&&&
Lina finished unpacking in time to join the others for lunch. It could've been her imagination, but she could've sworn that some of the others were going out of their way to impress her.
She asked Amira about it but her only response had been to roll her eyes and mutter. "Boys!" effectively condemning half the human race in a simple short word.
Bobby generously got up and pulled out Lina's chair for her. "Your chair?"
"Would you care for a drink?" Ray offered. Lina was a bit taken aback.
"Thank you, but I—"
"Do you want extras?"
"Need another napkin?"
"You two will need an extended stay in the infirmary for all the extra Danger Room assignments you'll have if you clowns don't pipe down." Scott snapped. He cleared his throat as everyone took their seats. "Well first off, I'd like to welcome Lina to Institute which I hope will be a positive experience for everyone involved. Secondly, I'd like to thank Kitty for NOT providing the catering for our lunch today."
"Not funny Scott!" Kitty snapped as she picked up a casserole and hurled it at him. Scott ducked at the casserole splattered against the wall, proving that she hadn't made it.
Bits and pieces rained down on the table, covering almost everyone in what had been the casserole.
"Thanks a lot Kitty!" Ray snapped as he picked up a handful of mashed potatoes and hurled it at her. Bobby ended up getting hit when Kitty let it phase through her. Bobby retaliated with an apple that ended up bonking Kurt on the head. Within seconds, a full-fledged food fight had broken out. More food ended up getting thrown against the wall or floor than was eaten.
"So much for attempting to present a rational, mature alternative for Dragonfly." Ororo sighed.
"On the other hand, it'll probably remind her of home." Hank predicted. Sure enough, when the food fight finally wound down Lina made her way over to Scott and the others.
"I really appreciate you doing this, just so I feel more at home. It's really nice of you."
"Sure…anytime." Scott said weakly.
"Which I have a feeling is how often this sort of thing will happen." Xavier moaned.
&&&
Rahne couldn't stand the idea of staying in a room with an alien scent. It was very distracting for her. She morphed to her wolf form and leaped up on the bed. Maybe spreading her fur around the room would help.
It was then that Pietro ran in. "Hey furface! Just the dog I was looking for!" Rahne lifted her head and looked at him. "Here I got you something." Before she could move, Pietro bolted over and half a heartbeat later backtracked away from her. Rahne felt something around her neck and shook her head. She had a hunch that she knew what it was. A collar.
"Like it? I got it just for you!" Pietro quipped. "To make you feel more at home. Besides we wouldn't wanted you spade if we ever go off base." Rahne growled at him. "What? I thought you'd want to get dolled up before Lance's Coyote asks you out." Pietro laughed. "Toodles!"
Rahne snarled as she ran after him. The little hummingbird knew as well as she did that she couldn't transform back to human with that collar still around her neck or else she'd risk strangling herself with it.
"Here Rahney, Rahney Rahney!" Pietro cackled as he ran down the stairs. Growling Rahne followed him into the kitchen where the others were having lunch.
"What are you doing Pietro?" Althea demanded.
"Just getting Rahne down for lunch." Pietro said as his wooshed his way around the kitchen. "Here it is!" Pietro dropped a dog dish with the name 'Rahne' onto the floor. It was full of a gloppy, disgusting looking dog food from a can. "Bon appetite!"
"That's not funny yo!" Todd snapped.
"She's our guest!" Fred protested. Rahne barked in agreement. "Lemme get that collar off you—"
"I'll just be go—ERK!" Pietro gasped as Wanda hexed him to the spot. He gulped nervously as Fred unfastened Rahne's collar. "Heh heh, all in good fun right Rahney?"
"Sick 'em." Wanda grinned. Growling Rahne leapt at Pietro.
"AAIIIEEEEEE!" Pietro screamed shrilly as Rahne chomped down on him. "That's a tender area!"
"All the more so now." Arcade snickered.
"Normally I'd say no mauling at the table, but Pietro earned it so do it as long as you're able." Roadblock grinned.
"THANKS A LOT!" Pietro screamed as Rahne snapped at his rear. After a few moments of flashing teeth and claws, a bruised and battered Pietro fell to the floor. Rahne transformed back to normal.
"So what's really for lunch?" Rahne asked as she poured herself a glass of water to wash out the taste of Pietro.
"Thanks for being such a good sport about Pietro's pranks." Angelica said.
"Good sport?!" Pietro protested furiously. "She bit me! A LOT!"
"That's how we know she's committed to becoming a Misfit." Althea explained. "You annoy the new guy, they beat you up, and then we consider them Misfits."
"Yeah you always try to be smart and make fun of people with jokes only you think is funny." Fred agreed. "Way I see it, you had it coming."
"You have to find a way to deal with him." Todd told Rahne. "He still can't resist making jokes about my mutation."
"It's not my fault that you're so covered in warts that it's only when you sneeze that we can tell where you nose is!" Pietro snorted.
"See?" Todd asked.
"Let me give you some advice." Tabby said to Rahne after they finished lunch. "When living with Speedy you have to show him whose boss. Otherwise he'll run all over you. Literally."
"Oh Raaaaahne." Pietro called as he poked his head out of her room, an idiotic smile plastered across his face. "Would you like to see your room?" Rahne felt a nerve over her eye twitch as she saw that her bed had been replaced with a little dog house. "Nice isn't it?"
"GET HIM!" Rahne shouted.
That Night
It was a cold, stormy night. Rahne slept peacefully in her bed as the rain fell outside.
"This isn't funny!" Pietro screamed as he lay on the ground, a collar round his neck chained to a post in the ground. His arms and legs were bound so he couldn't escape. His only shelter was the crudely built dog house he had built earlier, which now had the name 'Pietro' written on it. "Somebody please let me in! Somebody? Please?"
&&&
A/N: Next time! The X-Men meet some new friends in time for a new foe to emerge and rock their world! Next chapter: Musical Maladies staring L1701E's characters with a special guest!