Chapter 26
"Snidva?" Bobby mumbled, nudging her sleeping body with his tail. "Snidva, I want to show you something."
She groaned and rubbed her eyes, sitting up on one elbow. "Bobby?"
"I know you've gotten used to sleeping at night, but please come with me right now. I want to show you something."
She slid out of bed in her nightgown and rubbed her eyes. Bobby took her hand and led her out of the basement and into the attic. Of course Jim was up, and he watched them cross the room silently. Bobby opened the window and crawled out, wrapping his tail around the smaller creature to nudge her out. He grabbed her hands and pulled her onto the roof.
"Bobby? Why are we out here?"
"Before you left, you were trying to teach me how to fly. We had to grow my wings out because they used to be...this big," he made a distance between his hands roughly one foot long. "To grow them out, I had to be in extreme heat for a very long time. When you left, they were about this size but shorter. Scott Summers helped my grow them the rest of the way. And now...I want to fly."
"But I don't know how to fly."
"I've had my wings for about half a year, and I wanted to fly when you came back, so you'd see."
Snidva looked highly confused, but she nodded her head. "You want me to fly with you?"
Bobby smiled and nodded. "Yes!"
Snidva looked at the ground then back at him. She inched closer, and he wrapped his arms around her from behind. Her tail instantly curled around his waist, but that didn't bother him. He stretched his wings and breathed deeply. His wings beat against the air, and he began lifting off of the roof. He threw his weight forward, and they began moving. Snidva grabbed hold of his arms tightly at first, but as they went higher and farther away from the boarding house.
"You've never flown before? Have I ever flown before?"
"Well, I've flown before, but Jim always uses his telekinesis. You've flown that way too. That's usually how you flew."
She held her arms out and laughed. "I...remember this. I remember flying...over the lights..."
Finally in the sky where he was meant to be. Dragon finally lived up to his name. With stamina that came from no where, Bobby beat his wings stronger and longer, going faster and farther away from the house. Snidva didn't seem so scared anymore, not of him, not of the world around her. Bobby looked down at her, and she smiled at him, her eyes wide and happy.
His wings felt liberated. His body felt liberated, and he was free. Everything was free now, for him anyway. His goal was to fly with her, and here he was. He was flying. It seemed...so right. He was a beast of the air!
Jim was awake still when they came in the next morning. Snidva had fallen asleep, and Bobby took her downstairs curled up in his arms. Jim smiled at him, and Bobby smiled back.
"She remembers Vegas..."
"Getting closer."
The night flight turned things around entirely. Snidva was more talkative, and she didn't hide behind Illkune that much anymore. She was using her tail now and stealing food from other plates to see how fast she was. Illkune noticed this change and was eagar to try his newfound skills. They still had some inch of society left in them, and Snidva wouldn't crawl along walls or the ceiling for that matter. It was unlady-like, but they though when they broke through the memory barrier it wouldn't be so bad to her.
Bobby lounged close to her always, curled up in a corner of the floor with his eyes on her. He was at peace now, with his wings flight broken and his mind set free. Todd could sit on his shoulder now, since he was large enough and could the smaller mutant quite easily. His wings would be a hassle sometimes, but that was easily solved ususally.
Then, there was the one day that Wanda brought a stray black cat home.
"We keep him! I don't fucking care if you don't like cats!"
"But Wanda!!!"
"WE KEEP HIM!"
And they named him Icubus. Snidva nor Illkune had ever seen a cat before, and their curiosity was almost...entertaining. Icubus seemed to like Illkune a lot, but Illkune was kind of afraid of him at first.
"What is it?" Snidva asked. "Does it bite?"
Wanda put Icubus on the floor and stroked him. "He can bite but not if you pet him gently."
Mimic crept over to the cat and ran her hand down his back. The cat arched against her hand, and she jerked it back. Wanda smiled.
"He won't hurt you."
Snidva pet him again, scratching his little kitty head. He began making a strange noise, but Snid didn't stop petting him.
"What is he doing?"
"He's purring. It means he likes you."
"Oh...he is vibrating."
"That's also a good thing."
"Good kitty."
Illkune would later hear about the adventure with the cat from his sister. Junian left later that day to go back to what was left of Atlantis, claiming he had his experiment to look after. He left Snidva and Illkune alone with their new family. Illkune and Jim got along surprisingly, since Jim didn't really get along with anyone. Bobby followed Mimic around as usual, and Pietro was out with Elizabeth.
No one had really noticed that Wanda's crush on Austin had dissapated. She was more in tune to Icubus now than him. Of course, Austin didn't notice as usual. Mark did, but, of course, he forgot it faster than he remembered it.
Snidva had gone to sleep one night while watching Reno 911 with the rest of the kids. Bobby was watching it over her head, and he noticed at once.
"Don't touch her, Bobby. She's not a baby."
He growled at Elizabeth, but he retreated.
"I know you want to keep her safe, but she's a warrior beyond our years, and I think she'll survive."
Illkune coughed. "Actually, we are only about a year old, and even if we are warriors, we remember next to nothing. Myself most of all."
Wanda growled to herself. "Use contractions! Not we are! We're! Say it!"
Illkune shrank into the shadows. "We're?"
"Good..."
Illkune cowered away. "Don't kill me..."
Bobby scooped Snidva up and jumped onto the couch, resting her against him. Elizabeth had been looking at Illkune and didn't get to yell at him when he did it. He shot her an evil grin.
"One day, lizard boy...," she growled.
Bobby nuzzled her head and cradled her in his arms. Wanda looked at him and rolled her eyes.
"Boy, you have it BAD."
"Have what?"
"You're in loooove," Elizabeth cooed, fluttering her eye.
Bobby growled and went back to his treasure. Illkune jumped on the ceiling and crawled across it, sitting just over Bobby.
"Since when did you learn you could do that?"
"Since about thirty seconds ago. This is neat..."
"Ah, well. Good for you."
"Southpark? What is this Southpark?"
"What's."
"What's this Southpark?"
"It's a horribly impersonating, animated cartoon that's funnier than Hell..."
Illkune looked puzzled. "Hell is supposed to be about torture, isn't it?"
"It's not to be taken literally," Lizbeth said.
Illkune nodded his head. "Ah."
Snidva coughed in her sleep, and Bobby cuddled her closer.
"Is Lance still with Kitty?"
"Yeah, he said he was staying over there with her tonight."
"How cute."
Illkune fell off the ceiling, landing on his hands and doing a complete backflip. They all looked back at him in shock, and he just shrugged his shoulders.
"I do not know how I do that..."
"Ahem!! Don't!"
"I don't know how I do that."
Wanda nodded with victory, and Illkune was left grumbling over stupid slang.
"Snidva?" Bobby mumbled, nudging her sleeping body with his tail. "Snidva, I want to show you something."
She groaned and rubbed her eyes, sitting up on one elbow. "Bobby?"
"I know you've gotten used to sleeping at night, but please come with me right now. I want to show you something."
She slid out of bed in her nightgown and rubbed her eyes. Bobby took her hand and led her out of the basement and into the attic. Of course Jim was up, and he watched them cross the room silently. Bobby opened the window and crawled out, wrapping his tail around the smaller creature to nudge her out. He grabbed her hands and pulled her onto the roof.
"Bobby? Why are we out here?"
"Before you left, you were trying to teach me how to fly. We had to grow my wings out because they used to be...this big," he made a distance between his hands roughly one foot long. "To grow them out, I had to be in extreme heat for a very long time. When you left, they were about this size but shorter. Scott Summers helped my grow them the rest of the way. And now...I want to fly."
"But I don't know how to fly."
"I've had my wings for about half a year, and I wanted to fly when you came back, so you'd see."
Snidva looked highly confused, but she nodded her head. "You want me to fly with you?"
Bobby smiled and nodded. "Yes!"
Snidva looked at the ground then back at him. She inched closer, and he wrapped his arms around her from behind. Her tail instantly curled around his waist, but that didn't bother him. He stretched his wings and breathed deeply. His wings beat against the air, and he began lifting off of the roof. He threw his weight forward, and they began moving. Snidva grabbed hold of his arms tightly at first, but as they went higher and farther away from the boarding house.
"You've never flown before? Have I ever flown before?"
"Well, I've flown before, but Jim always uses his telekinesis. You've flown that way too. That's usually how you flew."
She held her arms out and laughed. "I...remember this. I remember flying...over the lights..."
Finally in the sky where he was meant to be. Dragon finally lived up to his name. With stamina that came from no where, Bobby beat his wings stronger and longer, going faster and farther away from the house. Snidva didn't seem so scared anymore, not of him, not of the world around her. Bobby looked down at her, and she smiled at him, her eyes wide and happy.
His wings felt liberated. His body felt liberated, and he was free. Everything was free now, for him anyway. His goal was to fly with her, and here he was. He was flying. It seemed...so right. He was a beast of the air!
Jim was awake still when they came in the next morning. Snidva had fallen asleep, and Bobby took her downstairs curled up in his arms. Jim smiled at him, and Bobby smiled back.
"She remembers Vegas..."
"Getting closer."
The night flight turned things around entirely. Snidva was more talkative, and she didn't hide behind Illkune that much anymore. She was using her tail now and stealing food from other plates to see how fast she was. Illkune noticed this change and was eagar to try his newfound skills. They still had some inch of society left in them, and Snidva wouldn't crawl along walls or the ceiling for that matter. It was unlady-like, but they though when they broke through the memory barrier it wouldn't be so bad to her.
Bobby lounged close to her always, curled up in a corner of the floor with his eyes on her. He was at peace now, with his wings flight broken and his mind set free. Todd could sit on his shoulder now, since he was large enough and could the smaller mutant quite easily. His wings would be a hassle sometimes, but that was easily solved ususally.
Then, there was the one day that Wanda brought a stray black cat home.
"We keep him! I don't fucking care if you don't like cats!"
"But Wanda!!!"
"WE KEEP HIM!"
And they named him Icubus. Snidva nor Illkune had ever seen a cat before, and their curiosity was almost...entertaining. Icubus seemed to like Illkune a lot, but Illkune was kind of afraid of him at first.
"What is it?" Snidva asked. "Does it bite?"
Wanda put Icubus on the floor and stroked him. "He can bite but not if you pet him gently."
Mimic crept over to the cat and ran her hand down his back. The cat arched against her hand, and she jerked it back. Wanda smiled.
"He won't hurt you."
Snidva pet him again, scratching his little kitty head. He began making a strange noise, but Snid didn't stop petting him.
"What is he doing?"
"He's purring. It means he likes you."
"Oh...he is vibrating."
"That's also a good thing."
"Good kitty."
Illkune would later hear about the adventure with the cat from his sister. Junian left later that day to go back to what was left of Atlantis, claiming he had his experiment to look after. He left Snidva and Illkune alone with their new family. Illkune and Jim got along surprisingly, since Jim didn't really get along with anyone. Bobby followed Mimic around as usual, and Pietro was out with Elizabeth.
No one had really noticed that Wanda's crush on Austin had dissapated. She was more in tune to Icubus now than him. Of course, Austin didn't notice as usual. Mark did, but, of course, he forgot it faster than he remembered it.
Snidva had gone to sleep one night while watching Reno 911 with the rest of the kids. Bobby was watching it over her head, and he noticed at once.
"Don't touch her, Bobby. She's not a baby."
He growled at Elizabeth, but he retreated.
"I know you want to keep her safe, but she's a warrior beyond our years, and I think she'll survive."
Illkune coughed. "Actually, we are only about a year old, and even if we are warriors, we remember next to nothing. Myself most of all."
Wanda growled to herself. "Use contractions! Not we are! We're! Say it!"
Illkune shrank into the shadows. "We're?"
"Good..."
Illkune cowered away. "Don't kill me..."
Bobby scooped Snidva up and jumped onto the couch, resting her against him. Elizabeth had been looking at Illkune and didn't get to yell at him when he did it. He shot her an evil grin.
"One day, lizard boy...," she growled.
Bobby nuzzled her head and cradled her in his arms. Wanda looked at him and rolled her eyes.
"Boy, you have it BAD."
"Have what?"
"You're in loooove," Elizabeth cooed, fluttering her eye.
Bobby growled and went back to his treasure. Illkune jumped on the ceiling and crawled across it, sitting just over Bobby.
"Since when did you learn you could do that?"
"Since about thirty seconds ago. This is neat..."
"Ah, well. Good for you."
"Southpark? What is this Southpark?"
"What's."
"What's this Southpark?"
"It's a horribly impersonating, animated cartoon that's funnier than Hell..."
Illkune looked puzzled. "Hell is supposed to be about torture, isn't it?"
"It's not to be taken literally," Lizbeth said.
Illkune nodded his head. "Ah."
Snidva coughed in her sleep, and Bobby cuddled her closer.
"Is Lance still with Kitty?"
"Yeah, he said he was staying over there with her tonight."
"How cute."
Illkune fell off the ceiling, landing on his hands and doing a complete backflip. They all looked back at him in shock, and he just shrugged his shoulders.
"I do not know how I do that..."
"Ahem!! Don't!"
"I don't know how I do that."
Wanda nodded with victory, and Illkune was left grumbling over stupid slang.