At the dinner table, Pietro saw that he was not the only one who was not happy here. Everyone else was delighted with staying at Piedras Grandes. Francisca had insisted that they stay for at least a year. They didn't know if they could stay so long, but they had agreed, anyway. Here, they could walk out onto the street, use their powers, not worry about hiding, or anything. No one here was afraid of them. Quite the contrary, they loved them.

That's because they don't have to worry about securing their futures as I do, he thought. He didn't just want to be a guest here, he wanted more. He wanted to be treated like a king, just as Lance was. If you were a guest, the only way the staff would respect you was only if the 'patrones' asked them to. That's just what he wanted to be. He wanted to own this place. He wanted to sit at the head of the table.

Lance of course, with him being the master of all this, was the happiest one. Whatever he ordered was obeyed and carried out instantly. While he used to explode at anything, when they lived in Bayville, now he hardly seemed to remember to get mad, even though it had become clear that the Altamiras were known for their murderous tempers. No one in town ever did anything to upset them if they met them on the street. He never had to worry himself about anything. Francisca was always fussing about Kitty, keeping strict supervision on her, making sure no one did anything to upset her, not even her son.

Toad and Blob didn't seem to mind anything. As long as they were waited on hand and foot, and the food was good, they were happy. Then again, these two idiots didn't have much ambition. Anything would satisfy them. That was just how Mystique had managed to convince them to join the Brotherhood in the first place. Just by using their own stupidity against them. They didn't even mind that the X-men were dining at the same table with them!

"We asked that you come here, because we have something to tell you."Ma.Xitlalli told Scott.

"Don't think you'll be dining with us, though."said Francisca.

"Well, you see, it turns out the staff don't want you dining with them anymore. Starting...well, we don't know when, but we'll see when, but soon, anyway, you will be dining in a choza with one of the workers families."

"Where?"asked Jean..

"You know, a choza, it's a shack."

"I know what a choza is. But why should he dine there?"

"Simply because that's what been decided. I obviously can't go against my sisters, and if they say that he should dine there, what can I do about it?"Lance shrugged.

"It's a disgusting thing to do."cried Jean.

"I don't think it's disgusting."said Maru. "I've seen the choza, they're not so, so, so bad, and the people who live in them are actually very nice."

"You can't do that to him?"

"Well, you can join him if you want to, you know."

Jean stared at Ma.Xitlalli furiously.

"I don't see why you're defending him so much. What has he ever done for you, Perhaps, wait a minute, perhaps rape you?"Ma.Eugenia got up from her chair. "That's it, isn't it? That's why he covers his eyes. That must be what he hides. He should never ever even look at this house. He must go. We can't expose the workers' daughters, though!"

Francisca almost fainted.

"A rapist! Oh, dear me. Good Lord! What has happened? What are we going to do! We can't have this man here at all. I was just an idiot, exposing the children, Guillermo and Rebecca, my own daughters, my goddaughter! I knew he was no good, wearing those things in front of his eyes. To think that someone like Chachi was the first to see him for what he really was!"

"Calm down! Calm down, Mother!"Alfonsina rushed to her mother's side. "See what you've provoked?"she told Scott furiously.

"I never raped anybody!"Scott said furiously.

"You don't speak that way to my sister!"Lance said. "Apologize right now!"

"And you think she had the right to say that to him?"Jean asked.

"That was Maru, sweetie."said Ma.Xamila. "Don't tell me you will dare go against Maru, you know, she's related to someone you care about."

"I always knew you were no good, either."Maru told Jean. "I knew there were bad people in the world, but never so bad. I never liked you. Chachi always did hate you, know. Now, I think I see why. If she saw what he was,"she pointed at Scott. "She probably saw you as you really are, too."

"Nobody has seen anybody as they really are."interrupted Arthur.

"Can't you let me enjoy my meal in peace?"asked Jesus.

"Same here."agreed Toad.

"And here."added Blob.

"No one is going to dine in peace until this is settled."Arthur told them.

"You know something, Alvers, you..."Scott didn't finish his sentence, because Francisca had picked up her fan, and slapped him with it.

"You dared."she said breathing heavily. "You said my name, with you unworthy lips, sangre sucia."

"Oh, jeez."said Arthur weakly.

"Ohhhh,"said Guillermo and Rebecca. They seemed to think it was a game. Mama Teta had to be taken to her room, because she had started feeling faint.

Scott looked up at Francisca, still holding her fan tighly, ready to strike. Really, it was most fortunate that she wasn't a mutant had she had any mutant powers, they would be unleashed, and judging from the force with which she had slapped his face, the whole house would've fallen down. Her hair had fallen out of its usually neat braid, and strands of it were clinging to her face and neck. Her teeth were gritted with fury. No one moved. They had never seen Francisca in a temper before. She would probably ask them to leave right this instant.

No, thought Pietro. Why now? Couldn't he have kept his mouth shut, and just have gone to eat in the choza? Everything will be ruined now. No, no, no, no. He looked on the verge of tears.

Jesus had forgotten all about the goat meat that he had asked for that morning. The children were not asking for their chocolate and pan dulce like they usually did. They had seen their aunt like this before, and knew that she could get very violent, not to mention the dectuplets. They were certainly capable of perhaps even destroying the whole world.

Ma.Eugenia just kept quiet, staring at her godmother. What would happen now? It was not that this was new to her. She had seen her godmother like this before, but before, her godfather had always been there, to calm her, and Juanita was not here. Juanita had run out of the room when the argument started.

Oh, dear, she thought. I knew this guy was no good. I knew it, but people just have to insist that he's a good person. They are blind.

"Can't we just forget about it?"asked Kurt.

"I agree with you."said Arthur.

However, it looked like Scott didn't agree.

"You think you're better just because you found out your family was wealthy. Well, let me remind you, you grew up in a foster home, and you will never, ever be at you sisters' level."

Now, it was Lance that pounced on Scott. Sissy told the dectuplets to stop him. They ran and and pulled him back.

"Don't you see, he's only saying it out of pure rage. You shouldn't let it get to you!"Ma.Xiomara was saying.

"Look who's talking."said Arthur.

"Fuera de mi casa! Juanita! Manda a los trabajadores a que encadenen a este por haberme faltado al respeto!"he ordered.

"Si, Patron."Juanita answered and ran to get the men.

"Oh, dear. Why couldn't you have just agreed to dine in the choza. This will be much worse."

The men arrived in no time, and grabbed Scott. Some were armed with guns, machetes, and knives. They pulled him out of the room.

"Just go!"Arthur advised him. "It will be much worse if you put up a fight. And don't take those shades off. That would be fatal."

"What are they going to do?"asked Jean.

"Didn't you hear. They will chain him."

"But why?"

"Because Lance ordered them to, that's why. He was disrespectful to him."

"This is all your fault."she said to the dectuplets.

"How is it our fault. It would be Chachi's fault, she was the one who didn't want him to dine here in the first place, you know."

"You know why it was your fault."

"You people ruined my meal."said Jesus.

"Well, you can eat now."

"I came here to enjoy myself, not to be witnessing unpleasant scenes."

"It would be better if he is chained. We will be safe."said Ma.Eugenia.

"He never raped anyone."Jean told her.

"Where did you come up with that?"asked Arthur, shaking his head.

"I couldn't think of anything worse." She fell into her chair.

"It's time!"Kitty interrupted their argument, clutching her belly.