New York City

Brihan got the feeling that the blonde woman was not very happy to see her. Apparently she had wanted to spend some time alone with Xypher. When the woman spoke to Brihan, introducing herself as Hadley, her words were bright and friendly but tinged with an undercurrent of unpleasantness. Brihan had a finely tuned ear and she sensed that the friendliness was feigned, but the hostility was not.

"Pleased to meet you," Brihan said, meeting Hadley's cold gaze with her own dark, serious one. "I'm Brihan. I am a friend of Xypher's, and a colleague. I work as a counsellor and senior administrator with our organisation... for people with special needs." She paused to sip her apple cider. "We got your address from the bartender of the Midnight's Secret. He was keeping an eye on you two, along with half the club." She gave Hadley a little smile. "You have striking good looks." The woman's features were very symmetrical and well proportioned, with no irregularities or blemishes. Brihan knew that geno-sculpt surgery was popular among the wealthy classes, but if Hadley had that kind of money, she surely wouldn't set foot in this neighbourhood. The other possibility was that she was a well-paid... Brihan's mind was too polite to complete that thought. No, Hadley probably just inherited good genes. In any case, it never hurt to compliment people.

===

Sunspark nodded as Xypher explained that they wouldn't be registering new mutants at the moment. "I'm sure you have your reasons, sir," he said. "It's just that Maverick and I need a place to stay for the moment. We'll understand, though, if you can't help us." Sunspark was eager to get into Armada as soon as possible, but it would be unwise to press the issue. It would only attract suspicion to themselves, which was a bad idea, as the mutant Seamstress had already seen to it that Sunspark and Maverick had an... unusual first encounter with Armada.

He drank his juice - no intoxicants for him - and let his gaze roam around the table. It appeared that Xypher, Brihan and Hadley were all unregistered mutants. In addition, they had already encountered Seamstress and captured images of several other mutants from the Armada meeting. Not bad for their first day's work. This would appear to be a very productive enterprise.

"Special needs?" Hadley arched an eyebrow at Brihan, "Surely there's no need for such a degrading title. It's not like anyone here is paying attention to what we're saying." The blonde woman took another long sip of her drink, before placing it back on the table and folding her arms across her chest. She was a bit annoyed at herself for not considering the possibility that someone from Midnight's had been keeping watch on them - not that this time it had mattered, but she mentally scolded herself for not being more cautious. In any other situation, especially now that she was involved within the mutant community, it could have ended very badly for both herself and the rest of her new acquaintances. But mostly herself.

At Brihan's compliment, a smile once again played across her lips - this one almost seemingly genuine, or at least without the tinge of bitterness behind it. "Well, thank you. You're quite pretty yourself." While she was definitely one to toss out compliments and flattery like they were nothing, she wasn't lying. The other woman had a natural beauty that Hadley had never even tried to capture; in all honesty it wasn't as easy for a shifter to accomplish unless they had someone to reference. Plastic-perfect was much more simple when creating a look based entirely on imagination. No flaws, but at the same time nothing particularly unique.

She turned away a moment to finish her first glass of beer, quickly filling it up again from the pitcher that it seemed only she had taken an interest in. It was unusual for her to hang around anyone who wasn't completely plastered - let alone not drinking at all. Hm.

With a sigh, and a shake of his head, Xypher readjusted himself in his seat. "I'm sorry, but the most we'll be able to offer you at the moment is a place to stay. Without our systems in tact, we won't be able to integrate you into society." He looked deep into the man's eyes. He seemed so familiar, but he simply could not figure out why. It was beginning to irritate him. "You're more than welcome to crash with me." He faked a smile and propped up his chin upon his hand. "There's one unoccupied bed and a couch." He knew it sounded awkward for him to offer his house to these two strangers, but he couldn't just leave them to the brutal trials of impoverished life that in reality plagued more than half of the planet's population. Plus, there was something about these two that struck him as threatening, for lack of a better word... leaving them under anyone else's care could prove dangerous. He figured it would be best for him to keep an eye on them...



A soft, electric buzz chimed as the Director fingered the intercom button, connecting himself to Nightshade's lab.

"Nightshade." He said, and not bothering to wait for the man to reply, continued. "I believe it's time we tested BOOST on a live specimen..." The man laced his fingers and crossed his legs, leaning back within his chair. "I will be sending subject 059-823-534 down momentarily." With that, he severed the connection. He had no need to discuss anything further with the man. With one last look at the tiny red-headed boy in his office, he pivoted his chair towards the hearth, giving a dismissive wave to the two fireproofed bodyguards restraining him.

The boy was confused as to what was to be done to him, but he knew he wouldn't like it. He thrashed in a feeble attempt to escape their grasps, but to no avail.

"Urgh... Let... me... go!" He shouted frightenedly, his voice cracking. He raised a hand towards the fireplace and clenched his fist, the fire within it instantly rushing towards the glass enclosing it. "No!" He willed the fire further, the strain it was putting him through apparent. He clenched his other fist as well, the fire now blazing violently, spinning and licking about. Tiny cracks began to form within the glass from the building pressure. The Director shook his head in agitation and snapped his fingers. One of the guards nodded, and raised the plasma rifle gripped within his other hand, hitting the child square in the forehead with the butt. The flames calmed themselves as the boy fell unconscious, and was carried out of the room.

"Oh, Nightshade's going to have fun with that one." The Director snickered.

As soon as the guards deposited the unconscious boy on the examination table he had set up in his private lab, Nightshade waved the guards away. The men looked at each other, unaccustomed to taking orders from mutants, but since the scientist was wearing the black trenchcoat of his position, they complied. With a crack of his knuckles, Nightshade set to work.

"ALEX," he barked, waiting for the AI to project its holographic eye into the room before continuing. "I am going to sedate the subject. Please prepare a diagnostic program to analyze his blood. I want to see what BOOST will do to his blood cells before I introduce it directly into his bloodstream." The machine chimed its obedience and the examination table hummed to life. Its surface glowed a bright white for a moment, then faded to a subtle cream.

With a nod, Nightshade concentrated for a moment before spitting a small tablet into his hand. He held it near the boy's nose and crushed it, sending a lot of the powder into the boy's airway. Instantly, the subject's heart rate dropped to coma levels. Carefully, Nightshade drew a bit of blood, which he deposited on the hologram table. ALEX projected one of the blood cells in fine detail, next to which the construct quickly displayed a list of all relevant blood properties and DNA strings that the scientist would need to know about. After a moment of examining the list, Nightshade nodded and held his hand over the table.

After a few seconds, he drizzled a mist of BOOST serum onto the blood sample, which immediately changed to a bright orange color. With a blink of surprise, Nightshade turned to ALEX excitedly.

"ALEX! Make sure you are recording this! These results could be crucial!" He looked back at the projection, which had changed several things in the list. Nightshade began muttering to himself. "Blood viscosity is dropping, cell walls changing composition, new chemical being created in bloodstream...Interesting. ALEX, it appears that the BOOST serum modifies the organism at a cellular level, creating physical changes to withstand the increased strain the host will be putting on its own body. This one is a pyrokinetic, so it makes sense that the changes are to withstand heat. But the blood is thinner...That doesn't make sense." Nightshade adjusted his weight and touched the list, scrolling through it with a slight frown.

"The blood should thicken, because applying heat would thin the blood to a normal level. Oh...Hmm. I see! It's a flame retardant chemical." Without thinking, Nightshade took a sample of the blood on his finger and licked it off, making a face at the metallic flavor. After a moment, Nightshade's eyes lit up and he smiled wide.

"Guards!" barked Nightshade. The men snapped to attention out of habit. "Keep those weapons trained on this one. I'm waking him and giving him the BOOST serum." The men nodded silently, re-warming their weapons. Nightshade rubbed his fingers together over the boy's face, sprinkling a powder all over him. With a start, the boy woke with a scream, arms out wide as if he were throwing something.

"Easy! You're safe now! I'm a friend." The boy looked at him strangely, eyes narrowing when he noticed the coat. Suspiciously, he climbed down from the table, with Nightshade's assistance, and allowed himself to be seated at a normal metal table. With a smile, Nightshade produced a plastic cup full of grape juice and a blue gel tab.

"Ok, listen to me. I need you to take this pill. There are some very powerful men who want to help you, but they will only do it if you do what I say. Alright?" The boy nodded slowly, putting the pill in his mouth and taking a big gulp of the juice. His expression brightened considerably when he tasted the juice, which he drained greedily. The subjects generally weren't given anything sweet unless they are very good, so any opportunity they get, they indulge.

After a few minutes, Nightshade checked the boy's pulse and respiration, pupil dilation, and skin moisture. With a satisfied nod, Nightshade opened a locker and removed a training dummy, which he set up in a corner of the room. Checking that the guards were still watching carefully, he pulled a Zippo lighter out of one of his pockets and flipped it open.

"Subject 059-823-534. I hereby instate you into the APPS program, under guideline 503-8b, sub article 3422, with the authority given to me by the Director himself. You are to enter into a rigorous training course designed to change you into a living weapon. Your path will be difficult, both physically and mentally, but it will be rewarding. Do you understand?" Of course not. He was just a boy, but out of desire to please, the boy nodded an affirmative. Nightshade tilted his head in respect, and ignited the lighter.

The boy changed his whole demeanor instantly when he saw the fire. Nightshade gestured at the target dummy, the fire, and finally the boy. With an eager nod and wide smile, the boy drew the small flame to his hands. His hysterical laughter made Nightshade a bit uneasy, but he let the boy do his thing. Yelling wildy, the small redhead unleashed massive jets of flames at the target, incinerating the plastic with its heat. Nodding to himself, Nightshade spit a small blob at the boy, who passed out shortly after.

"ALEX, did you get all that?" The hologram popped up on the table, replacing the blood cell.

"Affirmative, Doctor. Did the results please you?"

Nightshade pondered to himself a moment before answering. "Yes. Yes, the results are pleasing. Send a copy of the video to the Director," he stated dismissively. "Guards! Take the subject to his cell, and make sure you keep yourselves protected. Non-lethals only, if you please." With a distant look in his eyes, the scientist sat at his computer terminal and began typing up a report.

Maverick massaged his temples some more though he was still listening as intently as he could to the conversation taking place.

"We would be grateful of course, but if it's an inconvenience for you we don't have to. Sparky n' I made it this far on our own." He said. He reached up under his ski goggles and rubbed his eyes. They were blurry, perhaps from sleep, perhaps from his seizure, perhaps from both. The large plastic lens flipped back down over his eyes and the majority of his face. He grumbled angrily as they started to fog up.

"I hate these things." He said bowing his head and leaning his elbows on the table as he tore the goggles off and started to clean them out with a napkin.

====

Numbers, thousands of numbers. Ones and zeroes. The mind of the machine. The AI sifted through the numbers crossing it's "mind" at an alarming rate. The holographic projection gave results instantaneously.

"ALEX, did you get all that?" The doctor queried eagerly.

"Affirmative." The AI returned. "Are the results pleasing?" It added, probably to check on the doctor's emotional status. The mutant worked better when he was not angry.

"Yes. Yes, the results are pleasing. Send a copy of the video to the Director," the doctor said, quite in a hurry to contemplate the results.

The holographic orb winked out, appearing on the Director's desk. The glowing orange projection complimented the scenery of the dimly-lit room.

"Mutant Nightshade's work has produced positive results. The Director should be receiving results now." A small "message received" icon appeared on the sinister man's computer.

“Good, and what of our other project?” The director said, his gaze never leaving the flickering glow of the hearth, the conflagration behind glass, the raw power and destructiveness of fire caged and under control.

The electric voice spoke again "We have prototype schematics prepared. We are ready to begin construction per your request.”

“Run simulations and perfect it. I want nothing to go wrong.” The Director muttered. The orange orb winked out of existence.

With a startled scream, the boy awoke from his externally-induced state of unconsciousness. He was in danger; he knew he was, and so he threw his arms out wide, searching for any source of flame he could use without a second thought. But a calming voice stayed his hand, lulling him into what he believed to be a state of security. He pushed himself up into a sitting position, his hands chilled by the cold, unforgiving metal of the gurney beneath him. He looked around the room; he was in a lab of sorts... and there was a strange man in a black coat speaking to him... His eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he did as they wanted and stepped off the gurney to be seated near a table. The man procured what looked to be a cup of purple liquid, and some sort of blue pill. He listened as he spoke, and took the cup and pill from him cautiously.

With a gulp, he swallowed the pill, along with a mouthful of juice. His eyes widened in surprise and delight at the taste and texture of the juice, which he downed completely in a few seconds. After a few seconds, the man and his assistant began examining him, taking notes of some kind. He was still wary of their intent, but let them continue regardless of his suspicions.

After a few minutes of this, the black-coated man pulled out a zippo, and began talking some sort of mumbo-jumbo about BOOST and APPS and whatnot. He didn't know what the man was talking about, but in an attempt to please, he gave a sharp nod. The man nodded back and lit the lighter, pointing to the dummy across the room. With an excited and slightly entranced glance at the flame, he smiled and nodded yet again. He let out a bit of a psychotic laugh as he began to manipulate the fire; he had never felt such a connection to it before; sure, he had been able to make it do stuff, but this! This felt as though the fire were an extension of his very being. He let out a howl and launched an intense pyroclasmic blast towards the dummy, incinerating it nearly instantaneously. He stared, dumbfounded for a second at the results. He turned to look at the man, but for reasons unknown to him passed out shortly afterward.

He awoke a few moments later within his holding cell, confused and mildly disappointed. He had actually believed that they were going to help him... that he would finally escape this wretched place...

~*~

Back within the lab, Nightshade's assistant was busy scribbling observations and thoughts down at the command of his "employer". The experiment had gone without a hitch, and he was very pleased that their efforts were finally paying off.

A faint bubbling noise distracted him. His head perked up, looking around the room desperately for the source of the sound. After a few seconds, he found it; the blood sample they had taken from the boy earlier. The one they had tested BOOST on. The tiny sample was bubbling violently, and even from where he was standing, he could feel the heat emanating from it. This was not good...

With a small whooshing noise, the blood ignited itself, burning just as violently as it had been bubbling, and it didn't appear as though it would be stopping any time soon. He quickly attempted to douse the flames before they spread, but to no avail.

"D-Doctor? Doctor Nightshade! We've... got a bit of a problem here..."

~*~

His head was beginning to ache now, he felt what he believed to be a fever coming on. Not that he'd ever had a fever before... or at least that he knew of... But he knew what they were... Many of the others here had died from them. The pain was quickly spreading from his temples to his shoulders, eventually reaching his feet. Soon, his entire body was a writhing ball of white hot pain... He clutched at himself, willing the pain to vanish. He felt like he was on fire. Which soon, he found he was.

He let out a shriek of manic pain and clutched at his head. The flames that were now emanating from his pores whipped and snapped around the room, the door of which bursting outwards with one of the jets. The guards patrolling the halls jumped at the sudden explosion of metal and heat, instantly training their weapons on the doorway. The boy walked out slowly, still wreathed in fire. He glanced maniacally at the three, before incinerating them all with a quick jet of fire.

The fire alarms within the underground base went off, sending jets of precious water down upon the flame-cloaked boy. The air around him sizzled as the rain evaporated before impact. He was only slightly conscious of what was going on, but he knew he was going to die. As resistant to fire as his body may be, it wouldn't be able to stand it much longer. Well, if he was going down, so was everyone else in this base. He really didn't care anymore.

With his last ounce of strength, he pushed the fire outwards as far as he could, and collapsed to the ground in flames.

"You can never be too careful," said Brihan mildly. If Hadley knew about the recent invasion of their HQ, she would understand why Brihan was feeling so cautious. Knowing that the Genesists had tracked them down so easily made her feel extremely uneasy. They still didn't know how their security had been compromised, although it probably had something to do with the rifter they had picked up, the one who had been on the news... how long ago had that been? It seemed like forever. Knowing the Genesists were out there, ready to spring into action the moment one of them made one false move, had made Brihan more nervous than she'd been to begin with.

She was genuinely surprised when Hadley called her pretty. She didn't know if the comment was sincere or not, but she never put much effort into her appearance, and she knew that she didn't conform to the current fashions (whatever they were). "Thanks," she mumbled, not knowing what else to say.



"That would be awfully nice of you, sir," said Sunspark to Xypher. Being invited to stay in the personal quarters of one of the Armada leaders? It was an opportunity too good to pass up. There would be in an excellent position to observe the comings and goings of the organisation, make contacts, gather information and carry out surveillance.

It occurred to Sunspark that being in closer proximity to Xypher would give him as much opportunity to study them as it gave them opportunity to study him. In fact, that could be exactly what Xypher had in mind. Perhaps he didn't fully trust them; a wise default stance. In that case, the outcome of the situation would depend on who was better at extracting and concealing information. Sunspark felt positive about this. He eyed Xypher, wondering once again about his capabilities.

They would find out soon enough.

The fire alarms woke Nightshade with a start. He'd just sent off a ten page report to the Director and settled in for a little nap. Crying out in surprise, the half-asleep man emitted a jet of mist from his sleeves and sprayed the room around him in self defense.

"Doctor Nightshade," chimed ALEX. "There is a situation happening. The Director wants to know what went wrong with the BOOST program." The A.I. projected a holographic camera image of what appeared to be the heart of a volcano. After staring at it for a while, Nightshade figured out that it was the hallway outside the test subject's room.

"NOOOOOO!" screamed the horrified mutant, throwing his metal chair across the room as he leapt to his feet. Running as fast as his legs would carry him, Nightshade sprinted down the hallways, taking hairpin turns without caution or care, until he reached the outskirts of the flames. The fire was so hot he couldn't even approach it yet, so he shed his trenchcoat, revealing his heavily tattooed body in a wife-beater and allowed the water to soak into his skin.

"Can you hear me!" he shouted down the hallway. Fifty seconds passed without an answer, so he held his hands out and shot streams of super-cool halon gas into the fire, extinguishing it instantly. He made his way slowly to the heart of the inferno, making sure he picked up enough water to sustain himself. When he finally reached the room of the boy, the fires were mostly out, but since the entire hall was one black color, he couldn't tell if there was any remains left.

Snarling savagely to himself, Nightshade angrily stomped back to the laboratory, only to be met by his bumbling assistant. The man stammered through some kind of explanation before Nightshade simply blew chloroform into his face and knocked him out. He entered his lab and snapped his right hand, manually activating the ALEX hologram. Leveling a finger, he shouted one word, a command.

"Analyze!" The machine flickered for a second, before issuing a flat tone and blinking out. A few seconds later, it projected a list of code and formulas, scrolling as fast as Nightshade could process it. "I'll be damned if I waste more resources on this project if it is a failure. There must be something I overlooked," muttered the man pensively.

The machine obediently performed the command it was given. The hologram of all the logs pertaining to the amplification serum was projected in midair, floating silently and scrolling slowly as Nightshade furiously read the logs.

"There must be something I overlooked," the mutant said, nearly biting his nails in frustration.

The small rotating "eye" appeared, removed from the documents but still there. The machine spoke, the unfeeling manner in which it's voice buzzed made even more acute by the situation at hand and by the words it spoke.

"The mutant Nightshade has overlooked nothing. The BOOST project was a success." The words hung still in the air for a few seconds while Nightshade's gaze snapped to the orange translucent orb. Time had seemed to have stopped for a few moments.

"What?" Said the quiet voice belonging to the mutant, eyes widening even further in horror. "The BOOST project was a success. Mutant abilities have been amplified by 311.24 percent." The unfeeling voice said.

"The side effects kill the user though!" The mutant hissed.

"Side effects are negligible, and will be corrected by the Hybridization project." The mutant stood, dumbstruck at the machine's words.

"N-negligible?!" He stammered. "We are capable of increasing speech volume if the doctor is having difficulty hearing." The machine replied.

"I'm careful enough." Hadley gave Brihan a smug little smile, flicking a stray piece of hair back over her shoulder with the rest of the blonde waves before turning her attention to the boys at the table; namely Xy, of course. "Mind if I tag along? I can bring an air mattress." Her smile widened, showing off impossibly white teeth. "We could turn it into a little party to lighten the mood some. Seems like most of us could need it after tonight's big news." She spoke the last few words in kind of a teasing way, obviously not nearly as concerned as the others were about the consequences of the upcoming attack. She didn't roll with the Armada on most occasions, so she had no plans on participating. Her powers weren't of any use in direct combat, anyway.

She picked up the pitcher of beer and topped off her glass again, attention once more drifting away from her acquaintances at the table. Their main topic of conversation wasn't really something she could add to. Her gaze drifted to the televisions near the main bar counter as she absentmindedly began nibbling on one of the wings she'd ordered (seemed like no one else was planning on eating them) and became distracted by whatever sport was currently playing, leaving it up to the others to decide their plans.

Xypher cocked the street girl an eyebrow, forcing a smile upon his face. Not that he had any problem with his small apartment being used as a hotel service, but her forwardness had thrown him off. Plus, given the strange individual's brief history with him, the man had every right to be a bit wary of her presence. "Erm... that's fine by me, I guess...?" He said questioningly, the same awkward expression still apparent upon his face, betraying his thoughts upon the situation. He leaned back and picked up a wing, nibbling at it sporadically as he observed the other three of his makeshift party converse. Their mannerisms, their reactions, their speech... He observed everything they did, and with care. He wasn't much of an analyst, but he could always tell when someone was trying to hide something from him... Well, almost always.

~*~

A distinct ringing sound filled the air, piquing the interest of a certain well-dressed man. His expensive chair turned from the flaming hearth to confront the desk in front of which he lounged, and with a slender yet masculine finger, he pressed a singular button amongst an array of others like it. Forth from the seemingly-antique wooden desk sprouted a holographic screen, displaying a vicious and fiery scene taking place within the halls of his underground facility. His eyebrows raised in interest as the episode unfolded before him, the corners of his defined lips rising in intrigue. Swiftly, he thumbed another key.

"ALEX. Tell me, is this the result of BOOST?"

"Affirmative. The neural synapses within test subject 059-823-534 have increased exponentially, as have displayed abilities. Mutant burn-out appears to be imminent, but are negligible due to correction by project HYBRID. Project BOOST shows all required signs of success." The AI's electronic voice hummed from the surrounding speakers placed within the walls of the ostentatious room.

"Indeed..." The Director laced his fingers in satisfaction, mulling over the situation. The eventual termination of his products was unfortunate, but as the AI had stated, were negligible. He thought of calling of the progression and production of the enhancer, but only for a moment; if HYBRID could prevent their death, and ensure their activity, that was all that mattered. He didn't want to see them destroyed by the very things that made them unique. No, he loved all of his children dearly.

~*~

A strange tenure, of which the likes the black-haired boy had never heard before, pierced the comforting silence he surrounded himself with. Alertly he erected himself, stepping over to the metal door that, for the most part, confined him to his quarters. He placed a pale, smooth hand against its cool metal lightly. Only the metal wasn't cool. It was hot. What was going on out there? Was the heat the cause of this alarming sonancy, or vice-versa? He had to know, for knowing was all he knew. He calmly exhaled and walked towards the heavy hatch. He did not stop when first his flesh met it; instead he continued his stroll. For a brief moment in time, he seemingly ceased to exist, lost in between the sides of the aperture. In reality, he was still there, though there was more to him than usual, for the composite slab of metal meant to bar him behind it was a part of him too. Or he a part of it, dependent on the view. All of the elements contained within the cast-iron door, and all that made up the black-haired boy swam together, as though they were two liquids. For that brief moment in time, they were one.

And with an inhale, they were separate.

Immediately upon exiting the door, the boy was assaulted by a slurry of heat and smoke, greeting him with their blinding and asphyxiating properties. The boy threw up his arms in front of his face, coughing wildly as he clenched his eyes shut in protest. Fire... So this was fire... There was water too, falling from a dispersing device above, though the trumping element did not appear to have any affect upon the raging inferno. There was nothing he could do out her, least he give way to the fire and flames and allow them to consume him, as they surely would have. So, with another quick and tempered exhale, he stumbled back through the door, falling to his knees upon his exit, still hacking from the excess carbon-monoxide he had ingested. He welcomed the cool temperate air within the room with open lungs, and reveled at the feeling of the cold and unforgiving floor beneath him. Just as he had for the entirety of his conscious life. It was safe in here; this was his haven.

Brihan cocked an eyebrow at the girl's rather forward request. She could only imagine the things she'd try to do while there, and shuddered at the thought. But that wasn't the worst part; three unregistered mutants staying with him? Two was bad enough, without a floozy third being thrown into the mix. She knew he could handle himself, but if he let his guard down around them, there was no telling what might happen... Which might have explained why she did what she did next.

"Well, there's room at my place, if you'd like to crash there, dear." She smiled sweetly at the girl, meshing her fingers in her lap as she awaited a response from either her or Xypher. It was true, she was just concerned about the man's safety, but something about his mannerisms around the girl made it obvious he really didn't want all too much to do with her. It really was all for the best...



Sunspark glanced at the tan-skinned girl with mild amusement. She clearly didn't want the clingy blonde, whoever she was, anywhere near Xypher. Whatever; it worked to their advantage. If they could eliminate any wildcards from the picture, it would most likely increase the chances of them uncovering important information.

Maverick's clock eyes flicked between the inhabitants of the table as he stirred the magenta contents of the smoothie in front of him. He raised an eyebrow as the blonde woman mentioned 'big news'. It was something he would ask about later, if only for his own benefit. He snorted some as his eyes flitted across each face again. Cogs were turning in every single one of their heads and it was all too apparent. All these plans and secret agendas put him on edge and he sighed, trying to relieve the stress of all this by pulling the cold drink up and pressing it against his throbbing head. The nurse made a cheerful offer to the floozy individual, but her eyes bespoke anything other than cheer. Dishonesty aggravated Maverick about as much as veiled plots. He wanted sleep and wanted to stop thinking his oppressive thoughts, so to speed things along he tried to make the situation awkward.

"Take the deal blondie. My head hurts enough without having to think about the shenanigans you're probably planning this guy." Maverick said, nodding at Xypher. "Can we just leave now? This smoothie isn't worth what I paid for, this place is giving me a headache and I need to sleep off my bad mood; I don't care with who or with where." He continued, not caring about his verbal slips or how blatantly rude he was being.

"But that would ruin the point of a group sleepover, now wouldn't it?" The fair-haired woman's gaze once again lazily drifted over to Brihan, not trying particularly hard to mask her slight annoyance, despite the ever-present grin on her face. "Besides, no need to divide up boys and girls. We're all adults here. I'm sure we can be... responsible." She raised an eyebrow a tad and turned back towards the men at the table, hardly caring that this 'sleepover' was something only she had decided on, and that the others would probably beg to differ concerning exactly what would happen at it, apart from sleeping. Oh well, though. What they planned on wasn't her problem; and neither were her plans theirs. If everything could go her way she'd send these two other men off to Brihan's place to have their own fun and she'd have the blonde man all to herself. Not that that was the only thing she wanted - just generally getting into the crowd was higher on her priority list. As confident as she was, she knew quite well if Genesists figured out some way to track mutants other than by appearance, she'd be done for in an instant. Hadley had no fighting skills whatsoever. They'd never been needed. If she could stick around with these guys, she'd have a chance at some protection. Befriend them, stick with her current appearance, make up some power that she could say is far too dangerous to use. Everyone wins.

Well, at least no one loses.

Hadley's eyes flicked towards Maverick at his less-than-friendly comment, smile sliding from her face, perfectly rehearsed demeanour almost faltering for a moment before she caught herself and regained her former composure. "I guarantee I'm not planning anything as bad as you might think," she said with a wink, grin returning to her cherry coloured lips.