The X-Project

Lil and Johnny spend the morning in the gym and are interrupted by Lex.


"Come on, Johnny. Hit it like you mean it."

Holding the bag still, Lil smirked down at the boy. "You ain't gonna hurt me just because I'm standing behind it if you swing harder, I swear. Now, hit the punching bag like I showed you earlier." He was getting better, really, and she'd seen a definite improvement in the few weeks they'd spent in the gym together as was their routine left over from Jean-Paul's hospitalization. "Few more and then I'll let you take a break, eh?"

The sad truth of the matter was that Johnny was hitting it like he meant it. As hard as he could manage, in fact, without dislodging one of those spindly arms from its socket. Still, the white-haired teen bobbed his head and pulled in a deep breath as he uncurled and recurled his fists in preparation for one final round. He didn't want to disappoint Lil. "I'll try." He threw a quick series of jabs into the bag, sore arms moving with all the strength he could muster and the speed which came to him much more naturally, each accompanied by a small, stiff grunt of effort.

Lil continued to smile encouragingly at him. "That's it. Better. Just a couple more, Johnny, and after dinner I'll take you out on Mist," she promised. Bribery - if it got the desired results - was a beautiful thing as far as the Amazon was concerned. And the white-haired teen was a good kid; a few rewards here and there wouldn't cause any harm.
She flashed him another grin, thrusting a hip against the bag to add a little more resistance as the doors to the gym opened.

Lex walked into the gym, his head down. He'd learned that he could avoid most people if he simply pretended not to see them. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk, but rather that he still felt a little overwhelmed by the constant 'hey new guy' routine. He could hear the sounds of someone at the punching bag and cursed. It was like people knew what he wanted to do, and beat him to it.

Looking up, Lex saw Lil, and decided it wasn't such a bad thing. He approached, taking stock of the puny guy training with her, and gave her a very friendly nod and wink. "Come on man, put your heart into it."

The promise of more time with the woman rekindled some of Johnny's energy and he continued to throw punches into the bag, doing his best to remain in the form she had taught him even as his muscles ached. It wasn't as much fun as his training with Kurt and giving polish to his natural acrobatics, but the company and rewards were undoubtedly better. Wholly lost in his efforts and in Lil's encouragements, he did not notice the gym doors or the arrival of the man until he heard an unfamiliar voice from above and behind. His head jerked up and his arms fell still, features caught somewhere between uncertainty and surprise as he looked up at the older, clearly stronger mutant. Part of him wanted to protest that he was doing the best he could, but looked back to Lil instead...did she know this guy?

"You did good, kid," Lil told Johnny and ruffled his hair as she stepped around the bag, revealing her black sports bra and green exercise shorts. "Shouldn't you be picking on someone your own size?" she asked Lex, dropping her arm over the white-haired teen's shoulders before waving her other hand between the two males. "Lex, I'd like you to meet Johnny Gallo. Johnny, this is Alexander Lexington. Lex for short. Just arrived to the mansion a little while ago."

"I'd love to, but sadly none of them want to play with me." Lex gave her a devilish wink. He couldn't tell if the kid had a thing for Lil, but her attire was definitely alluring enough to get the attention of even a prepubescent boy. "As for you, Johnny, it looks like you're training pretty hard. Do you want to become an X-Man, or do you just like spending time with the ladies?"

The ruffling of his hair, the arm around his shoulders and the kind words from the woman at his side had already put an extra heat into Johnny's face that the exercise had not, but Lex's comment left him with a tense, incensed sort of embarrassment that showed more in his features than the color of his cheeks. "Just with Lil," the boy insisted, almost defensive even as he realized what he'd said and stammered to make it sound less incriminating, "I mean...I just couldn't keep up before, so Lil offered to work with me."

"And he's come a long way," the Canadian woman praised with a squeeze to the teen's shoulder. "A good friend of ours had a rough spot a little while ago so Johnny and I spent alotta time here being productive rather sitting around waiting for news." The explanation wasn't much of anything but the truth; Lil wasn't sure if Lex had met Jean-Paul yet but it certainly wasn't her place to go telling tales. "And anytime you want someone to take you to the mat, just let me know. I'm usually here doing the machines in the morning after my run but before a swim and then again in the afternoon for weight work. I may be able to find time to kick your ass, Lex."

"Sounds like fun. I'll be here every morning, so I look forward to the challenge." Lex replied, he wasn't watching Lil anymore, so much as sizing up the little one. Since the boy's posture had changed when he responded, Lex figured he had a thing for Lil. What he didn't know was whether Lil would appreciate him antagonizing the boy. Deciding she'd probably respond better to him being friendly, Lex walked forward and extended his hand. "Doing something productive is always a good for the nerves."

Johnny remained close to Lil as she explained the origins of their own routine, tucked almost against her side due to the placement of her arm. There was still some consolation in this proximity even as she continued and invited the man to join her and as he accepted, but not much. He lowered his eyes briefly, suddenly feeling much younger and much more out of place than he wanted to. Lex's offered hand forced his eyes back up and he took it begrudgingly, but put on the best smile he could manage. If he was Lil's friend, he needed to be nice. "...Yeah." His gaze returned to the blond towering over him, "...You'll still have time for our practice too, right?"

"Of course!" Her smile was all for Johnny as she gave his shoulder another reassuring pulse with her fingers. "I don't break my promises, kid, and didn't I tell you I'd keep up with our sessions as long as you wanted them?" They'd spent a lot of time together the week he'd slept on her couch while Jean-Paul laid in the medlab and to keep tabs on the teen, Lil'd extended an offer to continue training. "You may get the extra bonus of watching me introduce Lex here to the mat. Over and over and over." The smirk spread as her eyes slid toward where Lex stood, bright and impish and dangerous. "How's your endurance?"

Lex liked the sound of that. He nodded towards the mats. It might be a bad idea to knock her around, but Lex was itching for a little action. He remembered, none to fondly, his experience in the bar fight and wanted to shake the embarrassment of hurling all over the place. "I'd tell you to ask my platoon mates, but as they aren't here... you'll just have to see for yourself." He let his muscles loosen, preparing for retaliation, and then blew her a kiss.

The teen's mood seemed caught in perpetual oscillation. He was soothed by every word received from Lil and brought to fresh aggravation or irrational jealousy by each mischievous exchange between the pair (which they seemed to assume he wouldn't notice) or confident gesture from the man standing a short distance away. He fought the urge to speak by chewing at his lip, but the smug, theatrical kiss finally made him step away from the blond, though not in the direction his instincts had been insisting. Just away. How could he justify doing anything else? "If...if you guys are going to practice now, I think I'll actually just hit the showers. I'm...kinda beat anyway," Johnny offered, hoping the lie was not as transparent as it felt.

One eyebrow rose at the kiss, her lips twisting again in an amused smirk at it before Johnny pulled away. "Sounds like we'll need to set up a time," Lil told Lex even as she ruffled Johnny's hair again. "But he's right. We've been working out all morning so it's time to hit the showers. Any sparring'll have to wait. I'll meet you back out here in twenty, kid," came the playful order with a gentle hip check for the boy before she turned on her heel and headed toward the women's locker room.