Lost and Found

Gottarungottarun…The thoughts screamed through Pietro's mind as he ran in the mud. Gottagetawaygethelpget…nooooo!

Pietro slipped and fell in the mud. Exhausted and panting he got to his knees. His sides were hurting. He tried to get up but he fell back down. The rain hammered against his body as it poured down. I gotta get up! I gotta run and get help…get…help…

After his third try he collapsed in the mud. Why am I so weak? Why can't I get up? I gotta get up…I gotta….

But he couldn't. Tears started to roll down his eyes. Great move Pietro! So much for saving the others, but who's gonna save you?

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Several miles away from the base, a jeep poured through the freezing rain. "It's a good thing that we sewed a tracer in the lining of his pajamas," Shipwreck said as Lifeline drove the jeep. "It's not moving!" He pointed to the monitor.

"He must have collapsed from exhaustion," Lifeline peered out into the night. "Low Light you're the expert in seeing things in the dark, you see anything?"

"Nothing yet," Low Light kept his eyes peeled. "Crazy kid, running out in this weather."

"I just hope we find him before he gets into trouble," Lifeline said.

"He's out here somewhere," Low Light looked around. "Wait! There!" He pointed to something in the distance. "Stop the jeep!"

Lifeline stopped. Shipwreck jumped out. Huddled under a tree, Pietro lay there, soaked to the bone. His knees were pulled towards his chest and he was whimpering. "Found him!" Shipwreck shouted as he took off his rain jacket and covered the boy. He didn't fight back as Shipwreck carried him to the jeep. "We'd better get him back soon before he catches pneumonia!"

Pietro was already shaking violently. Shipwreck pulled the boy close to his body, trying to keep him as warm as possible. "Step on it Lifeline!" Lifeline tore back to the base, driving with such recklessness that even Shipwreck was impressed.

"He doesn't look good," Low Light said.

"Hang on, kid we'll get you back," Shipwreck said.

When they got back to the base Shipwreck carried him to one of the bathrooms in the medical wing. While Lifeline prepared a warm bath, Shipwreck stripped the boy of his wet clothing and wrapped him in a blanket, trying to dry off some of the rainwater from his body. Pietro weakly tried to push him away, but could not.

"Now come on," Shipwreck rubbed him vigorously. "Take it easy kid. We gotta get you warmed up."

"Go away!" Pietro said. "Leave me alone!"

"No," Shipwreck said simply. "You know you nearly gave us a heart attack kid, running off like that! Do you have any idea how badly you could have been hurt? You're too weak to go running off like that!"

"What do you care?" Pietro sulked.

"I do believe it or not," Shipwreck told him. "Seeing as now I'm one of the guys responsible for your butt." He picked him up. "Come on kid, bath time."

"No, no, no!" Pietro protested, trying to escape.

"Oh don't be such a baby!" Shipwreck snapped, unceremoniously yanking off the blanket and dumping him into the bathtub.

"Shipwreck you go dry off," Lifeline told him. "I'll take care of this."

"Give him a good scrubbing," Shipwreck ordered. He went into the next room and stripped off his wet clothes and put on a terrycloth robe. He could hear Pietro splashing for a bit in the other room. Finally the splashing stopped.

Shipwreck poked his head in to make sure everything was all right. Pietro was sitting dejectedly in the bathtub, allowing Lifeline to bathe him. "There now," Lifeline was scrubbing his back with a brush. "That's not so bad is it?"

"This is so humiliating," Pietro grumbled.

"Well it's your own fault running off like that," Lifeline said. "I told you that you weren't strong enough."

"How did you guys find me?" Pietro asked.

"We have magic powers," Shipwreck told him. "We know everything that goes on around here using our crystal ball."

"That and the tracer we hid inside your clothes," Lifeline told him. "I told you he'd bolt as soon as he was able."

"You knew?" Pietro blinked.

"Well Psyche-Out figured it out," Shipwreck told him.

"So you have a tracer on all of us?" Pietro blinked.

"No just you," Shipwreck told him. "Because we knew you were the only one crazy enough to run."

Pietro shrank in humiliation. "So I'm gonna get punished now?"

"For being scared?" Shipwreck said. "Heck no."

"Let's just say we'll look the other way, this time," Lifeline told him. "You know any longer out there and you could have been really hurt. Your immune system is very weak right now. You need to rest."

Pietro let Lifeline bathe him and wash his hair. When he was finished he was dried off in a fluffy towel and dressed in a clean new set of pajamas. Shipwreck then went into the bathroom to get changed. Lifeline put a bathrobe on Pietro and gave him some hot tea to drink. Psyche-Out walked inside. "How's our escape artist?" He smirked.

"You already know about it?" Pietro groaned.

"Kid on this base gossip's like wildfire," Psyche-Out told him. "Of course with your sister screaming at the top of her lungs about it, it's kind of hard to keep a lid on things."

"Wanda!" Pietro turned pale. "I…I forgot about her! I just…I didn't…"

"Things aren't so simple are they?" Psyche-Out asked. "Nothing makes sense anymore does it?"

"No," Pietro sighed. "I don't really know why I ran. Honestly I don't."

"Where were you going kid?" Psyche-Out asked. No one noticed that General Hawk was nearby. He remained behind the open door listening in. "Where were you running to?"

"I don't know!" Pietro said loudly. "I guess I was going to get…"

"To get help?" Lifeline asked. "To stage some kind of rescue?"

Pietro hung his head down. "Yeah. I just…I didn't want…."

"You didn't want any more mutants to get into trouble did you?" Lifeline said.

"That's why you ran isn't it?" Psyche-Out said gently. "You were afraid of betraying your fellow mutants."

Pietro turned away. "You were looking for your father to help you weren't you?" Psyche-Out knelt down to him, so that his eyes were level with his. "Pietro, look at me. I'm sorry I have to say this, but your father is not going to help you. He's left you behind. I know this is hard for you to face, because no matter how badly he's mistreated you and your sister you still love him. And that's okay. But maybe he doesn't love you as much as you love him. Does that give him the right to hurt you and treat you badly? Does it Pietro?"

"I…I don't know," Pietro's voice was very small.

"Do you want him to do to other mutants what he did to you and your sister?" Lifeline asked gently. "What about Toad and the others? Or when he kidnapped Althea's brother? Do you want him to do that to others?"

Pietro looked like he was about to cry. "That's enough," Hawk finally walked in. "Pietro, you don't have to tell them anything anymore. It doesn't matter now."

"What do you mean?" Lifeline asked.

"The second Mystique woke up she started singing like a contestant from American Idol," Hawk told him. "There's already been a raid on that base. So apparently you've been worrying for nothing."

"Was anyone…?" Pietro gulped.

"No serious injuries," Hawk told him. "Most of the mutants however got away, including our friend Sabertooth. A few got caught and…well let's just say Mystique might get a few new cellmates. None of the mutants caught were kids."

"Well that's some good news," Lifeline sighed.

"I'm sorry," Pietro sniffed. "I didn't…"

"Listen kid," Hawk knelt down and put a hand on his shoulder. "Believe it or not, I understand. I know you want to help mutants. And mutants need to stick together. But not the way Magneto wants it. His way will only make things worse."

"At least you have a conscience," Psyche-Out told him. "Mystique and people like her are only interested in themselves."

"Pietro," Lifeline sighed and sat down on a nearby bed. "Come here," He motioned him to sit beside him. Pietro sheepishly obeyed. "I can only imagine what's going through your mind at this moment. All your life you've been taught that humans will hate you and experiment on you. And now here you are stuck in a military base full of them."

"Son that's a half truth," Hawk told him. "Yes there are a lot of humans who will never understand you and will want to hurt you. And yes there are a lot of people within both the military and the government that want to see mutants either contained or exterminated. But there are also a lot of people who want to help mutants or at the very least not start a new era of slavery and oppression. We're the latter."

"Toad said that's because you saw a lot of bad things like Moreauseau," Pietro said.

"That's part of it," Hawk sighed. "Maybe we've seen so much horror and pain we don't want anyone else to experience it."

"Pietro I know this is frightening and confusing for you," Lifeline said. "But you are gonna have to learn to trust us, just like we're going to have to learn to trust you. This a two way street here. You need to learn to understand humans just like humans need to learn to understand mutants."

Pietro remained silent. "I can see this is going to take some time," Hawk sighed.

Shipwreck had finished changing in the bathroom and walked back in. "Listen kid here's the deal," Shipwreck said. "We ain't gonna lock you up for running off this time, but we need you to promise that you won't run off as well. Got it? And I mean a real promise."

"Okay," Pietro said meekly. "I promise. I…I won't run away again. I mean it."

Lifeline hugged him gently. "Now we are going to hold you to this, so I want you to understand that."

Pietro blinked. He hadn't been held like this in a long time. He felt ashamed for wanting to be cared for like a small child, but it felt so good. He closed his eyes and tentatively hugged Lifeline back.

"That's a good boy," Lifeline said. He let Pietro pull away. "Better? Now do you understand what you promised? And what the consequences are?"

"If I run away I get locked up," Pietro sighed. "I won't run away. But…do I have to wear a bracelet or something to keep tabs on me?"

"Let me show you something," Hawk held up his wrist. "See this watch? It not only has a communicator on it but a tracer. All Joes wear something like this. Each watch, ring or necklace has a built in homing device. This is in case of an emergency so if something happens we can be found."

"See," Shipwreck showed him his watch. "Even we have to follow the rules. You think if you had a watch like this it would help you remember not to run away?"

"I…I guess," Pietro stammered. "You all wear a homing device?"

"For safety reasons," Lifeline showed him his wristband. "Of course not all of them are the same. "This is a Joe-Com. Most of the Joes only wear them when they're on duty, but because I'm a medic, I wear mine nearly twenty-four seven. It not only has a homing device, it has a communication device, audio/video COM link, heart monitor, a database, the works."

"It even tells the time," Hawk smiled. "It's our newest device. We just worked the bugs out of them a week ago."

"Do I get something like that?" Pietro's eyes were wide.

"Uh let's start with the watch and see how you do," Shipwreck said. "So how about it kid?"

Pietro nodded. "Okay. I won't run away. I'll really be good. And if I'm really good do I get a Joe-Com?"

"Oh yeah he'll be fine!" Shipwreck laughed. "Like I said, we'll see."

"I think it's time you went back to bed," Lifeline said. "Psyche-Out you can talk to him some more in the morning."

"Better make it the afternoon," Psyche-Out told him. "I have a session with Avalanche."

"How's he doing?" Pietro asked.

Psyche-Out hesitated. "It's…too early to tell." He looked at Pietro. "What happened to Lance wasn't your fault kid. There was nothing you could have done."

"But I knew," Pietro said. "I knew Magneto was giving us those drugs. Why didn't I warn him? I could have done something!"

"No you couldn't," Lifeline told him. "Magneto is too powerful for you to take him on alone. Heck even we couldn't take him without the X-Men and he still got away! So don't beat yourself up."

Pietro said nothing, not quite believing him. "Come on kid," Lifeline said. "Let's get you back to bed."

Pietro meekly followed him back to the room. Inside Wanda was sitting there. "HA!" She snapped. "I knew they'd catch you! Serves you right! How could you do something stupid like that? Especially after you promised Toad?"

"That's enough Wanda," Lifeline said. "Pietro's been through enough." He tucked Pietro in.

"Aren't you going to punish him?" Wanda asked.

"Whose side are you on?" Pietro yelped.

"No one is going to be punished," Lifeline told her.

"But he ran away!" Wanda snapped.

"Because he was scared," Lifeline told her. "Sometimes we all do things we shouldn't do when we're scared. Like trashing a room with one's powers? Hmmm?"

Wanda hung her head down. "I didn't mean to," She said.

"That's right," Lifeline sat down next to her. "And Pietro didn't mean to run away and leave you. That's what you're mad about isn't it?"

Wanda sulked. "Yeah. He was being selfish like always!"

"I wasn't thinking!" Pietro shouted. He got quieter. "I'm sorry."

Wanda turned her head away. "Wanda," Lifeline said gently. "I believe your brother really didn't mean to leave you behind. He's really sorry. It's understandable that you're angry with him. Is there anything he can do to make you feel better?"

"I don't know," Wanda turned away.

"Please don't be so hard on your brother," Lifeline told her. "He's just as scared as you are. He just has a different way of expressing it, that's all."

"Why are you being so nice to us?" Pietro asked.

"Why shouldn't I be?" Lifeline smiled. "Now get some rest." He left the room.

"I hope you realize how lucky you are you didn't really get punished," Wanda snapped.

"Yeah I know," Pietro sighed.

"You can be such a jerk sometimes you know," Wanda sniffed.

"Well so are you," Pietro shot back. "Sometimes."

They lay there in silence. "I'm still mad at you," Wanda said.

"I wasn't thinking," Pietro said.

"Obviously," Wanda snorted. Then she softened. "I guess…if I was in a situation like that…Maybe…I'd run too. But I wouldn't have left you behind!"

"I didn't intend to leave you behind," Pietro told her. "I was gonna…I dunno…get help and rescue you or something. I dunno. I didn't really think it through."

"I guess I can't be too mad at you," Wanda sighed. "Thinking things through isn't exactly your strong suit."

"Thanks a lot," Pietro groaned.

"Then again," Wanda sighed. "I wasn't thinking when I first woke up. I just reacted blindly."

"How did they stop you?" Pietro asked, curious.

"When I freaked out…" Wanda sighed. "I kinda dragged Lifeline inside my mind. But he was so calm and gentle. He took me away from all the bad things and guided me to this garden inside his mind. I felt so safe. It's nothing like regular telepathy. I guess the best description of it that it's more like a misty presence rather than an actual one."

"I wonder how he does that?" Pietro wondered. "I mean, he has powers but he's not a mutant. I didn't think that was possible."

"Maybe he has magical abilities?" Wanda said. "That's a possibility. Or he could be an Esper."

"A what?"

"Someone with ESP," Wanda said. "Someone connected to the paranormal somehow. Somehow their minds are attuned to a higher plane of being. That was Agatha's description of it."

"Well whatever he is at least he's not on some mad scientist kick," Pietro sighed. "Wanda…do you think we're going to be okay here?"

"Well they haven't killed us or anything," Wanda shrugged. "They've treated us pretty well considering. Maybe it will be okay?"

"They don't seem so bad do they?" Pietro sighed. He closed his eyes. "Maybe…maybe we are safe here."

"That's all I want," Wanda sighed, hugging her doll closer. "Just to feel safe."

"So do I…" Pietro sighed before he fell asleep.

Okay, coming up: More comforting, some bickering, a little more putting the team of adults together, and an all out brawl! But who fights? Wait and see, it's not who you think!