Author's Note: Sorry about taking so long to update, but it was my birthday
over the weekend, plus I have school and work to deal with. Anyway, doesn't
absence make the heart grow fonder?
*^*^^*^*
The six mutants, sixteen if you counted Jamie's copies, were too wrapped up in their fight to notice the attention they had drawn. People were keeping a safe distance from them but still kept a vigil over them from the surrounding apartment windows or from various other places on the street.
John had just upturned his lips to smile in triumph when he heard the sirens. Instantly, the spell of preoccupation was broken, and he realized what they were doing.
His flaming 'hula hoop' vanished at his mental command, not that it would make his audience lose interest.
Bobby willed away his icy armor and stood beside John in his human form.
The twins, Wanda and Pietro, stopped attacking their own opponents, Jamie and Jubilee.
For a moment, all was still as the mutants turned their ears to the familiar sound of police sirens.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Suffice it to say, John and the twins did not make it to the opening curtain of The Lion King.
Wanda and Pietro had never seen anything on Broadway before; it was meant to be their first American play.
However, because of their little squabble with the Xavier Institute students, they were able to experience something that most American teenagers went through: jail.
It wasn't that they couldn't have easily escaped. A person watching could have blinked and Pietro could've made it to the other side of the city in that time. However, his companions were comparably sluggish at best.
The Xavier Institute students had made a grave mistake by using their powers out in the open, and were not eager to make it worse.
John would have happily attacked them with his flames as he had on the steps of Bobby's porch nearly a year before, but the police were prepared this time. They brought the fire department.
So, in a manner out of character, John and the twins surrendered to themselves to the authorities.
And that led them here.
"Man, I can't believe they arrested us!" Pietro growled.
"Don't tell me you're surprised, not after everything we did." John countered from the bench. Pietro kept pacing their cell.
"Hey, I didn't know they were mutants. You're the one who said to meet at the playground!" Pietro snapped. "We could get deported for this!"
"No you won't, you didn't give them your real names."
"Will you guys shut up! You could be thinking of a way to escape, but instead you waste time arguing." Wanda said from her spot on the bench beside John.
"Did I hear someone say escape?! No way, we're already going to be in enough trouble after all the damage we caused. It would be suicide to add a prison break to that!" cried Jamie from the cell opposite theirs.
The police had at least been wise enough to separate the Brotherhood from the X-men trainees, no point in letting them start a riot in the same cell.
"Oh, don't get all excited, Jamie! When the cops searched us, they confiscated my lighter. I could easily melt these bars, but unless one of you have a book of matches or something, our side is out of luck." John called out to his former classmate.
"I'm afraid that won't be necessary, John."
The six young mutants froze, whether as friend or foe, they all knew that voice.
A policeman came forward with Magneto at his side.
The older man peeked into the cell that held his children and John. "I leave you for a week and look what happens!"
"Hey, it wasn't our fault! We were on our way to grab some lunch when Bobby showed up." John protested.
"Oh, and I suppose he started the fight by himself? Tell me, Pyro, did he also scorch the pavement and set fire to the trees that grew on the perimeter of that playground where this all happened?" Magneto asked with a smirk.
John was silent.
"I thought so. Now, as for you, Wanda and Pietro, I cannot say that I'm surprised, just disappointed. Mystique, what would you say a fair punishment would be?"
The policeman that had come in with him had long since transformed into the beautifully exotic mutant woman. Her teeth were bizarrely white against her dark blue skin. "I say we leave them in there till their sentence runs out."
"What?! No way, you can't just leave us in here!"
"Father, this isn't funny!"
"Stop playing and get us out!"
The group protested as one.
Magneto rolled his eyes. "What am I going to do with you?" he asked them.
The bars to their cell twisted and parted until a large enough opening had been formed. The twins and John quickly stepped out.
"Thank you." John said.
"Don't thank me yet, John. The twins will not be the only ones punished for their foolish conduct today." He paused as he looked in on the occupants of the other cell, "As for you three, I could not in good conscience just leave you here. When the real police officers regain consciousness, and find the other cell in the shape it is, they'll want answers. So let's make a deal."
Bobby, being the oldest, stepped forward and acted as the spokesman for his group. "Yes, sir?" he asked, urging Magneto on.
"I'll let you out, and destroy the records of your arrest. It will be as if this day never happened, if you deliver a message to Charles for me."
Bobby stood still, mulling it over in his head.
"This is a one-time offer, Mr. Drake. If you refuse, then I'll leave you here to explain to the police where their other mutant captives went."
Bobby turned to Jubilee and Jamie, who nodded.
"Alright, Mr. Lehnsherr, deal." Bobby stuck his hand out from between the bars, and shook Magneto's hand.
Eric released him and then bent the bars apart.
"What was the message?" asked Bobby.
"Just tell Charles to meet me here, at this address," he handed Bobby an envelope, "where we can discuss the fate of one, John Allerdyce."
*^*^^*^*
The six mutants, sixteen if you counted Jamie's copies, were too wrapped up in their fight to notice the attention they had drawn. People were keeping a safe distance from them but still kept a vigil over them from the surrounding apartment windows or from various other places on the street.
John had just upturned his lips to smile in triumph when he heard the sirens. Instantly, the spell of preoccupation was broken, and he realized what they were doing.
His flaming 'hula hoop' vanished at his mental command, not that it would make his audience lose interest.
Bobby willed away his icy armor and stood beside John in his human form.
The twins, Wanda and Pietro, stopped attacking their own opponents, Jamie and Jubilee.
For a moment, all was still as the mutants turned their ears to the familiar sound of police sirens.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Suffice it to say, John and the twins did not make it to the opening curtain of The Lion King.
Wanda and Pietro had never seen anything on Broadway before; it was meant to be their first American play.
However, because of their little squabble with the Xavier Institute students, they were able to experience something that most American teenagers went through: jail.
It wasn't that they couldn't have easily escaped. A person watching could have blinked and Pietro could've made it to the other side of the city in that time. However, his companions were comparably sluggish at best.
The Xavier Institute students had made a grave mistake by using their powers out in the open, and were not eager to make it worse.
John would have happily attacked them with his flames as he had on the steps of Bobby's porch nearly a year before, but the police were prepared this time. They brought the fire department.
So, in a manner out of character, John and the twins surrendered to themselves to the authorities.
And that led them here.
"Man, I can't believe they arrested us!" Pietro growled.
"Don't tell me you're surprised, not after everything we did." John countered from the bench. Pietro kept pacing their cell.
"Hey, I didn't know they were mutants. You're the one who said to meet at the playground!" Pietro snapped. "We could get deported for this!"
"No you won't, you didn't give them your real names."
"Will you guys shut up! You could be thinking of a way to escape, but instead you waste time arguing." Wanda said from her spot on the bench beside John.
"Did I hear someone say escape?! No way, we're already going to be in enough trouble after all the damage we caused. It would be suicide to add a prison break to that!" cried Jamie from the cell opposite theirs.
The police had at least been wise enough to separate the Brotherhood from the X-men trainees, no point in letting them start a riot in the same cell.
"Oh, don't get all excited, Jamie! When the cops searched us, they confiscated my lighter. I could easily melt these bars, but unless one of you have a book of matches or something, our side is out of luck." John called out to his former classmate.
"I'm afraid that won't be necessary, John."
The six young mutants froze, whether as friend or foe, they all knew that voice.
A policeman came forward with Magneto at his side.
The older man peeked into the cell that held his children and John. "I leave you for a week and look what happens!"
"Hey, it wasn't our fault! We were on our way to grab some lunch when Bobby showed up." John protested.
"Oh, and I suppose he started the fight by himself? Tell me, Pyro, did he also scorch the pavement and set fire to the trees that grew on the perimeter of that playground where this all happened?" Magneto asked with a smirk.
John was silent.
"I thought so. Now, as for you, Wanda and Pietro, I cannot say that I'm surprised, just disappointed. Mystique, what would you say a fair punishment would be?"
The policeman that had come in with him had long since transformed into the beautifully exotic mutant woman. Her teeth were bizarrely white against her dark blue skin. "I say we leave them in there till their sentence runs out."
"What?! No way, you can't just leave us in here!"
"Father, this isn't funny!"
"Stop playing and get us out!"
The group protested as one.
Magneto rolled his eyes. "What am I going to do with you?" he asked them.
The bars to their cell twisted and parted until a large enough opening had been formed. The twins and John quickly stepped out.
"Thank you." John said.
"Don't thank me yet, John. The twins will not be the only ones punished for their foolish conduct today." He paused as he looked in on the occupants of the other cell, "As for you three, I could not in good conscience just leave you here. When the real police officers regain consciousness, and find the other cell in the shape it is, they'll want answers. So let's make a deal."
Bobby, being the oldest, stepped forward and acted as the spokesman for his group. "Yes, sir?" he asked, urging Magneto on.
"I'll let you out, and destroy the records of your arrest. It will be as if this day never happened, if you deliver a message to Charles for me."
Bobby stood still, mulling it over in his head.
"This is a one-time offer, Mr. Drake. If you refuse, then I'll leave you here to explain to the police where their other mutant captives went."
Bobby turned to Jubilee and Jamie, who nodded.
"Alright, Mr. Lehnsherr, deal." Bobby stuck his hand out from between the bars, and shook Magneto's hand.
Eric released him and then bent the bars apart.
"What was the message?" asked Bobby.
"Just tell Charles to meet me here, at this address," he handed Bobby an envelope, "where we can discuss the fate of one, John Allerdyce."