Embracing Unpredictability #16

Iceman raised an eyebrow at my proposition, intrigued yet cautious. "That sounds interesting... what's the catch?" he inquired, suspicion evident in his voice. I knew exactly what he meant, but I decided to play ignorant, giving him a puzzled look.

"What do you mean, catch?" I replied, pretending to be clueless.

Iceman sighed, realizing I was toying with him. "You know... like we can't use our powers or something?" he clarified, his arms crossed.

I chuckled, no longer holding back. "On the contrary," I said with a smirk. "I'd be troubled if you didn't use your powers, as that would defeat the very purpose of the game. I want you to use your powers. And I expect you to attack me as if to kill me."

The young mutants looked surprised at my words, processing the challenge I had presented to them. I paused, allowing them to grasp the gravity of the situation.

Iceman scoffed and shook his head after a brief moment. "Now I know it's too good to be true. What is it really? You've got a doomsday weapon hidden up your sleeve, or something?" Iceman asked, half-jokingly.

I enigmatically smiled, enjoying the intrigue I had sparked. "You'll never know unless I unroll my sleeves—according to Schrödinger, at least," I replied playfully. "But that is beside the point. I will only dodge and protect myself. I'm not exactly powerless, but I won't use any more strength than a regular man could muster."

Nightcrawler's eyes widened, a sense of excitement and challenge overcoming any doubts he may have had. "So, we can use our powers to the fullest extent?" he asked, seeking clarification.

I nodded, impressed by the enthusiasm in his voice. "Indeed," I confirmed. "The point of this exercise is to test your skills and coordination or, in this particular case, show you the lack thereof."

Kitty's playful grin returned, and she cracked her knuckles. "This is going to be fun," she said, her competitive spirit reignited.

Angel, usually reserved, seemed intrigued by the prospect of honing their abilities. "I'm curious to see what you've got, Evan," he said, his wings twitching with anticipation.

Iceman's skepticism had transformed into a focused determination. "Alright, then I'll go in first..." He turned to the other mutants and asked, "You guys don't mind, do you?"

Before the other mutants could reply, I let out a light chuckle, causing them to swallow their words. Iceman, in particular, seemed puzzled by my reaction, giving me a questioning look.

"I'm afraid you misunderstand," I clarified, shaking my head with a grin. "I doubt any of us has eight hours to spend in the Danger Room."

I beckoned the four mutants forward, gesturing for them to take their positions. "Feel free to come at me all at once," I suggested a hint of challenge in my voice.

Iceman's eyes twitched in annoyance, clearly not expecting such an unconventional approach. He voiced his skepticism, asking, "Are you serious right now?"

"Very," I replied, my tone confident and unwavering. I pointed upwards, and as the Saloon's ceiling opened up, a digital countdown appeared in the night sky.

"Now then, the time for chit-chat is over," I declared, my casual demeanor contrasting with the impending challenge. "I'd start moving if I were you."

With the countdown ticking away, the four mutants exchanged glances, realizing the intensity of the situation.

Likely feeling as if I was making light of their abilities, Iceman scowled and retorted, "Don't come crying to me later, then..." Summoning ice from the ground, he created a smooth skating surface and sped toward me at high speed. "Remember, it was your idea..."

The other mutants exchanged glances, each of them silently agreeing to let Iceman take the lead and test the waters. They were curious to see the extent of my combat capabilities.

I, however, maintained my smile, my confidence unshaken as I prepared to face Iceman's onslaught. As he closed the distance between us, he swung at my face with a swift punch, not even bothering to glance at the handkerchief in my pocket.

Expertly, I ducked under his swing, my reflexes honed from years of combat experience. My hand reached out, catching his wrist. As our skin made contact, I could feel the ice creeping up onto my arm, but I remained unfazed.

Using his own momentum against him, I swiftly swung Iceman across the room, sending him crashing into shelves behind the bar. The impact dislodged various bottles and glasses, causing a cacophony of crashing sounds.

Iceman quickly recovered, utilizing his powers to create a protective icy shield to lessen the impact. He shot back up to his feet, a determined look in his eyes as he readied himself for the next round.

I smiled at him, acknowledging his resilience. I may have decided to avoid using my powers, but I still hunted down and defeated many mutants with various abilities and a lot of combat experience before absorbing Extremis.

Turning my attention to the other mutants, I addressed them with a playful tone. "Come now. Two hours aren't as long as you might imagine," I taunted.

Kitty's eyes sparkled with excitement, and she stepped forward, phasing through the ground and reappearing behind me. She lunged with a quick punch, but I anticipated her move, sidestepping with ease.

Nightcrawler took advantage of the distraction, using his teleportation to appear at different angles around me. He attacked with a series of rapid strikes, but I stayed nimble, dodging his assaults with calculated precision.

Kitty and Nightcrawler surrounded me, moving in synchronized circles around me as they unleashed their powers from unexpected angles. It was a coordinated effort, and I could see the determination in their eyes. I knew they were testing me, trying to find any weaknesses in my defense.

But I was no stranger to combat. Years of training and experience had honed my reflexes and instincts, allowing me to flawlessly dodge their attacks. I remained calm, keeping my focus sharp as I waited for the inevitable opening.

And sure enough, the inevitable happened. Amidst their coordinated assault, Nightcrawler made a split-second mistake. He appeared out of one of his teleportations and instantly panicked as he saw Kitty charging toward him. In that moment of panic, I saw my chance.

With a quick movement, I caught Nightcrawler by the neck, taking advantage of his momentary lapse in concentration. Using his own momentum against him, I hurled him toward Kitty.

In a chain reaction of panic, Kitty also made a mistake. She deactivated her phasing power in an attempt to catch Nightcrawler. But it was a miscalculation on her part.

As Nightcrawler collided with Kitty, they both stumbled, their coordination disrupted. I seized the opportunity, charging forward and executing a well-timed trip that sent Kitty tumbling to the ground.

Angel had been biding his time, patiently waiting for an opening to make his move. Suddenly, he propelled himself forward, unfurling the full 16 feet of his majestic wingspan. With incredible speed, he closed the distance between us in a fraction of a second, his hand already reaching for the handkerchief that rested in my pocket.

I saw his attempt coming from the corner of my eye and instinctively stepped back, narrowly evading his outstretched hand. Angel frowned, a hint of frustration crossing his features, but he didn't give up. Undeterred, he twisted his body and reached for the handkerchief with his other hand, determined to get ahold of it.

However, before Angel could succeed (not that he would have, Iceman came crashing into him by mistake. The icy mutant had been skating at high speed, and in the heat of the moment, he misjudged his trajectory due to Angel twisting his body. Their collision was quite the spectacle, causing them both to fall flat on their rears.

I couldn't help but smile as I observed the four mutants, sprawled on the ground, panting and grunting in anguish. The training session had been intense, and I had put them through their paces, pushing them to their limits. With a chuckle, I couldn't resist making a teasing remark, "If this were a real fight, you'd all be dead."

As their combat instructor, it was my job to challenge them and help them improve. Despite their current state, I was confident they would learn from this experience and become stronger.

Shaking my head, I turned my attention to Kitty and Nightcrawler. "You two had the right idea," I said, acknowledging their efforts, "but your attack was uncoordinated. It could have only ended in disaster."

Nightcrawler rubbed the back of his head, a sheepish expression on his face. "I have no words," he admitted, clearly disappointed in their coordination.

I casually shrugged, knowing that this was all part of the learning process. "Don't worry," I reassured them. "With more practice, you'll improve."

Turning to Angel and Iceman, I addressed their approach. "You knew your powers wouldn't mix well with Shadowkat and Nightcrawler running circles around me," I noted, giving them a nod of approval for their tactical thinking. "So, you decided to bide your time and wait for an opening."

Angel smiled, acknowledging my assessment. "I figured it was the best strategy," he replied.

I couldn't help but chuckle at his response. "Indeed, it was," I said, genuinely impressed with his adaptability. "Though I would have been even more impressed if you two accounted for each other as well..."

Iceman, who had recovered from the previous clash, grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Hey, we like to keep things interesting," he chimed in, his playful demeanor evident.

"I'm sure you do," I agreed, still smiling. "But you're still on the clock, and it's ticking away...."

...

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