A/N: I don't know where this came from. I was ignoring the movie E.T. in Spanish, when suddenly I started writing. This is the result. Hope you like it. And I'm sorry, but I'm still working on Rogue's accent. It isn't very accurate yet.
Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men: Evolution or E.T.
"...and in other news, an anti-mutant hate group caught a supposed mutant last night in Des Plaines, Illinois. The police arrived too late to save the beaten teenager, who died a few hours later in a local hospital without regaining consciousness. The group is reportedly unremorseful, and public opinion is - "
Logan snapped off the television in the middle of the reporter's sentence. The gathered teens whirled to look at him as he stood in the doorway with a scowl. "Hey!" Evan protested.
"You don't need to listen to that crap anyway," Logan growled. He stalked out of the room, taking the remote control with him. Evan turned around, greatly annoyed.
"Well, how do you like that?" he asked. His companions, however, did not look as disappointed. Kitty had a relieved expression on her face, and Kurt looked decidedly uncomfortable. Finally Rogue spoke up.
"Evan, ya idiot, we're mutants. D'ya think we wanna listen to that?"
"Yeah, it's like, totally creepy," shuddered Kitty.
"Aw, is little Kitty afraid of itty-bitty mutant hunters?" Evan teased.
"Maybe she should be!" Rogue snapped. "And maybe you should be too!"
Evan looked uncomfortable and then shook it off. "Nothing's going to touch us here. The defenses on the Institute are too strong."
"Ja, but vhat about vhen ve are not here? Vhat about vhen ve are caught out zere?" Evan looked at Kurt, surprised.
"Don't tell me you're scared."
"I'm not scared!" Kurt exclaimed immediately. "I just know zat mutant hunters are dangerous. You should know zat, too."
"Yeah, so shut up, Evan," Rogue chimed in.
"Hey!"
You guys, dinner's ready. Jean's mental "voice" sounded in all of their heads. Still bickering, the four young mutants walked out of the room towards the dining room.
Pietro ran. He didn't know how long he had been running, but it seemed like hours. For once his super speed was a disadvantage. He tired much more quickly when he had to run over a long period of time, and he had been running all evening. It made sense – after all, he was running much farther than most people did in a certain time period – but it was not helping him now. They're everywhere, he thought wildly. They must have planned this for weeks! The mutant had been forced to use his powers in short bursts of speed all night, and the constant stopping and starting, doubling back, and circling away had drained his powers and energy to exhaustion.
His right arm ached abominably. Wetness trickled down his back – he didn't want to think about what it was. Pietro forced his mind away from his pains and focused on the swinging lights across the street. Or at least, he tried to focus. His left eye had swollen completely shut.
They were coming closer, that was for certain. Pietro held his breath. He couldn't leave yet, not until he knew…a shout came up from one of the dark figures as a light swept over him. But that light swept not only over him but also over what Pietro was looking for. His heart sank in despair. Blinking away spots in his vision, Pietro took off again. He didn't dare stay any longer, and it would do no good anyway. Nothing mattered anymore but to stay alive.
Pietro skidded to a stop and leaned over to catch his breath. It caught painfully in his chest as he struggled to pull air into his lungs. Then he looked up to see where he was. He knew he was miles away from his pursuers. His gaze fell upon a mansion standing not one hundred feet away. For a minute he stared, disbelieving. His mind whirled crazily. How had he gotten here? He shook off the instinctual disgust and rejection of the place and all it represented, and began slowly walking towards it – there was no sense in draining his powers. No choice, he reminded himself. He hesitated a moment at the door, just long enough to calm his shattered nerves, then banged on the door.
* * *
Kitty broke off arguing with Kurt long enough for a sound to register. "Like, what was that?" she asked, frowning. Then they heard the pounding noise again.
"Someone's knocking at the door," Kurt said, amazed. He looked around and saw similar expressions of surprise and wariness on his tablemate's faces. No one knocked at the mansion door. All of the residents just let themselves in, and they never had unexpected visitors – except ones such as the Juggernaut, who didn't use doors. So who could be knocking at this hour?
As one, the X-Men turned to look at their Professor. He had his fingers to his temples and appeared to be concentrating hard. Finally he opened his eyes. "I can't get an accurate reading," he said. "There is too much emotional interference, and no clear thought pattern at all."
"What kind of emotion?" Scott asked.
"Mostly fear," the Professor answered. "Very powerful fear, along with a lot of pain and anxiety. I can't shake the feeling that the person is familiar, though."
"I'll check it out," said Logan.
"Be careful," warned the Professor.
"Don't worry about that," Logan replied, and unsheathed his claws.
The remaining students stayed still for roughly ten seconds after Logan had left. Then Kurt disappeared from the room, and Kitty phased right through the back of her chair and the wall behind it towards the front hall. Evan, Jean, and Scott ran out of the dining hall after them.
So all of the X-Men were present when Logan opened the door and looked out into the night. And all of their mouths dropped open at the sight that met their eyes.
Pietro stood on their doorstep, his pale skin gray with exhaustion. He swayed slightly where he stood, his left eye swollen shut, clutching his right arm, and with blood trickling from a wound on his head. As the gathered mutants stared, Pietro spoke. "I need to see Professor Xavier," he rasped. "Now."
Well? What do you think? Please review if you want me to continue.