11/23 Instance: Resistance is Not Futile

[tears~fall~like~glass]

timeline: current


Melati: The last shot was a little too close to comfort, causing a spray of shattered concrete as it impacted the wall right next to Melati's head. The reptilian mutant gave in to her instincts, letting them guide her to the nearest cover, and from there over the burning car in a powerful leap righto onto the gunman's chest.

Melati: Her claws sliced the masked man's rifle right in two, while a swipe from her tail took care of his remaining two companions. Melati caught her breath and took a look around the burning wreckage. "Simulation complete," an artificial voice echoed through the fake scenario. "Mission: Accomplished. Collateral damage: Within acceptable levels."

Melati: Melati wiped her brow and shrugged. "Still acceptable? And I deliberately blew up the fuel truck. Guess I gotta do better next time." She checked her watch, wondering whether she would show up to their scheduled training session. "Reset the program, Danger. Increase difficulty. Make me sweat this time, will you?"

Laura: Laura had meant to be precisely on time to the training session, but she hadn't factored in the possible distraction of Curt. She impatiently listened to him go on about going shopping while she was far more worried about the possibility of missing Melati. Once she had escaped, she quickly changed into more acceptable training clothes before heading for the Danger Room.

Laura: "I hope I have not kept you waiting for an extended period of time," she stated as she stepped into the room, glancing around.

Melati: "Not at all," Melati replied, turning around to give the other girl a half-smile. "Just got done warming up." She thumbed over her shoulder. "Glad you came at all. I wasn't sure you would."

Laura: Laura gave a slight smile in return, surveying the damage. She supposed with the scattered fires it had been a warm up. ...And that was a horrible joke. It clearly meant she spent far too much time listening to Curt's jokes. Pushing the thought aside, she shook her head, "I do not pass up training sessions very often, and I agreed to be here. I would not have... stood you up?"

Laura: After a moment of mulling over the phrase, she questioned, "That is the correct terminology, yes?"

Melati: "Yeah, that's perfect." Melati chuckled. "Though I'm afraid asking about terminology costs you some points from your slang score. But if you keep it up like this, you'll soon sound even more human than Danger here."

Melati: She walked over to meet Laura. "Well, the thing is, I'm never too sure if people really accept me as Lorna's green little helper," she added, running a clawed hand over her head.

Laura: "I am told contractions would also help with sounding less like a robot, however they are strange," she made a face at just the idea of them. "You have not given anyone reason not to... Well, I suppose that is not entirely correct, is it?"

Melati: Melati shrugged, her lips curled to form a wry smile. "That's pretty much the point, no? I wouldn't blame people for thinking I didn't deserve the position or was a bad choice no matter what." She gave Laura a look. "You know you can be honest with me, right?"

Laura: "I am not very good at being dishonest," Laura answered after a moment of consideration. Taking a breath, she glanced down to the simulated pavement, nudging some bits of concrete around with her foot. "At first, I did not particularly care about whether I was part of the X-men or not, however I believe I would like to rectify that given some recent findings."

Melati: "Hey, sounds like we have something in common, then," Melati announced, showing off her sharp canines when she flashed the other girl a grin. "When I first came here, I thought the people here were ridiculous nerds for dressing up and playing superhero like in some kind of comic book."

Melati: "Don't get me wrong, I still think we're pretty damn ridiculous, but you can't deny we have an impact, no?"

Laura: "Indeed," she nodded, looking back up to the lizard girl as she admitted, "I discovered that... Dr. Essex was my father." Her nose wrinkled, expression twisting slightly. The words were still extremely strange to say - just as foreign as using a contraction.

Melati: That managed to silence even Mel's unchecked mouth. "No shit?" She stared at Laura, blinking a couple times. "Geeze, now I feel like an asshole for ever complaining about my parents. As should everyone else." She bit her lower lip, her mind venturing into unfamiliar territory as she tried to think of something more tactful to say.

Melati: "I mean, damn, I'm sorry, girl," Melati eventually said, counting that as a partial success.

Laura: "No shit," Laura repeated as confirmation with an odd look. Slang was just weird, but that one would earn her points back, right? As for the rest, she gave a shrug, "It is okay. There is not anything to be done about it. However, knowing that, I would like to start doing some good." It was a bit irrational, but it felt right.

Melati: "Well, I've heard it's all the rage, so you're more than welcome to," Melati replied, the lopsided smile returning. "Just to warn you, though. The hours suck, and we still don't get payed. But getting to play with toys such as the Blackbird makes up for it, if you ask me."

Melati: Her expression turned slightly serious for a moment. "You're not doing this because you feel you have to make up for what your bastard of a father did, right?"

Laura: "I did not think it would be that easy to rejoin," she commented, giving a smile in return. It dropped at the question, and she shifted her weight slightly as she searched for an answer. "I know what he did was not my fault, but I had a hand in it... So, partially?"

Melati: Melati thought about that for a moment, before giving a shrug. "Whatever motivates you, I guess," she said. "Just don't let anyone make you feel guilty for crap you didn't mess up yourself, okay? You won't see me blame you for having a crappy childhood that turned you into the person who did those things."

Melati: With a faint smile, she cocked her head and tapped her temple with a clawed finger. "What matters to me is that you wisen up and start refusing the role society cast you into. Be your own person, and you're alright in the book of Mel."

Laura: "The news has not gotten around yet, and those that know have been supportive. I do not feel as anxious about it getting out anymore," Laura replied, the smile returning, "I am working toward figuring out my own identity, and I believe this is a step in the right direction."

Melati: "Right on," Mel replied and gave a firm nod. "So, you're willing to work, and I'm ready to make you work, so why don't we skip the rest of the sentimental crap for now and focus on some action instead?" She smirked. "I have a feeling that's not only how I prefer things, no?"

Laura: "I am far better at working than interacting socially," Laura sagely nodded as she cast another glance around the room, claws sliding out. It would be good to put all her training toward something good for a change, and while being an X-man seemed like a thankless job, she felt it'd be well worth the time and effort.

Melati: "While all work and no play make Mel a dull girl, I can respect that," the reptilian mutant replied, displaying a brief grin. "So, I know the both of us can slash things with our claws as well as any mean bastard out there, and I guess so does Lorna, because she suggested a different kind of training to help you get back into the fold."

Melati: "Danger, can we have the modified hostage situation, please?" They only needed to wait for a couple seconds for the scenery to change. "Right, the goal here is to kick the bad guy's butt, pretty much as always. The trick here is showing restraint. I know, that sounds dull, but sometimes a girl's gotta play by the rules, no?"

Laura: "Oh... Well, then..." Laura retracted her claws as she took in the change, managing a slight smirk, "I will accept that challenge."

Melati: "Believe me, it doesn't come easy to me, either," Melati replied, returning Laura's smirk. When th program finished loading, they found themselves in front of a high rise bank building, the plaza cordoned off by police cars. The shadows of armed people could sometimes be seen moving about through the glass front.

Laura: Laura eyed the shadows, attempting to count how many attackers they'd be facing. Some idea would be nice at the very least. She pulled her gaze from the front of the building and looked over to Melati, "Will they harm the hostages, or is it okay to simply bust in?"

Melati: "What do you suspect will happen when two claw bearing mutants barge into a bank full of jumpy, armed robbers," Melati asked in returned, showing Laura a half-smile. "How about we avoid the police and try to find another way without drawing too much attention?"

Laura: "I suspected as much," Laura heaved a sigh. It wasn't that she couldn't sneak, but it did involve more thought than simply busting the door and beating the bad guys down. Glancing back to the plaza, she nodded to an opening that was covered by large planters filled with various types of flowers and a few small trees. "It'd be tricky, but we could try sneaking behind those. From there, we may be able to cut between the buildings."

Melati: "Yes, I'd say that's worth a shot." She gave Laura a quick look. "You have a good eye for these things. Ready? Then let's move it - and keep your head down." Dropping on all fours, Melati's reptilian physique came in handy as she rushed from cover to cover in a very lizard-like fashion.

Laura: "Thank you. I was taught quite well," she shrugged, dropping into a low crouch to follow the other girl. She paused at the edge of each planter to peer around the corner before moving on to the next. While she wasn't able to practically slither from one spot to the other, Laura moved quickly and efficiently, light on her feet to avoid making noise.

Melati: They managed to remain unseen and reached a recess in the building right across from the bank, allowing them to duck into the shadows. "Well, so far, so good, eh?" Melati exchanged a quick look with Laura, before scanning the building ahead of them. "Lots of glass. Think we can cut a hole in it without making a loud mess?"

Laura: "I can try," she offered as she eyed the large windows, trying to pick out a suitable spot that was covered but away from the gunmen. "What is our back-up plan if it goes badly?"

Melati: "Kick ass and hope the robbers shoot at us instead of the hostages," Melati offered in return, a slight smirk on her lips. She ducked right behind Laura, while she drew one of her claws over the large glass window. "It's not often you'd wish your lizard mutation included gecko fingers," she muttered, trying to pull out the piece of glass without shattering it.

Laura: Laura vaguely wondered if it was possible to embed a claw in the glass without shattering it, however she wasn't quite up to risking it. "That would definitely make this easier," she nodded, suggesting after a moment, "Maybe if you push the bottom out, I can catch the top before it hits the ground."

Melati: "Good idea; worth a try, anyway." Melati put her hands on the heavy piece of glass, pushing the lower half inwards. As predicted, the cut out section tipped over, caught by Laura. They carefully set it aside, revealing a large enough opening to crawl through. "I'd say 'ladies first', but I guess that wouldn't get us anywhere. So, after you."

Laura: She snorted a bit as she carefully stepped through the opening, moving to find cover by a counter and peering around to get a glimpse of the situation. The hostages appeared to all be in the same general area as the gunmen circled. Glancing to Melati, she spoke quietly, "I am afraid I have no good ideas for this part."

Melati: "Well, me neither." She gave the other girl a quick look and arched her eyebrow. "Looks like we'll have to improvise. What we need is a distraction, and then act quickly. Or get close to the hostages." Melati looked around, then glanced back at Laura and smiled. "I think I've got an idea. Let's up the ante a little, shall we?"

Melati: The next moment, Melati turned back into her human form and sneaked away from the hole they had cut. She made it to one of the desks unseen, reached up to grab a cup full of pens - and deliberately dropped them on the floor. The robbers were almost immediately upon her, shouting nervously as they caught what they believed to be a runaway hostage.

Laura: Laura was a bit torn between going to free the hostages or beating down the bad guys as they headed for Melati, but she eventually decided a surprise lizard would keep them busy enough. As they went to deal with her, she ran to begin freeing hostages. It was more important that they were out of the line of fire. Well, she hoped that was the more important part.

Melati: "Oh, I'm sorry, I was just looking for the bathroom," Melati told the robbers bearing down on her with their automatic weapons, trying to look as clueless as possible. "Okay, okay, I'm coming!" Tow of them grabbed her arms and began to lead her away. "Geeze, maybe you guys should just watch your hostages better. Speaking of which, I think it's happening again..."

Melati: When they turned around to watch the hostages being ushered away by Laura, she used the momentary distraction to break out of their hold, transforming into her lizard form while pouncing on them.

Laura: Thankful for the few extra moments Melati's transformation bought her, Laura hurried the last of the hostages out of the bank and rushed to help, tackling a guy herself. His weapon flew from his hands as they collided with the floor, and Laura aimed a punch for his jaw.

Melati: Mealti landed a few quick blows, focused on keeping any muzzles pointed away from her. Panic ensued when the first shots were fired, only hitting the floor, ceiling, and furniture, however. While she took one of men down with series of blows, two broke from the wild melee, retreating further into the building.

Laura: She grabbed the one that shot and wrenched the gun away from him, whacking him upside the head with the butt, careful about how much force she used. That was another down. Tossing the gun aside, she glanced over her shoulder at the retreating forms, "Finish up here, or should I go after them?"

Melati: "I've got this," Melati said, trapping one guy's arms by curling her tail around it. She nodded at Laura. "You catch them."

Laura: Laura gave a nod and sprinted after the two, easily figuring out which way they'd gone. They weren't exactly being quiet about their escape, as she could hear their footsteps and panicked voices. She didn't put much effort into a stealthy approach. In fact, she made as much noise as possible by knocking over some things, causing them to pause and turn.

Laura: She had a feeling she was going to end up shot by one of them as she continued her pursuit, popping her claws to slice through one weapon while the other aimed for her.

Melati: Melati was about to run after Laura and support her, when one of the dropped men decided he didn't want to be out of the action just yet and grabbed her ankle, tripping the green-skinned girl. "Oof! Did you have to make that so embarrassing for me," she argued with the holographic construct, kicking him in the face just a moment before he could fire that handgun.

Laura: Laura snarled as a shot grazed her, resisting the urge to spear the man that'd just fired at her. Sucking in a deep breath, she settled for smashing his hand with a kick instead, the scream of agony making her feel slightly better. While he cradled his injured hand, she finished off the other one.

Melati: Scrambling to her feet, Melati made sure that none of the robbers were moving, and kicked their weapons a save distance away. A glance towards the front windows showed her that the police was already on the move, without a doubt alerted by the shots being fired inside the building. She turned away and ran off in the direction where the sounds of fighting was coming from.

Melati: Melati slowed down to a stop, seeing the other girl stand above the two remaining men on the floor. "Aw, man, you didn't leave me one to play with," she remarked. "Are you alright?"

Laura: "Yours made me angry," she quipped and nodded in answer to the question, adding, "Nothing that will not heal."

Melati: "Didn't expect anything less," she replied, showing a faint smile. "But that wasn't really in question, I believe. Danger? End the simulation please." She waited a moment for the simulation to freeze, before the computer voice spoke up again. "Mission: Accomplished. Collateral damage: Acceptable. Casualties: None."

Melati: Her smile grew a little bigger. "That's what I wanted to hear alright."

Laura: As the holograms faded around them and the computer announced the casualties, Laura explained, fairly smugly, "I managed to restrain myself from gutting him."

Melati: "And hey, that's what we're hear for, so I guess we didn't do too bad," Melati commented, patting Laura on the shoulder before folding her arms. "Believe me, I know restraint doesn't always come easy, especially when you've got something quite lizardy in your brain that would just love to disembowel any sucker who as much as looks at me the wrong way."

Melati: She chuckled dryly. "Then again, you're friends with Curt, so you probably have heard often enough how that is."

Laura: "Indeed, though Lizard is not quite as charming as you," Laura assured her with a grin. "Does this mean I have passed?"

Melati: "His ass is totally fatter than mine, too," Melati added, mirroring Laura's grin. "You definitely made a good start. Lorna probably has more exercises for you, but as far as I'm concerned, I see no reason why you shouldn't get the chance to prove yourself in the field. Simulated violence only gets you that far, after all."

Laura: Her grin grew at that, "Can we go fetch my uniform then, or should I run those other exercises? ...Assuming you have the time."

Melati: "Eh, I guess the exercises can wait a little," Mel told her, placing a hand on Laura's shoulder again. "First, we'll see about getting you dressed up properly."

[Ult_Sm86]

YAAAYYYY!