A/N: Sorry for the long time between updates! As a present, here's 4k+ of fun. Don't own it, don't sue. Leave a review, please, I'd love it much. And, just to prove you read this stupid thing, what was your favorite line? Part? Least favorite part? You know the drill. Also, I'm thinking I've developed an obsession with Transformers. -sigh- Wish me luck.

I think that my mother is stalking me.

It's a crazy thing to say, because parents are supposed to do that kind of thing, but when one of them is dead and the other one shows up after ten years of being dead (for all intents and purposes)...it kind of screws with you. I've been so jumpy lately. It's driving me, and everyone I hang out with, insane.

Grace shot me an annoyed look, lowering the cardboard health bar that was her lunch and leveling a smoking stare in my direction. "Spill."

"Spill what?" A slight noise caught my attention and I twitched, twisting around in my seat to try and find the source. Nothing but bushes and groups of talking teenagers. Ah, the joys of eating outside. Ambushes are lurking around every corner, my paranoia whispered. Everywhere.

"Whatever the hell's bugging you so much," she wheedled. "I'm your girlfriend. Shouldn't you be able to tell me what's bothering you?"

I wish. I'm a mutant, I'm pretty sure someone's aiming to kill me, my mom is insane, my dad is dead...the list goes on.

"Nothing's wrong," I said, waving away her protests. "I'm fine."

She cocked her head, squinting. Before I could ask what she was doing she pushed her face up close to mine. I blinked, confused.

"You're a good liar," she said finally, settling back to the normal personal space boundary. "Not as good as my brother, but pretty good."

I stifled my first reaction (knock her out and run away), instead opting for the socially acceptable method of laughing and switching the topic. I was starting in about the insanity of my math teacher when motion out of the corner of my eye made me twitch again.

It was just Evan...flying magically off his board, landing in an ungraceful heap at the feet of the other insane guy here at this school. Kelly.

I dislike that bastard very much, not only because he's a prejudiced idiot, but because he gave me detention for something I didn't do.

Kind of. Long story.

A twig snapped and I whirled around, hand held out. "I'm getting tired of this, Beth," I snarled. "Or should I call you Mom?"

Grace turned around, staring intently at the bush I was threatening. "Nothing's there, Loki," she said. "Are you crazy?"

Nothing moved. Feeling my face begin to burn, I returned to my sparse lunch, meekly making conversation until the lunch was over.

The bell rang in short order. I kissed Grace lightly on the cheek, wishing her a good afternoon, and was just walking towards the building when someone tackled me. Not kidding.

It was Beth, a.k.a. Mom, a.k.a. Insane Person Number One.

Oh, you thought I was lying, didn't you? My family takes dysfunctional to an entirely new level.

"Hi, son," she said cheerfully, pushing a chunk of dishwater blond hair out of her hazel eyes. My hair, my eyes. If I was that kind of person, I'd rip them out. But I'm not that kind of person. Thus, case closed.

I was too busy being crushed under her to answer. She might not weigh much, but she had gravity and a killer history of tackle football backing her up.

"Now, I know I've been gone for a bit," she continued on, sitting on my chest and getting comfortable as I struggled to breathe. "But I'm back, and I'm here to stay. So, get used to it. Who was that girl you were with? She was cute. Kind of mannish, but oh well. I'm sure when you get married your kids'll be fine."

I shoved her off my chest. Rocketing to my feet, I watched as she rolled and crouched low to the ground, probably getting ready to tackle me again.

"I'm leaving," I spat, gathering up my scattered books. Beth waved cheekily at me and I stomped off.

Only to get busted by Kelly for being late.

Life hates me. I think it does, honestly. I failed a test in math, probably missed the dates for a few more, and completely demolished a table in chemistry (actually pretty funny, because the sub about had a cow when I gave her my most impassive 'do I look like I even give a shit?' stare).

Before I was ready to go jump off a building, it was time to go home. I waved bye to Grace, who rolled her eyes and shrugged, and was about to board the bus when something ever-so-gently hit me on the back of the head. Rubbing the injured area tenderly, I turned around, already knowing who was there.

Beth, Mom, whatever the hell I should call her. She was lounging in an open convertible, flaunting her richness. She married a rich guy, I guess, and sued him. Then divorced him. Now she has all the money and he...well, I don't care about him.

"I've been told not to accept rides from strangers," I snarked, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I'm not a stranger, you lived in my vag for nine months. Get in, I'm giving you a ride back to the mansion."

Eloquent and blunt. Maybe that's where I got my sarcastic personality from. I hopped in, closing the door, and she reached over and seized my wrist. Before I knew what she was doing, she'd shut off the inducer.

I ducked my head, growing angrier by the second. "What the hell?" I hissed angrily. "I've got white hair and pointed ears. Don't go doing that again." I flicked it back on and sat up, thankful that the button worked just as well as it did for me as it did for her. And that it worked at all.

"I'm your mother, shouldn't you wear your normal face around me?" She pouted, roaring out of the parking lot and taking off at breakneck speed for the mansion. I think we out-drove some birds. Or airplanes.

"I get it. You gave birth to me, you're my mom. Stop saying that." I swung my head away from her, glaring out at the roadside flashing by.

"Just reminding you," she sing-songed as we skidded into the driveway, screeching to a halt. I vaulted out of the vehicle, not even bothering to open the door, and stalked into the mansion. Damn Professor and his damn policies of making up with every living family member. Insisting that having her stay here is better because I'm slowly but surely going to go bonkers.

That's just how I roll.

Eager to avoid another confrontation with Beth/Mom, I beat everyone down to the Danger Room, already suited up and everything. I was doing a little pre-cursory target practice when Evan and Miss Ororo walked in, chatting. Interesting...not really. They're related. It's expected.

I waved slowly, watching as the pair got set up. Miss Ororo very politely (read: ordered) me to be the hostage to be rescued, since I politely (read: idiotically) neglected to remember they'd booked the DR for a private session. So I got to be tied up, stranded somewhere while the holograms took the form of a matrix-esque computer. Lines everywhere.

"Whoo! Go Loki! I mean, go Tempest!" I winced and sat up, struggling slightly since my hands were bound behind my back.

"Shut up, you!" I snapped. Before we could really set in on each other, Miss Ororo floated serenely from on high, ready to rescue me with her amazing powers. Then, of course, instead of the sim being nice and ending, it trapped us in a box.

A small box. I suspect my mother might have had a hand in that.

So, instead of Miss Ororo acting calm and rational, cutting me free and utilizing my blunt or sharp winds to cut us out, she panicked. I watched numbly as she began hyperventilating, pounding desperately on the walls of the box, powers forgotten. She turned wild eyes on me and yelled, "Simulation end!"

The cube fizzled out and I stood, concerned. Miss Ororo, while an adult, had helped me out when I first got here, so I was allowed to wonder why she went apeshit in there. I reached out a hand and was about to ask her what happened when she rounded on Evan.

"What took you so long?" she snapped angrily, still breathing quickly. "Are you so incompetent that you can't even complete a simple exercise? Get out!"

Whoa. That cube freaked her out more than I thought. "Claustrophobic much?" I muttered. "No reason to chew him out."

"And you!" She whirled around, her cape flaring slightly behind her as she built up the static electricity in the air. That usually meant she was angry, a sign I recognized stemming from an unfortunate situation involving us dying her hair black. Long story, again. "You couldn't free yourself? Haven't you been here longer than him?"

"Relax," I snarled, splaying my hands. Just in case. "I wasn't supposed to free myself. That was the point of the exercise, you guys racing to free me." I cocked my head, frowning. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Watch your language." Instead of slamming me again, she stalked out, following belatedly behind Evan, who skittered out when she started acting spacey.

I shrugged and stuffed my hands in my pockets, walking out cool as a cucumber, hoping my mom/Beth wasn't still in the control booth, screwing with the controls. Apparently, she was, because I had to fight my way back to the door, slicing and dicing various metal constructs. By the time I got out it was past dinner and I was ready to eat myself.

Yum.

"Hiya!" Mom said cheerfully, bouncing out. "Aren't you excited? Your powers are cool! You were all like- like- fwoosh! And slice! And-" She made an assortment of other heroic-sounding noises as I watched impassively. I swear, she has the mentality of a three-year old. And I've been in her company for how many days? Yikes.

"Shut up," I grumbled, smacking the elevator button, restraining myself from gnawing on something. My stomach was about to eat itself, Mom was talking my ear off, and my mind was tying itself in knots trying to figure out what was going on with Miss Ororo. So it was understandable that I hardly noticed walking and sitting down at the table.

Mouth watering, I gathered enough food to feed an army on my plate and was about to set into it like a pack of rabid hyenas on a fresh kill when the alarm went off. Not the normal, lame-sounding beep-beep-beep kind. No, the serious windows-and-doors-locked-down-with-flashing-lights-and-sirens kind of alarm. I sent a sad look at my dinner, promised myself private time later, and bounded off in the direction of the distress signal.

Turned out to be a double, and with Mom following behind curiously, I made a snap decision. Down to the foyer to talk with Miss Antisocial, or up to talk to the freaked out Miss Ororo? Former teacher it is! I jogged up the stairs, falling into place behind Logan, and he burst through the door, claws out.

Miss Ororo was panting raggedly, clutching at the sheets, pale as a ghost. Logan did his best to calm her down, assuring that if someone was bothering her, he'd have smelled them and torn them to itty bitty pieces by now. I seconded that, since it was well into the middle of the night and I'd've heard anyone or anything creeping about.

Xavier puttered in, followed closely by Kitty. "Beat ya here," I said triumphantly. The Professor gave me a sharp glare and shooed Logan and Kitty out, the latter protesting because she hadn't helped at all.

"It was the shadows again," Miss Ororo whispered after a moment of stark silence. Wait, why am I here again?

"I've scanned the entire mansion, and nothing is around," Xavier said, laying his hand on her arm. "I think that relations between you and your nephew are stressing you to the breaking point. Perhaps..." He looked thoughtful. "Perhaps it was a mistake taking Evan from his parents."

Before I had time to jump for joy (that brat made me homicidal on his good days), the tell-tale pattering of feet on carpet filtered in through the door. My best guess...Evan was eavesdropping and knows we don't want him anymore.

My mom, surprisingly enough, was silent. I got the feeling that I wasn't really needed anymore (not like I was needed in the first place) and quietly took my leave.

"So who was she?"

I rolled my eyes. "Miss Ororo, weather witch extraordinaire." I could feel myself brighten as I clapped eyes on my plate of food and I eagerly sat down, shoving bites and barely chewing before I swallowed.

"Didn't anyone teach you manners?" Beth/Mom scolded. "You shouldn't eat like a pig."

That got my hackles rising. "Oh, so you've figured out the crazy approach isn't going to work, so you're gonna try and mother me at the table? Nice try. I've lived without you for ten years. I can live without you again," I bit out, scowling. I shot to my feet, pushing the chair over in the process. "I'm done. Go to your room and get some rest."

"I'd much rather hang out with you!" she chirped, smothering a yawn.

"I don't sleep. We'd be hanging out for a long time." I walked out of the dining room and into the rec room, gathering blankets for my nest as I wiled away the hours watching t.v. and ignoring the copious amounts of homework I have piled up.

"That's okay. We'll-" Mom/Beth covered her mouth with a hand, blinking sleepily. "-talk until I fall asleep, then. Like at slumber parties."

I rolled my eyes, flicking on the tube. After watching the news in silence (I was still wanted and several sightings had come in, which made me laugh) Mom/Beth mumbled, "You kept my blanket."

I froze. There was no way to reply to that, not after what she'd done to me, not without looking like a sissy. So I said nothing, just watched as she slipped deeper into slumber, curling into a ball as if people were going to attack her and she had to present the smallest amount of surface area possible.

I was slipping into a drowsy trance myself, but before I could descend completely into sleep (thank God, or whoever's up there) a scream shattered the silence. I shot to my feet, taking off in the direction of the noise before I knew what was going on.

Miss Ororo screamed again when I came bursting through the bathroom door, throwing out her hand and shooting me with a bolt of lightning. I convulsed for a moment, then dropped like a stone. Getting electrocuted doesn't get any more pleasant no matter how many times it happens to you. A word of advice.

"Oh!" Now she gets it. "Loki, forgive me. I have been on edge. Are you alright?"

Despite the fact I can't move and I smell like a barbecue? "Yeah. Gimme a sec." I hauled myself to unsteady feet, keeping my eyes on the floor. "What scared you?"

"N-nothing. It was nothing. I, uh, saw my reflection and it startled me. I'll be fine, go on," she urged, and I backed out quickly. Flicking my eyes up to see if she was alright, really, I caught sight of something that chilled me to the bone.

A skull. In the steam. And, right where the point in between the eyes was, a network of cracks spider-webbing out.

Shit like that makes you know something's wrong.

I stood gaping for a moment, unable to voice my concern, and Miss Ororo smiled weakly. "Um, I did that. Feeling a little stressed, you know, so I thought some art would help. Would you do me a favor?" She pounced on her newest thought. "I've still got to get ready. Would you mind telling Evan that he will be taking a leave of absence from the mansion to visit his parents for a bit?"

Sure, tell the kid he's leaving so you can collect your thoughts. "Alright."

I closed the door, turning around with the intent of leaving quietly as to not disturb her anymore. That plan was utterly ruined when I shrieked like a small girl because my mom's face was two inches from my nose.

"Don't you have one of those thingies again this morning?" she asked happily. "I'd be glad to help. That was fun!"

"Absolutely not," I growled. "I've got to go talk to someone. Stay here!"

I stomped off in the general direction of Evan's room, fists clenching. Stupid mom, stupid Xavier, stupid paranoid Miss Ororo-

I threw the door open, already in a bad mood for the day. "You're gonna go back to your parents," I said crisply.

"I know," Evan snapped back, throwing another shirt into his knapsack. "Not like anyone would really care if I left, though, would they?"

"How would I know?" I snarled. This kid just painted a target on himself. "Here you are, able to actually go back to your parents, with both of them alive and sane. And you're complaining because no one's throwing you a goddamn good-bye party? Get off your high horse, you idiot."

Evan looked to be restraining himself from leaping at me, his dark eyes filled with anger. Oh, look, I can be poetic. "So? You're just jealous."

"Of what?"

"I have a home I can go back too. And my mom's not crazy, and my dad's not dead. You want that, don't you? A chance for a normal life?" I stopped cold. That was a low shot, even for him. "Well, you know what? It's not your life. So, 'get off your high horse, you idiot'."

I slammed his door shut, then swung my hand around in an arc, letting loose an enormous blade that bit through the wood like it was cotton candy. I saw Evan's shocked face, smirked grimly, and left. Passing by Miss Ororo's bathroom, I grabbed Mom, who had been standing there, spacing.

"Come on," I muttered, dragging her downstairs.

In short order, we were ready to go to school. DR sessions had been cancelled (because my mom wanted to head them and she's a fruitloop) because Xavier was busy doing other, more important stuff. So I actually got to sit down and eat a meal with my housemates. Kind of.

I was looking forward to a nice, quiet meal with them. But Evan was looking for a fight. Kurt tried to console him, but failed. Miserably.

"Why can't you stay?" he asked quietly.

"No one wants me here anyways, so I'm packing my bags."

"I think you're underestimating us."

Evan frowned. "Why do you care? You're not my friend." He threw down his silverware and stormed off.

Kurt looked down at his plate sadly. "I thought I was."

And on that sour note, our school day began. My mom, technically not allowed on the school property, continued to stalk me from afar. Grace clammed up and would hardly say two words to me, which put me in an even worse mood. I got yelled at by Kelly for not serving my detention and got another.

Everything was turning out wonderfully.

Later that night, I was staring glumly out the window of my rarely used room, thankful that my mom was sleeping. Ah, the joys of having unceasing nightmares. Gives you a lot of free time to think about how screwed up your life is.

Miss Ororo floated past, white hair snapping about, clawing desperately at her skin. While odd, it didn't phase me, and I leaped to action immediately. I can't fly, but...I can jump! And leap I did, tackling her with skill picked up from my errant mother. We fell to the earth, twisting around so I broke her fall, and I spat out a blade of grass while she looked around.

I couldn't see three inches in front of me with all this fog. "What was that all about?"

"There were- and Evan- and Nirambo-" She paused and sighed. "I'm not making much sense, am I?"

I shook my head and opened my mouth to reply when a shadowy figure emerged from the mist, holding a tube to his lips. "Look out!" I yelled, slashing the air to distract them and rolling off to the side.

I sprang to my feet, hands held at the ready, peering through the fog, trying to find them. Whispers floated past me and I whirled in place, firing off blade after blade. Cold laughter surrounded me and I gritted my teeth.

"Show your ugly mug, you bastards!" They didn't, instead opting to bring out the tube thing again, which I recognized too late as a blow dart gun thing.

A feathered needle popped out and bit me. Colors melded together and all went dark.

Believe it or not, instead of waking up to a glorious apology for getting shot, I woke up in a box. A small box. Again.

Can I not catch a break or what?

My hands were bound behind my back, again, and I felt about ready to heave when I sat up. Blinking slowly, the other person occupying the cube happened to be the resident weather witch afraid of small spaces, made smaller because it had another body in it.

Bright light flooded in and I flinched. Some creepy dude, covered only in the barest of areas, leaped down, waving a staff and chanting over Miss Ororo's limp body.

"Um, I think you have the wrong person here," I offered. "I don't know what I did to offend you, but can I leave?"

Scary African Dude turned around, his staff's crystal glowing. "Young god," he said, bowing briefly. Oh, I could get used to that. "You have been misled by our weather goddess. Will you join us with your cutting wind?"

I blinked. Then again. "Say what?"

"Join us or I will break your will the way I broke hers," he snarled, looming threateningly in front of me. "Your hands have been bound, and so have your powers. Join."

I snorted, stretching my legs out. "You couldn't do it that easily. I'm not afraid of something like small spaces the way Miss Ororo is."

He smirked and a ball of lead settled in my stomach. "Is that true?" He snapped his fingers and, like magic, Beth/Mom stepped out calmly from behind him. "Is this not your mother?"

My mouth ran dry and for a terrifying moment, I thought he'd kill her if I didn't answer right away. "You wouldn't dare."

"She is not real. I have used the power of the staff to give you what you desired so."

Hot damn. "You're lying. You're just a big liar, and you can't- you can't-" I broke off, unable to speak. He can't be telling the truth. He can't.

Something silver floated out of my chest, settling into the crystal. I felt myself lose control, felt the bindings slip from my hands and felt my body stand proud and tall.

I wanted my mom. I wanted someone who could hold me and tell me it was going to be okay, like she used too, when the thunderstorms were crashing outside my room and the monsters were hiding under the bed. I wanted someone who would love me, no matter what. I wanted a person to be the opposite of my dad.

My hands moved of their own accord, making me crawl out of the box behind Miss Ororo. They swung about, creating little blades that danced, testing the range, how sharp or dull they could be. I watched from afar as Kitty, Kurt, Jean, Scott, and lastly Evan (surprise surprise) formed up and rushed us.

I darted lithely around, stabbing here, nicking Scott on the leg, opening a gash on Kurt's arm. They were trying their best not to hurt us, but it wasn't going well.

That person I'd towed around hadn't been my mother?

I flipped away from an optic blast, twirling around a punch by Kurt.

This freedom. Not having to worry. It was like floating...letting that crazy guy control me, I could just fade away...

In fact, I came very close to doing just that. Later, Miss Ororo would explain that I had given up living and that no matter what happened after I made that choice, returning my will wouldn't have brought me back. I would have died.

But Evan came, and managed to dodge the lightning and silver blades, firing off a spike that shattered the crystal and brought me back. I wanted to scream, and throttle him, because now I had to live with the fact that my mother really didn't care about me, and didn't want to live at the mansion and pester me.

I sank to my knees, clutching my head with my hands, my winds frothing around me as I lost control. Someone laid a hand on my shoulder and I twisted around, ready to scream.

Gentle hazel eyes greeted me and I gave up trying to act like a strong-willed teenager. I buried my head in her stomach, blubbering my eyes out, just finally being thankful that my mom was alive, and real, and that she was here.

So, in conclusion, Evan got to stay, the creepy dude got deported or something, and everyone was in happy-fun-time-la-la land.

Except for me.

"Why do you have to leave?" I said desperately, fighting the urge to cling to her. Just in case.

"I'm in the middle of a business deal. Although, if you're ever in the Big Apple, drop by, alright?"

I nodded. "So, you were all crazy because you were being controlled by that one guy?"

She laughed. "Not really. He took over and picked through my brain, saw my wild side, and decided it'd be good to gain control over you. I do act like that, just normally when I'm drunk." Mom shouldered her pack and smiled. "Alright. Love you!"

Such wonderful words. "Yeah. Love you too." She pecked me swiftly on the cheek and left me waving at the end of the driveway, choking on the exhaust the car spat as it rumbled off.

I slumped. Now what to do...

Bother someone. Ah, the joys of normalcy.