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[Ted Kord]

Keystone had always been a booming little city of Industry, although it had it's fair share of rogues running around within the city limits. Ted Kord however, was more than happy to be there on such a glorious day. He had only recently returned to the head of Kord Industries and was pretty thrilled about it all, he had decided to move to this city for the good, clean community life and the bustling business to be had there.

Ted had served on the intelligence branch of The Untouchables, and though he did not see physical action himself, it had still taken quite a toll on the man. Today, he walked into his office bright and early, ready to start the day. Ted always had a way of coping with things, this was no different. He sent out donations to be given to schools, cities and communities that had been destroyed.

As Ted walked out of his building he headed for a nearby park to spend an hour or so mulling things over. He sat on the red wooden benches and watched the children play and the people bustle by.

"What a way to go..."he whispered after some time as he thought of his fallen friends in the war.

[colossus]

The tie was particularly suffocating, but Piotr did his best to loosen it as he entered the large lobby, his feet making very little noise against the elegant flooring. Large blue eyes traveled over the lobby, taking in the number of elevators, security guards, and even the wandering people that seemed to be busy little bees.

You can face a drunken Juggernaut, but you are scared of this? he chastised himself mentally as he walked confidently up to the large reception desk and hoped that the sweat beading upon his forehead was not completely evident.

A petite blonde cast him a sly grin as she placed the phone on the receiver and met his gaze. [color=yellow"Hello, can I help you with something?"[/color]

Gulping, Piotr nodded his head.

"Our School is in need of money,"he explained, his accent more prominent than he would have liked due to his nervousness. "I come for job."


[OOC: Hah. >_> ]

[Ted Kord]

Ted Kord had just been heading inside when he heard the large man shyly speaking to the receptionist that stood behind the large marbled countertop. He smiled warmly as his heart went out to the young man. He had a tendency for being soft-hearted..both physically and metaphorically.

"Come in my office", he said still wearing the smile as he did his best to pat the man on the back and lead him down the narrow hall way to the elevator that would take the two men up to the top of the building, where Ted worked.

"Think she likes you", he said in a hushed voice as he motioned over gently to the small blonde woman. He gave the suited man a wink and extended his arm.

"Ted Kord. Who are you and what can you do?"

[colossus]

Piotr was surprised when he was led away from the receptionist's desk by a man, one that obviously had a great deal of power to cause peopel to part like the Red Sea in order to let them pass. Yet, until he learned the man's name, he had merely thought himself fortunate. But, the moment that he learned that the man was the Ted Kord, he grew even more flustered.

"I- I am Piotr Rasputin, but you may call me Peter as many Americans find it easier and are more comfortable without the accented name," he explained as he glanced back at the blonde woman. She was still staring after them, and he felt his cheeks heat when he caught her gaze. But, instead of offering her any sort of recognition, he stepped inside of the elevator and shuffled into the corner.

What do I do? he asked himself, somewhat surprised by the question. His long arms fell at his sides and he felt his white silk shirt stretch across his broad chest beneath the dark blazer that he wore over it. Thankfully, he had thought ahead and bought a loose-fitting outfit.

"I am strong," he hastened to explain. "I will lift heavy things."

Yet, even as he said the words, he knew that they just weren't enough. They sounded foolish to his ears and he cursed himself mentally.

"I am strong and willing, Mr. Kord."

[Ted Kord]

Ted nodded as he listened intently to the bulky man that followed behind him. He always felt a little strange to be near someone so large and strong, though Ted was by no means a weakling.

"Peter it is then", he said witha glance backwards as he punched a button on the elevators keypad. Ted interlaced his fingers behind his back and stood back and began to whistle as the compartment began to rise.

"I could always use some muscle", he said with an assuring smile as the ding signified the end of their ride. They were at the top floor, and very near Kords office. "This way" , he offered as his shiney brown shoes stepped foot out of the tiny red lined elevator. They walked through the hallways, large window panes lining the walls on the way there. Finally, they reached a large pair of double doors with Teds name in golden etching across them. Ted unlocked the door quickly and hurried in, motioning for Peter to follow him. The inside of the office was very well furnished, and obviously was meant to be elegant...but boxes and scraps littered the large room,along with video game systems and several other random objects.

"Don't mind the mess, kid", he said as he shuffled behind a large messy desk and took a seat. "Just got back from war not too long ago...been a bit busy" , he explained.

He sighed deeply and looked back up at the strong young man. "So...I'm guessing you'll be wanting a job at a shipping station or loading dock? We have a lot of job oppurtunities...assistant programs, research and development, graphic artists, lab techs, and a video game company just next door..", he leaned back in his chair and waited for Peter to reply.

[colossus]

The office was just as elegant as the lobby, only much more personalized and masculine. Still, Piotr felt a bit uncomfortable as he shuffled into the office and managed to avoid the mess that seemed to litter the room. He recognized a number of electronic devices as the games that Bobby often encouraged him to play. However, he still veered away from them as he nodded his head in Mr. Kord's direction.

"The war, da," he murmured, completely understanding the man's viewpoint. "I too served in war, Mr. Kord. It was most daunting experience."

In fact, he was still reeling from the aftershocks. Without Charles Xavier, he feared that the School would go under. After all, money did not grow on trees. He'd set out to find a job in order to earn his way and hopefully give something back to the School that had always been like home to him.

But, when he heard the man list the jobs and opportunities available, his large palms began to sweat. Eyes darting from that man seated behind a large desk to the electronics scattered on the floor for a long moment while he tried to find his voice. "I am artist," he murmured in response to the words graphic artists, "but I know nothing about these graphic things that are required in the boxes and the disks."

Slowly, he released a lung full of air and nodded his head. ]"I am suited for the physical labor, if that is what you require."

[Ted Kord]

Ted Kord spun around in his chair suddenly, seemingly ignoring what Peter was saying. He watched the clouds drifting across the sky and closed his eyes. It was a bit strange for him to be in the same room as someone else who was involved with the war. It was just a reminder as to how many had been ensnared in it. World War III, who would have thought he would live to see that? Ted shook his head in a kind of shivery manner before spinning around again.

"Don't be so nervous", he said with a toothy smile as he stood from his desk and scooted across the office, a circuit board and a few other items crunching beneath his feet. He made a beeline for a tiny fridge in the corner and swung the tiny silver door open. He peeked inside and pulled out a bottle of water. "Drink?" he offered as he shut the door and sat on top of the fridge. He didn't bother to wait for Peter's reply.

"You brought an application, right? Just set it on that pile of papers on my desk. "

Ted twisted off the top of the water and began to gulp it down. "Tell me about your school. Why does it need money?"

[colossus]

Abruptly, Piotr dropped the hastily filled out application upon the stack of scattered papers before glancing back over at Ted. Sure, it was easy for the man to insist that he not be nervous, but it was a great deal harder for Piotr to relax when his possible employer was staring at him.

"I am fine," he answered in reply to Ted Kord's offer of a drink, even though the man clearly did not think that he was thirsty. After a few calming breaths, however, he felt a bit better about the situation, particularly after Mr. Kord asked after the school.

Xavier's is not exactly private anymore, Piotr thought to himself before clasping his hands behind his back. It would do him no harm to speak to this man of the School.

"I am from Xavier's School for the Gifted Youngsters, a school most known for its population of mutants. Needless to say, I am a mutant, Mr. Kord." He seriously hoped that it wouldn't hurt his chances at getting a job at Kord Industries. "I do not know if you are aware, but the school's founder and former headmaster, Charles Xavier, passed away recently. While he left the school in good hands, I fear that the trust funds that he left will only last so long."

There, he had been honest. He had placed his so-called cards on the table for the man to examine them, and hoped that he had not made the wrong move.

"I am only art teacher at School, Mr. Kord. I would like to earn my living knowing that I am not taking away from the children."

[Ted Kord]

Ted titlted his head back as he chugged down the rest of the water. He gave an expulsion of air, to show how the drink had quenched his thirst. He tossed the now empty plastic to a trash bin and missed the shot. He smiled and shook his head as the bottle clanked to the ground.

What the Russian said next pained Ted to hear. Charles Xavier was gone and the institute would likely suffer.

"Charles was an incredible man.." Ted said with a shake of his head. He looked down at the ground sadly and sighed loudly. "I met him while serving with the Untouchables"

Ted stood silently and walked back to his desk, sitting behind it again. He looked at the application that sat on top of his papers. He took only a few moments to read it.

"You don't need to break your back here..", Ted said with a sigh as he opened a drawer from his desk. He pulled out a thick brown checkbook and quickly scribbled with a black pen before handing it to the man.

"A donation from Kord Industries "

[colossus]

Yes,[//i] he thought to himself. Charles was an incredible man. There was no doubt in Piotr's mind from that single statement onward that Ted Kord was a good man. Any single person that could feel such a way toward the Professor could not be bad, right?

For a moment, Piotr wondered if this Ted Kord was a telepath as well, but then shook it off. From what little he had learned, Xavier had been used as an advisor in a number of the regiments, mainly because he was one of the most renowned mutant specialists in the entire world.

"You don't need to break your back here..."[/b]

Piotr was absolutely stunned as Ked handed him a check. Blue eyes widened in complete disbelief as he stared down at the large sum etched across the small cheque. Jaw agape, he opened his mouth to speak several times, but found it impossible to do so until quite a few moments later.

"Mr. Kord, I did not come here looking for a hand out," he hastened to explain. He did not want this man to think that Piotr looked for easy ways to get by. "While I am sure that you have the School's best interest at heart, I cannot accept this large sum simply because I am looking for job. If you wish to truly give this money to children and School, then I will be glad to put you in contact with School's new headmaster."

Slowly, he offered the man back the cheque, hoping that Kord would not be offended.

"I wish to earn money, Mr. Kord. Simply being given something because it's for good cause is not always enough, nyet."


[OOC: I should've been like "What you mean? Two dollars and fifty cents?" D:]

[Ted Kord]

Ted kept a rather stern face as he watched the large man look at the check in surprise. It was indeed a large amount of money. The Russian mentioned not coming here for a hand out, among other objections he voiced.

Ted listened carefully, respectful not to interrupt. Everyone deserved to be heard out. He nodded as the check was slid back to him.

"I understand", he said calmly. "But this...", he tapped the check on the desk. "This isn't about your ability to accept the check or my ability to write it. It's about the school. Mutants and meta-humans are scared now..and especially the teenagers and children. They need that school, and they need this check."

He stood suddenly and smiled as he waltzed across the room, looking at the bits and pieces of electronics that were scattered. "But if it's a job you seek, then it's a job you've got. Be here Monday morning, 9 AM. You take that check to your headmaster or else send him here." [/blue]

Ted leaned in close to a dangerous looking pile of wires and circuits and prodded the pieces carefully with his index finger, promptly being shocked. A curse word or two later he leaned back in and peered closer at the components. "I swear these inventions are going to be the death of me" he said with a smile.

[colossus]

Embarrassment was evident in Piotr’s face as he listened to Ted speak. He knew that the man was right: the children mattered more. But, he did not think that Scott would be willing to leave the school merely to accept such a large sum of money from a proud sponsor. Besides that, Piotr did not want Scott to think that he had gone looking for help.

Concern furrowed his brows as Mr. Kord walked around the room and promptly prodded a rather dangerous looking pile of strange equipment. “If you insist on prodding strange objects, then perhaps,” he replied to the man’s comment about his possible death, even though the topic made him uncomfortable. “Mr. Kord, I will deliver this check to Scott Summers, new headmaster of the School, and I will be here Monday morning ready for work. I shall dress comfortably for my new labor-heavy job.”

As gracefully as the large man could manage, he picked up the check off of the table and slipped in into the inner pocket of his blazer before loosening his tie yet again. Immediately, he set across the room and offered his new boss his large hand. “I cannot thank you enough, and neither can the children. I assure you that you will receive lovely drawings from the students as well as some sort of a formal thanks from Scott. He is most punctual.”

Feeling awkward, he slipped toward the door. “Thank you again, sir.”