Night Flight

"Why?" Todd shouted. "Why do you want to keep us apart?"

"Todd," Pietro said in a frustrated tone, "how many times do I have to tell you she's nothing but trouble. With a capital 'T.'"

"She's my world!"

"That's just delirium talking."

"She cares about me! She loves me and I love her!"

"Toad would you listen to me?" Pietro yelled. "She's an X-Geek! She's psychotic! She is a thorn in our sides! She is a threat to this team! And I'm the leader and what I say goes!"

"Yeah, well being the leader doesn't change the fact that you're a bastard, a drunk, and a ego-maniacal jerk!" Todd shouted back. "And I'm never speaking to you again!" Todd then turned around and took the stairs three at a time to his bedroom.

"I just don't get Pietro." Lance sighed "Why are you so against this?"

"It's for the good of the team." Pietro said simply.

"Forget the team!" Said Tabitha. "Why can't you just be happy for him?"

"How could a hot chick like that go for him instead of me? It's not fair!" Pietro did a sudden intake of breath. He'd had this horrible truth pent up inside him for so long it had come out of its own free will. He was jealous.

Lance gaped at him. "SO, that's what this is all about?"

"Well," Pietro flustered. "Well that's only part of the reason… I mean…"

"You, you…" Tabitha searched for words horrible enough to called Pietro. "There isn't even a word that's been invented yet that describes what you are exactly, but you are one and a big one at that."

"I can't believe it." Fred said dumbly.

"I said that was only partly the reason." Pietro recovered. "I still stand by everything I said before."

"Hmph." Tabitha turned up her nose at him and left.

"Well Pietro, you got your wish," Lance glared at him. "I hope you're happy." And he left too.

Fred merely shook his head and left with the others. Pietro stood there staring after them. His dignity, his pride, was completely gone now. Everyone eventually went to bed that night. Everyone except Todd. When he heard the last bedroom door close and the muffled noises fade, he got out of bed and checked his clock. It was nine forty-five. He still had some time. He went through his closet and found a knapsack. He packed an extra set of clothes and his wallet (he thought about packing his box of special possessions but decided to leave it under his bed, he could always come back for it if he wanted to) and crept quietly down the stairs to the kitchen. He stocked up on food, filling his knapsack with stuff from both the refrigerator and the pantry. Once he thought he had enough, he tiptoed over to the front door and slowly pulled it open. It creaked slightly and he prayed it wouldn't wake anyone up. He slid through the crack he made between the door and the frame.

"See ya guys," he whispered as he took one last long look before pulling the door shut behind him.

Todd set off to the X-Mansion. It took him a few minutes to get there even after jumping on the roof of a car and having it carry him several blocks. Once he was finally at the gates his heart started to beat a little faster. He took a deep breath. Okay, here goes nothing. Then with a determined look Todd leapt nimbly over the fence and made his way to the huge house. He took his time, being careful not to trigger any alarms. He breathed a sigh of immense relief. He was standing right beneath Serena's balcony ready to climb when a voice called to him from the shadows.

"You're late," Serena said emerging into view holding her own bag of essentials.

"Sorry," Todd said apologetically.

"That's okay," She said smiling. "I would've waited forever."

Todd couldn't help but grin. "I would never keep you waiting that long."

She grabbed a hold of his hand. "Come on, I've turned off most o the defenses so we should be fine." So that's why I didn't get caught, Todd thought to himself. She led him to what appeared to be some sort of garage filled with different types of vehicles.

"Wicked," Todd breathed as he scanned the various vehicles.

"We'll take this one," Serena motioned to a sleek, dark blue motorcycle. Serena mounted the bike and Todd climbed on behind her. Their bags put in the equipment saddlebags on either side of the back tire. Once they were situated Serena handed Todd a helmet while slipping her own on. When Todd had slipped his helmet on she revved up the motorcycle, she tapped a button on the handle bars and the garage door silently slipped open.

"You ready?" Serena asked him.

"Anytime baby!" Todd said hyped.

Serena pulled the throttle and the bike quickly slipped from the garage into the darkness. They were half way to the main gate when an alarm blared over the noise of the motor bike. The house defenses were turned back on and the front gates they were heading straight towards were closing shut. Serena knew there wasn't enough time. Quickly double clutching to gear down and holding tightly to the brake, the bike skidded to a halt slightly bumping the closed gates. "Shoot," she muttered. "They must have discovered I'm missing, but no matter." She pulled the throttle again and headed into the trees dodging lasers and projectiles of all sorts. Todd helped her out by spitting slime at some them so that they backfired. Then, when she felt they had gained enough speed, she pulled the bike up on its hind wheel (Todd clinging to her for dear life) and drove the bike straight up the trunk of a slanting tree. They shot out of the branches and over the fence. The world seemed to slow for a moment before the bike's tires made contact with the top of a parked car before landing on the sidewalk. Serena steadied the bike and they veered off down the street.

"Whoo-hoo!" Todd crowed. "That was so sweet, yo!"

"Thanks!"

"Won't they be worried about you?" Todd asked.

"Yeah, worried that by morning we'll be half-way to anywhere!" Serena screamed to the sky.

The two of them rode all night and well into the day, stopping occasionally to rest, until they were miles away from Bayville. Todd was excited and yet anxious at the same time. He was happy to be back with his sweetheart again, but he kind of missed his friends already. Todd had known what he would be leaving behind and he wasn't about to change his mind now. They were on the road until thesun was fairly high in the sky. Serena pulled up to the first gas station they found. Unfortunately it was abandoned.

"We'll sleep here for now," she said parking the bike out of sight behind the station. "We won't be able to use our powers for a while or they'll track us with that thing they call Cerebro."

"I got plenty of food and money," Todd held up his knapsack.

"I have food and some blankets," She said pulling out two blankets and handing one to Todd.

"Then we should be good for a few days." Todd said.

"I'm starting to think this was a crazy idea." She said smiling a little. "I mean where are we gonna go?"

"I don't care where we go, as long as I'm with you," Todd told her. She gave a little laugh. The two of them set up their beds in a soft grassy area.

"Hey Todd, let's hold hands." Serena said.

"Hm…? Oh, okay." Todd said taking a hold of her hand.

"It makes me feel safe." She whispered softly.

"Yeah, I guess it does." Todd said closing his eyes.

The two of them laid together in the peaceful quiet with only the sounds of the birds, bees and other insects around them. After a while Todd found himself half asleep. He felt Serena's hand travel from his hand up his arm, feeling its way over his chest and to his neck. Suddenly it seized his throat and squeezed tightly cutting off his oxygen. His eyes snapped open to see Serena on top of him with a look of death that he had never seen before. In fact she didn't look like Serena at all. Suddenly she froze up. He instinctively kicked her off of him and rolled over on his stomach, trying to catch his breath. He looked over at Serena who now kneeling on the ground shaking violently.

"What the hell was that for?" Todd asked indignantly.

Serena stopped shaking and looked up at him with wide eyes. "Todd… I'm sorry."

"Why were you trying to kill me?" He asked her.

"I wasn't trying to kill you."

"Oh and I suppose you were just giving me a neck massage?" Todd asked sarcastically.

She closed her eyes. "Todd, There's something I need to tell you. Something you should know."

Todd surveyed her. "I'm all ears."

She took a deep breath. "I have…" Suddenly there was a ringing sound. Serena reached into her pocket and pulled out a phone.

"You have a cell phone?" Todd said confused.

"Of course." She answered it. "Hello?" she said into the phone. She listened for a moment and her face took on a look of surprise. "Rogue? How did you get my phone number?" Todd watched with a worried look. "No, forget it. We are not coming back." She listened again, her face turning angry, her eyes widened in horror. "What? How? Why? Alright. Okay I understand. I'll send out a signal right now." She turned off the cell phone with a strange expression on her face. Then she threw up her hands and sent two streams of water in the air.

"Serena, what are you doing?" Todd asked in surprise.

"We gotta go back Todd." She said in a pained voice.

"Why?" Todd asked.

She looked at him desolately. "My mother is dying."

Guess what? School's back so I'm not gonna have as much time to write, so if it takes me a while to post I'm sorry. But I promise you all, this story will be finished! You can count on it!