Tempurature Rising

Posted on Wed Oct 2nd, 2024 @ 5:21pm by Scott Summers & Connor Bruin & Meja Vikström

3,090 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Episode 5: Days of Fortune Past
Location: X-Mansion | Danger Room
Timeline: November 2nd, 1990

The morning sun had barely begun to peak through the trees that surrounded the main building of the mansion. Strong strides of Meja's run fell among the silence of the early morning. Her breath huffed out and fogged very slightly in the brisk morning air, her hair bouncing about her face but slicked down and into the fresh braids under her headphones. She surprisingly wore only a light grey t-shirt and cycling shorts that hugged her energetic form. Burnt orange orbs glancing right and left as she crossed over the main drive that lead back to the mansion, foot falls echoing across the black tarred road for a moment before crunching onto the path she'd followed from behind the mansion and down to where she currently found herself. It was a shorter run than she was accustomed to, but she didn't feel safe leaving the grounds just yet.

Less than ten minutes later, she leapt up the back steps and entered the mansion, bee-lining for the kitchen for a quick reprieve. Finding a glass, she filled it up, downing the contents and refilling it, taking a few sips before setting it off to the side of the large island and fetching potatoes, the side of ham, the small bag of jasmine rice, two sticks of butter, milk, flour, packet of yeast, and one of the cartons of eggs.

Between things mixing, chopping, butter being melted and kneading the dough she'd made from scratch, including the music blaring in her ears via her headphones, she barely noticed a few early risers getting orange juice or water before the water through the pipes crackled to life. It was clear that the Swede newcomer was providing breakfast, so no one broke her reverie until a familiar red head wandered through and into the busy kitchen. Meja slipped the headphones off so that she could keep an ear out for the simmering water on the stove that she was waiting to boil.

"GOOD MORNING, MEJA," Connor said through his device. "BREAKFAST SMELLS DELICIOUS. DO WE HAVE TIME FOR A QUICK RUN THROUGH THE DANGER ROOM BEFORE WE EAT? THERE IS A SPECIAL GUEST TODAY TO HELP OUT."

Meja looked up, completely shocked at the voice but smiled when she saw that it was Connor. Nodding after taking a sip of water, she'd just put the sweet buns in the oven. Turning off the gas to the potatoes, she shifted her weight as she dumped the cut potato pieces into the collander in the sink, leaning back a little so the steam didn't waft into her face, "Yeah we have about 25 minutes until I need to pull those out of the oven." Pulling the dish towel from the handle of the oven, she wiped her hands clean of the remaining flour and exhaled, "Lead the way."

---

The Danger Room hummed to life, its walls shifting and shimmering as the holographic simulation began to load. High above, the control room’s window overlooked the expansive training area, where Connor stood at the center, his posture as calm as ever but his eyes sharp with focus. He adjusted the haptic gloves on his hands, feeling the faint vibration that connected his thoughts to the system. The room was set to a low-level training mode, just enough to test the waters for the new recruit.

At his side was Meja. Connor gave her a quick nod of reassurance, then turned his attention toward the sound of the sliding doors at the far end of the room. Through them, Cyclops stepped in, his unmistakable presence filling the space. Even without the visor covering his eyes, Scott Summers had a way of commanding attention, a product of years spent leading teams into battle.

When Connor had reached out for help, Scott couldn’t refuse. Leading team drills had always been one of his strengths, and Connor, now the leader of this fresh team, had requested his expertise.

Connor’s fingers moved fluidly, signing rapidly. His speech-generating device clicked into life, and its digitized speech filled the room. "THANK YOU FOR COMING, CYCLOPS."

Scott nodded, his face unreadable behind the red-tinted glasses. His face briefly flicked to Meja, assessing her in an instant. At taking her measure, he softened a bit. "Who's the new girl?"

Connor’s hands moved again, his words relayed through the device. "THIS IS MEJA. SHE'S READY TO START, BUT I THINK SHE NEEDS A LITTLE MORE THAN BASIC TRAINING. THAT'S WHY YOU'RE HERE."

"Nice to meet you, Meja." Scott stepped closer, his gaze locking onto Meja. "Let's see what you got," he said plainly, always direct and to the point. "Are you ready?"

Meja's breathing had slowed, evening out so that she could only hear the beat of her pulse in her own ears. Smiling a little at the older man before nodding a little, "Yeah... let's do this." She replied in an even tone, feeling her shoulders and thighs start to tense in preparation of any movement coming her way.

From her gait to the way she held her balance, Scott could tell she had training in the martial arts. "Great. Let's start with a game of tag, if you're familiar. You're it, Meja."

Connor gave Scott a questioning look but kept silent. He just jumped backward out of Meja's easy reach.

Meja smirked and as soon as Connor jumped out of her reach, she sprang forward and let her legs slide as she landed, her reach then extending to Connor with a playful glint in her eye.

She was quick! Connor backflipped just out of range and then pivoted into a roundoff to get further away. It still almost wasn't enough. Meja was right on his heels, so Connor broke into a dead sprint.

"SCOTT IS JUST STANDING THERE," Connor signed while running away from Meja.

"Yes, but you're being hilarious right now," Scott called back, laughing in place. "Like a human cartoon!"

Meja laughed along with Scott as he yelled out the quip to Connor, nodding very slightly as she exhaled before responding, "Our very own Looney Tune!" She added, increasing her stride to all but match Connor's. She wasn't going to let him get away that easy.

"You can say that again," Scott mused aloud before raising his voice. "All right, that's enough! Bring it in."

Connor circled back around to Scott like a student lining up to a gym teacher. He was mildly winded but otherwise unfazed by the burst of physical activity.

"Meja, you may not have realized this, but Connor has enhanced agility and endurance," Scott began, "so the fact you very nearly kept pace with him his impressive. The Danger Room computer has been taking scans all this time and Connor or the Professor will be able to review those with you later, but for the time being I have to say that if you don't have a similar mutation as Connor, then you've really put a lot of work into taking care of yourself."

Meja turned when Connor did and slowed down, coming to a halt near them both and exhaling before attempting to get her heart rate under control. Smiling as she listened to the older man, nodding and glancing occasionally over at Connor. "I run every morning, have done for years and before moving here I'd go to karate twice a week, I'm a brown belt, youngest one in the dojo but before that my pappa had me going for runs, teaching me how to defend myself before he threw his back out and then signed me up for the dojo a block away from our apartment."

"I could tell you've had some training." Scott shifted his weight forward ever so slightly onto his lead foot and raise his hands upward into an Aikido stance. "Hit me with your best shot."

Meja's footing shifted almost on autopilot when she saw Scott changing his, after all those years spent training in even in the most basic of self defence, her burnt orange orbs sharpened. Her feet had barely hit the ground before launching and spinning her lithe form almost 200 degrees as her left leg eventually raised and straightened out as it neared her target, the spinning fly kick was her specialty.

Scott’s eyes tracked the movement, his own body already reacting. He didn’t resist or block the incoming attack directly—Aikido was about redirection, not brute force. As Meja’s leg came hurtling toward him, Scott shifted his weight fluidly, stepping into the space where her kick was weakest, just past the point of impact.

His left hand met her ankle mid-spin, not with force, but with guidance, gently pushing the kick downward as his left hand found her hip. In one smooth, controlled motion, he redirected her momentum, using the energy of her own strike to off-balance her. The powerful kick that had been aimed at his chest was now harmlessly deflected, Meja’s body spinning past him.

Scott stepped forward, maintaining his control over the situation, his grip light but firm as he guided Meja’s arm and used her forward motion to lower her safely toward the floor. The entire exchange happened in seconds, precise and efficient—without aggression, only control.

As she steadied herself, Scott released her, stepping back into his original stance, his voice calm but encouraging. "Good form, Meja. But remember, it’s not just about the power behind the strike—it’s where that power goes once it’s unleashed."

Meja straightened and bowed very slightly as she smiled, "You did say my best shot, Aikido, right? I've wanted to try Kung Fu too." As she came out of the bow, she relaxed. "I really need to get back to the kitchen, I have breakfast to finish before most of the kids wake up."

Connor checked his watch and flashed ten fingers at Scott.

"We've got some time yet before breakfast," Scott said. "You can handle yourself far better than most adults, I'll give you that. Let's see how you do with your powers." He nodded at Connor.

With Scott's signal, Connor hopped like a kangaroo over to the wall and the control console there. He activated the preset program which summoned a metal pole out of the floor with 12 steel plates running down the length of it.

"This is a dueling tree," Scott explained. "It's for competitive target practice. I understand that you can summon fire. Try to isolate it enough to hit the targets. Each time you hit one, it will spin over to the other side." He let loose six narrow beamed optic blasts in quick succession. Six of the plates flipped around so that each side had an even amount. "Let's try one minute to start. Whoever has the least plates on their side at the end wins. Do you understand the course of fire?"

Meja's line of sight dropped when Scott mentioned her powers. Nodding silently when he mentioned her fire but then she became a fidgeting shy 14 year old. She didn't respond but flinched when Scott's hits took onto the panels of the dueling tree, her sight darted to her right as she attempted to calm her rising heart beat.

Scott noticed Meja’s hesitation immediately, the way her eyes dropped and her body language shifted as if retreating into herself. He stepped forward, his tone softening, but still firm with encouragement. "Meja, I understand this is hard. It’s natural to feel unsure, especially when something inside you feels… unpredictable. But trust me, your power is there, waiting for you. The first time you used it, it came out of instinct, and now, you’re thinking too much. Don’t force it, but don’t be afraid of it either."

He moved to her side, his voice lowering just slightly, offering guidance. "Powers, just like muscles, grow stronger the more we use them. It’s not about perfection right now. It’s about trying. You already summoned it once—that means it’s in you. You’re capable of more than you know." He paused, giving her time to process.

"Look," he added, gesturing to the dueling tree, "No one’s expecting you to master it in one go. Just focus on that first breath, and let the rest follow. You have the strength, and I believe in you."

"AS DO I," Connor cut in from the wall.

Scott then met her eyes, a small, reassuring smile on his face. "So let’s start with one target. Forget about winning or losing. Just breathe, and when you’re ready, let it come to you. You don’t need to be perfect, Meja. You just need to try."

Meja's form began to relax as Scott's tone changed, her heart rate had not but she heard his words and as she swallowed hard, she felt something change within that gulp along with her tongue. Nodding and flexing her shoulders a little in a bid to relieve more tension, she also bit her lip a little with her top teeth then exhaled. Feeling the heat rise within that small breath, she closed her eyes and began to take measured deep breaths, each one exceeding the temperature at the back of her throat before her eyes opened and nodding silently one more time.

Her burnt orange orbs locked onto the pad nearest her line of sight and with a quick spit of an exhale, a small fire ball lobbed out from her mouth and hit the pad right in the middle. Meja's form shifted very slightly to her left as she lined her head up to the top pad, and another quick exhale lobbed a larger fire ball which hit the pad again but nearer to the edge. This made her whole form change as she finally relaxed, smiling at Scott and then across at Connor.

"Well done!" Scott cheered. "Right on the money. Bet you could do it again?"

"SCOTT," Connor interrupted with a cheeser grin on his face as he kept signing, "THE 60 SECOND TIMER IS OVER. IT APPEARS THAT MEJA BEAT YOU."

They all looked at the dueling tree as one. Scott's side had 7 plates while Meja's only had 5, as she had successfully hit one.

"I'll be damned..." Scott chuckled softly at first, but then let out a full laugh. "I'll admit it's been awhile since anybody showed me up." He winked at Meja hard enough to pull at his cheek. "Good work. But keep it up. I'll be back for a rematch one of these days."

Meja laughed along with him and shrugged, "Let's put it down to beginners luck. Care to stay for breakfast to take the sting out of your defeat? I've made some Swedish traditional food if you're up to trying it."

"Eh, I gotta' get back to the City, truth be told," Scott said. "Raincheck."

"SPOIL SPORT," Connor said. It had been a long time since he'd had any European dishes. He was looking forward to it. "MORE FOR ME."

"Sure, buddy." Scott chuckled. "You can have mine." He nodded toward the door. "You two go along then. I'll shut things down here on my way out."

"O-K," Connor said aloud before he waved Meja to follow. "COME ON," his device said.

"No problem, it was nice to meet you Scott and thank you." Meja smiled again and nodded as she followed Connor out of the Danger Room. She jogged down the hall and bee-lined straight to the elevator and the kitchen.

Firstly taking the now glistening buns out of the oven and setting them aside on a rack to cool before turning to the pot of glutinous rice, stirring and adding a few ingredients before stirring again. The pan of ham pieces went onto the stove next before she turned her attention to the par-boiled potatoes in the colander, nodding before she added a little oil to the ham pan and turned on the heat.

"THAT WAS CYCLOPS," Connor said once they had returned to the kitchen. "HE WAS THE FIRST LEADER OF THE X-MEN. ARMOURY TOOK HIS PLACE, AND THEN I TOOK ARMOURY'S PLACE." Of course this was interesting and relevant to what Meja was doing, so Connor kept explaining. "I AM GLAD CYCLOPS WAS AVAILABLE TO HELP WITH YOUR FIRST TRAINING SESSION. I HOPE TO FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE AS A GOOD LEADER."

Meja smiled, nodding a little here and there as Connor continued to explain a few things about the X-Men's history. Straightening up as she dumped the marzipan and some powdered sugar into the mixer's bowl, "I am too, and so far you've really made me feel welcome, just like any good leader should." Once the mixer was slowly combining and 'fluffing' the marzipan, Meja paused and wiped her hands on the dish towel before beginning to cut the glistening buns into halves horizontally. Once she'd done that, she turned off the mixer and took the bowl out from under the arm of the mixer, moving it closer to the buns and scooping out a dollop for each with a metal spoon she'd found. Once each had a dollop of the fluffy marzipan, she topped them with the lids of the buns and set them out on a long ceramic plate. Continuing on to stir the glutinous rice and turning the heat off as it had gotten to the preferred thickness. Then moving to the pan with the browned off ham, scooping the pieces out into a waiting bowl and leaving the grease from the ham to brown the potato squares off to make them crispy. Once they where done, she added the potato hash squares into the ham and tossed them with a little salt and added them into a clean ceramic baking tray, putting them next to the finished buns.

Scooping the glutinous rice pudding into a French style cooking dish with a lid, she then put that next to the hash along with a small bowl of cinnamon. The last item to be made was the pancakes but as they were much thinner than their American counterparts, she had to make them fresh or they'd be rigid and gross.

Taking to the flat top part of the stove, Meja created a few gorgeous thin but somewhat small pancakes, flipping them in only a minute and removing them onto a plate that she put into the still warm oven so they'd retain some heat. Glancing across at Connor, she nodded to the waiting plates and bowls, "Have at it."

 

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