That very night before the rehearsal, all the girls in the mansion gathered in Rogue's room to discuss the play they were doing.Well, with the exception of Jean, who Rogue had "accidentally" forgot to invite. But nobody missed her anyway.
Ok, well, some noticed she wasn't there, but she wasn't sorely missed, if that's what you're getting at.
Oh yeah, and Anna wasn't there either. Duh.
Jubilee: I can't believe Anna's doing this to us!
Amara: I can't believe the adults are letting her get away with it!
Rogue: I can't believe she gave me the lead in yet another dumb play!
Amara: What was Mr. McCoy thinking!
Kitty: I don't think the adults like, knew she was going to traumatize us all.
Rogue: Well, now they know, don't they!
Jubilee: To give them due credit, they're being terrorized, too.
Amara: Just on a smaller scale. What kind of credit is that, anyway?
Jubilee: An idiotic kind?
Amara: Glad you know.
Rahne: Actually, I think it's only Miss Munroe who doesn't particularly like this thing. Professor Xavier seems to enjoy having a part in the play.
Jubilee: Rahne? Get it into your head. Everyone calls her Ororo, not Miss Munroe, with the exception of Jamie and that's only because he's younger than you and feels obliged to call her that.
Rahne: Yeah, sure. Whatever.
Amara: Professor Xavier's only enjoying his part because he has what, only two lines in the whole play? That's like, the size of Radnum (AN: my invented city, I bet it doesn't exist) compared to Nova Roma!
(Everyone stares at her)
Amara: (visibly exasperated) The capital of Nova Roma? Heaven knows I've mentioned it a million times.
Jubilee: (under her breath) That's cause we weren't listening.
Rogue: What are we going to do about it?
Jubilee: Wing it?
Amara: I suppose we could protest…
Kitty: Like, that wouldn't work.
Rogue: Why not?
Kitty: Did you hear what she threatened to do to me when I protested about my role?
Rogue: Oh yeah, she threatened to scorch you to bits. Good point.
Rahne: I say we go along with it.
Everyone else: WHAT!
Rahne: It is for the good benefit of the orphans on Christmas. She did mention that. Has it occurred to you that maybe she's just trying to make this perfect for them?
Rogue: Obviously not.
Jubilee: Well, when you put it that way…
Amara: Although I sorely intend to burn her alive after this, I'll give it a shot.
Kitty: That like, goes double for me.
Rogue: Fine. I'll give this dumb play a shot. But I'm warning you, I'm not standing for any nonsense.
Kitty: Like, don't warn us. Warn Anna.
Rogue: I think I'll try to change my role anyway.
Jubilee: Good luck. You'll need it.
Rogue: Gee, thanks for your confidence in me. Not.
Jubilee: You're welcome. Not.
Kitty: Ahh, sarcasm. We meet again.
Logan: (knocks on door) I hear voices in there! You know what Anna said!
Jubilee: Great, now she's got LOGAN working for her?
Amara: (opening window) Shut your yapping and let's get out of here!
Rahne: Yeah, I gotta get back to my money.
Jubilee: WHAT! Money!
Rahne: Did I say that? Er…I meant...honey! You know I love honey!
Amara: …
Jubilee: Rahne, you're allergic to honey.
Rahne: No, I'm not.
Amara: You are. You got rashes when you used my moisturizer fortified with honey. For a whole MONTH, I must add.
Jubilee: Does this have something to do with Anna's sneakiness and her giving you money?
Rahne: You'll never get anything out of me!
Jubilee: Wanna bet? (lunges at Rahne and both fall out the window)
Amara: Those idiots! (follows suit)
Kitty: (looking out the window and seeing the ensuing fight) Ow. Ororo's not going to be very happy about those rose bushes tomorrow. Those thorns are sharp!
Rogue: I'll say. They're all melted, thanks to Amara and Jubes.
Kitty: Who knew Rahne could be bribed? By money, no less.
Rogue: Well, you never know people. But I know one thing for sure. Anna's not going to be happy when we show up tomorrow bleary-eyed.
Kitty: Better sleep, huh?
Rogue: Huh.
The following day…
Mostly everyone was twitchy that very morning, but Rogue, Kitty, Scott and Jean seemed to have come back fresh and early. Logan was just having his sixtieth cup of coffee as he resisted the urge to slice through the table as he listened to Ororo moan about her rosebush which seemed to have melted mysteriously in the night. Ororo was complaining bitterly about how she suspected Roberto of doing it, even though we all know he didn't.
Meanwhile, the New Recruits were glaring bitterly at their own breakfasts, save Sam and Roberto, who remained pretty much oblivious as they chatted away. Ray and Bobby, whose windows were near the rosebushes, had spent their precious sleep attempting to stop the girls from getting into a fistfight, resulting in a bruise on Jubilee's neck and her body and scratches on Rahne's arms and legs. The boys, however had sustained a few blue-blacks, and Ray had a black eye, but he had managed to avoid Logan's detection and Bobby had helped by contributing some ice.
Anyway, back to our story and away from the painful parts, although there will be many to come in the story…
Anna: Right, let's get on with this, shall we?
Rahne: Anna, shouldn't everyone be involved?
Anna: Yees….I'm the producer, if that's what you're getting at.
Rahne: No it's not. Jamie doesn't have a part!
Jamie: Rahne! Shush!
Anna: Oh yeah, he doesn't. (checks script) Okay, he can be the narrator.
Jamie: (sticks tongue out at Rahne) Yaaaahh!
Rahne: Unfair.
Anna: Places, everyone!
Rogue: I ain't going to take another lead in another stupid play, Anna!
Anna: I didn't spend my money and two weeks photocopying this book and making it into a script, Rogue.
Rogue: Don't play the guilty card. I'm still not doing it.
Anna: Fine.
Rogue: Huh?
Anna: Jean! Do you want the lead part!
Rogue: You what?
Anna: Face it, Rogue. Even if you did take the part, you wouldn't do it very graciously-
Rogue: Oh, yes, I would-
Anna: It's the truth.
Rogue: I would do a great job!
Anna: Actions speak louder than words.
Rogue: I didn't agree to give up my part. I'll take the part, ok?
Anna: I knew you'd see it my way.
Rogue: Wha-?
Anna: Places, everyone!
Rogue: That's not-
Anna: Forget it. You can't back down now. Ok! (addresses cast and crew) Anyone got any complaints?
Cast: YES!
Anna: Take 'em away. I don't want to hear them.
Scott: What do you mean by bringing the Loserhood in?
(Everyone breaks out in protests)
Anna: Shut up!
(Nobody listens)
Anna: (unleashes fire powers) SILENCE!
(Crickets chirp)
Anna: Much better. Now. (Inhales) What's wrong with me asking the Brotherhood to help?
Scott: You know they'll burn everything down, Anna!
Anna: They will?
Cast: YES, THEY WILL!
Anna: Don't you think they deserve a chance?
Cast: NO, THEY DON'T!
Anna: Scrooges. Well, it's up to me to decide who plays who, and I decided to ask them. Satisfied?
Cast: NO!
Anna: This is going to be a very hard time for me, isn't it…
(Sound of doorbell ringing)
Anna: Ah. That must be them now. Bobby, will you get that, please?
Bobby: I jolly well will not!
Anna: Haha, nice joke, whatever, go!
Bobby: NO!
Anna: You asked for this.
Bobby: Yow! What was that for!
Anna: Sometimes, all you need is a healthy dose of fire to get things going.
Bobby: You could have just asked.
Anna: Would you have done it if I asked politely?
Bobby: Er…no…
Anna: Exactly. MOVE IT!
Bobby: Alright, alright…
(Doorbell rings more insistently. Fred is about to break down the door and brings his hand down just as Bobby opens the door)
Bobby: Right, come on in, you-ooh…
(Collapses on the ground in a dead faint)
Fred: (Leans in closer) I think I killed him.
Lance: All the better. Now move it, Fred!
Fred: Yeah, but still-
Todd: Move along, yo, nothing to see here.
Fred: Alright, alright, I'm moving…
And so, the merry troupe moved along down to the "stage". Did I mention that the stage was in the Danger Room? Yeah, things were going to get a lot more painful if the mutants got in trouble, if you get my drift…