Pietro squirmed in the warm tail's embrace, wanting to have his legs free. He hated being confined. It reminded him of the time Wanda had stuck him in a closet and locked him inside it. He had nearly lost himself. He wasn't exactly claustrophobic, but when he didn't have the space to run, he got nervous and jittery. But he covered his nervousness by shouting at Kurt, "Let me go!"

Kurt took another bite of the sandwich, chewing it as he chuckled. He swallowed and then asked with a big grin, "You know something?"

"What?" Pietro demanded mockingly.

Kurt picked a bit of lettuce out of the sandwich and nibbled at it, saying causally, "You talk too much."

Pietro pretended to frown, and then sneered, saying, "Too bad, fur-boy." He kicked, but was still stuck tight. He then said with as much venom as he could muster, "Now let me go and put me back to normal! NOW!" Kurt laughed openly this time, making Pietro swell up indignantly and ask, "What's so funny?"

Kurt took another bite of the sandwich, and licked at the mayo dripping out, saying as he grinned widely, "You are. You're so tiny, yet you act like you're still in charge." Kurt's face was clean, but he kept licking his lips like he was cleaning them. Pietro guessed it was that hologram of his. If food stuck to the kid's fur, it became hidden as well.

Pietro then remembered Kurt's comment and said angrily, "That's because I am!"

Kurt put the last bit of the sandwich in his mouth, licking his fingers as he asked with a mocking grin, "Really?"

Pietro nodded and then practically hissed, "That's right. Now, I'm telling you for the last time, you furry, blue, pointy-eared freak…" He then screamed angrily, "PUT ME BACK TO NORMAL!"

Kurt looked at him, as if surprised, and then burst out laughing. Pietro was deposited on the tabletop, where he stood, glaring at Kurt, who wiped his eyes as he chuckled and giggled. Pietro then frowned, saying angrily, "You're starting to bug me, Fuzzy." He felt something prod him from behind and saw it was Kurt's blue tail. He shoved it away from him, shouting, "Get away from me!"

Kurt withdrew his tail and asked in a strangely dangerous voice, "What? You don't want to play?"

Pietro crossed his arms answering firmly, "No!" Maybe the fuzz-ball would come to his senses soon and turn him back to normal.

Kurt then seemed to come to a decision in his mind, and began to grin widely, saying in a funny tone, "Well… if you don't want to play, I guess you're good for only one thing."

Pietro sighed deeply. He'd play along. "And what's that?" he asked with a sneer.

Kurt leaned close to him, and with another wide, funny grin, he stated simply, "A snack."

Pietro responded angrily, "You've already eaten my sandwich, you jerk!"

Kurt smiled, saying, "I didn't mean the sandwich."

Pietro didn't quite get the hint and let out a, "Huh?"

Kurt then pointed at him with what appeared to be his first and middle finger, saying with a soft chuckle, "I meant you."

Pietro was a tad confused, asking, "Me?"

Kurt grinned and sat up, saying, "Yep."

Pietro scoffed and began to walk to the table's edge, saying scornfully, "Oh yeah right. You really go a long way to get your sick kicks, don't you?"

Kurt seemed surprised, asking, "You aren't scared?"

Pietro replied, "Why should I be? You're just playing around. That's what you do." Kurt was always the joker for the x-geeks. It was rare he didn't see the blue-boy joking around with his friends, making them laugh by doing the stupidest and craziest things. The x-geeks must have gotten bored of him, so now Fuzzy was trying his luck here. And it wasn't working.

But then Kurt said softly, "And what if I told you I wasn't playing around?"

Pietro turned, startled by the odd tone of Kurt's voice. It almost sounded like the fuzz-ball was serious. Pietro then said softly, "What are you saying?"

Kurt grinned and answered, "I'm saying I'm still hungry."

Pietro wanted to laugh. For a second there, he'd thought that the fuzz-ball was seriously thinking about making a meal out of Pietro Maximoff. It was a laughable concept! No one could kill Pietro, least of all a hungry blue-elf-boy! But then he saw the odd gleam in Kurt's eye and instinctive alarm bells started ringing in the back of his head. He then began to back up, one step at a time, holding out his hands as he said, "Hey… don't even think about it, Fuzzy! I'm nobody's meal!"

Kurt grinned at him, and with a snap, Pietro was caught in the blue tail again, arms stuck to his sides. He was brought close to Kurt's face, and could see himself reflected in the hologramed blue eyes. Kurt then raised an eyebrow, asking playfully, "Wanna bet?"

Pietro's blue eyes went wide, and he stuttered out, "N-No…You've g-got to be kidding me!" Kurt grinned broadly and turned off his image inducer. Pietro started shivering. Kurt's grin, while in hologram, had been freaky enough, but now that the hologram was off, Pietro could see Kurt was baring his fangs. And to Pietro, they suddenly appeared very sharp.

Pietro then pleaded again, "No! Come on! That'll kill me!"

Kurt's grin suddenly dropped, as if he had just remembered something important. He then stopped smiling, and leaned back in the chair, still holding Pietro captive in his tail. Kurt lounged back, one arm draping over the back of the chair while the other elbow rested on the arm, and his hand cupped his chin. He stared at the floor, thinking.

Pietro grinned. Finally! Fuzzy's less-than-brilliant mind had caught up! He then said, "See? You don't wanna kill me! So how about you put me back to normal and we forget this ever happened?"

But then Kurt looked back at Pietro and the grin was back. Kurt got up, gently slid Pietro back into the glass and walked to the kitchen, saying over his shoulder to Pietro's inquiries, "I'll be right back. I gotta try something."

Pietro pressed himself to the glass, ignoring how cold it was, and listened. He couldn't see Kurt anymore, but from the gentle clatter coming from the kitchen, the fuzz-ball was obviously doing something. Pietro tried to crane his neck to see, but was unable since he was at the wrong angle. Suddenly, he heard Kurt say, "Hope I'm right about this…" and then heard two bamfs; one to disappear one to reappear. They were within a second of each other. Then, right after the second bamf, there was a click of something small falling to the floor. There was silence and then Kurt exclaimed joyfully, "Yay! It worked! I'm gonna have some fun with this!"

Pietro didn't like the way the blue kid had said 'fun', but could do nothing about it because Kurt sauntered back into the living room, wearing a smug grin that stated he had a secret.

Pietro then hoped Fuzzy was willing to listen, and said, "Listen. I know me and my team have been rough on you X-ge… X-Men in the past, but how about we let bygones-be-bygones? Live and let live? You put me back to normal, and I'll tell the others to not mess with you and your friends. Okay?"

Kurt sat down, smiling as he said simply, "You're begging."

Pietro was a bit indignant at the blunt statement and was about to retort with some rather colorful words, but then realized he had been begging. He gulped hard, and said nothing.

Kurt smiled and then crossed his arms on the table, resting his chin on them, grinning toothily as he murmured, "I knew it. You're scared of me. Now… why would that be?" He then used his tail to tap the glass, saying, "Is it because I'm bigger than you? That to me, you're conveniently bite-sized?"

Pietro shivered and retreated to the other side of the glass, saying quietly as he hugged himself, "Oh God…"

Kurt grinned triumphantly, saying, "That's it, isn't it?" He grinned and then whispered, "I'm gonna tell you a secret." He then pretended to look left and right and then said quietly, "Last night, I went walking downtown. A human began to bother me. So I shrunk him, and then took him to a rooftop and ate him. I just put him in my mouth and swallowed him whole." Kurt then peered at the white-haired mutant, saying softly, "It felt so nice. He was struggling and squirming around, even when he got down to my belly. It made me laugh because he tickled me."

Pietro looked like he was going to collapse.

Kurt then sat up, and used his tail to trace a line from his jaw down to his breastbone, saying, "You know, it doesn't seem that long, but I could feel him squirm the entire way down my throat… I felt him squirm a long time." The barb slid further down, and began to rub against Kurt's flat abs. Kurt then said, "Then after he was all the way down, I could feel him moving around inside me. It was wonderful!" Kurt leaned close to the glass and grinned widely as he whispered, "Now I plan to try something else; A mutant." He reached into the glass, with his hand this time, and gently cradled the now-trembling mutant, saying softly, "You."

Pietro felt the three-fingered hand wrap around him, and though he did kick, he knew there was no escape. He wanted to shout, to yell, to beg, to plead, but Kurt's yellow eyes had a predatory look in them that told Pietro in no uncertain terms that resistance was futile. Pietro felt his eyes burn and realized he was starting to cry. He hadn't cried in years. He tried to make them stop, but as he was lifted up to Kurt's eyes, he let the tears flow down his cheeks, tasting the saltiness of them as a few slipped into his mouth.

Kurt smiled at Pietro, asking quietly, "Are you… crying?" Pietro swallowed hard, and looked away from Kurt, feeling both terrified and ashamed as he tried again to blink the tears from his eyes. Kurt then twisted his hand so he was looking at Pietro's face and asked smugly, "You're scared, aren't you?" Pietro tried to glare at Kurt hatefully, but when he saw those fangs, his resolve crumbled and he started shaking again. Kurt then grinned and said in a very friendly tone, "You know what? How about I make it easy for you?"

Pietro felt hope stir in his heart and he looked up, asking eagerly, "You…You'll let me go?"

Kurt smiled, and said gently, "No." Pietro's face fell as Kurt continued companionably, "I'll just make sure I swallow quickly, okay?"

Pietro then tried one last time, pleading quietly, "Please… Tell me you're joking…Tell me this is just some sick joke of yours… Tell me you're not serious…"

Kurt then shrugged and said cheerfully, "I'm not, it's not and I am."

Pietro had time to look at the yellow eyes, so hard, one last time before he saw nothing but darkness.

His instincts kicked in and Pietro began to struggle. Down to his waist, he was stuck in a dark, wet, hot place. His arms were pinned to his sides, his hands clenching and unclenching at the level of his thighs as he howled his discontent. He couldn't see anything, but his other senses were working just fine unfortunately. He could feel the hot wetness all around him, soaking his clothes, making them stick uncomfortably to his skin. He could still feel Fuzzy's hand on his hips, holding him in place, and he kicked at the fingers. He could feel something under his chest, wet and hot and flexing and moving, like a living waterbed. He could smell the air surrounding him and despite his situation, recognized a faint peppermint smell. But then he shook himself back to the present and though he squirmed like mad, he didn't accomplish anything. He then felt an odd pressure at his hips and then felt his legs shoved up to join him, crushing him against smooth and hard walls. He felt the fingers leave his body, but then found he could barely move at all.

He tried to at least move his leg, but couldn't even flex his foot. His legs were stuck. He couldn't run. He couldn't escape. He started to panic, breathing faster and faster and his struggles grew more desperate. He heard Kurt chuckle, and also felt it vibrate through his body, like being too close to the speakers in a concert. He then called out, "Please, don't do this!"

Kurt only chuckled again, and Pietro felt the floor shift under him, turning him over in the small space and getting him soaked to the skin in a thick, sticky liquid. He could feel his hair sticking to his skull, and his shirt was glued to his chest and back. He felt the tears come again, and this time let them come as he struggled instinctively. He tried to figure up from down, back from front, but it was all a dark, hot, wet blur.

Suddenly, he felt himself crushed into stillness. He coughed at the pressure being exerted on his chest, but then gasped for air as it was suddenly released. He fell to his front, and gasped air back into his lungs.

But then he was crushed again, but this time it was different. He tried to draw a breath, but it was like his chest was being crushed to the point of implosion. Oh it hurt! He tried to struggle to get room to breathe, but there was none.

Suddenly he had the room to move, but he was on his back. He quickly rolled to his front, coughing. He pushed himself up to be on all fours and then froze. The 'floor' was very soft and warm.

He shot to be standing, but slipped and fell down, feeling more soft, warm floor under his back. He got to his hands and knees and crawled in a circle, feeling the floor and murmuring, "Oh no… oh God no…" He then sat still, and curled up, tucking his head to his chest. For a while, he lay still, his body shaking with silent sobs. But then he became aware of a distant drumbeat, somewhere above his head. He uncurled enough to stare in its general direction and listened.

It was a deep, repetitive sound, and it reminded him of the sound you always hear in the background of a hospital scene in movies. It was a heartbeat. Kurt's heartbeat. And he was hearing it from the wrong side of the mutant's furry skin. Also, he suddenly noticed he could smell sandwich all around him.

One plus one equals…

What was left of his shaken will was shattered into teeny tiny little pieces and Pietro curled up in the hot darkness and cried. But then, he felt himself sliding around, and hit a wall, also soft and wet and warm to the touch. Pietro suddenly grew angry and, standing up, slammed his fist against the wall.

To his disappointment, his punch just bounced off the warm, smooth flesh, knocking him off balance so he fell over again. He struggled to be upright, but upon reaching his feet, he slipped yet again, crashing to the floor. Despite the fact he was falling flat on his face, it didn't hurt. It was like falling onto warm, wet rubber.

He writhed, trying to gain his feet yet again. One part of Pietro's mind was screaming at him to get up, to escape, to live. But the other part was telling him quietly that there was no point in fighting. He was done. He was finished. Pietro sided with the first voice and kept struggling to stand upright for more than three seconds at a time. But this was easier said than done. The floor was wet and soft and it depressed underfoot, making balance impossible. He fell again and this time, lay still on the floor.

He could feel that his clothes were completely soaked and he felt sick because of it. He lay on his back, looking up into darkness. He felt the tears come yet again, flowing down his cheeks to tickle his ears. He reached up, and wiped them away angrily, but they kept coming. Angry now, Pietro slammed a fist down into the floor, but again, his fist only bounced off.

Then something odd happened. One instant, he was standing there, ready to give another ineffective punch to the soft walls, and the next, there was something like an explosion, except it wasn't. An explosion burst outwards, but for Pietro it was like his body was trying to collapse in on itself. He felt pain beyond belief, and writhed in agony.

Suddenly he was falling. He didn't fall for long, maybe only a few seconds, and when he was aware of being on the ground again, he only faintly noticed that this time it felt hard and cold. He shivered in the sudden cold, and blearily saw the ground was white. There was movement at the side of his vision, and with what was left of his fading consciousness, he noticed the thing was shaped like an arrowhead, and it was blue. Then he fainted.

Pietro let out a scream as he shot upright. He panted, his mind still racing. Darkness, heat, wetness…sandwich? He looked down at himself, tangled up tightly in the sofa's blanket. His legs could barely move. He had been rolling in his sleep and had completely enveloped himself. He then felt his shirt was wet and looking down, sighed in annoyance. He had rolled right onto his drink.

Wait… When had he gotten a drink? Must have been before he went to sleep.

He untangled himself, breathing shakily as he recovered from his dream. God, what a nightmare! He had dreamed a demon had come and tried to kill him. He shivered and picking up his glass, went into the kitchen, and ran the faucet for some water. He drank it as he went back into the living room.

He had to stop sleeping during the day. It didn't agree with him.

Kurt watched from his perch in the tree, smiling as Pietro went back on the couch and turned on the TV. Good. He remembered nothing. Kurt rubbed absently at his stomach as he sighed a little in disappointment. He had wanted to really eat Quicksilver, but the mutant's protest had brought Kurt's sense back. He wasn't out to kill the mutants! Just the humans.

So, after thinking, Kurt had decided to try an idea. He had gone into the kitchen and without thinking, he plucked a button from his jacket, and swallowed it. He grimaced at the taste and at the slightly uncomfortable sensation, but then muttered softly, "Hope I'm right about this…" Then he had 'ported, concentrating on teleporting only himself, but not the button he had eaten. He reappeared and heard the click of the button hitting the floor. Kurt had grinned widely, cheerfully stating, "Yay! It worked! I'm gonna have some fun with this!" Kurt had pocketed the button, then gone back to Pietro, and after having a little bit of fun with him, had gulped him down whole.

For a while, Kurt rolled on the floor, indulging in the sensations coming from inside him as the mutant squirmed around. But then Kurt felt the movements stop, and fearing that Pietro had gotten hurt, decided to test his theory. He had lain down on the kitchen floor, pressing himself as flat against it as he could, and then 'ported away, reappearing just a foot away. He let out a sigh of relief and of joy at seeing the small wet body on the tiles. He leaned close, hoping he hadn't killed the little thing by mistake, but no, he was moving.

Kurt then knew he had a very small window if he wanted this to stay a secret. He picked up the small body and went back into the living room and had put Pietro back to normal size, wrapping him tightly with a blanket he found on the couch. Then he went into the kitchen, filled a glass with water, and poured it on Pietro's chest, careful not to wake him. Then he positioned him so that if he so much as twitched, he'd fall over the edge of the couch and onto the glass, which he had refilled. If it worked out just right, Pietro would dismiss the whole thing as a nightmare.

Kurt sighed as Pietro began to flip channels. He felt empty now. The special 'port had not been a pleasant experience. He had felt as if his guts were trying to rip themselves out of his body. But now, thankfully, he felt better. He felt hungry.

Kurt grinned at Pietro, knowing the mutant couldn't see it, and 'ported away. Pietro heard the distant sound of the implosion, and for some reason he couldn't explain, he just suddenly felt very uneasy and very, very scared. The feeling quickly passed and he flipped the channel, but couldn't dismiss the residual feeling of terror that coursed through him.