"Ah! Damn this infernal piece of-"
"Whoa!" Remy said, grabbing Steph's wrist as she drew it back to chuck the communicator across the room. Grabbing her fist he pried it open and took the device from her.
"It hates me!" Steph moaned, collapsing backwards on Remy's bed. Remy laughed and paced the room, turning the communicator over in his hands as Danial sat down on Steph's orange and purple bean bag chair.
"For someone who can disable security locks by the amount of dust on the buttons and can hack into any computer file she wants, you're sure hopeless with the simple things," he said, smiling. Steph growled.
"If something hates ya, it hates ya," she replied. "It doesn't matter how good ya are with computers."
"Dere!" Remy said, stopping and triumphantly held up the device, which had clicked. A silver tray had shot out with a few buttons on it. Remy stood over Steph and smiled, holding out the communicator to her. "Ken ya work dis now?" he asked. Steph opened her eyes and looked at it.
"Are you gonna be agreeable now?" she asked it. After a moment she nodded. "Okay then, let's buzz Ellen!" taking it she turned it around a few times, then studied the buttons. Pressing a green button the things buzzed, then the tray snapped shut. Steph jumped in surprise and sat up.
"Ah!" she said again, but before anything else could happen they heard a voice.
"Hello?"
"Hey! It worked!" Danial said, looking bored and leaning back in the chair. Steph held the thing up.
"What do you talk into?" she asked Remy. The small voice sounded again.
"Steph? Is that you?"
"Ellen?" Steph replied, looking confused. "Where do you talk into this thing?!"
"Just like you are, I can hear you fine," Ellen said, grunting slightly. "I hope you didn't call just to chat, I don't have the time."
"No, we didn't," Remy said, taking the device from Steph. "Look chere, we're sorry 'bout de suspicion, you were right. De muties, uh, demanded dat me n' Steph n' Dan, n' you too, dey want us t' surrender to dem."
"Have you explained that I'm not there?" Ellen asked, sounding rushed. The three teenagers exchanged looks.
"No," Remy said slowly. "We're not surrenderin', de adults won't have it."
"Good," Ellen huffed. "But do not tell those idiots that I am not with you, they won't know any different, we could use that to our advantage. What's happening for preparations?"
"We're scheming," Steph said. "The adults are sending all the kiddies home, then we get ready for fighting."
"Don't leave the mansion," Ellen said quickly. "No one, they'll pick you off. I'll be up as soon as I can, don't do anything to provoke a fight before I contact you again, got it?"
"Yeah," Remy said. "We get it."
"Ok, I- oh no, I've gotta go. Don't talk anymore!" Ellen's voice sounded frazzled and Steph took the communicator.
"What is going on? Are you in trouble?" she demanded.
"Shh!" Ellen replied. "Well, not anything I can't get out of, it's happened before..."
"What?" Remy asked.
"I'm... kind of in a cage at the moment."
"A cage?!" all three X Men said.
"One of those small time traveling shows, freak shows," Ellen sighed. "If these guys see me change, or just get suspicious, they try to catch me. They do it to a lot of mutants. Don't worry, I'll be there soon though. As soon as this idiot thinks that he has a real white tiger and not a tiger-girl in this tiger-girl-proof cage... yeah, I'll be there soon, don't worry."
"Accourse," Steph said bitterly. "I'd never worried about one of my friends caught in a freak show cage."
"Quiet, if the guy hears me talking there's no chance. I'll contact you later, I promise. And remember, no one goes outside! Alright, press the red button or you'll still be transmitting, these dumb Lab communicators are such a pain."
"Lab communicators?" Remy replied.
"Stolen, jeez, you people don't trust easy. Contact you later." With a click the tray opened again and Steph reluctantly hit the red button.
"Well that was alright," Danial said. "She's coming back, if we didn't offend her right then."
"Of all de t'ings t' keep her tied down," Remy said, smiling slightly. "An idiot wit a cage."
"And now we're caged in here," Steph said, looking at her window. "Caged inside the only defense we have."
"I hate irony," Danial grumbled.
"I t'ink mos' people do when it's working 'gainst dem," Remy replied.
----
The halls were quiet as the teenagers walked down them.
"Man, this place is creepy without little kids running everywhere and being bratty," Steph said. Then she sighed. "Not even Ruhko to disturb the peace. Where is my little sister!"
"You miss her already?" Danial said. "She's only been gone an hour."
"Humph," was all Steph said.
"We need t' talk t' de doc before we do anyt'in," Remy said. Steph hid a small smile and Danial reeled around suddenly, staring at her with a hint of laughter in his eyes.
"What?!" he cried. Steph blushed.
"Why are ya reading my mind?" she demanded angrily.
"Huh?" Remy said, confused.
"I did not!" Danial protested. "You projected that so-"
"What is it petite?" Remy asked.
"No way! Really? Hank?!" Danial said. Remy froze.
"What?" he said.
"Shut up!" Steph said. "Or I'll rip you to-"
"Does Hank know?" Danial said, laughing. Remy suddenly understood and burst out laughing himself.
"I knew it!" he crowed. "Ah chere- de fires of l-"
"Quiet!" Steph shrieked, trying to punch him but missing. "That's not funny, shut up shut up shutup!"
"I always knew you had a thing for him!" Danial said, laughing so hard now he was bent over. "Does he know?"
"Does who know what, my young mischief makers?" The three spun around to see Hank coming down the hall, smiling at them. Steph froze but Remy and Danial only started laughing harder, much to Hank's confusion.
"Stop," Steph growled at them, hands beginning to tremble with rousing anger.
"Pity you didn't hear," Danial said through his laughter.
"Pity I didn't hear what?" Hank asked. Remy opened his mouth but shut it promptly as Steph elbowed him hard in stomach, not looking at Hank as she march-ran down the hall.
"Aw, c'mon petite," Remy panted, trying to stop laughing and rubbing his stomach. "We jus' kiddin'!"
"Kid by yourselves then, ass!" Steph replied.
"Stephanie?" Hank said, grabbing her wrist to stop her from leaving. Steph stiffened, looking like a deer caught in headlights at him. "What is going on?" he asked, making the two boys erupt in laughter again.
"You have no idea!" Remy gasped.
"SHUT UP!" Steph screamed at the three, wrenching her hand away from Hank she turned and ran down the hall, back into her room and slammed the door. Hank turned to the young men as they slowly regained control of themselves.
"I do not know why the young lady is so upset," he said seriously. "But before you go about making fun of her again, I would suggest thinking about the damage it could do to your relationship." Remy and Danial nodded at him, then started laughing again as he finished his sentence. Hank walked down to the door.
"Uh oh," Remy said, about to fall over as his whole body shook with mirth. Hank knocked on the door.
"Stephanie?" he said, opening the door and crying out as a pair of nunchuks sped over his head and hit the wall.
"GET OUT!" Steph screamed as the door snapped shut. Hank leapt backwards and then shook his head, looking disapprovingly at Remy and Danial, who had stopped laughing.
"The time for ill feelings is no time, but now is possibly the worst," he said. "On the eve of a battle you need to be sure you are on good terms with all, especially your close friends." With that he turned and walked down the hall, pausing only to pick up the thrown weapons and tucking them in the pocket of his lab coat. Danial and Remy exchanged looks and timidly walked to Steph's door.
"Petite?" Remy called, knocking on her door. He got no reply. "I'm sorry!" he shouted.
"Me too," Danial said to the door, "We really didn't mean to embarrass you. Open the door?" There was no answer, and no sound of any movement from inside, and after a few minutes Remy sighed.
"We gotta go tell de plan t' de adults," he said, leaning with his forehead on the door. "If you ain't gonna come, den we need to go wit'out you chere." Still receiving no reply Remy pulled away dejectedly and looked at Danial, nodding down the hall.
"But what about Steph?" Danial asked. Remy looked at the door.
"I t'ink we hurt her more den we thought," he muttered. "We'd best leave 'er alone for a bit, c'mon." The two boys looked at the door again and then left.