Xaviers!

K-THUNK!

The arrow embedded itself into the wall between the two simulated thugs. "You missed kid," one laughed with a sneer.

"No, I didn't," Chase said knowingly, just as the blinking green light on the cylinder attached to the arrow's shaft turned red. It exploded into a cloud of choking gas, sending the thugs into a coughing panic. He casually pulled a scarf up onto his face and leaped in to finish the job.

BAM! POW!

Then the scarf slipped and he too began coughing. "Computer," he managed between coughs, "End program." The alley and the gas faded away.

"Note to self: Don't try that at close range without a mask."

(open)

"Yeah, a mask usually is the better call. It tough to get an airtight seal with anything else quickly."

A smiling blond girl looked out, waving with a smile.

He looked up.

"Finding new ways not to permanently harm goons is proving harder than I thought," he admitted with a hint of embarrassment.

"I like to think that putting up with it means we are still good people."

She looked down at the readout, impressed with his session.

"I can offer some tips, if you like. It seems like we have a lot of the same issues."

"You're an archer too?" he asked, surprised.

"Nope! I throw things."

"Is that your power or your skill? I'm, well, probably both if I'm honest."

"It's my power! But I need to practice at it, so it's my skill as well. Honesty!"

"Come on in then. I'd love to see what you can do. There aren't many projectile users here to compare notes with."

"What did you have in mind?"

"How about a little target practice?"

"Sure! I've got a little bit of time!"

As she made her way into the room proper, he called up a field of moving targets no real archery or shooting range could produce. Targets flew and spun and teleported about at wildly varying speeds and patterns.

"Ah, a bit of a challenge right off the bat, hmm? Looks pretty different from the danger room back in the US."

"You went to the Institute? This should be good then," he smirked.

"Let 'er rip, Hawkeye."

He nodded and notched an arrow. After taking aim at a distant aerial target and quickly calculating the angles, he let it fly. It was a perfect hit.

"Your turn," he said a little smugly.

"Same target?" She asked, after having the Danger Room generate a bucket of baseballs.

"Someone's competitive," he chuckled. "Be my guest."

Bear gripped the baseball tightly, as an aura appeared to encircle the sphere. She then pulled back and let loose, and the baseball screamed to the target, making a few turns on its own before impacting with force next to the arrow already impaled in the target. A visible dent with the stitching pattern was left, as it clattered to the floor.

"Well I'm impressed," he said, applauding. "And I see why the continued survival of your targets is a concern. Ouch."

"It's tough.. keeping in control enough to make the throws non-lethal. But it's important to me."

She smiled, putting the bucket on the floor.

"It's why I don't use regular arrows for much in the field. There's just too much room for error."

The truth was that he didn't entirely trust himself not to fall back on training or succumb to some lingering dark impulse and do something he'd regret forever.

You use a lot of trick arrows, then?"

"Yeah. Well, I'm learning to. Hence experimenting with gas arrows."

"Oh sweet! We should compare notes then. I'm all about trick balls!"

"We should... even if I only know how to use them. The science is pretty lost on me," he chuckled.

"Well, I can help with that. I've been working on my equipment for the past few years, in the States."

She gave it a thought.

"It helps to model your equipment after what you are already good at.. what's your major?"

"I... uhh..." he said uncomfortably, "Don't exactly have one. I'm sort of... still catching up."

"No rush or pressure." Bear replied, smiling.

"I'm sure we can come up with a few simple, easy-to-maintain arrowheads you can use."

"You would do that? I thought about asking one of the engineering students but they already have enough to do between studying and closing time rifts."

"Absolutely! It'll be fun!""

"Thanks," he smiled before proffering a handshake, "I'm Chase, by the way. Chase Delacroix."

"Byrna Cooper. But everyone calls me Bear."

Awfully pretty for a Bear.

"So..." he began, wussing out of voicing his flirty thought, "...what kinds of trick balls do you use?"

"Oh, I've got a few different ones.. Smoke, gas, glue.. I've developed a pretty good flash-bang as well. I'm working on an electric tazer one, but I can't quite get the current reliable. It shocks me as much as anyone else."

"I was able to requisition some tazer arrows that work pretty well if you'd like to take a look at them."

"That's a good idea.. I usually like to develop my own balls, but I've been fiddling with the taser one for too long. Electrical systems aren't in my wheelhouse, I suppose."

She was a little embarrassed.

"At least you're good at some science. If I'm good at anything non-athletic I haven't found it yet."

"You'll find it, eventually!"

Bear smiled.