Chapter One

"Breakfast!"

It was morning in the Brotherhood household.
Tabitha stood at the breakfast table; slowly the other brotherhood members came in and joined her.

"Thanks Tabby," said Lance.

"No prob! Its not much though….."

"Hey," Pietro interjected. "this is great, honestly."

"Yeah, yo." added Toad.

Tabitha smiled.
Times were getting hard. After the Asteroid M fiasco and Magneto had disappeared, their financial situation had grown desperate. Even then they had still managed.
In an odd way to all of them, they had been happy too, as far as their dysfunctional family went.

Then Magneto came and things changed, for the worst. Things were drastic now.

Magneto was very displeased and had taken out his frustration on Pietro.

Pietro smiled as Tabitha passed him a piece of toast.

He wore black jeans and a pitch black long-sleeved top. They all knew underneath the top he was covered in multiple cuts and bruises, the gashes covered with crude makeshift bandages.

Todd looked pale and gaunt as he nibbled at his toast.
Magneto had begun 'sessions' with him. Sleep deprivation and malnourishment had left Todd exhausted. Yet, still he smiled and joked with Tabby.

Lance kept asking everyone to get a move on, so they wouldn't be late for school. He took some more aspirin to try lessen the pounding in his head and flexed his shoulders to try release his aching muscles. The headaches were getting worse, slowly but surely.

Tabitha stumbled a bit and Toad lashed out his tongue and pushed a chair forward. Tabitha gratefully sat down. Magneto had her overtaxing her powers. Pushing her to the limits with her powers to create more complicated and powerful bombs. This left her feeling dizzy and light headed sometimes, even on the verge of blacking out.

Tabitha sighed, "That's the last of the food, guys".

Lance frowned. "I used all my work money to pay the rent."

Pietro wiped his mouth and said," I'll try ask father," he said the word 'father' with venom. "-for some money this evening."

Lance grabbed Pietro's shoulder, causing the pale teen to wince.
"No way! Remember what he did last time you asked."

Pietro hung his head in shame. The wound was beginning to fade but there would surely be a scar. A little reminder for the son of Magneto, if he ever so dared to ask for money to feed and shelter himself and comrades again.

"No prob, yo,"said Toad. "I'll try get us something today from that little vegetable and fruit store- guy's half blind, I should be able to snag some eats".

Lance rubbed his head as he thought it over.
"Okay, but be careful, all we need is for you to get nailed, play it safe alright?"

Todd nodded.

"Heck! The time! Lets go!"

Everyone hustled to Lance's jeep; if they didn't have enough money for more petrol when the tank emptied, they would be walking soon.

Toad slammed the door shut as he jumped in the backseat. As Lance started the car, Tabitha spoke up:
"Does anyone feel, y'know, strange today?"

Everyone answered with a half shrug and a nod.

Todd tried to crack a smile. "Maybe it was Tabs cooking! We shouldn't have let you make toast Tabby!"

Tabitha playfully tried to swat him while the others let out a nervous laugh.

Lance clutched the steering wheel. He knew exactly what Tabitha was talking about.

He had it, they all had it, festering at the pit of their empty stomachs and at the back of their troubled minds. Everyone in the Brotherhood had the same feeling:

Dread.