shattered:

It's like a whole new life, Melinda thinks to herself, looking out the window of the cab as it pulls up to 1407 Graymalkin Lane. Across the ocean from her family, her old life, her life of ignoring the truth of who she was... and a chance to repair some of the damage she has done.

Her parents had a hard time hearing what had happened. Her brother had listened... and told her that he loved and supported her, but had no idea how to help her beyond that. Her mother had cried. Her father had just been angry... not at her, but at the situation. And late at night, she had heard him sobbing in their bedroom. They all told her that they didn't blame her for what she'd done.

But that didn't matter. They might not blame her, but... they didn't know. They didn't know what it felt like to kill people... and worse, to remember enjoying killing.

She had to come. She had to try to wash this stain on her soul clean... even if she didn't think she ever could.

She gathers her bags from the cab's trunk and heads for the front door. A short time later, a student guide helps point out her room, and opens her door for her, letting her in.

Melinda steps into the room, bags loading her down.

lytaworthington:

Lyta sat on the window seat in her old room at Xavier's. Her wings were folded in and she was holding a knee to her chest.

It had taken several tries and several bottles of the best hair dye that she could get her hands on, but she'd gotten her hair back to its original color. Her feathers remained a shade of gray, a sort of sick reminder of what she'd done when her mind was under the control of Apocalypse.

No one blamed her, they said. It wasn't her own doing. Her mind wasn't under control.

Didn't mean that she still couldn't kick herself in the ass about it, though.

She'd called the Champions earlier to tell them that she was taking a break from the team. That she needed to clear her head.

Her door was shut, but not locked. She hadn't thought to lock it. Right now she just wanted stare out the window at the setting sun and forget about everything that had happened for a little while.

ng_independent:

They had arrived at Earth and had orbited for awhile before Empress had selected her targets. It had taken some time. She didn't want just ANYONE. They had to be among the best. She WOULD win the gladiatorial games this time. NOTHING would stop her. Not even a small thing like gender.

Empress didn't care if it was cheating. The only thing that mattered was winning and she would win this time.

The teleporters were activated and the selected targets were beamed directly to the lab. There they underwent a little transformation and were given attitude readjustments and then put into a holding cell.

The men would wake up in the holding cell to find a few changes.

discardedheir:

He'd been able to tell Cassandra that Vincent was back, of course, but in their mutual exhaustion, there hadn't been time to truly discuss it until now, as, all other crisis-related business momentarily attended to, he came to their room with a tea-tray and a stalwart attempt at a smile.