Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:19:01 +0300 From: Dimitris Nikolopoulos <mitsaso_x@hotmail.com> Subject: Slutty X-Men chapter 15 Disclaimer: The X-Men don't belong to me! They belong to Marvel! Please don't sue me Marvel...! I don't have any money anyway. As for the unprotected sex... this is just a story, and mutants can't get AIDS anyway! Always use condoms in real life, they protect you from STD's and getting pregnant up the butt! This story is the gayest fanfic in the planet; there's gay sex, glitter, drama queens, divas and celebrity gay icons all over the place! So don't bother reading if you hate the ghey. But I guess, if you guys had a problem with reading this, or such a story was illegal for your country and/or age, you wouldn't be browsing a gay erotica archive in the first place! Comments, constructive criticism and especially praise (:P), all welcomed! Just e-mail me at: mitsaso@gmail.com After all, encouragement always helps to pump out those chapters more often! ATTENTION: This chapter is a musical! All songs that get used are listed below, along with an appropriate youtube link so that everyone can hear them and know what they're all about (since I can't attach mp3 files in a fanfic :P). If possible, let the videos play as you read the songs in the fic! So, the songs used are: Nat King & Natalie Cole - Unforgettable : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GVKbhYrcGM Pink Martini -- Let's Never Stop Falling In Love : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx8WvpGWkHg&feature=related Il Genio -- Pop Porno : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPX8z5H1-aU The Divinyls -- I Touch Myself : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FGk63Fv7t4 The Hazzards -- Gay Boyfriend : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK9VBxDlQOE Stockard Channing -- There Are Worse Things I Could Do : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGUfn930F0Y Barbra Streisand -- Closer : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mltYBUK1TOI Within Temptation -- Our Farewell : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD05Pvzk7Go The Kinks -- Lola : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMsqXIvQ4Ps The Real Thing -- You To Me Are Everything : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT1iDKkZNYU SLUTTY X-MEN Chapter 15: The Musical! I only came in here to say goodbye. At least, that's what I told myself, as I opened the door to "Rectum" and the very loud music from inside came splashing in my ears. Life is not like a fairytale, and almost everything comes to an unhappy ending. Today, I'd have to say goodbye to my own fairtytale. ************************************************************** After my falling out with Dave, after the horrible way he treated me, without even allowing me to defend myself... there was nothing left in the Xavier Institute for me. Right after the fight, I went invisible and intangible so that nobody would see me crying and ran straight up to my room. I gathered my belongings without a second thought and tidied up my room, making sure the next student who would live there wouldn't find it a mess. I always tended to care what other people would think about me, even the ones I was never going to meet. Which is probably what turned me into this inoffensive, shy and invisible --literally and figuratively, since even my supposed closest friend never really paid attention to what I felt all that time next to him. I was all set to go. I threw my two suitcases out of the window, leaning on it to see for myself that they'd land on the bushes below. I didn't want to walk out of the Institute with a stuitcase in each hand and get attention drawn to me. I didn't have the courage to explain what I was doing and why I was leaving to anyone who'd ask. As I took a deep breath and walked over to my bed, where I had placed the clothes I'd wear for my departure, I noticed a piece of paper in the pocket of my pants. It was the sheet music that Frank had made Monique hand to me before they left for Europe. He had told me to practice on that song as well as the duet I was supposed to sing with Dave. Now I knew why. I contemplated my options. Just because of the way Dave had treated me, I didn't have to leave without saying goodbye to my other friends... Even if it wasn't goodbye (because that would surely lead to questions I didn't have the courage to answer), maybe I could see them for one last time. Thank god I already knew that song! And singing it in the competition would be a perfect goodbye to them all. I got myself together, pimped up my clothing a little, using a flashier shirt I had bought in case I ever went clubbing with the guys (never got to use it, after all), I gelled my hair and gave it a wet, out-of-bed look. Then I had a look at the mirror. "Not really appropriate, but it'll have to do." I said to the Gerry looking at the other side of the mirror. He seemed to agree with me. With a newfound sense of impending closure, I went down the stairs and walked by the few students that had remained in the halls. Looked like everyone else was already at the contest. Just as I reached the heavy, main door, a student I had never seen before stepped in my way. "Hello there, hotstuff, hey!" He said with a whistle, checking me out from head to toe. "I'm new here, care to show me around the place? Such a big school... a foreign boy like me could get lost." I looked at him in slight shock, surprised from his directness. That was a guy who knew how to take what he liked. And why not? He was very good looking. Tall, built like an athlete, with short curly blonde hair and green eyes. I tried not to show him how anxious I was to leave, so I smiled at him gently. "Nice to meet you. I'm afraid I have no time right now. Maybe later tonight?" I lied, knowing that once I stepped out of the mansion, I would never return. "That's a date!" he exclaimed and flashed me a toothy smile. He grabbed my hand and shaked it, almost hurting me. He was strong! "I'm Overture, by the way. Looking forward to seeing you again." I shook my hand back at him and then pulled back, letting him know I was about to leave. "I'm Gerry. I'll be seeing you." As I walked away from him and out of the mansion, I stood for a little and gave a sigh. This was the last time I was seeing this school. What I didn't notice was Overture still looking at me as I left, making himself a cigarette as he sang to himself in a whispering tone... "I put a spell on you Now youre miiiine...!" When I arrived at "Rectum" I realized that the singing contest taking place in that gay bar had already began. It seemed that the bar's staff had arranged the seating in such a way in front of the stage so that it would resemble a concert, rather than a karaoke contest. Almost every seat was taken, the attendance was huge, and the crowd was already going wild over the current singer. On the stage, a drag queen, dressed in a huge white dress with lots of fur and feathers, buried under tons of make up, was impersonating Celine Dion, singing that song she sang for "Titanic" so many years ago. Strangely enough, that drag queen not only managed to look like the real Celine Dion, but she also had an amazing voice... Lola was bound to have a hard time winning this contest! It looked like I had walked in just in time for the grand finale of that performance. The Celine impersonator ended her singing in a crescendo, heard only over a thunderous applause! "...We'll staaaay, foreeeeeever this waaaaay You are safe in my heart And my heart will go oooooon and ooooooooooon!" The crowd went wild and at least half the people in there were on their feet and clapping their hands with a vengeance. Donna Summers, the presenter of the contest, walked out on the stage and, after applauding the drag queen kindly (but I could see that she was boiling inside, maybe out of jealousy), she showed her the way out. "And that, my darling audience, was Psoline Dyon in a marvelous cover ot "My Heart Will Go On! I can easily tell that you loved her, but now it's time for a change of pace... my handsome, beloved grandson, Scott, along with his lovely partner, Logan, are about to sing an ageless love song to each other... just for YOU!" she said on her mic, making the crowd break into another applause. "Where did we get such an enthousiastic audience?" she sucked up at the crowd. "Anyway, before they begin charming you with their angelic voices, I should introdce you to the judges for this contest..." she pointed at a small table that was placed right in front of the stage, "America's Got Talent"- style, where three celebrities were sitting, looking down on the rest of the world. "At the far right, he have one of the richest people in the western hemisphere, a world-class bussinesswoman and fashion icon who happens to own a bunch of record labels who could set up the best talents of this contest with a contract for the rest of their life, Miss Emmaaaaaa Frooooost!" she pointed at our Headmistress, who looked annoyed at what must have been a lame attempt from Donna's side to hint that she wanted a contract with Miss Frost's labels. She was dressed in a sparkling white 30's gown that accentuated her curves and made her look extremely vintage and classy, accesorised with long gloves that made her look like she jumped out of a silent film. "Our second guest for tonight is a priestess of the revamped disco movement, a gay icon and an ambassador for all mutants on Earth. Maybe the first openly mutant A-list celebrity and a singer who does justice to old disco divas like me... please welcome The Dazzleeeeeeer!" she said, and pointed at the judge in the middle of the table, the famous disco diva Dazzler. The crowd went crazy, cheering and whistling at their idol, who was dressed in an glittering white overall jumpsuit with silver details. I was shocked, before I didn't notice her before, and I happened to be a huge fan of hers! I had bought all of her albums before I left Greece in a hurry, and to me she represented everything I could be if I dared be open about my mutants powers to my parents. I shook my head, trying to shake off the incoming bittersweet memories and focused on the presentation of the third and last judge. "Last but not least... just because you demanded it, we have the biggest celebrity breakthrough of the new century! She's here, she's pro-queer, get used to it! You might not believe it, but she's right in here and supporting equality for all gays and all muties... let me hear the biggest applause ever fooooor... LADY GAGA!!!" The crowd looked curiously as Donna Summers pointed to the third judge, sitting right next to Dazzler and Emma Frost... it was a smalli-ish closet, probably made of oak, and it gave no reaction to Donna Summers' presentation or the half-hearted applause of the confused crowd underneath. "I know, I know, it looks just like a big closet, but it's really her, in all her eccentricity! With this disguise, Lady Gaga wanted to show her support at gay rights... let's hear what she has to say for herself" A voice from within the closet echoed. "Hello, my fans! This is a way of showing what the gay man is all about today... the times are changing! Do not be afraid anymore! It's time to come OUT of the closet, and enjoy life at its' fullest!" she yelled, and the crowd broke into cheers and rythmical clapping. A teenager with pink extensions on his blonde hair got carried on the hands of the crowd next to Lady Gaga, broke the handle of the closet door and ran away with it, tears of joy and pride running down his cheeks for snatching such a priceless souvenir. Donna Summers nodded in fake empathy. "Inspirational... truly inspirational. But now, without further delay... Scott and Logan, ladies and gentlemen!" the hostess said full of pride, getting out of the stage to make way for the next act. As the soft music started playing, I was shocked to see Cyclops and Wolverine walking in from the two opposite doors to the stage, dressed in matching tuxedos... Logan wore a blue tie, while Mr.Summers had a red one on, matching his ruby quartz glasses... They gave each other smiles that were bursting with adoration, before the lyrics of their lovesong started escaping their lips: "LOGAN: Unforgettable, thats what you are... SCOTT: Unforgettable, though near or faaaaaar... LOGAN: Like a song of love that clings to me How the thought of you does things to me Never before has someone been more SCOTT: Unforgettable in every wayyyy... LOGAN: And forever more, SCOTT: -and forever moooreee- LOGAN: Thats how you'll stay SCOTT: -that's how you'll staaaaay- BOTH: That's why, darling, its incredible That someone so unforgettable Thinks that I am unforgettable too" As a long, instrumental interlude began to echo, Logan grabbed Scott and pulled him into his embrace, then they started dancing slowly to the music, their chests pressed together and their eyes closed in bliss. Finally, Logan spinned Mr.Summers around and released him from his arms, just in time to resume their singing: "SCOTT: Unforgettable LOGAN: -unforgettable- SCOTT: In every way LOGAN: -In every wayyy- SCOTT: And forever more LOGAN: -and forever mooore- SCOTT: That's how you'll stay LOGAN: -that's how you'll staaay- BOTH:Thats why, darling, its incredible That someone so unforgettable Thinks that I am unforgettable too...!" As their romantic song came to an end, the out and happy couple sealed their performance with a soft, lasting kiss, making most of the crowd break into cheers. They were really cute together and they could make you melt, if you thought they were a symbol of how love can prevail in any sort of setting. From what Dave had told me, Wolverine and Cyclops were initially victims of Zazelle's lust powers, just like I was when I slept with Dave. But they ended up falling for each other and going bi, letting their love out on the open with their performance today. While, in my and David's case, altough none of us was straight before it happened, it still wasn't enough. My love for him was wasted. And, forgive me for being a spoilsport, but our teachers' romance just shoved that fact in my face even more, instead of giving me hope. Upset over my realisation, I left my place within the audience and sneaked backstage, trying to find Lola or Dead Girl. After looking around for a minute or so, I found an anxious Dead Gril trying to change into her stage clothing. "So, what's it's gonna be? Megadeth? Slayer?" I asked, trying to sound non-heartbroken. I would say goodbye to them in my own way, without them realising I was going before I was already gone. Otherwise, they all had the power to kick my butt and prevent me from leaving. She looked at me, startled. Apparently, she hadn't noticed me walking up to her. "Oh, Gerry, it's you", she said, but instead of relaxing, she still seemed bewildered. "What do you mean by that?" I felt flabbergasted that I had to explain. "I mean, what metal band will you pay tribute to? That's the kinda music you listen to, right? Metal and goth?" She completely ignored my question, instead answering me with another one. "Hey, have you seen Doreen -- Squirrel Girl?" she said. "My number's almost up and I need her to see me performing. It's of... grave importance." She said, totally missing the pun she made. "I haven't seen her, but if I do I'll make sure she doesn't miss your little hard rock show." I smiled in order to reassure her. "Have you seen Lola, by the way?" "No. But don't go looking for her now, I bet she's busy getting a ton of make up on and glueing feathers to her glittering gadgets. If you interrupt her kitching-up she'll throw a fit." "Noted." I said, nodding to her. "I'll run along now." Trying to find Squirrel Girl, I opened the door to something I thought was a dressing room, but ended up being a closet. What I saw inside I hadn't seen even in my wildest dreams. Bobby Drake, aka Iceman, Dave's straight crush whose "ghost" always got in the way of anything happening between us, was right in there, naked, spread eagled and with half a dozen guys writhing around him, licking and worshipping every inch of his naked body! I suddenly felt extremely embarrased, although nobody had caught me yet, and I felt my cheeks, among other things, flushing with red, the real color of shame. All those guys appeared to be none other than several of Madrox's dupes. It stroke me as weird, because I had just seen Madrox sitting outside, next to Colossus! Was there a chance that he wasn't aware of what his dupes were doing? Finally, the realisation that the real Bobby was GAYER that the fake Bobby Mystique used to pose as, dawned to me! Dave was lusting after him for so long, but now thought he was straight and happy with Rogue... maybe I should tell him about this, so that he could do something about it? I mean, just because he treated me that way doesn't mean I wish to be an ostacle in the way of his personal happiness! I couldn't help but ogle from my corner, unseen, as two Madrox dupes worshipped Bobby's quite large penis, alternating their sucking or both of them licking each side in synchronicity, as if they were playing a harmonica. And the "harmonica" in question was leaking with obscene amounts of precome, which the dupes were eager to gulp down their throats every few minutes (yes, I stayed around and ogled for whole minutes! Happy now?) Another dupe was lying underneath Bobby and had buried his face in Bobby's crack, eating his butthole with gusto. Two more dupes were on each side of Bobby's torso, biting his nipples, giving him hickies on the most sensitive corners of his neck, maybe even french-kissing him every once in a while! The dupe on the left was focusing most in Iceman's nipples, while the one on the right was playing with Bobby's cute little ears, enclosing his lobes in his lips and attacking them with his masterful tongue. To pay them back for it, Bobby was masturbating the both of them as they sexually ravaged his taut body. One last dupe, was sitting behind and almost on top of Bobby's head. His large balls were teabagging Bobby's eyes and his hefty cock rested lazily on Bobby's lips, and Bobby due to the inconvenient angle and the workings of all the other dupes that restricted him from shifting position, was trying to grab it with his tongue into his throat but to no avail. All he could manage was the occasional lick at the cock that obstructed his view, and when one of the other dupes came up to kiss Bobby on the lips they ended up sucking the other dupes cock just for the hell of it! I was starting to get aroused by the incestuous masturbatory orgy in front of me, so I decided to split. First of all it didn't feel appropriate to me to peep on other people having sex, especially when my insides were still grieving the loss of what I believed could have evolved into true love. Secondly, finding Squirrel Gril ASAP seemed important to Dead Girl and I wasn't going to bail on her for a live sex show, no matter how special. So I only stayed for the bukkake finale a couple of minutes later and made sure I'd leave before they all realized they had a peeping Gerry among them! "Our next singing breakthrough for tonight is..." I heard Donna Summers announcing from outside, "...Dead Girl! God knows what kind of hideous Death Metal monstrosity she's gonna shriek at us, but let's give an applause for versatility's sake!" Oh God! Dead Girl was about to sing and I still hadn't located Squirrel Girl, as she asked me to! I ran out of the dressing rooms and made my way among the audience. Artificial smoke started smogging up the stage and the first rows, and shockingly, the music that began ringing in my ears wasn't crush-your-ears-and-hope-to-die loud metal music, but rather a lounge/jazzy whimsical tune. To my great luck, I saw Squirrel Girl sitting in the very first row and smiling, dressed in a full-body furcoat, uncharacteristic of her dressing style AND her ecological, animal-friendly nature! Is was no time to ask what was up with her though, because Dead Girl had already emerged from the smoke, dressed in a sparkling white gown, her hair caught in a french braid, and her voice crystal clear as she looked right at Squirrel Girl and sang to her, dedicating each and every one of her words to her newfound love; "I wish a falling star could fall forever And sparkle through the clouds and stormy weather And in the darkness of the night The star would shine a glimmering light And hover above our love" Suddenly, two of Madrox's dupes dressed in tuxedos came on the stage, dancing. They grabbed Dead Girl from Squirrel Girl's side and lifted her on their shoulders, and as they swang their hips to the music, the tapped their feet twice on the floor and produced four more dupes, who took the front side of the stage and did more difficult and complicated dancing. Dead Girl was like a true retro diva, like a brand new and undead Rita Hayworth! "Please hold me close and whisper that you love me And promise that your dreams are only of me When you are near, everything's clear Earth is a beautiful heaven Always I hope that we follow the star And be forever floating above" The dupes rising Dead Gril above everyone else on the bar got on their knees, getting Vivian down on the floor and at the same time giving her a small push to the front, as she quickly danced her way to Doreen and got to the chorus while gently stroking her cheek. "I know a falling star can't fall forever But let's never stop falling in love!" Right away, Vivian was again on the stage and dancing the tango with each and every single one of her dancers, never missing a beat of her song; "When you are near, everything's clear Earth is a beautiful heaven Always I hope that we shine like the star And be forever floating above" As her performance drew to a close, the dupe dancers started absorbing one another in tune, only two of them remaining on the stage. They took Vivian on their hands and carried her over to Squirrel Girl, driving home the point that the song was meant for her and her only! From up above, a horizontal Dead Girl held the microphone with one hand, as she extended the other to her new, fluffy lover finishing her song to her... "I know a falling star can't fall forever And let's never stop falling in love No let's never stop falling in loveeee...!" The audience broke into thunderous appleause and surrounded the happy lesbian couple, but I could see something that didn't fit... Squirrel Girl, instead of breaking into tears of happiness like the sentimental girly girl we all know her to be... Instead, she gave Dead Girl a semi-evil smirk. "I'm glad you finally let it out." I heard her saying to her girl as she gave her a kiss. "But now it's my turn. And it's time to find out some things about me that you should know." "Ladies and gentlemeeeeeen..." I heard Donna Summers making her announcement from where she was sitting, "... it's time for the sweetest girl on campus to sing for us... please welcome... Squirrel Girrrrrrrrrl!" Squirrel Girl got up from her seat, which was immediately taken by a curious Dead Girl. Bristling with confidence, she walked up to the stage, her long brown furcoat that would surely make many PETA members have a coronary reaching to the floor behind her, as a luxurious welcome carpet. To my surprise, a catchy yet slutty beat started sounding on the background, and Doreen turned around and gave the audience a very raunchy look, as the lights behind her started playing in the variations of the colours red and purple. Very skanky. Then, the ever-so innocent Squirrel Girl started dancing like a burlesque stripper for us all and singing in italian with a seductive voice... and the weirdest thing was... I could actually understand what she was saying! "Tu "You sei cattivo con me are a meanie to me perche because ti svegli alle tre you wake up at 3.00 per guardare quei film just to watch those films un po' porno kinda porno Ah! " Ah!" She was very good...! Her slutty dancing almost made a gay man like me want her, so you can tell how horny she was getting the rest of the audience... Dead Girl had a look of shock on her face. Maybe because she WAS staying up late and watching porn. "Tu "You sei cattivo con me are so evil to me perche because mi guardi come se you look at me io fossi un'attrice as if I was like an actress porno" in porno" Squirrel Girl threw her hands up in the air and froze in a seductive temptress pose, as her long furcoat suddenlt came to life! Furballs from every side of the coat were throbbing and moving, and during the chorus, the dozens of squirrels that were comprising Doreen's "live" squirrel furcoat left her body and became her supporting dancers, as they left Doreen semi-naked, only in her sexy underwear, long stockings and tight burlesque corset! "Porno Pop Porno Pop Porno Pop Porno Porno Porno!" Doreen's pet squirrels arranged themselves on a line, then started climbing on one another until the reached the ceiling, then they all curled up into tight furballs as they held on one another. Doreen grabbed them and started dancing around them. She now had her own furry, breathing dancing pole! "Tu "You sei cattivo con me are so evil to me perche because ti piace sognare you like to dream quei tipi di donna of those types of woman un po' porno" kinda porno" Leaving the squirrely pole alone, Squirrel Girl now focused on stripping for real! Slowly and seductively, she started removing her corset, as her hips swang and twirled around for everyone to gawk at! "Tu "You sei cattivo con me are so mean to me perche because mi lasci da sola you leave me alone e ti guardi quei film to watch those films un po' porno" sorta porno" As she reprised the chorus, Doreen turned her back at us, shaking her ass sluttily... she then removed her laced bra and threw it behind her, actually landing on my head! I removed the offending piece of clothing as the people around snickered at me with amusement, and Squirrel Girl turned around for everyone to see... her boobs, which were covered in one squirrel each, hiding her nipples from public view! "Porno Pop Porno Pop Porno Pop Porno Porno Porno" With a cheering audience going wild, a semi-naked Squirrel Girl walked towards us... giving a squirrel-like jump, she landed in front of an astounded Dead Girl, singing the next lines exclusively to her...she sang the next words so close to Vivian's mouth, that the few straight boys around started going crazy and whistling for some girl-on-girl action! "Ma quando viene sera "But everytime the night comes tu mi parli d'amore you talk to me about love e guardandomi negli occhi and looking right in my eyes mi fai sentire davvero you make me feel as if I was una donna un po' porno" a star of a porno!" And with that, Doreen started giving Vivian a lapdance that would make Jenna Jameson blush shamefully! The grinding and the touching and the almost kissing were enough to almost give a gay boy like me a hardon! "Porno Pop Porno Pop Porno Pop Porno Porno Porno...!" "Was there something that you meant to say to me?" Dead Girl asked her girlfriend, as she finished doing her eccentric lap dance performance on top of her. "Yes, my dear Vivian." Doreen aswered with a wicked grin, "I'm not an innocent, clueless little virgin, so instead of venting off your sexual frustrations by watching porn, how about you start exercising them on me?" "I'm all for that!" was all Vivian could say, before they started kissing obscenely, making all the severe queens to avert their eyes. Meanwhile, I got close to the judges, trying to approach Emma Frost. I tried to ignore the goosebumps in my stomach as I walked close to my idol, Dazzler, and I almost lost it when she greeted me with a smile of aknowledgement, ending up greeting her back with a weird cringe-face. "I'mahugefan!" I blurted out incorrigibly before I made my way to Emma. "Miss Frost" I began to say, only to have her cut me out. "Gerry, darling." She said. "This is the second time you muster the courage to approach me individually... maybe you're not the shy foreigner we all thought you were." She said in a tone that was half-amusement, half-intrigue. "That's what I was working on... being less shy and esoteric. This is why I came to you in the first place. But something went wrong." I whispered, making sure that nobody around us would make out what we were saying. "Since this is obviously a sensitive matter to you, let's pick the telepathic route." I heard Emma talk into my mind, then relaxed a little. Now I knew nobody would hear us. "Now tell me... what went wrong?" "I suddenly understand italian. When Squirrel Girl sang in italian, I could understand every word she said." "You understand italian? Can you speak them as well?" she asked with curiosity. "Non sono sicuro" I caught myself saying out loud. Putting my hand in front of my mouth in shock, I continued projecting my thoughts instead of expressing them. "I guess I do speak italian, as well. How the hell did this happen?" Emma shrugged in indifference. "Is this really a problem? You came to me, wanting to cheat your way through learning english, in order to impress my nephew. You asked me to download the linguistic knowledge of someone who spoke English as his monther tongue, and I did. I guess that person was bilingual, after all. He spoke both english and italian. Which makes you... tri-lingual, in retrospect? I taught you english in a matter of seconds, and added italian as an extra bonus. Is this supposed to be something bad?" she asked. "I guess not... I just wanted to point out that you should carefully whom to pick for cerebral manipulation, from now on. For all we know, I could have had a mass murderer's psyche leaking into my mind...!" I said in a semi-rude manner. Miss Frost gave me a cold look. "Well, beggars can't be choosers, now can they? By the way, I heard about what happened with David. I'm sorry things didn't work out." She concluded, before shutting off our mind-link. I turned around, confused. So I ask her to help me out with my knowledge of the language, to make it easier for me to communicate and blend in, and she randomly picks the first person she could to transmit their knowledge into me? I thought she wasn' one to get sloppy... "That was an... interesting performance from our resident rodent-girl..." I heard Donna Summers demanding our attention from the stage, which was a welcome excuse for all the gays down there to forget about the lesbian public displays of affection. "Now how about we move on?" she added. "Next in line is one of the most popular students in the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning... please, give the warmest of welcomes to Bobby Drake, the Iceman!" Bobby jumped into the stage like a wild animal, probably revved up from his earlier multiple fornication... He was dressed like a rockstar wannabe and as he sang, he made sure to underline his performance with wild dancing, crotch grabbing and faux-sensual moves... "I love myself I want you to love me When I'm feelin' down I want you above me I search myself I want you to find me I forget myself I want you to remind me" Bobby started singing to a very specific person within the crowd. I just couldn't tell who! He was smiling and pointing to Rogue, who was sitting in the very front row, but, knowing what I saw earlier today, I couldn't help noticing that he might just as well be singing this to Madrox, who was sitting right behind Rogue. Colossus was next to him as well, so it could have easily been for him. What a slag! "I don't want anybody else When I think about you I touch myself I don't want anybody else Oh no, oh no, oh no" Bobby was making sure to act according to the lyrics when he sang that he "touched himself", making himself a slutty spectacle for all to see. Not as mysterious or gracious as Squirrel Girl's earlier performace (and, by the way, she and Dead Girl were nowhere to be seen, Vivian's seat was vacant, so they were probably bumping uglies by now), but it was good enough to make a hot boy like Bobby look even hotter. "You're the one who makes me happy honey You're the sun who makes me shine When you're around I'm always laughing I want to make you mine" Bobby could be really charming, especially with the sexy looks he was giving to the crowd. Pity that he was pulling a douchebag move here, making Rogue believe they were meant for her, while he clearly meant it for the Madrox dupe he was banging earlier. "I close my eyes And see you before me Think I would die If you were to ignore me A fool could see Just how much I adore you I get down on my knees I'd do anything for you" Suddenly, two backing dancers popped up to support Bobby. It was Pixie and Gin Genie, and they both were clearly drunk... their antics were making Courtney Love look sober and gracious! Together, they all rocked to the rhythm of the slutty chorus! "I don't want anybody else When I think about you I touch myself I don't want anybody else Oh no, oh no, oh no" As the singing and the dancing continued, Gin Genie and Pixie made a little show, as if they were trying to touch Bobby, and he was clearly trying to avoid them... it looked like a mean, yet humorous dig at his relationship with Rogue. How cruel! "I love myself I want you to love me When I'm feelin' down I want you above me I search myself I want you to find me I forget myself I want you to remind me" As he reached again to the chorus, Bobby extended his microphone over the crowd, urging them to sing-along! The girls behind him were going wild and chimed in the song! "I don't want anybody else! When I think about you I touch myseeeelf! I don't want anybody else! Oh NO, OH NO, HELL NO!" Bobby brought the mic to his lips again and resumed the singing... almost talking this time, and he walked over to Rogue... the trend of singing more to one's lover rather than the crowd was starting to really tick me off... so far, everybody was singing for one specific person on the stage or in the audience, and made that clear... it would seem cheesy to a third person, but to poor, recently heartbroken little me it seemed just offensive and cruel! "I want you... ...I don't want anybody else! And when I think about you... I touch myself! Ooh... oooh... oooooh... ah ah ah ah ah ah" Strangely enough, Rogue didn't seem happy about Bobby's choice of song. Was it that the lyrics were almost making fun of her predicament, since she actually couldn't touch other people, so Bobby ended up touching himself... or other certain people. "I don't want anybody else When I think about you I touch myself I don't want anybody else Oh no, oh no, oh no..." Thankfully, Bobby's performance finally came to an end. Strengely enough, neither Rogue or the Madrox clone behind her looked happy about the dedication of the song to them. Something was fishy here, and we were all soon going to find out what... "That was strangely arousing..." Donna Summers said, as she came up to announce the next number. "As you can tell, today we're doing things in couples. The sapphic girls earlier were able to sing one right after the other, so we'll do the same now. Teenage hottie Iceman sang to his girlfriend Rogue, so now it's Rogue's turn to rock our worlds! Lemme hear a biiiiig appleause for the girrrrl!" "Oh crap, here comes the angst" I thought to myself, as I was sure Rogue would sing something emo that had to do with her lack of human contact. I was pleasantly -- and kitschily- surprised. Rogue ended up doing something that I would have expected from Lola... why is it that all the campy songs today are performed by the people least expected? I saw Anole and Northstar, of all people, appearing on the stage dressed in schoolgirl outfits, complete with blonde wigs that had intricate pigtails on them. And just as I thought that the two prissiest queens on campus would never debase themselves in such a way, they started singing along to the catchy tune that had just started in the girliest voice possible, providing the backing vocals for Rogue, who had just jumped between them, ignoring Bobby's pleading and curious eyes. "NORTHSTAR+ANOLE: One, two, ready go!" Rogue started singing her main piece, making sure to direct her words to Bobby and give him the evil eye! "ROGUE: I'm tired of boys who make me cry They cheat on me and they tell me lies" "NORTHSTAR+ANOLE: Tell me lies!" "ROGUE:I want a love who'll never stray When he sees other girls, he looks away And if he never kisses me, well that's alright 'Cos we can just... cuddle all night!" Standing in front of Bobby and posing for him, Rogue made sure that everyone in the bar would know that the chorus was meant just for him... Anole and Northstar gave vicious grins as they backed her voice, and thus I got my explanation on why they agreed to do this. They felt like outing another gay in this school! "ROGUE: Gay boyfriend, gay boyfriend I don't really care that you are queer! Gay boyfriend, gay boyfriend I never feel lonely when you are near!" « NORTHSTAR+ANOLE: La la la la! » Having humiliated her cheating boyfriend in front of practically the whole school, Rogue kept on singing with more gusto and carelessness than ever before! She turned her back at us and winked, as she shook her butt and sang with abandon... "ROGUE: It'll be a great romance We'll go shopping and buy tight pants You don't care how big my ass is, just how fabulous my dress is! Gay boyfriend, gay boyfriend I don't really care that you are queer! Gay boyfriend, gay boyfriend I never feel lonely when you are near!" "NORTHSTAR+ANOLE : La la lalala lalala lalala la la !" Anole and Northstar suddenly ripped off their schoolgirl uniforms, and revealed their super sexy outfits underneath! They were clad in two extremely gay-looking full body leotards, like the one Beyonce wore on her famous Single Girls video clip! Rogue approached them and sang with them in a flirting manner, as if they really were her gay boyfriends... "NORTHSTAR+ANOLE : One, two, ready, go!" "ROGUE: You cry at movies, on our dates! Romantic comedies sure are great... But when you're sad I'll dry your tears 'Cos I'll always think that you are fierce!" Continuing their on-stage flirting, they all now sang in unison. "ALL OF THEM: My gay boyfriend, gay boyfriend I don't really care that you are queer Gay boyfriend, gay boyfriend I never feel lonely when you are near Gay boyfriend, gay boyfriend I don't really care that you are queer!" Abruptly ditching her gay dancers, Rogue ran to where Bobby was sitting with a terrified look on his face and straddled him...not exactly giving him a lap dance, but menacingly threatening to touch him with her bare hand if he moved... she sang what was the most important words for her right in his face, for all to see! "ROGUE: I like cigarettes, and that's no gag But you'll always be my favorite fag You'll always be my favorite fag You'll always be my favorite FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAG...!!!!!!" Her work was done. The audience was laughing their ass off at Bobby, and a vicious smile crept up in Rogue's face again. It was the revenge of a woman scorned, in the most fabulous and evil of ways! Her backing singers/dancers completed the song by themselves, dancing in a style reminiscent of can-can. «NORTHSTAR+ANOLE : La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la !» « What was the meaning of all this?" Bobby asked his girlfriend with a voice that betrayed how hurt he was. "Isn't it obvious?" she said with a raised eyebrow. "Given my... situation, it's obvious that our relationship wasn't a conventional one. I could have settled for several arrangements, like the TIMES I FUCKED YOU WITH A STRAP ON AND YOU LIKED IT" she said out loud to make sure everyone heard, "but you actually had to go behind my back!" "How did you..." Bobby began to ask, but the Madrox who was seated behind Rogue leered over him and butted in; "For you information, it's the real me that was sitting behind your girlfriend and was given that touching dedication of your earlier song, and not that dupe of mine that you're fucking." He said sternly. "Exactly" added Rogue. "Madrox came to me and told me what a closet case cheater you was. He asked my help to find his gay dupe, whom you have hidden somewhere. In return, I asked his help to set tonight's performance up. He told me how you hit on him and, when it didn't work, you literally hit on him until a gay dupe was out for you to fuck. He hasn't seen that dupe ever since, but he can kinda feel it when you're banging him." "Do you even realise how difficult this is for me?" Madrox scolded Bobby again. "The mere SECOND I re-absorb this dupe again, I will have every vivid memory of the gay sex you had together, and I'm not gonna cherish the memory like the dupe does...!" Bobby was till then in a state of shock over what was happening, but the threat of having his lover re-absorbed woke him up. He shot a defiant look at Madrox. "Then DON'T re-absorb him. Let him be free. That will save you the trauma, you big closet case!" "Is it me or did the pot just called the kettle black?" Northstar said in a singy-song voice from afar. "This is serious!" Madrox urged Bobby. "I can't have dupes of mine running around! It can lead to countless unpredictable situations!" "So you DO want to have the gay sex memories after all? Gee, bi-curious, much?" Anole batted in. He and Northstar high-fived. "Shut it, you flaming queens!" Bobby yelled at them. "As for your dupe, he now has a distinct personality and he doesn't want to be found. *I* don't want him to be found, either. I really, really like him. So you and my ex-girlfriend can go fuck yourselves!" "That does it!" an angry Rogue grabbed Madrox and gave him a full tongue kiss. "If you want to make me jealous, it isn't working" Bobby said in irony. "Don't flatter yourself" his ex girlfriend answered, as she slowly let an unconscious Madrox slump in his seat. She looked sternly at her two-timing ex and started clapping her hands. Soon, twenty dupes of Rogue were looking at him just as sternly as Rogue Prime. "You have a three-second headstart." They said in unison. Just as 21 Rogues jumped on Bobby, and he iced up to protect himself, an outraged Donna Summers started sending beams of flaming energy between them to break them up. "This is MY SHOW and I won't allow you brats and your lame drama to mess with it! Shut the fuck up or get the fuck out!" she yelled. "I will NOT have you humiliate mutants in front of our special guest, Lady Gaga!" Bobby and the Rogues, still angry at each other, looked up to Lady Gaga, who was still dressed as a closet. A voice came from inside the closet. "Oh, I don't mind. It will remind me of a good old bar brawl." Then she shrugged inside of the closet and bumped her shoulders on the side walls. Bobby and the Rogues looked at each other again, preparing for the aforementioned brawl, but suddenly a bunch of lights appeared between them and prevented them from doing anything. In mere seconds, Bobby was in a totally relaxed state, while Rogue absorbed back all of her dupes. I looked up to where the judges sat and saw Dazzler, my idol, standing on Lady Gaga's closet, her hand extended towards the offenders. "I thought a few catatonic lights would hypnotize them and calm down their spirits, at least until the contest is over and Miss Frost personally deals with her students" I heard her clarify. "Now the show can go on, Mrs.Summers." Donna Summers gave her a fake smile. "Call me Donna, my dear. `Mrs Summers' makes me sound like and old crone, which I'm certainly not." She resumed her speech to the crowd, announcing the next number. "And after all that... unpleasant drama, it is time for a tale of redemption. This contestant could not be present in our lovely night, but her need to participate was so big that we arranged for a tele- performance. She will sing from where is is currently being... confined for personal reasons, and her performance will be directly broadcast in the giant wall screen behind us. Please, a hot welcome for our next singer... Zazelle!" No fucking way. The huge screen behind Donna Summers lighted up, and we could see a direct broadcast from Zazelle's cell in the mansion's basement. In the middle of the dark cell, a large piano lied, illuminated by a single spotlight. A pianist, fully dressed in a tuxedo, started playing, and Zazelle, lying on the piano like a retro diva, wearing a Jessica Rabbit-like elegant dress, started singing for us with a look of stoic dispair on her face. "There are worse things I could do... Than go with a boy or two... Even though the neighborhood thinks I'm trashy, And no good, I suppose it could be true... But there are worse things I could do!" Right then, I realized there was a third person in the cell. Beast, probably taking a break from his lab sessions, stepped into the spotlight, accompanying Zazelle's song with his masterful saxophone! Zazelle rolled around dramatically on the piano some more. "I could flirt with all the guys, Smile at them and bat my eyes. Press against them when we dance, Make them think they stand a chance, Then refuse to see it through... That's a thing I'd never do!" As the camera did a close up to the piano player, I realized... that wasn't any piano player! It was Mystique! Her yellow eyes gleamed at the camera, and I was half amused at her being willing to cooperate once again with the X-Men... even if it was for a silly singing contest! Or maybe she just wanted to help out her buddy Zazelle, who kept vocalising her hopeful word with great harmony, so that she would win our hearts again and make us believe she's willing to change. "I could stay home every niiiight, Wait around for Mr. Riiiiiiight! Take cold showers every day, And throw my life away, On a dream that won't come true..." As the song came close to an end, Mystique played the piano more dramatically, and Beast blew into his saxophone with lesser intensity, wanting us to give more attention to Zazelle's singing... the camera gave an extreme close up to Zazelle's face, now singing to us all with pleading eyes of remorse, as if she was explaining her very inner core, her feelings and her way of life... "...I could hurt someone like me, Out of spite or jealousy... I dont steal and I dont lieeee", "But I can feel and I can cryyyy. A fact I'll bet you never knew... ...But to cry in front of you... That's the worse thing I could doooooooo!" Zazelle gave a bow to the camera, looking at us all with serenity but also pride. In a way, she was who she was, and she didn't pretend to be all nice just to make us forgive her. That was why her attempt at getting our sympathy seemed to be working... maybe she was just a slut with slutty powers... she wasn't exactly Magneto, now was she? Plus, she got rid of Magneto for us, putting him in a coma, so that was another plus! Now if Lola wasn't so eager to wake him up... I wonder what did she expect? He wouldn't exactly show his gratitude, he'd just grasp the opportunity to bring down the X-Men from their very core! But that's why we loved Lola... her nature of hoping for the best in people brought out in fullness Xavier's dream in us. As the image in the screed faded to black, the people in the bar broke into extended applause. I guess the reformed villain angle was rather catchy for the larger crowds. Lost in my reverie, I never realized that we had already proceeded to the next song. All of a sudden, the place went dark, except for a small, single spotlight on the center of the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, the time most of you have been waiting for has come." I heard Donna Summers saying from off-stage, as a multitude of candles were being lit up on the stage, bathing it in faint, dramatic light. "It's not all fun and games in this world. Same goes for the songs we choose to sing; somethimes they're not about love or romance, but about sadness, tragedy... and loss. The Institute lost some very promising students recently due to tragedy, and their loss is being mourned. Perhaps the most talented performer the Institute has to offer, Lola, is going to contribute in this contest with a tribute, to friends lost." I couldn't believe my ears! Lola wasn't going for her usual kitschy, attention whore-ish choice? I had to see this to believe this... and see it I did! Soft music began echoing throughout the bar, and Lola walked into the spotlight. She was wearing what must have been very simple and basic make-up for a drag queen, and was clad in a simple and elegant white dress that flowed freely in the air she left behind, making her look like a graceful mirage. The very moment she opened her mouth to sing, everyone was hooked; "As close as the sea is to the seashore Tide still rises twice a day That's just the ocean's way of getting Closer, closer..." The video wall behind Lola started showing images of the dearly departed Kitty Pryde. Photos from the yearbook, snapshots of her hanging out with friends, even a photo of her with Dave, probably taken the day she was found dead. Maybe it was guilt over me not liking her very much while she was alive, or maybe it was just the fact that I saw Dave's face on the screen, but my eyes startes welling up with tears. Lola's soft voice was certainly not helping, too. "As close as today is to tomorrow At midnight they can finally touch Cause every minute brings them that much closer Closer..." The images on the video wall now changed to ones of our other departed friends, those who hadn't died, but were surely missed... Pictures of Frank, Monique and the whole gang with them started flashing one after another, and I couldn't help but reminisce the good, old times, where we'd all hang out and my only care in the world was if Dave would finally open his eyes and see what I felt for him... it sounds like minor angst compared to what we all get now. "So on this silent night I call your name And suddenly all time and space between us disappears I see your face in firelight I hold you close in memory And even though you're gone I know you're here..." I realized that many people among the audience had lit up their lighters, which they were now holding up high above their heads, contributing to the tribute Lola was giving to the dead and departed. I caught myself feeling sorry that I didn't smoke, so that I'd have a lighter in order to also become a part of this. "As close as the glow is to the ember You've always been a part of me Now living in my heart you're even closer Closer..." As an instrumental interlude started playing, Lola turned sideways and looked up for herself at the video wall. She brought up her hand to her mouth, kissed her fingers and sent that kiss to fly towards the rotating images of our friends. As she did that, she started emanating very light waves of silver glitter, glitter that levitated on the air above and among us, illuminating the whole place and making the air sparkle in memory of Kitty Pryde, in rememberance of our friends Frank and Monique, who we already missed dearly. Then she kneeled on the floor and broke into emotional song again. "I see your face in firelight I hold you close in memory And even though I know you're gone I know you're heeeere.... As sure as there's snowfall in December Your love lives on in everything Summer, Winter, Fall or Spring Every thought of you will bring us closer, clooooooooser..." Getting up on her feet again, Lola came forward and looked right at the crowd, ending her performance in an almost whispering, pleading note. I could see a perfect tear trickling down her left cheek. "The distance may be large or small... Someday I pray that we may all be... Clooooser... Closer..." As Lola's performance ended, I realized I was getting cold sweat on my hands, and a small weight was lifting over my heart. Not because the impact that this song had on me, but for a different reason altogether; It was my turn to sing. As I heard Donna Summers announcing me from the stage, I quickly walked over to the orchestra and told them that there was a change in plans. "Something came up and I'll have to go solo. Can you please play Within Temptation's `Our Farewell'?" "There's nothing we can't play, son." The mature bearded man on the piano assured me. As I got up on the stage, I could see Lola, Vivian and Doreen (who had probably got back from wherever they had sneaked off to have sex) and the rest of the mutant students looking up to me with slight excitement... I guess most of them were not aware that the shy, quiet guy in the honorary X-Men team actually had it in him to sing in front of a crowd... so I guess this was the ideal time to surprise them before I go. The man at the piano started playing the song that Frank picked for me, which was also one of my favorites. I didn't do any tricks or extra effort, I was there just for the singing, and the song itself was enough for me to say goodbye to my friends, and the romance that never came true. As I sang, I imagined that Dave was somehow also in the audience, and that he could hear me as I poured out me emotions and expressed my feelings for him, for the first and the last time. "In my hands A legacy of memories I can hear you say my name I can almost see your smile Feel the warmth of your embrace There is nothing but silence now Around the one I loved Is this our farewell...?" I felt my soul being lifted up above everyone in the bar, I felt myself get liberated. I could express myself in any way I wanted to. I didn't even feel bitter over Dave's treatment of me anymore. In a way, I understood him. I allowed things to go too far without saying anything, and it came back to bite me in the butt. If I had told him earlier how I felt, he wouldn't have felt surprised, he wouldn't have felt betrayed. I might even have had a chance with him. And now I loved him more than ever. So I wanted him to be okay and be loved, even without me. I wanted everything in his life to be just right, without him worrying about everything like I allowed him to all this time. "Sweet darling you worry too much My child See the sadness in your eyes You are not alone in life Although you might think that you are" I closed my eyes as I sang, never paying attention to the reaction of the crowd, thinking of how things came to be this way. Dave still was wrong about the things he thought about me, but it wasn't his fault. I allowed him to think that way of me by not stepping up and making my presence and my feelings known. I allowed my personality to become like my powers... invisible, intangible, unavailable. That's why I lost him. And this loss should be a cautionary tale for me from now on. "Never thought This day would come so soon We had no time to say goodbye How can the world just carry on? I feel so lost when you are not at my side But there is nothing but silence now Around the one I loved Is this our farewell...?" "Sweet darling you worry too much My child See the sadness in your eyes You are not alone in life Although you might think that you are" My performance had almost ended. I felt a tickle in my throat as at came to me; this was my last moment among friends. I'd have to build a new life for me somewhere else, start over from scrap, and there was a possibility that I'd never find people like them around me anymore. But with Frank and Monique gone, and Dave hating me, only Lola now remained, and I couldn't stay around just for her, especially with the drama that Dave's presence would cause to me every day. Vivian was nice, but I barely knew her yet. I had to do this. Starting over meant that I could be my own person this time, instead of the loner, or the quiet one. Being around new people would bring out the new me. But then, why did I want Dave to jump on the stage out of nowhere and join in my song? Why did I want him so much to take everything he said back and beg me to stay? Why was it so hard to let go? My last verses were accompanied with silent tears. "So sorry your world is tumbling down I'll watch you through these nights Rest your head and go to sleep Because my child This is not our farewell This is not ...Our farewell." And that's how my tenure as an X-Men was ending... in a thunderous applause. I saw the whole bar going wild, cheering me on. I took it as an imaginary appreciation of the whole Institute to me, as their own goodbye to me. They would never know, of course, not before it was too late, but it would be okay. Maybe I wouldn't get my fairytale ending, but at least I got a standing ovation. Life could be worse. I blew a kiss to the audience and mouthed a shy "thank you" and then I descended from the stage. I had to find Lola and Vivian and say farewell to them, of course not in a way that they'd know it was "farewell", but I owed them an individual talk before I was gone. Vivian was sitting in the front row again, Doreen was nestled on her lap. "So I guess you girls have sealed the deal, eh?" I asked, trying to be cheeky. "Oh, you bet your sweet ass we did, honey" Squirrel Girl told me with a seductive grin. "HEY!" Vivian protested. "What?" Doreen shrugged. "I happen to be bi, you know. If I wasn't involved with you right now, I'd so tap that." I blushed. Maybe it wasn't the time to announce I was gay to them. What would be the point of bonding some more, anyway? I was about to leave. "I'll take that as a compliment. I'm happy you girls finally made it work; god knows Vivian was getting frustrated over the will-they-or-won't-they argument in her head these days." "It turns out... all I had to do was ask." Vivian smiled. "Also, I should learn not to judge a book from it's cover; just because a girl has squirrel features, doesn't mean that she's as innocent as an anthropomorphic animal in a Disney cartoon." "Oh really?" Doreen gave an evil smirk. "Then maybe I should show you the Mickey/Goofy yaoi pictures I stashed on my computer." Both me and Vivian tried to put our hands on our eyes and ears. "GAH! Mental image!" I decided to cut thigs short. "Anyway, just wanted to say I'm happy for you girls... Bye now." "See you around, Gerry!" Vivian said to me as I walked away. "...not if I see you first." I lied, feeling guilty already. As I tried to look around for Lola, I bumped onto someone with a silver jumpsuit. "Oh! I'm sorry!" I started saying, then looked up from the ground and realised it was Dazzler! "Hey, I'm Alison." She told me. "Um -- Yeah, I kinda know." I mumbled, trying not to show how psyched I was. "My name is Gerry. I'm honored to meet you, miss Dazzler." She gave a soft laugh. "You're so sweet! Anyway," she said, and her voice turned serious, "I just wanted to say that you were great up there. I was pleasantly surprised with some of the talent I saw today, but yours was really something else!" I blushed, on top of the previous blush I had over Doreen's comment. So I was pretty much red as a lobster by then. "Thank you so much... I don't know what to say." She reached into her silver, sparkling purse and pulled out a small card, which she then gave to me. "If -- IF -- you ever decide you don't feel like being in the next generation of mutant superheroes and are thinking of an alternative, give my manager a call. I'm gonna prepare him for you, just in case. You could be huge someday, and I'd be proud to walk around and say that you were once my protege." My eyes grew wide with shock and amazement. I never thought of becoming a singer; but right now, being a hobo sounded better than being a student in the Institute, and being my favorite singer's protege sounded a million times better than being a hobo! "I... I REALLY don't know what to say... I..." "Then don't. Just think about it." She gave me a peck on the cheek. "I hope this isn't the last time I hear of you." She said as she walked away from me. It took me a few more minutes for that scene to congest in my mind, then I started contemplating my options. Or, rather, my only option, which was the one Dazzler presented me with. I really hadn't thought about exactly what I'd do after leaving the Institute tonight, but I always thought I'd figure something out. Now things seemed to sort themselves out for me. Maybe Dave cussing me out and me leaving the mansion was meant to be. After all, fate and luck is how stars --or moderately b-list singers, which was still good enough for me- were born. I had a fleeting mirage of Dave storming into the bar and stopping me from leaving again, but I blinked twice and made it go away. It took me some time to find Lola in the crowd, and finally, there she was, standing next to Lady Gaga and carving her autograph on her closet costume. "Wow! This is awesome!" a voice from within the closet said. "Gerry!" Lola went crazy when she saw me. She ran to me and gave me a suffocating bear hug. "You were so great! You made me cry with this song -- I've never heard it before!" she said, showering me with kisses. "You better not beat me in the contest or you're soooo dead!" I heard her say in a mock-menacing tone. "Same to you, Lola" I said with fake excitement. This was goodbye. I couldn't bring myself to lie to her and just walk away afterwards. I had to tell her the truth. Maybe she would understand. I didn't have to, though. She saw in my eyes that something was very wrong. "Gerry? I know that look... what is going on?" "Oh, Lola... I screwed everything up... I'm sorry..." "What's wrong? Give me a second and I'll take you somewhere quiet so we can talk." She told me with a soothing voice. But it was not meant to be. Suddenly, the building started shaking, and the doors opened up all by themselves! To our horror, we all watched Magneto walk in, followed by his henchmen, Toad, Sabretooth and Pyro! "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" he said with a ...smile? Oh my god, what did he have in store for us? People started panicking, getting up from their seats and running to the door, but the infamous mutant terrorist only needed a swift move of his index finger to make the doors slam shut and stay that way. Insticntively, some of the X-Men in there got ready to rubmle. Emma Frost got up from her seat, Cyclops and Wolverine came out from backstage with Logan getting his claws ready, while Iceman iced up and extended his arms towards the terrorist. They all tried in vain. After so many months of rejuvenating sleep, Magneto's powers had reloaded in abundance. He only needed to flex his arms a little and crackling magnetic energy was emanating from every pore of his body. "Everybody BACK. IN. THEIR. SEATS!" he said in a commanding tone, and his powers made it happen. Helpless and unable to react, every single one of us was picked up by powers larger than ourselves and was forced on the previously empty seats. I looked up next to me and saw Lola lost in her confusion. None of us expected Magneto to come out of his coma in such a day and make a bid for power, but she was the only one who tried to wake him and believed in the good in him. How did she feel to be proved a fool? Slowly and confidently, Magneto walked in the aisle between the seats, then magnetically levitated on the stage. At the same time, Sabretooth snarled at the orchestra to make them ran away in fear. He picked up the guitar, while Pyro sat at the piano and Toad grabbed a drumstick with his tongue and sat behind the drums. "What the..." Lola and I started saying in unison, but the answer was already obvious. Magneto snapped his fingers and everybody in the bar felt the magnetic power that dominated our bodies (and forced us to sit down) shutting off. Then, Mags cracked into a strangely sincere smile. "I'm sorry about this, but I just wanted to make sure that everybody would stay to hear my little dedication." The people in the audience started looking at each other in confusion. "He's here to SING?" "Will he kill everybody if he doesn't win the contest?" "He's kinda hotter compared to what he looked like in TV" Only Emma Frost smiled knowingly, as if she had read Magneto's mind from the second he walked in the gay bar and she knew what he meant to do. Magneto gave a fake cough in the mic to make everybody shut up. "I want to dedicate this to the only woman in my life who believed in the good in me. Who didn't judge me as a villain, but as a man with endless potential. A woman who tried to wake me up, while she couldn't possibly know that I could feel all her efforts and couldn't wait to get up from my coma bed and thank her properly. A lady who sang to me when I was in my lowest, and now I am going to sing to her." He gave a nod to Sabretooth, who promptly started playing the guitar like it was the last day on earth, and the others followed him with no hesitation! And so, Magneto's own little serenade started: "I met her in a club down in old Soho Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like cherry-cola See-oh-el-aye cola! She walked up to me and she asked me to dance I asked her her name and in a dark brown voice she said Lola El-oh-el-aye Lola la-la-la-la Lola" Lola was so astonished to listen to this that she grabbed my hand and almost squashed it in excitement! Magneto was looking RIGHT AT HER. Smiling at her. And the song, obviously, was for her and her only. Magneto noticed that Lola was looking at him with aknowledgment, and continued his song with more intensity. "Well I'm not the world's most physical guy But when she squeezed me tight she nearly broke my spine Oh my Lola la-la-la-la Lola Well I'm not dumb but I can't understand Why she walked like a woman and talked like a man Oh my Lola la-la-la-la Lola la-la-la-la Lola" I could see Lola getting emotional and restless. It didn't take long for her to grow impatient, and get up from her seat. She looked at me and I gave her an affirmative look. She should go to her man. She gave me the least theatrical smile I had ever seen her give and slowly walked to the stage. Meanwhile, Sabretooth had crept up next to Magneto and assisted him with his voice as backing; "Well we drank champagne and danced all night Under electric candlelight! She picked me up and sat me on her knee And said "dear boy won't you come home with me?"" Watching Lola as she walked closer to him and his band, Magneto was finally assured that his serenade was successful. His voice was already decent, but the confidence boost that he just got made him even better now! "Well I'm not the world's most passionate guy But when I looked in her eyes well I almost fell for my Lola La-la-la-la Lola la-la-la-la Lola Lola la-la-la-la Lola la-la-la-la Lola I pushed her away I walked to the door I fell to the floor I got down on my knees Then I looked at her and she at me" Lola climbed on the stage and found herself standing face to face with the Master of Magnetism. But, to her now, it was just Mags. He looked right into her eyes and sang as if she was the only woman in the world. Even if she was a drag queen. "Well that's the way that I want it to stay And I always want it to be that way for my Lola La-la-la-la Lola Girls will be boys and boys will be girls It's a mixed up muddled up shook up world except for Lola La-la-la-la Lola" "Well I left home just a week before And I'd never ever kissed a woman before But Lola smiled and took me by the hand And said dear boy I'm gonna make you a man" Now holding hands with the object of his affections, Magneto gave us a triumphant smile as he happily concluded his unexpected performance... "Well I'm not the world's most masculine man But I know what I am and I'm glad I'm a man And so is Lola La-la-la-la Lola la-la-la-la Lola Lola la-la-la-la Lola la-la-la-la Lola" It was now Lola's precedence to seal the song with a kiss... she grabbed Magneto from the sides of his face and drew him in, bringing their lips together... they lost themselves into a kiss that started as tender and ended up hungry and passionate (at least from Lola's side, who had now grabbed Magneto in her hands and held down as she kissed him). The audience wasn't shy to show their feelings on this, as I heard many "awwww's" and a couple of "eeew's" from the people around me. Donna Summers walked up the stage and got between the new couple, ending their kiss. "Put a lid on it for a minute, lovebirds, so that I can announce the winner, and then I'll make it a personal quest that you two get a room" she winked, and made the audience laugh. "Ooooo! It is time!" Lola said in excitement, jumping up and down and using Magneto as a stable point to hold. Donna brought out an envelope, which she then cut open with one of her creepy long nails. "And the winner iiiiiis..." She read the content of the envelope and raised her eyebrow quizically, "...Psoline Dyon? OH! The Celine impersonator!" she realized, and nodded at the crowd to start clapping. Psoline Dyon walked up to the stage to receive her award. It was weird that after all that drama they picked her, but I could see why. First of all, her Celine Dion costume and make-up was flawless. She looked exactly like the real Celine Dion, only a little manlier. And her voice, from what I got to hear from her song, was close to mimicking Celine's. As Psolyne grabbed the award from Donna's hands and turned her back at her to stand in front of the patio and delvier her thankful speech, I saw a look of shock creeping up Donna's face. As if she had seen a ghost. "Thank you, thank you everybody! You must really love me!" Psolyne cried at the mic, letting her adam's apple show. "WAAAAAIT a minute!" Donna yelled from behind her, stopping everyone dead on their tracks. She grabbed Celine's shoulders and pulled her hair aside, revealing an ugly scar at the back of Psolyne's neck. "I KNEW IT! I remember that scar..." Donna yelled in the mic, letting everyone know what she discovered and what her discovery meant. "I did this to you in the party after the '98 Grammys... You are no Celine Dion impersonator." The audience gasped. "You are the REAL CELINE DION!!!" "Bitch!" Lady Gaga's voice was heard from inside the closet. "If a real singer could compete in an amateur singing contest, then I'd have done that already!" Celine Dion bitchslapped Donna, took her undeserving award and made a ran for the exit. "CHEATER! CHEATER!!!" the audiene chanted, spitting at Celine as she ran through them, but none of them dared grab her because they didn't really wanna touch her. A bunch of squirrels made a bee-line on the floor that Celine didn't notice, causing her to trip on them and fall face-first on the floor. "Now that is simply unbecoming." Magneto scolded. "I remember buying your single for that song that won the Eurovision contest, and I would have never thought that you'd drop to such lows after such a career." Celine Dion looked up from where she was lying and hissed at him! "And what do you suggest? That I go back to doing shows for drunks and degenarates in Vegas?" The audience booed her. "Kick her OUT! Kick her OUT!" they chanted, demanding blood. Magneto looked at his Lola for approval, and met her evil look as she shook her head in agreement. "Okey Dokey" he said, and magnetically grabbed Celine from the floor. The closet sitting among the judges snapped open, and Lady Gaga was thrown out, only for Celine to be thrown in. "That's not the last you hear from me!!" she threatened, before Magneto catapulted her and the closet out through the ceiling, probably in outer space. "Hey!" Lady Gaga complained. "That closet was a collector's item! It had an authentic Lola the Glitter Princess signature!" "Don't worry, dearie, I'll make it up to you" Lola said condescendingly, as she pulled a pen out of her cleavage. "Now, show me your bra..." Across the bar, I could see happy faces everywhere. Emma Frost seemed content that a threat like Magneto had been neutralised in such a harmless way. Wolverine and Cyclops had calmed down after the reveal that Magneto was tamed now, and were sharing many quick pecks on the lips behind a curtain at a corner of the bar. Vivian and Doreen were cuddled on their seat, watching the antics of Lola on the stage. Even Donna Summers looked happy, as if she had finally become a normal part of a big family. And that bitch Zazelle... was probably on the way of being less of a bitch. Lola... Lola especially was probably having the best night of her life, finding a boyfriend of that caliber, getting to sing in front of people, doing all the things she loves in the same night. That was happiness. So now that everybody's problems were nicely tied up and they all were happy, maybe they wouldn't mind my departure as much. Maybe they wouldn't miss me that much and my absence would be easier to swallow. I gave one last look to Lola, made sure that everybody was going to be okay, and made my way to the exit, harboring a secret smile. I was gonna be alright. As I reached the exit, next to which Bobby was seating (probably to make sure he's the first one to leave when Rogue goes crazy again), the music for an old, fun and cheesy love song started playing. I ignored it, thinking it was just background music for the celebrations, or the announcement of the real winner, now that Celine was out of the picture. I tried to open the exit door, but, Bobby, knowing something that I don't know, reached to touch it with his index finger and froze it solid. I looked at him with a stern eye. "You do realise that I can just phase through it, don't you?" He gave me a cheeky look. "Not that I would mind seeing you in your g-string again, but... I don't believe you will." He said, knowingly. Then everything went dark, and a single spotlight hit me and blinded me. When I adjusted my eyes to the light, I saw Bobby again, who motioned to me with his eyes to look behind me. And I did. What I saw, I could not believe. It was like my inner, wishful thinking from all the previous night had come to life. The people were still in their seats and the place had gone dark, except for the spotlight on me and another one which was shedding light on a man, dancing his way on the stage. When I made out who that man was, I realized that Magneto wasn't the only mutant to crash the contest. Dave Darrington, dressed in a cheesy leisure suit, was giving me the most loving and apologising look from across the bar as he began singing to me with innate cheerfulness. "Oooooooh, I would take the stars out of the sky for you Stop the rain from falling if you asked me to! I'd do anything for you your wish is my command I could move a mountain when your hand is in my hand" Never taking his mind off of the song, he extended his hard towards me and moved it rythmically, as he walked closer and closer to the edge of the stage. One of Squirrel Girl's squirrels came out of his sleeve, jumped off his arm and ran to me. It brought me a small letter, written in Dave's characteristical shitty writing, and it only contained two small sentences. "I'm sorry. Forgive me?" I frowned. I was also expecting an "I love you", but then I looked at him again and realise he was doing much more than writing me that he loves me. He was singing it to me. "Oooooooh, words cannot express how much you mean to me There must be some other way to make you see! If it takes my heart and soul you know I'd pay the price. Everything that I possess I'd gladly sacrifice" A smile escaped my lips, and he saw it. He KNEW what he was doing was working. So he broke into the chorus and jumped off the stage, and surprisingly, he landed on a huge bridge made out of glitter that Lola had just created out of thin air, a rainbow bridge that led... to me. "Oh you to me are everything The sweetest song that I could sing Oh baby Oh baby To you I guess I'm just a clown Who picks you up each time you're down Oh baby Oh baby You give me just a taste of love To build my hopes upon. You know you've got the power boy To keep me holding on. So now you've got the best of me Come on and take the rest of me Oh baby" He shouldn't have it that easy, I thought to myself. After the cruel things he said to me, he shouldn't get to suddenly realised he loved me too, sing it to me and get away with everything. But right now, he was pledging his compliance to me with the lyrics he sang. He was telling me that I had the power now. I caught myself smiling, as I decided to let him get away with it for now, and make him pay for it in naughty harmless ways afterwards. "Though you're close to me we seem so far apart. Maybe given time you'll have a change of heart? If it takes forever boy then I'm prepared to wait. The day you give your love to me won't be a day too late!" As he got closer and closer to me, dancing and singing his way with sexy and charming moves, I contemplated what was happening. I was probably getting my fairytale ending. The audience, for the second time tonight, had their eyes on me. I was the center of attention, not the shy, invisible guy anymore, and Dave confessing his love to me had me liberated, just like with the song I sand earlier. It turns out that, there are more than one ways to happiness. "Oh you to me are everything. The sweetest song that I could sing. Oh baby Oh baby To you I guess I'm just a clown Who picks you up each time you're down Oh baby Oh baby You give me just a taste of love To build my hopes upon. You know you've got the power girl To keep me holding on. So now you've got the best of me Come on and take the rest of me Oh baby" It seemed like forever and a day until he did, but he finally reached me. He didn't touch me, like Mags did with Lola, probably because he was afraid I would snap out of his spell and slap him for his earlier treatment of me. He was so cute, in his retro costume, his campy singing style, his everything! Then the music and the singing abruptly stopped. "Ladies...gentelemen... and the in-betweens..." he said to the world around, winking at Lola with that last jab, "I can't continue singing if I don't set things right first. You see this boy?" he said, pointing at me. "I fucking love him! I did for a long time and I didn't admit it to myself. And I was wrong. And I pushed him away because of my stupidity. Now, to my defence, I was surprised too that he felt something for me... but it doesn't matter now." He then turned to me, and I was speechless at his courage. "I'm sorry for how I acted. But I wouldn't overreact like this, if it wasn't for the feelings I was harboring for you all this time without realizing it. So, maybe it was meant to happen, for the better. So that I would be able to stand here, tonight, and tell you this: I love YOU, Gerry! And if you give me a chance, I will never dissapoint you again." I felt --once more- wetness gathering in my eyes, and I tried to make myself give him and answer, but before anything came out he talked again. "-Oh, one more thing..." he said, then the music started again, allowing him to complete his serenade! "Ohhhh you to me are everything. the sweetest song that I could sing. Oh baby (oh baby) Oh baby (yes I need you baby) You to me are everything. The sweetest song that I could sing. Oh baby (you are everything to me!) Oh baby (cant you see?) You to me are everything. The sweetest song that I could sing. (Your the sweetest song that I could sing.) Oh baby Oh baby (you're everything) You to me are everything. The sweetest song that I could sing. Oh baby Oh baby (your the sweetest song) You to me are everything. The sweetest song that I could sing..." The music faded out, the singing slowly stopped. Now all that was left was me and him, and the days that would come. Everyone was watching us, waiting to see what would happen. I, for once, knew exactly what I wanted, and was glad that I was able to have it, at last. I looked up to him, and I saw him waiting in suspence for a reaction. I saw his baby blues looking at me, and they were more vibrant than I have ever seen them before. He really meant the things he was singing. He really loved me, and it wasn't a makebelieve illusion, a dream I would wake up from and find myself living someplace else, away from him. He tried to break the silence. "I'm sorry I was so late... I was forced to give an impromptu singing lesson to Magneto, and then show him the way here. I did a good job though, didn't I?" I laughed. He managed to crack the ice, but it wasn't like this was going to have an unhappy ending, so there was no need to worry in the first place. Finally, I composed myself and managed to speak with a clear voice, without breaking down, although a tear or two were already travelling down to my chin. "David Darrington", I smiled to him as he tentatively touched my cheek with the back of his hand, "you are the cheesiest, biggest stereotype of a gay man in the whole wide world." "Is that it?" he said, as he reached for my face and tenderly wiped the wetness on my cheeks with his sleeve. "Is that what those tears are about? Cringing tears of pain?" I cept my hands on the back of his head and grabbed his hair."No... they're happy tears... because I wouldn't have you any other way." I concluded, and I brought his lips crushing onto mine, as the audience stood up and erupted in cheers and applause. FIN So, darlings, how's that for a happy-go-lucky mid-season finale? Sorry it took me so long to update, but this little chapter needed all the care in the world, and I found myself adding and adding stuff I didn't expect! I hope the lots of singing didn't throw you off, or the ending of this chapter, which I kinda planned for years! PLEASE e-mail me your feedback and opinions, even if they're bad, this chapter was born into my mind years ago and was finally nurtured into this, so I am hungry for opinions on how it turned up! mitsaso@gmail.com is the address! I'll be waiting! New chapters will be coming up soon, as will a new guest-written chapter by cliomiao, which features... the return of Kitty Pryde! P.S. My buddy Ted, also a new fan of this series, made two awesome pieces of fanart featuring Dave and Gerry... so if anybody's interested in seeing them, just e-mail me and I'll send them back to you in a jiff! :D (Plus, there are also the sweet, older fanart pieces of my other buddy Yinn, in case someone hasn't seen them yet!) P.S.2: Big, huge thank you's for this chapter go to... Ted, Adrian and Leo! Lemme hear an applause, or I'll sick Lady Gaga on you!