Disclaimer: I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me.
Scene 07Halloween day dawned clear and bright after several grey and dreary days of fall rain. Angel had, to Hank's delight, provided a large purple and black marquee tent for the party. The affable winged mutant saw to its construction in the mansion grounds within half an hour, whilst the mansion's inhabitants were all still tucking into breakfast and discussing costumes.
"You can't just reprogram your image inducer Kurt, you've gotta put a bit of effort in," instructed Kitty.
"Why not? You already decided I couldn't go as myself Kitty. I mean, what's more fitting as a costume for Halloween than a blue fuzzy demon?" Kurt argued whilst routing through the refrigerator for orange juice. Boom Boom came up behind him whilst he was distracted. As soon as he turned round with his prize, she extracted it from his grasp, exclaiming, "Um, orange juice, I love these!" and wandered off with it.
"Face it Kurt, you just don't scare us," Blaze chipped in. "We all know you too well."
"Yeah, you're such a pussycat, Blue," Tabby agreed. "You need a new image. I know…"
"Oh no you don't," Kurt cautioned, raising his hands and backing away from Boom Boom. "The last thing I need is a Boom Boom makeover, not now, not ever."
"Did you get what I asked you to for our costumes Tabs?" Blaze asked, opening a pack of bacon and dishing the rashers out into a shallow frying pan. The meat didn't start to sizzle quick enough for the redhead, so she added a touch of her power. Flames surged up against the black pan with a whoof of heat and a sizzle of bacon. The kitchen was filled with the tantalising aroma as Tabitha brought her plate over hopefully.
"Yeah," Boom Boom responded to Blaze's question. "Do you think it'll be enough? We've not exactly gone OTT."
"Trust me, that's just for starters," Blaze smiled conspiringly. "Its all been arranged."
Warren left as soon as the tent was up, at which point Hank, Rogue, Kitty and Kurt converged on the marquee. All four were carrying cardboard boxes as big as they could manage. In a very short space of time no entry signs were hung on the marquee. Magma, Sunspot and Iceman were in charge of the assorted carved and grotesque pumpkins. In order to make them line the way from the mansion to the tent, Bobby made stalagmites of ice up from the ground of all different heights. Sunspot and Magma then impaled the pumpkins on the spearheads of ice and put candles in them for igniting later.
In the meantime Tabitha covertly handed Blaze a small brown paper bag in the foyer of the Institute. Blaze peered into it, before closing it again quickly as Berserker showed a little too much interest. Haughtily Tabitha looped her arm through Blaze's and the two girls flounced outside with their noses in the air. The giggles hit just after they got outside, though they tried to calm down as they climbed into Blaze's car. Key in the ignition and pedal to the metal, Blaze made the car lurch forward with a growling engine, and zoom down the driveway to the open road.
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All was quiet at the Brotherhood house, apart from Blob's snores as he took a nap on the sofa. Toad was leaping around the kitchen trying to impress Wanda with his fly-catching abilities. Wanda rolled her eyes and shuddered at Toad's antics, feeling a little queasy as Toad's tongue lashed out to snare a particularly juicy blue bottle. Just when she needed another distraction like in the mall, the house's front door opened and they arrived. Lance was just coming down the stairs and exclaimed as he saw them, "What are you doing here?"
"We're raising the average intelligence to a more respectable level," quipped Blaze. Boom Boom sniggered, "Yeah, Wanda couldn't do it all by herself, you guys are just too stupid."
"We'll just have to see about that," Quicksilver spat, arriving out of nowhere at breakneck speed. "I mean, how stupid can you get? X-Men can't just walk in here and expect to get away scot-free."
"Summers is here too?" Toad scratched his lice-infested hair. "I thought he was college boy now?"
"No you moron," Lance clipped Toad around the back of the head to shut him up.
"What are you gonna do Quicksilver?" Blaze taunted Magneto's son. "Run fast and mess up our hair?"
"Yeah, or maybe Lance is going to bring your own house down," teased Tabby.
"Just you wait, it'll happen when you least expect it," Toad postured, puffing out his chest.
"Stop it," Wanda ordered, shoving past the boys to take Blaze and Tabby by the hands. "They are here because I invited them." With that bombshell, she led her guests upstairs and into her room, slamming the door shut behind her.
"She did what?" Pietro looked like he was about to explode.
"Forget about it man," Lance patted his friend on the back. "They're women, we're not meant to understand."
"I think I get it," Toad decided. "Maybe Wanda's lonely or somethin'?"
"How can she be lonely?" her brother protested as the three boys went to watch TV. They rolled Blob off the couch, where he had blissfully slept through it all. "She's got all of us."
Upstairs Wanda sighed and rubbed the end of her nose sheepishly. With her hands in her pockets, Boom Boom whistled appreciatively as she admired the few bizarre and soul-searching pieces of poster artwork on Wanda's gloomy grey walls. Blaze was instantly at home sitting on Wanda's bed and crossing her long legs. A frown creased the redhead's brow as she asked, "Are you okay Wanda?"
"I'm fine," Wanda replied, trying hard to ignore Tabby as the blonde opened a little wooden trinket box on top of Wanda's dresser without asking. "I'm sorry about them, they don't understand what it's like to be the only girl around here."
"No worries," Tabby grinned enthusiastically. "We're all outcasts together remember."
"Social rejects," Blaze elaborated with a wave of her hand. "Misfits or whatever. That's the way I like it." She flicked her long curls back and smiled brightly. "So how about our deal Wanda? You still up for this?"
"Always," replied Wanda with a twinkle on her eye. "Just so log as you hold up your end of the deal too."
"Hey, I'm looking forward to it," Boom Boom answered, having been filled in by Blaze on the way over from the Institute. "Sounds spooky, doesn't it Blaze?"
"I'll try anything twice," admitted Blaze. "You've got it Wanda. You help us and we'll do what we can to pay you back."
"Alright," Wanda pressed her lips together fervourently, creasing her brows as she sized up both Blaze and Tabby. "Lets get started."