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Title: Batman

Author: Snoopy

Rating: PG-13

Warning: Angst, Slash

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Just an old shoe. That's it, a smelly, possibly mouldy shoe. Sue if ya want it, but otherwise…don't? Please? Pirdy please, with a cherry on top?…

Plot Notes: Set Sumtime

Archive: If u wanna, but could u let me know???

Feedback: Flames, cherry bombs, whatever. All is welcome. ;)

Authors Notes: This is a story about people. It has words

"…" = Speech

'…' = Thoughts

Uhhhhh…

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"Tact. It's not something I have. Just like hygiene. I'm also pretty determined, and stupid, and a complete and utter nincompoop. And stupid. Did I mention that? Hey, you asked for the truth lady, so that's what you're gonna get. It went down like this… "

FLASHBACK

"What the HELL is wrong with you two, yo? You're looking at each other like you're in love or somethin'!" The silence was broken by Pietros harsh laughter. "Whadda ya take me for, Toad-boy? A Poof?" The blonde stalked from the room while Lance looked at the ground. Todds jaw dropped - eyes wide in surprise. Freddy just stared. Heavy ticks sounded from the clock on the wall, boring holes in the quiet. A congealing mass of cheese fell from Lances plate to the floor, followed closely by the dish. The result was a resounding crash as the china hit the cold wooden floor. No one else spoke, no one else moved, each enveloped in their own thoughts.

END OF FLASHBACK

"Freddy was the first to stir, standing slowly and creeping out. I followed him, but Lance just stood there, unmoving. The sun went down and the stars came up and he just stood there. I don't know when the life finally came back to him, but I was asleep when it did. I know that cuz it was the scream that woke me up.

"Everything's pretty much a blur after that. I remember white, and cold, and a smell. And tears. The tears I remember good. Tears and pain."

~*~*~

It was dark when the boy woke. The first thing he noticed was that the bed didn't feel right - it was MUCH too comfortable. The next was the eyes staring at him out of the black. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
"GAH!" Lance jumped at the noise. "Todd! What the HELL are you doing on my bed?!!!!!"
The boy blushed and looked away - this was NOT something he wanted to talk about anymore. His mind flickered over the events of the last week, the last month, the whole year even, but none of it seemed to matter anymore - it had all faded into the haze that was now his mind. Only one thing had any definition - it was the thing Todd was most desperate to forget.
"Dnyahafnumnydnnna?"
"Huh?" Todds haze snapped back to its current predicament.
Lance sighed. "I SAID, did you have any dinner?"
"Oh! Uh-" Did he? "Ye-Yeah, I had, um…" Pizza? No, maybe noodles. Nah "I-"
"Come downstairs - I'll make you somethin, alright?"
"Yeah, yeah OK, yo." Lance had already gone.

~*~*~

"Freddy, hey FREDDY! Yoohoooooo. Hello? Freddy? You in there, man? Helllllllooooooooooooo" Calling Freddy Dukes, Freddy Dukes to the food stall-"
'Shuddup, bitch." The large boy's voice was low and threatening. His eyes, narrowed, held a faint gleam rarely seen before, and his sizeable hands were curled into tight fists.
"Well so-rry!" Kitty Pryde turned back to her friends. "What's up his arse, anyway? You know, ever since Pietro dropped outta school, they've all been so, like, negative, ya know?"
"Yeah, Kitty, we know. You tell us every day." Scott Summers had never been so thankful for his shades as he was right now. However good a sizzled and splattered Kitty-Kat may have looked, she would be a pain in the arse to mop up. "Maybe you could take a little look-see into those psychopaths' heads and save us all some trouble, Jean." Stupid question…
"Scott! That's a great idea! I-"
"Huh?" Apparently Kurt was just as confused a Scott.
"Well, they obviously need help…" A quick glance towards the front of the pizza parlour told Jean that Freddy would be here for a while - he hadn't even started his extra-large, extra-thick-crust trio of pizzas yet. The redhead grinned. "Here goes!"

~*~*~

"…so you see Professor, we were sitting there, and we figured it might, like, be a good idea seeing as how they're so screwed up an' all and then Jean did her thing and that's how we found out, um, sir…"
"…"
"So, um like, yeah…" Kitty hung her head.
"…"
"Um, professor? Are you-"
"Let me get this straight. You were having pizza after curfew, decided to invade Fred Dukes mind, and discovered that you're inconsiderate jerks ALL IN THE SAME DAY?!!!" Logan's grimace seemed to tighten, if that were possible.
"Um, yessi-"
"But we didn't know!!!!!!" Evan strode forwards and stood in front of the now shaking Kitty.
"The fact that you haven't seen him in a month and you found Toad crying in a bathroom cubicle on Monday didn't give something away?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Wolverines face was now bright red.
"Where did they bury him?" It was the first time Xavier had spoken in an hour.
"Their back yard…"

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To Be Continued…