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He knew what someone looked like when they were afraid, though he didn't know the context of that fear. He took that half step back again, hands up and attempting to calm. "Hey, hey it's okay. It's okay..."

She agreed to talk... Not here, though. Where? He didn't resist when she reached for him. He felt her touc only for a moment before they were gone.

~~

In a flash they were in a strange landscape. He reached out as she walked away, but didn't grab her. His hand faltered short. Looking about quickly, he opened his mouth "Uh- you... Still paintin... Yeah, right, you always sorta did..." He looked around at some of the unfinished pieces of the work. This place was interesting, to say the least, but it obiously needed more tlc before it could be called complete.

"Why here? And why not go near the, eh... shrubbery?" Like, in the monty pytiono- More importantly. "Shelby... I- uhm... I'm Saphirus... h... How are you... Holding up?"

Wow... How are you holding up. That was what he had? What could he say. He was talking to his deaged wife after chasing her down for months. Actually, that was plenty of time to think of something better to say.

He was driving when he got the call. He'd been on his way to pick up Jr. from Collin. One call later, he was doing something completely different.

"Collin, I'm sorry. I just- @#$%in learn to drive! JESUS @$%^IN- Collin, they found her. Sorry, can you watch him just- just a little bit- THANK YOU! Sorry- GET OUT OF THE ROAD YOU- Thank you-" He swerved around an old grandma driver, turning down a cross street that he knew to be a shortcut out of the busier downtown area. Unfortunately, he turned right into a stalled out even older lady in a car.

Of course.

He didn't have time for this. If he took too long, she would be gone again. She always was. He pulled over, and hopped out of the car. It would be faster to go himself. A good solid minute of beating the tar out of himself, and he was able to jump into the air, and fling himself forward with his power. It wasn't exactly flying. It was more... falling with style. But here he was, rocketing through NYC toward the small park at the corner of town.

He made quick progress, deciding not to worry about leaving his car just... sitting at the side of a main road. This wasn't a chance he could just let pass. He just hoped it was actually her, and he wasn't about to freak some other innocent woman who sort of looked like her out... again.

Tunnel vision made spotting his target difficult when he got to the area of the city he was looking for. He managed, though, as he drifted away from the buildings and over grass, to spot a swatch of pink.

Noiselessly, he allowed himself to drop from the air, landing with a bit of a stumble before the woman he was looking for.

"...Shelby?" His vision started to clear as he looked to the woman he had come to a stop in front of.

Anyone could have guessed that the room would have burst into action like it did. These kids were eager. The seasoned X-Man couldn't help but grin as the first student stepped forward. As she did, Saphirus' voice rang out. "Activate Training Program MRV2- Training wheels."

Almost nothing would noticeably change immediately within the Danger Room. The effects of the program were more subtle. Now, and invisible shield surrounded the students; one that would prevent force applied to them from breaking thresholds that would lead to anything more than minor bumps and bruises. The floor and walls would give way to a springiness if people were flung into them at high speeds, and the playpen would be protected by a large, tinted barrier.

That wasn't to say anyone was getting out of this scot free; they had all signed a waiver, after all. He didn't mind. They called him the Masochist for a reason. His grin only widened as Hiyori moved first, summoning a giant Samurai with the equivalent of a halberd in its hands. A whistle escaped his lips as the thing approached, ready to swing. "That... Is freakin cool as hell."

Luna moved next, foregoing using her spray for a direct, tactical approach as well. For him, her approach was observable on two levels. First, he saw her moving. More importantly, second... He felt her moving. That neat maneuver with the tail played out in vivid detail as his sixth sense picked up the mechanics of it. "If Your body is tellin ya to run on all fours, do it." He stated it plainly as she approached.

Fighting against his body's natural instinct to spin to meet her well planned out blow, he simply let it hit to little effect. "Gotta get you inta weight training." While calling them all out like this may seem showboaty, and it was, he wasn't doing this to show off. He wanted to see what they were made of. So far, he'd learned that Luna was clever and creative, but needed training on shot mechanics, as well as a good trip to the gym or ten. He would surge toward her, swinging a comparably massive left fist at her guard to see if it broke.

"Try attackin' with your tail, maybe?" As he spoke this he spun and double stepped forward into the approaching Himari's range. The downside to attacking from behind meant he could make a space bubble by pressing one attacker, and then turning to get in the other one's face.

As for Himari's approach. He recognized the Muay Thai right way; it was the martial art he'd practiced for ten years, after brawling haphazardly for the first two years on the team. He also noticed she was playing it safe. Smart, but not what he was expecting when he'd first met her. Where was that passion for the tussle he'd sensed in her? For one, he could feel the noncommittal feints well enough to ignore them as a threat. As much as she may want to treat him like a charging bull, his experience saw him moving at calculated angles, pushing her toward the giant Shogun in order to roll out of the center of their group, and force them to either reorganize their formation, or approach him in a line.

That left the trainee. He broke visual on Himari and Luna to spot her zooming up the wall. Nice. The punishment Himari would aim to dish out in response to him looking away would be blocked by a right forearm that would feel like hitting nothing. The tickle of energy from the blow told him that Himari's strength was absolutely an asset. "Nice." He gave her the respect of not breaking line of sight again, even though his sixth sense didn't make it necessary.

His assumption that the Shogun would not attack with Himari in the way was very off. His eyes widened as the giant switched the blunt side of the naginata out and hefted a massive baseball swing his way. Woof! Hopefully Himari and Luna knew to stay clear. As for him... Well. This was his bread and butter. His right hand reached out to receive the blow by the blade, stopping the blow that could cleave a car in two with little struggle, and causing his left hand to tingle up to his wrist. "Watch out for your team mates, there!"

It was then that he felt something drop from the ceiling. Ah, Praxi, right on time. As she fell he disengaged with Himari and the Shogun, stepping in a rapid, smooth, side-stepping circle to time a hefty open handed smack with the force from the Shogun's strike right at the falling Praxi, aiming to send the majority of her mass right at Luna's face.

(Shogun's movements acted out at the direction of Mouse~)

Saphirus was a busy man; A very busy man. Even now, he was working, and watching a toddler. Well... The Danger room was doing most of the watching. He glanced over to the playpen he'd programmed in, as a digital Nanny floated about a teddy bear next to a strange glowing goldfish above a giggling little boy. The Goldfish wasn't the program's fault... That was JR, or at least, he very much thought so. Ever since he'd forgotten to feed Finn, their pet goldfish a few times after Shelby disappeared, and it went belly up, the little think just sort of... hung out, floating around the 3 year old's head.

Anyway, the boy was entertained, fed, and changed. That cleared up time for this. This being the layout before him, a digital copy of the mansion's own gym. It was training time! For some subtext... This latest generation of students seemed to be rich with potential, and with that a level of eagerness that brought hope for new blood among the ranks of the X-Men. Keeping that in mind, it made sense to see where people were at in regards to readiness. So? Put out feelers. Measure the crop. Count your chickens before you try to hatch them. Something like that.

The TLDR here was he'd put out an announcement to have interested students participate in a training session after class. It invited anyone who wanted to learn more about how to protect themselves or others to join him in the Danger Room.

And here they were. Saphirus looked over the group of students carefully. He recognized most of them from his security details, and one in particular actually helped him with security regularly. He'd asked her to be here. Asked was a bit light. He'd told her to be here. The rest were all volunteers. The X-Man had shown up in full team regalia himself; he'd even shaved and gotten a haircut. Had to put his best foot forward, and Elke had told him he looked like a wookie last time he'd seen her.

"Alright, students. Fall in line! Let's all start by introducing ourselves! Name, Description of your mutation, and reason you decided to join this training session!" This would help discern who was aiming for a spot on the team eventually, and who was just hoping to learn a thing or two.

"I am Saphirus, A Member of the X-Men. You may have seen me working security at the school as well. I can break things easily, and things can't break me easily." He pointed to the first student. "You're up."

In his half delirious state it all happened in a flash. He saw the light. He spoke, he looked toward the light, she said something he didn't quite register, and then he was weightless and moving through space like a leaf caught in a windshield...

Suddenly he was alert, his eyes darting about as he took in the situation. She was holding him, and sprinting across the scorched landscape at breakneck speed. It was hot... her exposed areas had to be burning, but her strange abilities seemed to stave off the heat... or be separate from it in a way. All of it was... bizarre. He slipped out again and by the time he came too once more they were nearing the light.


It felt like some time had passed, Juniper was gasping for air. She fell, and he was tossed a bit as they both became solid, and he rolled to a stop. He looked up as she told him to go...

Like hell.

Gritting his teeth, the X-Man powered through the exhaustion, the pain, and climbed to his feet, taking a few laborious steps toward her. "Not... Without... You."

He reached down to grasp her tightly in his hands, and then squinted toward the light...

With a muted thud he pushed all of his collected energy into the ground, and flung them toward the bright light, losing consciousness as he went.

***

BWOOMF!

They were on the street corner, at the edge of a busy street corner. He looked up from his laying position to take in the surroundings in a sort of panic. They were in New York.

Less than a second from when they'd disappeared.

He lost consciousness seconds later.

That settled it. They were waiting out the week to spite god. "If you manage, I'm down for it... I've had enough bugs, lizards, birds, leaves and mushrooms for a life time." Then came the last chuckle they'd hear for some time.

He listened to her silently, staring toward the cave entrance as she spoke about her mindset before they'd ended up here. Huh. Seemed like this was all pretty convenient for her, wasn't it? Not so for him.

He took another sip.

Just like that, he sat, sipping here and there, sleeping, maybe? It was all blurring together. He recalled awakening to hungry stomach, and not too long after hearing a question ring out in the darkness. A moment of silence.

"Yes. I think I was... your age, maybe a bit younger, the first time. And I did. He killed my friends, and nearly killed me. When I woke up, I found him, and returned the favor... Wish I could say it hadn't been worth it... from there? It wasn't ever really personal most of the time. I've probably killed over a hundred people. Lost count."

What was the point of lying? Hell, he could hardly tell if she'd actually asked the question, or he'd just imagined it. In a moment of clarity he had the presence of mind to ask; "Why?"

She asked about making a break for the water, and he shook his head. "Eh. From the breeze, it came from the south, but there still might be a tidal wave. Think this might be the best we can do..." He sighed again, and pushed the cover shut further, turning to retreat further in where it wasn't quite as hot. He took a quick seat next to the remains of the fire they'd set several days ago.

His eyebrows wrinkled a bit at her explanation of the events. "Uh... I dunno about that, but sure. A big rock hit the earth and... Not a lotta things survived." He checked on their supplies again, quickly, handing her one of the water skins she'd made, and sitting nearby, leaning his head back against the wall as she asked if it was the end.

He replied with a silent stare for a second, before looking off to the side.

"You, eh... You gonna be okay?" Well, neither of them would be, likely. Still. She seemed like she wasn't soaking this in. Or rather, she was numb to their likely demise. It didn't sit right with him.