Tides of Change: Chapter Seven
The Three M's
Mutants, Mirages, and Misfits.
RogueFan: Mr. Flores is acting suspicious isn't he? What with the calls and stuff… Rick and Tom are a hand full. I should know, I made them. They've probably burned the store to the ground by now, and poor Mikael is hiding in a tree somewhere.
Mikael: You realize she's only going to get crazier.
Thanks for the reminder Mikael! Hey RogueFan, can you recommend a cage to keep muses in? The ACME one I got isn't working!
GAH! Another mistake! Okay, Jenny-Lynn's birthmark is on her left palm, and not her arm. The rest of the stuff I got right. Except for Todd's last name, it's supposed to be Rice, but I like Hayden better.
Jenny woke up with a screen of cold sweat covering her body. Rain tapped against the window in an endless onslaught. She struggled to get out of bed, the sheets sticking to her like tape. After a brief life and death struggle she managed to untangle her self and went to the bathroom. The mirrored cabinet was hanging open; Todd wasn't very good at keeping things clean. She sighed and swung it back around, looking at her face in the mirror. Long brown stick straight hair, roundish face, and green eyes-
Wait.
She leaned in closer to the mirror. Green eyes! She had brown eyes! She was almost positive! She stared at the mirror. Something had to be wrong with it. Yeah, that was it! Something was wrong with the mirror that made it change only the color of her eyes. Right. Keep it up genius. The sink faced the single window in the bathroom, so when something moved outside it Jenny froze. Something was climbing up the wall outside the house opposite to them. It was hard to make out, what with the late hour and rain, but it was freaking' huge. It caught the light from the window, and turned to look in.
It was a Drone.
The thing braced itself against the wall a jumped at the window. Jenny screamed and ducked as glass shards flew past. She felt the floor reverberate as the thing landed on the floor. She looked up in horror. The thing looked down, its red eyes flashing as it scanned her.
Subject: Jenny-Lynn Hayden
Age: 15
Project number: 180
Capture and Bring back alive. Initializing in Five...
It cocked one of it's arms at her, metal hand vanishing into a long tube. She couldn't move, just lay there staring at the monstrosity.
Four...
The light clicked on in Todd's room.
Three...
"Jenny? What in the seven levels of Heck is going on in there?"
Two...
"Todd! Help!"
One.
Gas poured out of the tube, engulfing Jenny with a knockout drug. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she lost consciousness.
Help...
The thing picked her up and slung her over its shoulder. Todd came out of his bedroom, sleep forgotten at his sister's cry for help. He ran into the bathroom just in time to see the Drone pick her up.
"Jenny!" he yelled, "Get away from her Tin man!"
What Todd planned to do to the robot was never clear, and to this day Todd can't even vaguely recall how he was going to get his sister back. All that he needed to know was that he wasn't going down without a fight. The robots eyes flashed again as he scanned Todd.
Subject: Todd Hayden-PULL OUT! PULL OUT!
Twin rockets ignited in the Drones feet. With the comatose girl still over it's shoulder it flew out the window, narrowly dodging the fist Todd swung at it. He raced over to the window, almost jumping out it before he came to his senses.
"JENNY!"
Mirage was seriously starting to doubt her sanity. Yes, she had said she wanted a part in ANY sort of field operation, but this was not what she had in mind. Sitting in prickly grass and sand while getting pounded on by rain at two something in the morning had that effect on people. She shifted position in the scrubby grass. That stuff HURT. Just like the burr covered suit on her body. Again she tried to get comfortable, again, no success.
"So, anyone care to remind me what the heck we're doing?" She asked.
"Shut up dog-botherer!" A small shrub hissed to her left.
"Our soul goal is to avenge our class-mate and partner in crime, Jinx!" Mammoth said. "We shall wreak a horrible, yet swift vengeance upon the malfunctioning pile of diodes that is Sirrah Cyborg!"
"Yeah, yeah, we can all see the dictionary Mammoth." Mirage said.
"Shut-up black eye." The behemoth sulked under the brush. She could just see his amber hair though the leaves.
Mirage scowled. She didn't like being reminded of her strange eyes, the only thing that kept her from being normal. Well, that and her shape shifting/hallucinogenic powers.
She looked around her. Gizmo and Mammoth had 'cleverly' disguised themselves as bushes. Mammoth had stuck twigs on him with some tree sap, (promising a later show as he tried to get them off. Gizmo had already sold Mirage a ticket.) While Giz had gone for a small, portable tent with some mud slathered leaves on it. Mirage had an easier time. A simple image of a bush and she was done. Apparently it was a very effective (one bird had already gotten a nasty shock). The rain had lathered the dust in between the grass into a thick mud, adding onto the list of sanity doubts.
"So, what are we going to do again?" She asked, pulling her soaked hair into a high ponytail.
Gizmo finished tinkering with a small metal cube that he'd been messing with for the past few hours. He held it up to the dim light, it's chrome surface glowing slightly.
"Okay, from what I can tell with our spy cams, "He indicated a monitor that had a bleary picture of the interior of Titans Tower on it, "Something's happened and their gonna go check it out. Big tap dancing whoop." he said. "On the up shot, this means that we've got no snot eaters to avoid when we get in there. Or at least when you get in there." He turned to dig something out of a sack beside him.
"Me?" Mirage asked, "I thought we where all going in!"
Gizmo snorted. "Yeah right. Mammoth over there couldn't sneak into a war zone, and I'm too important. Besides, you've got shape-shifting abilities. All you have to do is go in, set a few pranks/traps up, try and get some information from the computer, and get out! It'll be a cake walk!"
"Yeah, long, painful, cakes walk." She muttered.
Gizmo snorted, "Quit yer grousing. It's not like we're sending you in unarmed!" He took out a long slightly thick rod and pushed a button. The thing shot put and nearly tripled its length. It was now almost as tall as Mirage was, coming to a stop about three inches from her five foot nine. Three sharp spikes were arranged in a triangle, a distantly glowing hole in the middle. Some pale orange light briefly illuminated the wet grass. It looked powerful, it was pretty, and it was shiny.
It was also love at first sight.
"Hey! Do you guys know what a harlequinade is?" Mammoth spoke up from his hiding place.
"No."
"Two points for me!" Mammoth cackled gleefully.
Mirage looked at Gizmo. "Did I miss the part where we agreed to play a game?"
Giz looked at the heavens, his goggles deflecting raindrops. "Just go with it," he muttered. He snapped back to the task at hand. "This little baby is, well, I don't really have a name for it. I made it for Jynxes birthday, but due to some unforeseen technicalities," He coughed, "Let's just say that it's been rotting in my closet and I didn't want to throw it out." He shrunk it back down and tossed it at Mirage. "It's incredibly strong, flexible, and those prongs on the end make good grips. It was originally supposed to respond to Jynxes thought patterns, but I got it to go for yours."
"Meaning...?" she asked, flipping the thing around in her hand. It had a good weight.
"Good Gog don't you ever listen! You'll be able to shoot energy blasts from the ends! Gah! I said it like, three times!" He ranted.
"No you didn't." Mirage snarled.
Gizmo stopped. "I didn't? Huh. Imagine that. Anyway, you can control the intensity and shape of the things with your mind. You can do little bombs, a solid stream, the sky's the limit."
She slipped the thing into her pocket. "Thanks. I-"
Something interrupted her. A distant whirring of an engine could be heard from the island. Two headlights pierced the gloom as a floating T-car set off.
Mammoth stood up as soon as it was out of view. He stretched his huge arms, trying to banish the aches that had accumulated after hours of sitting doubled over in what little shelter his camouflage provided. Gizmo flicked a switch on his backpack, setting it into a hover about four feet off the ground. Mirage showed off a little, going from flat on the ground to a headstand, and then bringing her feet down to touch the ground. Neither of the boys so much as cocked an eyebrow.
"You'd better get going before they come back." He said, "719 is a good plan, but it takes awhile to set up." He clapped a huge hand on her shoulder. "Wish I could help ya."
Mirage offered a weak smile and shoved the hand away. "So do I."
Misfit: Textbook definition.
(1) To fit badly
(2) The act or condition of Misfitting
(3) Anything that misfits, as a badly fitting garment
(4) A person not suited to do a job, associates, Etc.
(5) A maladjusted person.
That's what you would get if you looked up the word Misfit in the dictionary. What you would probably get if you asked anyone on the street would be 'Huh?' 'Who are you?', or even 'Have you seen my socks?'
Both of these are completely different from the answer you get around the G.I. Joe base, the Pit.
Ask anyone of these heroes's, except for maybe Snake eyes, and they'll tell you their definition of the word 'Misfit'.
Here are but a few.
"Misfits? Those nuts that TP'd the Mess Hall last weekend."
"I know one of them had a tea-party with nukes."
"The loons steal my coffee every once in a while, I know that much. Hey, wanna try some? Come on! It's tasty!"
"THEY STOLE SERGENT SNUFFLES! Er, I mean..."
"Three of them have a pet brick. A pet brick!"
"Misfits? Sometimes I think it was the worst Idea I've ever had. And then I realize that I don't have to pay the bills!"
"The Misfits are good kids deep down. Really, really, really deep down."
"Okay, last night, I heard this noise coming from my dresser okay? So I just, ya know, decide to go check it out. You know what I see? This weird little robot is eating my underwear! No kidding!"
Snake eyes response is a little different. He takes a step or two away from you, holds up one finger, and then pretends to choke himself. It's quite entertaining, try it sometime.
Anyway, you probably get the idea. The Misfits are famous. (Or infamous. Same Dif.) But are they really as bad as people make them out to be? What are they like, once you get tot know them? Let look and see.
"PIETRO GIVE IT BACK!"
"We're gonna need the fire extinguisher!"
"Wait your turn!"
"I am not here. I'm in the Bahamas. I am relaxing on a beach, and oh look at the starfish!"
"Yay! Barney!"
"NO! NO MORE BARNEY!"
Just the same, apparently.
Two boys came crashing down the stairs. One is taller than the other by a foot or two, with shoulder length brown hair. He's wearing ripped blue jeans, a black t-shirt, a brown leather vest and fingerless gloves. His name is Lance Alvers, codenamed Avalanche for his destructive Geo-mancing powers. Before the Misfits had been formed, his former boss, Magneto, had administered a highly potent mutagen drug to Lance while he was sleeping. While the mutagen did have the desired effect, the after math of this was devastating on him both physically and mentally. It was determined that because of the drug, his powers would be forever evolving, often causing the teenager to have violent seizers and occasionally hallucinate. The most prominent of these was a talking silver Coyote that sounded exactly like his teammate, Pietro Maximoff, but we'll get to that later. MUCH later.
"I can't believe you talked me into this, Todd!" Lance groaned as he ate up the steps. "If Lina and Angelica find out what we did, they are gonna KILL us!"
His companion, a small, lithe boy with sandy brown hair and amber eyes hopped, yes, hopped rapidly down the stairs. A black tank top, two matching studded bracelets, baggy blue jeans, and a black bandanna with gold Japanese Characters spelling out 'Warrior' on it made out his attire. Right next to an old, faded stuffed frog named Hopper, it was his prized possession. He sent a glare at his friend.
"What, you want them moping around, yo? I've had it! If they ain't gonna wake up and smell the pheromones, which is no picnic, then someone's just gonna have to do it for them!" He grinned, showing his off-white teeth, "Besides, that's a big 'If'."
"Why?" Lance said to the world in general as he and Todd burst through the back door, "Why are you my friend? Why can't I have better friends?"
Todd made a face, "You couldn't do any better and you know it." He said.
Lance rolled his eyes. Truth be told, he wouldn't want anyone else by his side when the chips were down, but that didn't mean that he had to voice his opinion.
They dove behind a bush. Todd peeked out and studied the back of the house carefully.
"They should find 'em right, about, NOW!"
Twin screeches echoed from the house. Lance dropped flat on the ground, trying to blend in with the earth. Todd shrank down a little, but his two amber eyes were still trained on the house.
"Okay, we'll need to establish an alibi." Todd scratched his head. "Alright, how does this sound? We were practicing, um... something..."
"Bravo. On core." Lance said sarcastically and pushed deeper into the ground. Maybe they would believe he tripped or something... "Got anything else?"
"Er... no." Todd said.
"I'm gonna die..."
Angelica flew down the stairs. Clutched tightly in her hand were two tickets with the words 'Phantom of the Opera' printed in black ink on the side.
"Cover girl, Cover Girl!" The red-haired mutant touched down on the ground and ran into the kitchen, carefully avoiding the grape-jelly land mine left over from Shipwrecks battle with Beak and Claudius. She stopped in front of the table, where a woman with long auburn hair was flipping through a magazine. The woman looked up as one of her adopted daughters slid to a halt in front of her.
"What is it Angelica?" Cover girl asked. "And I swear if it has anything to do with Gerbils I'll-"
"Look what I found in my room!"
She waved the tickets in Cover Girls face. Dazed and slightly dizzy, the Tank mechanic finally managed to read the words on it.
"Phantom of the Opera? Hey, that's great!" Cover girl said, "You've been wanting to see that!"
Angelica hugged the tickets to her chest. "Yep! Somebody just left them on my bed!" She gave her caretaker a look out of the corner of her eye, "Hey, since there's two, you wanna come with? There for later this evening."
Cover girl bit her lip. "Oo, sorry Angelica. I've got a date tonight. Finally." She muttered. Picking up the magazine again.
Angelica stared at her, "You finally got Low light to go on a date with you?" She said. "Wow. And you only had to ask him what, seven thousand times?"
The older woman playfully swatted at her. "Away with you." She said. "Go ask someone else if they wanna go."
Out in the garden...
"Uh-oh."
Lance looked up. "What was that?"
"Nothing." the amphibious mutant squeaked.
"Nothing my foot! You said 'Uh-oh!' What was the uh-oh for!"
"Did we leave on ticket or two in Angie's room?" Todd asked.
"Uh-oh."
Back in the house...
BAM!
"So that's what they mean by 'Do not store under sink'. Huh. Who'd a guessed?"
"Well the Triplets are off the list." Angelica muttered. "The last thing I need is a golden apple scenario."
The Misfits had been studying Greek mythology of late. Shipwreck had been teaching them since all the other handlers had decided that this was the one subject he could do the least damage in. Shipwreck was a slightly crazy, loudmouthed navy man who also happened to be the father of five mutants. His black hair and love for fighting had been passed down to all of them. Since Beak was adopted he had a chance to grow up normal. Or as normal as someone who looked like a giant bird could be. Beak was only two years old, but his mutation was already painfully obvious. Shipwreck had rescued the feathered tyke while on a reunion with some of his old navy pals. Beak was being used as entertainment in a bar, and had come to the Misfits with a broken arm and distrustful nature. Although the arm had long healed, Beak was still weary of people he didn't know.
Beak was the youngest of the Delgato's; the oldest was also the leader of the Misfits, Alethea 'WaveDancer' Delgato. Taller then Todd with shoulder length black and blue hair, Alethea was born and raised on G.I. Joes army base. She knew everyone there by name and knew the best places to hide until pranks blew over. Alethea was a second-generation mutant, which meant she had her parent's abilities in addition to her own. Since her father was not a mutant she, and her siblings, had inherited the ability to breathe under water. Alethea was also a Hydrokinetic, but in the long run much preferred her ninja training for use in battle.
The Triplets where next in line. Brittany, Daria, and Quinn were seldom seen without one another. They were immensely powerful telepaths, as well as Ninjas-in-training and first-rate pranksters. They all had jet-black hair styled slightly different. Daria had her long black hair pulled back in a ponytail on the right side of her head, Quinn had captured hers on the left, and Brittney had apparently decided to copy both of her sister's styles and gone for pig-tails. They seemed to like nothing better than inventing weird stuff and annoying their older sister.
Claudius was the youngest, right next to Beak. Claudius, or as Todd liked to call him, Little C, looked like a normal baby, except for the fact that his hand and feet were seal flippers. Xi, a mutant who could read another's power by touching them, predicted that, like his older sisters, he should have a form of telepathy when he gets older.
"Alethea? ALETHEA!" Angelica poked her head into the girl's room. The Hydrokinetic was on her bed, pillow clamped down to muffle the sounds of Arcades insane laughter from the next room over. Arcade was a human with amazing technological-skills. He was, however, certifiably insane. His room was right next to Alethea's, and lately Arcade had been cackling for no apparent reason at all hours of the night.
Angelica walked over and pulled the pillow off of Al's head. Several hairs followed it, clinging to the cushion with static electricity.
"Please God, I just want some sleep! Just one night, that's all I'm asking!" Alethea was staring into space, and didn't notice Angelica for a full minute. She shook her head. "Oh, hey Firestar." she said.
"Um, hi." Angelica was beginning to think that maybe she should ask someone else. Alethea, at that moment, looked like she would have happily beheaded someone.
Alethea sat up and stretched, her Chinese coin earrings clinking together. How she had hair that long and never got it tangled in her earrings, Angelica never knew. The girl was wearing her regular dark blue tank top and blue jeans, but the jacket and gloves had been put aside.
"What can I do ya for Red?" Alethea asked.
"I've got some tickets to a showing for the Phantom of the Opera, I was wondering if you wanted to come along?"
"Sounds like fun." Al said, "When's the movie?"
"Tonight at seven." Angelica said.
"Nope, sorry, I've got Dojo training with my Toddles." She got a far-away look in her eye. "Private Dojo training. All alone. No-one else-"
"Okaygottagobye!" Angelica ran out of the room before the conversation went any further. Todd, or as Alethea called him, Toddles, was Al's boyfriend. They had met about a week after Todd had been abandoned by Magneto. Claudius had gotten away from the 'Watchful' eyes of Shipwreck and was running loose in the base. Todd had found him and after hastily explaining to his irate sister that they were just playing, the two had become friends.
A silver steak flashed by her in the hall, whipping her hair around. Close behind it was Wanda Maximoff, or the Scarlet Witch as she was called on a mission.
"GIVE ME MR. STUPID BACK!" she bellowed. The lights over-head flickered. Wanda was able to alter reality with things she called 'hex bolts'. These glittering blue energy orbs could cause walls to crack, things to float, light bulbs to explode, turn regular ground into quick-sand, even stop another mutant's power from working! However, she could only do this if she could move her hands. She was wearing her trademarked red vest/shirt, black jeans, Ankh earrings with a matching necklace, and a bunch of bracelets. A stray blast of energy chased after the blur, her brother Pietro. "I'LL KILL YOU!"
"Wanda and Pietro are off the list." Angelica muttered. "Like I'd take him anyway."
Pietro 'Quicksilver' was gifted with super speed, a power much different from his twin sisters. He often used this to play pranks, but he also used it for sewing, oddly enough. He had white hair and blue eyes, so when he ran it looked like a silver streak.
"Hehehehehehehehehe!" Arcade cackled again. He really wasn't very good at it.
"And Arcade is not even an option." She shuddered.
She went to the only other girl on the team that might be available. Lina Dragonfly Chakram's mutation, (Insect like wings, antennae, and a sort of string that she shot from her mouth,) had shown up almost at the exact same time hers did. The two had been fast friends ever since Lina had come after Firestar when she was captured by the F.O.H., and Angelica had given Lina's birth parents a good chewing out for hitting their daughter. Lina had bone-white hair with mocha colored skin, and eyes that where completely green. Her antennae perfectly matched her skin, and she was a bit shy around people. If she wasn't able to go, Angelica was almost out of options.
She knocked on the door to Lina's room.
"Come in!"
She opened the door. Spyder was standing on a footstool; modeling an outfit that Lina had just finished making the night before. Spyder was about the Triplets age, with Grey skin, Grey hair, Grey eyes, in fact, the only thing that wasn't Grey about her was her attitude. Spyder could stick to walls and fire electrical webbing from her wrists, like her hero Spider-man.
"Hey Angie!" She waved. "What'd ya think of my uniform?" She turned around to let her see it from all angles. "I'm finally old enough to go on missions!"
"Oh, Huzzah!" Angelica said sarcastically. It went right over the younger girls head though.
"Spirit and Storm Shadow both say she should be able to handle some of our more quiet missions, like stake outs and such." Lina stood back and admired her work. "She asked me to help her make a uniform. I like it!"
Angelica looked at it. It was one-piece jump suit, tight around the torso and arms, but loosening out around the legs. A belt made of silver metal hung loosely around her waist. The main color was black, contrasting sharply against her pale skin. A collar draped loosely around her neck, showing off a black choker with a silver spider on it. Bright red straps, like you would find on a G-suit, outlined the torso, some small pouches hanging off of them. (One of them had the words 'Property of Beachhead stamped on the side. Angelica decided not to comment.) Two thick blue stripes ran down the sides, starting from under her arms.
"Been watching Spider-man news reports?" Firestar asked. Spyder stuck her tongue out at her sort-of sister.
"Very nice." Angelica said. "You've outdone yourself Lina."
The insect-like mutant blushed. "Thanks. So Angelica, why'd you want to talk? I have to get ready to go soon."
"Go were?" She asked.
"I'm going to go see a musical with Freddy," she said, blushing again. "Little Shop of Horrors is playing. Apparently he's seen it before."
Angelica deflated. "I was going to ask if you wanted to see the Phantom with me, but I guess you've got other plans." she looked at Spyder, "Do you wanna go Kiddo?" she asked.
The girl grinned and shook her head. "Sorry Angie. The Triplets want me to help them with an invention, I'm booked solid all evening."
Angelica sighed. "Okay, thanks anyway."
She trudged back down the stairs. Well, that was it. No one was left to ask. Okay, technically she could have asked Lance, but due to an incident (that the author would like to remind everyone that they cannot write it out because the threats of third degree burns and rock slide have now joined forces with phasing half-way through walls and severe poundings. To which the author would like to add, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN YOU SUCKERS!) Neither of them felt very comfortable around each other, and was more than willing to keep their distance. So that left no one. Xi was away with Storm Shadow sorting some things out in Japan, so he was out of the question from the start.
Suddenly she stopped. No one...
...Among the Misfits.
She raced to the phone, punching in some numbers rather quickly. Three rings later a click told her someone had picked up.
"Hello, Xavier institute." A thick Russian accent answered the phone.
"Hi, Peter? This is Angelica. What are you doing tonight?"
To be Continued...
I'm Ba-ack! Didja miss me? Well, there seems to be further indication that the author had a story in mind when they started this! Next, we find out what Brother Blood has been doing, a cameo from some well-known twins, Todd H goes for help, and yet another universe! (Except I only added this one because I needed the warm bodies for what I have in mind.) Stay tuned as I attempt to draw this story together!
Robin: Yeah, that'll happen!
You, are so dead mister.