His gambit worked and Drew was able to regain control of the fight for a few seconds. Pity he'd interrupted her while she was talking but all was fair in love, war, and kicking the crap out of someone. Unfortunately she'd had the bright idea to grab his arms. He tugged on them in a futile effort to resume pummeling her.

"Yeah well, dating's a pain and women are trouble."

With his arms in lockdown Drew had to think fast on what to do. What he thought of was perhaps not the most brilliant tactic known to man or mutant but what the heck.

Drew headbutted Maya.

And immediately regretted it.

"Ooh, bad idea." he moaned as he tugged his arms out of her grip to clutch his skull.

"You realize you have an incredibly hard head?" was his witty comment as he rolled/staggered off of Maya to sit on the ground beside her.

>>"Yeah well, dating's a pain and women are trouble."

"Yeah tell me 'bout it" Maya growled, scratching his arms as she tried to break free. His shirt was getting torn.
This ain't what it looks like.

And then, he headbutted her.
Having the floor behind her head did not help with the impact at all.

>>"Ooh, bad idea... You realize you have an incredibly hard head?"

Andrew rolled off her. She remained lying on her back, having too many bruises and wounds to clutch with only two hands.

"Ya f*** up" she told him, catching her breath "Shoulda gone for the nose."

Headbutts. Much more painless for the winner if not done forehead-to-forehead.

Maya felt too weak to move, and hurting in places she did not even know existed. For now, she was just content breathing. And seeing stars.

Headbutts. Still effective on the loser, no matter what.

"Yeah, I'll remember that next time I have to headbutt someone"

Drew staggered to his feet and offered a hand to Maya. It had been a good fight. He was sore and bruised all over. It would take a few days for him to look like he hadn't just been mauled.

Over all he felt pretty good.

A relaxed smile played across his face. That had done plenty to get rid of tension and his overly excited mood.

"Nice fight. We'll have to do that again sometime."

He was completely serious. Having someone to spar with that wouldn't hold back in an effort to teach felt good.

>>"Yeah, I'll remember that next time I have to headbutt someone"

Maya chuckled. useful information like that, it was rare even in Sam's classes. Maybe the rookie will surprise him with a broken nose next time... that would be a sight to behold.

She accepted the hand, and was pulled to her feet. It hurt. But at least it hurt good.

>>"Nice fight. We'll have to do that again sometime."

"I'll take you up on that" she grinned, looking him over "Erm, I'm sorry for the... all that." she waved at the bruises, scratches, wounds and torn shirt "Jus' needed to blow of steam, an' it was this, or angry sex. But I don' do guys, so." she smirked, punching him in the shoulder "Wanna get a drink?"

Nothing like a drink after a fight.

He nodded. Maya liked the idea of fighting again as much as he did. Drew waved off her apology for the scratches and what not.

"It's fine. It was a fight. All is fair yadda yadda yadda."

Apparently she had been mad but her explanation of her choices for fixing that put just a bit of color in his cheeks and a grin on his face.

"More's the pity or I'd offer."

He winked cheekily at her. Now the invitation out to drinks was another matter all together. He didn't know Maya all that well and he had decided not to drink with strangers again. However she was an X-Man and he was infinitely more likely to trust an X-Man. Plus they weren't exactly strangers now that they'd beaten each other silly.

"Sure. I'll buy."

It was the least he could do for a senior member of the team and someone who'd given him such an excellent fight.

>>"It's fine. It was a fight. All is fair yadda yadda yadda. More's the pity or I'd offer."

Maya grinned. The guy had spirit. For a moment she really was sorry she did not like guys. Would it be easier to deal with them than women? Maybe it would. They were easier in general. And Andrew was kind of easy on the eyes...
... nah. Still not interested.

"You'd die" she grinned at him. That was that.

As for the offer, that sounded a lot better.

>>"Sure. I'll buy."

"Works for me" she nodded, then looked down at herself. She looked as if she had been in a bar fight before they arrived to the bar. "Should we go like this, or try to look decent?..."

Drew pantomimed his heart break at being denied. One hand grasped his chest.

"Oh my poor heart, it aches with the sting of your rejection!"

Then he laughed. His cheeks were a bit red from the flirting, as he still wasn't used to it. However it was getting easier. Maya gave her self a glance over and that made Drew take a look at himself. He looked horrible.

"A change of clothes I think. At least. We look like we just went three rounds with a pair of rabid scissors or something."

Maybe Allison's influence was hanging around longer than he thought? Probably just the tattoo. Drew glanced at the vines for a moment and then back at Maya.

"Meet ya down in the foyer in ten minutes?"

>>"A change of clothes I think. At least. We look like we just went three rounds with a pair of rabid scissors or something. Meet ya down in the foyer in ten minutes?"

Maya nodded and clapped her hands; the DR created a mirror right next to her.

"I'll race you" she grinned back at Andrew before she walked into the mirror and disappeared.

Ten minutes later Maya was in the foyer mirror, hair brushed and pulled into a short ponytail, wearing a clean tank top and shorts. She looked almost presentable, minus the scratches and bruises and the raw knuckles.
All right, so she looked like a victim of domestic violence. Including the trademark black eye. This was going to be one fun trip to the city.

Why had she had the DR make a mirror for her? That was answered when she challenged him to a race and walked into the mirror. That...seemed really familiar actually. Drew knew he'd seen someone do exactly that before. It also seemed like it had been a while since he'd seen whoever had done it. Drew thought about it as he headed up to his room. No point racing against a girl that could walk through mirrors. He was fast but he wasn't that fast. He took about three minutes tops to pull on a fresh shirt and pants. He still looked horrible but at least his clothes were clean and whole.

He headed down to the foyer still in thought. It seemed like whoever it was had been a guy. Name started with a G. Gary? Gabe? Garth? Gawain? Yeah, Gawain sounded right. Then Drew remembered. He'd met the guy the day he'd met Kate. He had pulled exactly the same trick. Twins? It was possible. Of course this was mutation. Gawain and Maya could also be the same person. In which case Drew full understood why Maya preferred girls. Drew walked into the foyer and saw no one waiting. Having caught on to the trick he also checked the mirror.

"Well you look better Maya."

The both of them were definitely going to attract attention. He'd wait to bring up the mutation thing. Maybe after they'd had a drink or two. Drew was still nervous about the idea but he figured if he was going to drink with anyone an X would be the best choice.

>>"Well you look better Maya."

"You too" she grinned, still in the mirror. He did not look surprised. Maybe he had seen her her do this before? Or heard about it from someone else? that was entirely possible. Most people in the Mansion knew about the resident mirrorwalker.

"Let's go" she nodded to him "Do you wanna come this way, or do we take a bus, or do we steal a car from the carage? I vote Silver Streak. He has a nice car."

Yeah, because stealing it went so well the last time they did it with Saph. Besides, Maya couldn't drive. But it was still worth it, making the suggestion, to see just how cool this Andrew guy really was...

Drew gave a slight shrug.

"I can drive if you want. Though my car is trash compared to some of the stuff in that garage."

He'd spent a lot of time wishing he could afford some of the cars parked in that garage. Outright stealing one for a joyride wasn't something he was entirely comfortable with. Drew shrugged again.

"Second thought, I don't want to waste my ride if I get wasted. Bus or whatever would probably be best."

Maya would probably be disappointed since she had already picked out a car to steal. But someone had to be responsible. Man being responsible sucked.

>>"I can drive if you want. Though my car is trash compared to some of the stuff in that garage. Second thought, I don't want to waste my ride if I get wasted. Bus or whatever would probably be best."

"Good thinking" Maya nodded with a smile. Responsible, huh. That was a good kind of person to get drunk with. He also had a ride, for the record, she made a mental not eof that in case she needed it later.

"All right, what are you waiting for?" she waved him closer, reaching out of the mirror "I know a shortcut."

Once he took her hand, he would be pulled through the looking-glass. That was a much faster way to talk to the nearest bar. And much more fun too. After a fight like that, waiting for the bus would just not cut it. Not at all.

Huh, a smile and a compliment on good thinking. That was better than he thought. Maya extended a hand through the mirror and waved him closer. So they were going to travel through a mirror to get to the bar? Why not. Mirror traveling drunk had to be better than driving drunk. Drew reached out and took her hand.

"Ready when you are, captain."

Drew smirked a little as she pulled him through. Alice could keep her looking glass. Maya's was better and held the promise of alcohol on the other side. Despite his first experience with it being what it was, Drew didn't hate alcohol. He just didn't like how vulnerable to Martin's machinations it had made him. Then again those machinations had led him to the happy state he enjoyed in Martin's confidence. So confusing. Either way, he was fine with alcohol and maybe even getting drunk. He just was not ok with being drunk with a stranger.

>>"Ready when you are, captain."

"Hold on" Maya pulled him into the mirror; all he had to do was follow her "Don't let go of my hand or ya'll be trapped in some guy's bathroom and I'm gonna have to come back for you."

They walked from mirror to mirror; some real ones, some windows, some car mirrors, and other reflective surfaces. Maya took shortcuts wherever she could; they were going to the pub in a straight line, except shorter, since they hopped from building to building.
Finally, they arrived to a pub's bathroom; Maya peeked through the mirror before she grinned.

"That's the one." she nodded, climbing out of the mirror and pulling Andrew with her "One of the few places I haven't thrashed in a fight yet."

The pub was not big; it was cozy, relatively clean, and apart from a few regulars, pretty empty too. The barkeep was not at the counter, which was all for the better since Maya and Andrew just walked out of the men's room hand in hand.
Maya let go.

"So. You're buying." she said with a grin, sitting down onto the nearest barstool.

Maya's admonition not to let go of her hand was one that wasn't easily forgotten. He could only imagine be stuck in some guy's bathroom mirror. He passed the thoughts over as quickly as he could. Instead he paid attention to the mirrors and reflective surfaces they hopped through until they arrived at the pub. It really was a good thing there wasn't anyone much there or they'd get ideas about Maya, coming out of the men's room with him like that. Maya got into fights at bars pretty regularly it seemed by her comment. Drew just raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"So am I gonna have to be on the look out for someone you thrashed in another bar?"

Drew settled onto a stool beside her. He chuckled when she mentioned that he was buying. Like she needed to remind him or something.

"Yes I'm buying. Think of it as a gift from the new guy."

The barkeep emerged from the back room behind the bar with a case of liquor in his arms. Apparently he'd decided to restock the bar on shift because it was slow. The man set the case down behind the bar and made his way over to them. Drew asked for whatever was on tap, no point in being picky when this would only be the second time he'd been out for a drink.