Dear Readers. I would just like to apologize to you for the several mistakes I've made in my 2nd chapter. I was kinda writing it in rush since I wanted to post it as soon as possible. In this chapter though, I'll pay more attention to the mistakes. I do not own X-men: Evolution, Warner Bros. and Marvel Comics does. I OWN IRIS AND A VILLAIN COMING UP! THAT'S FINAL! Hope you enjoy my new chapter!
"talking" = talking in a normal voice
//thinking// = character thinking
~telepathy~ = talking telepathically
I dedicate this chapter to all of my reviewers! Thanks guys, you rock!
Chapter 3: Interesting Way
"No one told me it was your car you know. I just needed a getaway." a voice piped up. Everyone turned in that direction to see Iris.
"WHY YOU DIRTY PIECE OF ....!" screamed Lance as he ran towards Iris. She put her hands up and fog sped from them to create a wall of floating wooden spikes appear around her.
"Touch me and you'll get holes in your skin," she threatened coldly. This made Lance think twice and stop. "That's better," she said and crossed her arms. "Now I want to clearly know why all of you mutants are so eager to get your hands on me."
"We explained ourselves didn't we?" asked Tabitha. "You join our group," she gestured to the BOH, "or you join the X-geeks over there." She pointed at the X-men.
"So what are you guys, some kind of cults," Iris questioned, eyebrows raised.
"We aren't like cults," defended Kitty. "We're like people who either totally help or destroy the world." At the last statement, Kitty glared at the Brotherhood of Mutants.
Iris sighed and rocked on her heels. "Would it do if I told you all that I'm not interested in joining any of you?"
"No!" Evan and Pietro said simultaneously. They stared daggers at each other.
"What if I bashed you all up in smithereens, then would you stop bothering me?" Iris asked with menacing reddish-orange eyes.
"NO!" everyone chorused. Everyone then glared at each other.
"Besides," smirked Pietro sticking his hands in his pocket, "I'd like to see you try."
"Don't say I didn't warn you," replied Iris coolly as she raised her hands in the air. Before any of the other mutants could react, she had smothered them in a dense fog. Screams and moans of pain emitted from the fog, as they all experienced the sensation of slooowly being exploded to bits. Iris controlled the experience as long as she could, but when she felt them all feeling the part where their limbs were disconnecting she stopped. She forced the fog to last longer as she made her escape. Running until she was at least two blocks from the school, she turned around and cut off her illusion. Then, she kept on running back to her foster parents' house.
"Voah, vhat happened?" asked Kurt shakily as he lay slouched on the ground.
"I don't know and don't want to," groaned Jean.
"Let's get back to the Institute," moaned Scott and the X-men hobbled up to his car.
* * * * *
"It was like horrible," gasped out Kitty. The X-men were all now in the living room lying around either on the floor or on the couches clutching ice packs."Hmm...interesting," mused Professor Xavier thoughtfully. "You mean to say that this girl Iris covered you with a dense fog and slowly gave you the sensation of being ripped to pieces yet you actually got harmed. Am I correct?"
"Yup," chorused the X-men.
"A really weird kid if you ask me Charles," growled Logan.
"Hmm...let me do a check-up on Iris and see where her current residence is," said Xavier and wheeled away with Logan and Ororo following. The X-men groaned an acknowledgment.
* * * * *
Iris crept through the door of her adopted 'home'. Quietly sneaking upstairs, she hoped to reach her room unnoticed. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen.
"Where ya been wench?" slurred out her foster father's voice as he grabbed her drunkenly by the arm. Beer cans littered the floor. Iris's foster mother, hair tousled and dark circles adorning her eyes, snored in the armchair with a cigarette still smoking in her hand. Iris stared coldly with disgust at her foster dad.
"I've been at school," she replied, her eyes just the normal violet yet with a thin ring of bright silver appearing around the pupil.
"That isn't what I meant brat," her foster father, (ok guys, lets start calling Iris's foster father Dill, I'm kinda getting tired of always calling him 'foster father') Dill, leered. Grabbing a nearby walking cane, he started thrashing Iris, holding on to her arm all the time. "What I'm asking you you stupid, is where were you this morning!" He punctuated the last five words with a harsh hit each.
"Ow!...I decided...ouch!...to go to school...stop it!...by myself!" Iris gulped out as she tried to duck the blows as much as she could. Dill didn't pay attention to her excuse, just kept on beating her as hard as he could, venting his anger out in his drunkenness. Then the doorbell rang. Dill let go off Iris who sped up to her room and slammed the door. Dill stumbled to the door and wrenched the door open. "WHADDYA WANT!"
Xavier raised his eyebrows when he saw Dill's disheveled appearance. Shirt half-buttoned, faded jeans, tousled hair, shirt half-tucked and eyes red from loss of sleep.
"We're looking for a girl called Iris," Xavier stated calmly.
"Well she ain't here," muttered Dill and was about to close the door when Ororo's foot stepped out and stopped it.
"I believe that this is the correct address," she said mildly. Dill scowled.
"She's upstairs," he replied grudging, opening the door. Xavier and Ororo entered and immediately wrinkled their noses. Dill, not noticing, pointed to the stairs.
"She's there," he grumbled and walked unsteadily back to the living room. Ororo walked the way Dill had pointed to while Xavier stayed on the first floor. Wheeling around, he noticed the number of beer cans on the floor and the snoring woman. There were pictures on the wall that hung crookedly. Going to the kitchen, he looked in the fridge and noticed the pitiful amount of food.
//A poor example of a home.// he thought.
* * * * *
Ororo went to the second floor and looked around. "Iris?" she called out. She noticed an open door and went to it. She pushed it open to discover a storage room with a bed squeezed into the corner. Clothes were laid out on the bed. Feeling a wind, she looked up to see a small, square window against the ceiling opened. She wheeled around and rushed downstairs.
"She's gone Professor."
* * * * *
Iris hummed to herself as she searched for the Bayville Park. Her backpack was slung on one shoulder, containing her sketchpad, pencils and thick dusty book. She strolled on then suddenly winced. The bruises on her back and hips were still tender, although they were healing. She was used to this kind of thing, from previous foster parents. Seeing a green patch ahead of her, she walked faster and reached the park. Looking around, she saw that nobody was there. She was slightly alarmed as she expected to see some children playing on the playground, but she dismissed the thought. Heading for a grove of large Douglas fir trees, she aimed straight for the expansive shade provided. Iris preferred coolness to the sun's heat. Dropping her knapsack, she stood there and breathed deeply. Again she was alone, with her thoughts, with herself. Nothing could disturb her or harm her now. Iris felt a playful exuberance overwhelming her. Eyes changed to a sunny marigold yellow. Her feet took a step to the left, then to the right. Without warning, she twirled around. Hips swaying, head moving to a beat, she danced to a music only she could hear. She performed cartwheels, backward flips and somersaults in the air. Then just as suddenly as she started, she halted. Eyes diminished back to their lovely violet. Clapping was heard.
Iris whirled around. The Brotherhood of Mutants stood there. "Excellent dancing honey," commented Lance, smirking.
Iris sighed. "Haven't you guys had enough?"
"No, not really," Tabitha said, blowing across her fingernails. Iris didn't reply, instead she just raised her hands and shot out mist. Pietro sped forward and knocked her down, breaking her concentration. Then the visions hit Iris.
She arched her back, screaming before falling back down. She then just lay there twitching, her eyes moving underneath her closed eyelids. The BOH stared at her.
"Yo, this girl sure is wacko," said Toad, saying out everyone's thoughts.
Lance signaled Fred forward. "Fred pick her up and let's get outta here."
"You shall not be," a firm adult voice said. The teenagers turned to see Storm floating in her battle suit.
"Look here boys, weather witch decided to crash the party," sneered Lance. Storm stared at him frostily.
"As a matter of fact, yes, I did decide to crash the party," replied Storm. She sent a huge wind against the teenagers, making them fly in the wind and land 10 feet from where they were. When everything had settled down, Storm and Iris were gone, with only Iris's knapsack left.
"Why do those X-geeks always have to butt into!" Lane said angrily.
"Maybe because we're butting in too," Fred said sensibly.
"Fred, now is not the time," said Tabitha through gritted teeth.
* * * * *
Iris found herself in the same dark room with the corpses like in her dream last night. This time, the lightbulb was brighter and the dead bodies were hanging on meat hooks, each with 4 different hastily, scrawled number on them. Everything looked fuzzy to Iris and kept on flickering, like a TV show that wasn't broadcasting well. Looking around, she noticed that she was lying on the wooden table in her dream, strapped onto it with leather.
//Now I'm really starting to freak out.// she thought.
A short, hunched person wearing a brown robe shuffled up to her. Its head was covered up with a brown hood. When it had reached Iris's head, it grinned, only revealing the yellow, unkempt teeth in its mouth. It raised its arm with something gleaming dull silver in its hand. It plunged the gleaming silver into her neck.
"AHHHHHHH....." Iris shrieked as she writhed in pain. She tried to twist out of straps.
"Logan! Hold her down!" Xavier commanded. Logan placed his hands on Iris's shoulders and pushed with all of his strength. Iris still squirmed within his grasp.
//This girl is strong.// Logan thought admirably.
Iris was actually in the infirmary of the Xavier Institute. She had been brought here by Storm and Professor Xavier was now trying to wake her up. Sinking a syringe in her neck, he ejected a clear fluid. Iris lay slumped as though exhausted. Her eyes were still closed.
"Come on, wake up," murmured Xavier. He lightly slapped her face with no result.
Iris blinked. Although she felt something cold slide down her neck and fire raged through that spot, she could see more clearly. The mysterious person chuckled and reached for something. A metal hook on a small rod, the kind they used at the dentist office, twinkled with an evil, mischievous look. The hooded person slid it on Iris's belly, then sliced her tummy open allowing blood to gush forth.
"AHHHHHH.....!" Iris sat up in bed as she screamed. She stopped, breathing rapidly. Her eyes went perfectly white with fear and were as round as saucers. Bit by bit, the black pupil returned and soft purple of curiosity came. Seeing the X-men grouped around her, Iris scrambled backwards. Her back, covered with bruises and cuts, scraped against the hard wall making her flinch.
"Calm down child," Ororo's voice rang. Looking up she saw an African woman with long, pure white hair. The lady smiled and placed a comforting hand on Iris's shoulder. Looking around, she noticed the teenage mutants who had chased her.
"You!" she gasped out.
"There's no need to be alarmed. You currently at the Xavier Institute for Gifted People," Xavier said. Next to Iris she saw a bald man in a wheelchair.
"What is this place?" she questioned curiously.
"This is the medical infirmary." Xavier gestured around him. "As for the Institute, it's a school for..."
"...mutants." Iris cut in. Xavier slightly winced as he preferred 'gifted'. "In a way."
"How'd I get here?" Iris asked in a straight-forward manner. Ororo explained the story, with bits from the X-men adolescents about how strange Iris was in unconscious state. After the story was told, they asked Iris what she experienced while senseless. She paused. "I was in a dream."
"In a dream?" Xavier said eyebrows politely raised. Iris nodded vigorously. Xavier reached out towards her head. "Try to recall the dream," he directed, "And allow me to revision it along with you." Iris scuttled away from his outstretched hands.
"Nuh uh," she disagreed. "I don't think you'd want to use to your powers while touching me."
"You mean you can absorb in people's life energy or powers like Rogue here?" asked the professor.
"Much worse that that," Iris said without skipping a beat. Xavier stretched out an offering hand to her. ~Try me. ~ He sent telepathically. Iris paused then slowly grasped his. Xavier placed two fingers on two temples on her head. Suddenly he got blasted with thoughts, snatches of Iris's dreams and pain. He got propelled backwards and hit the wall harshly, fell forward and grunted with pain. The X-men leapt forward.
"Are you fine Professor?" asked Jean with a worried tone.
"I'm fine Jean," Xavier answered as he was helped into his chair. He wheeled back to Iris's side who was lying down and panting.
"It seems that you can amplify people's abilities Iris, to far greater degrees," he said. "Since you are tired out as am I, why don't you stay for the night in this ward?" Iris nodded as she suddenly realized the amount of excitement she had just had. The X-men left her, with Ororo smoothing Iris's rumpled blanket down and going away. Kurt halted in the doorway when everyone was gone.
"Sleep tight, don't let de bed bugs bite," he whispered winking before exiting. Iris rolled her eyes. She drifted to sleep with one last thought before blacking out.
//Where's my backpack?//
* * * * *
"Yo, what's this trash she's carrying," hooted Toad. Iris's backpack was now being plundered by the BOH.
"Dunno," said Lance who was flipping through her sketchbook leaving smudges on her beautifully realistic drawings. Picture of mythical creatures were mostly in it, griffins, mermaids, dragons, wizards....he paused at one page. A boy about 17 years old looked dreamily through dark, misty eyes with his head slightly facing to right. Dark hair was swept to the side on his forehead, a firm jaw was situated underneath his slightly pointy ears and a strong nose looked graceful with his handsome features. In the right hand corner above Iris's signature were the initials L.L.
//Who can this be.// Lance thought then flipped to the next page. "Hey Piet! Check this out!" Pietro zoomed to look over Lance's shoulder.
"Hey that's me!" Pietro cried out, grabbing the drawing and holding it up the light.
"Sure is Einstein," snickered Lance, clapping a hand onto the speed demon's shoulder.
Pietro looked thoughtfully at the drawing. This girl was actually quite a good artist. The picture seemed so real, Pietro could feel the surprise depicted on his face, taste the blood coming through his nose and the anger the drawing was emitting at being ridiculed. Pietro wondered whether he could hang this in room, it looked so wonderful.....
"Earth to Pietroooo," Tabitha sang snapping fingers in front his face, which was now holding a foolish smile.
"Wha...?" he said startled. Tabitha chuckled nonchalantly. "You were grinning like an idiot back there. You gotta crush or something on this girl." Pietro blushed.
"Course not." He mumbled. Tabitha winced at the speed of words.
"I'll take that as a no sweetheart. Anyways....Pietro is bluuuushing, Pietro is bluuuushing!" she squawked out, pointing an accusing finger at him. Pietro's face reddened more.
"Shut up!" he whispered urgently, slapping down Tabitha's raised hand.
"This is why girls ain't allowed in the Brotherhoo' of Mutants," muttered Todd.
"Hey! If I were you punk....." Tabitha hollered at Todd with fists on her hips. Pietro escaped, zipping up the stairs to his room. Tearing the drawing with him on it from the sketchbook, he taped to the wall. Sighing, he flopped onto his spring-broken bed staring at the cracked wall where the drawing was held.
Oh look! Pietro has a cruuuuush on Iris! Sorry if you find the long, stressed letters annoying I just looooove doing it! I won't be able to update the story as quickly as I did with the first three chapters because I have school this week. I might be able to send out the fourth chapter three days from now since I get a day off on that day. Please, please send reviews!! I hope I get as many as I did before. Thanks bye!