A Relatively Normal Day (Atta)

[jamesjacobs123]

James was walking around, his backpack on his back. He was minding his own business, when a group of stereotypical popular kids started pointing at him and laughing. He kept telling himself to ignore them, but it became increasingly difficult as time passed by. He approached them and crossed his arms. "You wanna laugh, do it to my face."

An athletic guy stood up and spat at James's feet. "You pushin', kid." James thrust out his arm, catching the guy off-balance and sending him sprawling. The guy leaped up to his feet and lunged, but James leaped off of a wall and tackled him to the ground. After giving him a good beating, he stood up.

The mutant then turned and knocked something out of a student's hand. Holy crap. Could his day get any worse?

[Atta Swanson]

Atta was already in the worst of moods, as she banged her phone against her hand begging it to work but knowing the battery was shot once again. "You have got to be kidding me! Again!?" She gripped and was half tempted to throw the thing at a wall and leave it be. The young teen had been enveloped for the last while in her game 'plague inc'. Nearly 95% infection with a low cure percentage and she knew it would have been a win for sure on one of the harder levels. So of course she was all but devastated when the power died. Probably coinciding with her own excitement, but she would never admit it was her own fault.

Eyes glued to the black screen she made her way out to where she could cool down, not even thinking it possible to bump into anyone, but as fate would have it that is exactly what happened. The collision was nothing to rough, but her phone dropped to the grass and for Attat that was all it took to push her buttons, especially when she was already mad. "HEY!!" she barked quickly turning to face whom she had bumped into. A glare on her sharp green eyes and crease to the brow. "What is wrong with you! Can't you look where your going?" she instanlty put blame on James and only after yelling did she look him over.

Cute, blonde, athletic and all but three seconds from having her figuratively chew his ear off. Never seen him before, or knew who he was and at the moment it meant nothing to her. All she wanted to do was make sure this guy understood just who he was messing with and that it should never happen again. Accident or not.

"So help me if its broken!" Atta continued to add with a hiss to her tone. "Cause I personally will /end/ you if it is." In her anger she didn't even bother to pick the phone up, only cross her arms, push out a hip and stare down the male teen. It was dead anyway, so why not make him think it was his fault.

[jamesjacobs123]

Anger boiled in James's throat as the girl yelled at him. "You know what?!" he yelled back. "It is just a stupid phone, you can get it repaired or something!" He stood about an inch taller than this girl, but she gave off an aura of intimidation. James involuntarily took a step back as she stuck out her hip and hissed at him. He then took the time to look her over. She was fit, curvaceous, blonde, and athletic.

She also had striking green eyes that pierced James's brown ones. He glared at her, stung by her harsh words. "Look, it wasn't my fault. I just turned around, and you were standing there." He picked up her phone and looked at it. "It's dead," he confirmed.

He then handed it to her. "What the hell is your problem, anyway? WHat did I ever do to you? All this shouting, just over a stupid phone?!" James approached her again and looked into her eyes. "That explosive anger can lead you into trouble, girl."

[Atta Swanson]

Atta was never one to back down, especially when Jame returned the angry tone and yelling with his own anger. His step back only drew her to step forward, it was an aggressive action but one she had to use often. Street art was a territorial game and she had to be used to pushing till others gave in. "Yeah I could repair it but that's a buck out of my wallet, unless your rolling in riches I see this ass an issue!".

Atta watched him pick up the phone, with a look that easily portrayed that she had expected it of him. Not backing down even when he announced that it was already dead. She had knowing this, but in her little huff it was easy to just add it to the list of reasons to be mad. "Oh great, probably damaged the battery or something.." she groaned then shot him another dirty glare as he asked what her issues was. "Well lets start with, bumped into me because you weren't careful enough to look when you spun around like some elementary school ninja, Knocked my phone down to cause who knows what kind of damage, and.." she was counting off each on her fingers the last one was a grasp at straws, simply because things sounded better in threes. "..you were totally checking me out without permission".

Atta had to admit she was a bit startled when he suddenly chose to advance and looked her dead in the eye. Generally her eyes were something that helped her deter others. She had little in bulk but her shocking green hues made up most of her ferocity. Still she had delt with tall and handsome before. "Oh no not trouble" she mocked him then poking him hard in the chest she dared him to call her girl again "The name is Atta by the way, sorry you don't have the manners to ask and feel its ok to just call me /girl/". She said bitterly and withdrew her hand. "So what do I call you so I can remember who's but I kick next time you pull something like this?"

[jamesjacobs123]

James watched with fury as she accused him of three things. He didn't want to land himself into trouble like this! When she poked him in the chest, James felt a slight pang of pain as her finger drilled into his chest.

James sighed as she asked what his name was. "James Jacobs. And you are just a piece of work, you know that? God, I have never met anyone so damn annoying? Holy crap!" He glared at her. God, some people were jst infuriating! Atta was almost as annoying as his parents, and that was saying something. THis girl was just.... aaaaaaaargh!

"You wanna take a swing, Atta? Go ahead. Take your best shot." He put his arms out and looked into her eyes. "You want to kick my butt, you can do it here and now. Go ahead, I'm sure as hell not stopping you." He glared at her again, gauging the strength of her arms and legs. She was definitely fit, and had some power in her punches. James could usually tell.

The young mutant waited for her move.

[Atta Swanson]

"I'm a peice of work? HA! Your the jerk who is knocking stuff around and getting up in my face about it" She countered continuing to try and keep things turned against James. The last thing she needed was this to become about her. Perhapse if this was going to get really heated she would be bast to back off. She could handle herself in a scuffle, but her powers were a wild card she wouldn't dare mess around with.

Then again, this was a school for mutants right? Who knew what this kids was packing under his own hot tempered man temple. Maybe he had skin of steel or some weird if you punch me your hand turns to sand. Okay, last one was a stretch but hey she was new to this whole X-gene idea. She eyed him up again looking for any hints to his gift, nothing outwardly obvious. That was not to reassuring, it was the not so obvious powers that usually proved worst. She knew that first hand.

There she stood now at a cross roads, risk her own anger boiling over into something dangerous as she socked him in the gut. Play russian roulette with the idea he was only offering cause he had sick powers to back it up. Or walk away and have live with him thinking she was some quitter. Time to play this smart, or at least kind of smart. No need to punch the 'bear' when you could continue to poke it.

Leaning back she made it more obvious this time as she glanced him head to toe and back up to meet those deep brown eyes. Sure even if she didn't have an electrical problem, she might get a hit in, but after that he had size and probably strength on his side, how long could she really hope to hold of for. "Sorry JJ, I don't punch 'girls'..despite how tempting the buck kicking might be.." She hoped another verbal hit would be enough to keep up her rep, and avoid the risks of physical contact. A smirk curling her lips, testing him with a devious little grin. Question was would he hit a girl? If he did was she ready to fight back and even dare to try and give him a taste of just why she was here?

[jamesjacobs123]

Oh, so now she was backing down? A wise choice on her part. Then, James realized what she had said. "Wait, what now? You don't hit girls? Wait, are you calling me a girl?" he gaped at her openly, unable to process the very thought. Nobody had ever had the guts to call him a girl to his face. Who was this girl? James then felt her eyes on him, and he turned away.

"You're impossible," he declared. He then took out his snacks from his backpack; Crackers, cookies, and two bottles of juice.

"Want one?" he handed one bottle of juice to Atta and sighed. "I don't need two anyways." James then sat down on the bench and looked Atta over. "What are your abilities, anyways? The ability to be super annoying? Intelligence of an ape?" James snickered.

Heh. intelligence of an ape. That was a good one.

[Atta Swanson]

Atta seemed quite pleased with herself after the little melt down James had as he realized what she had called him. Having been expecting that to be the kicker to a fist fight, it took her off guard when he simply declared her to to be impossible and chose to got back to what ever he had been doing. Not only was he just taking that she had insulted his masculinity, but he chose to be the bigger 'man' and end the silly little spat.

Not only end it though, but now here James was offering something of his own to her. Atta had chewed him out over something as dumb as a phone that was already dead, and he was still trying some what to be friendly. Floored, the only thing that came to mind quickly was, "Yeah, thanks". With that she took the bottle, but chose not to sit. Instead she cracked the juice and took a drink, shifting the weight on her legs as she wet her semi-soar throat and shoved her phone in her jean's back pocket.

Emerald eyes locked onto him as he followed up with a few questions about just what it was she could do. It felt weird to be asked such a thing, but as he temper slowly withdrew she remembered that this was a school for mutants. Everyone would have a 'talent' so it made sense to start figuring out what they were. Shifting her jaw she thought about the best way to describe them, a frown forming as James added his own thoughts on just what it was that got her into this school. Who was this kid, offering her a juice before pulling a line like 'intelligence of an ape'. Did he or didn't he want to turn this into a blood bath. Glancing to the drink she began to wonder if it was poisoned or something.

"I have the amazing ability to make 'creative' jerks like you cry like a 4 year old..and that's not even a mutation" She responded bitterly, trying not to crush the bottle in her hand as James tested her patience. "As for this infamous X-gene...I can generate and expel electricity..so next time you run your gums at me, I'll burn yah from the inside out, Got it!?"

Taking another sip she never let her eyes leave him, some what nervous about the other and just what he was playing at. "And you? Other than being a 'kid douche'?"

[jamesjacobs123]

James's eyes narrowed. His fists clenched as if he was about to hit her, but he pulled back at the last second. No violence, he told himself silently. There was no need for violence here. He looked down. "Sorry for that," he said to her quietly, but loud enough for her to hear. He then looked up again. His chest puffed out a little. "Enhanced speed and agility," he said proudly. His abiltiies were the one thing he could be proud about. Then again, they were what made him a mutant. And in the harsh world that he lived in, mutants were freaks.

"Freak," he mumbled. He then stood up and stretched. "Do you wanna go get some lunch from Taxi's? They got killer burgers there. Plus, it's just in town" He vaulted over a bar and zoomed to the restaurant. There was something about this girl that he could relate to. Not in a romantic way, of course, even though she was fairly attractive. She had the same mental state as him. Troubled, scared, and hopelessly alone.

[Atta Swanson]

Atta eyed the fist James held so tight and was ready to return any hostile actions, though a pit formed in her stomach at the thought of what a misplaced and highly charged fist could do to some one. She could play the tough cookie well, but when it came down to a brawl, paranoia won over and she was not sure how things would end. Self defense was self defense but she could not risk hurting some one, and really did not want to be hurt. Still she held her ground for now and monitored how James was going to react.

Surprisingly James proved to be the bigger man, and let his voice apologize, even if it was barely audible. Relaxing ever so slightly she watched him, listening as he explained he could move at great speeds with an enhanced agility. His pride beaming around him like a peacock fluttering its feathers. In that moment, she was jealous. James could hold his head high, and tote his powers with a luminous glow of strength and a proud smile. She would love to be so boisterous about he 'gift', but instead it held her back. Her powers brought her fear and segregated her from some of the other mutants. Sure she did not have it so bad, she was not dis-formed or blatantly 'different' but inside they held her in solitude and caged her in a darkness of her own mind.

Atta's eyes shot open as he mentioned the one word a lot of them hated to hear, freak. That little bugger was gonna get it now, inner fear or not, no one used that term. Before she had a chance to voice her disgust he invited her to...lunch? The hell was this kids angle, rile her up, call her names, then ask her to catch a bite to eat?

In most cases she would have been done with him there, but her temper was far to strong, and her own form of pride had her begrudgingly following after the speedster, making her own slower way into town. The only hunger in her being the hunger to chew the other a new one all over again. What nerve did he have to think he could just up and ditch like that after calling her a 'freak'.

~~

Shoving the door open on arrival, burning emerald hues scanned the restaurant and soon found their target. Storming over she shoved James, sitting or not, and she shoved him hard. "What in the god is your malfunction!" he snipped with a growl to her voice. "You do not get to call me a freak..then take off like a bat out of hell thinking you can invite me to lunch." Her eyes watched as a waitress was about to walk over but instead changed her rout. Good, the less people around the less chance of some one else interrupting or getting hurt. "What is going through that thick skull of your huh?" her temper did not simmer down in the least, even in this public place.

[jamesjacobs123]

James turned when he heard the doors open, and gave a small smile when he saw Atta. But the look on her face... Something was wrong. Her expression was furious... Murderous. The next thing he knew, James was flat on his back. She had pushed him hard, and he slammed into the cold tile floor. "What the-" he started, but she had already begun a rant. When she finished, James tried to reason with her. She thought he callled her a freak? She had it all wrong! He had been referring to himself.

James sighed and got up unsteadily. "Atta, when I said freak... I was talking about myself. But I don't want to enjoy lunch with someone who looks for any excuse to hit me that they can get, so I'll just leave." He was indeed irritated and angered with Atta at the moment. She could have at least taken the time to comprehend what he was trying to say before lashing out like she did.

Saying so, James started towards the door.

[Atta Swanson]

Atta instantly felt sorry for jumping to the conclusion that he had been trying to call her names. Still, the way this guys attitude was fluctuating she was finding it hard to follow. Her brow never lessened its firm frown over her eyes. She was still upset that he had taken off leaving her a good long time to fester in her anger while she walked to town. They had after all, only just been fighting, so how was she to know this was not just an extension of that prior aggression.

Crossing her arms Atta did not even try to help James to his feet, allowing him his chance to speak before she cut back in. "We'll maybe you shoul be a bit more clear then! throwing that word around at a school like this, under your breath no less, is a good way to get on anyone's bad side. Self directed or not." Yet now that she was all the way down here he was moving to leave. Gosh this was getting to be insufferable, not that she really could blame him. She had, after all, knocked him oh his rear just for a word that was not even meant for her. If she was not so riled up he may even have gotten the rare sorry form her. Right now her blood was pumping fast and hot.

"Sure, get me down here then bugger off again" she grumbled watching him head for the door. "You've got a lot of nerve...self worth issues or not" she figured she was already here so she may as well eat. Even if he left, it was some how spiteful of her to stay after she was the one asked to leave. Taking a seat at the table for two her eyes never left James, though after her first sip of ice water, she could feel that guilty knot forming in her gut. Mind debating if she should try an apology or let this further develop into the hatred it threatened to stay.