Apocalypse kind of blew my disclaimer telling you that I don't own any X-Men Evolution characters to smithereens. Well it was fun watching Magneto getting his butt kicked. At least the Evolution version of Apocalypse isn't a weenie like the other cartoon version of him! Of course we all know that Magneto is very likely a prisoner or something in that metal pyramid. For the Brotherhood it's not really a big loss. In fact for them this might be a good thing.
How The Mighty Have Fallen
It was the day after Mystique had been smashed to smithereens. Pietro and the other Brotherhood members were handling the situation as well as can be expected. That is if one expected that nobody really cared about the former evil blue caretaker that had made their lives miserable. So for the Brotherhood life went back to normal, or at least as normal as could be expected given the circumstances.
"Blob for the thousandth time I don't want any crust on my sandwich!" Pietro snapped. "And what is this stuff on the side?"
"Oh I got something new," Fred told him. "It's one of those flavored mayonnaise things. This one's garlic. It's gourmet."
"Well it's going back!" Pietro nearly threw it at him. "Toad can't you clean that TV faster! You're blocking my view!"
"Sorry," Todd said as he wiped the TV.
Lance came down with the laundry. "Lance try not to use so much starch this time huh?" Pietro barked. "My delicate skin can't handle it." The phone rang. "And get the phone!"
Lance frowned and picked up the phone. "Brotherhood Slave Labor Camp, how may I help you? Yeah he's here. Hey your Highness it's Xavier! He wants to talk to you!"
"Take a message!" Pietro waved as Fred gave him a glass of lemonade. "I'm busy here!" He took a sip. "Blob there's not enough sugar in here! It's too tart!"
"He really wants to talk to you," Lance said. "Or Wanda!"
"Fine! WANDA!" Pietro shouted. "PHONE CALL!"
"I can hear you ya know?" Wanda took the phone from Lance. "Hello? Yeah. What? How? Toad turn the TV off for a second will ya?"
"Hey!" Pietro snapped as Todd did as he was told. "I was watching that!"
"I don't believe it…" Wanda spoke into the phone. "No…no I don't need anything. I understand. Yeah I'll tell them. Thanks." She hung up the phone. She looked a bit shaken.
"So what did old Baldy want that was so important anyway?" Pietro asked.
"It's Magneto…" Wanda shook. "He's…gone."
"What do you mean gone?" Pietro asked.
"He's dead you idiot! What do you think it means?" Wanda snapped.
Fred dropped the tray he was holding. Lance dropped the laundry basket. Todd dropped his jaw. "Did she say…dead?" Todd blinked.
"Wait a minute," Lance looked at her. "Are you telling me, that Magneto…Your father…our boss and our once chance for a half-decent life is… gone?"
"How?" Pietro gasped.
"Apocalypse…" Wanda closed her eyes. "Father challenged him and…"
Silence filled the room. "Oh man…" Todd whistled. "Wanda…are you…?"
"I just need to be alone now…" Wanda walked away upstairs.
"Wow," Lance looked up as she went to her room. "Hard to believe that only a short time ago all Wanda wanted was to destroy her father."
"Well she got her wish," Fred said.
"He's gone…" Pietro sat down on the sofa. "I can't believe it. Father is really…" He sat up with a look in his eyes. "Well I guess it's up to me to carry on his work!"
"Well I see you're in mourning," Lance said sarcastically.
"Hey I cared about him! As much as you can care about a jerk that treated his own son like hired help! But still life goes on and there is too much to do to worry about it! From now on I will lead the Brotherhood and the Acolytes to glory!"
It was a full minute of silence before the other boys started to laugh. "What pray tell is so funny?" Pietro stood up and glared at them.
"Leader? You?" Fred guffawed. "Yeah right!"
"Hey I am serious!" Pietro snapped. "Now the first thing we have to do is clean this place up! I'm sure the others will be here to discuss our future plans! Lance get that laundry done!"
"Sure," Lance picked up the basket. "I'll take care of the laundry." He dumped the contents of the basket all over the floor.
"HEY THAT'S MY STUFF!" Pietro shouted.
"Oops," Lance said sarcastically. "Sorry about that."
"Let me get it," Fred picked up the glass of lemonade and poured it over the laundry. "Oh I appear to have spilled the drink. How clumsy of me."
"I'll have a go…" Todd grinned. He spat a huge wad of slime on his clothes.
"MY OUTFITS!" Pietro shouted. "WHAT DO YOU CLODS THINK YOU'RE DOING?"
"I believe we are rebelling," Todd looked at him.
"Yeah against the rule of Lord Quicksilver," Fred growled. "Who's gonna become Lord Flatsilver in a minute!"
"Hey if you don't watch yourselves you're gonna be thrown off the team here!" Pietro snapped.
"Yeah how about we throw you out of the house instead?" Fred growled.
"Are you kidding?" Lance said. "Throwing him out would be letting him off the hook! I have a better idea."
"Ooh I think I'm gonna like this one," Todd laughed.
"Hold on a minute! You can't talk to me like that! I'm one of Magneto's most trusted Acolytes! I'll show you!" Pietro whipped out his cell phone and dialed a number. "Hello Gambit? It's Quicksilver. Yeah I heard. If we want to get things moving we have to start…What did you say? Hey do you know who you are talking to buddy? WHAT? Okay put Mastermind on right now? Why not? He's gone back to Italy? Okay then put on Sabertooth! What do you mean he's gone on a road trip? This is no time to go partying! Well then what about Colossus? He's celebrating! Is that music in the background? Are you guys having a party? Oh very funny! Look as your new leader let's get a few things clear shall we? What did you say? Now you listen here you glorified…WHAT? NOW JUST A COTTON PICKING MINUTE!"
"Trouble…boss?" Lance smirked.
"Gambit! Gambit! Don't you hang up on me?" Pietro shouted into the cell phone. "Hello! Hello?" Too late he felt Fred's hand grab the back of his collar. "Uh oh…"
"Yeah uh oh…" Fred growled.
"You gonna get it now Pietro," Todd grinned.
"Uh guys can we talk about this?" Pietro gulped. "Lance old buddy old pal?"
"Listen you two faced whiny little weasel," Lance grabbed the front of Pietro's shirt. "Let me explain a few things to you. And I am going to use small words so you will understand them. Magneto made you leader of the Brotherhood. Magneto is gone now. No Magneto…Well I think even you can figure out the rest."
"Uh come on guys," Pietro squirmed. "I mean I was only trying to whip this team into shape! You know that! I love you guys! Come on! We've always been a team!"
"You mean like the Sentinel incident where you double crossed us and got Freddy captured by the army?" Todd snapped. "Yeah there was a lot of team spirit there!"
"Oh come on guys!" Pietro whined. "I was under orders! I didn't know anyone was going to get captured! It was just business! Nothing personal right guys? Right guys?"
Two hours later….
"Okay, okay you made your point!" Pietro screamed. He was duct taped upside down on a door. He was covered in spitballs and slime as well. "I said I was sorry! Now please get me down!"
"No I don't think you are sorry," Todd carefully aimed a paper airplane at him. It poked Pietro in the stomach. "Do you Freddy?"
"Nope," Fred grinned as he took careful aim with a paper ball. He hit Pietro in the face. "Bull's eye!"
Lance casually walked through the door. The door was loosely hinged so that when he opened the door, Pietro's face hit the wall. "OW!" Pietro shouted.
"Oh Pietro," Lance said casually. "Sorry. Didn't see you there." He let the door move back before banging it again against the door.
"Ow!" Pietro whined. "That really hurts you know!"
"Really?" Lance banged the door again.
"OW!" Pietro shouted. "All right…you've made your point. Perhaps I have been a tad hard on you."
"No kidding!" Fred scoffed.
"Okay Pietro," Lance told him. "Over the past few months you have made our lives a living nightmare. Treating us like your personal servants and making us do humiliating stuff for you. Well you know what they say…turnabout is fair play!"
"What?" Pietro snapped. "Now wait a minute Lance I…" Lance casually pulled the door forward so Pietro's face collided with the wall. "Ow…"
"I'm sorry were you saying something? No? Didn't think so," Lance looked at him. He snapped his fingers. "Let him down." As Fred and Todd released him from his duct tape torture Lance continued. "Now Pietro as I was saying you have made our lives miserable for quite a while now. So from now on, you are going to be making them much easier. Much more easier!"
Lance then took out a long piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Pietro. "What's this?" Pietro asked.
"This is your list of daily chores," Lance remarked. "The first of which is that every morning you will serve each member of the Brotherhood breakfast in bed. Except for Sundays. That is when you will prepare a nice brunch outside and entertain us with some kind of musical performance while wearing colorful costumes. You will find suggestions of what each of us likes to eat. Note that I personally like my toast crispy yet not burnt and with extra butter."
"You can't be serious?" Pietro's jaw dropped.
"Oh but I am," Lance grinned. "And from now on I would like my clothes to be lightly pressed after you clean them. That's item number seven."
"Take note of item number 23," Fred pointed. "Helping me organize my CDs."
"Not to mention cleaning the house," Lance went on. "Cooking our meals, mowing the lawn, washing my jeep…"
"Polishing my garden gnome collection," Todd grinned. "Helping me catch insects."
"Polishing and oiling my barbells," Fred said.
"You don't own any barbells," Pietro looked at him.
"That takes us to item 37," Fred pointed. "Buying us occasional treats and gifts with your credit card. You know the one Magneto gave you with an unlimited amount?"
"You know you're right Pietro I could use some new clothes," Lance grinned. "Some new strings on my guitar, a few magazines…"
"Some new bath oil for me," Todd grinned.
"You don't take baths!" Pietro shouted.
"I will now," Todd told him. "I've been thinking of cleaning up more for Wanda and I've heard that some of these oils may work wonders for my skin. In fact you can help run my bathwater, scrub my back…"
"Mine too!" Fred grinned. "And I could use a good pedicure while you're at it."
"Are you crazy? What makes you think I'm going to do all these things?" Pietro snapped. "There is no way I am going to act as your personal servant!"
"Fine," Todd looked at him. "Oh Wandaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa….I've got something to tell yoooooooooouuuuuuuuuuu!"
"You wouldn't!" Pietro went pale.
"He would," Lance grinned.
"Hey Wanda," Todd grinned. "Guess what secrets your brother has been keeping from you?"
"Okay! Okay! Okay!" Pietro held up his hands. "I'll do it! I'll do it!"
"Good…" Lance grinned. "And the first thing you are going to do my new lackey is…"
************************************************************************
"I must say this sandwich is quite tasty," Fred grinned as he munched on a sandwich. "I especially love how you cut the crusts off."
"And this lemonade is very tasty," Todd smacked his lips as he sank lower into his chair.
"Yeah Pietro get us some more will you?" Lance drawled. The three Brotherhood boys were on huge stuffed chairs with their feet propped up.
"Yes Lance," Pietro said through gritted teeth. He was dressed up like a butler. "Anything you say." He zoomed into the kitchen and came back with a pitcher. He refilled their drinks.
"Not bad," Lance grinned.
"Hey Pietro did you send your sisters those flowers I ordered?" Todd asked.
"Yeah Toad I did," Pietro said.
"What was that?" Todd put a hand to his ear.
"I mean…" Pietro cringed. "Yes I did sir."
"Very good," Todd smiled.
"Okay how long are you going to make me do this?" Pietro snapped.
"Until we feel that you've repaid your debt to society," Todd said.
"Which isn't going to be for a long time," Lance said. "Oh Pietro you know I'm in the mood for some nice warm chocolate chip cookies. Go into the kitchen and bake some for me."
"Forget it Lance there is no way…" Pietro started.
"Toad maybe we should go see if Wanda would like some cookies?" Lance grinned.
"I'll go!" Pietro went into the kitchen. "I'll go! But do I really have to wear this stupid thing?"
"You're lucky," Todd called out after him. "He almost made you wear a maid's outfit."
"Here's to the good life boys!" Lance raised his glass and the others clinked them together.
