Lance was frantic. The past two hours had been spent running up the stairs and down the stairs and up again, hands flailing on either side of his chest as if he were trying to fly. Every once in a while, he'd tilt back his head and yell, "Ku-uu-urt!" and when there was no answer, resume running up and down, up and down.
Todd, Freddy, and Tabitha were seated on the couch, watching the brown-haired delinquent instead of the television. Their expressions varied, respectively, from resigned concern, confusion, and out-right boredom. Not a one of them knew why their leader was doing this, as it seemed to have no use other than general exercise, but Tabitha and Freddy agreed that Todd's hypothesis was as close as anyone short of Xavier could manage.
Running up and down stairs was easier than dealing with the fact that there was no way to find Kurt if he didn't want to be found, other than resorting to asking Xavier, which Lance would rather bite his pinky off than do.
Still, everyone involved, likely Lance included, would have really appreciated the running to stop, if only because it started to give one a headache.
Thankfully, Pietro chose that moment to storm through the door.
"Where's Kurt?" he barked simultaneous with Lance halting so abruptly he somersaulted down to the entry way.
Todd shrugged. Lance moaned brokenly. Freddy shook his head.
Tabitha said, "Sorry, 'tro, not a clue. Kurt-boy teleported somewhere, guess he'll come back when he's hungry." She jumped up, clapping her hands. "He-ey, speaking of hungry, why don't we --"
Pietro zipped around the room and placed his hand firmly over Tabby's mouth. Her brow furrowed into an insulted glower, but he'd already forgotten her and was addressing the proper part of the Brotherhood.
"WegottagetKurtbacknow," he snapped so rapidly that Freddy put his hand up to his head as if to stop his ears ringing. "You idiots," and it was apparently an effort to slow down, "have just messed everything up. Everything. I did some checkingup this morning and the hospital was feeding Kurt what he needed, you see? It was a front, it was all a front."
"What?" Lance whined, trying to sit up and having trouble.
"GuesswhowasrunningKurt's treatment, lamebrain?" Pietro had snapped around the room again to knock on Lance's forehead. Lance's eyes rolled up toward the speedster groggily. Pietro sniffed. "Guess, guess, anyone guess?"
"Magneto?"
"Genius, Todd, genius. You'retotallyright. Which is reallyfunny because he told me he didn't have nothin' to do withthis and his fingerprintsarealloverit, right?"
"Magneto changed Kurt?" Todd was apparently the only one following the train of conversation and he looked a little apprehensive. Pietro thought he knew why.
"What? What, you afraid he'll makemoreofafrog out of you? Don' worry about it, that's not what happened." Pietro was then leaning on the back of the couch, snapping his fingers and enjoying his speed despite everything. "What everyone's trying to do, looks like, is keep Kurt from mutating more. And then you take 'im out of the hospital and whoop-di--"
"Magneto could have stopped the rescue if he'd wanted to," Todd pointed out.
"No! No no no no, that's where you're all wrong. Couldn'thave. I looked at the records and he wasn't in town and once you ripped out the IVs, Kurtty was done for."
"This's gonna kill him?" Lance had finally managed a sitting position and stared narrowly at Pietro, mouth tilted painfully to one side.
"Idunno. But something's up, I'm telling you. Magneto wanted me to find this, had to, but he lied to my face, or to my phone, doesn't matter, when I asked him. I dunno why. But I'm thinking he wants us to act or something and I'm no mind reader and I can't do anything until I find Kurt. What'shelikenow anyway?"
"Ever seen Legend?" Tabitha crooned.
Pietro flicked a glance at her. "Nowhy?"
"How about . . ." she paused. "Fantasia?"
"Mmmmmaybewhy?"
Tabitha stretched, her long painted fingers clasped neatly over her head. "Remember the last sequence, with the mountain that turned into . . . "
"Adevil? Yeah, I remember that."
Tabitha smiled. "There you go."
Pietro opened his mouth, shut it, opened it again, then turned suddenly thoughtful, one crooked finger propped against his chin. "How'd that work?"
Todd shrugged. "Doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. Just because mutation is a genetic thing and there's no way on earth Kurt could genetically end up looking like a demon, I don't think. And smell like fire and brimestone when he teleports."
Pietro noted quickly to himself that Todd's vocal tone was different than usual. Whatever. "Kindaweird."
Todd got up off the couch and hopped past Pietro until he was between him and the window. When everyone's attention landed warily on him, he spread his pale hands and smiled greenishly phospherescent. "Yo, my friends. Pietro is right. We have to find Kurt and soon. There's too many things bound up in him and what he is for us not to."
"Todd?" Lance asked, his eyes wide with something like fear.
Todd bowed, took a few steps backward, and pulled the curtains away from the window.
Lining the streets and spilling onto the ragged lawn were filthy teenager after filthy teenager, most smoking, all lounging with all the casual comfort of kids that own each and every inch of land they walk on. A few were hanging in and on top of Lance's jeep. One was attempting to dismantle the engine from behind.
Lance made a strangled sound and made a clumsy and short-lived dash for the door. Vertigo claimed him before he got halfway and he was on the floor again, groaning.
Pietro paced the room a fast-ten-times, than glared out the window.
"Whatdoesthismean? What's goingon? Howd'youknowaboutit, then, huh?"
Todd let the curtains fall, his swamped over eyes brightening. "Magneto does not keep his secrets as close as I keep mine, but I will tell you as we walk. Let's take the back door, shall we?"