((I AM EXTREMELY SORRY FOR THE DELAY! I've been grounded. Grades...))



Fade squashed her face in her typical odd manner. She was thinking. "Have you searched everywhere that might mean something to her? I did not know her terribly well, but everyone's got somewhere that they would go in a time of distress." Fade remembered her old homes. Each place was a sanctuary when times became rough. One was in the mall, actually, the ceiling of the mall. Others were in abandoned warehouses, alleys, dumpsters, drains. At one point in time, she had grouped with a few run-away mutants, but left them due to some confusion and her nomadic ways.

"Don't you worry, professor, we'll find her soon enough. She's a tough girl with an amazing mutation, I'm sure no one has taken her and she is just looking for you." She attempted to calm him, yet she knew how it felt. Unfortunately, her search for Raph had been a failure yet she was too much in love with him to move on.

"Speaking of lost lovers, have you seen or heard from Raph lately? I have searched everywhere for him and I still cannot locate him. No cagefighter has heard from him either and I'm growing weary from the searches." She sighed. As much as she wanted to move on, she could not. Who would she move on to? Who could be her Raph? Seemed that no one could replace him.

"Yes, sorry, this gentleman here is interested in the X-Men. He's a bit too fast to keep interest for too long, but it surprises me how well he has adapted to his mutation. We could use him, but you know how long our processes are." She smiled, remembering when she was accepted as an X-Man. It took her a long time to be accepted and she and Raph did it together.

> " Sorry, don't think we've been introduced, I'm Professor Ezekiel White."

Andy takes the man’s hand carefully, not so much shaking it as holding it firmly.
He’s never been any good at handshakes, since his mutation emerged… like eye contact and conversations, they depend on a kind of rhythm-synchronization that normal people do instinctively, but he has to work at, and often flubs. Still, refusing to take the man’s hand would be rude.

Besides which, it gives him an opportunity to inspect his bracelets more closely. They don’t seem like decorations at all, really… too industrial, too bulky. Downright ugly, really, and not at all in keeping with the rest of the man’s clothes.

"Andy… Richter," he replies, forming each word distinctly and carefully, knowing they’ll come out as a bit of a blur anyway but hoping it won’t be too bad. He pulls two printed card out of his pocket on which the word “Speed” is printed, along with an secure email address (“[e-mail]”) that can reach him anonymously, and places them in Glare and Fade’s hands.

> " I'm assuming you’re mutant, well so am I... so I guess we're in the same ball club."

That earns a smile… not a broad one, necessarily, but a sincere one nonetheless. This is what he’d come to New York for, after all – to meet other mutants, to feel like part of something. It wasn’t working out quite the way he’d anticipated, but maybe it was going to be OK after all.

He nods in agreement, slowly and deliberately. "I guess so. Pleasure."

The two go back to discussing their shared acquaintances, but Andy makes more of a point of paying attention now that Glare has included him. Fade has some good suggestions for how to find Glare’s girlfriend, and apparently has lost a lover of her own. Andy gets the impression there’s a lot of that going on, lately. He takes a long moment to make eye contact with each of them before asking, "Pictures?" He sees a lot of people as he wanders around the city, he might recognize the people they’re looking for if he knows what they look like.

> " Yes, sorry, this gentleman here is interested in the X-Men. He's a bit too fast to keep interest for too long, but it surprises me how well he has adapted to his mutation. We could use him, but you know how long our processes are. "

It’s a long speech, and Andy’s growing excitement at the mention of the X-Men makes it even longer, but he hangs on every word. This is actually happening! They’re talking about me joining the X-Men! His body turns into a bit of a blur as he finds himself unable to either remain still or keep his speed factor under control.

Her comments about how long the process takes he more or less ignores, for now… one thing at a time. He’s made contact, he’s got them thinking about it. Now, he just needs to impress them with what he can do.

The notepad he was using to communicate with Fade is still there, and he takes a split-second to write on it: “The other X-Men are in the government’s concentration camps, right? So we should work together to get them out. Once the team is back together we can free the other mutants and put a stop to all of this.” He puts the note in Glare’s hand.

Zeke's anxiety was starting to wear down. Fade seemed normal enough, and there wasn't the wristband on her arm. It was likely she hadn't been caught yet (or given in) and she was kind of unaware of what was going on with the whole camp and re-education for mutants thing. He wasn't really positive on all of it himself, but he was informed enough to be afraid. Very afraid.

But right now, his fear was for Evie. "Thanks for your encouragement Fade." He smiled a bit and showed his teeth. It wasn't very often he smiled anymore, so it felt good. "I'm sure I'll find her too, it will just take some time. She can handle herself in most situations, but I fear if she was outnumbered..." his fear crept back in and wouldn't let him finish the sentence. He had to keep hope after all.

"So, Raphael... yeah." He shook his head slowly and sadly. "I'm sorry, I haven't seen him around anywhere. It's possible he's hiding out with the camps and everything going on..." After she sighed, his put his hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes with a sad smile. "We'll find them girl, we have to."

He turned back to the speed mutant and took the card. Andy. He pocketed it in his normal black pants and stared back as Fade talked about Andy's wanting to join the X-Men. So didn't every good mutant these days. Heck, Glare himself had wanted to be an X-Man, but that hadn't worked out. Tricity hadn't trusted him enough, and Glare hadn't spent the time to earn her trust. In the end it was mutual. He wasn't meant to be an X-Man at that time... and probably never. "Yeah, you and Raph were a great team as part of the group... I'm glad you two made it through the process. This one here," he motioned to Andy, "could make it if he put in the time and effort, but then again, the X-Men are always into trouble, and right now they're on the bad side of the law... maybe someday that'll turn around."

He watched as the kid zipped around in a blurred fashion. He was pretty darn fast... maybe more than he could control. He would have to learn control. Zeke kept the kid in mind, if he would ever prove useful to a furture cause. Andy handed him a note and he nodded back. "We may make a break on the camps, but I don't think now is the right time. If Evie is in there, I may have another way to get her out."

He turned back to Fade. "There's not much more for us here... do you have a place to stay? If not, I have an extra room over in my flat in Manhattan."

OOC: How's the situation with Severity going? Would it be possible for you to play her on a provisional basis? It would be really helpful if I knew, because I could use that in my government group plot, it would be a fantastic reason for Glare to agree to the deal (a good plot detail). Please let me know...

"I sure hope we find them. This isn't the first time Raph has run off, then again, I haven't been too permanent of a resident either. But I always come back. I just don't get what's going on. I had heard a cagefighter was out for him, but I need to talk to Deathstar before I can even think about confirming that." Deathstar was not a favorite at the sister school, in fact, if Fade could remember right, she and Glare had a bit of an argument. Then again, Fade and Deathstar hated each other until Raph came around and proved that the two actually had more in common than they chose to believe.


Fade took Andy's card and pocketed it as well, after glancing over it for a moment. If there was one thing the once-homeless girl did not know how to use well, was the internet. She knew how to use the Danger Room computer, ironic, for it is much more complex than the internet is, supposedly. Her eyebrow raised at the e-mail address, she had never seen one before. Maybe it was his alias. With a nod of "understanding" she thanked Andy for his card and continued in on the conversation.

"Yes, the process is quite long and I think it takes much dedication, yet if you have the heart, the will, and the commitment, and you fight for the righteous, it only takes about a year...ish." She added. "Raph was much better than I, he was the muscles and I was the scout." It did not make sense why she kept holding on to him, it was like she would never let him go. Only one explanation for her refusal to let him go, she had really fallen in love with him. Simply the word love scared the young redhead, but there was no other explanation for her thinking of him so often. He was always there in her mind, always lingering, never leaving her be. It was hopeless to forget him.

"I do have a place of my own, but it was one of my old hideouts, well, I spread out and don't stay in one place for more than a night, so I guess it's about twelve old hideouts. It's comfy...enough." They weren't, really. The only place she looked forward to staying in was the ceiling of the mall, so she could phase through the mattress store and have a lovely bed, or nick a few clothes from the K-Mart along with food. Now a shower...that was hard. She would bathe herself in the sink, it was a long process. Yet ever since she had been living at the mansion, hygiene was essential.

"What about you, Andy? Do you have somewhere to stay?" She would not invite him to Glare's, no, that would be rude. She just wanted to make sure and if Glare offered, then it would not be rude. Her cautious attitude for Andy seemed to disappear, but it was daytime and Glare was there as well, so she would be on her guard if he were to stay in the same place as she and/or Glare.

((That's fine. I can roleplay as her until she returns. School's been kicking our butts. I'll remind her))

OOC: Excellent... I guess it would be best if Evie was in the camps, and Zeke cuts a deal with Gwen for Evie's being returned to him, if he agrees to lead the new government group. I'll PM Calliope about it.

Ezekiel could see in her eyes that she was truly missing Raph with all her heart. It was a horrible thing to see another human being deprived of true love... especially being in the same position yourself. It was a rough moment with an awkward silence for a few seconds, then Fade had continued talking. When she was done...

"Yeah, Deathstar and me didn't really get along. She was a reckless student with a bad attitude." He told it like he saw it. "I'm speaking the truth when I say she's probably the person I've missed the least from the mansion."

He went silent again, thinking for a few seconds. Evie's facwe came to his mind with a flash and stuck there, he couldn't get her out. Sometimes we want to move on and sometimes the past won't let us. This was one of those moments.

"If Evie is in the camps, I'll find her. She'll find me. I'm sure it will all work out. Same with Raph, he will be found, or he'll find you. If you're meant to be together... which I'm sure you are." He tried to smile and speak as confidently as possibly, which was an utter failure. He didn't know if he believed what he was saying or not.

"I'm glad you have a place. But if you want some good accomidations for the time being, something more comfortable and very safe, you're welcome to stay at my place in the extra bedroom, any time." He sighed, realizing that no place was truly safe for a mutant in a currently anti-mutant world. Still, with all the security measures of his flat, it was probably the most safe place in town.

When Fade asked Andy about his home, Zeke's heart leapt in fear for a second. He didn't know the boy well enough, and he certainly didn't trust him. Fade was more offering Zeke to take him, rather than inviting him herself. Zeke saw through this and tried to stop it, but it was too late. Before he could even lift his hand, Fade had already asked the question. Oh well... He decided to wait and see what the kid said before he got into it.

> the X-Men are always into trouble, and right now they're on the bad side
> of the law... maybe someday that'll turn around."

Andy stares incredulously at White for what feels like a long time, though from the outside it’s little more than a quick glance. ‘On the bad side of the law’? That’s going into competition for biggest understatement of the 21st century. News flash: they passed a law pretty much making it illegal to be a mutant! We’re all on the bad side of the law!

Actually, now that he thinks about it, it’s the three of them who are breaking the law by walking around free – the rest of the X-Men followed the law by registering. Which is, of course, why the rest of the X-Men are the ones in prison. Perfectly sensible legal practice… in the Bizarro world! Not that there’s any point to saying that out loud. No doubt White already knows all of that, anyway.

Far more important is the way the man talks about the X-Men in the third person… Andy had thought he was a member himself, but apparently not. And even more important is his dismissal of the camp breakout idea – “not the right time,” Andy decides, being the polite form of “I don’t want to.” Based on their conversation, he and Fade seemed more interested in finding their lovers than rescuing their teammates.

> "What about you, Andy? Do you have somewhere to stay?"

Fade’s use of his name catches his attention, and he realizes he’s been woolgathering. They’d been talking about Fade staying with White, and judging from the expression on the man’s face that was the last thing he wanted. I’d hate to put you to any trouble, he thinks a little bitterly.

He nods, slowly enough to be understood. "Hotel."

He considers giving the two of them his room number, but decides against it… they have his email address if they need to reach him, and he’s more comfortable with email than face-to-face conversations anyway, and it’s not like they really have anything more to discuss.

"I should go. Good luck." He’s not entirely sure if he’s slow enough to be understood, but it doesn’t seem worth the effort to slow down for just a bit of polite small-talk.

Being honest with himself, he has to admit that his annoyance with White and Fade is really just his own guilt talking.

When he’d registered in Boston, his folks had pulled some strings to keep him out of the Camps; he hadn’t had any idea what the real situation was, but his primary reaction when he’d found out had been relief that he wasn’t suffering there.

He’d stayed home for a long time after that… it feels like years… trying to be OK with it… but ultimately he just wasn’t. He has these powers, after all… he’s supposed to do something with them, not just sit back and let other mutants be tortured and killed instead of him. In the end, even his parents had agreed, albeit reluctantly.

Still, thus far all he’s really done is run around town, meet some people, talk a good game. He hasn’t actually done anything.

It’s time for that to change, he decides, and jogs off in the direction of his hotel room.

He should be able to find at least the location of the Camp via the Internet, and with a little luck maybe even some information about its layout and construction.

(( OOC: Dropping off thread. ))

"Thanks for the offer, Professor White, I'll have to consider." She nodded, pushing out thoughts of Raph. Now if he had ever found out she was going to stay with another man, even his adamantium blood would freeze over. So, she pushed him out again. Seemed the more she pushed him out, the more he invaded her thoughts. Oh well, Zeke is a Professor and he's already in love with another student, and I don't see Raph anywhere anyways. And he knows I love him and he knows...well...it's stupid to even think about him thinking about this from this perspective... her face scrunched up in an odd fashion. What was she even thinking about? She became lost in her own thoughts. Go figure.

Her face turned into that of a suppressor when she saw Zeke's reaction to Fade asking Andy about where he is staying. Lips pressed together, she suppressed her smirk and laugh. Of course he would act like this! It wasn't as if she would bring Andy to Zeke's place. If Andy didn't have a place of his own, she could tell by Zeke's expression, that he would not be staying at Professor White's place. So most likely, had he accepted, she would bring him to the mall and phase him into the mattress place and then just leave him in there for the night while she slept in the model beds, even though they were small, in K-Mart. She'd have to sleep invisible, but she was used to that. After all, most of her life, she had her raptor-like claws invisible.

Turning invisible was as simple as riding a bike. It was tough to learn the first few times and then she became so well adapted that if she so wished, she could turn her skin invisible so the organs and muscle tissue and bones could be seen. She would be the perfect anatomy teacher...too bad she knew nothing about what was in her body other than how they were all different colors.

"hot'l" Fade raised an eyebrow as she attempted to figure out what Andy had just said, but she slowed down the word in her head and figured out he was saying "hotel". She smiled, primarily at Zeke and then shot her attention back to Andy as he quickly said something that she dared not disassemble and dash off.

"That was weird." She spoke as he ran off. "Such a talented mutant, too bad he can't slow down enough to keep his attention. Professor White, I could have just taken him to the mall. I can sleep where he can't reach...or see." It was true. If she wanted, she could phase through a wall and then just stay there, she wouldn't be using her phasing powers, but she could just climb up to the ceiling, phase through in a laying down position and only have her face sticking out to breath while being invisible. Then again, that would cause blood to flow to the head and could cause her to loose control of her powers. Ouch. She would phase out of the ceiling fall flat on her face on the floor.

Yes, better he had a place to stay. I'm sure he'd be completely bored while we sleep anyways. I do hope he finds a best friend that can slow down time or something like that, he's probably already back to his place by now. She mentally chuckled. "I might just take you up on that offer. I haven't had company in a long time and tonight is the warehouse night...I don't really want to sleep there." That's right. It was the warehouse night! So she wouldn't even be able to pull that off with the mall thing anyways. What a waste of thinking.

((PM me when you have the details))

Meanwhile Zeke was completely oblivious to the mental struggle going on inside Fade's mind. In fact, he wasn't even looking for tells to try and figure out what she was thinking. For the first time in a long time he had completely zoned out and was thinking completely of Evie. It really was time for him to do something about it.

Time to make a call or check a local phone book. She might be able to be found that way. Or maybe through the camps. Yes, if Evie was in the camps it would make sense for Zeke to do something about it. Actually, it would be completely foolhearty. You can't risk exposing yourself. Then again... she's all you have. You need her. You need to find her. Do it Zeke. Check the camps. Right then and there he decided what he was doing when he got the first safe oppurtunity. He would call the camps and check to see if she were there. Maybe as her father??

He watched as Andy bulleted away, he looked a little upset. Maybe Zeke shouldn't have been so hard on him. Didn't matter. In a society like this one, where the simplest Simon had the ability to get any mutant thrown in a concentration camp, it wasn't a time to trust people five minutes after meeting them. No, he had done the right thing.

Zeke responded to Fade's comments on Andy, "Yeah, he's talented but a little too taken with his power I think. I remember when I was his age and obsessed with mine. I went way overboard, and I'd be worried he's going to too. Still, I don't trust him. I'll keep him in mind though..." His mind raced and finished the sentence, he may come in handy later." He shook his head at himself for thinking of using someone like that. These weren't times to be friends with everyone though. Sometimes, rough decisions had to be made in order to stay alive and achieve otherwise impossible goals. Andy might be a solid asset later. Shame on you... your almost as bad as the Order in your thinking... He pushed the thought aside.

"Yes, you could have taken him to the mall, but you couldn't have trusted him. I know your powers are amazing... I've seen you do some incredible things. But he may have some secondary mutation we don't know about. You never know..." Evie... where are you?

He turned his head back to Fade as she accepted his offer to go back to the flat with him. "Good. You'll be safe at my place. We can take my car... it's not the best of vehicles, but it gets the job done. We'll drive into town and you'll be unnoticed, plus I can help you evade the Stalkers in other ways." He gestured to the wristband he was wearing. "Maybe back at my place we discuss Evie and Raphael a little more."

Zeke led the way back to his car and hopped in the driver's side, waiting for Fade...

OOC: You can go ahead and finish up the thread by Fade responding, getting in the car, and you can RP me driving away, headed into Manhattan. If you wanted to we can RP a talk on the drive over there, or we can just carry on the conversation in the "Zeke's Manhattan Flat" post I'm going to make. Your call.

I'll PM you with the details on Severity.

Fade had pushed all of her thoughts out of her head and stood in an odd fashion. Her leg was bent slightly while the rest of the weight hovered over her straight leg. The perfect pose if someone wished to bump the back of her knee and cause her to topple over. But who would do that? That was dumb. Her mouth was slightly open and her eyes squinted. If you didn't know any better, it'd appear she was analyzing something so deeply that it was sucking out her brain power, yet she was doing no such thing. She was blank.

K. So she was going to stay over at Zeke's place. Andy. That was a thought. Andy's fast little body and slightly overuse of his power. Then again, was she overusing her power? Phasing and being invisible a lot? Nah. Andy was pretty fast though. And in these times...she paused. She did not even know she was thinking. She frowned and stopped thinking again. She wanted to be as little distractable as possible. If distractable is a word...hmm...NOPE! Just get in the car and shut up!

"Sounds like a plan." She smiled before jumping into the car and buckling up. He started up the engine and they drove away from the mansion. Her old home. Her only real home. I hope it's fixed up soon. I want to go home! We need serious construction. That's not very cool. She continued to think about the mansion even when it had gone out of sight and the two sped off to Zeke's place.

((we'll just assume this at your place then))

OOC: Excellent! Continued here: theultimatexmen.proboards26.com/index.cgi?board=newyorkstate&action=display&thread=1207262788&page=1#1207262788