Hungry

The news was buzzing with the report of local hero Scott Summers’ murder for the next two days. Pietro spent said days curled up in front of the tube, a black blanket he’d stolen from his sister’s bedroom draped over his slender body. All day, all night, he switched news channels, listening to sad women talk about the honor roll, church going X-Man, who’d died viciously on the grounds of his surrogate home, the Xavier Institute. The reports on the second day detailed the closed coffin funeral that had been held earlier that day. Pietro had suggested going to Lance, out of respect, but nothing more had been said on the topic as Todd had burst into hysterics at the very mention of Summers’ name a few seconds later. In order to keep Travis under control, the rock tumbler had decided they shouldn’t stress Todd out. Thus, Cyclops had been laid to rest without the Brethren’s presence. The plan was, should anyone ask, that they figured they wouldn’t be wanted and had stayed away from the grieving mutants.

Now that it was afternoon on the third day since Scott had been eaten, Pietro was growing quite tired of hearing about it. Not to mention the heart breaking pleads from a Mrs. Webber, who was searching for her son, who’d vanished without a trace on his paper route. So, sighing, he clicked the TV off and sat there in the bright room in silence. He could faintly make out Lance upstairs. He knew it was Lance because Todd was in the kitchen staring at the ceiling from the corner he’d been shaking in for the past thirteen hours. From what he could tell, Lance was walking around, probably pacing and trying to figure out what their next step was going to be.

Figuring helping his teammate would be a whole lot more productive then sitting in the living room, he climbed off the worn out couch and drifted out and towards the stairs. Halfway there, however, there was a loud knock on the door. He jumped half a foot off the floor before spinning around in terror. Could it be the police? Were they finally going to arrest them for aiding in murder? Was this it? Should he run and let the others take the fall? They had, after all, done most of the damage. Although the option was tempting, he found himself inching the door open and peering outside anyways.

Evan Daniels was standing on the porch, glancing around and clutching his skateboard tight. His eyes were puffy from crying and he didn’t look like he’d slept in days. Yet, it was the mere fact that he was actually standing on the doorstep that surprised and terrified Pietro more then his overall appearance.

“ Daniels? What the fuck are y-you doing here?” he questioned, desperately trying to keep his voice calm. It was difficult, though, as this was one of the people the Brethren had been hoping to avoid until they could figure out what to do about Travis.

“ Dude, what happened to your window?” the other mutant asked instead, pointing at the boarded up section of the wall next to him.

“ We got into a fight. Does it matter? What’re you doing here?” he repeated, swallowing and leaning in the doorway. Only years of lying and tricking people led to him being able to act like his normal self, especially considering he was trying to hide the blood stained entrance hall.

“ Xavier wanted to know why you guys didn't show at um Scott’s funeral... I volunteered to come... needed to get out of the house...”

“ Yeah, we heard about Summers. S-sorry about your loss... he was a g-great guy,” Pietro’s knees shook slightly and he uncontrollably glanced over his shoulder to where he knew Todd was, “ We didn’t show because, y’know, we figured we wouldn’t er be wanted. Since Summers hated us and um everything... why?”

“ The professor wanted Toad to speak at the ceremony,”

Pietro couldn’t stop his face from whitening, even if he stopped his mouth from dropping. The irony, as sick as it was, got him. At first he wanted to laugh. Then he had the faintest moment where he thought maybe Xavier knew what had happened and was using this as a way to get a confession out of the boys. Then he was just overcome in confusion. Even if this wasn’t a plot against them, he couldn’t imagine why Todd would be a candidate to speak at Summers’ funeral. The two had never been close, enemies if anything. They’d never liked each other. To be completely honest, they’d been polar opposites and clashed horribly. Clearly, this confusion showed on the blond’s face, because the next moment Evan was clearing his throat and rubbing the back of his neck.

“ The professor said... Toad knew Scott... they’d gone to school together for a while... y’know... dude, I don’t really know... he just wanted to have him speak... was gonna ask him when you guys showed up. Got him wondering why you hadn’t,” the younger tried to explain. He failed, as Pietro was still confused, “ Anyways... Xavier said he wanted to talk to you. All of you. Seems to think this... attack was against mutants and wants to know if you’ve noticed anything... weird,”

“ Uh... I have to run this by Lance. Um... just stay here and uh... don’t leave,” he said, his voice beginning to shake, “ And don’t do anything loud, okay, Daniels? Todd’s sleeping and he hasn’t been himself lately,”

“ Ok-”

The door was slammed shut in Evan’s face before he could utter another word. He stared in shock as footsteps, inhumanly fast, vanished up to the upper levels of the Boarding House. Chalking it up to old time rivalry, he let it go and merely stood outside, waiting for what he hoped would be a positive response from the rock tumbler. So, he stood there, rocking back and forth, doing nothing until he heard a moan from just inside the front door. He froze up, recognizing the accent of that voice. Slowly, he crept the door open and peered inside to see Todd holding his head and shaking in the dim hallway.

“ Toad?” he whispered, walking inside and shutting the door. The other mutant looked up at the sound of his name, “ Hey, Toad. What’s wrong? Maximoff said you weren’t feeling good. What’s wrong, man?”

“ My head... it’s killin’ me...” he muttered, swaying a little. Evan reached out to steady him but got the distinct feeling he shouldn’t and instead drew a bit back. Hesitation and fear was starting to wash over him as Todd raised his head and he saw that those friendly, familiar gold eyes were much darker then usual. Something was wrong, he could feel it.

“ Hey, man... what’s wrong with y-” he didn’t get anything else out because at that moment, Todd grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the opposing wall. He choked and scratched at the floor, glancing around in fear.

The floors, the walls, they were all stained red.

Spikes shot from the younger mutant’s body. Instantly, Todd jerked back, his webbed hands cut and bleeding. Evan pointed at him, body shaking as he crawled into the open hallway. For a moment, they just looked at each other, Todd’s body crouching down and Evan’s shaking so badly he slipped and fell backwards. Still, his spiky skin kept the other at bay as he found words to express the horror consuming his body.

“ You! You! It was you!”

Anger washed over Evan and he aimed his hand at the practically glowing violet eyes of the mutant in front of him. A spike shot out but didn’t pierce it’s target. To Evan’s terror, Todd caught it and spun it in his hands, a feat he’d never been able to do. As it became clear that this wasn’t the powerless mutant he’d beaten so many times before, the toad had crossed the space between the two. He leered over him, baring sharpened teeth.

Travis slammed the spike through the boy’s head with enough force to snap the neck backwards. Blood splattered from the open mouth as the head crashed back into the floor. Sheer anger, however, distorted his passion and he longed not for the blood. Yes, his stomach and head were both throbbing in time to his heart beat. However, this boy had harmed him and therefore enraged him. Instead of licking up the blood that flowed effortlessly from that open hole, he grabbed hold of the remaining spikes and began to tear them from his body. Blood trickled out from the small holes as they closed on their own. Twirling them with human precision, he slashed open the boy’s middle and ripped the organs from his body. With two forceful tugs, he cracked the rib cage open and felt his anger melting away.

Without the anger, though he let out a cry as his body doubled over, collapsing into the remains of the boy. He shuddered despite the warmth of the blood he was soaked in. His mind swam with darkness, nothing making any sense. His human side tried to will him to move, but the agony was too much. All around him was what he needed to survive, yet moving was becoming far too difficult.

As his eyes began to roll back in his head, though, he tasted a bit of the wine he desired so much. At once, he was overwhelmed by the passion only that liquid could bring to him. His body shook, his mind swam, and he smiled into the pool he was lying in. Without thought, he found himself on his knees, lapping up the cooling liquid as it poured out and spread across the floor. And then there was no floor. The world ceased to exist. He was alone with his prey, as it rightly should be.

His teeth sank into the flesh hanging from the broken ribs. It was drenched in blood and tasted so sweet he shuddered as it slid down his throat. His hands began to rip chunks of the boy off and shove them greedily into his mouth. Every piece dripped of the blood and he found the effect divine. The last boy had been almost dry. The first, he barely remembered. This, however, this was what could only he described as heaven. He felt full in a matter of minutes, but only pieces of the boy were missing. He wanted more, he wanted so much more. Being full wasn’t good enough anymore.

Although he didn’t need to, Travis tore the spinal cord from the body, pulling it up through the stomach. He twisted the head off, kneeling in the drying blood. The bone was sticky as well and he broke it into pieces to eat. His hands found an arm and he cracked it in half, chewing on the bone and then ripping the muscle off. His stomach was starting to hurt, he could hear his clothes beginning to rip. He felt ill. He’d been eating for days, his usual diet, but this meal couldn’t be ignored. The blood was too much. He needed it too much. He wanted it too much. He ate more pieces, cramming them into his mouth even though his body was shaking and his head was cloudy. His greed had grown too far, he couldn’t say no, and thus he bit the heart in two and swallowed. His stomach gave a lurch, but he shoved the second half inside his mouth and choked it down. The blood filled his mouth with every mouthful and he relished the taste as it warmed him from the inside out.

Travis’s hands picked the body to pieces and his stomach begged him to stop. But he needed more. His head, his greed, urged him forward and he snaked his way to the thrown organs. One hand touched the bulge of his stomach, the other pushed the pieces of the boy into his mouth. The blood was cold. Disappointment made him shake and sob, actual tears running down his face as he licked his fingers and found himself scanning the room for any remaining pieces. The head. The spike still had liquid running down from it.

In a second, the mutant had forced his way over. Travis bit down on the cheek and tore it from the skull with a sickening snap. The face collapsed and the fine wine gushed out. His body quivered, everything said no, but he broke the face to pieces and glutted himself on the remains. His hunger was well over satisfied, but his hunger for blood had only increased.

Thus, when he heard a gasp from up the stairs, he immediately turned around, licking his bloody lips.

His mate was standing up all those stairs, gripping the railing. Next to him was another boy, who was screaming. That boy disappeared, leaving Travis’ mate alone. Steadying himself by keeping both hands on his curved stomach, the violet eyed mutant headed up the steps that separated him from the person he longed to be near. The closer he got, the cleaner the air got and the more he wanted his beloved. His mate shuddered, drawing back. He tripped and fell onto the ground as Travis reached him and stared down at him with dead eyes.

His hands found his mate’s face and he held tight, kissing him deeply on the lips. Everything tasted clean, pure, just as it had the day they’d lost their innocence to one another. He licked the inside of his love’s mouth, enjoying the feel too the point of forgetting the blood he knew was just beyond that skin. His mouth switched positions and he ran his tongue along the cheek of his lover, watching as those brown eyes widened, revealing their color to a devastating extent. Travis moaned into the embrace, kissing him once more and clicking his jaw out of place. He knew what he was doing and although his stomach was fit to bursting, he pushed his mate’s head inside.

There was no struggling. Only tenseness that began to ease as he guided the body into his mouth. It was easier the second time and he soon found his mate all the way inside and his jaw clicked shut. Groaning, Travis slid down to the ground, hands touching the sides of his swollen stomach. He couldn’t have felt worse, but he couldn’t have felt better. He was as full as he could be and his head was bathed in delight as he felt the pinches and aches of his lover adjusting his position against the remains of the boy also inside him. Slowly, he breathed in and out, smiling up at the ceiling.

Despite the pain he felt from having eaten too much, Travis couldn’t help but grin. His mate had settled down and remained calm, curled up inside what he knew to be a warm and sticky home. His body relaxed, his hands caressed his belly, stroking his mate tenderly. His head became hazy with rest and his eyes shut. This truly was heaven, he knew.

Yet, he also knew he couldn’t stay mated with his love for much longer. So, he gave his stomach a push and he expelled his lover. He stared at him from where he was stretched out on the floor, dripping in a mixture of slime and blood, and said nothing. Travis crawled over, kneeling in front of him, and kissing him gently on the lips. His lover shook, wiping some of the gunk off his face. Sensing discomfort, Travis leaned in close, until they were eye level and willed himself to speak, even though English was not his first language.

“ Love,” he cooed, snuggling against the ever warm chest of the other. An overwhelming scent of sweat and clean washed over him and he licked the flesh again. Icy water. The same taste he’d fallen in love with.

Without much consideration or thought, Travis plunged his tongue back into the mouth of the boy in front of him. Before, he’d been too preoccupied with blood to truly appreciate the simple taste of his lover. Now it consumed him and made his head hazy once more. He moaned and felt the body below him stiffen. Still, he embraced his lover tightly, squeezing his shoulders and running his tongue over the roof of his mouth. He felt two hands on his own shoulders and suddenly came to.

Todd’s eyes faded back to gold and he jerked away from where he’d been kissing Lance deeper then he’d ever kissed another person before. The rock tumbler appeared to be shocked, yet calm at the same time. As the younger mutant opened his mouth to explain, to speak, Lance shushed him and cradled him against his wet chest.

“ It’s okay, Todd... I like it... I don’t mind... it feels good...” he whispered, smiling faintly upon remembering the absolute warmth and comfort of his time in Todd’s stomach. This time he’d known what was happening and found that he had drifted into a wonderful half slumber inside him. Though it scared him that he found the womb like sensation so relaxing, he couldn’t say he didn’t enjoy the idea of it happening more often.

The fact that only Travis could give him that sensation, on the other hand, was terrifying.

Yet, he couldn’t help but smile as he hugged and soothed the shaking Todd, who was no doubt recalling the murder of Evan. As he wondered how he was going to heal the wounds of another murder, he glanced towards Pietro’s door, knowing that the blond was on the other side. He couldn’t help but question whether or not trusting the speedster was a good idea now that it was becoming clear that he was in love, if not with Todd and Travis, then with what they could give him.

On the other side of said door, said blond sat, also questioning past decisions. His body shivered violently as he stared out the crack in the doorway as Lance and Todd embraced. After all he’d seen, he couldn’t even scream. He’d seen the remains of what must of been Evan. He’d warned him. He’d told him to stay outside. Would that had saved him? Probably not. Either way, Evan was dead, Travis’ third victim. There would have to be another cover up, another act of pretending the mutant had never made it to their house, which meant another X-Men would show up to question them. It would more then likely be Jean. Or Kitty. Would they get eaten too? Or would Travis be unable to kill them and they’d be caught then? Was this the end? Or could they tame the beast before someone else came to investigate and ended up in that expanding belly?

No matter what happened, Pietro knew no good could come of his decision to stay. Not if Travis was mating with Lance in that way. Not if Lance was enjoying it. Not if Lance egged Todd on to get Travis to swallow him, as was the speedster’s fears as he watched the two hug. No good at all.

Was it too late to run now? He feared it was.