Chapter Nine
Camp Red Wood
A short hour passed after all that happened, when we finally got to the camp. No one was talking that much and if they did, it was about Fred, Pietro, and me. True, the three of us did make a scene. But I still walked off the bus with Pietro holding my hand. I don't know why I let him do it but something was happening between us. Guessing that the show on the bus made some things became true. That Fred does not love me and that Pietro might ask me out. There was something about the way Fred not loving me that stung. Like I wanted him to but that could not the case. We have been friends for so long…I guess to hear that he does not feel that way is weird. I have never heard a man not loving me before. It looks like Fred really is different from other guys. Pietro did not ask why I kissed Fred on the cheek but Fred did. Well he looked at me with eyes that showed that he had questions. He did not press it on me to talk about it. Soon, though, I know that we would have to talk.
Anyway, the camp was beautiful. Like any other summer camp that was right by a lake. Called Maple Lake, has sandy beaches and of few fishing dukes. All the buildings are made of wood or in other words a log cabin. There are twenty medium sized cabins and a large one that must be the mess hall. The path's leading to each building was made of gravel. And of course Red wood trees surrounded us.
Suddenly a question came to mind. "What is this, a mutant camp or something?" asking out loud as everyone (even the X-Men) were out of the bus.
"That is a very good question my dear." A woman's voice chimed for the left. She is middle-aged with light green eyes and long dusty blonde hair. This woman road in on a chestnut mare and stopped in front of me with a smile, a siren pride glowed about her. "My name is Carly Waters and welcome to the Redwood Camp for mutants." Carly greeted us as she got off the mare.
"This has got to be a joke." Pietro scuffed as he looked at cow-girl Carly before him, wearing faded blue jeans and a paled, long sleeved shirt. She did not seem mad at Pietro for the comment but she raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, I can a sure you Mr. Maximoff that this is no joke." She scuffed back with humor over her features.
"How did you know that was my last name?" Pietro demanded as he stared Carly down and this time with wonder. There is something oddly familiar about his last name and I don't think I should know his family but, Maximoff. Why is it that I should know that name and hate it somehow?
"I know many things about you, the fact that your leaders told me about each one of you." Carly says calmly as she steps closer to us. I am still not sure what her powers are but she showed little fear, as if she really knew us and knows how to defeat us.
"Ya, and I am the king of Spain." Freddy sneered from behind me. It looks like all of us; brotherhood and X-Men alike were thinking this is BS. I know that I could not help but laugh at what Fred said. Still giggling I turned and looked at Fred. He is smiling at me and has a question in his eye. Fred still wants to know more about what happened on the bus. But Carly took another step closer and still showed little fear. By now I am starting to think that she telling the truth, however her powers are still something that I want to know. I looked up at Fred again to see that the laugher was gone. He just does not like the woman and that does not surprise me. Considering that I did not like her any more than him.
"On the contrary Mr. Dukes I know much about you, just as much as the others." Carly states as Fred rolls his eyes. He does not seem to care what Carly is saying. So she smiled and keeps talking. "Like how you have been orphaned ever scene you were two. How at five years of age you became acquainted to Ms. Fisk…" she paused to look at me for a moment. There is something in her eyes that made me shiver. What is Carly trying to get at? "How you two have lived in Sanctuary, Texas. About the monster trucks and John. Now you are a member of the Brotherhood. Anything else you want me to say Mr. Fred J. Dukes." She says this as if she knows us all our lives. Fred stared blankly at her and shacks his head.
That is when she turned her addition to me. "Then there is you Ms. Fisk. You have come from a very rich and powerful family. How you ran away from home at five years old and found Mr. Dukes. All you wanted was a friend to care for you. But now that you are a brotherhood member…you are unsure that he is still…"
"What gives you the right to say this about me?" I snarl, as Carly was a foot away from me.
"The fact is I have some right. But all I am trying to do is make a point. I know about all of you and why you have been sent here." Simply states Carly as if nothing could touch her. Maybe nothing could but that is still not justified.
"Be that as it may, you have no right to talk to Lily like that." Fred scuffed as he placed his arm around my waist. I let go of Pietro so Fred could pull me to him. Pietro does not want this but he did not protest. In no time my back was pressed to his body. Fred looked down at me for a moment. "Don't let her get to you Lily. She has no idea what she is talking about."
I looked into his eyes. "How could that not be true? What she said about our history is correct. Fred what are you trying to tell me."
Carly raised her eyebrow again. "Yes, Fred what makes you think I would be lying and why can I not say the truth?"
"Because she does not dissever it." Fred replied flatly and does not answer the first part of the question. What is going on here? Why is Fred saying that what happened between us never happened? But if that is not what is happening…then what is he trying to say.
"Is that so then I suppose that she dissevers what you truly think of her." Carly's question did not make sense but Fred protested and was cut off. "I think you know what I truly mean. But if I say it out loud…then she may not feel the same way about you. For you are unsure of it yourself. In fact, you are scared of losing her over it." She finished as she watched Fred's expression change. I looked up to see Fred's eyes widen with fear. What the hell, how can Fred get scared over this. Even if this was about me…what make him think he could lose me. Fred is not looking at me and looks into nothing. But when he does look at me…it looks like he is about to cry.
"What the hell did you say?" I demanded Carly with a growl. But she did not say a word and only watched. Fred's whole body is going rigged and tense. The hand on my hip tightens till it started to hurt. All of this was happening to fast and I do not know what to do. So I look up at Fred again and try to talk to him. "Freddy are you o…" I ask until I was cut short by a crack and pain. Gasping as I saw that the side of my hip is broken.
"Aprill!" Pietro spoke as I fell to my knees. "Blob what the hell is wrong with you." He sneered as Pietro fell to his knees with me. I am on my side as I looked at the broken bone. Pietro put his arms around my shoulders and held me close. He does not try to touch my hip but just looks at me. "Oh Aprill, how bad is the break?"
Fred's eyes rounded even more as he saw what he did. "What…oh god, Lily…" he murmured as he came to my level. He shoved Pietro out of the way so that he could get to me. Pietro landed hard and gave Fred a cold stair. I just look at him for a moment and told him not to move. "Oh Lily I am so, so sorry. I just was not…oh Lily I…" Fred is frantic as he gently pulled me of the ground. I placed a finger on his lips to stop him. He froze in the middle of getting me in his arms to look at me. His eyes sparked with concern and some fear crossed his features.
"Go on…I don't mind being in your arms." I say calmly as I looked deeply at him. Fred is truly sorry and is scared that I did not want his help. If I told him to go, he would and would not like it. He would feel that he failed me and blame himself. "It's ok, really. If Carly did not say whatever she said…you would not have done it." I said as I patted his arm that was around my shoulders. Fred is courses and slow as he continued. He is waiting for me to stop him but I did not say a word.
"God Blob…what is up with him?" Scott murmured to Jean. My lips pulled back in a snarl and faced Scott. With narrowed eyes I snapped my jaw at him.
"What is up with you freak." I hiss that made Scott jump. It looks like Scott does not know about my super hearing. "It was an ascendant you ass hole and I don't want to hear another word from you." I snapped with my arms around Fred's neck. He only looked at the left side of my hip and was not listening. After Scott zipped is mouth shut, I turned to Carly. She is just standing there with a small grin.
My words are cold and sharp, as I demand answers from her. "Now I am going to ask again…what the hell did you say?"
She scuffed. "You heard what I said. You're not asking the right question."
"Fine, what was the meaning of what you said?" I rephrased with a growl. This Carly is really pissing me off now. Even if she sounds very intelligent and powerful, I don't think she understands what she is getting into.
"Like I said Aprill…if I say it out loud you may hate him." Carly replied with a smile. I snarl at the answer. She is really asking for it now. "But I suppose you have a right to know that he…"
"Don't you dare say a word." A hiss came from Fred. He is staring daggers into her but she does not even flinch. But however the tone in his voice made me flinch. I had never heard such a cold, evil tone coming from him.
Carly tilted her head to the side. "Why, don't you…" Finally Fred snapped. Still holding me, he threw a punch at Carly. She does not move but raised a single hand. Fred's fist hit that hand and Carly holds it. She stands unfazed, smiling, and holds Fred in that one place. For once Fred is putting all his strength into something and cannot move, with everyone around us is in shock. Carly's smile grows and looks at me.
"So much warmth and power…just like described. Now I see why you love being in his arms." Carly is now giving an almost cold smirk. "I wonder if you feel safe right now?" I just snarl and don't answer. Yes, I could feel the warmth of his body, that raw power that he is using to move Carly and of course I feel safe knowing that Fred is with me.
"What the hell…how can you just stand there?" Fred hissed through clenched teeth.
Carly simply smiled with a titled head. "Time to end this." She chuckled as she pushed Fred backward. Just a simple flick of the wrist and Fred slammed into the bus. Fred lost his grip on me and I fell to the ground. Everyone ducked as Fred pushed the bus back. I groan as I chocked on dust. Behind me, Fred is passed out and groaned in deft. Everyone looks from Fred to Carly in amazement.
"You bitch." I snarl as I get to me feet. Before Carly could fully look at me, I ran at her. She cached my first punch and then the other. In a blur, I slammed my knee into her jaw. Surprised, she fell back and landed hard on the ground. "No one does that Fred…do I make myself clear." I howled, as I became air born.
Carly is getting to her feet and I was looking down at her. "Oh you made a very clear point however…" she paused to kick off the ground. Before I could doge, Carly kicked me square in chest, in mid-air, and flow back. I shock it off and came back at her. Gripping her neck in my hand, I through her to the ground. Then out of nowhere…she jumped from the dust and upper cuter me in the jaw. I hissed and smashed into bus. Gasping, I fell right on Fred's chest. He is just starting to wake up when he saw what happened. "You should know more about your target before you attack." Carly finished with her hands on her hips. She is standing in the middle of the hole that we made. Carly is proud of what she just done but I just growled at her.
Fred blinked at me. "Lily…Lily what did Carly do to you?" he panted weekly and started to look me over. But I guess that he was to week because he passed out. I looked at him in shock him but he did not move.
A dull pain shot from my left arm and grit my teeth. "Damn it, now my arm is broken. You are lucky that my arm and hip are broken. What kind of mutant are you anyway?" I snarl my demand.
"Well I guess you could say that I am a mutant Juggernaut." Carly says calmly as the X-Men gasp.
"Juggernaut? As in the Juggernaut." Jean questioned in shock.
Carly shacked her head. "I have similar powers to Cain but I was born with them. Cain has all his powers because of some gem." Rolling her eyes as she turned her gazed to me. "Your mother and father battled Cain a few times. Knowing them they have told you how dangerous he could be."
I nodded. "So this was all a plan to show your powers off."
Carly grinned. "You are cleaver. Yes, I had to find a way to make a point and explain my powers. So you and Fred have showed that beautifully."
"Wait you make it sound like you know him." Scott spoke with rage.
"Yes, I do know Cain. In fact, this is where the two of us live, Mr. Summers." Speaking evenly and with tender eyes. I did not know that the Juggernaut had a girl friend. The fact that he is so dangerous; I could only wonder why she loved him.
"So the Juggernaut is lose and is staying here?" I asked with wonder. If the X-Men saw the Juggernaut around here, they would attack. I am starting to think that is maybe why they are here and with the leader of the X-Men so close to Juggernaut (not knowing why that is). Well I hope that we don't have to deal with the powerful Juggernaut. If that happens, then we are all done for. Carly's smile faded and eyes became grave.
"No he is not here at the moment…" Carly turned her gazed away from Scott and back to me. "Cain is "lose" yes but should be returning soon…" she paused as she climbed back onto the mare; not knowing where it was two minutes ago. Oh great the Juggernaut is coming back. That is so not a good thing. "You see Cain has to come back or else he will became so weak…he would die. But don't worry, he knows that you are coming and does not care. By the time he returns he will be too weak to pay any mind to you."
"Then he should not come at all." Scott scuffed.
"Say what you like but Cain will return in three days and you stay here for two weeks. As long as you don't bother him, Cain will leave you alone." Carly swapped her gaze around us, almost hissing her words. "Even if I will be in the same state…I can control him. Anyway, everyone go to their cabins and dinner is at five." Carly finished and road the horse the way she came. Everyone started to move forward as I pulled Fred in the air with me. He is now unconscious as we move to the camp entrance. My first camp expense ever and I already hate it.