Entering the kitchen was like stepping into another dimension, one full of pastel colors and the sickeningly sweet smell of sugared candies. Logan wrinkled his nose, and sneezed.
"Bless you, Logan."
He looked up. The sensory overload he got from entering was so great, he barely even scented her. "Uh. Thanks, 'Roro."
She smiled in response, but had yet to spare him a glance. Her blue eyes were focused on the delicate, white spiraling motif that she was painting onto a pale blue hardboiled egg. "I'm surprised you changed your mind," she was saying. Her brush moved in smooth, even strokes.
He rolled his eyes; she didn't sound the least bit surprised. "You think I'm here to help you paint those sissy eggs, darlin'?"
The egg was carefully set aside into an egg carton to dry, alongside half a dozen others already painted and neatly lined up like soldiers. "I was hoping so, yes. A little fun never hurt anyone, and Charles seems to like the idea of an Easter egg hunt."
"Pretty lame if you ask me. 'Sides, he just says that 'cause he won't even be here for it." Every year, the Professor would be take a few of the students to a church in the city on Easter Sunday, leaving the rest of the adults in charge of the kids who wouldn't be joining him… the same kids who would be raising hell in and around the mansion if and when they decided to have fun hunting a few dyed eggs down.
At that moment, Hank strode in. He paused at the door of the kitchen just as Logan had done earlier, and let out a similarly loud sneeze.
"My stars, Ororo! Did you, perchance, buy out the entire sweet shop?"
Ororo looked up at him, smiling apologetically. "Charles and I were discussing how we don't treat the children like children very often at all, and I thought this was a good chance for it."
"So you went and got enough candy to feed a small army." Logan said from where he was leaning on the counter (he'd picked up one of Ororo's 'practice eggs', and was examining it with feigned nonchalance). "You just want a chance to spoil the damn kids, 'Ro."
"Well, my friend, there's certainly no harm in it. And if it gives the non-practicing of the students a chance to get in the spirit of the season, then I myself have no complaints!" Hank grinned, selecting a chocolate bunny from Ororo's recent candy run. "And these do bring back fond memories."
Ororo smiled pleasantly. "Keep those hands away, Henry McCoy. The sweets are for the children."
Logan guffawed as Hank mocked an expression of utmost hurt and put one furry paw upon his heart. "He is right, you know. You are spoiling them."
She arched an eyebrow. "Is that right? I don't suppose you're taking his side, now?"
Hank put his hands up hastily and innocently. "No, no. Of course not. But you must remember, my dear, that these are no ordinary children we're dealing with."
"Got that right." Logan folded his arms over his chest. "These're kids dealin' with mutant terrorists and giant robot Sentinels every other week, darlin'. An' you want them to go on an egg hunt?"
Ororo, however, was having none of it and resolutely keeping that infamous eyebrow arch trained on the two men. "I'm well aware. I was thinking of arranging something... special, for the children." The paintbrush she'd been holding was delicately set down onto the table with a faint click.
Hank shot Logan a surprised sidelong glance, but found that the feral mutant was already smirking. "Yeah? And just how special are we talkin', here?"
"Well," The weather witch continued, calmly putting away her things as if she were speaking about the weather. "I was thinking of something along the lines of an all powers allowed Easter egg hunt, with a twist or two..."
It was a bright and sunny Easter Sunday that found Kitty returning to Bayville. She'd spent the last week and a half with her family for Passover like she did every year, and that was always something to look forward to. But she learned early on that every time she had to go, it got a little harder to leave what had become a second home.
She waved goodbye to the dark SUV that was pulling out of the mansion gates just as her cab was pulling in. She was kinda disappointed she didn't get to talk to Kurt or Jean and the others before they left with the Professor to hear mass at a church downtown, but she hadn't expected her flight to be so totally delayed by some low pressure areas around Chicago. She glanced up at the clear, cloudless sky over the Institute and grinned. Well, at least Ororo seemed to be in a pretty good mood.
The mansion was curiously empty when she stepped inside. She frowned.
"What, no welcoming committee?" She asked aloud, crossing her arms and pouting.
She was sulking up the stairs when she ran into a speedwalking Rogue at the entrance to the girls' wing.
"Kitty!" she exclaimed as the two roommates helped each other up. "Ah was wonderin' when ya'd get back!"
"Well, I'm here now, aren't I?" She grinned. "Where're you off to, huh? In a hurry to, like, meet someone~?"
Rogue rolled her eyes. "Yeah, just Logan. It's Sunday, but suddenly he says somethin' about wanting everyone outside in – " she checked her wristwatch, "five minutes. So ya better suit up, Kit. Ya know how he feels 'bout latecomers."
"But I just got here!" she protested as Rogue headed off to the stairs.
"So?"
Kitty sighed.
Twenty minutes later, Kitty jogged down across the mansion grounds to where the rest of her fellow students were just standing around. Remy was talking to (rather, talking at) Rogue, Bobby seemed to be telling Ray a joke that looked to be a dirty one, given the mildly disgusted look Laura was throwing them, and how Amara had immediately clapped her hands over Jamie's ears ("But I wanna hear how it ends!"). Jubilee and Danielle were whispering and giggling at something, but paused to wave Kitty over excitedly. She would have waved back, but the way Piotr was subtly smiling at something Tabby told him turned her stomach. All in all, it was a familiar sight, if not for the fact that Wolverine was distinctly absent.
"Hey!" She called out. "I thought Mr. Logan was doing some exercise or whatever."
"Or whatever's right, Half-Pint. Glad ya could join us." Kitty jumped about a foot as a gruff, annoyed voice crackled out of speakers she could not see (she'd later find out he was using some newly-installed speakers around the garden.)
Bobby and Ray snickered, and she scowled. "That's fifteen minutes off yer time, folks. Try'n remember that the next time one'a ya decide t'be late."
One voice rose amidst the resulting chorus of groans.
"Wolverine, do not be ridiculous."
They all quieted down as they heard Storm loud and clear over the speakers. "Because of the circumstance, Shadowcat, we will overlook your late arrival. But please keep in mind that tardiness will be not tolerated next time. Are we clear?"
"Yes, Ms. Munr-… Yes, Storm."
"And Kitty?"
"Yes, Storm?"
"Welcome home."
She beamed.
"Now that we are all here, we may begin. And no, Wolverine, there will be no deductions to their time." She added to the grumbling Logan that they could all still hear.
The children all exchanged grins. Remy, who had somehow crept over to Rogue's side to sling a careless arm around her shoulders, smirked. "The big, bad Wolverine, whipped. Who'da thought, eh?"
"-Nor will there be any more smart comments from you, Gambit. We do have cameras, as I am sure you already know."
He managed a lazy salute (Rogue had immediately and violently shrugged off his arm). "Not another word, Stormy. Thief's honor."
"All right, all right, let's get down to business here." Logan's voice came back on, and this time the kids stood a little straighter.
Hank's voice came on next, professional and just a touch upbeat. "Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is quite simple," he paused, presumably for dramatic effect.
"Find all the eggs."
Tabby was the first to recover. "What the heck?"
"I'm sure you are all, to an extent, familiar with the practice of hunting eggs on this particular Sunday yes?" he continued, sounding a little too cheerful for their tastes.
"Well, yes, but… we thought this was a field exercise, Mr. McCoy." Dani piped up curiously, and a little hopefully. Of the gathered students, she was the one least comfortable with being on the field. Given that her powers weren't exactly the most offensive in nature, it was understandable.
"And it is, Danielle. But who says it can't be a little fun?" They all heard the smile in Ororo's words, but they weren't sure how to feel about that. Before any of them could say any more, Wolverine was speaking again.
"Basically you guys team up and find the eggs. There's somewhere around fifty o'them hidden all around the grounds, and the objective is to find 'em all. Points for every egg found, minus points for every one broken."
At this point, Ray and Bobby could barely contain their laughter. "An Easter Egg Hunt? Seriously?"
"Oh, we're quite serious Mr. Drake, Mr. Crisp." Hank said pleasantly. "We should mention that ten of those eggs are ticking time bombs, courtesy of yours truly."
The garden went dead silent.
"If you succeed," Storm went on, speaking calmly. "you get a free pass the next time Wolverine schedules an early morning Danger Room session."
"And when you guys don't, it's a week of five AM sessions with yours truly. How about that, eh?"
That woke them up. There was a general uproar of protest ("Actual bombs? Are they insane?" "Don't be a wuss! We've faced worse in the Danger Room!" "Or, you know, on the field." "But bombs?" "Exploding Easter eggs, guys! How cool is that?" "Shut up, Bobby."), until Hank cleared his throat.
"You may use your powers to the best of your abilities to locate and diffuse them. However, all bets are off once you cause any property damage to the Institute, so I suggest you use them wisely."
"You have sixty minutes."
They didn't need to see them to know that the adults were all smiling.
Inside the Security Room, Logan was barking some last minute reminders into the mic.
"Laura! This's a team exercise, so don't even think about goin' lone wolf on this."
Ororo hid a smile. Hypocrite, she thought, rearranging a few marshmallow peeps to her liking. She was standing by a long folding table that she'd set up within the room, laden with a little more than a dozen baskets filled with the candy she'd prepared for them. She loved those kids dearly, and even if she thought up the plan herself (the bombs were Logan's idea), she felt a little guilty for leading them on like that.
"I wonder if they will realize that your little bombs are nothing but exploding flashes of light, Henry?"
"You wound me, Ororo! They wouldn't know for sure until the last minute."
"Still think we shoulda used real ones." He was still looking at the screens intently, watching as Rogue and surprisingly Bobby throwing out directions and gathering the team into some semblance of organization. Hopefully 'Ro wouldn't notice his hand creeping towards one of those peeps...
Ororo swatted his hand away. "Wolverine!"
Hank leaned back into his swivel chair, sipping his cup of Irish coffee in contentment. He would have go down the hall to prep the infirmary soon, for he knew that injuries of some sort would be inevitable. But for now, he would kick back and enjoy the show.
