ACT 1, SCENE 2

A street. XAVIER, LOGAN, SERVANT

"Magneto must, as we know, keep the peace or he will, in turn be punished as the rest of us would be. Anyway, we are both wise enough to find a suitable way of maintaining peace." Xavier said.

"I know, Chuck, you've both done a great job so far. Its a damn shame you had to live with this shit for so long. But, uh, moving on, I just wanted to know what you'd think about me dating and er maybe possibly marrying Rogue?" inquired Logan

"Must I repeat myself, Logan? She hasn't even been able to see the world as yet, she is barely fourteen. I'll tell you what, in two years, when I think she will be more mature as well as prepared, then she will be ready for marriage and dating of sorts." Xavier replied.

"I've seen younger brides and mothers, Chuck, and they all seemed pretty happy," Logan countered.

"Those who marry so early are most often scarred for life. They don't get to experience anything but the responsibility of motherhood. I was never able to set out to do all the things I dreamed I would, I don't want to take that opportunity away from her, my daughter still has her hope and innocence. Don't get me wrong though, Logan. I do wish for you to seek her hand, but my wishes are only half of what you need. In fact they are even less important seeing as it is her decision to make in all finality. And if she does agree to you, then by all means, you have my whole hearted consent," Xavier assured him.

"Tonight, of course, I'll hold a customary feast for all friends," he continued, "you included Logan. I have already invited many guests so I do hope you can make it. There will be most the beautiful women and fresh Spring flowers, you mustn't resist. Come, go with me." He turned to one of the children and handed the small boy a slip of paper. "Would you mind inviting all my future guests? Tell them I welcome their company here at my house tonight," he told the boy. He and Logan left, still discussing Rogue.

"Find who now?!" The boy called after them, but they were already out of range. "Oh crap. Its only common sense that a shoemaker works with his shoemaker tools, a fisher with his nets and even a damn artist with their pencil and paper. And you know what? They know how to use 'em and they're pretty damn good at it too. But me? Oh, no. Here I am with a great bloody sheet of paper, in which is written all the names of all those I must invite, and I can't read! I suppose I have to find someone who can..." With that, he went in search of someone literate.

"That's crap, man; one fire burns out another's burning. A pain is blunted by another's pain, yo.
One sucky depression gets cured with someone elses," Toad rambled to Pyro. "Dude, and if you get some sort of gross eye infection, at least the other poison and shit'll die."

"I hear that weird ointment stuff you got is great for that." Pyro remarked.

"Huh? For what, yo?" Toad asked, puzzled.

"For your cut shin, you idiot!" Pyro smirked.

"Uhh...you going crazy on me now?"

"No, not crazy," Pyro sighed. "I wish I was going fucking crazy, though, because it'd be better than this. I feel caged, shut up in a goddamn cell without food while being beaten and tormented and--." He spotted the boy and shut up. "Oh," he sputtered, "uh, good afternoon.""Good afternoon to you too," the boy said. He looked at the paper and then to Pyro and Toad. "I have to ask, can you read?"

"Yeah, I guess," Pyro shrugged. "I learned on my own though."

"Oh, like without books?" the small boy asked, fascinated. He remembered his reason for being there, and quickly asked, "But anyway, can you read like...anything?"

"Yup," Pyro laughed. Thinking, he added, "If I can even understand it, that is. I don't do foreign languages."

"Oh, I see," the boy said, a bit put out. "Okay, well at least you were honest. Bye!"

"Wait!" Pyro stopped him in exasperation. "I'll read it, all right? Geez..." He read the names: "Signor Martino and his wife and daughters, Count Anselm and his beautiful sisters, the lady widow of Vitruvio, Signor Placentio and his lovely nieces, Avalanche and his brother Valentine, mine uncle Xavier, his wife and daughters, my fair niece Rosaline and Livia, Signor Valentino and his cousin Iceman, Lucio and the lively Helena." He handed the list back. "Where the hell are they invited to?"

"Up," replied the boy.

"Up?" Pyro reitterated. "Like, where up?"

"To our house."

"Whose house?" Pyro asked, losing his patience.

"My master's," the boy replied.

"Oh. Figures, I should've thought of that before the pointless questins, huh?" Pyro shook his head.

"Now I'll tell you without asking. My master is the great rich, Xavier, and if you're not one of Magneto's men, come and have a drink or something! Take care!"And with that, he scampered away.

"Oh! Dude! Rosie's going to be at the same feast, yo! I seriously love her, man. When you go, you can see her too, I swear she is the most beautiful woman in the whole world. There is just no comparison with any other, you know what I mean?" His gaze became distant and dreamy.

"Shut up before I flame your ass," Pyro threatened. "No one's as beautiful as my love. No one, you'd know exactly what I mean if you saw her. Trust me."

"Yeah, right," Toad grinned. "You're only saying that because you only saw her when she was all alone, remember? There was no one to compare her to, yo. You might've totally got the wrong image. Wait 'till you see her compared to all the babes that'll be at the feast tonight. You'll barely notice her, man."

Pyro sneered. "Whatever. Fine, I'll go, but not to see Rosie or whoever the fuck else. But to see my love."