Disclaimer: Don't sue me, or I shall bestow the wrath of Artemis upon you.
What? Who's Artemis? Oh, yeah, you don't know her yet. *laughs nervously*
Erm... Well, You'll find out... In my NEXT story!!! [Insert maniacal
laughter] *long, embarrassed silence. Sometimes called a pregnant pause.
Confused? You're not? Good, then you can explain to me what I'm talking
about.* Uh... yeah... Enjoy?
**********************
Logan laid John down in a pile of dry leaves along the edge of the forest. He sat down on a rotting fallen log. Jubilee plopped down beside him.
"Now what?"
Logan raised his eyebrows quizzically.
"What do we do now?"
"Rest," Logan said plainly.
"Oh. That's not very exciting."
"Who said it was? Besides, it's getting dark again."
Jubilee shrugged, "Should we build a fire then?"
Logan shook his head, "Those sicko scientists might see it."
"Kay," Jubilee jumped up to go find someone more enthusiastic to talk to.
**********************
"Shoobers!" Bear exclaimed, "Shoobers ova dere!"
"What's a 'shoober'?" Scott asked.
Jean shrugged, looking over to where Bear was pointing.
"What is it, you stupid fuzzball?" Mr. Kamon bonked Bear over the head with his cane.
"I's not tellin' you NOW!" Bear tried to growl menacingly.
In a flash of silver, Pietro stood before them.
"Where'd you come from?" Scott glared at him.
"No gratitude at all, see that?" Pietro told Bear.
"Grate a shoe?" Bear wrinkled his nose, "Scoot's shoe stinkee."
"Um... okay," Pietro turned back to Scott, "Is that what you're called now? Scoot?"
Scott ignored him, "Who else is with you?"
"No one, couldn't you tell?"
Scott stepped forward, and Pietro took a couple steps back.
"Fine, fine," Pietro shook his head, "A bit touchy, eh? Anyway, back inside that big place back there, there's four of us."
"What?" Bear asked, "In big pace, you's four peepsel?"
"No, there's Slade, Amara, the annoying singing light bulb, an' old what's-his-name."
"Plate, Minnow, sickly bub, and Wayyyyyy!" Bear exclaimed.
"Yeah, that's right, his name was Ray," Pietro said, "But how'd you know that?"
"...way..." Bear muttered, "...way..."
"Are they alright?" Jean asked worriedly.
"Well, actually..." Pietro looked around nervously. Breaking the news to a bunch of X-Men, and a rather frightening Scott wasn't Pietro's idea of a good time.
"What did you do?" Scott asked, grabbing Pietro by the shoulder.
"Calm down, Scott," Professor Xavier said coolly, "If he had done something to any of our students, Mr. Maximoff most certainly would not have come looking for us."
Scott released his hold on Pietro, who glared at him.
"What happened?" Scott demanded, still angry.
Jean looked about ready to cry, "Is someone hurt?"
Pietro looked at her, and nodded.
"Who?" Jean asked in a whisper, "How?"
"Ray. Some giant piece of machinery fell on him. Slade says he's in a coma."
Jean gasped, looking horrified. She turned to the professor, "What do we do now?"
The professor's face was grim, "I believe we must contact one of my very old friends. But that's impossible..."
Pietro looked confused, "What? What do you mean?"
Xavier held up his wrist, "These metal bracelets restrain our mutant abilities, which means that there is no way I could reach anyone with my telepathy."
Pietro looked surprised, "It even works on you?"
Xavier almost smiled, "Yes, Mr. Maximoff, even me."
**********************
Jamie ran headfirst into the wall, not realizing that the tunnel had turned a corner.
"Ow..."
He continued in the new direction, not noticing when the dust became less and less thick. Abruptly, Jamie fell through a large hole where a vent must have been.
Landing in a heap, Jamie looked around him. He was in an almost empty room, with only a small computer-like device in the corner, as if it was trying to hide.
"What's this?" Jamie muttered to himself.
"It's a very important little device," a voice behind Jamie said, startling him.
He whirled around to see a tall man smirking at him.
"Huh?" Jamie asked, "Who are you?"
"James Deavor, not as if it's any of your business," the man said importantly.
'Man, this guy's... umm... what was it that Roberto called Pietro? Oh, yeah, conceited...' Jamie thought.
"What was that?" Deavor snarled.
"Oops, did I say that out loud?" Jamie said, not too surprised. He often talked to himself.
Jamie dodged a punch from Deavor.
"I guess I did..." Jamie muttered, then asked out loud, "What does that thingy over there do?" he pointed to the formerly mentioned device.
"Now why should I tell you that?" Deavor said, annoyed.
"Because I could just press some buttons randomly and see what happens if you don't tell me," Jamie suggested.
"That's supposed to be a threat?" Deavor scoffed.
"Well, it was," Jamie shrugged, "But I guess that was kind of lame, huh?"
"Why am I discussing this with you? Now get away from there!" Deavor said angrily.
Jamie just shook his head, and when Deavor took a step forward, he pressed a button on the machine.
"Don't-" Deavor began, but it was too late.
"What did I just do?" Jamie asked, when the screen on the machine turned red.
Deavor was shaking with rage, "You just shut off all the mutant restraining devices on the island!"
"Oh, that's good, then," Jamie said pleasantly, "I thought the place was going to explode or something."
Deavor made a move forward, probably to reverse the action. But Jamie clapped his hands together, calling forth a multiple of himself.
Taking a step backward, Deavor grimaced, "So that's your filthy mutant power, eh?"
"Yeah, so?" Jamie said, annoyed, "It's cooler than yours!"
Deavor gave him an odd look, then started forward again. Jamie created two more of himself, then tackled Deavor.
"Not so tough now, are we, Beaver?" Jamie asked, from his position on Deavor's shoulders.
"Deavor!" the frustrated, and outnumbered man yelled, "It's Deavor!"
One of Jamie's clones was thrown aside by Deavor, into the machine. The machine began do spark, and Deavor's face paled.
"Now there's no way to undo your idiocy!" he cried.
"Huh? Is that even a word?" Jamie looked confused. He shrugged, and at the same time the multiples were absorbed back into him, "I guess I'll go now. Nice meeting you, though."
"No, you're not!" Deavor exclaimed, blocking the doorway.
Jamie groaned, "How could I be any use to you anyway?"
"None whatsoever," Deavor replied nastily.
"I was afraid of that."
**********************
"Dude, do rhinoceros flies bite?"
"I don't know, Allen..." Kurt said, exasperatedly.
"Why not, dude?" Allen looked surprised.
"Like, do you know, Lance?" Kitty asked, bored out of her mind.
"No."
"Dude, I know!" Allen said excitedly.
"What?" Kurt asked dubiously, "How would you know?"
"Dude, I know," Allen said, almost superiorly.
"Okay, then; Do rhinoceros flies bite?"
"Only if you make them mad, dude..." Allen said, then added, "Ray told me that."
"Oh," Kurt said, "Now it's all coming together."
Lance stood up, "If we're going to stay here, I think we should light a fire, or something."
"Won't we need matches?" Kurt asked.
Lance tossed a box of matches to Kurt, then said, "I'm going to go find some firewood."
"I can help," Kitty suggested, and followed Lance into the surronding forest.
"What do we do then, dude?" Allen asked.
"Why don't you go over to that pond, and get some water," Kurt said.
"Dude, alright..." Allen made his way over to the pond.
'That should keep him busy for a while,' Kurt thought, 'Since we don't have any buckets...'
**********************
"Why did you go back to the Brotherhood?"
"Huh?" Lance turned to look at Kitty.
"What made you go with them?" Kitty looked anxious.
Lance shrugged, and picked up a large branch.
"You don't know?" Kitty asked, "After what they did to you, you don't know?"
Lance shrugged again.
Kitty threw her arms up in exasperation, also tossing the bits and pieces of wood she had been holding into the air.
Lance shook his head, but didn't say anything as Kitty gathered up the firewood she had dropped.
They slowly picked their way through the underbrush in silence.
"I-" Kitty and Lance said at the same time, but stopped when they heard the other speak.
"You first," Lance said.
"No, you go ahead," Kitty offered.
"No, you," Lance said, annoyed.
"Okay," Kitty threw him an odd look, "I was just going to say: 'I think we should head back now.'"
"Oh," Lance said, and turned around, going back the way they came.
"So..." Kitty prompted.
"So what?"
"So what were you going to say?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Yeah, nothing."
"Lance...!"
"What?"
"You were going to say something!" Kitty pouted.
"Nothing important," Lance shrugged.
"And stop shrugging!"
Lance shrugged, smiling slightly.
Kitty tackled him into the underbrush.
"This had better not be poison ivy," Lance muttered.
"What were you going to say?" Kitty demanded.
"Let me up," Lance said resignedly, "And I'll tell you."
"Okay," Kitty said brightly, and hopped up.
Lance rolled his eyes, and got to his feet. He continued on his way back to their 'camp'.
"Hey! You promised!" Kitty said angrily.
Lance didn't answer, and walked slowly through the woods.
Kitty opened her mouth to say something, but Lance spoke up first.
"I went back with them so I could get revenge."
"I... don't understand..."
"Mystique. She was the one who ordered me to be left behind," Lance clenched his fists, "But she's a coward. Ever since I've been back with the Brotherhood, she hasn't come by. At all. She's hiding out with Magneto, not wanting to risk coming near me. But when she does..." Lance trailed off, not really needing to finish.
Kitty shuddered, and changed the subject, "We're back..."
Kurt looked up, "Oh, good, Allen was starting to think you had been eaten by that strange tree."
"What's he doing, anyway?" Lance asked.
"Trying to get some water from that pond over there."
"With his hands?" Lance shook his head.
"Dude, Kurt, this is totally weird," Allen said, walking up to them, "The water keeps disappearing from my hands!"
**********************
John coughed. He took deep, ragged, gravelly-sounding breaths.
Rogue sprang to his side, Bobby following her.
"John! John, are you okay?"
John just groaned, rolling over onto his side.
"What the h-" Joan began, but was cut off by a violent series of coughs. After a few moments, his coughing died down enough for them to hear what he was saying, "...happened?"
"Shhh..." Rogue tried to keep John from sitting up, "Relax."
"What happened?" John whispered, as Rogue pushed him back down.
Bobby and Rogue exchanged a glance.
John erupted into another fit of coughing, "...okay?"
"Cr- Kerri?" Bobby asked, and John managed to nod.
Rogue spoke up, "She's fine," she said soothingly, "Now relax."
"Where is she?" John struggled to get up again.
"Nearby," Rogue gently pushed John down.
John closed his eyes, and murmured something that they couldn't quite catch.
However, due to Logan's exceptional hearing he didn't even have to try.
"Now... we're even."
**********************
See, I am alive!! Yes, I know it's hard to believe. Sorry that my updates are taking longer. I actually have to write the chapters as I post them now. (I had most of my story written at first) If you need something else to read while you are waiting for me to update, go and read Kernl Toad Sandrz's story: Domination At All Costs. And review, because that would make the poor, pitiful scab happy, and that would make me happy, and if I'm happy, I can write my story better. Ah, the sport of bribery...
**********************
Logan laid John down in a pile of dry leaves along the edge of the forest. He sat down on a rotting fallen log. Jubilee plopped down beside him.
"Now what?"
Logan raised his eyebrows quizzically.
"What do we do now?"
"Rest," Logan said plainly.
"Oh. That's not very exciting."
"Who said it was? Besides, it's getting dark again."
Jubilee shrugged, "Should we build a fire then?"
Logan shook his head, "Those sicko scientists might see it."
"Kay," Jubilee jumped up to go find someone more enthusiastic to talk to.
**********************
"Shoobers!" Bear exclaimed, "Shoobers ova dere!"
"What's a 'shoober'?" Scott asked.
Jean shrugged, looking over to where Bear was pointing.
"What is it, you stupid fuzzball?" Mr. Kamon bonked Bear over the head with his cane.
"I's not tellin' you NOW!" Bear tried to growl menacingly.
In a flash of silver, Pietro stood before them.
"Where'd you come from?" Scott glared at him.
"No gratitude at all, see that?" Pietro told Bear.
"Grate a shoe?" Bear wrinkled his nose, "Scoot's shoe stinkee."
"Um... okay," Pietro turned back to Scott, "Is that what you're called now? Scoot?"
Scott ignored him, "Who else is with you?"
"No one, couldn't you tell?"
Scott stepped forward, and Pietro took a couple steps back.
"Fine, fine," Pietro shook his head, "A bit touchy, eh? Anyway, back inside that big place back there, there's four of us."
"What?" Bear asked, "In big pace, you's four peepsel?"
"No, there's Slade, Amara, the annoying singing light bulb, an' old what's-his-name."
"Plate, Minnow, sickly bub, and Wayyyyyy!" Bear exclaimed.
"Yeah, that's right, his name was Ray," Pietro said, "But how'd you know that?"
"...way..." Bear muttered, "...way..."
"Are they alright?" Jean asked worriedly.
"Well, actually..." Pietro looked around nervously. Breaking the news to a bunch of X-Men, and a rather frightening Scott wasn't Pietro's idea of a good time.
"What did you do?" Scott asked, grabbing Pietro by the shoulder.
"Calm down, Scott," Professor Xavier said coolly, "If he had done something to any of our students, Mr. Maximoff most certainly would not have come looking for us."
Scott released his hold on Pietro, who glared at him.
"What happened?" Scott demanded, still angry.
Jean looked about ready to cry, "Is someone hurt?"
Pietro looked at her, and nodded.
"Who?" Jean asked in a whisper, "How?"
"Ray. Some giant piece of machinery fell on him. Slade says he's in a coma."
Jean gasped, looking horrified. She turned to the professor, "What do we do now?"
The professor's face was grim, "I believe we must contact one of my very old friends. But that's impossible..."
Pietro looked confused, "What? What do you mean?"
Xavier held up his wrist, "These metal bracelets restrain our mutant abilities, which means that there is no way I could reach anyone with my telepathy."
Pietro looked surprised, "It even works on you?"
Xavier almost smiled, "Yes, Mr. Maximoff, even me."
**********************
Jamie ran headfirst into the wall, not realizing that the tunnel had turned a corner.
"Ow..."
He continued in the new direction, not noticing when the dust became less and less thick. Abruptly, Jamie fell through a large hole where a vent must have been.
Landing in a heap, Jamie looked around him. He was in an almost empty room, with only a small computer-like device in the corner, as if it was trying to hide.
"What's this?" Jamie muttered to himself.
"It's a very important little device," a voice behind Jamie said, startling him.
He whirled around to see a tall man smirking at him.
"Huh?" Jamie asked, "Who are you?"
"James Deavor, not as if it's any of your business," the man said importantly.
'Man, this guy's... umm... what was it that Roberto called Pietro? Oh, yeah, conceited...' Jamie thought.
"What was that?" Deavor snarled.
"Oops, did I say that out loud?" Jamie said, not too surprised. He often talked to himself.
Jamie dodged a punch from Deavor.
"I guess I did..." Jamie muttered, then asked out loud, "What does that thingy over there do?" he pointed to the formerly mentioned device.
"Now why should I tell you that?" Deavor said, annoyed.
"Because I could just press some buttons randomly and see what happens if you don't tell me," Jamie suggested.
"That's supposed to be a threat?" Deavor scoffed.
"Well, it was," Jamie shrugged, "But I guess that was kind of lame, huh?"
"Why am I discussing this with you? Now get away from there!" Deavor said angrily.
Jamie just shook his head, and when Deavor took a step forward, he pressed a button on the machine.
"Don't-" Deavor began, but it was too late.
"What did I just do?" Jamie asked, when the screen on the machine turned red.
Deavor was shaking with rage, "You just shut off all the mutant restraining devices on the island!"
"Oh, that's good, then," Jamie said pleasantly, "I thought the place was going to explode or something."
Deavor made a move forward, probably to reverse the action. But Jamie clapped his hands together, calling forth a multiple of himself.
Taking a step backward, Deavor grimaced, "So that's your filthy mutant power, eh?"
"Yeah, so?" Jamie said, annoyed, "It's cooler than yours!"
Deavor gave him an odd look, then started forward again. Jamie created two more of himself, then tackled Deavor.
"Not so tough now, are we, Beaver?" Jamie asked, from his position on Deavor's shoulders.
"Deavor!" the frustrated, and outnumbered man yelled, "It's Deavor!"
One of Jamie's clones was thrown aside by Deavor, into the machine. The machine began do spark, and Deavor's face paled.
"Now there's no way to undo your idiocy!" he cried.
"Huh? Is that even a word?" Jamie looked confused. He shrugged, and at the same time the multiples were absorbed back into him, "I guess I'll go now. Nice meeting you, though."
"No, you're not!" Deavor exclaimed, blocking the doorway.
Jamie groaned, "How could I be any use to you anyway?"
"None whatsoever," Deavor replied nastily.
"I was afraid of that."
**********************
"Dude, do rhinoceros flies bite?"
"I don't know, Allen..." Kurt said, exasperatedly.
"Why not, dude?" Allen looked surprised.
"Like, do you know, Lance?" Kitty asked, bored out of her mind.
"No."
"Dude, I know!" Allen said excitedly.
"What?" Kurt asked dubiously, "How would you know?"
"Dude, I know," Allen said, almost superiorly.
"Okay, then; Do rhinoceros flies bite?"
"Only if you make them mad, dude..." Allen said, then added, "Ray told me that."
"Oh," Kurt said, "Now it's all coming together."
Lance stood up, "If we're going to stay here, I think we should light a fire, or something."
"Won't we need matches?" Kurt asked.
Lance tossed a box of matches to Kurt, then said, "I'm going to go find some firewood."
"I can help," Kitty suggested, and followed Lance into the surronding forest.
"What do we do then, dude?" Allen asked.
"Why don't you go over to that pond, and get some water," Kurt said.
"Dude, alright..." Allen made his way over to the pond.
'That should keep him busy for a while,' Kurt thought, 'Since we don't have any buckets...'
**********************
"Why did you go back to the Brotherhood?"
"Huh?" Lance turned to look at Kitty.
"What made you go with them?" Kitty looked anxious.
Lance shrugged, and picked up a large branch.
"You don't know?" Kitty asked, "After what they did to you, you don't know?"
Lance shrugged again.
Kitty threw her arms up in exasperation, also tossing the bits and pieces of wood she had been holding into the air.
Lance shook his head, but didn't say anything as Kitty gathered up the firewood she had dropped.
They slowly picked their way through the underbrush in silence.
"I-" Kitty and Lance said at the same time, but stopped when they heard the other speak.
"You first," Lance said.
"No, you go ahead," Kitty offered.
"No, you," Lance said, annoyed.
"Okay," Kitty threw him an odd look, "I was just going to say: 'I think we should head back now.'"
"Oh," Lance said, and turned around, going back the way they came.
"So..." Kitty prompted.
"So what?"
"So what were you going to say?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Yeah, nothing."
"Lance...!"
"What?"
"You were going to say something!" Kitty pouted.
"Nothing important," Lance shrugged.
"And stop shrugging!"
Lance shrugged, smiling slightly.
Kitty tackled him into the underbrush.
"This had better not be poison ivy," Lance muttered.
"What were you going to say?" Kitty demanded.
"Let me up," Lance said resignedly, "And I'll tell you."
"Okay," Kitty said brightly, and hopped up.
Lance rolled his eyes, and got to his feet. He continued on his way back to their 'camp'.
"Hey! You promised!" Kitty said angrily.
Lance didn't answer, and walked slowly through the woods.
Kitty opened her mouth to say something, but Lance spoke up first.
"I went back with them so I could get revenge."
"I... don't understand..."
"Mystique. She was the one who ordered me to be left behind," Lance clenched his fists, "But she's a coward. Ever since I've been back with the Brotherhood, she hasn't come by. At all. She's hiding out with Magneto, not wanting to risk coming near me. But when she does..." Lance trailed off, not really needing to finish.
Kitty shuddered, and changed the subject, "We're back..."
Kurt looked up, "Oh, good, Allen was starting to think you had been eaten by that strange tree."
"What's he doing, anyway?" Lance asked.
"Trying to get some water from that pond over there."
"With his hands?" Lance shook his head.
"Dude, Kurt, this is totally weird," Allen said, walking up to them, "The water keeps disappearing from my hands!"
**********************
John coughed. He took deep, ragged, gravelly-sounding breaths.
Rogue sprang to his side, Bobby following her.
"John! John, are you okay?"
John just groaned, rolling over onto his side.
"What the h-" Joan began, but was cut off by a violent series of coughs. After a few moments, his coughing died down enough for them to hear what he was saying, "...happened?"
"Shhh..." Rogue tried to keep John from sitting up, "Relax."
"What happened?" John whispered, as Rogue pushed him back down.
Bobby and Rogue exchanged a glance.
John erupted into another fit of coughing, "...okay?"
"Cr- Kerri?" Bobby asked, and John managed to nod.
Rogue spoke up, "She's fine," she said soothingly, "Now relax."
"Where is she?" John struggled to get up again.
"Nearby," Rogue gently pushed John down.
John closed his eyes, and murmured something that they couldn't quite catch.
However, due to Logan's exceptional hearing he didn't even have to try.
"Now... we're even."
**********************
See, I am alive!! Yes, I know it's hard to believe. Sorry that my updates are taking longer. I actually have to write the chapters as I post them now. (I had most of my story written at first) If you need something else to read while you are waiting for me to update, go and read Kernl Toad Sandrz's story: Domination At All Costs. And review, because that would make the poor, pitiful scab happy, and that would make me happy, and if I'm happy, I can write my story better. Ah, the sport of bribery...