Troubled

[Alex Kaine]

Alex careened into the side of the bathroom stall with a crash and a groan. Before he could rebound and slip away, a meaty arm pressed into his back, holding him flat against the fatigued metal. The arm's owner leaned his craggy, poorly shaved face close enough that Alex could smell his lunch on his breath.

"What," bologna-breath growled, "did you call me?"

Alex winced, more from the stench than from the rather sloppy arm lock he was in. "I called you a mundane," he said. "Was it too big a word for you?"

His captor pressed him harder against the metal partition while two more adolescent hulks loomed near, attracted by the drama. "Yeah, you know what that means, right, Clint?" one of them joked.

Clint flared his nostrils and said, "I got news for you, fag. I ain't even Danish."

Alex smirked, which earned him another shoulder-check into the wall. The spectator on the right nudged Clint in the shoulder. "Come on, man, he's nobody. We got to get to class."

Clint grunted and eased back a step, releasing his hold on Alex's back. But as soon as Alex peeled himself off the bathroom wall and turned around, Clint grabbed him by the front of the shirt and pounded him back against the side of the stall again.

"Listen, you little prick. I don't take disrespect from emo fags like you. You want to screw with me, it'll be more trouble than you can handle. So why don't you go cry into your journal, or cut yourself, or whatever it is you losers do. I just don't care."

Alex stared back, unimpressed by the posturing and every inch Clint's equal for apathy. Predictably, the bigger teen lost interest and backed off, leaving Alex to smooth out his T-shirt.

"Kid's a freak," Clint declared, walking off with his two friends. "Him and his retarded sister."

Alex stiffened where he stood, and his dark eyes hardened. Overhead, the florescent lights flickered.

"You heard about that, right?" Clint went on, stooping to gather up his backpack where he left it by the sinks. "Went crazy a couple years ago. Seizures, voices, the whole bit. Heard she's some kinda mutant trash. Guess being a freak runs in the family."

Alex started walking with purpose in his stride.

"Hey, Clint, I think you touched a nerve, man," one of the two jocks said.

Clint turned to face Alex with a sneer. "Yeah, and what are you gonna do about--"

He'd put up a hand to push Alex away, but Alex swatted it aside and, in the same motion, sent a right hook squarely into Clint's bony jaw.

[Svetlana Ustinov]

Just one more class, then I can escape...

The words repeated themselves over and over again in her mind, the mantra branding itself there with seeming permanence. These first few days had been harrowing at their best, and vile at their worst. Svetlana had never seen teachers treated so poorly and students behave with such callous stupidity before. That, perhaps more than anything else, brought home the sharp point that she was no longer in Saint Petersburg.

She wanted to go home so badly she could taste it.

At least she could escape to the pleasure that was her tennis practice. The school's coach had received a recommendation from her boarding school and asked her to join the team for a practice session and a few matches to test her skills. Clad in a pair of sneakers, a short pleated tennis-skirt and a pale yellow tanktop, Lana looked every inch the supermodel that her mother had been at the height of her career.

Stowing her racket bag in her hall locker, she left her Blackberry tucked in its outside pocket and grabbed her laptop. Her last class was Literature, and if she didn't move it, she was going to be late. Slamming the slender door closed, she darted off into the crowd, murmurring 'excuse me' as she slipped past people at every opportunity.

Lana didn't even see the doorway to the boy's hallway bathroom fling open, nor did she see Clint Lockheart stumble through it backwards. She did notice when he tried to turn and catch his footing...and plowed right into her. The hit knocked the wind out of her even as she hit the opposite wall and crumpled to the floor beneath him. Wasn't even a heartbeat later that she'd set her carefully cradled laptop down and shoved him off, getting to her feet and smoothing out her now rumpled clothing.

"Vhat part of 'nevver touch me again' deed you not undershtand after yeehsterday?" she said rather loudly, control over her diction slipping as her accent barreled through her voice prominently. Fingers curled into fists as she fought to control her temper, eyes glittering with gold flecks as she edged forward into the light pouring in from the overhead window.

Lana's gaze flicked briefly from Clint up to a darker haired boy who looked as if he were ready to rip Clint apart, and the two others who rushed out to Clint's side. Charming...his ever-present cronies. She sighed with obvious disgust and balanced her fists on her hips.

[Alex Kaine]

Clint seemed woozy on his feet and only marginally aware of the Russian wrath he'd just incurred. One of his pals swore, and the other one crowed, "Kid just jacked you up, dude!"

Alex looked a little shell-shocked himself - not because he'd just punched Steve Rogers's all-California linebacker, but because of the extra power he'd lent to that punch. If Clint recognized the jolt for what it was, Alex was in even more trouble than usual. He cast around the hallway looking for witnesses among the gathering crowd, and his eyes happened to land on the statuesque blonde girl watching in obvious disgust.

But Clint quickly took back the spotlight as his face reddened with rage. "The faggot sucker-punched me!" he snarled, and he dove at the smaller teen and drove him back into another row of yellow lockers with a hollow, metal crash.

The ceiling lights guttered and winked out, leaving Svetlana standing in a column of sunlight and most of the hallway dark and indistinct. In the confusion, Clint yelped as if he'd stuck his finger into a socket, and he jumped back away from the lockers.

One of the cronies tugged on Clint's shoulder. "C'mon, man, we gotta go."

Clint rubbed at a sore spot on his ribcage and sneered at Alex. "Later, freak. We settle this later!" He and his pals lumbered off into the crowd of students.

Alex had a haunted look that had nothing to do with Clint's threat. He straightened up and flattened out the wrinkles in his black sweatshirt. Then he found himself meeting Svetlana's eyes, which were -

No, never mind. It was just a trick of the light.

Someone somewhere found the fuse that had blown and flipped the breaker, the lights came surging back on, and Alex realized he'd been staring. This was not the scene he'd have chosen to play in front of a hot girl.

"Hey," he said, noncommittally, and he rubbed something wet off his lip, which turned out to be blood. Damn it.

[Svetlana Ustinov]

Things just couldn't get much worse, could they.

The sudden plunge into darkness filled the hallway with shrieks and shouts of concern, with students rushing for doorways and the sunlit rooms. Fear tightened her chest, the sensation cold and heavy. Her breathing became shallow as she was glad her hands had already curled into fists and balanced on her hips.

That way they couldn't visibly shake.

She stood motionless in the shaft of sunlight, trying to remember how to breathe and appear cool and collected - all at the same time. Which wasn't easy when you were afraid of the dark because it made you sick.

Lana managed a deep breath just as the lights came back on in the mostly empty hallway, showing just a few students and one concerned teacher lingering nearby. A moment later and she caught Alex's direct gaze, remaining rooted where she was for a moment longer, staring back. She could swear she'd felt something in the middle of the fight that she was supposed to remember, but couldn't.

"Hey,"

Fingers rose to tuck a loose curl behind her ear as Lana stepped forward, finding a small smile curling her lips. "Hey. You alrright?" she replied, holding out a handkerchief from her pocket. She almost didn't feel the familiar warmth in her eyes as she handed it over, but it was too late when she did. A warm, oddly powerful jolt of energy that would have tasted like the sun lept from her fingers to his as they met.

At that, the glow pulsed until she'd stepped back and passed through the shaft of sunlight again, where they intensified brightly before melting back to a warm chestnut with bright gold flecks. "I...should go. Have a class...Literature...going to be late..." she said in a rush, turning to pick up her laptop as she cursed under her breath in Russian.

[Alex Kaine]

Alex felt like his mind was running in slow motion. Svetlana's smile could have done that on its own - it certainly wasn't what he expected after brawling straight into her.

But it was probably the fact that - and, no, he couldn't deny it this time - her eyes were glowing. It wasn't the glint of sunlight, it wasn't a romantic delusion. They were lit from the inside, shining like stained glass. And then there was the spark that shot up his arm when she touched him, as different from static electricity as honey was from vinegar.

By the time it really registered on Alex's brain what he was looking at, she was already gathering up her things and hurrying off through the sluggish crowd out of sight. And then he snapped out of it and realized what he'd just looked like, what she must have thought he was thinking, and he panicked. "Hey, wait!"

Gripping her handkerchief, Alex plunged after her through the gaggle of straggling spectators, pressing between two of them and then jostling past several slow-moving freshmen until he saw her turning a corner. He cut straight through a cluster of cheerleaders, ignored a couple epithets, and found himself stumbling into a much less crowded corridor. The girl was thirty feet ahead, just about to duck into her classroom.

"Wait!" he gasped, hoping he hadn't just scared her off permanently. "I need to talk to you. Just thirty seconds, I swear. It's important."

[Svetlana Ustinov]

Ohh wonderful, Lana...just wonderful...go ahead and out yourself in your first few days. In a school where most of the populace seems to hate mutants and the rest are afraid of them. Papa will be so disappointed...

The mental tirade went on as she darted through the crowd, trying to remember the route to her Literature class. Past the entrance to the theatre, down the hall, and turn into the pale blue hallway that contained the English classrooms. Literature was held in the last room on the right.

Lana reached the door and paused outside to collect herself. Thankfully, her teacher had not yet begun, and was idly chatting with a few of the students in the front row of desks. Fingers curled around the handle and began pulling the door open as the voice that had called out to her moments ago caught up.

She let the door slip out of her fingers as she stepped back, turning to cast her gaze back up the hallway. It was empty now, as the bell had just finished ringing to signal the beginning of class.

Never in her existance had she ever been late.

Nor could Lana explain what in the tone of his voice made her take a few tentative steps towards him. Fingers curled tightly around her laptop as she held it close, eyeing him carefully. "Talk to me? About vhat?" she asked softly, cursing the slip of her accent.

[Alex Kaine]

Great. Impetuousness had gotten him this far, but his brain was still lagging behind somewhere down the hall. Normally he didn't have any problem shooting his mouth off, but that was because he generally didn't care who heard it.

Alex took a quick glance around him to make sure there was no one in earshot. "Look, this might sound crazy," he said, and he immediately wished he hadn't. Shout out to stupid pick-up lines and creepy stalkers everywhere. "I, uh... Clint was mouthing off about my sister. I'm kinda protective because she's... well, she's a mutant."

Alex paused to let the word roll around. The sudden tightness around Lana's eyes and the tensing in her posture was enough to tell him he was close to the mark.

"Most people try to keep it a secret, and I can't blame them with assholes like Clint around, but my sister never had a choice. The thing is, I do have a choice. And so do you. And people like us have to stick together. But, like I said... it's your choice. I just wanted you to know in case you didn't want to be alone."

He chewed on his lower lip and wondered if she could hear his heart pounding.

[Svetlana Ustinov]

She would have shivered if she hadn't tensed so tightly her shoulders actually began to ache. It was going to take extra stretching before practice to loosen up, she could tell already.

Lana rolled her shoulders slightly to try to alleviate some of the ache, dropping her gaze to the floor as she felt her irises swirl with warmth and energy. She couldn't control anything today, and that, among everything else was highly distressing. She managed to free one hand and shake it slightly, before it rose to twist absently in the long curls of her ponytail.

"I..."

She coughed slightly, clearing her suddenly tight and uncomfortable throat. Truthfully, she'd not anticipated finding anyone like her. At least, not so quickly...and certainly not so willing to admit what they were.

Slowly, Lana lifted her gaze to meet his again, holding it this time, in spite of the tell-tale glittering and faint glow. "You...you're sure?" she asked, a tiny, hopeful smile struggling to lift the corners of her lips.

[Alex Kaine]

The glow in her eyes had been startling the first time he saw it. Now Alex couldn't take his eyes away from hers. He wanted to know more about her gift, but this wasn't the time or place to ask.

"Yeah," he said, and he smiled back and let out the breath he'd been holding.

And then the door to the literature classroom swung shut, and a woman's voice started droning from the other side. Alex's smile faded a bit.

"Sorry to make you late," he said. "I can, uh..." He pointed vaguely back over his shoulder.

[Svetlana Ustinov]

His smile was...something else.

She looked away first, startled, but oddly pleased by the intensity of his gaze. It wasn't something she'd ever experienced before. Realizing that she was fidgeting, Lana forced her fingers to relax and let go of her curls - a nervous gesture she'd had forever.

Turning slightly, she looked towards the classroom and then back to him. "I've never skipped a class in my life..." Lana admitted, biting her lower lip as she smiled and gave up trying to tame her accent.

"...where should we go?"

[Alex Kaine]

Alex's mouth fell open, first as he registered that she wanted to skip class with him, second as he wondered for a moment just what she had in mind--

God, he hoped she wasn't a telepath.

"Well," he said, recovering, "don't worry. I'm a pro at skipping classes. I think I know just the place. Come on."

He led her back to the main corridor down toward the center of the school, passing dozens of classrooms on the way. Many of the teachers had their doors open to alleviate the rising spring temperatures, since the central air system hadn't been switched from heat to AC yet. Walk down the hallway at the right time, and you could learn a little about ten or twenty subjects in under a minute.

Mr. Spavecek was droning on about conic sections and paused in the middle of graphing a hyperbola to shoot them a disapproving glance as they passed.

Alex sensed Lana trying to shrink out of sight and laid a hand on her shoulder. "No, it's okay," he whispered. "Just look like you know where you're going."

Finally, they turned down a hallway that had no classrooms, and Alex felt it was safe to talk again. "So, I probably should've asked earlier, but... what's your name?"

[Svetlana Ustinov]

It was a strange feeling, as they walked, to be out in an empty hallway, passing open classrooms and listening as they went. Passing through the mathematics hallway reminded her of her morning Calculus class and the sheer amount of homework her teacher had passed on to them.

Oh this is not good...

In addition to never having skipped a class before, she'd never been in trouble at school - of any variety at all. Mr. Spavecek's disapproving glance made her uneasy, and she would have likely frozen in place if it weren't for his hand on her shoulder. That in and of itself would have distracted her from anything, really, and she made no move to brush his hand away.

"Rrright...look like I know vherre I'm going..." she murmured softly, tilting her head as they continued on and endeavoring to look at ease.

The tension in her eased as they walked, and one could almost call her relaxed, if a bit nervous, when they turned down the next hallway. His question made Lana dip her head smile as the same had only just occurred to her.

"Svetlana...most people just call me Lana, though. And you?"

[Alex Kaine]

There was that smile again. The hand on her shoulder seemed to relax her, so Alex left it there and moved a little closer so his arm draped across her back.

"I'm Alex," he said. "Svetlana, that's Russian, right?"

They came to a set of double doors - one of the side entrances to the school theater. Alex pulled open one of the doors. The theater was vacant and dark, lit only by meager auxiliary lights mounted along the walls.

[Svetlana Ustinov]

"Alex." She let the word roll around a bit, her accent wandering through and giving it a distinctively Russian flavor.

"Yes, actually, it is. My family lives in Saint Petersburg. I'm...I'm the only one here in L.A." Lana said lightly, though some bitterness still crept in at the end. For all the money and the luxury she had at her fingertips, she was still alone, thousands of miles away from her family.

She hesitated as they reached the entrance to the mostly dark theatre, biting her lower lip. It was a little too dark for her liking, and in spite of his comfortable warmth at her side, the thought of walking into it made her nervous.

[Alex Kaine]

Alex couldn't miss the pain riding the undertones in her voice, and suddenly he didn't know what to say. She obviously thought more of her family than he did of his.

But then he felt her tense up again, and he stopped in his tracks, holding the door open. The theater yawned before them - a dark, cavernous ceiling over rows and rows of threadbare seats.

His brow wrinkled in concern. "Is something wrong? Don't worry, no one comes in here until rehearsals at five."

[Svetlana Ustinov]

"Its not that...its just...you get kind of afraid of the dark when it can make you sick. Its why...why I tried to stay in the sunlight earlier."

Lana said softly, gazing down at the floor, where one of her sneakers dug a toe into the linoleum tile. She wondered at herself for admitting it when she barely knew him, considering she'd never told anyone else. Save for her family, of course, but that didn't matter at the moment.

"Takes hours to make me sick, but it still makes me a bit nervous." She glanced up at him through her long lashes before looking back at the floor.

[Alex Kaine]

"Oh. Um..."

It took him a moment to realize what she meant. He'd forgotten that mutation could have downsides other than dealing with bigoted mundanes.

"Okay, then, back-up plan," he said, and he eased the door shut, careful not to let it bang against the door frame.

He led her further down the hall toward the back of the theatre, through a set of double doors marked CAST AND CREW ONLY, and up a short flight of stairs. There was another door there, fitted with a keypad lock.

"Aaaaand this'll just take a second." Alex let go of Lana and put his hand over the keypad. He frowned in concentration and tightened his grip.

If Lana listened closely, she'd have heard something like a distantly cracking fire. A few blue sparks jumped from the keypad, and the lights overhead flickered again.

The keypad chirped, a little off-key, and the lock snapped open. "There we go!" Alex said, grinning. "Sorry about the lights. The wiring in this place is terrible, y'know?"

[Svetlana Ustinov]

Eyes wide as she stepped up behind him, Lana peered over his shoulder and watched as he pressed his hand over the keypad. The peculiar sound reached her ears, defying description until the overhead lights flickered again.

Ahhh. It must be a sign of his mutation being active, she thought.

Lana found herself grinning back, reaching out to touch the lock with a fingertip. "How did you do that?"

[Alex Kaine]

He'd only ever shown off his gift - on purpose, anyway - to Andrea, back before she was sent away. Sharing it with Lana was invigorating, and his grin only grew.

"Come on, it'll be easier to show you in here," he said, and he pulled the door open to reveal another dark space. "Don't worry, it's not far. And I can make my own light."

He held out one hand in front of him, fingers outstretched, and they started to glow with blue tendrils of electricity that hissed as they ran up his fingers and popped into sparks at the end like a human Tesla coil.

The sparks cast a flickering glow on a half dozen set pieces from the winter's production of Camelot - styrofoam castles held up with two-by-fours, rolled-up rugs, a mounted suit of armor, a pair of thrones, and an anachronistic overstuffed sofa. Alex was careful not to touch Lana as he led her across the wings to a breaker panel. He counted down six fuses from the top and flipped a switch, and the lights at the top of the fly tower came humming to life, lighting up the whole backstage.

[Svetlana Ustinov]

She caught her lower lip between her teeth, but managed to follow him inside anyway. A tiny tendril of fear curled itself around the base of her spine, and squeezed to erratic beat of her heart. Lana was about to reach over and touch Alex's shoulder when the bright blue energy crackled to life around his outstretched hand.

Heedless of the newly illuminated set pieces and props, her eyes were wide as she stared at the energy arcing over his skin and between his fingers. As it winked out and the lights came to life, she'd forgotten her fear and put her things down. With his hand now caught up in both of hers, Lana smiled brilliantly, with warmth flickering through her gaze.

"That's amazing...did you figure that out on your own, or did someone teach you?"