American Girl : B2S Issue #2 (Open - One Teacher, New Students)

[Banner Laverick]

Banner Laverick had been at Cullens' exactly one week. She attended all of her classes, sitting silently at the back of the room before going back to her "Fortress of Solitude". Her room had been redecorated to look nearly identical to her room back home, with newly printed photos of her and Felix in several frames about the room. Her nights were spent online or on the phone, keeping in touch with Felix and her friends. Sometimes she'd meet up with Taya for lunch, but other than that, she hadn't gone out of her way to meet anyone else.

Untill now.

Banner grumped her way to the basketball court - forced interaction with her fellow "newbies", under the direction of one of the schools' professors. As she approached, it was painfully obvious that she did not want to be there...

[Freight Train]

As Banner walked down the hall towards the gym, a noise like a drunken, clog-dancing centipede floated out to meet her, mixing and fighting with the electronic music that she had likely heard clear across campus. In the gym itself, standing dead-center in one of the 3 basketball courts that made up the majority of the space, was a tiny little girl in a Pistons jersey.

She was 4'6", with short black hair and a skin complexion that said "I go outside a lot". She was handling the ball in a tricksy fashion, dribbling between her legs and rolling it down her arms and shoulders, and whatever else you'd likely see the Globetrotters doing. She barely paid Banner a moment's notice, being so absorbed in her music (which was blaring out of a huge boombox at one end of the court) and her crazy basketball routine.

[Taya Robbins]

On the bleachers sat a distinctly feline girl with her enormous, padded feet propped up and an open sketchbook in her lap. Taya Robbins's head bobbed to the beat of the basketball player's music while her pencil scratched rapidly over the page.

She'd started with the girl on the court, since she was the only person available when she'd come in. It was hard to capture a reference who was so constantly in motion, but Taya had settled on an exaggerrated pose of the girl flying through the air for what looked like a meteoric dunk. But clearly she needed some form of competition, and, for whatever reason, Taya's muse had settled on giant robots...

She was blocking in several huge, mechanical arms when Banner came in. But Taya didn't even notice. She was lost in her fit of artistic inspiration.

[Ethan Evans]

For two years, Ethan Evans had played small forward for the Apple Valley Vipers. The teams jersey was white and red and, although it now looked a little worse for wear, he wore it still with pride. The basketball court inside the institute had been a regular haunt of his since arriving at Cullen's, though today was to be the first day that he got to take part in a real game, instead of just running drills by himself. Throwing his gym bag down at the side of the court, he picked up a ball and started a little warm-up, shooting a few lay-ups until the Professor in charge of the game arrived.

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

A group of three identical men, wearing identical t-shirts, athletic shorts, and sneakers arrived in the gym. The man in the middle held a basketball. Vipul gave the ball a few dribbles, feeling comfortable with the act from a few years of recreational play. He'd played a few years in a social league in New Dehli, and found it to be a refreshing hobby. It was interesting to see Americans on the court, and the blonde haired guy seemed so much taller.

"Hello everyone."

Vipul greeted the kids in the gym, and began to stretch in unison.

[Twitch]

Joe wasn't wearing anything fancing like Jock Patrol in his school uniform, just a pair of baggy cargo shorts and a t-shirt. Joe knew one thing: he was slower. He grabbed the ball after it dropped through on the layup, dribbling it steadily to the 2nd arch. He'd been on the basketball team, too, before everything went crazy.

He turned and popped up a rainbow that arched through the air and nearly kicked the net out of the basket.

Highschool was crap. Anyone who clung that hard to something that had so little to do with what happened afterword was a damn fool and needed some learnin'

[Banner Laverick]

"Cute drawing."

She plunked her butt on the hard wood of the bleachers, one seat up from Taya. Banner made a face as she watched the others start playing b-ball, the theme song to Fresh Prince humming in the back of her head.

"UGH, sports?! They're making us play SPORTS?!"

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

"There is nothing wrong with a little physical competition to improve the health and spirit."

Vipul addressed the dissenter politely, passing himself the ball a few times as he did so.

[Freight Train]

Freight Train heard nothing but the Chemical Brothers coming out of her boombox. Galvanize was well on it's way into the second verse, and she was immersed in it.

Dont hold back! If you think about it too much, you may stumble, trip up, fall on your face...
Don't hold back! You think its time you get up, crunch time, like a sit up, come on keep pace...
Don't hold back! Put apprehension on the back burner, let it sit, don't even get it lit...
Don't hold back!

She finally looked up from her crazy drill to do her real drills, only to find that her gym had mysteriously filled with people. And two of them can freakin' play!

"Oh my God, marry me," she muttered as she watched Twitch and Quarterback make their shots. So far she hadn't met anyone else who gave a rat's patootie about basketball, or sports in general. She blamed it on her roommate situation, and the fact that she's middle-school curriculum, not high-school like these guys. She paused to see who else was here.

Some triplet guys were warming up to the side, and two girls were sitting up in the bleachers, huddled around some notebook. The short girl shrugged; it wouldn't be the first time she was the only girl on a team of guys.

Train chose a goal away from where the guys were playing to do her practice, just so they wouldn't get in her way, and started to practice her freethrows and lay-ups. The goals were higher than she was used to, and she was still working on compensating for her horrible shortness. Her first shot, a simple free-throw, bounced off the rim. She tried again, with a little extra oomph, and put the ball through the hoop without touching the sides at all. Awesome. Her luck with the lay-ups was pretty bad; she just couldn't jump high enough to get the ball past the rim. She growled irritably, backing up slowly to get enough distance to try it at a run.

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

Another Vipul stood toward the center of the court, speaking up so that others could hear.

"If I could have every student's attention directed to me if you would be so kind so that we can begin our game."

[Ethan Evans]

Ethan caught the ball on its descent and gave Joe a smile. The guy had quick reflexes and looked as if he'd made decent competition. With that thought in mind, he moved towards the man – or rather men – who was in charge of the game, walking the ball in a slow dribble.

[Taya Robbins]

"Hey, Banner. Thanks."

Taya didn't look up, but she grinned when Banner took a seat behind her. And then added some motion lines behind the flying girl and the flailing robotic arms. Then she closed up the sketchbook and stuffed it into her backpack.

"You'd rather do some sort of group counseling thing?" she asked as she stood up. "I know - whoever misses a shot gets to tell us all one new thing they learned about being a mutant."

She winked at Banner and stepped nimbly down the bleachers, bench to bench, until her bare, padded feet landed on the hardwood floor. She eased into the circle between Ethan and the basketball-playing girl and strrreeeetched, popping several vertebrae on the way.

[Freight Train]

She ran at the goal from half-court, leaping and throwing the ball at the perfect point to score her lay-up. Too bad for her, then, that the ball rolled around the rim twice before falling to the outside, then bounced off towards where the group was gathered. She tried to slow her momentum and had a poor time of it, colliding with the wall before she could stop completely. She pushed off it and wandered over to her ball, collecting it before joining the group just ahead of Taya.

She nodded to everybody, though she couldn't stop looking at Taya, for the moment. From a distance the young athlete had mistaken Taya's fur for clothing; now she was amazed at the person standing next to her. Not to mention, now that she's down here, Freight Train is curious about what the cat-girl had been writing up in the stands.

"Welcome to the court," she said while the rest of the group convened. "What were you doing up in Boringville?" She indicated the bleachers with a wave of her free hand.

[Taya Robbins]

Something about the girl's impact with the wall had made Taya's ears stand straight up. That hadn't sounded like an eighty-pound girl hitting the padding.

She shrugged lackadaisacally and twisted her hips, earning one more joint pop. "Just doodling," she said off-hand. "You're pretty good. How long have you been playing?"

[Banner Laverick]

"Pffft. I just hate sports. Period. End."

She didn't bother getting up, remaining seated in the stands as the rest of the group gathered round.

"Besides, I already know how to use my powers. This is just fascist "yay we love school" type crap."

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

"This word fascist I do not think it means what you may think it means."

Vipul dribbled the ball as he spoke to Banner.

"Teamwork is an important fundamental lesson in play as it is in life."

[Banner Laverick]

"I can fly. I can pick up everyone here and juggle them in the air if I really felt the need to, so I don't see why I would need a "team" do anything. But whatever, let's get this over with."

Banner hopped over one step, floating gracefully down to the gym floor in front of Vipul.

[Twitch]

"Uhuh." Joe mumbled. He looked up at Banner, somewhat bemused. His polite guy was coming off. Basketball was something he was good at, and certain of.

"Not really sure you could touch me if I didn't want ya to. Always someone better, or different enough that whatever you've got doesn't matter." He said.

[Banner Laverick]

"Yeah, cos I'm sure I'm going to fight a super villian or criminal who's gonna challenge me to a game of one-on-one."

A smirk crossed her face as she recognized Joe. "Too bad we're not playing hockey. It'd give me an excuse to knock into you again."

[Ethan Evans]

Ethan watched the bristling interchange between Joe and Banner. Somehow he got the impression that this would not be the most friendly of competitions. He eyed Taya for a moment and, finding that his brain was having difficulty assessing what he was looking at, reverted back to a line of conversation he knew well.

“How about we get this game started? Save all this energy for the court.”

He looked towards the Vipuls for instruction.

[Freight Train]

"You're pretty good. How long have you been playing?" Freight Train answered her as Banner showcased her displeasure.

"It'll be 8 years recreationally in a few months, on my next birthday. I'm not that good, at least not next to these guys." She jerked a thumb at Joe and Ethan. "Besides, I'm used to playing on courts made for shorties; this is the first place I've been with regulation height goals. Mind showing me what you were drawing later? Because right now, I'm with Blondie. Let's play a game."

[Twitch]

Joe looked at banner and raised an eyebrow. Someone was gonna hurt that girl bad one day. Mom always said testosterone made for most of the dumb decisions in the world but it looked like estrogen was just as stupid today.

"I can't skate worth a damn, so I'll pass. Let's play." He said, looking more intense than usual.

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

"I could not agree any more!"

Another group of four Vipuls entered the gym from the far end. These were similarly garbed to the original three.

Now there were seven, which made essentially a team unto himself.

[Taya Robbins]

Taya's mouth dropped open at the sight of a parade of Vipuls. "No way!"

She'd heard about professor Chandrashekar, of course - and she'd already had the eerie experience of meeting two of him on opposite sides of the building for consecutive classes - but she hadn't known there were seven of him. Suddenly, not-Vipul was outnumbered.

It was kinda creepy. Her tail was starting to puff out.

"So I guess we're not doing guys against girls?"

[Freight Train]

"Hell no. Where's the fun in that?" Of course, she totally saw the fun owning boys in basketball, having been responsible for her fair share of it back in regular school, but today...no. Not with Twitch's previous claim to Banner and Banner's very apparent lack of enthusiasm. A positive attitude and fighting spirit on the court is just as important as talent and skill.

"Are we seriously gonna play Students versus GAR? Because there's only five of us, and seven of Cody's troops."

[Banner Laverick]

"Yeah, but we have powers, that should make up for the other two Vipuls. Right?"

She had turned to the other girls, folding her arms across her chest with a frown. "He might be able to multiply, but he's still just a guy."

[Twitch]

"I hope so because I get the feelin' brotha V can ball. He's all running on the same brain. Watch for behind the back ninja nonsense. I think he's gonna go east style and try to break us with tight D and passing." Joe said, rolling his head and stretching.

"V-man, we doing 5 on 5?"

[Ethan Evans]

“Looks like it.”

With the beginning of the game fast approaching, Ethan took the time to get in a couple of extra stretches. This would be his first time facing off against others with somehow super-human abilities. It was going to be tough, but he knew he was up to the challenge.

[Nuro Alston]

Only a few days seperated Noru from the real world and Cullen's Institute, but he felt extremely awkward in classes. A little time of his own had led him down the halls, through the campus and unexpectedly in the gym. The court sparkled with that fresh-look that he recalled from his younger days when basketball was all he was about. It seemed almost eeriley nostalgic how he entered.

Many a days had called for that same confident, yet unwaivered stroll into the gym. However, on this occasion he didn't hold a duffle-bag with a jersey stuffed inside, or gatorade bottle in his hand. Instead of the basketball requirements, he had an iPod lodged in his pocket and a light hoody to remove.

He was going to jump in.

"Well it aint gotta be that way," He alerted, his awkward Brooklyn-meets-California accent calling for their attention as he flung his hoody onto the bleachers. A t-shirt, SB dunks and jeans was good enough to move freely a long the court. Plus, he had his powers if it got sticky - not that he wished to use them. With a step pass the bassline, and a jingle of his Ethiopic Cross, he was off to mimicking Ethan in his stretches.

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

"I think it would be highly beneficial to have the students play as a single team to learn the virtues of cooperation."

As Vipul spoke, he broke off a group of himself to perform an impossibly choreographed triple alley-oop.

"As for myself you must not worry about my numbers because I will keep two of myself on the bench in case of fatigue."

Vipul smiled warmly, fully expecting to be way over his head here. Banner was quite correct. They were exceptional youngsters, and aside from his singular conciousness, they were superior players man-to-man.

Eager to foster the competitive spirit, he held aloft a hand with index and middle fingers up to Joe in a V gesture.

"You know you get me on the court and I am trouble last week messed around and got a triple double."

From behind, a Vipul passed the ball overhanded in a line drive bullet to the speaking Vipul, who had his back turned. Without looking, he reached up to catch the pass, and didn't miss a beat.

[Freight Train]

Freight Train was starting to think that their powers weren't gonna be worth much in the face of the Vipul's superior teamwork. "Badass Normal" was the word of the day with this guy.

"So, uh...first to ten? Play to a time limit? Play til we hate it? And, uh, can we have a bit to confer before the game kicks off?"

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

"That is fine by me how about the first team to fifty points?"

The Vipuls backed away to allow for the student team to huddle up and plan.

[Taya Robbins]

Taya joined the huddle and looked around at her teammates - she and Freight Train were downright puny, but height wasn't an issue for Banner, and the three boys seemed to have some length to them.

She turned toward Ethan and Joe - they seemed to know what was going on. "I nominate both you guys as captain. What's the plan?"

[Twitch]

Joe assesed what he had in front of him. Banner was a total unknown, but she could fly. He wasn't sure how a flyer could be handled, she would probably still need to dribble to move legally.

"I used to play point or shooting, dependin' on who were against, so I'll take either guard position. F-Train, you handle the ball. D-rebounds get fed to her and she'll move it up." Freight Train lit up like a flare on a moonless night.

"Anyone gets panicked, kick it to any of the three of us." Joe instructed.

"Taya... right?" He asked the cat-girl, who nodded. "Can ya dribble?"

[Taya Robbins]

She shrugged and held up a paw. "My hands changed shape since I did it last. But I think so. I've got a good vertical, too."

[Ethan Evans]

“I'm sure you'll do great,” Ethan smiled at Taya. “We've got the edge here, guys,” he added, clapping his hands together. “So long as we play to the best of our abilities and work as a unit, this one's in the bag.”

[Nuro Alston]

Unsure where he stood, he jumped back into the conversation.

"Where do I stand in all this?

[Freight Train]

"This is gonna rule," she whispered as Twitch laid out the plan. Finally, real basketball! She looked to Noru and tapped him on the arm to get his attention. "Help me move the ball. I'm tiny, and they'll probably box me in pretty good if I don't get going well enough." She snapped her fingers as she remembered something. "Oh, hey, names! I'm Freight Train."

[Nuro Alston]

"Nor-u," He pronounced with a smile, before rolling his neck. "I guess I'll come in at the three."

He winced a bit before supplying a pleasant confirmation as he heard a slight crack in his neck. Noru felt all better now, and ready to play. All of six feet, he didn't feel much like Scottie Pippen, but he was certain small-forward would fit in fine with the height set-up on this team.