(Sweatdrop) Hehehe… I hate my computer . It has a virus on it that's trying to kill me. KILL ME I SAY (twitch). So yeah, I'm uploading these two chapters, but it might be a while until more are posted because I can't risk saving any more files onto my hard drive. Curse you aquasc- VIRUSES! On a side note… some of my reviewers went poof on me (tear). Where did y'all get? Or maybe it's me and I'm just imagining it XD. Oh well. Hey! G! I'm so halfway through 'Enter Mayhem' and I'm LOVING IT! I told you once summer hit I'd be on your stories! I was planning on giving you a full review once I finished it! Ok, I'm gonna go now! My computer is… growling… (glares).
Multifan- Wee yes Travis is an OC. I wish I could have picked out an actual Evo character, but I haven't seen the show in years do to its cancellation…and I seriously have the memory of a goldfish when it comes to names. So… OC! Hehe. Yeah, Rogue does somewhat understand what the two think, but she has absorbed a lot of people… she could at one point get all the people confused. That's what I was trying to write: Rogue wants to trust Pietro for Mary's sake, but she knows he's evil. She sees how he's been acting, but she doesn't know why. It's all totally off for her and she doesn't know how to handle it… And yeah! Lance can be a bit smarter than Pietro at times cause he doesn't let his pride get in the way, doesn't mean he's any less evil though!
Fireinu- dun worry! Rogue'll definitely watch out for the speed demon.
Agent-G- I kinda have qualms about Kitty and Lance myself, and I showed a bit that Kitty did too. I didn't write that their relation ship was perfect, nor did I write that he was abusive and mean. I just wrote that it was… hectic. The two dated off and on throughout Evo, and there was no doubt that while the two liked each other, there was definitely some issues in the relationship. All I did here was transpose it to writing. Oh, and I plan later on elaborating their powers further!
Brandy Lebeau: I'm kinda iffy with Pietro! Sometimes he can seem OK, and others I want to strangle him. I'm trying to figure out how to straddle the line in this story.
Howlerdrode- Of course she'd absorb Tabitha! The one person she doesn't need in her head is the one she's gonna get lol. It's Murphy's Law.
I ADORE Y'ALL! Don't ever stop being awesome reviewers
Rogue awoke the next morning and immediately was overwhelmed by the same feeling of dread she felt upon drifting off to sleep last night. She sat up in bed and glanced around the room, looking for any sign of trouble. There was nothing there. Through the dim morning light she saw Kitty curled up on her side asleep, clutching her stuffed dragon.
Shrugging off the feeling, she threw her covers off softly and glanced at the clock, 5:30. She knew she wouldn't be able to get back to bed, so she decided to go ahead and get a shower to beat the morning rush. She grabbed her clothes and makeup and made a beeline to the bathroom, and then to the kitchen to enjoy the quiet.
She arrived downstairs, fully dressed, to see her sister half asleep on the table while reading the morning paper. Rogue paused before entering the kitchen, not wanting to interrupt her peace, but she went in anyway after a moment.
"Can't sleep?" She asked as she went to the fridge. Mary jumped, and nearly fell out of her seat.
"Huh? Oh… I'm used to getting up this early on weekdays… it's a habit I guess." Mary explained as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and turned the page. Rogue glanced at her and saw she was exhausted, and questions arose.
"Yah sure? Yah look exhausted… Yah could get tah bed and sleep another hour." The older girl offered.
"And have Tabitha's nightmares? I don't think so." Mary shrugged it off and shook her head. She was still relieving some of Tabitha's memories in her sleep, most of them unhappy ones with her father. The conversation died for a few moments before Rogue noticed Mary beginning to nod off again.
"Hey." Rogue snapped her fingers under Mary's nose, causing her to yelp.
"What was that for?" Mary snapped, scooting her chair back.
"Yah're about tah drool on tha Sports section! What's up with yah? Yah've seemed weird tha past few days!" Rogue came back just as fierce.
"Its just school! I didn't realize how much people tormented mutants there! Especially new mutants! I'm still getting used to my powers, and Tabitha's personality is heckling me!" "I'm trying to respect you by avoiding Pietro, and ignore my feelings for him…" She thought to herself, not daring to speak it aloud.
"Who's bothering you?" Rogue asked, her voice steely.
"Just… I don't know their names… juniors and seniors I think." Mary guessed, not wanting to unleash her sister's fury onto the deserving teenagers.
"Yah should tell someone if they're picking on yah." Rogue told her, sipping on a glass of milk.
"I've handled bullies before… it's no big deal." Mary replied curtly, beginning to feel tired of the little sister role. Rogue heard the ice in her voice and decided to change the subject.
"Yah said your powers are acting up?" Rogue asked. Ok, she changed the subject; she didn't intend it to be a more pleasant one.
Mary knew this is whom she needed to talk to about her powers. Rogue understood them, and she had been in Mary's position before most likely. The truth was, she still had residual effects from absorbing Tabitha. She had heard of Rogue's breakdown with her own powers, and she was afraid of that happening. "I… its just… do you ever have some people linger longer on the surface of your mind more than others?" She asked.
Rogue snorted. "Yah mean Tabitha? Yeah… she's got a pretty strong psyche. Don't worry if you're still feeling her; it took me a week to push her away. She tires yah out with all her yammering doesn't she?" She assured, reaching across the table and tucking Mary's hair behind her ear with her gloveless hand.
Mary breathed a mental sigh of relief; so she wasn't having a breakdown yet. Tabitha was just stubborn. When Rogue touched her, her skin tingled. It wasn't often that she felt someone else's skin. Of course Rogue made a habit of holding her hand every so often; Mary cherished the feeling of someone else's flesh on her skin. Her sister had told her the lack of skin contact over the years had nearly driven her insane, and Mary could see why. She was just thankful Rogue didn't want her little sister to experience the same feeling.
Rogue saw the wave of relief wash over the younger girl, and a swelling of happiness built within her. She really felt like a sister at times like these, and not just another housemate. She had built a relationship with her long lost sibling surprisingly quickly, and that had shocked her as well as the rest of the Institute. She felt a connection with her sister that she didn't feel with anyone else, and she relished it. "So… did Ah help?" She chuckled.
"A lot, actually… thanks." Mary smiled, clutching her sister's hand for a moment before releasing it and putting her own hand in her lap. The two shared a comfortable silence with each other until the other teammates came down and began the rowdy ritual of breakfast. Mary was seriously debating going back to her room for a few extra minutes of sleep, but before she realized, it was time to leave for school.
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Pietro sped into the school parking lot, his bag slung carelessly over his shoulder. Moments later Lance, Toad and Blob pulled up into the parking space next to him. "You losers left me at the house and I still beat this hunk of junk." The speed-demon snorted, kicking the tire of Lance's Jeep.
"Hey, we woulda got here sooner if Toad hadn't flagged us down in the middle of the street cause he missed the ride." Lance retorted, glancing at Todd.
"Shut-up! I get one shower a month and the one morning I get it, you leave me!" He snapped, shooting his tongue in Lance's direction. The brunette ducked, and the boy's green tongue instead landed on something near the garbage can. "EW!" He screeched as the paper came back and smacked him in the face. He ripped it off his appendage and stared at the flyer. "Yo, listen to this: Film Festival at the park. Fun for the family… No cost necessary but a good time." He cracked up. "Man, who goes to those lame things?" He asked rhetorically.
"The X-Men." Pietro's eyes narrowed, focused on something behind Toad.
"Seriously? I know they're lame, yo… but still? You think they'd be caught there?" Toad asked, not noticing that the attention was off him. Pietro walked past him and snatched the flyer out of his hands. "Yo! Where's the respect?" He demanded as the paper was ripped from him.
Pietro abandoned his housemates as he saw the X-Men break up and head for their separate lockers. He located Mary and sped up to her. "Hey!" He greeted cheerfully, happy that he had finally developed a plan to end his mission.
Mary's eyes lit up when she saw him. "Hey, Pietro." She replied. Her voice was airy, and he knew he must have seriously charmed her already. Who couldn't help but fall for the sexy mutant? He smiled to himself; despite the fact that this mutant was seriously damaging his social stature, it was quite amusing to see her respond to him.
"Look at what I found." He continued on, holding the flyer in front of her. "I know it sounds kinda cheesy," "Kinda cheesy? God… I sound like a 1950's sitcom. Golly Mary, will you go to make-out peak with me?" He simultaneously thought, but continued on before the pause caused suspicion. "But it should be pretty cool. I think some of the students have entered. I was wondering if you wanted to go with me? I can't do anything like this with the other Brotherhood… they think it's lame." He explained, putting a hopeful look in his cold blue eyes.
Honestly, Mary thought it might be lame as well, but maybe they could go get coffee or something afterwards. Hell, it was time with Pietro, how could she refuse? She was about to reply with a resounding yes, when her mind flashed to her sister. Rogue would definitely refuse to her going off by herself with Pietro Maximoff. "But… it's not like he would do anything to me! He can't rape me… I would kill him easily. I'll take my cell phone too in case something does happen, which it won't because Pietro is such a sweet guy. I don't see how she could see him as evil…" She thought to herself. She could sneak away this one time; nothing would happen. She would just tell Rogue that Amanda Sefton had asked her over to get to know her better. It was true, ever since Amanda had found out that Kurt had a 'little sister' she had been begging for Mary to come over. Mary had refused politely the first few tries because she was nervous, but was seriously beginning to accept the offer. Amanda was sweet, and Mary thought she might like her.
So, she decided, tonight she would just tell Rogue that Amanda had invited her over. Mary would instead go with Pietro, and she would get home without anyone getting any wiser to where she actually was.
Pietro scanned her eyes. Mary had been silent for a few moments, and she seemed in a daze. He hoped he hadn't just messed up the reputation he had built with her and would have to start from scratch again. If that happened, he would scoop her up right here and speed her to Magneto. "Mary?" He waved his hand in front of her eyes.
Mary blinked and flinched away from his hand, not liking the surprising closeness. "Oh… sorry. Sure! I'd love to come. Could you meet me here at…" She paused and grabbed the flyer. "Six?" She read.
"Here?" Pietro repeated.
"Yeah." Mary nodded. "I don't think some people would appreciate you up at the mansion," She grimaced at her bluntness. "And… I don't have any idea where the Brotherhood house is. Here's common ground for both of us, and pretty easy for us both to get here." She explained.
"Sure… makes sense." "Why the hell she would want to really meet here on Friday night is beyond me." He thought. "So… front doors at six. I'll see you then." He smiled warmly and winked. "We need to get to class before we're both late though." He gestured to the clock and patted her on the head before speeding down the hall, invisible to the students and leaving only a breeze in his wake.
"A DATE! …Sorta. This is AWESOME!" The two-tone mentally cheered before hurrying to her locker for books. There was a spring in her step that wasn't previously there, and her brown eyes were glowing with excitement.