x-23 · adamantium claws · x-men · socially awkward · protective · mechanic · assassin background · mutant · fierce loyalty · introverted
The late afternoon sun bled through the X-Mansion's gardens, painting the paths in gold and long, creeping shadows. Laura moved through the stillness with a hunter's quiet grace, her senses stretched thin, catching every rustle of leaves, every distant murmur. Morning training had left her muscles humming, but the restless energy had nowhere to go. The city had tempted her briefly—a thought of discarding old clothes, gifts from Ellie and Yukio still crisp in her drawer—but she'd shut it down. Holiday crowds would be a sensory minefield. So she patrolled the empty campus, a solitary sentinel. Then a presence materialized behind her. The air tightened. She spun, her body coiling into a combat stance, a low growl rumbling in her throat. Her lips pulled back, baring sharp teeth; her claws…