RP - The Initiation
[RP with, and locked to, morty_toad, tm_pyro, and tm_rogue]
The Brotherhood had the next couple days off. It was no furlough, but due to the very busy schedule that was going to occur next week once Magneto returned from wherever it was he had gone, they were told they could have a bit of down time.
Pyro had slept in… a lot. There wasn't much else to do. He had talked late into the night with Doug (since it wasn't late in the night for Doug… timing was a bit of an issue with such a long distance relationship) and then sleep in really late.
So it was nearly noon when he'd finally gotten up and stumbled into the kitchen to find a bowl of cereal. No one else seemed to be around.
He was just shovelling a spoonful from his second bowl when Toad walked - hopped? crawled? whatever it was that he did - into the kitchen.
"Hey, mate," Toad said, his low, slippery voice thick with sleep.
"Mphey," Pyro muffled through a full mouth. After swallowing, he repeated himself. "Hey. When the hell did you get back?"
"Late last night," Toad said, popping a bagel into the toaster.
"What? I was up really late last night, I didn't hear you."
"Later than that," Toad answered. "Talking to lover-boy, were we?"
"Don't start," Pyro said, scowling, and slurped up the milk from the bottom of the bowl. He really wasn't in the mood to have Toad rattle on to him about how dating Doug was a bad idea. "You get the info you needed?"
"That, and more," Toad replied, retrieving a plate from the cupboard and butter from the fridge. He spread it on thickly once his bagel popped.
"Yeah? What?"
"Gotta talk to Magneto first," Toad said, seriousness in his voice.
"Okay," Pyro replied immediately. He knew not to question that, not even from Toad.
"So, you took the chickie out, eh?" Toad asked, making one giant leap from his place in front of the counter and landing perfectly on a kitchen chair. He took a bite of his bagel. "I'm sorry I missed it."
Pyro shrugged. "Whatever, it wasn't nothing much. Just a meal, and a few drinks. Well, she had a few drinks, anyway. Think she just needed to relax."
"Yeah, I can see how being around you would drive someone to drink," Toad said, grinning.
"Fuck off," Pyro retorted, but grinned back. "Whatever, man. So, there are not definite plans for tomorrow, not even a training session. Now that you're back, you know what we should do tonight?"
Toad gave a wide, sly grin. "Initiation time."
Pyro chuckled. "Oh, yeah, man. Initiation time."
Rogue padded across the kitchen floor, waving sleepily to the two boys as she made her way to the cereal. With Erik gone for a few days she'd been finding it hard to sleep and had given up keeping her usual schedule. Sleeping whenever she could. Bits and pieces here and there.
Humming, she poured Cheerios into a bowl and turned around, tapping the spoon against her bottom lip, smiling. The metal felt nice. She froze, watching Pyro and Toad warily. "Y'all look like you're planning something," she murmured, moving past them to sit at the table. She tugged nervously on her tank top, berating herself for not grabbing Erik's robe. "Something that ain't gonna end well for little ol' me."
"Well, it could end well," Toad said, giving her a sly grin. Looking over at Pyro, he winked. Pyro nodded knowingly.
"Of course it could," Pyro put it. "You could end up not puking all over the bouncer."
"Yeah, that's what Pyro did," Toad said, laughing. "Made a right mess of himself, too."
"Hey, I don't drink that often," Pyro protested. "You guys forced me to drink way too much. All those fucking shoots, man, right at the end? Yeah, those killed me."
"And we made you sing New Kids On The Block," Toad added.
"That you did," Pyro said solemnly, but there was amusement in his eyes. "Thank god you made me drink so much first that I barely remember that."
Toad nodded sadly. "I should have videoed it."
"But, honestly, Rogue. It won't be that bad," Pyro said, finally turning to her again. "Much like the other night. Only with more drinking, and you singing songs ofour choice." He grinned evilly.
"And no trying to beg out of it either, chickie," Toad pointing an accusing finger at her. "We all had to do it. You aren't really a member of the Brotherhood until you get smashed and sing karaoke."
"It's true," Pyro agreed. "Toad's been around for twelve years, and even he had to do it back then."
"Oh, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch," Toad said wistfully, and a little too fondly. "Good times."
"You've already been around much too long without having to do this," Pyro added. "Two weeks? Hell, I was barely here for two days before I had to do it."
"Good times," Toad repeated. He smirked at Rogue. "So, how about it, chickie. You a member of the Brotherhood, or are you really a fucking member of the Brotherhood?"
Rogue rolled her eyes at the two of them. "I'm in. An' unlike Pyro, I can hold my liquor." She grinned, eating her cereal slowly. "Does that mean that y'all get to decide what I wear to this thing as well?" Oh, this could be interesting. "Just remember, if'n I've been drinking I'm gonna be less...aware of my surroundings. So, chances of me touching someone else with my skin are pretty high."
She shrugged. "Not that it matters to me but y'all have to deal with the comatose bodies." Tapping the spoon against her lip, she grinned. "Wait, does that mean Erik's had to do this Initiation as well? Or been to one? Somehow I ain't able to see him up on a stage singing with badly chosen songs."
Rogue rose, cleaning out her bowl. "Y'all just tell me what to wear and what time to be ready an' I'll be waiting by the door." She smiled at them. She'd do just about anything to earn a bit of their trust. To stop being the damn outsider.
Pyro laughed. "Um, yeah. No. I don't think that Magneto had to do an initiation. Hell, he created the Brotherhood so I don't exactly think that he had to be initiated into it. Can't recall ever seeing him at one, either."
"He views alcohol as a weakness," Toad put in. "Not like he forbids us to drink it or whatever, but it's frowned upon. Which probably explains Golden Boy's attitude over here," he added, punching Pyro on the arm.
Pyro scowled and punch him back, causing Toad to yelp. "Fuck off," Pyro said. "I totally had that idea before I came here, and you know it. Besides, someone has to drive your sorry ass home."
"Always having a designated driver does have its perks," Toad said cheerfully. Looking at Rogue, he leered playfully at her. "Well, I missed it the other night, so I wouldn't mind seeing you all fancied up-"
"Except that there has never previously been a dress code for Initiation nights," Pyro cut off, giving Toad a hard look, "so don't worry about it, Rogue. Whatever you want to wear is fine. I know that I'd prefer not to be put in a coma when I have to help your drunk ass back here."
"So we're on then," Toad said with a smile. "Tonight. More people at the bar to watch you sing with that pretty little voice of yours."
"Yeah, we're on." Rogue leaned against the doorway, raising an eyebrow. "Y'all ain't gonna think its such a pretty voice when y'all realize I can't exactly sing."
She turned her attention to Pyro, grinning mischievously. "An' Erik didn't seem to mind when I drank the other night, did he Pyro? Seemed to be quite...appreciative of it, quite vocal too."
Rogue waggled her eyebrows and blew the two a kiss. "Come and get me when y'all are ready to go. Gonna go finish up the reports I've been working on."
Pyro visibly shuddered at her words and Toad laughed. Toad blew a kiss back at Rogue and she rolled her eyes as she turned and left the kitchen.
As soon as she was done, both mutants previously good-natured looks dropped and there was a quiet seriousness to them that rarely got to see.
"So, she's still flaunting it, huh?" Toad asked.
Pyro nodded. "Yeah."
"The others aren't taking to her?"
"Nope."
"I don't blame them."
Pyro sighed. "Me, either. I knew her relationship with Magneto would make it even harder. I mean, she's talks about it more when I'm around and stuff, but... yeah. I don't think she realizes how much harder it'll be with everyone else. She's going to have to break down some serious walls of distrust there."
"Aww, cheer up, Emo boy," Toad said, giving Pyro three hard thumps on the back. "It'll be fine. She'll be one of us. Hell, tonight'll help that. We'll tell all the boys to come out."
Pyro grimaced a little. "Come to think of it, there aren't that many here. I mean, most are still out on their assignments and aren't due back until tomorrow. Blob and Avalanche are here. And Mesmero, but you know he never shows up."
"Yeah, he's the one that got away without showing up to his own," Toad mused, then laughed. "But I drank and sang for him. Good times."
"Focus here a little, yeah?" Pyro said, scowling.
"Lighten up, fire boy," Toad said, getting up and putting his dishes in the dishwasher. "It'll be fine. I gotta go finish up some work, too. Catch you later."
Pyro nodded, still deep in thought. "Yeah. Later."
***
The place was a dump. Quite literally just a hole in the wall, or ground, or whatever saying meant really, really dingy and grimy and gross.
"This place is fantastic," Toad said when they walked in.
Pyro just rolled his eyes. But, he had to admit, "For the Initiation? Yeah, it'll do."
It was an underground, mutants-only bar, not known by many except by those who needed to know. There wasn't an overly large crowd there, maybe twenty-five mutants. Looking at them, one could just tell they weren't the respectable type, all dangerous and vicious. The paint was pealing off the walls, and only about half the neon beer-advertisement signs even lit up. The tile on the floor was checker black and red and white, but was stained and scratched to hell. There was some old 80s hairband rock music coming from the speakers, and the dance floor was completely empty. The place was, quite seriously, a dive.
Toad sighed happily. "It really is fantastic."
"So you've said," Pyro said. He put his hand on the small of Rogue's back, and pushed her forward a bit. He pointed to a table right near the front by a tiny stage that couldn't fit more than three on it. "Ladies first. Over to that table."
"I'll start getting shots. You sure, buddy?" Toad said to Pyro.
Pyro shook his head. "Nope, just a Dr Pepper, please. And, no, that does not mean an Amaretto and Coke, asshole."
Toad just grinned and weaved his way through the cluster of small, rickety tables over to the bar, completely oblivious to the glares and sharp looks he got from others. Pyro and Rogue made their way to the table near the very obviously unused karaoke machine.
"Looks like you'll be the only performer tonight, unless you can break the ice on this crowd," Pyro said, chuckling lowly as they took their seats.
Rogue forced herself to smile, pushing down any trace of nerves. If she could do this it would help break down at least a little of the wall between her and the others. And that was what mattered. She hated being treated like a leper, like an outcast. It hurt and she was done trying to hide herself away, to cover up how she felt. She was gonna have fun tonight if it killed her. Show them that she was one of them. Prove herself.
"I'll certainly try," she replied, draping her leather trenchcoat over the chair. At least she'd picked out something that went along with this crowd. Red leather pants, black tank top, and black leather boots--she really needed to stop getting fashion tips by watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer--but damn, she felt good in it.
"So what's the plan?" She looked at Pyro, forcing back the anxiety trying to overtake her. "What am I gonna be regaling y'all with first?"
"Toad and I have thought about this, long and hard. He, actually, came up with a really good one. However," he added with a grin at her look of nervous anticipation,"... I can't let you know just yet."
He laughed as her face fell. "It's a good thing, I promise. We do take a bit of courtesy with this whole thing and let the Initiator have a few shots first. You know, to loosen you up a bit."
Toad walked up to the table, and took a seat. "Did someone say liquid courage?" He pointed to a waitress - a slim woman with extremely long fuchsia hair and a shirt that barely covered her large rack - who was carrying a tray of shots over to their table. "I do believe it's on it's way. A full Brotherhood Initiation special."
Pyro groaned. "Oh, fuck. Do you want her to be puking all over us in five minutes?"
"Oh, she'll be able to handle it, won't you, chickie?" Toad said, giving Rogue a wink.
The waitress arrived, chewing obnoxiously on her gum. She announced each shoot, sounding bored, as she put it down on the table. "One whiskey, one scotch, one gin, one vodka, and one Dirty Hooker. Enjoy."
Toad, who had been admiring her breasts when she had been leaned over the table, now looked up at her with a crude smile. "Thank you, sweet cheeks."
"Whatever," she replied, completely unfazed by Toad, but had been glanced appreciatively over at Pyro.
"Dirty Hooker?" Pyro asked, looking down at the pink shot, completely oblivious to the waitress’ looks. She scowled at him and walked away. Pyro continued, "When the hell did that get added to the Initiation special?"
Toad shrugged. "Thought it might be nice for Rogue to have something a little sweet to chase down the rest. Besides," he added, playfully leering at her, "I thought it went well with her outfit."
"You ain't as charming as you think you are," Rogue replied, sticking her tongue out at him. She tried not to show her trepidation at the amount of shots. I can do this.
She picked up the first one whiskey and threw it back, trying not to gag at the taste. God this hated this stuff even if it was the only thing Erik ever did seem to drink. The thought of him made her close her eyes and force herself to finish the row of them, slamming the last glass down on the table in front of her and smiling at them.
"That was disgusting."
They both laughed and Toad gave her two approving thumps on the back.
"Not as disgusting as Toad's song choice," Pyro said, smirking.
"What? I think that it's quite appropriate," Toad said, laughing. He turned to Rogue. "Well, darling, time for your first song." He glanced around the bar, seeing all the rough-around-the-edges mutants, and grinned with too much amusement.
"You've seen Footloose, right?" Toad asked, but kept talking before she had a chance to answer. "Of course you've seen it. Who hasn't? Pyro thinks Kevin Bacon is hot in those tight, acid-wash jeans, dancing around and wiggling his ass about-"
"Fuck off," Pyro growled, though he didn't deny it.
Toad just continued, as if Pyro hadn't said a thing. "Well, you have to sing a song off the soundtrack. That Holding out for a Hero one. If you don't know it, that's no problem. The monitor has the words with the little ball that bounces over them. And make sure you sing it like you mean it, sweet cheeks."
Pyro laughed darkly and Toad sat back in his chair with ease, as if he just told her to do the simplest thing in the world.
"Hon, every girl knows that song." Rogue blew Toad a kiss and rose, trying not to falter as she walked. Maybe she had drunk those shots a little too fast. Definitely should have eaten something before she came to this dive.
There was more than one mutant leering at her in a way that made her want to smack them through a wall or two. She forced a smile and picked up the microphone waiting for the track to start. She looked back the Brotherhood members and froze. What did they expect her to do--stumble through this and make a spectacle of herself or persevere? An' if I do sing well, is that just gonna make them even more irritated with me?
The song began--horrid eighties track that'd she'd played one too many times in her room as a kid--and she tapped her foot, looking purposefully away from the group. She began singing, trying to get the courage to truly sing the song. Mortified when her voice was coming out as a squeak. Closing her eyes, she ignored the catcalls as the second verse started and began singing clearer, louder.
"I need a hero," she belted, swaying her hips a little and smiled, remembering the dance moves from the movie and began imitating them during the bridge, which was entirely too long. She grinned, singing loud and pretending she was that carefree kid again.
The song ended and she did a little bow, ignoring the continuing offensive remarks and looked back towards the table, wondering how they would respond to her performance.
Toad hooted and hollered encouragingly as Rogue looked over at their table. "The girl has some balls, to dance around like that. Better than your scowling version of New Kids," Toad said cheerfully to Pyro.
"What the fuck ever," Pyro said, but he was shaking his head with an amused expression.
From a table a few over from theirs, a gruff looking man was calling out, "Rubbish!"
Pyro's look immediately turned sour and it looked as if he was about to jump up and pull out his lighter, but Toad clasped his shoulder and pushed him back down in the chair.
"Oi! Fat ass!" Toad called out, getting the rude bastard’s attention. "I'd like to see you do better."
"I ain't fucking getting up there," the other mutant scowled angrily.
"Why? Too chicken? Well, then don't put others down, chicken," Toad taunted.
"I'm not a fucking chicken!"
Toad started making some loud clucking noises.
Pyro whispered to him, "We're supposed to be a little on the low profile side, you know."
"You just about started a bar fight, hypocrite," Toad retorted, and then just continued clucking.
From across the room, another mutant shouted out, "Well, I sure as hell aren't chicken!"
And that's how the karaoke of the night started. Mutant after drunk mutant walked up to the front to sing his or her song of choice. Rogue had come back to the table, and the boys kept ordering her drinks. It took them a bit of time to get her back up to the front, due to so many others wanting to sing, but she got her chance an hour later - and many drinks later - and Pyro had even agreed to let her pick her own song to sing
Okay, it was definitely harder to make it to the stage now. She leaned over the stand, whispering her request to the dj. Rolling her eyes when he deliberately looked down her top and added him to the list of those to tell her mother about. Slowly the music began pumping out of the speakers and she started the soulful intro. "I see a red door and I want to paint it black..."
The tempo picked up and she tapped her foot to the beat, moving to the music. She stumbled a bit, the alcohol taking effect. But this was entirely too much fun and she began dancing furiously to the music. "I want to paint it, paint it, paint it black…” she sang, moving about the small stage, strumming her very own air guitar with the music.
She jumped, trying to do a split mid air with the 'guitar' and erupted in a fit of giggles as she stumbled, falling off the stage. The song clearly over. A burly looking man grabbed her around the waist, helping her to her feet and she nearly thanked him when the jerk copped a feel. Rogue didn't even hesitate, landing a neat sucker punch in the man's nose. "Hands off!" she growled, wincing when she saw two of them. "Aww, crap."
Pyro jumped up from the table, grabbing Toad by the shirt and pulling him up. "And that's our cue to leave," Pyro said as soon as he saw Rogue punch the big guy that had been mocking her earlier but had come to decide to hit on her instead. Only, it was her that had done the hitting, and once he recovered from his bloody nose, there was likely to be retribution.
"Aww, man!" Toad whined. "It's just a little tussle. I haven't got to sing another song yet!"
"Dude, your rendition of I Will Always Love You was quite enough," Pyro said, dragging Toad along behind him over to Rogue, where he saw a group start to circle around her. She was obviously not in the condition to defend herself.
"That was dedicated to Wanda," Toad said happily, completely missing that they were about to enter into the tussle themselves. "I wanted to sing Sex Bomb for Rogue."
Pyro spun around and grabbed Toad by the shoulders. "Next time, Toad. Unless, of course, you don't snap out of it, then there won't be a next time. Rogue. Trouble. Help her."
Next thing Pyro knew, Toad had taken one mighty leap over the crowd and had landed next to Rogue, minus his usual grace and agility to land perfectly. He landed in a mess of limbs at Rogue's feet.
"Hey, doll," Toad grinned up to her. "I'm here to save you."
Pyro just groaned.
The big, beefy, bloodied nose man was about to advance on Rogue and her knight in tarnished armor. Pyro broke through the crowd and got between Rogue and Toad and Big Beefy Guy.
"Step off," he growled. "Or you'll find this place full of flames."
"Aww, man, you're turning this into a gay bar, aren't you?" Toad said from behind him, and both Toad and Rogue started to giggle.
"I said flames, Toad, not flamers."
"Oh, right. And ya better listen to him, 'cause he could do it. He's Pyro!" Toad yelled. Pyro figured it was supposed to be threatening, but instead made him sound worse than Valeria Richards being giddy about science and bunnies.
Pyro considered just leaving the two of the drunkards there.
Rogue was finding it rather difficult to stand and laugh at the same time. "Ain't afraid of y'all." She tried to growl and steady herself, erupting into another fit of giggles. "When did the room start spinning?" She leaned against Toad, making sure not to touch any skin.
"Want me to lay a pinky on them, Py?" she asked, looking up at Pyro. "Make the big man fall."
"No, Rogue," he answered, eyeing the ever growing crowd that was circling them. "We just need to leave."
Normally, he wouldn't mind fighting a rough and tumble mutant crowd - it was usually quite exhilarating - but he had two very drunk Brethren in his care, and he just needed to get them out.
The ground started to shake a bit, and the other mutants started to look around in panic. Pyro just nodded his head to the back of the room where Avalanche was standing, leaned up against the wall with a bored expression on his face. Blob came over and picked up Toad, slinging the lithe green dude over his shoulder, and started to walk out of the bar. Everyone else gave him a wide berth. Pyro grabbed Rogue and, making sure not to touch any of her skin, put his arm around her waist to support her.
"Hey!" Toad protested, trying to wiggle out of Blob's iron grip. "I can fucking walk."
"You can't walk when you're sober," Pyro argued, half-dragging a very drunk Rogue. "Let's just get the fuck out of here."
They made it out of the bar unscathed. It took a lot to get everyone back to the safe house, but they finally did, even though Pyro very narrowly escaped getting puked on. Blob threw Toad down on the couch, and Pyro helped Rogue up the stairs to her own room, where he thought she might be more comfortable.
Rogue stumbled toward the bed, pouting when she remembered Erik was still out of town. She clambered onto it, pulling his pillow close and turned over to look at Pyro. "Did I do good, Py?" she asked, kicking off her shoes. "Broke down a little of the wall?"
"Well, you are officially Initiated," Pyro said, closest he was willing to admit that she did just fine - better than just fine. "Though, I do think it was mostly Freddy breaking down the walls."
Rogue giggled at that, and he just shook his head and turned to leave her room. Right before he closed the door, he popped his head back inside and added, "And don't call me Py ever again."
From the sounds of her snoring, he didn't think she heard.
The Brotherhood had the next couple days off. It was no furlough, but due to the very busy schedule that was going to occur next week once Magneto returned from wherever it was he had gone, they were told they could have a bit of down time.
Pyro had slept in… a lot. There wasn't much else to do. He had talked late into the night with Doug (since it wasn't late in the night for Doug… timing was a bit of an issue with such a long distance relationship) and then sleep in really late.
So it was nearly noon when he'd finally gotten up and stumbled into the kitchen to find a bowl of cereal. No one else seemed to be around.
He was just shovelling a spoonful from his second bowl when Toad walked - hopped? crawled? whatever it was that he did - into the kitchen.
"Hey, mate," Toad said, his low, slippery voice thick with sleep.
"Mphey," Pyro muffled through a full mouth. After swallowing, he repeated himself. "Hey. When the hell did you get back?"
"Late last night," Toad said, popping a bagel into the toaster.
"What? I was up really late last night, I didn't hear you."
"Later than that," Toad answered. "Talking to lover-boy, were we?"
"Don't start," Pyro said, scowling, and slurped up the milk from the bottom of the bowl. He really wasn't in the mood to have Toad rattle on to him about how dating Doug was a bad idea. "You get the info you needed?"
"That, and more," Toad replied, retrieving a plate from the cupboard and butter from the fridge. He spread it on thickly once his bagel popped.
"Yeah? What?"
"Gotta talk to Magneto first," Toad said, seriousness in his voice.
"Okay," Pyro replied immediately. He knew not to question that, not even from Toad.
"So, you took the chickie out, eh?" Toad asked, making one giant leap from his place in front of the counter and landing perfectly on a kitchen chair. He took a bite of his bagel. "I'm sorry I missed it."
Pyro shrugged. "Whatever, it wasn't nothing much. Just a meal, and a few drinks. Well, she had a few drinks, anyway. Think she just needed to relax."
"Yeah, I can see how being around you would drive someone to drink," Toad said, grinning.
"Fuck off," Pyro retorted, but grinned back. "Whatever, man. So, there are not definite plans for tomorrow, not even a training session. Now that you're back, you know what we should do tonight?"
Toad gave a wide, sly grin. "Initiation time."
Pyro chuckled. "Oh, yeah, man. Initiation time."
Rogue padded across the kitchen floor, waving sleepily to the two boys as she made her way to the cereal. With Erik gone for a few days she'd been finding it hard to sleep and had given up keeping her usual schedule. Sleeping whenever she could. Bits and pieces here and there.
Humming, she poured Cheerios into a bowl and turned around, tapping the spoon against her bottom lip, smiling. The metal felt nice. She froze, watching Pyro and Toad warily. "Y'all look like you're planning something," she murmured, moving past them to sit at the table. She tugged nervously on her tank top, berating herself for not grabbing Erik's robe. "Something that ain't gonna end well for little ol' me."
"Well, it could end well," Toad said, giving her a sly grin. Looking over at Pyro, he winked. Pyro nodded knowingly.
"Of course it could," Pyro put it. "You could end up not puking all over the bouncer."
"Yeah, that's what Pyro did," Toad said, laughing. "Made a right mess of himself, too."
"Hey, I don't drink that often," Pyro protested. "You guys forced me to drink way too much. All those fucking shoots, man, right at the end? Yeah, those killed me."
"And we made you sing New Kids On The Block," Toad added.
"That you did," Pyro said solemnly, but there was amusement in his eyes. "Thank god you made me drink so much first that I barely remember that."
Toad nodded sadly. "I should have videoed it."
"But, honestly, Rogue. It won't be that bad," Pyro said, finally turning to her again. "Much like the other night. Only with more drinking, and you singing songs ofour choice." He grinned evilly.
"And no trying to beg out of it either, chickie," Toad pointing an accusing finger at her. "We all had to do it. You aren't really a member of the Brotherhood until you get smashed and sing karaoke."
"It's true," Pyro agreed. "Toad's been around for twelve years, and even he had to do it back then."
"Oh, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch," Toad said wistfully, and a little too fondly. "Good times."
"You've already been around much too long without having to do this," Pyro added. "Two weeks? Hell, I was barely here for two days before I had to do it."
"Good times," Toad repeated. He smirked at Rogue. "So, how about it, chickie. You a member of the Brotherhood, or are you really a fucking member of the Brotherhood?"
Rogue rolled her eyes at the two of them. "I'm in. An' unlike Pyro, I can hold my liquor." She grinned, eating her cereal slowly. "Does that mean that y'all get to decide what I wear to this thing as well?" Oh, this could be interesting. "Just remember, if'n I've been drinking I'm gonna be less...aware of my surroundings. So, chances of me touching someone else with my skin are pretty high."
She shrugged. "Not that it matters to me but y'all have to deal with the comatose bodies." Tapping the spoon against her lip, she grinned. "Wait, does that mean Erik's had to do this Initiation as well? Or been to one? Somehow I ain't able to see him up on a stage singing with badly chosen songs."
Rogue rose, cleaning out her bowl. "Y'all just tell me what to wear and what time to be ready an' I'll be waiting by the door." She smiled at them. She'd do just about anything to earn a bit of their trust. To stop being the damn outsider.
Pyro laughed. "Um, yeah. No. I don't think that Magneto had to do an initiation. Hell, he created the Brotherhood so I don't exactly think that he had to be initiated into it. Can't recall ever seeing him at one, either."
"He views alcohol as a weakness," Toad put in. "Not like he forbids us to drink it or whatever, but it's frowned upon. Which probably explains Golden Boy's attitude over here," he added, punching Pyro on the arm.
Pyro scowled and punch him back, causing Toad to yelp. "Fuck off," Pyro said. "I totally had that idea before I came here, and you know it. Besides, someone has to drive your sorry ass home."
"Always having a designated driver does have its perks," Toad said cheerfully. Looking at Rogue, he leered playfully at her. "Well, I missed it the other night, so I wouldn't mind seeing you all fancied up-"
"Except that there has never previously been a dress code for Initiation nights," Pyro cut off, giving Toad a hard look, "so don't worry about it, Rogue. Whatever you want to wear is fine. I know that I'd prefer not to be put in a coma when I have to help your drunk ass back here."
"So we're on then," Toad said with a smile. "Tonight. More people at the bar to watch you sing with that pretty little voice of yours."
"Yeah, we're on." Rogue leaned against the doorway, raising an eyebrow. "Y'all ain't gonna think its such a pretty voice when y'all realize I can't exactly sing."
She turned her attention to Pyro, grinning mischievously. "An' Erik didn't seem to mind when I drank the other night, did he Pyro? Seemed to be quite...appreciative of it, quite vocal too."
Rogue waggled her eyebrows and blew the two a kiss. "Come and get me when y'all are ready to go. Gonna go finish up the reports I've been working on."
Pyro visibly shuddered at her words and Toad laughed. Toad blew a kiss back at Rogue and she rolled her eyes as she turned and left the kitchen.
As soon as she was done, both mutants previously good-natured looks dropped and there was a quiet seriousness to them that rarely got to see.
"So, she's still flaunting it, huh?" Toad asked.
Pyro nodded. "Yeah."
"The others aren't taking to her?"
"Nope."
"I don't blame them."
Pyro sighed. "Me, either. I knew her relationship with Magneto would make it even harder. I mean, she's talks about it more when I'm around and stuff, but... yeah. I don't think she realizes how much harder it'll be with everyone else. She's going to have to break down some serious walls of distrust there."
"Aww, cheer up, Emo boy," Toad said, giving Pyro three hard thumps on the back. "It'll be fine. She'll be one of us. Hell, tonight'll help that. We'll tell all the boys to come out."
Pyro grimaced a little. "Come to think of it, there aren't that many here. I mean, most are still out on their assignments and aren't due back until tomorrow. Blob and Avalanche are here. And Mesmero, but you know he never shows up."
"Yeah, he's the one that got away without showing up to his own," Toad mused, then laughed. "But I drank and sang for him. Good times."
"Focus here a little, yeah?" Pyro said, scowling.
"Lighten up, fire boy," Toad said, getting up and putting his dishes in the dishwasher. "It'll be fine. I gotta go finish up some work, too. Catch you later."
Pyro nodded, still deep in thought. "Yeah. Later."
***
The place was a dump. Quite literally just a hole in the wall, or ground, or whatever saying meant really, really dingy and grimy and gross.
"This place is fantastic," Toad said when they walked in.
Pyro just rolled his eyes. But, he had to admit, "For the Initiation? Yeah, it'll do."
It was an underground, mutants-only bar, not known by many except by those who needed to know. There wasn't an overly large crowd there, maybe twenty-five mutants. Looking at them, one could just tell they weren't the respectable type, all dangerous and vicious. The paint was pealing off the walls, and only about half the neon beer-advertisement signs even lit up. The tile on the floor was checker black and red and white, but was stained and scratched to hell. There was some old 80s hairband rock music coming from the speakers, and the dance floor was completely empty. The place was, quite seriously, a dive.
Toad sighed happily. "It really is fantastic."
"So you've said," Pyro said. He put his hand on the small of Rogue's back, and pushed her forward a bit. He pointed to a table right near the front by a tiny stage that couldn't fit more than three on it. "Ladies first. Over to that table."
"I'll start getting shots. You sure, buddy?" Toad said to Pyro.
Pyro shook his head. "Nope, just a Dr Pepper, please. And, no, that does not mean an Amaretto and Coke, asshole."
Toad just grinned and weaved his way through the cluster of small, rickety tables over to the bar, completely oblivious to the glares and sharp looks he got from others. Pyro and Rogue made their way to the table near the very obviously unused karaoke machine.
"Looks like you'll be the only performer tonight, unless you can break the ice on this crowd," Pyro said, chuckling lowly as they took their seats.
Rogue forced herself to smile, pushing down any trace of nerves. If she could do this it would help break down at least a little of the wall between her and the others. And that was what mattered. She hated being treated like a leper, like an outcast. It hurt and she was done trying to hide herself away, to cover up how she felt. She was gonna have fun tonight if it killed her. Show them that she was one of them. Prove herself.
"I'll certainly try," she replied, draping her leather trenchcoat over the chair. At least she'd picked out something that went along with this crowd. Red leather pants, black tank top, and black leather boots--she really needed to stop getting fashion tips by watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer--but damn, she felt good in it.
"So what's the plan?" She looked at Pyro, forcing back the anxiety trying to overtake her. "What am I gonna be regaling y'all with first?"
"Toad and I have thought about this, long and hard. He, actually, came up with a really good one. However," he added with a grin at her look of nervous anticipation,"... I can't let you know just yet."
He laughed as her face fell. "It's a good thing, I promise. We do take a bit of courtesy with this whole thing and let the Initiator have a few shots first. You know, to loosen you up a bit."
Toad walked up to the table, and took a seat. "Did someone say liquid courage?" He pointed to a waitress - a slim woman with extremely long fuchsia hair and a shirt that barely covered her large rack - who was carrying a tray of shots over to their table. "I do believe it's on it's way. A full Brotherhood Initiation special."
Pyro groaned. "Oh, fuck. Do you want her to be puking all over us in five minutes?"
"Oh, she'll be able to handle it, won't you, chickie?" Toad said, giving Rogue a wink.
The waitress arrived, chewing obnoxiously on her gum. She announced each shoot, sounding bored, as she put it down on the table. "One whiskey, one scotch, one gin, one vodka, and one Dirty Hooker. Enjoy."
Toad, who had been admiring her breasts when she had been leaned over the table, now looked up at her with a crude smile. "Thank you, sweet cheeks."
"Whatever," she replied, completely unfazed by Toad, but had been glanced appreciatively over at Pyro.
"Dirty Hooker?" Pyro asked, looking down at the pink shot, completely oblivious to the waitress’ looks. She scowled at him and walked away. Pyro continued, "When the hell did that get added to the Initiation special?"
Toad shrugged. "Thought it might be nice for Rogue to have something a little sweet to chase down the rest. Besides," he added, playfully leering at her, "I thought it went well with her outfit."
"You ain't as charming as you think you are," Rogue replied, sticking her tongue out at him. She tried not to show her trepidation at the amount of shots. I can do this.
She picked up the first one whiskey and threw it back, trying not to gag at the taste. God this hated this stuff even if it was the only thing Erik ever did seem to drink. The thought of him made her close her eyes and force herself to finish the row of them, slamming the last glass down on the table in front of her and smiling at them.
"That was disgusting."
They both laughed and Toad gave her two approving thumps on the back.
"Not as disgusting as Toad's song choice," Pyro said, smirking.
"What? I think that it's quite appropriate," Toad said, laughing. He turned to Rogue. "Well, darling, time for your first song." He glanced around the bar, seeing all the rough-around-the-edges mutants, and grinned with too much amusement.
"You've seen Footloose, right?" Toad asked, but kept talking before she had a chance to answer. "Of course you've seen it. Who hasn't? Pyro thinks Kevin Bacon is hot in those tight, acid-wash jeans, dancing around and wiggling his ass about-"
"Fuck off," Pyro growled, though he didn't deny it.
Toad just continued, as if Pyro hadn't said a thing. "Well, you have to sing a song off the soundtrack. That Holding out for a Hero one. If you don't know it, that's no problem. The monitor has the words with the little ball that bounces over them. And make sure you sing it like you mean it, sweet cheeks."
Pyro laughed darkly and Toad sat back in his chair with ease, as if he just told her to do the simplest thing in the world.
"Hon, every girl knows that song." Rogue blew Toad a kiss and rose, trying not to falter as she walked. Maybe she had drunk those shots a little too fast. Definitely should have eaten something before she came to this dive.
There was more than one mutant leering at her in a way that made her want to smack them through a wall or two. She forced a smile and picked up the microphone waiting for the track to start. She looked back the Brotherhood members and froze. What did they expect her to do--stumble through this and make a spectacle of herself or persevere? An' if I do sing well, is that just gonna make them even more irritated with me?
The song began--horrid eighties track that'd she'd played one too many times in her room as a kid--and she tapped her foot, looking purposefully away from the group. She began singing, trying to get the courage to truly sing the song. Mortified when her voice was coming out as a squeak. Closing her eyes, she ignored the catcalls as the second verse started and began singing clearer, louder.
"I need a hero," she belted, swaying her hips a little and smiled, remembering the dance moves from the movie and began imitating them during the bridge, which was entirely too long. She grinned, singing loud and pretending she was that carefree kid again.
The song ended and she did a little bow, ignoring the continuing offensive remarks and looked back towards the table, wondering how they would respond to her performance.
Toad hooted and hollered encouragingly as Rogue looked over at their table. "The girl has some balls, to dance around like that. Better than your scowling version of New Kids," Toad said cheerfully to Pyro.
"What the fuck ever," Pyro said, but he was shaking his head with an amused expression.
From a table a few over from theirs, a gruff looking man was calling out, "Rubbish!"
Pyro's look immediately turned sour and it looked as if he was about to jump up and pull out his lighter, but Toad clasped his shoulder and pushed him back down in the chair.
"Oi! Fat ass!" Toad called out, getting the rude bastard’s attention. "I'd like to see you do better."
"I ain't fucking getting up there," the other mutant scowled angrily.
"Why? Too chicken? Well, then don't put others down, chicken," Toad taunted.
"I'm not a fucking chicken!"
Toad started making some loud clucking noises.
Pyro whispered to him, "We're supposed to be a little on the low profile side, you know."
"You just about started a bar fight, hypocrite," Toad retorted, and then just continued clucking.
From across the room, another mutant shouted out, "Well, I sure as hell aren't chicken!"
And that's how the karaoke of the night started. Mutant after drunk mutant walked up to the front to sing his or her song of choice. Rogue had come back to the table, and the boys kept ordering her drinks. It took them a bit of time to get her back up to the front, due to so many others wanting to sing, but she got her chance an hour later - and many drinks later - and Pyro had even agreed to let her pick her own song to sing
Okay, it was definitely harder to make it to the stage now. She leaned over the stand, whispering her request to the dj. Rolling her eyes when he deliberately looked down her top and added him to the list of those to tell her mother about. Slowly the music began pumping out of the speakers and she started the soulful intro. "I see a red door and I want to paint it black..."
The tempo picked up and she tapped her foot to the beat, moving to the music. She stumbled a bit, the alcohol taking effect. But this was entirely too much fun and she began dancing furiously to the music. "I want to paint it, paint it, paint it black…” she sang, moving about the small stage, strumming her very own air guitar with the music.
She jumped, trying to do a split mid air with the 'guitar' and erupted in a fit of giggles as she stumbled, falling off the stage. The song clearly over. A burly looking man grabbed her around the waist, helping her to her feet and she nearly thanked him when the jerk copped a feel. Rogue didn't even hesitate, landing a neat sucker punch in the man's nose. "Hands off!" she growled, wincing when she saw two of them. "Aww, crap."
Pyro jumped up from the table, grabbing Toad by the shirt and pulling him up. "And that's our cue to leave," Pyro said as soon as he saw Rogue punch the big guy that had been mocking her earlier but had come to decide to hit on her instead. Only, it was her that had done the hitting, and once he recovered from his bloody nose, there was likely to be retribution.
"Aww, man!" Toad whined. "It's just a little tussle. I haven't got to sing another song yet!"
"Dude, your rendition of I Will Always Love You was quite enough," Pyro said, dragging Toad along behind him over to Rogue, where he saw a group start to circle around her. She was obviously not in the condition to defend herself.
"That was dedicated to Wanda," Toad said happily, completely missing that they were about to enter into the tussle themselves. "I wanted to sing Sex Bomb for Rogue."
Pyro spun around and grabbed Toad by the shoulders. "Next time, Toad. Unless, of course, you don't snap out of it, then there won't be a next time. Rogue. Trouble. Help her."
Next thing Pyro knew, Toad had taken one mighty leap over the crowd and had landed next to Rogue, minus his usual grace and agility to land perfectly. He landed in a mess of limbs at Rogue's feet.
"Hey, doll," Toad grinned up to her. "I'm here to save you."
Pyro just groaned.
The big, beefy, bloodied nose man was about to advance on Rogue and her knight in tarnished armor. Pyro broke through the crowd and got between Rogue and Toad and Big Beefy Guy.
"Step off," he growled. "Or you'll find this place full of flames."
"Aww, man, you're turning this into a gay bar, aren't you?" Toad said from behind him, and both Toad and Rogue started to giggle.
"I said flames, Toad, not flamers."
"Oh, right. And ya better listen to him, 'cause he could do it. He's Pyro!" Toad yelled. Pyro figured it was supposed to be threatening, but instead made him sound worse than Valeria Richards being giddy about science and bunnies.
Pyro considered just leaving the two of the drunkards there.
Rogue was finding it rather difficult to stand and laugh at the same time. "Ain't afraid of y'all." She tried to growl and steady herself, erupting into another fit of giggles. "When did the room start spinning?" She leaned against Toad, making sure not to touch any skin.
"Want me to lay a pinky on them, Py?" she asked, looking up at Pyro. "Make the big man fall."
"No, Rogue," he answered, eyeing the ever growing crowd that was circling them. "We just need to leave."
Normally, he wouldn't mind fighting a rough and tumble mutant crowd - it was usually quite exhilarating - but he had two very drunk Brethren in his care, and he just needed to get them out.
The ground started to shake a bit, and the other mutants started to look around in panic. Pyro just nodded his head to the back of the room where Avalanche was standing, leaned up against the wall with a bored expression on his face. Blob came over and picked up Toad, slinging the lithe green dude over his shoulder, and started to walk out of the bar. Everyone else gave him a wide berth. Pyro grabbed Rogue and, making sure not to touch any of her skin, put his arm around her waist to support her.
"Hey!" Toad protested, trying to wiggle out of Blob's iron grip. "I can fucking walk."
"You can't walk when you're sober," Pyro argued, half-dragging a very drunk Rogue. "Let's just get the fuck out of here."
They made it out of the bar unscathed. It took a lot to get everyone back to the safe house, but they finally did, even though Pyro very narrowly escaped getting puked on. Blob threw Toad down on the couch, and Pyro helped Rogue up the stairs to her own room, where he thought she might be more comfortable.
Rogue stumbled toward the bed, pouting when she remembered Erik was still out of town. She clambered onto it, pulling his pillow close and turned over to look at Pyro. "Did I do good, Py?" she asked, kicking off her shoes. "Broke down a little of the wall?"
"Well, you are officially Initiated," Pyro said, closest he was willing to admit that she did just fine - better than just fine. "Though, I do think it was mostly Freddy breaking down the walls."
Rogue giggled at that, and he just shook his head and turned to leave her room. Right before he closed the door, he popped his head back inside and added, "And don't call me Py ever again."
From the sounds of her snoring, he didn't think she heard.