This story plays some years before Pietro joins the brotherhood, when he had not yet developed his (full) powers. It is set in the same "universe" as most of my other stories. Wanda is already in the asylum since 2.5 years and Pietro is living in the orphanage/ in foster families since 2 years. He is written as a very traumatized boy.
The characters belong to X-Men Evolution. I´m just having my fun with them. The story is not beta read and English is not my native language. Hope you like reading it anyway.
The troublemaker
Long before he was Quicksilver - a speedy mutant, he was just Pietro - a fidgety boy.
The name Quicksilver would later make people feel scared, exasperated or annoyed. The name Pietro did similar things to people.
Mr. Jeffrey, the social worker at the orphanage said, when asked about this special charge of his: "Pietro means trouble!"
And everyone agreed on this. Everyone being the co-workers at the orphanage, the five foster families, that had taken in Pietro so far (and had got rid of him soon after again), the principle of Rick Baker Middle School, the teachers of mentioned school, the psychologist who tried unsuccessfully working with the boy, the police, the neighbors... Yes, really everyone.
And what did Pietro say on the topic?
He agreed too.
He meant trouble. He caused trouble. He loved trouble. Trouble put him in the spotlight on a big stage and everyone looked at him. What fun!
Of course people did not applaud. They shouted, they cursed and they scolded. But Pietro did not care in what way they paid attention to him. And besides that, he found, that people looked funny, when angered. Their heads turned red, veins popped out and eyes and mouths formed into awkward looking shapes. When people scolded him Pietro never could help it, he had to grin. This of course would make the adults even angrier and the boy all the merrier.
Because of how Pietro was, it was no surprise therefore, that his bed was empty at 11 pm on a Wednesday, a regular school day. 11 Pm might not be that late, if you were 18 or such, but Pietro was 12 years old and he was supposed to be in bed and fast asleep at this time of night.
Everyone thought that this was the case too, because no one who knew him had yet spotted the child walking whistling around the streets of New York City or had yet discovered that under his blanket were only pillows, but no sleeping boy.
Suddenly Pietro came to a halt. With excitement in his eyes he stared at the red sports car that stood on the other side of the road. It looked cool. It looked fast. Pietro liked cool and fast, so he also liked the car.
An idea formed in the boys mind and a big smile grew on his face. He turned a corner and jogged down the street, stopping in front of a nice looking house.
Silently and stealthy like a cat, he climbed up the side of the house onto a small balcony and knocked on the dark window. It was not just a simple knocking thought, no, he knocked in a secret code and then he waited.
It wasn´t long and the light in the room turned on, the curtains were drawn back and the window opened.
"Can´t sleep?" asked a tired looking boy, when Pietro climbed in.
"Na, too early. What are you doing?" asked the white haired boy and plopped down on the floor.
"Well, sleeping of course!" answered the other and sat down on his bed.
"Sounds boring! Are you up for an adventure?" Pietro´s voice was full of excitement, when he asked the question, but the other boy looked doubtful.
"Now? Pietro, my parents would kill me!"
"That didn´t hinder you last time." Pietro pointed out grinning.
"No, but I´ve learned my lesson! You should too!"
Pietro shrugged. "Want a beer?" he asked and pulled a can out of his jacket.
"Catch!" he called and threw the beer at the other boy, who did just that.
"Man Pete, where did you get that?" he said, staring at the beer in his hands with big eyes.
Pietro sighed. "Evan, Evan, Evan...I have my ways. Now open up."
"I don´t think that is a good idea. I mean, we are not supposed to drink alcohol. We are underage!"
Pietro rolled his eyes. "Oh don´t be such a killjoy. That´s just minor details. Not important!"
He opened up a second can that was suddenly in his hands and gulped down some of the drink. "It´s good. Try it!" he commanded.
Evan opened his can and hesitantly sipped on the beer. He made a face of disgust. "Ew, it´s bitter."
"You´ll get used to it. It´s an acquired taste, you know." And with these words Pietro finished off the rest of his beer.
"How many of these do you have anyway?" Evan wanted to know.
"Just the two cans. So drink up and don´t let it get old."
Suddenly they both stiffened. Steps could be heard outside the door.
"Hide." Evan whispered, while he dove into his bed and shut out the light.
The door opened and Mr. Daniels, a tall, dark skinned man, looked into the room. All was silent. "Evan?" he asked, but got no response. "Hmm", he mumbled," I thought I heard voices." He closed the door again and the boys could hear him go downstairs.
"That was close!" said Evan and heaved a sigh of relieve."If my dad had found you hear Pete, we would have been in so much trouble. After the last time, he still is kind of...angry with you, you know?"
"Grown-ups are always angry with me. I don´t care. So are you coming?" Pietro was getting impatient. He didn´t like waiting, he had a plan and he wanted to take it into action now.
Evan looked at the ground and shuffled his feet. "Um... I... no...I don´t think so."
Pietro glared at the dark skinned boy and spoke in a high, whiney voice. "Oh Mommy and Daddy could be angry with me. They could scold me. Oh no no no!"
"You are such a baby, Ev!" he then growled in his normal voice.
Evan felt anger growing inside him and snapped back at his friend: "I´m the baby yeah? I am not the one, who still pisses in the...
He was cut off, when Pietro´s fist connected with his jaw. "Don´t you dare say it!" the other shouted. And in a calm, arrogant tone he continued: "Well, be a scaredy-cat than. I will go and have some fun alone!"
And with this he jumped out of the window and Evan angrily punched at his pillow, before climbing back into bed and trying to forget about this late night visit of his crazy friend.
TBC