Author's Note: Hey readers! I'm sorry it took me forever to update these. But I was sick recently and I've been trying to do a million things at once. I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about. Well, here it goes... R & R!!

Chapter 8: Party with Pietro

Thirty minutes later, Alara walked out of the front door of the school looking around for Pietro. She heard a quiet burst of air behind her and spun around to see him standing about an inch behind her.

"Pietro! How'd you get here so fast?" she gasped.

He smiled.

"I'm a mutant like you are," he offered, slyly. "Wanna see what I can do?"

Alara smiled and nodded. Suddenly, he scooped her up in his arms and walked over to the sidewalk.

"So carrying people is your ability?" she teased, to hide her surprise.

Pietro smiled.

"You just wait and see," he replied.

He leaned over and took off. His speed was so amazing that Alara was pressed against his body. She pressed her face against his chest in fear and closed her eyes tightly. Pietro smiled evilly as she pressed against him. When he finally slowed down, he was standing in front of the Brotherhood's building.

Alara opened her eyes when the wind stopped and looked around.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"My home," Pietro answered, carrying her into the building.

He set her down inside the doorway, closing it behind them and, unbeknownst to Alara, locked it. She walked around the home, looking at it curiously. Noting all the dirt, she assumed that they had no one to look after them.

"You must be thirsty from our trip," Pietro said. "I think you would like this."

He handed her a mug full of a bubbling red liquid. She looked at it suspiciously.

"Go ahead," he urged. "It's perfectly fine. See? Watch."

He took the mug from her and took a drink. She smiled and drank the mug down quickly. She looked around the room she had stopped in, which was a living room and sat down on a couch. As she flopped down, dust shot up from the cushions, causing her to sneeze. Pietro walked over and sat close to her on the couch. Putting his arm around her shoulders, he asked, "So. What do you think of my place?"

"Honestly?"

"Yes."

"I think it needs to be cleaned."

Pietro laughed.

"Tell that to the others who live here. THEY'RE the slobs. Not ME."

Alara smiled and looked at him.

"Aren't you supposed to be at school?"

"Naw. They won't miss me."

"What do you mean?"

"Uh. I'm not the best student."

"But you seem smart to me," she replied.

"Yes, but I don't do my homework ever and I never really actually do anything at school."

"Oh."

Pietro looked around the house thoughtfully.

"So…. What are your abilities?"

"Abilities?"

"Yeah. You were sitting next to Kitty. Most newbies at the institute get pinned with Katherine."

"Oh."

"So what are they?"

Alara smiled evilly.

"You sure you want to know?"

Pietro grinned.

"Yeah. Sure."

She stood up quickly.

"Okay. Watch carefully."

She spun slowly around for a dramatic effect as she transformed. Pietro blinked in surprise as she slowly turned into an exact copy of him. In his voice, Alara asked, "What do you think?"

"Y-y-you're like Mystique!"

"Who?"

"Uh… she's just another mutant."

"Oh. But can Mystique do this?" she asked. Suddenly she jumped on the couch, ran around the room, and ended up directly in front of Pietro's face before he could blink once.

"T-th-that's my ability!"

Alara nodded happily.

"Isn't it great?" she asked, still using his voice. "And no one knows about it but you!"

Pietro's eyes gleamed, mischievously.

"Really?" he asked.

"Well, they don't know I can copy other people's abilities, but they do know I can transform into animals at least. But I can copy anything I have seen before! And Xavier can't read my mind or track me because of my father!" she exclaimed happily.

"Who was your father?" Pietro asked, getting even more interested.

"Um. Well, his name was Amon Nakia. Everyone makes such a big deal about the fact that he's a descendant from En Sabbath Nur and so was my mother, Aten. Don't ask me how that worked out, but I'm basically Nur's descendant. For some reason, people are afraid when they find out."

Pietro smiled even wider.

"Really?"

"Yeah!" she exclaimed, excited that he was glad to watch her perform.

No one ever watches me perform! This is so wonderful! she thought.

"I'm going to change back now, if you don't mind. Being a guy is kinda weird."

Pietro shakes his head.

"Go ahead. I'm not stopping you!"

Alara smiled and began to transform, changing back into her normal self, when suddenly a loud crash echoed through the house and Kurt tumbled down the stairs into the living room.