"You've been antsy since we've seen him.", X-23 accused.
Rogue nearly glared at her in false bravado but couldn't bring herself to do it, dropping her eyes in the last moment. "Yeah...well..."
X-23 lifted her hand, hesitated, and then slowly reached out that hand to rest on Rogue's coat covered shoulder. "I miss him as well. But we will have meet him soon. Once he arrives at school."
Rogue tightened her lips.
X-23 lifted her head and turned. Rogue followed her gaze and then realized the group headed their way was the Brotherhood. The large shape behind the others being Fred. Wanda being the dot of red. She thought she saw, oh wait - he rematerialized, Pietro. Which meant the line next to them must be Lance. And the bouncing shape next to them was of course/
"Todd got a new belt.", X-23 commented. "It suits him."
Rogue smiled. "No powers on campus, shug."
While most of the Brotherhood cut across the grass towards them, Pietro disappeared again only to reappear on the sidewalk closest to them before walking up to meet them. Todd bounded a few more times before taking a more human stride as he too stepped onto the school's lawn.
Before Todd could say anything, Pietro stepped between Todd and X-23. He greeted her in a sing song tone, "Hey, Laura."
Wanda stepped between Todd and Rogue. "Hey, Rogue.", she taunted while interlocking her fingers with her brother.
"You know what, Pietro?", she continued.
The white haired boy took on a confused look. "No. What, Wanda?"
The girl stared directly at X-23. "Now that Todd had taken advantage of these desperate loners, I would have thought he'd have stopped drooling over me. But the keyhole to the bathroom door was still all slimy. Do you think he was still trying to spy on me? The perversion!", she mocked.
Rogue took in a steadying breath.
"Todd, did you want her to join us?", X-23 asked as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "I wouldn't have thought she was interested since she's fucking her brother."
Fred immediately covered his face and took steps back. Lance nearly collapsed in laughter. Pietro balled up a fist and it only didn't let fly because of the crushing of his knuckles by his sister's still interlocked fingers.
Wanda's attitude had completely changed. "I am not! Fucking! My brother!", she hissed. "And you better not be going around spreading rumors you can't back up. I don't care what you think you smelled, dog.
"You don't have any real powers. So don't think you're one of us, like my father or Storm or Xavier or me. I will break you."
X-23 nodded. "I apologize."
Wanda nodded in her supremacy.
"I thought he was your brother.", X-23 continued.
Lance's laughing form clenched his eyes so hard it hurt. Fred was in full retreat toward the school. But if Pietro's body wasn't developed for keeping him intact at the speeds he could achieve, Wanda would have dislocated his knuckles as she grit her teeth.
"No powers on campus?", Rogue hoped aloud.
Wanda glanced at the school. She nodded to herself and turned on X-23.
"And I'll make sure she stays quiet?", Rogue offered.
The angry girl glared at her. "Fine. Pietro - come." Wanda dragged her brother after her in a stumbling stance, trying to keep up with the crushing pressure on his hand.
Todd tapped Lance with his foot. "You good, yo? Before the ground gives way."
Lance stopped laughing despite the ridiculous grin on his face. He reached out feeling the ground. "Nah. *huff* We're good. I'm good." The boy crawled away to his foot toward the school.
"Wanda can make Pietro come on command.", X-23 observed. "It takes you/"
"You are going to have to stop that, shug.", Rogue warned.
"Why?", X-23 asked.
Todd's eyes grew even larger. "Wanda's...she's in a league of her own, okay. She had to be locked away in an institution because her powers drove her insane. And then Arkam Asylum crossed with Alcatraz couldn't keep her contained, old Mags had an illusionist, telepath, psychic mutant try to rearrange her and some fake memories. That's the only reason she can walk around without killing...well, everything.
"You do not fucks with that scarlett...witch."
X-23 crossed her arms and furrowed her brow. "Then why were you spying on her in the shower?"
"He wasn't.", Rogue blew out. "She was just saying that to rile us up."
X-23's jaw dropped a little. "But...Alright. My first 'why' wasn't why not to...fucks...with Scarlet Witch. My first why was why was she with a man she's not proud of being with? But now what I want to know is why someone that powerful is going around riling people up, knowing that she'd have to hurt them when they retaliate?"
"Well, that's why I left the Brotherhood.", Rogue told her.
When she turned to her, Rogue sighed. "People aren't evil or good, shug. They're just a bunch of concerns trying to get addressed. People need food, water, air, shelter...biological stuff - we all do - so we understand and accept people doing...we even call it 'what they need to do' to get it. But after that, people want all sorts of things. A lot of that is agency - freedom, not being oppressed, even power. And when you look at it objectively - the people in the Brotherhood never had that. Oppressive governments like Magneto and Colossus, overbearing parents like everyone who lived in that boarding house: no agency. So they reach out for that self-determinism. Flouting rules when they can, lashing out...taking comfort where maybe they shouldn't."
Rogue shrugged. "I was lucky enough that when my parents threw me out after kissing that boy that Mystique and Destiny found me. But in seeing that other chances could come along, I could bring myself to accept other chances. Like the professor. And my concerns are now better concerns - equal rights, protecting people, and such."
"You kissed a guy?", Todd asked.
Rogue blew past her lips. "Once, and it landed the kid in the hospital, Todd. You've done much more, remember."
Todd raised his head but then lowered it. "Yeah, you're right. I'm being stupid."
X-23 raised her finger. "Oh. So our boyfriend's pessimism is because of a lack of agency."
Todd looked back to Rogue. She kind of cringed. Then shrugged half-heartedly. "I was mostly talking about how Wanda was locked up for some time and then had her mind molded. So, I don't really hold it against her that she's on a hair trigger despite the consequences. Or...you know."
"Fucking her brother.", X-23 dismissed with a wave of her hand while trying to keep her train of thought. "Todd. Did I...we...push you into being with us? Are we taking away your agency?"
"What? No!", Todd objected. X-23 raised her eyebrow. "I mean...you're both great and how could anyone resist you. And sometimes I feel guilty that I didn't. You both deserve so much/"
"We've talked about this, shug.", Rogue said while resting a gloved hand on his shirted arm. "You?
"Deserve two girl friends.", the all said in unison.
Todd continued. "But I'm still just one of those mutants in that boarding house, still in the Brotherhood. How/"
The school buzzer serving as a bell rang out over him.
X-23 looked at the school, then smiled and looked back to Todd. "Professor X is very adamant about us maintaining decorum at the school. If I do not, I'd be jeapordizing my place in his home. However, I can also stay here with you, skipping class and continuing this. I will do what you choose for us."
Rogue turned to her and smile. "Me too. You choose."
Todd lifted his head. "No. You go on to class. But thanks."
X-23 nodded. "Good. Now come here so I can smell you." She pulled him into a hug and breathed deeply.
When Todd was let go, Rogue held up her lipstick. "Hold still.", she said. The girl's gloved hand held his head by the chin and she drew a small kiss symbol on his cheek in the color she applied to her own lips.
The two girls walked toward the school. Todd whispered, "I hate seeing you leave, but I love watching you walk away."
X-23 repeated his whisper with a confused face to Rogue. The other girl rolled her eyes. "He's complimenting our butts."
"Understood."