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| - "So...we're doing what kind of simulation again?" A male voice inquired as Eva's fingers danced across the control panel of the X-treme X-men's own personal Danger Room. It was far smaller compared to the one at the New Charles Xavier School but it was meant to serve the same purpose: to train the new team in various scenarios. "I told you Horus, this is a gladiatorial simulation. But you guys will be going in with smaller groupings, just to see how well you guys can cooperate in smaller numbers. Next time it'll be with the entire team, for now though try and expect what you can of each other. The picking will be at random." Eva explained to the young draconic-looking mutant nearby who was looking over her shoulder, or trying to. Seeing her slightly annoyance however for his unintended hovering Horus stepped back slightly, returning to his place among the five members of the group. All five could only stand and watch, seeing their teacher and mentor setting up everything before finally she was satisfied everything was set. With that she turned to the five curious looking youths, seeing Kicker, Merrick, and Otsama all eager to get started while Sandra and Horus waited patiently to see what she said. "Alright, time to group up. This time around we'll be doing the old Battle of the Sexes, girls against boys. This time around I will only be serving as your observer." Eva explained to them as they exchanged a glance, liking the idea of a little competition of their own. Now the question was, who would be going first between them? Before Eva could even open her mouth to ask Kicker, being true to his competitive nature aside from the rest of his personality stepped forward, "We'll be going first Professor Bell. Think it's time to show the ladies just how the boys do things." Kicker said with clear confidence in his voice, being certain they could easily out do the girls who gave him an unamused looks. "Highest points is the winner, don't forget music man." Otsama remarked, earning her an annoyed look from the youngest Bond who seemed to dislike Otsama's usual nicknames she gave him. Despite their usual bickering the young charges under Eva usually knew when they had gone too far, and this was just a harmless exchange among them. With their usual banter done though the three boys headed down to the Danger Room, waiting patiently as the door hissed as it slid open, revealing what seemed an empty circular room. With a final glance at one another the first team stepped inside, the door closing behind them and the moment they took a step in the middle of the room everything changed. What was once a cold steel room soon materialized into something more: a replica of the Roman Colosseum and all it's glory. The seats however were eerily empty and quiet, not even the feel of what felt like a breeze made any sound. Two minutes passed, then a third, a fourth, but nothing seemed to be happening making the three look in confusion. "Professor, you sure this thing is working?" Merrick asked, not looking amused. Though the moment they let their guard down did the many gates around the bottom of the coliseum shift open. So sudden was it that the three were delayed in their reaction as a handful of gladiator warriors came charging out, swords, spears, axes, and shields in hand. And their first reaction? All three young men were immediately on the defensive, stopping the weapons that were swung or stabbed their way, forcing them to dodge or force the weapon off to the side. Finally, Horus sent out a blast of aura energy, knocking some back while Merrick use his electricity to shock several others. But Kicker wasn't as quick, the young mutant growling as he was knocked backwards, the tip of one of the spears slashing through his suit and cutting his arm a bit. In certainly came as a shock to the young men that the simulation was so real it left them with bruises and cuts, or in Kicker's case a decent sized gash. "Kicker!" Horus called as he flew down as the youngest Bond glanced up and held out a hand that the draconic mutant grabbed, lifting his teammate into the air just moments before another gladiator took a swipe at him with his sword but missed, though just within inches of striking the young man's foot. "Cutting it bit close there don't you think?" Otsama's voice echoed throughout the room, mostly in a mocking way causing Horus to sigh and irritation in Merrick and Kicker at her mockery. But there was a lot more of these warriors then any of them could have predicted at one time and they seemed to be lacking much of a plan at that moment. That is until Kicker listened closely, hearing their wings flapping and giving soft echoes in the colesuem which prompted an idea to come up that moment. "Horus, Merrick, hover in place and flap those wings harder. Might give us a chance to stun these simulation knock offs." He told them as the two fliers exchanged a glance and shrugged, the two coming to a stop close to one another before they began flapping their wings as hard and fast as they could, generating slightly louder sounds which Kicker nodded in satisfaction. Raising a hand he manipulated the sound given off by the two and amplifying this sound enough it caused the galdiators to cover their ears and flicker slightly, the frequency messing with the technology projecting the simulation. "All your's you two, hit 'em hard!" Kicker said as he propelled himself on his own sound waves to fly, even if it's temporary. HIs two flier teammates nodded with determined looks before they fired and aura beam and lightning beam respectively, the attacks starting from either end of the colesuem before being fired in opposite directions of a circular motion, knocking the gladiators off their feet and causing the warriors to disappear one by one until finally they hit the last few and just in time for Kicker to land before his usual time limit ran out. The simulation flickered for a bit at first before disappearing completely, leaving them to look towards the observation window as they score popped up from a smaller projection: 13,786 points. "Not bad guys, but time for the girls to show you what they can do." Eva said over an intercom as the three seemed quite proud, thinking the two alone didn't stand a chance without their teacher's aid. Leading the way out Kicker gave a smug smirk towards the likes of Otsama, the feral Lupine mutant leaning against the wall as Sandra hovered in place, the oldest of the two merely rolling her eyes back at Kicker clearly not intimidated. "Amatauer." Otsama muttered under her breathe before Eva announced their turn. "Ready butterfly girl?" Otsama asked as Sandra nodded. "I'm always ready for action." Sandra said with assurance, giving a confident smile that seemed contagious for Otsama who couldn't help smiling back before they stepped in, or in Sandra's case flew in. The moment the two hit the middle of the room the simulation once again materialized around them, bringing back to the days of ancient Rome. "What do you think we're up against? Or can you hear it?" Sandra said as almost immediately the two went back to back as they watched the doors on either side. "Hmm, faintly. Think I hear some growling." Otsama said, as any such sound didn't necessarily mean it was a lion, but they usually had lions there didn't they? Maybe Sandra could help in that department, after all sometimes their simulations had anamatronics come into play. "Sandra, try thermal vision, it might help." Otsama said but seemed to get no answer, "Sandra?" Looking back quizzically she could see her eyes fixed upon an open door and what stepped out was anything but a lion. No, this time around Eva decided to mix it up a little to instead have the next powerful cat she could think of: tigers. It wasn't just a few either, but a handful of at least eight, which were bound to be as tough as being surrounded by armed gladiators. "Take the high point Sandra, I got ground." Otsama said as the youngest between them nodded before she took flight, just as the first of the tigers lunged forward, causing Otsama to brace herself before the collision caused a grunt to escape her, being nearly knocked backwards by the sudden weight of the tiger that likely was as real as it would get. It took almost her entire strength to keep those powerful jaws from snapping around her neck, which not that she wouldn't heal or her neck could be broken that easily but it still was much more difficult to hold the simulated animal back as more were stalking around her. Seeing the struggling Sandra decided to come help rather then let Otsama work alone much as she preferred it,firing a few small bio-electric bolts that distracted the tiger long enough for Otsama to gain a good grip before spinning and thowing the tiger into two others. "Okay, let's try finishing this quickly. Can you attract them?" Otsama asked as she popped her five carbonadium bone claws, blood briefly coming down her hands before they slowly closed up, slower then possibly Wolverine's would have. But thanks to the type of metal bonded to her own bones and claws her healing factor was much slower and she didn't exactly always have the best result from it. "Possibly, but that many will drain me quite a bit." Sandra admitted as she began concentrating her energy, the sparks showing across her body like an arching electrical net that caused a brief tugging close to Otsama herself but she stood firm as any tigers that stepped too close began to become drawn into the magnetic field she generated. But Sandra was already showing a strain since the tigers were rather large and there was far more then a few, making this a bigger effort and Otsama knew she had to act quickly or risk losing her partner much earlier then she needed. With a low growl Otsama quickly lunged forward, her claws slicing through what indeed turned out to be robotic constructions, her carbonadium slicing through them like a hot knife through butter. Though the magnetic field soon ended as Sandra was feeling a great strain to keep it going, but it allowed for Otsama to at least strike down four and partly "wound" a fifth one. Luckily, Sandra had enough time she could make use of her Bio-electric combat, the energy already concentrated around her body. Flying forward as fast as her wings allowed she punched down the already wounded tiger before handling the rest, sending eletrical surges through their body that began to still affect the circuitry, even if it wasn't much. Right behind her Otsama was quick to finish the job with a strike to the shoulder blades and decapitating two to quickly end the simulation and surprising the boys that they seemed to almost work in immediate sync with the other even though they hadn't really worked together at all as a team. Looking up as the simulation flicked away, it was soon replaced with "13,787 points" projecting above them which Sandra and Otsama exchanged a grin. It may have only been by one number but they still kicked ass better then the boys. "How's that for teamwork boys?" She called mockingly, retracting her claws then as her and Sandra gave a quick high-five, but it was clear Sandra needed some rest as she landed, looking incredibly tired and weak, mostly from the overuse of her power already. "Come on, let's get you out of here." The feral mutant said, having Sandra lean on her slightly for support as they left the room but it didn't take long for Eva and the their teammates to join them as Eva took the other side to help Sandra walk as they decided to leave the room. "I have to admit, I think you guys will be just fine in terms of teamwork, but some improvements are needed. Next time it's all of you." Eva said, so far impressed that they had managed to work decently well in smaller groups. But she did feel there was some issues and kinks to work out, which was always the case with a new team. After all, the first X-men still had to learn how to work as one and to cover the other's weaknesses in the field. This was not such a different scenario and Eva was quite proud to be working with these young new mutants as all five seemed to be quite enthusiastic for the competitiveness among themselves. It likely would be the factor that drove them forward.
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