Chapter four:
I had been with the brotherhood for a few months now, and I was starting to have my doubts, but AHHH! WHY DOES LIFE HAVE TO BE SO CONFUSING!
The doubts started when the shock wore off and I realised what Mystique ability was, she could have easily transformed into one of the others, and that would explain why they seemed so confused, but, what if I was wrong, and what did Jean mean by more powerful, or what about Scott? God! That was so confusing!
For those of you whom are wondering, I was wearing this outfit:
.com/fanart/view/307333/gothic_lolita
with the hair in the same style, only longer, the same makeup and all.
Cheers interrupted my thoughts, we were at a moterplex and it was loud I hated these places.
Mystique told me to come with her for some reason, I think she said something about being able to communicate with the new kid better than anyone else there, I'm assuming by the picture that Mystique showed me 'cause Lance would tease him right away, Marie and him would clash like no one's business and Todd, well, he just couldn't be bothered.
When I looked up from my lap that I had been starting at the entire time, I felt someone behind me pulling on my ears, so I turned around and glared viciously at them.
Ever since the first day there I hadn't put my necklace back on, although I wanted to.
When the people behind me saw my eyes they gasped, glared back, called me a freak and moved away.
I looked down again, sad, until Mystique placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Don't worry about those apes Masquerade (they had taken to calling me that after a pranking match with my brother(Todd not Kurt)) they are below us and don't know true superiority when they see it."
I smiled hesitantly at this, I didn't quite agree with her outlook on non mutated people, but I went along with it regardless.
"And now ladies and gentlemen, our main attraction for the evening, let's give it up for the worlds' strongest teenager, Fred 'the blob' Dukes!"
Looking up because I recognised the name I saw a larger than average tall boy with a blonde Mohawk, pulling a cape off of his body.
Cheers erupted from the crowd as the over com voice told Fred to show everyone 'what he's got.'
He then proceeded to pull on the two chains beside him that appeared to be attached to the two trucks on either side of him, after a while he pulled the trucks together, jumping on top of them, which in turn made the wheels burst under his weight.
The crowd was cheering like mad, well, I was looking upset at this disturbing sight, using ones gifts for someone's entertainment, then getting laughed at behind his back? It just seemed wrong.
The cheers ceased when the boy fell into the mud in front of him, they then started to laugh at him.
After the 'show' Mystique and I went to his dressing room, to see him chucking one class A hissy fit.
"Something wrong?" Mystique, in her Principle form, asked, leaning against the door frame, while I just stood with my head down standing a little bit behind her, hands clasped together in front of me.
Since joining the Brotherhood, I had gone back to being terrified of everything that moves, and closed off from most people.
"Yeah, these small town hicks!" Fred exclaimed, casting a curious glance at me, "they've laughed at me for the last time! I'm getting out of here for good!"
"That can be arranged." Mystique stated calmly, before motioning for me to step forward, apparently she was nicer to me than to most, for a reason that I couldn't fathom, at least that's what Lance and Todd told me.
"W-we ca-can take you somewhere your gift c-can be re-really appreciated?" I offered, stepping into the room slightly, still looking down and feeling nervous, if what I could tell about this guy is true, then his personality could change in an instant.
"Listen, girl, if you two are from the circus, which I don't doubt with the weird ears and tail," I kinda snapped there, running up so I was directly in front of him and removed the gravity around him, casting an illusion to make it seem like he was falling into a fiery pit, which the loss of gravity only helped.
"Masquerade!" Mystique scolded softly, half understanding why I did what I did, I was still touchy about my appearance.
"My apologies, Mr Dukes, I shouldn't have overreacted like I did." I stated, reverting back to my quiet self after I placed him back onto the ground, while he looked at me amazed at my ability.
"I just saw the devil." He muttered, making me flinch, name still being a sore spot, but he didn't know my name, so it must have been my eyes mixed with the fire.
"Regardless, Mr Dukes, you were saying?" I requested quietly, stepping back away from him.
"Well, umm, if you're from a circus, you can forget it." I was getting a little lost, hadn't I made it evidently clear that we weren't from a circus?
Mystique sensing my confusion stepped in, while I was somewhat of a genius, communicating with people whom, well, weren't, still confused me. "Oh, no, no, no, no. I have something far more... interesting in mind, care to hear more?"
Fred had an utterly confused look on his face, perhaps me coming wasn't he best idea?
"Huh. Yeah sure." He still sounded dubious, however, Mystique motioned for me to go and close the door none the less.
As I was closing the door, I saw Mr Logan and Jean standing in the door way, giving me a shocked expression, with which I returned a sorry expression, half hiding behind the door as I closed it.
"And this will be your schedule for the semester." I was, once again, in Miss Darkholme's office.
This time I had been given the job of showing Fred around, seeing as he is kind of, um... mentally challenged? As in all brawn, no brain, he was kept back a year, and so, as someone whom also wasn't in the correct year group, and being the only person Fred was remotely scared of, and being on the Brotherhood's side, I had to show him around.
"Any questions, Mr Dukes?" Miss Darkholme asked said confused male.
"I don't know if I can do school again, I didn't much fit in the other ones." I kind of felt bad for him at this, I had, after all, been in the exact same situation all my life, only he could defend himself.
"You won't have that trouble here, as the principle, I can make sure of it. And with young Lilith showing you around, I'm sure she can deal with any situation troubling you, she is, after all, our best and brightest!" She seemed almost proud as she said this.
We walked out of her office into the main hallway, me trying to snatch Fred's time table so that I could show him where to go, but being the arrogant male he is, wouldn't listen. "Man this is complicated." He stated, scratching his head.
"Well, maybe it wouldn't be if you'd let me help!" I growled, red eyes flashing dangerously as my anger got the better of me once more.
"Look at that! The freaks found a freak!" Laughed Duncan as he went past, however got stopped by Fred as he grabbed onto Duncan's shirt.
"Don't you make fun of me! Or my friends!" Fred shouted, throwing Duncan back and tearing the lockers off of the wall. Wait, friend? Say what?
"Fred, Fred! Stop it! You can't kill him!" I desperately tried to make him stop, but I couldn't illusion him in the middle of the school!
As he was walking towards Duncan, whom was partially unconscious on the floor, with a clump of lockers held over his head, I saw Jean walking towards us with a shocked expression on her face.
"Don't just stand there!" I yelled at her as I tried to stop Fred, "I know we're on opposite sides and all, but come one, you can't let Fred kill Duncan!" She nodded and came towards us, beginning to talk.
"Uh, hi! You must be new here!" Fred stopped, hey! Why didn't he do that for me? I wondered as I helped Duncan up, giving him the opportunity to run away, after a begrudging grateful nod in my direction. "I'm Jean Grey." Said telepath stated, a lot less panicked now.
"Ehe," Fred looked up at the lockers, "oh," Oh, looks like Freddy boy likes Jean! "Yeah, I-I am, new I mean!"
Jean laughed slightly at his flustered behaviour. "I-I figured, welcome to Bayville! So, uh, what do your friends call you?" She asked, casting me a friendly look, to which I ignored childishly, hey! Don't judge, I'm only fourteen don't forget, and I think she tried to kill me!
"Don't know, never had a friend before, aside from Lilith that is, and she only became my friend today." I know I looked completely bewildered at this, and I think Jean picked up on this. "But my name is Fred, Fred Dukes," he shook Jean's hand as the lockers behind him collapsed slightly.
"Well, Fred, I want to apologise for Duncan, he can be a real idiot sometimes." She partially warned, I blanked out as Jean helped Fred with his time table, however spaced back in when she walked away, waving and yelling over her shoulder, "listen to Lilith, she'll really help you out at his school, she only came here a while ago too. Oh and Lilith?" She got my attention directly, "I wanna talk to you later, if that's ok?" I nodded, not seeing the harm, now that I knew not to trust her, I could be prepared.
"So, you gonna listen to me now?" I asked him, to which he nodded dumbly, looking at his time table, I said, "well, looks like Jean was right, that is your first class, wait for me outside the door, cause my classrooms right besides yours, you've got homework club, I've got drama. Wait outside!" I warned him as I walked off, going to my class, sitting next to Rogue, to which she insisted I call her.
Unfortunately, she had developed a slight crush on Scott, and insisted we sit behind him.
"Alright, for this drama exercise, we'll each be doing a scene with a partner, since there is one extra person in this class, one group will be of three, and since a few of you haven't chosen partners, I'll be pairing you up myself." The teachers dull voice droned on, "Terra, you and Paul are going to be doing Laura and Jim from the glass menagerie, and that leaves, you, you and you."
"Ahh, great." Scott muttered, making me kick him and the back when the teacher wasn't looking, and when he turned around, surprised, I immediately looked as innocent as I could, however was given away as Rogue hit me over the head.
"You three will be doing-" He then said some sappy romantic piece with three characters, saying that me and Scott would be the main characters, while Rogue would be the interfering character, trying to get in the way of our love (I tried to find a play like this but I couldn't find any), neither Rogue or I were very happy this, Scott's emotions seemed slightly grateful, while the rest of our class were giving wolf-whistles, for a reason beyond me.
While Scott was talking to one of his friends about who knows what, Rogue and I began to talk, "you know, we could swap parts if you want?" I offered, to which she shook her head, much to my disappointment.
"Nah, that's fine, the teach. said you were the main role, you gotta be, you look really nice today by the way."
"Thanks." I smiled, I was wearing something identical to what I was wearing yesterday, only a little shorter and a little above my knees, "don't you think it's a bit short?" I asked.
"Nah, it's awesome!" She reassured, we spent the entire lesson talking.
Soon it was lunch, and I had to direct Fred where to go, luckily Rogue said she'd come with me.
"You sure you'll be alright?" I asked, "Rogue and I will be just over there." I directed my hand to where Rogue was already sitting, waiting for me, seeing as neither of us were very hungry.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." He muttered, walking away, until I placed a small hand on his elbow, seeing as that's the highest I could reach, not being anywhere near his shoulder, curse my shortness! (that's actually happened to me, so I can relate to my character in this aspect, due to how annoyingly short I am)
"Just, don't let your anger get the better of you, alright? Any time you start feeling angry, come find me, I can do more than just feel emotions." I joked, over the past week I had found that I could manipulate emotions slightly if they aren't very strong yet, but if they are already thrown into the emotion, all I can do is get a headache from its intensity.
"Alright." Fred promised, so I walked away with a wave over my shoulder.
"How can you stand to be near him?" Questioned Rogue as I sat down, looking over to Fred, whom was ordering the canteen lady to put a large amount of food on his tray.
"Well, he's not that bad, just has a little anger problem." I defended, and we then began to talk about nothing, and planning a shopping trip, it was in dire need, I was living off of five outfits here!
We gasped as we saw food flying over our head, I quickly removed the gravity around some of the food that was going to be hitting us, flinging it up so that it joined the rest of the clomp of food.
Rogue and I laughed slightly when the food hit Duncan and his 'adoring' fans, instantly causing a food, fight, of which Rogue and I instantly ran out of.
"DON'T. LAUGH. AT. ME!" I heard Fred scream.
"So much for controlling his anger." I muttered from outside of the cafeteria, before getting pushed onto the ground and stomped on repeatedly by people running and screaming out of the room.
"You alright?" A voice above me asked, holding their hand out, I could still hear people running out of the room, however they were now avoiding standing on me, apparently they hadn't seen me.
"No, I'm fine." I grabbed the hand, which readily pulled me up as if I weighed nothing.
Looking up I saw it was Scott, and the crowds had dispersed. "No, are you really ok, I haven't had the option to talk to you for a while."
I frowned at him, "yeah, that's cause you're sick of me." I muttered, causing him to gain a confused look.
"What, no, I" He was cut off by Jean's screams, "I gotta go." He stated, almost regretfully.
"I'll help." I muttered, almost angry at myself for saying so.
"What? Why?" He asked, pulling me back into the cafeteria as Rogue was nowhere to be seen, probably pushed away by the crowds.
I sighed before answering, "I can control emotions now... Kinda." I added as an afterthought.
When we entered the room, Fred was holding a table over his head, about to hit Jean with it. "Fred!" I yelled, "calm down!"
As I did this, Scott lifted up his glasses, shooting the table so that all that was left was the table leg that Fred was holding onto.
"Put the table down Fred." I demanded as Fred looked at Jean, surprised at what he had almost done.
"You heard her big man. But if you wanna fight, try me." Scott threatened, hand still on his glasses, as we were both helping Jean up.
Fred still looked like he was going to hit Scott with the table leg, so I quickly lifted him up and placed the same illusion on him that I had the night previous.
"Masquerade, that's enough, I'll handle this." Jean placed her hand on my shoulder, which I quickly shrugged off, walking out of the room, I had helped enough. "Scott don't you have class to go to?" I heard Jean question and Scott responded with something, but I wasn't really listening.
"Oh ma God!" Rogue sounded, apologising for being pushed off by the crowd, looking at my rapidly healing bruises and cuts.
"I'm fine!" I insisted, doing a small twirl so that she could see my healing process was complete.
We quickly pretended to be getting something out of our lockers once the cafeteria door opened and Scott came through though.
"Ya'll really look out for each other, don't ya?" Rogue couldn't help but ask Scott from the locker next to mine.
"Yeah, yeah we do that." Was Scott's answer, and we were all scared out of our wits when Miss Darkholme came out from behind a locker.
"What's going on here?" She demanded.
"Nothing." Was Rogue and my immediate response.
"We were just talking, principle Darkholme." Defended Scott, trying to calm the waters.
"Then you had best stop your talking and get to class. Have I made myself clear?" She asked as Rogue and I began to walk off.
"Hey! Don't forget, in the park after school!" Scott called behind us, referring to our scheduled rehearsal. "And bring the play books with you!"
I stopped for a moment and then nodded, before running slightly with my book bag over my shoulder to catch up with Rogue.
"What's that?" Rogue asked me when I began to fiddle with my charm bracelet.
"Oh, well, when I was in the institute, I had, well, I guess you could call it a secret admirer, it's nothing, really."
She looked surprised, but let it go.
We were soon at the park, Fred had told me there was something he had to do so he went off by himself. We were learning our lines from the play, when suddenly Kurt popped out of nowhere.
"Wow, tended moment here?" He joked, referring to the romantic piece we were reading, while slightly glaring at Scott.
"Sorry to interrupt." He said towards Rogue.
"I swear, he's like an, an annoying little brother." Rogue shook him off.
"You have no idea how right you are." I muttered, as Kurt poked his tongue at Rogue and me.
"What's the problem?" Scott asked, breaking apart our argument.
"Jean's been nabbed." Kurt informed.
"What!" Was Scott's outburst-like response.
"Easy on the exquisite costume my friend!" Kurt warned as Scott stood up and grabbed onto the front of Kurt's outfit. "Wolverine's on the scent." The rest became a blur as I started to get the same sort of head ache I got when the prof. whipped my memory.
'Ah, nice to have you back, Lilith,' the recognisable voice of the professor stated, I could remember everything!
'What's going on, why did I suddenly remember everything?' I asked him, and got a chuckle in return.
'I set your mind, knowing that you would come back to us, so that, once you properly accepted the truth, and fully trusted us again, you would remember. It seems your brother was the key.'
With that I realised that Kurt and Scott were about to transport away, "wait!" I stopped them. "I'm coming to!" I demanded, they looked confused for a moment, before realisation came across their face, I'm assuming the Prof. talked to them through their minds.
"Wait, what?" Questioned Rogue, "you're going with them? Betraying me?"
"I'm sorry Rogue, I'll explain everything when I come to pick up my stuff." I tried.
"Don't bother! I'll bring it all tomorrow!" She truly sounded angry, "wouldn't want to you to face the wrath of the others."
Before I could apologise anymore, Kurt and Scott grabbed onto either arm, and we were transported to where Jean was being held.
"She's my friend! You can't take her!" I heard Fred yell from in the room, as I got my necklace out of my book bag that I had been carrying it around in, for safe keepings, and quickly put it on, before going around of the building so that I could get changed into my X-Outfit.
When I was dressed, I came back around the front to find Scott waiting, "We're just giving her a way out!" He stated, shooting the space above Fred.
"Through you, if necessary!" I finished, as Fred looked at me disbelievingly.
"Lilith? What are you doin with them?" He asked.
"They're my friends!" I yelled, putting my hands out so that I could lift him up by eliminating the gravity around him, only for him to quickly move out of the way.
He then threw Mr Logan at us, so that we would stop trying to hit him, I was, unfortunately, knocked out along with Scott, whom had moved himself so that I would land on him, not the harshness of the gravel.
Before I knew it I was awoken by Rogue, whom, as soon as she saw I was awake, went over to Scott, whom woke up soon after, she then handed him his glasses.
"There you go, I only took a short term dose so you should be as good as new soon." She informed him.
"I really am sorry Rogue." I muttered sincerely, so that only she would be able to hear me.
"It's fine," she muttered back, "I'm beginning to understand." She smiled a little bit. "Your clothes are in your bag." She told me, motioning to my book bag.
"You helped us, why?" Jean asked, curious.
"I don't know, I just don't know!" With that, Rogue ran off, sounding as though she were going to cry.
"Hey wait!" Jean tried to stop her, until Mr Logan held her back.
"Easy, red! Let her go."
"But, she-"
"She aint ready. And we've already had a victory today." He then motioned towards me, whom was getting the life hugged out of, by my brother and Kitty, I smiled and waved weakly towards them both when I saw them looking at me.
"Okay, so maybe she's a part of the dark, icky side, but I figure we, like totally owe her now." Realised Kitty.
"Welcome back, Renegade." Mr Logan smiled slightly, placing a hand on my shoulder before removing it and walking over to his bike, going back to the institute no doubt, which we all decided to do so as well.
Well, now I really am where I belong, I just hope Todd and the others don't hate me now, they really were my friends too.
