I don't own any X-Men Evolution characters. I loved The HexFactor! And I am really starting to loathe Magneto even more than before. Well this episode had everything, (not to mention the X-Geeks getting a much needed thrashing!) and now Tabitha's out of the Brotherhood. Big shock. We knew it had to happen. I had to get this out of my system right away. I set this story just a few minutes after Wanda's big arrival.
The More Things Change…
"I'LL KILL HER!" Mystique screamed as she tossed the empty fire extinguisher out of her bedroom window. "WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON THAT BLONDE BIMBO I AM GOING TO KILL HER!"
"Yeah and she's gonna help Wanda control her anger," Todd muttered as he scrubbed the kitchen counter. The male members of the Brotherhood had been sentenced to immediately start cleaning up the house. They all went into the kitchen because it was the room furthest from both Mystique and Wanda.
"Actually I think she's leaving that to that Agatha lady," Pietro said as he slowly worked on the wooden cabinets. For once he was not in a hurry. "Good thing."
"SHE DESTROYED EVERYTHING!" Mystique ranted. "I WILL DESTROY HER! THAT CHANDELLIER WAS MADE OF PURE AUSTRIAN CRYSTAL! IT WAS PRICELESS! I'LL KILL HER!"
"Okay guys take notes," Lance said quietly as he washed the dishes. "Under no circumstances do we ever mention that we sold that thing two weeks ago to pay for our pizza tab."
"Yeah Tabby destroyed that," Todd nodded frantically. "Bad Tabby."
"MY THINGS! THEY'RE GONE! RUINED! I'LL BET THAT LITTLE BRAT STOLE THEM AS WELL!" Sounds of things being broken overhead were heard.
"Uh we'd better not mention that we pawned her jewelry and clothes as well," Fred gulped as he scrubbed the floor. "Or that'll be us."
"Why are we doing all the cleaning?" Lance grumbled. "Wanda did a lot of damage as well."
"You ask her to help then!" Pietro snapped.
"Uh… on second thought," Lance gulped. "We don't really need her help. But we could sure use Tabby's! I can't believe she just left like that!"
"I can!" Todd snapped. "I knew it. I knew the minute she walked through that door months ago that she'd take off as soon as she got bored! Or that she'd have to follow rules or something."
"Mystique wasn't in the door three minutes before Tabitha went ballistic!" Lance said. "What rules except for moving out of her room did she have to follow?"
"Maybe it's an alpha female thing?" Pietro shrugged.
"Why did Tabby leave just like that?" Fred pouted.
"Because she's smart that's why!" Todd told him. "What I don't get is that Pietro had a sister all this time and he's never told us! What's up with that yo?"
"Yeah Pietro what happened?" Lance said. "Spill it!"
"Well I might as well tell you everything now," Pietro sighed. "Yeah Wanda's my sister. My twin sister. Our powers developed rather early when we were kids. When we were nine to be exact. This was because of our father. He kinda helped our evolution along so to speak. Well, Wanda's powers grew too powerful too fast for her to control. She was really doing a lot of damage. So our father stuck her in an asylum. Mystique must have just busted her out."
"What?" Lance yelped. "You mean she's been in one of those nuthouses for years? No wonder she's so freaking nuts!"
"But why does she hate you so much?" Fred asked.
"Because I let my father talk me into helping restrain her," Pietro sighed. "The way he explained it, I really thought she was going to get help, not just be abandoned by him. I didn't know he never intended to go back for her until…" He stopped and looked away. "I just wanted her to get better. I didn't mean to hurt her."
"Hey man take it easy," Lance put a hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault. You were just a little kid. You didn't know. Even if you did, there was nothing you could have done to stop him."
"Yeah it was your dad's fault for messing up your DNA in the first place," Todd spoke up. "What was he? Some kind of scientist?"
"Kind of," Pietro turned around and took a breath. "Our father is Magneto."
The remaining members of the Brotherhood felt like they had been hit with a twelve-ton anvil. "SAY WHAT?" Todd yelped.
"Oh man," Fred looked at him. "Now that I think about it…you do look a little like him. I don't know why we didn't see it before."
"Well this explains a lot," Lance threw up his hands. "No wonder he was always ragging on you!"
"Or why you never wanted to talk about your past yo," Todd grumbled.
"Would you?" Pietro asked. "He didn't even want me to call him 'Father'. Not even in private, like he was ashamed of me! Not long after Wanda…left he ditched me too. I don't know why. Maybe I reminded him too much of her or something. I dunno. He only recruited me into the Brotherhood to serve his purpose."
"Yeah his 'Mutant Utopia'," Lance cracked. "What a joke."
"Tell me about it," Pietro grumbled. "He's the one who makes the mistake and he blames us for it! He shouldn't have bothered inviting the stupid X-Geeks in the first place!"
"It's all his fault," Todd snapped. "He just had to have us prove ourselves yo and take the best. Anyone with half a brain would have seen that they didn't want any part of it yo!"
"Yeah Summers was just a lucky fluke," Fred snapped. "Even with the brainwashing he didn't stay loyal for very long."
"Like I said," Todd nodded. "I don't know about you, but I am with Mystique on the whole payback thing for Magneto!"
"Yeah!" Fred slammed his fist into an open palm. "I wanna piece of him now more than ever. I thought we had a raw deal but boy Pietro he really did a number on you!"
"Yeah you must really want him dead huh?" Todd nodded.
"NO!" Pietro shouted. Then he quieted down. "I mean…sort of."
"What?" Todd looked at him. "You ain't defending him are you?"
"No of course not!" Pietro said.
"That ain't what your body language is sayin' yo!" Todd snapped.
"Let me get this straight," Lance said. "Magneto, your own father, locks up your sister in a nuthouse, abandons you not just once but twice. Uses you like some hired hand and you're still loyal to the jerk?"
"No! Look guys don't get me wrong," Pietro said. "I may have some…attachments to him. I mean he is my father. But I want revenge on him for what he did to Wanda…to us…to me. Believe me I hate him as much as Wanda does!"
KABBBOOMMMM! A loud shake and Wanda's scream could be heard through the house. Then all was quiet.
"Okay," Pietro gulped. "Maybe not as much as Wanda does. My point is…I don't know what my point is! Okay on the one hand I definitely want him to pay for what he's done! But on the other…He's still my father. What I just forget that?"
"Yeah Pietro," Todd told him. "Just like that! Believe me! I know about this stuff. I could tell you things about my old man that would make your skin crawl," Todd's eyes went cold. "But when he…when he destroyed my life. I stopped loving him. There was nothing in him worth loving!"
"He's right Pietro," Lance said. "He's no father to you or Wanda. Look your sister needs you now, more than ever. I ain't saying she's gonna just forgive you just like that. But give her time. She'll realize the truth. Magneto's the enemy. Not you."
"You're right," Pietro sighed. "I gotta try and be there for Wanda. I love her more than anything in the world. Even though she hates my guts and wants to kill me…I still love her. I gotta do whatever it takes to show her that. And if getting Magneto out of the way once and for all will do that so much the better. I just wish it didn't have to come to this that's all."
"Yeah I guess even we can't blame you for not wanting to do in your old man," Fred sighed.
"Don't worry," Pietro said. "I know where my loyalties are. When the time comes…I'm with you guys a hundred percent. And Wanda."
There was silence for a full minute. "Well," Todd said. "One good thing out of all this. Now that Mystique's back at least we don't have to worry about stealing to survive no more."
"Yeah," Pietro scratched his head. "She's not gonna wanna live in a dump without heat or water and stuff so that means she's back to paying the bills just like before."
"It also means she's gonna nag us and force us to do stuff like before," Lance rolled his eyes. "Curfews and rules and not getting in trouble at school anymore. There goes our freedom."
"It also means you can't just go on a date with you-know-who anymore," Todd told him. "You can't just be seen with her out in the open. If she catches you…"
"I know I know," Lance sighed. "Just when she was finally getting comfortable being around me, I can't be around her. Well not openly any way."
"You mean you're still gonna see her?" Pietro gasped. "Behind her back?"
"If I have to," Lance shrugged.
"Man you are gonna be so dead!" Todd said. "I'm amazed she didn't tear your head off when she walked in that door!"
"Dude if she catches you…" Fred said.
"She's not gonna catch me!" Lance said. Then he said in a hushed voice, "And if you guys squeal on me…"
"Calm down Lance we ain't gonna do that so relax!" Pietro said.
"Yeah the last thing we need is to be in even more trouble with her Royal Highness," Todd snickered.
"Did you say something Toad?" Mystique walked in.
"I said I liked your dress," Todd said quickly. The others went back to work immediately. "You look very nice! Not that you didn't look nice before! Oh no, but you really, really look nice now! And I like your haircut. Brings out your eyes, which are very nice and very angry. And I think I'm gonna shut up and go back to work," He went back to scrubbing furiously.
"Fine," Mystique snapped. "All right now listen up! I don't want any of you clods bothering Wanda's sessions with Agatha for any reason! Got that? So stay away from her as much as possible! We need some food and supplies so I am going to get some. I am hoping that leaving you idiots unsupervised for a few hours will not result in any further damage! I expect this kitchen to be clean when I return. I want that table so clean I can eat my dinner off of it! I just called in a plumber for tomorrow to fix the pipes. I'm gonna take a wild guess, Miss Time Bomb set off a few of her firecrackers didn't she?"
"Yeah," Todd nodded. "She also blew up the bathroom door yo!"
"And the sink pipes," Pietro added.
"And the hall closet," Lance said.
"And the…" Fred started.
"I get the picture!" Mystique groaned. "Well at least that nuisance is gone! You slackers have had it way too easy for far too long! Starting now that is going to change. After you finish cleaning I suggest you all get to bed early because we are going to have a practice session right before school! Understand?"
"Yes ma'am," They all said at once.
"Good, now I trust you all remember what type of punishment you get for disobedience?" They nodded. "Excellent. I am going to whip you losers into shape if it is the last thing I do! Now I just have to get something," She moved to a cabinet and removed a hidden board. She took out a small change purse and took out a credit card. "I hid this here for emergencies. I knew it was safe because you morons would never find it. I'll be back in a few hours! Get back to work!" They did so, not stopping until she was out of the house.
"I wonder what she's gonna do to us when she finds out that her 'secret' credit card is overdrawn?" Todd gulped.
"Good thing we hid it back there or else she'd have blown her top right here," Lance said.
"Okay I say we blame Tabitha for it," Pietro said. "All those in favor…" They all raised their hands. "Good move."
"Yup things are definitely back to normal," Lance sighed. "Unfortunately."