Gambit blew up my disclaimer saying that I don't own any of this stuff.

Author's Note- Sorry, having a little bit of writer's block for this story and Drastic Changes. If you see any updates, it will most likely be Blood Is Thicker Than Water, Up In Flames and The Downside of Falling in Love. Check those out by the way.

~ ~ Telepathic speaking

Chapter Nine

Scott was having the time of his life before THEY showed up.

He had been happily handfed French fries by Jean, when all of a sudden Alvers and his little posse came strutting in, looking all cool and 'threatening'. He knew they were just asking for trouble. He didn't really mind Wanda Maximoff, he kind of felt sorry for her, but that didn't change his feelings for her twin. But it especially didn't change his feelings for Alvers.

If they come near us. . .

But they didn't. They didn't even seem to notice that they were even there. Jean only tensed slightly but relaxed almost instantly.

"Relax, Scott," she said quietly, "I don't think they're looking for trouble today."

Scott snorted, "Since when do they not?"

Jean rolled her eyes and smiled. She took one of the French fries and went to give it to Scott and when he went to bite it she quickly changed its course and instead put it inside her mouth.

Scott warily kept an eye on the group. They had sat down at a table, Lance ordering their food.

If they get us banned from McDonald's. . .

"Scott stop your worrying," Jean said soothingly.

Scott gave her a small reassuring smile. "Can't blame me for being slightly worried. If they start any crap. . ."

Jean shook her head. "Just ignore them Scott. They aren't doing anything. Just pretend they're not there."

But Scott couldn't help but stare at them. He acted like he was staring at the door while he kept the corner of his eye on the delinquents. Pietro looked a little odd. Almost fidgety, which actually wasn't new, but almost afraid.

Ah well.

Someone entered the world-famous restaurant. It was just a man, maybe mid- twenties. He wasn't exactly good looking, but he wasn't hard on the eye. Well, from what Scott could guess from a girl's point-of-view. He was a guy with a girlfriend, after all.

What startled Scott about the man though, were his eyes. They were cold. They were black.

The man went up to the counter and ordered his food, and he went to a table near the Brotherhood with a fish sandwich and what looked like a coffee. He ate, but his eyes seemed to be fixed on the Brotherhood.

Quicksilver looked around, and suddenly looked like he shivered. This surprised Scott and he said this to Jean. Well, he thought this to Jean, since he really didn't want to be overheard.

~Would you stop spying on them, Scott? They're fine, they're eating, they're behaving~ Jean's voice reprimanded in his head.

~But that was strange~

~Just get over it~ Jean's voice was irritated. Scott looked at her. He didn't know what he did to deserve her, but he was glad that she was with him. He was especially glad she chose him over Duncan Matthews.

Jerk.

Scott reluctantly went back to his hamburger and fries. He talked to Jean about every thing; they had a lot in common.

"I just wish that Principal Kelly would see us as equals," Jean said sadly.

"They'll all come around in the end," Scott reassured her.

He could not keep his focus away from the Brotherhood for long however, because Pietro let out a yelp and was looking around the restaurant with wide and frightened eyes. He spotted them and stood up abruptly.

"I suppose you think that was very funny, Grey," he snarled.

Jean looked utterly confused. "What?"

"You know what! It's not funny!" he spat. The other Brotherhood members looked alarmed at Pietro's outburst. Wanda put a hand on his arm and tried to pull him down. He ripped it from her grasp.

"Pietro I have no idea what you're talking about," Jean said. Scott glared at the group with loathing, although no one could see it because of his ruby-quartz glasses.

"Of course you know! It's not funny!" He yelled. Everybody was looking in their direction. Everybody except for the man with the black eyes.

Scott noticed this and furrowed his brow. How could he not stare at the speed demon in disgust and alarm like everybody else?

"Pietro! I didn't do anything! Why would I?" Jean asked incredulously, insulted that she was accused of doing anything mean.

"The voice! The voice inside my head! You know what I'm talking about!" Pietro cried frantically, panicking now that he realized that Jean didn't know what he was talking about.

Scott looked at the man again. He had some sort of self-satisfied smirk.

"What voice?" Jean asked.

"Stop! Stop lying!" Pietro was doubled over, his hands gripping the sides of his head, covering his ears. The thin hands then slid up and raked through his hair, stopping and then balling them up into fists, gripping the white hair underneath, little tufts poking out from between his fingers. He screwed his eyes closed and let out a moan.

Lance got up and grabbed Pietro's arm, tugging him towards the exit.

"Todd, Fred, grab the food. We're bringing it home," Lance said to them. "Do NOT eat it or there will be hell to pay."

Todd and Fred did so, for once serious. Scott wondered if the whole team was going crazy.

Wanda walked up to the left side of Pietro and started pulling him along also. He dragged his feet, his hands still gripping his hair; his eyes still closed tight, blindly following their lead.

Scott and Jean then stood up, finished with their meal. They headed towards the exit also; everybody that had been staring at the whole scene now awkwardly went back to their food.

Scott looked at the man one last time. He was staring right at them in the eyes, and it made Scott's hair stand on end.

They exited and Scott could feel the tingling sensation on the spot right between his shoulder blades.

He did not have a good feeling about that guy and wondered if he had anything to do with the whole ordeal.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They walked into the McDonald's, not noticing that the two biggest X-Geeks were in there also.

They sat down at a table while Lance went up to order everybody's food.

A few more customers entered.

Pietro felt a chill course through him at that moment. He did not like the feeling. It felt familiar, but he could not place where he had it before.

They ate in silence, only talking occasionally. They all felt awkward, each had the feeling that somebody was staring at them. For Pietro, it was driving him mad.

Then he heard it.

'Pietro. . .' he could practically see the place fog up. The windows frost, the icicles form. . .

That was when he saw Summers and Grey. He narrowed his eyes. It had to be Grey. She was a telepath after all.

That was when he stood up and accused her of trying to torment him.

She did not know what he was talking about.

And it scared Pietro like nothing ever had before.

He had called Father about the message on the answering machine. He had replied:

"If it happens again, call me. I will then speak to Charles."

His father didn't believe him. He thought it was some kind of joke Pietro was playing; he could hear it in his voice.

But it was not a joke.

It wasn't funny at all.

When they exited, Lance shoved him into the jeep. Pietro rolled up into a ball and whimpered. He vaguely heard Wanda threaten Lance. Wanda climbed in next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. It wasn't very comforting.

He felt the jeep tilt on it's side slightly, indicating that Fred had climbed in. The door slammed shut.

The passenger's door slammed shut.

The driver's door opened, then it too, slammed shut.

It was like they were locking him up. Trying to keep him from becoming insane.

'I'm already am insane.' He thought bitterly.

He released the fistfuls of hair and then slid his hands down over his ears again.

The voice still echoed in his head.

He was frightened.

He had never been so frightened in his life.

A whimper escaped his lips. He felt Wanda's hand on his back, the other rubbing his upper arm gently.

Why was she being so nice?

It had only been a dream. Why was this dream haunting him still? Why did it feel so different from all the other nightmares he ever had in his life?

Why did it feel so real?

He then realized that the jeep was moving. It had been moving for a while. He was curled up in the front seat, Wanda squeezed on the same seat next to him. Why was she being so nice?

Did she even care he was going insane?

"Pietro what the hell was that all about?" he heard Lance ask after a time. He knew Wanda was giving Lance one of her notorious death glares right then.

"The voice inside my head," he choked out in a whisper.

'Am I hearing voices now?'

"What voice?" asked Wanda in a soothing voice.

"The voice. The voice on the answering machine. It was in my head."

He involuntarily let out another whimper.

Lance looked at them both sharply.

"What's this about?" he asked.

"We'll show you the tape later," Wanda said firmly.

Lance fell silent.

Pietro would not open his eyes. He was afraid of what he would see.

'Am I going insane?' he thought not for the last time.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Charles Xavier had listened to Scott and Jean's tale grimly. It was very strange and unnerving, especially about the part with the man with the black eyes.

He shuddered.

He did not want any harm coming to his students. They were his family.

He sighed. It was only the adults and the older students in the study.

"I guess I will tell you this now," he said to the assembled group.

Kurt leaned forward, anxious to hear anything.

"The mutant that had been killing the teenage mutants awhile back is now in Bayville."

A collective gasp spread throughout the room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Thank you! Thank you to all my kind and lovely reviewers!

Ssam- It's useless begging who not to and who to kill off. I already know who I am. Characters are just thrown in at random. The reason I focused on Pietro and Wanda was because Pietro was the first one to have the dream. Thanks for your review!

bitrona- As I said to Ssam, it's useless begging who to kill and who not to kill. Thanks for your review!

The people that I guarantee are safe are Professor Xavier, Jean, Magneto, Gambit and Rogue. There's a reason too and you get cookies if you guess correctly!

Also thanks for reviewing: rosie, LiLRoguE, spOoKz13412, and I Am The Anonymous Reviewer. PLEASE keep reviewing!