Big Dramatic Voice Allo one and all! No I have not died, nor has my computer crashed (like last time grr). The simple truth is...writter's block. Yeah it sucks big time. Anyways I am so sorry to all of my readers who have most likely forgotten about Back In Action and the Aladdin Parody (I almost did too). I actually have a B.I.A. chapter at home but one night it didn't save properly, lost half of the chapter and have been discouraged ever since. But don't worry! Till it gets posted I have decided to write this small little fanfic for your enjoyment featuring...who else? Avalanch! So enjoy!! (Oh and if you're interested in seeing what I've done these past months check out my youtube vids just type in glitteringrose in the channels bar) Anyways! On with that fanfic!
"$10,000,000 dollars. For each of us." Toad's eyes wide and he was trembling slightly at the sight of the check in his hands.
"Jeeze, all this for fighting Magneto? It's a little much don't you think?" Lance asked looking around the newly refurnished brotherhood living in modest disbelief. It wasn't just the living room that had been fixed up, but their entire home. All courtesy of the governments of America, England, Russia, Egypt, Australia, and pretty much every other government in the world. While it's true that the world for the most part still loathed the very existence of mutants, Lance figured saving the planet from the same destiny he had was enough to humble them enough into saying thank you.
"Not even. I heard that the X-men are being paid 50,000,000 each." Peitro complained flipping through channels on their new plasma tv and crossing his arms. "To top it off, we're only on the cover of 8,692 magazines and newspapers world wide. The X-men? All of them!"
"Never satisfied are you brother?" Wanda asked walking into the room. For the most part she looked the same, aside from the platinum rings, onyx earrings, a blood red coat rumored to be drenched in real blood, and a million other things to enhance for fierce appearance.
"Not when we got squat compared to those X-freaks." Pietro said dusting non existent dust off him in a prince manner.
"Any of you guys want to take a swim?" Blob asked walking into the room only in swimming shorts.
"Since when do you swim? In fact, since when do you do -anything- physical Blob?" Pietro asked raising his eyebrows.
"Since we got a pool so deep it won't over flow when I get in." Blob replied proudly.
"Only if my sweetums comes!" Toad replied willing to actually touch water if Wanda did.
"I'll pass!" Wanda replied before taking off to somewhere in the additional house. They had found their place five times as large when they got home from Mexico and so far Wanda has been loving her own space. Not to mention the fact that they didn't have to pay a cent for any of it, and were cleared from any future bills as long as there were tenants in the house.
"Well what about you Lance?" Blob asked looking at him hopefully. But Lance didn't answer. "Uh Lance?"
"Hello earth to Lance!" Pietro shouted waving his hand up and down rapidly in front of Lance's blank face.
Lance heard them, but chose not to answer. What was on the news was way more important to him. There was a reporter standing in front of the screen in the middle of explaining the destruction of a terrible fire in Illinois.
"Over 30 acres of land has been burnt to ashes due to this fire. There is still no count of the death toll. Among the survivors is the Mr. and Mrs. Pyrde, parents to Kitty Pryde or Shadowcat of the X-men and Kayla Williams' and her foster children. What's significant about this foster home is that this is where Bro-" Lance turned off the tv.
" Hey what's up Lance?" Toad asked tilting his head to the side seeing Avalanche's devastated face.
"You okay buddy?" Pietro asked softly walking over to him. It was one of those rare moments when Pietro actually showed concern for anyone other then himself.
Lance walked past them and grabbed his black leather jacket. "I'll be back in a few days guys." And with that he left the house. He crossed their now ridiculously long drive way over to his jeep. Even though he was now filthy rich he had held on to his money, not feeling the need to spend much of it. There was money put away for college and more then enough to take care of him and any possible future family and he still had about 6,000,000 left. He hadn't been sure what he'd do with the rest but now his mind was made up. He toyed with the idea of driving but that'd take too long. Might as well fly. He could ask the X-men for help but then they'd get involved and act like the heroes the world knew them as. No he'd take coach.
Half an hour later he was boarding the New York express airplane. He had wanted to fly coach but as soon as he gave his name to buy his ticket the woman behind the desk instantly rang up a first class ticket for him free of charge. He was really starting to get annoyed with all the special treatment. Seriously! They weren't heroes, they were one of the furthest things from heroes. In fact the only reason they had illegally hijacked that plane to go fight the man who had rejected them was because he had seen that Kitty and Wanda were in danger, thanks to satellite pictures broadcasted around the world. They were still all a bunch of riffraff mutants. Why could no one see that?
"Ticket please." Requested a snobby looking attendant request as she saw Lance pushed past the thin curtain that separated the first class from coach; he had no bags at all and looked like he belonged on the streets. Begrudgingly Lance handed her his ticket. The attendant read the name and her attitude instantly changed.
"Oh Mr. Alvers, I'm sorry. Here this is where you sit." Lance just rolled his eyes and groaned. He had actually been looking forward to someone not sucking up to him. This was going to be a long flight.
After an excruciating 2 ½ hour plane ride, Lance was back in Illinois. "Didn't think I'd ever be back here." He muttered to himself as he signed the papers for a rental jeep. He kept asking himself what he was thinking with each mile he drove. This was nuts. He left this life. Why was he running back to it? No not running, driving…to be more exact speeding. He was nuts, that had to be it. He was nuts, absolutely nuts…about this place. The last thought filled his head as he drove up to the ruins of what was once Kayla Williams' foster home. There was a group of people, mostly little kids but some teenagers as well all huddled together. Their faces were smeared with ash and some of their clothes singed from burning embers most likely. But slowly one by one they turned to look at him trying to figure out who this new comer was.
Despite his awkwardness Lance forced his throat to clear. "Um is Kayla here?" He asked looking at them.
"Lance? Lance! Oh Lance is this really you?" A middle aged woman asked rushing over to him. She threw her arms around him and kissed his face. She only came up to about his chin but she looked up at him in a way that made her seem 9 feet tall. "Look at you the hero! I saw you on the tv and everything. You looked so brave. My how you've changed." And with that she hugged him tightly again.
"Hiya Kayla." His voice was soft and full of emotion as he hugged the closest thing to a mother he ever had.
"I can't believe you're here. What's a famous hero like you doin back in these parts?" Her brown eyes held so much pride and affection for him that Lance felt his own eyes beginning to gloss over.
"I wanna help out with this fire thing." He said as her gripped on him released.
"Oh Lance you don't have to do that."
"But I want to. To pay you back for all those years you never kicked me out when I broke curfew. Or had to be picked up from the principal's office-"
"Or broke the lamp, or got caught spray painting the principal's car, or stole my doll and threw it in the garbage disposal when we were kids." A girl with a coy smile on her dark skin said walking over.
"And it was fun too." Lance grinned back. "How've you been Lexi?"
She shrugged. "So so. Looking for a place to live though. I turn 18 in a few weeks and have to find a place of my own to stay. Kayla can't keep me." She added the last part with a teasing glare towards the woman.
Kayla shook her head. "Unfortunately no. I couldn't keep Lance either. That's why I'm so glad he became part of the brotherhood just a few days after his birthday. And now look at you. Saving the world just like a superhero." She said proudly.
"More like a superzero." Lexi teased and Lance playfully pushed her.
"That's enough you two! Honestly it's like you haven't been gone a day." Kayla commented as all the others started making their way over. Some Lance recognized, others were new.
"Too bad. Maybe he should leave for a few more years." Lexi teased.
"Lexi stop! Just because you're powers aren't as strong as his are yet, doesn't give you the right to be rude." Kayla scolded.
"Wait, you have powers?" Lance asked raising both eyebrows. He had the same astonished look on his face just like when Tabitha stole his jeep the second time in two days(1).
"Yep, and one day I'm gonna be able to beat your butt." Lexi said with a matter of fact smugness in her voice.
"Oh enough with that!" Kayla said waving her hand lightly in the air as if to dismiss the entire conversation. "Now Lance, what brought you back here?" Kayla asked as she picked up a small toddler in her arms.
"Well…this." Lance said nodding over towards the ruined property. Remorse flashed through her brown eyes before turning to look back at Kayla and Lexi's sudden downtrodden faces.
"What're you gonna do?"
"I don't know. We've been staying at this motel a few blocks away…but we're running out of money to pay for the rooms..and the state's refusing to send anymore money to support us." She said her voice growing thin and soft.
"Let me help." Lance said.
"Oh Lance you don't have to." Kayla assured him.
"No really, I want to."
Two weeks later and 2 million dollars poorer, Lance looked upon Kayla's new foster home with approval. It had taken a lot of extra money to get the job completed as quickly as it did but the smile in Kayla's eyes and the tears rolling down her cheeks was worth more money then his entire bank account.
"Lance…this is amazing. It's perfect!" Kayla cried throwing her arms around him for the 23rd time that day. And for the 23rd time that day, Lance hugged the tiny woman back. Oddly enough, it made him miss Kitty. But she'd still be there when he got back.
"Big enough for you Kayla?" Lance asked grinning at her.
"Oh heavens yes. I don't even know if I can find enough kids to fill it. It's like one of those mansions in Newport Rhode Island." She gushed looking at the brick estate before her. "And it has a pool an everything. Oh Lance!" And once again Kayla began to cry tears of joy.
"Anytime Kayla. If you want anything else-"
"Oh no no no no no." Kayla said firmly shaking her blonde head of hair. "This is more then enough. Look at you Lance. You are a superhero….I bet your mother is so proud of you."
"My mom?!"
(1) The construction of Kayla's new home could be what inspired Lance to open Avalanch construction (see B.I.A)
Dun dun dun!! There y' have it. Tune in next time to see what happens next and remember. Advice, suggestions, and any form of commentary is more then welcome : )