Chapter 4
Lance: We're heeere!
Anna: It's about time. (glances at watch) You're late.
Todd: Late isn't in our vocabulary, yo.
Anna: Well, don't do it again.
Fred: Or else what? You're shorter than the rest of us.
Anna: (grins evilly) You have absolutely no idea of what I'm capable of, do you?
Pietro: All we know is that you're short, small, and have a big mouth.
Bobby: (staggers into the room) Where's the lorry?
Anna: (ignores Bobby) Have you noticed that the X-Men aren't here?
Lance: Yeah…
Anna: They're waiting to give you a present.
Todd: We have a PRESENT?
Anna: Actually, yes. Wait right… (positions the Brotherhood into a spot in the center of the floor)…here. Now hang on, I'll go get Jamie to cue up the present…or should I say PRESENTS. (smirks) Let's say you're going to start your rehearsal with a bang. What can I say, I'm generous.
Meanwhile in the control room….
Scott: She's giving the LOSERHOOD presents and torturing the rest of us?
Kurt: The nerve of her.
Jean: Can I please throw her out the window?
Kitty: She can like, fly, Jean.
Jean: Darn her powers.
Ray: I can't see, on account of trying to drag the girls apart last night.
Jubilee: Well, if Rahne hadn't accepted any bribes…
Rahne: If you hadn't pushed me out the window…
Bobby: (staggering into the room) Pretty birds…
Roberto: What is he talking about?
Amara: If we knew, we'd be geniuses everyday.
Anna: (walks into the control room) OK, Jamie, you can start the machines now.
Professor Xavier: Machines?
Mr. McCoy: Machines?
Logan & Ororo: MACHINES?
Anna: You're going to give me earache with your echoes. Yes, machines.
Jamie: Aye aye, Madame!
Jamie cues up the machines and the Brotherhood shriek girlishly as machines start blasting bolts at them. Jamie already made sure that the machines were only letting loose bolts that singed, not the training bolts the X-Men used. And the X-Men, at the Brotherhood's expense, were laughing.
And yes, that included the teachers.
Professor Xavier: Something tells me that this is wrong and I should be stopping it. But you know what? Who cares?
Kitty: Anna, this is hilarious!
Kurt: First thing you've done right in a long time!
And so the torture continues. Finally, Jamie composes himself and somewhere in a fit of laughter, switches the machines off. Anna is smirking as she let the X-Men out and goes to greet the Loser- oops, I mean the Brotherhood. Scott's rubbing off on me.
Anna: Told you that you'd start with a bang.
Pietro: I sincerely hope that you didn't do that on purpose.
Tabitha: (faints onto the ground)
Anna: I can't seem to find the present, though. Must have lost it. (shrugs) Oh well. Let's go for rehearsal.
The whole Brotherhood collapses on the floor.
SCENE 1
Jamie: Do I have to do this?
Anna: Unfortunately, yes.
Jamie: Ok. Here goes. Anna sits on the caravan steps, dressed in a white tunic and pink dancing slippers.
Anna: And out you come, Rogue!
(from somewhere behind the scenes) Rogue: I AM NOT COMING OUT!
Anna: Aw, come on Rogue, it isn't that bad…
Rogue: Yes, it is.
Anna: On the plus side, there aren't any cameras…
Roberto: Ok, boys, get your cameras ready to snap photos and then run…
Ray: We're ready.
Rogue: I repeat. I AM NOT COMING OUT!
Anna: Fine. Have it your way! Logan!
Logan: Sorry, Stripes. (shoves her out.)
Anna: Oh. My.
Rogue: That wasn't exactly the reaction I was hoping for. I was hoping it would be more along the lines of, "OH MY GOD! GO CHANGE AT ONCE!"
Anna: Fat chance. Kitty said she was sewing a new tunic, go see whether she's done.
Rogue: This isn't going to be like another cooking catastrophe, is it?
Anna: Why do you ask so many questions?
Rogue: You're torturing me.
Anna: It's one of the few pleasures I have left in life.
Taken aback by Rogue's first appearance in a ballet tunic, the boys have been slack-jawed all this while. Finally, Roberto regains some form of composure and snaps a picture. Suddenly, everyone catches on and cameras start snapping and flashing.
Rogue: GIMME THAT! (lunges at Roberto)
Roberto: I'm going to post this on the Net! (runs off) And hopefully, Remy will see this!
Rogue: (Screams angrily and rushes off after him)
Anna: I would love to stop them, but I'll think I'll let Rogue take out her frustration on Roberto first before I die.
From somewhere within the mansion, Roberto screams in anguish. Five minutes later, another girlish scream is heard from him.
Anna: Oh well. Till next time!