"My name is Roberto. I am 15. I am not a mute."
- Roberto Da Costa
Turn, Smile, Shift, Repeat
A/N: Wee. I finally, FINALLY saw X2. Excuse me while I go skip away happily and hum songs from Sound of Music. LALALALALA! Oh, and in case any of you don't know already (and you should!): official news about X-Men: Evolution is coming out on Tuesday, according to ComicsContinuum.com! Now, be good little fans, cross your fingers, and hope for the best. If they kept us in suspense for that long, only to say no, there WILL be blood and murder involved.
~*~ Reviewer Responses ~*~
Calamari Rings – Aww, you're not a Kurt fan? I just watched X2 (I'm going to mention that throughout this chapter, just to let y'all know) and this movie only reinforced my love for him. But sadly, Kurt, you'll always be a step behind Scott and the Brotherhood. No one can beat the Brotherhood. I am a rabid Brotherhood/Scooter/Arcade/New Recruit guys/Paul fan girl. And about Kurt/Amara… THIS WILL NOT BE A COUPLE IN MY STORY. Yechh. Although, now that you mention random pairings, Amara/Amanda might be fun. Kekekekeke…I am EEEVILLL. *runs off to write a Tabitha/Amara/Amanda/Kurt twisted love story* Oh, and I SO know who you are now!! Hahah… your art is awesome, by the way. But I've already told you that before. *wink wink*
Risty – No one can resist the Jamester's charm! He is, in fact, the MOST POWERFUL MUTANT IN DA WORLD! Right now, I really have no idea who Rahne's going to end up with at this point of the story. I used to like Sam/Rahne more, but that's kind of changed since my obsession with the Bobby/Sam 'horsey'-ness… but I can guarantee you; in one way or another, you'll be surprised by the couples in the end. ^^
Snitter in Rivendell – Indeed, they do. To see Russell the talking/rotting banana in full, kick ass action, read Asylin the Insane's 'A Day in the Life of a Mutant'! Except I think she changed her username…hmm. Anyways, thanks for all the reviews and compliments! You're making me blush! *blushes* See??
Chaotic Boredom – Heh… I made the chapter quote with you in mind, Chaotic, you silly Canadian, you. ^^ Evan's younger than Kitty?? Huh, didn't know that… you know what's better than 'cronies'? POSSE!! POSSEPOSSEPOSSE!!! …poke his eye out with the stick in Scott's arse… PFFFT. You bring such light and joy in my life, did you know that?
Deeply Insane Taz – Nyeeeee, I know who you are too! *pokes* Logan is a lumberjack man, of course. I mean, come on! He's from Canada! He likes pancakes, too… I mean flapjacks… thanks for the review!
Queen of the Jungle – …you people are hanging around my fics too much. The puns are getting to you, ARREEEEEN'T THEEEEYYYY?!!! *ominous music plays* Thanks for the review!
lisette793 – See? People AGREE with me! Jamie will take over the world one day, but only after me, of course. And Russell's already taken over the world – you just don't know it yet. *laughs evilly*
Camille – You review; me love you! *dances* Fwee hee! I'm already becoming a Dr. Seuss!
Andivari – I'm glad my fic gets your stamp of approval! ^^ Hee; the omake was really just a stupid thing… it's completely unrelated to the fic, and often makes no sense. I think the 'younger set of Brotherhood' is a good idea, but should be pushed back for a few chapters. Right now, I want my fic to be accurate with the series. ^^ Thanks soooo much for reading my story!
RahneMan – You want to know a random pairing? DUNCAN/ARCADE!! That is the single greatest random pairing EVAH! And I'm proud to say that I invented it. (I think…I hope…) Legion of…poison monkeys?? Okay, I'm officially scared. O_O (No worries! My muse, the MONKEY SPONGE, will defend me!! Nyaaaa! ~)
Raskolian Phoenix – I'll tell you the same thing I told Risty: "Right now, I really have no idea who Rahne's going to end up with at this point of the story. I used to like Sam/Rahne more, but that's kind of changed since my obsession with the Bobby/Sam 'horsey'-ness… but I can guarantee you; in one way or another, you'll be surprised by the couples in the end. ^^" … I could've just told you to read Risty's review respone. MYEH!! Thanks for the review, as always.
Cheesy Monkey – OW! HEY!! Russell'll get you for that!! MARK MY WORDS!!! … Sorry. Villainous side got to me again. Yay! Another person to add my fic to their favorites! Except this one SMACKED it. Which is pure and awesome and goody. Thanks for the review!
Dark Jaded Rose – I'm actually a Happy!Kurt Fan. I suppose you could say I wrote that scene partly to appease the Kurt fans… ahh! I can't believe I just admitted that…I FEEL LIKE SUCH A SLUT!!! *cries*
StarryEyedDragon – Nooo! Of course you're not… well, actually, I don't know. Are you? If you make voodoo dolls of the characters with corn cobs and cream cheese and then proceed to burn a doll replica of the said characters' love interests, then yes, you probably are rabid and scary. But how would I know?
animeluvr1 – Yeah, I know. That's why Kitty can't eat it, and said so. … that's what I wrote, isn't it? *checks* Maybe I should've worded it better, but yeah; I know. Thanks for the general knowledge, though. ^^ To avoid confusion, people should just add the word 'MALE' or 'FEMALE' to the end of their usernames. Except I had a friend whose AIM screen name was MANLOVE, so people could never really tell if he was a guy or girl. Aah; good times, good times.
Shkspr1048 – Woot! New reviewer! Even if I'm not a fan of Kurt/Amara, it's true. There aren't enough of 'em! Thanks for the review!
Asylin – WEEEEEE! Asylin has come to review my humble little fic! And that's just swell. A poker game? I must warn you, Russell cheats. He CHEATS! Don't ask me how he cheats, though. He doesn't have eyes, just indents where the red m&ms fell off. Good gravy - Asylin thinks I'm a better writer than her! (LikeWHOA!) Nonsense, Asy, my dear. (Asy? How would you pronounce that…) Your fics are quite spank-alicious. So there. (I want a bubble pipe!)
The fever, the focus.
The reasons that I had to believe
you weren't too hard to sell.
Die young and save yourself.
The tickle, the taste of...
It used to be the reason I breathed
but now it's choking me up.
Die young and save yourself.
She hits the lights.
This doesn't seem quite fair.
Despite everything he learned from his friends,
he doesn't feel so prepared.
She's breathing quiet and smooth.
He's gasping for air.
"This is the first and last time," he says.
She fakes a smile and presses her hips into his.
He keeps his hands pinned down at his sides.
He's holding back from telling her
exactly what it really feels like.
He is the lamb, she is the slaughter.
She's moving way too fast and all he wanted was to hold her.
Nothing that he tells her is really having an effect.
He whispers that he loves her,
but she's probably only looking for…
-- Brand New (Deja Entendu) … "Sic Transit Gloria…Glory Fades"
Chapter 4: Sic Transit Gloria…Glory Fades
Rogue had never been much of a night person. You might assume she was, considering her dark clothes, dark make-up, dark disposition, and generally her dark reputation, but she wasn't. In fact, she often beat Kitty as the first one up, throwing back the curtains for some crisp, fresh air, which greatly annoyed the younger girl, who had a surprisingly vulgar mouth in the mornings when she didn't want to be woken up and/or cold.
That being said, it was kind of irritating to not be a morning person when you were constantly plagued by nightmares that weren't your own and woke up every couple hours in a cold sweat, only to fall back asleep and awaken again. And people wondered why she wore so much purple make-up. Maybe because there's already enough purple under her eyes.
Tonight, it was Fred. She used to make a game of it – betting which person whom she had touched would haunt her thoughts for that night. The idea of it is awful, but Rogue had to try to bring some humor or some other emotion than sadness into it, or else she would've turned into some kind of nonchalant piece of rock, no longer human. She didn't play that guessing game any more though – she had absorbed too many people, too many nightmares, to even attempt trying to bring a lighter side to the business.
Right when she got to the part where Fred had accidentally killed the class hamster's baby and big, fat tears began pouring out of his eyes as the teacher snatched the tiny hamster's limp body out of his hands, she suddenly opened her eyes. There was a mild pattering of rain against the windows. The neon light of the alarm clock silently blinked on and off on the bedside table next to her, flashing 4:07 in bold green. On the bed next to her, Kitty snored lightly, the blankets atop of her gently rising and falling in a rhythmic pattern.
The steady beating of rain drops increased in volume and noise. Rogue sighed, knowing it was futile to try to go back to bed, and wiggled out of her blankets and tip-toed across the floor and to the door. Water sounded good right about now.
Hearing her own two bare feet shuffling slowly across the floor made her think of a dream she had two nights ago – one of Pietro's memories. The dream – memory – whatever the hell it was, featured the silver-haired speedster dragging his feet, clad in chains, across the floor towards an open door full of light. She could feel the strain of every step he took, the pain that stabbed his lungs every other second, as he slowly, slowly walked across the cold floor towards the door. As he got closer, a shadowed figure began taking shape in the open door. He loomed closer; it was a little girl, hardly 7 years old, with her raven black hair in two tidy pigtails, and bright, cerulean eyes that matched Pietro's, eye for eye. Just as he closed the distance between himself and the girl, and he stretched out an arm, the door slammed shut.
Rogue sighed as she cruised down the steps of the stairs. When would she ever be able to contemplate on a dream that was hers and hers alone, and not someone else's? With a small smirk, she wondered what Jean dreamt about, what with her increasing complaints that people 'thought' too loud. Perhaps she heard voices in her sleep too… obviously different ones than Rogue's, though. She flicked the kitchen lights on, and jumped.
The stranger jumped as well, the moment the lights had flicked on. But it was no stranger – it was one of the new recruits. Rogue allowed a sigh of relief to escape before scowling again.
"Are yeh trying to sneak around or somethin'?" Rogue snapped. The boy shook his head, looking unusually pale and wide-eyed. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but quickly closed it.
"What, are yeh mute?" Rogue arched an eyebrow at him. His face flushed, and he stared down at the floor, red with embarrassment, anger – something of the like.
For once, Rogue felt bad. He was new around the place, and obviously uncomfortable.
Rogue, she thought to herself as her dam began to break, You're getting soft. Well, the moment he did get comfortable, there would be no more nice Rogue, definitely.
She sighed. "Don't be sneakin' around here like yeh're some kinda thief, kid." She shuffled towards the cupboard and searched for a cup. "Yeh're livin' here now, so act like it."
If that was Rogue's definition of soft, then many would be frightened to know what 'frigid' was for her. A brief pause followed, while Rogue hunted for a clean cup.
"I'm not a kid."
Rogue pretended to nearly drop the mug she held in her hands. "The mute speaks!" She exclaimed. Well, her sarcasm hadn't let up any.
"My name is Roberto. I am 15. I am not a mute."
"Ah was jus' kiddin', k – Roberto." Her accent twisted and mangled the name up so it sounded odd, and Roberto blinked, lifting his head to meet hers. His dark brown eyes, that many a girl in Brazil had fallen for, head-over-heels, looked shifty and nervous to Rogue. His dark skin was a bit abnormally pale, and even though any person would be tired being up at that hour, there were two purple-ish bags blooming underneath his attractive brown eyes. Rogue frowned.
"Are yeh okay? Yeh don't look so good."
Roberto looked down once more. "I'm fine. I just came down to get some water."
"Well, did yeh get it?"
He blushed again. "I…couldn't find a cup. Can…"
"Don't even need teh ask, 'Berto." She grabbed another mug from the cupboard, and tossed it at him. He leaned forward and fumbled for it, nearly dropping the object in the process.
Rogue had already poured tap water into her cup, and set the water aside on the counter. She opened the fridge, brightening up the dimly lit room, and out of Roberto came an involuntary shudder of cold that went unnoticed by the other.
She reappeared with her hands full with a plate containing the leftovers of the cake from Kitty's birthday. It was white and pink, it was sugary sweet, and it even had pink flowers decorated on the sides…but it tasted good, so it mattered naught to Rogue if it had been black and blue or peachy keen. (A/N: Yes, there is a color called 'peachy keen'. I SWEAR IT!!)
"Want some? It's gonna get mauled bah Kurt and Evan tomorrow, Ah just know it, so it'd be best tah take what yeh can right now."
Roberto would've thrown himself into a lake if Rogue had asked him to at that moment; he'd rather do anything than go back to bed that night. So he nodded, even if he wasn't really hungry, but then, Rogue wasn't either. She was just stalling for the same reasons Roberto was, even if they themselves did not know it – she would do anything than go back to sleep and let the nightmares claim her.
He was about to search for some plates when the goth-esque girl stopped him, and set a fork down on the chair next to her at the island counter.
"Cake tastes better with just forks anyways." Rogue shrugged. He hesitated for a moment, before pulling up the chair and digging in.
"What's your power anyway?" Rogue asked.
"…I absorb the sun's power. That gets me strength… speed … I'm not sure what else yet. I guess that's why I'm here."
Rogue widened her eyes. "No wondah yeh look horrible." She said bluntly. "Night must be hell for yeh."
Roberto shrugged. "…Not really. I mean, it definitely makes me more uncomfortable, but it just makes me restless and hard for me to fall asleep."
"So why do yeh look so awful?" Rogue asked with a touch of humor in her voice, her eyes on the cake. "Monsters under the bed tah get yeh?"
"What's your name, anyways?" Roberto asked, hoping to change the subject.
"Rogue."
"Rogue?" Roberto said dubiously. The only reply he received was excessively loud chewing. Roberto knew well enough what the signs were when someone didn't want to talk to you. Heck, 'knowing well enough' was just icing on the cake. (A/N: PUH-…un.) He was the king of 'I-Don't-Want-To-Talk-To-You signs.' and merely turned back to the cake. He found Rogue's fork stabbing into it.
"Ah don't know." Rogue said, her voice sounding frustrated. "Ah always asked mah fostah mothah, but Irene would jus' shake her head and say that was what mah real mom called meh." Rogue laughed. "And like hell Ah'm just gonna waltz over tah the Brotherhood and ask Mystique why she named meh Rogue. "Besides," and Rogue shoved a piece of frosting-encrusted cake into her mouth, "Mystique went missing this summah anyways, so there's no point."
Roberto had a bewildered look on his face, and Rogue, seeing it, smirked at him.
"Yeh'll find out who they are soon enough, don't worreh." Rogue drawled.
As if her words could get any spookier and more prophetic, lightning flashed at that moment, and an earth-shaking thunder rumbled throughout the house, cutting the power out. The kitchen lights went out, and Roberto gulped.
"Feelin' restless?"
"No, artificial light doesn't do anything for me. I just… don't like the dark."
"Scott had nightmares about the dark," Rogue said quietly, more to herself than anything. "When he was 11, he ran away from the orphanage, and some older kids started hasslin' him. They knocked off his glasses, an' Scott was smart enough to keep his eyes closed. But they just started to beat him up and he couldn't do a single thing, bein' blind and all. And that's when Jack found him. Jack promised to get him some food, some clothes, maybe some shelter for a couple days, and replacements for his broken ruby quartz glasses, all in this nice, mature adult voice, and Scott believed him. But after he got some food, some clothes, some shelter for a couple days, he kept on using the 'debt' card, sayin' once Scott did a little mission for him, he'd go get him some ruby quartz for his eyes. Over and over, and Scott felt helpless, and listened tah him, all the while blind as a bat…he had nightmares for weeks, even after the Professor found him." Rogue closed her eyes, looking tired all of a sudden.
"Why'd yeh listen to him, Scott? Anythin' would've been better than bein' with him… anythin'…"
A lengthy silence prevailed as the two teenagers sat in the dark kitchen. Roberto's fork laid on the counter, forgotten, and Rogue's own was still in midair, as if she were in a trance.
"How…how do you know all that?" Roberto asked.
"Mah powers." Rogue said shortly. "Ah absorb people's powers and memories by touchin' them. They can't be controlled." As if to prove a point, she moved her bare hand further away from Roberto's.
"I'm sorry." Roberto said. He wasn't really sure what else to say. What else could he say?
"Well, Ah must admit," Rogue laughed hollowly, "Ah could be a first-rate shrink, with all of the memories I have locked up in mah head that Ah look ovah. Let me guess… your dad left yeh and your almost-dead mom tah fend for yourself when you were a baby?"
A young boy with unruly brown hair and the scruffiest pair of jeans in the world ran with all his might from the store behind him, collapsed to mere rubble and debris, running in and out of Rogue's mind as a fleeting memory.
"Actually, my mother died and I live with my father."
"And your fathah hates yeh?" Rogue asked.
"No, he doesn't." Roberto's eyes turned slightly steely.
"Well, someone must've." Rogue said coldly, the image of a 7-year old boy with furry blue on him from head to toe and a demonic forked tail swishing cautiously around him, backing up against a wall, surrounded by a jeering, unfriendly crowd that was swelling in size by the second.
"It happens. Not everyone can like you." Roberto coolly shot back, his expression betraying his tone.
"Then what? Did you hate your parents? Your friends disappeared?"
A rather plain-looking girl with frizzy hair the color of a ripened carrot cried pitifully into her pillow, her friend's cries haunting her thoughts like a freakish ghost.
"Ah've heard about twenty different sob stories, 'Berto." Rogue said in a mean voice. "Yours can't be any different or worse."
What happened next was either the most incidental of coincidences, or a stroke of irony in the hands of fate, or perhaps Lance had just woken up in the ratty Brotherhood dwelling with stomach pains rapidly approaching diarrhea from Fred's tuna lunch soup surprise. But the earth shook, and thus the mansion shook, as if the large house was a giant being shivering from goose bumps lined up on its metaphorical arms and legs and its internal residents calmly sleeping and blissfully unaware of the bleak cold outside. Nothing really happened, but for maybe the fact that Jamie was pushed up uncomfortably against Bobby, but was not disturbed by it at all, except for the said latter, who was now trapped against the wall with not one, but two other companions on the bed. The power went back on at that exact moment as well.
Oh, and Rogue and Roberto simultaneously flew towards each other and Roberto's hand brushed Rogue's porcelain skin, if only for a millisecond. And in the middle of the occurence, they were suddenly bathed in the fluorescent, albeit somewhat dim, lights of the kitchen.
Roberto instinctively jumped back, with impressive reflexes from his seasoned soccer training, but the transfer had already taken place.
If the reader might remember the episode 'Spykecam' (a truly underrated episode, just like Retreat, if only because they both feature a character that the majority of the X-Men: Evolution population dislikes), Rogue was prompted by Evan to absorb Kitty's jive turkey, while Kitty would bring up thoughts in her noodle about said dancing mojo. Doing so would only require an instant of touch, without the slight hindrance of Kitty falling into a bedridden coma, and in this case, Roberto was thinking about his 'sob story' when the exchange took place. Mind, there are many occasions in the series where Rogue touches a person for about the same length of time that she did with Kitty and that person gets knocked out cold, but nobody really cares, because it's SPYKECAM, and that episode doesn't count for anything because of its spectacular suckiness. (But some people say that about Retreat, and that episode kicked ass! Especially considering soaked, matted hair Roberto. Heck, some people don't like Joyride! Who can resist Joyride?! It was the closest thing that we ever got in the series to Lance wearing cut-off shorts and washing the Jeep! But I digress.)
Roberto was feeling woozy, but in that weird sense, it had sharpened his senses; similar to when you get injured while sleepy, like maybe tripping down some stairs after having just woken up from bed, and after a painful, bumpy fall, you feel more awake than a shower could ever offer you. Not that I've ever done that, of course. The little sleepiness that had been clouding up in the back of his head while lounging in the dark kitchen eating cake had disappeared, so he muttered a hushed "Boa noite" and darted out of the now-lit kitchen and disappeared into the safety of shadows from under Rogue's eye.
Rogue was left standing there in the lit kitchen alone for some-and-so minutes, trying to calm her quickened, harsh breathing and struggle to stand still and not fall over; a losing battle. Her head was always a bit jumbled after absorption – like all of her other psyches had begun to fuss and move around inside of her, trying to make room for the newcomer while grumbling about the inadequate space. In fact, that was the perfect way to describe how she felt sometimes – like there wasn't any more room in her hotel, and the occupants were complaining and getting too out of control for just one person.
It was a rather cheesy metaphor, but that was the only way she could think of to describe it. Once the dizzy feeling had disappeared, Rogue left also, abandoning the cake on the counter and not really caring that everyone would soon awaken to the cries of Kurt crying about 'his' cake. She opened the door to her room very carefully, praying that the typical squeaks would go unnoticed. For a moment, Kitty's breathing stopped, as did Rogue's, which froze up in apprehension, but the girl merely mumbled and rolled to her other side. the digital clock flashed a bright neon green 4:37. It had to be around 5 o'clock by then. Since the electricity had returned, the rain had ceased from its thunder-and-lightning rainstorm, and become a light rain that gently tapped at the windows. Kitty softly murmured something that sounded remarkably like "Lance".
And as soon as she had gotten under her bed covers, Rogue began crying.
"You big dummy." Juliana laughed, perched atop the aged wall and swinging her long legs as a disgruntled Roberto brushed the dirt off his shirt. "I told you to watch your step. There's mud all over here. But nooooo; Mister Roberto Da Costa doesn't fear anything!"
"It's a good thing I don't, too, or else you would've died a long time ago." Roberto grumbled, looking mournfully at his ruined jeans. "What the hell was that stunt you pulled back there?"
"Careful; watch your language, irmão pequeno." teased Juliana, flipping her long brown hair behind her shoulder. Roberto's stony glare deepened, if that were even possible.
"Geez, lighten up, Roberto." Juliana said. "I was just kidding. We ditched school! Let's live a little."
"You ditched school. You just dragged me into it."
"You could've left me if you wanted to. It wasn't like those bullies were harassing you. You aren't the one carrying a purse and wearing a skirt. Even though you'd probably look good in them…" Roberto turned around and stood directly across from the sitting Juliana. In her position, he was actually a little bit taller than her, instead of her being a little taller than him.
"That's not funny." Roberto said. "Those guys were creepy. We're lucky I'm alive and have my slick soccer skills to dodge people. We're lucky you carry a brick in your purse, too."
"Oh, shut up. I'd like to see you try walking around in a skirt." After a thoughtful pause, she continued. "On second thought, I wouldn't. But you're pretty enough to, I suppose."
"I'm starting to wish I just left you with those thugs." Roberto said dryly. Juliana stopped swinging her legs and looked closely at him. Roberto suddenly felt uncomfortably close to her; far closer than he was used to.
"But you didn't." Juliana's smile was gleaming like the sun itself. "Thanks for saving my life."
"Yeah. Guess I'm a hero now, huh?" Roberto joked, his voice croaking a bit.
"Guess so." She leaned in closer.
It was an odd place for a first kiss, when Roberto thought back to it. An old abandoned mission that was going to be torn down for some factory in a couple weeks -- and with him caked with mud. Oh yeah. Real romantic.
"What the hell was that stunt you pulled back there?!"
"Watch your language, Keller." Roberto said calmly. The tall white boy towered over Roberto, his hands gripped into tight fists and held back as if he were about to hit him. Roberto's words only seemed to make the blonde boy angrier.
The two were known as rivals, and uncannily similar, personality-speaking. Both were born into very wealthy, well-to-do families – in fact, Mr. Keller was known to have done business with Emmanuel Da Costa more than once. Both were hot-tempered and armed with a short fuse. And both had a talent for running on the soccer field. There was perhaps one primary difference between the two, physical appearances aside – Roberto was the star of his soccer team, and Keller wasn't. Roberto was the one that many of the girls swooned over, with his sulky 'pout', as girls fondly called it, eyes that smoldered when riled up or were excited, and athletic, if a bit on the short side, frame. He was the crowd-pleaser and favorite to watch during games. And he was the one who had Juliana.
The two were from different schools, different teams, but they knew each other well enough. Every year or so, they met up at one tournament or another, and this dated back to grade school. Sometimes Keller's team would win; and sometimes Roberto would pull off his typical miracle just before the final whistle would blow, and wow the audience with his trademark flashy, more-complicated-than-necessary footwork. Most times, their teammates tried to pull them away from each other and avoid them meeting up, but sometimes it was unavoidable and they would get into a serious fistfight, with both coming out with an injury as a token of their manliness.
Something was different this year, though. Roberto had Juliana now.
"Don't push it, Da Costa." Keller growled, and grabbed the front neck of Roberto's red jersey. This action caused Roberto's eyes to narrow. All of Juliana's pleading and advice to keep his cool and not let anything get to him flew out of his mind.
"You're the one that pushed me down, remember?" Roberto said coldly. "It was only fair for me to trip you."
The fact of the matter was, Keller had had the ball. Roberto had been right at his neck, sure to steal the ball right under his nose without him noticing and making him look like a fool. (An occurrence that had happened plenty times before.) Keller acted out of panic and instincts; he stretched a lanky arm out and shoved Roberto down. Surprisingly, the referee had done nothing – it was possible that he had been preoccupied with the scuffle going on in midfield, with the mid positions of opposing teams hitting one another with flying fists. But had the referee called out that obvious foul, Keller would've made the score a tie. It would be the first time to have not lost after two years in a row of losing to The Suns, not to mention the first where Keller could really claim his glory. But no, instead, while the referee attempted to break up the fight taking place behind them, Roberto extended out a leg with remarkable swiftness, and tripped Keller. The ball missed the goal, the ref blew his whistle, and they had lost again.
Ben Keller was smarting over this fact. [1] And now, standing just in the back of the stadium after the game, with dusk quickly approaching and few people around, was his chance to get revenge.
"You little brown shit bag," snarled Keller, and shoved Roberto back by pushing and releasing his hold on his shirt, causing Roberto to stumble a few steps back. Roberto gritted his teeth and was about to launch himself forward at him, when a voice called out.
"Roberto!"
"Get away, Juliana." Roberto said in a low voice. Juliana, of course, acted as if she hadn't heard him, as was expected. She never listened to Roberto, and that was something he loved about her as well as cursed.
"Roberto, Ben, stop it! This isn't worth it, over a stupid soccer game!" She yelled.
"This isn't about soccer. This, I'm going to do for everyone's benefit." Keller said with a smile on his face. With that, he swung a fist that collided with Roberto's face.
Although stars weren't exactly blinking in front of his eyes, there was a sort of pain that was null and numb and another layered behind it, the one that was biting and pinching with sharp pain. Roberto thought hazily that he had maybe heard Juliana scream, but his ears were ringing. Keller had never hit this hard – and as proof, his nose began to bleed, and he was sure there was something that was going to be the lovely color of purple by morning.
Roberto lunged forward and punched the other boy in the gut, making him groan and clutch his stomach in pain. With this distraction, he delivered a swift uppercut to the chin, causing Keller to stagger backwards.
"STOP IT!" Juliana's screams were heard without the listeners paying any heed. A couple blows later, stamina had decreased, but the fight was still going on with increasing rage and ferocity.
Something very strange was going on with Roberto in the mean time. He felt tired, but every time a cloud stopped blocking the sun and moved out of the way, he felt strength flow back into his limbs.
And then, at one point, an even stranger thing happened. A knife had come out.
It happened very quickly; so quickly, that Roberto hadn't even realized what had happened until he felt a sharp prick of pain in his stomach, and after that, shock had taken over. It was as if he had blinked, and then the next moment, Juliana stood in front of him, very still. He felt his shirt get soaked with blood – the only problem was, he wasn't sure if it was his or hers.
Keller stood there, wide-eyed with shock. He snatched his red-drenched hands away, and stared at the couple in horror. Then, Juliana made a little sound that was a sort of sigh, and fell back against Roberto. He felt the sharp pain get deeper. A strangled sob leaped out of his throat when he turned her over. The knife was stabbed deeply into Juliana's stomach, down to its hilt. He heard Keller run away, but didn't come after him. Instead, he laid her heavy, limp body against his and cried. [2]
[1] – Made up the first name. 'Keller' is a name I gathered from the information on marveldirectory.com (a true godsend for a little comic n00b like me), and I decided that it was a surname and not his first name. Because I'm cool like that. And because I can.
[2] – If that death scenario sounds familiar… well, that's because it is. Ten cool points and an oatmeal cookie for anyone who knows where I copped it from!
A/N: I missed SNL because I was so deeply concentrating on finishing this chapter.
Don't ever say I don't love you guys.
Alright, final comments: The truth is, this chapter was originally twice as long. In fact, it was getting longer all while I typed, so I decided to split it up into two. This chapter was SUPPOSED to be about the new recruits meeting the Brotherhood, but I guess I got so wrapped up into 'Berto's storyline that I typed out way more than I expected. So the BH-meets-NMs chapter will be next time, monkeys… I'm almost finished, and anticipate for an update by this Friday! (If the whole X-Men: Evolution decision thing works out for the better, it might even come out on Wednesday!)