not for or against them. Shame I have not mastered flight, or I would have no use for such things.” She added the last part quietly, wryly, mostly to herself.

>> “For the record, I love parachutes,” Zek said. He had ended up with a plate of cold cuts and assorted cheese, procured from Sam’s fridge, of all places. He was most certainly making himself at home. “My hang glider is way more fun though.” He sauntered over to join their conversation.

Lenna revised her opinion of the man in the trench coat. Perhaps he was not a perfect stranger, after all. She glanced between the two grown men, one pointedly ignoring the other. The other, with pilfered food and a casual attitude.

”As I look between the two of you, I notice chills and an electric chemistry that speaks of familiarity. Do the two of you know each other? If we are to work together, such information would be noteworthy.” Lenna said, then, to Zek, she added seriously, ”I suspect there will be both danger and people throwing about magic. The very fires of creation. I do not know you. Are you sure you wish to court danger? I see you are already experimenting with it, by your plate of borrowed food...”

She smiled for a moment, then grew severe. ”I remind you both, my friend’s life is at stake. To coin a phrase, ‘keep the ass clowning to a minimum.’ Okay?”

Okay. She had said her piece.

It was hard to ignore Zek, mainly because Sam was more worried that he’d make something appear. Something that was dangerous or worse.... he feared the pocket dimension users was going to steal his steaks. Maybe he should just send his food to Cora’s? They were still avoiding it though after the Ninja incident so he decided he’d risk the food here.

”Lenna.” he looked to Zek, ”You look different.” then he shifted his attention to the telekinetic. ”We’ve met before even worked with Aura during one of the zombie incidents.” he didn't’ recall it fondly. A lot of people were eaten before he could get there. More faces he saw at night for being too late.

Sam looked to Zek, ”Mind if we can borrow the hang glider?” Sam had used them before, he didn’t need one but if Lenna was any better with a hang glider he’d have no problem ‘borrowing’ it from Zek.

”I’ve run into a few magicians before. I think I can handle a few of them. However if I got to fight Aura as well maybe I do need more back up....” he stopped after a second then added, ”If she is under control there aren’t a lot of options.... unless...” Sam looked at Zek then smirked. He didn’t like Zek, he thought he made it clear but knew his power made him useful. ”Zek you think you can hold Aura till we can get her in a facility where we can figure things out?” he asked heading to the hallway not really waiting for a response.

”Wheels up in ten. Lenna, usually I wouldn’t let a student come along if there is danger but you have more training than a few of our team members and you brought this to my attention. That being said... don’t advertise this. I don’t want to get chewed out again,” he said fearing a few of the teachers and team members.

”You take lead. Curious to see what you can do.” he said knowing he’d regret the words.

Pshht, it was hard to ignore Zek because he was downright glamorous! Case in point, even the Good Sam-aritan couldn’t stop looking at him! And he only had one eye, but the man still noticed when things changed! “Aww, you noticed!” Zek crooned, putting a hand up to touch his new hairstyle, a purposely tousled just-got-out-of-bed look. “I knew you would. We are so connected.”

He might’ve batted his eyes at King Frosting a few times before grinning smugly.

Zek nodded along as he stuffed his face with some roast beef and swiss. “Yep. We go way back,” he said around a mouthful of food. “He tried to kiss me once, you know.” It was very important that everyone who knew Senor Snowball heard about that. “That just makes this even better! Be like we’re getting the gang back together again! Me, Captain Ice Cube, Pretty In Pink, and….” Zek looked Lenna over. “....Brown Hair Girl!”

As Zek began stacking several alternating slices of colbyjack, cheddar, ham, and balony to make a mini sandwich, he nodded. “Done and sure, anything for you, Sammy-poo,” he said before shoving his cheese-meat sandwich into his maw. Of course, it’d be easier for Zek to use the hang glider and just store Lenna away until needed, but he was just along for the kicks. And capturing Pink Eye-And-Everything-Else-Too would be child’s play.

He trundled along after Sam, taking up a position a couple steps behind him and just off to the side, deliberately choosing the side with the eye patch. Just in case he needed to make funny gestures at Sammie while they walked. The tray of meat and cheese stayed with him, of course.

Rena recalled the fight with the girl well enough. Rena's recalled the girl's dodge in the end and knowing it would leave her open. She never saw the blade that had formed around her fist until it was in the other girls body. She recalled feeling pride by what she had done.

Aura's head throbbed as the memory froze a secound, her hands clutching it as reality surfaced briefly again. Then as she watched the memory she began to glow a sickly blue.

The image of her melted reveling a terrified thirteen year old, who kept trying to staunch the bleeding refusing to process the girls death even as she was pulled away from the body. She had meant to hurt the girl sure, maybe a few stitches but not this.

The image shifted to her looking out the police wagens window at her angry looking parents, their disgusted voices reaching her ears. She recalled the devastation and anger she had felt and how she had carried that anger threw the woods.

Aura screamed, as magic and mutant power continued to argue in her mind.

The memory clouded over and when it came back Aura's was struggling against the cops, her powers whisps of harmless pink. She recalled the devastation and almost breathed in a sigh of relief. It was when her memory self locked eyes on her parents tear filled eyes and the arrestable things her dad yelled at the cops to try and get to his daughter as her mom pleaded.

Reality slammed back into place as she blinked, though she half doubted about weather this was reality, a delusion or memory. Aura pulled herself into a sitting position, instictually she called to her powers and was rewarded with a sharp shock from the inhibitor collar. She felt naked without her powers and enraged about being used in the fighting. A small voice in her wonderd if she had not earned her fate, maybe this was the gods rewards for all her failures.

She had tried. Tried so very hard to be what was demanded of her, to ensure her people had a future at all. She had been charged with a mission from her gods themself s and what had she done with it? Failed, failed, FAILED. She had failed to kill Sayre and two hundred people had died from her failure, she had failed Sin and Lori and the order had died. She had even foolishly tried to hold it up herself with with....she could not recall the mutant....but that two had failed. Worst of all she failed mutant kind themself s, she had wiped out gangs and SUPER had risen into place and now with these mystics, Aura was unsure her people even had a future or if Mystics were not in fact mutant kind's replacement. If she had in deed failed that badly, then perhaps this was the fate she had earned. Even if she had these others she was fighting most certainly had not.

She had to stay in reality and get free somehow. No matter her crimes, no matter the price to her soul, she had to save them.

Different? Yes, she did. She opened her mouth to say— and Zek cut in, speaking of himself. Lenna’s hand dropped away from the hair that had recently been shorn to free her from its confines... long story.

Zek moved his hands through his hair in a gesture highly similar to the one she had been about to make.

”Think he was speaking of me,” She muttered. And inwardly did not add “you narcissist.” Because that would have been... rude.

Sam said something. And she nodded at Sam’s explanation, about Zek and him working together, and about Aura and the zombies and all of that. Made sense. And Zek cut in again and just kept on talking. And Sam said some things and Zek said some things and Lenna took it all in and was left with more questions than answers.

Kiss? Tried to kiss? Hang-glider? Sammy-poo?

She had thought Sam was strictly into females. But anyways. Business.

Sam had met magicians. Zek could store Aura. Again, more questions. But Wheels up in ten. She thought that meant they were leaving and judging by his comments, yes.

She would take lead. Interesting. She could do this thing.

Lenna said ”Yes.”

She would not advertise anything. This was strictly business. Not a joy ride. Even though she felt the man she had met on the street felt it was such.

Her, the lead. Very well.

”If I am to lead, okay. Wheels up in ten. Let us gather our gear. I also have a few recommendations.”

And she began rattling off a few things she suspected were already in the jet’s kit, as well as some weaponry from her own personal stash. There would likely be things she could not plan for, security they would have to meet using intelligence and mutation.

When she had gathered the things she had in her room, as well as a few crucial items she felt would be of use in this endeavor, she returned to the location Sam had specified for the jets hangar.

They all got buckled in and took off. Over the next several hours, she went over ideas. Out loud, sometimes, but mostly in her own head. She asked many leadership questions of Sam, but knew that ultimately, any plan they made would go up in the air at the first sight of the enemy.

So ultimately, she was operating in the dark and did not achieve much. She did teach Zek Poker though. Which she suspected he already knew, but was humoring her about. A crying shame that lacked a holographic monster chess table like in Star Wars to kill the time.

”Finally. These trips into Canada take hours.” Lenna sighed. Even with high tech jets. It took time.

Her nerves? They were a little jangled. The base? Visible, and looking obscure and unimportant.

She had changed during the trip, from her wild outfit to a dark jumpsuit. One with plenty of secure points for knives and her firearms. Her entirely legal knives and firearms, wink wink.

”So, as per our previous conversation during the flight Zek. Ball me when it is time to jump. You know the operation of your hang gliders better than I. When we get to the ground, release me. We will go from there.”

During the flight, she had gone over her power sets, and listened to the general descriptions of others power sets. Because that is what leaders do.

It should have been clear how Sam felt about Zek. The bounty hunter was annoying and seemed to enjoy pressing peoples buttons. Not only that but he wasn’t an X-man and didn’t have the training required to be brought along on a mission like this one but he did have his ability to capture and hold someone for a long length of time and that was all he needed in this situation for Sam to overlook his other faults.

The Ice manipulator ignored Zek for now as he walked to his blind side, no doubt oblivious to his sixth sense. That wasn’t something he advertised to strangers. It often gave Sam the edge.

The flight to Canada was in Sam’s opinion a short one compared to some of the other flights he had been on recently. Lenna must had never flown to Australia before, that was a long flight. After explaining to Shin the situation he for the most part kept quiet trying to get a little shut eye before they were where they needed to be. Sam however was listening to Lenna as she discussed her plan. One that relied on Zek a bit too much.

”I can get down there on my own, it’s important we stay low once we jump. I don’t want to set off any security measures. This is a stealth operation.” he let the comment hang in the air for a moment. Then went back to listening to Lenna’s briefing. Impressed Sam only gave information when asked as he made note of all of the other information that was given to him.

Once they were near the drop point Sam unbuckled and stretched, ”You guys ready? No radios on the ground or till we are ready to leave I don’t want them preparing for anything.” the ramp opened on the back of the jet and Sam walked to the edge. Waiting for Zek to make sure he was actually coming and didn’t chicken out.

Zek didn’t have any preparations he needed to make - he already had everything he needed - so he just followed Coleslaw around and snacking off his tray until they made it to the jet which apparently these X-people had under their mansion. Like, a whole hangar and everything. Now why hadn’t Catbird ever mentioned that?! This was primo information! But now Zek wouldn’t need to call the featherbutt for a flight since he had access to a whole jet!

He’d worry about learning how to fly a jet later. Didn’t everything have an autopilot or something these days?

The flight itse;f had been pretty dull, so Zek had been forced to amuse himself. Turns out, poker didn’t involve any Uno cards whatsoever, so he couldn’t use the standard cheat cards he had up his sleeves and in his socks. He’d spent much of the rest of the time exploring as much of the jet he figured he could get by with before Sammy really got annoyed with him (and not in a fun way) and finally painting his fingernails and toenails fluorescent blue.

“Hmm? Oh yeah, sure, no problem,” he said, only half paying attention as Linda repeated part of the plan. He was more focused on admiring his pretty fingers. He was going to make such an impression on the fight-club people! They might even use him in some of their ads! “Ball, fly, ball again. And Sammy doesn’t want my balls right now. Check.” Most of the information he’d given out about his powers had even been mostly accurate, if not embellished or glossed over, but he figured Linda had the gist. And it looked like Sam wouldn’t be needing to borrow Zek’s hang glider afterward. Eh, didn’t much matter to Zek.

“Yep, yeah, stealth all the way,” he said, tossing a half-hearted salute toward Jack Frost. “Don’t gotta worry about me.” Zek knew all about stealth and blending in and being completely unnoticed.

And then the time was upon them. “Wait, you guys got radios? Where’s mine? I’d like two please. And can you make mine black?” He wanted to color coordinate with his trenchcoat, of course.

And then the rear ramp was opening. “Alright, it’s go time!” Zek cried, bursting free from his chair and pulling on a set of goggles. He lobbed a golden ball at Lenna with a quick “here, hold this” and then charged at the ramp, blowing past No Chill who was so sloooow and dove out into the air. “Geronimoooooo!”

He dove down for quite some time before figuring it was time to start going horizontal. Scarlet light burst into existence under a hand for just a moment before a hang glider flashed into existence around him, Zek having positioned himself perfectly to automatically fit inside the straps and everything. He angled his glider to better catch the wind and smoothly and swiftly turned into a horizontal swoop until he made it to a decent landing spot just out of sight behind a bunch of trees.

After a heart-pounding landing that had definitely included an emergency inflatable bounce house, Zek put all his toys away and brought out Brown Hair Girl. “What next, Fearless Leader?” he said, having also brought out what was left of his snack tray.

Patrols in pairs, lazily walked about the island, the demeanor of professionals who had gone to long without something to do. Not once did they look up each armed with a rifle and a few with mystic powers. They mever even noticed the man with the bounce house, the brown haired girl or the ice man. The taller of the two, an Irishman grabbed his radio.

"All clear, in sector 3" he said setting it back on his belt, his partner glancing back at the stadium. He clearly wished to be tracking his bets. They then began moving, their patrol preset. "Just a few minutes and we can get lunch" He said to his friend.

---------------------

Aura watched wordlessly as the creature roared, almost shaking the stadium, packed with hundreds of rich, illicit betters. The thirty foot tall Summoned Tyrannosaur, ate the distance between them quickly, its strides measured in yards.

Aura easily dodged the half foot teeth, her own own blow drew a shallow cut as Aura was thrown back by the weight of the head despite not being bitten. She landed on her feet, her back touching the wall just a second before she charged the Dinosaur that had not missed a beat.

This time Aura leaped onto the Rex's head as it bent to bite her, aura sword plunged down into it's snout. Summon or not the creature seemed to feel pain and began to thrash, she formed a blade on her foot to attempt a better drip, but her sword ripped free and Aura struck the wall, the stone cracking at the impact. Dazed and stuck fifteen feet above the ground in the wall, the Dinosaur was able to grab her and bit down with it's teeth.

Aura could feel her Aura starting to give under the sheer force of it's bite. Calmly and wordlessly, her sword in the mouth of the beast flowed back to her elbow and into a chainsaw, bringing her elbow back she struck the gum of the monster, quickly tearing down to the bone as the chainsaw moved in a half circle as her defensive aura began to crack, Aura worked to sever the lower jaw of the dinosaur as quickly as she could, but the chainsaw was draining and harder to keep formed.

Then the pressure was gone as she got through enough of the jaw to almost completely separate it from the monster and Aura felt her back strike the cold ground moments later., only her aura, preventing the fall being fatel. as it was blood ran from the side of her head in drops as she stood as commanded watching as a very young mutant walked into the the Arena, maybe fifteen.
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The facility would have pairs of guards at each entrance, looking a bit more attentive then those patrolling, their were some camera;s as well on the building though they were not at all hidden. each entrance also had a few summoned dog like creatures, their moulths masses of tenticels.

Yep. “Stay low.” She agreed. Finished her briefing, and then— suddenly, they were ready to jump out of an aero plane

Lenna was not sure anyone is ever truly ready to jump out of an aero plane. Even moreso without a parachute. Perhaps she should have worn one, in case the whole Zek plan went sideways. But if in a life or death situation, surely she would learn how to use her powers to fly. Surely, he was a joker when sitting around but when push came to shove he could be relied upon to—

“Wait, you guys got radios? Where’s mine? I’d like two please. And can you make mine black?” Zek said.

… Lenna… packed herself into a parachute, just in case.

Worst case scenario, she would touch down on ground and take it off. Better to be safe.

Lenna slapped a round badge with a black X against a red background onto his lapel. She told him to press it if he needed to speak, and apologized for if the needle had pricked him or damaged his coat in any way whatsoever. Then, she gestured towards everything and said ”Lets go. Stay frosty.”

She did not look to Sam when making the frosty comment. She just did not.

>> And then the rear ramp was opening. “Alright, it’s go time!” Zek cried.

Lenna tried not to cry too. For entirely different reasons. Something gold streaked towards her and she caught it.

———————————
And suddenly, she was on the ground several hundred feet later, but no time had passed. Huh.

>> What next, Fearless Leader?” Zek said.

Lenna looked to the sky for signs of falling snow. ”We wait.” She said ominously.

Then she kneeled and got to work reassembling a long range run she had opted to strap to her body.

——

Back up on the plane, Shin called back to CS. ”I’ll pay attention for any pickup calls, and just fly for a bit out of LOS. I can see why you don’t like that guy. Kind of takes nothing seriously ever. Be safe down there Sam, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

——

The parachute pack slid off her back, onto the ground. There had been no need for it, which was fine. She supposed she ought to tell him to hold onto it so they did not merely waste mansion money.

”Hold onto this. Maybe you can tangle someone in the chute later if they annoy you.” she told him.

It was a really nice parachute rig, with a big black and red chute that had the X-man logo on it over the entire chute. Lenna figured it was gone forever. Oh well. Maybe Sam would remind them of it later.

Sam landed and Lenna directed them in towards the facility, and the arena.

From a distance, she was able to spot the guards, the cameras, the tentacle dogs. She lowered her binoculars and offered them to Sam so he could see as well. Zek, she had already given a monocular to… though maybe Sam and him ought to have swapped.

She explained what she saw, how each entrance she had noted seemed to have a pair of guards, and a few magic dogs. How there were cameras. They would need to come at the facility from an angle.

”We are by water. Can you do an icy mist?” She asked Cold Steel.

Lenna figured the trick was in his repertoire. Lower visibility like that would be helpful… though perhaps it would have been more natural if the weather had been different or the time of day— actually. They had left later in the day and flown through the night. It was early morning now, a mist coming off nearby water was not beyond the course of natural weather patterns. Luck was on their side.

”Lower visibility will not be able to trick dog noses. Leave the dogs to me.”

They moved. When they were close enough, Lenna took out the collapsible tranquilizer gun. In a series of quick shots, she took out the dogs then the two guards.

She told Sam to mist over the camera area. Then they breached the facility.

”Don’t abuse it and don’t get used to it.” Sam said wanting to give Lenna a look of disgust as she put the radio on Zek’s person. It was clear that Sam was annoyed by Zek. Given the situation he seemed all too relaxed. Sam was too but that was from years of missions like this. He earned it and if it meant saving Lenna or Zek because things went sideways. Well...

”I thought that was my line?” he asked Lenna smirking and not thinking about the mission going sideways. It was her mission, Sam wanted it to be successful not just for her but for those who were held captive by the other magic users.

After the golden ball of light was handed over to Lenna she vanished, and Zek dove into the air letting the glider take hold. Sam followed suit but instead of a hang glider formed some ice beneath his feet making it look like he was on a snowboard. The blinking red lights of the jet trailed off and Sam gave the jet a small nod. Shin would be on standby. It wasn’t like this was the first mission Sam went on with no immediate back up. Shin would at least have to land the plane before he could help.

Sam slowed himself then landed into a roll as Zek touched down a second before him. His hang glider vanished then Lenna appeared. Both created lights that made him cautious but after a moment of his thermal senses spreading out Sam relaxed a little glad no one else was around. ”Can’t wait too long.” Sam commented. There’s was a stealth mission which required the cover of night right?

”Right? Copy that.” he said not giving Shin much more to go on. Radio silence worked best if they were silent and right now Sam was getting into the mission. With two people who needed to be watched like a hawk. Lenna a student, and whatever Zek was.

”Don’t get used to it.” he whispered to Zek who was now in possession of something else with the X-person logo on it. ”Not bad.” Sam nodded his head turning towards Lenna and activating his power further. They already were at the point where they could all see their breath. A little more and the water rose into the air creating a dense fog around them.

Wanting to offer to handle the guards and dogs himself he watched Lenna aim with the skill of a marksmen taking out the guards. Next was the camera. Sam shot a blast of ice at it then looked to the wall. Time to scale it. Sam waved everyone close to him then formed a beam of ice beneath their feet. ”Going up.” he whispered. Bringing them to an open window.

Zek accepted the gifting of a brand-new parachute and tucked it away in another dimension with just another flashy ball. Now he had two parachutes! “Whatchu talkin’ ‘bout,” he said around a mouthful of meaty cheese as Sam Diego warned him about something. Zek absently fiddled with his snazzy new radio earpiece thingy, too. He was a total X-Men now! He was just still waiting on the uniform. And then the tailor he’d undoubtedly still have to go to because have you seen what the X-Men were wearing these days? So tacky!

Zek slid on a black ski mask to preserve his identity. Also because it was likely to get really cold around Frozen Wonder. The mask was the kind with a mouth opening, so everyone would still be able to clearly hear him talking to them and espousing such sage advice like he normally did. He readjusted his goggles back on over the mask.

Then Brown-Haired Girl announced dogs.

“D-d-dogs!?” Zek said in alarm. “No. No. No no. No no no nononononon. I don’t do dogs. Uh uh, no way, no how they’re--”

Brown-Haired Girl fired several times. Zek blinked. He stared through the monocular she’d given him and then glanced back at her with glittering eyes. “I like you!” he said. Now she was handy to have around! MAybe he could take her to see a certain dog pound he’d encountered…

“So what’d you use?” he asked as he followed his fellow X-Men, doing whatever an X-Men did. “Curare? Arsenic? Strychnine?” Zek always liked sharing notes on other people who shared his view on the war against dogs. At least these demons actually looked like themselves! Tentacle faces and everything! It was enough to make him shiver. Either that or it was the result of the sudden cold front.

Zek was the first one off the icescalator, by sheer virtue of shoving his way forward and climbing through the window. It was an office of some sort, spartan, sparsely furnished. One of the few concessions to comfort or personality was a large comfy rolling chair behind an exquisite, ancient oak desk. Zek promptly flopped into the chair and spun around a few times before finally kicking his heels up on the rune-carved surface of the desk.

“So did either of you bring the map of the place?” he said, licking the food tray clean.