Even Stranger Family
Breakfast in the Brotherhood is an interesting affair. The banter and the practical jokes are gone -- like Bobby freezing someone's drink while they're not looking -- and instead of the bustle and cramped table John is used to -- Rogue's gloved elbow digging into his side in laughter as Bobby's victim tips their frozen drink out onto a plate -- there is a long smooth table with enough space to make each person feel like they're alone on a island.
There's less people too. Magneto is seated at the top of the table, pulling the metal salt and pepper shakers towards him with the flick of a finger as he talks quietly to Mystique, who is sitting next to him, playing with her breakfast. She looks up briefly and catches his eye, flickers quickly between Rogue and Bobby with a smirk. John ducks his head and concentrates on the fact that there are still two empty seats between her and John, all set up for someone to eat at.
The door opens with a click behind John but before he can turn around, the chair next to him is occupied. John blinks and the man next to him smiles at his shock.
"Quicksilver. Who are you?"
"Joh-- Pyro." Clicks his lighter open and shut and watches the man eat a piece of toast at a normal speed.
"What's your power?" The question is asked between mouthfuls of toast and John clicks open the lighter again and floats a small flame over to the unlit candlestick in front of them. "Fire. I can only manipulate it though."
There's a girlish chuckle behind him and a girl sits down in the last empty seat. She's wearing red from head to foot - red jeans, red boots, skintight red top under a red jacket, auburn hair swept back with a red aliceband - with two metal discs, one by her throat, the other on her aliceband and carrying what looks like a red staff with her. Quicksilver nods at her and turns back to his plate. "You'll get along with my twin then. Introduce yourself, sis. This is Pyro."
The girl smiles. "Scarlet Witch. Welcome aboard."
From the top of the table Magneto smiles. "I see my children have introduced themselves to you already. Good."
John fumbles and almost drops his lighter in surprise, grabbing it out of the air when Magneto stops its fall with a laugh. "What, do I not seem the type to have children?"
John doesn't want to say no.
Scarlet points her staff at her brother's toast and it bursts into flame. Quicksilver yelps next to his ear, reaching out to swipe at his sister with inhuman speed before she disappears and reappears on a seat across from them. John reaches out to what's left of the toast and the fire dances onto his hand
Quicksilver sits down again and eyes the charred remains of his breakfast sadly. "See what I mean?"
John closes his hand around the flame and feels it go out in his palm. "Yes."
The rest of breakfast passes without incident and he's shown the training room. It's not as large or hi-tech as the ones the students use to learn to control their powers back at the school and John feels a momentary pang of nostalgia. It soon passes though as he watches Quicksilver show off for his benefit, zooming around the room, picking up objects in a pattern. "Hand eye co-ordination." is offered as a reason when he completes the course. John just nods and Quicksilver shoots pass him for what must have been the quickest shower known to mutant kind because he's back in what seems like seconds, still faintly wet.
As they're leaving the training room to see the rest of the base, Scarlet walks in. John can feel his jaw drop. Long legs clad in red boots end up in a red body suit covering some shapely curves. Quicksilver barks his laughter and tugs John away. "She's something, eh?"
John can only nod dumbly in reply. It looks like this could be a even stranger family than he first thought.