Welcome to Gaia! ::

'This is a lot to sort through so soon.' Damon suddenly found himself tired. He had been so caught up in the events of the past few days, he couldn't remember the last time he had slept. During the moments of sifting through what had happened and what will happen, he had finally wound down. Now his body was beginning to protest.

He fought to stay awake, shaking his head as he rubbed his eyes again. His thoughts were already beginning to become cloudy.

"Where will I be staying?"

About three and a half days without an hour's worth of sleep. It was a miracle he wasn't passing out.

"Ah," said Victoria, nodding her head in comprehension as Conner pulled out of the alley and drove back to the store without any problems or hesitations on their end. As they drove along, she listened in a silent awe to his story and found the whole thing to be quite interesting. From what she could deduce, Conner learned to do what he did by picking up tips and tricks from the 'professionals' in his field, and moving on only after he could not be taught anything new. A completely respectable way to get by and better oneself, as far as Victoria was concerned.

"So, all this traveling and stealing and hustling and such," started Victoria innocently, once Conner shifted the convertible into park and started for the supply store. She followed him without question and looked back at him curiously.

"Was it all just for kicks or is there a reason behind it all?"

====

Meanwhile, not to far off from our car-stealing duo, an unexpected visitor closes in on the Brotherhood mansion, home to Bayville's own Brotherhood of Mutants. Fast and near silent foot-steps started up the worn and ramshackle drive, not slowing or hesitating as the newly rebuilt home loomed into its field of vision. Out on the western horizon, the sun was fairly low in the sky as dusk started to settle in. Give it a few hours, and it be yet another cool, dark and quiet evening in the port town of Bayville.

Minus the quiet, of course.

The unnamed foot-steps having finally reached the front door, a slender female hand reached out for the handle. The hand jiggled it once before letting it fly open and bounce off the opposite wall, making it known to any occupants with a spare brain cell that they had company.

"Hello, my dear children," said a cold, female voice, and anyone within earshot would recognize it as belonging to Mystique, the leader of the Brotherhood gang who had recently gone MIA.

As if that fact that she was, in fact, alive was not enough of a shocker to her little rag-tag team, the fact that she was pissed to hell was bound to sent shivers up their lifeless spines...

Blade opened her mouth to ask how Sara knew that when she was told that Xaiver was a telapath. She blinked a few times in surprise before narrowing her eyes.
"Is he now?" Blade muttered to herself. The young woman didn't like the idea of people poking around in her head. Nor the idea that someone else new her secrets. However she soon smiled and nodded her head. "Well, I guess I should see him then." She announced aloud.

"Survival." Conner answered her. "It was the only way I could get money without a visa or a greencard or involving whatever passed for the mafia in whatever country was in. He pushed open the door and politely held it for Victoria. "When what little savings I had were completely drained I started with snatch'n'grabs and got caught by a man who would put Fagin to shame. A serious pro. He taught me how to pick pockets and that kept me going." He explained, with a nostalgic look on his face. "After mastering that, I wanted a challenge so I moved on to hustling on street corners. I've worked my way through as many tricks as I could." He added. "I suppose you could say I get my kicks from it."

Damon nodded, half hearing the professor's words. The other half was fighting to keep from passing out right there. Despite the many complaints that his limbs gave him, he pushed himself to his feet, each movement becoming sluggish.

"Thank you... for your time..."

Damon nodded again and headed for the door. He opened it and slipped through, shutting it softly behind him.

Sara hadn't arrived yet and the hallway was quiet, devoid of any students or adults. There was nothing to do but wait until she arrived, so Damon slid down the wall and sat on the floor, his head drooping to his knees.

His eyes fluttered open and closed, burning to just shut themselves and stay that way. He was trying to stay awake but it didn't seem like he would succeed. With one last drop of his head, he nodded off to sleep.

"I guess so." Conner answered Victoria, He looked at the expanse of the building and figured also that he would have everything he needed available to him...if only he knew exactly what it was he needed. "We might as well grab the vittles first, I'll get everything else later." He picked up a basket of his own; letting it hang from his fingers, gently knocking against his leg as he walked. He slowly started walking up the aisles, thinking about waht they should get. Tins are the best bet. He thought Atleast until I can find a fridge or Macguyver the old one into action.

"Aye. Food it is," said Victoria plainly, nodding her head once before starting up the aisle alongside Conner. With the basket still draped over her shoulder, she looked around at the shelves of either side of her as they mosied on through. They were currently in Aisle 3: Dry Goods, and Victoria rested her free pointer finger on her chin as she thought freely about what what rations they might want to pick up. She also realized that their choices would have to be limited to non-perishables, seeing as the fridge was still, most likely, on the fritz.

"Okay," she mumbled to herself, crossing to the side of the aisle with the pasta, and tossing about five or nine or thirteen random boxes into her basket.

"Carbs are always a crowd-pleaser," she explained with a quick shrug before turning and starting for the next aisle.

====

"I'm right here, ya know!" said Lance shortly, eyeing Valerie carefully as she explained herself to the Toad-boy hanging stupidly in front of them. By now, the blonde had skiddered around Toad and was attempting to play 'buddy' with him again. Taking a few steps backwards, he manged to avoid her capture and at the same time figured out who was behind the glass-shattering door slam he had heard just a moment before.

Mystique was home and looked very unentuatic about something. Typical...

====

"And I'm so happy to see you all, as well," said Mystique flatly. Closing the door behind her with just as much of a slam as it took to open it, she gazed around at all of them, sizing them up almost. Any Brotherhood member who had stayed with the team for longer then half a day would be able to tell from her look that she had something in the works for all of them.

Even more the more experienced members, figuring out what that something is was easier said then done.

"From what I can tell from the fridge, it's probably best not to open it right now," Morgan mumbled, acknowledging what Sara had said, and glancing sidelong at the silent fridge.

This is just not my day, is it? First with the pyromaniac burning down half the mall, then having to save all of existence, and now the fridge is broken... What else could go wrong? he thought to himself.

"I'll find something else to do," he grumbled, getting up from his seat, and wandering off into the mansion, desperately in need of something to amuse himself with.