Trick or Treat
Part 1
By Kali
"Okay, popsicle, you're on," Marie agreed, shaking Bobby's outstretched hand. She felt a little silly going trick-or-treating at her age, but she couldn't deny how very much she loved all the loot, when all was said and done.
"Okay, we'll meet back here in an hour. The one with the least candy has to do the other's chores for a week.."
"Fine. But, no cheating!" Marie glared at him. "Ah mean it, Bobby!"
"Moi, cheat?" Bobby asked with mock hurt.
"Ah know about what you did last year."
"Oh you do, do you?"
"Yup! So empty your pockets, buster!"
Bobby sighed. "One little mistake, and it's gonna haunt me for the rest of my life."
"According to Kitty, you have made quite a name for yourself as the school prankster."
"Oh, really?" Bobby asked, acting stunned.
"Don't act innocent, with me, Mr. Ah iced over the boys shower room just last week Drake!"
"Touché!"
"Empty them, Bobby," Marie warned.
Bobby sighed, and acquiesced, "Okay, happy now?"
"As a peach blossom on a warm spring day," Marie grinned. "Now, Ah'll see you in an hour."
"In an hour then. And may the best man....." Bobby started.
"Or woman, win," Rogue finished.
"Good luck," Bobby waved, as he headed down West Sycamore Lane.
"Back at you!" Marie waved back. She turned, and headed up North Wilcox Street. It wasn't long before she realized that she was being shadowed. "You can come out now, Wolvie. Ah ain't gonna bite."
"How'd you know it was me?" Logan asked gruffly.
"Does it matter?" Marie asked. But then, pondered it for a moment. "Oh, yeah, of course it does. Ah could smell the stench of your favorite cigar."
"So......"
"So, Ah appreciate the concern, Logan, but Ah don't need a bodyguard. The brotherhood haven't made a move for me in months."
"You never know," Logan grumbled.
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Halloween was Bobby Drake's favorite holiday. For it was a day that he could just be himself, in all his mutant glory. With no fear of being hounded, and pounded.
"Hey! Neat costume!" A teenage male voice said.
Bobby looked around and finally saw a kid dressed in a white sheet. "Hey thanks!"
"Yeah, I envy you. This..." the kid said pointing to the sheet, "was the best I could do."
"Hey, it's not that bad. Think of it as a traditional Halloween get up. A classic!" Bobby proclaimed enthusiastically.
"Hmmmmmm..... perhaps. But just once, it would be nice to be able to do something special. Wear something special."
"If it makes you feel any better, I've been wearing the same 'costume' for the last four years."
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"Trick-or-treat!" Marie beamed, as the front door to the three story Victorian home opened. The owner, a woman in her 50s, smiled briefly to her, and started to give her a handful of candy. The appearance of Logan, ten feet behind Marie, stopped her dead in her tracks. Noticing the woman's gaze, Marie decided to concoct a cover story, "That's my Dad. He's all decked out for the holidays."
"Oh, good costume," the woman smiled nervously. "Very scary," she said, as she absentmindedly dropped the candy into Marie's bucket.
"Thank you, ma'am." Marie smiled back warmly.
The woman hastily backed into the hallway of her house, and slammed the door.
"'Very scary'?" Wolverine cursed under his breath. "I ain't wearing no frickin' costume!"
"Well, it would help if you didn't scowl all the time. It's hurting my take."
"So?"
"'So?' So, me and Drake have us a little bet. The loser has to do the other's chores for a week."
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A few hours, and many houses later, Bobby found himself hefting a sizable amount of sugary sweets around as he bonded with his new found friend. They had quite a bit in common. They both shared a love for baseball, for eccentric music (Or as Jubilee would say, "Unhip noise masquerading as music"), for anime, and for other miscellaneous odds and ends.
"Bobby, is it just me, or are we being followed?" The other boy asked nervously.
"Phillip, don't panic. It might be some friends of mine," Bobby said calmly. Inwardly, he feared that the Brotherhood was on the prowl again and using him as target practice. Looking around he saw a shadowy figure near the back door of a nearby Napa Auto Parts store. A gleam of metal in the moonlight caught his eye. "Of course, none of my friends walk around with a butcher knife in their hand. Well, at least not since last Labor Day's BBQ."
"Maybe it's just a costume."
"Maybe. Maybe not," Bobby commented as the figure approached them. If it was one of the members of the Brotherhood, Marie was probably in danger as well, he realized.
Bobby laughed nervously as he adressed the mysterious stranger, "That's a real knife isn't it?"
The hooded figure nodded his head to indicate that it was indeed.
"Don't suppose you would give us a head start, would you?" Bobby asked. "Nope, didn't think so."
Disclaimer: X-Men are owned by Marvel Comics. This fan-fiction is meant as pure, harmless fun, and as such, no profit is being made from it.