Ace of Hearts

Chapter 5

By Kanshisha Tenshi

Disclaimer:  Finally!  Something I do own!  While I don't own X-Men:  Evolution, I do own the character Phillip Mertock/Aspire (It does have to do with his mutation, but you'll find out later what it is).

~[ 3 ]~

            Somewhere, a baby bird wakes up and chirps to its mother, signaling its want for food.  Somewhere, a mother sings her child to sleep after tucking them in, or perhaps she reads a bedtime story.  Somewhere, a couple celebrates their fiftieth anniversary.  Somewhere, there is happiness.  Somewhere, there is peace.

            That somewhere is far, far away from Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters in the morning.

~[ 3 ]~

            Chaos was really the only way to describe the morning of the first day back to school.  The students were piling into the kitchen to get their breakfast before they got ready for classes.  Kurt and Kitty obviously had no trouble getting their food, since Kurt could get in and out of the mess instantly and Kitty could phase through anyone in her way.  But, as for the others...

            Evan was hogging the milk, which Bobby and Amara needed for their cereal.  Kitty phased through them, grabbed an entire box of Pop Tarts, and phased through again.  She opened the box and started handing out packets to Scott, Jean, and Jubilee.  She phased through to get another box, eating hers, and gave some to Ray, Rhane, Roberto and Rogue.  This continued for a while.

            Nega sat alone in the corner, munching on some toast, staring like a hawk at Logan.  Jean came over to her to talk.

            "Hey."

            "Can I help you?"

            "Just trying to be friendly, is all."  Jean frowned.  This girl talked less than Repro.  She started to reach out with her mind, but the other cut her off.

            "Don't bother being friendly or trying to read my mind.  I'll allow neither."  Jean walked away, and Nega continued to stare at Logan, making sure he kept his distance from her.

~[ 3 ]~

            "Hey, Neutra, I need to talk to you."  It was Scott.

            "Sure, what about?"

            "Well, um...how do you plan to get to school today?  I'd drive you, but I don't have any room left in my car."

            "I can get there fine."

            "The problem is," he continued, oblivious, "the buses are either afraid to come by here because we're mutants or just don't know where the mansion is.  But since they didn't come before the news story, I guess they just don't know we're out here--"

            "Scott!"

            "Yes?"

            "That's not what I meant.  You see Repro over there?  He can grow extra limbs.  He can carry me to school.  Besides, I never ride buses."

            "And he can carry Nega?"

            "Nega graduated from high school two years ago.  You didn't know that?"

            "It's hard to know anything about her; she won't talk."

            "Yeah, well, here's something I can teach you about her:  she's afraid of Logan.  And I'm pretty sure she's lied about her mutation."

~[ 3 ]~

            Rogue sat down in her first period class.  She already knew she'd hate Biology, because she didn't want to have to dissect anything.  That and she had a "transfer student" sitting in the desk behind her.

            "Hey, chere," the all-too-familiar voice greeted her.

            "Bite meh, Gambit," she greeted in return.

            "Why would Remy want t' bite his fille?"

            "Not literally, swamp rat!" she hissed.  "Ah meant...oh, jus' forget it."

            "Remy could never fo'get somet'ing such a beautiful fille say t' him," he whispered.

            "Ah've already told ya, Cajun, that kiss didn't mean anythin' between us.  It was just a kiss."

            "Remy don' t'ink so."

            "Yeah, well, Ah don' care what Remy thinks."

~[ 3 ]~

            Lauren wasn't having much luck in her first period, either.

            "Hey, pretty girl, can I get your phone number?" an anonymous boy asked her.

            "Take a hike, kid.  I'm way out of your league, and if you don't know it then I pity you."

            "Hey, I hear she's one of those mutants we saw on TV," an anonymous girl said.  "She could probably kill you by talking to you over the phone, anyway."

            "That's a really ignorant thing to say," Lauren snapped at her.  She was beginning to become angry, and one boy started to feel a series of tingles throughout his body.

            "Hey...what the hell's going on over here?" Phillip demanded of his rude classmates.

            "She's a mutant," the boy told him.

            "Yeah?  So?" Phillip asked.

            "So?  What do you mean, 'so'?" the first boy asked.

            "It doesn't matter.  You have no right to disrespect her just because she's different.  Now, I wish you all a good day...away from her."  Suddenly the boy and the girl got up and found seats at the opposite end of the room.

            "Are you a mutant, too?" she whispered to Phillip.  He nodded slightly.  "Then you might want to calm me down before I negate your powers...whatever they are."

            "I wondered why it took them so long to react to it."

            "What are your powers, anyway?"  He smiled at her.

~[ 3 ]~

            Rogue sat down to lunch, a few hours into the day.  She knew next period she would have Physical Education, and from talking to Kurt she learned he would, too.  She glared at Remy from where she sat under a tree.  The debonair Cajun shared most of her classes, P.E. among them.  For now, though, she enjoyed eating her lunch while reading underneath what she now claimed as her tree.  She caught sight of Neutra and shouted for her to come over.

            "How's ya'll's day been--an' who's this boy ya got followin' ya?" she asked, glancing at Phillip, taking in his appearance.  He didn't look too shabby, with short black hair and goatee; he was tall, slim yet finely muscled, and he looked strong and proud.  She guessed he must be in his Senior year at Bayville High.

            "This is Phillip.  He's a guy--a friend--I met in first period.  He's a mutant, too."

            "What're his powers?"

            "Well..."

~[ 3 ]~

            Gambit glared sharply at the boy who had gone to sit with Rogue and Neutra, jealousy starting to nip at him.

            Ain't nobody gonna take Gambit's place wit' his chéri.

            Mind set, he strode over to Rogue's tree and sat down possessively next to her.

~[ 3 ]~

            "...I can control my powers to an extent."

            "What do you mean, 'an extent'?"

            "I mean whatever it is has to be in range for me to use my ability on it.  And I've never been able to do something permanently with them."

            "So, as soon as you get out of range of it, it's undone?"

            "As far as I know.  I haven't experimented with them for about...2 years.  I've only done little things, to practice and hone them."

            "Bonjour," Gambit greeted, staring at Phillip.

            "Bonjour," came a mocking voice from the other side of the tree.

            "Pietro Maximoff, get th' hell outta here," Rogue called.  There was a slight breeze, and he "appeared" in front of Neutra.

            "Hey, Roguie, who's this?" he asked.

            "The name's Neutra.  Who the hell are you?"

            "Name's Pietro," he said, smirking.  "I guess you could call me Quicksilver."

            "He's a pain in the ass," Rogue informed Neutra.

            "Remy'll second dat."

            "Yeah, well, if I wanted your opinion I'd beat ya for it," Pietro scoffed indignantly.

            "Don't talk to my friends that way," Neutra warned.

            "I'll talk to whoever however I want," he informed her.  Neutra glared at her.

            "Lauren, I'd rather not lose grip of my powers for a second time today..."

            "Shut up, Phillip."  He frowned.

            "Actually, while Pietro's here it'd probably be a good idea for her t' get mad.  Then he won't be able t' run while Ah beat him down."

            "Oh, so this is the chick that can cancel out powers, huh?"

            "She don't really like bein' called a 'chick', Maximoff."  Neutra stood up and slapped Pietro, in one fluid motion.

            "She's right.  I don't.  Make me mad enough and I just may negate you.  Now get lost."  Pouting, Pietro ran off.

~[ 3 ]~

            "You know, I probably might have other powers.  If I do, though, they just either haven't been developed or are negated by my dominant power."

            "Ya think ya negate ya own power?"

            "Could be."  Then, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.  Rogue sighed.

            "Guess Ah'd better head off t' P.E., huh?"

            "Remy'll walk you t' class, petite."

            "Go for it, kid," Neutra told Rogue.

            "Guess Ah don' have a choice.  Fine, swamp rat, let's go."

            "So dat mean you like Remy now?"

            "No, it means she'll have a field day chewin' me out an' negatin' my powers while tryin' to encourage you to' do somethin' if Ah don't go for it."

            "I heard that."

~[ 3 ]~

            P.E. was horrible.  The teacher had told Rogue to wash off her make-up in the bathroom every day from then on or she'd fail.  Then she'd told her to "ditch the attitude" and wear brighter colors.  She'd shown the class the P.E. uniform, and Rogue nearly gagged.  It was downright horrible.

            But the last straw had been when he'd tried to tell Kurt off.

            "From now on, son, you're going to have to take that thing off.  Watches and jewelry aren't allowed."

            "But you don't underztand, I need thiz--"

            "No 'buts' about it, kid!  No watches and no jewelry!"  Rogue was about to go either give an excuse for it or tell the teacher off, when Gambit stepped up.

            "Remy needs t' have a word alone wit' you, sir," he said quietly.  They walked outside of the gymnasium, Remy slamming the door behind them so no one could hear.

~[ 3 ]~

            Remy LeBeau stood right in front of the gym teacher, almost in his face.

            "Now, Remy don' like it when teachers try t' boss deir kids around, comprendez vous?"  He narrowed his eyes at the teacher.  "When dey become dictators, Remy become de rebel, non?"

            "Listen, son, I will not be told off by one of my students."

            "Maybe Remy don' need t' talk, den."  He took the contacts from his eyes, revealing his glowing red irises.  "Maybe actions speak louder den words."

            "You're threatening me, mutant?  Because if you are, I'll have you expelled faster than you can say--"

            "Dat not gonna work, teach.  It don' matter if Remy in school, 'cause Remy find you no matter what.  Remy t'ink he's tired of all the mutant hating.  Maybe de answer is t' kill off all de people who hate us, hahn?"  He took out the ace of clubs card and charged it, holding it in front of the teacher's face.  "You don' mess wit' Remy an' his friends, an' Remy don' mess wit' you.  Otherwise..."  He threw the card behind him to demonstrate, and it promptly exploded.  "Any questions?"

            "N...No."

            "Good.  Now go an' apologize t' Remy's fille and her friend."

~[ 3 ]~

            Rogue stepped back from the closed door, disgusted at what she had heard from the other side.

            Ah'm not sure what that low-life swamp rat think's he's doin', but if they find out me an' Kurt are mutants and expel us for it...

            She jumped as she heard the door open and close, and saw a humbled teacher and a cocky student walk back in.

            "Remy," she called.  He turned back and smiled broadly at her.

            "Oui, chere?"

            "What the hell do ya think ya doin', Cajun?"

            "Remy t'ink you didn' hear de entire conversation, chéri."  He remembered to put his contacts back in place before any other students saw his eyes.

            "Ah heard enough t' know that you're gonna get us in big trouble some day."

            "Remy was standin' up fo' a friend, Rogue."

            "Ya...Ya stood up for Kurt?"

            "Oui."

            "Well if ya think Ah'm gonna start likin' ya just 'cause ya stood up for mah adopted brother, ya got another thing comin', sugah."  She flinched at the memories that word brought up...of Mystique as Risty, her trusted friend...

            "Remy got plenty o' other cards up his sleeve, chere," he said, snapping her attention back from where it had wandered off to.  He pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to her:  Ace of Diamonds.  She stared at it doubtfully, remembering the last time he had offered her a card.  "It ain't charged, chere," he prodded.

            Slowly, she took the card, making sure it didn't glow or light up or anything.  She was pleased to know it didn't.

            "Why do Ah need this?"

            "Dat fo' you 'til Remy get you a real, proper ring, petite," he said, grinning charmingly at her.

            "A diamond.  A real, proper ring.  Cute, Cajun, real cute.  But Ah ain't ever marryin' ya."  He shrugged.

            "Then keep it as a momento."

~[ 3 ]~

            Rogue lay down on her bed, face buried in the pillow.  She needed time to think, and be alone, so she had locked the door.  Neutra hadn't bothered to try and open it.

            "Ah hate mah life," she began.  "First Mystique betrays meh, then tells meh we're kinda related.  That was bad enough.  Then Lauren comes an' gives meh the gift o' touch, but only for a little while.  Then it just happened t' be that Remy was the first guy t' kiss me in...well, a long time.  Now he's either teasin' meh or flirtin' with meh; Ah can't tell.  But he knows that if it weren't for Lauren Ah never woulda been able t' touch him without...drainin' him.  Ah don't understand him.  Ah wish he'd just stop an' leave meh alone..."

            She took out the Ace of Diamonds card.  She started to wonder about him.

            "Ah bet he'll try t' kiss me again. If he does, Ah'll let him, just t' know his new game..."

~[ 3 ]~

            Gambit landed silently on the balcony outside of Rogue's room; he had been on this balcony only three times (once actually coming from the room) but still had enough practice in pole vaulting onto it to remain silent.  He slipped through the glass doors and looked at the still form of the girl he had come to watch.  He turned off the lights, which she had forgotten to do, and unlocked the bedroom door.  He went back over to her bed and sat down, looking down at his girl fondly.

~[ 3 ]~

            Rogue stiffened as she heard the footsteps of someone in her room.  She heard the flick of the light switch and the snickt of the bedroom door being unlocked.  Someone had snuck in here, and thought she was asleep.  She smiled.  At least someone cared enough to turn off the lights for her.  Maybe it was Neutra...

            But then she felt the mattress sink from the pressure of added weight.  She didn't feel so relaxed anymore.

~[ 3 ]~

            Gambit stroked Rogue's cheek--the part he could see and touch, considering her face was buried in her pillow--with the gloved section of his hand.  He smiled, but remembered what his leader had told him.

::Flashback::

            "Gambit, I have a new mission for you."

            "Oui?"

            "Have you heard about the new mutant at Xavier's school?  The one who can negate powers?"

            "Oui."

            "We need her on our team."

            "Oui, sir."

            "And there may be one more we can take..."  He eyed Gambit suspiciously.  "And I have it on good authority you know her very well.  How often have you visited her room, would you say?"

            "Maybe two...to ten times--wait a minute..."

            "Then you know where at least one of them sleeps.  We need both of them.  Your mission is to bring them to us in whatever way possible, before Mystique does."

::End Flashback::

            "Sorry, chere, but Remy gonna have to steal you away fro' here..."  He heard the doorknob turn.  "...Another day."  He leaned over, quickly, and kissed her on the cheek, but as soon as he did his memories started to flow into her, as it had before at the book store.  He pulled away immediately, and gracefully ran out and jumped over the balcony, landing neatly on the ground below.

~[ 3 ]~

            Logan walked up behind Nega, knowing very well she couldn't hear him approaching.

            "Hey, kid, shouldn't you be in bed by now?" he asked, causing her to jump.  He frowned; but his frown faded away only to be replaced by a look of rage as her scent filled his nostrils.  "Mystique!" he roared.

~[ 3 ]~

Author's Notes:  Longest chapter so far; sorry about that.  Did you guess it was Mystique disguised as Nega?  FYI, Rogue needed to absorb Gambit again because she'd only had his memories of before the book store incident.  Now she has the joy of sorting through the new ones to find out about Magneto, and what he really thinks about her. =) Fun, fun.  I don't think I did a good job of portraying Pietro, since I've never paid that much attention to his character.  I just felt like at least one of the Brotherhood members needed to be in this.  If you have a request for one of the members of the X-Men, Brotherhood or Acolytes, go ahead and ask me and I'll try to add him/her in and portray them as good as I can.  Thanks for the reviews, and please keep them coming.  As for the school and its periods, I have no idea how many Bayville High has. Anyone know?

Now we're going to have a nice little rivalry between Magneto and Mystique. =)

No idea how long this story's going to be, so I hope you guys are okay with a long one if that's what it comes to.  Thanks to those who reviewed.