AN: Hiya. This chapter takes place during the episode "Stuff of Villains," as you'll probably realize: some of the dialogue is taken directly from the episode, mostly because I don't expect anyone to remember the ep word for word. Thank you to anyone who's reading this.
"Evil angel bearing apples, when
you kissed me on this drawbridge, as the boats do, how was I to know you'd
flee?" –Rufus Wainwright, 'Evil Angel'
Running from the military, a destroyed home, congressional hearings, a fight with Juggernaut, Presidential pardons, a tango with remnants of the Brotherhood outside a town meeting, it was almost too much for Rogue and the other X-Men to deal with. Sure, it was all well and good for Jean to convince the parents of Bayville that the world wouldn't come to an end if Xavier's mutants were allowed to go back to Bayville high, but by the proverbial laws of the playground, that meant absolutely nothing. Every time something went wrong, they were trouble making muties. Every time something went right, they were lousy mutie cheats. There was no winning, so they just tried to stick together.
Jean was made to take tests and quizzes before or after school, when no one else was around, with a proctor who'd never seen the exam questions before. The Professor and the ETS were already arguing over whether or not Jean's most recent- and impressive- SAT scores should be thrown out.
Rogue, Evan and Scott were banned entirely from gym class and school sports, something which they normally wouldn't have minded if it weren't for the circumstances. No one made an issue about Rogue's speed powers- though she still felt them inside her, ever since Pietro turned on the Brotherhood, it was like her mind just wouldn't allow it. Psychosomatic block due to post traumatic stress, Beast had called it. Anytime something went missing, Kitty was the first one questioned, and as soon as Kurt 'came out of the closet' they anticipated he would be the second. They ate lunch together, did everything together when they could, even though the professor had advised them against 'ganging up,' which was what the faculty called it. It was hard not to though, with everyone else looking at them with horror, uncomfortable interest, and hatred.
Rogue, who'd gotten a great deal of this before, was getting even more of it now, and as much as she liked to pretend it didn't bother her, it was cutting her to the quick. It was a pale difference, but a difference nonetheless. There was hatred on a social level, and then there was hatred on a species level. The first was a lot easier to write off than the second.
"There, she's one of them," a couple girls giggled as they walked past her. Rogue sighed, about to go back to her homework. She looked up at the sound of arguing and saw a couple of Bayville's resident idiots who seemed to have a bone to pick- no pun intended- with Evan.
"Dammit," she muttered, putting aside her notebook as she got up to cover his back. "No rest for the weary."
"It's wicked," someone said softly, out of her earshot, watching the girl go shove a boy twice her size and get smacked down. He pulled the queen of spades from his deck and looked from it to Rogue. "No rest for the wicked, petit."
"It's over, hurry up, retract those things," Rogue said urgently, looking around to make sure no one else had seen Evan get all prickly.
"I… I can't!" he replied, looking scared. "What's happening to me?"
"Evan, come on, concentrate!"
Evan took a deep breath, and managed to pull the bone spurs back into his body. Rogue sighed.
"Just keep your cool, okay? I'm gonna go head off those lame brains."
She took off after the two bullies, leaving a bewildered Evan behind, hoping that he had a spare shirt somewhere in his locker.
Crap, which way did they go? Rogue thought, rounding the corner. She heard a small explosion and ran towards it, only to see the two thugs running away from a man in a trench coat, standing next to a tree with a large smoking dent in it. Oh great. Mister King of Hearts, she growled inwardly.
"What are you doing here?" she snapped. He turned around to face her and smiled.
"Just passing by, cheri. Nice day," and with a little tip of his non-existent hat, he turned and walked off.
"Hey, isn't that one of Magneto's new guys?" Kitty said, running up to stand beside her.
"Yup, and he's up to something."
"We'd better tell Scott," Kitty said.
"Forget that, there's no time! Let's follow him!"
The King of Hearts knows where Magneto is, and chances are, he knows where Pietro is too. And I want to get to that boy before Scott does.
"But what about sixth period?" Kitty asked as Rogue dragged her off.
Pietro was profoundly not pleased. Sitting in a diner, minding his own business, scouring the newspaper for anything he could find about Bayville, when he noticed his coffee cup shaking. Five minutes of irrational conversation later and his sister had him locked in a cabinet in a safe in the middle of the street.
Now he was in the back of an armored military truck, escorted by two jeeps.
She'll make him come to me. Clearly he'd gotten the brains of the pair, if she thought Magneto would ever stoop so low as to personally rescue Pietro. Hell, fetching his son that first time, back in New York had probably galled him enough as it was.
Great. Now I'm probably going to be dissected. Dammit, this is the stupidest plan I've ever had.
Just then, the truck started to shake, or maybe it was the road, it was hard to tell. He slammed against the wall as the truck spun out to a stop. The way he figured it, he was either getting rescued or killed. He moved back to the window and saw Todd leap off the roof. Moments later, Blob was at the truck's door, trying to force his way in.
"Hey Blob, you actually got off the couch to come rescue me?" he said. I can't believe I actually missed you, you giant ball of lard. Freddy's reply pretty much convinced Pietro that the feeling wasn't mutual.
"Rogue!" he heard Lance shout.
You're kidding… no, that makes sense! I bet Lance called her to come and help get me, she's not mad at me- okay, not mad enough at me to let me get dissected.
Pietro's joyful train of thought was cut off as the ground lurched and the truck started moving in a direction in which he was pretty sure there was no road. Or ground for that matter.
"BLOB!!" he shouted, pounding on the door. Just as the truck went over, someone grabbed his hand.
"I'm only doing this for Rogue," Kitty muttered as she phased them through the truck and grabbed onto the edge of the cliff. The truck exploded on impact as Kitty and Pietro watched.
"Thanks!" Pietro replied. "But you just about muffed that, slowpoke," he added, scrambling up the rock face. He had to talk to Rogue and get out of there before Lance broke both his legs. He bolted over to her, faster than anyone could see.
"Nothing's changed," he said, to Rogue, in place of all the things he wanted to say, like I love your new shirt, how come you never wore belly shirts when I was around, purple's a good color on you, I miss you, I'm sorry, this was the stupidest idea I've ever had, I should've given you a chance to talk me out of it.
"How can you say that?" she asked him, incredulous. He reached out and touched her face and gave her a smile.
"Because it's true. Later babe."
The whole conversation took place too fast for anyone else to hear it, and then he was gone again. The Brotherhood was gone as well, though Rogue tried to slow them down with Lance's powers. After a little discussion with the army, they headed home to face the Professor and Scott.
"I can't believe he had the nerve to just run off like that!" Kitty growled as she phased them through the jagged pieces of broken asphalt, made treacherous by Lance and Rogue's liberal use of his powers. "Without even bothering to talk to you!"
"Seriously," Rogue said quietly.
"Scott's gonna kill us when we get home."
"Not if we don't tell him."
"Rogue-"
"Right, right, I know. What a lousy week."
Standing on the precipice above, Wanda could've kicked herself.
Of course! she thought. Why didn't I think of that before? Her eyes followed the pale girl with the white streaks in her hair as the two X-Men disappeared around the bend in the road. Wanda turned, heading down the mountain the way she came up. She was going to have to pay a certain X-Man a little visit.