JOYRIDE
Pietro Maximoff was in a hurry. Luckily, he was gifted with the mutant ability of speed and, therefore, time was always on his side. This was a gift his father made use of on occasion. Occasions such as tonight...

The security employed at the Xavier Institute was of little benefit against the teen code-named Quicksilver. In the blink of an eye, he had bypassed the grounds' protection system and found where a resident student had left their bedroom window open, the latter careless act making his breaking and entry even easier than anticipated.

Inside, he paused so his vision could adjust to the darkness and, once able to see, looked to the bed and its occupant in order to determine his unknowing accomplice. A smirk curled the slender youth's lips at realizing that his rival, Evan Daniels, was the one to which he owed thanks.

Priceless. Absolutely priceless.

Having important matters to attend, Pietro was unable to dawdle. With a regretful sigh, he left the room to fulfill Magneto's command while making a note to chat with Evan at school the next day. He zipped his way to the mansion's lower level and located the laboratory hidden in its depths. There, he rifled through numerous drawers, file cabinets and shelves with intent. He then went to the computer, seized the item sought and prepared for a quick getaway.

Planning to exit as he had entered, Pietro was brought up short when he reached the hall of Evan's room. Hiding just around a corner, he eavesdropped as the yellow-haired boy banged on a door and pleaded, "Come on, I'm begging here. Please go."

A groggy female voice with a definite southern twang peevishly replied, "No, I'm not interested. Find someone else and leave me alone."

"But you're the only one..."

The door swung open before Evan, now fully awake, could complete his sentence and a sleep-mussed Rogue emerged. "I said no. Don't go makin' me repeat myself again." The threat of or else was left hanging.

Beseeching became annoyance and a "fine" was snapped back. Pietro watched Rogue roll her eyes as Evan stormed off. Evan crushing on Rogue? Asking her out? Midnight wooing? So entertained by this new turn of events, he failed to stifle his mirth and, thus, his presence was revealed.

"Who's there?"

Getting ready to flee, the speedster pivoted and, taking two steps, tripped over an oriental carpet. He fell with a thud.

"Pietro," Rogue exclaimed at seeing his sprawled form. "What in tarnation are you doin'?"

Swiftly returning to his feet, he volunteered a sheepish shrug. "Sleepwalking?"

"Nuh uh," she was not gullible. "Try again. And this time include what you're clutchin' in your hand, which I'm assumin' doesn't belong to you."

Pietro's fingers tightened around the CD he had confiscated. Her words reminded him that he had a job to finish. The enclosed disc needed to get to Magneto. He could not disappoint� no way, no how. With that pressing thought he felt only the slightest of qualms when he hauled back to slug the unsuspecting X-man.

Rogue collapsed in an unconscious heap.

* * *
If there was one thing Wolverine could smell it was trouble, and whenever he scented one of Magneto's offspring that was with a capital T. Inhaling sharply, the feral man identified the intruder as Quicksilver, proof positive. What had the punk been after? A low growl filled the quiet, ransacked lab.

{Logan, to the second floor. Rogue is in trouble.}

Trouble. See? The nose doesn't lie.

At Professor Xavier's mental urging, his scrutiny of the lab came to an end. He had to get to Stripes - now.

Wolverine ran fast but, unfortunately, not fast enough. Rogue, Quicksilver and whatever had been stolen were already gone.

* * *
"Are you outta your ever-lovin' mind?"

Sprinting through the streets of Bayville, Rogue's kidnapper laughed at the question. "I knew that hit wouldn't keep you out for long. Your head's too hard."

"Put me down, dang it all."

"Or what?" Pietro hazarded to inquire of her demand.

Irate, Rogue screeched, "Quit totin' me 'round like a sack of potatoes or I swear to goodness I'm gonna touch you!" Following this, she recalled with horror, "I'm in my pajamas!"

Her intimidation attempt was successful. Pietro halted at one of the seedier sides of town and released her from his fireman's hold to avoid skin-on-skin contact. Rogue roughly landed on the pavement, bottom first.

Spitting mad and forgetting her state of dress, she yelled above the blaring music of a nearby dive, "I'm gonna kick your a-"

"Well, well... lookie here," interrupted an unfamiliar male, accompanied by several snickers. "It seems like we've got ourselves a lovers' spat, boys."

A large, leather-clad biker and his gang surrounded the two mutants as the spokesman continued, "Tell me you aren't with him, darlin'. Say it ain't so. A babe like you needs a real man, not some kid."

Rogue stood and sneered, "A real man? Like you?"

"None better than Razor," piped in one of the cronies.

The leader nodded toward the bar and offered, "Let me buy you a drink and we'll discuss it."

"Oh, please," cut in an unaffected Pietro. "Why don't you and the loser squad beat it, Hell's Angel wannabe? Can't you see this is a private conversation? Meaning... no half-wits allowed."

"You're either very stupid or extremely stupid," Razor gritted out and reached for his insulter. He got a handful of air.

"Time to scram, Roguey. I think we've worn out our welcome."

The untouchable girl dug in her heels and refused to budge when Pietro moved to toss her over his shoulder and escape. She had no intention of being taken against her will again.

While the pair played tug-of-war, they did not notice Razor's recovery or his hurling a knife in their direction. Thankfully, the weapon's aim was not precise, only slashing across Pietro's upper thigh. The inflicted wound, however, did cause damage.

"Argh!"

Rogue caught her injured companion as the attacker bellowed, "Mutie!"

She countered, "Well, aren't you the sharp one? Livin' up to that there name of yours, ain't you, Razor?"

Pietro tried to recoup, leaning heavily into Rogue. Simultaneously, she made an effort to support him and work off a glove.

Razor swaggered to a stop in front of them and grinned. "I was right. You definitely need a real man. Not a dirty mutie-boy."

A sugary sweet smile enveloped Rogue's mouth as she went to give him a seemingly flirtatious stroke of the cheek. In mere seconds, Razor was out like a light. Shooting the rest of his posse a dispassionate once-over, she remarked, "I prefer to stick with my own kind." Then dared, "Anyone else want some?"

Each shook their head in denial. A scrawnier member stuttered, "W-w-will h-h-he l-l-live?"

"He'll live," came the confirmation. "Now, get!"

They adhered to her instruction, a couple even so brave as to retrieve Razor and drag him behind.

Alone, Rogue prodded, "Can you run?"

Pietro answered to the negative.

"Well then, we're just gonna hafta scare ourselves up another mode of transportation, ain't we?"

* * *
{I have pinpointed their location. The coordinates are being transferred. Be warned, my X-men, both Rogue and Quicksilver have been using their powers. It is imperative we find them - posthaste.}

The assembled X-men - Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, Jean, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, and Spyke - did not require an explanation about the imperativeness of this assignment. Rogue using her powers did not bode well for anyone, especially herself. Fearful of what they were going to encounter, the Blackbird's occupants kept hushed as they flew toward the unknown.

* * *
The sleek, canary yellow Ferrari 550 Marnellow Barchetta peeled rubber out of the parking lot. Pietro reclined in the passenger seat and nursed his injury while Rogue manned the wheel.

"I can't believe someone was fool enough to go bar-hoppin' in this baby. They must've been slummin'."

"I can't believe you know how to hotwire!"

"Well, ain't too hard when the owner forgets to lock the door."

"Where the heck did you learn how to hotwire though?"

"Bartholomew Gwendolyn 'Razor' Hornstead taught me." Rogue tapped a finger to her temple for emphasis. The seriousness of the situation then set in. "Oh my Gawd, I stole a car!"

"Well, yeah," her partner in crime said, not seeing the harm.

"I stole a car! I think I got a bigger chunk of that goon than intended. I'm a criminal. A thief! I'm gonna go to the bighouse!"

Trying to assuage her concerns, Pietro produced his ill-gotten gain and offhandedly jested, "Join the club."

His plan backfired. Rogue immediately snatched at the purloined case he held, which led the automobile to veer from the road. An instant later, flashing red lights and a siren materialized at the rear.

"Pedal to the metal! We've got company."

Rogue's dangerously bare foot thrust down on the gas, the disc suddenly not so necessary. "Why in tarnation couldn't you have grabbed my shoes? It's a mite difficult drivin' like this."

As the Ferrari's speedometer numbers increased so did its operator's anxiety. The black and white cruiser was starting to fall behind, but that did not allay her worry. "Do you reckon we should've gotten a more nondescript car?"

"What fun would that have been?" Pietro guffawed. "This is awesome."

"You're insane! We're like sitting ducks in this thing."

Watching the vehicle on their tail, he prodded, "Admit it. There's nothing like this."

"Like what? Bein' a fugitive?" Rogue scoffed.

"No. Speed! There's nothing like speed." Not bothering to suppress his enthusiasm, Pietro emitted a wooohooo. "I've got a neeeed for speeeeeed."

His zeal was contagious, however, Rogue valiantly hid its effect on her. Their necks were on the line. "Tom Cruise you ain't, Speedy Gonzales. And... does everything have to be fun and games with you? This is heavy!"

"Of course everything has to be fun and games. What else is there? Now, come on, Slowpoke Rodriguez, let's leave this copper in the dust!"

* * *
Henry McCoy, otherwise known as Beast, wore a bemused expression. This was out of the ordinary for someone of his intellect. "I'm at a loss, Charles. Why would Quicksilver break into the mansion for that?"

Professor Xavier was as baffled as the blue-furred man. Yes, blue-furred. Hank's appearance was that of an animal - a beast - in complete contrast with his genius. Not that long ago he had created a serum to cure his mutation, a serum that had disastrously failed. Instead, it had advanced his mutation and altered his human countenance beyond recognition.

"I cannot fathom his reason. Childish hijinks, perhaps. When the X-men catch up with him, he can explain."

The telepath's brow knit in concentration as he, again, undertook the task of tracking Rogue and Quicksilver.

* * *
"Yanno," Rogue began, "there is such a thing as acceptin' responsibility for your actions. Maybe we oughta-"

"We're not turning ourselves in," Pietro objected as they distanced themselves from the police. "We're almost home free."

"This is just messed up-"

"Stop," his enjoyment at the chase temporarily dissipated. "Stop right there. My father lectures me enough. I don't need my enemy to start in too. Nothing's been messed up. I'm not a mess-up."

His reaction to her innocent statement was a little stronger than predicted. A bit sensitive, wasn't he? One thing stuck out though. "Are we enemies? Are we really?"

When no response was forthcoming, she decided to save him from being put on the spot. Shifting gears, she changed the subject, "So, why did you take me?"

Pietro glimpsed at her and frowned upon noticing the bruise steadily darkening the side of her face. "Fun and games, Roguey. Fun and games."

A contemplative silence elapsed as the unlikely allies sped through the night, leaving Bayville's finest in the dust.

* * *
Cyclops was the epitome of "seeing red". Not only did he literally see red, but he was furious to boot. Quicksilver had made the X-men a laughingstock with his penetration of the mansion, theft and capture of a core team member. The Brotherhood would never let them live this down.

"Jean, do you have them?"

"They should be here any minute."

The field leader signaled the others to be on alert. At Cyclops' unspoken directive, the X-men spanned out and made a human barricade. They were resolute to let no one and nothing get past.

When the hum of a motor made its way to Wolverine's ears, he cautioned, "Get ready. They're closing in fast."

"How do you know it's them?" Shadowcat probed.

He breathed in. "That's how."

* * *
"We lost them! We really lost them! That was amazin'! Sooooo long, coppas!"

Pietro chuckled at Rogue's exuberant victory cry but was not given an opportunity to participate. After getting out of one scrape, they drove right into another. The car violently shook and an unseen force commandeered them.

"What the-?!"

They were levitated to a standstill. Pietro looked to Rogue and could tell she was thinking the same thing - Magneto. If this were his father, what would he do with her? What had he gotten her into? He now lamented the joke-kidnapping.

"Rogue-"

His apology was cut short at her shout, "Jean!"

"Huh?" Pietro's gaze was torn from Rogue and, for the first time, he saw Jean Grey floating ahead of them. They were not in a magnetic hold, they were in a telekenetic hold. His relief was palpable. It was the X-men, not Magneto.

The car was put into park, the key rotated to shut the engine off and, subsequently, they were moved to the side of the road. The joyride had ended.

Aware that X-men did not travel alone, Pietro latched on to Rogue's covered hand. He was encouraged when she did not draw away. Ducking his head, he placed a gentlemanly kiss against the fabric. "It was fun, Roguey."

"Petey," she started, but he was the one who refused to let her finish this time. He dashed from the automobile, primed for a solo flight.

The X-men closed in and witnessed Rogue, now also exiting, was no worse for wear and then focused on Quicksilver.

Cyclops made a grab for him and missed. When Spyke fashioned a bone from his forearm, Rogue ordered, "No. Leave him be."

"Leave him be? Are you crazy?" Nightcrawler demanded of his stepsister. "He stole you."

Spyke intervened, "Don't tell me you were with him of your own free will." He took insult and added, "This was more important than driving me to the market for a midnight snack? All I wanted was Pistachio ice cream."

Quicksilver rounded on Rogue too, "Pistachio ice cream? That's what he wanted earlier...?"

Confusion was evident when the Brotherhood member laughed uproariously amidst his enemies.

Wolverine snarled, "Someone had better tell me what's going on here and fast, else I'm going to do some slicing and dicing just for the heck of it."

"That's my cue," Quicksilver advised one and all. "See you guys at school tomorrow. It's been a blast."

With a final glance at Rogue, he was gone like a bolt. It was then she apprehended the injury to his leg had been exaggerated. "You low-down, no good, son-of-a-"

"Arriba! Arriba! Andale! Andale! Yeehah!"

Her anger evaporated at Quicksilver's teasing holler.

"Now we'll never figure out why he wanted Mr. McCoy's Sims CD," Shadowcat fretted.

"That's what he filched? You're kiddin' me, right?"

She was not kidding.

* * *
Magneto accepted the CD. "Excellent work, Pietro."

"Piece of cake," he boasted. "It was in the computer, just like you said. I trashed the lab to cover my trail. The X-geeks should have no idea what's missing. Not any time soon at least. What's on the disc anyway?"

"Nothing to bother yourself with," was the absent reply. "You're dismissed."

Pietro's eyes narrowed, but he did not question his father's authority. Protesting would have been moot anyway.

Once Magneto was alone, a trench-coated man stepped from the shadows. He was not surprised by the newcomer's stealthy appearance. "I take it your mission was a success?"

"Oui," Gambit corroborated by producing a small, liquid-filled container. "As de boy said, piece of cake."

"No complications?"

"Li'l Mags left de place a wreck, but de furball's concoction was untouched. Also, Xavier's group was so centered on him nabbin' de Rogue dey weren't expectin' a second visitor."

"Pietro abducted an X-man?"

"Gambit's job might've been a tad trickier if whitey hadn't snared de femme. Owe him a word of thanks, not dat dis thief couldn't have gotten in and out without de assist."

Magneto was somewhat pleased. "Pietro prevailed for once, even if his method of doing so was unorthodox, risky and entirely unplanned. His being a diversion, albeit an oblivious one, helped achieve our goal."

Sitting at a large, metallic desk, Magneto laid the CD aside. Gambit handed over the product of his own pilfering.

"With this vial's contents, I'll be able to amplify the mutations of my followers. The Acolytes will become unstoppable. Mr. McCoy's serum is the means to our continued evolution and domination of this world. Homo sapien superior shall rule."

Gambit listened with half an ear while fingering the discarded CD. Opening the case it was stored in, he read the CD's label and quirked a brow. "You play Sims?"

Magneto was highly amused.

THE END
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