It Looks Like...

[Apogee]

Donna was flat on her back in the courtyard, staring up at the sky. She'd been right about not sleeping. She'd tried, and failed, to convince Maddy to play Monopoly all night, and so the green-haired girl had headed out early. Without anything else to do and no idea where to go, Donna had just sprawled out in the courtyard staring up into the wild blue yonder.

She let her mind wonder as she stared up at the passing clouds. She missed home, her mum and dad, she missed her mates. The people here had been nice, but they already seemed to have their cliques and subgroups, and Donna wasn't sure where she was supposed to fit.

Maybe the green hair confused the others?

"Not bloody likely," she muttered to herself, tucking her hands behind her head. There were kids with wings and tails, so green hair shouldn't be that big a deal. Donna tapped the toes of her wellies against the cobblestone and tilted her head to the side. That cloud that was drifting toward the school looked like an elephant.

"I'm bored," she groaned aloud. "Someone amuse me."

[Katana]

Katana's "Sh*t!" could be heard over the sound of shattering glass as her basketball smashed a window and went flying into the courtyard. The Acolyte stood at the window for a second, and then followed after it, jumping through the window in a less than graceful move. She tumbled to the floor of the courtyard, dusted herself off, and then ran after the ball.

"Hey you" she shouted at the green haired girl who was lying on the ground, "watch out." The warning was somewhat ridiculous. While the ball was too far ahead for Katana to catch up, it was slowing, and wouldn't hit the new girl very hard. In fact, it didn't hit her at all, stopping just shy of her feet. "I'm so sorry. I'm such a klutz," Katana said as she reached the girl and bent down to pick up the ball.

"So yeah not the greatest intro. I'm Katana. I didn't meet you yet, right?" Katana shook her head as if confused. "I have the worst memory ever." She laughed a little too hard, and continued "Oh, and you totally did not see that! Cyclops will kill me. He's not like angry all the time, he's a nice guy really, but I've broken a lot of windows." You're rambling. Nobody wants to hear you ramble. "So, yeah. What's your name? You play?" Katana figured changing the subject to a basketball game was a good way to save the conversation, plus she really wanted to play and was too chicken to go find Jumper. Fleet now, she reminded herself. She wanted to see him and didn't want to see him.

Her feelings toward the Paragon were very complicated. When she'd convinced him to run away from school with her she thought she was falling for him. But now she was pretty sure she was gay. Which made the whole Fleet situation harder to fathom. Then there was the guilt for getting him injured and making it so he had to leave the school. She didn't really know how he felt toward her. He seemed OK earlier in the rec room but they hadn't talked. She knew she wanted to be his friend. But worried he might not want to be hers or worse, or maybe better but still bad, he might want to be more than friends, and she'd led him on quite a bit before. Why does nothing ever make any f*ing sense. "We've got a cool court if you do," Katana added.

[Wraith]

The sleek rental puttered to a halt and Matt leaned forward in the passenger seat to get a better look at the "school". He still wasn't sure about this. Yeah, he got the importance of learning to control his powers, but he didn't understand why he had to leave Maine to do it. These people weren't going to understand. At least home he had the support of his family and their... assistance.

Here he'd just have to deal with his frustration.

"What do you think, Leo?" Matt turned to see his older brother gaping, not at the school like he was, but at the two girls in the courtyard. Matt hadn't even noticed them. That was becoming annoyingly regular. Since he'd ~poof~ disappeared, he'd been noticing less and less. It seemed the longer he was invisible, the less important the world around him became.

Scary thought.

"I think you should go make friends with that green-haired babe immediately." Matt's brother practically had his face pressed to the windshield as he stared at the two girls and Matt dragged his rucksack out of the backseat.

"Miss you bro." The Shapiro brothers exchanged a quick but sincere farewell and Matt watched the car drive off. Matt left his bag there on the cobblestones, well aware that if he approached the two girls carrying it, there would be girlish shrieks of "ghost!" and it was way too early in the morning for that.

"Uh... excuse me?" Matt kept his voice clear and even. Whispering only made people more nervous about him. "Can either of you tell me where to find Emma Frost?"

[Apogee]

Donna looked at the girl holding the basketball and grinned lazily. "I'm not very good," she admitted. "I'm Donna... Apogee, really, but people seem to have a hard time remembering that. Katana, huh? Like the sword?"

She noticed a sedan pull up and her attention wandered in that direction. She saw the passenger door open, but no one got out. Same with the trunk. When the car pulled away a moment later, there was nothing there but a bag.

That's probably why she jumped a mile when a clear, deep voice asked for Ms. Frost.

She looked quickly at Katana to make sure the other girl had heard the disembodied voice as well. "Erm... 'ello? Is someone there?" Not for the first time Donna wished that she could make herself defy gravity on command. If there was danger, being a cloud would be dead useful. "If someone's there, best show yourself 'afore I start screaming bloody murder."

[Katana]

"Yeah like the sword," Katana said. "I'm nothing special either. When it comes to basketball, I mean." She actually was fairly good, not amazing mind you, but decent enough to hold her own against Fleet. That at least meant she had good reflexes to overcome his speed advantage. Or that he let you win, stupid. That or they had both been too busy trash talking each other, the one and only time they had played, to really pay attention to their games. She somehow doubted Donna would be as into trash talk. "This early nobody else'll be playing anyway, so we can both tell people we were awesome."

"When'd you get here?" Katana asked, trying to make small talk. "Did they tell you what team your on and all that?" She hoped the new girl wasn't a Paragon. She's nice and they'd turn her against me in no time. Not that the other teams liked her much either. If she's a NuMutant, then Riker'll make her hate me. I bet he's still mad about Alex. Katana frowned slightly, but not too noticeably. Too young for college. God, let her be an Acolyte. She could use more friends on the team. Maybe a friend. You've known her for five seconds. Desperate much? Ricki was a good start but Katana was under no illusion about the rest of the team. Ian and Gavin pretty obviously didn't like her, Haven seemed hot and cold, and everybody else just kept their distance. Not Ivy, she's cool. Hot too.


Katana was still thinking about this when she heard a car pull up. Another new person? How many are we gonna get? The school seemed to be filling up, and as it was the middle of the semester that seemed a little odd. She hoped the new kid wouldn't come over. With her luck she'd get an arrogant prick or a rich princess type, she'd lose her cool, and then she'd do something incredibly stupid. "More new kids. They'll have to redo half the semester. Lucky for me, because I didn't do half the homework." I should not have said that.

F*ck he came over. Now I've got to find Ms. Frost, and, wait, where is he? "You alright, Donna?" The new girl was on her feet and looked like somebody had just dropped a snake into her underwear, and threatening to scream. Katana looked all around again but still didn't see anybody. What's he doing throwing his voice? Or maybe he's like Torri. Katana had been freaked, although she'd never admit it, the first few times the younger girl had disappeared. "Donna, it's OK. If he wanted to hurt you he wouldn't be asking for Emma, he'd be kicking our butts." The comment was a bit too sarcastic but it was genuinely meant to calm the other girl down. "I don't know where she is," Katana said in the direction of the voice. "Might try her office. I'll assume she knows your coming. It's not hard to get to. Go in the front door, up the steps to the second landing, and turn...oh crap, right or left. I can never remember that."

[Wraith]

Matt looked both girls over carefully. It was one of the only good things that came out of being see-through. When he had it in mind to take notice of people, he didn't have to worry about being caught staring. He could take his sweet time and look, get a feel for the people he was dealing with, and figure out his next step.

They were both pretty, but the one with the green hair and rubber boots looked ready to wet herself. Matt had that affect on people lately, and it wasn't something he was exactly pleased with.

“Uh, thanks," he told the girl with the basketball. Unseen, he moved forward and snagged it from her hands, dribbling it casually, and giving them a more definitive place to look. "That… well, that really wasn’t all that helpful, was it? But thanks all the same. I’m…” Matt hesitated. He was about to introduce himself with as Matt, but the truth was he hadn’t really been Matthew Shapiro since the day he’d disappeared.

His headmistress had named him appropriately...

Matt had become a ghost of who he once was. Try as he might to fill himself back in, to give himself substance again, Matt was just the invisible boy, a phantom… “I’m Wraith," he said finally. "I didn’t mean to scare you girls. I sort of can’t help it.” He hadn’t intentionally snuck up on them. The silence, the specter act, it just sort of went with his mutation.

That and he was too busy staring at Greenie to really be conscious of his silent footfalls. Wraith took in the weirdo boots, the too-big cardigan, and the neon green locks. The only normal thing about her was the pair of dark-wash jeans that she had tucked into her Wellingtons.

He had to agree with his brother… Wraith had a new favorite color.

[Apogee]

Donna stood beside Katana and watched the basketball bounce idly beside her, seemingly of its own accord. Weird, she thought, listening to the invisible boy’s apology. “Scared? I weren’t scared. Scared…” she scoffed before bursting into giggles. “Yeah, alright, I was terrified. Thought I was going batty, what with the spooky voice coming out of nowhere! I’m Apogee.” She reached out, expecting her hand to meet empty space. Instead, she came in contact with something that felt like a shoulder, and grinned. Too freaking weird. “That’s pretty wild,” she said poking at Wraith again. “Check it out, Katana, something’s actually there.” Donna laughed and smacked the basketball away from Wraith, catching it on the bounce. “Katana and I were about to attempt some basketball,” she looked to the other girl for conformation, “if you want to power down and play with us.”

Donna was not the best with new people, but her father reminded her before she left to make an effort. If she was going to be part of a squad when she graduated, she had to get used to connecting to people. Classmates, teammates… people she wouldn’t have normally have had the courage to speak to. It was all character building, and Donna embraced it with her usual delight.

“And I wouldn’t worry. Mrs. Frost probably already knows you’re here. She is a mind-reader, after all.”

[Katana]

"Your..." Katana started to say 'your welcome' to the invisible boy before he grabbed the ball out of your hands. What the f*ck. That's my ball. Great another asshole. She glared at the ball as an invisible hand dribbled it. We really needed another one. Now we have the complete set. She hoped he would not prove as bad as the arrogant prick who had arrived the night before. Hope again, she told herself when the boy dismissed her directions as not that helpful. I told you where her office is. You just have to turn right and if it's not there turn left. It isn't bleeding rocket science. Katana was less than amused when her new friend invited the boy to play with them.

"I think he better go see Ms. Frost. She'll want to see him. He can play later." She continued, with a little annoyance in her voice. "Somehow I think he can manage the difficult task of looking both ways down a hall for her office." Good going, the kid may be an ass but now you're being one too. I'm sure Donna's so impressed. "No really, just joking," she back pedalled hard, "her office is just a few doors down you'll find it quickly even though my directions kind of suck." Then added quickly, "Sorry, I snapped at you my mouth tends to run ahead of my brain. It is cool to meet you. Once you're done with Ms. Frost we can play if you want." She hoped he didn't want to play, but also that he didn't hold a grudge. The last thing she needed was yet another enemy.

[Wraith]

Wraith cracked up as Donna poked at him and stole the basketball out of his hands. Sneakily, he moved to the other side of the girls, well aware that the second he spoke up they'd both whip around to try and follow his voice. They seemed like good sports, even the crabby one that reminded him of his older sister back home. Nora could make a rabid dog tuck tail and run... Katana seemed to be cut of the same cloth, the 'don't cross me or I'll bitch you blue' cloth.

"Alright, don't hyperventilate. I won't interfere with girl time... Katana." He let the smirk show in his voice since she couldn't see it on his face. He circled them both again, trying to see if he could tell their powers just by looking. "I'll just go see if I can find Ms. Frost. Since you were so nice and gave me directions and all."

Laughing again he slapped them both on the ass before he ran like hell. He wasn't sure what they could do, but he was fairly certain that they wouldn't high five him for that. "Thanks again girls!"

[Apogee]

Donna was rethinking taking the basketball from Wraith. Without it, he was able to move around completely unchecked and she didn't like that he kept moving. Mostly because she was getting dizzy from spinning on the spot.

Not cool.

"Take it easy, mate," Donna said with a nervous smile. "Stop moving around." She wasn't sure if he had listened or not. She couldn't see a bloody thing. She wasn't a hundred percent sure about this sort of thing, but she had a feeling that an invisible boy was going to be big trouble, even in a school full of mutants.

When Donna felt a hand slap her backend she let out a startled yelp, spinning on the spot defensively. "Coward!" she hollared in the direction of Wraith's laughing voice, furious that he had the nuggets to handle her that way. The ground dropped out from under Donna's feet as her powers kicked on, her emotions setting them off once again. The hazy green cloud that was Donna Conners hovered a good ten feet above the cobble stones, rippling angrily. Well, I guess I found another trigger, she thought, surprised by her sudden flight. Excellent.

Well now she didn't know if she should thank Wraith or throttle him.

[Katana]

"F*cking asshole" Katana exclaimed with anger and surprise when the new boy slapped her ass. Like Donna wheeled around to face her invisible assailant. Unlike the other girl, she had balled her fist and threw a punch. She missed. "That was not cool." she yelled after his retreating voice. If she could have seen him she would have tackled the boy to the ground. She would have punched the smug smile she bet was on his face, made all the more aggravating by her inability to see it. Instead she clenched her right hand into a fist and punched her left palm to relieve the rage that was rising inside of her. "You..." she started to shout after him, and then stopped. Calm the f*ck down now, she told herself. Count to ten. Yeah, like that'll work. Fine, just don't do this.

"Donna," she said to the new girl, "I...What the f*ck?" She gaped as the new girl hovered in midair. "Wow, that's really cool," she said. "How far up can you go?" Katana had always wished she could fly. Ugly bone spikes weren't exactly much of a power, especially since she couldn't control them. But flying was awesome. When Guardian had taken her on a flight above the school it had been one of the most exciting experiences of her life. Maybe she'll take you.


The idea of flying with Donna made the Acolyte perk up, although she kind of doubted the other girl could carry her, or would. But it wasn't like she was going to get a chance to fly again, with anybody else. She could ask Gavin but after he died of laughing he'd probably only agree so he could drop her ass over the swimming pool to the delight of all his friends. "How do you do it? You don't have invisible wings or anything, right?"

[Apogee]

"No, no wings," Donna said, struggling to both keep herself slightly upright and remain in the air. She figured so long as she was up there she might as well try and control it a bit, but Donna wasn't exactly sure how to go about it. "I change my density, sort of... lose weight, I guess, and float." Frustrated by her inability to do anything other than hover, Donna became heavier faster than she anticipated and crashed back down to the ground.

"Ow."

Wincing slightly, Donna got back to her feet. "Still working on the controls," she said brightly, unphased by her crash-landing. "I think I broke my bum."

Donna had lost the basketball when Wraith startled her and she looked around the courtyard for it. "Orange bugger, get back here." It had rolled to a stop by Wraith's forgotten rucksack. She raised an eyebrow at Katana and grinned, poking the bag with the toe of her wellie.

"Our new friend seems to have forgotten his duffel," she said, her voice lilting with laughter. "Shame. Anything could happen to it."

[VEIL]

From the road, Maddy skated up to the courtyard, twirling around in a circle as she sped up the walkway. She had no idea where to skate anywhere but the smooth pavement of the road so she went for miles up and down. She loved to skate, it was one of her life's passions and one hell of a sport. Roller Derby was a tough sport, and as much as guys liked to put it down, she knew for a fact that if any of them were to try it, they'd get their ass beaten.

She grinned as she skidding to a stop in front of Donna and a girl she had yet to meet. She didn't remember her from the Cookout, but she vaguely recalled seeing a glimpse of her last night in the rec room, but she couldn't be sure since she was too busy playin' video games. "Mah lord Donna it's jus' beautiful out here. Skatin' up an' down da road, whoo dat was a trip righ' dere." She took off her shiny black helmet and shook her chin length hair out, wiping the sweat from her brow and grinning at them both.

"Sorry, Ah don' know where mah manners are sometimes, mah name is Maddy, it's nice t'meet yah!" Maddy grinned and stuck her hand out to the other girl. "Ah jus' got here yestaday, so Ah didn' meet everyone yet, an' on top o' that Ah'm told more people are supposed t'come by t'night!" She shook her head in disbelief. "Dere sure are a lot more people in this school huh?" She winked at her roommate, remembering their conversation last night about all the people the met so far.

Maddy skated a circle around them, facing them the whole time as she moved with ease on her roller skates. "Sorry if Ah'm interruptin' but Ah can't pass mah roomie here an' NOT bother her!" She stuck her pierced tongue out at Donna and laughed. She was liking her roommate, and not just for her weird accent and awesome hair, Donna was just odd and fun.

[Fleet]

Kyle strolled out of the main doors and into the courtyard. He had a bright confident, cocky smile on his lips and was carrying a bottle of water. His white hair was hanging down a bit in front of his eyes. He had his back pack slung over his shoulders. The last time he walked out of this school with his back pack it had been to run away. He chuckled to himself as he noticed Katana was out here. A bit of Deja Vu, it was her that he had tried to run away with. Since he had been back he hadn't seen much of her around, and all he heard were bad things about her and not being a Paragon any more. He has always knew she had a temper, but she never freaked out on him, so she was still alright in his book. He had been attracted to her, and she had seemed to be with him as well. He could only guess that had changed since she hardly took notice to him anymore.

He stepped down seeing the other two girls here as well and his smile seemed to grow a bit wider. "Well Good morning ladies, How are we all doing today? I was just getting ready to take a hike up along the path there and go for a nice run. If any of you ladies would like to join me, please do." He reached up and ran his hand through his white hair, this gave a glance of the small disc's on his head and his hand.

He saw one of the girls was on skates, and thought she probably wasn't going to be up for a hike in them, but that still left Katana and the green haired girl he had met at the cook out. "I have a couple bottles of water, a couple snack bars and a load of personality, so what do ya say?"

[Apogee]

"Mornin' Maddy!" Donna looked up from her inspection of Wraith's bag and grinned at her roommate. She adored the spunky Lousiana beauty. Maddy had taken Donna's midnight badgering in stride and with a smile, no less. "Watch your arse. There's an invisible bugger running around here and I might beat him. I haven't decided yet."

Donna heaved Wraith's bag over her shoulder and staggered a bit under its weight. She had no idea what Wraith had brought with him, but if felt like everything he owned... and the kitchen sink. She was still trying to regain her balance when another guy strolled out into the courtyard. She recognized Fleet from the cookout, but before she could answer him, she tipped over backwards. "Can't. Fallen down," she said, surpressing her laughter. Donna hadn't really wanted to go running anyway. She had plans on hitting the gym in a little bit. Maybe Maddy would go with her. Maybe Katana, too. Donna sighed and realized she was right back where she had begun. Flat on her back in the middle of the courtyard.