I know it has been a long time, a few years give or take, but life has been crazy. For some reason (I think it was the episode on Bones where Temperance and Booth went undercover in a circus as the knife throwing couple Buck and Wanda) I am compelled to return to writing about my traveling mutant circus. I was working on some original stories but I've encountered a block the size of Lego land that won't go away.
This story is set about three years into the future. Toby is now 9, Rogue and Wanda are 21, Remy and Piotr are 23, Kitty is 18, and John is 21. Everyone else is in their late teens/early twenties (just add three years to their evolution age.)
To clear us some questions from The Circus, Toby is a telekinetic with purple eyes and anything he moves glows purple and Rogue is the costume designer and stage manager during the performance.
You really should read The Circus first or this might not make much sense.
I hope that my writing has improved and the spelling/grammar mistakes will be small and unnoticeable. I do not own X-Men or its characters (except for Toby) because if I did Evolution would have never ended.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Ch.1 – The Big Top
The sun had only been in the sky for a few hours when the train's wheels screeched to a halt. The engine let out one last puff of smoke before stopping completely; a soft hiss sounding strangely like a sigh of relief was the final sound it made. The engineer checked all the gauges and valves before turning to the dashboard hula girl attached to the front with a smile and rubbing his hand affectionately over the side wall.
"We made it girl, you did good"
He began to twist knobs with his left hand while his right changed from a screwdriver to a thermometer to measure the engine heat. All the while he continued to check and recheck the various needles before he was confidant that his baby was safely powering down.
"What's the status Forge? Is she holding up alright?"
"Yea, it was touch and go for a while but she's going to be fine. Give me a half hour to let the engine cool down completely before we start to unload, I don't want all the movement to cause left over steam to get out to quickly."
"All right, now is a good time to eat breakfast anyway."
While the two were talking the passengers had begun to walk around the new site, stretching their limbs and waking up from the night of traveling. Once everyone was outside the man who had spoken with the engineer spoke to the crowd, his face seemingly set in a permanent glare. Standing next to him was a girl with an identical look on her face, her arms were even held at her sides in the same defensive manor. With a sharp whistle the multiple conversations that had been taking place were stopped and all eyes were on him.
"We'll unload after breakfast, you get half an hour to eat so don't waste it. I don't want anyone wandering off until after everything is set up."
While the beginning of the statement was for everyone the latter half was aimed towards a group of young men who had managed to not only wander off but also become hopelessly lost for six hours the last time the circus had set up near a heavily wooded area. With his and the girl's glares fixed on them they wisely kept themselves within a five yard radius of the engine all throughout the morning meal.
A few cars back from the front of the train a small group was sitting in the shade of the prop trailer. Two of the group had their backs against the wheel bar. One had fiery orange hair and the other had black and red eyes that were fixed on an attractive woman with white bangs sitting across from him. A large muscular man with short dark hair sat on the orange haired mutant's other side with a much smaller woman sitting close, her head resting against his arm. Feeling the red and black eyes on her the woman was doing her best to ignore him, keeping her attention focused on the dark haired woman next to her and the small boy that was eating a bowl of cereal between them.
"If the weather holds I might set up a table outside my trailer for the week, my carpet still smells like an old woman's potpourri tray."
The young woman with thick black hair said as she stabbed at her eggs before taking another bite. A young boy with purple eyes stopped mid-scoop of his cereal, the fruit loops falling back into the bowl.
"I said I was sorry Wanda, besides it doesn't smell that bad if you leave the windows open."
He stated before taking another spoon full from the bowl. A week earlier he had tripped over her table while it was full of scented oil bottles that Wanda had spent hours refilling in preparation for the next several weeks of business. Some of the glass bottle's stoppers had come out, spilling the oils onto her thick rug. He spent the rest of the day scrubbing the carpet and while the stain was gone the smells were not.
"It's not his fault Sheila, Toby's legs are just growing faster than he can keep up with."
The man with spiky orange hair said with a wink which caused the boy to grin.
"Tell that to my trailer John, at least the smell doesn't give people a headache anymore."
"We're not far from a town, yall could go get some carpet shampoo if the smell's still botherin ya."
As she said this she tucked a white lock of hair behind her ear before finishing off her last piece of toast. Once that was gone she slid her gloves back on and dusted the crumbs off her lap.
"You got a point dere cher."
The other man who sat against the train wheel said with a charming grin, his black and red eyes watched her pull on the gloves before returning to her face.
"Don't you try and get on mah good side Cajun, Ah'm still mad about that girl you were flirtin' with last week."
Before he could reply they were called to help with the unpacking. Without a second glance his way Rogue stood and walked towards the front of the train to find out where she was needed.
"Comrade, out of all my friends it is you I worry about the most."
The tall man said with a thick Russian accent. He reached down and helped the young woman next to him to her feet who added to his statement,
"You were lucky she didn't kill you and even luckier that Logan didn't come after you."
As the group disbursed he was left behind, his last statement lost to the wind.
"How many times do Ah have to say dis, it was just a magic trick dat Ah was showin' her! How is pulling a coin out of her ear flirtin'?"
He continued to mumble incoherently to himself as he too joined the crowd as the work began. Years of experience had made the group experts at assembling their traveling community within a few short hours. The ten foot chain link fence was the first to be built. Pietro had Wanda keep time as he attempted to break his previous record of five minuets and ten seconds. He managed go finish with three seconds to spare and took a moment to admire his work.
"That should keep the kids out, I suggested adding a life size Logan cut out but he didn't like the idea."
Pietro commented while checking one of the posts. Wanda handed him his watch as they walked towards the train to get her trailer off the tracks and into place so she could begin to unpack.
The rides were grouped together just past the entrance with the game booths spread out between them, creating a circle with the Ferris Wheel at the center. Piotr and Freddy held the large structures in place as Lance and Robert tightened the bolts and attached the power cords. The food stands began to line up across from one another with gaps every few stands to provide room for the performers who didn't work in the tent like John and his fire act or Piotr's portrait stand. At the end of the makeshift road was the tent. By noon the center poles had been set and the canvas was stretched out over the ground. Everyone who wasn't busy had gathered to assist in the tent raising. Scott, Remy, Beast, Logan, X23, Piotr, John and Kurt each had a rope and were waiting for Logan's signal.
"ALL TOGETHER NOW, PULL"
As one they pulled and slowly the heart of the circus came to life. With each call to PULL the cloth rose a few feet until it had reached the top and could be stretched no further. As quickly as they could Bobby, Sam, Toad and Evan hammered the spikes into the ground to secure tent.
Once the big top was in place the mutants gathered under it to eat lunch, taking a much needed break from the morning's work. Logan and the Professor also took the opportunity to make some announcements.
"… and while I don't know who was involved the soda and cotton candy stands are off limits to everyone under the age of sixteen for the next week. If you want to belly ache I'm sure you know who to go to."
Several eyes turned to Rahne and Jubilee who sank lower in their seats. Continuing on Logan held up a clipboard to read off of.
"Once you finish setting up your stands you have the rest of the day off. Curfew is as follows, Twelve and under I want you in your trailers by nine, thirteen to fifteen you have until ten, sixteen to eighteen in by eleven, and everyone else I want you back by midnight."
A chorus of groans drifted through the crowd.
"I don't want to hear it, I'll be checking on each and every one of you so don't even think about staying out late. Those who break curfew will be spending the next two weeks working out with me and X. In case any of you have forgotten that means a five am mile run and after that an hour of hand to hand combat training."
Any thoughts of further objections to the curfews were soon forgotten. The memories of past training sessions keeping everyone quiet. Satisfied that his threat would be taken seriously Logan stepped aside for the Professor who didn't even try to hid the chuckle that escaped from his lips.
"Thank you Logan, with that said I would like to remind everyone to be careful with their powers. I know you all have come a long way with controlling your gifts and I am confident that you all will be able to keep yourselves out of trouble. We have three more towns after this before the season ends so let's go out with a bang. I mean that metaphorically of course, all explosions are to be limited to your acts or during your training."
With a good natured smile he dismissed the group. It would be another four hours before the circus was ready for visitors but they wouldn't arrive until the next night. In the meantime the mutants could relax and enjoy their traveling city while it held only the young men and women who had built it.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx
Ok, that's the first chapter. Tell me what you think and I'll try to get the next chapter out by Friday.