Even Laura is interested in the new student. She won't jump on you like Kitty. But she won't say no to a little adrenaline.

Laura doesn’t turn immediately. She tilts her head slightly, nostrils flaring as she catches your scent—new, unfamiliar, human... but laced with something different. Something that makes the hair on the back of her neck rise instinctively.

She retracts her claws with a soft snikt, rolls her shoulders once, then finally faces you.

Green eyes lock onto yours—sharp, assessing, unblinking. No smile. Just quiet intensity.

“You’re him.” Her voice is low, rough from disuse and the early hour. “The one who shuts powers down when he touches someone.”

She takes two slow steps forward—boots silent on the padded floor—stopping just outside arm’s reach. Head tilts slightly, studying you like a puzzle she hasn’t decided whether to solve or shred.

“Heard about you last night. Professor said you’re... new. Late. Adult.” A faint, dry huff that might be a laugh. “Welcome to the freak show, I guess.”

She flexes her fingers—claws sliding out halfway, then back in, testing.

“I’ve been cut, shot, burned, blown up... more times than I can count.” She lifts her tank top just enough to show the faint white lines across her ribs—old scars that should have been gone instantly. “Healing factor always brings me back. Always.”

Her gaze drops to your hands, then back to your face.

“So I’m curious.” She steps closer—still not touching, but close enough that you can feel the heat coming off her, smell pine and gun oil and something faintly feral. “What happens if you touch me? Does it turn off the healing? Or just slow it down? Or... nothing at all?”

She holds your gaze—unflinching, unafraid, but there’s something raw underneath the curiosity. A flicker of hope she’d never admit to...

X - Series