Chapter Eight:
"What do you mean they can't find this island?" Sid shouted angrily into his cell phone angrily.
His sister had fallen asleep again almost immediately after she had eaten, and since then Sid had been trying to reach his allusive uncle Sebastian. He had been in the landing bay of Magneto's island for over two hours, pacing back and forth in front of the open bay doors. Around him were several small aircraft, and every now and then one of the Brotherhood would appear to check on him.
"I'm sorry," Sebastian's voice answered, "I've been calling anyone I know who knows about that part of the ocean, but no one seems to have any idea where that island exactly is. I even reached the Council's New York City chapter. They have radar charts of the Atlantic Ocean from Long Island to Portugal and none of their maps show a land mass at the general location you gave me..."
Sid sighed with frustration and scratched one hand through his blonde hair.
"So..." he finally answered, "I guess that means I'll have to take Magneto up on his offer for a ride back to civilization."
"Believe me, Sid, if I could think of another way to get you back here I would," Sebastian replied, "Erik Lensherr isn't one of the Council's favorite people and even if they could find that island I doubt any of them would want to come face to face with him."
"Damn," Sid said with a grin, "That would've been really entertaining, too. Maybe if they think you, me and Becca are hanging around with this Brotherhood, the Council won't bother us as much."
"Sid, I'm a fucking vampire and the Council still bothers me," Sebastian replied, "In fact, I would say they bother me more now then when I was a human trainee. They didn't stop harassing us when you and Becca turned out to definitely be mutants, either. If Lensherr hadn't been labeled a 'terrorist,' I'm sure they'd still be calling him, too. The Council only ignores their mutant families if they're a danger to them..."
As his uncle talked, Sid had been nodding his head. He had heard this speech before.
"And they ignore all other mutants anyway, I know," Sid added quickly, "Alright, once Becca wakes up...and the Lady says she can go...I'll see how quickly Magneto is willing to take us back to..."
"Willing?" Sebastian asked angrily, "Damn it...I swear when I see him again, Erik and I are going to have a long chat about reimbursing us for our house...willing...or not..."
"I think that'll be the only hold up," Sid said, "He said he wants to talk with us before we go..."
Sebastian laughed and replied sarcastically, "Recruiting you both, I hope...I could use a little peace and quiet..."
"Not in this life," Sid said darkly, "I'm not exactly a fan of his recruiting techniques. Getting both of his candidates shot isn't really the greatest way to attract people to this way of life."
"Uh huh," Sebastian replied cynically, "Island life doesn't work for you, Sid? Why? No women?"
Sid's face melted into a grin, "Well...actually...there are two. One is very attractive, but very angry and has claws. The other is also beautiful, but she's blue and naked all the time from what I've seen. I think if they got to know me a little better, I might win them over..."
Laughter from behind him caused Sid to spin around with surprise.
Rebecca was standing near one of the many small aircraft in the hanger with her arm in a sling, grinning broadly. The Lady Deathstrike and Mystique stood to her left, both looking slightly annoyed at Sid's banter.
"Bas..." Sid said, "I'll call you right back..."
Sid snapped his phone closed and smiled at the two women suavely.
"Hello, ladies," Sid said, and then glared at his sister, "And the other. I was just telling my uncle how welcoming you all have been since our arrival here. Between your skill and hospitality, I assure you my previous statements were meant in the most respectful sense of flattery..."
Rebecca looked toward the two women with amusement, "If he really starts to bug you, just smack him."
"Is that effective?" the Lady asked, seemingly without amusement.
"As long as you hit him in the head," Rebecca replied, still grinning.
Sid glared at her, but suddenly smiled, "Oh, that reminds me. Sebastian wanted to talk to you, Bec...let me just call him back..."
Rebecca rolled her eyes and Mystique regarded both of them quietly for a moment.
"When you are finished," she said with her strangely toned voice, "Magneto would like speak with you..."
"Fine," Sid said with annoyance, at the same time as Rebecca said, "Sure."
As her brother gleefully called their uncle, Rebecca turned to see Pyro and Toad heading toward them. Toad walked past to reach a nearby aircraft, his pack of tools slung across his back. Pyro paused as he reached the three women and stared at Rebecca curiously.
"Pyro," Mystique said, turning toward the boy, "After they are ready, bring them to Magneto."
"Okay," he replied with a touch of annoyance at her tone, which he took as a little overdramatic...and a little condescending. Mystique nodded at him, before turning and heading toward the circular tunnel to Magneto's office.
The Lady walked over toward the aircraft Toad was working on, and Pyro looked back at Rebecca.
"So..." Pyro began with a smirk, "You're really the Firestarter, huh?"
Rebecca grinned at him but shook her head, "I'm a firestarter...I'm not the Firestarter. I guess my mom would be the Firestarter, but I'm just like you..."
Pyro folded his arms, "Not like me...I can't start fires...I can only manipulate them."
"What do'ya mean only?" Rebecca asked with a grin.
"Well," he said with a frown, "I mean I can't just make fire like you can..."
"So what?" Rebecca said with a one-shouldered shrug, "Any idiot with a match can start a fire. I never really thought of that as my gift..."
Rebecca pointed toward his closed hand, "That lighter probably works better than the way my fires are made anyway. It's the manipulation...the power over fire...that's the gift."
Pyro thought a moment before replying, "You really think that's true..."
"Well, I hope so," Rebecca said, "Or else that little speech I just gave you...totally pointless. Of course, many would argue that everything I say is pointless, Sid over there being the first...and my darling uncle who he's tryin' to call would be second...so I guess it's really up to you to decide what you think is pointless or not..."
"Becca!" Sid yelped at her, and then grinned, "I think I have a signal..."
Rebecca glanced back at Pyro and rolled her eyes before heading toward her brother. Pyro grinned and followed.
Sid was standing over near the aircraft where the Lady had gone, and was speaking quickly into the phone.
"Yes...she's alive..." he said, "Yes...she's awake. Yes...she looks like she's going to be fine. No...I don't think so. No...she looks fine, really. For God's sake, Bas, I've been shot like ten times and you didn't fret this much. Ok...no, ok...yeah, I know it's different but...yeah, ok...hold on..."
Sid took the phone away from his face and sighed.
"You know," he said to Rebecca, "He has normal Bas...and whiny bitch Bas...nothing in between..."
"Until he's on the phone with me...then it's choice number three...raging lunatic Bas..." Rebecca replied, "Just tell him I'm ok and let's go..."
"He wants to talk to you first..." Sid said.
Rebecca's eyes widened and she shook her head, "No."
Sid held the phone out to her, "Yes."
"No," she repeated, holding out her good arm.
"Yes," Sid repeated frowning angrily.
"No."
"Yes."
"NO."
"YES!"
The Brotherhood members kept shifting their eyes back and forth between the twins. The motion was rhythmic, three mutants in perfect time. Pyro finally glanced over at Toad and grinned
"This is like watching tennis," Pyro said, as the siblings' monosyllabic debate raged.
After a long stream of yeses and nos, Rebecca finally grabbed the phone.
"Alright, FINE!" she yelled at her brother. She took a deep breath to regain her composure and put the phone to her ear.
"Hi, Bas," Rebecca said with exaggerated sweetness.
Immediately, she jerked the phone away from her head as Sebastian's angry voice raged over the small speaker. His words were loud and audible to all in the room.
"Of all the irresponsible things you have ever done, Rebecca Malloy, this time you manage to destroy the house! I can't leave you guys along for a single night without something of mine getting blown up..."
Rebecca did not looked surprised by his sudden ferocity, even after he had seemed to be so concerned when speaking with Sid.
"Do you hear this?" she asked everyone, "Do you hear this shit? You know what..."
Rebecca suddenly raised her good arm, the one holding the phone, and began to slam it repeatedly into the hull of the small jet.
"I...am...so...tired...of...his...bull...shit!" she shouted angrily, each word accompanied by a clanging blow.
"Hey!" both Sid and Toad shouted as she began her percussion of rage with the two machines. Pyro was laughing and the Lady was watching the entire scene with surprise. Rebecca stepped back away from the aircraft and Toad glared at her, running his hand down the ship's hull to check for dents.
"Becca!" Sid shouted, tearing the phone from her hand, "Are you nuts?"
"Yes," the Lady began, "Your shoulder might..."
"Forget her shoulder!" Sid interrupted, "This is a brand new phone!"
"Sid!" Sebastian's angry voice suddenly said over the bruised phone, "Put your sister back on!"
"I don't think so," Sid and Rebecca said at once.
Sebastian's voice sounded again, "Fine. Fine! We'll just talk about this after you get back..."
"Good," Sid said, "She can beat you instead of my phone..."
"Tell her not to jerk her arm around so much or..." Sebastian began and Rebecca threw her uninjured arm into the air.
"Now he mentions my slight bullet wound?" she shouted toward Sid, "You tell him he can go kiss his own shining white immortal butt!"
"Tell her I heard that!" Sebastian said over the phone, as Sid held out one hand to protect his new wireless communications toy from his angry sister.
"Yeah, ok, bye, Bas, we love you, too," Sid said quickly and then his 'end' on the key pad.
Everyone was still for a moment, until Sid and Rebecca took a deep breath at the same time and suddenly relaxed. Sid straightened the disheveled remains of his coat.
"Well," he said with a strange smile, "I can't wait to get home."