DISCLAIMER: See previous BL**DY chapters.
Todd Fan: I know the Welsh aren't ALL musical, but a great many of them are. That okay?
***
Wanda looked at Rac; her sharp eyes noticed the single tear welling up in Rac's eye. Now that she was looking closer, she could see the subtle signs of an act, of a show.
"Rac, we need to talk."
"Where?"
"My room, alone." Wanda started walking up the stairs, Rac began to follow.
"What if that she attacks you?" Pietro asked, blocking the way.
"She won't."
"You sure?"
"Wanda's not like the rest of us."
"She's tough."
"And hard."
"She's almost mean."
"I'll be fine." Rac walked to the stairs, each member of the Brotherhood ruffled her hair as she passed.
In Wanda's room, Wanda was sitting on the bed.
"Sit down."
"Thanks. What did you want to talk about?"
"Stop acting, Rac."
"What do you mean?"
"Stop the pretence. You're not as tough, as they think."
"How could you tell?"
"Do you know of my past?"
"Yes."
"The years, after my father abandoned me, I pretended. I was tough, hard and mean. I can see the signs."
"I see."
"What about you?"
"Your father was tough on you and Pietro, because he wanted you to rule the mutant world. Not because he loved you, but because you were his offspring. Without meaning to, you disappointed him; you weren't the strong, powerful mutants he wanted. In desperation he found a scientist, and forced him to make a serum, which would enhance a mutant's powers, if injected within one week of birth.
"The scientist made 2, different serums, as he didn't know which would work, so Magneto went to find two mutant babies. He found two identical twins; within 12 hours of their birth he had taken a blood sample, to see if they were mutants. They were, so he injected a serum, one into each.
"He then watched them as they grew. He planned to raise you and Pietro to lead the mutants, using his powerful mutants as a weapon, a mindless, soulless weapon. But when one of the twins showed promise, and the other did not, he revised his plan, he did not wish Xavier to find his weapon, he went to the house, and took the one who showed promise, getting rid of the other. When your anger appeared, he thought that your irrational anger would lead you to using his weapon irrationally."
"How did he get rid of the other twin?"
"Do you know of the 'Francis Fire'?"
"Yes. At the asylum they tried to turn my anger, into compassion. So they showed me an article about that, but I didn't change. I couldn't, I thought father would never take me back if I showed weakness. I felt sorry for the survivor; I knew what it is like to be taken from a twin. I felt sorry for you."
"How did you know?"
"I doubt that many people, of your age, would know about the 'Francis Fire'. Except, of course, Rachael Francis."
"Yes. You're right."
"So father has a powerful mutant, at his hands?"
"No. Ironically, I'm more powerful of the two."
"But what about your scar?"
"It's one of several. But this one," Rac touched the scar on her cheek "I gave myself, to distinguish me from my twin. Once I realized she was a traitor."
"And the others?"
"Accidents."
"Right. One question."
"Yes?"
"When I left here, to try and find new mutants, several months ago, the only sign of decency I could see in them," Wanda pointed downwards "was a tiny spark, almost the glow of an ember, in amongst the ashes. Now it is a flame, growing and feeding. How did you do it?"
"I fed it."
"What with?"
"My friendship, my love. If necessary I'll feed the flame with myself."
"I see."
"Will you look out for me?"
"Of course." Wanda was absentmindedly tracing the scar on Rac's cheek with her forefinger.
"Thanks Wand."
"'Wand'?"
"Yeah. Your codename is Scarlet Witch. Witches use wands. Your name is Wanda."
"Alright. What are the others called?"
"Pietro is Mercury. Lance is Galahad. Todd is Toe. Freddy is Teddy. Tabitha is Boom."
"Don't understand."
"Pietro, codename Quicksilver, quicksilver is another name for mercury, Mercury was the Roman Messenger God, he was very quick, and a good thief."
"I see. It suits him down to the ground. Lance?"
"Lance, Lancelot was a knight of the Round Table, his son, the best knight in the world, was Galahad."
"Twisted logic, but I follow you."
"Todd, I shortened, and got To, which became Toe."
"Follow you. I understand the last 2."
"Thought you would. You're smart."
"What's your magic?"
"Magic?"
"Power."
"Oh, Illusions, bit of Creation, and Shape shifting."
"What did they mean by '.kept an eye on your watch.'"
"The greatest illusion is time."
"I see."
"Shall we go to the others?"
"One thing first. I mustn't let them think I'm week. I need to appear strong. As far as they are concerned I'm just putting up with you."
"Got ya!"
"Thanks."
They got off the bed, and a loud noise started downstairs.
"Hi!"
"Henry!"
"Hey!"
"Nice to see ya!"
"What's up?"
"You're late!"
"Yeah, well, Rac told me to arrive later."
"Why?"
"So she could prepare the new mutant, and Wanda."
"Oh."
"Henry, could you do us a favour?"
"What've you blown up?"
"The computer, and Fred sat on the TV."
"Jeez! Let me see. You'll need a new TV. And the computer.pass me my bag, you've loosened some wires."
"There you go."
"Thanks.Right, it's fixed! I'll go get the new TV!"
"Thanks!"
Wanda turned to face Rac,
"Henry? Sounds like a girl's voice."
"Henry is a girl. Hates her real name."
"Mutation?"
"Can absorb and expel electricity. Can upload and download herself from the Internet. Can download items from the Internet, into real objects."
"Why so popular?"
"My room-mate."
"Right. Let's go down."
Downstairs Henry was just plugging in a brand new TV. Rac snorted, remembering the time Henry had created chaos at the mansion, by downloading all the fellowship from 'The Fellowship of the Ring'. That had been a laugh!
"Hi Henry!"
"Hi Rac! So.you'd be Wanda. Pietro's twin, daughter of Magneto, Mutation 'Hex bolts' that stop people's powers. I'm Henry. Nice to meet you. Who's the boy?"
"I'm Simon."
"Sci-Fi just joined my class. He's from Wales."
"'Sci-Fi'?!"
"Yeah. Simon to Si, you enjoy science fiction, science fiction is often known as Sci-Fi. There you go! QED!"
"How did you know?"
"Easy, you broadcast!"
"'Broadcast'?"
"Yeah, send out pictures. Everyone has their own style. Toe goes for detail and speed. Mercury's are quick, with minimum detail, and slightly blurred. Teddy gets definition. Galahad does faces. Boom gets figures, and colour detail. Wand is critical and harsh, on people. Sci-Fi matches people to characters. Henry does binary code."
"And you?" Pietro asked
"I don't know."
"Kitty?" Lance said, eager to discover how his girlfriend thought.
"Kit-Kat? She gets height, quite accurately, and can zoom in on detail."
"Oh." Lance marvelled.
"Anyway, Sci-Fi, what's your power?" Henry asked
"I can control people through singing and I can sent sonic waves from my fingers."
"Yeah, I discovered that. Tell me, what were you aiming for?" Rac said, unconsciously rubbing her right shoulder
"Your head! I missed altogether though."
"Good thing." Tabitha said
"You didn't miss altogether."
"But I don't see a mark." Rac lifted up her unblemished t-shirt arm, revealing a new mark, a single note burnt into the flesh.
"Neat, I mended the t-shirt. It'll make a nice scar."
"Don't you care?" Simon yelled, almost hysterical
"Nope!"
"Why not?"
"Because Henry made the mark on my left." Rac bared her wrist, to reveal her shooting star.
"Calm down. You'll do well here."
"What?"
"I'm not going to try to convert you. I just wanted your friendship."
"And Wanda's?"
"Wand's, yeah. But I'll make do with her not hating me, for now. I'm sure I can get her to like me, given time."
"Try all you like. You won't."
"I think I will."
"Now what do we do?"
"How about I tell you a story?" Rac said
"Great!"
"What?"
"You have story time?"
"You haven't heard Rac stories."
"They're hilarious!"
"And they're all true!"
"Which one you going to tell us?"
"Have I told you the one about 'Jesus is watching you!'?"
"No."
"Then I will. Do you mind if I use illusions?"
"No."
"They're much better that way!"
"Right. Galahad, the curtains! Henry, dim the lights!"
"Got ya!"
"Done!"
Rac sat down on the floor, as the rest of the group lounged on the furniture, and started to display an illusion, which moved as if it was alive.
"A burglar went to a house, which was rumoured to have a lot of expensive jewellery in it. He was walking silently round the dark living room, when he heard a voice:
'Jesus is watching you!'
"The burglar looked round, but he couldn't see anyone. So he carried on.
'Jesus is watching you!' the voice said again.
"This was seriously freaking the burglar out, but as he couldn't see anyone he carried on.
'Jesus is watching you!'
"This time he saw the speaker, a parrot sitting on a perch in the far corner of the room. He went over to it.
'Who are you?'
'I'm Moses'
'What sort of person names their parrot Moses?'
'The sort of person who names their vicious brute of a watchdog Jesus!'"
Laughter continued to pour out of the battered house for ages, as story after story was told. But on the other side of the world, someone murmured in their sleep.
"Laugh now, foe! But you will soon see the full might of the Apocalypse!"
***
I won't be writing for a while.
I'VE GOT MOCKS!!!
ARRRGHHHH!!!
Please, cheer me up by sending me a review.
Lots of reviews!
Todd Fan: I know the Welsh aren't ALL musical, but a great many of them are. That okay?
***
Wanda looked at Rac; her sharp eyes noticed the single tear welling up in Rac's eye. Now that she was looking closer, she could see the subtle signs of an act, of a show.
"Rac, we need to talk."
"Where?"
"My room, alone." Wanda started walking up the stairs, Rac began to follow.
"What if that she attacks you?" Pietro asked, blocking the way.
"She won't."
"You sure?"
"Wanda's not like the rest of us."
"She's tough."
"And hard."
"She's almost mean."
"I'll be fine." Rac walked to the stairs, each member of the Brotherhood ruffled her hair as she passed.
In Wanda's room, Wanda was sitting on the bed.
"Sit down."
"Thanks. What did you want to talk about?"
"Stop acting, Rac."
"What do you mean?"
"Stop the pretence. You're not as tough, as they think."
"How could you tell?"
"Do you know of my past?"
"Yes."
"The years, after my father abandoned me, I pretended. I was tough, hard and mean. I can see the signs."
"I see."
"What about you?"
"Your father was tough on you and Pietro, because he wanted you to rule the mutant world. Not because he loved you, but because you were his offspring. Without meaning to, you disappointed him; you weren't the strong, powerful mutants he wanted. In desperation he found a scientist, and forced him to make a serum, which would enhance a mutant's powers, if injected within one week of birth.
"The scientist made 2, different serums, as he didn't know which would work, so Magneto went to find two mutant babies. He found two identical twins; within 12 hours of their birth he had taken a blood sample, to see if they were mutants. They were, so he injected a serum, one into each.
"He then watched them as they grew. He planned to raise you and Pietro to lead the mutants, using his powerful mutants as a weapon, a mindless, soulless weapon. But when one of the twins showed promise, and the other did not, he revised his plan, he did not wish Xavier to find his weapon, he went to the house, and took the one who showed promise, getting rid of the other. When your anger appeared, he thought that your irrational anger would lead you to using his weapon irrationally."
"How did he get rid of the other twin?"
"Do you know of the 'Francis Fire'?"
"Yes. At the asylum they tried to turn my anger, into compassion. So they showed me an article about that, but I didn't change. I couldn't, I thought father would never take me back if I showed weakness. I felt sorry for the survivor; I knew what it is like to be taken from a twin. I felt sorry for you."
"How did you know?"
"I doubt that many people, of your age, would know about the 'Francis Fire'. Except, of course, Rachael Francis."
"Yes. You're right."
"So father has a powerful mutant, at his hands?"
"No. Ironically, I'm more powerful of the two."
"But what about your scar?"
"It's one of several. But this one," Rac touched the scar on her cheek "I gave myself, to distinguish me from my twin. Once I realized she was a traitor."
"And the others?"
"Accidents."
"Right. One question."
"Yes?"
"When I left here, to try and find new mutants, several months ago, the only sign of decency I could see in them," Wanda pointed downwards "was a tiny spark, almost the glow of an ember, in amongst the ashes. Now it is a flame, growing and feeding. How did you do it?"
"I fed it."
"What with?"
"My friendship, my love. If necessary I'll feed the flame with myself."
"I see."
"Will you look out for me?"
"Of course." Wanda was absentmindedly tracing the scar on Rac's cheek with her forefinger.
"Thanks Wand."
"'Wand'?"
"Yeah. Your codename is Scarlet Witch. Witches use wands. Your name is Wanda."
"Alright. What are the others called?"
"Pietro is Mercury. Lance is Galahad. Todd is Toe. Freddy is Teddy. Tabitha is Boom."
"Don't understand."
"Pietro, codename Quicksilver, quicksilver is another name for mercury, Mercury was the Roman Messenger God, he was very quick, and a good thief."
"I see. It suits him down to the ground. Lance?"
"Lance, Lancelot was a knight of the Round Table, his son, the best knight in the world, was Galahad."
"Twisted logic, but I follow you."
"Todd, I shortened, and got To, which became Toe."
"Follow you. I understand the last 2."
"Thought you would. You're smart."
"What's your magic?"
"Magic?"
"Power."
"Oh, Illusions, bit of Creation, and Shape shifting."
"What did they mean by '.kept an eye on your watch.'"
"The greatest illusion is time."
"I see."
"Shall we go to the others?"
"One thing first. I mustn't let them think I'm week. I need to appear strong. As far as they are concerned I'm just putting up with you."
"Got ya!"
"Thanks."
They got off the bed, and a loud noise started downstairs.
"Hi!"
"Henry!"
"Hey!"
"Nice to see ya!"
"What's up?"
"You're late!"
"Yeah, well, Rac told me to arrive later."
"Why?"
"So she could prepare the new mutant, and Wanda."
"Oh."
"Henry, could you do us a favour?"
"What've you blown up?"
"The computer, and Fred sat on the TV."
"Jeez! Let me see. You'll need a new TV. And the computer.pass me my bag, you've loosened some wires."
"There you go."
"Thanks.Right, it's fixed! I'll go get the new TV!"
"Thanks!"
Wanda turned to face Rac,
"Henry? Sounds like a girl's voice."
"Henry is a girl. Hates her real name."
"Mutation?"
"Can absorb and expel electricity. Can upload and download herself from the Internet. Can download items from the Internet, into real objects."
"Why so popular?"
"My room-mate."
"Right. Let's go down."
Downstairs Henry was just plugging in a brand new TV. Rac snorted, remembering the time Henry had created chaos at the mansion, by downloading all the fellowship from 'The Fellowship of the Ring'. That had been a laugh!
"Hi Henry!"
"Hi Rac! So.you'd be Wanda. Pietro's twin, daughter of Magneto, Mutation 'Hex bolts' that stop people's powers. I'm Henry. Nice to meet you. Who's the boy?"
"I'm Simon."
"Sci-Fi just joined my class. He's from Wales."
"'Sci-Fi'?!"
"Yeah. Simon to Si, you enjoy science fiction, science fiction is often known as Sci-Fi. There you go! QED!"
"How did you know?"
"Easy, you broadcast!"
"'Broadcast'?"
"Yeah, send out pictures. Everyone has their own style. Toe goes for detail and speed. Mercury's are quick, with minimum detail, and slightly blurred. Teddy gets definition. Galahad does faces. Boom gets figures, and colour detail. Wand is critical and harsh, on people. Sci-Fi matches people to characters. Henry does binary code."
"And you?" Pietro asked
"I don't know."
"Kitty?" Lance said, eager to discover how his girlfriend thought.
"Kit-Kat? She gets height, quite accurately, and can zoom in on detail."
"Oh." Lance marvelled.
"Anyway, Sci-Fi, what's your power?" Henry asked
"I can control people through singing and I can sent sonic waves from my fingers."
"Yeah, I discovered that. Tell me, what were you aiming for?" Rac said, unconsciously rubbing her right shoulder
"Your head! I missed altogether though."
"Good thing." Tabitha said
"You didn't miss altogether."
"But I don't see a mark." Rac lifted up her unblemished t-shirt arm, revealing a new mark, a single note burnt into the flesh.
"Neat, I mended the t-shirt. It'll make a nice scar."
"Don't you care?" Simon yelled, almost hysterical
"Nope!"
"Why not?"
"Because Henry made the mark on my left." Rac bared her wrist, to reveal her shooting star.
"Calm down. You'll do well here."
"What?"
"I'm not going to try to convert you. I just wanted your friendship."
"And Wanda's?"
"Wand's, yeah. But I'll make do with her not hating me, for now. I'm sure I can get her to like me, given time."
"Try all you like. You won't."
"I think I will."
"Now what do we do?"
"How about I tell you a story?" Rac said
"Great!"
"What?"
"You have story time?"
"You haven't heard Rac stories."
"They're hilarious!"
"And they're all true!"
"Which one you going to tell us?"
"Have I told you the one about 'Jesus is watching you!'?"
"No."
"Then I will. Do you mind if I use illusions?"
"No."
"They're much better that way!"
"Right. Galahad, the curtains! Henry, dim the lights!"
"Got ya!"
"Done!"
Rac sat down on the floor, as the rest of the group lounged on the furniture, and started to display an illusion, which moved as if it was alive.
"A burglar went to a house, which was rumoured to have a lot of expensive jewellery in it. He was walking silently round the dark living room, when he heard a voice:
'Jesus is watching you!'
"The burglar looked round, but he couldn't see anyone. So he carried on.
'Jesus is watching you!' the voice said again.
"This was seriously freaking the burglar out, but as he couldn't see anyone he carried on.
'Jesus is watching you!'
"This time he saw the speaker, a parrot sitting on a perch in the far corner of the room. He went over to it.
'Who are you?'
'I'm Moses'
'What sort of person names their parrot Moses?'
'The sort of person who names their vicious brute of a watchdog Jesus!'"
Laughter continued to pour out of the battered house for ages, as story after story was told. But on the other side of the world, someone murmured in their sleep.
"Laugh now, foe! But you will soon see the full might of the Apocalypse!"
***
I won't be writing for a while.
I'VE GOT MOCKS!!!
ARRRGHHHH!!!
Please, cheer me up by sending me a review.
Lots of reviews!