"Rise and shine, children!"
Jean Grey clutched a pillow over her head and tried to ignore the voice. It had taken longer than normal to get to sleep since she'd spent half the night staring at Damien from her position in the club. There was no way she could tell Scott the reason she hadn't answered any of his summons last night was that she was drooling over the wood shop teacher.
"RISE AND SHINE, CHILDREN! It's time for a picnic!" Logan's voice echoed through the halls along with the sound of knocking on random doors. The next sound was closer and at her own door. "Come on, Red....get up!"
"I'm sick," she called back without removing the pillow of lifting her head. She'd mastered sounding sick and making others pity her over the years. It was a good talent that had been further developed into her teen years. "I'd hate to make anyone else sick, Logan."
"Nice try, Red...but you're not sick. You're one of the main ones that Xavier wants to meet with the students. For some reason, he seems to think that you and Scott will make a positive influence with them," he said then began walking away. It was obvious he was walking from the sound of his boots thudding across the carpeted floor; even carpeting couldn't muffle them.
In that case, I should get up. I'd hate to have those poor children tainted when I could have helped them out... Jean got out of bed, took a shower that lasted forever then began pawing through her closet. It was a hard choice between the light pink shirt or the brighter pink but not nearly as hard as picking between the capris or long pants.
"Oh, well. It's a good thing that I look good in anything." She removed the next outfit she touched and got dressed, using the mirror to perfectly part her hair and apply flawless make-up to her face. She finished glossing her lips then kissed one side of the mirror, smiling. "Perfect, as always."
There came another knock at the door.
"I'm up, Logan!" she yelled back, pulling on a zip-up jacket and starting toward the door. She flung it open then smiled at the sight of Scott. He was dressed in the clothes she'd taken pains to iron last night and looked quite handsome. "Oh, Scott! You look just adorable," she greeted, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
Scott smiled. "Uh..thanks. You look very nice, too, Jean."
"Just very nice?" she huffed on their way downstairs, scowling slightly toward him. She flipped her hair over one shoulder. "Just very nice..?"
"I mean, uh....what's the right answer here?"
Jean huffed again and stalked downstairs, muttering and talking to herself. The scene before her didn't help to brighten her mood either. Members of the New Recruits and the other X-Men were gathered in the kitchen and living room, eating or running their mouths. It seemed that everyone had an opinion at that moment except Rogue who was reading a book while munching away on toast.
"And look, y'all. Here comes sleepin' beauty," Rogue drawled, looking up from her toast briefly then returning her attention to the book. "And the dog prince, too."
"You know I thought you were nice once upon a time, stripes..?" Logan offered the question and nicknamed endearment upon coming through the door with a couple of the others trailing behind. He walked into the kitchen and retrieved a mug of coffee that had his name printed on the side in finger paint. "Where did I get that idea?"
"Ya pulled it out of a hat 'cause all tha good little mutant children are supposed to be lovin' and givin' and get along with folks," came the response before she disappeared through the back door. Her voice was heard for a moment longer then silence came except for the sound of approaching wheels.
That girl has some definite anger management issues. We should start a class in that.... There's quite a few teenagers at Bayville who would benefit from spending time learning to control their anger, Jean thought after walking to the window with her cup of coffee. And half of the class just arrived.
Something similar to a tank or a hummer stood in front of the mansion. Taxi yellow and covered at the back with bumper stickers and things that hung on the windows. It looked like someone had shot a couple of bullet holes through the front windshield, though there was a certain unreal look to each of the holes.
"What are they doing here?" she asked, though the question was general rather than confinded to one or two people. No one responded to her inquiry except for something similar to a grunt from Logan.
Charles Xavier rolled into the room at that moment, giving his pupils a smile. "Katherine and I decided that today was a good day for a picnic. Rather than going by ourselves, we decided to invite all of you to go along for the occassion," he explained without hesitating or even losing his somewhat smug expression. "It seems that the Ripley students will be with us longer than expected. The damage to their school was more severe than a first look showed..."
"How much more severe?" Scott asked, looking up from his beverage glass. His expression gave away nothing but that might have been because of the milk mustache that outlined his face. "It wasn't that bad, was it, Professor..?"
He nodded, slowly. "I'm afraid it was or is. The entire right wing of the school was destroyed, including the music room... it seems that half the ceiling collapsed inward and destroyed quite a few musical insturments," he explained then motioned toward the door. "It is time to go, my young ones."
"And you can just feel the joy radiating from them, X.."
"Sarcasm is a useless cause, Logan."
"Sarcasm is a useless cause, Logan," Logan mocked behind his back without saying the words. He moved his mouth in the same manner before following the professor and students out of the mansion. "Why does Rogue get to use it..?"
"She's sixteen, Logan. You're well over a hundred."
Lafayette State Park 1:30 p.m.
"Y'are aware that y'look like part of the mafia, right, chere?" Remy Lebeau took another darg off his cigarette then focused on his companion. It wasn't that she ignored him but more that her attention wavered quite often.
Angel scoffed, looking up at him from beneathe the hood that covered most of her face. It was connected to the black hoodie that covered her normal clothes, falling a third of the way over a pair of jeans. "This from the guy that walks around in a trenchcoat and combat boots? And you say I look like part of the mafia..? HA."
"You're another rather mean femme, aren't you?"
"Another?" she asked, laughing at the note of desperation in his tone. "How many do you know?"
He held up one hand, fingers sticking out from several different cut out areas. He began to count off members of the female sex then held up a finger for each girl he named. "Rogue. Wanda. Samantha. Jean...that femme's just torture to put up with. Caitlin. Nanaki."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You tried to get a date with NANAKI?" Angel demanded with another laugh then fell off the bench from laughing to hard. She remained sitting on the ground but looked up at him with a shake of her head; she motioned with one hand. "Gimme two."
"Huh?" He leaned down, thinking that she'd meant for him to help her up. Instead of taking his offered hand, she smacked him in the back of the head twice then stood up to look around. "Femmes just aren' nice to Remy anymore."
"Maybe learning to speak English correctly would help..?" she offered, glancing around for a moment. Her attention settled on the imitation volleyball court that had been set up between a couple of trees where her classmates were crowded. "Ooooh, volleyball. Later, Rems."
The Nature Trail 1:40 p.m.
"Stop mocking me, squirrel!"
Logan recognized the voice even before he came upon the figure it belonged to. He glanced up at the tree and the so-called mocking squirrel, though it seemed rather harmless. The owner of the voice looked much more harmful then the poor squirrel she'd begun to threaten.
"I told X you had some issues of the head to sort out but...I didn't know you threatened helpless, little animals," he said, delibertly baiting her into fighting. He knew it would work especially since they'd gotten five minutes away from the kids without someone dying or whining too much. "Maybe it's unsafe having you in an enviorment with other mammals."
"Bite me, Logan." Nanaki glared at him then turned back to the squirrel, shaking one fist in his direction. Her expression remained fierce and determined. "I'll get you one day, squirrel!"
There was a chittering sound before the tiny mammal ran off, tossing several nuts down. A couple barely avoided hitting Nanaki's head, though she still glared and shook her fist after the squirrel.
Logan moved toward her with his mouth open then found himself being glared at and her full attention now focused on him. "What's wrong, darlin'? You offered.... I think your last words were 'bite me, logan'," he told her, grinning.
Nanaki stalked past him, silently. "If I weren't on a temporary break from cursing, at Katherine's insist, mind you, I'd tell you exactly where you could stick your biting," came her response despite the amount of distance she'd put between the two of them. "What do you want? Did you agree to come find the mentally screwed up Nanaki Creed as payment for something bad you've done and are trying to get forgiven for..?"
He rolled his eyes, fighting the urge to smack her. If it had been Stripes or another of his students he might have except this was the living, disowned neice of his somewhat immortal enemy. A bad person to do physical harm to.
"Problem, Logan..?"
"I think you need some therapy since you're walking around threatening squirrels," he replied after falling into step beside her. He wasn't sure if they were going in the right direction until they passed a tree, baring something like a wet stain on the lower part, though it was really a marking of his territory.
Nanaki didn't respond beyond a quiet, "he started it."
And I thought Rogue could give the silent treatment. This one makes her seem almost normal...note the almost. Almost normal. Well normal as a mutant without the ability to touch can be. Normal as any mutant could be.
"Stop thinking so hard, Logan. We'd hate for you to get hurt and be unable to torture the students," she said, though the words conveyed a deeper message. She wanted him to hurt himself and be out of commission for awhile. Two could play that game.
"Darlin', it only hurts if you're the one who thinks entirely too hard about it. You obviously do think too hard since you over-analyze every little deatil..."
"I over-analyze every little detail?"
"Yes, Creed, you over-analyze every little detail," he repeated with a malice grin that made her stop. He knew he'd succeeded in drawing her into a fight especially from the rigid set of her shoulders and the thin line her mouth had made.
"Oh and you dont, Mr. I-Don't-Think-That-Boy-Is-Safe-For-Rogue? The girl is seventeen-years-old, Logan! Another thing...there's nothing wrong with me beyond my split personality. Why were you telling Xavier that I have mental issues?" Nanaki demanded, glowering up at him. She stood still for a minute then started again, pointing one finger at him the entire time she talked. "Another thing. I'm sick of your holier than thou routine... there's no way you're as perfect as you make yourself out to be in that head of yours. Plus you have funny looking hair!"
Logan just blinked. "Do you ever shut up? I mean, do you ever shut up and stay shut up?"
Can we kill him now, Nanaki?
Shut up, Celesta. Go take a nap or something.
Touchie.
"What's it matter to you? You think I'm the evil Lord Voldermort sent to murder your precious, little mutant children..." She cringed after a moment, realizing how that sounded. It didn't exactly sound nice especially if Katherine had mentioned anything about her background to either Logan or Xavier. "That came out wrong."
He blinked. "What's an evil lord voltthemorgue..?" he asked, staring at her like she'd lost her mind.
"Nevermind. It's a character out of a book series, Logan. What exactly is it that you hate so much about me?"
Logan shrugged and started walk again. "You can't pick your relatives."
"Amen to that," she mumbled after following into step beside him. She tried to ignore the new chant Celesta was coming up with inside her head: kill him, kill him, kill him. "Would you just SHUT UP?"
"I didn't say anything, darlin'. Is it some kind of requirement that the teachers at Ripley have a mental disorder or just can't get along with people?" he asked without breaking stride or looking at her.
"Bite me." She smacked him when he actually went to bite her. "It wasn't an offer."
"Then quit making it sound like one."
"I'm gonna offer you something in a minute..." Nanaki never finished the sentence because Logan kissed her.
She had an idea that it was just a way to make her shut up. It wasn't the kind of kiss that was exchanged betweens lovers or even just off-on boyfriends and girlfriends, like Angel and Juilus or Natash and Jax...but more a shut-up kiss. She didn't think there was much to complain about since he obviously knew what he was doing, closed mouth or not.
"Found a way to shut you up."
Nanaki waited a grand total of thirty seconds then slapped him, hard and right across the face. "Don't ever do that again," she said then stalked off, hoping he wouldn't see the fact that she'd turned almost beet red.
"Yep," he replied then walked ahead of her, coming out just ahead of her into the open area that had become their picnic grounds. He glanced around, watching Katherien and Xavier talk then realized something was wrong with the game of volleyball being played nearby.
The rules had broken. A lot.
"What part of play nicely without powers and without causing an unneccessary problem do you people not understand? Telekenesis, pyrokenesis, fire sparks, and tongue slapping ARE NOT part of Volleyball..."
The guilty parties looked up and dropped the use of their powers almost immediately, giving him something close to a wave. In the amount of time those guilty were distracted, the volleyball hit the ground and ended the game.
"Logan, you've ruined us!" Jubilee whined, giving him a look that could have melted ice, though she began focused on Robert and the others after a minute. Her expression went from whiny little kid into the in-love expression of a seventeen-year-old. "I think it's time we ate."
"Wait a minute...Nanaki, what were you and Logan doing in the woods?" Tara asked, raising an eyebrow in the direction of her friend and mentor. She propped her arms on one of Angel's shoulders, smirking.
Angel grinned and buried her hands even further inside her pockets. "Betcha I can guess, Tara. Nanaki and Logan sittin' in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love then comes marr---" She froze in mid-song at the look on Nanaki's face and hurriedly changed the ending to her song, trying not to grin so much. "Angel's shutting up now."
"Very good idea, Angel," Nanaki said, glaring at her.
"First comes love then comes marriage...then comes Nanaki with a baby carriage," Tara finished then gave a salute and took off toward the picnic area.
Why have we never killed them, Nanaki?
I don't know. Personal debt to society..? Maybe the rest of the world should get tortured by them...
The sound of humming and a familiar tune drew her attention to the picnic tables where different foods had been set up. It didn't take long to figure out exactly who was humming and why.
"Angel Elizabeth Blade, you hum one more bar of that I'm going to show you how nice Nanaki can be..."
"You can't take a joke, Nanakins," she called back with a grin, beginning to fill her plate with food.
"No Nanakins."
"Nanakins..? That's so cute."
"Bite me, Logan." There was silence for a moment then a suprised yelp followed by the sound of a smack. "You bit me!"
"You offered, Nanaki."
"You suck."
"Logan, Nanaki, not in front of the children! If you must fight that much...go on a date or something!" Xavier glared at them for a couple of minutes then returned to his conversation but turned back once, smiling, slowly. "Although, I believe a date would do both of you some good. Tomorrow you two will have reservations."
"What?!"
"That's not fair!!"
Lafayette State Park Bushes 4:30 p.m.
"Get your elbow out of my side, Toad!"
"Yo, quit fussin' with your hair, Pietro. It's not like it ever falls, yo."
Lance sighed, heavily then glared at them both, slamming his foot into the ground hard enough that it cracked in several different places. "Would you both stop fighting? God, it's all either of you have done since we got out of the car...and that was over half an hour ago!"
"Yo, you need a tic tac, Lance. Nothing personal but, yo, your breathe is kicking..."
Toad made a sound similar to the squeal of a pig when Lance grabbed the back of his shirt and tossed him almost across the street. He landed on his feet despite the strange angle he'd been thrown at, barely avoided hitting a tree, and glared at them again.
"Learn to take a joke, yo!"
Lance glowered at him then gave Pietro a look. "We're here to spy on the X-geeks and make sure Landon doesn't end up with them. If you two are willing to stop fighting for long enough to actually get something done..."
"He started it."
"I'm telling my father!" Pietro's words remained even after he'd taken off from behind the bushes, running fast enough that the bushes parted and blew in the wind.
"Go ahead, damn daddy's boy."
"I heard that!"
"I don't care!" Lance yelled back, ignoring the slight breeze that he felt. It was just another sign that Pietro had come back to whine some more.
Toad's coughing and chuckling drew his attention.
"What?"
"Dude, you have a WHITE REAR."
"PIETRO!"
Rogue appeared then and gave them all a look that could have sunk the Titanic. "Next time y'all idiots try a stake out....try to stay shut up," she said, shaking her head before walking off.
Lance had just opened his mouth when a bunch of ice came straight at him. "Not again," he managed before he froze. There was a shriek then three more statues followed, one crouched in the shape of Toad.
"Rogue, Bobby, what did I say about playing with strangers?!"
"Don't play with strangers especially those who look like the brotherhood," Rogue chanted, echoed by Bobby. "Especially the ones who look like the brotherhood."
"Ah, my children," Xavier sighed, clasping his hands together and smiling.
Random Line from the Next Chapter:
Unavaliable
End of Random Line
Jean Grey clutched a pillow over her head and tried to ignore the voice. It had taken longer than normal to get to sleep since she'd spent half the night staring at Damien from her position in the club. There was no way she could tell Scott the reason she hadn't answered any of his summons last night was that she was drooling over the wood shop teacher.
"RISE AND SHINE, CHILDREN! It's time for a picnic!" Logan's voice echoed through the halls along with the sound of knocking on random doors. The next sound was closer and at her own door. "Come on, Red....get up!"
"I'm sick," she called back without removing the pillow of lifting her head. She'd mastered sounding sick and making others pity her over the years. It was a good talent that had been further developed into her teen years. "I'd hate to make anyone else sick, Logan."
"Nice try, Red...but you're not sick. You're one of the main ones that Xavier wants to meet with the students. For some reason, he seems to think that you and Scott will make a positive influence with them," he said then began walking away. It was obvious he was walking from the sound of his boots thudding across the carpeted floor; even carpeting couldn't muffle them.
In that case, I should get up. I'd hate to have those poor children tainted when I could have helped them out... Jean got out of bed, took a shower that lasted forever then began pawing through her closet. It was a hard choice between the light pink shirt or the brighter pink but not nearly as hard as picking between the capris or long pants.
"Oh, well. It's a good thing that I look good in anything." She removed the next outfit she touched and got dressed, using the mirror to perfectly part her hair and apply flawless make-up to her face. She finished glossing her lips then kissed one side of the mirror, smiling. "Perfect, as always."
There came another knock at the door.
"I'm up, Logan!" she yelled back, pulling on a zip-up jacket and starting toward the door. She flung it open then smiled at the sight of Scott. He was dressed in the clothes she'd taken pains to iron last night and looked quite handsome. "Oh, Scott! You look just adorable," she greeted, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
Scott smiled. "Uh..thanks. You look very nice, too, Jean."
"Just very nice?" she huffed on their way downstairs, scowling slightly toward him. She flipped her hair over one shoulder. "Just very nice..?"
"I mean, uh....what's the right answer here?"
Jean huffed again and stalked downstairs, muttering and talking to herself. The scene before her didn't help to brighten her mood either. Members of the New Recruits and the other X-Men were gathered in the kitchen and living room, eating or running their mouths. It seemed that everyone had an opinion at that moment except Rogue who was reading a book while munching away on toast.
"And look, y'all. Here comes sleepin' beauty," Rogue drawled, looking up from her toast briefly then returning her attention to the book. "And the dog prince, too."
"You know I thought you were nice once upon a time, stripes..?" Logan offered the question and nicknamed endearment upon coming through the door with a couple of the others trailing behind. He walked into the kitchen and retrieved a mug of coffee that had his name printed on the side in finger paint. "Where did I get that idea?"
"Ya pulled it out of a hat 'cause all tha good little mutant children are supposed to be lovin' and givin' and get along with folks," came the response before she disappeared through the back door. Her voice was heard for a moment longer then silence came except for the sound of approaching wheels.
That girl has some definite anger management issues. We should start a class in that.... There's quite a few teenagers at Bayville who would benefit from spending time learning to control their anger, Jean thought after walking to the window with her cup of coffee. And half of the class just arrived.
Something similar to a tank or a hummer stood in front of the mansion. Taxi yellow and covered at the back with bumper stickers and things that hung on the windows. It looked like someone had shot a couple of bullet holes through the front windshield, though there was a certain unreal look to each of the holes.
"What are they doing here?" she asked, though the question was general rather than confinded to one or two people. No one responded to her inquiry except for something similar to a grunt from Logan.
Charles Xavier rolled into the room at that moment, giving his pupils a smile. "Katherine and I decided that today was a good day for a picnic. Rather than going by ourselves, we decided to invite all of you to go along for the occassion," he explained without hesitating or even losing his somewhat smug expression. "It seems that the Ripley students will be with us longer than expected. The damage to their school was more severe than a first look showed..."
"How much more severe?" Scott asked, looking up from his beverage glass. His expression gave away nothing but that might have been because of the milk mustache that outlined his face. "It wasn't that bad, was it, Professor..?"
He nodded, slowly. "I'm afraid it was or is. The entire right wing of the school was destroyed, including the music room... it seems that half the ceiling collapsed inward and destroyed quite a few musical insturments," he explained then motioned toward the door. "It is time to go, my young ones."
"And you can just feel the joy radiating from them, X.."
"Sarcasm is a useless cause, Logan."
"Sarcasm is a useless cause, Logan," Logan mocked behind his back without saying the words. He moved his mouth in the same manner before following the professor and students out of the mansion. "Why does Rogue get to use it..?"
"She's sixteen, Logan. You're well over a hundred."
Lafayette State Park 1:30 p.m.
"Y'are aware that y'look like part of the mafia, right, chere?" Remy Lebeau took another darg off his cigarette then focused on his companion. It wasn't that she ignored him but more that her attention wavered quite often.
Angel scoffed, looking up at him from beneathe the hood that covered most of her face. It was connected to the black hoodie that covered her normal clothes, falling a third of the way over a pair of jeans. "This from the guy that walks around in a trenchcoat and combat boots? And you say I look like part of the mafia..? HA."
"You're another rather mean femme, aren't you?"
"Another?" she asked, laughing at the note of desperation in his tone. "How many do you know?"
He held up one hand, fingers sticking out from several different cut out areas. He began to count off members of the female sex then held up a finger for each girl he named. "Rogue. Wanda. Samantha. Jean...that femme's just torture to put up with. Caitlin. Nanaki."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You tried to get a date with NANAKI?" Angel demanded with another laugh then fell off the bench from laughing to hard. She remained sitting on the ground but looked up at him with a shake of her head; she motioned with one hand. "Gimme two."
"Huh?" He leaned down, thinking that she'd meant for him to help her up. Instead of taking his offered hand, she smacked him in the back of the head twice then stood up to look around. "Femmes just aren' nice to Remy anymore."
"Maybe learning to speak English correctly would help..?" she offered, glancing around for a moment. Her attention settled on the imitation volleyball court that had been set up between a couple of trees where her classmates were crowded. "Ooooh, volleyball. Later, Rems."
The Nature Trail 1:40 p.m.
"Stop mocking me, squirrel!"
Logan recognized the voice even before he came upon the figure it belonged to. He glanced up at the tree and the so-called mocking squirrel, though it seemed rather harmless. The owner of the voice looked much more harmful then the poor squirrel she'd begun to threaten.
"I told X you had some issues of the head to sort out but...I didn't know you threatened helpless, little animals," he said, delibertly baiting her into fighting. He knew it would work especially since they'd gotten five minutes away from the kids without someone dying or whining too much. "Maybe it's unsafe having you in an enviorment with other mammals."
"Bite me, Logan." Nanaki glared at him then turned back to the squirrel, shaking one fist in his direction. Her expression remained fierce and determined. "I'll get you one day, squirrel!"
There was a chittering sound before the tiny mammal ran off, tossing several nuts down. A couple barely avoided hitting Nanaki's head, though she still glared and shook her fist after the squirrel.
Logan moved toward her with his mouth open then found himself being glared at and her full attention now focused on him. "What's wrong, darlin'? You offered.... I think your last words were 'bite me, logan'," he told her, grinning.
Nanaki stalked past him, silently. "If I weren't on a temporary break from cursing, at Katherine's insist, mind you, I'd tell you exactly where you could stick your biting," came her response despite the amount of distance she'd put between the two of them. "What do you want? Did you agree to come find the mentally screwed up Nanaki Creed as payment for something bad you've done and are trying to get forgiven for..?"
He rolled his eyes, fighting the urge to smack her. If it had been Stripes or another of his students he might have except this was the living, disowned neice of his somewhat immortal enemy. A bad person to do physical harm to.
"Problem, Logan..?"
"I think you need some therapy since you're walking around threatening squirrels," he replied after falling into step beside her. He wasn't sure if they were going in the right direction until they passed a tree, baring something like a wet stain on the lower part, though it was really a marking of his territory.
Nanaki didn't respond beyond a quiet, "he started it."
And I thought Rogue could give the silent treatment. This one makes her seem almost normal...note the almost. Almost normal. Well normal as a mutant without the ability to touch can be. Normal as any mutant could be.
"Stop thinking so hard, Logan. We'd hate for you to get hurt and be unable to torture the students," she said, though the words conveyed a deeper message. She wanted him to hurt himself and be out of commission for awhile. Two could play that game.
"Darlin', it only hurts if you're the one who thinks entirely too hard about it. You obviously do think too hard since you over-analyze every little deatil..."
"I over-analyze every little detail?"
"Yes, Creed, you over-analyze every little detail," he repeated with a malice grin that made her stop. He knew he'd succeeded in drawing her into a fight especially from the rigid set of her shoulders and the thin line her mouth had made.
"Oh and you dont, Mr. I-Don't-Think-That-Boy-Is-Safe-For-Rogue? The girl is seventeen-years-old, Logan! Another thing...there's nothing wrong with me beyond my split personality. Why were you telling Xavier that I have mental issues?" Nanaki demanded, glowering up at him. She stood still for a minute then started again, pointing one finger at him the entire time she talked. "Another thing. I'm sick of your holier than thou routine... there's no way you're as perfect as you make yourself out to be in that head of yours. Plus you have funny looking hair!"
Logan just blinked. "Do you ever shut up? I mean, do you ever shut up and stay shut up?"
Can we kill him now, Nanaki?
Shut up, Celesta. Go take a nap or something.
Touchie.
"What's it matter to you? You think I'm the evil Lord Voldermort sent to murder your precious, little mutant children..." She cringed after a moment, realizing how that sounded. It didn't exactly sound nice especially if Katherine had mentioned anything about her background to either Logan or Xavier. "That came out wrong."
He blinked. "What's an evil lord voltthemorgue..?" he asked, staring at her like she'd lost her mind.
"Nevermind. It's a character out of a book series, Logan. What exactly is it that you hate so much about me?"
Logan shrugged and started walk again. "You can't pick your relatives."
"Amen to that," she mumbled after following into step beside him. She tried to ignore the new chant Celesta was coming up with inside her head: kill him, kill him, kill him. "Would you just SHUT UP?"
"I didn't say anything, darlin'. Is it some kind of requirement that the teachers at Ripley have a mental disorder or just can't get along with people?" he asked without breaking stride or looking at her.
"Bite me." She smacked him when he actually went to bite her. "It wasn't an offer."
"Then quit making it sound like one."
"I'm gonna offer you something in a minute..." Nanaki never finished the sentence because Logan kissed her.
She had an idea that it was just a way to make her shut up. It wasn't the kind of kiss that was exchanged betweens lovers or even just off-on boyfriends and girlfriends, like Angel and Juilus or Natash and Jax...but more a shut-up kiss. She didn't think there was much to complain about since he obviously knew what he was doing, closed mouth or not.
"Found a way to shut you up."
Nanaki waited a grand total of thirty seconds then slapped him, hard and right across the face. "Don't ever do that again," she said then stalked off, hoping he wouldn't see the fact that she'd turned almost beet red.
"Yep," he replied then walked ahead of her, coming out just ahead of her into the open area that had become their picnic grounds. He glanced around, watching Katherien and Xavier talk then realized something was wrong with the game of volleyball being played nearby.
The rules had broken. A lot.
"What part of play nicely without powers and without causing an unneccessary problem do you people not understand? Telekenesis, pyrokenesis, fire sparks, and tongue slapping ARE NOT part of Volleyball..."
The guilty parties looked up and dropped the use of their powers almost immediately, giving him something close to a wave. In the amount of time those guilty were distracted, the volleyball hit the ground and ended the game.
"Logan, you've ruined us!" Jubilee whined, giving him a look that could have melted ice, though she began focused on Robert and the others after a minute. Her expression went from whiny little kid into the in-love expression of a seventeen-year-old. "I think it's time we ate."
"Wait a minute...Nanaki, what were you and Logan doing in the woods?" Tara asked, raising an eyebrow in the direction of her friend and mentor. She propped her arms on one of Angel's shoulders, smirking.
Angel grinned and buried her hands even further inside her pockets. "Betcha I can guess, Tara. Nanaki and Logan sittin' in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love then comes marr---" She froze in mid-song at the look on Nanaki's face and hurriedly changed the ending to her song, trying not to grin so much. "Angel's shutting up now."
"Very good idea, Angel," Nanaki said, glaring at her.
"First comes love then comes marriage...then comes Nanaki with a baby carriage," Tara finished then gave a salute and took off toward the picnic area.
Why have we never killed them, Nanaki?
I don't know. Personal debt to society..? Maybe the rest of the world should get tortured by them...
The sound of humming and a familiar tune drew her attention to the picnic tables where different foods had been set up. It didn't take long to figure out exactly who was humming and why.
"Angel Elizabeth Blade, you hum one more bar of that I'm going to show you how nice Nanaki can be..."
"You can't take a joke, Nanakins," she called back with a grin, beginning to fill her plate with food.
"No Nanakins."
"Nanakins..? That's so cute."
"Bite me, Logan." There was silence for a moment then a suprised yelp followed by the sound of a smack. "You bit me!"
"You offered, Nanaki."
"You suck."
"Logan, Nanaki, not in front of the children! If you must fight that much...go on a date or something!" Xavier glared at them for a couple of minutes then returned to his conversation but turned back once, smiling, slowly. "Although, I believe a date would do both of you some good. Tomorrow you two will have reservations."
"What?!"
"That's not fair!!"
Lafayette State Park Bushes 4:30 p.m.
"Get your elbow out of my side, Toad!"
"Yo, quit fussin' with your hair, Pietro. It's not like it ever falls, yo."
Lance sighed, heavily then glared at them both, slamming his foot into the ground hard enough that it cracked in several different places. "Would you both stop fighting? God, it's all either of you have done since we got out of the car...and that was over half an hour ago!"
"Yo, you need a tic tac, Lance. Nothing personal but, yo, your breathe is kicking..."
Toad made a sound similar to the squeal of a pig when Lance grabbed the back of his shirt and tossed him almost across the street. He landed on his feet despite the strange angle he'd been thrown at, barely avoided hitting a tree, and glared at them again.
"Learn to take a joke, yo!"
Lance glowered at him then gave Pietro a look. "We're here to spy on the X-geeks and make sure Landon doesn't end up with them. If you two are willing to stop fighting for long enough to actually get something done..."
"He started it."
"I'm telling my father!" Pietro's words remained even after he'd taken off from behind the bushes, running fast enough that the bushes parted and blew in the wind.
"Go ahead, damn daddy's boy."
"I heard that!"
"I don't care!" Lance yelled back, ignoring the slight breeze that he felt. It was just another sign that Pietro had come back to whine some more.
Toad's coughing and chuckling drew his attention.
"What?"
"Dude, you have a WHITE REAR."
"PIETRO!"
Rogue appeared then and gave them all a look that could have sunk the Titanic. "Next time y'all idiots try a stake out....try to stay shut up," she said, shaking her head before walking off.
Lance had just opened his mouth when a bunch of ice came straight at him. "Not again," he managed before he froze. There was a shriek then three more statues followed, one crouched in the shape of Toad.
"Rogue, Bobby, what did I say about playing with strangers?!"
"Don't play with strangers especially those who look like the brotherhood," Rogue chanted, echoed by Bobby. "Especially the ones who look like the brotherhood."
"Ah, my children," Xavier sighed, clasping his hands together and smiling.
Random Line from the Next Chapter:
Unavaliable
End of Random Line