Institutionalized

INSTITUTIONALIZED CHAPTER ELEVEN (NC-17)
Disclaimers Apply


A/N Goddess Foxfeather, Queen of Mad Plotbunnies and BUSIEST WOMAN ALIVE (tm), I'm a bit disturbed. Billy and Joaquin and the other strange Scottish man brought home a silkie. I'm not quite sure what to do with her. InterNutter, TC and Maxwell Pink are sparkled. :) Readers/Reviewers: The armadillos are very annoyed. It seems someone (the ducks) have filled in their burrows with cement. The Killer Kitties (tm) and their Minions (tm) are laughing. Very evil laughter, mind you, but laughter nonetheless.


The silence was broken only by the sound of the air conditioner clicking on, the soft whoosh of air making Pietro twitch in surprise. Magneto did not move. He stared at the blank, brushed-metal wall and breathed slowly in and out. Even the IV drip in his arm seemed to still in the tense moment. "What do you mean," the older man finally said, "they're already there?"
"I saw them...three of them...they walked right in like they belonged there! They were some of the ones I had seen with Frost last week..." Pietro stood a respectful and safe distance from his father, but still felt like he was in terrible danger. Surreptitiously, he glanced down at his body to see if he had metal anywhere on his clothing.
"This complicates things," Magneto sighed. "Complicates but does not obliviate. We will just have to alter planplans. Tell me, is the Russian still among them?"
"Yes, sir. He's there. I don't think the Professor is on to you yet."
"He won't be. It's impossible. Incubus is too good to let that happen."
Pietro felt a strong twinge of envy at the mention of this mutant. "Is he...is he still around?"
"Don't be stupid, boy!" Magneto snapped. "Of course he is. He's invaluable!" Rising carefully so as not to dislodge his IV, Magneto approached his son, pulling the metal pole with him. "You are getting quite on my nerves of late. Tell me, Pietro, where is Wanda? Perhaps she would be amenable to hel our our cause. With the proper persuasion."
Pietro knew logically that Magneto was just trying to get a rise out of him, that Wanda was never going to help their father no matter what else happened in the world, but he could not stomselmself from lashing out. "Wanda's too wrapped uph Tah Tabby and that damn baby to help anyone!"
"Baby?" Magneto said quietly. "Baby?"
"Um..." Pietro realized his mistake instantly. "Yeah...baby."
"Who would be the father?" Magneto fixed Pietro with a steady gaze. "How many times have I told you to stay away from the fast ones? Though, with your own speedy proclivities, I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner. When is it due?"
"No idea," Pietro mumbled. "I don't talk to her."
"I'm sure...tell you what, son," Magneto said genially, smiling in such a manner that even Logan would have been nervous, "I will give you a chano wio win back my good graces. Bring me the Russian and the little mother. You help to complete the cure, and you'll be the new leader of the Brotherhood. Under me, of course."
Pietro nodded shakily. The little part of him that still had a conscience was jumping up and down, shouting for him to run or lie or something, just get away _now _ and try and right the wrongs he had already done. Pietro pushed that aside. "What aou gou going to do with Tabby?"
"It's not Tabby I want, son. Not at all."


"Kitty?"
"Hey, Piotr...something wrong? You look upset." Kitty pushed herself away from the computer desk in the upstairs library and shoved her glasses on top of her head.
"Nyet, nothing wrong...just...well, I'm concerned about Kurt's sister. She is such a young girl and I know Sergei is very upset..."
"I imagine everyone who knows her is worried," Kitty began but Piotr waved her off.
"He feels that it is his fault that she fell. I spoke with his mother last night and she says Sergei wants to tell the Wagners he will take full responsibility for anything that happens to Erika, but what sort of thing would that be? If she is injured, he can do nothing to help her. If she dies...nothing." He spread his hands in a helpless gesture.
Kitty furrowed her brow. "How is it his fault? She fell from the trapeze. It was an accident!"
The tall mutant sighed. "He was flirting with Katja. He was supposed to check Erika's line and did not do it because he was talking to her sister instead."
"Oh...Oh, my." Kitty closed her eyes briefly, opening them to find Piotr much closer than before. "Did he say if Katja's okay?"
"I don't know. I just know what his mother told me."
"He made a mistake, but it's not his fault, really...I don't think. Wow. I have no idea what Astrid or Johannes would say if they knew...or Kurt! Kurt would kill him before he had time to move!"
"Kurt is violent?"
"Not violent...protective. If he loves someone...well, he has an overdeveloped sense of chivalry." Kitty was feeling crowded, Piotr's greater size not only dwarfing her but taking up most of the room in the tiny alcove the computer was situated in. She stood, cautiously pushing against his chest to move him out of her way. "I won't say anything to Kurt about what you've told me...Sergei needs to do that on his own, telling the family."
"Where are you going?" He was immediately behind her. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up at his proximity and wondered just what he was trying to do. "Somewhere to be alone?" he asked, somewhat suggestively.
Kitty turned and faced him again, trying not to crane her neck too far back but finding his closeness made it impossible not to do so. "Piotr, you know I'm with Kurt..."
"Da, I know, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate you...after all, it's not every day I meet a pretty American girl who speaks such fluent Russian." He reached out and placed one hand against her cheek. "And who cares so much about people's feelings and is so smart and..."
"Piotr," she said sharply. She did not like the direction he was taking. "_I love Kurt _."
"Like I said before, that doesn't mean I can't..."
"Well, do it quietly," she said, stepping back to remove his touch from her face. "I need to go find Rogue. I need to ask her about these stupid summer cheerleading things..."
Piotr looked past her, towards the door of the library. "Hello, Jean."
Jean had an unreadable expression on her face. She looked from Kitty to Piotr and back again before saying carefully, "We're taking the new recruits on a practice patrol. Piotr, Storm and Beast have a uniform waiting for you in the hangar. Kitty, I need for you to come with me."
Kitty waited until Piotr slid past Jean, still standing in the doorway, before saying, "What the Hell was that?"
"Someone likes you, Kit," Jean said, half teasing. "Comes on strong, doesn't he?"
"Just a bit...were you serious about the patrol?"
Jean nodded. "Scott and I are taking Piotr, Roulette, Sunspot and Empath out to show them the usual routine. Sam is staying here becauas has he puts it, he's too old to be a student here and he'd much rather not be made to act like one."
"Touchy..."
"I think he had a mutation incident this morning. All I know is that there's a hole the size of a small third world country through one of the old garden sheds and he kept sending out flashes of guilt about it..."
"What about Jono and Paige?"
"Jono can't be budged. And Paige went out the first day she was here with Logan. Besides, I want to keep her away from Empath-he was giving her weird looks earlier and I think he's up to something."
Kitty nodded. "Okay. Want me to come with?"
"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about...Kitty, pretty soon, Scott and I are going to have to start dividing everyone onto teams. Alpha team and so forth...This is hard for me to say because you're my friend and I respect you greatly aside from that...but you're going to have to really work on your fighting skills. You've let them slip lately and I don't think I could put you on Alpha if you're not up to par..."
"_Excuse me? _" Kitty felt her face grow hot from embarrassment. She had a niggling feeling that Jean was really referring to the fact she had put on some weight over the past few months, but she was not quite sure. "Logan doesn't seem to think I have problems in that arena."
"Well, Logan's not choosing the teams," she said defensively. "We won't start picking people for another week or so, if that helps any."
"No, Jean, it doesn't. Excuse me," she said, pushing past her roughly. "I have to go take my lazy, unskilled self to my room and sit on my fat ass for the rest of the day!"
"Kitty," Jean called after her helplessly, receiving an uncharacteristically rude gesture in return. _God, I hope the rest don't go like that. _


Jono was glad to come out of the basement, truth be told. He waited until almost everyone else had left, save for the few hiding upstairs for one reason or another and the two guys in the rec room, yelling at random sporting event on television, then slipped out of the front door and into the sunlight. He did not feel as others did, most of his body being technically dead. He did not breathe unless he forced the action and even then, it was merely a rise and fall of what was remained of his torso rather than actual breathing. He did not sleep unless he wanted to, not needing it anymore and dreading the nightmares that would come when he did. He did not eat, either. Lack of a mouth tended to do that to a person. Instead, he spent most of hise the thinking. Thinking and hating himself and playing his beloved guitar that only seemed to make things worse.
The sun was nice and bright, making him squint slightly in the light, and a slight breeze bore the scent of the newly flowering summer plants and the organic smell of the lake, warming in the summer heat. Jono could not smell it, though. _You're depressing yourself, mate. Stop it. _ The sound of distant splashing drew Jono around the side of the house, towards the lake. He trundled along in his heavy coat and dark wrappings, a vibrant shadow against green and yellow summer, debating the intelligence of ever coming to Bayville, when the source of the splashing noise became readily visible. Paige was hip-deep in the lake, cajoling her brother to come in and swim.
"No way," Sam called from the pier. "I know you too well...you may be little, but you can still hold me under!"
"I promise I won't turn into metal or anything! Come on, get in! I hate playing alone!"
"You're too old to play, Paige!" Sam called back, waving her off as he headed back into the boathouse where they were staying.
"That's what you think!" she yelled at the closed door after a moment before disappearing under the surface of the water.
Jono felt that strange fluttering feeling again as he watched her resurface, wet and shining in the sun. _She looks like light herself...all gold and pink and white...God, you're being daft. Stop it! _ He found hif edf edging closer, though. Just out of her sight behind the border of trees leading to the lake, a narrow grove used by students to sneak cigarettes or alone-time with their significant others. He was alone, despite her presence, alone because he made himself that way. He was tempted to call out to her and go sit on the pier as she swam, but he resisted. Instead, he sat down against one of the larger beech trees, folding his arms around his knees and staring at Pa Paige did not have a care in the world, swimming the length of the lake twice before flipping onto her back to float in the warm sun. Jono found himself greatly appreciating whoever had invented the bikini who whoever had encouraged Paige to buy one that color, a pale yellow that seemed to blend into her skin when the sun hit her just right. He closed his eyes for a pained moment as she pulled herself up onto the pier and stretched langorously. Jono felt the energy burning within him build, a pressure he could definitely feel and knew that could not be good, but he could not quite bring himself to stop looking. Paige shook her hair out of her eyes and laid down on the wooden planks, ostensibly to dry in the warm air. Jono found himself edging a little closer, trying to see more of her as she lay there, trailing her fingers idly over her exposed stomach, tapping her toes to a song playing in her head. Sam was no where to be seen. _Probably watching whatever game that was on telly the others had on in the house. He seems the sort... _
Paige did not know she was being watched, but she was certainly thinking of the person doing it. _ I wish he wasn't so down on himself. Damned hard to cheer up someone who doesn't want it... God, it's getting hot out here... _ She turned over onto her stomach and rested her chin on her arms. _He's not at all bad looking...probably got scales or something under those wrappings. I don't mind scales. I don't think. I mean, how bad could it be? That blue kid has fur all over the place and Kitty seems to like it. _ Still thinking, she rose to her knees to untie the back of her top before laying back down, intending to get some sun before she had to go back in and get dressed. _Maybe he'd want to go do something sometime, just to get out of that basement _
Jono thought that if he had a heart left, it would have just stopped. Paige, almost topless, twenty feet from him..._Sink me... _ He edged forward again, his knee coming to rest on a dry twig, snapping it loudly. He jumped to his feet as Paige did, her top sliding down her arms enough to give him a view of heaven and earth. Can die now... He felt the pressure in his chest reach new and painful levels, tearing a psychic groan of pain from his depths. "Hello?" Paige called. "Sam, are you playing a trick on me? Who's over there?"
Jono closed his eyes tightly, turning away. He forced his feet to work, forced his mind to think of anything but her, and took slow, painful steps towards the mansion. He knew what would happen if he let the power get out of control again and he did not want anyone to suffer same as he had, as someone else he cared about very deeply had... Paige was sounding closer now and he forced his steps to become faster, the pain receding a little as he thought of things other than her, of home and before and now, of how he looked and what that felt like. Paige had stopped some distance from him and he did not turn back.
She saw him cutting through the trees, nearly doubled over, clutching his chest and stomach. _What the Hell? Is he...glowing? _ A yellowish light shown around him, bright even in full sun. _Damn, Jono, what's wroith ith you? _ Paige did not move closer, having a strong feeling that he did not want to be bothered. Almost smugly, the tiny thought crept into her mind. _He was spying on me. Cool. At least I know I have a chance now... _