Chapter 3: Cold All Around

"I think you'll be needing a bit more training before ya get ta go on out but, Chuck thinks you've at least earned these." As if on cue the doors to the Danger Room opened to allow a load carrying Piotr to enter the room, a large metal container in his arms.

Upon setting it down he the giant of the man wretched it open revealing several smaller boxes, a name engraved on a small plaque at the top of each. "Take the one with your name on it." Logan muttered but the mutants had already rushed it and were grabbing whatever was theirs and running off away from the crowd. But as the dispersed, gleefully admiring their new personal uniforms one remained.

Colossus lifted it up to check to see if anyone was missing theirs but only to find his name engraved on the small trunk. He looked to Logan.

"Chuck figures you can wear that or your other one, whichever's comfortable."

-Brotherhood House-

"Give me back my loighter!" John roared at Todd who dangled from what was left of the ceiling fan.

"So ya can fry me? No way yo!" With that Toad leapt from the fan, hit the wall, pushing off with his legs to ricochet him toward the stairs that he quickly bounded up.

With a yell of rage and moved to run after him but was stopped by Lance's hand on his shoulder, holding him back. John glared at him but Pietro was next seen holding a struggling Todd up by the back of his shirt collar, the lighter in the speed demon's free hand.

"You two have to stop this! The house can't handle much more of the constant fires its been slimed so damn much we're actually considering cleaning."

"Yeah! I mean really. Really! I might be more hyperactive than the sun, Lance might have anger issues, Freddy might not be able to stop eating, and Wanda might be in need of severe medication BUT at-least-were-not-destroying-the-house!" As he said this Todd continued to flail around, trying to break free.

Lance's grip tightened on John's shoulder as he looked ready to lunge for his lighter. "Now you two will get along or else you'll be buried alive." He growled at them.

"Or I'll convince Wanda to turn you into lamas." Pietro added quickly before tossing the lighter at Pyro who finally managed to break free of the rock tumbler's hold and dived for it, he managed to catch it but the momentum from the dive was enough to send him sliding along the floor to be stopped as he hit headfirst into the wall.

Todd smirked but it was quickly swiped away as the speedster let go, letting him drop to the floor, before speeding off.

-New Orleans-

The dark figure hurried over the rooftops, leaping from to the other, as it's assailants made chase quickly behind. Then the figure was gone as it just dropped down into an alleyway between the buildings. But it's chasers were trained same as it was and dropped down as well.

Remy stood smirking, absentmindedly twirling his retracted Bo-staff between his fingers leisurely as he leaned against the back wall. "Wha' took ya so long mes amis?"

The men glared at the thief as they stood there, blocking the entrance to the alley as they stood, dressed much like him. "Julien would like ta speak with ya, LeBeau."

"Ya tell Julien dat if he wanna speak ta Remy den he can come himself, 'kay homme?"

At this the men began to move towards him menacingly, one removing his own staff, the other a blade. But Gambit was too fast for them, already extending his staff he swiftly parried both attacks, knocking them back, before running at them, using his staff to pull volt over the heads. Landing crouched he swept his leg out and knocked the feet out of one man while simultaneously cracking the other in the skull with the end of his staff. Standing up he made a run for it out of the alley, retracting the weapon he hid it under his jacket behind his back before throwing himself onto the seat of his bike, with a rev of the engine he tore off, heading for the bridge out of town.

-Bayville High-

"John… Just why are you here? You've gotta be at lest twenty" Lance asked cautiously as the Brotherhood made it's way in through the main entrance.

"Simple mate. Oih never did finish high school." He nodded to himself in agreement with his statement.

"Fine. But we don't need trouble today, so don't burn anything…"

"Roight, no problem." Todd scoffed at that but didn't say anything.

As all six of them entered they paused. It seemed like the entire student body was split up into three different groups by the looks they gave them, disgust and hatred, fear from seeing what they could really do, and the last fear mixed with thankfulness at their stopping such a thing like Apocalypse.

Kelly marched forward through the hall toward the boys scowling as he shoved his way through the crowd. "Evidently," He said as he neared Lance at the head of the group, "You boys don't check your mail."

"Nope. We've learned to expect nothin' but bills from it." Todd interjected with smartass grin worn.

The high school principal ignored the Toad as he adjusted his glasses and continued. "All mutants are here by suspended indefinitely until such time the school board feels the unrest your being here will cause will have subsided."

"That's bullshit!" The angry voice of the walking fault line filled the hall, causing everyone to stop, turning to look at them as he roared at Kelly, his finger jabbing him in the nest, "You just don't want was us around! Never have! If we're suspended then fine, we won't come around! But that total bullshit and you know it! Everyone does!"

"Oih! The least ya could do is be honest 'bout it!" John joined it, receiving agreeing nods from several of the Brotherhood.

"Oh like these.. things were honest about what they were?"

"Oh yeah 'cause we tried SO hard to hide it! Not our fault if it you're too stupid to put it all together!" With that Lance whipped around and pushed out past the other Brotherhood mutants and the small group of normal kids outside the entrance. The rest of his fellow mutants gave Kelly one last glare before turning to follow after him.

-X-Mansion-

"Glad to see you have taken the suspension better then your fellow peers over at the Brotherhood household." Charles Xavier mentioned as he wheeled into the living room where various members of the X-men were lounging about.

"Why? What'd they do?" Ray asked, perking up as he genuinely looked forward to some entertaining antics from the Brotherhood for once.

"Well. Mr. Tolansky made it so Principal Kelly needs his car completely re-detailed. Pietro toilet papered his home. Pyro felt the man's porch could use a bit more burning bags of.. Well I'm sure you can figure that out. Wanda was angry but after sending Todd out of the window she was fine. Mr. Dukes seems to be eating everything they have since he doesn't have much else to fill up his time these days. The only one that doesn't seem to be doing anything about it would be Lance. Though he is angry, extremely so."

Ray smirked as he heard the retaliations of some of the first three, but with a warning glance from Jean he quickly whipped it from his face.

"Why do they care? Todd was always being picked on, everyone hated them for being mutants, and Kelly was constantly out to get them." Jean asked.

"They're probably tired of getting dumped on." It was Scott's turn to speak, "I mean think about it, Magneto, Mystique, Kelly, they've all dumped them on their own and ditched them when they're actually supposed to be looking out for them. And some of them have been going through that their whole life. I know if I was them I'd be sick of it too."

"You could be right, Scott. But they seem insistent on not taking the help of anyone. But then everyone they've trusted in such a situation has left them to fend for themselves so one cannot blame them."

-Somewhere in the Rocky Mountains-

Creed stood over the golem-like creature that he had been forced to battle with, a gash across his chest already healing as the snow hit him. A smaller version of the golem came crashing down to land and shatter into pieces in front of the lone berserker. A young man in a long brown jacket and a stocking cap followed it slowly as he floated down to land on the large snowy cliff. Upon landing the boy began to shiver slightly as he brought up a gloved hand to adjust the cap.

"Is this girl really worth all this?" Julian asked as he pulled the long brown jacket he wore solely for this cold venture tighter around him. The only response he received was a deep throaty growl form the man-beast as he lumbered past him to grab a hold of the slick rock face, managing to make his own hand holds with his flaws, and began to climb up, the 19 year old floating up after him at the same pace.