AN: Lots of back story. Sorry if this part is boring. -.-' I really appreciate the reviews so far. I love getting them. I hope this story meets your hopes and dreams (meh. shut up. I've done so much writing that I'm out of words. So there. ;P)
PS
Sorry I'm so slow at updating. -.-'
Of Superheroes and Departures
"We should totally be superheroes!"
While it's obvious that Marlee is way different from, I still think I should say that this was the farthest thing from my mind when I discovered some like me. In fact, unless you counted joining the X-Men to gain Kitty's favor, the hero gig had really never occurred to me at all.
"What?" I choked, "As in spandex and a cape?"
Marlee nodded, "I think we can skip the spandex, but you have the idea."
"Why?" I asked, "Benson has around a 5,000 population. What's going to happen?"
"Crazy men will pull knifes?"
"So, about every five years we stop a crime that the police could just as easily take care of?"
"Why not?"
"First, there's no point. Second, I'm from a team of villains." Referring to Blob, Toad, and Pietro as 'villains' didn't seem entirely accurate, but I was making a point.
"Cool," Marlee said, "We're back to the mysterious past deal." I really shouldn't have been surprised at that point. She found herself a comfortable sitting position in the grass and looked up at me, "Story time, 'kay?"
"What? No. I was just in a bad guy team, got it?"
"Tell me when you met them, what you did, and why you quit."
"That ain't the point."
"Yes it is. Shoot."
"I'm not - "
"Lance. Story."
"Arg," I gave up, letting my legs collapse into a sitting position.
I had meant to skip over as many details as possible, but she asked so many questions that she managed to drag out the whole story. Persistent brat.
"Okay, done," I said, finishing my story.
Marlee frowned at me, "You didn't tell me about the part where you left."
"What?" I snorted, "You want to hear about the plane ride?" I sincerely hoped she didn't. It involved more vomiting then I'd like to admit. Let's just say stewardess wasn't happy.
"No," she said, "I want to hear about why you left. What happened! Come on, don't be a spoil-sport."
Forcing me to recall my shitty past was sport? I didn't want to know what she did to other people when she wasn't just having fun. "Fine," I mumbled, resiting the urge to rub my temples like I had a stick up my butt.
I was starting to – Well, let's just say I didn't know where I stood anymore. With the Brotherhood, I just got into trouble. And I don't fit in with the X-Geeks -
"X-Geeks?" Marlee interrupted.
"The X-Men," I growled, "You wanna hear this or not?"
"Continue, sir," Marlee said, saluting.
Not sure if she was trying to be sarcastic or was just goofing around, I continued.
As I was saying, I don't belong on the X-Men. Running around, trying to save people like I'm all that ain't my thing. Besides, they already made up their minds about me.
By the time summer started, I was sick of the whole thing. I figured I'd save up money working before school started and get out of dodge.
"What made you think of that?" Marlee asked.
I shot her a glare, "I don't know. Pretty obvious, ain't it?"
Anyway, I worked at some cafe for a -
"What cafe?"
I ignored her.
I also did some odd jobs like mowing lawns. I had just finished a morning shift at the cafe and was heading back to Brotherhood house when I caught sight of this old lady. She was pretty pathetic, trying to bend down to pull weed her flowers and crap. She was shaking like it was some big strain.
I paused, "What's your problem?"
"Oh, nothing, dear," she said, sounding like somebody's grandma on TV, "My arthritis, that's all."
Like I said, she was unbearably pathetic. I rolled my eyes, "Move out of the way."
"I'm sorry, dear?" she said as I shooed her out of the way.
I spent the day picking weeds. Better than hanging out with the Brotherhood, at least.
"Aw, that's so sweet."
"Don't patronize me."
"I'm not."
Well, old ladies are stubborn and she just had to have her garden weeded no matter what, so I spent a lot of time weeding with her watching me. Old ladies also talk a lot, so I got to know her more than I wanted to.
"When you go back to school, I could start paying to continue picking the weeds," she said, when summer was coming to an end.
"I'm planning on getting out of here, by then."
"Oh?" she said, "Where will you be going to school, then?"
I snorted, "I ain't going. No point."
I was focusing on pulling up a weed, but I'm pretty sure from her tone that she frowned, "Your parents aren't enrolling you?"
"Look, they aren't around," I said, pointedly continuing to weed, " I couldn't get enrolled if I wanted to."
There was a long pause. I had hoped this meant she had dropped it. Of course not. "I'll buy your plane ticket if you let me enroll you in school," she said finally.
"Right. How do you expect to enroll me?"
"You act like an old woman can't know I thing or two about forgery."
One Year Ago
Kitty's POV
Summer was almost over, but the heat was persistent. I was walking home from the mall with Rogue (who I had dragged with me because Jean was busy and going to the mall alone is totally drab). Out of nowhere, something slammed into me and bowled me over.
"Toad!?" Rogue exclaimed. It smelled like rotting fish and a variety of other unpleasant things, "Will ya get your slimy behind off of her?"
I had to close my eyes, Toad goop was dripping onto my face. "Gross, Toad!" I growled, trying to push him off with my hands.
He was yanked up by Rogue. She may be gloomy, but she's brave. Touching Todd Tolansky? I don't know if I'll ever be able to make that up to her.
"Let go of me!" Todd said, squirming around in her grip. She held tightly onto the material of his costume.
"Ah ain't 'letting go of you,' puke-breath" Rogue said, "Why're you jumping Kitty?"
"Yeah, like, I'm never going to get your stench from my shirt," I said, still wiping Toad goop from my face.
"Cause that goody-goody whish-washed Lance's brain," Toad said, almost pouting at this point with his arms crossed.
"What?" I asked. Rogue raised a single eyebrow.
"You heard me," Toad said, "Lance don't belong with you X-Geeks."
"Yeah, I, like, kind of notice that with him being on the Brotherhood and all."
"You letting him go, then?"
"Look, puke-breath," Rogue said, raising Toad off the ground slightly to glare him down face-to-face, "We don't know what you're yammering about."
Toad tried to struggle away from Rogue, "You know. Lance went and joined up with you losers again."
Rogue turned to look me. I shrugged.
I bit my lip, "Today? We've been at the mall, like, all day." I couldn't see Lance joining the X-Men again, anyway. Especially not after the ordeal in the parking lot.
"Na-ah," Toad said, struggling to pull out a piece of paper that was stuck in his belt, "He left us this note like a week ago and disappeared." He frowned, "He really ain't with you? You ain't lying?"
"Why on Earth would we lie?" Rogue asked, "Ah could kick your pasty little butt."
"Alright, alright," Toad said, "Will you put me down already? I won't bug you no more."
"Ah doubt that," Rogue said, but let go of Toad, anyway.
"Can I see that note?" I asked, holding out my hand.
"Whatever. It don't say much." He shoved it at me and hopped away.
I stare at Blob's collection of Ds and Fs with confusion.
"Ah think it's on the other side, Kitty."
"Oh," I say, flipping it over. Reading the actual note doesn't abate my confusion.
Lance's POV
"I still think we should be superheroes," Marlee said, "It would be fun."
"Yeah, where would you start with that?" I said, in attempt to talk sense into her. Something that should never be tried on Marlee.
"Let's look for cats stuck in trees!" she said, dragging me down the street before I could protest
AN: I know, nothing actually happened in the present time. Shame.
