A/N: Hey everybody! This is my very, very first fic so excuse any mistakes
'kay? This takes place about a week after the whole Apocalypse thing. We're
just gonna take a look at our favorite Brotherhood guys and Wanda as they
deal with getting back to normal(for them anyway) life. This first chapter
is mostly Wanda and Todd but if I get around to writing more there will be
lots more of the others as well. Also there is NO SLASH. Don't get me wrong
'cause I don't have anything against it but I know I couldn't write it and
I really only see the guys as friends. I thought I should mention it since
I didn't want to confuse anyone when I mentioned John and Pietro since it
sort of sounds like I'm putting them together at a few places. But I'm not
and I thought I should mention it. Well enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men:Evolution or any of the characters involved in this fic. Well not yet anyway. ^_^ I'm currently working on a plan that will change all that!
Moving On
By: Kamikaze Angel
Stepping out into the hallway, Wanda Maximoff looked from side to side. Her hopes were confirmed. No one. She walked silently, hoping again that she wouldn't run into any of the other Brotherhood members. Reaching the stairs she opted to float down rather than risk the squeaky steps. Lance had mentioned something about fixing them later but all things considered it seemed doubtful. It was hard enough to get him to do anything but talk on the phone with his precious Kitty-Kat. Wanda rolled her eyes. He'd been acting like a lovesick puppy ever since they'd returned from defeating Apocalypse.
Wanda sighed. It had been nearly a week since what the guys had nicknamed the 'Apocalypse Incident' and her life was more confusing than ever. It all started on the plane ride back from Mexico.
She watched as the Mexican landscape grew smaller and smaller until she could scarcely see the area where she'd battled her own father.
Turning away from the window her eyes landed on two nearly identical heads of snowy white hair. The plane's seats were grouped in three's. She'd taken the window seat while Pietro claimed the aisle seat as his own. Their father was seated right between the two of them. Either the battle or possibly his temporary possession by Apocalypse had obviously taken a lot out of him. He'd have merely collapsed into his chair had the twins not been supporting him. Wanda stared at him asleep. She'd never in all her years see him like this. So.so vulnerable.
Glancing past him she stared at her brother. He too was watching their father, but then as though he felt her gaze he looked up and they're eyes met.
"Been a busy day hasn't it, Sis?" he said offering her a crooked grin.
".Yeah.Hey, Pietro I just wanted to say thanks. for coming." His grin widened making his elfin features light up before he returned to a semi serious tone.
"Wanda I want you to know I'll always be there for you from now on alright? I mean we're family. All of us," he added glancing back down at Magneto, "and we need to stick together. Y'know what I mean?" Wanda nodded.
"I understand what you're saying Pietro. Now we can go back to being a family again. The three of us together again like it was before." She stopped for a moment as something foreign flashed in her brother's eyes. But then it disappeared as fast as it had appeared and she wondered if she'd just imagined it.
"Maybe." he said uncertainly. "Unless one of us leaves." he stared at her intently waiting for a reply.
Wanda glanced at Magneto "Even if Father leaves we'll still have each other. I promise I'm not going to leave you Pietro." He smiled.
"And I won't let you go. Not this time." He flashed another grin before settling back into his seat and staring ahead towards the front of the plane. If he'd watched her just a second longer he'd have seen her smile morph into a look of confusion, pain, and fear. Wanda stared at him for a moment before sinking deeper into her seat and closing her eyes, a look of frustration adorning her face. His words echoed in her head.
"And I won't let you go. Not this time..."
Then her mind took her back to a time he hadn't spoken those words. A time when he hadn't spoken any words at all, but merely stood there staring at his feet while they took her away.
"NOOO!!! Pietro! Don't let them take me! Pietro please do something!! Don't let them get me! Don't let me go!! PIETRO!!!!!!"
It was like a flood gate had been opened and all her memories came flowing back to her. For a moment she felt herself becoming overwhelmed and then it was over. She shook her head trying to clear the confusion clouding her mind.
"Hey Wanda, you okay?" She looked up at her brother ready to hex him right out of the plane. He deserved it! Letting Magneto abandon her and lying when he messed with her memories. She was fully prepared to attack when their eyes met and she saw it. Genuine concern stared back at her from his deep blue eyes and her resolve faltered. Other memories entered her mind. Pietro after she first came to the boarding house trying to convince her that he was sorry. Pietro on the train telling her that Magneto didn't deserve her tears. Pietro saving her from their possessed father. Once again the same words he'd spoken only moments ago repeated themselves in her head.
"And I won't let you go. Not this time."
She tore her eyes from his and glared down at her hands. It was all too confusing.
"Wanda? Wanda what's wrong?" There was that blasted concern again. She shook her head again and said tiredly "Nothing. It's nothing, just a head ache." She was almost surprised how easily the lie came.
"Okay,doyouwantmetoletyourestorsomething?" She took a moment to translate before closing her eyes and nodding. He continued to stare at her a moment before settling down in his seat again and returning to the grueling task of finding a way to entertain himself for the next few hours.
All week she'd been battling with what to do? Tell them she remembered or pretend she hadn't? She mentally scolded herself. Pretend it she hadn't remembered? Of course she'd tell them! She was Wanda Maximoff she was not that weak!
*Crash* *Boom*
She jerked her head toward the offending noise. It was coming from the backyard. She contemplated whether or not she should go and check on them, then realized she was still hovering at the bottom of the stairs. How long had she been there lost in thought?
She glanced around the hall she'd spent the last few minutes in. Even it had changed in the last few days. Magneto, while still not planning on spending quality time or anything like that in the near future, had decided that he would be responsible for making sure that the boardinghouse was taken care of and that they wouldn't need to worry about money any longer. Though he hadn't stayed around to spend the aforementioned quality time he had made them clean and repair the old house to it's former glory.Well maybe that was an exaggeration but still it was at least bare able now. No more roaches or old moldy pizza boxes just lying around. And it was up to Wanda to keep it that way.
The corners of her mouth tugged upward a little as she remembered the boys' reactions when Magneto put her in charge of the band of mutants. Even Fred had pointed out it was ironic that the only girl member of the 'Brotherhood' was the new leader.
*Boooom*
And as the new leader it was her responsibility to keep the boys from destroying everything.After she got some coffee, of course.
She wondered into the kitchen and walked over to the coffee machine. She smiled. The coffee pot was half way full and the warm liquid beckoned her. Apparently Lance had already been here and was considerate enough to realize she'd maul him if he didn't leave enough left over for her.
She poured the wonderful elixir of life commonly called coffee into her mug and did her best to ignore the potential chaos that sounded as though it was about to erupt around her. The sounds of a shouting match between Lance and Pietro were streaming through an open window. She could clearly hear the voices and the tone of apparent anger coming from their owners, but she couldn't quite make out the words. The smell of smoke lingered in the air. It took her a moment to realize that the odor had barely registered in her mind. Less than a week and she was already getting used to the Brotherhood's newest member.
*Flashback*(to three days after the Apocalypse Incident)
Wanda watched her father as he stood before the assembled Brotherhood members whom she had just been put in charge of the day before prepared to return to one of his hidden bases that he kept all over the world. In the past three days the house had been fixed up(for the most part anyway) and all issues like money had been taken care of. She stared up at the giant metal ball that hovered just behind him. It reminded her painfully of the Sentinel incident which of course reminded her of her newly acquired memories. She stared up at the man who had locked her up for all those years. She'd already decided that she couldn't forgive him.Or at least not yet anyway. Of course there was still the matter of her brother and the rest of the Brotherhood. She still hadn't determined what to do concerning them and thought it would be best not to confront Magneto until she had dealt with them first.
Just behind Magneto stood the maniac she'd come to know as Pyro or as Pietro always called him John. St. John Allerdyce the insane fire manipulator whom had apparently befriended Pietro during his brief stay with the Acolytes. Pietro had mentioned something about Gambit getting on his nerves and the Russian guy, Piotr being too aloof. Either way the two boys had spent the last couple of days happily causing chaos together. Wanda sighed relieved not only that her father was leaving but also that he would undoubtedly take the only remaining Acolyte with him. It would be nice to not have to worry about him torching all the furniture anymore. Even now he was playing with his lighter, an insane grin on his face and a maniacal glint in his eyes.
Just then Lance poked her in the shoulder and whispered in her ear "Hey shouldn't there be another one of those metal ball things for Pyro?" Surprised Wanda looked around but only saw the one.metal ball thing. Lance was right. There was no second one for Pyro. She opened her mouth to ask when Magneto began speaking.
"It is time that I returned to my base to take care of some unfinished.business. Wanda I trust that you will keep things under control while I am gone." She simply nodded and he continued. "Now if there is any trouble Charles will be able to contact me." He paused again and glanced back at St. John. "I have decided that it would be best if I left Pyro here until further notice." There was a stunned silence. Both Wanda and Lance had been counting down the hours till he left. Neither Fred nor Todd had anything against him although there were a few confrontations when something of theirs showed up burnt to a crisp. Pietro was too surprised to comment though his sister suspected that he wouldn't mind the pyrokinetic's presence too much. They both seemed to have a natural instinct to cause havoc. The red head tore his attention from the flame to redirect his grin towards the shocked Brotherhood members.
"That's right mates! I'm gonna be staying 'ere for the time being. Whaddaya think about that." The stunned silence continued until Lance made a sort of strangled groan. Immediately Pietro's face broke into a wide mischievous grin.
"Well this aught to be interesting." He said grinning eerily while glancing back at Lance and Wanda. The grin he showed them gave Lance a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Life just got a whole lot more complicated.
"Yes well, Pietro." The speed demon jerked his head in surprise having obviously forgotten his father's presence. "As you already know Pyro is a little more.unique than the rest of you" He glanced at the vertically challenged individual who was once again absorbed in the flames, "and-"
"You want me to baby-sit him again and make sure he doesn't burn down the whole town." Pietro while pleased about the boy's presence did not seem all that happy about his new assignment. He drew his brows together and frowned, but before he could protest Magneto continued.
"Yes, you will be in charge of Pyro's well being and you are correct in assuming that you are also responsible for keeping him from being too destructive. Well I must be off now. I have much to take care of." And with that he was gone in his.metal ball thing not leaving any time for anyone to protest. There was another moment of silence and then-
"What's with you, yo. I thought you liked that Pyro guy." Todd glanced at the strawberry haired youth. Pietro glared at him.
"There is a big difference between causing destruction with John and keeping John from causing destruction. A big, big difference."
"Aw don' worry mates. I won't be causing any trouble honest!" John said grinning. Wanda suddenly wondered what his parents had been thinking when they'd named him Saint.
Wanda sipped her coffee thoughtfully. The confrontation outside was escalating. She could here the voices getting angrier. She absently wondered what they were fighting over. It was either extremely stupid and pointless or about John. On second thought it could be both. Lance was doing his best to be patient but it took a lot to handle Pyro. Lance had already nearly totaled the house 4 times and Pietro wasn't making it any easier for the rock-tumbler. He found Lance's annoyance very entertaining and was getting a kick out of making it worse.
Wanda probably would have continued on that train of thought had the door of the kitchen not opened at that precise moment to reveal a slightly singed Toad. "Hey Snookums. How you doing?" Wanda mumbled something along the lines of "I'm fine" and went to pour herself some more coffee.
"You haven't really been acting like yourself lately honey." Todd was already worried and when her only response was only a shrug he was sure something was seriously wrong. Two pet names and she hadn't hexed him. In fact she hadn't even given him so much as a death threat. "Is there something you want to talk about? Cause you know I'm here if you need me right?" Todd sighed miserably. He really did suck at the whole communication thing. Wanda looked at him thoughtfully. Then a determined look flashed across her face. She'd made her decision.
"If I tell you, you have to promise not to mention this to the others. And you know what will happen if you do." Her tone was dark and threatening. Todd struggled to keep a serious expression as he nodded. This was his Wanda! And just think she was confiding in him! It was all he could do to restrain the huge grin that was threatening to spread across his face.
She looked him straight in the eyes and said in a tight, cold voice. "I remember." All thoughts of smiling immediately left his mind as he stared at Wanda and tried to absorb this new information. Her tone and expression left no doubt in his mind as to what she was referring to. It took him a moment to get over the shock and regain his voice before he replied.
"Y-you.you remember.everything?" She nodded. He waited for her to say something but she continued to stare at him with those icy blue eyes, waiting for him to continue. "S-so I guess you're a little a-angry right now huh" A light bulb in the nearby hallway exploded. "I thought so." He said weakly. Instinctively he shrunk away from her glare before asking softly "So w-what are you gonna do." He was surprised when she sighed and slid down in her chair.
"I don't know." She said quietly, "I really don't know." He was taken aback by her tone. She sounded tired and frustrated, not full of rage and hate as he had expected. He decided to take it slow with easy questions that could be answered in one word sentences. He'd read somewhere that that helped.
"When did you remember, yo?" Yeah, he thought congratulating himself. That was good. Real smooth.
"On the plane on our way back to Bayville" Todd's 'inner self' beamed. A full nine words. However he kept his face serious again and continued since she obviously wasn't volunteering any information. But still a part of him was nervous. Why wasn't she screaming or hexing him or something. In all his different scenarios he'd imagined about her remembering she'd been thoroughly pissed. Not one time had he envisioned himself trying to play therapist while Wanda sat there sullenly. Honestly it was getting downright creepy.
"Are you mad?"
"WHAT DO YOU THINK!!" she yelled suddenly. Todd was so surprised at her sudden mood swing that he fell right out of his chair, hitting his back against the floor hard. 'Great job, Einstein' he thought miserably. Looking up at the object of his affection he expected to see the rage that had always filled her when she first came to the boarding house. Instead he saw her once again sitting at the table sipping her coffee and staring off into space. 'Geez yo' Todd thought again 'she's nearly as moody as Pietro!'
"Don't compare me to him." She said coldly and Todd clamped a webbed hand over his mouth. He'd said that out loud?!
"I didn't.I mean I , well what I meant to say was." He let his words trail off miserably. "Sorry Wanda." She looked down at him sitting there in a miserable heap on the floor and she remembered the concern in her brother's eyes and the joy at seeing Lance had been thoughtful enough to make extra coffee. Maybe she wasn't as mad at them as she had been. After all she was glad that she'd taken the time to cool down instead of hexing everyone the moment she remembered.
She sighed for what seemed the millionth time that day. "It's alright I'm not that angry at you." She said softly. She watched as his face lit up and his whole demeanor brightened before he seemed to realize something that dulled his former mood.
"What about.well y'know Pietro?" Wanda closed her eyes and tried to think.
"I won't know until I talk to him about it," She was glad to realize it was true. Seeing Todd's reaction had helped her decide what she thought perhaps seeing her brother's would have the same effect. Opening her eyes she saw Todd nod understandingly. Maybe the Toad wasn't that bad after all.well that is if you could ever get over the smell.
Todd opened his mouth to say something when he was interrupted by an all too familiar gust of wind. Then standing there before them was the one and only Quicksilver. Todd cringed slightly. Pietro had no idea they had just been talking about him. He was grinning from ear to ear. "We're all going to the mall to spend some of the money Daddy-dearest left us." He announced importantly. "Lance needs a new guitar."
Curiosity overcame Todd's worry and from the way Wanda was ignoring them he guessed that she wanted to wait a while before confronting Pietro. "Why would Lance need a new guitar? He loves his old one."
"Yeah well his old one is now a pile of ashes thanks to John."
"Oh, that's what all the yelling was about."
"Yeah so anyway come on you slow-mos. I call shot-gun!" Another gust of wind and he was gone.
"C'mon, Wanda. Maybe you can take your mind off things for a while, yo." Wanda smiled a little and nodded before standing up and following him out the door. She could use some time to relax for awhile. Maybe this was exactly what she needed.
TBC.
Yay! Chapter One of my very first fic is now completed! And man did it take a long time. It's 4:58 in the freakin' morning! Oh well it was worth it.
A/N: In case you didn't notice I won't be writing the big Wanda/Pietro confrontation for at least another chapter. The next chapter will just be a fun one featuring our favorite guys(and Wanda) spend some time in the mall. It will answer the following questions.
Will Lance find a new guitar? Will Todd piss off Wanda? Will Fred run the food court out of business? Will we run into any X-Geeks? Will Pietro piss off Lance even more and will John burn anything?( I think we all know the answer to that one ^_^) And most importantly of all can Kamikaze write a semi decent chapter? It's all here on the next episode of Moving On!
Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men:Evolution or any of the characters involved in this fic. Well not yet anyway. ^_^ I'm currently working on a plan that will change all that!
Moving On
By: Kamikaze Angel
Stepping out into the hallway, Wanda Maximoff looked from side to side. Her hopes were confirmed. No one. She walked silently, hoping again that she wouldn't run into any of the other Brotherhood members. Reaching the stairs she opted to float down rather than risk the squeaky steps. Lance had mentioned something about fixing them later but all things considered it seemed doubtful. It was hard enough to get him to do anything but talk on the phone with his precious Kitty-Kat. Wanda rolled her eyes. He'd been acting like a lovesick puppy ever since they'd returned from defeating Apocalypse.
Wanda sighed. It had been nearly a week since what the guys had nicknamed the 'Apocalypse Incident' and her life was more confusing than ever. It all started on the plane ride back from Mexico.
She watched as the Mexican landscape grew smaller and smaller until she could scarcely see the area where she'd battled her own father.
Turning away from the window her eyes landed on two nearly identical heads of snowy white hair. The plane's seats were grouped in three's. She'd taken the window seat while Pietro claimed the aisle seat as his own. Their father was seated right between the two of them. Either the battle or possibly his temporary possession by Apocalypse had obviously taken a lot out of him. He'd have merely collapsed into his chair had the twins not been supporting him. Wanda stared at him asleep. She'd never in all her years see him like this. So.so vulnerable.
Glancing past him she stared at her brother. He too was watching their father, but then as though he felt her gaze he looked up and they're eyes met.
"Been a busy day hasn't it, Sis?" he said offering her a crooked grin.
".Yeah.Hey, Pietro I just wanted to say thanks. for coming." His grin widened making his elfin features light up before he returned to a semi serious tone.
"Wanda I want you to know I'll always be there for you from now on alright? I mean we're family. All of us," he added glancing back down at Magneto, "and we need to stick together. Y'know what I mean?" Wanda nodded.
"I understand what you're saying Pietro. Now we can go back to being a family again. The three of us together again like it was before." She stopped for a moment as something foreign flashed in her brother's eyes. But then it disappeared as fast as it had appeared and she wondered if she'd just imagined it.
"Maybe." he said uncertainly. "Unless one of us leaves." he stared at her intently waiting for a reply.
Wanda glanced at Magneto "Even if Father leaves we'll still have each other. I promise I'm not going to leave you Pietro." He smiled.
"And I won't let you go. Not this time." He flashed another grin before settling back into his seat and staring ahead towards the front of the plane. If he'd watched her just a second longer he'd have seen her smile morph into a look of confusion, pain, and fear. Wanda stared at him for a moment before sinking deeper into her seat and closing her eyes, a look of frustration adorning her face. His words echoed in her head.
"And I won't let you go. Not this time..."
Then her mind took her back to a time he hadn't spoken those words. A time when he hadn't spoken any words at all, but merely stood there staring at his feet while they took her away.
"NOOO!!! Pietro! Don't let them take me! Pietro please do something!! Don't let them get me! Don't let me go!! PIETRO!!!!!!"
It was like a flood gate had been opened and all her memories came flowing back to her. For a moment she felt herself becoming overwhelmed and then it was over. She shook her head trying to clear the confusion clouding her mind.
"Hey Wanda, you okay?" She looked up at her brother ready to hex him right out of the plane. He deserved it! Letting Magneto abandon her and lying when he messed with her memories. She was fully prepared to attack when their eyes met and she saw it. Genuine concern stared back at her from his deep blue eyes and her resolve faltered. Other memories entered her mind. Pietro after she first came to the boarding house trying to convince her that he was sorry. Pietro on the train telling her that Magneto didn't deserve her tears. Pietro saving her from their possessed father. Once again the same words he'd spoken only moments ago repeated themselves in her head.
"And I won't let you go. Not this time."
She tore her eyes from his and glared down at her hands. It was all too confusing.
"Wanda? Wanda what's wrong?" There was that blasted concern again. She shook her head again and said tiredly "Nothing. It's nothing, just a head ache." She was almost surprised how easily the lie came.
"Okay,doyouwantmetoletyourestorsomething?" She took a moment to translate before closing her eyes and nodding. He continued to stare at her a moment before settling down in his seat again and returning to the grueling task of finding a way to entertain himself for the next few hours.
All week she'd been battling with what to do? Tell them she remembered or pretend she hadn't? She mentally scolded herself. Pretend it she hadn't remembered? Of course she'd tell them! She was Wanda Maximoff she was not that weak!
*Crash* *Boom*
She jerked her head toward the offending noise. It was coming from the backyard. She contemplated whether or not she should go and check on them, then realized she was still hovering at the bottom of the stairs. How long had she been there lost in thought?
She glanced around the hall she'd spent the last few minutes in. Even it had changed in the last few days. Magneto, while still not planning on spending quality time or anything like that in the near future, had decided that he would be responsible for making sure that the boardinghouse was taken care of and that they wouldn't need to worry about money any longer. Though he hadn't stayed around to spend the aforementioned quality time he had made them clean and repair the old house to it's former glory.Well maybe that was an exaggeration but still it was at least bare able now. No more roaches or old moldy pizza boxes just lying around. And it was up to Wanda to keep it that way.
The corners of her mouth tugged upward a little as she remembered the boys' reactions when Magneto put her in charge of the band of mutants. Even Fred had pointed out it was ironic that the only girl member of the 'Brotherhood' was the new leader.
*Boooom*
And as the new leader it was her responsibility to keep the boys from destroying everything.After she got some coffee, of course.
She wondered into the kitchen and walked over to the coffee machine. She smiled. The coffee pot was half way full and the warm liquid beckoned her. Apparently Lance had already been here and was considerate enough to realize she'd maul him if he didn't leave enough left over for her.
She poured the wonderful elixir of life commonly called coffee into her mug and did her best to ignore the potential chaos that sounded as though it was about to erupt around her. The sounds of a shouting match between Lance and Pietro were streaming through an open window. She could clearly hear the voices and the tone of apparent anger coming from their owners, but she couldn't quite make out the words. The smell of smoke lingered in the air. It took her a moment to realize that the odor had barely registered in her mind. Less than a week and she was already getting used to the Brotherhood's newest member.
*Flashback*(to three days after the Apocalypse Incident)
Wanda watched her father as he stood before the assembled Brotherhood members whom she had just been put in charge of the day before prepared to return to one of his hidden bases that he kept all over the world. In the past three days the house had been fixed up(for the most part anyway) and all issues like money had been taken care of. She stared up at the giant metal ball that hovered just behind him. It reminded her painfully of the Sentinel incident which of course reminded her of her newly acquired memories. She stared up at the man who had locked her up for all those years. She'd already decided that she couldn't forgive him.Or at least not yet anyway. Of course there was still the matter of her brother and the rest of the Brotherhood. She still hadn't determined what to do concerning them and thought it would be best not to confront Magneto until she had dealt with them first.
Just behind Magneto stood the maniac she'd come to know as Pyro or as Pietro always called him John. St. John Allerdyce the insane fire manipulator whom had apparently befriended Pietro during his brief stay with the Acolytes. Pietro had mentioned something about Gambit getting on his nerves and the Russian guy, Piotr being too aloof. Either way the two boys had spent the last couple of days happily causing chaos together. Wanda sighed relieved not only that her father was leaving but also that he would undoubtedly take the only remaining Acolyte with him. It would be nice to not have to worry about him torching all the furniture anymore. Even now he was playing with his lighter, an insane grin on his face and a maniacal glint in his eyes.
Just then Lance poked her in the shoulder and whispered in her ear "Hey shouldn't there be another one of those metal ball things for Pyro?" Surprised Wanda looked around but only saw the one.metal ball thing. Lance was right. There was no second one for Pyro. She opened her mouth to ask when Magneto began speaking.
"It is time that I returned to my base to take care of some unfinished.business. Wanda I trust that you will keep things under control while I am gone." She simply nodded and he continued. "Now if there is any trouble Charles will be able to contact me." He paused again and glanced back at St. John. "I have decided that it would be best if I left Pyro here until further notice." There was a stunned silence. Both Wanda and Lance had been counting down the hours till he left. Neither Fred nor Todd had anything against him although there were a few confrontations when something of theirs showed up burnt to a crisp. Pietro was too surprised to comment though his sister suspected that he wouldn't mind the pyrokinetic's presence too much. They both seemed to have a natural instinct to cause havoc. The red head tore his attention from the flame to redirect his grin towards the shocked Brotherhood members.
"That's right mates! I'm gonna be staying 'ere for the time being. Whaddaya think about that." The stunned silence continued until Lance made a sort of strangled groan. Immediately Pietro's face broke into a wide mischievous grin.
"Well this aught to be interesting." He said grinning eerily while glancing back at Lance and Wanda. The grin he showed them gave Lance a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Life just got a whole lot more complicated.
"Yes well, Pietro." The speed demon jerked his head in surprise having obviously forgotten his father's presence. "As you already know Pyro is a little more.unique than the rest of you" He glanced at the vertically challenged individual who was once again absorbed in the flames, "and-"
"You want me to baby-sit him again and make sure he doesn't burn down the whole town." Pietro while pleased about the boy's presence did not seem all that happy about his new assignment. He drew his brows together and frowned, but before he could protest Magneto continued.
"Yes, you will be in charge of Pyro's well being and you are correct in assuming that you are also responsible for keeping him from being too destructive. Well I must be off now. I have much to take care of." And with that he was gone in his.metal ball thing not leaving any time for anyone to protest. There was another moment of silence and then-
"What's with you, yo. I thought you liked that Pyro guy." Todd glanced at the strawberry haired youth. Pietro glared at him.
"There is a big difference between causing destruction with John and keeping John from causing destruction. A big, big difference."
"Aw don' worry mates. I won't be causing any trouble honest!" John said grinning. Wanda suddenly wondered what his parents had been thinking when they'd named him Saint.
Wanda sipped her coffee thoughtfully. The confrontation outside was escalating. She could here the voices getting angrier. She absently wondered what they were fighting over. It was either extremely stupid and pointless or about John. On second thought it could be both. Lance was doing his best to be patient but it took a lot to handle Pyro. Lance had already nearly totaled the house 4 times and Pietro wasn't making it any easier for the rock-tumbler. He found Lance's annoyance very entertaining and was getting a kick out of making it worse.
Wanda probably would have continued on that train of thought had the door of the kitchen not opened at that precise moment to reveal a slightly singed Toad. "Hey Snookums. How you doing?" Wanda mumbled something along the lines of "I'm fine" and went to pour herself some more coffee.
"You haven't really been acting like yourself lately honey." Todd was already worried and when her only response was only a shrug he was sure something was seriously wrong. Two pet names and she hadn't hexed him. In fact she hadn't even given him so much as a death threat. "Is there something you want to talk about? Cause you know I'm here if you need me right?" Todd sighed miserably. He really did suck at the whole communication thing. Wanda looked at him thoughtfully. Then a determined look flashed across her face. She'd made her decision.
"If I tell you, you have to promise not to mention this to the others. And you know what will happen if you do." Her tone was dark and threatening. Todd struggled to keep a serious expression as he nodded. This was his Wanda! And just think she was confiding in him! It was all he could do to restrain the huge grin that was threatening to spread across his face.
She looked him straight in the eyes and said in a tight, cold voice. "I remember." All thoughts of smiling immediately left his mind as he stared at Wanda and tried to absorb this new information. Her tone and expression left no doubt in his mind as to what she was referring to. It took him a moment to get over the shock and regain his voice before he replied.
"Y-you.you remember.everything?" She nodded. He waited for her to say something but she continued to stare at him with those icy blue eyes, waiting for him to continue. "S-so I guess you're a little a-angry right now huh" A light bulb in the nearby hallway exploded. "I thought so." He said weakly. Instinctively he shrunk away from her glare before asking softly "So w-what are you gonna do." He was surprised when she sighed and slid down in her chair.
"I don't know." She said quietly, "I really don't know." He was taken aback by her tone. She sounded tired and frustrated, not full of rage and hate as he had expected. He decided to take it slow with easy questions that could be answered in one word sentences. He'd read somewhere that that helped.
"When did you remember, yo?" Yeah, he thought congratulating himself. That was good. Real smooth.
"On the plane on our way back to Bayville" Todd's 'inner self' beamed. A full nine words. However he kept his face serious again and continued since she obviously wasn't volunteering any information. But still a part of him was nervous. Why wasn't she screaming or hexing him or something. In all his different scenarios he'd imagined about her remembering she'd been thoroughly pissed. Not one time had he envisioned himself trying to play therapist while Wanda sat there sullenly. Honestly it was getting downright creepy.
"Are you mad?"
"WHAT DO YOU THINK!!" she yelled suddenly. Todd was so surprised at her sudden mood swing that he fell right out of his chair, hitting his back against the floor hard. 'Great job, Einstein' he thought miserably. Looking up at the object of his affection he expected to see the rage that had always filled her when she first came to the boarding house. Instead he saw her once again sitting at the table sipping her coffee and staring off into space. 'Geez yo' Todd thought again 'she's nearly as moody as Pietro!'
"Don't compare me to him." She said coldly and Todd clamped a webbed hand over his mouth. He'd said that out loud?!
"I didn't.I mean I , well what I meant to say was." He let his words trail off miserably. "Sorry Wanda." She looked down at him sitting there in a miserable heap on the floor and she remembered the concern in her brother's eyes and the joy at seeing Lance had been thoughtful enough to make extra coffee. Maybe she wasn't as mad at them as she had been. After all she was glad that she'd taken the time to cool down instead of hexing everyone the moment she remembered.
She sighed for what seemed the millionth time that day. "It's alright I'm not that angry at you." She said softly. She watched as his face lit up and his whole demeanor brightened before he seemed to realize something that dulled his former mood.
"What about.well y'know Pietro?" Wanda closed her eyes and tried to think.
"I won't know until I talk to him about it," She was glad to realize it was true. Seeing Todd's reaction had helped her decide what she thought perhaps seeing her brother's would have the same effect. Opening her eyes she saw Todd nod understandingly. Maybe the Toad wasn't that bad after all.well that is if you could ever get over the smell.
Todd opened his mouth to say something when he was interrupted by an all too familiar gust of wind. Then standing there before them was the one and only Quicksilver. Todd cringed slightly. Pietro had no idea they had just been talking about him. He was grinning from ear to ear. "We're all going to the mall to spend some of the money Daddy-dearest left us." He announced importantly. "Lance needs a new guitar."
Curiosity overcame Todd's worry and from the way Wanda was ignoring them he guessed that she wanted to wait a while before confronting Pietro. "Why would Lance need a new guitar? He loves his old one."
"Yeah well his old one is now a pile of ashes thanks to John."
"Oh, that's what all the yelling was about."
"Yeah so anyway come on you slow-mos. I call shot-gun!" Another gust of wind and he was gone.
"C'mon, Wanda. Maybe you can take your mind off things for a while, yo." Wanda smiled a little and nodded before standing up and following him out the door. She could use some time to relax for awhile. Maybe this was exactly what she needed.
TBC.
Yay! Chapter One of my very first fic is now completed! And man did it take a long time. It's 4:58 in the freakin' morning! Oh well it was worth it.
A/N: In case you didn't notice I won't be writing the big Wanda/Pietro confrontation for at least another chapter. The next chapter will just be a fun one featuring our favorite guys(and Wanda) spend some time in the mall. It will answer the following questions.
Will Lance find a new guitar? Will Todd piss off Wanda? Will Fred run the food court out of business? Will we run into any X-Geeks? Will Pietro piss off Lance even more and will John burn anything?( I think we all know the answer to that one ^_^) And most importantly of all can Kamikaze write a semi decent chapter? It's all here on the next episode of Moving On!