A soft sigh escaped Svetlana's turquoise lips whilst her index finger twirled a loose strand, trying to achieve maximum curl. Her emerald eyes gazed at the passing landscape and buildings from behind dark stained glass. There was the faint murmur of a voice around her, a voice she was clearly blocking out. She couldn't care less about rules or guidelines, at least not until she had to bend a few to get her way. The voice speaking was oblivious to the fact Svetlana was ignoring her but she figured as much by now.
"Vanessa" and Svetlana had arrived at Bayville about three hours ago but had to settle a few things before departing to what "Vanessa" suggested would be where they would stay. They had been off to a pretty fast pace day so far and she had managed to remain calm and collected; however, inside she was fuming and fussing over all the changes. She hadn't put up a fight when she'd taken her to purchase fourteen full sets of clothes. She hadn't complained when she'd taken her to eat at some strange burger place with very oily food. She hadn't complained when she told her she'd be living with teenage boys. She hadn't questioned how Raven, or Mystique as she stated she liked to be called when in private, had managed to settle the affairs of her new identity so quickly; however, she had put up a very serious fight for her new identity.
"There is no way that is going to be my name!" Svetlana shouted as she slapped her hands down on the desk, standing up with great force. Her chair fell back with a hard "THWAMP!" and her emerald eyes seemed to glare into the soul of the pudgy man before her.
"Sit. Down. Now." Raven hissed at Svetlana whilst her eyes narrowed at her.
"No! I will not accept THAT for a name!" She shouted and slammed her hands on the desk for emphasis.
"I said… SIT!" Raven hissed as she stood up and grabbed the woman's arm, giving her a hard tug.
"I will not sit down until I get a name that won't make me stick out like sore thumb!" She hollered then yanked her arm free of Raven's grasp with relative ease.
"Errrm… Should I give you ladies a moment alone to decide…?" The pudgy man peeped from behind his thick-rimmed glasses. He nervously pushed them up his nose as sweat dribbled down his temples. It was obvious that this man was no good with confrontation of any sort.
"Yes!" Svetlana shouted while Raven shouted her response as well. "No!" They turned to glare at each other and the man looked ready to have his anxiety swallow him up.
"Sir, please, would you be so kind as to give us a moment alone? Five minutes alone should be enough." Svetlana spoke softly as she flashed the pudgy man a bright pearly white smile. Her emerald eyes softened and shone more like gems. She even gave a playful shrug, almost as if to imply: "what can you do when you're in my shoes?".
"Y-yes, of course! J-just let me know when you're ready!" The man practically squeaked before he quickly excused himself from the room, shutting the door behind him with more force than Svetlana could've imagined.
Emerald eyes focused on the door as she could almost feel his nervous sweat drowning her alive instead. That little man really needed to toughen up, maybe marry a woman who was more assertive with him. He needed someone in his life to really make him a man. A venomous glare at her back made Svetlana slowly turn around and place her right palm on the desk to balance herself. She casually leaned against it and flashed Raven her best smile.
"Now, where were we again?"
The scowl on the woman's face could've easily formed a crater on her forehead if it was any more intense. "You were being childish about your new identity." She hissed through gritted teeth, obviously trying to keep her temper in check but not doing very well with that.
"Ah… Right." Svetlana mused thoughtfully as she pursed her lips together and brought her left index finger to tap her chin. "I'm still not going to accept that name." She stated flatly and narrowed her eyes at her.
"Now, what exactly is wrong with Shannon Baker?" Raven asked while she rolled her eyes and exhaled a heavy breath.
"Do I look like I could pass for Miss Baker? Have you seen me?!" Svetlana demanded as she gestured to her slender yet curvaceous figure. "That name is going to make everyone think I'm going to bring cookies every time I see them. You might as well add "Hey, look at me world, I'm totally faking my identity!" on to that passport!" She huffed before throwing her arms up in the air dramatically and turning her back to the woman.
"Am I to assume you can think of something better, Miss Svetlana Alkaev?" Raven demanded as she made physical air quotes with her fingers around Svetlana's name. This was meant to taunt her but earned a different response from Svetlana.
A toss of her auburn hair behind her shoulders was all Svetlana needed to do to calm herself down before responding. "That name screams that I'm Russian. My accent adds on to that. Your name screams that I'm obviously faking it. There is no way you can pass me off as American." She stated and turned to look at her over her shoulders, a smile threatening to break free.
"Have you heard yourself talking at all?! Your accent is all over your English!" Raven retorted and pointed an accusing finger at the Russian mutant.
Mystique had definitely crossed the line by trying to bash on her accent now that she'd finally accepted that she was wrong. Svetlana inhaled a sharp intake of breath and spun on her heels, coming face to face with Mystique. Her emerald eyes were a deep green, their lively luster dulled by her seething at Mystique's bashing of her heritage. Her shoulders were tense and jaw set tight, indications of rage struggling to be set free. Svetlana had always exercised control over her emotions, careful to not seem too kind or cruel so her intentions were not questioned. She wasn't one to openly display anger because she believed it didn't suit a woman's virtue. There were few things in life that could really test her self-control; however, Mystique had accidentally stumbled on number one right now. Her face was inches away from the woman's, her index finger angrily poking her chest with every word that left her turquoise lips.
"Listen here, Mystique, I will not tolerate you trying to attack my heritage or anything associated with it. Yes, I am Russian and I do have my accent, which I happen to be very proud of, understand? I can hide my accent but I bet you didn't even think of that, did you?!" She hissed through gritted teeth before giving her a shove that nearly sent her tumbling down. She stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest. "Now, we are going to go with the name that I choose or you can forget about using me." She whispered threateningly as her lips formed a grim line, showing she wasn't putting up with any negotiations.
Mystique caught herself using her chair and the desk for support, much to Svetlana's dismay. The woman quickly straightened herself out and crossed her arms over her chest, trying to seem like she actually had a chance of getting her way. Her eyebrows creased together and she seemed to be resisting the urge to bite her lower lip. Svetlana knew she was considering the situation in her mind, weighing whether a fake name would be worth losing a mutant over. Erik definitely wouldn't accept that as reason to lose a pawn. Besides, how could she explain herself to him? Their plans for her hadn't even begun. If she lost the mutant now, she would surely be kissing her life goodbye. She slowly uncrossed her arms and met Svetlana's gaze.
"Very well… What name do you want to go by?" She asked quietly, like a child finally surrendering to his given bedtime.
"Gabrielle Beauchene." Svetlana stated softly and relaxed more as the name escaped her lips, her Russian accent now replaced with a French one. She caught the look on Mystique's face and immediately pointed a finger at her. "Don't you dare say a word about it! It was my grandmother's maiden name and I'll be damned if I let you bash on it!"
Not a single sound was uttered by Mystique. She simply plopped down into her chair and sat back, which Svetlana took as a cue to her victory. She walked to the door and quietly opened it, poking her head out to call sweetly to the pudgy man. He waltzed into the room a little less nervous and finished the paperwork. Svetlana smiled innocently when her picture was taken and made small talk with the man for the remainder of their stay in his office. Mystique never spoke another word, simply nodded and handed over a stack of cash. They'd quietly left once everything was settled and were picked up by a black limousine. Svetlana practically radiated sunshine, feeling quite proud of herself for getting her way once again, just like always.
"Are you even listening to me, Svetlana?!" Mystique shouted and slapped her hand down on the arm rest.
"Nope." Svetlana, who was now going by Gabrielle, answered by putting an extra "pop!" sound to the "p". She glanced down at her new passport, reading over her new name for the hundredth time. "And it's Gabrielle Beauchene now, remember? You should probably start calling me that if that's what I'm going to go by while I'm here in America. It would really mess up your plans if my real identity was leaked." She half mumbled as she closed her passport, tucking it into her silver purse and zipping it close.
"Whatever. Now, as I was saying, you'll be staying with a few boys. They're members of the Brotherhood so that means that they're your teammates. I expect you to behave yourself."
Emerald eyes narrowed at the golden eyes of the blue woman. "Don't treat me like a child. I'm a woman. I know how to be a lady."
"You certainly argue like a child."
"And you play along." She retorted with a mischievous smile that earned a small snarl from the woman.
"Get out of the car." Mystique countered and pointed at the door, turning her head away.
Gabrielle giggled as she turned towards the window, noticing for the first time that they had stopped. She unbuckled her seatbelt and started to open her door when it gently swung open. She paused and blinked before gazing at the man who was holding the door open for her. She had forgotten they were riding a limousine with a chauffeur. She smiled then carefully stepped out, slinging her purse over one shoulder while the man unloaded her new black luggage case and her old suitcase. He set them on the ground and walked over to let Mystique out. She was feigning her "Vanessa" persona to seem normal. The man quickly drove away and Gabrielle pursed her turquoise lips together before she walked up to the boarding house with her luggage. Mystique had already walked past her and swung the door open, calling out loudly, as if she expected someone to come greet her with thousands of balloons and confetti. She fought the urge to roll her eyes at the sight as she walked up behind her, trying to silently squeeze through her to get inside.
"Oh boys~ I'm back~ I brought a new member with me~" She cooed and stepped inside, placing her hands on her hips.
"Hey, yo, Mystique's back!" A sickly boy called out from his spot on the coffee table, looking over his shoulder as if someone was standing there. He then turned back around and noticed Gabrielle stumbling through the doorway, her lips pursed together as she fought the carpet that had trapped her luggage. "And she brought a babe!" He spit into his hand and smoothed his hair back, though his hair quickly went back to how it was.
Gabrielle felt a shiver run down her spine as the boy looked at her, feeling as if he was undressing her, or at least trying to in that head of his. She set her luggage close to the door, ready to bolt out of there if her other teammates were anywhere close to being like this boy before her. There was a "SWISH!" of air before a tall silver haired boy was standing behind an old couch, leaning over it with a raised brow. He looked Gabrielle up and down slowly before he let out a whistle, causing the young Russian to cast her gaze to the floor. Somehow the whistle had flustered her but she didn't know why. It wasn't like she was timid around males but bold flirtatious moves on behalf of a male were a little new to her. A young man with dark brown hair slowly descended down the stairs and cast one look at Mystique then at Gabrielle. He arched a brow then looked at the sickly boy then the silver haired one, taking note that he wasn't the only one who noticed Mystique's company. Gabrielle nearly dove for cover when she heard earthquakes, except they weren't earthquakes, they were foosteps. Footsteps from a very large… boy? The boy, she assumed given how Mystique stated she was going to live with teenage boys, was like a walking boulder. He had no distinctive features but she knew he wasn't an inanimate object because he had a face, limbs and a voice, though she could've easily mistaken him for one. He had a blonde mohawk and looked like he could crush her to pieces with his pinky.
"Boys, I'd like you to meet Gabrielle Beauchene, the newest member to the Brotherhood." Mystique stated as she gestured to Gabrielle with her left hand.
The sickly boy was the first to speak up, unable to hold back the eagerness in his voice. "Yo, da name's Todd Tolansky but uh, you can call me Toad." He stated then laughed before ogling Gabrielle again.
The silver haired boy smacked Toad upside the head then vanished from her sight only to reappear in front of her, holding her hand. He quickly pecked the back of her hand before he introduced himself. "Pietro Maximoff." He stated and winked before vanishing from her sight again, only to reappear behind the couch, lounging against it. "You can call me Quicksilver though."
"I… Uh… I'm Fred Dukes. You can call me Fred or… Blob… Or…" The large boy mumbled before he chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. It didn't look like he knew how to act around a woman or maybe Gabrielle's piercing emerald eyes were a bit intimidating.
"Don't let these clowns make you uncomfortable, Gabrielle. They're not used to being around a woman." The brown haired boy explained, which earned a glare from Mystique. "Except for Mystique." He quickly added and walked over to her, shaking her hand. "I'm Lance Alvers. The fellas call me Avalanche." He then released her hand and took his place back by the stairs.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all. I hope my stay with you won't be an inconvenience." Gabrielle stated in the softest voice she could manage without letting her Russian accent slip through. She dipped into the best cursty she could manage with her fur coat and bulky leather boots. Her grace was lacking but her posture was present. She remained there for a few seconds before she slowly rose, gazing at them through her lashes.
"So what can ya do?" Todd asked as he cocked his head to one side, as if that could somehow help him figure out what she could do.
All eyes fell on her the moment he asked the question. She knew they'd ask that question but she'd been hoping to have more time to think of something. She wasn't going to reveal the full extent of her powers, no, that would be very foolish. She didn't trust any of them. She wasn't going to reveal herself to them unless it was necessary. She held out her right hand sheepishly, pretending to be nervous so they wouldn't catch on that she was stalling. She stared at her hand until she saw the faint violet light emitting from it. She then glanced at the boys and her sheepish smile grew.
"Ummm…My powers… They… Uh… Work better if I have a target… Would one of you mind volunteering…?" She quietly asked and they all seemed to gaze at each other in silence. It was almost as if they were daring one another to step up to the challenge.
"I'll do it!" Fred volunteered and took a step forward, proudly readjusting the straps on his overalls and tilting his head up a bit.
"Thank you, Fred. I hope this won't hurt you too much…" She whispered and slowly pulled her arm back then flung her arm forward, as if she were throwing a bowling ball. The violet light flew off her hand and formed a sphere in mid air before colliding against Fred's stomach, sending the large boy flying back against the wall.
There was a sickening "THUMP!" as Fred's back slammed into the wall and the whole house trembled, debris falling from a few cracks. Gabrielle immediately hid her face behind her palms, afraid she might've killed the boy. She peeked through her fingers when she heard unified laughter erupting from the room. She slowly lowered her hands and saw the boy laughing and pointing at Fred's dazed look. They slapped their knees and doubled over in laughter, even Mystique seemed to be fighting back the urge to laugh but a smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. Fred slowly moved out of the hole in the wall he'd created and rubbed the back of his head but he seemed perfectly fine to Gabrielle. Pietro wiped a tear from his eye and Lance couldn't help shaking his head through his laughter. Todd was on the floor laughing and holding her stomach but Gabrielle was unsure how to react. She hadn't prepared herself for such a reaction but a clap on her shoulder pulled her from her thoughts.
"I think you'll fit right in, Gabrielle, though we're going to need to give you a nickname, something like what we have. A name that sort of tells others what you're capable of doing." Lance explained but he kept one hand on her shoulder.
"Ummm…" Gabrielle mumbled softly as she tried to think of a name fitting for her that represented her powers but didn't give away too much. "Maybe… Marionette?" She whispered as she thought of the position she was in. The name only seemed fitting.
Lance didn't seem to know what it meant or he didn't care because he simply shrugged. "Alright, whatever you say, Gab-" He started to say then smiled and clapped her on the shoulder again. "Marionette." He then gestured for her to come towards the group as he made his way to them.
Gabrielle inhaled a deep breath and closed the door behind her. She finally let it settle in that she was now a member of the Brotherhood. It was all official now that she had met them and had a nickname. She glanced at the bickering males while Mystique held a hand over the phone, trying to restore order and keeping someone on hold by the looks of it. Pietro was wiping slime off his hand by using Lance's shirt, much to the latter's shock and anger. Fred was sitting off to the side but obviously trying to argue that they needed fifteen pepperoni pizzas. Todd was under Pietro's foot, trying to get up from what Gabrielle assumed was his punishment for spitting slime on Pietro. She smiled as she took in the scene, wondering just how this group of misfits could possibly amount to anything threatening but she figured that everyone changed when backed into a corner. She silently walked up the stairs with her luggage, humming a tune under her breath while the bickering over pizza and pranks waged on. She was more than ready to settle down for the day to prepare for a new day to come.
Author's Note:
I'm sorry if it seems like this is dragging on too long. I was trying to get it all set up before launching into some action. Will we see the X-Men? Will the Brotherhood cause trouble? Will Svetlana/Gabrielle show off what exactly it is she can do? Will she possibly explore love? Stay tuned to find out! :D [insert flailing arms of excitement here]
I also edited the characters for this since I am thinking of possible pairings such as Remy x Gabrielle, Pietro x Gabrielle, John x Gabrielle. Yay or nay to these? Let me know in the reviews! ^_^