It had been a few minutes since Sara arrived at school with Kitty, Jean, Scott, and Kurt. Initially, Sara was impressed by the festive atmosphere, but that feeling lasted only a few moments before boredom set in again. After all, the two people who would liven up her night hadn't arrived yet: Peter and Gwen.
(Sure you don't want to dance?) Prime asked Sara telepathically.
(Alone?) Sara responded, raising an eyebrow in doubt.
Prime fell silent after hearing Sara's response. It was clear she had no interest in dancing with any boy. Although Sara had initially asked Prime if he could create a human body, it was evident what she was implying. Unfortunately, this was still something Prime couldn't do.
Creating a body wouldn't be too difficult, as Prime could create constructs from himself that obeyed him. However, he couldn't figure out a way to possess that same construct. Furthermore, Prime couldn't replicate a human form, as he had never tried before and had no experience in that type of manifestation.
In summary, while Prime possessed the means, he lacked experience. As these thoughts flowed through his mind, he noticed Sara finally becoming excited. Directing his attention to the same place as Sara, Prime identified the cause of her excitement.
Peter, Ned, and Gwen had finally arrived. Peter looked clearly nervous, giving occasional glances to Gwen, while Ned alternated his gaze between the two. This made Prime wonder if Ned had managed to get a date for the dance.
As Prime pondered this, Sara approached her group of friends. As soon as Gwen spotted her, she ran up to her with a sweet smile on her lips, which really made Sara find Gwen charming.
"Sara! So glad you came!" exclaimed Gwen, enveloping Sara in a warm hug.
"Wow, you look stunning!" exclaimed Gwen, stepping back a bit to admire Sara from head to toe.
Gwen looked stunning in her yellow dress, with her hair loose in braids. From Sara's perspective, she looked like a true princess. Sara sent a suggestive glance to Peter, who looked away with flushed cheeks.
"Hey, Ned" greeted Sara, waving.
Ned also waved back, but before Sara could finish her words, a blonde girl approached him with a smile, taking his arm.
"Oh, my sweetie, you're here" said Ned in a syrupy tone, which not only surprised Sara but also surprised Peter and Gwen.
Sara exchanged looks with Gwen and Peter, but both just responded by shrugging, indicating they also didn't know what was going on.
"Guys, let me introduce you. This is Betty Brant, a journalist from our school, and my girlfriend" said Ned, introducing the blonde girl next to him.
Peter, Gwen, and Sara made the same expressions upon hearing this, while Prime, on the other hand, expressed his opinion on the situation.
(Okay, I have to admit I wasn't expecting that)
Although everyone was surprised, Gwen, who was the first to snap out of it, asked what everyone in the room was curious to know.
"Ah... nice to meet you, Betty. I'm a little curious, how did you two meet?"
Hearing Gwen's question, Betty and Ned exchanged glances while smiling, and shortly after, Ned responded.
"We met while we were shopping for our outfits for the dance. We talked for a while and found out we had a lot in common with each other, so we started dating" Ned replied, smiling.
Suddenly, as everyone was surprised by the series of random events, a calm song started playing in the venue. Upon hearing this, Betty put a big smile on her face and started pulling Ned onto the dance floor.
"Let's dance, sweetie, this is my favorite song"
Sara, Gwen, and Peter could only look confused as the pair walked away. Sighing, Sara watched Peter, noticing he was giving Gwen looks as if he wanted to say something but was undecided about it. With subtlety, Sara approached Peter and gave him a pat on the back, encouraging him to move forward.
"Why are you getting nervous right now? I doubt this is harder than facing armed thugs and villains" exclaimed Sara with a confident smile on her face.
Peter, after exchanging looks with Sara, let out a smile and approached Gwen. Sara watched the two of them talk for a moment, until Gwen nodded, displaying a radiant smile. Then, they headed to the dance floor, disappearing into the crowd of students. Before they were out of sight, Peter gave Sara a thumbs-up, which she returned with a nod.
Being the last one remaining, Sara stepped back into a corner of the venue, savoring a drink as she looked around. Scott and Jean were spinning on the dance floor on one side, while Kitty and Kurt were doing the same on the other. For a moment, Sara thought moments like this weren't so bad, but unfortunately, it didn't last long.
With Sara and Prime's senses intertwined, allowing her to feel things others didn't notice from a distance, Sara sensed trouble approaching.
(Looks like we've got some uninvited guests) exclaimed Prime in Sara's mind.
Sara simply nodded, then veered her way towards a trash can before heading for the exit of the venue, with a subtle smile on her lips.
"It would be rude not to welcome the new visitors, wouldn't it?"
Receiving a chuckle from Prime, Sara headed towards the back exit of the venue. In one smooth motion, she looked up and tentacles emerged from her back, clinging to the wall and allowing her to start climbing. Upon reaching the top, Sara walked over to the glass ceiling, which provided an internal view of the place.
Sara spotted a burly man in peculiar attire. As she approached, she caught some of his words.
"Damn, where the hell did that girl go?"
When she reached the man, Sara lightly tapped his shoulder, making him jump back.
"Looking for me?"
The man narrowed his eyes at Sara, while she felt his scrutiny. A feeling of disgust enveloped Sara as the man let out a brief laugh.
"Not sure if you'll be an interesting prey to hunt, but I'm looking forward to finding out"
Sara raised an eyebrow at the man, but before she could fully process the situation, her senses picked up movements around her. She turned, noticing another man who also sported flashy clothing.
"As always, Victor isn't exactly the master of welcomes. I apologize for my friend, my dear lady. We come in peace, and I must say, you look stunning in that dress" said the man, accompanying his words with a wink to Sara.
"Enough with the charade, you two. I have no interest in continuing with this nonsense"
Suddenly, Sara's senses sharpened upon hearing that voice. Looking up, she spotted a man with a helmet on his head and a cape, flying elegantly.
"This guy... he's quite dangerous" commented Prime.
Under Sara's keen gaze, the man descended slowly until he reached the ground, stopping a short distance from her. He extended his hand towards Sara.
"We're not here to harm you, girl. We've come to help you. Join my organization, and in the future, we won't need to hide anymore. We can take our rightful place in the world. All you need to do is take my hand"
Sara watched in silence as the man spoke, while Prime, in her mind, analyzed the enemies. According to Prime's observations, they were at a considerable disadvantage. He wasn't sure if he could protect the school while facing the invaders; there would probably be casualties.
Although the first two who spoke seemed relatively easy to defeat, Prime knew that facing the man with the metal helmet, who clearly possessed strong powers, would require a serious fight.
"Just in case, what exactly will happen if my answer is no?" Sara asked.
Watching the helmeted man narrow his eyes. He tightened his grip on her hand firmly, a suggestive enough gesture for Sara, but she decided to hear his words before drawing conclusions.
"Then we'll force you, though that's not a method I'm particularly fond of. A power like yours will be better utilized by me than by Xavier, who believes our race can coexist with the inferior humans" said the man.
Sara made a pensive expression and emitted a sound with her mouth indicating she was considering the proposal. However, a smile appeared on her face soon after.
"Sorry, but I'll pass. I have human friends, dude, and I don't think it'd be cool to see them suffer because of me" said Sara, determined.
The rough-looking man let out some laughs and a bestial grin formed on his face.
"Ah, just as I was hoping you'd say that" he replied.