Chapter 7
The two of them woke up from a 'screaming and trying to imitate a bird guy' named, of course, Roberto. He really was something different.
Apparently they overslept and were now late for training. So they hurried to the, well... what do you even call it? 'The secret basement below the school with a jet in the middle' is a bit too long of a name. Dani just decided to call it the training area, Berto complained that the new name sucked but she just ignored it.
The Brazilian even made the comment that it must have been a 'late night' since they overslept. Both just gave him a stomp (which he deserved) and fortunately he backed off after that.
When the trio arrived they were indeed late. Everyone was already in their respective suit and waiting for them. Illy hid behind the older since she was a bit shy, and not to mention that all the attention was now directly on them. You couldn't really blame her.
For today's training fighting with powers was the main focus. Not that most of them could actually do that, Rahne could of course, Berto too but he could only hold it for a few seconds each time, Sam was just hopeless and Dani could go inside the others head but didn't really want to. And Illy, well, they soon found out that the suits didn't protect them from her sword so she only used her powers to go to Limbo to dodge some attacks. But you know, after the twentieth time or so you do get a bit exhausted from that.
Following that tragedy they decided to work on their stamina (and trying to control their powers yeah yeah.) It wasn't much they did though, just running some laps and doing a bit of exercise. Seemed easy enough, right? Unfortunately nobody had realized how bad their stamina actually was, so it was just two hours of complete and utter torture.
After those two hours they had basically gotten nowhere. Luckily The Professor saw their pain and put and end to the training, they all silently thanked God for that.
Hank got to making new suits that were invisible to Illyana's powers, when he was done the training would continue. (Hopefully Hank was a slow builder?) In the mean time they were advised to keep trying to gain at least some control over their powers and when they got the time maybe attend some classes. It wasn't mandatory, they knew, so the bunch of mutants didn't really feel pressured.
They would think about it was their final answer. (They wouldn't, like who would go to class voluntary?)
The older mutants seemed content with the answer they were given and let them go. It had been a bit much for Illy though so she asked Dani if it was okay to go to Limbo, The Chayenne reassured her it was fine and within seconds she was gone.
During their brief conversation Berto and Rahne had decided to go frisbeeing (again.) I mean, what could go wrong? But still Dani and Sam decided to keep and eye on them. Gosh, sometimes they were such children. But on the other hand they still were. Sam, Rahne and Dani were 17, Berto too, and Illyana was still only 16.
If you would think about what they already had been through, you wouldn't think that they were kids. Honestly, it was enough experience for a whole lifetime.
`The brunette decided not to dwell on it and focus on the task at hand, keeping Berto and Rahne safe and most important, out of trouble. While they were doing (trying) that Illy had gone to Limbo. She however couldn't manage to calm down. She had been anxious and restless all day and didn't really know why.
After a bit of walking she figured she should go back. She wasn't getting any calmer anyway (which bugged her) but at least she would be in the company of her friends (and Dani) so it only seemed logical to do so.
When she teleported back she apparently hadn't been very accurate. She had intended to teleport to her room but instead she teleported in the middle of the main hallway. And if that wasn't bad enough already, she also fell taking Jean with her in the process.
Truely embarrassing.
"Hey kiddo, you okay?" The redhead asked. Illyana knew she meant 'was she okay from the fall and everything' but somehow she hesitated to answer. Cuz she was really, really not okay.
Jean felt the uncertainty coming from the girl, she wasn't trying to read her mind or something like that but the girl practically radiated it.
"Tell me" She said in the softest voice. Giving the young mutant and option, not letting her feel obligated to talk to her about her... problems.
"I just can't seem to get calm today, and it's really bugging me" Illy confessed. "It's stupid, I know, but it gives me the feeling, I don't know. Like I want to cry or something" Relief washed over her, it felt so good to finally say it out loud. "Well, if you feel like crying, then maybe you should" Illy looked at her questionably. "If you body is letting you feel like you should cry, then maybe you should listen to it" The redhead explained.
The Pale blonde seemed to understand and started to walk away. "Wait, where are you going?" Jean asked in sudden confusion.
"To my room, to cry." the younger stated. "Wow, now when I say it out loud it seems rather sad."
"I could come with you?" Jean offered. "It would be even sadder if you went to cry all by yourself."
True, Illyana thought.
So Jean went with her and the younger cried until she could no more. All while being held by the redhead who was softly and patiently stroking her hair until the Russian was finished.
What was she thinking when she offered to go with the younger girl, she truely didn't know. She never did this, she never got this feeling... like she should protect the blonde. She had the same feeling towards the rest of the mutant group but with the youngest it was just a tad bit more. They weren't romantic feeling she had for the girl, that much was clear. (That would be a disaster if that would be the case) It felt more like a parental feeling, like the need to protect your kids.
Okay wow, nope. She should really stop thinking now before it got out of hand.
Luckily she didn't have much time to linger on it any longer as two-ish minutes later Illy was done crying. (It really sounds so sad) Jean noticed however that she was a bit paler than usual but decided not to comment on it.
Illyana felt relieved and surprisingly calmer. Crying really does help sometimes. She was grateful towards Jean to suggest this and staying with her while she cried, she somehow always felt a but safer when someone else was there with her.
To show her gratitude towards the older she asked her if she wanted to join her and her friend outside, she was planning to go to them anyway before all of this, so she decided to stick with it. Jean accepted her offer, it would have been weird if she hadn't (and she actually wanted to) and the pair made their way out of the school looking for a sign of where the others could be.