Kitty walked back out to the hallway, crowded with other students. I don't know any other way to put it, but talking to Pietro seemed to give me some kind of luck. First, I missed out on a boring lecture. Second, knowing what Mystique is planning makes me feel a whole lot better. And third, he totally saved me from getting extra homework tonight. Funny, I always thought Lance was supposed to be my savior. How did it end up becoming Pietro? Kitty re-framed at the last question to herself. Pietro is my savior?
The things that were happening around her didn't register to her yet. On her way to her locker, she encountered Jean. "Jean, Hi." "Hi kitty! Did you have any luck with finding out who Rogue's new crush was?" "Huh?" Kitty asked perplexed. "You know, Rogue's crush? Did you find out who it was?" Kitty looked from side to side in confusion. "Wwhy do you ask?" Kitty dragged the 'why'. "Because you look a lot less stressful than you did earlier. And you're talking again. I was beginning to worry about you myself." She explained. "You know, I did find out who her crush is." Kitty said despite the fact she had already known. "Really?! Who is it?!" Jean squealed with glee. "I can't tell you. Otherwise Scott will suspect me of committing illegal espionage. He told my not to Pry. Remember." "I know, but I'm just eager to find out who it is." "That will like, just have to...I mean, that will just have to wait." Kitty said recalling that fact Pietro told her she says 'like' a lot.
Kitty couldn't help but ask. "Um, Jean. Do you think I say the word 'like' a lot." She asked slightly solemn. "What do you mean? Even if you do, I haven't noticed it. Where is this coming from anyway?" Jean interrogated. Kitty's grim facial expression change to a more cordial one. "Oh! Nowhere. It's just that someone told me I say it a lot." "And who is this someone?" Jean displayed a quizzical brow. Kitty became flustered again. "Just...you know. Someone. Forget I asked. Like don't worry about it." She hurried away from Jean to get to her locker. Jean didn't know what to make of her erratic behavior. She didn't dawdle on the subject too long. She just went ahead and prepared for her History class.
Kitty ran over to her locker and took out her science text books. Oh my gosh! How could I be so stupid! Telling Jean that someone told me I say like lot! I'm such a dolt! She thought harshly. When she rallied her books, she saw Rogue a few lockers down, coming her way. Remember Kitty, keep it together. Don't raise suspicion. Kitty assured herself.
As Rogue approached her, her heart began to beat faster and faster. "Hi Kitty. How was class?" Rogue asked cordially. "You know. Same ole, same ole. Hey, I was wondering if we could all go the beach instead of like, going to some rusty, old construction site." "You know Ah only chose the construction site because it actually have things there we can practice with. Everyone else likes the idea." "I understand, but we've been in the danger room so many times in the last two weeks, I was just hoping for a break. You know, like, have some fun." "We can have fun later. Or then again, jus' think of it as fun." Rogue pressed.
Kitty was trying her best to convince Rogue that she didn't want to go to the construction site. Since that wasn't working, she changed her tactics. "You know what Rogue. You're right. It has a lot of stuff that you guys can practice with! As for me, I'm not going! I'm sick of practicing! I want to go to the mall, get my nails done, go swimming, and play in the sand! All of this study, study, study; practice, practice practice! It's getting on my nerves! I'm going to go home, do my homework, and I'm going to the beach! Even if I have to go by myself!"
Kitty's acting was very convincing. Rogue looked disappointed. "Alright fine. Do whateva' ya want. But it'll probably upset everyone else that ya won't be comin'." she frowned, folding her arms. "Well you know what." Kitty said putting her hands on her hips, "I don't care. I'm like, not worried about them right now. I'm worried about me. I didn't sleep well last night and I deserve to have a good time."
The bell rung. "This is like, the end of this conversation. I'll see you at lunch. 'Rogue'" she said rogue hard. When kitty turned her back to her, Mystique frowned annoyed. She threw the books in the locker and snatched out some other kinds for her next class. "That insolent girl!" She raged out load and slammed the locker closed. "she's going to ruin everything. It looks like I'm going to have a change of plan." She said evilly shrewd.
At the Brotherhood
Pietro had become so much faster, it didn't take him long to reach the boarding house. He saw as Todd, Freddy, Lance, and Wanda were walking out the door and heading to the jeep. "Hey yo! There's Pietro!" Toad shouted. Everyone whirled round to see Pietro standing in the driveway. Toad hopped over to him, "Man, we were wondering where you were. Where'd you go? Did you bring something back for me? Did you clear your head? Did you go see a doctor to make sure you didn't have that polar bear problem?" He pestered.
Pietro pushed Todd away from him. He answered as he was doing so. "No! I didn't bring anything back. No! I didn't clear my head. Where I went is none of your business. And I don't have a polar bear problem! There aren't even any polar bears around here! Not even in the zoo! And why would I need to see a doctor about a polar bear anyway?!" he spoke rapidly. "Geez man. No need to get you undies tied in a knot! We were just worried about ya." "I was just out for 30 minutes Todd! Being around all of you guys is giving me a head ache." "Yo, you're starting to sound like Lance."
Pietro gave him a death glare. "Say what?!" Pietro held up his fist in an intimidating gesture. "Nothin'. No need to get all irrational." Todd crouched down cravenly. Pietro eased up. "I thought so." He said lowering his fist. He then ran over to the rest of them and left Todd there sighing in relief. "Whew! For a moment there, I thought I was done for." he hopped back as well.
Before anyone could ask any questions, Pietro explained with his eyes halfway closed, "If you wanna know where I've been, I was collecting stones and skipping them across a lake. So there. End of story." Wand sighed loud enough for Pietro to hear it. He looked over at her and saw how grim she was. Pietro was pensive for a moment and came up with an idea.
He took Wanda by the hand, "Hey Wanda, I need to talk to you for a sec." "What is it now Pietro. You've been acting so strange that Toad thinks you're bipolar." "I assure you my dear sister that I, Pietro Maximoff, am NOT bipolar." He spoke undoubtedly smooth. "Then why act so weird?" "It's a long story that I really can't tell you right now. But I have to say this; Wanda, if you don't want to fight anymore, then don't. Stay here if you want to okay. I understand now that we don't have to keep putting ourselves through this just to get Magneto's attention." he said like a true caring brother. But that characterization of him was the straw that broke the camel''s back.
"Okay pietro! What's going on really?!" Wanda snapped throwing Pietro's hand off of hers. "You get up this morning saying you found out about our father! First it seems like you don't want to take orders any more. Then you all of a sudden take the orders seriously! Now you're telling me I can stay! I've never seen you like this before!" Pietro stood tall and straight and placed his arms to his side. He walked closer to Wanda.
"Listen to me Wanda! I'm in charge of this place. And I make the decisions around here that I think is right! And right now, I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place! Let me find a way out of this tight spot first! I'll only make the spot tighter if I tell you what's going on too soon."
Tears began emerging from his eyes. The sight of seeing her brother cry was enough to settle the anger that was building inside of her. Pietro continued, chocking on his woeful sounding words "You gotta let me figure this out Wanda! And you have to do what I say! You're going to get hurt if you don't. And I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to you. There is more to this than meets the eye.
The pressure of it all is weighing down on me and I can't let you carry this burden. I'm acting so strange because I don't know what to do right now. I'm trying my best to get through this and I have to do it alone for now." Pietro's sadness was contagious, thus Wanda began to cry. "If whatever is bothering you so much, then why won't you let me help you? You don't have to go it alone. And what I can't grasp is, why do you feel the need to protect me from the X men." "Because I'm not protecting you from them. I'm protecting you from something else." He answered her question immediately. "What?" she said still sobbing. "What do you need to protect me from?"
All Pietro could do was hug her tightly. "Just stay here sis. Don't go anywhere alone okay. I know you can take care of yourself. But there are so many unpredictable situations that are going on right now so it's not safe to draw conclusions too early." saying so, he walked Wanda back in the house.
Freddy and Lance were just gawking at the siblings. "What a load of bologna!" Lance yelled. "Yeah. What was all that about?!" Freddy asked. Todd on the other hand was in the back, pouring over the heartfelt commotion. "That was... the most beautiful thing...I've ever seen. That was better than the time on One Love to Cherish when Nancy got sick and Drew confessed his love for her before she went on." he snorted the snot back in his nose before speaking again. "Any body have any bonbons?" He wiped the tears from his eyes. Lance and Freddy just stared at each other in disbelief. What to say about it, was ineffable.
Pietro walked Wanda in the living room. "I'm going to go ahead and go now alright. Stay here. I'll be back as soon as I can." Pietro said soothingly. "So, why are you going?" Wanda asked soft and slow. "If I don't, then I could mess everything up. In all honesty, I wish I could stay here."
They were brought out of their tête à tête by the ringing of the phone. Pietro picked it up and acknowledged the person on the other end. "Pietro. We have a change of plan. I'm going to let the Xavier kids go off to the construction site. Kitty will not be joining them since she insisted on going to the beach. I want you and your sister to meet there and wait for her arrival. Once she's there, have Wanda use her ability to halt Kitty's powers and I want you to move in and inject her with the bio-fluid. Come to Bayville high to retrieve the syringe from me after school hours. Am I clear?" "You got it!" he hung up the phone.
Wanda came closer to him, "What is it?" "Change of plans. Mystique just called off the attack. She said there was no need for it." Pietro lied. "I guess we don't have to worry after all." he said smiling. Wanda was a tidbit happier too. "Good. Because if this load of your is really dangerous, then I'm glad you don't have to face it right now." She smiled and gave him a hug.
Pietro begged to differ. I wish I didn't have to face it right now. He thought gravely.
The Secret Lair
Pyro, Colossus, and Sabretooth successfully made it to their designated continents. They began setting up the satellites in the most remote places of the continents.
While they were off, Gambit regained consciousness and noted that he was in a cell. His hands were bound to the wall and so were his legs. He tried to break free, but that wasn't happening. He tried hard to figure a way out. Over yonder, he could see Rogue coming awake as well.
When she opened her eyes, she found herself latched to the wall. "Hey! Hey what's goin' on. How did ah get here!" She yelled trying to break free. "Cheré! Ovah here!" Gambit called out to her. Rogue followed his voice until she saw him as well. "Gambit! What am ah doin' here?" "It's a long story. A really long story." He answered. "Whateva', how do ah get outta here?" "Ya see that panel jus' below your cell?" Gambit pointed out. Rogue could only stick her neck out to see what he was talking about. "Yeah, ah see it." "Well that's how yah gonna get out. But with no one around to type in the code, then you're might as well stuck." "I'm not stayin' here!" Rogue shouted.
Remy was confused. "So how ya gonna get out Cheré?" Rogue thought for a while. "Ah think ah know how! Ah still have some of Avalanche's power from last night. Ah don't have much of it, but ah reckon it's enough to split that panel in half." She began to squeeze out the little bit of Avalanche's power. Remy watched in awe.
The ground began to shake. Enough turbulence went through the ground to force the rock from the cliff to puncture the metal and form a crack in the metal floor. The crack spread to the panel and split it in half.
The machine malfunctioned and it released Rogue from her bindings. "Nice work Cheré. Now could ya be kind enough to give me a hand?" Gambit asked smoothly. "Fine. But ah used the rest of Avalanche's power so ah don't know what else to do." "Simple. Ah know da code. Jus' punch in the numbuh's as ah call em' to ya." Gambit explained.
He gave her the code and she pushed in the numbers just as he bade her "So how is it that ya know the code?" Rogue asked. Gambit was set free. He was too ashamed to answer that question, so he alluded it. "Ah was wondering how ya was captured. Sure ya won't mind tellin' me right?" he smiled. Rogue sighed before going over her story.
It was after we fought the brotherhood of mutants. When they left, we went back inside to grab somethin' to eat, freshen up and get ready for bed.
Flashback:
All of the X men walked back inside and celebrated their nightly feat. "That was awesome!" Yelled Scott. "Yeah, especially when you nearly blasted us to oblivion." Jean said shrewdly, ending his fun. "Yeah. But it was better than being knocked out by a defected droid and not being able to see your victory."
"Really Scott!" Kitty exclaimed. "How could you like, be so obsessed with fighting? I'm beginning to think you're like, going to totally lose your nerve if the danger room doesn't get fixed soon." Kurt added, "I think he needs to relax. But I guess it's pretty impossible sense we've been trying to get him to forever." Kitty laughed. Much to Scott's disdain.
Rogue didn't join in on the conversation. She went to the kitchen to grab a snack. Since she was the only one present in the kitchen, she relished the moment to pull out the queen of hearts card from her pocket. She sighed a desolate sigh and bit into her peach while exiting the kitchen.
However, as she was leaving, she ran into Kitty at the door. "Staring at the card again?" Kitty asked with a look of suspicion. Rouge's heart started to beat faster. "Who me? Ah just wanted to make sure it didn't get all wrinkled up in our fight tonight." She rebutted. "Sure you did?" Kitty said in a sardonic way. "Fine, then don't believe me. Feel howeva' ya want." She waved her off and went pass her to proceed out of the kitchen.
"Alright fine." Kitty said, allowing Rogue's dishonest answer to slide. "I'm just gonna make me a sandwich and then head upstairs to take a shower. Like seriously, battling with a dysfunctional probe and then a battle with the brotherhood? I could like, really use one." "Question Kit." Rouge said. "How in the world can you eat horseradish on ya sandwich? That's disgusting!" "Is not! Like, you haven't even tried it." "Ah have and ah didn't like it." "That's too bad, you don't know what you're missing." Kitty spoke in a sing-song tone. "Believe me when ah say ah do."
Rogue left from the kitchen and went upstairs to her bedroom. She got her CD player and plugged her ears up with the earphones. She lied down on her bed and closed her eyes.
She shivered a bit when she felt a breeze in the room. When she opened her eyes, she came face to face with Sabretooth hovering over her. Before she could make a sound, he tranquilized her. In less than 5 seconds, she was out. He took up her body, sauntered over to the window, and jumped down. He rushed off with her through the thicket where the sphere was concealed. It levitated off the ground and then shot off like a speeding bullet.
End of flashback.