Treble Clef
By Silver Falcon
Chapter Eleven
Pixie knew that the assassins separated until one of them or all three were drawn to the same place by the flute. Even though she was dead to them, they would have to remain in the mortal world until the High One contacted them again. She had made it back to Bayville with Jerry and, after a brief conversation with Jack and Marcie, left him there. Marcie had a hard time understanding why she had to leave again, but she seemed to be calmed with Jerry's sleeping presence.
Pixie figured she was somewhere over Canada, since it was cold and getting colder. She had sensed Jinn in this area, but there was no telling since her last flash had happened an hour ago. She was flying pretty fast, but then again, she had a lot of time to practice over the last thousand years. Pix darted above the clouds, searching for the presence of a fae essence.
"Jinn! Come out, you half-brained twit! Guess what! I've been resurrected, and I'm really pissed off!"
No answer came, so she kept flying. What would Todd think if she told him that she was a master at fighting? She was just as good as Jinn was with swords, but he had four and she had two. She wondered how he liked the dream that she had sent him. He probably thought it was just him thinking about her. One good thing about fairies, though. They could make dreams, sometimes even controlling them completely as she could.
That certainly would put Todd on the edge of his seat. Of course, after a decade or two, things would start to hurt again, but hey, she had to live. Life without love wasn't a life; it was Hell. She'd try it again, and maybe something new would happen. She couldn't remember what it was like to have a boyfriend since hers died a long, long time ago. She couldn't even remember his name… Pixie wasn't too keen on Todd's hygiene, but she could probably influence that a little. She could live with his bug eating, since she had eaten many an insect in her past.
Pietro was cool, and he could be a gentleman, but he was conceded and way to egotistical. He was a lot cuter than Todd, but after a thousand years, she really wasn't looking for someone like that. Looks did matter to her a certain tiny bit, and she thought Todd was cute in his own little way. She knew he was a troublemaker, but he was also just an abandoned little boy trying to grow into a man.
"Why are you alive?" she heard a voice ask to the side, followed by the unsheathing of swords.
She turned her head and smirked, her eyes turning from their placid blue color to dark pink. "Oh, Jinn, I was just looking for you."
The blue-eyed man grinned and crossed the two swords in front of him, hovering in the air. "How did you survive the fall?"
Pixie shrugged. "God loves me," she said before pausing. "There isn't anyone here to keep me at bay now, sword boy. Let's dance…"
"You don't have any weapons, half-breed. How do you expect to defeat me?"
She smiled gently. "Oh give me a break, you dumb oaf! I'm just as good as you without the cursed blades!"
He shook his head. "You shouldn't insult me like that. I could call Forez and Oribisus here in a heartbeat."
She fluttered closer to him. "Yeah, you could, but then you'd never know what it felt like to fight me by yourself."
She was about to face off with the sword master of the Realm. She would have very little time to strike, but she would have a lot of room for mistakes. He would come down on her hard and quick, and she had to be ready.
"Going to use your power, I suppose?" Jinn asked, pointing a sword to her forehead.
She blinked the eye shut. "Not sure. You feel like you can win with it open?"
"You may know everything I am going to throw at you, but the question is, can you dodge it all?"
He sprung forward, catching her off guard. She flew up just in time to avoid decapitation, and she flew around him, his eyes on her the entire time.
Pix opened her arms and held them towards the sky. She snapped her fingers, and the essence sphere hardened in her hand. He attacked her again, but his attempt to make her drop the essence failed. She flew out of his way and continued to charge it. He looked hard into her eyes, and she looked hard into his.
"You've gotten better," he sneered. "Last time, I gave you a haircut."
"I rather liked it too," she hissed.
She began to mutter over the essence, giving it a spell to work with. The ball glowed brightly, and soon Jinn would find himself at the other end of one of her exiled fairy spells.
She charged forward, and he held his swords ready. She threw the essence at him and smiled when it hit the blade of the sword. He grinned, but his grin faded when the ball shattered and light began to pour out of it. It spiraled around him and then sank into his form. He cried out loudly and felt one of his swords being lifted from his hands. Pix jerked backwards, holding his sword in her right hand.
She twirled the sword in her hands. "Yeah, so what? I got a sword. Maybe I do need a weapon to kick you back to mortality."
Pix held it behind her, one hand in front without the sword and one in back with it. She concentrated, watching the way he stared at her. The spell was a quick one and wore off almost instantly, but it gave her the advantage that she had.
He floated a few feet towards her, a death look on his face. "You have taken three of my swords now. That one I will regain if it's the last thing I do!"
He burst forward, and their two blades clanged together.
**********************
Marcie stared the sleeping boy that was lying on Pixie's bed. He was covered with the old quilt and had a wet cloth on his forehead. He had messy red hair on his young head, but she didn't know the color of his eyes yet. Pixie had come by and left less than three minutes later, dropping this angel off in her care. Marcie didn't quite know what to make of him. She said his name was Jerry and that she had some unfinished business to take care of.
She just left him. She left this angel here. He looked like an angel, heavenly to some unknown extent. She felt safe next to him, but she knew business was business. Marcie had taken her place at the front desk, talking with school officials to plan the end of the year dance at their club on Monday, the only day they were closed. The dance was three weeks away, and she knew that Pixie's music would be needed that night. She could play remarkably well, making the boys shun her somewhat. They had hired two singers, one male and female.
She sat at her desk, her mind rushing through thoughts about the angel and about Pixus. She was gone, supposedly to take care of the men who had hospitalized her. Marcie didn't know what take care of meant, but she prayed that it wasn't going to be murder.
He moaned in his sleep, even cried. Who was the angel? His name was Jerry, but who was he?
*************************
Gabriel and Pix had gone missing, but Logan could not shake the feeling that he could smell her around here. What would she be doing all the way in Canada, though? He had usually hiked up here every two months, but he had planned this trip early. He knew he smelled her; the same smell that he had experienced in the hospital was here. Her strange dragonfly smell was here, in Canada, and there was no mistake about it.
He didn't hear her or see her, but she had been here recently along with someone else. This scent was different from anything that he had smelled before. It smelled like blood.
It wasn't blood, however. It was just the smell of it. Logan had searched the area, but he couldn't find one speck of blood.
How strange…
****************************
Todd hopped up to the gate of the X-Mansion. He made no move to enter. He just stared at it. She said that Rogue remembered. What? What did Rogue and Wanda remember? He wasn't sure, and he was too afraid of Wolverine to find out. He sat in front of the gates and looked at the mansion at the end of the dirt road. What did Rogue remember?
He hopped down the sidewalk and stopped short of another dumpster, his tongue darting out. In a flash, all the delicious insects were in his mouth and down his throat. He was on his way to a full stomach, which was a good thing since it hadn't happened since Pix came.
Oh that kiss…
Even if it was a dream, it felt good.
He raided the dumpster for any insects that he might have missed hopped into the closest tree to let it settle. She had opened a new experience for him. She treated him like he was someone, not just every other girl. He wasn't obsessive. He was just…he didn't know…protective? No, not protective. He would like to protect, but he just wasn't strong enough. He just wanted her back.
He wanted to know if the dream was real, if she had sent it to him as a message, and if she had sent it to him, then she knew about the kisses. She knew about what she had said. She knew about it.
The thought of it made his stomach tickle him. Maybe if he went to sleep again…
***************************
She touched the end of her sword to his, her eyes flashing dangerously. He glared at her and flew forward, striking her sword hard with his. She deflected the blow, as he knew she would. He grabbed her with his arms and pinned her to his body, holding her arms captive.
He was too close to attack her, but she was paralyzed beneath his grip.
"Cheater," she growled.
"All's fair in love and war. That's a human saying that you might understand."
He smiled at her reaction. She clenched her teeth and hissed.
"Humans are our inferiors, half-breed. You need to realize that now before it dooms you. If you go to the High One yourself and beg forgiveness, she might take us out of your hair."
The way he spoke his words was odd. "You don't want to kill me, do you?"
Jinn shook his head slowly. "I am a tournament fighter, not an assassin, but this job was bestowed to me by the High One. I must, despite my feelings for the situation."
She pushed away from him. "So after all this time, you're going to go saint on me? I hate the High One! She can kiss my half human butt!"
Jinn grimaced. "Don't talk about her like that."
"Oh I forgot. She's what you worship! Get it in your head that I do not believe in her anymore! I did before she killed my dad, but now she's just a…"
"Stop…"
"piece of…"
"STOP!"
"GARBAGE!"
He fumed and attacked her again, sending his blade straight across her shoulder. She hissed in pain and spun away.
"I will not tolerate disrespect of the High One! Not by you, Forez, or Oribisus! You deserve to die!"
"You got one shot in, and it's been an hour. Jinn, you're burning me up."
She held the gash on her shoulder with her right hand, the blood spurting through her fingers.
"I have to kill you. Forgive me. It was the last thing I wanted," he said.
Pix drew her right hand behind her and mutter words that he couldn't hear. He held his remaining sword in front of him and began to charge his attack. The spell he was muttering was his fastest attack. Last time she had escaped with most of her hair.
She drew the glowing rod from behind her back and crossed it with the sword. "You know, Jinn. You should keep your eye on your opponent."
She jumped forward and smacked him hard on the head with the rod. It wouldn't pierce his skin, but it hurt like hell and she knew it. He was knocked out of his concentration and fell towards the ground. Her stun attack wasn't going to last long. Most of her attacks were short and convenient, and the ones that she did have to charge left her energy deprived. She sped towards the earth, ramming into him to rough him up a bit. The stun would only last about two minutes, so she had to work fast.
*********************
Logan jerked his head skywards and saw the two forms slamming into each other. He jumped aside, barely missing the two swords that fell to the ground. The larger form grabbed the smaller one and hurled it towards the snow. There was a cloud of uplifted snow, and he saw Pix fly out of the snow towards the form. She grabbed his arms and flitted behind him, taking his waist in her legs and holding two of his arms.
His extra two arms unwound her long legs and threw her into a tree. She rubbed her back; the shock had hurt, but there was no physical injury. She looked up at Logan.
"You're that Pix girl, aren't ya?" he grunted. "Need help?"
She stood up and shook her head before her feet were ripped out from beneath her. Jinn grabbed her legs and arms with his hands and held them together. She felt him squeeze his arms tighter, crushing her between them.
"No… *cough* Get…out… *cough* of here… *cough*."
She threw her head backwards, knocking him hard in the chin. He growled and loosened his hold on her. She squirmed out of his grasp and twirled around, sending a nice kick into his stomach. He fell into the snow and stood up, moving his head just in time to avoid the flying sword.
"Dude, get out!"
Wolverine stood by and watched the show. Pix had taken up the sword again and had come daringly close to killing the brown guy. She tried to wave him away, but he stood there, ready to pounce in should she need it.
Jinn stood up and held the slung sword in his hand. He watched her across the snow, not even bothering to notice Wolverine standing in the corner. She began to mutter a spell, making sure he heard her.
"You can't do that one, half-breed," he sneered, an over confidant smile crawling across his face. "You'll blow yourself up while trying."
Little did he know, she had been meditating for a few years after their first encounter, drawing enough magic power into her small form to perform it safely. It would leave her slightly drained, but if it was a direct hit, it would end the fight. If she missed, well, she would probably lose more than her hair.
Jinn stared at her, but his smirk was beginning to fade. She wasn't draining. He grabbed his sword and charged at her, but she knew he would do that. She kicked her foot under the second sword and flipped it into her hand.
Wolverine felt his lungs jump into his throat. The head fell first, followed by the body. He kept repeating to himself that she didn't kill him, but she was more heartless than any teenager that he'd ever seen.
Jinn's lifeless body had not come easy. Pix's shoulder was killing her, literally. She held the wound together, but she had no way of healing it. She looked at Wolverine and fell to her knees in the red snow. He began to speak into his watch, and she had no clue of his intentions.
"Don't worry, Pinky. Help's on the way. Just don't die now after that grand show."
"Curse you. This is no time for jokes…"
Pixie felt the world around her start to spin, but she did not close her eyes nor did she topple over. She remained in the snow, her coat shiny from the blood that she was sitting in. She watched Logan dig through his pack, getting out one of his shirts. He ripped it and tried to bandage her shoulder, but since it was at a strange angle, the bandages didn't hold very well.
She didn't go to sleep.
"Where'd you learn to fight like that?" he asked on the plane while Jean and Ororo administered proper first aid.
"Ow. Been alive for a long time, so I took on some new hobbies. Martial arts, sword fighting, lots of it's pretty awesome. I'm glad I got his last two swords. That's definitely going to be a consolation prize."
Logan didn't talk to her much on her trip, but she met Kurt, the fuzzy blue elf that captures everyone's heart. Kurt kept asking questions like a two year old in his 'Why' stage. She answered as many as she could, but she felt boggled down by some of them.
"Kurt, leave her alone. She's hurt and has massive blood loss," Jean said from her seat.
"Ah, Jean, it's no trouble. He's actually making me feel much better," laughed Pix from the back.
"I don't think that you ver ever vorse," he said.
Pix sat in the seat, her seatbelt lightly straining against the pressure in her shoulder. "So tell me about this X-Men thing, Jean."
"We're like…a mutant superhero group."
"Ah, who's the leader?"
"Charles Xavier," Ororo said.
"Cool."
"You want to join? You're a mutant and all," Jean asked.
Pixie shook her head. "No, I don't think the Brotherhood would like that."
"You're in with the Brotherhood?"
"Well, we're buds and everything. I know Wanda from her past, and Todd's pretty cool."
There was an awkward silence in the plane after that, especially from Kurt.
*****************************
Wanda slowed her pace to a walk, the darkness around her comforting. There was a cold breeze tonight, and that did not settle her nerves. Pyro was following Pixie, but she wouldn't join Magneto's cause because she wasn't really into killing or hurting people.
She'd probably befriend them too.
Todd was head over heels for her. Pietro liked her too. At least Lance had his mind on someone mortal. She didn't miss Todd, but she had to admit that her life was much more…interesting when he was following her. She felt saddened that he had gone after another because she hardly ever had the chance to see him anymore.
"Wanda, why are you all by yourself?"
Wanda looked up at the rooftop of the building next to her. Smiling in a very mischievous manner, Pixie peered over the side.
"Pixie, you're back?"
She nodded. "Of course I'm back. You can't get rid of me that easily."
Pixie jumped down to the sidewalk, and Wanda could see that her shoulder was bandaged under her clothes.
"What happened?"
Pixie nodded her head sideways. "I took Jinn out. There's only two of them now."
Wanda smiled. "Well, I'm glad you're alive."
"Look, uh… I need to go home to see Marcie. Would you give these to Todd?" she asked, drawing her coat open to show the two swords.
Wanda nodded. "The other two and that flute of yours are at the Brotherhood too. Todd's been kinda…quiet. I think he's love struck."
Pixie grew quiet. "You aren't upset because he's…with me, are you?"
Wanda shook her head. "Todd isn't my idea of the perfect man. He's cool in a very gross and disgusting way, but if he's someone that you've looked for, hey, be my guest."
Pixie nodded. "You want me to give you a ride home?"
Wanda shook her head. "No, I need to walk around for a little. Give me those swords. I can hide them in my coat."
Pixie drew the blades and handed them to Wanda. The witch took them and slid them through her belt.
"I'm going to go. Goodnight, Wanda. I'll talk to you later."
Pixie hugged Wanda softly, and her mind traveled back to the cold days at the asylum. The warmth that she received from her friend meant more to her than anything.
Pixie's coat fluttered up behind her as she opened her wings. There was a hum as she flew a few feet off the ground.
Pixie took off into the night, leaving Wanda by herself on the cold street.
By Silver Falcon
Chapter Eleven
Pixie knew that the assassins separated until one of them or all three were drawn to the same place by the flute. Even though she was dead to them, they would have to remain in the mortal world until the High One contacted them again. She had made it back to Bayville with Jerry and, after a brief conversation with Jack and Marcie, left him there. Marcie had a hard time understanding why she had to leave again, but she seemed to be calmed with Jerry's sleeping presence.
Pixie figured she was somewhere over Canada, since it was cold and getting colder. She had sensed Jinn in this area, but there was no telling since her last flash had happened an hour ago. She was flying pretty fast, but then again, she had a lot of time to practice over the last thousand years. Pix darted above the clouds, searching for the presence of a fae essence.
"Jinn! Come out, you half-brained twit! Guess what! I've been resurrected, and I'm really pissed off!"
No answer came, so she kept flying. What would Todd think if she told him that she was a master at fighting? She was just as good as Jinn was with swords, but he had four and she had two. She wondered how he liked the dream that she had sent him. He probably thought it was just him thinking about her. One good thing about fairies, though. They could make dreams, sometimes even controlling them completely as she could.
That certainly would put Todd on the edge of his seat. Of course, after a decade or two, things would start to hurt again, but hey, she had to live. Life without love wasn't a life; it was Hell. She'd try it again, and maybe something new would happen. She couldn't remember what it was like to have a boyfriend since hers died a long, long time ago. She couldn't even remember his name… Pixie wasn't too keen on Todd's hygiene, but she could probably influence that a little. She could live with his bug eating, since she had eaten many an insect in her past.
Pietro was cool, and he could be a gentleman, but he was conceded and way to egotistical. He was a lot cuter than Todd, but after a thousand years, she really wasn't looking for someone like that. Looks did matter to her a certain tiny bit, and she thought Todd was cute in his own little way. She knew he was a troublemaker, but he was also just an abandoned little boy trying to grow into a man.
"Why are you alive?" she heard a voice ask to the side, followed by the unsheathing of swords.
She turned her head and smirked, her eyes turning from their placid blue color to dark pink. "Oh, Jinn, I was just looking for you."
The blue-eyed man grinned and crossed the two swords in front of him, hovering in the air. "How did you survive the fall?"
Pixie shrugged. "God loves me," she said before pausing. "There isn't anyone here to keep me at bay now, sword boy. Let's dance…"
"You don't have any weapons, half-breed. How do you expect to defeat me?"
She smiled gently. "Oh give me a break, you dumb oaf! I'm just as good as you without the cursed blades!"
He shook his head. "You shouldn't insult me like that. I could call Forez and Oribisus here in a heartbeat."
She fluttered closer to him. "Yeah, you could, but then you'd never know what it felt like to fight me by yourself."
She was about to face off with the sword master of the Realm. She would have very little time to strike, but she would have a lot of room for mistakes. He would come down on her hard and quick, and she had to be ready.
"Going to use your power, I suppose?" Jinn asked, pointing a sword to her forehead.
She blinked the eye shut. "Not sure. You feel like you can win with it open?"
"You may know everything I am going to throw at you, but the question is, can you dodge it all?"
He sprung forward, catching her off guard. She flew up just in time to avoid decapitation, and she flew around him, his eyes on her the entire time.
Pix opened her arms and held them towards the sky. She snapped her fingers, and the essence sphere hardened in her hand. He attacked her again, but his attempt to make her drop the essence failed. She flew out of his way and continued to charge it. He looked hard into her eyes, and she looked hard into his.
"You've gotten better," he sneered. "Last time, I gave you a haircut."
"I rather liked it too," she hissed.
She began to mutter over the essence, giving it a spell to work with. The ball glowed brightly, and soon Jinn would find himself at the other end of one of her exiled fairy spells.
She charged forward, and he held his swords ready. She threw the essence at him and smiled when it hit the blade of the sword. He grinned, but his grin faded when the ball shattered and light began to pour out of it. It spiraled around him and then sank into his form. He cried out loudly and felt one of his swords being lifted from his hands. Pix jerked backwards, holding his sword in her right hand.
She twirled the sword in her hands. "Yeah, so what? I got a sword. Maybe I do need a weapon to kick you back to mortality."
Pix held it behind her, one hand in front without the sword and one in back with it. She concentrated, watching the way he stared at her. The spell was a quick one and wore off almost instantly, but it gave her the advantage that she had.
He floated a few feet towards her, a death look on his face. "You have taken three of my swords now. That one I will regain if it's the last thing I do!"
He burst forward, and their two blades clanged together.
**********************
Marcie stared the sleeping boy that was lying on Pixie's bed. He was covered with the old quilt and had a wet cloth on his forehead. He had messy red hair on his young head, but she didn't know the color of his eyes yet. Pixie had come by and left less than three minutes later, dropping this angel off in her care. Marcie didn't quite know what to make of him. She said his name was Jerry and that she had some unfinished business to take care of.
She just left him. She left this angel here. He looked like an angel, heavenly to some unknown extent. She felt safe next to him, but she knew business was business. Marcie had taken her place at the front desk, talking with school officials to plan the end of the year dance at their club on Monday, the only day they were closed. The dance was three weeks away, and she knew that Pixie's music would be needed that night. She could play remarkably well, making the boys shun her somewhat. They had hired two singers, one male and female.
She sat at her desk, her mind rushing through thoughts about the angel and about Pixus. She was gone, supposedly to take care of the men who had hospitalized her. Marcie didn't know what take care of meant, but she prayed that it wasn't going to be murder.
He moaned in his sleep, even cried. Who was the angel? His name was Jerry, but who was he?
*************************
Gabriel and Pix had gone missing, but Logan could not shake the feeling that he could smell her around here. What would she be doing all the way in Canada, though? He had usually hiked up here every two months, but he had planned this trip early. He knew he smelled her; the same smell that he had experienced in the hospital was here. Her strange dragonfly smell was here, in Canada, and there was no mistake about it.
He didn't hear her or see her, but she had been here recently along with someone else. This scent was different from anything that he had smelled before. It smelled like blood.
It wasn't blood, however. It was just the smell of it. Logan had searched the area, but he couldn't find one speck of blood.
How strange…
****************************
Todd hopped up to the gate of the X-Mansion. He made no move to enter. He just stared at it. She said that Rogue remembered. What? What did Rogue and Wanda remember? He wasn't sure, and he was too afraid of Wolverine to find out. He sat in front of the gates and looked at the mansion at the end of the dirt road. What did Rogue remember?
He hopped down the sidewalk and stopped short of another dumpster, his tongue darting out. In a flash, all the delicious insects were in his mouth and down his throat. He was on his way to a full stomach, which was a good thing since it hadn't happened since Pix came.
Oh that kiss…
Even if it was a dream, it felt good.
He raided the dumpster for any insects that he might have missed hopped into the closest tree to let it settle. She had opened a new experience for him. She treated him like he was someone, not just every other girl. He wasn't obsessive. He was just…he didn't know…protective? No, not protective. He would like to protect, but he just wasn't strong enough. He just wanted her back.
He wanted to know if the dream was real, if she had sent it to him as a message, and if she had sent it to him, then she knew about the kisses. She knew about what she had said. She knew about it.
The thought of it made his stomach tickle him. Maybe if he went to sleep again…
***************************
She touched the end of her sword to his, her eyes flashing dangerously. He glared at her and flew forward, striking her sword hard with his. She deflected the blow, as he knew she would. He grabbed her with his arms and pinned her to his body, holding her arms captive.
He was too close to attack her, but she was paralyzed beneath his grip.
"Cheater," she growled.
"All's fair in love and war. That's a human saying that you might understand."
He smiled at her reaction. She clenched her teeth and hissed.
"Humans are our inferiors, half-breed. You need to realize that now before it dooms you. If you go to the High One yourself and beg forgiveness, she might take us out of your hair."
The way he spoke his words was odd. "You don't want to kill me, do you?"
Jinn shook his head slowly. "I am a tournament fighter, not an assassin, but this job was bestowed to me by the High One. I must, despite my feelings for the situation."
She pushed away from him. "So after all this time, you're going to go saint on me? I hate the High One! She can kiss my half human butt!"
Jinn grimaced. "Don't talk about her like that."
"Oh I forgot. She's what you worship! Get it in your head that I do not believe in her anymore! I did before she killed my dad, but now she's just a…"
"Stop…"
"piece of…"
"STOP!"
"GARBAGE!"
He fumed and attacked her again, sending his blade straight across her shoulder. She hissed in pain and spun away.
"I will not tolerate disrespect of the High One! Not by you, Forez, or Oribisus! You deserve to die!"
"You got one shot in, and it's been an hour. Jinn, you're burning me up."
She held the gash on her shoulder with her right hand, the blood spurting through her fingers.
"I have to kill you. Forgive me. It was the last thing I wanted," he said.
Pix drew her right hand behind her and mutter words that he couldn't hear. He held his remaining sword in front of him and began to charge his attack. The spell he was muttering was his fastest attack. Last time she had escaped with most of her hair.
She drew the glowing rod from behind her back and crossed it with the sword. "You know, Jinn. You should keep your eye on your opponent."
She jumped forward and smacked him hard on the head with the rod. It wouldn't pierce his skin, but it hurt like hell and she knew it. He was knocked out of his concentration and fell towards the ground. Her stun attack wasn't going to last long. Most of her attacks were short and convenient, and the ones that she did have to charge left her energy deprived. She sped towards the earth, ramming into him to rough him up a bit. The stun would only last about two minutes, so she had to work fast.
*********************
Logan jerked his head skywards and saw the two forms slamming into each other. He jumped aside, barely missing the two swords that fell to the ground. The larger form grabbed the smaller one and hurled it towards the snow. There was a cloud of uplifted snow, and he saw Pix fly out of the snow towards the form. She grabbed his arms and flitted behind him, taking his waist in her legs and holding two of his arms.
His extra two arms unwound her long legs and threw her into a tree. She rubbed her back; the shock had hurt, but there was no physical injury. She looked up at Logan.
"You're that Pix girl, aren't ya?" he grunted. "Need help?"
She stood up and shook her head before her feet were ripped out from beneath her. Jinn grabbed her legs and arms with his hands and held them together. She felt him squeeze his arms tighter, crushing her between them.
"No… *cough* Get…out… *cough* of here… *cough*."
She threw her head backwards, knocking him hard in the chin. He growled and loosened his hold on her. She squirmed out of his grasp and twirled around, sending a nice kick into his stomach. He fell into the snow and stood up, moving his head just in time to avoid the flying sword.
"Dude, get out!"
Wolverine stood by and watched the show. Pix had taken up the sword again and had come daringly close to killing the brown guy. She tried to wave him away, but he stood there, ready to pounce in should she need it.
Jinn stood up and held the slung sword in his hand. He watched her across the snow, not even bothering to notice Wolverine standing in the corner. She began to mutter a spell, making sure he heard her.
"You can't do that one, half-breed," he sneered, an over confidant smile crawling across his face. "You'll blow yourself up while trying."
Little did he know, she had been meditating for a few years after their first encounter, drawing enough magic power into her small form to perform it safely. It would leave her slightly drained, but if it was a direct hit, it would end the fight. If she missed, well, she would probably lose more than her hair.
Jinn stared at her, but his smirk was beginning to fade. She wasn't draining. He grabbed his sword and charged at her, but she knew he would do that. She kicked her foot under the second sword and flipped it into her hand.
Wolverine felt his lungs jump into his throat. The head fell first, followed by the body. He kept repeating to himself that she didn't kill him, but she was more heartless than any teenager that he'd ever seen.
Jinn's lifeless body had not come easy. Pix's shoulder was killing her, literally. She held the wound together, but she had no way of healing it. She looked at Wolverine and fell to her knees in the red snow. He began to speak into his watch, and she had no clue of his intentions.
"Don't worry, Pinky. Help's on the way. Just don't die now after that grand show."
"Curse you. This is no time for jokes…"
Pixie felt the world around her start to spin, but she did not close her eyes nor did she topple over. She remained in the snow, her coat shiny from the blood that she was sitting in. She watched Logan dig through his pack, getting out one of his shirts. He ripped it and tried to bandage her shoulder, but since it was at a strange angle, the bandages didn't hold very well.
She didn't go to sleep.
"Where'd you learn to fight like that?" he asked on the plane while Jean and Ororo administered proper first aid.
"Ow. Been alive for a long time, so I took on some new hobbies. Martial arts, sword fighting, lots of it's pretty awesome. I'm glad I got his last two swords. That's definitely going to be a consolation prize."
Logan didn't talk to her much on her trip, but she met Kurt, the fuzzy blue elf that captures everyone's heart. Kurt kept asking questions like a two year old in his 'Why' stage. She answered as many as she could, but she felt boggled down by some of them.
"Kurt, leave her alone. She's hurt and has massive blood loss," Jean said from her seat.
"Ah, Jean, it's no trouble. He's actually making me feel much better," laughed Pix from the back.
"I don't think that you ver ever vorse," he said.
Pix sat in the seat, her seatbelt lightly straining against the pressure in her shoulder. "So tell me about this X-Men thing, Jean."
"We're like…a mutant superhero group."
"Ah, who's the leader?"
"Charles Xavier," Ororo said.
"Cool."
"You want to join? You're a mutant and all," Jean asked.
Pixie shook her head. "No, I don't think the Brotherhood would like that."
"You're in with the Brotherhood?"
"Well, we're buds and everything. I know Wanda from her past, and Todd's pretty cool."
There was an awkward silence in the plane after that, especially from Kurt.
*****************************
Wanda slowed her pace to a walk, the darkness around her comforting. There was a cold breeze tonight, and that did not settle her nerves. Pyro was following Pixie, but she wouldn't join Magneto's cause because she wasn't really into killing or hurting people.
She'd probably befriend them too.
Todd was head over heels for her. Pietro liked her too. At least Lance had his mind on someone mortal. She didn't miss Todd, but she had to admit that her life was much more…interesting when he was following her. She felt saddened that he had gone after another because she hardly ever had the chance to see him anymore.
"Wanda, why are you all by yourself?"
Wanda looked up at the rooftop of the building next to her. Smiling in a very mischievous manner, Pixie peered over the side.
"Pixie, you're back?"
She nodded. "Of course I'm back. You can't get rid of me that easily."
Pixie jumped down to the sidewalk, and Wanda could see that her shoulder was bandaged under her clothes.
"What happened?"
Pixie nodded her head sideways. "I took Jinn out. There's only two of them now."
Wanda smiled. "Well, I'm glad you're alive."
"Look, uh… I need to go home to see Marcie. Would you give these to Todd?" she asked, drawing her coat open to show the two swords.
Wanda nodded. "The other two and that flute of yours are at the Brotherhood too. Todd's been kinda…quiet. I think he's love struck."
Pixie grew quiet. "You aren't upset because he's…with me, are you?"
Wanda shook her head. "Todd isn't my idea of the perfect man. He's cool in a very gross and disgusting way, but if he's someone that you've looked for, hey, be my guest."
Pixie nodded. "You want me to give you a ride home?"
Wanda shook her head. "No, I need to walk around for a little. Give me those swords. I can hide them in my coat."
Pixie drew the blades and handed them to Wanda. The witch took them and slid them through her belt.
"I'm going to go. Goodnight, Wanda. I'll talk to you later."
Pixie hugged Wanda softly, and her mind traveled back to the cold days at the asylum. The warmth that she received from her friend meant more to her than anything.
Pixie's coat fluttered up behind her as she opened her wings. There was a hum as she flew a few feet off the ground.
Pixie took off into the night, leaving Wanda by herself on the cold street.
