Disclaimer: Furor Paxx and VulgateOfEarth do not own the X-Men or any affiliates. All are the property of Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc and its various affiliates and partners. Phoenix Malcolm, Haiden Malcolm and all irregular characters are the sole property of Furor Paxx and are being used with permission.
~~ Pietro ~~
"Not good, not good, not good." The Xavier Computer had been dismantled, an obstacle that Pietro hadn't counted on. As he tried to think of a computer fast enough to make up for two minutes of lost time and still accomplish what the Xavier computer could, he dialed Mystique's cell to explain the situation to her. Little did Pietro know that even if the Xavier computer had been up and running at a thousand times it's best speed, the receiver would never be able to pick up the weak signal through more than a mile of sheetrock. And Todd was pushing the group deeper and deeper, into a lair that had lain hidden for centuries, guarded by a spirit that had plans for the unsuspecting mutants. All of them.
~~ Mystique, Blob, Kitty and Storm ~~
The army was taking no chances. When the word had gotten out that a nest of mutants had been discovered, captured and then escaped from the military compound, the President had sent the National Guard to calm the nation's fears. While millions of families around the world sat huddled in front of their TVs, Mystique and her crew were huddled in a ditch, watching soldiers who were armed to the tooth tear apart the cabin that they had barely escaped. Too frightened to speak, too confused to think, they crouched in the dark, knowing that if they moved they would be spotted, but if they didn't, they were doomed anyway. Mystique couldn't believe how fast it had happened, pure chance alone had placed them outside the cabin in time to see the choppers land and expel their lethal riders.
Mystique desperately wished Night Vision goggles had never been invented and cursed the inventor of infrared glasses. Her night vision was good enough that she could see several people pulling visors over their eyes and flipping switches.
Then the phone rang. Mystique went stiff and everyone turned to follow the sound. Now Mystique began praising every god she had ever heard of that she had left her phone on the table. But who would be calling her on her cell at this time of night? Pietro and Kurt… something had gone wrong and now they were going to be caught. Mystique found herself trembling at the thought. It bothered her that they would suffer now, because of…
Because of who? She didn't do anything. If she could have her way, she'd be at home, tucked in bed, or maybe she'd have a nice husband and would have fallen asleep in front of the fire in their huge three story house. Of course, if she could have her way, she wouldn't be a mutant, or at least people wouldn't be so paranoid about mutants. As one of the soldiers answered the phone, Mystique continued on that line of thought. If only humans weren't so resistant to change, she wouldn't be so miserable.
She was startled when Blob reached down and picked her up. Storm was already sneaking away with Kitty, now that everyone was focused on the phone call. Blob was surprisingly quiet for someone his size, which was only about four times that of an average person. They traveled in silence, Freddie carried Mystique under his arm like a sack of flour and Storm glided on a breeze with Kitty in tow. They cleared the forest in short order, only to find themselves back at Fort Braddock. Kitty burst into tears at the sight of the place and Mystique couldn't fight the pang of resentment towards the humans. Humans who chased them, humans who hurt them, humans who stood by and watched. One day, it would be nice for them to suffer, too. For now, the four mutants were just too tired to do anything but stand there.
"It isn't supposed to end like this." Storm protested.
"Was it supposed to start like this?" Mystique asked wearily.
"What now?" Freddie asked. Mystique doubted he had a philosophical bone in his body and she envied him. "Storm can escape with Kitty, Mystique can run off on her own. I'll distract them. Don't worry. I'll be fine. I'm the Blob." He proclaimed and puffed out his chest. His stomach wobbled its agreement. The three women couldn't help but grin at that and Mystique gave him a one in five hundred. After all, he was the indestructible Blob, wasn't he?
"Alright, divide and conquer. Where will we meet?"
"The old skate park. We've got some food and stuff stashed there and its got hundreds of tunnels and things under it. We could hide out forever." Mystique doubted that, especially with Blob's appetite, but she went along with it for lack of a better idea. "Now go. I'll catch up." He stood there at the edge of the forest and watched Storm and Kitty fly above the trees and to the south. It was just him and Mystique.
She looked at him, sensing that something profound would be appropriate, but lacking to words. Instead she gave him a quick hug and ran into the night. Blob stared after her, wishing that Pietro, Todd and Lance could have been there to see Mystique's display of emotion, wishing he could tell them somehow. But he couldn't, so he decided to take with him to the grave. He smiled and his eyes sparkled with tears. "It's our secret, Mystique. No one will ever know." The giant figured that Pietro had called from his house and that the National Guard would head there next. So he kept to the trees, and worked his way to Pietro.
~~ Pietro ~~
Something was wrong. Pietro could feel it the moment the phone rang for a third time. After the fourth ring Mystique picked up the phone.
"Hello?" she said.
Pietro paused. It was four-thirty in the morning and Mystique was no fool. She had no way of knowing it was him calling so she would act as though she had just woken up. And Mystique never used her real voice on the phone. She had had Todd install a voice tinner just to hide what her voice sounded like…
"Hey, is Benji there? He just left my party drunk as Hell and I don't know if Felicity dumped him on the side of the road or dropped him off." Pietro improvised.
"Benji? Oh yeah, he's here. Drunk as Hell, but in one piece." There was a murmur on the other line as though the speaker was being directed by someone.
"Mrs. Hale? Are you okay? I thought you didn't swear." Pietro summoned the name of his third grade teacher from his name and hoped Mystique and Freddie were alright. "Well, it is late. I'm sorry for waking you up, but I wanted to make sure he was okay, that's all. I'll see you in church on Sunday."
"Oh, all right dear, bye."
Pietro hung up. That voice was definitely not Mystique's. He packed his laptop and other essentials in a bookbag and stopped by the bathroom long enough to grab his brush and some floss. He paused to check his hair in the mirror and noted the bags under his eyes. "Definitely not good." He had just locked the door behind him when Freddie caught up with him.
"You're alright!" Pietro actually jumped for joy.
"No time, go to the old skatepark. Mystique, Storm and Kitty are waiting. Take them as far down as you can. To the buried city."
"But, where are you going? Aren't you coming? Freddie? Fred?"
"Gotta tell Todd. I'll be there in a little while, take care of the girls, 'kay?" Freddie called from halfway down the street.
Pietro just stood there. Freddie was going to die…take care of the girls…
Pietro couldn't take it. Everything was falling apart like a card house in the middle of a hurricane. "This is all happening too fast."
~~ Pietro ~~
"Not good, not good, not good." The Xavier Computer had been dismantled, an obstacle that Pietro hadn't counted on. As he tried to think of a computer fast enough to make up for two minutes of lost time and still accomplish what the Xavier computer could, he dialed Mystique's cell to explain the situation to her. Little did Pietro know that even if the Xavier computer had been up and running at a thousand times it's best speed, the receiver would never be able to pick up the weak signal through more than a mile of sheetrock. And Todd was pushing the group deeper and deeper, into a lair that had lain hidden for centuries, guarded by a spirit that had plans for the unsuspecting mutants. All of them.
~~ Mystique, Blob, Kitty and Storm ~~
The army was taking no chances. When the word had gotten out that a nest of mutants had been discovered, captured and then escaped from the military compound, the President had sent the National Guard to calm the nation's fears. While millions of families around the world sat huddled in front of their TVs, Mystique and her crew were huddled in a ditch, watching soldiers who were armed to the tooth tear apart the cabin that they had barely escaped. Too frightened to speak, too confused to think, they crouched in the dark, knowing that if they moved they would be spotted, but if they didn't, they were doomed anyway. Mystique couldn't believe how fast it had happened, pure chance alone had placed them outside the cabin in time to see the choppers land and expel their lethal riders.
Mystique desperately wished Night Vision goggles had never been invented and cursed the inventor of infrared glasses. Her night vision was good enough that she could see several people pulling visors over their eyes and flipping switches.
Then the phone rang. Mystique went stiff and everyone turned to follow the sound. Now Mystique began praising every god she had ever heard of that she had left her phone on the table. But who would be calling her on her cell at this time of night? Pietro and Kurt… something had gone wrong and now they were going to be caught. Mystique found herself trembling at the thought. It bothered her that they would suffer now, because of…
Because of who? She didn't do anything. If she could have her way, she'd be at home, tucked in bed, or maybe she'd have a nice husband and would have fallen asleep in front of the fire in their huge three story house. Of course, if she could have her way, she wouldn't be a mutant, or at least people wouldn't be so paranoid about mutants. As one of the soldiers answered the phone, Mystique continued on that line of thought. If only humans weren't so resistant to change, she wouldn't be so miserable.
She was startled when Blob reached down and picked her up. Storm was already sneaking away with Kitty, now that everyone was focused on the phone call. Blob was surprisingly quiet for someone his size, which was only about four times that of an average person. They traveled in silence, Freddie carried Mystique under his arm like a sack of flour and Storm glided on a breeze with Kitty in tow. They cleared the forest in short order, only to find themselves back at Fort Braddock. Kitty burst into tears at the sight of the place and Mystique couldn't fight the pang of resentment towards the humans. Humans who chased them, humans who hurt them, humans who stood by and watched. One day, it would be nice for them to suffer, too. For now, the four mutants were just too tired to do anything but stand there.
"It isn't supposed to end like this." Storm protested.
"Was it supposed to start like this?" Mystique asked wearily.
"What now?" Freddie asked. Mystique doubted he had a philosophical bone in his body and she envied him. "Storm can escape with Kitty, Mystique can run off on her own. I'll distract them. Don't worry. I'll be fine. I'm the Blob." He proclaimed and puffed out his chest. His stomach wobbled its agreement. The three women couldn't help but grin at that and Mystique gave him a one in five hundred. After all, he was the indestructible Blob, wasn't he?
"Alright, divide and conquer. Where will we meet?"
"The old skate park. We've got some food and stuff stashed there and its got hundreds of tunnels and things under it. We could hide out forever." Mystique doubted that, especially with Blob's appetite, but she went along with it for lack of a better idea. "Now go. I'll catch up." He stood there at the edge of the forest and watched Storm and Kitty fly above the trees and to the south. It was just him and Mystique.
She looked at him, sensing that something profound would be appropriate, but lacking to words. Instead she gave him a quick hug and ran into the night. Blob stared after her, wishing that Pietro, Todd and Lance could have been there to see Mystique's display of emotion, wishing he could tell them somehow. But he couldn't, so he decided to take with him to the grave. He smiled and his eyes sparkled with tears. "It's our secret, Mystique. No one will ever know." The giant figured that Pietro had called from his house and that the National Guard would head there next. So he kept to the trees, and worked his way to Pietro.
~~ Pietro ~~
Something was wrong. Pietro could feel it the moment the phone rang for a third time. After the fourth ring Mystique picked up the phone.
"Hello?" she said.
Pietro paused. It was four-thirty in the morning and Mystique was no fool. She had no way of knowing it was him calling so she would act as though she had just woken up. And Mystique never used her real voice on the phone. She had had Todd install a voice tinner just to hide what her voice sounded like…
"Hey, is Benji there? He just left my party drunk as Hell and I don't know if Felicity dumped him on the side of the road or dropped him off." Pietro improvised.
"Benji? Oh yeah, he's here. Drunk as Hell, but in one piece." There was a murmur on the other line as though the speaker was being directed by someone.
"Mrs. Hale? Are you okay? I thought you didn't swear." Pietro summoned the name of his third grade teacher from his name and hoped Mystique and Freddie were alright. "Well, it is late. I'm sorry for waking you up, but I wanted to make sure he was okay, that's all. I'll see you in church on Sunday."
"Oh, all right dear, bye."
Pietro hung up. That voice was definitely not Mystique's. He packed his laptop and other essentials in a bookbag and stopped by the bathroom long enough to grab his brush and some floss. He paused to check his hair in the mirror and noted the bags under his eyes. "Definitely not good." He had just locked the door behind him when Freddie caught up with him.
"You're alright!" Pietro actually jumped for joy.
"No time, go to the old skatepark. Mystique, Storm and Kitty are waiting. Take them as far down as you can. To the buried city."
"But, where are you going? Aren't you coming? Freddie? Fred?"
"Gotta tell Todd. I'll be there in a little while, take care of the girls, 'kay?" Freddie called from halfway down the street.
Pietro just stood there. Freddie was going to die…take care of the girls…
Pietro couldn't take it. Everything was falling apart like a card house in the middle of a hurricane. "This is all happening too fast."