-1Chapter 10
"Eiw, like, gross! There's gum on the bottom of my chair!" Kitty sqealed, jumping up from her seat and looking at it as though it was a three headed snake with posion fangs.
"Kitty..." Lance cooed, smirking. "Don't worry, it won't bite you unless you touch it."
This earned a playful thwap from Kitty, before she sat down once again, (although uneasily).
"Pennyforyourthoughts?" A quick paced voice asked beside him as a hand moved at an unnatural speed in front of his face, holding a small, copper penny. Lance's eyes darted to a smiling Pietro beside him.
"I don't like circuses." He admitted, grabbing the penny stealthily as the lights in the stadium dimmed.
"Shh, it's starting!" Pietro ordered, poking the people in front of him in the back of their heads. They turned and glared at him, mumbling about "damn yanks."
The crowd grew quiet as a man, age ranging about twenty four, walked into the middle of the three rings of circus, holding a guitar. Lance heard Scott, somewhere in the row of seats, mumble, "Serenade" under his breath, so it was obvious that Serenade was what the man's name was. In Serenade's arms, he held a guitar, which he started plucking a slow, medevil sounding tune upon. Along with the guitar, came a picallo from a far off corner, as he began chanting musically.
"In a time, long, long ago, when people fought dragons and many other feirce magical creatures like it was nothing, and princesses lay in towers, waiting to be rescued, there lived a knight. A night named Camalot." And the man walked aside, still playing his guitar quietly, as pair of men were shown on the first ring, wearing slightly medevil red and black clothing.
"Ah! Camalot!" A somewhat portly, aged around fourty, gentleman yelled gaily, playfully slapping Camalot on the back. Camalot returned the action.
"Good day, Randler, sir. What would you like me to do today?"
Randler opened his mouth to speak, but Camalot interrupted him quickly.
"Uh, one moment, Randler, sir. Stutta!" He turned and called the name, before facing Randler once again. "My assistant, you know. In just a moment..."
The X-men and Brotherhood all leaned forward anxiously in their seats when Jamie appeared in the ring beside Camalot, making the man start.
"Stutta! Don't...DO...that." The man said harshly, but continued in a cheerful voice. "Make a note."
Jamie, to the audiance seemingly unphased by the cruel treatement toward him, posed a quill above the surface of a peice of paper readily.
"Yes sir!" He cheered excitedly, waiting.
Randler listed a list of errands hastily, while Jamie scribbled them down and Camalot stared fixedly past the crowd. When Randler was finished, Camalot grabbed Jamie's arm fixedly and making a small wave in Randler/the crowd's direction.
"Come, Stutta, we've got much work to do!" The one called Camelot said, speeding faster than light from the arena and making the crowd gasp and slap their knees in wonderment.
Only The X-Men and Brotherhood lay unamused. Slowly, one by one, all the heads turned to Pietro, who was sitting, stricken, in his seat, his eyes wide and glassy with fear, and his hands turned a paper shade of white as they clenched hard on the armrests as though for dear life.
"Pietro!" Lance soothed, snatching up both of the boy's cold hands and sqeezing them between his in the way a father would. "Pietro, stay calm. We have to stay calm."
Still pale as a sheet, Pietro nodded mutely and relaxed a small bit, but still stayed tense throughout the following scenes. Many of the X-Men and Brotherhood joined him, too, as they watched the show, each set of eyes resting on a part of the show that reminded him or her of themselves and their powers. Sometimes the power similaries were uncanning. Other times, the similarities were small, but still eerily close.
It was not until, at least three scenes later, that Jamie spoke again. His mutant power had not yet been revealed to the audiance, owing to the fact that his character, it seemed, was just a small boy that followed around Camalot, the important knight. The scene was in the center ring, and many of the already introduced male characters were surrounding one unintroduced character, whom it seemed, had everyone engaged in a thrilling tale of his journey to fight the legendary Basilisk. Many were listening intently, others figiting, while Camalot, Jamie stuck like glue to his side, payed close attention at the man's left hand.
"I cornered the devil, I did. But just as I was about ta remove me glasses and soak him with me lazer vision, but then...he ate me."
There were scattered groans thoughout the crowd, one particularily coming from Randler.
"Ain't anybody got any true stories that they can tell?" He asked loudly, looking around at the many surrounding him. Only one small voice answered.
"I have one!" Jamie said, speaking up from his master's side. Camalot looked down at him in surprise and amusement.
"You have a story, Stutta? Well then...let's hear it." He crouched on his haunches, gestering to the middle of the circle they were standing on the outside of.
"Jamie looks so cute in that little errand boy outfit!" Tabby sqeaked to anyone listening, and to her surprise, there was many a murmer of hushed agreement beside and around her from fellow X-Men and Brotherhood members.
Jamie looked around at the group, turning around to look at all of them. A simply tune was playing in the backround from the guitar, signalling that, like all the other characters, his major time in the audiance's eye was musical.
"I have a story that will make you shudder, will make you envious and dry, see the way this story goes, theres a creature we all knows, if he looked at you than you would probably cry."
Jamie pulled out a toy wooden sword smugly, obviously noticing he had the attention of all the men of the crowd.
"This story begins with a moonlit pathway, with my old girlfriend Jezzabell..."
Gestering wildly with the sword, Jamie's voice rang out throughout the stadium like a tea pot on over boil, loud and attention grabbing.
"Then down from the sky he came, Known worldwide for his fame, Must've been a hundred feet that devil fell!"
The people in the crowd chattered curiously, watching Jamie as he held out his sword.
"And then, he came, flying strait at me! And then, I stood, so brave and tall! The dragon came, I beat him easily, And then there came a fleet of evil knights!"
The crowd gasped and leaned forward, staring as Jamie beckoned the semi circle around him closer.
"I didn't want to fight, but I was angry, I took my sword up with a yell, And in rows of five they came, All identically the same, I could barely tell which one of them had fell."
With the last word, Jamie tapped the sword hard but casually against his wrist, making five multiples appear beside him. Jamie faced one of them, holding his sword out as a challenge as the crowd could be heard clapping furiously.
"Engarde, shanty nave!" He insulted, clicking his wooden sword against that of the multiples. The multiple scowled at him.
"Fight like a man, scoundrel!" The multiple growled, pulling back his sword, but Jamie dodged out of the way and let another Multiple take his place in the match as he again stood in the middle of the semi circle, somewhat a ways off from the rest of his multiples.
"Ah...there was just, too many! They thought I'd retreat, well look and see... I'd beat them, any tenny, But somehow they thought that they could win just randomly."
Smiling as four of his multiples phased back into him, Jamie began a furious sword fight with his last remaining multiple, (a fight which contained quite alot of strange acrobatic twists, mind you), while the crowd behind him buzzed, whispering to each other.
"Stutta!" Camalot called, holding a large bag. "Stutta, come!"
His last Multiple inside him, Jamie scuttled again to the side of Camalot.
"Yes sir!"
The arena grew dark as intermission set in.
"And now, for intermission, the vocal stylings of...Serenade." A voice from nowhere stated excitedly.
All the X-men and Brotherhood stretched their arms and legs tiredly in their seats, all discussing the spectacle they had just witnessed.
"Scary...I'm just glad I'm here, and not there." Kitty whispered to Kurt shakily, clutching onto his arm. Pietro had settled himself far down into his seat, arms crossed and mumbling to himself, where as all the others would talk in quiet, somewhat shocked whispers.
Serenade was now standing in the front of the middle ring, looking expectant. The crowd quieted, and he strummed a few notes lifelessly, before actually making a slight tune and singing the first tune that popped into his head.
"The hiiills are aliivee, with the sound of muuuusic... With songs they have sung, for a thousand yeeeears..."
Just as suspected, the crowd began to grow limp, slouching down into their seats and closing their eyes slightly.
"The hiiills fill my heeeart, with the sound of muuusic... My heart wants to siiing every..."
His song was interrupted with the fact that the whole audiance had now fallen asleep. Mr.Porchelli came up behind Serenade, pulling earplugs out of his ears.
"Wonderful job, Serenade, wonderful. Now, Camelot, Stutta, everybody, let's collect these wallets! I want every single wallet from every single person in this bag!" He held out a shabby paper bag.
Jean quickly slipped her wallet out of her pocket and onto the floor under her seat. She had heard what the man had yelled, and it was obvious that Professor Xavier had too. But for now, they would pretend to sleep, and also pretend to have no money.
Jamie flinched as the cage door was closed behind him. The show had ended, and him, not being in the ending scene, had been forced back to his cage. It was then, siting there twiddling his thumbs absentmindedly, that he heard Mr.Porchelli in the next room, yelling irritably into a cell phone.
"WHAT?! Oh yes! Serenade will be gone by tonight! Yes sir, Mr.Kex, pleasure doing buisness with you!"
Mr.Kex? Where had Jamie heard that name before? Mr.Kex, Mr.Kex, Mr.Kex...as hard as he tried, Jamie could not wrack his brain hard enough to remember the strange, familar sounding name. He had bigger problems to deal with. Serenade was being taken away tonight? They wouldn't...he couldnt!
"Kex is coming tonight, I don't want any screw ups. This is our biggest costomer, our biggest emplyer! Nothing can go wrong!"
To Jamie's surprise, Mr.Porcehlli turned to his cage when he said this, looking him in the eyes with a narrow glare.
"That means you," He gripped the bars of Jamie's cage, glowering into the small space and making the light seemingly dissapear. "That means YOU, Stutta, have to be OUT of the picture."
After standing up, Mr.Porchelli continued to speak.
"I don't like freaks like you, Stutta. I don't tolerate troublemakers in my freakshow. If you're a troublemaker..." He punched his left palm with his right fist in an example. "Bam. Let's just say it's not a pretty picture. I don't understand freaks like you, Stutta. Every guy's gotta deal with em, they're everywhere. And beleive it or not," Mr.Porchelli squatted, so he could see visibly into Jamie's cage. "I treat you better than any of them other managers would. So you betta smarten your attitude, like your buddy Serenade did. You got me, freak?"
Slowly, Jamie nodded, and his mouth forcibly twitching into a partly visible half smile. Mr.Porcelli nodded in approval and opened his cage.
"You're gunna be moving back to your old cage...near Serenade. But I hear one ounce of funny buisness goin' on between you two, it's strait back to trouble-makers corner. Got it, freak?"
Again, Jamie nodded slowly, still wearing his pathetic half smile.
"See." Mr.Porchelli said, pushing Jamie along through the rows and rows of cages. "Smiling isn't so bad, is it Stutta? Smiling freaks make me happy. And now you see? I'm happy, and I'm giving you your old cage back. All in a day's work, Stutta. I'm glad you're finally beginning to see what you really are."
A curt nod as Mr.Porchelli opened Jamie's old cage and pushed him in.
"Remember, Stutta. One ounce of funny buisness, it's back to troublemakers corner."
And then he left.
"Stutta!" Serenade's voice could be heard in the cage beside him. "Good behavior payin' off, eh kid?"
Jamie smiled and looked up into Serenade's cage thoughtfully.
"Serenade! They're moving you TONIGHT!" He whispered, leaning forward, Jamie shook his head in sadness at the other boy.
Serenade stared in disbeleif at Jamie.
"That...you're kiddin' me, Stutta. Ya gotta be. I...I been here for five years in countin', and now they wanna move me? I ain't goin'!"
Jamie shrugged, sighing piteously.
"I'll make sure they don't take you, Serenade!"
Serenade grinned and shook his head, strumming his guitar lifelessly.
"They won't take me." He stated, but it was noticable that he was strumming the guitar harder now from nervousness. "They can't. They try to take me, I'll open my mouth and..."
"Serenade!" Mr.Porchelli yelled, interrupting the man's threat as he opened Serenade's cage. "Serenade, come with me!"
Looking surprised, Serenade stepped out of the now open cage and joined Mr.Porchelli at his side. Casting a glance in Jamie's direction, Serenade's eyes darted to an object on the floor next to Jamie's cage. And then he was pulled away by Mr.Porchelli.
Reaching down to the floor, Jamie picked up the hairpin lying forgootten next to his cage. How did you pick a lock? Sighing, Jamie set to work.
"Serenade, Mr.Kex, Kex, Serenade. Of course you've...already met, however. So I'll just, leave you alone." Mr.Porchelli looked at his watch after making this inquiey. "Mr.Kex, the truck will be coming in sixty minutes."
Mr.Kex nodded bluntly, narrowing his eyes at Serenade.
"So...'Serenade', how ya been?" He asked, leaning forward in his chair, as though inspecting the individual in front of him.
Serenade narrowed his eyes also, leaning backward in his own chair.
"Let's just get down to buisness. Why, after five years, have you come back? Why, after five years of ignoring me, you've decided to come and make money off me? Why?"
A curt glance at his pocket, Mr.Kex took out a ciggarette and lit it before answering.
"Why, Jack, do you care?" A swig of the ciggarette, smoke blown gracefully in Jack's direction. "You may have forgotten, but I can do anything I want with you. I OWN you."
Glaring, Jack waved the puff of smoke away from him with a discusted look on his face.
"Since when did fathers own their sons?" He challenged bravely, although trmebling somewhat.
Mr.Kex let out a deep, rich laugh and stood up, making Serenade crane his neck.
"I owned you the minute you became the worthless little freak you used to be. And I still own you, after all this time. I still own you! You're worth fifteen thousand and I still own you! You have no rights! You are just a peice of property to be owned and traded!"
Jack jumped up from his chair, enraged.
"I am not in any relation to merchandise that can be bought in a cornerside conveiniance store. I am a human being, not unlike yourself!"
Growing slightly red, Mr.Kex looked enfuriated by this sudden burst of confidence from Serenade.
"You are very unlike the likes of me, Jack! You may be one of my many offspring, but you will never be accepted among the people of everyday life! You are not a human being in the slightest, you are nothing but a bad-mannered freak, cared for and handled only in the name of profit and buisness! Now I advise you learn what you are in the next fifty minutes, Serenade, or there will be a large consequence in your part."
Mr.Kex again glared rudely at Serenade, before opening the door to the office they had been confined in and closing it behind him.
It was obvious that Jack dare not escape. The risk of that was far more brudal than being moved from one freak-show to another. He was dwelling upon this when he felt a tap on his back.
"I'm not done..." He started to say, then turned and saw, to the delight of his eyes, Stutta smiling up at him.
"STUTTA!" Jack practically screamed, grabbing the boy and embracing him with a little too much force. Two multiples landed on either side of Stutta, them too smiling at their victory.
"Serenade, I escaped. I used the hairpin, and I unlocked the cage! Isn't that great?!"
Jack nodded, but looked nervous.
"The backstage crowd will be coming soon, and they're all expecting to throw marbles at you..."
Jamie smirked.
"I left a multiple." He shrugged, and Serenade grabbed the boy happily, ruffling his hair.
"You little GENIUS you!"
This lovely show of affection would have lasted longer, had Mr.Kex not sidled through the door at that exact moment, and gave the two a most confused look. The look of confusion, however, immediately turned into a look of absolute mockery.
"How sweet..." He said quietly, smirking.
Jack glared at Mr.Kex, placing his arm in front of the one remaining Jamie protectively.
"One thing, Stutta, don't get mixed up with guys like this."
Serenade did not expect Mr.Kex to laugh at this comment, but at his comment, Mr.Kex let out a loud laugh and crossed his arms over his chest in contempt.
"Something you do not know, Jack, is that he has already gotten mixed up with me. "
With a gasp Jack cast a glance towards Stutta, only to find he wasn't smiling anymore, far from it. Facial expressions contorted with hate, Stutta was glaring daggers at Mr.Kex, arms crossed protectlivly over his chest and a large scowl inhabiting his face. Before Serenade could say anything, Stutta was in front of him , arms spread wide, as though trying to block him from site, which was impossible, considering Serenade, and Mr.Kex, towered over him considerably.
"Why are you taking him?! He never did anything to you! If you knew him you wouldn't be taking him away! You're a vicious, sinful, evil, wickid man and I wish had no relation to you whatsoever!"
In a flash, a fist connected sharply with Jamie's jaw, sending him sprawling into Serenade, eight multiples glaring angerly at Mr.Kex as though they had been the ones hit. Jack cradled Jamie in his arms for a few seconds before lowering him down to the floor and locking eyes with Kex, anger flashing through them as he stepped forward, his large, tan hands clenched in fists trembling with anger at his sides.
"What's going on here? What gives you the right to hit innocent kids?!" Serenade yelled angerly, his eyebrows furrowing together in loathing.
Mr.Kex's fist looked itching for more prey.
"Innocent kids?! He is property, like you! Why, you two are more alike then you think! Both of you are nothing but worthless merchandise, to be sold and bought, and both of you belong to me. Who would have geussed that you two had the same father? No one. Not even yourselves."
Jack turned to look at the now one remaining Jamie, who was wiping blood from his mouth and glowering in indignation at Mr.Kex, then turned back to his father.
"You mean...Stutta and me...?"
Mr.Kex raised his eyebrow in an amused manner.
"Arn't you lucky, Jack." His father offered, walking up behind Jamie and picking the boy up by the back of his shirt with non-surprising easiness. "Arn't you lucky...to have cute little Jamie as your brother?" With that, he pushed Jamie forward into Serenade, who caught him nervously and pushed his younger brother behind him securely.
"You take one step closer and you'll be blasted into next Tuesday." Jack warned, holding his right hand out as an example.
Mr.Kex looked amused.
"What? What are you gunna do, 'serenade' me to death?"
Glaring, Jack cried out in rage as a sonic wave of pulsing sound exploded from his right hand. Mr.Kex flew backward considerably, slamming against the thick wall of the office, rendering himself unconsious.
Jack turned quickly and pulled Jamie out of the office, practically running to the emerency exit.
"Stut...I mean, Jamie, are you okay?" He asked, surveying the smaller boy with concern. Jamie nodded, dabbing at his still bleeding mouth with his shirt sleeve.
"I'm okay. Are you okay?"
Jack nodded, and Jamie grinned.
"That was SO cool. The...with your hand...and...WOW!"
The two smiled at each other, but then turned back to the current situation before them.
"How are we gunna get outta here?" Jack asked himself out loud, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
Both Jamie and Jack started at a female voice behind them.
"It's already taken care of."
Jamie turned around, his eyes wide and his excitement growing, as he recognised the voice.
"TABBY!" he cried, running to the girl and sqeezing her torso in a hug. Lance and Pietro appeared behind her, along with the rest of the X-Men.
"You...you guys came to...to help me!" Jamie breathed in surprise, but still, he smiled. "I...didn't think you would..."
Lance stepped forward, putting his hand on Jamie's shoulder.
"Of course we'd come to get you...you're one of us. We look out for each other." Upon noticing Jack beside Jamie, Lance held out his hand generously.
"Hey, I'm Lance. Lance Alvers."
Jack placed his hand in Lance's tentatively.
"I'm Jack Madrox...formally known as Jack Singer."
Jean rudely ruined the moment by stepping forward in confusion.
"Wait...you two are related?" She asked, pointing to Jack, and then Jamie. The two nodded.
"Brothers." The said in unison.
"We had the same father." He pointed to the office. "Who's in there."
As if on cue, Tabby jumped forward.
"Let's go see him!" She suggested, grinning at Jack playfully. He stared at her, wide eyed.
"Um...um...well..." He stuttered stupidly, pointing at the office as though the answer to whatever he had been trying to say. Lance, Pietro, and mostly all of the X-Men gave Jack looks of bewilderment, as though saying, "Are you stupid?! You like TABBY?!"
"X-Men, Brotherhood, and Jack." Professor Xavier gave Jack a sly raised eyebrow. "The X-Van is parked pateintly outside, but it will not wait for much longer. Shall we go?"
All the X-Men nodded, turning and walking slowly out the emergency exit to the X-van, while the Brotherhood, Jamie, and Jack stayed behind.
"Jamie! I'm so glad we FOUND you!" Tabby sqealed, wrapping her arm around his shoulders and walking with him (although it was slightly difficult, with the height differance) to the X-Van.
"Well?" Pietro questioned, motioning torwards the emergency exit with an expectant look torwards Jack. "Lets go."
Lance did the same, and Jack stared at them.
"You mean...that guys in the wheelchair is gunna let me...go with you guys?"
Pietro and Lance nodded, each grabbing one of Jack's arms and pulling him to the exit.
"It's not Buckingham Palace, but it does us over alright." Lance smirked as they walked cautiously across the parking lot.