Movie night with the X-Men!

[Alison Blaire]

Ali and Sasha were the first of the group to make it to the rec room. Dazzler frowned as she saw the state it had been left in. "OK, who decorated this place in early locker room?" she said as she picked up some empty pizza boxes and tossed them into a trash bin outside the door. "Sorry that the kids aren't too good about cleaning up sometimes, Sasha. Now, back to Omega Red. He and Wolverine were involved, I think anyway, in some big dust up involving that Weapon X program. If Logan pops back here, I'll see if he can fill in any details for you. With him in the Avengers and the X-Men, it's hard to pin down where he'll be next."

Footsteps could be heard down the hallway, and Megan ran into the room with the movie in hand, followed by Keiko Watanabe and some of the other students from the kitchen. "I invited Keiko to join us," Megan said as she handed the movie to Sasha. "And she brought along some Japanese snacks we can share."

"I got some Pocky when I went into town today," Keiko said as she opened the box and set it on the coffee table. "Here, let me help clean up this mess, Alison," she said as she grabbed some old cups and tossed them into the trash.

[Sasha Sadovsky]

Sasha's eyes were a tiny bit wide after he saw a mess in the rec room. He started to shrug. ''Reynard and I created messes after our fights all the time. Mr. Dragotti yelled at us for twenty minutes! The mess in here isn't too shocking.'' He heard what Alison said about Omega Red.

''How will Logan react after he hears Omega Red being mentioned?'' Sasha looked thoughtful behind his mask. ''We could call Logan.'' He shrugged another time. ''It's just a thought,'' Sasha muttered. He saw Megan with Keiko and other students.

''Japanese snacks? Interesting,'' Sasha said to Keiko until he sat on a sofa. He tilted his head at the sight of the box on the coffee table. He reached for Pocky and took two of them. After studying Pocky and lifting his mask so that his long teeth were shown, he took a bite. ''Not bad,'' Sasha muttered under his breath. He saw Keiko and grinned at her. ''Thanks for the snacks.''

Sasha lowered his mask so that his teeth were covered again. He looked a bit sheepish after Keiko tossed some cups into the garbage can. ''I shouldn't sit while you two clean everything. What else must be lifted and thrown out?''  

[Alison Blaire]

"Calling Logan? If he's not back later, sure, we can give that a try," Alison said to Sasha as she gave the room a once over to see what else needed to be cleaned up. "He is not exactly super talkative in the first place, but it might be better than getting him all excited in person."

"Sasha, could you please help me push this sofa over closer to the TV?" Megan asked as she started to push it cross the floor. Then she heard a thunk and looked down to see a box full of books that had apparently been behind the sofa fall over. "I guess we better get some of these books first? Maybe we can put them on the table over there for now?"

"Who were the last people in here?" Alison asked as Megan shrugged her shoulders. "I'll find out later, but this is beyond ridiculous!"

"Glad you like the Pocky, Sasha!" Keiko said as she grabbed a few of the books that had fallen. "These are all textbooks! Somebody really didn't want to do their homework! Advanced Temporal Mechanics? Spellwork for Beginning Mages? Wow! Not exactly stuff I'd leave just sitting around!"

[Sasha Sadovsky]

''Wolverine won't be too happy either way after he hears about Omega Red,'' Sasha said with a shrug. He glanced at Megan prior to a nod. He stood by the sofa and pushed it until he noticed books. ''Mr. Dragotti would have screamed the people leaving the books here's heads off for hours.''

Sasha faced Keiko before he grinned. ''The Pocky was very good,'' he said. His eyes settled on the books. ''Spellwork for Beginning Mages? I don't anyone eager to forget about a book such as Spellwork for Beginning Mages. The book looks interesting,'' Sasha said. 

[Alison Blaire]

"Megan, is it safe to look at as long as we don't say any of the spells out loud?" Ali asked as Pixie took the book and flipped it open. She made a face and set it down rather quickly. "I take it that's a no?"

"This belongs to one of the kids who goes to Buckland. Autumn Parker," Megan added as she turned to where she had set down the book. "OK, a beginner's book has minor spells. Nothing that could not be undone. And the book feels like the magic isn't in it anymore. I got worried because Autumn is a descendant of someone who was part of the Salem Witch Trials, so she is pretty advanced in her spell work. Unlike me, but that is a story for another day. If you want to look it over, I'll sit close by."

"So, nothing will pop out at us?" Ali asked as she crossed over to pick up the book. "And I haven't seen Autumn in weeks. I guess she's back in Scotland for more classes," she said as she thumbed through the book. "Want to look at it before the rest of the students get here?" she asked Sasha as she leafed through the pages a bit more.

[Sasha Sadovsky]

It never occurred to Sasha that the book of spells might have been unstable. The idea of something emerging from the book never crossed his mind. One glance at Alison before a nod. ''I am curious about the types of spells in the book. We should be fine as long as we don't read the spells out loud.'' Sasha hoped he was correct about the last statement.

[Nereid]

Cynara and Angie came in as Megan handed a book over to Alison and Sasha. "That's still here?" Cynara asked as she looked back at Megan. "That girl Autumn left it here for one of the other students, but I don't remember who had it last. She said that man who runs the magic school was likely to be very cross with her when he sees her next, but she never said why."

"She scares me," Angie said as she put some soda and bottled water in the mini-fridge near the door. "Sorry, but she does."

"Autumn..." Cynara started as Ali opened the book. "Autumn sucked all the magic out of that book. We saw her doing it. Maybe that's why the magic professor will be mad?"

 

 

[Alison Blaire]

Alison looked at Sasha and then started to look through the book. "Sucking magic out of a book? I'm not sure how you do that, but I'm glad I can't do that. It sounds a little too scary for my taste, but hey, I'm not Samantha Stephens. I don't know much about magic in the first place."

"Oh Bewitched!" Angie said with a big grin. "My mom loves to watch that show! She used to watch it when she was a kid. Wiggle your nose and poof! A new pair of shoes!"

"As long it's nothing worse than new shoes..." Ali said as she looked at the first few pages. "How to make things move. Flying. These look pretty tame. Sasha, here, why not have a look yourself?" she said as she passed the book to Sasha.

[Sasha Sadovsky]

Sasha's eyes were filled with worry after he heard about Autumn. He glanced at Angie. ''Bewitched? Oh. Is that the comedy with the woman wiggling her nose?'' he asked. He took the book and tried to be gentle. ''How to make things move?'' he muttered. The first thing Sasha thought of was telekinesis. *It might be fun to move objects with my mind.*

[Alison Blaire]

"Yes, that's the show!" Ali said as she smiled at Sasha. "They made a movie parody of it a few years ago, but I like the TV show better. They had episodes on Crackle, but that was last Halloween. Maybe they'll show them again this year?"

"Maybe I shouldn't have spoken out like that about Autumn," Cynara said as she walked over closer to Sasha. "I do not understand magic, and frankly sometimes I get too scared of it..."

"No, you should always have a healthy dose of caution about magic," Megan said as she came over and looked over Sasha's shoulder. "When people tell you magic is just science that hasn't been figured out yet, well, that isn't always true. I ought to know. My time down in Limbo was not exactly fun. Illyana and Dr. Strange are teaching me a lot about magic and how to use my powers, and I am grateful for their help. I do not want to repeat that demon horns and hooves thing if I can help it!"

"What other spells are in the book, Sasha?" Angie asked as she wiggled her nose and then frowned. "Nope. No magic in me!"

[Sasha Sadovsky]

Sasha admitted that he still didn't know a whole lot about Bewitched. ''I never saw the Bewitched movie,'' he said as he shrugged. He turned his head and saw Megan. ''Limbo? What is Limbo?'' he wanted to know. Sasha narrowed his eyes in concentration. ''Illyana... I thought I heard that name somewhere.''

Angie's voice was why Sasha's eyes became bigger for a second. ''Hm? Oh. The book,'' he muttered. Sasha began to focus on the book. He skimmed a page.

[Alison Blaire]

Ali looked at Megan and could tell the topic of Limbo was still one that made her squirm a bit. "Limbo is technically one of the dimensions of hell. No, that isn't quite right..." Ali started to say as she watched Angie's eyes grow very wide. "Megan?"

"Limbo is sort of a pocket dimension where the main driving force is magic, and Illyana Rasputin ruled it for some time, as did this crazy demon named Belasco," Megan said to Sasha as she sat down and took a deep breath. "Time there doesn't work the same way it does here. What might be a year here could only be a day there. It is super creepy and filled with demons. Trust me, you never want to go there if you can avoid it, Sasha. A bunch of us got trapped there, and we almost didn't make it out..."

"Yeah, Gambit lead a team down there to get a group of students out. It wasn't pretty. Illyana took part of Megan's soul to make these things called bloodstones...and that's how Megan got the horns and hooves. Yana was more or less possessed at the time, so it wasn't pretty, Sasha," Ali explained as more students walked in.

"She and I are fine now, and I am glad she is helping me learn how to use my powers," Megan said with a weak smile. Ali couldn't help but notice it, but she'd talk to Megan in private later. As much as the girl put on a brave face, at times she still seemed to be hurt because of the experience.

"So, Limbo is not going on the list of places to visit, Sasha," Ali said as she went over to the cabinet with the DVDs. "And we might have Bewitched here to watch another night. Let me see if it in this cabinet or not."

[Sasha Sadovsky]

''One of the dimensions of hell?'' Sasha muttered. A grin formed behind his mask. He imagined Mr. Dragotti sobbing in a world of fire. At least it was how he pictured such a place. His grin vanished after he heard what Megan said about Limbo. That was when he remembered something. His eyes widened as every second passed.

''Perhaps I will go to a place like Limbo. I was Mr. Dragotti's button man. I killed quite a few men,'' Sasha muttered. He started to tremble. ''I won't be reunited with my mother's spirit if I go to Limbo or another similar place. Maybe being with the X-Men will be considered a good deed.''

Sasha concentrated on Megan and Alison. ''Sorry to hear that you were trapped in Limbo, Megan. I'm also sorry to find out about Illyana taking part of your soul,'' he said in a sincere tone. Sasha's sheepish expression returned. ''I apologize for asking about Limbo. I had no idea how atrocious that place really was.''   

[Alison Blaire]

"Oh boy, I'm the one who should apologize, Sasha," Ali said as she came back from the bookcase. "I didn't mean to start some talk that would get you so worried."

"Hey, we didn't help!" Angie said as she shook her head. "Sasha, I am not the biggest church goer anymore, but my yia yia, that's my dad's mom, always told me that everybody deserves a second chance. Nobody is perfect, and let's face it, sometimes we are put in spots where we can't just walk out...no matter how hard we try."

"What we're all trying to say, Sasha, is that you loved your mom and you are trying to turn your life around now," Ali said as she mustered the biggest smile she could. "None of us are perfect. Isn't there some saying about God placing a lot of value in broken pots? Those broken pots are all of us, and I'd like to think, when the time comes to dim the lights one last time, that God won't kick any of us out."

"Guys, I think we better get this movie started before the little kiddles over there think we're acting all weird," Angie said as she pointed to two of the younger students. "Sasha, want to do the honors?"

[Sasha Sadovsky]

''Everyone deserves a second chance?'' Sasha muttered. He wondered if it was true for every living being. Did pure evil beings have a tiny bit of goodness within them? ''A lot of value in broken pots? I'm not familiar with that saying.'' Sasha grinned and took the DVD. ''I'll be happy to.'' He inserted the DVD into the player and pressed PLAY. He went to join the others and sat down.

[Jubilee]

"Movie time!" Jubilee shouted as she ran into the rec room. Abbey had decided to crash instead of going on a caffeine run, so Jubes happily joined the group in the rec room. She snagged a bowl of popcorn and a bottle of Jolt and sat down in an over-sized bean bag chair.  "Hey, Sasha. You're Russian, right? How much of this is real, and how much was made up for the movie? I mean besides the bat?" she asked as she pulled out her phone and turned off the ringer. Phenix was away and would likely text her later, but there was no need to have her phone ringing like mad and bugging everyone.

[Sasha Sadovsky]

Sasha smiled as he admired Jubilee's energy and enthusiasm. If only he had her same enthusiasm during his childhood. It was a little difficult to be happy with your face always hidden behind a mask. Sasha nodded at Jubilee.  ''Yes. I am Russian.'' His smile remained. ''One difference between the movie and the actual Anastasia is that the movie definitely won't show the Romanovs being killed. As far as I know, everything looks accurate to real life.'' 

[Jubilee]

"Yeah, they can't show the super sad stuff in kid's movies, and they really shouldn't," Jubilee said in reply to Sasha's comment. "I mean, yeah, I know...life can be crummy at times, and kids will see it anyway. But when you go to watch a movie, I think you are trying to escape all the nonsense and drama. At least that's why I watch them. I'm not a huge documentary fan."

Jubilee took a sip of her Jolt and looked to see who else was watching the movie. She was happy Quentin wasn't there. He was too creepy at times, and at other times he was just too crazy for words. "The last time somebody watched this, I think it was Annaliese and Brigid. They have all these princess-type movies."

As she turned back to watch the movie, Jubilee thought about Rasputin. "Was Rasputin really a bad guy, Sasha? I've heard that he was, and then I've seen other things say he wasn't. You can't always judge things or people by first glance." 

[Sasha Sadovsky]

Sasha started to shrug. ''Well, there was Bambi's mother in a kids' movie. Maybe a few other deaths in animated movies.'' He saw the can of Jolt. ''Is Jolt good?'' he wanted to know. Sasha shrugged again after Rasputin was mentioned.

''Not everyone liked Rasputin. If I remember correctly, he survived being murdered for a time. He was liked by the royals. Rasputin was said to have hypnotic eyes.''

[Jubilee]

"Yeah, I forgot about Bambi," Jubilee said as she frowned. "I saw that...before my parents died."

Jubilee didn't talk much about personal losses anymore. Her parents, Angelo, Everett and so many others that she knew were now gone. She took a slow breath and looked toward Sasha. "Sorry. My parents were killed in a hit. It was mistaken identity. The gunmen thought my parents were our neighbors. I went to live in foster care but split that fast. Then the X-Men found me, and the rest, you know, yada yada. History and all that."

"Oh my God, that is so sad," Angie said as she ran over and gave Jubilee a hug.

"Thanks," Jubilee replied as she tried to get off the death topic again. "Let's save the gushy feelings for the movie. Now Jolt, I love Jolt. But then again, I think I burn through it faster than Logan does through his beers. If you'd like to try it, Sasha, I'll get a bottle for you. But I need to warn you, it has twice the caffeine of Coke or Pepsi. It's not as bad as an energy drink, but it's close!"

[Sasha Sadovsky]

Sasha's eyes became bigger after he heard about Jubilee's deceased parents. ''Your parents are dead? I'm sorry to hear about that. My mother died when I was very young. Father is still alive. At least to my knowledge,'' he said to Jubilee.

Sasha gasped after the fact that Jubilee's parents were killed in a hit was revealed. *I was a hit-man before I joined the X-Men. I could have been the hit-man responsible for Jubilee's parents' deaths. I killed so many people during my days as Mr. Dragotti's mobster. It can be difficult to remember every victim. Jubilee does not have to know about my past as a hit-man* he thought.

Sasha began to smile. ''I will try some Jolt,'' he informed Jubilee. He shrugged. ''Caffeine doesn't bother me.''

[Jubilee]

"Just a sec," Jubilee said as she walked to the fridge and got another Jolt. "Here you go, Sasha. And I'm sorry about your mom. It's hard to lose someone you love, especially your mom."

Jubilee tried very hard not to think back to the men that killed her parents, but now it was hard not to. "The guys were named Reno and Molokai. The ones who killed my parents. Logan helped me teach them a lesson, and Logan taught me one as well. I could have killed those guys for what they did, but Wolverine taught me that I didn't have to go that far to make them pay for what they did. I know. That sounds really weird coming from Wolverine. He sorta stone cold when it comes to killing, but only when he does it."

After sipping more Jolt, Jubilee went to reach for popcorn, but the bowl was empty. "OK, did I Hoover that and forgot I ate it?" Then Jubilee saw a set of yellow ears peeking up from behind the small table next to the sofa. "Oh. You again?"

A small yellow creature then jumped up onto the sofa and grabbed the bowl, gesticulating that it wanted more popcorn.

"Sasha, have you met old Pikaboo here?" Jubilee asked. "He belongs to Kei Harada, and I think he's a demon. I know he likes to eat!"

[Sasha Sadovsky]

''Thanks,'' Sasha said to Jubilee after she gave him a can of Jolt soda. He opened the can before he lifted his mask so that his mouth was shown. He took a sip. His eyes became wide out of interest. ''Good Jolt,'' Sasha commented. His heart began to beat faster and faster.

*I probably won't rest for a week!* Sasha thought. He turned to Jubilee. ''Thank you for your words about my mother, Jubilee.'' Sasha's eyes were full of sympathy after he heard Jubilee's tale about her parents' killers. ''Again, I'm sorry to hear about your deceased parents.'' He took another sip of Jolt.

Sasha gasped and was startled after a small yellow animal appeared. The creature's sudden appearance was the cause of his heart beating faster this time. Jolt wasn't the cause at all. ''What is THAT?!'' he exclaimed in a loud tone.

Sasha got his answer. ''Pikaboo?'' he muttered. He started to blink a few times. ''A hungry demon? Hopefully it doesn't eat people,'' Sasha said. He sipped Jolt again. 

[Alison Blaire]

"No, he doesn't eat people," Alison said to Sasha as she looked at the yellow whatever-it-was. "I think it's a he anyway. Remember I told you I had a tea party with the little girls who own this video of Anastasia? This yellow fellow belongs to their cousin. He can set off electric shocks when he is attacked, but most of the time he just likes to eat."

"Kei said it was one of the demons that protects her," Angie replied as Pikaboo bolted over to her as soon as he saw her bowl of popcorn. "Kei is a demon princess in her world, and Pikaboo's sort of like a body guard. There is a black cat in armor, a blue thing that looks like Stitch from Disney and one or two other things that look like they escaped from the Harry Potter section at Universal Studios. Skippy, the blue one, and this little guy love to eat. Skippy eats whole pizzas, and Pikaboo loves junk food, but no soda, please, for either of them. The sugar makes them crazy."

"See, Sasha? Being with the X-Men brings you into contact with all sorts of weird things,"Alison said with a chuckle before Pikaboo made a move to grab the can of Jolt. "I don't think so! Maybe you need a nice apple or some grapes? Sasha, maybe you better hide your soda before our buddy here tries to swipe it?"

[Sasha Sadovsky]

''It's good that Pikaboo doesn't eat people,'' Sasha muttered. Worry filled his eyes. ''Is this little guy going to eat all of our food? I guess we can always order more food. Maybe we can go grocery shopping tomorrow. I'm not sure about the amount of food we have in our home right now.''

Sasha glanced at Pikaboo. ''That little guy doesn't look like a demon. I usually see horrifying demons such as ones with a lot of sharp teeth and maybe red eyes.'' Sasha started to tilt his head in curiosity. ''A black cat clad in armor? A blue thing looking like Stitch?''

Sasha gasped after Pikaboo tried to swipe Jolt. He hid his can behind his back. ''I never saw too many strange things. Does Mr. Dragotti crying during opera count? I always saw Mr. Dragotti in his boxers right before he went to bed. Mr. Dragotti often performed karaoke in his wife's dresses!''

Thirsty again, Sasha desired additional Jolt. He never quite forgot about Pikaboo. ''Maybe we can lure Pikaboo far from us? Distract him so he doesn't get our Jolt?''