"By nightfall," Akeli agreed with a warm smile, giving Xav an awkward little kiss on the cheek when he pulled her in for a hug. Awkward because Akeli wasn't sure what came over her, but at the moment comforting the only companion that understood her seemed to be crucial. 

"But we should get going if we want to see anything," she added, not shaking her hand from his. "And I promise we'll do whatever you want tomorrow." Blue eyes gentle she nodded at Shay. "We're good now. Xav doesn't mind going to see the woods. But is there a short route or something? We need some rest tonight." 

"By nightfall," Akeli said as she leaned to give Xavier a light kiss on the cheek. He returned her warm smile with a slight tilt of his lips which showed off a small dimple. When his companion turned her back on him, his smile faltered and he grimaced in pain. His wings ruffled anxiously against his back, but he gritted his teeth and allowed Akeli to tow him back over to Shay.

Her warm hand in his made him feel comforted and he stayed silent as she talked to Shay. Somehow it felt wrong for him to be here, but there was something about his cocky smile and superior gaze that made Xavier strongly distrust him. That and he couldn't keep his paws off of Akeli.

___

Shay nodded to Akeli, though he was slightly annoyed by the fact that Xavier had cut between them. He wound them through the streets before he reached the fringe of the forest. "Well, here it is. We'll take the path on the right, near the backyards of some houses, instead of going too deep into the woods." he said, brown eyes shining as he peered through the woods he so loved.

As they approached the woods Akeli felt calm fall over her again. No more rushing crowds that buffeted her painfully as the people swarmed about on their daily business. No more loud noises that caused her to jump every second. No more dizzying scents that confused the heck out of her. Letting out a contented sigh Akeli sniffed the air, letting the earthy aromas surround her.

It was so peaceful. And those metal contraptions were no where to be seen. At least, not alive. Most were slumbering in large lots of gravel by even bigger houses.

"Normal people are strange," she hissed at Xav, watching the quiet mansions with a pang of uncertainty going through her. 

Xavier could physially see the change in Akeli as they walked away from the crowds. Her tense shoulder muscles slackened and her legs seemed to move more fluently, not as restricted by the tight spaces in the crowds. Her face was more alert as she took in the sounds of the forest and he loved it all. He found another smile pulling at his lips as she commented on 'normal' people. He tightened his grip on her hand and contemplated lacing their fingers together, but decided against it.

"So where exactly are we going, Shay?" he asked, attempting to keep his tone light and civil; ultimately failing. Shay glanced over to him and shrugged which Xavier translated as, 'around'. Xavier couldn't help but notice that Shay's gaze lingered on his and Akeli's locked hands before sliding away. Odd and uncalled for, Xavier growled in his thoughts.

Akeli shook her head at Shay's answer and dragged Xavier forwards into the forest. "Coming?" she called over her shoulder at the other teen, blue eyes lightning up. With a beckoning motion of her free hand Akeli disappeared in the forest, tagging Xavier along with her. Letting out a small yawn the mutant loosed herself from Xav's grasp and trotted into the woods, reveling in all the nature around her. It felt so nice to be back in an environment she could understand. Something not tainted by the humans' influence.

Slipping off her sneakers Akeli dug her toes into the grass with a faint smile on her lips. The ground below was soft and gentle on her feet, unlike the harshness of the shoes she had just been wearing.

--

Muttering to herself Sara glanced out the window of her bedroom, staring at the forest that lay beyond. Sitting on her bed with a textbook nestled on her knees the girl was bored out of her mind and it showed. All over the page she was currently reading there were doodles of anything and everything, though most of it was stuff from nature. And most of that was the view outside her window.

Groaning again Sarah tossed her textbook onto the floor that landed with a satisfying thump. Clambering out of her bed Sara padded over to her window and pulled up the glass, leaning out with a grin on her face. The breeze ruffled her hair playfully and the girl glanced down at the watch on her wrist. 4:15. Just enough time for her to go out for a walk and get back before her parents got back. Humming a little tune under her breath Sara jumped out of her window with the ease of long practice, grabbing a handhold before she tumbled into the bushes below. Carefully she navigated her way down from the second floor until she hit the grass, bare feet nestled in the manicured back yard of her house.

Smirking Sara took off in a swift jog towards the towering woods. 

Akeli released Xavier's hand as she contented herself with walking through the forest. The dark-haired boy left his gaze to linger on her body as she moved fluently through the forest. He grinned to himself when she removed her ratty sneakers and let her feet get buried by the dirt and leaves that littered the ground. The only annoying thought that nagged at the back of his mind was Shay whom he could guess had similar eyes on Akeli.

Xavier let the scents of the forest flood his nose and he let his tense muscles relax as he walked after her, daydreaming as he went. Although, his daydreams were more satisfactory than what they were doing now. They discluded Shay and very closely included Xavier and Akeli flying in the sky, the sun beating down on their backs and her hair streaming out from her; both their cheeks pink from the wind burn.

His thoughts took another turn as he kept on which caused his cheeks to turn slightly pink as he realized what he had been thinking about. He shook out his black hair, tousling the locks and giving him a messy appearance that most girls would swoon over. His eyes found Akeli again and that caused him to blush an even darker shade. "Damn," he said as he shook his head and attempted to whisk the thoughts out of his head with no success.

Akeli sighed and spread out her arms wide to let the full expanse of the sunlight hit her chest. Grinning widely she spun around excitedly to ask Xav if they could stay for a bit longer in the woods when she found deep azure eyes on her. A light smile formed on her face as she padded forwards and spontaneously flung her arms around her companion.

"I can't remember saying this," she murmured softly in his ear. "But thanks. For everything, you know." Her own blue eyes held his silently for a moment before she planted a gentle kiss on his cheek, eyelashes tickling his cheek faintly. "Thank you..." she whispered again, tucking her head into the crook of his neck.

Xavier felt his face go a slight shade darker as Akeli caught him staring, but she smiled and approached him, making his heart melt as he imagined her wings flung out behind her, sunlight washing over her body. Before he could make a cocky comment, she had thrown her arms around him. "I can't remember saying this," she said softly into his ear and he shivered as her warm breath tickled his neck. "But thanks. For everything, you know." She pulled back then and met his gaze, her blue eyes warm as she glanced at him.

She gave him a soft kiss on the cheek and for once, Xavier didn't know how to respond without chasing her away. He simply wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close, basking in her in his arms. An irritated cough from behind just as Akeli murmured another, "thank you." and Xavier growled softly, unable to control Shay breaking in at this moment. "Could you give us a moment?" Xavier asked through gritted teeth as he pulled himself hesitantly from Akeli's hold.

He rounded on Shay, his dark blue eyes simmering with disgust. Anger suddenly flared in Shay's eyes and before Xavier knew it, the boy let out a gutteral snarl and leaped for Xavier. With horror, Xavier pushed Akeli out of the way just as razor sharp claws slashed across Xavier's torso. He cried out in pain as Shay's form shifted into that of a wolf standing erect, jaw full of pointed teeth and eyes wild. "You're an eraser," Xavier panted as he held his hand up to the chest would, blood seeping through his hands. A dangerous wound. They had to get out.

"Damn right, I am." Shay snarled and he howled, attempting to claw off Xavier's face. "And I'd be happy to shred apart your revolting bird wings," he shrieked just as Xavier flung his wings out in an attempt to take to the air. Another blow that swiped close to his head, meaty paw flashing in his eyes. Xavier let his bird senses take over and he dodged every frontal attack that Shay used. A frustrated snarl erupted from the eraser and he rounded on Akeli, looking for easier prey.

"No!" yelled Xavier as he barrelled into Shay, sending the eraser catapaulting into a nearby tree. "Aki, we have to get out." Xavier sputtered as he held his arms against his chest. He didn't want her to see the worst of the wound.

Akeli felt herself pushed from Xavier's grasp as the once human Shay let out a ferocious growl. Stupefied her eyes widened as thorn-sharp claws slammed into Xav's chest, pushing him backwards. Letting out a small whimper as Shay lashed out at Xav a few more times before turning on her. Eyes narrowing with anger now Akeli flexed her fingers and glared at Shay.

"Try and get me," she growled fiercely, eyes burning brightly as flames erupted around her. They surged upwards, fueled by rage, and tendrils streaked out as if they wanted to caress Shay's furred body. Or turn it into a pile of ash. Moving one hand she let the fire curl around it, effectively giving her a 'scorching' punch. About to fling herself at Shay she was stopped by Xav's cry.

"No!" she yelled desperately, though the fire died slightly. "He knows our scent. He knows where we are. We have to kill him!"

--

And if this day couldn't get any worse, Sara thought irritably as she heard the grunts that could only signal fighting. Clenching her hands Sara stomped into the open clearing, quite ready to give a talking-to to whoever was there. Sniffing the air she paused and stepped back slightly in alarm. There was a fire, and a big one. She could feel the heat from where she stood. Now more cautious the sandy-haired girl peeked through the branches and nearly fell over in shock.

There was a girl. On fire. And perfectly fine. Eyes wide Sara mumbled something incoherent under her breath before she took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. "Right, it's just a joke or something. Maybe they're filming an action movie." However another look told her that couldn't be possible. There were only three people there, and one of them was covered in fur. Blinking rapidly Sara sighed, ran a hand through her hair and did the unexpected. Stepping out in the open she stomped her foot and barked out angrily, "Excuse me?  But this happens to be private property, which I might add, you're destoying. And if you don't why are you fighting? You can't gain anything from it."

Just as the words left her mouth Sara felt a small rumble under her feet, though despite the ground visually rolling and bucking upwards she didn't feel anything. Staring at her dirt-covered toes Sara watched silently as the earth ground towards the three combantants in the form of a small earthquake.

That...was unexpected. 

"We're in no condition to fight!" Xavier argued mutinously as Shay grunted from the tree. The boy had gained his feet and had let loose another snarl when the entrance of another girl made him pause. His dark eyes narrowed at the girl, but widened in shock when she stamped her foot and an earthquake erupted around them. Xavier heard the eraser yelp as he was thrown into the air again, but Xavier had pushed himself into the air, frenzied wings beating to stay above the churning earth.

"Wonderful," he muttered under his breath as he eyed the girl warily. She seemed...surprised that the tremors had come from her. He wondered if she had anything else up her sleeve she didn't know about and from experience, Xavier knew that could be bad. "Aki, again, we can't fight now." he said, but Shay had already scampered away into the forest.

Ooc; Sui was asking for you in the sb. <3

Akeli snarled in frustration as Shay ran away. Unable to contain her anger she turned on the newcomer, eyes narrowed. "And who do you think you are?" she asked, a borderline growl entering her voice. Xav wasn't going to stop her now. She was furious at Shay and since this chick had caused Shay to run off Akeli felt like it was a fair trade-off.

Lifting up a hand Akeli tossed a fireball experimentally in the girl's direction, a small smile hinting at her lips. "Thanks to you we just lost our enemy. But I don't have anything else to use this on, so..."

--

Sara looked up and shook her head at the fiery-haired girl growling in front of her. "Woah there! I onl--" Letting out a scream when a fireball flew straight her Sara did the best she could in such a situation. She lifted up her arms and tried to shield herself. Again, much to her surprise, a large vine grew out of the ground and blocked the fireball, disintegrating in the process.

"Okay, okay, okay. What sort of freakish t.v. show is this?" Sara demanded angrily, directing a glare at the boy behind the strange on-fire girl. "Throwing FIRE at me? Are you two high or something? I'm calling the police. You'll go to jail or something!"

Muttering under her breath Sara brushed sweaty hair from her forehead, completely freaked. Breathing heavily she backed up a few steps, hands still held up protectively in front of her. "Whatever it is," she continued weakly, "I don't want any part in it."

Xavier stepped back onto the ground and folded his wings against his back, pressing them extremely tightly as pain wracked his chest. "Hey!" he yelled as Akeli shot a fireball directly at Sara. Though the girl had horrible timing, there was no way to blame her for Shay getting away. Anger flared in his eyes as the flame almost hit the girl, but then frustration overwhelmed him as the girl took another bout of lecturing out of her mouth and aimed it at them.

"Listen...whoever you are, we don't mean you any harm. We're just a bit frustrated that the person over there got away so if you'd cool it on the yelling, that'd be great. Our ears are sensitive and really don't appreciate that," he said before turning back to Akeli. "And Aki, she didn't mean to do anything wrong, you can't just shoot fireballs at---" he continued but broke off as he gritted his teeth and doubled over in pain. "Oh man, this hurts." he said before he fell back against a tree, head craned back as he tried to calm his breathing. His hands were soaked in blood and he ripped his shirt off; no need to hide the wounds from Akeli again.

Three large gashes were still dribbling blood from his chest and Xavier winced as he pressed the tattered fabric of his shirt against the wounds in an attempt to stop the flow of blood. He didn't think he would be able to cover them with his goo, the substance required too much energy that he didn't have.

Akeli grumbled and stepped back at Xavier's shout, more annoyed than furious now. Clenching her fists she allowed them to flare once more before killing the flames, a dangerous glint in her eye as she watched the other girl.

"Xav, I know I can't. Doesn't mean I'l--Oh!" Akeli turned and ran over to Xav, her eyes wide and troubled. "Dammit, stop getting injured," she wailed uselessly, touching Xav's shoulder gently. Her blue eyes darkened at the wound. No mutant could mistake what had made the three long gashes on his torso, each dripping red. "Okay, listen, we, uh...well, no going to a hospital. Unless you're dying. You aren't dying, right?" Akeli felt incompetent in such a situation. At least Xavier's last injury had only required her to draw the heat out. But this? There was no way Akeli could simply patch it up.

Whirling around she glared at the other girl, who was still holding her hands up like Akeli was going to kill her or something. You were, the irritating voice in Akeli's mind muttered mutinously. Sighing heavily the winged girl rubbed her forehead in exasperation.

"Listen, if you tell anyone what you saw you'll either have men with dogs out hunting us or be locked up in a mental center. Since I can't guarantee the latter I'm just going to say that any of this leaks out? You'll be cooked, kid."

--

Sara, thoroughly fed up with the situation, simply glared right back at this strange red-haired child. "Oh, threatening me again?" she asked snidely. "Now you listen. I know these woods like I know my house, and if I decide to run away and tell, you wouldn't find me. Now, on another note, do you want your boyfriend to be fixed up or what? I know basic first-aid, if you won't take him to the hospital."

Despite how odd the circumstances were Sara couldn't help but roll her eyes. But at least the black-haired male had tried to stop his girlfriend from frying her. And despite her dislike for the other girl it wasn't in Sara's nature to let people die in her backyard.

"Oh, and you'd better tell me the full story. I want to know why I have vines shooting up on my command now that you three appeared. And also, who was that other guy? The...wolf person?" 

Xavier barked out a short-lived laugh. "It's not like I have any say in the matter," he panted when Akeli yelled at him to stop getting hurt. "And would you two stop bickering?" he said through closed eyes, his deep blue gaze hidden in an attempt to hide the pain in his eyes away from Akeli. "Girl who still hasn't told me her name; we don't know why you can shoot vines from your hands or make earthquakes, but-" he halted and ground his teeth together as a bout of pain overtook him.

"But," he began as he steeled himself. "You're obviously some kind of mutant like us. To answer your second question, that's Shay. He's what we call an eraser. They're mutants like us and trained to hunt us down to either kill or capture us. Now can I have some help?" he finished as he sank down to the ground in exhaustion. His blue eyes opened up into slits and he glanced up at Akeli. "After all, we wouldn't want to worry my girlfriend. Right, Akeli?" he said with an exaggerated wink.

Sara ground her teeth and bit her lip worriedly, unsure of what to do now. "Get ahold of him, my house is only a short ways away," she said after a long pause, green eyes shadowed with uncertainty. She knew that her adoptive parents were coming home in three or four hours, so she had time, but they had been known to cut a meeting short and rush back unexpectedly. How she was going to explain two banged up wierdos, one critically injured, sitting in their home was going to be impossible.

Pulling at her fingers nervously Sara slowly padded towards the injured guy, a wary eye on the red-haired female. "I'm Sara by the way, whoever you guys are. Do you need some help or can you carry him on your own?" The question as aimed at the other girl, who was eyeing Sara with some suspicion. 

"Help if that's alright with him," the stranger said after a moment, her voice quiet. All the fight seemed to have gone out of her.

--

Akeli glanced down at Xavier after this and sighed. "We can argue about that later," she quipped, a tight smile making its way to her face. "But...do you mind this girl touching you? I mean, I think I can manage on my own if you really want." Toying with her hair Akeli fidgeted slightly, unnerved by all the blood Xav was losing. The girl's offer was tempting, especially since she also seemed genuine. Like, she wasn't going to capture them or something.

However, the strange display of powers scared Akeli, though she kept this to herself. How long had she believed that the only ones like her and Xav existed only in the School? And now they'd just found one living in the real world with real parents. It was...mystifying. 

Although the girl seemed to want to help them, Xavier wasn't ready to take anymore chances. Sara could whip up quite a temper and he didn't want to be in harms way just in case Akeli decided to piss her off again. He pushed himself off of the tree with some effort and found one arm sliding over Akeli's shoulders for support. "Ack," he grunted as he righted himself against her. "Sara, just lead the way please." he said in a short breath.

He unfolded one of his wings and wrapped it around Akeli, the light blue feathers gently brushing against her. He gripped her shoulder tightly and tried not to cause any pain to her by it. "Thanks, Kitten." he said affectionately, a meager amount of teasing in his blue eyes.

"Take all the time you need," Akeli murmured back comfortingly, blue eyes gentle as she smiled at Xav. Glancing at his wing, since she wasn't so sure it was a good idea to show Sara those, Akeli sighed and shook her head. Xavier needed rest and quiet, not her arguing with him about his stupid decisions. Wrapping an arm around his waist, careful to not touch his wound, Akeli nodded at Sara.

"What he said. Also, if you notice anything weird...besides us, tell me. We need to make sure Shay doesn't come back for seconds." Tucking a strand of hair behind her ears Akeli began walking slowly, making sure Xav was with her all the way.

"It won't be long now," she whispered.

--

Sara shook her head and held out her hands in exasperation. "If you want," she said before turning on her heel and waving her hand. "Follow me, don't be loud and once we get to my place you best do what I tell you to do. Also, try not to make a mess." After regarding their dirty clothes with suspicion Sara was seriously considering letting them take a quick shower at her house, if only so she wouldn't have to be around so much dirt. Not that there was anything wrong with being muddy, but she suspected a lot of the dark stuff on their clothes was blood as well.

Pushing back a heavy branch Sara eyed the path in front of them. "This leads straight to the house," she said, a bit uselessly, before continuing again, Her bare feet slapped on the dirt track with comforting familiarity. 

His first few steps were shaky, but with Akeli's support, he managed to follow Sara up the dirt trail to her house. The living space was moderate and the forest opened up into her backyard. When the trees thinned, Xavier found his footing more easily, but anxiety gripped him. He liked the safety under the canopy of the trees; not over being in the air, of course. As Sara led them up to the house, he walked through the back door gratefully. He set himself down onto the first chair available and folded his arms over his chest, the skin of his limbs hovering just above his wounds.

He was too tired to fold his wings against his back so he let them sag just below his shoulder blades. He blinked his blue eyes and glanced at Sara. "Okay, Doctor; fix me up," he said before he rested his clammy forehead on the granite table at which he was sitting at. The initial shock of the cold stone made him shiver, but it felt good for a few moments. He knew he was pale from his reflection in the rock and he closed his eyes.

"Next time I see that damn Eraser, I'm going to kill him," Xavier muttered angrily.

____

Shay crashed his way through the forest, his deadly claws slashing through everything that got in his sights. His hazel eyes were wild, hazy with a crimson cloud. "Get ahold of yourself," he hissed and whirled around, jaw snapping as he gazed wildly around for whoever had spoken. "It's you, idiot." he growled and Shay whimpered as he finally began to calm down.

He settled back against a large rock and glanced down at his furry paws. Red blood was matted into the fur and his thoughts fled back to the battle. His claws raking through the air, snagging slightly as they met flesh. The thought of the bird kid's blood splattering him made the Eraser drool. "No!" he cried and buried his wolfy head into his paws. "I never wanted this," he sobbed into his now human hands. The transformation was compete and the exhausted boy crumpled over to his side and passed out.

Ooc; Poor Shay. D8

Akeli let Xavier go as they entered the house and sank down onto the chair next to him, unfolding her own wings tiredly and letting them hang. The black and white feathers rustled as the odd girl brushed past her, heading deeper into the house.

"Hey, where are you..." Akeli called out worriedly, but Sara was gone without a reply. Crossing her arms and scowling Akeli glanced at Xav and let out a worried noise, lips pursing. Rubbing her forehead the mutant could feel worry lines beginning to form there and her scowl deepened. If this Sara chick wasn't back within a few minutes Akeli was going to go and find her, and then give her a good talking-to after that.

--

Sara groaned and trotted into the washroom, grabbing the first-aid kit and some aspirin from underneath the counter. So armed she headed for the living room and rolled her eyes at the red-haired girl's ex
pression, holding up the large red box with a wiggle of her eyebrows. "I can't fix your friend without supplies," she said in a cheeky voice, grinning.

Laying the box on the table she snapped open the lid and rifled through it, tossing out a thick roll of bandages, a soft towel, antibacterial ointment and a needle and thread. Glancing down at the boy Sara shuddered slightly, a bit unnerved at what she was about to.

"Okay, listen, the wounds...big. I'm going to have to, er, sew it shut, if you can deal with it. It's to stop all the blood...and all. I know what I'm doing, just." Shutting her eyes Sara held up the towel and shook it slightly. "But if it's any consolation you can think on it while I clean the wound. You just need to move your arms." 

Xavier heard the worried noise escape through Akeli's pursed lips. He cursed himself for worrying her like this and picked his head up off of the table. He blinked his eyes slowly and raised his brows half-heartedly in a pitiful attempt to regain his cocky attitude. "I'm not planning on dying, Kitten. Who's going to keep you away from the big, bad Erasers?" he said playfully, his hands balling up under the table as he accidentally stretched the wound when he shifted slightly.

Sara entered the room with a few medical supplies and began to lecture him on what he was about to do with the wound. He sighed and moved his arm, his eyes a bit wary as he spotted the needles. "Just so you know, Nursey, I don't really like needles," he said as he turned his head away from the sewing kit. "Just do your thing and I'll be fine," he muttered as he lifted up his tattered shirt. He grimaced as the fabric scratched against his wounds, but he balled the shirt up and chucked it on the ground.

"Kitten, my six-pack isn't going to be as pretty anymore," he said with a wink in her direction, but that didn't mean he wanted the three scars that would shine horizontally across his abdomen.