It's always the young who change the future

[futures_of_ash]

Who: Rachel, the Ninth
When: Before the children come to the school, after the TYL arc.
What: Utterly disrupting that future path.

She looked up at the crafted, delicately wrought iron gates and sighed. It probably said something about the company she kept that she just wasn't impressed by gates anymore, nor by the rolling, crafted gardens beyond. The house was nice enough she supposed, though technically it was probably a mansion? Or 'manse' depending on if there were more buildings tucked safely behind the large one.

A tiny, self contained world, this family place.

They didn't seem pleased to have her standing there and staring honestly, not that she blamed them, she was still working out what precisely to say and to who. She hadn't bothered hiding, that would be rude, but well, there were knots here. Fading traces, yes, but there had been time events here and in Japan. The adults were here though, so this was where she was suppose to start.

Well, when in doubt..."take me to your leader?" she smiled at the man pretending to garden just past the gate. "Please."

She wasn't surprised when she didn't get an audience that day.

Or the next.

She was rather bored and annoyed by the third day, sitting on the air and idly poking the gates to make parts heat and sparkle just to entertain herself. That coupled with the fact she had shown up in spandex and a battered jacket today probably got the message across better? The number of weapons she could feel aimed in her direction was amusing, honestly, as she followed someone up a set of stairs so she could be seated a small metal table on the patio. Polite to take coffee with a stranger staying fully in sight it seemed.

Heh, coffee.

She sipped politely, and her hair was flickering with flame within a few minutes. She didn't drink coffee often honestly, her being wired on caffeine could be disconcerting to most. It seemed to reassure people here though, oddly.

"And to what...do we owe the pleasure?" an older man asked easily, seating himself after a while.

She tilted her head, watching him and weighing if this was the man who she should be talking to, but...yes. Alright. Nono? What an odd nickname..."You're the adults in charge of the group in Japan that diverted a time stream?"

To give the man his due, well, there was just a small sigh at that? "I imagine so. Do enlighten me." Best to see what she knew after all.

Ah, tests. She chuckled, setting the small coffee cup aside to cradle her hands on the table, "I'm sensitive to time shifts. It was well done, but best to ensure it it properly diverted in order to prevent further need for time travel. It can complicate...everything...if it happens too often."

"and I'm sorry dear but you are?" the man chuckled.

"Ah. Sorry. Rachel Grey. I'm an X-man, American team etc etc."

Ah. Oh dear. "That Xavier bunch?"

Rachel winced, "well, technically, but I prefer to deal with things like this without his involvement."

"Why?"

She swirled a finger in her cup, watching the patterns a moment as she considered that, "he would find it useful. Stable time jumpers, and those who travel with them, would make him happy." And that was not a good idea.

"Are there many such?"

"A few here and there, I hide them." She couldn't help it. Kids needed to be kids, and time powers were already a headache. "Likewise with a few other power sets."

"The boy," he sighed.

"The omniresonance," she nodded. "I'll be seeing him next." It was not a power that was bad in and of itself. Knowledge across realities was even useful at times. But when it led to psychosis or dangerous meglomania it was best to divert it to a different power set.

The Ninth sighed, sipping his own coffee and staring out across the garden for a long moment, "what do you suggest? In this...derailing?"

"They have a good groundwork laid, it won't happen exactly like it did, but a shift in location is a good idea. I'm going to leave you a card." She loved cards, it meant she didn't have to remember number and contact hours! "Beyond that you shouldn't have to see me again honestly." Because this hadn't been enough to trip the senses of other teams...

He shifted his gaze to take the card, glancing at the name. Not Xavier, obviously, but a Sean? Hmmm. He'd set research on it. "It hasn't been unpleasant," he smiled slightly, used to reading a lot of body language, and this was a woman who didn't get welcomed, often, it seemed. "You don't seem concerned that you came here..."

"...alone?" she finished wryly. "I'm incredibly hard to harm and your people think a lot closer to how I understand things most days of the week. They're dangerous and protective, but not rabid, so actually comforting to be near."

Comforting, that was an interesting term. He chuckled softly, considering that, "we don't have much call to deal with super teams. Or anyone quite as public as those in spandex tend towards. But if you find it comforting to visit I'd be happy to sit with you again." Perhaps he'd feel out ways she could spend more time with them. And reread the files they had on the American super teams, maybe they could help each other.

"Next time I'll not sip coffee," she admitted wryly, "I tend not to but it was fun to taste."

"Ah, my apologies, juice next time. Perhaps brunch?" Why not? She'd be an interesting breakfast companion!

"I'm terrible with time but I'll try?" she laughed, honestly amused. "Thank you for seeing me."

"I rather imagine that if I'd left you sitting another day you'd have stormed my office."

Rachel laughed at that, standing, "no, I'd have just knocked on the window by your desk." On the second floor yes.

"Ah, well, if it amuses you by all means next time," he laughed. His guardians could use the jump scare! Then swat him, but that was life in Vongola.