How's everybody doing? This is actually my first time writing an X-Men related fic. This one is set in the AU universe belonging to Red Witch, author of over 700 Misfitverse-related stories. Since I'm still getting used to the Misfitverse, it's possible for some details to be a little off, so if that happens, let me know, okay?
DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris. Red Witch owns Althea Delgado/Wavedancer along with the Misfitverse itself, and Marvel owns all other characters.
Chapter 1: Just-a Wanderin'
New York City was well-known for its massive cast of mutants, people born with powers far beyond the ordinary. These mutants were often accepted into the X-Men, a band of mutants headed by a telepath named Charles Xavier. Xavier's dream was peace between human and mutant in the future, rather than the prejudice in the present day, and to accomplish this he formed the X-Men to protect those around them.
And yet some did not wish to have the glorious life of a superhero. Some, like the malevolent Magneto, wanted to wipe out the human population entirely, or to prove themselves superior to humanity. Some wished to only be left alone. One teenage boy fell into the final category.
Derrick Bolris stood in front of one of New York's many shops, staring at an active television despite his blonde bangs dangling over his eyes. The news showed the latest heroic exploit of the X-Men, aided by the government-founded mutant team called the Misfits. Derrick simply snorted, shoving his hands into his sand-colored pants and turning away, allowing his brown hair and blonde bangs to twist in tandem with his head.
"X-Men save the day, ra-ra-ra," Derrick muttered to himself as he walked away, wind blowing his dark leather jacket. "Misfits throw in their own two cents, and so on. Magneto goes down again, yay. Am I the only person that just doesn't care about any side? No, really. The X-Men's boss believes in some pipe dream, Magneto's a genocidal maniac, and the Misfits are a bunch of super-soldiers. How can people not see it?"
He paused for a moment.
"Oh, yeah," he said. "Pretty much everyone's a freaking racist."
Wandering as he often did, Derrick's path took him down a dank alley. Cardboard boxes and trash cans lined the sides as a cat darted from one side to another. Derrick simply strode through the alley, continuing to talk to himself. It was a habit he had gotten into, as he believed he was the only person who would listen to him.
"How G.I. Joe got five ex-Brotherhood members on their team is beyond me," he continued, "unless of course they used brainwashing. Wouldn't be possible otherwise."
He stopped for a moment, a dark smirk crossing his face as something caught his eye. On the other side of the alley was a lamppost. Many saw it as a large metal pole, but to Derrick, it signaled a time to gain power.
He reached out a hand, placing it on the pole, and the lamppost's light began to flicker. Electricity poured out of the lamppost and into Derrick's hand, surging through his body. When the electrical device was completely drained, he stuffed his hand back into his pocket.
"Another benefit of not being an X-Man is being able to do that," Derrick said. "Controlling powers is fine to a point, but what happens when you won't control it anymore? How's Xavier gonna deal with that?"
****
A bald man in a wheelchair removed a metallic helmet from his head with a slight smile. The room around him resembled the inside a massive silver orb, with a pathway leading to a computer called Cerebro.
Charles Xavier's eyes turned to the paper printing from a nearby slot, showing a picture of Derrick with one hand in his pocket while the other boasted electrical energy swirling around it. Xavier plucked the paper from the machine, and looked over his findings.
"Hmm, Derrick Bolris," Xavier hummed, looking over the data. "He possesses the ability to absorb electricity from any electrically-powered device and manipulate it to his desires."
Xavier placed the tips of his fingers to his head as a telepathic message rang through the minds of the mansion's residents, the X-Men.
"Scott, Logan, Rogue, and Kurt," Xavier telepathically began. "Cerebro has detected mutant activity in downtown New York. I'd like you to go there and introduce yourselves to a boy named Derrick Bolris, and see if he would be interested in being one of us."
****
"PIETRO!" cried a girl with blue-streaked black hair as her eyes angrily scanned a dining room. "DID YOU FILL EVERYONE'S UNDERWEAR WITH APPLESAUCE?!"
A teenager with long brown hair shook his head, leaning backwards against a wall to avoid the wrath of a woman scorned. The girl was Althea Delgado, also known as Wavedancer of the Misfits. Lance Alvers, the brown-haired teen, was not quite sure he wanted to know what his teammate Pietro Maximoff had attempted this time.
"I am going to KILL you, Pietro!" shrieked Pietro's raven-haired twin sister, Wanda Maximoff, alias Scarlet Witch, as she burst into the room.
"Gotta catch me, first!" Pietro taunted, blazing through the Misfit Manor with a rush of wind in his wake. Lance's hair and clothing were caught in the gust, though he was rather used to the insanity of the Misfits by now.
"Lance, which way did Pietro go?!" Althea demanded.
"That way," Lance said simply, jabbing his thumb in the direction Quicksilver had dashed to.
"YOU HEAR ME, PIETRO?!" Wanda roared. "WE'RE GONNA KILL YOU THIS TIME!"
"Whoa, people, calm down!" ordered G.I. Joe member Roadblock as he and a teen with lighter brown hair entered the dining room. "We've got something up downtown!"
"Yeah, it's big, yo," Todd Tolansky added. "New mutant."
"Finally," Lance sighed. "That darn coyote was starting to poke me."
He then flinched, as if something was indeed poking him.
"I did not say I wanted therapy from a fur-ball who sounds like my teammate!" Lance bellowed. A slight pause, then he added, "Yes you do! You have that same whiny voice as Pietro does!"
"I am not whiny!" Pietro objected, suddenly appearing in front of Lance.
"There he is!" Wanda cried, attacking Pietro in tandem with Althea.
"Oh, Lord," Roadblock groaned, a hand to his head. "Everybody, knock it off! We've got mutant activity, so call it off!"
Reluctantly, Althea and Wanda ceased their assaults, leaving a slightly battered Pietro behind.
"Now, then," Roadblock began. "Arcade's picked up mutant activity in downtown New York. His name's Derrick Bolris and he can manipulate electricity. He can absorb and store it from any electric device in a city."
"And you want us to recruit him?" Lance asked.
"Right in one," Roadblock nodded. "Five Misfits will go, and they're Toad, Wavedancer, Avalanche, Blob and Pyro."
A crackling could be heard in the distance, along with Australian-accented laughter.
"Pyro, don't light things on fire!" Roadblock called. "We've got a mission, so the priority's higher!"