Mistaken Arrival

[angelumi]

Angel had been running for...well, she wasn't sure how long. The one thing she has discovered that she despised was, as time marched on, mankind kept inventing new ways to travel and fight. Their latest inventions? Guns and cars.

Pausing for breath, she panted and shook her head. The inventor of the gun should be shot and the man who developed the car run over. That was her two cents.

Twitching her tail in annoyance and pain, she used her claws to dig out the bullet lodged in her left arm. Finally taking purchase of the metal slug, she watched with disdain as the wound re-healed in a blink, then flicked the spent bullet away.

Mankind and their guns...

Flicking her ears to make sure she wasn't be pursued any longer, she set off at a clipped pace deeper into the woods. There was no game here, as far as her sense of smell was concerned, but perhaps she would wander upon a bit of farmland. Most people with homes hidden this far back used the land for farms, even this far north.

A clearing revealed a large plot of land and an even larger mansion.

Not a farm... She thought to herself. No noise carried across the distance, and she tentatively made her way closer, slinking slow and low across the lawn, keeping her wings folded close across her back. But, if no one is home, perhaps there still might be food...

Crawling to a window, she peaked inside.

Nice place...

[Shadowcat]

Kitty was walking throughout the mansion checking everything before turning in for the night. She was about to walk up the stairs when something caught her eye by the window. It looked like there was someone outside looking in. Kitty phased herself outside and saw a girl with bat-like wings crouching by the window

Kitty: Excuse me, can I help you?

[angelumi]

Angel spun at the sound of a young woman's voice.

How the girl snuck up on her, she had no idea. Her ears could hear a whisper across a field...so how did she get caught?

Tensing, Angel debated the whole "fight vs flight" idea, then changed her mind. She was sometimes found to be scary looking and had successfully scared off kids before. This girl didn't seem to have much gusto behind her polite expression...perhaps a nice little show would give her a chance to escape before the girl sounded some sort of alarm.

Drawing deep breath, Angel bared her fangs and let out a roar that sounded to be a mixture of a wild cat's scream and a bear's growl. Fanning her wings, she crouched like a night-thing about to spring on its prey.

This ought to do it...Never fails...

[Shadowcat]

Kitty was startled a bit by the girl's growl. She took a few steps back and got into a defensive stance. Her faithful dragon sidekick Lockheed was nearby and heard his master being threatened. He descended on Kitty's shoulder and bared his own fangs and wings at the girl. He also snorted a stream of fire to warn the girl. Kitty shrugged her shoulder to get Lockheed to stop as she began to speak again.

Kitty: I'm not sure who you are or how you found this place. But if you are here to harm anyone, I will stop you now. Who are you? And what do you want here?

Kitty waited anxiously for the girl's response. She was prepared to defend herself and the others here if the girl became aggressive.

[Soni]

Soni was still up in Ryan's room when she heard something growling outside. Jumping out of the bed, she looked out of the window and saw Kitty standing across from something or someone that was about to pounce on her. In an instant she teleported next to Kitty.

"What in the hell is going on here?"

Looking over, she could now tell it was in fact a mutant that had made that horrible noise.

"I don't know who you are, but you picked the wrong house to mess with."

She took a defensive stance next to Kitty waiting to see what would happen next.

[Nightcat]

Liz landed in front of Kitty and Jade, her swords drawn and pointed at the demon-like mutant. Her own blood red eyes stared at the girl for a long time, sizing her up and scanning her. The teleporter lowered her weapons slightly, but kept her stance to show that she wasn't going to back down, "Zere is no need to be scared. Zis a place of safety for zose like us."

She knew exactly what the girl might have been feeling. Looking like a demon was not easy, even for a mutant. Just by looks alone, Liz empathized with the other girl greatly.

[angelumi]

Angel suddenly realized two things: One, there was more than one person home today, and, two, these were not fearful people.

Recoginizing their fighting spirit, she relaxed her wings, drawing them down closer to her body. Sitting back on her haunches, she forced herself to calm and not just leap into an unnecessary battle.

This is their home... She repeated to herself in her mind. This is their territory. I am the intruder. If we fight, if I win, it is still a loss...

"My apologies." She said softly, keeping her tone velvet to hide the impulse to leap into action. "I mistook this young woman to be one without nerves nor house mates."

Bowing her head slightly in respect, she looked at each fighter in turn. Cocking her head to one side, Angel took particular intrest in the sword-bearing mutant. Like herself, the woman was physically marked with her genetics.

A place of safety... She echoed the words in her mind.

"Perhaps things got started on the wrong...foot..." Angel said, pausing to look at her own claws for a moment. "My name is Angel..." She chose her next words very carefully, making sure to not reveal too much. "I was passing though the woods and spotted your home...the lack of motion or sound lead me to believe it was unoccupied for the moment. That was truely my mistake...my apologies."

She bowed her head slightly once more in respect.
She hoped it worked.

It had been a long time since she had interacted with other mutants...at least, ones who were free of bars and chains...

[Nightcat]

Liz sighed and stood straighter as she surveyed the other woman. Other than Kurt and Hank, she had never encountered another mutant with such a startling appearance. She twirled her swords in her hands before placing them back into their sheathes, which where on her back. She stepped forward slowly, making her way over to Angel. Liz was curious about her, but was unsure about how to deal with the newcomer.

Like Angel, the teleporter crouched lower, sitting back on her heals so that they were on similar heights. She cleared her throat, "Es ist ok. A fight vas avoided und no vone vas hurt." Such a strange girl. I wonder where she's from. Liz extended a three fingered hand out to the other, "Come on inside. Ve'll get you somezing varm to eat."

She really had no idea where this sudden kindness had come from. If this had been any other mutant, she most likely would have attacked them. Was she going soft or was she being kind to the girl simply because she looked so much like herself?

[angelumi]

Angel's first inclination was to shy away.

After all, she had been fooled more than once when a kind hand was offered...and experience had taught her that while one hand may hold food, the other just as may hold a weapon to strike you down. Still, this woman had made her point: she had skill when it came to her fighting, even if that was demonstrated by merely putting away her swords.

And she was quite similar in appearance to Angel herself. This reason alone may have been why Angel didn't simply turn tail and run as soon as all the pleasantries had been exchanged. She had rarely seen other mutants who were so similar to herself...most who bore physical mutations were towards the extremes of elements...stones or wooden spikes decorating their skin. No, this was someone of her own ilk...even if she was German.

Nodding her head slightly and casting a weary eye to the others still watching her every move, Angel followed the woman inside.

[Nightcat]

Liz noticed Angel's shyness and it made her laugh softly, "I promise you, zese people vill not hurt you. Zis is a place to get strong and protect vone anozer." It was amazing how much she saw herself in this new mutant. The fear in the eyes, the low carrying of the tail, the low crouch. It was almost identical to her own when she first arrived in the states. Her own tail reached out and touched Angel's hand, "Come. Ve have much to talk about. Ve can talk in private in my office."

She turned to Kitty and Jade, "Find Jack und Avriletta. I don't vant any one to leave tonight. Ve all need rest. Jade... Keep an eye on Chris. Somezing tells me zat somezing ist wrong." She turned back to the new girl, "My office ist zis vay." She indicated a door off to the side that held the leader's office. I'm going to need just about everything from this girl. Something tells me that I can trust her, but we're going to need to have a long talk before we decide if she's going to stay

[angelumi]

Angel paused, but nodded once more and followed the woman.

She wasn't sure what did it...the woman's confidence, the take-charge attitude, the outreach of hospitality...but when her tail...her tail...had tapped Angel on the hand, that was the final connection needed.

Or would that be nail in the coffin? Her mind sarcastically added, but she shook it off.

She had never met another mutant so similar to herself...it was almost thrilling, like rushing to the ground, free-falling, only to have her wings snap open at just the right precise time to catch herself. Or, perhaps, it was the thrill that someone actually wanted to willingly make a connection with her. It had been so long since another being---human or mutant---had wanted her company out of choice.

Either way, the woman had won her over.

Now all she had to worry about was if the others were just like their leader or if they would spring a trap that would close down on her.

[Shadowcat]

Kitty felt such regret being so offensive before. Surely the girl was a prospective student, but from their last mission to her threatening stance Kitty reacted on reflex. Kitty felt compelled to apologize, but saw that Liz was taking charge of the situation. Kitty would speak to the girl later. As Liz took Angel inside, Kitty decided to carry out Liz's orders and went to find Jack and Avriletta. Kitty couldn't help but notice the connections between Liz and Angel. Liz showed more empathy for the girl. Perhaps having her here would help to lighten up the atmosphere at this place.