Generation Next (X-Men fanfic)

Twenty One

This was a time for seriousness. Concentration. Yeah, he was on it. Totally!

***

"Nothing. Not one single spark! I hate this! I hate Lenny!" Ziva punched at her pillow before flopping down on her bed.

Craig grinned. "Not so sure I agree. Not being on guard all the time has some benefits. I've gotten some really great nights of sleep since my powers went poof."

Ziva tossed her pillow at him. "Shut up, American Pie!"

"Will you guys stop it? We are all frustrated, so leave it alone. How do you think I feel? I have to read things now!" Skylar said with a distinct pout in her tone.

"Skylar, do those two have to be in here? I keep thinking they're going to go for my throat any minute." Ziva eyed Stevie's cats warily where they snuggled with Skylar on her bed.

Skylar hugged both cats and smiled. "Yes, they do, because they are so sweet! Aren't you? Yes, you are!"

Ziva and Craig both made faces when Skylar started speaking to the cats using that annoying baby talk voice parents use with little kids. The one they think is so cute but is simply annoying instead. Skylar had been spending a lot of time with the cats since Stevie had introduced them. She was now very friendly with them.

They all turned toward the door when the curtain climbers came in, Mellissa's theme song blaring loudly, leading the way. "Hello old folks, what's doing?"

"We aren't old, Mellissa," Ziva said with an eye roll.

She shrugged and sat down smack in the middle of the floor beside Craig. "All right people, what's the new plan?"

"Plan? Who in the hell said we were planning anything?" Ziva snapped at her.

"So, we're just going to sit by and let Lenny win this war?" A'Cadia asked from where she leaned against the doorjamb. No one had seen her trailing behind the curtain climbers. Mellissa's theme song had blotted out everything else.

"War? So now it's a war?" Ziva asked her.

"Might as well go there, it's what he's going to make it and you damn well know it." A'Cadia stepped into the room, crossed it, and dropped to the floor, leaning her back against the side of Skylar's bed.

Stevie looked up from petting Mack where the cat lounged on the end of Skylar's bed. "She has a point. He's gonna come here and try to wipe out the school at some point. The X-Men are a threat to him. Logan mostly. He'll wanna gas the team as soon as he can."

They all turned and looked at A'Cadia when she started laughing. "He can gas Logan all he wants, won't do him much good."

Mellissa scowled at her. "What does that mean? You were declawed, pussycat."

A'Cadia moved in a flash, stopping with the tip of her adamantium claws a hairsbreadth from Mellissa's nose. "Wanna bet?"

"You had your powers this entire time and you didn't tell us?" Ziva yelled, jumping up off the bed, fists clenched at her sides fighting the urge to fling electricity at A'Cadia. Electricity she no longer had.

"No, not exactly."

"Not exactly?" Craig asked her.

A'Cadia sat back against the bed. "The compound 13 worked, I lost my powers when we were gassed. It lasted for almost an hour. Probably has something to do with how quickly I heal. The point is, if it didn't take me out then it probably won't take Logan out, either."

They all looked at each other before looking back at A'Cadia. Craig grinned at her. "So then are you going to be the one who recruits Logan over to our side?"