Chapter 12:
Pietro didn't like the look in his sister's eyes. He didn't like it at all. It was that all too familiar I'm-going-to-kill-you look all over again.
"Father is *attacking*?!" Wanda snarled, glaring at Pietro. "Is this part of his 'business'?" When Pietro didn't reply, she glowered heatedly at him. "We'll continue this conversation later, Brother," she growled, emphasizing the last word. "Right now, I have to get back to the X-Mansion and kill myself a prize..." Her dark eyes glittered maliciously.
Pietro gulped. "Wanda, listen, it's not how it looks. Well, okay, I can see how you would think that... but it's not!"
"Then what is?" Wanda snapped, crossing her arms. "Pietro, every time you say that, it always ends up being exactly how it looks!"
"Well, this time it's not!" Pietro couldn't help snapping back. More than anything, he wanted to snap, yell, shout, anything to take out his unbearable frustrations out on whoever he was arguing with. That was always what he'd done in the past, whether it be with such people as Duncan and the X-geeks, or whether it was a petty argument with Lance. And he'd always win in the end. Always. He'd make sure of that. But this was Wanda he was dealing with. Pietro took a deep breath, trying to curb his volatile temper. *I can't. I won't. This is Wanda we're talking about here. Not against Wanda... right... BAD idea...* Not to mention his sister probably could and would kick his butt to the next galaxy and back...
"I'll give you one last chance, Pietro," Wanda said in an unnervingly quiet tone, crossing her arms. A tone that clearly meant give-me-the-truth-or-bust-brother-dear-cuz-I-ain't-playing-around. "I want the truth." Her soulful dark eyes glittered. "What is Father up to?"
"I don't know!" Pietro insisted. "He said something about the Misfits being his new dream, and he won't let the Brotherhood destroy them, or something like that." He snorted. "Man, have you even *seen* those guys? They can't do didly squat! Okay, so that one guy likes fire just a llliiittttllee too much, but he's this psychopath who enjoys setting things on fire-"
"Like you don't?" Wanda interrupted with a smirk.
"That's entirely beside the point," Pietro sniffed. "Besides, they're such amateurs! I'm much better than they can ever be any day, and hey! Everybody knows it!"
"Spare me your ego tirade," Wanda groaned, rolling her eyes. "But you still didn't answer my question, Pietro," she glowered at him. "What is Father up to?"
"I already told you! I don't know!" Pietro replied back impatiently. "You think he ever actually tells me anything?"
"Fine, we'll do this the hard way then!" Wanda growled. "I'll be back, Pietro, and when I do, you *better* still be here!" She glowered at him one last time, before turning on her heels and stalking away.
Pietro sighed. "Wanda," he ran off after her. She ignored him. "Wanda!" When she still made no sign at all that she'd heard him, Pietro sped in front of her, cutting sharply in front of her, causing Wanda to stop and glare at him.
"What?" she hissed.
"Um… I- I don't think it's a good idea to go back there," Pietro said nervously. "Nope. Not a bit."
"And why not?" Wanda crossed her arms.
"Well…" Pietro bit his lip. How the hell was he supposed to tell Wanda what Magneto's plans were without blowing the secret of their father's plans? Despite his oftentimes arrogant and uncaring stance, there was one person in the world that he did care for very much…one person that he loved…and currently that person was fixing him with a very cold glare… He sighed. "Hey sis, I- I can't tell you what Father's planning," he said quietly, with a helpless look at his dark haired twin. "But...
"Watch me…" Wanda growled, turning her back on her brother and started to walk away in the direction of the mansion. After a few steps, she stopped and turned around, and fixed Pietro with a cool look. "Because unlike some people, I don't ditch my friends and allies in their times of trouble and need…" With that, Wanda turned and stalked toward the Xavier Institute.
Pietro opened his mouth to protest, then closed it. *What's the point?* he thought, with a scowl. Out of all the things that Quicksilver was known for, stubbornness ranks pretty high on the list. There weren't a whole lot of things that Pietro and Wanda shared as in personality wise, but if there was one thing the Maximoff twins had in common, it was this stubbornness. Wanda didn't have the quality nearly as strongly as her brother, but nevertheless, it was still there. Scowling, and (although he would never admit it) a little hurt, Pietro watched his sister go. A million things raced through his mind. He wanted to go after Wanda, to warn her of the Acolytes' plan, to protect her from their father. He'd give anything to go after her. Pietro watched as his sister's form got smaller and smaller, getting further and further away from him.
*All I have to do is run,* Pietro mused. *All I have to do is run and catch up with her, and tell her that what Father's planning is an all-out attack...* Instead, he just stood there. *Oh, and what am I supposed to say to her? 'Oh, you know, by the way, Father's planning an attack on you guys, and he sent me back here to create a diversion, so er...hope you're okay with it and please don't kill me, Wanda...'?!* He couldn't do that! So, he watched Wanda go, and he let her go. For a split second, something resembling guilt crept into his heart, and for that split second, Pietro Maximoff was starting to have second thoughts about this plan of Magneto's. For the first time, he had his pulling back doubts about the plan. Memories of the good days with the guys came creeping back into Pietro's mind, and he clenched his jaw. This was it....the big battle....but can he really do it? Lance was a good guy... Although Pietro liked to tease him sometimes about his obsession with a certain X-Kittycat, when it really came down to it, out of the guys, Pietro would most readily call Lance his best friend. And he had nothing against the others either. Though Toad and Blob tended to be annoying sometimes, they were still his buddies...brothers...The Brotherhood.....The four of them had shared so much...too many memories...to suddenly be knocked out of the game...by him of all people! And Wanda.... Wanda had just recently joined the team, but was as much part of the Brotherhood as any of them. Pietro's eyes narrowed, as he watched his sister, once-upon-a-time-in-the-not-so-distant-past his best friend, disappear from sight. He sighed, then zipped away by another route in the direction of the mansion. He hated having to do this, but he didn't really have much of a choice....
"If it's the others that you want, Father, it's the others you're gonna get...." Pietro thought as he ran, the wind blowing back against his face. "Just this once...I'll give you Lance and the others just this once....When this plan backfires, which it's sure to do, they'll find ways to escape and get out anyways...." Pietro tried to reassure himself. "I'll give them to you just this once....just don't...hurt...Wanda...."
Of course, his father had already given his promise, but somehow, Pietro wasn't convinced that it was the truth.... With an ever-growing sense of unease nawing away at his gut, Pietro tried to ignore it as best as he could, and sped on. This alternate way to the mansion was much longer than the path that he could've taken, going out of his way to get to his destination, but the more familiar way meant confronting Wanda again, and drawing her suspicion even more...which was something that he did _not_ want....
Pietro was almost at the mansion, when something caught his fleeting side-vision. Screeching to a stop, he did a double take as he saw something that he *definitely* did not want to see....
"Oh shit...." Pietro muttered a curse under his breath, staring in disbelief at the news coverage that was broadcasted on the TV in some store window. Several silvery metallic spheres were shooting through the sky, and the news cameras had managed to capture them on tape.... Very familiar spheres.... *Idiots!* Pietro fumed, panic rising. *Father, what the hell are you playing at?! You're supposed to let me have time to get to the mansion first!*
He sped up, hoping that the battle hadn't started yet....
Pietro didn't like the look in his sister's eyes. He didn't like it at all. It was that all too familiar I'm-going-to-kill-you look all over again.
"Father is *attacking*?!" Wanda snarled, glaring at Pietro. "Is this part of his 'business'?" When Pietro didn't reply, she glowered heatedly at him. "We'll continue this conversation later, Brother," she growled, emphasizing the last word. "Right now, I have to get back to the X-Mansion and kill myself a prize..." Her dark eyes glittered maliciously.
Pietro gulped. "Wanda, listen, it's not how it looks. Well, okay, I can see how you would think that... but it's not!"
"Then what is?" Wanda snapped, crossing her arms. "Pietro, every time you say that, it always ends up being exactly how it looks!"
"Well, this time it's not!" Pietro couldn't help snapping back. More than anything, he wanted to snap, yell, shout, anything to take out his unbearable frustrations out on whoever he was arguing with. That was always what he'd done in the past, whether it be with such people as Duncan and the X-geeks, or whether it was a petty argument with Lance. And he'd always win in the end. Always. He'd make sure of that. But this was Wanda he was dealing with. Pietro took a deep breath, trying to curb his volatile temper. *I can't. I won't. This is Wanda we're talking about here. Not against Wanda... right... BAD idea...* Not to mention his sister probably could and would kick his butt to the next galaxy and back...
"I'll give you one last chance, Pietro," Wanda said in an unnervingly quiet tone, crossing her arms. A tone that clearly meant give-me-the-truth-or-bust-brother-dear-cuz-I-ain't-playing-around. "I want the truth." Her soulful dark eyes glittered. "What is Father up to?"
"I don't know!" Pietro insisted. "He said something about the Misfits being his new dream, and he won't let the Brotherhood destroy them, or something like that." He snorted. "Man, have you even *seen* those guys? They can't do didly squat! Okay, so that one guy likes fire just a llliiittttllee too much, but he's this psychopath who enjoys setting things on fire-"
"Like you don't?" Wanda interrupted with a smirk.
"That's entirely beside the point," Pietro sniffed. "Besides, they're such amateurs! I'm much better than they can ever be any day, and hey! Everybody knows it!"
"Spare me your ego tirade," Wanda groaned, rolling her eyes. "But you still didn't answer my question, Pietro," she glowered at him. "What is Father up to?"
"I already told you! I don't know!" Pietro replied back impatiently. "You think he ever actually tells me anything?"
"Fine, we'll do this the hard way then!" Wanda growled. "I'll be back, Pietro, and when I do, you *better* still be here!" She glowered at him one last time, before turning on her heels and stalking away.
Pietro sighed. "Wanda," he ran off after her. She ignored him. "Wanda!" When she still made no sign at all that she'd heard him, Pietro sped in front of her, cutting sharply in front of her, causing Wanda to stop and glare at him.
"What?" she hissed.
"Um… I- I don't think it's a good idea to go back there," Pietro said nervously. "Nope. Not a bit."
"And why not?" Wanda crossed her arms.
"Well…" Pietro bit his lip. How the hell was he supposed to tell Wanda what Magneto's plans were without blowing the secret of their father's plans? Despite his oftentimes arrogant and uncaring stance, there was one person in the world that he did care for very much…one person that he loved…and currently that person was fixing him with a very cold glare… He sighed. "Hey sis, I- I can't tell you what Father's planning," he said quietly, with a helpless look at his dark haired twin. "But...
"Watch me…" Wanda growled, turning her back on her brother and started to walk away in the direction of the mansion. After a few steps, she stopped and turned around, and fixed Pietro with a cool look. "Because unlike some people, I don't ditch my friends and allies in their times of trouble and need…" With that, Wanda turned and stalked toward the Xavier Institute.
Pietro opened his mouth to protest, then closed it. *What's the point?* he thought, with a scowl. Out of all the things that Quicksilver was known for, stubbornness ranks pretty high on the list. There weren't a whole lot of things that Pietro and Wanda shared as in personality wise, but if there was one thing the Maximoff twins had in common, it was this stubbornness. Wanda didn't have the quality nearly as strongly as her brother, but nevertheless, it was still there. Scowling, and (although he would never admit it) a little hurt, Pietro watched his sister go. A million things raced through his mind. He wanted to go after Wanda, to warn her of the Acolytes' plan, to protect her from their father. He'd give anything to go after her. Pietro watched as his sister's form got smaller and smaller, getting further and further away from him.
*All I have to do is run,* Pietro mused. *All I have to do is run and catch up with her, and tell her that what Father's planning is an all-out attack...* Instead, he just stood there. *Oh, and what am I supposed to say to her? 'Oh, you know, by the way, Father's planning an attack on you guys, and he sent me back here to create a diversion, so er...hope you're okay with it and please don't kill me, Wanda...'?!* He couldn't do that! So, he watched Wanda go, and he let her go. For a split second, something resembling guilt crept into his heart, and for that split second, Pietro Maximoff was starting to have second thoughts about this plan of Magneto's. For the first time, he had his pulling back doubts about the plan. Memories of the good days with the guys came creeping back into Pietro's mind, and he clenched his jaw. This was it....the big battle....but can he really do it? Lance was a good guy... Although Pietro liked to tease him sometimes about his obsession with a certain X-Kittycat, when it really came down to it, out of the guys, Pietro would most readily call Lance his best friend. And he had nothing against the others either. Though Toad and Blob tended to be annoying sometimes, they were still his buddies...brothers...The Brotherhood.....The four of them had shared so much...too many memories...to suddenly be knocked out of the game...by him of all people! And Wanda.... Wanda had just recently joined the team, but was as much part of the Brotherhood as any of them. Pietro's eyes narrowed, as he watched his sister, once-upon-a-time-in-the-not-so-distant-past his best friend, disappear from sight. He sighed, then zipped away by another route in the direction of the mansion. He hated having to do this, but he didn't really have much of a choice....
"If it's the others that you want, Father, it's the others you're gonna get...." Pietro thought as he ran, the wind blowing back against his face. "Just this once...I'll give you Lance and the others just this once....When this plan backfires, which it's sure to do, they'll find ways to escape and get out anyways...." Pietro tried to reassure himself. "I'll give them to you just this once....just don't...hurt...Wanda...."
Of course, his father had already given his promise, but somehow, Pietro wasn't convinced that it was the truth.... With an ever-growing sense of unease nawing away at his gut, Pietro tried to ignore it as best as he could, and sped on. This alternate way to the mansion was much longer than the path that he could've taken, going out of his way to get to his destination, but the more familiar way meant confronting Wanda again, and drawing her suspicion even more...which was something that he did _not_ want....
Pietro was almost at the mansion, when something caught his fleeting side-vision. Screeching to a stop, he did a double take as he saw something that he *definitely* did not want to see....
"Oh shit...." Pietro muttered a curse under his breath, staring in disbelief at the news coverage that was broadcasted on the TV in some store window. Several silvery metallic spheres were shooting through the sky, and the news cameras had managed to capture them on tape.... Very familiar spheres.... *Idiots!* Pietro fumed, panic rising. *Father, what the hell are you playing at?! You're supposed to let me have time to get to the mansion first!*
He sped up, hoping that the battle hadn't started yet....
