X-men: Bast

   *** Legal issues: Kia Jaeger(codename Bast) is an original character and
belongs to me.  All other characters and core X-men concepts are copyright
Marvel, Stan Lee, and other creators.  I do not own any of them, nor do I
profit from them in any way.

   Author Note: This story is based upon the story and setup in the comics
and takes place at no particular point in them, but is instead treated as
it's own events separate from many of the large happenings in the comics.
Also, I am not fully aware of every significant event that has happened in
the X-men's long history, so the information presented in this story and
the information in the comics may not always 100% add up.  Some characters
who might even be dead as of the current X-men issues may be alive in this
story.  ***

   Chapter 2

   Seven Months Later...

   "Fuck!" Psylocke exclaimed, tossing her thick purple hair as she
undulating along the length of Logan's thick cock.  It pounded deeply
inside her, stretching her open and making her feel quite full.  She pumped
her hips up and down, riding his dick and panting softly with the exertion
of their wild sexual encounter.  Her fluids spilled from her passage,
making his crotch sticky and slick.  They had been fucking for almost two
hours, and she'd long given up tracking her orgasms.

   Logan growled and gripped Betsy's rounded hips, fucking into her
roughly..  He always enjoyed their occasional romps for how enthusiastic
and energetic she was, the way she fucked him just as much as he fucked
her. The young Asian woman writhed in his lap as his swollen shaft plunged
repeatedly in and out of her well muscled hole.  The sounds of their
fucking filled the room, sticky slurping squishes and the almost violent
smacking of flesh meeting flesh.  Logan growled, his teeth clenched and
eyes narrowed as he pounded into Psylocke's clinging fuck-tunnel.  The room
smelled of sex and both were drenched in sweat.

   It had been almost a year since the last time they had gotten together
for an impromptu fuck session.  It was never an emotional thing; both
wanted nothing more from the joining than the pure exhilarating pleasure of
an animalistic fuck.  He had been gone for the past eight months and just
returned to the mansion tonight.  After an hour of settling his things in
his room he had gone to get a drink from the kitchen and run into Betsy on
the way.  It was hard to say which had been the one to suggest their sex
romp, but the door to Betsy's room hadn't been shut behind them for more
than a minute before Logan's dick was roughly hammering into Psylocke's
hungry cunt.

   "Oh God," Betsy moaned, rolling her hips in small circles as Logan's
cock poked and prodded the deepest reaches of her inner flesh.  "Yes Logan,
fuck me, drive your cock into me!  I'm cumming!"

   Betsy screamed into yet another orgasm.  Logan gave a deep growl and
suddenly sprang up, grabbing her and holding her slender body to him as he
jumped off the bed.  He pushed her against the wall of her room almost hard
enough to force the wind out of her.  He pinned her in place with the
weight and bulk of his body and fucked into her frantically, grunting with
every deep thrust.  His cock sawed in and out of her, spreading her long,
deep cunt petals along his shaft, prying them open with every cramming
thrust of his meaty dick.  Betsy clung to him, gripping his broad shoulders
and back and holding on for the wildly raunchy ride.

   He fucked her with rough, animalistic thrusts, ramming into her
forcefully and pressing her into the wall.  Every time he thrust forward
Betsy's hips pressed down and forward to meet him, wanting more of that
wonderfully fat pole filling her, striving for as deep and hard a
penetration as possible.  Her hips slapped into his and her big breasts
wobbled and swayed with the rhythm of their almost feral coupling.  Her
pussy tingled, mostly from pleasure, partly from pain as Logan squeezed her
hips hard enough to leave light bruises along her flesh.  He took her, hard
and fast, snarling and driving into her as she moaned and cried out from
the joy of it all, her juices leaking wetly from her well-stretched hole.
Pussy cream dribbled down the length of Logan's gleaming dick to lightly
coat his balls.  On Every thrust they swung upward and smacked against the
swell of Psylocke's incredibly toned ass.

   For several moments they stayed like that, Betsy screaming and wrapping
her shapely long legs around his waist, pulling him into the hot embrace of
her golden womanhood with her clinging thighs.  Her short nails raked
lightly along his back, making his skin red over the taut and bulging
muscle.

   As Psylocke orgasmed yet again her cunt squeezed on his thrusting dick
with a slippy vice grip.  Logan's amazing sexual stamina, a blessing from
his almost instantaneous healing factor, finally gave way after almost two
hours of their powerful, frenzied coupling.

   He roared wordlessly as he thrust deeply into Betsy's clinging insides,
his cum exploding into her and splattering her pink passage with gooey
jism. He continued thrusting into her for several moments, burst after
burst of cum firing into her, stuffing her, filling her with slick and
sticky warmth that began to slowly bubble out of her too-full hole.  The
copious seed continued to explode into her, sloshing into her womb and
spattering her thighs.  Several dribbles squished onto the ground between
his feet, and a narrow tendril of the sticky cream slid along the contours
of Betsy's sloping as crack.  Spent and panting, Logan pulled back, his
grip slipping.  Betsy gave a soft cry of surprise as she fell onto her ass.
The last two weak spurts of Logan's gooey load splashed across her face and
heaving breasts.

   "Fuck, Logan...that was good," Betsy panted.  She sat there, propped
against the wall, her legs spread obscenely as cum slid down the valley of
her breasts onto her belly.  A growing puddle leaked steadily from her
pussy to make an even bigger mess all over her thighs and the floor.

   Logan sat down on the edge of Betsy's thoroughly disheveled bed.  He
picked up the cigar and lighter he'd set on her bedside table and lit it
up. "Been too long," he commented.

   "I'll say," Betsy chuckled.  She made no effort to move, nor to cover
his messy handiwork.  "So.  How was your trip?"

   Logan shrugged and took a deep puff on his cigar.  "Coulda been better."

   Knowing Logan well enough not to pry, she stared at him for several
moments.  Logan and she were fairly close, closer than she was with many of
the others on the team.  Though pretty much everyone under Xavier's wing,
with a few notable exceptions, got along well, she found Logan to be more
tolerable and geared to her taste in friends than many others.  They had no
romance between them, though long ago they had taken up the habit of the
occasional fuck and suck session.  Neither of them were the type to deny
themselves something just because of how society was set up, and neither
found any need for their infrequent but enjoyable bedroom fun to go any
further than just that; fun.  Still, she trusted Logan deeply, and was
often able to confide in him more than others.

   "Logan?" she spoke.

   "Yeah?" he replied.

   Betsy looked into his eyes and said, "I think I'm a lesbian now."

   Logan hesitated, then took a deep, drawn out puff on his cigar.  "Are
ya?"

   "You've known I've been attracted to girls for a long time," Betsy
continued.

   "Well, yeah," Logan nodded, taking another puff.  "That don't really
explain this just now, though."

   Betsy shrugged and looked down, her eyes absently tracing the dribble of
cum leaking down the valley of her breasts.  "I don't really know how to
explain it, Logan.  I'm not really attracted to guys.  Not anymore.  I'm
just...not.  Honestly, you're the only guy I feel like fucking, ever, and
that's just because I know you'll take care of me, and we're good friends.
Beyond the immediate fun and satisfaction, there's no attachment."

   Logan nodded but remained otherwise silent, his eyes watching his old
friend and waiting for her to find the words.

   "It's not enough," she said at last.  "I need more than that, Logan.  I
need more than a good fuck, though it's nice, don't get me wrong.  But I
need a real relationship.  And we both know that would never work out
between us like that."

   "I know," Logan replied evenly.  "So.  Ya ain't interested in other
fellas?"

   Betsy shrugged one graceful shoulder.  She reached one hand to brush a
long tendril of purple hair from her sweaty face.  "Not really.  I mean, I
guess I can still find men attractive occasionally...but it's not there
like it used to be.  I'm finding myself more and more drawn exclusively to
women.  For the past year or so I haven't even looked at a guy twice.  And
the few short relationships I've had with women have just been a lot more
fulfilling and meaningful, even if they haven't lasted long.  I think I may
finally be ready to hop off the fence and into the girls' yard."

   Logan smirked and took another puff from his cigar.  "I can't really
blame ya, Bets.  Seems like the logical choice to me.  I don't really see
why dames go fer men in the first place."

   Psylocke smiled and shook her head.  "Men aren't always so bad.  I don't
dislike men...I just prefer women."

   "Why`re ya tellin` me all this?" Logan asked bluntly.

   "Well," Betsy glanced up at him.  "I...I dunno.  I don't think I'm gonna
be able to do this any more.  At least, not as often as we do now, if at
all.  I`m sorry, Logan."

   "Ya call shackin' up once a year `often'?" Logan chuckled.  He patted
the bed beside him and leaned back to take another drag on his cigar.  "Ya
ain't gotta worry `bout me, Bets.  I ain't gonna be upset.  Our little
meetin's have been fun, but I know they're nothin' to read into." Betsy sat
beside him and ran a finger along his chest hair, smiling softly.  "Good.
I'm glad.  I didn't want to hurt your feelings or anything, Logan.  You're
my friend, and I wouldn't want that to change."

   "Ya ain't got nothin' to worry about, darlin'," Logan nodded, smiling
lightly.

   "I have to be honest," Betsy mumbled, "I've also decided to firmly jump
off the fence because...well..."

   "Ya found a lady yer into?" Logan suggested.

   "Yeah," Betsy smiled.

   "She know?"

   "No," Betsy shook her head.  "I don't even know if she'd be interested.
In me or any other woman, for that matter.  But...I like her.  A lot.  I
don't think I've ever felt this way before."

   Logan nodded and took a thoughtful puff on his cigar.  "Ya think yer in
love?"

   "I don't know," Psylocke admitted.  "I don't know if I've ever been in
love...really, definitely in love.  And I know I've never been in love with
a woman.  It's a bit different, in little ways.  I'm just going to have to
find out and hope for the best."

   "Well, I hope everythin' works out for ya, Bets.  I'm here if ya ever
need a friend."

   "Thanks," Betsy smiled.  She leaned her head against his solid shoulder
and sighed.  "I figured you'd be okay with it.  I'm glad you understand."

   "Ya know me," Logan shrugged.  "What was I gonna do, throw a fit?"

   "You do have something of a temper," Betsy pointed out with a grin.

   "Eh," Logan grunted noncommittally.

   "Logan?"

   "Yeah?"

   "Don't think I'm swearing off men because of some kind inadequacy on
your part," Betsy said softly.  Her hand slowly slinked down the hair
covering his body until it wrapped around his spent dick.  It began to
harden and thicken rapidly before her eyes.

   Logan chuckled and watched her face.  "Ya probably woke the whole damn
Mansion with yer screamin'.  I'm pretty sure I ain't quite inadequate."

   Psylocke sank downward and enveloped the swollen, sticky head of his
dick with her mouth.  Tomorrow she was done with men.  But right now, the
night was still young.

   ***



   Kia strode down the hall, an armful of papers and books cradled between
her arm and one curving hip.  It was a chilly but overall pleasant March
day.  This far north, winter's grip hadn't completely eased yet, though the
snowfall had been surprisingly light and hospitable this year.  The day was
bright and the glimpse she caught out the windows lining the hall showed
the sky to be clear and rich blue.  Her last class of the day had just
ended.  She had a light course load, this being her first semester teaching
at the Xavier Academy, but both the Professor and her students seemed
pleased with her so far.  She even had a few students who claimed she was
their favorite new teacher in the School.  She was lined up for higher
level classes to teach next semester.

   As it was, she had the rest of the day off to do whatever she wanted. 
Things had been quiet at the Mansion of late; the X-men, the special team
of Mutants whose goal was to defend both humans and mutants from harm and
to preserve the interests of human-Mutant relations, had been able to relax
over the last month or so.  For at least that long there had been no major
disasters, no threat to Mutant kind, no human lives in peril, no evil
madmen trying to take over the world, and no aliens secretly invading the
planet.  Hank had jokingly said they were in `off season'.  The quiet was a
welcome change from the sometimes frantic and tense atmosphere around the
mansion when something major was happening.  Even with the brief time
period she had lived here, Kia had found that some rather bizarre and
complicated situations faced the mansion's inhabitants.

   Kia wasn't on the team.  She hadn't been with Xavier and his Mutant
followers and students long enough to be fully cleared for field duty, and
Xavier was hesitant to allow her out into the open with only seven months
of training, despite the fact that she had taken to the training quite
well. Part of Kia wished she could be out there; in the past seven months
she had made several close friends on the X-team, and she wanted to be able
to help them.  Another part of her, however, was just happy she had finally
found a place to belong.  Kia had moved several times in the past few years
alone, mostly due to not fitting in anywhere and having her Mutant heritage
looked down upon.  Now, she finally had friends; friends who truly
understood the kind of hardships and sense of displacement one felt simply
being a Mutant.

   She sensed a presence ahead.  Subconsciously her Mutant sense scanned
the individual more fully, feeling a touch of impatience mingled with
amusement.  Kia glanced up to see Elizabeth Braddock walking down the hall
toward her, smirking softly.

   Elizabeth, or `Betsy' as her friends called her, was a sight.  She had
the long, straight hair that most women of her Asian heritage tended to
have, but instead of dark brunet or black, the sleek locks were dyed a deep
purple.  Her skin was a rich golden color, smooth and soft and tight over
her flesh.  Her limbs were graceful and long, slender and lean with a soft
but athletic muscle tone.  Unusually tall for an Asian woman, Betsy stood
two inches taller than Kia at 5'11".  Though she was lean and slender, with
a tight, toned middle and long, muscled legs, Betsy possessed curves most
women would kill for, with rounded hips and a more than generous bustline
that only Kia's own curves topped.  Her face was quite lovely with full,
naturally pursed lips and stunning slanted purple eyes.  An unusual bright
red tattoo was set over her left eye, extended from her brow to just above
her angular cheek, a reminder of a long ago brush with death.  Typically
not a casual dresser, today Betsy wore her team uniform.  It was a
skin-tight blue suit that resembled a swim suit more than anything.  It
hugged to her curves while leaving her arms bare.  Matching blue thigh-high
boots hugged the firm, slender musculature of her long legs.

   "You're late," Betsy commented.

   "Sorry, I was counseling some students," Kia replied.  "I'll be quick
about getting ready."

   "If we wait too long Logan is going to destroy the Danger Room before we
even get there.  He's in a mood," Betsy replied.

   Kia's brow furrowed.  "Logan?"

   Psylocke gave her a strange look for a moment before realization crossed
her face.  "Oh, that's right, you haven't met Logan.  He's a team member.
Codenamed Wolverine.  He's been gone awhile.  He does that.  Leaves, I
mean. He's been gone about eight months and just got back yesterday."

   "Logan, Logan..." Kia muttered, how brows drawn up thoughtfully.  "Oh
yeah, I think I've heard people talk about him.  That's the guy Scott
hates, right?"

   Betsy rolled her eyes and nodded.  "Yeah.  Logan's...something of a wild
one.  -And you know how anal Scott is.  Can't stand things not being just
so.  The feeling's mutual though; Logan hates him just as bad, if not
worse. He cut the top half of Scott's car away once and claimed he'd gotten
him a convertible."

   "Oh my God!" Kia laughed, a soft, musical sound that followed her as she
and Betsy entered her room.  "That's great!  I never would have thought of
that!  I think I'm going to like this guy."

   "He's gruff.  Real gruff.  But he's a good guy under it all.  The only
people who don't like him are people like Scott who can't see the real him
because their head is wedged up their ass."

   Kia's room was decorated modestly, much as her home before moving to the
Mansion had been.  The difference here was that, regardless of how humble
or simple her tastes may be, there was no way around the room being a cut
above the norm in quality.  The walls themselves were rich wood with
elegant and tasteful trim at the floor and ceiling.  The doorway was
decoratively worked and the carpet was a plush and soft green, expensive
looking without being too extravagant or over-the-top.  A large desk full
of papers sat along one wall, a bed and a tall dresser along another.

   Kia glanced over her shoulder as she grabbed her `uniform' off the bed.
"He cut Scott's car in half and called it a `convertible'.  I don't see how
I can not like him."

   Because she wasn't fully trained or approved for field missions, Kia
didn't actually have a real uniform.  It was more like...well, a
hand-me-down.  It was one of Rogue's old uniforms, altered to properly fit
Kia's curvier proportions.  It had seen better days; the elbows and knees
were quite worn, and the rest of it wasn't entirely in better shape.  The
collar was ripped and stretched pretty badly and the material around the
right cuff was starting to thin out.  But Kia didn't have much use for a
uniform of her own, not yet at least, and she wasn't too picky about what
she wore in the meantime as long as it got her by.  It still somewhat
amused her, however, that with all the riches and resources Xavier had at
his disposal, he had yet to buy her her own outfit.  Maybe it was some kind
of hazing ritual or something.

   Kia set her papers on her big desk, next to a stack with a sticky note
on top that read `Grade Now!'.  Without even glancing back at Betsy, Kia
stripped quickly out of her neat class-wear and wiggled into the Uniform.
She still wasn't really used to the feel of these uniforms, but the close
fitting outfit generally allowed a greater range of movement and freedom
than most clothes.  Betsy nodded and helped Kia zip it along the side and
secure the zipper in place.  Kia pulled on the uniforms clunky boots, then
the two women headed into the Mansions lower levels.

   While all the Mansions schooling and housing facilities were on the two
stories above ground.  The Mansion was a massive building, with a multitude
of rooms, some for housing, some for learning, and various facilities
dedicated for eating, cleaning, maintaining, entertainment, and leisure
time with friends and colleagues.  Both the students and the faculty were
housed on these two floors.

   The basements revealed a whole new side to the Mansion.  Created with
all the funding of Xavier's vast fortune to back it and in more recent
years augmented and supplemented with highly advanced Shi'ar technology,
the two lower levels housed the operation centers of the X-men.  The lower
levels served a number of functions; the war-room, an operations and
information gathering center.  The Danger Room was a holographic simulator
that allowed the X-men to train their martial and Mutant abilities in
various combat and hazardous situations.  The Hanger, where the teams
various transportations were stored, most notable of which was the
Blackbird, the massive aircraft that had flight capabilities far beyond any
modern jet, so much so that it could even make short excursions into the
upper most atmosphere.  Cerebro was also located in the sub-levels, the
amazing machine that amplified Charles Xavier's mental powers to allow him
to search for and contact Mutants over the entire world.

   The pair entered the Danger Room to find Kurt and Peter waiting for
them, along with a man that Kia wasn't familiar with.

   Kurt was one of Kia's closest friends in the Mansion.  He was one of the
most inhuman appearing Mutants, as well, which didn't bother Kia in the
least.  He stood at about her own height, though he often seemed shorter
because of the way he tended to slink and crouch about.  He was a slender
and thin man, toned and tight of body like all the team tended to be. 
Though he had surprising strength for his size and was quite a fighter, he
was physically unimposing.  He had a pronounced physical mutation which
unlike many Mutants, whose physical appearance changed at puberty, had been
evident since birth.  His body was covered in short, dark blue fir.  He had
pointed, almost elvish ears and three unusually shaped toes.  His hands too
had only three digits, two thick fingers and a thumb.  A long, prehensile
tail extended from the small of his back which was strong enough to support
his full weight and agile enough to grip various objects.  Unlike many
Mutants who find themselves heavily persecuted for their unusual
appearance, Kurt had always seen the bright side of things, speaking
optimistically about any situation and finding a light to guide himself
through life no matter what the situation.

   Piotr Rasputin, called Peter or Pete by his friends, was an enormous
man, towering at 6'6" and sporting an impressive, broad build.  He had the
body of a weight lifter and the strength to match, with a barrel shaped
chest bulging with muscle and biceps thicker than Kia's thigh.  His hair
was short and neat, and his face clean and handsome.  Dark blue eyes and
pale skin gave him a calm look that reflected his easy going nature.

   Peter's Mutant power was already in use; through force of will, he could
encase his body in an impervious metal shell that acted as an
indestructible second skin, allowing Peter to withstand nearly any attack
without so much as budging.  His transformed state also gave him incredible
strength and destructive power.  When transformed, Peter was able to lift
weights nearing the 100 ton mark.  His body also grew when transformed,
becoming wider and thicker and more muscular.  In that state, he reached
the awesome height of 7'5".

   Kia's eyes, however, lingered upon the stranger.  Peter dwarfed him, and
Kia guessed even she was taller than him by a number of inches.  Despite
his lack of height he was still quite imposing.  He was wide, with a broad
chest and shoulders.  His body was thick with muscle, bulging from his arms
and chest and shoulders.  His middle was thick as well, but Jenna could
tell it was a muscular thickness, as if his entire body was one mass of
compacted muscle.  Hair covered his exposed arms, thick and coarse tufts of
black that gave him a slightly wild look.  His face was stern, severe even,
but attractive in its own right, with a strong jaw and wide, pronounced
brow.  His hair was thick, black, and somewhat unkempt, rising up and back
as if coming to two devilish points.  Thick, wild sideburns raced down his
face, framing his solid jaw line.  His chin was relatively clean, though
shadowed with stubble.  She had some trouble placing his age.  His face was
slightly worn and lined, but it looked more like the wearing of difficult
experiences than age.  Even with the lines, however, he looked vibrant and
healthy, if not youthful.  Piercing blue eyes darted about every few
moments, restless and scanning about constantly.  They reminded her
somewhat of the eyes of an animal.

   Kia tensed as the man's emotions washed over her.  She could never fully
cut off her connection to people; any time she was remotely near someone,
their surface emotions would be at the very edge of her perception.  But
where most people's feelings were like a soft brushing on the very surface
of her consciousness, this man's emotions nearly made her light-headed with
their intensity.

   His emotions were as knotted and endless as a ball of yarn wound tight
upon itself.  Never had Kia felt such a wild rush of feelings, each so
different from the last.  Anger.  Burning, consuming.  Rage, yes, that was
it.  Though it was one of the deepest impressions of anger Kia had ever
felt, somehow, she was not afraid of this man.  The anger was held down and
tightly secure.  The barest instant later and the rage was gone, replaced
by confusion, then bitterness, then affection, then such soul stirring
loneliness that Kia felt sure her heart would break.  They were such a rich
blend of feelings and states of being that Kia found them almost
intoxicating.

   Kia let out the breath she had been holding for half a second and put a
barrier of sorts up, blocking off the emotions that threatened to overwhelm
her.  Only the briefest moment had passed, but she felt as if she had
delved far too deeply.  She didn't like to immerse herself into a persons
feelings in such a manor without good reason.  Much like Xavier, she felt
such a delving was an invasion of privacy, in some ways far more personal
than one's thoughts, even.  She would have to closely guard her Mutant
sense whenever she was around this person, she was certain of that.

   The man glanced up as the two women walked in and scowled.  " `Bout
time," he said, his voice as rough edged as the rest of him.  It suited him
well.

   "Ah, Kia, Betsy!  You're late!" Kurt grinned as he and Peter took note
of their entrance.  He teleported onto a small ledge overhead, protruding
from the as yet featureless Danger Room wall.  He balanced skillfully upon
the very edge, making it look as casual and effortless as if he were
standing like the rest of them.

   "I know, I know...I'm just glad to see the one eyed dork-wad isn't here
to bark out his orders," Kia replied.  Everyone around the Mansion was well
aware that Scott and Kia did not get along well in the least.

   Peter cleared his throat and spoke, his voice deep and rich and heavily
accented from growing up in the countryside of Russia.  "Logan, this is Kia
Jaeger.  She is in training to become a new member of the team.  Kia, this
is our old comrade, Logan."

   "Hi," Kia said, feeling somewhat nervous.

   " `Lo," Logan nodded to her.  "Welcome to the fam'ly.  Now can we get
this show started or what?"

   Kia glanced at Betsy and arched a brow.

   "You heard the man.  He wants a good welcome home," Betsy agreed dryly.

   "Well then, let us make this a bit interesting," Peter grinned.  He
walked to the consol set in the far wall and touched the screen.  He went
through a few command menus before nodding to himself.

   The simulation that Colossus had chosen kicked into action.  The simple
and featureless room suddenly shifted and swayed for a moment as the
advanced Shi'ar holograms activated.

   The group stood in the middle of a massive courtyard, a square clearing
at least a hundred yards in dimension.  They stood near one end with the
courtyard stretching before them.  The ground was covered in small, smooth
stones neatly arranged about.  Around them the walls of a great Japanese
temple rising up around them.  A massive pagoda stretched upward on the far
side of the courtyard, fresh coats of red and black upon its surface. 
Several bamboo trees were scattered about the square for aesthetic value.

   Grouped at the foot of the Pagoda were their opponents, a mass of men
clad in bamboo samurai armor.  The men glowered at them, and slowly slid
their katanas from their sheaths with an unsettling hiss.  There were far
too many to count, easily over a hundred strong.

   "Ah, the showdown at Wing-Po," Logan smirked.  "Good choice, Petey."

   "Zis is...a bit advanced for Kia, ja?" Nightcrawler ventured.

   "She'll be fine," Psylocke nodded.  "There's plenty of us here to help
and protect her.  It's not like she can really get hurt here anyway.  We've
got the safeties on."

   "Sissies," Wolverine grumbled.

   "I'm not that breakable," Kia smirked.  "I may not be as good at these
things as you guys are, but I'll be okay.

   The mass of warriors began to advance, slow and sure and steady.  The
Mutants came together.  Betsy reached behind her shoulder and slid her
Katana free from its sheath.  Kurt produced a blade of his own, this one a
curved saber that he kept at his hip.

   Kia jumped as lengths of steel exploded from Logan's hands, arching
outward.  Six gleaming, razor sharp claws protruded from the back of his
fists, just above his knuckles.  The long gleaming blades were fearsome to
behold.  Originally lengths of bone from his Mutation, they later became
coated in Adamantium, like all the rest of his bones.

   "Do yer thing, Petey" Logan murmured, his focus entirely upon the
advancing host of Samurai.

   Peter nodded, reaching down to lift Logan effortlessly.  He pulled back,
Logan still in his arms, then hurled his team mate right into the ranks of
the enemy.  Logan roared loudly as he exploded forward, his clawed hands
extended to lead the charge.

   Logan slammed into one of the swordsman, hitting him square and with
such force it sent the man hurtling into the samurai behind him.  Logan
grinned with satisfaction as his claws sunk through the man who had broken
his momentum, the pointed lengths of metal exploding out the warrior's
back, and into the chest of his comrade.  Wolverine was up before the
Samurai gathering around him could fully react.  He yanked his claws free
and lashing out, gouging the man on his left across the face and then
spinning and kicking solidly into an attacker on his right.  He roared
again and lunged deeper into their ranks, claws slashing and stabbing
rapidly, cutting those around him down.  A Katana slashed across his left
forearm.  If not for the safeties, it would have cut deep enough to clang
off his unbreakable bone.  He slashed with the claws of his right hand,
shattering the Katana and then plunging the claws into his attacker's
chest. He ripped his claws out the side of the man's body and moved on to
his next victim, the thick welt on his arm healed before he'd even sliced
through the offending Katana.

   The rest of the team burst into action.  Colossus charged forward, his
enormous, steel-hard body barreling into the mass of foes and hurling them
out of his way.  Armored men flew in every direction as he backhanded and
shoulder rammed them aside.  Their blades chipped and cracked upon contact
with his impervious shell.  Nightcrawler was teleporting in and out of the
enemy ranks, striking men from unseen angles, his spectacular agility and
speed combining with his teleportation ability to keep him out of their
enemy's reach while remaining devastatingly effective.  The air was soon
filled with the scent of brimstone and a lingering tint of smoke.

   Psylocke moved with the grace and skill of a honed warrior.  She weaved
and dashed from Samurai to Samurai.  While the blade in her left hand
flashed and slipped past the guard of her enemies, her right hand glowed a
brilliant pink.  She plunged the powerful and slender psi-dagger deep into
the bellies and sides of the Samurai striking and slashing at her.  While
Psylocke could use her psi-dagger to stun or incapacitate others, Betsy was
allowing her full power to flow into the pink energy blade, causing each
stab and slash to be fatally powerful.

   She rolled away from the slash of one attacker, lashing her Katana
upward through his chest and skipping to her feet in the same motion.  Her
right hand flashed forward, plunging her psi-knife quickly into a second
Samurai, once, twice.  She spun and blocked a slash from a third opponent
with her Katana, using the opening to kick the man in the chest and sending
him sprawling backward.  Her telepathy felt the stirrings of consciousness
just a foot behind her.  She reversed her grip on her Katana and stabbed
backward with it, sliding it into the belly of the Samurai coming behind
her even as she slashed an attacker advancing on her front with her
Psi-dagger, slicing his throat.  He fell to the ground, as dead as if a
real blade had opened his jugular.

   Kia was not as skilled at direct combat as her more experienced team
mates, so she attempted to keep out of the fighting.  She was by no means,
however, incapable of making her presence felt.  She reached out with her
power, concentrating fiercely and putting the fullness of her Mutant gifts
to work.  The first man she ocused upon suddenly paused where he stood, his
face blanching and taking on a sickish look, allowing Betsy to open his
belly with her Katana.  The next was lunging toward Peter, blade raised to
strike, and suddenly stumbled, crying out at the pain flaring through his
leg.  His muscles suddenly exploded with agony.  His knee locked and
refused to respond to his minds demand.  A third Samurai clutched at his
chest, his face twisted in pain, but his lungs refused to draw breath to
scream with.  The warrior fell to Wolverine's slashing claws a moment
later. Everywhere Kia's will touched, the enemy faltered, distracted or
disabled by unseen afflictions.

   "Can't we make this any harder?" Logan roared over the sounds of battle.

   "Computer, increase to level seven, team settings," Psylocke called out.

   Things suddenly got much more deadly.  The warriors began to glow a
shifting blackish green color and their Katanas' seemed to be pulsing with
the color.  The next blow that crashed against the side of Colossus's face
clanged loudly and made him stumble back.  A few moments later Wolverine
gave a loud cry and came flying through the air, smacking down hard on the
ground and rolling to a halt near Kia's feet.

   "Are you okay?" Kia asked as she quickly helped him to his feet.  A
large gash marred Logan's face.  The safety settings on this level were,
obviously, lower.

   "Keep outta reach, kid," Logan growled.  "I think Bets' went a bit
overboard." As he spoke, the gash on his face healed before Kia's eyes.

   "What should I do?  My powers aren't strong enough to bring one down by
myself.  I just disable them."

   Logan glanced down at her and nodded.  "Work on the ones around Bets',"
he instructed, then leapt back into the violent fray.  She watched as he
ducked under the next devastating slash and plunged his claws repeatedly
into the attacker before running up to the next one and tackling the
armored man, slashing frantically as they both struggled to the ground.

   For the next several moments Kia reached out with her powers, pushing
them as far as she could as she used everything she had been taught and
every useful application she could think of.  She disabled the muscles of
several warriors' sword arms, making them drop their blades uselessly to
the ground as Betsy danced in and out between them with incredible agility
and poise, slashing with Katana and Psi-dagger both, cutting away her
enemies in a deadly dance of steel and power.  Kia broke down one Samurai's
strength so that when he slashed at Betsy, she was able to block the sword
without being flattened by the power of it.  At one point Kia even altered
the cells in one man's legs, making them heavier and denser so that he was
unable to lift his suddenly weighty feet.

   She was so distracted with hampering and impeding Psylocke's opponents
that she almost failed to notice several Samurai coming at her until it was
almost too later.  She fought down panic as she turned her power on
herself. She amplified her body's natural abilities, making her muscles
denser and stronger, her senses sharper and her mind more alert. 
Adrenaline suddenly pumped through her body in such quantity that it
bordered on being harmful, giving even more power to her muscles and
heightening her reflexes.

   A quick roll saved her as the first Samurai slashed downward at where
she had just stood.  She sprang up and lunged at him.  Her muscles rippled
with augmented power as she drove the heel of her palm into the man's
throat, the easiest and most effective strike she knew.  The man gurgled
and sank to the ground, his airways crushed.

   Kia considered grabbing up the Katana the attacker had dropped, but
before she could she was forced to skip away from her next attacker.  She
wrapped her power around him and he doubled over in agony.  Kia took the
opportunity to burst forward and drive her knee into the man's vulnerable
face.  Another Samurai slashed at her and she skipped to the side, faster
than he could match.  She gripped his extended arms and pulled forward,
pulling downward as she swept his legs.  His existing momentum and the
explosion of strength pumping through her allowed her to topple the man to
the floor.  She kept her grip on his arms as he rolled gracelessly to the
ground.  She slipped her hands down to his wrist and with a skilled tug and
twist, popped one of his wrists out of place.  As the man gave a muffled
scream, Kia yanked his Katana from his loosened grip and plunged it into
his chest cavity.

   Before the next three attackers could reach her, a sharp `bamf!' sounded
and Kurt appeared behind the closest warrior.  He leapt up and kicked the
warrior in the back of the head, and before the next instant was over he
was behind the second one, striking and knocking him out, and then doing
the same to the third.

   "Careful, Kia!  Ve vouldn't vant you to get bruised, ja?" Kurt grinned,
then teleported out into the fray again.  Logan and Peter had made their
way to each other and were currently helping one another to tear into their
enemies.  Kurt went in and out of the battle for several moments before
popping up near Betsy and centering his efforts toward thinning out the
attackers around her.  Kia did what she could to assist, helping to set up
easy targets for Psylocke and Nightcrawler and keeping their attackers
disabled or distracted from attacking them in force.  Still, she paid
closer attention to those enemies closest to her and held her newly
acquired blade at the ready.

   The enemy seemed truly endless, and in fact, were being re-generated and
bolstered by the Danger Room, but at last the Samurai's numbers dwindled
and thinned, and the last ancient warrior collapsed to the bloodied ground
as Logan's claws pulled free of his throat.

   "Please...tell me...we don't have to deal with...this kind of
thing...for real," Kia panted as the courtyard faded to be replaced by the
plain walls of the Danger Room.  She felt drained, physically exhausted
from using her powers more heavily than she ever had.

   "Sometimes," Peter replied.  "But we usually have greater numbers, and
it is rare we must deal with enemies who re-appear after you defeat them."

   "Rare?" Kia arched a brow.  "Wait, never mind.  I'll find out some day.
I guess."

   "You did good though," Betsy smiled.  "I would've been dead quite a few
times if you hadn't been messing with them."

   Kia took a deep breath and stood up straighter, smiling softly.  "I just
wish I could have been more directly involved.

   "One day," Kurt told her encouragingly.  "First you must develop your
powers.  Ve all had to do zese tings.  Zey take time."

   "Listen to `em," Logan nodded.  His body was criss-crossed with bruises
and cuts, but they were rapidly fading and mending as his team mates
watched.  "Takes years to get where we're at.  Ya been here what, a few
months?  Eight at the most, ya sure weren't here when I left.  For that
little time, yer doin' good.  Ya trained before somewhere, didn't ya?"

   "Yeah," Kia nodded slowly.  "I learned a long time ago Mutants need to
know how to defend themselves.  I've spent a few years in a few different
Dojo's, off and on."

   "Kia's picking up her training here well too," Betsy nodded.  "Soaks
things up like a sponge."

   "Thanks," Kia smiled shyly.  "I try."

   "I'm hungry," Logan nodded to his friends.  "Who wants grub?"

   "I could go for some," Betsy smiled.

   "Ah, it is good to have you back, Logan," Kurt nodded.  "Ze place...it
was not ze same vithout you."



   ***

   Charles sat at his desk, glancing over some lesson plans and other
paperwork.  His office was spacious and comfortable, an office, study, and
den all wrapped into one room.  A hearth was set in the wall off to the
side and several book cases were spread about.  His desk was large and
fine, made of a solid oak with a lacquer finish.  A computer, a handful of
books, and many papers were stacked on the desk, neat, organized and
orderly.  A large window opened over the well kept lawns and gardens,
providing one of the most peaceful and calming views in all the Manor.

   In an hour and a half he would be giving a lecture on the nature of
Human-Mutant relations throughout history and where he and others like him
hoped they would go in the future.  It was one of his favorite lectures,
one that he gave to all first year students when business with the team and
the school were relaxed enough to give him the opportunity.

   He felt the stirrings of Logan's mind just outside his door and looked
up as his long time friend walked in.  Logan plopped into the chair in
front of Charles desk, a lit cigar between his lips, and kicked his feet up
onto the edge of Charles large oak desk.  "Pete said ya wanted to see me,
Chuck."

   "Yes, well," Charles said slowly.  "It's good to see you're well, Logan.
Now, please put that out and put your feet on the floor, where they
belong."

   Logan smirked and moved his feet, then snubbed his cigar out in the
ashtray Charles kept on the end of his desk just for these visits.  Every
time Logan was called into Xavier's office he came in the same way, and
every time Charles told him to do the same thing.  Old habits.

   "So how was your trip?" Xavier asked.

   Logan looked out the window and folded his thick, hairy arms across his
wide chest.  "Alpha Flight tried to pull me back in."

   Before joining the X-men, Logan had been a member of the Canadian Super
Hero team Alpha flight.  He left on less than idea terms, but the team had
long been trying to get him to return to them nonetheless.

   Charles nodded and let out a quiet sigh.  "I take it you didn't take
that very well."

   "Not after the lot `o `em tried to force me," Logan shrugged.

   "Guardian was doing most of the pushing, I suppose?" Charles asked.

   "Yup."

   "Why didn't Vindicator try to stop all this?  She was always good at
acting as a liaison between you and James."

   "Heather wasn't `round.  Guardian says she was on leave.  Pro'lly
lyin'."

   "Was there violence?" Charles asked.

   "Bit," Logan grunted.  "ya know I don't take well to bein' pushed
`round. They backed off once they realized I was serious.  No one died."

   "That's certainly good, at least," the Professor nodded.  "How was your
absence otherwise?"

   Logan shifted slightly in his chair.  "Ya know how it went, Chuck.  We
been here before." "Indeed," Xavier steepled his fingers thoughtfully.  "As
luck would have it, we've not had anything that we would need your help
with while you were away.  I must say though, eight months is a long time
to be gone.  We've missed you, all of us.  I was tempted to contact you a
number of times, if nothing else than to see if you were well."

   Logan grinned widely.  "Ya know me.  Nothin's gonna happen to me, Chuck.
I just needed some time alone."

   "Mmm," Charles murmured.  "Well, I am glad you are back, Logan. 
Planning on staying for a time?"

   "Probably," Logan nodded.  "I got it outta my system fer now.  I went
through Canada and up into Alaska.  Checked on some old buddies.  Got word
from an old friend that somethin' was goin' on with his family.  Ya know
how it is.  Old loyalties."

   "Indeed.  I hope your friend is well," Charles nodded.

   "I went to see Amiko for a few weeks."

   "Oh?" Charles smiled.  He was fond of Wolverine's foster daughter. 
Though Amiko and Logan's relationship was sometimes a bit strained because
of distance and Logan's duties, he knew Logan cared deeply for the child
and that if nothing else, the young girl was good for him.  She was one
more thing to help the often volatile man stay stable and grounded.  She
was currently enrolled in an all girl boarding school in Pennsylvania and
Logan went to visit from time to time.

   "How is she?" the Professor asked.

   "Bored," Logan chuckled.  "She says they ain't challengin' her enough."

   "I don't doubt it," Xavier smiled.  "She's incredibly bright for her
young age.  That one will go places in the world."

   "She's a good kid," Logan agreed.  "Proud o' her."

   "Well, in any case, shall I explain our current situation?" Charles
asked.

   "Looks good to me," Logan commented.  He glanced around the room,
smirking lightly.  "Place is standin'.  In one piece, too."

   Charles chuckled.  "Yes, well.  As I said, we've been having something
of a quiet period.  There was a rather large breakout of riots in the Bronx
area about a month ago, all centered around hate crimes against Mutants. 
We acted as subtly as we could, but action was needed.  We managed to get
things calmed and evened out without any deaths, though several people were
hurt and one Mutant had to be hospitalized for several weeks.  Fortunately,
things have been uneventful since then."

   "The deep breath before the plunge, eh?" Logan said, his smile turning
grim.

   "I pray not," the Professor said softly.  "But I can't help but fearing
the same thing.  Our many experiences would suggest as much."

   "Good thing I'm back then," Logan grinned.  "Wouldn't wanna miss the
party."

   The Professor shook his head, but one corner of his mouth twitched
upward.  "In any case Logan, it's good to have you back.  Now then.  I hear
you've met our newest friend."

   "Huh?" Logan arched a brow.

   "Kia Jaeger," the Professor explained.

   "Oh.  Yeah, I met her.  Joined a training session in the Danger room. 
Lady ain't half bad.  Fer a rookie."

   "She is new and inexperienced, I'll admit.  But she tries quite hard,
and she has much potential" Xavier replied.

   Logan smirked and shook his head.  "One o' yer new pet projects, eh?"

   "Come now, Logan," the Professor protested.  "You know I don't play
favorites."

   Logan leveled a wry look at Xavier.  "Come on, Chuck.  We known each
other too long fer you to try that with me."

   Charles hesitated for a moment before slowly admitting, "She does
intrigue me more than the average student, yes."

   "Tell me `bout it," Logan suggested.

   "She arrived here seven months ago.  We detected a powerful reading and
went to investigate.  At first we thought it was a young Mutant boy that
was in her care, but that turned out not to be the case.  Before we
discovered that she was the one with the high power reading, however, we
found that she was indeed a Mutant.  We also discovered that, as it turned
out, she was a teacher.  We brought her in to help teach the children,
which she now is.  She seems well suited to the role."

   Logan nodded.  "So, what's her power?"

   "It's quite extraordinary, actually," Charles murmured .  "She has the
ability to alter organic matter.  She can manipulate and rearrange, or even
destroy it, as she sees fit.  She can do this on the molecular, and even
the genetic level."

   "And that means..." Logan muttered.

   "It means that if she should so choose, she could destroy your body,
cell by cell, or atom by atom, with no more than a thought."

   Logan whistled softly and shook his head.  "No wonder ya've got an
interest in her.  We sure she's not gonna randomly kill someone by blinkin'
at them?"

   "Well," Xavier sighed.  "It is somewhat unnerving, I'll admit.  Though
there is the potential for her power to be put to such fatalistic use, at
this point, Kia has only just begun to discover the power she can use.  Her
control is strong, but she hasn't really developed her abilities yet. 
Before coming here, in fact, she had only even used her power on herself."

   "Herself?  How's that work?" Logan asked.

   "Just as she can use her powers to destroy the molecular structure of a
living organism, she can use it to augment as well.  Yes, think of it.  She
can use her powers to briefly make herself faster or stronger, or more
agile, by tweaking, if you will, her body's natural cellular structure. 
She can make the cells of her bones denser, her muscles thicker and larger,
activate chemical reactions in her system...She can even use her power to
repair damaged cells in her body.  Almost like a lesser, manual version of
your healing factor, if you will."

   "Handy," Logan smirked.

   "Indeed," Charles nodded.  "In any case, as I said, before coming here
she never used her powers on anyone but herself.  Testing them on some of
the team, we find that she can augment them and make them stronger just as
she can herself.  Kia can also augment their Mutant powers, making them
more effective and pronounced."

   "That's good and all, Chuck," Logan nodded, "But what about her bein'
able to destroy?  Ya looked into that?"

   "Indeed," Charles nodded.  "I've managed to configure the Danger Room to
generate a target close enough to actual organic matter for her powers to
affect.

   "We've had to start slow, but progress has been made.  At the moment,
she can use her powers to break down the molecular balance in an enemy,
causing them to weaken and fatigue almost instantly, as if suddenly struck
with a deadly virus or disease.  She can even turn their own immune system
against them to break down healthy cells and body structures.  She can
focus her powers in a localized area, such as a muscle grouping, and
destroy the cells there entirely."

   Logan nodded and leaned back in his seat.  "Can she do anythin' else??"

   "We don't really know," Xavier shrugged.  "Honestly, with the ability to
alter and control matter on a genetic and molecular level...her powers
could quite literally be limitless.  Provided something was made of organic
material, Kia has the potential to alter it in almost any way she wills. 
The thing is, the more she wishes to alter something, the more energy and
focus it takes for her to do so.  Right now, killing too many cells, more
than a few muscle groupings, has her verging on fainting.  Augmenting and
healing cells and atoms seem to come more easily to her.  But who knows? 
One day she may indeed be able to fully destroy a person with her power,
down to the last cell."

   Logan looked into Xavier's eyes and smirked.  "Hope she stays on our
side."

   "As do I," the Professor chuckled.  "For her own protection as much as
ours.  Her vast powers have not been without their pitfalls already.  Some
time ago, before we found her, she accidentally altered her own DNA with
her power and brought about an additional Mutation.  She has something of
an empathic ability now...she can feel the emotions and feelings
experienced by others in close proximity to her.  If she focuses, she can
perceive someone's emotions so keenly as to even understand why they are
feeling how they feel, and what they are feeling it about.  Almost like an
emotional version of telepathy and mind reading."

   "Sounds like she's got talent," Logan grunted.

   "Indeed she does," Xavier smiled.  "She is extraordinarily gifted, more
than almost any Mutant I've ever met.  I think she will be a very valuable
addition to the team some day."

   Logan nodded and tilted his head slightly, watching his old friend. 
"So, ya gonna tell me why yer tellin' me all this?"

   Xavier rubbed slowly at his smooth head, looking as close to bashfulness
as he was likely to ever show.  "I had...well, I had hoped you would look
out for her and perhaps even befriend her."

   Logan gave the Professor a heavy look.  "Ya askin' me to babysit,
Chuck?"

   "Not at all," Charles replied.  He cleared his throat and regained some
of his smooth business-like composure.  "I have told all the team the same
thing- watch her and help her.  She is older than most students who come
here.  It is more difficult for adults to adapt to new things than it is
for youngsters, you know.  She needs friendship, Logan, and she needs
someone to make sure she doesn't stumble.  I ask you to be one of many
people who will help her with those things."

   Logan let out a heavy sigh, then nodded curtly.  "Fine, I'll see what I
can do.  Can't make no promises, though."

   "You're effort has always been more than good enough for me," Charles
nodded.  "Oh, and you'll be happy to know you're no longer alone in your
dislike for Scott.  He apparently has rubbed Kia the wrong way.  Perhaps
you two can converse on that."

   Logan smirked and stood.  "Well.  The lady's talented, and smart. 
Sounds like ya hauled in a winner this time, Chuck."

   "Jean would like me to remind you you're overdue for your checkup."

   "Not even Jean could make me like doctors," Logan grimaced.  " `Sides,
what's she gonna find?  That I've aged five minutes in the last year an' a
half?  All us know nothin's wrong with my health.  Waste o' time."

   Logan grumbled on as he walked out of the office.  The Professor leaned
back in his wheelchair, watching his wayward pupil go with an amused smile.

   End Ch.  2

   Well, this chapter was certainly a bit more exciting than the first one.
Hope everyone enjoyed...more to come soon.

   A few quick things.  First, a note on Kia's powers.  I am not attempting
to make Kia an all-powerful character by any means.  I also have no
intention of adding powers to her out of the blue.  Kia will, most
certainly, be able to manifest and use her set powers in a wide and unusual
variety of ways, but all will fall under the capacity of the way her powers
work as I've presented them here.  Kia will never randomly be able to alter
and manipulate non-organic matter, and if you notice her doing so, then
please send me an email pointing it out, as it's probably a monstrously bad
slip on my part.  Otherwise, Kia's abilities will all fall under her
currently defined powers, and most of the ways she will use them should be
able to be reasonably explained in a scientific/pseudo-scientific manner.
And as for whether or not she'll eventually just be able to kill things off
with a thought by destroying all their cellular/atomic matter...who knows?
I'm not totally convinced if I'm going to even let her power level rise
past where it is not.

   I want to say here that I've written this story in collaboration with my
Fiance, who was the primary creator of the Kia character.  She's made this
story a lot of fun and very special, and I wouldn't even be writing this
story without her; it just wouldn't be worth it.  I think we work well
together J

   Lastly and as always, please send all questions/comments/critiques to
Crouching_Buddha2000@yahoo.com 
