Title – Reversed
Chapter Three – Milkshake Talk
They sat at a tiny table in the back of the parlor, both with milkshakes. The X-girl had finally conceded that her name was Kitty Pryde, which had gotten a "Mee-yow" from John.
"So, like, why don't you go to Bayville High?" she asked.
She expected him to reveal something about Magneto's location by saying he attended a different high school, but the joke was on her.
"Graduated," he said simply, drawing a smiley face on the side of his glass in the condensation.
Kitty glanced at him doubtfully as she sipped from her vanilla shake, her lips puckered humorously around the straw.
"What are you doing on Magneto's side? I mean, like, why be an Acolyte?"
"Why not?" he countered.
A goody-goody like her wouldn't understand. It would have been like trying to explain atheism to a Christian; it was just an inconceivable concept for them. She wouldn't understand why he was there willingly - and at least he got a nice paycheck for being a bad guy.
He doubled over, chest heaving, limbs shaking, the newspaper still in his hands. It was early morning, before dawn, and there had only been two other people walking down the street. He ran just in case they had already taken a gander at the paper, which had a fat headline that read: Mutant Discovered in Sydney. Below the print was a picture of him, in the privacy of his apartment, holding a flame between his palms and trying to shape it into a smiley face.
"You're exposed," said a dark, effeminate voice.
"Ya think?" John hissed. "And 'oo are you?"
The woman chuckled throatily. He couldn't see her; she had completely immersed herself in shadow.
"I'm like you," she said.
"Oh great. Got another freak of nature 'ere!"
"That mouth of yours is going to get you into a lot of trouble if you aren't careful," the woman spat. Then her condescending tone returned, "Why did you run?"
"I'm a journalist, lady. I know what people think of mutants," he said.
"A little young, aren't you?" she sneered.
"I'm good."
She changed the subject impatiently. "Where are you going to go now?"
"Dunno yet, but I think I'm gonna start by gettin' away from you. Ya creepy sheila girl/woman," he said.
"Don't be too hasty now, Mr. Allderdyce. Come with me. There's a place for mutants like you… where you can learn how to control your powers, where people run from you – instead of the other way around," the woman chuckled.
"I don't go anywhere with dingbats I can't see."
The woman's blue face was suddenly right in front of him, their noses mashed together, his shirt collar bunched in her fist, her yellow eyes slit threateningly.
"Don't insult me, boy, or I might personally deliver you to the lovely people of this city," she said wryly. "Now, are you coming with me or would you like to stay in this hellhole?"
"I always thought of it more as a crocodile hole, but sure, I'll take my chances with a leggy blue sheila."
John leaned forward and put his elbows on the small table, lolled his head against his left arm and looked up at her.
"You like bein' on the good side?" he asked.
"Thinking about switching sides, huh?" Kitty smiled.
"Nah. Let's just say I'm interested. I've tried bein' the good guy before, it's not any fun. You hold up a peace sign and a white flag to people who hate mutants and they still want to skin your hide and make a pair o' boots outta ya," he said whimsically.
"Yeah, it's a little hard now that we're exposed and all, but, like, it's the right thing to do. Mutants and people can get along, ya know?"
Deft winds swept across the Earth, bending trees angrily, snapping branches in its fury. Jagged bolts of lightning shot from the cherry red clouds as the sky grumbled. Even the very ground trembled like a baby's knees when it tries to take its first step.
"Like Kurt and Amanda. See, like, Kurt is this mutant with blue fur, which is kind of a dead giveaway. And Amanda's just a normal girl, but she's, like, totally into Kurt. Blue fur and all," Kitty giggled.
Amos clutched the demonic stature, holding tight to the dragon's stone leg. The winds attacked the water in the mote, sweeping it up and depositing it at his feet, trying ardently to drag him down into the violent waves. He knew he had to reach Dakota, but he was too petrified to move.
John reluctantly broke his concentration, hoping he would be able to at least remember the gist of it when he had access to pencil and paper. His period of writer's block was finally – and thankfully - over.
"Ya gotta be delusional if you think everyone is gonna like us, darlin'. You and those X-Freaks are fightin' for somethin' ya can't get," he stated flatly. He didn't like his serious tone, it was almost embarrassing, but he had to give a little if he wanted to get a little trust.
This storm was the rage of an earth sorceress who had seen too much malice shown to her kind – to her sisters in spirit. If Dakota's temper continued to simmer she would kill someone and, if that happened, what hope would be left for peace between human and sorceress? Amos believed it was still obtainable.
"Oh, and I suppose that trying to rule people's live is just, like, totally okay? Magneto was kidnapping mutants for his stupid Mutant Planet – Asteroid – M – whatever - thing," she said loudly.
John didn't care if the entire parlor heard them. Or her, rather. He found this amusing – in a quirky sort of way.
"Jeez, touchy, aren't we? And besides, none of us were workin' for 'im then. Well, except for that bloke Sabretooth," he pointed out.
Kitty continued her rant undeterred. "And, like, I guess you think killing people is okay too, don't you? Because anyone who's not a mutant is, like, so underneath you and all. Well it's not -"
Insulted and slightly upset, John stood. He disguised his fleeting mood with a smile and, by the time he was ready to speak, his anger had already diminished.
"We don't kill. Too young to get into that business, really," he said offhandedly.
"I'm sorry. That was, like, really mean of me and…"
"S'alright, darlin', but I think ya owe me now," said John.
He moved his hand under her arm and poked her in the ribs. Apparently he hit a ticklish spot because she jumped, yelped, and knocked her elbows against the corner of the table.
"Ouch! Like, owe you what?" she asked.
"An apology present, of course. You should go out and get me somethin' for bein' so judgmental!" he said cheerily, though he wasn't sure if he was serious or not.
"Yeah right! Well maybe if you buy me another milkshake."
"Next time," he said.
They said their goodbye's and he left, blowing her a playful kiss. As he pulled the door open he saw Kitty at the table, her glass still a quarter full. She was idly fiddling with the straw, staring blankly at the tabletop. Odd, she hadn't seemed so depressed when they had been talking – must have been his charming personality that brought her out to play.
If they were unable to coexist peacefully, how could he ever freely love Dakota? Love was supposed to survive anything, wasn't it? John's thoughts strayed from his mental writings to answer Amos' question. No, mate, it wasn't supposed to. Because they don't want to share the playground.
He put his hands into the pockets of his baggy jeans, found his lighter and, out of habit, began rolling it around between his fingers. His mind was a jumble of ideas concerning his novel mixed with a rerun of his conversation with Kitty and a constant playback of his assignment orders from Magneto. Sometimes he even had to question his own sanity.
"And where you been, mon ami?"
Red, demon-esque eyes stared at John, a playful smile on the other man's lips.
"I've been doing your job, Cajun," he said, poking the other man in the chest.
"Didn't know my job involved takin' out de ladies, I thought I did dat for fun," Remy smirked.
"Not that job, you moron! Maggie sent me down 'ere to tell Twinkle Toes about the 'new plans' and I just 'appened to find the X-geek. She's a sanga short of a picnic short of commonsense, but she knows what's 'appening on enemy territory. And bosses orders are to find out what's 'appening," said John.
"If Remy didn't know any better, he would think you tryin' to be de bosses pet."
John shrugged. "Just doin' what I get paid to do, mate."
Author's Note – Twinkle Toes is Pietro/Quicksilver, in case you were wondering…
Thank You's To – Freeverse, as always. ^_^ And my lovely reviewers: Kumiko *Kaylin* Eharu (Woah, now that name's a mouthful to say), Tuva , buffyangelus, XxCallyQuilaxX, MoonGrlonearth, C-Chan (whom I now dearly love), IwillmaryJustinTimberlake and kulerka.
Fic Recommendation – The Untouchables by Jet Wolf. Work in progress. A comic-based story and also the fic that inspired my first chapter. Rogue has taken it into her own hands to improve the mood of Kitty Pryde, who has somehow lost control of her powers, by going on a road trip. With no destination in mind they have set out to heal the wounds of the heart, but exactly what happened to Kitty Pryde?