Author's Note: Plot Hole pointed out. This is set 'after' the series, when Evan / Spyke is a Morlock and no longer living in the X-Mansion. While Magneto has effectively 'surrendered' to Charles' way (even if he doesn't have the same faith in them) after the nigh-total alliance post-Apocalypse. As I recall, at least three things are fated to happen as shown in the last episode: Pheonix Saga, Rogue gaining the powers of Carol Danvers / Miss Marvel (Pre-Captain Marvel) particularly flight, and that the Brotherhood will always stand as opposition to the X-Men (including Todd).
So - nevermind Evan. I dislike writing & thinking about him anyway. He never fit in with plots because no version of Storm works with 'family' instead of 'a people', Marrow's the same character but better done, and hence his never fitting into plots whether they were adapted from the comics or organic from the series.
Other changes, like Amanda's presence in Kurt's life despite their break-up episode are intended portrayals with thought behind it.
Game on!
1
Toad gave an impression that he was having a heart attack. When Rogue started to pat his back and he waved her off while holding his breath. When Boom Boom started cackling, people started realizing - and worrying.
"Oh no.", Jubilee uttered.
Ice Man clenched his eyes shut as hard as he dared. "Don't tell me."
"I think I'm going to be sick.", Magma paled.
Jean just left the room with Scott trailing behind. "Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew..."
Toad rotated his index finger in a motion for the game to continue. The others hesitated but tried to form their characters. Another ice figure, much less sculpted than the previous ones began to take shape. The rock did not seem to be able to form into a humanoid appearance and took a shape more like a dog or a bear. Jubilee muttered to herself and tried to keep her eyes off of Toad as she focused her fireworks on the steel plate.
Then Toad hocked up a conglomeration of more than just phlegm or bile or saliva or mucus or whatever you might want to call it. The splat hit the steel with the force of a gong strike but its surface tension held it together. One side of it reached toward the other more than the other, and it folded itself haphazardly upon itself but in an off-sided, biting motion. As it repeatedly and rapidly did so, it gobbled its way across the board like a sticky ooze of a Pac-Man.
Jubilee's concentration, and her firework creation fell apart. "That's me. I'm out.", she declared as she left the table.
Toad's creation came closer to the form made from stone. "Oh, fuck no.", Magma declared as she pushed her hands outward and the rock-dog limped away from the gelatanous entity.
The ice figure took two steps toward the center and then stopped completely. "Nope. I'm not gonna get involved with that.", Iceman declared.
"What?", Todd shrugged innocently. "I thought this was how the game was played?"
"I didn't do it.", Boom Boom blurted out before sprinting from the room.
"Didn't do what?", Rogue asked the retreating girl.
X-23's gloved hand took her chin to turn her gaze back at the board. Toad chided the thing he had made. "No. No! Stop. Don't go there. Turn. Turn." Gestures, scolding and direct commands were to no avail.
"Uh oh."
"Get down?", Rogue asked X-23. The other girl did not bother to nod but just dragged Rogue down by her covered shoulders. Todd snatched up the table cloth to cover himself. Magma and Iceman dove out of their chairs to the floor.
The animated ball of ooze had set course directly for Boom Boom's charged orb laying directly in the center of the 'play field'. Gobbling away it happily consumed the explosive into the center of itself. Everyone clenched.
But instead of the expected explosion and resultant splattering, they only heard a muffled thump. Todd was the first to peak at the board. "Huh, would you look at that.", he commented.
"Oh my stars and garters.", Dr. McCoy declared as he lumbered into the room. He was so entranced by what sat on the table, he did not comment on the other teenagers pulling themselves from the floor.
Bobby pointed at Todd. "He did it."
"I see.", the blue mutant understood.
On the table was a shape that was oval on any side but a circle from above or below. It nearly sparkled in shades of sickly yellow and putrid greens displaying the shape of a spiral galaxy complete with central hub when viewed from the side and arms when viewed from above.
Dr. McCoy extended a claw to it. The teenagers collectively cringed, expecting it to pop like a balloon. It let loose a tiny *tink* like fine crystal as the man tapped it with his claw. "Simply fascinating. Mr. Tolensky, how did you create this?"
"Do I go around asking how everyone else' powers work, yo?", Todd countered as if offended rather than trying to weasel out of trouble.
"Fair enough. Are you taking this construct with you, deciding which of your new admirers to gift it to...?"
"Uh, you can have it.", Todd stated. X-23 gave him a look and Rogue raised an eyebrow. The boy shrugged his shoulders in confusion and desperation.
"Hm.", Dr. McCoy conceded. "Well thank you."
When he moved to pick it up, Amara exclaimed, "You're going to touch it with your hands?"
Todd extended a finger tip to the structure. He looked at his finger tip and then tasted it. "Don't worry, it's cool."
"Okay.", Hank slowly said as he picked up the orb. Amara clutched her stomach and screwed up her face in disgust before rushing out. The man gave her a curious look before leaving. "Well, er. Have fun children.", he left.
Bobby walked into the personal space of Todd, despite his immediate right personal space being occupied by Rogue and his immediate left being occupied by X-23. "I know we're mutants. And I know what it feels like to be called this when you didn't do anything. But you're weird. And I don't mean that in any nice way, freak. The next time you want to impress someone, impress them with your backside as you leave."
Bobby breathed out a visible, sub-zero breath showing how worked up he was. Pointing at X-23, "And you're weird." Pointing at Rogue, "And you're weird for liking them." The boy stormed away leaving a noticable chill in the air.
Todd looked down. "Sorry about that."
"You should be.", X-23 told him.
Rogue gasped. "No, he shouldn't. Don't pay any attention, Todd. Bobby was way out of line."
X-23 objected. "Iceman isn't the one that gave away what could have been a romantic gift to an admirer to Dr. Beast."
Rogue laughed and rested her forehead on Todd's shirted shoulder. "I suppose not, shug."
Todd realized X-23's feelings and shrugged again. "Oh...uh, sorry, yo?"
X-23 pulled herself up to her full height. "I'm told that when I'm unintentionally offended I can demand snuggles while you listen to me talk about my feelings."
"Sure.", Todd agreed.
X-23 returned to her previous posture and facial expression. "Well, alright. I forgive you."
"Aw, our first fight.", Rogue sung sappily.
X-23 appeared confused. "Wasn't that against the sheriff's Sentinel?"
Rogue laughed. She swatted Todd on the butt. "Let's get this impressive backside back to the party, okay?"
2
By the time the trio arrived in the room with the most teens, the mood had changed. It was much more laid back, as softer slower music drifted in the air allowing for conversations but not quite eavesdropping. Some were on couches talking, or trying to listen to lance as he tried to argue and point with a cup full without spilling. Fred munched away at the snack table, but facing out at the room rather than turning his back on it in a remarkably social move for him.
"Let's dance.", Rogue suggested. Todd looked at X-23 and then back to Rogue. Rogue looked to the dance floor.
Sure, there was Scott and Jean swaying with his hand above her hip and holding the other aloft, while her free hand sat on his shoulder. But there was also Kitty swaying back to back with Kurt, playing with the spaded tail she liked so much. Kurt held Amanda to his right side as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Kurt's left hand was splayed out over Tabitha's mid-riff as she leaned against his left side while playing with Wanda's hands. Wanda played back even as she luxuriated in leaning against her brother, with Pietro holding her above her neckline and toying with the bottom of her bodice.
"Let us dance." Rogue stated as she tugged Todd into the dancing space. X-23 found Todd's hand and was tugged along. Rogue took to Todd's left side, placing her right gloved hand on his left shoulder and her right where a person might feel his heart. X-23 mirrored her placement on Todd's right. Todd hesitantly moved his hands to either girls' side. X-23 used her left elbow to tuck his arm toward her, raising his hand to the middle of her back. Rogue just guided his arm closer and Todd was surprised to nearly feel the beginning of her skirt under the gauze like material she wore above her shirt as an added layer of protection from actual contact.
X-23 laid her head on Todd's shoulder. This allowed her to see the host of expressions leveled at her. Iceman's face reminded her of his words. Magma looked at her the way she looked at Shadowcat's cooking. One of the Jaime's struck her as confused beyond his own belief. Jean constantly back-led Cyclops so she was facing away from her.
X-23 turned her head so it still lay on Todd, but faced in towards him and Rogue. "Never mind them.", Rogue stated.
"I just want to stab all their eyes out with my claws.", X-23 whispered to them. "More so than usual. They all kept saying that they wanted me to be happy, to interact with people, and be sociable like a 'normal' girl. And now that I'm dancing with people at a party they made for themselves, they act like I should feel guilty about being who I want to be with."
"It's not you, yo." sounding absolutely ridiculous with his catch phrase and the hushed tone he took. "It's me. I'm not good enough for anyone of you and they know that. They're upset that I'm taking advantage of you liking me."
"Hush, shug.", Rogue admonished. "What did we tell you about you saying you're taking advantage of us?"
"Who said you weren't worthy?", X-23 brought her head up sharply. She ground her teeth enough for Todd to notice that she shared Wolverine's near fangs that might not have been Kurt's but were there all the same.
Rogue took her hand off Todd's chest to place it on X-23's shoulder. "Calm down, shug." X-23 frowned at her. "Yes, I'm 'psionic' but I'm not going to make you." Rogue assured. X-23 gradually let go of her frown and returned her head to Todd's shoulder. "The thing is, that we even we often enough forget, is that mutants are people too. When I first came here, people didn't trust me. They tried to shut me out of things because they thought that I was different. But if any ethnicity knows that everyone's different in their own way, it's mutants. They'll come around soon enough, once they get familiar."