A few months later . . .

Pietro looked the new recruits up and down; they were lined up militarily. Three boys and a girl. This place is getting crowded, he thought absently. Magneto wanted them trained, and ready – soon – but for what his father had neglected to mention. Gambit, leaning against the wall to his left, let out a quiet snicker.

"Here's their files – if you're that interested in knowing all their dirty little secrets," he said as he tossed Pietro a small disk

Pietro caught it lightly, regarding it for a second before he continued his pacing.

"I think they got some potential, 'cept for that one maybe," Gambit pointed to the girl at the end of the line. "She's a little too soft, I think."

The girl sneered, but said nothing.

"Anyway, Magneto say he want these newbies looked after real good," Gambit continued as he pushed off the wall and stretched.

Pietro nodded, remembering the way his father had spoken about the new group of mutants. Something in his speech had told Pietro, that atleast one of them was more to Magneto than just a tool – a rare occurrence given his own son's questionable status. His eyes swept over them one last time. From the right to left, stood the girl, Alice Luna, then her cousin, Felix Luna, both who's powers he couldn't recall offhand – then there was the kid named Elijah Fox, a telepath with the ability to possess people (and their powers) with a single touch, and finally there was Christof Laramie, a mutant who had the power to manipulate the density of objects.

"Alright," he said to the four recruits. "Find yourself a room and consider yourself part of the Brotherhood. Congratulations." He made an attempt to sound enthusiastic, but was quite aware of how unimpressed the statement came out.

Gambit laughed again. "Have fun," he teased as he left.

ooo

After the second knock, Pietro's patience gave out and he let himself in. Christof was snoring loudly, sprawled across the mattress of his bed – still in the clothes he had been wearing the day before. Pietro walked over to him and grabbed him by the collar. Christof's eyes shot open as he took a swing at Pietro, apparently a sub-conscious action as the boy's eyes closed again immediately thereafter. His fist's momentum brought him into a spin that took him off his bed. He landed in a half-asleep pile at Pietro's feet.

"What the hell do you want at this hour of the goddamn morning?" the newb muffled from the floor.

"Get up. Classes start in half an hour," Pietro explained.

Christof's head jerked awkwardly in the other teen's direction. "What the hell are you-" He was half way through his sentence before he realized Pietro wasn't even there anymore.

The other three proved easier to rouse in that they were already awake, and had gathered in the kitchen, presumably for breakfast. Little did they know, the Brotherhood's abode rarely housed anything midly edible. Most of the cupboard doors were open as Pietro came to a stop in the doorway of the kitchen. Felix, being the closest one to Pietro's entry let out a short shriek, and jumped backwards in fright onto the island in the middle of the kitchen like a cat jumping back after a scare.

Pietro regarded the whole event curiously. Alice and Elijah both started to giggle.

"Christ, man! Don't do that," Felix muttered exasperatedly, holding his chest. "Or atleast give us some warning." Apparently calmed down, he sat on the island cross-legged non-chalantly.

"Let's go," Pietro instructed. "If you're hungry the cafeteria should be open."

"This place has a cafeteria?" Elijah asked, amazed.

Alice rolled her eyes. "You're not suggesting, what I think you're suggesting . . ." she pleaded.

"Wha?" Felix added to the conversation.

"I've got your schedules, locker numbers and a backpack for each of you. Let's go."

Christof sauntered in, yawning as he spoke. "Look, Pietro, I don't do school."

"School?" Elijah and Felix piped in unison.

"We're mutants, none of us do school," Alice clarified, folding his arms across her chest defiantly.

"You do now," Pietro said with finality.

"Why don't the others have to go?" Christof demanded.

"Because they were stupid enough to get themselves kicked out," Pietro said in passing as he left the kitchen. As if on cue, the other four followed him into the living room. "When you signed up, you promised to live by my rules and this is one of them." He sped over to the front door where four non-descript black backpacks sat, each with one of the new recruit's name on it via masking tape. He tossed each bag out and then disappeared out the door.

"So," Felix began as he studied the backpack he held. "School . .. huh."

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Hmm, not entirely sure what this is – but I had this scene in my head so I had to get it out. Might be the first bit of a new story, or just a way of showing that Pietro's back to it, I dunno. I suppose any response I get for this will help me decide – so please review, thanks!

Ps – Just wanted to say thanks to all of the kind words I have received regarding this story.