Salad days, the start of the school year

[Cyclops]

Scott sat on the front stairs leading to the main entrance of the school. The loose pebbles of the drive way scattered and then quickly settled as he kicked with his right foot. It was middle of the afternoon and the sun had already passed its highest position. Sure it was better than being stuck in some orphanage for rest of his teenage years, but he just expected a private school such as this to have a few more people. "I'd even put up with the preppiness" he said mildly following that thought pattern.

Thing was with his so called 'gifts', he was more or less a danger to anyone or anything in sight without the use of the particular set of Ruby Quartz glasses he had currently fitted to his face. So that was it "'Slim' the string bean four eyes lucks out again." he muttered with a sigh of disapointment.

[Angel]

'What's this, our fearless leader feeling under the weather?' The sassing rebuke came from above. Warren Worthington's cheerful voice was quickly followed by a growing winged shadow, cast onto the School's forecourt. Angel slowed his descent with an elegant sweep of his feathered wings, and viewed from the Mansion's front steps; he glided down making of himself a silhouette in the bright afternoon sun. 'Surely it's too nice a day for that, Slim?'

Warren settled on his feet, gravel crunching, and promptly folded his wings in. He offered Scott a friendly though superior smile.

[Iceman]

Bobby strode through the corridors of the vast mansion still in aw of the sheer size of this place. He had a bologna sandwich hanging out of his mouth as he stopped to gaze upon the..umm...beauty of some piece of art he was sure he was supposed to acknowledge. At least that what all the old boys did. He was sure he had to do that. I don't get it...still..

He was making his way stuffing the rest of his bologna sandwich. If anyone were to see him he'd resemble a sort of chipmunk storing away some protein fill food. But as he got closer he heard voices coming from outside the front doors. And like any red blooded American teenager he went to investigate. "Asup ou uys...." What he meant to say through the mush of his bologna sandwich was 'What's up you guys?'.

[Beast]

Perched on the edge of a wooden bench out in the grounds of the school, Hank McCoy had been studying a book on advanced calculus. Thumbing, or more accurately toeing through the pages as if it were a masterpiece of literature. That was, however, until the sounds of his fellow students greetings met his ears.
Hank hopped off the bench and bounded in the direction of the voices.

"My glacial friend," Hank gave Bobby a wry smile, "Can it be that you were never informed as a child that speaking while one's mouth is full, aside from being the height of bad manners, also makes it problematic for those attempting to decipher your words."

[Cyclops]

Scott looked up and covered his eyes, although that wasn't really necessary behind his glasses as the slight gust of breeze passed him by. The voice he heard was from non other than Warren, the human canary. Full of vitality and his upper class wit. "Not in the slightest Warren, just a case of mild brooding." There was an element of a challenge in his words, though it wasn't meant as anything untoward. The wealthy young mutant landed before him and grinned.

It seemed that this comotion had brought the rest of the current student body to his position, Bobby mumbling some such and Henry promptly correcting his manner. In the colorful and expressive language that was Hank's manner.

Carefully, Scott rose to stand and turned to face each of his peers. "I have to admit that this is more appropriate of a school, but we four are so vastly different from one another. I mean look at how young Bobby is. Are we supposed to take all the same classes?" There he was being all serious again and stressing about things that weren't in his control.

[Angel]

The group had gathered it seemed, and perhaps under the unobserved telepathic suggestion of their mysterious and admittedly sinister professor; Xavier. Any doubts that these few students may have had for their tutor, were clearly well known to the man. Well, it was unsettling to say the least, but Warren believed the strangeness of his situation would sink into the backdrop after a while. It had certainly being an unusual time for Warren, meeting these other mutants; but he believed he'd gotten used to their odd company. The professor pushed them, sure, but he seemed to be a fair and patient egg.

For each of his classmates, Warren distributed the portioned charity of his smile, and chuckled a single syllable at Bobby and Hank's performance. It was good to have a few jokers around this place, clearly because Scott was in the habit of taking everything too seriously. The guy needed to loosen up.

'What's wrong Slim, you don't trust the Professor to run his own school?'

[Beast]

Hank listened keenly to his companions, as they discussed the school and their mysterious Professor. "I, for one, am positively tingling with anticipation at the educational prospects of the forthcoming year." The announcement made plain how unashamed the Beast was of his bookwork credentials.

Glancing up at the building that would be both a place of learning and a home for them, Hank was impressed."However, I do concede that it is a somewhat spacious campus for a mere quartet of students."
Hank adjusted his glasses and studied his three fellow learners. It was certainly an oddball bunch. An icy kid, a rich gent with wings, and a 'mildly brooding' chap. There was one thing for sure...this would certainly not be a dull place.

[Iceman]

"Well I'm just glad that I'm not going to get lynched any time soon." Bobby rubbed his neck with a bit of a pained face. As far as he knew none of the others had been in immediate danger when they had been brought into the fold. He thought a moment, trying not to dwell on the dark thoughts and think of something fun and upbeat. Really, they already had one tall dark and brooding, they didn't need another one.

That's when the ball of snow appeared in his hands. It was odd and strange to him still, and he wished he knew better how it worked, but for the time being...SMACK...Right in the side of Warren's face and Bobby had disappeared with the laughter of a child as he ran from the group tossing the small snow balls at his fellow classmates.

[Cyclops]

Warren seemed to have it in for questioning everything Scott said, for a son of a wealthy tycoon, he sure could act like a brat and not nearly as gentleman like as he portrayed. "To be fair Warren, the Professor really has been a life saver. I don't think I could even begin to question his methods after he helped each of us get out of the troubles we each had." Which was especially true in his own dealings with Charles.

Hank was the most colourful in his expression and had an air of youthful enthusiasm. "Well McCoy I guess we will have to wait and see what the Professor has planned." He conceded before an odd white missile appeared in his vision.

Scott was to slow to react in any way beside shock. He turned to see the youngest of their group high tailing it. "Hey that was so not cool." He cried after him "On second thought, hey what's the big idea?" His intention of making a humorous observation was foiled by a soft chilled ball of white exploding above his thigh and the time for talk was over. Scott Summers gave chase.

[Angel]

'That's right, the Proftt--' The compact ball of snow exploded uncomfortably against Warren's wagging jaw. 'You little jerk!' He spat, shaking out the ice and dripping snow from his face. All reflection on the luxury of "loosening up" and of there being jokers on campus, was wiped completely from Worthington's thoughts, as he burst into a furious flight of pursuit. Bobby would not get away. But yet more projectiles were on their indiscriminate arc toward the group, Scott was hit, and as Warren angled his trajectory to fit through the mansion's front doorway, a second snowball spread it's cheer across Angel's left wing. Someway ahead, Drake laughed.

'Hey, no throwing inside...' This was a fully appointed Dutch colonial treasure trove, '--Goof-off!'. Warren was probably risking the greater damage inside, he realised. It was clearly fortunate that he had been practicing the finer control of flight in confined spaces. The hall was too cluttered below; at the pedestrian level, so he spread his wings to gain the welcome altitude... and hit the chandelier.

[Beast]

The subject of the Professor and the School came to a sudden end as a snowball connected with Warren's face. And this was only the first in a series. Letting out a cheeky laugh, the culprit turned tail and ran, hurling more of his man-made projectiles. The Beast nimbly sprang into the air to avoid a snowy impact. "If you will allow me to paraphrase the Bard, 'A miss, a very palpable miss.'"

With a series of leaps and cartwheels, Hank followed in pursuit of Bobby. Inside the school, hank skidded to a halt. "Say, Warren, perhaps it would be in your best interest to mind the..."Hank winced "...chandelier"
The Professor was not going to like this. Five minutes into the start of the term, and already they were trashing his school. The Beast bounded up the wall in a noble, if somewhat dumb attempt to catch hold of either the chandelier or Warren, depending on which came out of the collision the least favourably.

[Iceman]

Bobby was laughing like a wild six year old let loose in Chucky E. Cheese after it was closed. He was aware of his pursuers which made just made him laugh louder. The he heard the attention of his fellows directed at...oh...this is probably why mom always told him not to toss his ball in the house. "Whoa....HOLD ON!"

Warren, the one with the wings crashed into the chandelier. Great. This was going to get pinned on Bobby. He turned and thought that while Hank was trying to decide on who or what to catch. Scott hadn't made his way inside yet. That left Bobby to help Hank with the rescue of the Professor's mansion. "Work damnit...!" Bobby stuck his hands palms out thinking hard and attempting to make a pile of snow, thinking it would help soften the fall for either one. "DOES ANYONE HAVE THE POWER TO SLOW DOWN TIME?! THAT WOULD REALLY HELP RIGHT NOW...OW!" Bobby's hands froze over, he was a little confused, well more than his usual state. Then his whole body was covered in the white stuff. "Well this isn't what I had in mind..."

In the midst of the snow piling on his body, a thin ice sheet formed over the entrance hall."ummm....guys..."

[Cyclops]

Scott ran but it was only in vain as the two more agile teens Warren and Hank over took him with ease. He barely got through the front entrance when everything went all awry. The scene that played out was almost as if it had been slowed down at least from Summers' perspective. First Warren face planting into the elaborate crystal chandelier and Hank bounding like a spring heeled Jack up to make a mid air rescue. With less time to consider what was happening underfoot, Scott was already going down on the ground thanks to a thin slick of ice by Bobby.

There was an awful thud as Scott's head hit the hard wood and then an even worse sound as his special glasses rolled back off his face. It was only a glimpse but as he looked unaided from the ruby quartz vision he immediately regretted it. The beauty of normal sight was hindered by a single sound that was from some other dimension.

- BZARK -

Scott shut his eyes and grasped around blindly for his specticles only praying he only hit the remnants of the chandelier and not either of his school mates.

[Angel]

Torn between notions of personal safety and the desire to avoid damaging the artefact; the latter requiring the stillness of his feathered appendages, necessitating a perilous fall. Warren twisted, tried arcing backwards. But despite his best intentions, the extent of his wings were amongst the glittering baubles of the chandelier. It's delicate threads whipped out with an aggravated sound of fussed glass and chimes. A few of the crystalline beads were not so lucky; these plummeted, fractured on impact and bounced skittishly across the floor of the main hall. The chandelier swayed violently and Warren fell awkward and flapping into the leaping McCoy's broad arms.

'Hey! What do you think you're...?' Warren was about to suggest that he had everything under control; evidence to the contrary. When a broad beam of crimson force opened up in directly the path of the air born Beast and Angel.

[Beast]

The Beast's powerful legs propelled him from the wall, just as Warren, complete with extra chandelier-ey bits, was falling past him. Catching hold of his feathery friend, Hank twisted in mid air, to seccure a firm footlold on the opposite wall. However, the other half of the circus routine wasn't acting particularly thankful for the save.

"Am I to assume that you would have been more appreciative had I let you go splat?" Hank joked. But as he spoke, he too noticed the red beam heading their way. With only split seconds to act, Hank pushed himself off from the wall, allowing him and his cargo to narrowly avoid the blast. It wasn't the greatest leap of his career, but it got the job done. The landing, however, wouldn't be a graceful one.