You know him" gruffed Naveed letting his guard down a little looking at the two men. So far Iris has been the only one to speak to him. He was still rather cautious. "So what did they do at this place" he asked making small talk while picking things up and starting a pile for burning later. Soomething shiny in the dirt caught his eye. He moved to see what it was and saw the glint of something sharp sticking out of the ground. He'd uncover that when he put the next load down.

"You know him?"

"Um.... sort of...." Iris rubbed her eyes. Being constantly on guard and on edge wore at her reserves. Eventually she was going to get to the point where, if trouble started, she would probably look the other way, and let it sort itself out.

"So what did they do at this place?"

She sighed and walked back toward the wheelbarrow. "It was a school. For.... gifted youths. I didn't stay long, but there were a lot of kids, from what I remember. Mostly teenagers."

She moved the barrow toward the men, and began tossing smaller debris into it. She settled into what her Guardians called 'Farm Mode', focusing on one particular task in order not to get overwhelmed with the sheer magnitude of what they were doing. Actually, the work was similar to Spring Cleaning back home, clearing out the pastures once the winter storms passed enough to star shoveling, and the spring storms began blowing in winter trash. All that was missing was a horse or mule following her around to cause mischief.

Naveed bent down in the dirt and dusted it away to reveal the glint of silver he'd seen. He leaned over it and picked it out of the ground, a wave of nausea went over him. "Raina's tritant" he said holding the cylindrical object. He stood up and moved his hands acrossed it and it revealed itself unfolding into an inpenatrable weapon. He grinned to himself and collasped it again. He put it inside his belt and turned around to watch the interaction between Iris and the new comer, it seemed like they'd met before. He eyed the strange tattoo. So long as Iris wasn't upset he'd hold himseld back.

he wondered if the mutant had any psychic abilities...

<"Redemption??">

"Um... 'V' is still easier...." Iris remarked. "And no. No xmen, I don't think...."

She caught Virote's look loud and clear. She had no clue what it meant, but unless he called her out further about her own secret, she wasn't about to mention his, not in front of the others. Self-preservation was a powerful motivator, even more so than curiosity. She'd ask him later, in private. Maybe. Though she did quirk an eyebrow at the 'Snow' nickname, considering her hair was blond again. Though, her skin was still pretty pale; she'd have to do something about that, maybe find a tanning salon somewhere. She glanced up at the sky. It was getting warmer, what with Spring and all. Maybe New York's Spring sun would be enough....

Naveed retrieved something from the growing pile. "Raina's tritant."

Iris narrowed her eyes in thought as he unfolded the weapon. She vaugely remembered Raina showing her that, when she first met her. But.... she couldn't remember what it did....

"What's that for?" she asked him. "It's beautiful." <"And dangerous-looking...."> she added silently.

"What's an x-men?" grumbled Naveed rather annoyed at being destracted from the weapon. He held it into the sky and watched the glint of the sun and rolled it over and over again. "it's an ancient tribal weapon." he remarked to Iris. "Not as Damgerous as it looks, more used to center the warrior using it and Raina wasn't much of a warrior, I think the elders expected it would help her control her power- like a relic of sorts." he stood thoughtful to himself a little ignorant to the others.

"What's an x-men?"

"well I'm interested in joining them if you guys now where I could get a hold of one."

Iris remained silent. If any of the xmen were in hiding, more than likely they had ended up at the Labs, with the other refugees. Hunter hadn't told her of any; then again, she hadn't asked. She had a list of those in the camps, but not at the Labs, though Crystal might be able to get one. Not that a list would do her any good. She didn't know who was an xmen and who wasn't.

She shook her head. She was confusing herself already. Best to concentrate on the job ahead. She hefted the wheelbarrow up, rolled it over and dumbed it on top of the pile. Then she widened the work circle, moving further out to gather.

"it's an ancient tribal weapon. Not as Damgerous as it looks, more used to center the warrior using it and Raina wasn't much of a warrior, I think the elders expected it would help her control her power- like a relic of sorts."

Iris relaxed a bit, managing a small smile. "That's good. Control's always good to have."

She turned to pick up a board, and nearly tripped on a pile of crushed rock and gravel. It looked to have one been part of the outer wall, though it was considerably out of place.

"Be right back," she announced, and headed back toward the shed to fetch one of the shovels.

Once out of earshot, Crystal spoke up from inside the phone. "You sure manage to attract some strange friends, Rayne." She used Iris's given name. Iris frowned.

"I know. It's disconcerting."

"Most of the xmen are in the camps."

"You know who they are?"

"Chip programmed me to work with the Danger Room computers, remember? Fade is the only one unaccounted for, and she was seen around the Labs with the first refugees."

"Oh."

After a long silence, Crystal prompted, "Are you going to tell him?"

Iris paused. Finally she replied, "I'm not sure I trust him yet."

Silence answered her, Crystal's electronic way of agreeing. Iris headed back with the shovel, her expression thoughtful and distracted.

ooc: sorry it took me so long!

ic:

Naveed eyed the newcomer wearily. "She is my younger sister." he grunted. "a cop put her in the camps. A dead beat cop who has his coming" he collasped the triton and stashed it away in his belt.

"So you can fly" he said trying to conceal his interest. "I always heard of mutants who could fly. Saw one with wings once. But never sa 'em fly. Imagine it would be quite the thrill"

Iris returned in time to catch Virote's report about Raina. Her frown deepened. How did he know what was going on in the camps??

Her eyebrows went up in surprise when he claimed to have been there. Had she seen his name on the list?? Well, maybe. She didn't really remember; at the time she'd only been searching for her friends.

Now she was really confused. Who exactly was this guy? She needed to find out, preferably in private. If he was a mutant, she wasn't sure she could take him, even with the clear gem. But she didn't want to risk possibly calling him out with others around. The truth would have to wait.

She began shoveling the gravel into the wheelbarrow, while the two men talked.

"You want to go up? I can go pretty fast, if you are up for, but some people get nausea from the trip, just a heads up."

Fly.... she paused to consider if any of her mutations could help her survive from a high fall. Maybe the shadow. Being dropped should definitely scare her into being able to morph. But could she actually hit the ground unharmed?

Oooo.... wait.... That gem only worked in the dark. Or at least dim light. Hm, no good.

She bit her lip thoughtfully.

Naveed bursted with Pride as the man spoke about his sister. A smile even creeped to his face. "Raina." he breathed. "I am proud of her. I will get her out. My friend and I- we are taking part in the raid."

He listened to the man speak of flying. Could he handle it? He was a pretty heavy set guy- navi. But his curiosity was getting the best of him. Plus, he could use a friend or two down here. If the guy tried any funny stuff he'd just order him to land.

"Sure, if you can handle me. Heavier than I look." he said starting to unload some of his weapons and tools to make himself lighter. There began a sufficiently sized pile on the ground.

ooc; eep, sorry again so short!

Iris's surprise, and the height of her eyebrows, grew in relation to the pile forming besides Naveed. Who in the world had she managed to befriend this time???

When Virote took to the air with Naveed in his grip, a jaw drop added itself to her twisted expression.

"Okay," she muttered, "that's it. I'm locking myself in my room, and I'm never, ever coming out again."

"Do you have any idea how ridiculous that would be?" Crystal snerked from inside the phone. "Not to mention impractical. So you're a bad judge of character. Big deal. Build a bridge and get over it."

Iris rolled her eyes. "And do you realize how cliche that is?"

She started back a few steps as the men returned to the ground.

" You're next if ya like." Virote turned to her, and her eyebrow shot up once more.

"Wha?? Who, me?? Oh! Ah..... actually, I don't know. I mean, not that I don't trust you...." That was a bold-faced lie. "Uh, I mean... well, that is.... erhmm....."

Why in the world did she have to start stuttering now? How simple would it be to say, 'Thanks for the offer, but no, because I don't trust you not to drop me, since I don't know who you really are?' Really, that was simple. Wasn't it?

She glanced around for something, anything, to give her an excuse to say no.

(OOC: Permission given to gmod and scoop her up if you'd like. lol)

A rather undignified squeak left Iris's lungs as she found gravity abruptly lacking. Instinctively she grabbed at Virote's neck to keep from falling. The further her feet went from the ground, and her stomach, the faster her heart pounded. About the time he leveled out, she had frozen. Literally.

Her ice gem activated at some point along the way, turning her hair and eyes blue. At least, her eyes would be blue, if she dared to open them. Her skin, as usual, also frosted over, taking on a bluish tint.

"Well Snow, your hair ruins my nickname for you, but it becomes you."

"S-s-sorry!" she stammered. "You c-can call me wh-whatever you want, j-just please don't drop me!"

Several things floated through the back of her mind, the first being that her voice sounded oddly high-pitched when she was scared. Second? She really, really, really hoped he wasn't planning on dropping her.....

"I wouldn't think of dropping you, if I can carry the lug back down there I can surely manage to carry you, Snow."

Moving as they were didn't allow for her icy breath to form its usual fog. That, plus she was holding her breath at first.

<"Breathe, Iris. Breathe.... Slowly....."> Well, slow wasn't happening right at that moment, and Virote's next statement didn't help the situation.

"So you are a mutant!"

"Uh... yeah...." Kind of hard to hide that fact now.

"How did you get mixed up in the C.O.H.!"

"Long story....."

"And who is Darren?"

Iris gulped again. "Um.... well...."

"I...am just so curious about you, I am sorry,but we need to talk, I figured privately would be preferable."

"Heh.... private.... yeah...." She managed to unglue one eye, but immediately wished she hadn't. "Oooo! That's high!" She promptly glued her eye shut again.

This situation was waaaaaay beyond awkward now, even without the Ice gem's influence. And because she still wasn't sure she trusted him, despite his earlier claim her only current thought was, "If I answer his questions, maybe he won't drop me."

"Darren's not Darren he's Hunter we went undercover in the Church to stop the Registration and he nearly wiped out the Council 'cause I couldn't help but they're too crazy fanatic and I left after the mob went crazy played sick and..... Oooo! That's high!"

Apparently fear impacted her use of language skills. As her babbling continued, the ice reacted to her emotions, slowly forming and spread over her body in patches, mainly where his body contacted hers.

"Antesque is your husband!?!"

"Eww! No way!" Just that little statement was enough to momentarily jerk her out of her gem-induced acrophobia. Until she looked down again. "Father! Hesmyfather! S-sort of!" And her eyes clamped shut again.

" We can finish this conversation on the ground if you wish-"

"Ground is good!" she interrupted, and nodded vigorously.

"-though if you would open your eyes and trust me, it is honestly beautiful up here. I promise, you are safe. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Not your fault! M-mine! S-sorry Part of the mutation! S-sorry!"

By that point her voice was so high it was squeaking, and she was having trouble catching her breath.

<"This is ridiculous!"> she chided herself mentally. <"Just shut the stupid thing off!">

Which she did. However she forgot the small side effect. For a few seconds after deactivating a gem she blacked out, and her grip loosened. When she came around, she had a massive headache, and was blushing furiously.

" Iris, are you alright? We are on the ground."

<"I noticed...."> Though her eyes did cross a bit as her balance returned.

"Good! good you are awake. are you ok? We are on the ground again, You're ok."

"Yeah. Thanks."

Iris really hoped her face wasn't as red as it felt. Though she doubted it, especially with how close Virote was at the moment. And now she had less than four minutes to get herself under control, before another gem decided to take over. With her luck, it would be the Sonic gem.....

She cleared her throat and pulled away from his hand, attempting at nonchalance. She took a deep breath and stood up, wobbling a bit.

"It's okay, I'm all right. My mutation's just a bit.... unstable. Just was a bit startled is all. No harm done."

"well, at least we have both established a bit of who we are, to be frank, I would like to get to know you better. preferably not by extorting information from you in the air."

She didn't think it was possible for her face to feel warmer, but somehow it happened. And she wasn't quite sure how to respond.

"Erm, well...." She scratched at her shoulder nervously, and cleared her throat again. Looking around she spotted her dropped shovel. "Um.... probably better finish cleaning up that pile, before..... you know.... Um.... moving to the next. Yeah...."

She retrieved the tool and retreated to the debris pile, doing her best to focus solely on the gravel. She did determine that the instant her body reset, she was going for the Liquid gem, before any of the others had a chance to respond.

ooc: sorry guys, didnt mean to get behind, just a little short one here, lol

ic:

Naveed barely had a chance to be impressed when the man grabbed him and flew into the air. It was after when his feet were back on the ground and his head a little dizzy that he revelled in it. "Wow." he said with earnest. "Now that was something."

He sat down in a bewildered sort of way as the mutant moved to the girl and did the same thing. He wasn't sure how long he'd been up there but was sure they'd been up there longer. Seemed like they were talking. Naveed sat sort of awestruck for a while watching the sky. He moved to his pile of things and staretd putting them back in their places.