***
Disclaimer – I don't own X-Men: Evolution
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"A sports drink, Kelly? You expect to take out the entire Mutant race with a sports drink?"
The man smiled. "The ingredients are what will do it. Doubt me now, will you? Guess I'll have conduct a little experiment."
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Gambit paced around the room, a perplexed look planted across his face, his arms were folded behind his back and he looked like he was in a deep thought as he walked back and forth. Pyro sat on the couch, his eyes following the pacing Cajun and Colossus was standing next to the couch, standing straight up against the wall with his arms folded tightly over his chest.
Sabretooth suddenly barged into the room. Oh, how the three wished that the overgrown neutered cat had disappeared instead of Magneto. Actually, if the both of them and Mystique and Irene had all went missing, it would be like a Christmas present for them. Of course it wasn't possible for all four of them to disappear off the face of the world, so they just forgot about the idea.
Sabretooth just growled nonsense at them. The poor ol' chap wasn't happy. He was the only loyal one to Magneto and now that the brute was missing, he would have to take orders from Mystique. He didn't like her. At all. He stomped out of the room. His misery was noticed to everyone, but they didn't care.
"I hope a building collapses on 'im." Pyro stated after several minutes of silence. "I don't think anyone would even miss the bloke."
"He would probably survive the collapsing of the building." Colossus said slowly as he uncrossed his arms. He opened his mouth to say more, but Pyro suddenly jumped out of his seat and cut him off.
"Will ya stop doin' that?" He asked Gambit. The Australian looked annoyed as he glared at Gambit. Across the room, a candle was burning. The small flame suddenly grew larger and swayed back and forth. Piotr was the only one to notice.
"Non." Gambit suddenly grabbed Pyro by the collar of his uniform and lifted him up, making him stand on his toes. "You goin' to stop me homme?"
"No." St. John squeaked. His eyes were wide. What if the Cajun accidentally charged up his uniform? That wouldn't be fun for anyone. Pyro would be dead, Gambit would be charged for murder and poor Piotr would have to clean up Pyro's pieces.
"Put him down." Colossus ordered, putting a stern hand on Gambit's shoulder. "Now." They all knew Piotr was a sensitive, caring guy but he was also over 6' 0" and could transform into a metallic 7' 8" monster… still the same caring guy, just a little taller…
"Sorry 'John." Gambit set him down; his red eyes slightly glowed un-noticeably in the room. St. John opened his mouth to make a smart remark but Remy suddenly shoved a card into the gap and without saying a word, he walked out of the room.
"Gee." Pyro took out the card, to see that it was a Joker and made a face. "What's his problem?" Piotr just gave him a stern shrug. Pyro shrugged himself as he brought the card up to his mouth and nibbled on the corner.
***
"I've made a list of Christmas tree assignments." Jean walked into the living room carrying a sheet of paper. The younger mutants groaned and rolled their eyes.
"Isn't decorating the tree supposed to be fun?" The teenaged Asian girl, Jubilee, asked pulling down on the sleeves of her yellow jacket.
"Not in this house." Rogue mumbled, bringing her knees up to her chest. Jean shot her a look, but when on.
"Rogue and I will hang the ornaments on the top—"
"Rogue?" Rogue asked, arching a brow. "Why me?"
"Because you and I have telekinesis." The red head said slowly, as if she were making it easier to comprehend.
Kitty just mumbled something as she glanced up at the clock. "Can we get this over with already? My parents are going to be here in, like, four hours." She stood up, ready to take charges. "Bobby, Sam and Roberto will drag in the boxes of ornaments, tinsel, and the basics for the tree, Jubes, Rahne, Kurt and I will takes them out, and Jean, Scott and Rogue will all help us. Any questions?" She waited half a second. "No? Okay then, lets get a move on!"
She needs to stop hanging out with Jean. Rogue said to herself as the others got up to do their jobs.
I heard that. Jean sent telepathically to her. Since you have my powers, and I am a telepath, you're going to have to learn not to project your thoughts so loudly if you don't want them being heard.
Or, I can just block you out now. Rogue gave her a small smile as she put up her mental shields. I can't wait until she leaves. What a present that is. She smiled to herself.
"You know Rogue, my parents wouldn't mind at all if you came over." Ray sat himself down next to Rogue; a sly smile was pressed upon his face.
"But I would." She grimaced when she heard a box fall and the sound of glass ornaments breaking.
"Why? You want to stay here with Scott?" He nudged her gently, which just made her glare at him.
"Yeah 'cause I'm madly in love with him."
"Really?"
"No."
"Maybe I—"
"Rogue, come on." Kitty said, walking in front of the couch with her hands placed on her hips. "We don't have all day." She reached out, grabbed Rogue's gloved wrist and pulled her up.
***
"What is that?" Remy stood in the doorway of Piotr's room, cocking an eyebrow. "A fire extinguisher?"
"St. John gave it to me."
Remy made a face. "Think he's tryin' to tell you somethin'?" He suddenly chuckled. "Knowin' that boy, it's a pun of some sort."
Piotr almost smiled. "I think it is a nice gift."
"Oui." He ran out of things to say. "I'm goin' out. Be back in a few. If Mystique asks where I went, tell 'er to shove it." He knew his teammate would never say such words, but he had said it without thinking.
"You would not happen to be going out to see a certain female Southern would you, Gambit?"
"Non, she'd probably lynch me with tinsel an' make me an ornament." He smirked at the mental image of that. "Out of love of course."
"Mm hmm." Was the only reply he got from the Russian.
***
"It's falling over!" Jubilee dashed out of the way, grabbing onto Bobby's arm as he stumbled back.
"Timber!" Sam yelled as he too, ran out of the way.
"I told you guys to be more careful!" Jean gave out a frustrated sigh as she stopped the tree right before it hit the ground.
"Well excuse us for trying to help while you and Cyke made out in the hallway." Jubilee let go of Iceman's arm and threw her own arms up in the air. "I give up! I need to go pack anyway."
"Then I guess it's just us." Jean said to Bobby and Sam. The other mutants had already taken off.
"Or, just you." The other two remaining mutants walked out of the room, fed up with the tree.
Scott entered the room, a smile was pressed onto his face and his arms were folded loosely over his chest. "Need some help?"
Jean dropped the paper listing the Christmas tree assignments on it, and shook her head. "Screw it."
***
"How long until Jean notices we're gone?" Kurt asked plopping himself down on Kitty's bed.
"She's a telepath. She already knows." Rogue commented, picking up a snow globe off from Kitty's desk and shook it. "I thought you wanted to decorate the tree, Kit."
"I'm not big on Christmas. I just wanted to, like, get it out of the way but no one else seemed enthused about it so what's the point? We're all leaving today anyway." Rogue cleared her throat, which made Kitty realize her mistake. Her face turned beet red. "Ohmigosh, I'm sorry Rogue! I kind forgot you and Scott don't have families." If it was possible, her face got even redder. "That came out wrong—"
"Why don't you come home with me and spend the holidays with me and my family?" Kurt offered Rogue but she shook her head.
"No thanks, Kurt. They're your family.." She forced a small smile as she glanced over at him. "I'm lookin' forward to havin' the institute to myself." She made a face. "And Scott. But I'm hopin' he'll spend most of the time on the phone with Jean."
"I heard Mr. McCoy mentioning something about going caroling.." Kitty pressed her index finger up to her lower lip. "I think.." She shrugged. "Try getting out of that."
"I have ways, Kitten, I have ways.."
Kurt nodded. "She's a telepath."
***
"Where is that Swamp rat fool?" Mystique asked, pacing around the room hours later.
"Maybe he's in the john." Pyro suggested; amused at the pun he used. Mystique didn't look too amused.
"I de—"
"I'm right here." Gambit walked into the room, his red eyes glowed like two floating orbs in the darkness. "You goin' to stand there and threat mon ami there o' we goin' to get goin'?"
***
Kitty's parents soon came, avoiding any eye contact with the other mutants the few short minutes they were there, along with just about everyone else's parents, or relatives. Ororo had left early that morning to visit her sister. The only mutants staying at the mansion were Xavier, Hank, Logan, Rogue and Scott, who was now waving to Jean as she got into the backseat of the car and disappeared down the road. He noticed an impatient Wolverine standing by the X-van, waiting for a certain mutant and turned around to see that certain mutant, Ray, saying his good byes to Rogue.
"If you need me, just call."
"I won't need you."
"I'll miss you too." He turned around, made his way down the front stairs and wandered over to the impatient Wolverine.
"It's weird." Scott glanced over, behind his shoulder, at Rogue. "He still fights with Roberto yet, he's a softie when it comes to you."
"What?" She asked bitterly. "You gonna accuse me of somehow makin' him like me? Sorry, he ain't my type."
"And your type must be the bad boys who can blow up cards and there's only one of those."
"Why Cyke—" She resisted the urge to render him unconscious. "You can blow up cards with your little eye blasts."
"You know what I meant!"
"Do I?" She asked softly, and then turned on her heel and walked inside the institute.
***
Her eyes snapped open when she heard the alarm go off. She reached over for the alarm clock, wanting to shut it off but then it hit her. It wasn't her alarm clock. She jumped out of bed and quickly changed into her X-uniform. When she got outside her bedroom, the hallway was dark.
"Scott?" She called, thinking he would already be waiting outside her bedroom with a stopwatch and would be waiting to give her an earful. Scott? She sent out telepathically to him.
Outside. I think we have company. She heard him respond, minutes later. Are you waiting for an invitation? Get out here! Logan and Hank already are!
Her heart began to race as she ran down the hall and hurried down the steps.
***
"I can't feel my toes!"
"Then defrost them." Gambit snapped, shoving Pyro out of the way as he walked forward the institute. He slipped out a card from his pocket, charged it and then flicked it at the fence. "Hope they like their wakenin' call."
"Don't you mean awakenin' card?"
"Shut up!"
"Shutting up, mate!" Pyro slowly inched back as the alarms blared. He looked over at Colossus. "Someone is cranky today."
"What are you guys doing here?" Cyclops appeared before them as they walked through the busted gate. "Shouldn't you three be going through chimneys and robbing children of their stockings and presents?"
"Nah, we thought we'd be original this year!" Pyro grinned as he released his flames.
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Part two completed – December 25, 2003
Sorry it's short but I decided to write a Christmas chapter! The idea came out of nowhere and I probably somehow screwed up the timeline for this, but I don't care.
Merry Christmas y'all! Don't say I never gave ya anything.
-- Aro