Chpt 5
From 6pm that evening, cars had been arriving in the cul-de-sac and pulling into the drive of the Creed's new home. When that was full, they began to pile up outside, causing the neighbours to come out and complain to each other about it.
Lottie stood in the drive, welcoming the flow of people. Before Long, Nikki had joined her.
"How many people are you expecting?" she asked after they'd greeted Ivan Vanko and his new partner.
Lottie shrugged. "Everyone at the bar with no name...and the devil's circus...and some more." She smiled. "I bet it'll be good for you to see everyone again huh?"
"Oh ra, yes." Nikki grinned. "I can't wait."
Both suddenly jumped as Loki, Thor's brother, appeared in front of them.
"Jesus! Loki! Cant you walk in like other people?" Lottie shook her head and hugged him.
"I do apologise." He grinned and hugged back. "I do like to make an entrance however." He moved to hug Nikki.
"Go on in Loki. Victor should be in the backyard, lurking." Lottie pointed to the front doors which were wide open. Inside were Villains of all different types, natures, creeds, races, colours and villainous standards. Loki made his way inside and Lottie watched him.
"He's such a devious little cupcake." She purred.
"Did you just call Loki a devious little cupcake?" Nikki laughed.
"He is! He's a love...when he's not putting salt in my tea." Lottie defended him.
Both shared a giggle and a hug.
"So where's Lolo?" Lottie asked.
Nikki shook her head and gave her a sceptical look.
"Ninety percent of the people in this house want to kill him. Correction. Maybe all want to kill him. Do you really think he's coming?"
Lottie hummed in agreement and watched as a limo pulled up outside the gates, Doctor Victor Von Doom stepping out, in somewhat less formal armour than usual.
"You invited Doom?" Nikki asked Lottie in a hushed voice.
"Yes!" Lottie laughed back. "We have lunch every other week. I couldn't not invite him!"
"Victor!" she called and wondered down the drive to meet him.
"Charlotte. I haven't seen you in what? A week?" He gave a chuckle from behind his mask and they shared a very European greeting. A peck on each cheek or in Victor's case, mask.
After he'd gone inside, Lottie returned to Nikki, who shook her head and gave her an amused look.
"What?"
"You never said you were...friendly...with Victor Von Doom...does Vic know?" she joked. Lottie slapped her arm lightly.
"You talk as if I sleep with the man."
"You better not be!" someone called from the bottom of the drive. Nikki and Lottie looked up and both smiled as a smaller version of Victor ran up the drive and clutched Lottie in a tight embrace. Nikki shook her head.
"Hello Vincent." She remarked and smirked.
Vincent nuzzled against Lottie and smiled. "Sorry mom. Hi." He looked up at Lottie and kissed her softly. "And hello to you too beautiful." Lottie blushed and stroked his hair.
"Hello Vinny."
Vincent went in for another kiss, but was promptly slapped round the head. He yelped and slunk away to hide behind Nikki, rubbing his head.
"I told ya b'fore boy. Hands offa my frail when I'm home!" Victor snapped, an arm snaking round Lottie possessively.
"Victor!" Lottie pouted. "He was only saying hi."
"I saw what his lips were doin' darlin'. An' sayin' 'Hi' wasn't it." He glared at his son. Vinny remained behind Nikki who glared back at Victor.
"And you can stop glaring at him Victor Creed, or I'll really give you something to glare about." She defended their son.
"Whoa, hey. Calm down!" Lottie said breaking free from Victor and stand between them. "The point of this party is to be good natured. No fighting please." She scowled.
Both seemed to calm and Lottie eased up.
"You guys starting a fight without us?" someone called. Everyone looked up to see Lester and Daken heading up the drive.
"Boys!" Nikki squealed and ran towards them.
She hugged them both and walked with them back up to the house where Lottie hugged Daken and Lester warmly.
"Hey old man!" Daken greeted Victor with a smirk.
"Go boil yer head ya pansy." He snorted back. "Goddamn kids got no respect..."
Lottie smirked. "agreed. He could still beat your arse, Daken." She laughed.
"And he did beat mine...it still hurts to think about it." Lester whined, rubbing the back of his neck.
Xxxxxx
The windows and door were thrown wide open and Music blasted from the surround speakers Lottie insisted on. There were people everywhere. In the street, in the front and back yard, in other peoples yards!
Logan watched through the window across the street in Horror. He was thinking seriously about calling Scott and the rest of the team, but, surprisingly, the rabble of Villains seemed perfectly good natured towards one another as they gathered in small groups to chat. There was the occasional shout and cheer as someone or something broke.
In the backyard, around a large bonfire, sat the Creeds and some of their closest friends, or in Victor's case, "Associates". Victor Creed didn't do friends...He was sat between Nikki and Frank Schlichting, also known as the Constrictor, one of Victor's old work pals. They shared a beer and laughed. Nikki was talking to Daken and Lester, all three content. Lottie however had grabbed a hold of Arkady Rossovich, more commonly known as Omega red... a former boyfriend, and sat between him and Vincent, who stared at her dreamily.
Victor glanced over at them and growled as Arkady smiled and placed his hand on Lottie's.
"Relax Vic." Frank told him, swallowing his beer. "I doubt they'll get up to anything. Not with you sat a few feet away."
"I still don't like it." Victor grunted and turned back to his old pal. " Fuckin' commie's got tha hots fer my property."
"Technically, Lottie was with him first Victor." Nikki smirked over her shoulder. "And you haven't exactly been faithful over the years. Hence Vincent's existence." With that she turned back to Daken and Lester.
"fuckin' frails..." Victor grumbled and drank his beer. Frank smirked.
"Hey! Everyone! What's the weirdest thing a boyfriend or girlfriend's ever asked you to do?" Typhoid Mary suddenly asked, turning her conversation with Sandman into a group one.
"I was once with a girl who asked me to dress as her father. I had to have a pipe and everything. It was really weird." Black Tom confessed, shaking his head.
"Now that's taking being daddies little girl to a whole new level!" Wade Wilson laughed.
"I was once crucified." Lottie suddenly blurted, stunning the group into shocked silence, even Arkady looked at her in surprise.
"Why would anyone want to crucify an angel like you?" Vincent piped up, seeming offended by the mere thought of it.
Lottie shrugged. "He was a very odd one. Very odd. Sadly, he didn't last."
"They never do with you, do they Lott?" Cain Marko chuckled, taking a sip of his beer. There was a cheer from the other men and Lottie smirked.
"Victor's lasted hasn't he?" she retorted.
"Yea, but only 'cos he's a stubborn bastard to kill!" Toad snorted from his place on a nearby wall.
"too fuckin' right I am!" Victor smirked.
"Oh yea?" Lottie grinned at him. "Anyone got a sledge hammer? We'll see how well he can heal from a caved skull and mashed brain." She called out. The crowd laughed and Victor cocked an eyebrow.
"Oi frail." He called to her. "Sleep with one eye open t'night." He purred dangerously. The group all looked at each other and laughed again. Lottie bit her lip and blew Victor a kiss.
"I love you too husband dearest." She purred.
"She'll love you even more with a knife hanging out your back though Vicky!" Wade snickered. He was about to continue with Lester flicked a bottle cap, hitting Wade between the eyes and knocking him out.
"I think that's enough now." He said. "Your being way too negative Wade."
"Agreed!" Nikki smiled.
The conversation continued, only pausing as the Creed's tiny daughter, Vicky appeared in her PJs and climbed onto her fathers lap with a kitten. She saw Victor's beer and reached for it, Victor obliging her a sip or two.
"Starting her early Vic?" toad cocked his head.
"She's Canadian..." Creed answered simply.
Everyone shared a story or two and they laughed. Vicky listened intently.
"A frail once told me she wanted a fairytale relationship." Victor said lowly. The group hushed to listen. It was rare to hear Victor Creed talk of such things. For a long time, very few even knew he'd had a girlfriend.
"So I ate her grandma." There was a moment of silence before everyone burst out laughing. Victor however stayed steely faced and glanced round, catching Lottie's eye. She stopped laughing and stared at him.
"You're not joking, are you?" she asked. The question hushed the group once more.
Victor stared back at her, a dangerous glint in his eye. Lottie could see Sabretooth in Victor's eyes and he looked deadly serious.
"Bloody hell Vic..." she whispered and began to laugh again.
"Ewwww..." Mary cringed. "Dog breath, that's disgusting."
"yer face in disgustin' nutball." He replied and cracked his neck.
"Tastes like chicken!" Vicky giggled. Her father laughed.
"Nah babe. Tastes like pork."