Atticus's question hung in the air unanswered as a woman dressed as though she was on a night on the town asked him to hang up her coat. [i]How did I not notice her? She's wearing a bright red cocktail dress, for crying out loud! And in the morning! Seems there are some people more out of touch with society than me.[/i] He stared at her incredulously. "What, you think I work here? Look, lady. I was invited here same as you. Unless you're lost, which you look like you might be. Hang up your own coat." At least she had introduced herself. He wouldn't be doing her the same courtesy just yet, though.

Just then, the front door banged open, and a powerfully built man took a step over the threshold, smoking a cigar. He seemed to be dressed in old, faded clothing, and had a predatory sense to him that Atticus found oddly comforting in its familiarity. Clearly this man had seen things, done things. Something was off, though. He had a purple bag hanging from his shoulder, and seemed entirely ok with it. A petite Japanese girl seemed to have been following him, and she peered out from behind him. Atticus's instinct shifted; now the pair seemed like a girl and her pet dog, albeit he was still a very dangerous dog. The man finally removed the shoulder bag, setting it on the floor as he moved slowly into the room, with all the grace, power and confidence of an alpha wolf among his pack. He mentioned Charles Xavier's name, and then metal claws erupted from between his knuckles.

Talons slid out instinctively from Atticus's fingers as he dropped into a crouch, hackles raised. He moved to put himself between the newcomer and the two women he had been talking to, but found himself moving to the side as the blond girl stepped forward. Apparently she had found her courage, and she quipped at the newcomer sarcastically, almost haughtily. He was starting to like her already. She had spirit, and she almost reminded him of... No. He couldn't think that. It would be an insult to her memory. As she defused the situation, Atticus relaxed, returning to his upright stance and feeling his claws slide back inside his fingers. "I'm here to meet with Xavier as well." He said, still assessing the situation. He felt oddly mollified by the blond implying that she was here to meet with Xavier; his suspicions were confirmed. And this new fellow [i]had[/i] to be a mutant, if he could pop out those metal claws, and he looked like he knew how to use them. He supposed that meant that the dismissive woman in the cocktail dress, Kimberly or something, was probably a mutant as well, and the Japanese girl. How many more were coming?