Ellis Island New York - Unity Squad headquarters
It's been a long fucking day for Monet St Croix. A long fucking week truthfully but she's dealt with longer. She swallows as memories of the months she was trapped by her brother swim to the surface of her mind quicker than she can repress them: of how he'd imprisoned her...of how he'd...
No, no point thinking of it now. She could focus on other things but if she wasn't being reminded of Marius, it's worrying about her sisters or thinking about the Hellfire Gala and Orchis - of all the blood, guts and gore...
No she needs a distraction. Glaring at the looming presence of Lady Liberty herself wasn't ideal but it would have to do. Monet is in the middle wondering if she was strong enough to lift the symbol of American "freedom" when she's accosted by a gust of wind and spitting her hair out of her mouth.
"Do you fucking mind?" She shrikes as she turns to glare at one of her new teammates. Quicksilver for his part looks completely unapologetic, rolling his eyes and shrugging at her in response... Lovey. What an asshole.
"Rouge and Psylock sent me to make sure you weren't dead" Quicksilver offers by way of explanation.
"Still alive so why don't you run off to whence you came you prick!"
He smirks at her "Sorry Batman, was I interrupting your all important brooding session?"
"Asshole" she snaps back but she can't help but appriciate having someone to argue with in that moment. Better than glaring at the symbol of American hope that to her felt like the fallacy of the idea of freedom. Monet studies her companion, noting how his usually white hair glowed silver in the moonlight and the way he was holding himself now. When she last met him he was, to put it frankly, a real goddam mess. Malnourished, stressed and unkempt - his costume hanging off him and his eyes wild and crazy. It had been a few years since then and the man standing in front of her now was different - more at peace somehow, definitely less crazy, he'd filled out and was all lean muscle, standing tall with a cocky smirk she'd like to wipe off his face and very...very blue eyes that stood out against his brown skin ... Ok, Pietro Maximoff may be an asshole, but he was an extremely attractive asshole so some of his sins will be tolerated (for now... specially if he didn't speak too much.. Monet was a girl with an appreciation for aesthetics). Monet straightens her back and meets his eyes with a cocky smirk of her own. If he came her for a little verbal sparring she was game and she was curious as to why he was still here. His thoughts were too fast to catch but she didn't need her telepathy to know he wanted something. The question was what.
His eyes flicker over her, too fast for most to catch but Monet is mutant perfection after all, she doesn't miss it. She wonders if he's looking at her the way she looked at him earlier. She gets the impression the instant attraction could be mutual, she couldn't blame him, she knew she was georgous...Jubilee would call her conceited, she just calls it being self aware - Monet instantly stops thinking about Jubilee - she can't go back to the Hellfire Gala. Monet would much rather square up against her hot teammate. She and Pietro start circling each other a little, like two peacocks about to dance.
She feels a little buzzing under her skin. Looks like she'll get the distraction she wanted afterall. Express delivery and everything! Maybe speeders were good for something. Monet makes the first move by cocking her hip and swinging her hair in his face, she's rewarded by a chuckle from him in response.
"I like you Monet St Croix" Quicksilver starts "you're a lot like me full of piss and vinegar" he half smiles at her, a little call back to their first meeting.
"Did you finally take that shower then pompous clown?" She retorts back at him not missing a beat.
"Took a few years but I got there eventually." He responds with a friendly eye roll before gazing at the statue of liberty "She feels oppressive sometimes doesnt she? Like she's standing for a lie? Systems that still fail those that need it? Was that what you were thinking?" His accent is more pronounced in that moment. Monet is a little surprised at the change in subject and taken back by his sincerely. Okay he didn't actually just want to bicker and check her out then. Bummer.
"That she stands for a hollow dream?" He continues.
"Yes" Monet finds herself answering honestly "but she means something to these Americans and when I came to this country she did for me too... I thought I could find a new home. Being black, Algerian, Muslim...it wouldn't matter anymore. I thought the same about Krakoa but it's all just fucked up and with the people we have in charge it may have crumbled from within if Orchis didn't get us." She's not sure why she tells him this but maybe she just needed to say these things, to vent and he was the first one around to listen. She thinks he'll understand. The only other person on this team who would is Kwannon.
"I feel that..." He responds "I've made a home here but I struggle to not be deeply skeptical at times. Wanda and I - we came here two penniless Roma kids escaping someone who should have protected us. We wanted to do right and the first few few years were hard, Steve and Clint helped us a lot but things still got complicated, still "fucked up" as you so eloquently put it...."
She considers him for a moment. He seems ernest and sincere but the conversation is getting too deep for her liking and she wants to push the walls back up before they start braiding each others hair and spilling their deepest secrets. Not the distraction she had in mind honestly- she wanted to tussle with him a little, maybe screw his brains out (could he vibrate? Would he use that in bed?). You know... Get distracted the nice old fashioned way and then move on... The way she has with all her past "boyfriends" (except Everett but he left her first).
She's not telling Quicksilver this...instead she builds up her walls faster than Xavier and Magneto would deny their everlasting love for each other and bristles "What the fuck do you want Pietro?"
The bastard just pastes a stupid grin on his face and tells her "Race you to the top" before he is once again gone in a bush of wind and she is again spitting hair out of her mouth.
"Asshole!" She yells after him, following to the top out of morbid curiosity and as fast as she can despite herself. When she gets to the top she plans on throwing him off. He'll be fine... probably... If he wasn't, well that would be his problem to deal with.
The smug fucker is, of course, already there. Playing up like he'd been waiting there for her for ages. It might have been the case but if he wanted something from her annoying her wasn't the best tactic. She was extremely tempted to throw him into the ocean.
"Shut up!" She cuts him off before he says anything to guarantee that fate. She idly wonders if sex with him would be like a sprint or a marathon before wondering what she was so attracted to the prick at all.
Oh yes she wanted that kind of distraction... Got it. Not like she was spoiled for choice when the other options were two crusty white guys in the form of Deadpool and Captain America. Maybe Deadpool if she was extremely drunk or high or dying from an aneurysm again. Captain America was a hard...hard...pass. He was way too nice a guy and while he meant well, he lacked self awareness when it came to communities he was not a part of, she didn't trust it and he probably smelled of mothballs. Handsome, slightly unhinged and grumpy dickhead Quicksilver it was. She liked her men that way anyways.
The man in question is once again interrupting her train of thought with a "Not my fault you're a sore loser M!"
"You cheated asshole!" She spits back while moving to grab him, he easily side steps her and shes somewhat chasing him around the small observation deck, they're both
laughing. It was a nice little reprieve from all the seriousness of the unity squad and what's happening with Orchis. Okay maybe he wasn't completely insufferable...
He looks more relaxed and she notices the appreciative gaze he gives her as she hovers over him. She thinks that he probably wanted a distraction too (but from what?) and she can work with that. The next moment however is like whiplash and he goes still. His mood shifts and he's breaking eye contact with her before shifting nervously. Monet couldn't help but feel annoyed with him. Why wasn't he just letting her objectify him? She wasn't here to deal with her emotions or his.
"What do you want Pietro? Just spit it out!" She growls at him. Monet St Croix doesn't tolerate anyone killing her buzz no matter how hot they are.
"Do you..." He starts before a myriad of emotions flicker across his face,the loudest being guilt and sadness. He takes a deep breath before the mask is back up but it wasn't fast enough for her to miss it. Finally he spits it out "Do you know what happened to Lorna?"
Oh...
Monet is flooded with sympathy, she thinks of her own little sisters that she would die to protect and softly sets her feet on the metal floor. The soft clang ringing loudly in the quietness that engulfs them.
"Anna Marie and Kwannon don't know." He sighs and sits down. His face lined with grief. "Do you know anything at all? Was she at the gala? Was she there when the attack happened? I just....whatever you can know about my sister... Please I need to know" he begs, firing questions at her almost two fast to catch and the desperation from when she first met him is back in her eyes. He was motivated by love for a sister back then too she realises.
She sits down next to him, her shoulder lightly brushing against his, she feels him lean into it. He's trumming with impatience and nervous energy. It's almost suffocating but she understands. He has skin in the game against Orchis and once again she thinks of Claudette and Nicole and knows how he feels.
"Monet?"
She finally faces him. "I don't know, I'm sorry."
His face falls and he goes still, she hasn't known him long but it looks so wrong on him. She prefers the hyperactivity. Monet casts her mind back to the gala, suddering at the memories, searching for that green head of hair in her memories, for anything about Lorna in all the Chaos...she hopes the bastard appreciates it (was that mean to think?). She remembers something before the chaos and turns to her companion "Wait..." His eyes meet hers again, immediately hopeful. A man this famously salty had no business looking at her like a hopeful little puppy it might actually tug at her heartstrings.
"I... An hour or two before everything went to shit...I saw her leaving the party. She was gone a while before Orchis made their move."
Suddenly she's in his arms in a crushing hug and he's swinging her around laughing and chanting "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
It's a lot for her and it's too sudden - Monet pushes him off her as fast as she can, he falls on his ass but the smile is still on his face.
"Watch your hands asshole!" She snaps at him flustered (she tries to ignore how much she enjoyed the feel of his body against hers). "Sorry" he replies, holding his hands up in surrender and grinning at her stupidly.
He has a nice smile, she doesn't think she's seen him genuinely smile before, just smirk and scowl. He moves away from her a little and while he takes some of his warmth with him, she's greatful for the breathing room.
"She might be okay... there's a chance...thank you Monet!"
"Don't thank me yet, I'm just saying what I remember. We don't know for sure she got away or is safe ..."
"But there is a chance" he counters her "my sister could be out there and she's smart and resourceful...we just have to find her!"
Monet studies him a little, she wasn't an inconsiderate buzzer killer (like some people) but it had to be said "I thought you were a, quote, deeply skeptical man. There are no guarantees, just prepare yourself Pietro..."
She doesn't want to be unkind but there was so many dead, his nephew's boyfriend amongst them (oh gosh, did he know? Did Tommy? Pietro only asked about Lorna which at least meant Tommy wasn't at the party).
"Sometimes I'm an optimist, especially when it comes to my family and I know what my sister is capable of!" He insists before adding in a quieter voice "but I'll always worry..."
Monet shoves down pangs of jealousy at his statements. Did Wanda and Lorna appriciate how lucky they were to have a brother who gave a shit? Who loved them? Not like hers...she quashes the thought immediately and changes the subject "Lorna is a crazy bitch... Orchis wouldn't take her down easily..." She offers him by way of comfort "hopefully we'll find her but don't keep your hopes too high okay?"
The exact emotions flying accross his face are too fast to catch but he gauges her reaction before scooting a little closer to her. The smile on his face is wistful and distance "that she is..." He says fondly before noticing her watching him and looking away. Probably upset he's shown more vulnerability than her wanted to. She would feel the same.
"I'm sorry about what you went through at the gala and the situation your in. If you need space or someone to talk to I'm happy to help." Pietro says taking her by surprise. He seems sincere (he might just be) "Rouge mentioned you had family on Krakoa...are you looking for them too?"
Monet bristles and makes a note to tell Rouge to keep her stupid southern mouth shut but she answers his question anyway (in the spirit of openness and all that) "My sisters weren't on the island thank goodness. They're too young for the hellfire gala anyways. They're safe for now and I'm fighting to keep them that way. My father who knows where he is but he's human and my brother...I don't give a shit...I hope he's dead!"
She hasn't meant to say the last part out loud but thankfully Pietro simply nods and wisely keeps quiet. He might not know her exact history but he knows enough from his own experiences with abusive family members to pick up on the ques.
"That's good to hear about your sisters. I'm relieved for you." He says gently "have you been able to see them?"
"How? They're in Algeria. I can't get to them easily and in a way to keep them safe."
"I'll run you over to see them if you want, we'll probably be able to escape any notice!"
Despite herself, Monet can't help but genuinely smile at him "you would do that for me? We'd have to properly plan it but thank you, that would mean a lot."
Pietro's eyes widen for a second and he looks a little shy and breathless before the smirk and posturing is back... How very mercurial of him.. "you help me find my sister and I help you see yours. You scratch my back and I scratch yours. All is as well as it can be in the world" he tells her.
She laughs at him and Pietro smiles at her in response. "I'm holding you to that promise Quicksilver." (He's not as bad as everyone says he is she realises. He's a kind man for all the posturing. Wearing a mask of disdain was easy. She would know).
Pietro sticks his nose in the air with a "Don't test me woman!" like the pompous git he was born to be and good it was about time. Things were getting to sentimental and friendly for her tastes. Her eyes roam over him again and she is sure he notices as he flexes a little, soaking in her attention. Time to play with her food a little.
"Good..." She slides up to him, just a hairs breath from him and looks at him through her lashes and placing her hands on his shoulders. He gets flustered before covering it with a smirk and letting his eyes roam over her before settling at her lips.
Not so fast Quckie she thinks before shoving him flat into his ass again on the other side of the observation deck and flying as fast as she can back towards the Unity Squad base.
"Race you back to base! Loser drinks a slushy of Steven's bland white people food!" She yells over her shoulder only to get a string to expletives including the words "asshole" and "cheater".
The wold currently fucking sucked but Monet considers she that she may have found herself a small silver lining with this whole unity squad thing and at least Pietro will be a fun distraction if nothing else (and if she's lying to herself a little who gives a shit).