Thanks for the feedback: Steven P. P, T. Riddle, Etwa, raniatlw, futagoakuma-tenshi02, Eboni, IceBlueRose, Bardic Feline, signals x lost, Dusty
Bardic Feline, many thanks for beta reading.
"Rogue?" Pietro asked.
"Hey-Pietro-glad-you're-okay-Ah-gotta-go-homework-chores-practice-gotta-go." Rogue exclaimed in a nervous rush made into an unintelligible stream by his stolen power; unintelligible to anyone except Pietro.
As Rogue tried to dash past him, Pietro caught her arm. "Don't-leave." He said. "I-want-to-help."
A sob of relief escaped Rogue's lips to hear someone speak in a way that she could understand. "How-do-you-do-this?" She asked.
Pietro shrugged. "I-sped-up-little-by-little-as-my-powers-emerged." He held out his hand to Rogue. "Touch-me-then-you'll-understand."
Rogue drew back. "Ah-can't-Ah'm-not-supposed-to. The-Professor-says-he-doesn't-know-how-mah-powers-might-react. Yah-might-not-have-any-normal-resistance-to-me-anymore." She turned away with her head tilted down. Her hair fell into her face and hid it from view. "Ah-wouldn't-blame-yah-if-yah-wanted-to-break-up."
"No!" Pietro exclaimed. "You-don't-like-me-just-because-we-can-could-touch-no-matter-what-anyone-says-and-I-don't-like-you-just-because-I-was-the-only-one-who-could-touch-you. We-really-like-each-other-right? For-real. We're-still-going-out. Unless-you-don't-want-to? I'll-still-figure-out-some-other-way-to-teach-you-how-I-deal-with-my-powers-whatever-you-want."
"Ah-don't-want-to-break-up."
****** ****** ******
"Rahne, hey!" A middle school girl in a blue sweater yelled.
Todd started to shrink back but Rahne caught his arm and drug him along with her to greet her friends. "Mindy, everybody, hi! I want you to meet Todd. Todd this is Mindy, Harold, Kim and Vest. We all have… had homeroom together, plus some other classes."
"Tolensky right?" Vest asked. "We had math together last year. I remember you kept getting called to the office."
"Yep, that'd be me." Todd said grinning. "Principal Breek really had something against me, yo. Every time a teacher's wallet went missing she accused me."
Kim was staring at Todd with a slightly perplexed look.
"Where have you been?" Mindy asked Rahne. "You missed your last two performances for theater and Carol just sucks as your understudy."
Rahne squirmed a little. "Well, um, it's complicated, but um…"
"You stay at the Xavier Institute," Harold said, "the mutant place."
"Oh yeah!" Kim exclaimed. "That's where I saw Todd before. You were on the news. You were the one in the green costume that made you look like a hunchback."
"I do not, yo!" Todd protested. "And I got a new uniform anyway."
"So you're, like, a mutant Rahne?" Mindy asked.
Rahne pulled closer to Todd. Her hand clenched on his so tightly his knuckles turned white. "Yeah. So are you gonna start screaming at me or run away or something."
"Um, I guess not." Mindy stammered. Still she looked like she was considering the latter option.
"What do you do?" Vest asked curiously.
"Turn into a… a big dog." Rahne said deciding against saying wolf. "Todd can hop really far and grab things with his tongue and stuff."
"Oh yeah, I saw you catching flies once." Vest said to Todd. "I figured I'd fallen asleep in class and was dreaming."
"Math was really boring." Todd replied with a tentative smile. "I would have slept there myself but it came right after social studies. I was normally napped out."
Vest snorted with laughter. "Mr. Garth right? That guy is the definition of monotone."
"Naw, you haven't had Batey yet." Todd replied. "He makes Garth look like a stand up comic."
"Look who's here guys. Toady Tolensky and he's all alone." Todd turned to see Duncan and several of his friends leering at him.
"Yo, mutant here! You better watch it." Todd snapped. "I ain't got nothing to hide anymore, so you better not push me!"
Duncan grabbed Todd by the back of his shirt and lifted him into the air. "I've know you since I was in the fourth grade. If you could do anything besides hide behind your friends I'd know it. I been looking for a chance to get one of you freaks alone."
"He's not alone." Rahne said standing up.
With everyone focused on the confrontation Mindy slipped out of the shop and ran toward the mall's security office.
"What are you going to do little girl?" Duncan demanded. He carelessly tossed Todd aside. The freshman slammed into a into the glass display counter with enough force to shatter it.
"You've gotta help me!" Mindy yelled, bursting into the security office. "These big guys, they just came and they're hassling my friends. I think they're gonna hurt 'em."
Back in the Ice Cream Parlor a transformed Wolfsbane snarled at the bullies. The one closest to her, Greg, backed away. When she bared her fangs at him he started trembling with fear. He stumbled into the broken shards of the display counter where Todd lay groaning. Wolfsbane discounted him as threat. She thought he was too scared to act so she turned her attention to Duncan and the others.
Todd gingerly set to extract himself from the shards of glass. He pushed himself to his hands and knees. Then he gulped fearfully as he noticed a long, blood covered, shard still held upright by the frame beneath him. He was surprised at how it didn't hurt at all.
Duncan and his cronies slowly gave ground as Wolfsbane advanced on them.
The guy she'd dismissed groped blindly behind the counter. His hand closed on the long pole used for changing the letters on the sign outside. Greg was breathing in quick ragged breaths, almost hyperventilating, as he lifted the pole and smashed it down on Rahne's foreleg. The wolf-girl howled with pain.
The eerie sound chilled Todd's blood. He saw Greg preparing a second attack. Without pausing to think Todd launched an attack of his own. Toad twisted in mid-air to kick the other boy in the chest. Toad's mutation meant he could leap farther than any Olympic Athlete. It had never occurred to him what that said about his leg muscles. Todd was completely shocked as Rahne's attacker flew across the shop, slammed into the wall and slid to the ground, unconscious.
"I told you not to push me!" Todd threatened as he quickly recovered his wits and decided to make the most of the situation. Then he groaned and clutched the wound in his gut. Standing on three legs, Wolfsbane hobbled over to him and did her best to look frightening.
When several security guards burst in the older teens quickly stood down. The guards watched Wolfsbane and Toad warily.
Todd collapsed. In a flash Rahne shifted forms. As she resumed human shape it became even more obvious that her arm was broken. Rahne dropped to her knees beside Todd.
The guards looked between the two injured mutants and the group of high schoolers. "What are you waiting for!" one of them ordered. He started toward Todd and Rahne. "Call an ambulance, hold everyone who's not injured for the police."
****** ****** ******
Lance checked to make sure he'd managed to ditch everyone else at the mall then quickly crossed the street and ducked into the library.
Kitty's interest in mechanics was turning out to be a lot more theoretical than his own. She wanted to know all the whys while he was happy knowing how to keep everything running smoothly. If he wanted to keep answering her questions it was going to take some research on his part.
Lance went to the card catalogue and started flipping through the cards almost randomly, not exactly sure what he was looking for.
"Can I help you?" The librarian asked.
"I'm not causing trouble." Lance snapped then realized what she'd said. "I'm fine, I don't need any help."
Eventually Lance found several books he thought would be helpful, but instead of immediately leaving he found himself thumbing through the library's collection of phone books. He found a page with a dozen entries for the name Petros in Joliet. After a moment's hesitation he tore the page out and stuffed it in his pocket.
As he headed back to the mall Jean's voice rang in his head. //Lance where are you!//
"Could you yell a little louder Red? That hurt." Lance complained. "I just walked outside for a minute."
"Oh god, Lance where have you been?" Kitty exclaimed as she and Jean met him at the doors. "Todd and Rahne are hurt!"
"What happened?" Lance demanded.
"There was a fight. Todd got thrown into some glass and he got cut up. I'm not sure what happened to Rahne," Kitty said in a rush. "We were all giving them some room, 'cause Rahne wanted it to sort of be like a date and then there were police and an ambulance. You were missing…"
"They took them to the hospital." Jean told him. "Come on, I'm driving."
Lance nodded and the three of them ran toward the exit.
****** ****** ******
"Officer Jensen, thank you for calling me so promptly." Xavier said. "How are they?"
"The boy, Tolensky needed stitches. The Sinclair girl has a broken arm."
"And the other boy who was injured?" Xavier asked.
"Four broken ribs and a mild concussion. They're all going to be held for assault, at least until we can sort out exactly who did what," Officer Jensen replied. "Your two are at the Holy Rosary Hospital having their injuries treated."
"Thank you again," Xavier said then ended the call. He immediately dialed a second number. "Hello this is Charles Xavier…"
"Professor, let me transfer you." A secretary said.
A moment later a new voice came on the line. "Hello Charles, I take it something happened?"
"Yes Matthew, you could say that…"
****** ****** ******
Pietro went from a blindingly fast sprint to a dead stop precisely in front of the information desk at the hospital. "Todd Tolensky!" he demanded, instantly impatient with the receptionist. He could see she'd hardly processed the fact that he was standing in front of her. It would be an eternity before she could tell him what he wanted to know. Instead of waiting he jumped over the counter, shoved her and her chair out of the way and brought up the information on her computer himself. Then he sprinted up the stairs.
"Damn mutants." The woman swore several seconds after Pietro had departed.
Pietro burst out of the stairwell just in time to see Lance take a swing at a police officer. Apparently he'd been arguing with the man. Scott caught the Lance's wrist before the punch could connect and twisted his arm behind his back. Then Scott wrapped an arm around Lance's neck and pulled him backwards effectively forcing him off balance.
As Scott dragged Lance away Jean stepped up. She smiled at the two policemen. "Why don't we all just forget the last five minutes?" She said as she employed her powers to ensure the suggestion would be taken very literally.
Pietro decided the X-Men had the police situation well in hand and started after Lance and Scott only to find Fred blocking his way. "Why aren't you helping Lance?" He demanded.
"I never got involved when Lance decided you, Tabby or Todd were getting out of hand. I ain't getting in the middle of Scott and Lance either." Fred stated.
"But it's Summers, he's an X-Man." Pietro snapped.
"So am I, didn't you get the announcement?" Fred asked. "Oh yeah, we don't make a point of keeping Magneto's flunkies in the loop. Now sit down and wait with the rest of us."
While the police were still dazed Jean turned to Kitty, "You took care of the security cameras right?"
"Way back when Lance said they had to be brain dead not to realize Todd and Rahne were just defending themselves." Kitty replied. "No worries on that score."
"Good," Jean sighed. "I'm sure the Professor will sort everything out but that's no reason for us to make things more complicated for him."
****** ****** ******
"Summers let me go!" Lance snarled as Scott marched him down the hall.
Scott spotted a deserted chapel and shoved Lance inside. He released Lance to shut the door behind them and the other teen ended up sprawled on the floor. "Get a hold of yourself Lance!"
Lance's only reply was a soft grunt as he came off the floor and lunged at Scott. Even as his fist impacted the side of Scott's face Lance knew what was going to happen. He dove for the floor as Scott's glasses flew off. The blast only lasted a second, just long enough to shatter a row of pews.
"Done?" Scott asked tersely. He stood at the back of the room, eyes closed, hands tightly clenched into fists at his side.
Lance picked up Scott's glasses and put them in his hand. "I should have listened when they said never hit a guy wearing glasses."
"Yeah, especially when those glasses are the only thing keeping him from blowing your head off." Scott said icily. "Lets get out of here before someone shows up."
The teens walked out together. Lance let Scott direct him toward a small lounge. "I'm not letting Todd go to jail." He said.
"None of us will let that happen." Scott promised. "But you've got to give the Professor a chance to work things out. And what exactly was punching a cop supposed to accomplish?"
"I don't know!" Lance exclaimed.
"Then can you give Xavier a chance?" Scott asked. "Getting yourself arrested won't help Todd."
"Yeah," Lance sighed. "Hell I can break 'em both out later if it comes to that. Take them away."
"Right, go hide out in that abandoned complex under the desert." Scott said.
"Oh yeah, that's me, misunderstood mutant hero, hiding out from the FBI." Lance laughed. "Here's hoping Xavier gets things straightened out before it comes to that. But they better not try to put Todd in jail."
"Come on, let's get back. Maybe if you try being polite, as opposed to say… threatening people, the police might let us visit Todd and Rahne."
"I'm always open to trying new things." Lance said.
"Maybe you should just keep quiet and let me do the talking… Professor, you're here." Scott said as the elevator doors opened to reveal Professor Xavier. "What's going on?"
"It's taken care of." Xavier said. "The other boy's parents won't press charges if we don't."
"Professor!" Scott cried, outraged. "That's… That's a load of crap! Those guys were totally out of line. They attacked Todd and Rahne just because they were mutants. And we're just going to let them get away with it?"
"It's not right, but it is the best solution Scott." Xavier said.
"There was a video or something." Lance said. "Proof they were just defending themselves right?"
"Yes, Rahne's friends from middle school all gave statements."
Lance nodded. "If it went to court they'd loose 'cause they're guilty as all hell. But Todd and Rahne would probably get in trouble too because we scare people."
"Unfortunately yes, that is the danger."
"Can we take Todd and Rahne home now?" Lance asked.
"I can't believe either of you are okay with this!" Scott exclaimed.
"It's nothing new," Lance said bitterly. "Why does it matter if it's because Todd's a mutant this time instead of being because he's a looser. No one important cares, no one has ever cared."
****** ****** ******
Pietro's shoulder twitched under Fred's heavy hand. He tapped his feet. He drummed his fingers. He watched the clock. He wished he could pace but Fred held him in place. He didn't like it; mobility was his protection, his life. He was pretty sure Fred would let him go if anything happened but-Fred-was-mad-at-him-and-everything-was-different-and-it-was-hard-to-be-sure-and-he-hated-waiting-and-why-did-things-keep-happening-to-people-he-cared-about?
"Why are you so mad at me?" Pietro demanded of Fred. "Lance and Todd both forgave me for screwing up."
Fred glared at Pietro. "They didn't have to deal with it." he snapped. "Lance was in a coma. Everyone was talking like he was brain dead. Todd took a two-week vacation from reality. He wouldn't talk or nothing. I didn't know what I was supposed to do! You left! I ain't good at figuring out how to fix things, and you just left! I don't know what I would've done except Scott was there to look out for us. So what if he's an X-Man, he was there when we needed him. You weren't."
Ten minutes later Scott and Lance rejoined the group in the hall, Xavier was with them. They joined the rest of the teens and waited while Xavier spoke with the police. After a few moments one of the officers contacted his superior. "Even though no charges are being brought against these two we're to maintain a presence as long as they remain in the hospital."
"Then you may escort us to the door," Xavier replied. "We have our own medical facilities and I am far more comfortable having my students treated there, by a doctor familiar with mutants."
The officer shrugged and stepped aside with a gesture for Xavier to do as he liked.
"Scott, please find a wheel chair for Todd. Jean I will need you to maintain traction on Rahne's arm until we can get her home." Xavier instructed.
Upon entering the room Xavier found Todd had gotten up and out of bed so he could pour a glass of water for Rahne. "You could have called a nurse." Xavier commented sounding gently amused.
"I can take care of it." Todd replied and Xavier received the strong mental impression that Todd was fairly proud of himself for dispatching 'his girl's' attacker.
"About time you stood up to those assholes." Lance said fondly. "I told you you could find a way to do it. Next time take them out before you get hurt okay?"
"Hopefully there will not be a next time." Xavier sighed. "I can hardly tell you to allow yourselves to be injured, but at the same time these sorts of incidents, where we are forced to use our gifts against humans, will only exacerbate the cycle of violence between our species."
"But we tried Professor. Todd tried to talk his way out of it. They just attacked him." Rahne protested. "I thought I could scare them away by transforming, but they hurt me."
"I know you tried Rahne, Todd. I'm sorry." Xavier said as Scott returned. "Shall we go home?"
"Oh yeah!" Todd exclaimed as he prepared to spring toward the door.
"Tearing your stitches will only delay things." Xavier said with a gesture toward the wheel chair.
"What, you lonely?" Todd snorted.
"Toad, sit." Lance ordered and took charge of the wheel chair.
"Rahne, Jean are you ready?" Xavier asked.
"To get out of here? Definitely." Rahne said.
****** ****** ******
Gambit woke to the feel of suddenly being jerked from his makeshift bed. He glanced at the floor lamp coiled around his ankle like a snare and rolled his eyes. "Somet'ing de mattah chere?" he asked sardonically.
"What did you do to me!" Wanda snarled glaring down at him.
"Nothing chere." Gambit replied shortly. "Y' want to put me down an' talk like a grown-up or are y' too busy throwin' a tantrum?"
There was a small fizzling sound and abruptly the lamp's hold loosened. Gambit landed on his feet with cat-like agility.
"It was the cotton candy. It's like alcohol, it makes you act stupid." Wanda declared.
"No." Gambit said. "Y' were happy. If y' give yourself de chance to get used to de feelin' y' might like it."
"We wasted too much time already!" Wanda snapped. "Take me to Magneto."
"Y' sure y' don' want to have some more fun?"
"I don't have fun!"
"Whatever y' say cherie," Gambit said shaking his head. "Only today I drive."