Author's Note: What's cookin', good lookin'? Thanks for all of the great reviews, as usual, I'm both flattered and energized. When I say 'energized' by good reviews, I mean that the praise kind of charges me up, you know? It makes me want to do even better, so keep 'em comin'! You know that song that goes: 'B-B-Baby, You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet!', yeah, that's where this story is going.
*^*^*^*^*
John sighed as he walked aimlessly through the penthouse.
'Who would've thought being a super-villain could be so boring?' he wondered in irritation.
It had been an uneventful three weeks since his last little 'adventure'. There was absolutely nothing to do; John had gone to just about every movie, club and shopping center in the city.
He was going crazy with boredom.
There were no pressing team missions to attend to and no assignments from Magneto specifically for John himself. Although, he didn't think that obtaining mysterious parcels, equipment and supplies for them really classified as 'assignments'. Maybe 'personal favor' was more accurate.
Well, whatever you called them, he hadn't been sent on any since the train station.
Where were Magneto and Mystique? They had to be around here somewhere. Mystique had just returned from another Senator Kelly appearance at a gubernatorial debate, and she would be home for awhile, until another Senator thing came up.
John went upstairs to find his two companions who were anything BUT boring.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Eric and Mystique had pushed together two separate lounge chairs so that they could face each other while they reclined in the sun. It was a beautiful afternoon, the pool's water was pristine, there was not a cloud in the sky, a warm breeze blew across their bodies and they wanted to enjoy the day together.
It was still a bit too chilly to go swimming, but the pool area could still be enjoyed.
Playfully, Eric was feigning disinterest at Mystique's overt advances. Sitting across from him, she had ran her hands from his ankles, up to his knees.
"Don't start something you don't intend to finish." Eric told her from behind his newspaper.
Mystique smiled. She knew that behind his paper shield he was smiling too. That was part of the game.
Mystique drummed her fingers on his knees. "Eric?"
He turned the page of his newspaper. "Try as you might, you will not distract me from my paper." He told her in such a determined voice that for a moment she thought he was serious.
Mystique rolled her eyes. He was playing hardball.
Well, she could play too.
In one swift movement, she climbed on top of him, and wrenched the newspaper out of his hands. Eric looked up at the beautiful blue woman who was presently straddling him, and smiled cunningly.
"Mystique, my pet, not in front of company."
Mystique's eyes grew large as she looked over to the patio. No one was there. "Why you-" she began to protest but he arched up to kiss her.
When the kiss ended, Eric grasped her hips and lifted her off him. "The boy is coming." He whispered in her ear.
They both settled back into their initial positions as John came outside.
"Hey." He greeted them indifferently.
"Bored?" Mystique asked.
"Always. God, I thought that villains had more fun than this." John groaned.
"John, if you're so bored here, you could always go back to Charles's school." Eric said as he checked his watch, "If I remember the schedule correctly, the students would begin their math lessons about now. You want to join them?"
"No way! I like it right here, thanks. But this is killing me! Are you sure there's no mutant-hating groups or politicians we can take down?"
Magneto shook his head.
"Nothing at all? Come on, man! You're got to give me something to do!"
Mystique got up from her lounge chair and guided John to the patio table. Eric followed them.
Eric sat beside John at the table as Mystique disappeared behind the bar. "Ah, here we go. You know how to play poker?" she asked as she brandished a deck of cards.
Eric made a small grimace, though John couldn't fathom why.
John was never thrilled with card games, but it beat wandering around the apartment all day. "Yeah."
Mystique sat down and began to deal.
*^*^*^*^*
The card game came and went, Mystique being the victor.
"I fold." John said.
Magneto had been the first one to fold. Knowledgeable in politics, technology, combat, gourmet cuisine and fine art, but the man couldn't play a game of poker to save his life.
John found it to be very funny.
Just as she reshuffled the cards and asked, "Wanna play again?", the phone rang.
Not looking up from the book he brought out with him, Magneto held out his hand.
Obediently, the cordless receiver floated over to him.
"Hello?"
Mystique began to deal cards for her and John as Eric got up from the table and walked away from the group to continue his conversation in private.
John arranged his cards as he watched Eric's silhouetted figure in the waning sunlight. The sky was fading into orange, pink and purple, the sun a blinding hot pink.
It was beautiful, but John's focus was on the man whose body language signaled danger, and plenty of it. He was rubbing his forehead and his back was ramrod straight.
Still on the telephone, he was now speaking a different language, one John was sure he had never heard before.
Quickly, Magneto returned to address them as he hung up.
No longer amused or playful, his expression was deathly serious. "Mystique, John, I need you to go inside. Now."
Mystique stood up, "Why? What's the matter?"
"They are coming, and I think that it would be the best thing if I were to speak to them first. Alone." He said, raising his eyebrows to accentuate his point.
Mystique nodded calmly and turned to John. "Let's go."
She grabbed him by the forearm and hustled him inside. "Hey, wait! What's going on?" he asked as she practically dragged him back inside.
"Eric has to talk to some people, and it's best if they were alone."
"Well, yeah he said that already. But what people?"
"That's for Eric to tell, not me."
"Who are they? Are they dangerous?"
Mystique shrugged as she walked beside him down the stairs. "Yes, they're as dangerous as you or me. Don't worry though, Eric can handle them."
John sighed in exasperation. Mystique lived up to her name by being totally evasive. Usually, it was part of her charm, but right now it was really starting to piss him off.
Eric was alone on the roof with who knew how many dangerous people. Mystique was wrong, he couldn't handle himself. What if they were some more of those government soldiers? What if they were keeping Eric busy on the roof just so they could distract him to get to Mystique and him?
'No way, not again!' he thought angrily as he charged back up the steps.
"Wait, John, stop! You don't know what you're dealing with!" Mystique called after him.
*^*^*^*^*^*
John plowed back into Eric and Mystique's room, shifting into his 'stealth mode'. Quietly, he headed towards the glass wall and looked for Magneto.
'There he is! What the hell is he doing?' John asked himself as he hid in a place where he had a view of what was happening.
There were only two other figures visible to him other than Magneto. One with Magneto, the other was farther away. He was relieved to find that his mentor wasn't in any apparent danger, but John couldn't understand what he was watching.
Magneto stood before a young woman. Slowly, he placed both of his hands on her face. She bent her neck, and Magneto kissed the crown of her head.
The girl straightened her posture and smiled at him, and he turned to the other person, but John couldn't see the other one, nor could he hear what they were saying.
His curiosity was growing by the second. He just had to find out what was going on!
'I'll risk it!' he decided as he moved forward.
He jumped up from his spot and tried to move to a closer one, "Oh, shit." He said aloud.
Magneto and the girl had just turned in unison to look right at him though the glass!
'Busted.'
He froze, and decided that he could either hide, which would be pointless, or he could come forward and accept whatever punishment Eric would dish out.
Then, suddenly, he wasn't alone in the room anymore.
In the dim light, John couldn't see very well, and never saw the punch coming.
"Aw, hey I-" John ground out as he put his hand over his eye.
Before he could even regain his wits, he felt someone grab his arm with both of their hands, and pull him- hard.
The person- whoever it was- was very strong, and they spun in a circle, dragging John along.
After three revolutions, the person let go of John's arm- and flung him right through the glass wall!
The glass shattered around him, and John landed outside, flat on his back.
"Oof!"
The wind was knocked out of him, and his head hurt almost as bad as it did when he was dropped by the Cerebro wave. He couldn't move, talk, or even think.
After a moment, he opened his eyes. "Ah!" he winced at the pain as light poured in. His head was swimming, he heard voices, but couldn't make out the words.
Then, the face of the girl Magneto had been talking to came into view above him. She was followed by a boy. Then came Magneto, who looked both sympathetic to his pain and amused at the brutal ass kicking he had just received.
"John, I'd like you to meet Wanda and Pietro. My children."
*^*^*^*^*
John sighed as he walked aimlessly through the penthouse.
'Who would've thought being a super-villain could be so boring?' he wondered in irritation.
It had been an uneventful three weeks since his last little 'adventure'. There was absolutely nothing to do; John had gone to just about every movie, club and shopping center in the city.
He was going crazy with boredom.
There were no pressing team missions to attend to and no assignments from Magneto specifically for John himself. Although, he didn't think that obtaining mysterious parcels, equipment and supplies for them really classified as 'assignments'. Maybe 'personal favor' was more accurate.
Well, whatever you called them, he hadn't been sent on any since the train station.
Where were Magneto and Mystique? They had to be around here somewhere. Mystique had just returned from another Senator Kelly appearance at a gubernatorial debate, and she would be home for awhile, until another Senator thing came up.
John went upstairs to find his two companions who were anything BUT boring.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Eric and Mystique had pushed together two separate lounge chairs so that they could face each other while they reclined in the sun. It was a beautiful afternoon, the pool's water was pristine, there was not a cloud in the sky, a warm breeze blew across their bodies and they wanted to enjoy the day together.
It was still a bit too chilly to go swimming, but the pool area could still be enjoyed.
Playfully, Eric was feigning disinterest at Mystique's overt advances. Sitting across from him, she had ran her hands from his ankles, up to his knees.
"Don't start something you don't intend to finish." Eric told her from behind his newspaper.
Mystique smiled. She knew that behind his paper shield he was smiling too. That was part of the game.
Mystique drummed her fingers on his knees. "Eric?"
He turned the page of his newspaper. "Try as you might, you will not distract me from my paper." He told her in such a determined voice that for a moment she thought he was serious.
Mystique rolled her eyes. He was playing hardball.
Well, she could play too.
In one swift movement, she climbed on top of him, and wrenched the newspaper out of his hands. Eric looked up at the beautiful blue woman who was presently straddling him, and smiled cunningly.
"Mystique, my pet, not in front of company."
Mystique's eyes grew large as she looked over to the patio. No one was there. "Why you-" she began to protest but he arched up to kiss her.
When the kiss ended, Eric grasped her hips and lifted her off him. "The boy is coming." He whispered in her ear.
They both settled back into their initial positions as John came outside.
"Hey." He greeted them indifferently.
"Bored?" Mystique asked.
"Always. God, I thought that villains had more fun than this." John groaned.
"John, if you're so bored here, you could always go back to Charles's school." Eric said as he checked his watch, "If I remember the schedule correctly, the students would begin their math lessons about now. You want to join them?"
"No way! I like it right here, thanks. But this is killing me! Are you sure there's no mutant-hating groups or politicians we can take down?"
Magneto shook his head.
"Nothing at all? Come on, man! You're got to give me something to do!"
Mystique got up from her lounge chair and guided John to the patio table. Eric followed them.
Eric sat beside John at the table as Mystique disappeared behind the bar. "Ah, here we go. You know how to play poker?" she asked as she brandished a deck of cards.
Eric made a small grimace, though John couldn't fathom why.
John was never thrilled with card games, but it beat wandering around the apartment all day. "Yeah."
Mystique sat down and began to deal.
*^*^*^*^*
The card game came and went, Mystique being the victor.
"I fold." John said.
Magneto had been the first one to fold. Knowledgeable in politics, technology, combat, gourmet cuisine and fine art, but the man couldn't play a game of poker to save his life.
John found it to be very funny.
Just as she reshuffled the cards and asked, "Wanna play again?", the phone rang.
Not looking up from the book he brought out with him, Magneto held out his hand.
Obediently, the cordless receiver floated over to him.
"Hello?"
Mystique began to deal cards for her and John as Eric got up from the table and walked away from the group to continue his conversation in private.
John arranged his cards as he watched Eric's silhouetted figure in the waning sunlight. The sky was fading into orange, pink and purple, the sun a blinding hot pink.
It was beautiful, but John's focus was on the man whose body language signaled danger, and plenty of it. He was rubbing his forehead and his back was ramrod straight.
Still on the telephone, he was now speaking a different language, one John was sure he had never heard before.
Quickly, Magneto returned to address them as he hung up.
No longer amused or playful, his expression was deathly serious. "Mystique, John, I need you to go inside. Now."
Mystique stood up, "Why? What's the matter?"
"They are coming, and I think that it would be the best thing if I were to speak to them first. Alone." He said, raising his eyebrows to accentuate his point.
Mystique nodded calmly and turned to John. "Let's go."
She grabbed him by the forearm and hustled him inside. "Hey, wait! What's going on?" he asked as she practically dragged him back inside.
"Eric has to talk to some people, and it's best if they were alone."
"Well, yeah he said that already. But what people?"
"That's for Eric to tell, not me."
"Who are they? Are they dangerous?"
Mystique shrugged as she walked beside him down the stairs. "Yes, they're as dangerous as you or me. Don't worry though, Eric can handle them."
John sighed in exasperation. Mystique lived up to her name by being totally evasive. Usually, it was part of her charm, but right now it was really starting to piss him off.
Eric was alone on the roof with who knew how many dangerous people. Mystique was wrong, he couldn't handle himself. What if they were some more of those government soldiers? What if they were keeping Eric busy on the roof just so they could distract him to get to Mystique and him?
'No way, not again!' he thought angrily as he charged back up the steps.
"Wait, John, stop! You don't know what you're dealing with!" Mystique called after him.
*^*^*^*^*^*
John plowed back into Eric and Mystique's room, shifting into his 'stealth mode'. Quietly, he headed towards the glass wall and looked for Magneto.
'There he is! What the hell is he doing?' John asked himself as he hid in a place where he had a view of what was happening.
There were only two other figures visible to him other than Magneto. One with Magneto, the other was farther away. He was relieved to find that his mentor wasn't in any apparent danger, but John couldn't understand what he was watching.
Magneto stood before a young woman. Slowly, he placed both of his hands on her face. She bent her neck, and Magneto kissed the crown of her head.
The girl straightened her posture and smiled at him, and he turned to the other person, but John couldn't see the other one, nor could he hear what they were saying.
His curiosity was growing by the second. He just had to find out what was going on!
'I'll risk it!' he decided as he moved forward.
He jumped up from his spot and tried to move to a closer one, "Oh, shit." He said aloud.
Magneto and the girl had just turned in unison to look right at him though the glass!
'Busted.'
He froze, and decided that he could either hide, which would be pointless, or he could come forward and accept whatever punishment Eric would dish out.
Then, suddenly, he wasn't alone in the room anymore.
In the dim light, John couldn't see very well, and never saw the punch coming.
"Aw, hey I-" John ground out as he put his hand over his eye.
Before he could even regain his wits, he felt someone grab his arm with both of their hands, and pull him- hard.
The person- whoever it was- was very strong, and they spun in a circle, dragging John along.
After three revolutions, the person let go of John's arm- and flung him right through the glass wall!
The glass shattered around him, and John landed outside, flat on his back.
"Oof!"
The wind was knocked out of him, and his head hurt almost as bad as it did when he was dropped by the Cerebro wave. He couldn't move, talk, or even think.
After a moment, he opened his eyes. "Ah!" he winced at the pain as light poured in. His head was swimming, he heard voices, but couldn't make out the words.
Then, the face of the girl Magneto had been talking to came into view above him. She was followed by a boy. Then came Magneto, who looked both sympathetic to his pain and amused at the brutal ass kicking he had just received.
"John, I'd like you to meet Wanda and Pietro. My children."