Disclaimer: Koneko does not own X-Men. I'm only borrowing them permanently... Just kidding, people! I'm returning them just like I borrowed them... ^.^

Pairings: main pairings will be LancexPietro, ScottxJean, RemyxBobby, and other unimportant ones. Also some Lance+Kitty, Evan+Pietro, John+Bobby. Others named at the end.

Summary: After Pietro is saved by Logan from getting lynched, the X-Men take it upon themselves to look after him as he starts to develop strange side-effects to a drug/poison he was tricked into drinking. As well as other disastrous things that happen when he begins to lose control of his powers.

Rating will remain PG13 until I see fit to change it. I mostly likely won't change, though.

Kamikaze
PART I: Priest and Prophet
Chapter One
The Time Found

It had taken him the same amount of time to abandon them as it had to befriend them. He had understood, at the time, that his actions were unforgivable and he shouldn't expect the Brotherhood to welcome him back with open arms. He had been hoping that Wanda would figure out the plan and seek Magneto out among the buildings. If only to inflict upon him him the pain he deserved, as Pietro could not bring himself to harm him. He had relished in the pain his sister had inflicted upon him, as punishment for abandoning the Brotherhood.

Magneto wasn't a big man, but from the way he gazed down on others, it felt as though he was. He wasn't young but he couldn't be considered old, either. He had a one track mind and some would not consider him sane. His quest for world domination and anti-mutants destruction was foremost in his mind. Sometimes, Pietro would look at him and see a tired, old man. The lines of old age apparent on his pale face and his head of white hair seemed almost gray in the dark of his office. When he bothered to remove his helmet and lay it aside to be forgotten, at least for a short while.

But Pietro knew he shouldn't get his hopes up when Magneto decided to bestow him with his presence or a few seconds of his time. After all, denial wasn't a river in Egypt.

Not that he was in denial. But he appreciated some affection every once in a while, as well.

He had made a friend once. Evan Daniels. They had been friends for a while before the younger boy had found out he was hanging around a mutant. Didn't matter that Evan was proud of his own mutant powers, now, because Pietro could not forget the past so easily. Possibly never. He could still remember the disgust on Evan's face, the cruel things he had allowed to pour out of his mouth, and how he hadn't stopped his so-called buddies from beating him senseless. The pain of broken bones was nothing compared to that one in that small place others called the heart.

He had tried so hard to avenge himself, too, and managed to at least get Evan thrown in jail. Unfortunately, he followed a few days after, himself. Everything after Magneto busting him out was history.

Much of the time he spent wandering the streets, observing mutant activities from afar. Afraid of returning to the Brotherhood and unable to fit in with Magneto and his Acolytes.

During the meeting to decide whether mutants could attend school or not, when the Brotherhood had attacked the X-Men, he had been a shadow among the crowd. Allowing the X-Men to deal with his ex-teammates, not at all caring whether the bald man in his wheelchair could sense him or not.

He had been there when Evan had his spike problems and even held an argument with Ray over it. So in the end, the truth would always be that no matter how much he told himself he hated Evan, he still considered the younger mutant his first friend.

When Rogue's powers had gotten out of control, he had observed and been amused. Had seen Mystique there but not cared. If he lost control of his powers... would anyone try to help him or would he always be alone?

The thoughts in his mind had ashamed him and he had left as quickly as possible, unaware that Sir Charles Xavier Peace on Earth had picked up on his presence, and made a decision.

There had been no more wandering for a while. Instead, he concentrated on developing his powers. After much head pain and a dare from Pyro, he had learned the ala-Kitty-phase-through-walls trick. Then the improved ala-Kitty-phase-through -walls-and-make-things-explode trick. All in all, he was rather proud of himself.

"You're getting sluggish, Quickie," he reprimanded.

Going to bars was a hobby. An escape. He didn't even have to use the front door and no one cared that he was only sixteen. At least, no one had cared until they found out he was a mutant.

"Just a little more, Quickie," he encouraged. "You're almost home."

It was, of course, a lie. He didn't have a home to return to in the first place. But it didn't matter. He only knew he had to get away, to run. But the world went by so slowly. His head ached and he didn't think he'd make it, because he could hear the distant sounds of an engine, and the rumbling of thunder rolling down the road.

Had he fallen? He couldn't remember. But the mud beneath his open palm told him he had. A sudden bright light assaulted his vision and he struggled to stand, to get away. He was fighting a losing battle, therefore he could do nothing more than surrender, and allow the numbness to spread over his body like a blanket.

Leaving the Brotherhood was a bad idea, so why had he?

Waking up in unknown places wasn't new. He could come up with a decent list of strangest places he had awakened at. Especially ones he hadn't fallen asleep at in the first place. He often wondered if he sleepwalked, it would explain many things.

Yet, he knew where he was right away but couldn't begin to fathom why and how he had gotten there.

Who was this apparition? Was she there to put him out of his misery?

"You have a minor concussion," she spoke. Her voice like a song to his ears.

That would explain why his head ached so badly. But, what of this? She wasn't trying to telepelt him?

"You're safe here."

Ah. Mind reader. Considering that his head felt as though it was being squashed, he didn't appreciate the intrusion.

A thin line tingled and broke. Blocking his thoughts from the apparition.

"You're still weak," she explained calmly, sympathetically. "The drug will take some time to leave your system. But you should rest for now."

Her voice slowed and her face was blurred. Who was this apparition? An angel? A demon? She seemed so familiar.

When Pietro awoke, there was a surprise waiting for him. He had never had to deal with the bad-tempered mutt of the X-Men before, so he remained silent and unmoving under the intensity of those steel cold eyes.

"I take it you're feeling more like yourself now," Logan said. He tried to hold back the bite in his words but was unsuccessful. The boy on the bed flinched and moved away from him. "The drugs in your system were taken care of but it's not positive that it's all gone."

He waited for a response but received none. The boy looked absolutely terrified, however, and the terror in those clear blue eyes sent a shiver down his spine. It was thrilling and hurtful at once. Could a drug really make someone so vulnerable?

"I'm not."

Logan grunted. Then did a double take and stared (more like glared) at the boy questioningly.

"Not vulnerable," the boy said firmly.

Had he spoken out loud?

The boy agreed. "Very loud. Not good. Head hurts." He gasped for breath after every couple of words and shivered on occasion.

Logan was not startled when a small, pale hand touched his shoulder. Jean Gray smiled at him apologetically and handed him a small cup of hot coffee.

She gazed at the bedridden boy pityingly. "The drugs had an obvious side-effect. He is a mind reader now. But we're not sure it will last."

"Did you reach the others?"

"Yes," she frowned angrily. "I spoke with Lance but he hung up as soon as I mentioned his name." They didn't catch the small, bitter smile on the boy's lips. "Its obviously the reason he hasn't been around lately."

Bed sheets ruffled and the mattress creaked. "What are you going to do with me?"

Jean pursued her lips. "Professor Xavier has decided to allow you to stay here."

Before the boy could respond, a cup flew and crashed against the wall. Contents spilling everywhere. "What??" Logan demanded angrily. He tore out of the room in rage.

They remained silent for some time. "I'm obviously not wanted here," Pietro grit his teeth as he attempted to sit up. It hurt. "Damn. I'm not moving anytime soon, am I?"

"Unfortunately," Jean smiled.

"Then why did you bring me here?" the pale gypsy growled.

Jean ignored his tone. "I didn't. Logan did."

Charles Xavier smiled in amusement as Logan burst into his office, already aware of why he was angry but confused as to why it angered him.

"That boy is not staying here!"

"Logan," Xavier began calmly. "You brought the boy in. He was in a bad condition and he won't heal for a while. I want to make sure nothing happens."

"He can read minds now."

"I am aware of that," the professor locked his fingers, then leaned back and studied his friend. "Out of the Brotherhood, it it Pietro who seems least likely to belong. I want to give him the opportunity to choose."

"But why? After all this time..."

"He is very vulnerable, Logan," Xavier interrupted. "His mind is muddled beyond repair at the moment, there are dark spots in his mind I dared not enter, and it frightened me. There were many voices in his mind."

"Multiple personalities?"

The professor nodded. "I imagine that we have yet to meet the real Pietro. I want to help him."

"Why?"

"Why did you bring him here?" the man questioned. "Why not leave him? Something about him intrigues you."

Logan huffed. "So we're going to help psycho-boy find his true self? How sweet."

"It confuses me, sometimes," Xavier continued. "His sister, Wanda, was in an asylum for years but she was not unstable until she was freed. The boy has been this way for much longer."

"No one noticed?"

"Apparently not, they see his behavior as something to do with his powers. The fast speech and his excessive energy." The professor moved his wheelchair to stand before the door, it opened for him, and the two of them headed towards the boy's temporary room.

As they neared, Xavier picked upon the thoughts the boy was projecting. Each came one after the other and sometimes overlapped, as though there was more than one person thinking at the time.

It's bright in here.

Jean seems nice.

I hope they don't decide to kill me.

Maybe they'll let me sleep a little before they throw me out.

Why aren't I wearing any clothes?

Oh, Jean is talking to me. I wonder what she's saying?

I'm hungry.

The last thought was repeated out loud, though it sounded distant and detached. As if he was only stating it to himself but wasn't going to do anything about it.

They entered the room just as Jean stood and began to leave.

"I was going to get him something to eat," she explained.

"Yes, you do that," Professor X agreed. "We'd like to speak to Pietro alone for a while."

"All right," she said. "I'll knock when I come back." She left the three men to themselves, trusting the Professor to look after the patient, and not allow Logan to injure him anymore than he already was.

"Pietro," Professor X nodded at the boy politely. He didn't want to start on the wrong foot. But now that he was there, before the boy, he couldn't come up with much to say. "How are you feeling?"

Pietro scowled. "How am I supposed to feel? I can't move and I'm being held in the enemy's home."

"You are not being held here against your will," Xavier tried to explain. "We want to help you."

The gypsy snorted, his glare fading into a saddened expression. "I don't believe you."

The Professor reached forth with his mind, connecting his thoughts with the gypsy's, and allowing him to access his mind freely. "Does it feel like I'm lying, Pietro?"

"I don't want to feel anything," the boy clutched his head and shook it forcefully. "What's happening to me?"

Summertime came and went
without a breath
of rain.

They continued to wait,
the boy watched
the sky, and
dreamt.

She told him that
sometimes the Chosen
ones felt they
needed to teach them a lesson.

And that all lessons the
Chosen taught
were important in their own way.

And so he listened.
And waited.

He was their little dark secret. He chose to stay in the same room he'd been placed in instead of moving to another one. Jean visited him daily to bring him food, she often read to him at his request or just chatted away the hours by his bedside. He'd learned to trust her.

She and Professor X helped him learn how to control his new found powers and he almost wished he could keep them. But he wouldn't grow dependent on them in case they were gone once the drugs were out of his system. He found it amusing to parade around the thoughts of the X-Men while they continued to be clueless to his presence.

It was fun. While it lasted.

Unfortunately, all good things came to pass and the one who discovered him was the one X-Men he simply couldn't stand. Katherine Pryde. Not because of her valley-girl accent, but for her total disregard of Lance's feelings for her. Where he would have been flattered by all the attention, she was annoyed by it. Did she think she was better than them because she was an X-Men? Because she'd been brought up so nicely and hadn't been through the hardships they had?

It had taken a good amount of explanation to calm the angry X-Geeks, after Pietro had thrown up his recently eaten meal. He knew it was his body's way of ridden itself of the drugs it had been subjected to, but that didn't make it pleasant.

Out of them, One Eye had been the most accepting. Most likely because Jean had let the secret slip while she was around him or it could have had something to do with the thin silver string Pietro's mind could see connecting the two. A bond. How strange.

Of the new recruits, Ray Crisp had been the only one who'd openly agreed with Scott. It might have had to do with their little argument down in the sewers but Pietro had never felt so grateful. It was unnerving.

"This is only for now," Professor X explained, while attempting to play peacemaker between Pietro and Evan. "Once Pietro has healed and is able to stand on his own. He will choose whether he'd like to stay or leave."

"What??" Evan cried, spikes tingling beneath his skin, barely held back in his anger. "You can't do that!"

Oh, suck it up, spike boy!

Evan's head turned around so fast, everyone cringed at the cracking sound it made.

Professor X shot the temporarily immobilized gypsy a warning glare. "Now is not the time, Pietro."

"He's the one making a big deal out of it," Pietro argued. Jerk. I don't see you telling him off!

"Pietro," Xavier said soothingly, and then more firmly, "Now is not the time."

Logan hmmed as he watched the exchange. He could see where Pietro was coming from, if he had been an outsider, himself. He might have thought the Professor was siding with Evan, too.

Professor X turned to Evan and nodded. "Why do you think that?"

Evan sputtered before regaining his ability to speak. "He's our enemy, in case you've forgotten."

"Pietro is your rival, Evan," the man continued. "That does not make him an enemy."

Ororo Monroe took that time to step forward in an attempt to calm her nephew. Although she didn't understand his deep grudge against the speedster, she could see that this was important to the Professor. "Evan. Please, calm down. If the Professor wants to keep him here, then it is his choice."

"I don't-" the boy began.

Pietro felt he'd heard enough out of the dark boy's mouth and decided to interrupt. When he would usually enjoy taunting him, being immobilized was an obvious disadvantage, and he didn't like being stepped on while he couldn't even defend himself.

"What are you getting so upset about anyway?" Pietro demanded angrily, sharp blue eyes solely trained on Evan. "It's not like I said I would stay."

"Knowing you," snorted Evan.

"You don't know me," the gypsy bit back. Barely holding his anger in check, he clutched the bed sheets tightly in his fists.

"I've known you longer than anyone here has," the dark boy sneered. "Unfortunately," he added in a disgusted tone. "You're always be the same annoying-"

"You know absolutely nothing about me!"

The X-Men observed the argument warily. Stuck between stopping the two or letting them go at it. One one hand, they were all curious to know what had caused the rivalry between the two. But on the other, they didn't want anyone to get hurt or worse.

"In case you've forgotten, Pietro," Evan said mockingly. "We used to be friends."

"Used to are the keywords in there," the speedster said. "And do you think I'd actually tell you the truth about myself?" Eh? "I grew up in an orphanage, Spyke. Even when I lived with my foster parents, I practically took care of myself. You never knew anything about me and YOU STILL DON'T! So don't get in my face or think you know anything about me!" The X-Men gaped at him as he tried to catch his breath. After he had managed to do that, however, he seemed slightly confused and he blinked at them repeatedly until he could finally get his bearings straight. "Sorry. What was I talking about?"

Professor Xavier moved until he was at the speedster's bedside. Reaching out with his mind to soothe the troubled thoughts of the youngster. While staying away from the "dark spots" he still feared threading through. The pale boy relaxed gradually and withdrew into himself in embarrassment.

"It will be Pietro's choice," the Professor repeated more firmly, casting a warning glance in Evan's direction. "Now, I believe it is almost dinner time. Pietro needs to rest."

One by one, the X-Men left the room, if rather reluctantly. Their feet shuffling against the carpet and padding down the hallway. Scott remained behind, seeing as Jean had yet to move from her perch at the end of the bed. Logan, too, remained in the room. Even after the Professor left them.

"Are you hungry?" Logan asked as he removed a tray from where he had left it, on top of one of the dressers in the room. He set the tray before the gypsy without waiting for an answer. "You threw up most of your lunch."

Jean moved to sit beside Pietro, making herself comfortable against the pillows, and doing it with such a flair that Scott wondered how much of her time was spent in the gypsy's room. "I think you're getting better. Other than the side-effect, nothing else has happened."

"Just what happened, exactly?" asked Scott, standing to the side and feeling uncomfortable. "How long have you been staying here?"

Pietro smiled crookedly, almost secretively. "I've been here for about a week and a half now." He shoveled the food down as though he were a starving man.

Logan reached forward and slapped the boy across the forehead, growling softly. "Slow down!"

"Yes, Mother," the speedster chirped. Happier now that he was among more familiar people.

Jean covered her mouth to hold back a giggle. She motioned for Scott to sit beside her. This irritated Pietro because they were stealing his bed. Logan rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall beside the window, scowling out at the forest below in deep thought.

"Drugged?" Scott choked, staring wide-eyed at the younger boy. He had always heard of other kids getting drugged and then beaten or worst, raped! But he had never actually met someone who had. It was disturbing. "What were you doing at a bar anyway?"

"Dancing," Pietro pouted adorably, huffing indignantly and leaning back against his pillow. He couldn't remember much about the night anyway. Only that he went dancing, was drugged, and then saved by the Wolfman (as affectionately nicknamed). "Its not my fault everyone wants me."

The red-head between them blew her hair away from her face as an argument erupted between the two hot heads. Eyes straying to Logan to gauge his reaction but he didn't seem to be paying them any attention.

"You are so full of yourself!" Scott snapped irritably.

Pietro nodded enthusiastically. He turned to Jean, propping his chin on her shoulder, and speaking directly into her ear. "Your boyfriend needs to get laid or something, because he'sactingveryirritatedandthatusually-"

A large hand covered his mouth. Wolfman glared at him before muttering something that sounded like "slow down" and letting him go. Pietro smiled goofily at him and Scott got the distinct impression that he had stumbled upon something sacred. Or at least very personal. And he blushed, looking pointedly away. The idea of Logan and Pietro... together... danced in his mind. That was just... wrong. Especially since Logan was, most likely, more than a couple of centuries older than Pietro.

"Oh, stop it!" Jean laughed. "You two are scaring Scott."

Scott mumbled, "Are not."

The immobilized gypsy giggled helplessly. "This guy is really funny, Jean. Not as funny as I am but very close."

"Coming from him," the red head assured Scott. "That's a compliment."

Being the mature person he was, Pietro settled for sticking his tongue out, and settled back. "Do you think Daniels will try to murder me in my sleep?"

"Good riddance," Logan snorted. A pillow hit him square in the face. Too fast- even for him -to be able to intercept it. "Do that again and I'll rip off your head, brat!" Another pillow hit him in the face and Jean had to use her powers to keep him from pouncing the bed. Even as Pietro drove under the covers to hide from the mutt's wrath.

She herded Scott away from the bed as she released her hold on Logan. Placing a restraining hand on Scott's arm when he stepped forward, fully intending to separate the two. "Don't worry. Logan isn't going to harm Pietro. They'll just wrestle until Quickie's tired enough to go to sleep."

Even though he couldn't move his legs, Pietro was doing rather well against Logan. Soon, the two were an unrecognizable tangle of limbs squirming around on the bed. Jean decided it was time to go, as the Professor had contacted her via telepathy and told her dinner was ready. Scott followed her out, throwing one last glance at the strange pair.

Logan readjusted his body so that Pietro could properly curl up against his side. Looking like a kitten taking a nap.

He'd gotten tired of waiting
and therefore decided
to take matters
into his own hands.

He visited the demon
who lived by
the lake.

Then asked him
if he could
make it rain.

But there was a catch.

It hadn't rained in a while, Pietro noticed. Although it never rained much to begin with. Small things like that were always noticeable to him. Jean had offered to ask Storm for the favor but the speedster had denied. He wanted to see the sky rain, not the artificial rain created by the older mutant.

Neither Scott nor Logan understood his obsession with it and tried to stay away from topics relating to it. Although it was not as easy as it seemed.

Pietro remembered the rain in Romania and how no rain meant no crops. No crops meant no food. How the droughts were most often very miserable in the village.

He'd mentioned it to Logan once and had to tell the Wolfman of everything he remembered or fear getting part of his "lovely" hair chopped off. He hadn't told him some of the major incidents in his life, but he wasn't ready yet.

"Are you going to sit there all day?" Jean had asked that afternoon, when she had found him seating on the window ledge; staring at the sky. A rare forlorn expression on his smooth face. "Come down and eat with us." He had, by some miracle, been able to move his legs the night before and the professor said he was officially healed. She was afraid that if she lost sight of him for even a moment, he'd be gone.

Even Scott had reluctantly admitted that losing the boy now would mean to lose him forever, and they'd already become too attached.

It was time. He would chose by the end of the day.

Author's Note: A ha-ha! He. I know the chapter jumped around from day 1 to day 2 to day 3 and so on. But there is a reason why. So don't complain about it just yet. I'm also thinking this chapter wasn't all that long, but what does everyone else think? Not sure if I'm going to keep going with the idea of having it be a Lance x Pietro, or if I should change it to something else. I know for sure it's going to be a semi-messed-up Logan x Pietro, though it's just for kicks than anything else, and Scott x Jean because Jean gets bashed too much. So even though I don't like her that much, I'm going to attempt to be nice to her. ^.^ Also some Lance x Kitty, just so I can bash them. Because I hate Kitty. She's such a stereotype. No offense to those people who DO like her. I just don't.

As for the Acolytes, I don't know who got me into the habit of calling them that. But that's what I'm going to stick them with, because I don't think the group actually has a name in Evolution. Does it? Anyway, it consists of; Sabertooth (Victor Creed), Pyro (St. John Allerdyce), Gambit (Remy LeBeau), and Colossus (Piotr *Peter* Nikolaoevitch Rasputin). Just for those out there who don't know, for whatever reason.

I'm trying to make this into an Evolution fic, but it will contain some of the information supplied in Ultimate and the other X-Men comics, just to make it more interesting and... well, real. ^^;

I have a basic plot planned out but if anyone has any suggestions, go ahead and tell me. And don't complain to me if the characters are out of character or something because I'm trying my best here, people! This is AU, bite me! x.x (not really, though).

Logan x Pietro (just brief & silly, mostly consists of Pietro bothering the hell out of Logan and making strange innuendoes), Lance x Pietro (it'll be a while for this one to develop but it's probably the main Pietro pairing), past Evan + Pietro + Evan (maybe some Evan + Pietro), implied Scott + Pietro (just Scott being nice & odd, or very brotherly, if you want to put it that way), Scott x Jean, Lance + Kitty (can't have an Evo fic without it -.-), John x (Bobby) x Remy (John would be the flame obsessive one and Remy would be the one who always flirts with everybody, poor Bobby, I'm evil), maybe Kurt x Todd (most likely not, though. Depends on what everyone else thinks). Who should I pair Rogue up with? And don't say Remy because she left Remy to die in Antarctica! ... Wait. Different story. Oops. ^o^