Chapter 1
Fontaine slid paint-stained fingertips over the wheel of her beat-up old jeep. The large wheels of the vehicle kicked up a cloud of dust at her accelerated speed, trailing behind her and looking for just a moment like it might morph into a tornado. The young French woman sighed happily, the intense heat of the New Mexico heat burning her fair skin.
She had only lived in this country for a short while but Fontaine already loved it. Finding life so much more simpler and carefree. France of course would always be her homeland but America had her heart. It also helped that mutant non-mutant relationships were better in America than they were in France. Such thoughts cause the young woman's bright face grew sad. Of course it wasn't perfect here. If people knew she was a mutant they still tended to look at her with mild fear but it was better than what she could have hoped for a year or two ago. It was also nice that she didn't need to worry about falling asleep just for someone to try and drown her in the Loire.
A soft breath passed between her cherry-sweet lips, reaching out absentmindedly for her water bottle. Just up ahead she thought she saw something small cross the road. At first she thought it was a coyote and simply passed it on the road. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that in her rear view mirror that the coyote was in actually a flea-bitten, emaciated German Sheppard. Suddenly the canine just collapsed in the middle of the road.
Slamming her foot against the breaks, she gripped the gear shift and put it into reverse. The jeep groaned as its gears ground against each other but she paid the sound no mind as she backed up quickly while watching the approach of a Diesel hauling Mac Truck approach. Struggling for a moment as her jeep finally came to a stop, she grabbed the door knob. At first the door didn't open. Leaning over she slammed her shoulder against the metal frame and was luckily held in place by her seatbelt as it popped open. The Mac Truck steadily drew closer and closer and the dog hadn't moved. Her fingertips glowed a deep grey color as she cut at the seat belt and tumbled out of the car, kicking her feet hard as she ran towards the street. There was no way she could save the dog by moving it, but maybe just maybe…
Fontaine leaped over and covered the animal's body with her own to keep it from moving. The dog opened his tired brown eyes and looked at her for a moment. Tail wagging slightly a shadow engulfed them both and allowed the Mac to stampede through them and continue on its merry way, the driver shaken.
The French woman slowly sat up and looked at the truck as it became smaller, heart still racing at the near death experience. Shaking her head in disbelief she slowly stood up and bent down. Grabbing the dog she began to carry the heavy 85 pound furball to her car.
"Stupid Américain Drivers."
Later that evening Fontaine sat on the over-starched blankets in her motel room, carefully breaking up bits of ground beef and offering it to the malnourished canine. So far the weak animal hadn't moved around much except for the occasional bathroom break but he had been eating a little and drinking most if not all the water she provided in a makeshift bowl. When the dog began to nose the Styrofoam plate the meat came on with more curiosity she stood up and moved away, carefully setting it down on the floor. Luckily the dog took the hint and climbed off the bed to eat, allowing Fontaine to finally get a better view. His fur was brownish-black which was not uncommon with the breed but his thick fur was matted in some places. It was so bad in a few areas that she wasn't entirely sure that she could brush it out. Walking over to the table she had thrown her duffle bag on she began to search the contents until she pulled out a pair of scissors. She used the time she dog ate to carefully snip away at his fur, trying to keep it tidy while also getting all the knots out. Satisfied with the end results, even if his fur looked uneven she set the metal scissors down and slid her fingertips through his fur.
"Que ressentez-vous?" A small smile came to her face as the dogs ears twitched, gaining his attention with the foreign tongue.
"Ah, so you like the langue française? I do not blame you. Most homes find the language séducteur. What about you, eh? Love the français caniche?"
The dog turned and licked at her cheek, tail wagging as he looked at her with his wise shadowed-blue eyes. Fontaine curled her paint stained fingertips into his fur, giving him a gentle and tender scratch behind his ears. As she showed him the much needed affection he tilted his head up and revealed an old leather collar that looked like it had been used as a puppy's teething ring. While crouched Fontaine crab-walked awkwardly around to his side and tilted her head, eyes sliding over the metal plate with a name stamped into it. Diego.
"Eh, your owner was espagnol. Did he leave you out there, moi homme?" Diego's tail dropped slightly for a moment and as she went to console and baby the poor dog she didn't notice the few metallic items around the room; the scissors for one float slowly rattle and life up, floating around the room. Seeing this first Diego's fur bristled in warning as he snarled. Alarmed she stood up and reached out to catch the scissors as someone knocked on the door.
Diego ran for the door and pressed his muzzle against the crack, huffing and snarling a warning at whomever he felt was a threat.
"Diego! Come here moi homme! Viens ici!" The command didn't go unheard and slowly the dog eased back as the hinge on the door bent inward and splintered the wood. Hand outstretched magneto relished the coursing of power that went through his pain as he tossed the door aside without even a thought.
"Hello my dear. I don't believe we've had the chance to be introduced."
The man was old, that much she could tell from his face despite the fact he wore a deep magenta metal helmet and a cloak over his dark suit. The effects weren't exactly terrifying…more like silly looking. He looked like a villain you might see in a comic book.
"A gentleman always introduces himself first Monsieur." She spoke tartly.
Magneto smiled down at her, but she didn't get that reassuring kindness she might from anyone else. The smile also produced another hostile snarl from the dog.
"Erik Lensherr. And you are Fontaine Belmany." The young mutant felt panic rise inside of her; not because the man knew her name but because he had the power to find out anything, not only kill her.
"You do your homework well, Monsieur. Now, what is it want?" Magneto gave a chilling laugh.
"Why…you my dear."
She didn't know what convinced her to actually talk to this powerful and possibly insane mutant, much less have coffee with the man! But she didn't have much reason to distrust him except for the thousands of people that had died because of his choices. He hadn't done anything to harm her or Diego, and for that she was willing to at least listen. Hey! It got her free lunch anyway.
She was relieved that he changed out of his armor before they went out though; aware that the magenta metal he liked to cover himself in would bring a bit of unwanted attention. Sitting down in a chair the waitress came by, took their orders and left them alone to chat.
Carefully she eased back in her chair, watching Diego from the window. She had left him in the car with water and the windows rolled down but he looked agitated to be separated. Sighing softly she turned her eyes away, unaware that when she did the dog slid through the shadows that were in the floorboard of the Jeep and passing through the in-between world, appearing beneath the corner table. Satisfied with himself, Diego laid down beside her feet.
"What exactly did you want from me Erik? Not that I'm not flattered, monsieur." She looked at the man from beneath her lashes, staring him in his steely blue eyes.
"How are you with children Miss Belmany?"
The unexpected question had the woman tilting her head, completely thrown off by the unexpected topic.
"I have some experience as a child, watching the smaller children of the orphanage with mon frère, after our parents were…lost. Why do you as-"
The older man pulled a fat manila envelope from the coat of his jacket and dropped it before her. Giving the rude polish mutant an irritated look she reached out and flipped it open, pictures of multiple teenage mutants before her causing either mischief or just looking disgruntled.
"I need you to watch over these kids. The woman who was in charge of them has.. proven insufficient. This is where you come in."
The French woman gave him a look before her eyes fell back to the papers, carefully reading through them and the pages of unpaid bills as their coffee was brought from them. She didn't speak until she had studied everything.
"So you want a tuteur, guardian for this bunch of ruffians? Why can you not do this, Monsieur Lensherr?"
"I don't have the time or the interest in watching them. I will provide you with the means to feed and care for them. You just make sure they don't get killed and graduate high school. This is all I require of you Miss Belmany."
Staring at him silently once more she gently closed the folder and leaned back.
"I will do this, but I am not part of your organization. Understand?"
The mutant smirked slowly before he began to pull out the things she would need, speaking with amusement. "I understand perfectly."
Fontaine walked into the condemned building that made up the branch of the Brotherhood that rested in Bayville. From what Erik had decided to share with her this was where the teenagers that were part of his group of terrorists resided. They also weren't apparently too smart and that included his own son Pietro Maximus, also known as Quicksilver. She was here to keep an eye on them and make sure they didn't get into much more trouble than what Magneto wanted them to get into. To say she was thrilled to be there would have been an exaggeration.
The walls seemed to be mostly holes and craters instead of well, sturdy and maybe recently painted walls. The carpet covered floors were spongy with mold and old urine, a smell that graced the air with its pungent odor. Wrinkling her delicate nose she stepped aside to allow the canine entrance before closing the door. Moving forward she couldn't help but flinch when it fell off its hinge behind her, just barely clipping her heel.
"Que l'enfer doux ai-je entré?" Diego let out a soft growl in response.
"Hey lady, what do you think you're doing here?" She whipped around to see a short scrawny kid. Tilting her head, something about the air changed. The urinated aroma was pierced by…by…
Fontaine had to hold back the need to vomit. When was the last time this kid had bathed? With soap!? Where all American's as foul as this toad faced teenager? Fontaine sincerely had hoped not, or she would get her butt back to France. Mutant prejudice or not!
"Bonjour, young Monsieur…I am Fontaine. Magneto sent me to keep an eye on you and your… brothers." She frowned slightly as she lifted her foot, having stepped in something.
Her eyes went wide with horror, eyeing the brown half solid substance.
"Hey! You found my pudding." The teenager hopped forward and scrapped the half spoiled pudding off her heel. She reached out and slammed a colored hand against the food, dissolving it.
"Hey, my lunch.." The skinny teenager eyed her with annoyance.
"If you are calling that lunch, petit-Américain then we surely have a problem." She shuddered and stepped back.
Turning away from the teenager she walked towards the stairs, Diego keeping just at her side. She could hear toad following her, continuing to prattle on with annoying and unanswered questions but she just ignored him for now. Until she figured out how to disinfect him. The French woman tried to guess how many layers of dirt covered his skin and decided that maybe she didn't want to know.
As she passed the many open doors, loud music coming out of two she looked for an unoccupied room. Passing one she gained the attention of a girl with short black hair, whom stood up and walked to the door to peek out.
"Honey-britches! I knew you couldn't resist being separated from me for lo-"
"Who is that?" Her stern and slightly irritated tone broke through the beginning of Toad's lovey-dovey rant. Brought up short he blinked his massive eyes before tentatively speaking.
"Uhm, that's some lady Magneto sent or something. She's like Spanish or something, sweetie-poo."
Wanda leaned against the doorway and looked at the woman, crossing her arms with a thoughtful look covering her face. Tabitha, having heard the conversation opened her door and leaned out as Fontaine passed and entered an unoccupied room, closing the door behind her.
"Magneto sent her? She doesn't look too tough." Tabitha rolled her eyes slightly at the closed door.
"Are you kidding? She like, totally disintegrated my pudding with a glow-ey attack yo." Todd leaned against Wanda and tried to give her his most suave look, which amounted to what looked like a frog standing up straight and making a lady-gaga kissy face that would make the singer herself commit emergency plastic surgery on herself.
The ground shook slightly as down below as Fredrick and Lance walked in, Pietro moving to get up the stairs before them as they shouted about the hunk-of-junk Jeep that was sitting out in front of the Brotherhoods home.
"Whoscaristhatoutside? Dowehaveanewmember? Doesheknowthatimincharge?" Wanda gave her brother a mildly irritated look. Parting her black lips to speak, Todd cut her off.
"It's a Spanish lady and I don't think she'll care, yo."