Red Witch: I'm sure it will recover... eventually...
RogueFanKC: Not so much a trainwreck as... well... You know.
Chapter 2: Fun With Astronauts
"Now... why did you bring your stuffed cat?"
"Mr. Stupid is my friend."
"You named him 'Mr. Stupid', yet he's your friend?"
"Do you want me to hex you into the next lane, Pietro? Because I'll do it!"
"Wanda, there will be no hexing of your brother while the bus is in motion. Pietro, stop mocking your sister."
Behind the squabbling twins, Lance sighed. "Why me?" he asked. "What did I do in a past life?"
"Who says it was a past life?" joked Althea.
"Funny," Lance replied, rolling his eyes.
The Misfits and their handlers were in a big green bus, heading down the highway, looking for... signs. Preferably signs that would tell them just how lost they were.
"Why did we let Shipwreck drive, again?" sighed Cover Girl.
"Because we're stupid," replied Low Light with a groan.
"Mmph!" Shipwreck tried to say. It was difficult, what with his being tied up in the back of the bus with a gag stuffed firmly into his mouth.
The gang was on their way for a tour of Cape Canaveral, in Florida. As it turned out, Hawk knew a general who knew a general who had a favor owed to him by the administration of NASA. He was able to arrange a private tour for the Misfits, scheduled to last for two days. Two days of peace and quiet, as far as he was concerned.
"I mean, Beach Head I can understand a little," Pietro couldn't hold it in. "The bear's his only friend. But you don't even carry your cat everywhere you go."
"Mr. Stupid wanted to come on the trip," Wanda stuck her tongue out at her brother. "He's here to help me."
"You're beyond help," grinned Pietro. "Ow!"
"Thank you, Mr. Stupid," smiled Wanda.
"Cover Girl," whined Pietro, holding the back of his head, "Wanda hit me with her stuffed cat!"
"Tell her you're sorry," Cover Girl said absently. She pointed at an exit ramp they were passing. "I think we were supposed to turn there."
"I know where I'm going!" snapped Roadblock. "I've been driving this route a long time!"
"Yeah," grinned Low Light. "Through rain, sleet, and snow."
"In Florida?" Cover Girl raised an eyebrow.
"Well, rain, anyway," Low Light shrugged.
"Ha, ha," Roadblock said drily. "It is to laugh."
Todd and Althea were sitting next to Lance in the back. Fred was sitting in front of the twins, with Xi next to him. Arcade and Brittany were next, then Daria and Quinn. Low Light and Cover Girl were in front of them. Roadblock was driving. And next to him, in the front passenger seat...
"I don't know why I even had to come," grumbled Beach Head. "I don't even like these kids!"
Cover Girl grinned. "General Hawk said that you need to get to know them better," she reminded him.
"I swear he's out to get me," moaned Beach Head.
"At least you've got Sgt. Snuffles along," Low Light told him.
"These maniacs will probably try to kidnap him again," muttered Beach Head.
Wanda spoke up. "Hey, Beach Head, we wouldn't kidnap him if he'd marry Mr. Stupid's sister!"
Beach Head spluttered while the other kids burst out laughing.
"Sister?" Cover Girl raised an eyebrow.
"Miss Pinkfuzzyslippers," Todd told her.
"Wasn't she the murder victim in that trial?" asked Low Light.
"Well, she wasn't really murdered," Todd rolled his eyes. "It was just a project!"
"Ah. I see," nodded Low Light. He leaned in close to Cover Girl. "Beach Head's right about one thing. These kids are insane."
"Says the guy who almost drove Xavier crazy?" smirked Roadblock, overhearing.
"Yeah, yeah," grumbled Low Light.
"Mmm mph!" said Shipwreck.
"We're not stopping at the bar, Dad," groaned Althea. "You honestly think we're letting you get drunk near spacecraft? Or do I have to remind you why we're banned from the city of Pittsburgh?"
"This sounds interesting," grinned Pietro.
"Mmph," said Shipwreck.
"That's what I thought," Althea said.
"We're here," announced Roadblock.
"All right!" cheered the Triplets, clambering to go down the center aisle and out of the bus. Cover Girl held them back with one arm.
"Remember, girls," she reminded them. "No messing with their machines, no inventing new machines, no using your current machines to interfere with their machines, and no launching any rockets."
"Awww..." moaned the Triplets.
"That takes all the fun out of the trip," complained Daria.
"You're telling me," moaned Quinn.
Brittany brightened. "Well, we can still-"
"And no experimenting on anyone or anything," Cover Girl remembered just in time.
"Never mind," drooped Brittany.
"How do you all do? I'm Mr. Sneedly, and I'll be your guide this morning."
"Hello, Mr. Sneedly. I'm Cover Girl, and these are the kids."
"Indeed. If you'll follow me..."
As they followed their new guide down a hall, Althea leaned in close to Wanda. "Todd, Xi, and I are all ditching. Wanna come?"
"Duh," grinned Wanda. The four suddenly turned around a corner, leaving the others.
"We don't have long before they notice we're gone," Althea said, "so we'll have to be quick."
"Quick is what I do best," grinned Pietro, zooming up to find them.
"All right!" exclaimed Todd, pumping a fist in the air. "It's party time!"
Soon, chaos reigned all over the compound as the others decided to join the six.
"Who ate all the dehydrated food packs?"
"Kid! No! That's rocket fuel!"
"Warning! Launch in fifteen seconds!"
"What?"
"Launch!"
"Launch canceled."
"Lunch is canceled?"
"That's launch, bonehead!"
"Hey, where'd all this water come from?"
"My cookies... I mean, nutrition bars are gone!"
"Where'd those muddy people come from?"
"Um... they're not just muddy!"
"Ayyeee!"
"Pink... horrible, horrible pink..."
"I'm telling you, I saw a huge lizard run through here!"
"Hey, where'd the shuttle team go?"
"Last I saw, they were being carried off by this really big guy!"
"Who's that flirting with all the women?"
"Dude, that's my mom!"
"Eww!"
"Where'd this slime come from?"
"I tell you, I saw two kids dancing on the ceiling!"
"Aaagh! Killer robots!"
"Sorry!"
"The cat... the cat..."
"What happened to the cafeteria?"
"Who just launched that rocket?"
"Ayyeee!"
"We heard you the first time!"
"Run! It's a tidal wave!"
"I am very disappointed in you," Cover Girl told them severely. "You've been a disgrace! Knocking over astronauts, launching a rocket... Honestly, you were being worse than the kids!"
Roadblock and Low Light hung their head. "Sorry," they muttered.
Beach Head was sitting in a corner, groaning. He was entirely covered in Velcro patches.
"And look at what you did to poor Beach Head!" continued Cover Girl.
"At least he can now carry Sgt. Snuffles and keep his hands free," sniggered Low Light. Roadblock grinned.
Cover Girl threw her hands up and exclaimed, "I give up!"
Suddenly, they heard shouting not far off. "Now what have the kids done?" moaned Cover Girl.
"Um... this time it wasn't us," Todd told her hesitantly. "We're all over here."
"Then what's going on?" wondered Cover Girl.
Next time: We find out what's going on, and have a wee bit of fun at the expense of Elvis. Tune in again, for chapter three of Misfits In Space!
Additional Note: This might very well be the last appearance from me for the next week or two, so I thought I should warn you not to expect another update for a while.